Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Port Security, But Wanted Filtered Through a Government Agency

Courtesy of the Department of Homeland Security, feast your browser on the "Securing U.S. Ports" fact sheet.

About a fifth of it is dedicated to selling the UAE/DP World transaction, but there are a few procedural nuggets that raise some interesting questions about the state of port security (which, as they correctly point out is a function not being outsourced via this or any deal).

We've long heard the statistic that only 5% of inbound cargo is inspected at the sea ports, which sets up any number of Sum of All Fears-style doomsday scenarios (and we don't need much further proof of Tom Clancy's prescience).

Still...

Screening and Inspection: CBP screens 100 percent of all cargo before it arrives in the U.S. using intelligence and cutting edge technologies. CBP inspects all high-risk cargo.
...
Use of Cutting-Edge Technology: CBP is currently utilizing large-scale X-ray and gamma ray machines and radiation detection devices to screen cargo.

Does this mean that every piece of cargo is subject at a minimum to non-intrusive inspection that can at least take a looksee and a smellsmell of the contents?  I assume that with X-ray and gamma ray inspection, one could pick out a loose nuke in an unopened container.  I suppose it wouldn't necessarily help detect a stockpile of anthrax or ricin, but that paints a rosier picture than I'd imagined.

Or is the term "screen" perhaps being used with slightly different conotations in different parts of the fact sheet?  Maybe the 100% screening rate also captures more cursory measures like some schlub spot checking a manifest to make sure a given container is scheduled for arrival.

Anyone with relevant knowledge is invited to comment.