The United States will be prepared to maintain vital commerce and defense readiness in the aftermath of any terrorist attack or other similarly disruptive incidents that occur within the maritime domain. The response to such events should not default to an automatic shutdown of the marine transportation system; instead, the United States will be prepared to disengage selectively only designated portions, and immediately implement contingency measures to ensure the public's safety and continuity of commerce. This requires (1) a common framework with clearly defined roles for those charged with response and recovery; (2) ready forces that are properly trained and equipped to manage incidents, especially those involving WMD; (3) carefully crafted and exercised contingency plans for response, assessment, and recovery; and (4) extensive coordination among public, private, and international communities. As stated in the Maritime Transportation Security Act and the National Response Plan, the Department of Homeland Security, with the U.S. Coast Guard as its executive agency, has the primary responsibility for maritime homeland security, including the coordination of mitigation measures to expedite the recovery of infrastructure and transportation systems in the maritime domain, with the exception of DOD installations.

　

 Although this Strategy advocates that incidents should be managed at the lowest possible organizational and jurisdictional level, maritime incidents of national significance will require the combined expertise of all levels of government and the private sector, and coordination with international trading partners. The United States will respond using the common coordinating structures contained within the National Response Plan and the National Incident Management System. Similarly, there is a need for corresponding international coordinating mechanisms to reconstitute commerce and minimize the global impact in the event of a significant maritime incident or threat.

　

 The first line of response in the aftermath of any terrorist attack is the first-responder community - police of ficers, firefighters, emergency medical care providers, public works personnel, and emergency management of ficials. However, this first line of response may have only limited capabilities for dealing with the effects of a WMD event within the maritime domain, such as a nuclear or radiological dirty bomb exploded on a vessel in a major port area. The United States must build rapid-reaction forces to support first responders with capabilities to respond to WMD and other terrorist incidents that occur in the maritime domain. These response forces will blend the expertise and resources of the public and private sectors. They will be organized, trained, equipped, and exercised to operate in contaminated environments and manage the consequences of WMD incidents. Specifically, they will develop and deploy capabilities to detect and identify harmful chemical and biological agents, as well as conduct casualty extraction and mass decontamination in the maritime environment.

　

 Concurrent with efforts to ensure the public's well-being, actions to maintain continuity of commerce must be implemented as quickly as possible, with a focus on expediting the recovery of maritime infrastructure, transportation systems, and affected maritime communities. Contingency and continuity plans for the public and private sector must be developed and exercised. Protocols for assessment, recovery, and reconstitution must effectively prioritize local, regional, and national interests, manage risk and uncertainty within acceptable levels, and achieve validation through regular drills and exercises. The marine transportation system will not be shut down as an automatic response to a maritime incident. Instead, a prudent and measured response will be taken based on an assessment of the specific incident, including available intelligence. Assessment and recovery efforts must be a shared responsibility of the public and private sectors. Accurate assessments regarding closures of selected commercial nodes within the marine transportation system, as well as effective efforts to redirect the affected modes of commerce, can only be achieved with the full cooperation of the private sector. To facilitate these actions, a formally recognized, national-level, coordinating body comprising private sector interests will liaison with Federal and State governments in developing and implementing these significant measures.

　

 The direct and indirect costs associated with a prolonged and systemic disruption of the marine transportation system can be avoided by following the provisions of in-place contingency and continuity plans. These plans for assessment, recovery, and reconstitution must prioritize local, regional, and national interests, as well as manage risk and uncertainty within acceptable levels. These contingency and continuity plans must be developed and exercised in a coordinated fashion by the public and private sectors.

　

　

 This National Strategy presents a vision for the achievement of maritime security for the people and interests of the United States while respecting the information privacy and other legal rights of Americans. Moreover, it underscores our commitment to strengthening our international partnerships and advancing economic well-being around the globe by facilitating commerce and abiding by the principles of freedom of the seas.

　

 As a vision for the future, it certainly faces some serious challenges. The sheer magnitude of the maritime domain complicates the arduous and complex task of maintaining maritime security. The United States confronts a diverse set of adversaries fully prepared to exploit this vast milieu for nefarious purposes. The seas serve as the medium for a variety of transnational threats that honor no national frontier and that seek to imperil the peace and prosperity of the world. Many of these threats mingle with legitimate commerce, either to provide concealment for carrying out hostile acts, or to make available weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials to nations and non-state actors of concern.

　

 In this ambiguous security environment, responding to these unpredictable and transnational threats requires teamwork to prevent attacks, protect people and infrastructure, minimize damage, and expedite recovery. It necessitates the integration and alignment of all maritime security programs and initiatives into a far-reaching and unified national effort involving the Federal, State, local, and private sectors. Since September 11, 2001, Federal departments and agencies have risen uncompromisingly to the challenge of maritime security. But even an enhanced national effort is not sufficient. The challenges that remain ahead for the United States, the adversaries we confront, and the environment in which we operate compel us to strengthen our ties with allies and friends and to seek new partnerships with others. Therefore, international cooperation is critical to ensuring that lawful private and public activities in the maritime domain are protected from attack and hostile or unlawful exploitation. Such collaboration is fundamental to worldwide economic stability and growth, and it is vital to the interests of the United States. It is only through such an integrated approach among all maritime partners - governmental and nongovernmental, public and private - that we can improve the security of the maritime domain.

　

 Thus, effective implementation of this National Strategy requires greater cooperation, not less. It requires deeper trust and confidence, not less. It requires a concerted application of collective capabilities to: increase our awareness of all activities and events in the maritime domain; enhance maritime security frameworks domestically and internationally; deploy a layered security based on law enforcement authorities, private sector partners' competencies, and military might; pursue transformational research and development to move to the next level of information fusion and analysis and WMD detection technologies for qualitative improvements in threat detection; and lastly improve our response posture should an incident occur.

　

 With this National Strategy, the course has been set, but rhetoric is no substitute for action, and action is no substitute for success.

　

 This Strategy directs the coordination of United States Government maritime security programs and initiatives to achieve a comprehensive and cohesive national effort involving appropriate Federal, State, local, and private sector entities. In support of this Strategy, eight national implementation plans provide amplifying detail and specificity: