Coast Guard cuts new path in terror war

As the Coast Guard patrol boat Halibut escorts a giant cruise ship out of port, vacationers get a first-hand glimpse of America's growing focus on homeland defense.

The factory-fresh cutter is clearing a right-of-way 600 yards wide for the floating, maritime playhouse – until it is safely beyond the breakwater of the nation's largest port.

By stepping up its watch on potential terrorist targets such as cruise liners, the Coast Guard illustrates the promise – but also the challenges – involved in the planned merger of nearly two dozen federal agencies into a new Department of Homeland Security this fall.

Coast Guard crews could benefit from increased staff and funding. Its efforts to collaborate with other agencies could get a boost by joining under one banner.

Still, the emphasis on homeland defense may come at a cost. As cruise ships get more attention, it is possible that foreign fish poachers or drug smugglers will get less.

Coast Guard officials say crews like the 10 people aboard the Halibut are accustomed to multitasking. Putting top priority on terrorism won't mean forgetting to rescue storm-tossed boats or clean oil spills, they say. But critics say the legislation leaves some key questions of oversight – especially the balancing of security and nonsecurity duties – unresolved.

"This is a real, major concern for us in the fishing industry," says Zeke Grader, president of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations.

"In the 1980s, after the big push for drug interdiction, we saw the [Coast Guard's] search and rescue mission really suffer."

Such concerns are paralleled at several of the 21 other federal agencies that are expected to be folded into the Homeland Security Department.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, for example, traditionally focuses much of its attention on hurricanes and floods, not responding to terrorist acts. And the Secret Service, while focused on safeguarding the president and on securing major events like the Super Bowl, also has major anti-counterfeiting operations.

Congress is still working out details. The House has passed its version, and the Senate will consider the new department in September. But the agency's basic concept enjoys bipartisan support.

To some degree, in fact, the legislation will merely be solidifying efforts that are already under way.

With the nation's ports viewed as vulnerable to terror attacks, the Coast Guard has been adapting its priorities since Sept. 11.

In addition to escorting cruise ships, the Guard plans to add a 100-strong force of ever-ready commandos in Long Beach by September.

Page: 1 | 2