|
'The most dangerous two miles in America'
'The most dangerous two miles in America'
Drive up and down the New Jersey Turnpike, and it's easy to see
why this state is a potential playground for terrorists. There is
a two mile stretch from Newark Airport to Port Elizabeth that
terrorism experts have dubbed, "The most dangerous two miles in
America."
"It's the consequence that frankly scares the pants off of us,
when you think about what might happen in such a congested area,"
says New Jersey Homeland Security Director Richard Canas.
New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the country.
And on this particular swath of land there are hundreds of
potential terrorist targets -- chemical plants, rail yard, rail
lines, refineries, an international airport, and the third
largest port in the country, Port Elizabeth.
If a terrorist were to strike one of the many chlorine gas plants
here, how much damage could he do?
Canas says a worst-case attack would bring lethal harm to more
than 12 million people in a 14 mile radius. Even so, he's most
concerned about the port itself. More than four million
containers arrive there every year. But they are only inspected
on the way out, not on the way in.
Clark Kent Ervin, a CNN security analyst and former inspector
general of DHS, says New Jersey needs more money, better
technology, and tighter perimeter security to really protect
itself.
Canas tells me he has asked the federal government for $800
million to secure the state, but only got 10 percent of that. So
he's forced to rely on tips from the public to keep safe. This
year, his homeland security department received only one tip
about a suspicious vessel.
What makes the chemical plants vulnerable?
Canas says only a fraction of the security requirements are
mandated by the state of New Jersey. Most policing is left up to
the plants themselves.
I spent some time yesterday in Kearny, New Jersey, where many of
the potential targets fall. I talked to Deputy Police Chief Jack
Corbett, who told me, "We have adequate patrols there. Could we
staff that area 24 hours a day with 100 people to try and keep
terrorists away? I don't think that's possible."
The railways in the area are another concern. Given the passenger
train bombings in India and London, Canas has added rail marshals
and is increasing training for transit police.
After hearing about all these vulnerabilities, I wonder how much
will be enough when it comes to deterring terrorism.
Posted By Randi Kaye, CNN Correspondent: 2:46 PM ET
My department is just outside the "2 miles" and is on standby
every other month to respond there if there is
an attack.Most of these places you could drive right up to the
storage tanks and shoot it up.
--
The thing about a shark, it's got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like
a doll's eyes. When it comes at you it doesn't seem to be
livin'... until he bites you, and those black eyes roll over
white.
66.55.131.50:27015 CSS Server Mani Admin enabled
|
Linear Mode
