SILVIA CUCOVAZ, DIRECTORA DE LA ESCUELA NACIONAL DE INTELIGENCIA DE LA SI (EX SIDE)
De: Eduardo Kraska <kraska@arnet.com.ar>
Enviado el: Viernes, 03 de Marzo de 2006 11:25:43 p.m.
Para: "Silvia CZ" <sbc67@hotmail.com>
Asunto: Aca Eduardo
Hola Silvia
Aca estoy ya repuesto de la operacion.
Mas alla de lo que tenemos pendiente de la charla, te pido que me llames cuanto antes, aunque sea fin de semana u hoy viernes a la noche, porque te tengo una sorpresa.
15 5386 8518 celular
4775 2187 casa
Eduardo Kraska
De: Equipo de Gmail <mail-noreply@gmail.com>
Enviado el: Miércoles, 25 de Enero de 2006 06:21:40 p.m.
Para: eni argentina <sbc67@hotmail.com>
Asunto: Se ha creado su cuenta de Gmail, eni2006@gmail.com.
Enhorabuena. Acaba de crear su nueva cuenta de Gmail, eni2006@gmail.com.
Por favor, conserve este mensaje ya que contiene un importante código
de verificación que necesitaría si más adelante surge algún problema u
olvida su contraseña.
Puede acceder a su cuenta en http://mail.google.com/
¡Diviértase!
El equipo de Gmail
Código de verificación: 231c0a9b-faf25323-b66d2b7761
De: Ana Maria Cerini <pixie_ana@hotmail.com>
Enviado el: Martes, 04 de Abril de 2006 08:31:23 p.m.
Para: sbc67@hotmail.com
Asunto: RE: Hola
SIlvia:
No tengo consejos.. solamente se muy natural , decile que queres trabajar para la organizacion . y que el te aconseje en que cargo en relacion a tu expertice..
y como .. OK ..
un besote
Ana
De: <mjmosso@ciudad.com.ar>
Responder a: <mjmosso@ciudad.com.ar>
Enviado el: Lunes, 03 de Abril de 2006 03:24:22 p.m.
Para: "silvia cucovaz" <sbc67@hotmail.com>
Asunto: seminario
Querida Silvia: cómo andás ?? Espero que bien.
Te quería pedir, si está a tu alcance, que me tengas en cuenta para el seminario que me comentaste sobre indicadores de terrorismo que creo sera para fin de abril.
Cariños MJM.
De: Jane's News Briefs <thisweek@janes.com>
Responder a: Jane's News Briefs <thisweek@janes.com>
Enviado el: Viernes, 07 de Abril de 2006 04:27:23 p.m.
Para: grace oro <sbc67@hotmail.com>
Asunto: Jane's Police News Briefs - 7 April 2006
The stories below are just a snapshot of this week's coverage.
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POLICE NEWS - 7 APRIL 2006
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POLICE www.janes.com/security/law_enforcement
Chiefs in talks about positive discrimination
CHIEF officers are in discussions with the Home Office about law changes to allow them to discriminate in favour of ethnic minority applicants when recruiting. ...
[Jane's Police Review - first posted to www.policereview.com - 5 April 2006]
Safety fears as Airwave radio firm plans to switch off masts
SCORES of Airwave radio masts across England, Wales and Scotland are facing the axe from the company that provides the network and could be switched ...
[Jane's Police Review - first posted to www.policereview.com - 5 April 2006]
NORTHERN IRELAND - Officers face losing 'vital' special allowance
FUTURE inspectors and chief inspectors in Northern Ireland could be earning up to £7,000 less per year than their colleagues do today if allowances are ...
[Jane's Police Review - first posted to www.policereview.com - 5 April 2006]
New ACPO president calls for 'super officers' across service
OFFICERS, community support officers and police staff could have an 'advanced' level in their rank to aim for if plans outlined by the new ACPO ...
[Jane's Police Review - first posted to www.policereview.com - 5 April 2006]
SOCA officers will have to shout 'police'
STAFF working for the new Serious Organised Crime Agency will have to shout the words 'Police - SOCA' when busting suspected villains - even though ...
[Jane's Police Review - first posted to www.policereview.com - 5 April 2006]
INTERVIEW - Time is of the essence in force mergers, says new ACPO lead
INNOVATION, initiatives and programmes would be 'blighted' if the pace of police force restructuring in England and Wales was slowed, the new ACPO president has ...
[Jane's Police Review - first posted to www.policereview.com - 5 April 2006]
'Design does matter' in move away from bulky body armour
MORE care must be given to the design of police body armour to make it look less intrusive and 'more positive', a chief constable has ...
05-Apr-2006
[Jane's Police Review - first posted to www.policereview.com - 5 April 2006]
You've been Tangoed
Removing uninsured vehicles from Merseyside's roads does not at first sound like an overly exciting task, but try telling that to the officers and support ...
[Jane's Police Review - first posted to www.policereview.com - 5 April 2006]
The Matrix
'A force to be reckoned with' is how a specialist task force markets itself around the streets of Merseyside as it targets gang-related crime. The ...
[Jane's Police Review - first posted to www.policereview.com - 5 April 2006]
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De: Belikow, Juan <belikowj@ndu.edu>
Enviado el: Viernes, 07 de Abril de 2006 03:53:46 p.m.
Para: "Adriana M. Don (E-mail)" <Cecnews155@hotmail.com>, "Jorge Sillone (E-mail)" <jorgesillone@yahoo.com.ar>, Pablo Carlos Martínez (E-mail) <pmartine@senado.gov.ar>, "Eduardo Diez (E-mail)" <edus10@hotmail.com>, "Raul Sosa (E-mail)" <rasosa@interlink.com.ar>, "Luis Tibiletti (E-mail)" <paztibi@ser2000.org.ar>, "Jaime Garreta (E-mail)" <jaime@ser2000.org.ar>, "Roberto Rosset (E-mail)" <decanoseguridad@universidad-policial.edu.ar>, "Felix Besio (E-mail)" <fabe@adinet.com.uy>, "Fernando Silveira-Galban (E-mail)" <fsilveira@arnet.com.ar>, "Guillermo Cesar Viola (E-mail)" <gcviola@fibertel.com.ar>, "Eduardo Carlos Llorens (E-mail)" <ecllorens35@hotmail.com>, <ctachini@hotmail.com>, "Rogelio Alonso (E-mail 2)" <ralonso007@yahoo.com.ar>, <hdrodriguez@fibertel.com.ar>, "Daniel Reimundes (E-mail)" <dmreimundes@hotmail.com>, "Hebe Gazzotti (E-mail 2)" <hebegazzotti@fund-rioplatense.org.ar>, "Jorge Castro (E-mail)" <ipejcastro@speedy.com.ar>
Asunto: The Weekly Homeland Security Newsletter (7 April 2006)
The Weekly Homeland Security Newsletter
7 April 2006
New this week in the Journal of Homeland Security
Norfolk Southern Rebuilds After Katrina Hurricane Katrina washed 4.7 miles of track off Norfolk Southern’s Lake Pontchartrain rail viaduct and severely damaged the lakefront trackage. Norfolk Southern’s Chief Engineer–Atlanta, Jeffrey McCracken, described how the railroad restored its line in less than two weeks.
Norfolk Southern photo
Federal News
CPB photo by James Tourtellotte
Automated Targeting System for Container Inspection Is Not Proven Effective U.S. Customs and Border Protection “has not yet put key controls in place to provide reasonable assurance that” the Automated Targeting System—a computerized model that Customs officers use “to help them target oceangoing cargo containers for inspection”—“is effective at targeting … containers with the highest risk of containing smuggled weapons of mass destruction,” according to the Government Accountability Office. Richard Stana, a GAO Director of Homeland Security and Justice Issues, provided a statement on 30 March to the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee). [View abstract]
TSA Still Faces Challenges in Airport Security, Says GAO The Transportation Security Administration has taken steps to strengthen key areas of aviation security but faces challenges in oversight and performance measurement, according to Cathleen Berrick, a Government Accountability Office Director of Homeland Security and Justice Issues, testifying on Tuesday before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Federal Workforce and Agency Organization (Government Reform Committee). On the same day, she told the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee that screening systems being installed at nine airports could yield significant savings, but their deployment has been hampered by a lack of planning and funding strategies. [View abstract of workforce testimony] [View abstract of screening testimony]
National Capital Region Still Lacks a Strategic Plan for Homeland Security While “a well-defined, comprehensive strategic plan for the” National Capital Region “is essential for assuring that the region is prepared for the risks it faces,” the Office of National Capital Region Coordination does not yet have a completed plan, although it has been working on one for two years, according to the Government Accountability Office. William O. Jenkins, Jr., a GAO Director of Homeland Security and Justice Issues, testified on 29 March before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia (Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee). [View abstract]
Federal Govt. Creates Fraud Task Forces in 10 Cities The departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Labor, and State and assorted agencies are creating task forces in 10 major U.S. cities to combat the growing problems of document fraud and immigration benefits fraud. The Document and Benefit Fraud Task Forces will be located in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Newark (NJ), Philadelphia, and St. Paul (MN). They build upon the success of an existing document and benefit fraud task force in the Washington, DC–northern Virginia area led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. [View press release]
NRC Will Make Reactor Inspection Summaries Public The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will make cover letters for future security inspection reports publicly available. The letters will contain a summary of the security inspection and indicate whether security deficiencies were identified at a given nuclear power plant. They will also indicate whether the deficiencies were promptly corrected or whether actions were taken to compensate for the problem. The letters will not describe specific security issues that are identified. [View press release]
CIA 2006 World Factbook Is Now Online This reference site is updated biweekly to provide information about the background, geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues of countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. The nine primary information categories and 139 subcategories include geographic coordinates, current account balances, number of mobile cellular telephones, heliports, legal systems, refugees, literacy, HIV/AIDS-deaths, and more. Among the geographic entries is one for the world, incorporating data and other information summarized where possible from the 270 country listings. [View World Factbook]
DHS Makes Some Progress in Modernization and IT Management The Homeland Security Department has “decided to develop a new strategy for the planned financial management systems integration program, referred to as eMerge2, because the prior strategy was not meeting its performance goals and timeline,” according to the Government Accountability Office. If DHS develops a concept of operations, defines standard business processes, develops a strategy for implementing shared services across the department, and defines and effectively implements disciplined processes to properly manage projects, “it has an excellent opportunity to … form a solid foundation on which to base its efforts and avoid the problems that have plagued so many other federal agencies,” according to the abstract of testimony by McCoy Williams, GAO Director of Financial Management and Assurance, and Keith Rhodes, GAO Chief Technologist, Applied Research and Methods Center for Technology and Engineering, before congressional subcommittees on 30 March. Over the past three years, “the department has made efforts to establish and implement” information technology “management disciplines,” but until it fully and consistently implements the full range of “disciplines embodied in best practices and federal guidance, it will be challenged in its ability to manage and deliver programs,” according to the abstract of testimony by Randolph Hite, GAO Director of IT Architecture and Systems Issues, before congressional subcommittees on 29 March. [View modernization abstract] [View IT abstract]
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National News
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TSA Chief Says Airport Security Is Too Predictable (Government Executive) “Additional levels of security must be built into what has become the nation’s ‘overly rigid, static and predictable airline passenger system,’ … Kip Hawley, director of the Transportation Security Administration, told the Senate Commerce Committee” on Tuesday, reports CongressDaily. [View article]
Pentagon Admits Improper Data in Security Database (Malaysia Star) “The Pentagon said on Wednesday a review launched after revelations that it had collected data on U.S. peace activists found that roughly 260 entries in a classified database of possible terrorist threats should not have been kept there,” reports Reuters. The Pentagon is adding “new safeguards and oversight intended to prevent improper information from going in the database.” Pentagon spokesman Bryan “Whitman said [that] ‘less than 2 percent’ of the more than 13,000 database entries provided through the Talon system ‘should not have been there or should have been removed at a certain point in time.’ Whitman disputed critics’ assertions that the program amounted to Pentagon domestic spying, although he declined to state the nature of these entries or the people they involved, saying the database’s contents are classified.” [View article]
Americans Prefer Workplace Sanctions Over Border Barriers to Curb Illegal Immigration (Stateline) “More Americans would prefer workplace sanctions to reduce illegal immigration from Mexico rather than fences or additional border agents,” reports Stateline. “… But overall, Americans remain fractured about how to handle the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already living in the country, concludes a poll,” “America’s Immigration Quandary,” released by the Pew Hispanic Center on 30 March. “Of 2,000 people polled nationally, 32 percent said illegal immigrants already here should stay permanently; 32 percent said they should be granted temporary work passes, and 27 percent said they should go home.” [View article] [View poll report]
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International News
Saudi Tokyo embassy photo
Saudi King Vows to Annihilate al-Qaeda (Middle East Online) “Saudi King Abdullah pledged Saturday to annihilate Al-Qaeda-linked militants who have plagued the oil-rich kingdom with a wave of terrorist attacks,” according to Middle East Online. “‘We renew our pledge to annihilate the deviant group of the terrorist killers,’ he said using a term that refers to [the] Al-Qaeda network in Saudi Arabia. He also vowed to ‘combat the ideology of those who accuse others of infidelity,’ as he addressed the kingdom’s Shura (consultative) Council at the beginning of its term.” [View article]
European Neo-Nazis Plot Anti-Muslim Actions on Eve of World Cup (Pacific News Service) “Serious security threats from European far-right groups are dogging the World Soccer Championship in Germany less than three months from its opening, reported Italy’s La Repubblica and Germany’s Der Tagesspiegel and Der Spiegel,” according to New America Media. “The two dailies reported that neo-Nazi groups from across Europe in March convened in a secret meeting in the Austrian town of Braunau, birthplace of Adolf Hitler. The meeting planned violent actions to turn the world-renowned athletic event into a launching pad for fascist actions against Muslims immigrants and raise the public profile of the neo-fascist movement.” [View article]
Terrorists Create ‘Virtual University of Terrorism’ (Toronto Globe and Mail) “Terrorists have dramatically increased their Internet presence during the past year to create a ‘virtual university of terrorism,’” according to the annual report of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, reports the Canadian Press. The center cataloged “more than 6,000 terror- and hate-related websites,” a 20% increase over last year. [View article]
Italy Foils Election Terror Plot (BBC) Italian authorities say “they thwarted a terrorist attack ahead of the general elections,” reports the British Broadcasting Corporation. North African Islamists had planned “an attack on a church in Bologna and the Milan underground railway.” [View article]
Zarqawi Replaced as Political Head of Rebels in Iraq (Lebanon Daily Star) “Iraq’s resistance has replaced Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as political head of the rebels, confining him to a military role,” reports Agence France-Presse. “… Zarqawi ‘made many political mistakes,’ including ‘the creation of an independent organization, Al-Qaeda in Iraq,’” said Hudayf Azzam, “whose late father Abdullah Azzam was bin Laden’s mentor.… ‘Zarqawi also took the liberty of speaking in the name of the Iraqi people and resistance, a role which belongs only to the Iraqis,’ Azzam said.” [View article] [View Focus on al-Zarqawi]
Chief Architect of 9/11 Attacks Criticizes bin Laden (Los Angeles Times) “To hear Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed tell it, Osama bin Laden was a meddling boss whose indiscretion and poor judgment threatened to derail the terrorist attacks,” reports the Los Angeles Times. “He also saddled Mohammed with at least four would-be hijackers who the ringleader thought were ill-equipped for the job. And he carelessly dropped hints about the imminent attacks, violating Mohammed’s cardinal rule against discussing the suicide hijacking plot.… a former FBI agent who closely tracked Al Qaeda said the testy relationship described by Mohammed was consistent with the accounts of other terrorism suspects in custody.” [View article]
Bird Flu Arrives in Britain (London Times) Tests have “revealed that a dead swan which washed up in a harbour in” Fife, Scotland, “last Wednesday was carrying the highly pathogenic variant of the virus …” reports the London Times. “Scotland’s response to the long-awaited arrival of avian flu in Britain has been criticised for the eight-day delay between the discovery of the infected swan’s carcass and [Thursday’s] announcement. The carcass was badly decomposed and partially eaten by predators by the time it was collected … some 12 hours after it was first reported. It is believed to be a native Mute swan, suggesting that it became infected by a migratory bird which brought the … disease to British shores.” [View article]
First Bird Flu Case Hits Czech Republic (BBC) “The authorities in the Czech Republic have confirmed their first case of the H5N1 bird flu virus,” reports the British Broadcasting Corporation. “Preliminary tests on a dead swan found last week 130km (80 miles) south of Prague show the bird had the strain, which can be lethal to humans.” [View article]
Exercise Shows That Europe Is Prepared for a Flu Outbreak (Malaysia Star) “A European exercise to simulate an influenza pandemic showed [that] the countries involved were reasonably prepared but exposed flaws in the system used to report national health crises …” reports Reuters. “‘Europe is reasonably well prepared for a pandemic … ’ John Simpson, director for emergency preparedness at Britain’s Health Protection Agency,” said. The agency carried out “the huge simulation” across the European Union’s “25 countries in late November at the request of the European Commission, which also participated.” [View article]
Five British Rail Stations Get Security Scanners (Scotsman) “Security scanners are to be used at” train stations in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds, and Cardiff “to identify passengers carrying dangerous weapons,” reports the Scotsman. The scanners won’t be used all the time, however. During a two-month test in London, “British Transport Police officers with stop-and-search powers and sniffer dogs used” the scanners to scan “almost 10,000 people,” arresting 100 and seizing 68 knives. However, the Association of Train Operating Companies believes that “to employ scanners over the railway as a whole would not be practical … in a busy commuter area you would bring passenger movement to a standstill.” [View article]
U.S. Air Force photo
Airborne Warning Planes Guard Against Terror (Strategy Page) Since 11 September 2001, airborne warning and control system aircraft “have emerged as a key asset for security at public events,” according to the Strategy Page. They were used during the “Winter Olympics in Torino and the Superbowl in Detroit.” For the “soccer World Cup in Germany in June and July,” Germany has “requested airborne early warning coverage through the NATO fleet of E-3 aircraft.” [View article]
Singapore Will Introduce Biometric Passport (CNet News) Starting in August, “passport holders in Singapore can apply for new travel documents with additional security features designed for international standards,” reports CNet News. “The biometric passport, called BioPass, was unveiled [last] Friday by the government. Each e-passport contains a polycarbonate page that is embedded with a contactless chip, carrying the owner’s facial and fingerprint biometric identifiers.” [View article]
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State and Local News
Disaster Coming to San Francisco? (USA Today) “More than 300,000 people left homeless. Thousands of buildings collapsed or damaged beyond repair. As much as $200 billion in economic losses. Two major airports knocked out. Freeways crumbled and sunken. Mass transit disrupted. Water pipelines shattered. An untold number of fires fueled by broken gas lines.… That is a doomsday scenario that the Red Cross, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), city and state disaster agencies and private engineering firms believe is not only possible but likely,” reports USA Today. They think a repeat of the “magnitude-7.8 earthquake of April 18, 1906,” may not be far away. [View article]
Many States Are Unhappy With Federal Intelligence Sharing (Washington Post) “Most state Homeland Security directors are dissatisfied with the quality of intelligence data provided by the federal government,” according to a survey by the National Governors Association, reports the Associated Press. “… the second annual report on homeland security” was “the first since Hurricane Katrina and the emerging threat of a global avian flu pandemic.” [View article]
Photo courtesy of Steve Dunham
Puffing Maryland Rail Commuters at Dorsey (Baltimore Sun) From 4 April through 28 April, “all rush-hour riders at the” Maryland Rail Commuter “station in Dorsey … have to walk through a 20-foot-long box to be scanned for explosives,” reports the Sun. The Transportation Security Administration is urging morning commuters to arrive 10 minutes earlier. They won’t “have to take off their shoes or empty their pockets.… a machine that detects traces of explosives” will blow “puffs of air onto clothes and skin.… Riders also will walk through a metal detector as separate X-ray scanners screen their bags.” [View article]
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Dual-Benefit Solutions
National Fire Academy 2005 Annual Outstanding Research Awards The Homeland Security Department’s Preparedness Directorate and the U.S. Fire Administration last week announced the four applied research projects by students in the Executive Fire Officer Program.
• Marcus Lusk, District Chief of the Amarillo, TX, Fire Department: “Evaluating the Amarillo Department Mayday Guidelines”
• Ray Webber, Fire Chief, Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati: “Identifying Alternative Approaches to Fire and Hazard Protection at Procter & Gamble”
• Kevin Milan, Division Chief, Golden, CO, Fire Department: “Evaluation of Electronic Student Response Technology in an Introductory National Incident Management System Training Course”
• Mark Brown, Superintendent, New South Wales, Australia, Fire Brigades: “The Effectiveness of Fire Safety Training for Employees in Commercial Premises”
The award-winning papers will be presented at the 18th Executive Fire Officer Symposium on 21-23 April at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, MD. [View press release]
Dual-benefit news archive
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Private-Sector News
Singapore Eyes Ports Overseas (Malaysia Star) “Singapore is seeking to step up its investments in Britain by taking over infrastructure, including ports and airports,” reports Agence France-Presse. The state holding company “Temasek, through its ports subsidiary” Port of Singapore Authority, “which already owns the harbour facilities of Antwerp and Zeebrugge in Belgium, was beaten by Dubai Ports World in its … bid to buy British ports operator Peninsular and Oriental.” [View article]
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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
Defending Democracy, Defeating Terrorism (27 May–7 June; Tel Aviv, Israel) The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies is offering an academic fellowship on terrorism. The course of study takes place in the classroom and in the field and features lectures by academics, diplomats, military and intelligence officials, and politicians from Israel, Jordan, India, Turkey, and the United States. It also features visits to military bases, border zones, and other security installations to learn the practical side of deterring terrorist attacks. [View course website]
Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Undergraduate Fellowship (29 July–13 August, Tel Aviv, Israel; 7-10 January 2007, Washington, DC) The foundation is seeking qualified candidates with a distinguished record of academic achievement and campus leadership to join the undergraduate fellowship program. Fellows will have an opportunity to hear from academics, politicians, intelligence and military officials, and diplomats from Israel, Jordan, India, Turkey, and the United States. [View course website]
Please submit events and educational programs by noon Wednesdays for consideration as items in that week’s newsletter.
Upcoming Events
New Events (After two weeks, new events will be moved to the list below, in chronological order)
Disaster Response and Preparedness From Hurricanes to Infectious Disease (19-21 April; New Orleans) This Distributed Medical Intelligence conference is designed to explore advanced techniques and technologies for improved medical response globally and will explore and identify practical solutions to maintaining continuity of operations in crisis. [View conference website]
Homeland Security Detect and Protect Showcase (20 April; Aberdeen, MD) The Maryland Technology Development Corporation, the Tech Council of Maryland, and the U.S. Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground will host “Homeland Security: Detect and Protect, Novel Military Technologies for Commercial Use.” This technology transfer and federal marketplace event will showcase emerging technologies being developed in Aberdeen Proving Ground’s research laboratories that can be developed or commercialized by local companies. The program will include presentations of available joint research and patent license opportunities; ability to network with commercial, government, military and scientific leaders; examples of successful partnerships with Aberdeen Proving Ground; exhibits and a poster session that highlight partnership possibilities; and an overview of the contracting process and opportunities at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Technology transfer officials from the Maryland Technology Development Corp. will be available to provide information on state and federal funding programs that support technology transfer projects. Registration ends 13 April. [View conference website]
5th Intl. Counterterrorism Conference: Public and Private Partnerships (20-21 April; Washington, DC) International public safety officials will discuss border and transportation security, information sharing (interoperability), critical infrastructure, and maritime and mass-transportation security. Ronald Noble, Secretary General of Interpol, and Tom Ridge, former Secretary of Homeland Security, are keynote speakers. [View conference website]
Risks and Economic Impacts of Terrorism (17 May; Los Angeles) This conference, sponsored by the Homeland Security Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events, will focus on improving homeland security through risk-based decision making. Panel discussions and keynote presentations will feature policy makers, private industry leaders, and researchers. [View conference website]
Homeland Port Security Conference (7 June; New York) This conference sponsored by the U.S. Naval Institute will feature senior U.S. Navy and Coast Guard officers, as well as civilian, political, and business leaders, thrust into real-time simulations of simultaneous terrorist attacks against key maritime assets in the United States, requiring panelists to identify critical issues and challenges:
• Lessons learned: How do agencies disseminate unclassified information?
• Communication logistics during emergencies: Is everyone on the same page?
• Command and control: Who’s in charge in a layered-response scenario?
• Secure shipping: How do we monitor and secure the supply chain?
• Terrorist attacks on commerce and energy: What are the financial implications?
[View conference website]
Explosives Detection Conference (12-16 June; Miami) This conference, sponsored by the Combating Terrorism Technology Support Office Technical Support Working Group, focuses on large vehicle bomb detection, short-range detection, canines, and suicide bomber detection. Attendance is by invitation only. To request an invitation, register on the website. There is no fee for the conference. For further information, email detection_conference@bah.com. The registration deadline is 5 June. [View conference website; enter code TSW73414]
4th TICS and TIMs Symposium (11-13 July; Richmond, VA) Scentczar’s symposium will provide an overview of perceived threats, equipment requirements, and tools for identifying, defending against, and remediating incidents involving toxic industrial chemicals and toxic industrial materials. [View conference website]
April
Southwest Homeland Security Conference (18-19 April; Phoenix) Homeland security professionals, response agencies, and elected officials in the Southwestern states will focus on border security (interstate and international), terrorism prevention, catastrophe preparedness, public education and outreach, and Native American homeland security. [View conference website]
Terrorist Threats to Our Food Supply (21 April; Minneapolis) National experts from industry and academia will address public health responses, industry considerations, consumer perspectives, risk analysis, and defense. Featured speakers include Robert L. Buchanan (Food and Drug Administration), Michael T. Roberts (Univ. of Arkansas School of Law), Clay Detlefsen (International Dairy Foods Assn.), Caroline Smith DeWaal (Center for Science in the Public Interest), Asha M. George (DFI Government Services), Donald W. Schaffner (Rutgers Univ.), and Michael T. Osterholm (Univ. of Minnesota). Continuing education credits are available. Online registration, the full agenda, and further information are available at the conference website. For more information call (612) 625-0055 or email lawvalue@umn.edu. [View conference website]
Hospital Management of Chemical, Biological, Radiological/Nuclear, and Explosive Incidents (24-28 April; Aberdeen, MD) This course is designed for hospital-based medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, dentists, paramedical professionals, hospital administrators, medical planners, and others who plan, conduct, or have responsibility for hospital management of mass-casualty incidents or terrorism preparedness. Classroom instruction, scenarios, and tabletop exercises will equip military and civilian professionals with skills, knowledge, and information resources to carry out the full spectrum of healthcare-facility responsibilities required by a chemical, biological, radiological/nuclear, explosive, or other mass-casualty event. [View conference website]
Washington, DC, Summit on Pandemic Response (28 April; Washington, DC) City officials hope that this summit at Gallaudet University on pandemic influenza will draw hundreds of people from the city’s business, health care, education, and religious communities and continue the city’s preparation for a potential outbreak. Those interested in attending should call the Washington, DC, Health Department at (202) 442-9195.
Government Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams Conference (30 April–5 May; Orlando, FL) The conference theme this year is “GFIRST: A nation working together to secure cyberspace.” The conference will focus on ensuring training and disseminating and exchanging information among operational incident responders, chief information security officers, and other cybersecurity professionals. [View conference website]
May
General Police Equipment Exhibition & Conference (2-4 May; Leipzig, Germany) This is a fully closed specialized trade fair with accompanying international congress, meetings (partly open) and lecture programs catering to the police and allied security markets. With its exhibition and fringe events, it promotes the interministerial and interdisciplinary transfer of information between government offices and frontline forces; advising the security community on new products and product developments together with current trends in education and training; and enhancing public security, the fight against terrorism, and increased homeland security. [View conference website]
Intelcon (7-9 May; Bethesda, MD) Intelcon is a major, annual national conference and exposition on intelligence and the relationship between intelligence and national security. By combining a high-quality educational program, which emphasizes practical applications and techniques, with a full-scale vendor exposition, the event attracts a wide audience of intelligence professionals and vendors from the public and private sectors. [View conference website]
4th Annual Homeland Security Contracting Opportunities Conference (11-12 May; Washington, DC) To bridge the gap between the government’s needs and the private sector’s ability to deliver goods and services, the Bureau of National Affairs presents this conference. Topics include “Top Priorities for DHS and the Private Sector,” “Homeland Security Spending Outlook,” regional requirements, “Small Business Contracting Opportunities,” and “Roles and Requirements of U.S. Armed Forces.” [View conference website]
June
2006 Techno Security Conference (4-7 June; Myrtle Beach, SC) The conference will bring together private industry, government and law enforcement decision makers, and technical enthusiasts in the fields of information and network security, digital forensics, incident response, operational and physical security, auditing, and cyber-crime. Eight simultaneous tracks will feature interactive high-intensity training sessions, hands-on labs, professional certification opportunities, and networking opportunities. Topics will include homeland security; wireless security; web hacking; contingency planning; vulnerability assessments; incident response; computer, personal digital assistant, and enterprise forensics; password recovery and disk-wiping tools; intrusion prevention; Internet investigation techniques; street smarts for investigators; biometrics; and steganography. [View conference website]
Terrorism Research Symposium (12-13 June; Denver) Law enforcement officials who deal with terrorism in their states, cities, and communities will learn what works to prevent and respond to terrorism. The conference is hosted by the National Institute of Justice’s International Center. Panelists will discuss research findings about common issues and invite state and local officials to describe their challenges and experiences in interactive, dynamic sessions. [View conference website]
Air & Port Security Expo Asia (13-14 June; Hong Kong) The conference, held at the AsiaWorld Expo, will feature a two-day aviation security conference, a two-day maritime security conference, and a two-day new technologies seminar. More than 60 suppliers of security equipment and services to the transportation sector are expected to exhibit, and over a thousand heads of security from airports, airlines, seaports, shipping, supply chain operatives, government agencies, and integrators of security are expected to attend. [View conference website]
6th International Conference on Complex Systems (25-30 June; Quincy, MA) This conference will investigate the properties or characteristics that appear to be common to the very different complex systems now under study and will encourage cross-fertilization among the many disciplines involved. [View conference website]
July
INFORMS Military Applications Society (24-26 July; Mystic, CT) The Military Applications Society, a technical arm of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, will hold a conference with the theme “Homeland Security for the 21st Century.” [Register online]
September
Air & Port Security Expo Europe (13-14 September; Brussels, Belgium) The conference will cover airport, port, supply chain industry, passenger, cargo, and terminal security. It will feature a two-day aviation security conference, two-day maritime security conference, and two-day new technologies and solutions seminar. More than 100 suppliers of security equipment and services to the transportation sector are expected to exhibit, and over 2,000 heads of security from airports, airlines, seaports, shipping, supply chain operatives, government agencies, and integrators of security are expected to attend. [View conference website]
U.S. Maritime Security Expo (19-20 September; New York) The expo will address the protection of ports, harbors, bridges, cargo containers, powerplants, offshore oil rigs, railroads, and cargo and passenger ships. In-depth workshops will cover port and maritime investigations, pre-employment screening, and radio-frequency identification and supply chain software. [View conference website]
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Calls for Papers
New Calls for Papers
Explosives Detection Conference (12-16 June; Miami) This conference, sponsored by the Combating Terrorism Technology Support Office Technical Support Working Group, focuses on large vehicle bomb detection, short-range detection, canines, and suicide bomber detection. Attendance is by invitation only. To request an invitation, register on the website. There is no fee for the conference. For further information, email detection_conference@bah.com. The deadline for abstracts is 14 April. [View conference website; enter code EXP86441]
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A Day in the Life of the Border Patrol
A correspondent from the Christian Science Monitor spends a day on the Mexican border with the U.S. Border Patrol. Agents “use everything from horses to mountain bikes to all-terrain vehicles to track drug smugglers and human traffickers,” writes Faye Bowers. “They also use aerial surveillance, periscope trucks, and underground sensors. Yet, through it all, the task of stopping illegal immigration can still seem daunting, if not futile.”
Quote of the Week
The Threat of Global Poverty
“Poverty erodes weak states’ capacity to prevent the spread of disease and protect the world’s forests and watersheds … It also creates conditions conducive to transnational criminal enterprises and terrorist activity, not only by making desperate individuals potentially more susceptible to recruitment, but also, and more significantly, by undermining the state’s ability to prevent and counter those violent threats. Poverty can also give rise to the tensions that erupt in civil conflict, which further taxes the state and allows transnational predators greater freedom of action.”
Susan E. Rice
Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies
Brookings Institution
National Interest
Spring 2006
Stats of the Week
Top 10 Countries in IT
The World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report 2004-2005 ranks countries of the world by their propensity to leverage the opportunities offered by information and communication technology for development and increased competitiveness:
1. United States
2. Singapore
3. Denmark
4. Iceland
5. Finland
6. Canada
7. Taiwan
8. Sweden
9. Switzerland
10. United Kingdom
The Wire: The top stories from the Associated Press
Homeland Security Institute
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De: Belikow, Juan <belikowj@ndu.edu>
Enviado el: Martes, 04 de Abril de 2006 09:40:39 p.m.
Para: "Adriana M. Don (E-mail)" <Cecnews155@hotmail.com>, "Jorge Sillone (E-mail)" <jorgesillone@yahoo.com.ar>, Pablo Carlos Martínez (E-mail) <pmartine@senado.gov.ar>, "Eduardo Diez (E-mail)" <edus10@hotmail.com>, "Raul Sosa (E-mail)" <rasosa@interlink.com.ar>, "Luis Tibiletti (E-mail)" <paztibi@ser2000.org.ar>, "Jaime Garreta (E-mail)" <jaime@ser2000.org.ar>, "Roberto Rosset (E-mail)" <decanoseguridad@universidad-policial.edu.ar>, "Felix Besio (E-mail)" <fabe@adinet.com.uy>, "Fernando Silveira-Galban (E-mail)" <fsilveira@arnet.com.ar>, "Guillermo Cesar Viola (E-mail)" <gcviola@fibertel.com.ar>, "Eduardo Carlos Llorens (E-mail)" <ecllorens35@hotmail.com>, <ctachini@hotmail.com>, "Rogelio Alonso (E-mail 2)" <ralonso007@yahoo.com.ar>, <hdrodriguez@fibertel.com.ar>, "Daniel Reimundes (E-mail)" <dmreimundes@hotmail.com>, "Hebe Gazzotti (E-mail 2)" <hebegazzotti@fund-rioplatense.org.ar>, "Jorge Castro (E-mail)" <ipejcastro@speedy.com.ar>
Asunto: The Weekly Homeland Security Newsletter (March 31, 2006)
The Weekly Homeland Security Newsletter
31 March 2006
Federal News
GAO Smuggles Radioactive Material Across Border in Test of Security (Washington Post) “Congressional investigators testing U.S. port security smuggled enough radioactive material into the United States last year to make two radiological ‘dirty’ bombs, officials told a Senate panel” on Tuesday, reports the Washington Post. “In December, undercover teams from the Government Accountability Office, Congress’s audit arm, carried small amounts of cesium-137--a radioactive material used for cancer therapy, industrial gauges and well logging--in the trunks of rental cars through border checkpoints in Texas and Washington state. The material triggered radiation alarms, but the smugglers used false documents to persuade U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspectors to let them through with it.” [View article] [View abstract of GAO testimony]
Combating Nuclear Smuggling: Three GAO Reports The departments of Energy, Defense, and State have spent about $178 million since fiscal year 1994 to provide radiation-detection equipment and training to 36 countries. However, these departments face challenges that could compromise their efforts, such as corruption of foreign border security officials, technical limitations, inadequate maintenance of some equipment, and the lack of supporting infrastructure at some border sites, according to Gene Aloise, the Government Accountability Office’s Director of Natural Resources and Environment, who testified Tuesday before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs). [View abstract of testimony] [View abstract on foreign ports] [View abstract on U.S. ports]
Experts Urge Protection Against Nuclear Attack (Government Executive) At Tuesday’s Senate Hearing on nuclear smuggling, seven other experts testified besides the GAO’s Aloise. They said that “the United States remains too vulnerable to a nuclear or dirty bomb attack and called on Congress and the White House to increase federal efforts aimed at preventing the smuggling of such dangerous materials,” according to CongressDaily. Five senators made statements as well. [View hearing website] [View article]
Senate Study Finds Big Gaps in Cargo Container Security (San Diego Union-Tribune) “The number of high-risk cargo containers inspected before entering the United States is ‘staggeringly low,’ and government efforts to keep terrorists from exploiting the system are riddled with blind spots,” according to a study by a “Senate Homeland Security subcommittee,” reports Copley News Service. “… Experts say the system is vulnerable to the smuggling of a nuclear, chemical or biological weapon, or a direct attack by terrorists intent on crippling the U.S. economy.” [View article]
U.S. Would Have Been Safer With Dubai Company at Ports, Says Chertoff (USA Today) “The U.S. missed an opportunity to make its shores safer when it drove away a Dubai-based company poised to operate cargo terminals at several American seaports, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said” on 23 March, reports the Associated Press. “In a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, Chertoff said the international shipping firm DP World could have helped implement stronger security at many ports where the U.S. now has limited influence. ‘We could (have) actually built in some additional assurances, which would have given us more security in the wake of the deal than we had before the deal,’ Chertoff said. ‘… had the deal gone forward, we would have had greater ability to impose a security regime worldwide on the company than we have now.’” [View article]
British Dept. for Transport photo
Foreign Practices Can Help Guide Passenger Rail Security U.S. rail passenger systems have taken some of the same steps as foreign systems have to improve security: customer awareness programs, increasing the number and visibility of security personnel, and upgrading security technology, according to the Government Accountability Office. GAO also observed some security practices that it did not see employed in the United States: covert testing to help keep employees alert, random passenger screening, and centralized clearinghouses for rail security technologies. The practices may warrant further examination, said JayEtta Hecker, GAO’s Director of Physical Infrastructure Issues, testifying on Wednesday before the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Highways, Transit, and Pipelines (Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure). [View abstract]
New DoT Efforts May Reveal Undeclared Hazmat Shipments “Approximately 1,000 undeclared hazmat incidents were reported in 2005, with 70 of those involving undeclared shipments entering the United States,” according to the Government Accountability Office. Yet “the federal government has no specific program aimed at discovering the amount of undeclared hazmat entering the United States; undeclared hazmat is discovered mainly through inspection and regulatory efforts directed primarily at imported cargo,” However, new legal authority allows “inspectors to open and inspect cargo when they have ‘an objectively reasonable and articulable belief that the package may contain a hazardous material.’ Previously, they could not generally open and inspect packages without a warrant or the shipper’s consent.” The Transportation Department also “now requires individuals who discover undeclared hazmat in transportation to self-report the discovery.” [View abstract]
TSA Revokes Permit for J.H. World Express to Ship Cargo on Passenger Aircraft The Transportation Security Administration last week announced that J.H. World Express, based in Los Angeles, does not meet security standards and that its certification for shipments on passenger aircraft is being revoked. Numerous compliance inspections at the J.H. World Express cargo facility found repeat, multiple violations. [View press release]
Former Federal Prosecutor and State Dept. Agent Indicted for False Evidence and Obstructing Justice in Terrorism Trial A former federal prosecutor and a State Department special agent were indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Detroit on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and making false declarations in the 2003 terrorism trial United States v. Koubriti. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Convertino and Regional Security Officer Harry Raymond Smith III were named in the indictment. Convertino was also charged with obstruction of justice in a second criminal case. [View press release]
LetsGoHonduras photo
Honduran Port of Cortes Joins U.S. Container Security Initiative The Port of Cortes in Honduras is the first Central American port to join the Container Security Initiative. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will deploy a multidisciplinary team of officers to be stationed at the Port of Cortes to target maritime containers destined for the United States. Honduran Customs officials, working with CBP officers, will be responsible for screening any containers identified as a potential terrorist risk. Cortes is the 44th port worldwide to join the initiative. The port also has joined the National Nuclear Security Administration’s MegaPorts Initiative, under which the United States will install radiological detection equipment in the port. [View press release]
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National News
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National Guard Bureau Holds Pandemic Influenza Exercise (Wilmington, DE, News Journal) “Fifty-four National Guard units around the country” participated in “a table-top exercise on pandemic influenza” on 24 March, reports the News Journal. The National Guard “groups were asked to respond to a theoretical worst-case scenario--an avian flu pandemic that cripples the country. But what was revealed was the need for more preparation for basic problems, such as how to deliver water and food to citizens while protecting the first responders from exposure. Despite the questions, one thing is clear: individual states must take responsibility for themselves. If the disease spreads nationwide, the federal government will likely be too overwhelmed to respond in a timely manner, officials said.” [View article]
TSA Shifting Security to Part-Timers (Atlanta Business Chronicle) “The Transportation Security Administration is counting on part-timers” to staff “the airport checkpoints, after steady budget cuts have slashed the agency’s full-time staff from 54,000 positions nationwide in 2002 to 43,000 in 2006,” reports the Atlanta Business Chronicle. “… the agency wants part-timers to make up 20 percent of its work force.… The TSA is hiring only part-timers now … to replace full-timers who quit, retire or relocate.” [View article]
Railyards Are Still Vulnerable (New York Times) “Since 9/11, railroads have spent millions to install fences and security cameras and add additional officers … but industry officials concede that their facilities are far too large to be completely sealed,” reports the New York Times. “… Railroad officials say their self-imposed security measures have provided a web of security far more effective and sophisticated than that in virtually any other industry.… major rail carriers have spent more than $200 million since 9/11 on security measures, including fences and motion detectors, training, high-tech scanning devices, and tracking to monitor the shipment of some dangerous cargo.… the industry opposed [a] plan to reroute shipments because it would actually increase the chance of an accident by forcing trains to haul the tankers full of toxic chemicals for longer distances, over older, less well-maintained rails.” [View article]
DHS Will Fingerprint Merchant Sailors (Washington Post) The Homeland Security Department “plans to collect digital fingerprints of merchant sailors arriving at American ports,” reports the Associated Press. “… immigration inspectors at major cargo terminals would be given hand-held scanners that photograph a sailor and capture his fingerprints. The data then would be checked against the 1.5 million names on U.S. lists of terror suspects, criminal fugitives and immigration violators.” [View article]
South of the Border, Fence Is No Deterrent (Christian Science Monitor) “On the south side of the border, there seems to be consensus that enforcement measures will deter almost no one,” reports the Christian Science Monitor. Migrants “arrive from all over Mexico, Central America, even as far away as Colombia, and Brazil.” If they don’t make it across the border into the United States, “they will simply try again.” [View article]
Police Depts. Find It Hard to Fill Jobs (Washington Post) “Police departments around the country are contending with a shortage of officers and trying to lure new applicants with signing bonuses, eased standards, house down payments and extra vacation time,” reports the Washington Post. “… departments have dropped their zero-tolerance policy on drug use and past gang association, eased restrictions on applicants with bad credit ratings, and tweaked physical requirements to make room for more female candidates or smaller male candidates, police officials said. Departments also offer crash courses in reading and remedial English for the written parts of the entrance exam, and provide strength and agility coaches for the physical part--all of which have raised concerns about how qualified some of the new personnel will be.” [View article]
Former Soviet Weapons Power U.S. Reactors (USA Today) “Nuclear materials from Soviet warheads that once threatened U.S. cities are now helping to light them up,” reports USA Today. “With little fanfare, U.S. utilities have been buying uranium that once sat in Soviet nuclear weapons to fuel civilian nuclear power reactors. The program supplies half the uranium used by U.S. nuclear plants which, in turn, generate 20% of all U.S. commercial power.” [View article]
A New Game Plan for Hurricane Seasons (New York Times) “Federal and state emergency officials promised a different approach on Tuesday to the coming hurricane season, saying they would no longer use ‘last resort’ shelters like the Superdome to house displaced residents,” reports the New York Times. “Instead, they said, they will put into effect a better system of communication and evacuation to get residents away from the path of a storm.” [View article]
Immigration Law Protest Is Largest Demonstration in Los Angeles History (Los Angeles Times) “Thousands of students walked out of high schools in Los Angeles and across Southern California” on Monday “as protests against restrictions on immigration spread across the city for a fourth day,” reports the Los Angeles Times. And “at the U.S. Capitol, more than 100 demonstrators wore handcuffs to protest a bill passed by the House last year that would criminalize illegal immigration. In Detroit, more than a thousand Latinos marched against the House bill, continuing a weekend of protests that brought hundreds of thousands into the streets in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas and Milwaukee.… hundreds of high school students walked out in Dallas.” On Tuesday, “what was initially expected to draw fewer than 20,000 ballooned into a massive march that police estimated at 500,000 and said was one of the largest demonstrations in Los Angeles’ history.” [View Monday’s article] [View Tuesday’s article]
Nuclear Security Administration Warns of Unsecured Reactors (USA Today) “One-third of the world’s 130 civilian nuclear research reactors lack security upgrades needed to prevent theft of materials that terrorists could use to build an atomic bomb … says” Linton Brooks, director of the National Nuclear Security Administration, in an interview with USA Today. Brooks “said most of these reactors use highly enriched uranium, the easiest fuel used to make atomic bombs. ‘Fresh’ highly enriched uranium--the supply not yet used in reactors--is” a serious threat because it is “hard to detect and safe enough to handle with bare hands.” [View article]
Border Patrol to Expand UAV Usage (Federal Computer Week) “U.S. Border Patrol officials plan to monitor a larger area of the southwest border with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which has been in use since September 2005,” reports Federal Computer Week. Chief David Aguilar says “that officials will increase the UAV surveillance footprint from 150 miles to 300 miles in Arizona” and “will start using a second UAV in Arizona by June.” Aguilar said that “the technology has helped agents make more than 1,000 apprehensions and many drug seizures” and that it’s “been valuable in helping improve officers’ safety because they can use UAVs in certain situations before they intervene” and that UAVs “also act as a deterrent.” [View article]
Experts Say Security System Checks Take Too Long (Federal Computer Week) “Current security certification and accreditation (C&A) processes for federal information systems are too slow and don’t reflect the modern network environment, a panel of federal information-sharing experts said” on Tuesday, reports Federal Computer Week. “The processes can take so long that the products undergoing C&A can be obsolete by the time they are approved … Many C&A procedures in use, particularly those for intelligence systems, date from the pre-network and pre-Internet eras.” [View article]
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International News
Iran Given Stark Nuclear Choice (BBC) “Iran has been given 30 days to return to the negotiating table or face isolation, foreign ministers from the US and five other major powers warned,” reports the British Broadcasting Corporation. The warning reinforced the United Nations Security Council’s “non-binding call on Iran to end uranium enrichment,” issued Wednesday. [View article]
Iran Wants to Set Up Nuclear Fuel Facility (Yahoo! News) “Iran has proposed setting up a nuclear fuel production facility within its borders with international help,” reports the Associated Press. “… The new Iranian proposal is an alternative to Russia’s offer to host Iran’s nuclear fuel production as a way to ease concerns that enrichment conducted in Iran could be used to develop weapons.… Russia said its enrichment offer was contingent on Iran resuming a moratorium on domestic enrichment, but the Iranians rejected that link.” [View article]
London Underground Attacks Weren’t a Security Failure, Parliament Concludes (London Guardian) Members of Parliament “have concluded that the intelligence and security services could not be blamed for failing to prevent the July 7 [2005] attacks,” reports the Guardian. “But the cross-party intelligence and security committee has questioned why the lead bomber, Mohammad Sidique Khan, was not fully investigated despite being known to security officials, the BBC said.” [View article]
U.S. to Pay Foreign Firm to Help Run Nuclear Detectors (CNN) “The Bush administration will negotiate to station American customs inspectors at the largest seaport in the Bahamas, where the United States is hiring a Hong Kong conglomerate to help detect nuclear materials inside cargo,” reports the Associated Press. The “no-bid, $6 million contract the administration is finalizing with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.” represented “the first time a foreign company” would have been “involved in running sophisticated U.S. radiation-detection equipment at an overseas port without American customs agents present.” [View article]
Saudi Security Forces Foil Terror Attacks (Johannesburg [South Africa] Mail and Guardian) “Saudi security forces discovered and disarmed explosive devices planted in two separate vehicles near Saudi Arabia’s largest oil refinery, Abqaiq, the Saudi newspaper al-Riyadh reported on Wednesday,” according to the Mail and Guardian. “The paper said security forces broke into a house in al-Muntaar town on Tuesday where Saudi Arabian Oil Company Aramco employees live, to find two booby-trapped cars with the company’s logo on them.… several bombs, machine guns and explosive materials were found,” and “around 40 suspected terrorists were arrested.” On 24 February, security forces stopped another attack on “the Abqaiq oil refinery. Two terrorists were killed … Later the police shot and killed five persons suspected of … planning that attack.” [View article]
Jordan Confirms First Cases of Avian Flu (Washington Post) “Jordan confirmed its first cases of bird flu on [24 March] in domesticated turkeys north of the capital, finding that up to four of the birds had died of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus,” reports the Associated Press. “Turkey, Iraq and Egypt are the only countries in the region where people have died of the H5N1 strain, which has killed a total of 105 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. But the discovery of sick birds in several Middle Eastern countries has led to extensive slaughters.” [View article]
C-TPAT Seminars Around the Globe (Canadian Transportation and Logistics) “Beginning in April, the International Cargo Security Council (ICSC) will be offering 11 seminars in Asia, Europe, Canada and Mexico on C-TPAT, or the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, which is a voluntary government-business initiative designed to strengthen the international supply chain and U.S. border security,” reports Canadian Transportation and Logistics. [View article] [View seminar schedule]
DHS Will Help Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay (Yahoo! News) “Agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will soon be helping Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay combat money laundering and terrorism financing,” reports the Associated Press. “… A focus will be the porous border region where Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina meet, an area American authorities have long considered a source of fundraising for radical Islamic groups.” Agents will work “with local law enforcement and customs officials, they will set up units to investigate and prosecute an array of financial crimes, that also include contraband smuggling and tax evasion.” [View article]
Latin American Crime Networks Linked to Terrorists (Miami Herald) “Middle Eastern terrorist groups rely on criminal organizations in Latin America to acquire false passports and raise funds, although there is no evidence they operate directly in the region,” according to the State Department, reports the Associated Press. “‘We are not aware of any operational cells in this hemisphere by al Qaeda, Hezbollah or Hamas,’ said Harry Crumpton, antiterrorism coordinator at the U.S. State Department. ‘But we do have information that these organizations raise money in the hemisphere and are tied in to transnational criminal networks.’” Crumpton “was in Bogotá for a three-day meeting of the Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism.” [View article]
EU Scraps Biometric Chip in Visa Plan (Security Document World) The European Union has decided “to scrap the use of contactless chips within European visas,” reports Security Document World. “… The decision was made in light of durability and ‘collision’ problems occurring when biometric-based chips into visas are positioned in close proximity to the chips now being embedded into ePassports.” [View article]
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State and Local News
New York Drill Tests Response to Hazmat Bomb (New York Times) “How would New York City respond if a bomb filled with arsenic trichloride, a highly toxic liquid compound, were to explode on a freight train moving through a Queens railyard--just when a commuter train carrying weekend passengers was traveling in the other direction?” asks the New York Times. “… That nightmarish situation was the basis for a four-hour simulation [Sunday] involving 1,500 police officers, firefighters and other emergency workers.” [View article]
CA Dept. of Water Resources photo
Disaster Waiting in California Levees? (East [San Francisco] Bay Business Times) “In a major quake, dozens of [San Joaquin] Delta levees would falter, submerging Lower Ninth Ward-size chunks of Sacramento suburbs and sucking saltwater up the Delta, contaminating the water supply of 23 million,” according to the East Bay Business Times. “According to one” University of California–Davis “study, there is a 64 percent chance of that nightmare scenario becoming a reality in the next 50 years. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger learned the lesson of Hurricane Katrina and issued an emergency declaration Feb. 24 to free up $75 million to $100 million in state funds for 24 of the weakest levees along the lower Sacramento. A federal declaration is needed to bring additional resources for levee repair.” [View editorial]
Houston Airport Volunteer Rangers Patrol on Horseback (Washington Post) About 800 volunteers “make up the Houston Airport Rangers, a post–Sept. 11, low-tech project created to increase security at the nation’s fourth-largest airport system,” reports the Washington Post. This “group of vetted urban cowpokes” with “their trusty horses” has “passed background checks, they’re trained, they’re badged, and they patrol the perimeter of Houston’s largest airport looking for anything unusual.” Boston’s Logan Airport also has amateurs on patrol. Though it initially banned the “clammers long accustomed to digging in Boston Harbor off the airport’s shoreline,” later the airport had the clammers “undergo a security check, wear badges and special vests while working the mudflats, and report suspicious activity.” [View article]
Oklahoma Expands Regional Response System The Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security has assigned five new Regional Hazardous Materials Response Units to the communities of Claremore, Lawton, Moore/Norman, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa. The units are the largest component of the five-tiered Oklahoma Regional Response System. They are strategically placed along the Interstate 44 corridor and can respond to any disaster, not just hazmat incidents. [View press release]
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Dual-Benefit Solutions
Video Surveillance Gets Smart (Federal Computer Week) “Video surveillance is evolving from a reactive into a proactive technology” and many companies “are offering systems that monitor security situations and enforce pre-emptive security measures across entire organizations,” reports Federal Computer Week. This new “approach represents a departure from the use of traditional closed-circuit TV systems that relay images to people who must notice security events and apply security policies consistently.… The systems aim to integrate all threat and response information into one alarm that will provide guards with all necessary information about the situation.” [View article]
Dual-benefit news archive
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Private-Sector News
Company Sues U.S. for Right to Test for Mad Cow (Des Moines [IA] Register) Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, a meatpacking company, “is suing government officials for the right to test its own cattle for mad cow disease,” reports the Des Moines Register. The lawsuit “seeks to force the U.S. Agriculture Department to allow … Creekstone to buy the test kits. The Agriculture Department argues that testing for mad cow disease is a government function and that there is no reason to test every animal. Testing cattle younger than 30 months of age, as Creekstone is proposing, would be misleading because the disease can’t be detected in cattle that young, said Nolan Hartwig, an expert on the disease for Iowa State University.… Allowing a private company to test cattle would unfairly suggest that its beef was safer than the products of a competitor that didn’t do the testing, he said.” [View article]
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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
Defending Democracy, Defeating Terrorism (27 May–7 June; Tel Aviv, Israel) The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies is offering an academic fellowship on terrorism. The course of study takes place in the classroom and in the field and features lectures by academics, diplomats, military and intelligence officials, and politicians from Israel, Jordan, India, Turkey, and the United States. It also features visits to military bases, border zones, and other security installations to learn the practical side of deterring terrorist attacks. [View course website]
Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Undergraduate Fellowship (29 July–13 August, Tel Aviv, Israel; 7-10 January 2007, Washington, DC) The foundation is seeking qualified candidates with a distinguished record of academic achievement and campus leadership to join the undergraduate fellowship program. Fellows will have an opportunity to hear from academics, politicians, intelligence and military officials, and diplomats from Israel, Jordan, India, Turkey, and the United States. [View course website]
Please submit events and educational programs by noon Wednesdays for consideration as items in that week’s newsletter.
Upcoming Events
New Events (After two weeks, new events will be moved to the list below, in chronological order)
Disaster Response and Preparedness From Hurricanes to Infectious Disease (19-21 April; New Orleans) This Distributed Medical Intelligence conference is designed to explore advanced techniques and technologies for improved medical response globally and will explore and identify practical solutions to maintaining continuity of operations in crisis. [View conference website]
Homeland Security Detect and Protect Showcase (20 April; Aberdeen, MD) The Maryland Technology Development Corporation, the Tech Council of Maryland, and the U.S. Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground will host “Homeland Security: Detect and Protect, Novel Military Technologies for Commercial Use.” This technology transfer and federal marketplace event will showcase emerging technologies being developed in Aberdeen Proving Ground’s research laboratories that can be developed or commercialized by local companies. The program will include presentations of available joint research and patent license opportunities; ability to network with commercial, government, military and scientific leaders; examples of successful partnerships with Aberdeen Proving Ground; exhibits and a poster session that highlight partnership possibilities; and an overview of the contracting process and opportunities at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Technology transfer officials from the Maryland Technology Development Corp. will be available to provide information on state and federal funding programs that support technology transfer projects. Registration ends 13 April. [View conference website]
5th Intl. Counterterrorism Conference: Public and Private Partnerships (20-21 April; Washington, DC) International public safety officials will discuss border and transportation security, information sharing (interoperability), critical infrastructure, and maritime and mass-transportation security. Ronald Noble, Secretary General of Interpol, and Tom Ridge, former Secretary of Homeland Security, are keynote speakers. [View conference website]
Washington, DC, Summit on Pandemic Response (28 April; Washington, DC) City officials hope that this summit at Gallaudet University on pandemic influenza will draw hundreds of people from the city’s business, health care, education, and religious communities and continue the city’s preparation for a potential outbreak. Those interested in attending should call the Washington, DC, Health Department at (202) 442-9195.
4th Annual Homeland Security Contracting Opportunities Conference (11-12 May; Washington, DC) To bridge the gap between the government’s needs and the private sector’s ability to deliver goods and services, the Bureau of National Affairs presents this conference. Topics include “Top Priorities for DHS and the Private Sector,” “Homeland Security Spending Outlook,” regional requirements, “Small Business Contracting Opportunities,” and “Roles and Requirements of U.S. Armed Forces.” [View conference website]
Risks and Economic Impacts of Terrorism (17 May; Los Angeles) This conference, sponsored by the Homeland Security Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events, will focus on improving homeland security through risk-based decision making. Panel discussions and keynote presentations will feature policy makers, private industry leaders, and researchers. [View conference website]
Homeland Port Security Conference (7 June; New York) This conference sponsored by the U.S. Naval Institute will feature senior U.S. Navy and Coast Guard officers, as well as civilian, political, and business leaders, thrust into real-time simulations of simultaneous terrorist attacks against key maritime assets in the United States, requiring panelists to identify critical issues and challenges:
• Lessons learned: How do agencies disseminate unclassified information?
• Communication logistics during emergencies: Is everyone on the same page?
• Command and control: Who’s in charge in a layered-response scenario?
• Secure shipping: How do we monitor and secure the supply chain?
• Terrorist attacks on commerce and energy: What are the financial implications?
[View conference website]
Terrorism Research Symposium (12-13 June; Denver) Law enforcement officials who deal with terrorism in their states, cities, and communities will learn what works to prevent and respond to terrorism. The conference is hosted by the National Institute of Justice’s International Center. Panelists will discuss research findings about common issues and invite state and local officials to describe their challenges and experiences in interactive, dynamic sessions. [View conference website]
4th TICS and TIMs Symposium (11-13 July; Richmond, VA) Scentczar’s symposium will provide an overview of perceived threats, equipment requirements, and tools for identifying, defending against, and remediating incidents involving toxic industrial chemicals and toxic industrial materials. [View conference website]
INFORMS Military Applications Society (24-26 July; Mystic, CT) The Military Applications Society, a technical arm of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, will hold a conference with the theme “Homeland Security for the 21st Century.” [Register online]
April
Southwest Homeland Security Conference (Phoenix; 18-19 April) Homeland security professionals, response agencies, and elected officials in the Southwestern states will focus on border security (interstate and international), terrorism prevention, catastrophe preparedness, public education and outreach, and Native American homeland security. [View conference website]
Terrorist Threats to Our Food Supply (21 April; Minneapolis) National experts from industry and academia will address public health responses, industry considerations, consumer perspectives, risk analysis, and defense. Featured speakers include Robert L. Buchanan (Food and Drug Administration), Michael T. Roberts (Univ. of Arkansas School of Law), Clay Detlefsen (International Dairy Foods Assn.), Caroline Smith DeWaal (Center for Science in the Public Interest), Asha M. George (DFI Government Services), Donald W. Schaffner (Rutgers Univ.), and Michael T. Osterholm (Univ. of Minnesota). Continuing education credits are available. Online registration, the full agenda, and further information are available at the conference website. For more information call (612) 625-0055 or email lawvalue@umn.edu. [View conference website]
Hospital Management of Chemical, Biological, Radiological/Nuclear, and Explosive Incidents (24-28 April; Aberdeen, MD) This course is designed for hospital-based medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, dentists, paramedical professionals, hospital administrators, medical planners, and others who plan, conduct, or have responsibility for hospital management of mass-casualty incidents or terrorism preparedness. Classroom instruction, scenarios, and tabletop exercises will equip military and civilian professionals with skills, knowledge, and information resources to carry out the full spectrum of healthcare-facility responsibilities required by a chemical, biological, radiological/nuclear, explosive, or other mass-casualty event. [View conference website]
Government Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams Conference (30 April–5 May; Orlando, FL) The conference theme this year is “GFIRST: A nation working together to secure cyberspace.” The conference will focus on ensuring training and disseminating and exchanging information among operational incident responders, chief information security officers, and other cybersecurity professionals. [View conference website]
May
General Police Equipment Exhibition & Conference (2-4 May; Leipzig, Germany) This is a fully closed specialized trade fair with accompanying international congress, meetings (partly open) and lecture programs catering to the police and allied security markets. With its exhibition and fringe events, it promotes the interministerial and interdisciplinary transfer of information between government offices and frontline forces; advising the security community on new products and product developments together with current trends in education and training; and enhancing public security, the fight against terrorism, and increased homeland security. [View conference website]
Intelcon (7-9 May; Bethesda, MD) Intelcon is a major, annual national conference and exposition on intelligence and the relationship between intelligence and national security. By combining a high-quality educational program, which emphasizes practical applications and techniques, with a full-scale vendor exposition, the event attracts a wide audience of intelligence professionals and vendors from the public and private sectors. [View conference website]
June
2006 Techno Security Conference (4-7 June; Myrtle Beach, SC) The conference will bring together private industry, government and law enforcement decision makers, and technical enthusiasts in the fields of information and network security, digital forensics, incident response, operational and physical security, auditing, and cyber-crime. Eight simultaneous tracks will feature interactive high-intensity training sessions, hands-on labs, professional certification opportunities, and networking opportunities. Topics will include homeland security; wireless security; web hacking; contingency planning; vulnerability assessments; incident response; computer, personal digital assistant, and enterprise forensics; password recovery and disk-wiping tools; intrusion prevention; Internet investigation techniques; street smarts for investigators; biometrics; and steganography. [View conference website]
Air & Port Security Expo Asia (13-14 June; Hong Kong) The conference, held at the AsiaWorld Expo, will feature a two-day aviation security conference, a two-day maritime security conference, and a two-day new technologies seminar. More than 60 suppliers of security equipment and services to the transportation sector are expected to exhibit, and over a thousand heads of security from airports, airlines, seaports, shipping, supply chain operatives, government agencies, and integrators of security are expected to attend. The course is conducted jointly by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, and the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute. [View conference website]
6th International Conference on Complex Systems (25-30 June; Quincy, MA) This conference will investigate the properties or characteristics that appear to be common to the very different complex systems now under study and will encourage cross-fertilization among the many disciplines involved. [View conference website]
September
Air & Port Security Expo Europe (13-14 September; Brussels, Belgium) The conference will cover airport, port, supply chain industry, passenger, cargo, and terminal security. It will feature a two-day aviation security conference, two-day maritime security conference, and two-day new technologies and solutions seminar. More than 100 suppliers of security equipment and services to the transportation sector are expected to exhibit, and over 2,000 heads of security from airports, airlines, seaports, shipping, supply chain operatives, government agencies, and integrators of security are expected to attend. [View conference website]
U.S. Maritime Security Expo (19-20 September; New York) The expo will address the protection of ports, harbors, bridges, cargo containers, powerplants, offshore oil rigs, railroads, and cargo and passenger ships. [View conference website]
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Website of the Week
US-CERT
The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team is a partnership between DHS and the public and private sectors. Established in 2003 to protect the nation’s Internet infrastructure, US-CERT coordinates defense against and responses to cyber-attacks across the nation. To promote computer security awareness, US-CERT has produced workplace posters available for downloading in PDF format.
Quote of the Week
Photo source: Natl. Archives
Nuclear Defense Is Still Lacking
“We still do not have a maximum effort against what everybody agrees is the most urgent threat to the American people.”
Hon. Thomas H. Kean
Former Chairman, Natl. Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the U.S.
Testimony before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee)
28 March
Stats of the Week
BSE in the UK
The British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has compiled statistics on BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly called mad cow disease):
• As of 1 February 2006, there had been 180,913 cases of BSE in the UK
• 36,102 farms were affected
• The epidemic has declined steadily from 2,256 confirmed cases in 1999 to 39 confirmed cases in 2005
• 12,387 farms (35.1%) had one case of BSE; five had over 100 cases
• Through 1987, there were 446 cases worldwide, all of them in the British Isles
• Worldwide, the epidemic peaked in 1992, with 37,316 cases in six countries
• In 2005, there were 548 cases worldwide in 18 countries
• Through 2002, the majority of BSE cases were in Great Britain and Northern Ireland; since then, the majority have been spread among the other countries, notably Ireland, Spain, France, Portugal, and Germany
F CUS
on Mad Cow Disease
On 13 March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the confirmation of “mad cow disease” in a cow in Alabama--the eighth confirmed case in North American cattle and the second case this year. Mad cow disease is the common name for BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), a slow, progressive, degenerative, usually fatal disease affecting the central nervous system of adult cattle. BSE is named because of the spongy appearance of the infected brain tissue under microscopic examination. Research indicates that the acting agent is a prion, an abnormal form of a normal protein, that becomes infectious and accumulates in neural tissues. These abnormal prions are extremely resistant to common treatments such as heat, ultraviolet light, ionizing radiation, normal sterilization processes, and common disinfectants that normally kill viruses and bacteria.
BSE was first reported in 1986 in the United Kingdom. The origins of BSE remain uncertain, but cattle initially may have become infected via feed contaminated with scrapie-infected meal made from sheep meat and bones. Scrapie is a prion disease in sheep similar to BSE in cattle. Research shows strong evidence that the outbreak was amplified and spread throughout the UK cattle industry by feeding rendered bovine meat-and-bone meal to young calves.
The BSE epidemic in the UK peaked in January 1993 at almost 1,000 new cases per week. Through the end of April 2005, more than 184,000 cases of BSE had been confirmed in the United Kingdom in more than 35,000 herds.
Clinical signs in cattle affected by BSE may include changes in temperament, such as nervousness or aggression, abnormal posture, incoordination and difficulty in rising, decreased milk production, or loss of body weight despite continued appetite. Currently, there is no cure or treatment for BSE. The course of the disease varies from 2 weeks to 14 months, usually resulting in death or humane destruction within four months in countries where the disease is present. There is no evidence that BSE is a contagious disease or that the disease can be transmitted through direct contact or animal-to-animal spread. The primary means by which animals become infected is through consumption of contaminated feed. The incubation period is 30 months to 8 years, with a few rare exceptions in younger animals. Most cases in Britain occurred in dairy cows 3 to 6 years old.
There is no test to detect the disease in a live animal or in muscle meat. Veterinary pathologists confirm BSE by postmortem microscopic examination of brain tissue using laboratory techniques that take more than a week, but rapid tests can provide results in 36 to 48 hours to detect the abnormal prion in brain or spinal cord tissue of dead animals to determine whether BSE exists in a population and to indicate its prevalence or detect animals with the disease that are not yet showing clinical signs.
BSE belongs to a family of diseases known as the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. In the United States, these include scrapie in sheep and goats, chronic wasting disease in deer and elk, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in mink, feline spongiform encephalopathy in cats, and, in humans, both classic and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome, and fatal familial insomnia.
Human consumption of BSE-contaminated meat has been linked to a rare, degenerative, fatal brain disorder called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). As of March 2006, 190 cases of vCJD have been reported worldwide; of these, 160 occurred in the UK. Two cases have been reported in the United States, but clear evidence showed that the disease was acquired in the UK. vCJD has also been reported in France, Canada, Ireland, and Italy.
It can be confirmed only through examination of brain tissue obtained by biopsy or at autopsy, but a “probable case” of vCJD can be diagnosed on the basis of clinical criteria developed in the UK. The incubation period for vCJD is unknown because it is a relatively new disease. However, this incubation period will likely be measured in terms of many years or decades.
Since 1989, the Food and Drug Administration and other federal agencies have had ongoing regulatory measures in place to prevent BSE contamination of U.S. food and food products. Since 1997, the FDA has prohibited the use of most mammalian protein in the manufacture of ruminant feed. Similarly, the FDA has prohibited the use of the cattle materials that carry the highest risk of BSE in human food, including dietary supplements, and in cosmetics. The FDA’s rule also requires that food and cosmetics manufacturers and processors make available to the FDA any existing records relevant to their compliance with these prohibitions. Milk and milk products, hide and hide-derived products, and tallow derivatives are not considered prohibited cattle materials.
Since 1989, the USDA has prohibited the importation of live animals and animal products from BSE-positive countries and eventually expanded the ban to include both countries with BSE and countries at risk for BSE, and the agency issued a rule prohibiting certain cattle materials from being used as human food. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says that current scientific research indicates that cooking, including microwaving, food will not kill the BSE agent, nor will irradiation. It also reports that BSE is not transmitted in cows’ milk, even if the milk comes from a cow with BSE.
The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reports that on 8 March, the European Union’s Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health favored lifting the embargo on UK exports of live cattle, beef, and beef products. The proposal will probably be adopted by the Commission in April.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the cow in Alabama was a “downer” cow (non-ambulatory). The animal was euthanized by a local veterinarian and buried on the farm. According to the USDA, the cow did not enter the animal or human food chains. The USDA is working with Alabama animal health officials on an epidemiologic investigation to gather additional information about the age and herd of origin of this animal, which had resided on the Alabama farm for less than a year. The agency also will work to identify other cows born in the same herd within one year of the affected animal, as well as any offspring. In addition, the USDA is working with FDA officials to determine any feed history that may be relevant.
Sources of Information
Food and Drug Administration BSE page
FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition BSE Q&A
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention BSE page
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service BSE page
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service BSE page
UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Library of Congress BSE page
The Wire: The top stories from the Associated Press
Homeland Security Institute
The Weekly Homeland Security Newsletter
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Asunto: The Weekly Homeland Security Newsletter (March 24, 2006)
24 March 2006
New this week in the Journal of Homeland Security
</TD< tr>
Enhancing Disaster Management Through an All-Hazards Continuity-of-Operations Continuum by Rod Propst: At the heart of every enterprise’s efforts lies the ability to sustain operations in all conditions, regardless of the challenges imposed by the environment. Operational continuity is best achieved by applying an eight-step continuum--threat assessment, criticality assessment, vulnerability assessment, risk assessment, planning, training, exercising, and program management--leading to mitigation of the negative impacts of wide-ranging hazards (weather, geophysical, accidents, crime, terrorism) through a structured approach that minimizes resource (time, people, money) output and maximizes effective response. The recommended continuum works across all hazards, all actors, and an all-inclusive timeline from pre-incident ramp-up through post-incident response and recovery.
Federal News
DHS Says Port Security Program Needs Work (Federal Computer Week) “The Homeland Security Department has improved the administration and effectiveness of its port security grant program, but funding across projects is still inconsistent, according to a new report from the department’s inspector general,” reports Federal Computer Week. [View article]
FCC to Add Homeland Security Unit (Government Computer News) “The Federal Communications Commission has voted unanimously to establish a new Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau,” reports Government Computer News. “The new unit will oversee issues such as disaster management, spectrum licensing for public safety agencies, 911 call centers, and alert and warning communications … Furthermore, the unit will address communications infrastructure protection and interoperability for public safety. Congress must be notified of the changes before they become effective, and the commission must secure union approval for issues affecting its workforce.” [View article]
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National News
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Bomb Parts Pass Checkpoints at 21 U.S. Airports (ABC News) “Government investigators conducting undercover tests at 21 U.S. airports were able to get bomb materials through screening machines at all of them, ABC News has learned. The investigators sent through components of an improvised explosive device and common household chemicals, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.” The Transportation Security Administration told ABC News that it found the “scenario … highly implausible.” [View article]
Terrorist Watch List Has 200,000 Names (TechNewsWorld) “The federal Terrorist Screening Center … maintains a list of 200,000 people known or suspected to be terrorists,” reports the Associated Press. “… The vast majority of people on the list are not in this country, and many have only tenuous or inconclusive ties to terrorism.” [View article]
Cabinet Drilled on Response to Smallpox (New York Times) “Cabinet secretaries participated in a drill on Saturday that simulated a smallpox attack as the government tested plans to counter the potential use of bioweapons by terrorists,” reports the Associated Press. “… Officials from various government agencies, including Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, participated in the four-hour exercise. Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, and Michael O. Leavitt, the health and human services secretary, were among the cabinet members who were part of the drill.” [View article]
Chertoff Seeks to Improve Chemical Plants’ Security (Washington Post) “Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said [Tuesday] that the time has come for the federal government to regulate security at chemical plants, but that it should rely on the industry to devise its own way to meet targets and use private contractors to audit compliance,” reports the Washington Post. “Addressing an American Chemistry Council forum, Chertoff stopped short of endorsing a Senate bill that would authorize his department to shut down high-risk plants that fail to submit adequate security plans. But he backed its approach of assigning 15,000 U.S. plants to one of four risk groups, setting performance goals for each category and leaving details up to operators.” [View article]
America’s Quarantine Stations Are Overburdened (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) “There are 18 quarantine stations across the country, with 83 staff,” reports the Journal-Constitution. “They monitor the people and products that flow into the United States through 474 ports of entry: 60 million aircraft passengers on 675,000 flights every year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and 400 million tons of cargo on 90,000 ships.” Authorities on infectious disease--“including the government’s own experts--say it’s not nearly enough. ‘The traditional, primary activities of the [Centers for Disease Control] quarantine stations no longer protect the U.S. population sufficiently against microbial threats of public health significance that originate abroad,’” according to the Institute of Medicine. [View article]
FBI and Police Spying Is Rising, Groups Allege (Christian Science Monitor) “Political activists from New York to Colorado to California report that they believe police and FBI surveillance of their activities has increased markedly since the terror attacks 4½ years ago since Congress approved the USA Patriot Act loosening some of the strictures on law enforcement,” reports the Christian Science Monitor. “They include environmental groups like Time’s UP!, peace activists in Pittsburgh, and even a police union protesting for higher wages in New York City.… the American Civil Liberties Union has filed Freedom of Information requests for more than 150 groups and individuals in more than 20 states who believe their first amendment rights are being violated.… Local police and the FBI insist that” before “any investigation of a political group proceeds, law officers require reasonable suspicion or information that an individual or a group is involved in criminal or terrorist-related activities.” [View article]
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International News
Terror Organization Eta Ends Armed Campaign (London Times) “Eta, the Basque separatist movement whose bloody 45-year campaign for independence has claimed the lives of more than 800 people, [on Wednesday] declared a permanent ceasefire,” reports the London Times. Eta, “listed as a terrorist group by the European Union and the United States, said it would lay down its arms” beginning today. Eta said its “goal is to now ‘promote a democratic process … and to build a new framework in which our rights as a people will be recognised.’ The organization--which is committed to creating an independent state between northern Spain and south-west France--previously declared a full ceasefire in September 1998 but this was rescinded in December 1999.” [View article]
Why the U.S. and Iran Will Talk (Time) “News that the U.S. and Iran plan to hold talks on mutual concerns in Iraq” came “at the end of a week during which President Bush had reiterated that Tehran was part of an Axis of Evil, Secretary of State Rice had chided Iran as the ‘central banker of terrorism,’ and Washington’s man at the UN, John Bolton, had spoken of a threat from Iran akin to ‘9/11 with nuclear weapons,’” reports Time. “Yet within hours of Iran’s national security chief announcing on Thursday that Tehran was open for talks on Iraq, the Bush administration made clear that it was, too.… The premise of direct talks is each side’s recognition that the other has a legitimate (or, least, unavoidable) interest and role in shaping events in Iraq.” [View article]
Some U.S. Officials Fear That Iran Is Helping al-Qaeda (Los Angeles Times) Some U.S. intelligence “officials, citing evidence from highly classified satellite feeds and electronic eavesdropping, believe the Iranian regime is playing host to much of Al Qaeda’s remaining brain trust and allowing the senior operatives freedom to communicate and help plan the terrorist network’s operations,” reports the Los Angeles Times. “And they suggest that recently elected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may be forging an alliance with Al Qaeda operatives as a way to expand Iran’s influence or, at a minimum, that he is looking the other way as Al Qaeda leaders in his country collaborate with their counterparts elsewhere.” [View article]
Iraq: on the Verge of Civil War? (DefenseLink; London Times) “Iraq is not on the verge of a civil war, and sectarian issues in the country are controllable, the commander of U.S. Central Command,” Army Gen. John Abizaid, told the House Armed Services Committee on 15 March, according to American Forces Press Service. “He believes [that] a government of national unity will emerge in Iraq and that the Iraqi security forces will continue to improve.” Iraqi President Jalal Talabani agreed: “Civil war is out of the question,” he said. But “Iyad Allawi, Iraq’s former Prime Minister, chose the third anniversary of the invasion [Sunday] to say that he believed that civil war had begun,” reports the London Times. [View article quoting Abizaid] [View article quoting Talabani] [View Times article]
Released Iraqi Papers Hint at Links to al-Qaeda (London Times) “Newly released documents seized in Iraq immediately after the American invasion in 2003 point to the presence of Al-Qaeda members in the country before the war and moves to hide traces of ‘chemical or biological materials’ from United Nations weapons inspectors,” reports the London Times. “The documents were posted on the internet as part of a rolling programme by the US government to make public the contents of 48,000 boxes of untranslated papers and tapes relating to the workings of Saddam Hussein’s regime.” [View article]
Uzbek Defendants Describe Torture (BBC) “Eight young men in Uzbekistan have given details in court of methods of torture they say investigators used to try to force them to confess,” reports the British Broadcasting Corporation. “… All were detained on minor charges unrelated to religion, but were subsequently accused of being Muslim extremists. All deny the charges.” The United Nations high commissioner for human rights, as well as other human rights groups, has repeatedly accused Uzbekistan of using torture. [View article]
260 Poultry Dead in Congo; Bird Flu Suspected (AllAfrica) “Agricultural officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo have recorded at least 260 chickens and ducks suspected of having died of the avian flu,” according to the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks. [View article]
Bird Flu Breaks Out in Israel, Palestine, Egypt, and Ajerbaijan (BBC; Jerusalem Haaretz; CNN; MSNBC) “Israeli officials have confirmed that thousands of turkeys and chickens found dead in the south of the country had the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus,” reports the British Broadcasting Corporation. And “several people have been admitted to hospital with flu-like symptoms.” “Initial tests conducted on dead chickens from the Gaza Strip indicated that the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has spread there,” reports Haaretz. While waiting for the final results, the Agriculture Ministry “advised the Palestinians to treat the initial results as definitive because they came up positive for the H5 protein.” “A 30-year-old Egyptian woman has died of bird flu, becoming the country’s first human victim of the virus,” reports Reuters. “Bird flu has killed five young people in Azerbaijan, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, adding [that] it was investigating whether some of the victims could have been infected collecting feathers from dead swans,” also according to Reuters. “Confirmation of the five deaths takes the WHO toll from the virus to 103 since late 2003.” [View BBC article] [View Haaretz article] [View Reuters article] [View MSNBC article]
Researchers Shed More Light on Bird Flu (Washington Post) “Two research teams have independently discovered explanations for the chief features of the H5N1 bird flu virus--its difficulty infecting humans, and the deadly effects when it does,” reports the Washington Post. “Unlike influenza viruses that are passed easily between people, H5N1 has a hard time attaching to cells in the nose, throat and upper airways. But it readily attaches to cells deep in the lungs. This suggests that people need close and heavy exposure to the H5N1 virus for it to get into the lungs.… once it takes hold, it causes extensive damage to the machinery of respiration--the cells and air spaces where oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide. That scenario mimics the clinical experience of many of the 184 human cases of bird flu that have been officially recorded since late 2003.” [View article]
Poor Nations Need Help Fighting Bird Flu (New Zealand Herald) “Fewer than three dozen nations … are capable of the early detection and quick response needed to contain rapidly spreading bird flu and other viruses that could threaten humans …” reports Reuters. “‘Developed countries are in position to practice satisfactory early detection and rapid response. Worldwide, only 20 to 30 countries are able to do that currently,’ said Dr. Bernard Vallat, director-general of the World Organisation for Animal Health. ‘All the others, 140 or more, need help’… with detection programmes and compensation for farmers to prevent the global spread of ‘zoonoses,’ diseases that can spread from animals to humans, Vallat said at the International Conference of Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta.” [View article]
Bird Flu Spread by Migration or Commerce? (Intl. Herald Tribune) “The spread of H5N1 did not result from the activities of wild birds, but from a very human activity--trade,” write Robert Cook and William B. Karesh in the International Herald Tribune. “We know that international trade in wild or exotic birds, both legal and illegal, has helped moved H5N1 around the world. However, the virus has likely gotten its biggest boost through the trade, both legal and illegal, in poultry.” [View commentary] [View Focus on Avian Influenza]
Bird Flu Spreads to Another Mammal: Stone Martens (Washington Post) “A weasel-like animal called a stone marten was infected with the deadly bird flu virus, marking the disease’s spread to another mammal species,” according to the Associated Press. “… The sickly animal was found on the north German island of Ruegen.” [View article]
Bird Flu Mutates (London Times) “The virus that causes bird flu has split into two distinct genetic subgroups, widening the gene pool from which a form that could trigger a human pandemic might evolve,” reports the London Times. “An analysis of more than 300 samples of the H5N1 virus taken from humans and birds has revealed that its family tree has started to branch out in a way that could make it more threatening to people. Before 2005 every known human case of avian flu had been caused by a particular subtype of the H5N1 virus, which affected Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. The H5N1 virus that started to infect people in Indonesia last year, however, has now been found to have subtle genetic differences.” These “changes are worrying because they show that the virus is increasing in genetic diversity.” [View article]
Bird Flu Database Should Be Public, Says WHO (Washington Post) The World Health Organization, “under criticism for keeping its database on bird flu research out of public view, said some countries and scientists that have contributed their samples and research have yet to agree to share the information,” reports the Associated Press. “The password-protected database, details of which were first reported on earlier this month in the journal Science and The Wall Street Journal, was created in 2003 at the request of southeast Asian countries first hit by the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu … WHO has been urging countries and researchers to allow genetic sequences of the virus stored in the database to be made available publicly.” [View article]
Women at War With the Mullahs (London Times) “The most important and controversial critics of Islamic fundamentalism, violence and intolerance are” women, “mostly from Islamic countries,” reports the London Times. Psychiatrist Wafa Sultan, a Muslim woman, speaking on Arabic TV network Al-Jazeera, has “denounced the teachings and practice of Islam as ‘barbaric’ and ‘medieval.’” Her “broadcasts have caused an unholy stir in the Muslim world.… known only to a few for her writings on www.annaqed.com,” Sultan almost overnight became “one of the most controversial figures in the international debate about Islam.” Others are “Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali-born Dutch politician, who has strongly criticised Islamic attitudes towards women and the widespread practice of female circumcision in Muslim north Africa; Irshad Manji, a Canadian lesbian of Pakistani descent, whose book The Trouble with Islam Today chastises Islam for its aggression towards women and for its anti-semitism; Amina Wadud, an African-American convert to Islam and Muslim academic and author, who has infuriated traditional Muslims by leading Friday prayer for Muslims in New York, a role traditionally taken only by male imams. Other Muslim women in the front lines of the clash with Islamic governments are as diverse as Mukhtar Mai, the Pakistani village woman who was brutally gang-raped in 2002 as reprisal for an alleged transgression by her 14-year-old brother, and Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian lawyer who was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2003 for her defence of the rights of women and children in fundamentalist Muslim Iran. Death threats against these women are commonplace.” [View article]
Islamic Activism Sweeps Saudi Arabia (Washington Post) In response to the riots over the cartoons of Muhammad, “a loosely knit grass-roots movement” called “Nusrat al-Rasool, or Victory for the Prophet” has sprung up; it comprises “a diverse cross section of women, students, businessmen, lawyers and clerics” whose main mission is “to talk to non-Muslim co-workers and acquaintances about Islam and the prophet Muhammad,” reports the Washington Post. The “campaign includes a continuing economic boycott of Denmark, where the cartoons were first published, and a project to produce television ads about the prophet for broadcast in Europe. College students are attempting to collect 1 million signatures to present to the Danish Embassy, and lawyers are studying ways to make insulting Islam and its prophet illegal. A number of businessmen have launched competitions with prize money of more than $50,000 for the best essays on Muhammad.” [View article]
Terror Insurance for Sale in Iraq (New York Times) “The Iraq Insurance Company” is offering what “appears to be the first off-the-shelf terrorism policy in the world,” reports the New York Times. “… The payout is not a lot of money, even by Iraqi standards. But in a country where terrorism kills hundreds of people a month and no one can rely on the government or employers to provide for their relatives afterward, it seems to be an idea with a future.” [View article]
EU Blacklists Unsafe Airlines (International Herald Tribune) “The European Union on Wednesday banned 93, mostly African-based airlines from landing at European airports, declaring them unsafe as part of a new blacklist of airlines that fail to meet international safety standards,” reports the Associated Press. [View article]
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State and Local News
States Slow to Implement E911 (Federal Computer Week) “Despite significant progress in many states, the implementation of emergency 911 infrastructure still has no definite completion date, according to a new Government Accountability Office report,” reports Federal Computer Week. “With no federal mandate for full wireless Enhanced 911 (E911) implementation, state governments are setting their own timetables, the report states. When complete, the infrastructure would automatically transmit wireless callers’ phone numbers and locations to public safety dispatchers.” [View article] [View abstract of GAO report]
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Dual-Benefit Solutions
Digital Fingerprint Matching Moves Toward Standardization (Government Computer News) The goal of less expensive, more accurate, “interoperable fingerprint matching systems for homeland security and other purposes has been driving a need for greater standardization among minutiae templates,” reports Government Computer News. Fingerprint minutiae templates “are computerized descriptions of the characteristics of a fingerprint that indicate the position and orientation of ridges and other distinctive features.” As an alternative to “images for fingerprint matching,” they use “less storage space and [transmit] more quickly. However,” conversion techniques “are generally proprietary and the systems are not compatible,” according to testing by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, hence the push for an improved interoperable standard. [View article]
Dual-benefit news archive
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Private-Sector News
Cubicles Can Cause Casualties in Bombings, Says British Intelligence (Scotsman) “The trend towards open-plan offices without internal walls could put employees at increased risk in the event of a terrorist bomb, MI5 has warned business leaders …” reports the Scotsman. “‘If you are converting your building to open-plan accommodation, remember that the removal of internal walls reduces protection against blast and fragments,’ the leaflet [‘Protecting Against Terrorism’] says.” [View article]
Illegal Immigration Is Tied to Mexican Economy (Puget Sound Business Journal) “Illegal immigration is slowed not only by bad economic news in the United States but also by good economic news in Mexico,” writes Glenn Pascall, senior fellow at the Center for the New West, in the Puget Sound Business Journal. “… Facilitating economic development in Mexico reduces pressures on illegal immigration.” However, “security is so tight it damages legitimate commerce” between the United States and Mexico, increasing “economic incentives for illegal entry of Mexican workers into the U.S.” [View article]
Customs Looks to Private Sector for Help With C-TPAT (Government Executive) “The government does not have enough inspectors to validate security plans of cargo shipping companies and is considering hiring private companies to help,” reports Government Executive. “Customs and Border Protection only has 80 inspectors to validate the security plans for about 10,000 companies that have applied to be part of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism.… For the first time, the agency is considering hiring private companies to validate the security plans of some companies that primarily work out of countries with a low risk of terrorism activity.” [View article]
Custom Databases Track Shipwrecks and Missing Persons After Katrina (Federal Computer Week) After Hurricane Katrina, the Navy asked Phoenix International “to create a database that could keep track of thousands of vessels as the Navy cleared the waterways,” reports Federal Computer Week. “… The database had to meet the needs of the Navy, Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers and various contractors. It would eventually contain 3,500 entries that included information about the owners and names of vessels, their types, descriptions and locations as they appeared on geographic information system maps, photographs, reports, and other supporting documentation.” The Coast Guard, “credited with rescuing 33,545 people,” overnight adapted another web tool “to handle the surge of missing-person reports” it was receiving after the hurricane. [View salvage article] [View missing persons article]
FBI Awards Sentinel Contract to Lockheed Martin The Federal Bureau of Investigation has awarded to Lockheed Martin a $305 million, 6-year contract to develop the Sentinel information management and sharing system. Sentinel is to deliver an electronic information management system, automate workflow processes for the first time, and provide a user-friendly web-based interface to access and search across multiple databases. Sentinel also is to facilitate information sharing with the law enforcement and intelligence communities. [View press release]
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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.
National Fire Academy Course in Public Education (18-23 June; Emmitsburg, MD) The course, “Discovering the Road to High-Risk Audiences,” looks at each major community audience most at risk from fire, analyzes what makes them vulnerable, discusses solutions for reaching each group, and addresses program planning needs. Personnel who have responsibility for public fire and life safety education in their departments or organizations and who have at least one year of fire safety education experience are invited to apply by 31 March. For more details and application instructions, see the website. [View course website]
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Please submit events and educational programs by noon Wednesdays for consideration as items in that week’s newsletter.
Upcoming Events
New Events (After two weeks, new events will be moved to the list below, in chronological order)
Washington, DC, Summit on Pandemic Response (28 April; Washington, DC) City officials hope that this summit at Gallaudet University on pandemic influenza will draw hundreds of people from the city’s business, health care, education, and religious communities and continue the city’s preparation for a potential outbreak. Those interested in attending should call the Washington, DC, Health Department at (202) 442-9195.
4th Annual Homeland Security Contracting Opportunities Conference (11-12 May; Washington, DC) To bridge the gap between the government’s needs and the private sector’s ability to deliver goods and services, the Bureau of National Affairs presents this conference. Topics include “Top Priorities for DHS and the Private Sector,” “Homeland Security Spending Outlook,” regional requirements, “Small Business Contracting Opportunities,” and “Roles and Requirements of U.S. Armed Forces.” [View conference website]
Terrorism Research Symposium (12-13 June; Denver) Law enforcement officials who deal with terrorism in their states, cities, and communities will learn what works to prevent and respond to terrorism. The conference is hosted by the National Institute of Justice’s International Center. Panelists will discuss research findings about common issues and invite state and local officials to describe their challenges and experiences in interactive, dynamic sessions. [View conference website]
INFORMS Military Applications Society (24-26 July; Mystic, CT) The Military Applications Society, a technical arm of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, will hold a conference with the theme “Homeland Security for the 21st Century.” [Register online]
April
Southwest Homeland Security Conference (Phoenix; 18-19 April) Homeland security professionals, response agencies, and elected officials in the Southwestern states will focus on border security (interstate and international), terrorism prevention, catastrophe preparedness, public education and outreach, and Native American homeland security. [View conference website]
Terrorist Threats to Our Food Supply (21 April; Minneapolis) National experts from industry and academia will address public health responses, industry considerations, consumer perspectives, risk analysis, and defense. Featured speakers include Robert L. Buchanan (Food and Drug Administration), Michael T. Roberts (Univ. of Arkansas School of Law), Clay Detlefsen (International Dairy Foods Assn.), Caroline Smith DeWaal (Center for Science in the Public Interest), Asha M. George (DFI Government Services), Donald W. Schaffner (Rutgers Univ.), and Michael T. Osterholm (Univ. of Minnesota). Continuing education credits are available. Online registration, the full agenda, and further information are available at the conference website. For more information call (612) 625-0055 or email lawvalue@umn.edu. [View conference website]
Hospital Management of Chemical, Biological, Radiological/Nuclear, and Explosive Incidents (24-28 April; Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD) This course is designed for hospital-based medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, dentists, paramedical professionals, hospital administrators, medical planners, and others who plan, conduct, or have responsibility for hospital management of mass-casualty incidents or terrorism preparedness. Classroom instruction, scenarios, and tabletop exercises will equip military and civilian professionals with skills, knowledge, and information resources to carry out the full spectrum of healthcare-facility responsibilities required by a chemical, biological, radiological/nuclear, explosive, or other mass-casualty event. [View conference website]
Government Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams Conference (30 April–5 May; Orlando, FL) The conference theme this year is “GFIRST: A nation working together to secure cyberspace.” The conference will focus on ensuring training and disseminating and exchanging information among operational incident responders, chief information security officers, and other cybersecurity professionals. [View conference website]
May
General Police Equipment Exhibition & Conference (2-4 May; Leipzig, Germany) This is a fully closed specialized trade fair with accompanying international congress, meetings (partly open) and lecture programs catering to the police and allied security markets. With its exhibition and fringe events, it promotes the interministerial and interdisciplinary transfer of information between government offices and frontline forces; advising the security community on new products and product developments together with current trends in education and training; and enhancing public security, the fight against terrorism, and increased homeland security. [View conference website]
Intelcon (7-9 May; Bethesda, MD) Intelcon is a major, annual national conference and exposition on intelligence and the relationship between intelligence and national security. By combining a high-quality educational program, which emphasizes practical applications and techniques, with a full-scale vendor exposition, the event attracts a wide audience of intelligence professionals and vendors from the public and private sectors. [View conference website]
June
2006 Techno Security Conference (4-7 June; Myrtle Beach, SC) The conference will bring together private industry, government and law enforcement decision makers, and technical enthusiasts in the fields of information and network security, digital forensics, incident response, operational and physical security, auditing, and cyber-crime. Eight simultaneous tracks will feature interactive high-intensity training sessions, hands-on labs, professional certification opportunities, and networking opportunities. Topics will include homeland security; wireless security; web hacking; contingency planning; vulnerability assessments; incident response; computer, personal digital assistant, and enterprise forensics; password recovery and disk-wiping tools; intrusion prevention; Internet investigation techniques; street smarts for investigators; biometrics; and steganography. [View conference website]
Air & Port Security Expo Asia (13-14 June; Hong Kong) The conference, held at the AsiaWorld Expo, will feature a two-day aviation security conference, a two-day maritime security conference, and a two-day new technologies seminar. More than 60 suppliers of security equipment and services to the transportation sector are expected to exhibit, and over a thousand heads of security from airports, airlines, seaports, shipping, supply chain operatives, government agencies, and integrators of security are expected to attend. The course is conducted jointly by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, and the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute. [View conference website]
6th International Conference on Complex Systems (25-30 June; Quincy, MA) This conference will investigate the properties or characteristics that appear to be common to the very different complex systems now under study and will encourage cross-fertilization among the many disciplines involved. [View conference website]
September
Air & Port Security Expo Europe (13-14 September; Brussels, Belgium) The conference will cover airport, port, supply chain industry, passenger, cargo, and terminal security. It will feature a two-day aviation security conference, two-day maritime security conference, and two-day new technologies and solutions seminar. More than 100 suppliers of security equipment and services to the transportation sector are expected to exhibit, and over 2,000 heads of security from airports, airlines, seaports, shipping, supply chain operatives, government agencies, and integrators of security are expected to attend. [View conference website]
U.S. Maritime Security Expo (19-20 September; New York) The expo will address the protection of ports, harbors, bridges, cargo containers, powerplants, offshore oil rigs, railroads, and cargo and passenger ships. [View conference website]
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Homeland Security Institute
The Weekly Homeland Security Newsletter
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Assistant Editors: Noëlle MacKenzie and Steve Dunham
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De: American Express <AmericanExpress@email.americanexpress.com>
Responder a: "American Express" <support-b1hxc07axk0d9jbar87fmb61xhep23@email.americanexpress.com>
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COPYRIGHT (C) 2006 AMERICAN EXPRESS ARGENTINA S.A. Todos los Derechos Reservados.
De: American Express <AmericanExpress@email.americanexpress.com>
Responder a: "American Express" <support-b1hyzmvaxk0d9jbacvjx2b61xhepdh@email.americanexpress.com>
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COPYRIGHT (C) 2006 AMERICAN EXPRESS ARGENTINA S.A. Todos los Derechos Reservados.
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De: <srana641@aim.com>
Enviado el: Sábado, 04 de Marzo de 2006 02:46:10 p.m.
Para: sbc67@hotmail.com
Asunto: Email snag
My dear Sylvia,
My emails to you keep coming back from the mailing system. Let me know if this one reaches you.
It was wonderful to hear from you. And thanks for sending me those photographs. I had almost forgotten that not too far back, I too looked rather presentable.
I would write a longer letter if this one is also not returned as many others.
Love
Swadesh
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