WASHINGTON, DC—Following the terror plot last week to ship explosive devices from Yemen in packages, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano asking for a full assessment of cargo screening and the progress toward screening all cargo. Senator Casey, Chairman of the Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also focused on high risk international shipping points.
“I understand that the TSA has made strides over the past decade to increase cargo inspection, but deficiencies remain in coordinating with foreign governments and private industry as well as the procurement of more effective technology,” wrote Senator Casey.
Senator Casey also noted the large increase in volume of shipping: “With a large percentage of that increase attributed to shipments to and from the Middle East and Africa where screening systems may not be as rigorous, we must ensure that the United States is employing an effective multi-layered screening system to detect dangerous packages.”
As mandated by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, the Department of Homeland Security is required to screen 100% of cargo on inbound passenger aircraft flights by August 2010. Despite this mandate, as of May 2010, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires that only 75% of air cargo travelling on passenger planes be screened. Moreover, according to a June 2010 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, TSA can only screen approximately 65% of international shipments because they are not collecting data from “air carriers or foreign governments on what percentage of cargo is actually being screened.”
A copy of the letter is below:
November 02, 2010
The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
Dear Secretary Napolitano:
Thank you for your work as Secretary of Homeland Security to keep the American people safe. Last weekend’s disrupted terrorist plot serves as a stark reminder that the administration must upgrade its capability to screen cargo coming into the United States. While I am pleased that the suspicious packages on the planes that landed at the Philadelphia International Airport were cleared, this attempted attack highlights the need to have an effective multi-layered cargo screening process that is able to readily identify suspicious packages at their origins.
As mandated by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, the Department of Homeland Security is required to screen 100% of cargo on inbound passenger aircraft flights by August 2010. Despite this mandate, as of May 2010, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires that only 75% of air cargo travelling on passenger planes be screened. Moreover, according to a June 2010 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, TSA can only screen approximately 65% of international shipments because they are not collecting data from “air carriers or foreign governments on what percentage of cargo is actually being screened.” These issues fall well short of the law and what is required to protect the safety of Americans.
I understand that the TSA has made strides over the past decade to increase cargo inspection, but deficiencies remain in coordinating with foreign governments and private industry as well as the procurement of more effective technology. Based on previous mandates and this incident, please address the following questions:
• What measures are the TSA taking to meet its 100% cargo screening requirement? Has TSA identified a time frame in which this mandate can be met?
• What, if anything, will impede your ability to ensure 100% screening in the next three years?
• What steps has the TSA taken to identify high risk transshipment points such as Yemen that may warrant additional layers of screening?
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation July 2010 report, air freight between the United States and the world increased by 28.7% between March 2009 and March 2010 to 818,788 tons. With a large percentage of that increase attributed to shipments to and from the Middle East and Africa where screening systems may not be as rigorous, we must ensure that the United States is employing an effective multi-layered screening system to detect dangerous packages.
I look forward to working with you to ensure that we have the policies and programs in place that will protect the American people.
Sincerely,
Robert P. Casey, Jr.
United States Senate
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