LAGOS, Oct 15 (AFP) - The US Coast Guard has removed Guinea, Lebanon,
Mozambique and Nigeria from its list of countries whose ports do not comply
with new security standards imposed after the September 11 attacks, the agency
said Friday.
A statement released here said Washington was satisfied that these
countries now enforce the International Maritime Organisation's new
International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), which tightened the
techniques and procedure used to inspect cargoes.
The United States is now working with these governments "to achieve our
mutual goals with regard to assuring the effectiveness of anti-terrorism
measures being implemented in international ports", the statement said.
The ISPS rules are designed to minimise the risk that international
extremist groups could use freighters and container ships to transport
weapons, personnel or bombs to carry out terror attacks on port cities around
the world.