JAMES Forbes, head of security at the Port Authority of Jamaica, yesterday insisted that the island's ports are secure in response to a claim by the United States that Caribbean ports are becoming increasingly vulnerable to terrorist attacks due to "corruption, lax security and limited resources to maintain equipment".

"Jamaican ports have been certified. We were among the first to be certified and have some of the highest levels of security in the region," Forbes told the Observer.

"We have been audited on a number of occasions by the US coast guard and other international agencies and in fact, some of the international auditors have used some of the Jamaican models and described them as the world's best standards," he added.

In its Government Accountability Office report released on Thursday, the US Congress described the "growing influence" of Islamic radical groups as a threat to the Caribbean's maritime security. The Congress also said it had more traditional concerns such as organised gangs, illegal migration and drug trafficking.
"The terrorism threat is low in comparison with what's happening every day in the rest of the world," said Stephen Caldwell, the main author of the report. "But the Islamic radical threat needs a little more focus down there."

The report stated that the alleged plot to blow up the John F Kennedy Airport by Caribbean nationals had raised US concerns about the vulnerability of the region's ports that are used to transit oil, natural gas and millions of American cruise ship passengers each year.

The report stated that US State Department officials have witnessed open, unattended gates and other security gaps at ports where cruise ships dock, despite the fact that "islands vigorously defend" their handling of security at ports that are the points of entry for many tourists.

"The threats are not known, but the vulnerabilities are pretty well known and of concern," Caldwell said.
While violent extremist groups traditionally have not gained traction in the Caribbean, the US counterterrorism officials have expressed concerns about disaffected people on the margins acting on anti-American feelings.

The report, based on information from US agencies and Caribbean government officials, warns of a radical Muslim group that launched a bloody coup attempt in Trinidad in 1990 and said militant organisations, including Hezbollah, have a presence in such countries as Venezuela and Colombia.

But yesterday, Forbes told the Observer that several measures have been implemented over the years to safeguard Jamaica's ports.
"We have the usual scanning equipment that scan 100 per cent of cargo going in and out of the port facilities," he said. "Except for the Bahamas, we are the only country in the region with that kind of facility. We are the only country in the region that operates a high-tech x-ray equipment that can scan containers with up to 12 inches of solid steel."

In addition, Forbes said that Port Bustamante in Kingston and Montego Free Port in Montego Bay have been equipped with comprehensive closed-circuit television control systems.
"We have underwater equipment that does footage of vessels when they enter the port," he added. "We have boats that patrol the port basin in Kingston, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios and this is operated by both the local police and the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard."

Jamaica, he added, was the only country in the region that required police clearance of all persons entering the ports.
Regular audits are also conducted to ensure that the port is up to standard, Forbes said.

"These are done in three ways - snap audit, which is a random visit to the port unannounced; interim audits, done every three months; and an annual audit, which is a comprehensive audit of all the system," Forbes explained.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press

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