[ RadSafe ] Radiation Sensors to Scan U.S. Air Cargo

[BLHamrick at aol.com]

Interestingly, the LA Times if finally coming around.  Here's an  excerpt 
from one of today's editorials ("Adjusting to 9/11"):
 
"The consequences of our war footing [i.e., characterizing our fight  against 
terrorists as a "war"] are not only restrictions on our freedom and  privacy 
that would never be tolerated under ordinary circumstances, but the  
expenditure of billions of dollars on measures that may not be justified. As  just one 
example, is the degree of danger posed by the theoretical possibility  that 
terrorists might put a "dirty bomb" in a shipping container really great  enough 
to justify the amount we're spending to prevent it from happening?"
 
Finally, someone's paying attention to the cost-benefit ratio.   The effort 
to screen every container for RAM reminds me of the whole  "the Large Hadron 
Collider will suck us all into a black hole" nonsense.   Everything has risk.  
We need to evaluate it intelligently.
 
Barbara
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 9/11/2008 12:15:51 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
cjb01 at health.state.ny.us writes:



"History is a nightmare from which I am trying to  awake."   ~ James Joyce


Clayton J.  Bradt
dutchbradt at hughes.net
*******************************

Thursday,  September 11, 2008


Radiation Sensors to Scan U.S. Air  Cargo


The United States plans to begin scanning cargo shipments on  freight and
passenger aircraft for potential radiological and  nuclear-weapon materials,
USA Today reported today (see GSN, June  19).


The scanning program, based on a recommendation from the Sept.  11
commission (see GSN, July 23, 2004), is aimed at closing a security  gap
terrorists have not specifically indicated plans to exploit.   The
technology is scheduled to be used first beginning this week at  Washington
Dulles International Airport, followed by another four  unspecified airports
by the end of 2008 and ultimately at the 30 largest  U.S. airports.


“Our focus is on the international cargo,” although  radiation detectors are
meant to scan all cargo, said U.S. Customs and  Border Protection Deputy
Commissioner Jayson Ahern.


Some  airports could use dozens of the radiation detection machines, which
each  cost $450,000 to put in place.  However, Dulles is expected to  only
need one of the Radiation Portal Monitors.


The United  States should emphasize counterproliferation efforts overseas
rather than  new airport checkpoints that could hinder the movement of
cargo, according  to critics.


"This is a gross waste of money," said Randall Larsen,  a terrorism analyst
formerly with the National War College.  "They're  asking the wrong
question.  It's not how to prevent a nuke from  entering the United States,
it's how do we prevent al-Qaeda from becoming a  nuclear power?"


U.S. Representative Ed Markey (D-Mass.) backed the  scanning effort.


"The detonation of a weapon of mass destruction or  dirty bomb inside our
country would be a devastating blow, and we must make  every effort to
thwart such an attack," he said.  "Given the severity  of the security
threat, screening all incoming cargo for the presence of  radiation is a
welcome and important development" (Mimi Hall, USA Today,  Sept.  11).
*********************************************


IMPORTANT  NOTICE:  This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential 
or  sensitive information which is, or may be, legally privileged or otherwise 
 protected by law from further disclosure.  It is intended only for the  
addressee.  If you received this in error or from someone who was not  authorized 
to send it to you, please do not distribute, copy or use it or any  
attachments.  Please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and  delete this from 
your system. Thank you for your  cooperation.



_______________________________________________
You  are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list

Before posting a  message to RadSafe be sure to have read and understood the 
RadSafe rules.  These can be found at: 
http://radlab.nl/radsafe/radsaferules.html

For  information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings visit: 
 http://radlab.nl/radsafe/





**************Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion blog, 
plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com.      
(http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014)