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International News
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Three Car Bomb Attacks in Britain (London Guardian) Three car bomb attacks were made in Britain on June 29 and 30, reports the Guardian. “The first car bomb, discovered in a Mercedes parked outside the Tiger Tiger club in Haymarket [London], was made safe after ambulance staff dealing with an unconnected incident in the early hours of Friday saw smoke or petrol vapour in the vehicle and contacted police.… The second London device was found in a vehicle parked illegally near Haymarket and towed away.” On Saturday, a Jeep was driven into the Glasgow (Scotland) “airport’s pedestrian entrance and set alight.” All three cars were “packed with gas canisters and” gasoline. Eight people have been arrested in connection with the attacks. No one was killed. [View article] [View map of events (5.7 MB PDF)]
Asylum Seeker in Britain Convicted Over Terror Manuals (London Daily Mail) “A failed asylum seeker who hoarded manuals on how to carry out car bombings is facing jail,” reports the Daily Mail. “… nightclubs and airports were amongst the ‘suitable targets’ identified in the ‘vast library’ of terror material found on the computer of Omar Altimimi. The 37-year-old, who had links to Arab terrorists, had collected detailed information on how to set up terror cells in the UK, ways to make explosives and how car bombs can be detonated at the entrances to buildings via remote control.” [View article]
Army Claims Progress Against Terrorism in Iraq (DefenseLink) “A new Iraq strategy that targets multiple terrorist outposts and capitalizes on Iraqis’ growing dislike of al Qaeda [is] combining to degrade insurgent operations in the country, said … David Kilcullen, the senior counter-insurgency adviser to Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq,” according to American Forces Press Service. “… A movement from large U.S. military base camps to smaller U.S.-Iraqi manned joint security stations set amid the Iraqi populace is part of the new security strategy that works in conjunction with Iraqi police to hold areas recently cleared of insurgents … This change has also contributed to a decrease in successful enemy improvised explosive device attacks.” [View article]
Another Iraqi Bridge Bombed (Washington Post) “A dump truck laden with explosives detonated on a bridge over the Euphrates River on Sunday, the latest in a series of attacks targeting Iraq’s bridge network,” reports the Washington Post. (See the June 15 newsletter.) “The 3 p.m. suicide bombing damaged a large section of the bridge, which is along the main road north of Ramadi in the western province of Anbar.” [View article]
 | Iraqi Insurgent Media: The War of Images and Ideas This book-length report by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty regional analysts Daniel Kimmage and Kathleen Ridolfo provides an in-depth analysis of the media efforts of Sunni insurgents, who are responsible for the majority of U.S. combat deaths in Iraq. The popularity of online Iraqi Sunni insurgent media, the authors contend, reflects a genuine demand for their message in the Arab world. They argue that loss of coordination and message control resulting from decentralization has revealed fundamental disagreements about Iraq’s present and future between nationalist and global jihadist groups in Iraq, and that these disagreements are ripe for exploitation by those interested in a liberal and democratic Iraq. The report also finds that anti-Shi’ite hate speech is an increasingly prominent part of the insurgent message. [View press release] [View report (6.5 MB PDF)]
Taliban vs. Taliban in Pakistan (Christian Science Monitor) “As a sharp internal rift emerges over attacks on civilians, some [of the Taliban] are now turning their guns on each other,” reports the Christian Science Monitor. “… the Taliban’s ideological frontiers have changed as Pakistani militants have regrouped and realigned their allegiances, leading to internecine violence throughout the tribal belt.” [View article]
Some Australians Engage in Overseas Terror (Melbourne, Australia, Age) “Australians are continuing to travel overseas to engage in terrorist activity or training, often encouraged by radical Islamic figures who preach to ‘vulnerable and susceptible people,’ according to Attorney-General Philip Ruddock,” reports the Age. [View article]
Canada Studies ‘Dirty Bomb’ Threat (Toronto Globe and Mail) “The explosion of a small dirty bomb near the CN Tower would spew radioactivity over four square kilometres, resulting in mass anxiety, a rush on Toronto’s medical facilities and an economic toll of up to $23.5-billion,” reports the Canadian Press. A “study led by Defence Research and Development Canada also predicts economic costs of up to $8.75-billion should a similar americium-laden device be set off outside Vancouver’s B.C. Place Stadium—a venue for the 2010 Winter Olympics—and as much as $2.25-billion if one exploded near the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit.… Canada has put considerable effort into trying to prevent, but also be ready for, a dirty bomb attack, said Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day.” [View article]
U.S. and Russia Want to Spread Use of Nuclear Power (Reuters AlertNet) “The United States and Russia on Tuesday pledged to greatly expand nuclear energy cooperation and make nuclear energy available to developing countries while still limiting the spread of atomic weapons,” reports Reuters. “… The United States and Russia will help secure financing, including through international institutions, for new nuclear plants and help states develop necessary regulations, safety standards and training programs … They also promised to develop solutions to deal with the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste.” [View article]
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United Nations News
UN and North Korea Agree on Reactor Shutdown (London Guardian) On June 29, the United Nations “reached agreement with North Korea on handling the shutdown of the country’s main nuclear reactor,” reports the Guardian. UN inspectors will “monitor and verify the closing down of the Yongbyon nuclear complex.… the timing of the shutdown [is] up to the six countries involved in nuclear talks with North Korea.” [View article]
‘Fruitful Collaboration’ Between UN and African Union; Africa Considers One Government (Accra [Ghana] Daily Mail) In an address to the African Union summit in Accra on Sunday, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro praised the “fruitful collaboration” between the African Union and the United Nations in securing peace and promoting development, and she called for strengthened ties between the two organizations to build on this success. “High on the agenda of the summit, which gathered over 50 African Heads of State, diplomats and delegates worldwide, [was] what has been termed The Grand Debate on the continent’s economic, political and social integration into one union government for Africa,” according to the Daily Mail. To coincide with the summit, “some civil society groups” created “an African citizen ‘passport’” that “requires only the bearer’s name and picture,” reports the Daily Mail in another article. “Its proponents say it would be valid until member states of the African Union have issued an African passport to fulfill the vision of a people-driven African Union and a United Africa.” [View UN press release] [View Daily Mail summit article] [View Daily Mail passport article]
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National News
Supreme Court Will Hear Terror Detainee Case (Washington Post) “The Supreme Court said [on June 29] that it would review the rights of Guantanamo Bay detainees to challenge their confinements in federal court, reversing a decision in April not to take up that issue,” reports the Washington Post. [View article]
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Cutter visiting Cartagena, Colombia
Coast Guard photo | Port Security in the Caribbean Basin Caribbean ports contain cruise ship terminals and facilities that handle cargo, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas, and several are among the top cruise ship destinations in the world, notes the Government Accountability Office. Given the volume and value of this maritime trade, the ports may be attractive targets for terrorists. The GAO is concerned that corruption in some Caribbean nations undermines the rule of law, organized gangs are active in or near port facilities, and cocaine and heroin destined for U.S. markets transit many Caribbean countries. [View abstract]
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New this week in the Journal of Homeland Security
In Determining Risk Assessment Using the Weighted Ordinal Agreement Measure, William J. Tastle and Mark J. Wierman discuss the information-theoretic measures of consensus, dissent, and agreement as they are used to address the problem of assigning a threat level based on expert opinions. The use of weights, applied to both the experts and their opinion, is examined. All three measures are bounded, taking values in the unit interval. The measure of consensus is interpreted as an indicator of cohesion and concentration. The agreement measures how close the data are to a target. The agreement of experts for each targeted threat level can be calculated, and the threat level with the highest agreement value is the one chosen to represent the expert’s judgment. |
DHS News
DHS Inspector General Praises Post-Katrina Volunteer Program (Government Executive) “A federal volunteer service program implemented in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was effective, but future efforts could benefit from better communication and training, according to” Richard Skinner, Homeland Security Department Inspector General, reports Government Executive. The Federal Emergency Management Agency “deployed more than 1,000 federal employees to help with Katrina relief efforts on a voluntary basis. These volunteers supplemented the large number of employees assigned to the area as part of their regular position.” [View article] [View DHS report (99 KB PDF)]
Secure Border Initiative June Newsletter The U.S. Customs and Border Protection June newsletter has articles about the Texas Mobile System, Project 37, and more. [View June issue (409 KB PDF]
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New HSI Report Abstracts
Abstracts of three more Homeland Security Institute reports are now available on the institute’s website:
- Inside the Plot to Destroy U.S. Airliners, October 2006
- Risk Assessment Standards, Guidelines, and Practices, February 2006
- Regional Collaboration for Developing Homeland Security Capabilities—Joining Operations, Research, and Strategic Planning, January 2006
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Other Federal News
State Dept. Orders New Employees to Help Process Passports (Government Executive) “The State Department has ordered about 350 young diplomats and recently employed civil servants to help clear a crushing backlog of passport applications [see the June 22 newsletter],” reports the Associated Press. “The backlog has led to major processing delays and disrupted thousands of Americans’ summer travel plans. Three groups of 150 employees have been removed from their current posts in Washington and told Tuesday to report for two months of duty at passport facilities in Louisiana and New Hampshire as the department struggles to cope with overwhelming demand.” [View article]
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State and Local News
4 Indicted in JFK Terror Plot (New York Times) “Four men accused of plotting to attack John F. Kennedy International Airport by blowing up a jet fuel supply were indicted” June 29, reports the Associated Press. “The indictment filed in Brooklyn charged Russell Defreitas, Kareem Ibrahim, Abdul Kadir and Abdel Nur … with conspiring to ‘cause death, serious bodily injury and extensive destruction.’” [View article]
New York City Upgrading Its 911 Call System (New York Times) “After years of delays, and some notable failures, the city’s 911 call system is getting a $1.5 billion overhaul that will include a backup center and will, for the first time, consolidate operators and dispatchers from all of the emergency services in two centers,” reports the New York Times. “… Under the plan, Police Department workers will take emergency calls, as they do now. But rather than transfer fire and medical calls to fire and medical operators—forcing callers to repeat themselves—the police operators will send computer messages to dispatchers from those agencies.” [View article]
Miami 911 Call Center Has Trouble Tracking Cell Phones (Miami Herald) “For nearly two years, Miami-Dade County’s 911 emergency call center—once among the nation’s most advanced—has often been unable to zero in on the precise scene of a crime or a deadly wreck,” reports the Miami Herald. “The center lost ground after a new, $13 million Motorola software system was installed … Now, calls can often be traced only to the nearest cellphone tower, and a caller’s movement generally can’t be followed—stealing precious minutes from first responders trying to save lives.” [View article]
Drug-Smuggling Tunnel Uncovered Between Arizona and Mexico (Tucson Arizona Daily Star) “Officials have discovered a 100-foot smuggling tunnel” between Nogales, AZ, and Nogales, Mexico, reports the Daily Star. The crude tunnel, which had “never been used,” connected a house in the United States with an apartment across the border. Officials “filled in the exit points … with cement. It’s the fourth tunnel found in Nogales since 2001 not connected to the drainage system in Nogales.” [View article]
Three National Guardsmen Indicted for Immigrant Smuggling (Dallas Morning News) “Three National Guard soldiers accused of running an immigrant smuggling operation have been indicted on five counts of human smuggling and one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants,” reports the Associated Press. [View article]
CDC Suspends Texas A&M Bioweapons Research (Houston Chronicle) “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has suspended Texas A&M University’s federal research on some infectious diseases after two cases in which the school failed to report researchers’ exposure to bioweapons agents,” reports the Associated Press. (See last week’s newsletter.) “In a memo sent [June 30], the CDC questioned whether Texas A&M meets safety standards and has an appropriate security plan. It also said federal officials will visit the campus this month to review records and interview key researchers.” [View article]
Levee Repairs May Endanger New Orleans’ French Quarter (WTOP radio, Washington, DC) “The government’s repairs to New Orleans’ hurricane-damaged levees may put the French Quarter in greater danger than it was before Hurricane Katrina,” reports the Associated Press. “… Experts say the stronger levees and flood walls could funnel storm water into the cul-de-sac of the Industrial Canal, only 2 miles from Bourbon Street, and overwhelm the waterway’s 12-foot-high concrete flood walls that shield some of the city’s most cherished neighborhoods.” [View article]
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Private-Sector News
SEC Site Lists Corporate Terror ‘Sponsors’ (Financial Times) “Some of the world’s biggest companies are outraged by a new software tool launched” last week on the Securities and Exchange Commission website “aimed at exposing which of them could be ‘indirectly subsidising a terrorist state,’” reports the Financial Times. The function “takes investors to a list of five countries—Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria—designated by the State Department as ‘state sponsors of terrorism’.… investors see a list of companies that mention [the] country in their latest annual reports.” But “the list does not make clear the extent of a company’s business in such states or whether they still have ties.” [View article] [View SEC terrorism sponsors page]
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| Please submit events and educational programs by noon Wednesdays for consideration as items in that week’s newsletter. |
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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.
Graduate Certificate in Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases (Fall; Washington, DC) This new online program at Georgetown University will focus on the science behind the agents and diseases in question—specifically, the microbiology of CDC Category A through C biothreat agents (that is, smallpox, plague, anthrax, tularemia, and Ebola) and the history of bioterrorism and the need for biosurveillance, as well as their implications in homeland security. The application deadlines are August 1 for the fall semester and November 1 for spring. [View course 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] |
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New Upcoming Events
(After four weeks, new events will be moved to the Upcoming Events page)
4th Annual Iowa Governor’s Homeland Security Conference (July 16-18; Des Moines, IA) Participants will learn about the National Incident Management System, ethanol production and hazards, facility assessments, and special needs planning. Exhibitors will display state-of-the-art equipment, training, and services with hands-on demonstrations. [View conference website]
Continental Divide Disaster Behavioral Health Conference (August 6-7; Colorado Springs, CO) This interactive conference is designed to assist emergency management planners, public health officials, medical personnel, and behavioral health specialists in improving care provided to those affected by catastrophes. The major speakers are leading experts in the disaster behavioral health field. The conference addresses disaster planning, response, and recovery issues. [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]
Beyond SBIR Phase II Conference and Exhibition (August 21-23; Arlington, VA) This Small Business Innovation Research conference, sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association, offers prearranged technology matchmaking meetings for prime contractors, government technology and acquisition managers, the investment community, manufacturing firms, and SBIR firms with Phase II technologies to discuss commercialization opportunities and partnerships. Registration is by invitation only. [View conference website]
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]
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 Joint Chemical Biological Decontamination and Protection Conference and Exhibition (October 22-24; Virginia Beach, VA) This conference, sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association, will focus on creative acquisition to combat existing and emerging world threats through state-of-the-art decontamination and protection. [View conference website]
U.S. Coast Guard 2007 Innovation Expo (October 28–November 2; New Orleans) The Coast Guard and industry will display innovative solutions and will present and discuss the many challenges faced in maritime homeland security. Participants will see and discuss emerging Coast Guard innovations, meet Coast Guard and industry innovators who are making a difference, and discuss opportunities to meet homeland security, search & rescue, law enforcement, environmental protection, and other mission requirements. [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]
Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness (November 6-8; San Francisco) The conference will address pandemic preparedness and response, securing our borders, lessons learned in preparedness for and response to natural disasters, food chain safety and security, information and intelligence sharing, weapons of mass destruction, special operations, federal resources for state and local emergency responders, cyber-security tools and resources, response and recovery, incident commander software, personal protective equipment, transportation security, communications interoperability, the Safety Act, simulation and training, school security, the Defense Department’s role in supporting homeland security, and critical infrastructure protection. [View conference website]
 | AAAS Annual Meeting (February 14-18, 2008; Boston) The theme of next year’s annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science is “Science and Technology from a Global Perspective,” emphasizing the power of science, technology, and education to assist less-developed segments of the world society, to improve partnerships among already developed countries, and to spur knowledge-driven transformations across a host of fields. [View conference website] |
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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]
(March 16-20, 2008; Orlando, FL) SPIE is soliciting papers on imaging, sensors, and displays as they relate to homeland security and other topics. The deadline for submitting abstracts is September 3. [View call for papers] |
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