LOS ANGELES, July 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Friday refuted criticism over reduction of anti-terror federal funds for Los Angeles.

    "I think L.A. and Long Beach have gotten over 300 million dollars to date," Chertoff said after touring the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. "But, you know, there's only so much money, and we've got to divide it up in a way that puts most of the money where the highest risk is and recognize that risk is distributed over other places as well."

    He said the region has received a healthy chunk of the funding over the past several years.

    The Department of Homeland Security announced earlier that Los Angeles will receive 72.6 million U.S. dollars during the next federal fiscal year, down from 80.6 million dollars in the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.

    The drop in funding for the Los Angeles area was met with disdain by some area elected officials, who said the region is known as a top potential terrorism target. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach -- which handle more than 40 percent of the goods imported into the country -- could be a particularly attractive target for terrorist groups, officials said.

    An attack on the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which stimulate 295 billion dollars in economic activity, could have a major impact on the country's economy, experts said.

    Also on Friday, Chertoff attended an event at the Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism in the University of Southern California. He said homeland security officials continue to work on securing the ports' infrastructure and monitoring the cargo coming into the country's seaports.

    "We gather information and we screen every container before it comes into the country," Chertoff said, noting the government has installed almost 1,000 radiation monitors, which scan cargo coming into the seaports.

    Homeland security officials also continue to monitor the millions of small boats in U.S. waters, which could be used to smuggle in weapons or terrorists, launch a rocket, or be used as an improvised explosive device, the secretary said.

    Following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Osama bin Laden said that while the attack cost al-Qaida 500,000 dollars, it caused 500 billion dollars in damage, Chertoff said.

    "He (Laden) saw his strategy as a cross-benefit, and it's important for us to bear that in mind," said Chertoff.