Friday, November 9, 2007

Friday's Miscellany for 11-09-2007


American Enterprise Institute (AEI)

Amnesty International

Arms Control Association

British American Security Information Council (BASIC)

Brookings Institution

Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Center for American Progress

Center for a New American Security (CNAS)

Center for Defense Information

Center for Security Policy

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

Command and Control Research Program (CCRP)

  • International C2 Journal [Fall 2007] http://www.dodccrp.org/html4/journal_v1n2.html Special Issue: "Decision Support for Network-Centric Command and Control"
    o Automation Architecture for Single Operator, Multiple UAV Command and Control
    o Custom Work Aids for Distributed Command and Control Teams: A Key to Enabling Highly Effective Teams
    o Adaptive Automation for Human-Robot Teaming in Future Command and Control Systems
    o Improving Planning and Replanning: Using a Formal Grammar to Automate Processing of Command and Control Information for Decision Support

Combat Studies Institute

Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

Department of Defense Inspector General (DODIG)

FBI

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Heritage Foundation

Human Rights Watch

Interagency Working Group on Import Safety

International Crisis Group

James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies

Lexington Institute

Rand

Strategic Studies Institute

UN Office of Drugs and Crime

Washington Institute for Near East Policy
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Wednesday, November 7, 2007

REPORT -- Terrorism activities in the US

The FBI has published its newest edition of its report summarizing terrorist activities in the US. The newest report - Terrorism 2002-2005 can be found as follows and the previous reports are listed below:

PDF -- http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terrorism2002_2005.pdf
HTML -- http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terrorism2002_2005.htm

According to the forward the report "provides an overview of the terrorist incidents and preventions designated by the FBI as having taken place in the United States and its territories during the years 2002 through 2005 and that are matters of public record. This publication does not include those incidents which the Bureau classifies under criminal rather than terrorism investigations. In addition, the report discusses major FBI investigations overseas and identifies significant events-including legislative actions, prosecutorial updates, and program developments-relevant to U.S. counterterrorism efforts."

The report includes a chart of "casualties of terrorism 1980-2005" as well as a chronological summary of the terrorist incidents in the US 1980-2005 which includes the date, location, incident type, perpetrator, killed or injured.

Previous reports:

Terrorism 2000/2001
http://www.fbi.gov/filelink.html?file=/publications/terror/terror2000_2001.pdf

Terrorism in the United States
1996 -- http://www.fbi.gov/filelink.html?file=/publications/terror/terroris.pdf

1997 -- http://www.fbi.gov/filelink.html?file=/publications/terror/terr97.pdf

1998 -- http://www.fbi.gov/filelink.html?file=/publications/terror/terror98.pdf

1999 -- http://www.fbi.gov/filelink.html?file=/publications/terror/terror99.pdf


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Saturday, November 3, 2007

National Bombing Prevention Act of 2007 - Statement at introduction

Statement by Sen Collins upon introduction of the bill as it appears in the Congressional Record for Nov 1, 2007. Copy of bill not posted yet.

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - November 01, 2007)

S. 2292. A bill to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002, to establish the Office for Bombing Prevention, to address terrorist explosive threats, and 

[Page: S13693]  GPO's PDF

for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President. I rise to introduce the National Bombing Prevention Act of 2007, an important measure to strengthen our domestic defenses against terrorist attacks using explosives.

Terror bombings have a long and bloody history around the world and here in the United States. In 1920, for example, an anarchist bombing in front of the New York Stock Exchange killed 38 people and wounded hundreds more. More recently, the 1990s bombings of the World Trade Center and the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, and attacks in Indonesia, Spain, and Great Britain remind us of the vicious and indiscriminate threat posed by bombs. As Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff has noted, they are the weapon of choice for terrorists.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security tell us that threat from these devices is not only real, but growing. Furthermore, the National Intelligence Estimate has identified improvised explosive devices or IEDs as a significant homeland-security threat.

As recent years' bombings demonstrate, the costs of inadequate precautions can be horrendous. And as the threat of bomb attacks by home-grown terrorist rises--witness the plot to bomb the JFK airport in New York--we must be increasingly on guard. Much effort and much funding has been directed to train and equip law-enforcement and other personnel to detect and disrupt bomb plots, yet we still lack a formal, full-fledged national strategy to coordinate and improve the effectiveness of those efforts.

The legislation I introduce today will improve our defenses against these weapons. I am proud to be working again with the bill's chief co-sponsor, Senator JOE LIEBERMAN, on this new effort to protect our nation.

The bill has also won the support of people directly involved in the fight against the threat of terrorist bombings. They include the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; the National Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board; the National Tactical Officers Association; the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators; the Maine Emergency Management Agency; and the police departments of Bangor and Portland, Maine.

The National Bombing Prevention Act of 2007 has three main elements: First, the bill will clarify the responsibilities of the DHS Office of Bombing Prevention and authorize $25 million funding in both FY 2009 and 2010, up from the current Senate-passed funding level of $10 million in the Homeland Security Appropriations bill now pending at conference.

Our national fight against terrorist bombings is a large and multi-faceted undertaking. It includes screening airline passengers, checking cargo, securing dangerous chemicals, protecting critical infrastructure, promoting research and development of anti-IED technology, and sharing information among Government and private-sector partners. The DHS Office of Bombing Prevention is a leader in this fight.

The Collins-Lieberman bill builds on the Office's past efforts. Among other things, the bill designates the Office of Bombing Protection as the lead agency in DHS for combating terrorist explosive attacks; tasks OBP with coordinating national and intergovernmental bombing-prevention activities; and assigns it responsibility for assisting state and local governments and cooperating with the private sector.

A key element of Federal assistance is training. Last week, for example, members of several Maine and Connecticut police departments received DHS training and briefings here in Washington, as well as an FBI update, and fresh information on improvised explosive devices. My bill will bring more of that training to the States and make it more accessible to local law-enforcement officers.

Second, the bill directs the President to accelerate the release of the National Strategy for Bombing Prevention and to update it every four years. As terrorists' tactics change, we must review and adjust our counter-measures to defeat them.

Third, the bill will promote more research and development of counter-explosive technologies and facilitate the transfer of military technologies for domestic anti-terror use.

My legislation is badly needed. We need to make sure that bomb squads have the latest and most accurate information on bombing threats. We need to raise awareness of the signs of possible threats, including purchases of pre-cursor materials and other suspicious activities. We need to improve information sharing and coordination of activities among all levels of government as well as the private sector.

Under my legislation, the Department of Homeland Security will have the legal authority, the responsibility, and the resources to ensure that state and local law-enforcement personnel receive the training and information they need to protect us.

The National Bombing Prevention Act of 2007 will give our country important new protections. The need for that protection has been amply demonstrated by repeated acts of savagery, and the threat of terrorist bombs continues to grow. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to join my Ranking Member on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senator Collins, in introducing bipartisan legislation to strengthen our Nation's ability to deter, detect, prevent, and respond to attacks using improvised explosive devices, IED, in the U.S.

As we have seen in Iraq, London, and Germany, IEDs are a weapon of choice for terrorists. The reality is that an IED is relatively easy and inexpensive to make and can cause mass casualties, even to armored military personnel. IEDs are a global threat, and the American public, here at home, is not immune.

Federal efforts to address this threat, however, have not been adequate. The Department of Homeland Security, Office of Bombing Prevention, which is the Department's lead agent for IED countermeasure coordination, is currently operating with a substantially reduced budget of $5 million, down from the $14 million it received in fiscal years 2005 and 2006. Only $6 million has been requested for 2008. By contrast, the DHS Office of Health Affairs, which has a similar coordination responsibility for biosecurity and medical preparedness, has a proposed budget for personnel and coordination activities of $28 million for 2008. Given the likelihood of an IED attack, we need to make a comparable commitment in this area. As Secretary Chertoff said in an October 19 speech, ``although we can conceive of a terrorist attack that would be focused on a biological infection or some kind of a chemical spray, the reality is the vast majority of terrorist attacks are conducted with bombs. And of those, the vast majority are improvised explosive devices.''

The National Bombing Prevention Act of 2007, NBPA, would formally authorize the Office of Bombing Prevention, OBP, and increase its budget to $25 million. In addition to leading bombing prevention activities within DHS, OBP would be directed to coordinate with other Federal, State, and local agencies and fill the existing gaps that are not covered by another Federal agency's current bombing prevention efforts. For example, OBP would work with state and local officials to conduct a national analysis of bomb squad capabilities. This type of comprehensive assessment does not currently exist at any level of government, yet it is integral to understanding what resources are available in the event of an explosion and where we should invest in order to better prepare the Nation as a whole. OBP would also improve information sharing with state and local bomb squads by providing regular updates on terrorist tactics, techniques, and procedures.

The NBPA would require the President to deliver a long awaited National Strategy for Improvised Explosive Devices. This Strategy was supposed to be delivered to Congress by DHS in January 2007 but was then reassigned to the Department of Justice by presidential directive. Turf battles have caused further delay. This is simply unacceptable. Regardless of who takes the lead, the Nation must have a coherent strategy guiding its counter IED efforts that will clarify the roles and responsibilities of all Federal agencies.

Finally, our legislation would require DHS to establish a program expediting 

[Page: S13694]  GPO's PDF

the transfer of counter IED technology to first responders. Under this program, the Department would work with other Federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the private sector, and state and local bomb experts to identify existing technologies that could help deter, detect, prevent, or respond to an explosive attack. Often, there is a significant lag time between the research and development of such technologies and deployment by the end user. This bill would hold DHS accountable for seeing products through to the deployment phase. Specifically, DHS would be required to develop an electronic countermeasures capability to disable radio controlled bombs. Radio ``jammers'' have been developed by DoD for Iraq and Afghanistan, but that technology needs to be significantly modified for the civilian environment.

Improvised explosive devices are one of the most popular weapons terrorists are using today. They can be easily assembled from instructions available on the Internet with readily available chemicals such as peroxide or ammonium nitrate. And, most importantly, terrorists all over the world have demonstrated their intent and ability to use these weapons to kill and maim large numbers of people. If DHS is to plan effectively for future attacks here at home, it must have a cohesive and robust defense against the most likely threats. I ask my colleagues to join us in ensuring DHS and its partners have the necessary tools to protect the U.S. from an improvised explosive device.

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Friday, November 2, 2007

The Role of Local Law Enforcement in Countering Violent Islamist Extremism

To see the information about Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on The Role of Local Law Enforcement in Countering Violent Islamist Extremism held on October 30, 2007, go to http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=498.
The site includes links to the webcast and the prepared statements.


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Bombing Prevention Legislation

i will post a copy of the wording of the bill as soon as it is available. (S.2292)

http://collins.senate.gov/public/continue.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=fbdf69dc-802a-23ad-4462-9a1be21e94de&CFID=39113496&CFTOKEN=99427497

SENATOR COLLINS ANNOUNCES BOMBING PREVENTION LEGISLATION

Senator Joined by Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff, Maine Law Enforcement Officials

November 1, 2007

Earlier today, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff joined Senator Susan Collins and members of Maine’s law enforcement community to unveil legislation authored by Senators Collins and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) that will help make our nation better prepared for the threat of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks. The bipartisan “National Bombing Prevention Act of 2007” will enhance DHS’s ability to better prepare State and local government officials, emergency response providers, and the private sector to deter, detect, prevent, protect against, and respond to terrorist explosive attacks. During a recent hearing of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, of which Senator Collins is Ranking Member, Secretary Chertoff listed IED attacks as a major threat to the U.S. In addition, the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) identified IEDs as a significant homeland security threat.

Joining Secretary Chertoff and Senator Collins today were members of Maine’s law enforcement community—Bangor Police Department Chief Ron Gastia; Portland Police Department Deputy Chief Joseph Loughlin; and Col. Pat Fleming, head of the Maine State Police.

Senator Collins said, “The most likely terror threat around the world and here in the U.S. is that of IEDs. We are also painfully aware that IEDs are the cause of much death and destruction in Iraq. The FBI and DHS tell us that the threat from these devices is not only real, but growing. That is why Senator Lieberman and I are introducing the bipartisan National Bombing Prevention Act of 2007, which aims to improve our defenses against this deadly weapon.”

Secretary Chertoff said, “The weapon of choice for terrorists is bombs.” He explained that everything that DHS must do should focus on our ability to disrupt and detect explosive devises. He commended Senators Collins and Lieberman for their leadership on this issue.

Senator Lieberman said, “An IED is relatively easy and inexpensive to make and can cause mass casualties, even to armored military personnel. They are a global threat, and the American public, here at home, is not immune. If the Department of Homeland Security is to plan effectively for future attacks here at home, it must have a cohesive and robust defense against the most likely threat of IEDs.”

The National Bombing Prevention Act has three primary purposes. First, the bill strengthens the Department’s Office of Bombing Prevention (OBP). It authorizes enough funding—$10 million for FY 2008, $25 million for each of FY 2009 and FY 2010—to help the office fulfill its important mission Among other things, the Act designates OBP as the Department’s lead agent for combating terrorist explosive attacks and directs it to promote counter-IED security planning, information sharing, and training programs.

The new resources provided under this bill will enhance OBP’s coordination, outreach, and training programs for state and local law enforcement – improving tactics, providing up-to-date threat analysis, and identifying and eliminating weaknesses in our nation’s defenses against IEDs. These resources will also help fund OBP’s Tripwire program—a secure, online information-sharing network for law enforcement, bomb squads, and other first responders to learn about current terrorist bombing tactics, techniques, and procedures, including IED design and emplacement.

Second, the Act formally directs the President to produce the long-delayed National Strategy for Bombing Prevention and requires periodic updates to that strategy. As terrorist IED technology and tactics evolve, so too must our efforts to deter, detect, prevent, protect against, and respond to them.

Third, the Act promotes more research, development, testing, and evaluation of counter-explosive technologies as well as the transfer of military know-how and technologies, as appropriate, to other Federal, State, and local entities with bombing prevention responsibilities. Given the military’s experience with IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan and the more than $15 billion that it has devoted to developing counter-explosive technology, it is imperative to accelerate the identification, modification, and commercialization of military technologies for domestic use by all levels of government.

To View Photos of the Press Conference: CLICK HERE


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Friday's Miscellany for 11-02-2007

Items of Interest [with thanks to the IDA Library for some of the links]

American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
Amnesty International
 Atlantic Council of the United States
 Brookings Institution
 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
 Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS)
 Center for Security Policy

Center for Security Studies (CSS)
 Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment (CSBA)
 Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
 Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) Government Accountability Office (GAO)
 Heritage Foundation
 Human Rights Watch Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS)
 International Crisis Group
 Jamestown Foundation
  • Terrorism Monitor. http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/uploads/TM_005_019.pdf
    • Azerbaijan Increasingly Caught Between Salafism and Iran. Jamestown Foundation.
    • Proposed Yemen-Djibouti Bridge Threatens AFRICOM Security
    • Tracking Yemen's 23 Escaped Jihadi Operatives – Part 2
    • The Triborder Sea Area: Maritime Southeast Asia's Ungoverned Space.
Lexington Institute
Rand

Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR)

Strategic Studies Institute
 Washington Institute for Near East Policy






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Critical Infrastructure: Chemical Security -- Appendix A released

Information about Chemical Security can be found on the DHS website --
http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/programs/gc_1169501486179.shtm

The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards and related information is available at http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/laws/gc_1166796969417.shtm
but DHS has just released Appendix A - DHS Chemical of Interest. This can be found at
http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/chemsec_appendixa-chemicalofinterestlist.pdf

For related information:

Frequently Asked Questions: Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards: Final Appendix A --
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1193971455405.shtm

The Factsheet about this is available at
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1193971307036.shtm

Secretary Chertoff's comments on chemical security can be found at
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/speeches/sp_1181830119723.shtm

Chemical Security Assessment Tool
http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/programs/gc_1169501486197.shtm

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