Threat Scenario: WMDs Hidden in Cargo Containers
This chapter’s Discussion Board is intended to stimulate critical debate about the transporting of weapons of mass destruction via containerized cargo.
Many millions of cargo containers are transported each year on seaborne carriers. These containers are unloaded at ports around the world. The terrorist threat scenario is clear and uncomplicated: Weapons of mass destruction and other explosives could conceivably be hidden within seaborne cargo containers. The plausibility of this threat suggests that the use of cargo containers as conveyances for weapons of mass destruction may simply be a matter of time.
1. Why haven’t terrorist organizations more aggressively attempted to infiltrate the container trade?
2. Under what conditions will terrorist organizations begin utilizing cargo containers as weapons?
3. What counterterrorist measures can be implemented to deny terrorists access to the container trade?
4. What is the worst-case scenario for the aftermath of a terrorist attack using cargo containers?
5. What is the future of maritime security?
