Small craft warnings in anti terror regs

NY Times:

Acknowledging that the nation remains too vulnerable to terrorist attack by small planes and recreational boats, the Department of Homeland Security is considering new requirements to allow authorities to identify operators and passengers in millions of these vehicles as they ply the coasts and skies.

Department personnel have been touring the country meeting with trade groups and elected officials to gauge their reaction to the proposed changes, to be issued by the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard.

“What I’m trying to do is to kind of stick my toe in the water and see if I get bit by a piranha,” the Coast Guard commandant, Vice Adm. Thad W. Allen, told a group of state legislators at a recent briefing.

The Coast Guard proposals in particular are still in the conceptual stages but are already drawing protests from boat owners, who under one measure would be required to pass a proficiency test and to carry a form of government-issued identification.

“These are ill-conceived solutions that will inconvenience everyone and not result in a substantial increase in security,” said Michael G. Sciulla, senior vice president of the Boat Owners Association of the United States, which is already organizing to fight the proposals.

The threat posed by small planes and boats has been well documented. While the United States is spending billions of dollars to screen cargo containers carried by ships, as well as passengers and baggage on commercial planes, a small private jet could be used to fly a weapon, or a team of terrorists, into the country.

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I don't think it has been documented at all in the US. How many small craft have been used in terror attacks in the US--zero. As for small planes, there have been a few rare suicides involving them, but none caused serious a serious threat to others. While we are spending billions screening cargo, there is no evidence that al Qaeda has used cargo shipments for terror attacks and certainly none have occurred in this country. While small boats were used in the attack on the Cole, and a similar attack on a French tanker, al Qaeda has not been able to sustain a credible threat to shipping.

I used to do ocean racing in a sailboat. Just the preparation was pretty grueling and time consuming. It appears that the new regulations would add to the prep time.

The boating community is pretty tight knit. I suspect of al Qaeda tried to infiltrate their ops would be spotted pretty quickly.