New Faculty Publication: Craig Allen on Cargoes of Doom

Craig H. Allen, Cargoes of Doom: National Strategies of the U.S. to Combat the Illicit Transport of Weapons of Mass Destruction by Sea, in The Oceans in the Nuclear Age; Legacies and Risks 295 (2010).

Professor Allen's chapter describes established legal and strategic programs for combating terrorism and weapons of mass destruction and providing for homeland, maritime, and national security. Given that threats to America's security may come from unfriendly nations, rogue regimes, non-state organizations, and crime syndicates, the United States has joined other nations in developing multilateral counter-proliferation strategies, with a focus on the role of the maritime sector.

The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is a major element in this effort.

Elements of the PSI include strengthened export control and trade inspections; sharing of information on suspected shipments, shippers, consignees and carriers; and increased searches of vessels, planes, and vehicles.

Multilateral exercises, interdictions, and meetings of experts further the Initiative's progress and improvement. Despite criticism from some and acknowledging that it is not a comprehensive answer to the problem, "the PSI has the potential to measurably enhance the effectiveness of counter-proliferation enforcement system."