The transportation systems of not only the United States, but also Chester County, are a target rich environment for terrorists.

One of the most vulnerable is the nation's trucking system.

"Airplanes might be the current weapon of choice," said John Whiteside III, who worked foreign counterintelligence, espionage and terrorism cases for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, "but fuel trucks are a particular threat. Can you imagine the damage that can be done with truck loaded with fuel?"

Whiteside, who lectures on terrorism issues, is a member of the West Chester investigative agency of Cloud, Feehery & Richter. The firm's partners are Tom Cloud, a former member of the Pennsylvania State Police, and Jef Feehery and David Richter, two former FBI agents. The firm employs six ex-law enforcement officers and has a network of current and retired police officers and ex-FBI agents across the nation and internationally to aid their investigations.

Americans-including some government officials, business leaders and the general public - still aren't convinced terrorism threats are real. "People are not ready to accept the reality of continued threats," Whiteside said. "We have experienced terrorism once on September 11, but not again. They have short memories."

Keeping America secure won't be easy and it will cost money. "Security is expensive," Richter said. "Companies don't want to spend the money, especially in light of the current economy where some companies are just making it. The cost of security doesn't add to the bottom line."

Whiteside added, "We have to spend more to make it work. Also, everyone has to be vigilant. People shouldn't hesitate to make a phone call to authorities if they see something suspicious. Thousands of trucks and drivers disappear each year. They have to be immediately reported."

One are of security that transportation companies can improve upon is background checks of employees, especially truck drivers, according to Cloud. "We have seen additional requests to do background checks here, but not in substantial numbers," Cloud said.

Truck drivers transporting dangerous cargos, from fuel oil to other hazardous materials, don't' go through rigorous background checks. The examination for a commercial drivers license checks for a driver's knowledge of the operation of trucks and maybe for driving under the influence crimes. Extensive background checks for criminal conduct is not completed, according to Cloud.

Obtaining information on drivers, such as date of births and social security numbers, are difficult because of privacy issues, according to Richter. "Transportation companies need to cooperate in this effort to check employees," he said. A national system to check fingerprints is the only way to make checks reliable, according to Cloud. "People are mobile," he said. "If a crime was committed out of state, a company might not get the information. People are mobile and it is difficult to do the background investigation."

Keeping America's transportation industry secure won't be easy, the members of Cloud, Feehery & Richter said. "Are we going to have metal detectors on bridges, at malls?" Whiteside asked. "There are only so many law enforcement officers. They can't ride all of the trains. It doesn't matter if a terrorists or a crazy person is involved. They can cause a lot of loss of life."