International News

Note: More and more news sites require free one-time registration. We wish we could avoid this inconvenience to readers who want to see the full articles. We do not intentionally link to any that require a paid subscription.

Palestine’s Unity Government Splits (Barbados Nation) “Last Friday, Hamas fighters overran forces loyal to [President] Abbas’ Fatah movement in Gaza Strip after a week of bitter clashes which brought Palestinians to the brink of an all-out civil war,” reports the Nation. This “effectively divided Palestine in two territories [Gaza and the West Bank]. President Abbas has since sworn in a new cabinet and has removed Hamas from the unity government and outlawed it.” The January 2006 elections gave the Islamist Hamas party a majority in the government. “The Hamas takeover of Gaza threatens a two-state split between Gaza and the West Bank, where Abbas’s Fatah party remains dominant,” according to the Brookings Institution. [View article] [View Brookings commentary] [View CIA Gaza map] [View CIA West Bank map]

Al-Qaeda’s New York Surveillance Video and Attack Plans (MSNBC; BBC) “London’s Scotland Yard [on June 15] released a series of videos, maps and attack plans for a plot to assault New York’s financial district, prepared by al-Qaida operatives six months before the Sept. 11 attack,” reports NBC News. “While some parts of the videos and some of the attack information--prepared for Osama bin Laden himself--were previously made public, [the June 15] release is the most detailed regarding the attack plans.… In addition to the surveillance tapes, [Dhiren] Barot kept specific notes about security in and around the targeted buildings.” Seven of his associates “have been jailed for up to 26 years over an al-Qaeda-linked plot to kill thousands in the UK and the” United States, reports the British Broadcasting Corporation. “… they were in a ‘sleeper cell’ led by Dhiren Barot, who is already serving a life sentence.… Six of the men admitted conspiracy to cause explosions and a seventh was found guilty of conspiracy to murder.” [View MSNBC article] [View BBC article]

Taliban Attack Road Builders in Afghanistan (USA Today) “U.S. and NATO forces continue to hunt Taliban fighters, but Afghanistan’s long-term prospects rest in large part on a U.S.-funded campaign to build a network of roads,” reports USA Today. “U.S. officials believe [that] roads, such as the one through rugged terrain to Tora Bora, could knit a frayed country together, improve the lives of Afghans in remote villages by giving them access to markets and hospitals and strengthen President Hamid Karzai’s fragile government.” But the Taliban are “determined to stop road construction and sow chaos.” [View article]

Schools Torched in South Thailand (BBC) “Thai authorities have blamed Muslim insurgents for a series of recent attacks on schools,” reports the British Broadcasting Corporation. “… More than 200 schools have been torched and 77 teachers killed.” Last Wednesday “13 schools [were] set on fire almost simultaneously.” And last “Monday, two female primary school teachers were shot dead in front of their students, and another teacher was killed in an ambush.” The Taliban have mounted a similar campaign in Afghanistan (see the Dec. 15 newsletter). [View article]

Iraqi Tribes Help U.S. Against al-Qaeda (USA Today) “More than 10 Iraqi tribes in the Baghdad area have reached agreements with U.S. and Iraqi forces for the first time to oppose al-Qaeda, raising the U.S. military’s hopes that a trend started in western Iraq [see the May 25 newsletter] is spreading,” reports USA Today. [View article]

Iranian Attack on Australians Preceded Capture of British Sailors (BBC) “Iranian naval forces in the [Persian] Gulf tried to capture an Australian Navy boarding team but were vigorously repelled, the BBC has learned. The incident took place before Iran successfully seized 15 British sailors and Marines in March. [See the March 30 newsletter.] The lessons from the earlier attempt do not appear to have been applied in time by British maritime patrols.” [View article]

Indonesia’s Terrorist Hunt Bears Fruit (Christian Science Monitor) “A series of tip-offs allowed police from Indonesia’s secretive counter-terrorist police unit Detachment 88 to capture Abu Dujana” on June 9, reports the Christian Science Monitor. (See last week’s newsletter.) “… Dujana’s arrest is the culmination of some 500 arrests--an effort that has also seen Indonesia’s police forces evolve from using a reactive to a proactive approach.” The effort “showcases how training, logistical help, and cooperation from foreign agencies such as the Australian Federal Police and the US FBI and CIA were able to help collar a high-value international perpetrator.… The manhunt … forced Indonesian police and intelligence agents to develop new skills and master new technologies”--although they “received significant help from foreign agencies such as the Australian Federal Police and the FBI.” [View article]

FDA Tracked Poisoned Drugs, but Trail Went Cold in China (New York Times) “After a drug ingredient from China killed dozens of Haitian children a decade ago,” the Food and Drug Administration investigated “why a state-owned company in China exported it as safe, pharmaceutical-grade glycerin,” reports the New York Times. (See the May 11 newsletter.) “The Chinese were of little help. Requests to find the manufacturer were ignored. Business records were withheld or destroyed.… The F.D.A.’s mission ultimately failed. By the time an F.D.A. agent visited the suspected manufacturer, the plant was shut down and Chinese companies said they bore no responsibility for the mass poisoning. Ten years later it happened again, this time in Panama.… And recently, Chinese toothpaste containing diethylene glycol was found in the United States and seven other countries … The F.D.A.’s efforts … demonstrate not only the intransigence of Chinese officials, but also the same regulatory failings that allowed a virtually identical poisoning to occur.” [View article]

European Countries Recruit Muslims to Be Antiterror Cops (Los Angeles Times) “Despite Europe’s large immigrant population, predominantly Muslim, police forces are struggling to integrate and to improve relations with minority communities,” reports the Los Angeles Times. “… Anti-terrorism agencies aggressively recruit investigators from Muslim backgrounds, eager to use their skills against an array of extremist networks. But the number of minorities in law enforcement, let alone elite units, remains small.… Britain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands have led the way, stepping up recruitment among second- and third-generation populations from former colonies in Africa and South Asia. Spain and Italy have found recruitment more difficult because their immigrant communities are newer.” [View article]

U.S. Navy photo

Return to the top

United Nations News

UN Promotes Treaty to Suppress Nuclear Terrorism The International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism takes effect July 7, and all members are urged to sign it; it aims to prevent acts of nuclear terrorism, bring perpetrators to justice, and promote cooperation among countries. The treaty has been signed by 115 countries, which share information and assist in investigations and extraditions. [View press release]

New Regulations Address International Public Health Threats Revised International Health Regulations went into effect on June 15. They enable countries, along with the World Health Organization, to limit the international spread of epidemics and other public health emergencies while minimizing disruption to travel, trade, and economies. They require countries to report all events that could result in public health emergencies of international concern, including those caused by chemical agents, radioactive materials, and contaminated food. [View press release]

British Counterterror Laws Spark UN Concern British counter-terrorism laws are widely believed to target the United Kingdom’s Muslim population and “undermine the human rights of all,” says United Nations independent expert Asma Jahangir, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief. Jahangir acknowledged that measures should be adopted to thwart terrorism but noted that she has heard allegations of abuses of counter-terrorism laws, particularly of the provisions that criminalize the failure to disclose information about terrorist acts. [View article]

UN Holds West Africa Workshop on Avian Flu Preparations The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is holding a three-day workshop this week in Bamako, Mali, to prepare humanitarian relief providers for an avian influenza pandemic. More than anywhere else in the world, Africa’s efforts to curtail such viruses are thwarted by weak health systems, limited financial resources, and insufficient technical capacity. [View press release]

Return to the top

National News

Legal Immigrants Must Wait Years (Yahoo! News) “The legal immigration system” is “a Byzantine world of bureaucratic bungling and unconscionable waits for those who try to play by the rules,” says USA Today. “Unless you have a relative here, or a job waiting for you, or you’re granted political asylum, there’s virtually no legal way in. And if you do have a connection, you’ll probably wait for a long, long time.” (See the Stats of the Week.) But “Who and how many do we want to let in?” asks Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies. “… A complicated system of numerical caps results in huge waiting lists, with as many as 8 million people in line … Congress should simply eliminate all the extended-family categories.… spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens … are--and should always be--admitted without any numerical caps. Other relatives should be allowed to move here only if they prove their value to the American people as a whole.” [View editorial] [View Krikorian commentary]

Return to the top

DHS News

DHS Pursues Cross-Agency Technology Standards (Government Computer News) The Homeland Security Department “is pushing standards forward by joining cross-agency projects and fostering homegrown technology development that likely will set the pattern for what other agencies adopt,” reports Government Computer News. “… In most cases, DHS looks for information technology that fits technical standards already adopted by major standards organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Standards Organization or the National Institute of Standards and Technology.” [View article]

Return to the top

Other Federal News

As FBI Fights Terrorism, Other Prosecutions Drop (Christian Science Monitor) “Since 9/11, the number of criminal prosecutions the US Justice Department credits to the Federal Bureau of Investigation has dropped by more than 30 percent,” reports the Christian Science Monitor. “Among the steepest declines: white-collar crime, drug prosecutions, and organized crime. The data reflect a fundamental shift in the mission of the FBI, from primarily a law-enforcement agency dedicated to investigating crime to an intelligence and counterterrorism one dedicated to preventing attacks on the US.… In 2001, the Justice Department credited almost 19,000 prosecutions to the FBI. In 2006, the bureau was credited with 12,700 … During that same five-year period, terrorism prosecutions rose 26 percent, but they account for a small fraction of the FBI’s cases and have dropped in number since peaking in 2002.” [View article]

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Planned for 2008 On January 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens entering the United States by land or sea will need to present a document compliant with the initiative or a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, according to State Department and Homeland Security Department plans. This is “the first rational step” toward full implementation of the initiative, planned for the summer of 2008. [View press release]

Return to the top

State and Local News

Destroyed Fireproofing Contributed to World Trade Center Collapse (Yahoo News!) “A computer simulation of the 2001 World Trade Center attacks supports a federal agency’s findings that the initial impact from the hijacked airp***s stripped away crucial fireproofing material and that the weakened towers collapsed under their own weight,” reports the Associated Press. “The two-year Purdue University study, funded in part by the National Science Foundation, was the first to use 3-D animation to provide visual context to the attacks.” (See Dual Benefit Solutions.) [View article] [View study]

Unguarded Vermont-Quebec Crossings Lure Illegal Crossers (Rutland [VT] Herald) “Three unguarded residential streets linking Derby Line [VT] with neighboring Stanstead, Quebec, … have become a magnet for people trying to sneak across the border, some from as far away as Colorado and California,” reports the Associated Press. “… the number of illegal aliens intercepted attempting to cross the border had jumped in the past two years,” and “law enforcement officers who work the border” want “to tighten security on the streets.” [View article]

New Orleans Safer but Not Secure (Baltimore Sun) “The federal government’s verdict on the future of New Orleans is in: The city is much safer than before Hurricane Katrina but faces a 1-in-100 chance each year of significant flooding,” reports the Sun. “Since Hurricane Katrina struck nearly two years ago, killing 1,293 and causing an estimated $100 billion in damage, the Army Corps of Engineers has overseen a vast construction program to reinforce levees, repair damage and upgrade pumping stations. The effort has improved the city’s prospects significantly but has not eliminated the huge risks.” [View article]

Return to the top

Dual-Benefit Solutions

World Trade Center Findings Spur New Model Building Codes Safer buildings--especially tall structures--that are more resistant to fire and more easily evacuated in emergencies are the goal of the first comprehensive set of building code changes recently approved by the International Code Council based on recommendations from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s three-year investigation of the collapse of New York City’s World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001. (See State and Local News.) [View press release]

Satellites Improve Global Response to Disasters The International Telecommunication Union, ICO Global Communications, and the Commonwealth Business Council have agreed to use satellite communications for improved global response to natural disasters. ICO Global Communications will provide airtime on the F2 satellite for disaster prevention and effective response in the aftermath of natural disasters through voice communications and other telecommunication applications, including telemedicine. An hour’s airtime will be provided every day for use through the International Telecommunication Union to help countries maintain preparedness, provide early-warning information, and elicit quick response. In the a disaster, this time will be adjusted according to demand to facilitate rescue and rehabilitation efforts. [View press release]

Dual-benefit news archive

Return to the top

Education The Homeland Security Institute lists these education programs as a service to readers who may be interested; it does not endorse them or their courses. New education listings are posted for four weeks. C-TPAT Enrollment Seminar (June 27-29; Mexico City) U.S. Customs and Border Protection will hold a Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Enrollment Seminar at the Camino Real Hotel. [View seminar website] Executive Seminar on Medical Preparedness for Disasters (July 9-10, August 15-16, September 6-7; Towson, MD) The seminar will teach aspects of deliberate and crisis action medical planning to help organizations enhance their preparedness, response, and recovery posture against the full spectrum of threats. This workshop is taught by experienced medical planners. It will assist in creating or improving organic medical planning to help ensure preparedness for disasters. [View course website] Executive Seminar on Chemical Security (July 16-17, August 6-7, September 13-14; Towson, MD) Participants will gain an increased understanding of the chemical industry, the key players, the various facilities, safety processes, hazards, and the supply chain. The seminar will also provide valuable information on protecting the chemical industry from terrorist threats and tactics and chemical facility anti-terrorism standards under the new DHS rules. [View course website] Executive Seminar on Integrated Transportation Security (July 19-20, August 20-21, September 24-25; Towson, MD) Utilizing real-world issues in an educational setting will assist participants in understanding the intricacies of security in the transportation industry and providing real solutions to complex issues. This seminar is designed for corporate leaders who are charged with making or evaluating transportation security decisions. It will demonstrate how improved security processes can create value across all the business functions throughout an entire value chain. [View course website] Mirror Image (July 22-27; Moyock, NC) Mirror Image is an intensive classroom and field training program, designed to realistically simulate terrorist recruiting, training techniques, and operational tactics. Participants will receive insight into the mindset and rationale of terrorists through hands-on experience with the methods and means they use, plus education about the ideologies that motivate them and cultural dimensions that influence their decision making. [View course website] Combating Bioterrorism/Pandemics: Implementing Policies for Biosecurity (July 23-25; Cambridge, MA) The course will address impediments to organizational change, the U.S. postal anthrax outbreaks, rethinking the public health approach, the smallpox immunization program, expanding the law enforcement approach, biological weapons and national security, the case of the Ebola virus, the new focus on vaccine development, swine flu, SARS, and avian flu. [View course website] Physical Security for Facilities (July 24-25; Millington, TN) This course teaches risk management techniques, how to identify and implement cost-effective security solutions, basic defense measures, how to develop countermeasures, and how to create a security plan. [View course website] Radiological Emergency Planning: Terrorism, Security, and Communication (August 7-10; Boston) The course will examine the latest principles and regulatory requirements for responding to a radiological emergency and the newest roles and rules from federal and state agencies regarding emergency preparedness for terrorist activities, the new federal framework for homeland security, terrorist incidents involving radioactive materials, lessons learned in communicating with the media and public, and updates on emergency preparedness issues for nuclear utilities. [View course website]

Return to the top

New Upcoming Events (After four weeks, new events will be moved to the Upcoming Events page) Managing Today’s Threats to Homeland Security (June 27; Washington, DC) This conference is designed to give attendees a quick snapshot of how government and industry are addressing the threat of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive weapons, from policy decisions all the way to recent research and technology development. [View conference website] Creating and Using Multi-Hazards Knowledge and Strategies (June 28; Washington, DC) This workshop of the National Academies’ Disasters Roundtable will feature presentations by experts from the hazards research, policy, and practitioner communities, including both public- and private-sector representatives, and will include audience discussion. [View conference website] 5th Annual TICs and TIMs Symposium (July 23-25; Richmond, VA) The symposium will emphasize changing requirements and the progress in developing strategies to deal with incidents involving toxic industrial chemicals and materials, tools (including surveillance tools) for the decision maker facing an incident, modeling software, equipment for detection and protection, decontamination, and medical response. [View conference website] Continuity of Operations and Telework Training Conference (August 15; Arlington, VA) The conference is about best practices, lessons learned, and current thinking in the development of agency mission continuity plans. Telework is an essential element of federal agencies’ COOP planning. [View conference website] Interagency Coordination Between Federal, State, and Local Agencies (August 15-16; Orem, UT) This conference sponsored by the Homeland Security and Defense Education Consortium will discuss the needs of firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and other first responders; those involved in direct instruction of emergency services personnel; those who command operators or who plan operations; and state managers, course developers, etc. [View conference website] EPA Region 7 Local Emergency Planning Committee–Tribal Emergency Response Committee 2007 Conference (August 16-19; Kansas City, MO) The host committees are the community focal point for information about hazardous materials, emergency planning, and environmental risks. To assist them in doing their jobs safely and more effectively, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in conjunction with private industry and tribal, state, and local governments in the region, have developed this conference to present the latest developments for protection of local communities. [View conference website (762k PDF)] Homeland Security Research • Innovation • Transition Conference and Showcase (August 21-24; Monterey, CA) This event, sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, will illustrate how researchers and research groups can form teams and best interface with the Homeland Security Department’s three directorates and six divisions. Presentations will provide divisionally aligned examples and outlines of successful research, innovation, and transition from the lab to the field. [View press release] Fire Rescue International 2007 (August 23-25; Atlanta) This conference of the International Association of Fire Chiefs features more than 60 education sessions plus exhibits. [View conference website] Institute for Counter-Terrorism 7th International Conference (September 8-11; Herzliya, Israel) The conference will feature panel discussions and workshops dealing with definitions, the terrorism-media-public opinion connection, and specific modus operandi, such as suicide terrorism and non-conventional terrorism, as well as lectures on terrorism. [View conference website] Gulf Coast Terrorism Prevention Conference (September 17-21; Sarasota, FL) This second annual conference, sponsored by Security Solutions International and the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office, will cover the Middle-East mindset and cultural orientation, setting up intelligence departments, protecting schools and colleges, operational response to mass-casualty incidents, and the risk of terror. [View conference website] 2007 ESRI Homeland Security GIS Summit (November 5-7; Denver) The Homeland Security GIS Summit will discuss how geographic information systems can be applied for critical infrastructure protection planning--a data fusion and analysis solution and for prevention, protection, response, and recovery measures in an emergency operations center. [View conference website]

Return to the top

Calls for Papers 2007 ESRI Homeland Security GIS Summit (November 5-7; Denver) The Homeland Security GIS Summit invites papers on GIS integration for crisis management, mobile GIS, critical infrastructure, and GIS activity for data fusion. Abstract submission deadline is August 15. [View call for papers]

Return to the top