In this issue...
Top
News Picks
"Just a normal town...but out of nowhere
a wave of chaos was to wash over that world. In a millisecond it was gone.
There were no phones, no computers, no power, nothing. Yet nobody had died,
no buildings razed to the ground. And then the blind panic set in. What's
going on, asks Ian Sample."
Upcoming Events
-
Excellence in Government 2000
-
Homeland Defense Internet Site
The premier public management conference dedicated to creating high-performance government.
On
the Horizon
-
An
Agenda for Action
- Homeland Defense Website
Top News Picks
Plan for National
Training Camp Moves Closer to Reality (APBNews.com)
Army Major Gen. Allen Tackett, [West Virginia's] adjutant general and top
military leader, hopes this initial effort grows into a "one-stop shop" at
a large National Guard camp in central West Virginia that would instruct thousands
of law enforcement officers and military personnel each year in the latest
strategies to combat terrorism in the air, on land and underground. [View
article]
Force Protection: Keeping
the Wolf at Bay (American
Forces Press Service)
"Terrorists are vermin," [Marine Corps Brig. Gen. John F. Sattler] told 84
top NCOs at the first Senior Enlisted Advisors Forum at the Pentagon in late
June. "They are not raptors. They are not looking for the strong. They are
looking for the weak. They are looking for a road kill they can come in and
claim." [View
Article]
As U.S. Targets Bin Laden, 2 Top Aides Also Draw Scrutiny (Washington Post) Nearly two years after bin Laden allegedly orchestrated the bombing of two U.S. embassies in East Africa, killing 224 people, terrorism experts inside and outside the federal government say he remains America's number one terrorist adversary, despite fissures within his network and the arrest of many of his operatives. [View article]
Just a Normal Town...
(New Scientist)
This perfect weapon is the electromagnetic bomb, or e-bomb. The idea behind
it is simple. Produce a high-power flash of radio waves or microwaves and
it will fry any circuitry it hits. At lower powers, the effects are more subtle:
it can throw electronic systems into chaos, often making them crash. Panic
the financial markets and you could make a killing as billions are wiped off
share values. You could freeze transport systems, bring down communications,
destroy computer networks. [View
article]
The End of a Defense
Doctrine (Christian
Science Monitor)
If the United States proceeds with construction of a national missile defense,
it could mean the end of an era - the age of mutually assured destruction.
[View
article]
Center at Brooks to
Fight Disasters, Terrorist Threats (San
Antonio Express News)
Brooks AFB will be the site of a new center that will research and develop
responses to terrorist acts or natural disasters involving biological weapons,
chemical or nuclear releases. [View
article]
Upcoming Events
Excellence in Government 2000 - Connecting Citizens, Services, Results. (11-13 July 2000, Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC.) The premier public management conference dedicated to creating high-performance government. Learn from dynamic, thought-provoking speakers, participate in six keynote sessions, choose from four super-sessions and over thirty breakout sessions - featuring speakers who are connecting with citizens, delivering services and producing results. Be inspired - and absorb useful, timely information on critical federal management issues that affect you and your agency. [View conference web site for more information]
Defense Threat Reduction Agency (Defense Nuclear Weapons School). Third Annual Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Response Symposium (18-20 July 2000, Kirtland AFB, NM) The overall theme of this year's symposium is "Preparing For Tomorrow's Challenges Today." The symposium is designed to provide senior military installation leaders and their staff with topical information concerning the WMD threat, DoD policy, DoD response structure, service preparations, medical issues, and equipment concerns. This information is intended to assist decision makers as they plan a response to the use of a chemical, biological, radiological or a large scale conventional explosive device on or contiguous to their installation. [View conference web site for more information]
On the Horizon
An Agenda for Action
25-27 June 2000, ANSER sponsored an executive level symposium at the Wye River
Conference Center entitled, Defending the American Homeland Against Asymmetric
Threats: Deterrence and Preemption in the 21st Century. Participants included
senior government, military, and academic leaders. This symposium developed
a draft Agenda for Action that lays out six critical issues that must be addressed
to improve America's Homeland Defense capabilities. This report will be made
available on our Homeland Defense website in the very near future. [www.homelanddefense.org]
Homeland Defense Internet
Site
As a public service, ANSER is developing a comprehensive website at www.homelanddefense.org.
It will serve as both a host and portal for all of your information needs
concerning Homeland Defense issues. The site currently exists in beta format,
but is undergoing significant revision. Attractions include a legislative
update providing quick access to congressional activity; current news; a dynamic
list of homeland defense-related conferences; and a growing virtual library
for research and analysis needs.
Our email address is homelanddefense@anser.org and we can be found on the internet at www.homelanddefense.org.
Your comments and suggestions for improvements are always welcome!