Terrorism remains an ever present threat in the U.S. Critical infrastructure and key resources (CI/KR) will continue to be enticing targets for terrorist activities for a number of reasons, including their economic impact (e.g. 9/11), symbology (e.g. U.S.S. Cole) and their psychological impact to a surrounding city or nation. Asymmetric in nature, terrorist seek to cripple their enemies by attacking components of a larger system. For example, in her 2002 report for Congress, Gail Makinen writes, “Insurance was one of two industries profoundly affected by 9/11. The loss of life and property gave rise to the largest property/casualty claim in history, estimated at $40 billion” (p. 4). She goes on to say that “following the terrorist attacks
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Further, there are 110,000 commercial fishing vessels as well as thousands of towing vessels and uninspected passenger vessels operating within the maritime domain…Many sites of CIKR in the maritime domain are vulnerable to small vessel attacks. Additionally, small vessels routinely operate within close proximity of high-profile targets such as passenger craft, large commercial or cargo vessels, military warships, major bridges, critical waterfront industry, and other maritime infrastructure.” (DHS, 2008, pp. …show more content…
The scenarios, listed below, are all relevant to the Port of Boston and, if they came to fruition, would cause severe economic, environmental and public safety concerns. The terrorist threat scenarios include:
a. Use of commercial cargo containers to smuggle terrorists, nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons or other dangerous materials into the United States.
b. Seizing control of a large commercial ship and using it as a collision weapon against CI/KR.
c. Sinking a large commercial cargo ship in a shipping channel, thereby blocking all traffic to/from the port.
d. Attacking a large ship carrying volatile fuel and detonate the fuel causing a massive in-port explosion.
e. Attacking an oil tanker in a port or at a discharge facility, thereby disrupting the world oil trade, disrupting the local supply chain and causing a large-scale environmental
Further, there are 110,000 commercial fishing vessels as well as thousands of towing vessels and uninspected passenger vessels operating within the maritime domain…Many sites of CIKR in the maritime domain are vulnerable to small vessel attacks. Additionally, small vessels routinely operate within close proximity of high-profile targets such as passenger craft, large commercial or cargo vessels, military warships, major bridges, critical waterfront industry, and other maritime infrastructure.” (DHS, 2008, pp. …show more content…
The scenarios, listed below, are all relevant to the Port of Boston and, if they came to fruition, would cause severe economic, environmental and public safety concerns. The terrorist threat scenarios include:
a. Use of commercial cargo containers to smuggle terrorists, nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons or other dangerous materials into the United States.
b. Seizing control of a large commercial ship and using it as a collision weapon against CI/KR.
c. Sinking a large commercial cargo ship in a shipping channel, thereby blocking all traffic to/from the port.
d. Attacking a large ship carrying volatile fuel and detonate the fuel causing a massive in-port explosion.
e. Attacking an oil tanker in a port or at a discharge facility, thereby disrupting the world oil trade, disrupting the local supply chain and causing a large-scale environmental