Maritime securityMaritime security: words and deeds

The Bush administration has released five of the eight maritime strategy plans which form part of the National Strategy for Maritime Security, the high-level blueprint which itself is part of the Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-13) promulgated by President Bush in September. The release of the of the five points was accompanied by the caveat that some important details are yet to be articulated. Without these details, shipping analysts say, it is difficult to say how the comprehensive maritime security policy would address issues such as importer data versus bills of lading, container seals, and radiation portals. These, precisely, are the details which the maritime sector has so far found difficult to address.

Rajesh Joshi of Lloyd’s List writes that Bush’s plan hits all the right buttons as it offers various levels of support to eight programs — Maritime Commerce Security, Maritime Transportation Systems Security, Maritime Infrastructure Recovery, Maritime Operational Threat Response, Maritime Domain Awareness, Global Maritime Intelligence Integration, and Domestic and International Outreach. Joshi writes that a more careful examination of the documents reveals that many sticky issues are yet to be convincingly addressed. Analysis