CONGRESSMAN PETER KING: “A COMMON SENSE SECURITY LEADER”

The political explosion fueled by national media, and a campaign against the Dubai take-over of security contracts for six US ports, exposed arcane and relatively obscure maritime security policies. The controversy was not a new issue to Long Island Congressional Representative Peter King. King grasped the issue of port vulnerabilities in his 2003 novel: “Vale of Tears” where alternate chapters chronicle real September 11th events and their aftermath, with a fictitious future terrorist attack planned at a port in Europe. King explained, during his special interview with Okasana Farber, Security and HR Director for Goldman Associates, Inc., and Law Enforcement Liaison for The Long Island ASIS International Chapter, “I wrote the future chapters to show that this is an on-going threat: that even though we overcame September 11th, even though we fought back because of September 11th, even though in many ways we are stronger than ever, the threat is still there. “Airports are much easier to control. But the ports are so stretched out, so open, so vulnerable... and difficult to protect…”

Cargo shipping represents nearly $1 trillion or 95% of our trade. Ships enter or leave through 361 home seaports. These ports receive more than 8,500 foreign vessels and handle more than 55,000 calls per year. Approximately 800 million tons of goods come into our country, including more than 9 million containers and 175 billion gallons of oil and other fuels. From King’s perspective: if Al Qaeda’s stated goal is a commitment to causing maximum harm to Americans and maximum damage to the American economy, than clearly our ports are enticing targets.

"September 11th changed our lives emotionally and psychologically. For me professionally, the main change is that in Congress I devote almost all of my time to homeland security matters, to Islamic terrorism, and to overseas issues as they deal with terrorism… Almost everything I do in government and politics is geared towards fighting
international terrorism. So much of it is linked to Islamic terrorism. I got on the temporary and then the permanent Select Committee of Homeland Security. That is also why I ran for Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and was elected in September.”

The New York Daily News describes Peter King: “Straight talk is King’s strength.” And, when discussing ASIS International, without hesitation, the Chairman delivered his straight talk: “I definitely think that it’s important. In many ways you have ASIS doing the government’s work for it! I think the Department of Homeland Security has to find a way to acknowledge that, work with that, and find a way of accepting it, so that key people are interchangeable.

The main thing that I would do is to encourage the DHS to be ready to put itself in a position of being able to work more with the private sector and make more use of that expertise; to find areas that, in effect, you could be doing our job for us. To me, that is to everyone’s benefit and most of all a benefit to the country because it makes us all secure. There has to be a more facilitated working relationship between the DHS and between ASIS and similar organizations in the private sector around the country.”

In relation to ASIS International’s 50 year history of security management and a membership which includes top security people from nearly all critical infrastructure companies—680 out of the Fortune 1000—the Chairman said,“The key number is that 85% of critical infrastructures are owned by the private sector. The government has a large role as far as overall policy and setting overall general standards, but the reality is that the day-to-day work depends upon the private sector. There has to be much more coordination between the private sector and the government and the exchange of information. We have to find ways where the DHS can share intelligence with the private sector, and support their work and ASIS training.

Chairman King has accepted an invitation to be Guest Speaker at an ASIS International New York City Chapter luncheon in Autumn 2006.

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