Keeping our ports safe
4/3/2004
YOUR FRONT-page story in Tuesday's Globe addresses Richard Clarke's concern that LNG tankers that bring gas to Everett carried stowaways with links to Al Qaeda ("Ex-official links LNG tankers, Al Qaeda," March 30). While this is bad enough, the Globe might investigate who owns these vessels, where they are registered, and what flag they are flying. Putting American owned ships under flags of convenience began after World War II when US ship companies began downsizing their fleets, and registering them overseas in countries such as Panama, Honduras, Malta, and the Bahamas. This allowed them to hire professional European and colonial merchant mariners like myself at lower pay, while escaping US taxes and safety regulations.
This program escalated over the years, and today there are very few American-owned ships flying the Stars and Stripes, and it's my understanding that most American-owned ships are manned by Korean, Philippine, and Asian crews.
Before Al Qaeda raised its ugly head, the religion of the master, deck, engine, and stewards department was never an issue. But today it's a different matter.
Wouldn't America be safer if President Bush spent some of the money budgeted for an unproven missile defense system to have vessels carrying LNG-type cargos registered in America and manned by US Coast Guard profiled and licensed American crews, rather than have our ships manned by multiethnic crews who quite naturally feel bitter when the US Immigration denies them shore leave once their ship docks in an American port?
PAUL BRAILSFORD
Ipswich
© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
