Stephen Flynn testifies before the Committee on Armed Services on the DP World controversy and the ongoing vulnerability of U.S. seaports.

Administration officials have not done a good job explaining why Americans should worry about U.S. port security and what needs to be done to secure the maritime domain. Now that the Administration has Americans’ attention on this issue, it needs toaddress the heart of the matter.

Critics of the Dubai Ports World deal are focusing on the wrong ports. The place of maximum danger to the United States is at the port of embarkation, where cargo is loaded on its way to our shores, not where the cargo is offloaded. By then it will be too late.

This report analyzes the proposed acquisition of six major U.S. ports by Dubai Ports World and Unocal by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), which has sparked intense concerns among some Members of Congress and the public and has reignited the debate over what role foreign acquisitions play in U.S. national security.

The issue of "protecting" vital infrastructure from foreign control—an issue that arose in 2005 during an unsuccessful bid by a Chinese company to purchase an American oil firm—is again in the news. This time, the infrastructure in question is six major U.S. shipping terminals that have been acquired, with U.S. approvel, by a UAE firm. The political backlash at state and city levels is quickly building.

A United Arab Emirates-owned company is set to take control of terminals in six major U.S. ports, raising questions about security.

The transport of liquefied natural gas to the United States is expected to surge in the next two decades. The explosive power of such gas makes transport ships attractive terrorist targets. Security experts say it is time to improve safeguards.

RAND looks at the cost-benefit analysis of attempting to scan 100% of containers coming through U.S. ports. 100 percent scanning is cost-effective only if the attack damages or likelihood of an attack are quite high. Furthermore, unless scanning technologies improve significantly, additional land and labor transaction costs could render adoption infeasible.