Port security funds will run out in 2013

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A WMD terrorist attack on US soil is inevitable in the status quo—the only question is when and where

Such an attack could be launched by foreign terrorists, lone wolves who are terrorists, or even by criminal elements, Majidi says. It would most likely employ chemical, biological, or radiological weapons rather than a nuclear device. As it is, Majidi says, American intelligence picks up hundreds of reports each year of foreign terrorists obtaining WMD. When American forces invaded Afghanistan, they found that al-Qaida was working on what Majidi calls a “nascent” weapons of mass destruction effort involving chemical and biological weapons. In every other case so far, the reports of foreign terrorists obtaining WMD have turned out to be unfounded. However, Majidi’s directorate within the FBI investigates more than a dozen cases in the U.S. each year where there was intent to use WMD. For example, in 2008, the FBI arrested Roger Bergendorff, who was found to have ricin and anarchist literature. Ricin kills cells by inhibiting protein synthesis. Within several days, the liver, spleen, and kidneys of a person who inhales or ingests ricin stop working, resulting in death. “The notion of probability of a WMD attack being low or high is a moot point because we know the probability is 100 percent,” Majidi says. “We’ve seen this in the past, and we will see it in the future. There is going to be an attack using chemical, biological or radiological material.” Even a WMD attack that does not kill a great number of people would have a crushing psychological impact. “A singular lone wolf individual can do things in the dark of the night with access to a laboratory with low quantities of material and could hurt a few people but create a devastating effect on the American psyche,” Majidi says.

The terrorists will smuggle the WMD into the US through our ports

Kouri, 2011 (Jim, Board Member of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, “WMD seized entering U.S., but details remain a mystery”, Examiner, February 15, http://www.examiner.com/article/wmd-seized-entering-u-s-but-details-remain-a-mystery, SZ)

A U.S. customs officer is quoted by a local San Diego TV news show as saying that government protection personnel intercepted what was termed a weapon of mass effect. Other than that statement, which was televised on February 11, there were few details. When asked if U.S. homeland security agencies intercepted chemical agents or other weapons at U.S. ports of entry, San Diego's Assistant Port Director Al Hallor replied, "At the airport, seaport, at our port of entry we have not this past fiscal year, but our partner agencies have found those things.” When pressed for information regarding radiological "dirty bombs" or nuclear weapons, Hallor said, "Correct. Weapons of mass effect." Hallor hinted that such a device has been located at a U.S. point of entry, but he would not specify where.

The attack will be nuclear--Terrorists want to obtain nuclear weapons

Brill and Luongo, 2012 (Kenneth C., former U.S. ambassador of I.A.E.A, and Kenneth N., president of the Partnership for Global Security, “Nuclear Terrorism- A Clear Danger”, New York Times, March 15, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/16/opinion/nuclear-terrorism-a-clear-danger.html, SZ)

At least four terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda, have demonstrated interest in using a nuclear device. These groups operate in or near states with histories of questionable nuclear security practices. Terrorists do not need to steal a nuclear weapon. It is quite possible to make an improvised nuclear device from highly enriched uranium or plutonium being used for civilian purposes. And there is a black market in such material. There have been 18 confirmed thefts or loss of weapons-usable nuclear material. In 2011, the Moldovan police broke up part of a smuggling ring attempting to sell highly enriched uranium; one member is thought to remain at large with a kilogram of this material.

Nuclear terrorism attack leads to extinction

Ahmed, 04

(Mohamed Sid, political analysis, Extinction!, Al-Abram Weekly Online, August 26 – September 1, http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/705/op5.htm, ME)

A nuclear attack by terrorists will be much more critical than Hiroshima and Nagazaki, even if -- and this is far from certain -- the weapons used are less harmful than those used then, Japan, at the time, with no knowledge of nuclear technology, had no choice but to capitulate. Today, the technology is a secret for nobody. So far, except for the two bombs dropped on Japan, nuclear weapons have been used only to threaten. Now we are at a stage where they can be detonated. This completely changes the rules of the game. We have reached a point where anticipatory measures can determine the course of events. Allegations of a terrorist connection can be used to justify anticipatory measures, including the invasion of a sovereign state like Iraq. As it turned out, these allegations, as well as the allegation that Saddam was harbouring WMD, proved to be unfounded. What would be the consequences of a nuclear attack by terrorists? Even if it fails, it would further exacerbate the negative features of the new and frightening world in which we are now living. Societies would close in on themselves, police measures would be stepped up at the expense of human rights, tensions between civilisations and religions would rise and ethnic conflicts would proliferate. It would also speed up the arms race and develop the awareness that a different type of world order is imperative if humankind is to survive. But the still more critical scenario is if the attack succeeds. This could lead to a third world war, from which no one will emerge victorious. Unlike a conventional war which ends when one side triumphs over another, this war will be without winners and losers. When nuclear pollution infects the whole planet, we will all be losers.

Plan solves

Rugy 05

(Veronique de, Senior Research Fellow at George Mason University, Is Port Security Spending Make Us Safer?, American Enterprise Institute, 9-7-2005, http://cip.management.dal.ca/publications/Is%20Port%20Security%20Spending%20Making%20Us%20Safer.pdf, ME)

In ports, as with all stationary targets, the attacker has a natural advantage because he gets to choose where to attack. The German thrust into Western Europe in World War II is a natural analog: The Wehrmacht simply side-stepped the impressive defenses built by the French in the Maginot Line. Similarly, terrorists will attack wherever the defenses are weakest. Because of this advantage for terrorists, intelligence gathering and counterintelligence are often the most cost-effective defense. The defender can thwart the attackers before the attack is even launched or deploy personnel and equipment exactly where the attack is anticipated. The second-best solution is to mitigate damage after an attack. Without knowing where or how the attack will occur, the defender can lower the expected damage by developing plans for the aftermath of an attack. For a port, such plans might include evacuating civilians and personnel, placing emergency equipment within easy reach, 5

training personnel to handle emergencies and attacks, and developing business continuity strategies to allow the port to get up and running quickly after an attack. The third-best option for defending against direct attack is direct prevention. Such defenses include physical barriers (e.g., fences), surveillance equipment (e.g., closed-circuit television), and access control systems for employees and visitors. Given that such direct defenses are only as good as their weakest link, they tend not to be cost effective: one has to protect everything from every possible mode of attack. So, as with almost all counter-terrorism, the focus should be on intelligence. But if intelligence is not possible or adequate, the focus should be on damage mitigation. Direct prevention should be only the last resort.

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