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Admiral James M. Loy says Nation's Maritime Community is Valuable and Vulnerable.

26 June, 2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Admiral James Milton Loy, USCG (Ret.), former Commandant of the Coast Guard and current Deputy Under Secretary for Transportation Security and Chief Operating Officer of the Transportation Security Administration, said the maritime community in the U.S. would have been a more meaningful target for terror because in his words it is both "valuable and vulnerable."

The Admiral explained how the U.S. mindset had in general, become complacent due to the end of the Cold War and the destruction of the last visible threat to U.S. national security. Concerning September 11, Admiral Loy rationalized how the effects could have been less detrimental had the government followed a different prevention plan; one that included awareness and understanding as the first step.

With this in mind, he introduced the Coast Guard's new Five-Point Maritime Prevention Plan. The first point in the plan is to identify the maritime domain. The Coast Guard did this by claiming responsibility for all vessels, people, and cargo on the water. This step focuses on awareness, an element Loy thinks needs the most immediate attention.

The second point made is protecting the political infrastructure. This was addressed shortly after September 11, by asking Captains of Port around the country to list and prioritize both the inventory and responsibilities of that port.

Response is the third point. Certain methods have been applied to help cut response time. These include a mandatory 96-hour data report requirement to ensure correct captain identification as well as cargo content approval.

The fourth aspect of the plan is presence. This includes a three-year program aimed at building a greater presence on the water.

The final point is outreach. This requires national, state, and local authorities to communicate and understand what is happening in the waters at all times. A national port security template was designed and will be implemented over the next two years. Admiral Loy closed by stressing the importance of communication on all nautical levels, describing it as an "all-hands revolution" needed throughout the maritime domain. The Admiral made his remarks at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies’ Executive Luncheon Series held at the Institute on June 19, 2002.

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The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is an independent, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit public policy research institute, and is dedicated to the development and implementation of policies that advocate and manage the increasing role of science and technology in our evolving world.