(Article information from Reuters)

Senators pressed the Bush administration on Tuesday to boost rail security investment, and promised legislation to safeguard trains and subways in the aftermath of the deadly Madrid bombings.

The March 11 attack in Spain on four trains by suspected radical Islamists killed 190 people and has prompted an urgency in Congress to boost security for sprawling freight and passenger rail networks and mass transit systems used by millions of people each day in major U.S. cities.

Several rail security proposals are being considered by lawmakers, including a $515 million bi-partisan Commerce Committee bill. That plan would provide money to assess vulnerabilities nationwide, test bag and passenger screening technology, and improve surveillance of rail facilities.

Two previous Commerce Committee rail security bills were never considered by the full Senate for a variety of reasons including the cost of implementing the requirements. McCain said if that happens again he might attach the measure to a must-pass bill as an amendment.

Senators have argued with Bush administration officials over security priorities, saying they believe there has been a a dramatic under-investment in rail security since the 2001 airline hijack attacks. Lawmakers said the government has spent billions on aviation security but only $115 million on rail security.

Asa Hutchinson, homeland security undersecretary, defended the administration's efforts, noting the agency's announcement on Monday that it would begin a pilot program for screening rail passengers and their bags for bombs. He also said more money would be available for rail security in the 2005 budget.

(Article information from the Associated Press)

Since 1936, a lone federal worker in New Orleans has sat in a tower along the Mississippi River, scanning the water with binoculars and contacting captains by radio on whether to proceed or stop their vessels.

Not for long. The radioman will be gone by the end of the year, replaced by a new computerized system that will track and send messages to all large vessels on the lower Mississippi.

The system will be in place at all major US seaports in 2005 as part of a security overhaul at the nation's ports, where officials fear a terrorist attack could cause economic and environmental disasters.

Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, every foreign vessel heavier than 300 tons has been forced to notify the Coast Guard four days before arriving at a US port. The ship must provide a cargo list, its last five ports of call, destination in the United States, and name, nationality, and passport or identity number of every crew member.

The FBI, Coast Guard, and other agencies say they have transformed seaport patrols, restrictions, and safety measures. Coast Guard officers around the country board any ship, sometimes dropping from helicopters, if they learn a member of its crew has suspicious paperwork.

New Orleans will be one of the country's first ports to institute a new system of monitoring large commercial vessels. By January, commercial ships 65 feet or longer, except fishing boats, will be blocked from entering the port unless they are equipped with electronic boxes that automatically transmit data about the vessels to the Coast Guard.

Large oil tankers, cruise ships, and large tug and tow boats on the river's lower 280 miles will show up as blips on computer screens in a downtown New Orleans office tower. With a mouse click, Coast Guard workers will be able to examine detailed information on each ship: where it came from, where the captain is headed, and what is being hauled.
By 2005, the system will be mandatory for large commercial vessels entering the ports of New Orleans, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York City, San Francisco, and Houston. The installation will cost about $10,000 per ship.

The Coast Guard boards ships with sketchy paperwork, unusual cargo, or a connection to countries deemed suspicious. Other agencies involved in security around the New Orleans port include Customs, the Louisiana National Guard, and local police.

Huge tankers and barges are not the only threat. The biggest maritime terrorist act against the United States was an explosion that killed 17 American sailors aboard the USS Cole in 2000. The suicide bombers used a small boat in the attack.

On the lower Mississippi, potential terror targets include the levee, which prevents flooding in New Orleans, and the massive cruise ships that can carry as many as 3,000 passengers.

The IEEE Dallas CVT Society and the DFW Homeland Security Alliance are holding a joint symposium on Communications and Security Tomorrow (CAST) Symposium on Tuesday, April 20 beginning at 7 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Select located at Central Expressway south of Campbell Road.

Topics to be discussed include wireless applications for homeland security, securing communication against terrorism and a panel discussion on a first response scenario in the event of an attack.

There is a $40 charge for members of either IEEE CVT or the DFW Homeland Security Alliance and a $55 for non-members. For more information or to register, see http://www.cvt-dallas.org/details.htm.