The Container Security Initiative:
Refer to this required website from your Background readings: CSI: Container Security Initiative.
Cargo must be checked, but it is impossible to screen tens of millions of containers every year without bringing the global economy to its knees. The DHS mandate is for 100% screening of all shipping containers.
CSI addresses the threat to border security and global trade posed by the potential for terrorist use of a maritime container to deliver a weapon of mass destruction. The three core elements of CSI are:
Identify high-risk containers. CBP uses automated targeting tools to identify containers that pose a potential risk for terrorism, based on advance information and strategic intelligence.
Prescreen and evaluate containers before they are shipped. Containers are screened as early in the supply chain as possible, generally at the port of departure.
Use technology to prescreen high-risk containers to ensure that screening can be done rapidly without slowing down the movement of trade. This technology includes large-scale X-ray and gamma-ray machines and radiation detection devices.
Do you think this is achievable without disrupting the global economy? Why or why not?
Remember to support your statements with examples and references, and challenge your classmates if you disagree!