Report Questions Homeland Security Plans

[ProSense]

Report Questions Homeland Security Plans

By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer
27 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The Homeland Security Department still spends money on U.S. port projects that aren't considered national security priorities even though it has made some corrections, a new report says.

In a report to be made public Tuesday, Homeland Security Inspector General Richard L. Skinner praises the agency for overhauling the Port Security Grant Program in 2005 to award money based on risk and to make only the 66 most vulnerable ports eligible.

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His office studied the fifth and most recent round of port security grants, which awarded $142 million for 132 projects. Of those, the 20 projects Skinner's report said scored low on the agency's threat scale received about 20 percent of the money awarded, or $29.3 million.

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In October, Congress, at the behest of Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., ordered a review of the steps the agency has taken to comply with recommendations in the January 2005 report.

"It's been more than four years since 9/11, and the government still can't get port security right," Kerry said in a statement.


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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060307/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/ports_security_report_1