International News

Mexican Army Outgunned by Narcotics Cartels (London Telegraph) “In a report last month that sent shock waves through Washington, General Barry McCaffrey, US drug tsar under President Bill Clinton, called for the new Barack Obama administration to focus on the security threat along America’s southern border,” reports the Telegraph. “‘Mexico is on the edge of the abyss—it could become a narco-state in the coming decade,’ he wrote … President Felipe Calderon, who was elected in 2006 on a pledge to tackle narco-terror, has launched the first effective crackdown by the federal authorities against the cartels.” But the army is “drastically outgunned” and “the crackdown is undermined by endemic corruption.” [View article] [View McCaffrey report (61KB PDF)]

Gaza Fighting Continues as Civilian Toll Climbs (International Herald Tribune; Jerusalem Haaretz) “Israeli forces shelled areas deep inside Gaza City and edged forward toward the city center Thursday,” reports the International Herald Tribune. “… Among the buildings hit in the center of Gaza City, the witnesses said, was one housing the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency that assists Palestinian refugees and another occupied by several media organizations.” And “the Al-Quds hospital in Gaza City was engulfed in flames on Thursday after it was caught in the fighting between Israel Defense Forces troops and Hamas,” reports Haaretz. “The Gaza death toll [has] passed an estimated 1,000 people,” reports the Herald Tribune, and “nine Israeli human rights groups … say that tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza have nowhere to flee, the Gaza health system has collapsed, many people are without electricity and running water, and some are beyond the reach of rescue teams.” The effect of the war on Gaza’s children has been devastating, according to the United Nations. [View Herald Tribune article] [View Haaretz article] [View UN press release]

Terrorists and Commandos Eye Pakistan’s Nuclear Arms (New York Times Magazine) “In the chaos of Pakistan, where the military, the intelligence services and an unstable collection of civilian leaders uneasily share power,” the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence protects “Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal from outsiders—Islamic militants, Qaeda scientists, Indian saboteurs and those American commando teams that Pakistanis imagine, with good reason, are waiting just over the horizon in Afghanistan, ready to seize their nuclear treasure if a national meltdown seems imminent,” reports the New York Times Magazine. (See the Quote of the Week.) Its success or failure may “save or lose an American city.” U.S. intelligence “reports described how foreign-trained Pakistani scientists, including some suspected of harboring sympathy for radical Islamic causes, were returning to Pakistan to seek jobs within the country’s nuclear infrastructure.” And “some groups could try to provoke a confrontation between Pakistan and India in the hope that the Pakistani military would transport tactical nuclear weapons closer to the front lines, where they would be more vulnerable to seizure.” [View article]

Taliban Influence Expands in Pakistan (Pakistan Daily Times; International Herald Tribune) The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan “is expanding its influence outside the Tribal Areas and has recently appointed leaders in the settled areas of the country, BBC Urdu reported on Friday,” according to the Daily Times. And “an attack by hundreds of Taliban militants on a paramilitary base in northwestern Pakistan appears to be the heaviest assault on Pakistani troops in months,” reports the International Herald Tribune. “And in a reversal of usual patterns, it involved a large number of Taliban forces from Afghanistan attacking in Pakistan, signaling coordination among militants on both sides of the border.” [View Daily Times article] [View Herald Tribune article]

Mumbai Police Want Open Wi-Fi Shut Down (Wired; Times of India; Hindu) “Open wi-fi is a terrorist tool and has to be shut down, right this second. That’s the conclusion, at least, of the Mumbai police,” writes Wired “Danger Room” blogger Noah Shachtman. Starting Monday, “several police teams, armed with laptops and internet-enabled mobile phones,” began to “randomly visit homes to detect unprotected networks,” reports the Times of India. “‘If a particular place’s Wi-Fi is not password protected or secured then the [policeman] at the spot has the authority to issue notice to the owner of the Wi-Fi connection directing him to secure the connection,’ [deputy commissioner of police] Sanjay Mohite told” the Press Trust of India. [View Wired blog] [View Times article] [View Hindu article]

Pentagon Panel Wants to Keep Nukes in Europe (Washington Post) “The United States should keep tactical nuclear bombs in Europe and even consider modernizing older warheads on cruise missiles to maintain credibility with allies who depend on the U.S. weapons for security, according to … the Secretary of Defense Task Force on Defense Department Nuclear Weapons Management,” reports the Washington Post. [View article]

As Iran Buys Weapons Parts, U.S. Undermines Iran’s Nuclear Program (Washington Post; New York Times) Using “front companies … Iran in the past two years has acquired numerous banned items—including circuit boards, software and Global Positioning System devices—that are used to make sophisticated … improvised explosive devices,” reports the Post. This “recent trading is nearly all Internet-based and increasingly sophisticated.” Meanwhile, a “covert American program” attempts “to penetrate Iran’s nuclear supply chain abroad” and “to undermine electrical systems, computer systems and other networks on which Iran relies,” reports the New York Times. [View Post article] [View Times article]

Cheney Says bin Laden Is Ineffectual (DefenseLink) “Vice President Richard B. Cheney said [that] Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaida chief who masterminded the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, is no longer an effective leader.…” reports the American Forces Press Service, citing a CNN interview. “‘My guess is at this point he’s operating in an area that’s very difficult, very hard to get to, that he’s not an effective leader at this stage,’ Cheney said.” [View article]

United Nations News

International Criminal Court Charges Former Congo Leader With War Crimes Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court on Monday charged Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, a former Vice-President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with multiple counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in the Central African Republic. He is accused of directing his militia to commit murder, torture, and rape against civilians and to commit outrages upon personal dignity and pillaging in an attempt to suppress support for anti-government rebels during the bloody 2002-2003 power struggle there. [View press release]

New this week in the Journal of Homeland Security In “Defending Legitimacy in the Persistent War,” Peter D. Menk recommends treating al-Qaeda members as wartime enemies rather than criminals in order to secure the homeland during the persistent war or Global War on Terrorism.

National News

U.S. Admits Torturing ‘20th Hijacker’ (Washington Post) “The top Bush administration official in charge of deciding whether to bring Guantanamo Bay detainees to trial has concluded that the U.S. military tortured a Saudi national who allegedly planned to participate in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, interrogating him with techniques that included sustained isolation, sleep deprivation, nudity and prolonged exposure to cold, leaving him in a ‘life-threatening condition,’” reports the Washington Post. (See the May 16, 2008, newsletter.) “‘We tortured [Mohammed al-]Qahtani,’ said Susan J. Crawford … ‘His treatment met the legal definition of torture.’” [View article]

Net Flow of Illegal Immigrants Drops to Zero (Reuters) “The net flow of illegal immigrants to the United States has trailed off to around zero since the recession began to bite in December 2007, according to … the Migration Policy Institute,” reports Reuters. [View article] [View report (2.6MB PDF)]

Enhanced Warning System for First Responders (Government Computer News) “First responders will be able to receive alerts about emergencies or disasters via text message, cell phone or other personal communication devices thanks to combined technology through partnership between Global Security Systems and Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Mission Systems sector,” reports Government Computer News. “The partnership integrates message distribution systems and enables emergency managers to warn the public through mobile and consumer electronics devices over national, state and local alert and warning systems. Additionally, the collaboration addresses Homeland Security Department requirements to deploy an Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.” [View article]

DHS News

New DHS Headquarters Site Approved (Washington Post) “After years of battling historic preservationists, the federal government won approval” on January 8 “to build a massive headquarters for the Department of Homeland Security … on the grounds of St. Elizabeths Hospital”—a former psychiatric institution in Southeast Washington, DC, reports the Post. [View article]

FEMA Opens National Exercise Simulation Center The Federal Emergency Management Agency this week opened its newly constructed National Exercise Simulation Center at FEMA headquarters. The state-of-the-art facility serves the all-hazards preparedness and response mission by pooling resources, maximizing efficiency, and providing sustained exercise and training support. [View press release]

Coast Guard Drowning in Homeland Security Work? (USA Today) “The Coast Guard is cutting back on boat rescue missions as it shifts priority toward protecting waterways and stopping people from sneaking into the country … the Homeland Security Department inspector general said in a report” issued this week, according to USA Today. “… The Coast Guard disputed the report and said it is misleading to look at the number of hours the agency reports spending on various tasks.” [View article]

DHS Funds Food Security Research (Phoenix Arizona Republic) The Homeland Security Department has given a “team of Arizona State University researchers a $247,000 grant to find ways to ensure the safety of the produce we eat”—“to strengthen the security of the supply chain, not just against naturally occurring diseases and food tainting, but ‘from acts of terrorism,’” reports the Arizona Republic, quoting professor William Nganje. “‘… our response must be swift and accurate,’ he said. ‘It’s critical that we are able to trace exactly where a threat has come from.’” [View article]

Bush and Obama Teams Hold Joint Disaster Exercise (Washington Post) “Senior aides to President Bush and President-elect Barack Obama met at the White House [Tuesday] to conduct an unprecedented joint disaster exercise for transition leaders,” reports the Washington Post. “The three-hour exercise brought together Cabinet members, nominees and senior outgoing and incoming White House officials to discuss how to respond to a hypothetical terrorist attack on transportation and other targets in multiple U.S. cities. The table-top drill followed 90 minutes of orientations and briefings in the West Wing situation room about federal laws and procedures to manage emergency incidents and to preserve the government’s chain of command.” [View article]

Obama Picks Panetta to Head CIA, Brennan for Counterterror Advisor (Washington Post) “President-elect Barack Obama” has “nominated Leon Panetta, White House chief of staff to former Democratic President Bill Clinton, as CIA director,” reports Reuters. And “Obama has picked John O. Brennan as his top adviser on counterterrorism, a role that will give the CIA veteran a powerful voice on the government’s use of security contractors and on other sensitive issues in which he recently has played a private-sector role,” reports the Washington Post. Brennan’s “position [is] not subject to Senate approval.” [View Panetta article] [View Brennan article]

Biometric Federal ID Cards Behind Schedule (NextGov) “The federal government remains far from its goal of issuing secure identity cards to its employees and contractors, the Office of Management and Budget reported Monday,” according to NextGov. “The original deadline set by OMB for agencies to issue cards to all federal employees and contractors was Oct. 27, 2008. But only 31 percent of workers actually have been issued new high-tech cards, which contain the cardholder’s fingerprints and other biometric information.… since the October deadline, agencies have issued more than 120,000 ID cards, bringing the total number of workers with secure credentials to almost 1.8 million. But that represents only a 2 percent increase over the October figure.” [View article]

E-Verify Rule for Federal Contractors Delayed (NextGov) “The U.S. District Court for Maryland on Jan. 9 delayed the implementation of a Bush administration rule that would have required federal contractors to use the Homeland Security Department’s E-Verify system to check the immigration status of its employees,” reports NextGov. (See the June 20 newsletter.) “… Citing the court challenge, DHS announced last week that it would postpone the rule change until Feb. 20.” [View article]

Illegal Immigrants Cannot Appeal Deportation Orders Over Lawyer Errors (New York Times) Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey has ruled “that illegal immigrants do not have a constitutional right to effective legal representation in deportation hearings, closing off one of the most common avenues for appealing deportation decisions,” reports the New York Times. Mukasey was ruling on “three appeals by people” facing deportation who said that their lawyers’ mistakes had hurt their cases. [View article]

Transportation Dept. Requires Stronger Hazmat Rail Tank Cars A new rule issued by the U.S. Transportation Department requires tank cars carrying poison inhalation hazards to have better puncture resistance from a side impact, with a combination of thicker inner shells where the hazmat is held and/or thicker outer jackets, depending on the specific hazmat being transported. Each end of the car must be protected with a full head shield and strengthened valves, top fittings, and nozzles used to load and unload the car. Also, all tank cars loaded with poison inhalation hazards are limited to 50 mph. [View press release] [View Focus on Hazmats]

Nation Is Not Ready for Pandemic Flu, Says Congressional Report “Getting Beyond Getting Ready for Pandemic Influenza,” a report from the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee majority staff, examines the nation’s state of preparedness and response capabilities in the event of a pandemic influenza outbreak. It identifies 16 weaknesses and 15 recommendations. [View press release] [View report (430KB PDF)]

Drugs Might Not Stop Avian Flu (Natural News) A new study “published online in the journal Infection, Genetics and Evolution is the first to show [that] H5N1 flu drug resistance to adamantanes has developed through novel genetic mutations,” reports Natural News. So “antiviral medications long thought to be life-savers in the event of widespread avian flu pandemic in humans might not work at all because strains of avian flu have already developed resistance to these drugs.… The new research suggests that widespread antiviral drug use can accelerate the evolution of drug resistance in viruses, and could cause resistant strains of bird flu to emerge and spread rapidly.” [View article]

State and Local News

DHS Plan to Block Border Violence Was News to States (New York Times; Yahoo! News) “The soaring level of violence in Mexico resulting from the drug wars there has led the United States to develop plans for a ‘surge’ of civilian and perhaps even military law enforcement should the bloodshed spread across the border, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said” on January 8, reports the New York Times. “The contingency plan was news to most border states.…” reports the Associated Press. “‘At this point, DHS has not contacted the California National Guard …’ [a] Guard spokesman [said] … Texas officials were briefed on the plan but were not consulted beforehand … New Mexico’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management” was not “aware of any specific security plan that could include Department of Defense assets.” [View Times article] [View AP article]

Thunderbolt Exercises Prevented Florida Blackout (Government Technology) “The cascading power outages that took place in Florida on Feb. 26, 2008,” did not turn into a “systemwide blackout” thanks to “the smooth functioning of the protection systems that had been set up to deal with this type of emergency,” reports Government Technology. “… the Florida Division of Emergency Management” was prepared, because it holds no-notice, quick-reaction Thunderbolt drills six times a year. [View article]

School Safety Partners Recommend SchoolSafe Communications for Colorado Schools Because the two-way radio systems used by schools for daily operations cannot communicate with public safety emergency radio systems, participating Colorado school districts worked with SchoolSafe to develop specific requirements for an emergency communications system for schools. The system would enable schools to comply with Colorado law and National Incident Management System and Incident Command System doctrine. Selected school districts tested the system in full-scale exercises, including multiagency active-shooter exercises, and all participating school districts elected to permanently install the SchoolSafe system. [View press release] [Focus on Terrorism Against Schools]

Kansas Gets Federal Biodefense Lab (Kansas City Star) The Homeland Security Department has chosen “the Manhattan campus of Kansas State University” as the site “for the planned National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility,” reports the Kansas City Star. “… The facility is charged with developing innovations for detecting and countering potentially devastating outbreaks of diseases that can affect livestock, and possibly public health.” [View article]

Private-Sector News

Satellite Network Bypasses Ground Communications in Disasters (Government Computer News) Hughes Network Systems’ Inter-Government Crisis Network, demonstrated January 8 at the Consumer Electronics Show “Government conference in Lake Las Vegas,” could be “an emergency alternative to terrestrial networks during disasters,” reports Government Computer News. The network “operates over the Spaceway 3 satellite … to provide point-to-point communications without a ground switching station or other terrestrial infrastructure.” [View article]

Novartis Gets Half-Billion-Dollar Flu Vaccine Contract (Reuters) “The U.S. government has awarded Novartis AG … a contract worth up to $486 million over eight years to build a plant to manufacture influenza vaccine for use in case of a pandemic,” reports Reuters. “… The plant—in Holly Springs, North Carolina—will have the capacity to make 150 million doses of vaccine within six months of an influenza pandemic being declared.” [View article]

Dual-Benefit Solutions

Twitter Tweets in Emergencies (Government Technology) Twitter, “a real-time short messaging service through which users provide brief updates regarding themselves,” is being widely used by governments for “for emergency notification and public safety,” reports Government Technology. “Police can post crime updates, fire departments can inform citizens about local fires, and state departments of transportation can announce traffic alerts.” It’s being used by the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Peace Corps and the Environmental Protection Agency. [View article]

Dual-benefit news archive

Education The Homeland Security Institute lists these education programs as a service to readers who may be interested; it does not endorse them or their courses. New education listings are posted for four weeks. Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Data Webinar (February 17; online) This seminar by Rick Driggers, Director of the DHS Infrastructure Information Collection Division, will discuss the effective use and visualization of critical infrastructure and key resources data. Participants will learn how timely and accurate data impact planning, preparedness, response, and recovery; what training and technical assistance are available; and how the division’s capabilities can enhance infrastructure protection partnerships. [View event website] Field Management of Chemical and Biological Casualties (February 23-27, April 6-10, June 8-12; Aberdeen, MD) This course is conducted by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense. It is designed for Medical Service Corps officers and noncommissioned officers in medical or chemical specialties. It comprises classroom, laboratory, and field training. [View course website] Medical Management of Chemical and Biological Casualties (March 15-20; May 3-8; Aberdeen, MD, and Ft. Detrick, MD) This course is conducted by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense. It is designed for Medical Corps and Nurse Corps officers and physician assistants, Medical Service Corps officers, and other selected medical professionals. It comprises classroom, laboratory, and field training. [View course website] Supply Chain Security Seminar (April 1-3; New Orleans) This Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism seminar, open to certified members only, will focus on the need to manage risk in the global supply chain by strengthening the Customs-trade cooperative partnership. [View event website] (April 4-8; Dallas) This summit, sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services, permits coordination, collaboration and interaction among the leaders and members of response partner organizations. [View event website]

New Upcoming Events (After four weeks, events are moved to the Upcoming Events page) CBRN Conference (February 4-6; Coral Gables, FL) This conference will explore the integration of explosives into a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear response plan; agency interoperability; effective emergency communications; and incident management. It will also examine the policies and procedures for preparedness in natural disasters and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats at special events. [View event website] (February 9-11; Vienna, VA) This event sponsored by the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement will provide a forum to discuss solutions for privacy and identity management, applications of biometric capabilities in theater, requirements and technologies for biometric interoperability, and the future of biometrics programs. [View event website] Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office Advance Planning Briefing for Industry (February 17; Washington, DC) This briefing forecasts the requirements for potential projects that will be funded in the coming fiscal year. [View event website] (February 18-20; San Diego) This year’s theme is “The Changing Face of Preparedness: Building and Sustaining Public Health Capacity for Disaster Response.” [View event website] (March 2-9; Miami) This conference will present biometric objectives and proven methods, processes, and approaches for achieving results from biometric initiatives. Presentations will cover biometric applications and best practices in government, telecommunications, border control, law enforcement, healthcare, and more. [View event website] (March 4-5; Warsaw, Poland) This conference will examine the latest policies and procedures from international border security agencies, nations, and border police and discuss how new technologies and initiatives are helping to improve security at all levels. [View event website] Natl. Emergency Management Assn. Midyear Conference (March 6-11; Alexandria, VA) Conferees will hear from those who are shaping the future of homeland security and emergency management, strengthen relationships with partner organizations, and share NEMA’s views on all-hazards emergency preparedness with leaders in Washington. [View event website] (March 9-11; Charlotte, NC) The symposium will comprise hard-hitting, factual presentations about the personal protective equipment that most firefighters use regularly. It will cover design, performance, testing & certification, and much more. [View event website] GovSec and U.S. Law (March 11-12; Washington, DC) Civilian and military security professionals from the federal government, along with law enforcement and first responders from the federal, state, and local levels, will gain insight into the latest tools and tactics for ensuring the safety and security of our nation and its people. GovSec and U.S. Law provide a comprehensive approach to securing our country; preparing for and responding to all hazards, threats and disasters; and ensuring public safety. [View event website] (March 24-28; Baltimore) This event showcases an overview of the emergency medical services industry: people, products, and ideas, along with cutting-edge topics, practices, and procedures and a chance to evaluate current equipment and discover the many new products being launched. [View event website] (April 5-7; Dallas) This exposition is an opportunity for local, state, and federal public health and emergency preparedness practitioners and policy makers to discover the latest equipment, technologies, and services. [View event website] (April 7-9; Santa Fe, NM) The Decision Applications Division and the Center for Nonlinear Studies of Los Alamos National Laboratory present the 4th annual symposium on the theory and application of risk analysis to homeland security and defense. This event brings together theoreticians, computer modelers, analysts, domain experts, and decision makers from academia, industry, government, and the national laboratories to share knowledge and ideas on the nation’s highest-priority security threats. [View event website] The American Water Works Association Water Security Congress attracts water industry professionals who are looking for the most current information on water security and how to address new and emerging challenges faced by the industry. [View event website] Disaster Management Integration (August 11-13; Sacramento, CA) 2009 West Coast Disaster Management Integration will bring together disaster management professionals from across the country for a hands-on training event with the inaugural theme of “Fires, Floods and Earthquakes: Turning Strategy Into Action.” The Event Showcase will feature leading manufacturers and suppliers. [View event website]

Calls for Papers 12th Annual Force Health Protection Conference (August 14-21; Albuquerque, NM) The conference is seeking presenters on topics related to new technology and scientific advances to protect the health and well-being of soldiers, their families, and the military community. The deadline for submitting abstracts is March 27. [View event website]