Coast Guard Puts On High Profile Security Cruise in New York
While Leaving Ferries Unguarded

NEW YORK, New York (Mar. 7, 2005)--The Coast Guard Cutter Hawser steams up the East River near midtown Manhattan during a Homeland Security patrol March 7, 2005. Looking to maintain these patrols and the Coast Guard's many other missions, Adm. Thomas H. Collins, commandant of the Coast Guard, recently delivered the fiscal year 2006 budget request before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. The request called for an 11 percent increase over the 2005 funding level. "The budget provides the resources necessary to continue recapitalizing the Coast Guard's aging cutters, boats, aircraft, and supporting infrastructure, while building out maritime safety and security capabilities essential to meeting present and future mission demands," said Collins. USCG photo by PA1 Mike Hvozda.

While the Coast Guard has been requesting more and more money for homeland security expenses and flying the flag in high visibility cruises in New York harbor, an inspection of the Cape May-Lewes ferry, the same day as the above show near Manhattan, revealed security to be non-existent.  Trucks, buses and cars were allowed to enter onto ferry boats carrying hundreds of people without any inspection of the vehicles prior to boarding.  The total lack of security extended to the boarding of foot passengers as well as those in the vehicles, which would have allowed terrorists with car bombs to easily be able to board and blow up the vessel.

Homeland security around the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant and the Cove Point LNG facility are equally woeful and recent incidents with middle eastern males showing up at the gates testing security have failed to produce any tangible counter-measures or strengthening of security.