The changing of command at NORTHCOM to a naval officer, namely Admiral Timothy Keating, and his vow to enhance maritime security nationwide certainly reflects the nature of current thought on terrorist threats. He has acknowledged that while improvements have been made, security is still porous and the frequency of container security screening is still nowhere near large enough. While the attacks of September 11 (Terrorist Incident) came from the air, it is certainly possible that terrorists may try to probe other areas of vulnerability, namely the sea via our ports. There are many different types of scenarios that can be envisaged, some of them have already taken place outside the US–the bombing of the USS Cole (Terrorist Incident) off the coast of Yemen and the French tanker the Limburg (Terrorist Incident) in the same region.

In addition to the fact that container security screening is not rigorous enough, it is estimated that less than five percent of containers are inspected, according to the Washington Post; realistically, it is not possible to inspect every container without bringing international commerce to a grinding halt. It is important, however, to increase the low inspection rate but to also have better screening processes in place in the first place. According to the DHS Inspector General?s report on this topic released in October 2004, detection equipment and search procedures need to be improved for oceangoing containers. Specific radiation monitors are needed in each port as well as enough inspectors to search a container when an alarm goes off. The real fear is, of course, that terrorists may smuggle in components of a weapon of mass destruction (WMD).