Posted on 07/28/2008 8:37:15 AM PDT by DAVEY CROCKETT
Is U.S. Bioterror Attack Just A Matter of Time?
The overriding question is whether the U.S. is “ready” for a bioterror attack. The answer could well rely on the “other” question of what bio-agent and what’s the source? In 1991, 40,000 Russian scientists dispersed throughout the World, with knowledge of what the U.S.S.R. was doing in chemical and biological weapons. The question is to whom did they sell their knowledge? Some believe former Soviet scientists sold technology to countries like Iran, Syria, and North Korea. Lurking is the spectre of al-Qaeda, a group that the Pentagon says continues to pursue biological weapons.
Another scenario is an outbreak of a pandemic. How would the U.S. deal with an infectious disease outbreak? The picture, despite reassurances, is not pretty. Until now, the U.S. has experienced two major biological attacks.
In 1984, the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his followers attempted to take over the town of the Dalles, Oregon by contaminating salad bars in the town. In 2001, there was the as yet unsolved mystery of the anthrax letters that killed five people.
But the question of bioterrorism extends to potential threats against our food supply and our clean water resources. It also extends to the threat of outbreaks of diseases in our animals populations. Here, the concern are diseases that attack animals but that can jump to humans. These are referred to as zoonotic diseases. The World Health Organization defines zonnotic diseases as:
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2008 Threat Season Heats Up
August 27, 2008
Graphic for Terrorism Intelligence Report
By Fred Burton and Scott Stewart
Summer has arrived, bringing with it rumors of attacks against the U.S. homeland. Currently, we are hearing unconfirmed word of plans in place for jihadists to be dispatched from Pakistan to conduct coordinated suicide attacks against soft targets in as many as 10 U.S. cities.
This year, the rumors seem to be emerging a little later and with a little less fanfare than last year, when we saw a number of highly publicized warnings, such as that from Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and a National Intelligence Estimate saying al Qaeda was gaining strength. Last year also brought warnings from a former Israeli counterterrorism official that al Qaeda was planning a simultaneous attack against five to seven American cities, and of a dirty bomb attack against New York.
These warnings were followed by the Sept. 7, 2007, release of a video message from Osama bin Laden, who had been unseen on video since October 2004 or heard on audiotape since July 2006. Some were convinced that his reappearance — and veiled threat — signaled a looming attack against the United States, or a message to supporters to commence attacks.
However, in spite of all these warnings — and bin Laden’s reappearance — no attack occurred last summer or autumn on U.S. soil. As we discussed last October, there are a number of reasons why such an attack did not happen.
We are currently working to collect more information regarding this summer’s rumors. So far we cannot gauge their credibility, but they pique our interest for several reasons. First is the issue of timing, and second is the ease with which such attacks could be coordinated.
Timing is Everything
It is a busy time in U.S. politics. The Democratic National Convention (DNC) takes place this week in Denver, and the Republican National Convention (RNC) takes place next week in St. Paul, Minn. After these conventions, politics will be on the front page until the November elections. In addition, Americans are returning from summer vacations, with schools and universities resuming classes. The anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is also coming up.
While the al Qaeda core generally conduct operations when they are ready — rather than according to external calendars and anniversaries — their pattern of releasing statements on the 9/11 anniversary demonstrates their awareness of its significance and the painful emotions it evokes in the American psyche.
In 2004, just days before the U.S. presidential election, Osama bin Laden made a rare video appearance. In the video, he said al Qaeda’s problem was not with the two candidates, George Bush or John Kerry, but with U.S. policy regarding the Muslim world and the situations in Iraq and Israel. Bin Laden also pointed out that neither Bush nor Kerry could be trusted to keep the United States secure from more attacks. By creating such a message and releasing it at that time, bin Laden was demonstrating his organization’s understanding of the U.S. presidential election dynamic.
Furthermore, the al Qaeda core has historically planned or supported substantial operations in advance of elections. In 2004 we saw this with the Madrid train bombings, which took place prior to Spanish elections. Several other plots might also fall into category. In the summer of 2004, for example, we saw a plot to target a number of financial targets in the U.S. thwarted.
Another election-year attempt was the 2006 al Qaeda-tied plot against a series of airline flights originating from London’s Heathrow airport. While the plot was hatched in the United Kingdom, the selection of flights bound for Washington, Chicago, San Francisco and New York meant that the attack was actually targeted primarily against the United States. For perspective, we look at Operation Bojinka in the mid-1990s, the predecessor to the 2006 plot. Although planned to be launched from Asia, the plot was clearly an attack against the United States.
In another example, Jose Padilla was arrested in May 2002, a congressional election year, as he attempted to enter the United States. Padilla, according to the interrogation of captured al Qaeda member Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, had been sent to there to conduct attacks.
Attacks certainly occur in non-election years (and plots have been thwarted in off years), but the fact remains that jihadists appear mindful of election cycles in the United States. And al Qaeda is not alone in this thinking. Grassroots al Qaeda sympathizers have also attempted to interfere in election-related events. In August 2004, on the eve of the RNC in New York, authorities arrested a Pakistani man and his Pakistan-born U.S. citizen accomplice who claimed they were planning to attack a subway station in Manhattan two blocks from RNC site. The men were later convicted for the plot, with the main organizer receiving a 30-year sentence.
Speaking of elections, it is also interesting to consider that the last two U.S. presidents were forced to deal with jihadist strikes on American soil shortly after assuming office. Bill Clinton was inaugurated in January 1993, and the World Trade Center was bombed in late February 1993. George W. Bush was inaugurated in January 2001, and the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked in September 2001. In all likelihood this is a coincidence, but it is worth watching to see if the trend continues in 2009.
Of course, let’s put this in perspective. In the last 15 years — election year or not –- there has rarely been a time when some jihadist somewhere was not planning an attack against the United States. However, the al Qaeda core organization clearly attempted to conduct major attacks in 2002, 2004 and 2006, all of which were election years. These attempts (other than Madrid) were all thwarted. The fact that we haven’t seen an attempt during this year’s election cycle has us watchful — we sense that there must be plot out there somewhere.
Ease of Attack
Another thing that interests us about recent rumors is the concept behind the alleged plot: the simple and elegant idea of sending 10 independent actors to 10 cities. One factor that has sunk many past jihadist plots against the United States has been poor operational security and poor terrorist tradecraft. These mistakes have allowed U.S. authorities to identify and shut down the militant networks involved.
By using compartmentalized operatives, militants could more easily circumvent counterterrorist efforts. Furthermore, even if one or more of the operatives were detected and arrested by authorities, details of the operation at large would not be compromised. Each operative would only know about his own particular targeting instructions and would be unable to provide other details if captured.
In such a case, al Qaeda would most likely attempt to dispatch 10 “clean skin” operatives (those not obviously associated with the group) who are trained to construct improvised explosive devices using readily available materials and ultimately willing to undertake martyrdom missions. Due to changes in the immigration processes since the 2001 attacks, these operatives will likely be Westerners — U.S., Canadian or European citizens able to travel to the United States without the need to obtain a visa.
Recruiting such operatives could be easier that one might expect. Thousands of potential candidates who currently attend militant madrassas in Pakistan (including somewhere from 500 to 1,000 U.S. citizens) fit this description. In fact, no one really knows how many of these potential jihadist operatives exist at present. The government of Pakistan has not been forthcoming in answering requests from the United States and United Kingdom for lists of their citizens currently attending these institutions. Regardless, the idea of al Qaeda recruiting 10 “clean skins” for such an operation is not beyond the realm of possibility. Consider past recruits such as Mohammad Siddique Khan, the leader of the cell behind the July 7, 2005, London bombing, shoe bomber Richard Reid and Adam Gadahn (aka Azzam al-Amriki), or even the warnings o f German Muslims planning to conduct attacks in the West.
Levels of Severity
If this rumored operation is in fact legitimate, it would be the first one conducted using only operatives sent from the core al Qaeda group in Afghanistan or Pakistan since the 9/11 attacks. This is what we refer to as an al Qaeda 2.0 operational model. However, while sending operatives to work solo rather than in a group or with local grassroots jihadists increases operational security, it also reduces operational ability. Quite simply, it is more difficult for an individual to arrange a large attack than it is for a group working together. This means that lone operatives are unlikely to assemble major explosive devices like the truck-borne IED used in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Instead we would anticipate attacks similar in scope to grassroots undertakings; suicide bombings such as the July 7, 2005, London bombings or the 2002 armed assault on the El Al Ticket counter in Los Angeles. These the oretical attacks also would likely be conducted against soft targets such as buses, subways or shopping malls, where they can create a high number of casualties, rather than harder targets like the White House or Pentagon, where they would prove ineffective.
The October 2005 incident in Norman, Okla., in which a University of Oklahoma student detonated an IED outside a packed football stadium highlights the ease with which a device can be manufactured from readily available items without detection. But suicide operatives could undertake a number of different types of attacks. Recently we have seen Palestinian suicide operatives embarking on extremely simple plots, such as driving heavy vehicles into crowds.
While the individual attacks themselves would likely be small in magnitude, when combined and spread across the country they could have a far larger impact, similar to past attacks in places such as Madrid, London, Amman in Jordan, the Sinai Peninsula and Bali, Indonesia. Although the botched attacks in London and Glasgow last summer were conducted by the same cell, the planners also clearly sought to use multiple devices in geographically diverse locations. While such attacks would not be a strategic threat to U.S. existence, they would certainly kill people and create a great deal of fear and confusion.
We are not attempting to hype anything here and we do not want to create any kind of panic. These are just rumors, and unconfirmed ones at that. We have not seen any formal announcements from the U.S. government raising the alert level. However, it certainly seems to us to be a prudent time to increase situational awareness and update contingency plans in anticipation of the worst.
This report may be forwarded or republished on your website with attribution to www.stratfor.com
Thanks granny...good catch.
These disgusting animals throwing <<<
In the last few minutes, it has been rocks in bandannas, an attempt to hide them.
All kinds of things in back packs, even a golf club and guns.
Then there is the guy with a gun in his waist band, who went in and stole boxes of bullets in a store.
A minute ago, a black male, going in the window of a home, it is an elderly couple that lives there, not black.
A man pushed out of a 4th story window this morning, is now being reported as missing by his family.
More men exposing them selves, simply remove pants and let it all...........show.
Many calls still on cars and vans parked for long periods of time, as in weeks and days, are being investigated.
The mob broke through the cops and they are still attempting to coral them.
LOL, yes, I laughed too, when the Officer said it was a window washer.
But I can imagine that the Officers tense up when the “special squad” is called out, I do, as someone will more than likely die and it may be a good guy.
Stay safe, for I fear the insanity in Denver will transfer to local nuts.
http://www.novayagazeta.ru/data/2008/62/03.html
FORCING THE VAINAKHS;
How Chechens and Ingush people reacted to the calls to go to South Ossetia
Hostilities in Georgia led to the mass submission of resignation
reports by Chechen and Ingush people in the Interior Ministry and in
the Defense Ministry. According to Novaya Gazeta, this happened as a
result of pressure on servicemen of battalions North, West and South,
as well as two Chechen regiments (the so-called oil regiment and the
special-purpose police regiment named after A. Kadyrov) formed from
the former Chechen militants. Evidently remembering the Abkhaz
conflict of 1992-1993 (special battalion of Shamil Basaev fought
against Georgia then under cover of Russian special services on the
side of Abkhazia) the authorities sent quotas for recruitment of
“volunteers” for the defense of South Ossetia and, if necessary,
Abkhazia to the present Chechen battalions, regiments and even
district police departments of Chechnya and Ingushetia. According to
our information, up to 30 “volunteers” had to be recruited from each
district police department. The Chechen and Ingush people were forced
to choose: either they would submit an application about their wish to
fight or they would submit resignation reports. They were threatened
that those resigning would not be employed even as janitors in the future.
However, the initiative to refill the ranks of North Caucasian
volunteers on account of the Vainakh people encountered covert
resistance. According to Novaya Gazeta, Ingush policemen submitted
about 300 resignation reports. This is not surprising if we recall the
unresolved Ossetian-Ingush conflict.
In the Chechen regiments and battalions, the order about the forced
recruitment of volunteers did not meet unanimous support either. About
80 people resigned despite that service in the army and in the police
guaranteed immunity from criminal persecution to former militants.
The Chechens were also offended by the “monetary” factor: why should
they fight as volunteers while Russian soldiers go there as contract
servicemen. The difference is obvious: contract servicemen are paid
for a war and volunteers die for free. Chechens proposed signing
contracts with them as with normal servicemen.
Throughout last week, people in Chechnya were burying those who did
not evade the unselfish role of “volunteers” and died in South
Ossetia. According to our information, the losses of Chechens are big
but information about this is kept in secrecy. Several killed were
buried in Goity village and especially in the 60 Let Oktyabrya
settlement of the Grozny District (the territory of basing of
battalion West).
Probably only battalion East commanded by Sulim Yamadaev really went
to fight for South Ossetia voluntarily. Yamadaev could not reject the
proposal of the Defense Ministry. The General Staff (for example,
command of the Main Intelligence Department) is the only ally of
Yamadaev in his conflict with Ramzan Kadyrov.
Source: Novaya Gazeta, August 25, 2008, p. 4
Translated by InterContact
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http://atlanta.fbi.gov/pressrel/2008/registecaptured082708.htm
FBI Press Release
Atlanta Field Office
Gregory Jones, Special Agent in Charge
2635 Century Parkway Suite 400
Contact: SA Stephen Emmett
Atlanta, GA 30345 Desk: (404) 679-6451
(404) 679-9000 Cell: (404) 392-2506
For Immediate Release
August 27, 2008
Atlanta-Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta, is pleased to announce the arrest this morning of FBI Top Ten Fugitive Michael Jason Registe.
Registe, wanted for the July, 2007 double murders of Columbus State University students Bryan Kilgore and Randy Newton Jr. at Columbus, Georgia, was arrested by St. Maarten Police officials in conjunction with the Antilles Director of Public Prosecution and through coordination with the FBI’s Legal Attaché, Bridgetown, Barbados.
Numerous tips were received by the FBI after the airing of an America’s Most Wanted television segment featuring Registe. That ultimately led local St. Maarten authorities to the Belvedere section of Dutch St. Maarten where Registe was arrested at approximately 11:10 this morning, August 27, 2008, while at a guest house. SWAT entry was made and Registe was taken into custody without further incident.
Registe will now face extradition hearings at St. Maarten for his removal back to Columbus, Georgia. This process could take from two weeks to several months.
The public is reminded that all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
http://atlanta.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel08/escrowfraud082608.htm
United States Attorney David E. Nahmias
Northern District of Georgia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
08/26/08
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan/ CONTACT: Patrick Crosby
(404)581-6016
FAX (404)581-6160
THREE MEN INDICTED IN CONSTRUCTION ESCROW FRAUD SCHEME
Atlanta, GA — EDGAR J. BEAUDREAULT, JR., 60, of Alpharetta, Georgia, HOWARD A. SPERLING, 43, of San Diego, California, and ROBERT B. SURLES, 62, of Canon City, Colorado, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple charges relating to a scheme to defraud.
The indictment charges that from August 2003 through January 2004, BEAUDREAULT, SPERLING and SURLES conspired to devise and execute a scheme to defraud Cornell Corrections of California, Inc., a private company that operates corrections facilities for governmental units. In June of 2003, Cornell Corrections contracted to have a corrections facility built in Canon City, CO for $13 million. The $13 million purchase price was to be held in an escrow account until the facility was completed.
The indictment further charges that in August of 2003, BEAUDREAULT, SPERLING and SURLES induced Cornell Corrections to transfer its $13 million to an account in Atlanta controlled by BEAUDREAULT, by falsely representing to Cornell that the account was an escrow account that was administered by a reputable bank. Upon receipt of Cornell Corrections’ $13 million, BEAUDREAULT, SPERLING and SURLES wire transferred the majority of Cornell’s $13 million to other accounts, to be used for their own purposes. The indictment charges 20 counts of wire fraud and one count of
conspiracy. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Bernita B. Malloy and David E. McClernan are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact Sally Quillian Yates, Acting United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.
This was pulled off in Kingman, 28 years ago, also.
The subdivision was still half built, 15 years later.
[I have not checked in the last 10 years, LOL, it is on the
‘other’ side of town...]
I know the Broker and Builder who were taken by a con man, who managed to die, before the trial.
He did the same thing, acted as the front man, putting the subdivision together, and used the escrow account, which he took and disappeared with.
He hurt a lot of people, at that time we were not big enough to handle the fallout of his actions.
Many people lost their purchase money, the builder was out all the money for supplies and wages, the lumber store sued the builder, and the law suits went on for years.
granny
You are welcome, but Davey Crockett found the russian computer information, LOL, I asked questions....
http://failover.fbi.gov/failover.htm
FBI.GOV is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please try back later. Thank you.
[Why????]
Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008
Russian warns Moldova over separatist region
CHISINAU, Moldova Russia’s ambassador to Moldova has warned the
country’s leaders to avoid a “bloody and catastrophic trend of events”
in a separatist Moldovan region.
The Trans-Dniester region broke away from the former Soviet republic of
Moldova in 1990. It is supported by Russia but is not recognized
internationally. Russia has 1,500 troops stationed there to guard
weapons facilities.
Ambassador Valeri Kuzmin said late Tuesday that Moldova should draw its
own conclusions over the events in Georgia. Russia recognized the
independence of two Georgian breakaway regions.
Kuzmin acknowledged that the situation in Trans-Dniester is different
from the Caucasus.
But he said Moldova should show wisdom in dealing with Trans-Dniester
and refrain from escalating the conflict.
It looks like they are trying to swallow the smaller chunks first,
before they move on to Ukraine and the like. The interesting part here
is that the KGB mafia is now threatening a country with which they don’t
even have a common border. The funny part is the pretext for the
presence of Russian troops in their far abroad, namely that they are
“guarding weapons facilities”. Won’t it be easier and cheaper to get out
of there and to take the weapons with them?
Next thing they’ll issue Russian passports to the inhabitants of Fiji
and invade it afterwards. Or, while we are talking about sunny beaches,
they might invade southern France and parts of Spain in order to protect
the large Russian minorities in the area. N.S.
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Civil.ge: China ‘Concerned’ over Situation in S.Ossetia, Abkhazia
Wednesday, August 27, 2008 4:58 PM
From:
“Norbert Strade”
China ‘Concerned’ over Situation in S.Ossetia, Abkhazia
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 27 Aug.’08
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Qin Gang, said on August 27 Beijing
was “concerned of the latest development in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.”
“We have a knowledge of the complicated history and reality of the South
Ossetia and Abkhazia issues,” the Chinese official news agency Xinhua
quoted Qin as saying. “In accordance with China’s consistent and
principled stance on issues of this kind, we hope the relevant parties
can resolve the issue through dialogue and consultation.”
Russia’s President, Dmitry Medvedev, who recognized South Ossetia and
Abkhazia’s independence on August 26, met with his Chinese counterpart,
Hu Jintao, in the Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe on Wednesday.
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FBI.GOV is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please try back later. Thank you.
Thanks Davey, thanks granny. Yes, very interesting about the FBI site....trends, always trends....
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2008/08/27/dlvirus127.xml
Virus infects Int’l Space Station laptops....
The fbi.gov site is working for me.
Maybe a momentary glitch?
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=13001702&PageNum=1
Any instruction of RF commander-in-chief to be fulfilled–Gen Staff
23.08.2008, 14.59
MOSCOW, August 23 (Itar-Tass) - Russia’s armed forces will fulfil any
instruction on the strength of the peacekeeping contingent in South
Ossetia, if the Russian commander-in-chief signs it, the deputy chief
of Russia’s General Staff, Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn told a
news conference on Saturday.
Russia thoroughly implements provisions of the 1992 treaty on
peacekeeping forces in the Georgian- South Ossetian conflict zone, he
said. “If any new decision concerning the strength of the peacekeeping
mission in the republic is taken in compliance with Point 6 of the
ceasefire plan, we will implement it. But this document should contain
the signature of the Russian commander-in-chief,” Nogovitsyn said.
“Tensions in the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone remain,
therefore our reaction should be adequate to all those actions taken
by the Georgian authorities to restore their combat efficiency,” he said.
“Nobody in the region launches a threat against Georgia, therefore all
activities to restore the Georgian armed forces’ combat potential mean
that Georgia, in fact, is preparing its troops to a third aggression.
Previous aggressions were probably not enough for Georgia. Therefore
we are keeping a watchful eye on the situation,” Nogovitsyn said.
© ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved.
I tried several of the FBI pages and got the same notice.
I wanted to go to the different district offices to check the press notices.
The main FBI page worked.
The virus in the space stations computers is not a surprise.
If you think back this is not the first time they have had ‘glitches’, there have been several others.
Of course, there is a chance that the other glitches were mechanical, rather than a virus.
Something about taking out a cell on the satellite, LOL and here I am trying to ‘talk way above my pay grade’.....
Years ago, I was listening to Art Bell, when someone took out the cell on the satellite that beamed his feed and he was off the air instantly.
No, it was not a trick of Art’s, as it turned up in the news.
Something about shining a laser beam on the cell and it dies or is blocked. Or some such.
I just got up from a nap and find Denver at 10:30 pm, is hopping, they are asking for relief for the Officers who are on crowd and traffic control, as they have been there for hours.
Who knows what I missed by sleeping.
Gunmen hatching terror act, killed in NCaucasian republic
26.08.2008, 16.37
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=13009840&PageNum=0
MOSCOW, August 26 (Itar-Tass) - Gunmen, hatching, according to
intelligence data, terror acts on orders from Al Qaeda, were spotted
and killed on August 26 in mountains of the Kabardino-Balkaria
Republic, Itar-Tass learnt at the public relations centre of the
Federal Security Service (FSB).
According to the public relations centre, a FSB search group spotted
two armed people, clothed in camouflage uniforms and carrying
rucksacks of the army type at the dawn on August 26, 2008 in a forest
near the village of Khabaz, Zolsky district of the republic on the
administrative border with the Stavropol Territory”.
“When the unidentified people tried to flee, they were surrounded by
officers of the special designation centre of the Federal Security
Service. The gunmen offered an armed resistance in an attempt to
detain them. As a result, the two were fatally wounded. Measures are
taken to identify the gunmen,” the public relations centre noted.
Earlier, the FSB had received information that gunmen, operating in
the North Caucasian region, are hatching several terror acts on a
bidding from envoys of the international terrorist organisation Al
Qaeda. “According to available information, bandits planned to commit
a dozen of terror acts in the Karachai-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkar
republics as well as in the Stavropol Territories in order to
destabilise the situation in the above subjects of the Russian
Federation,” the FSB emphasised.
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As it is only a week or so from the Beslan Anniversary, this is scary, will they also redo 9-11 and Nord Ost?
granny
Secret files found dumped on tip
Sensitive legal documents relating to a major drugs prosecution in Liverpool have been found on a tip in Lancashire.
The files, which were meant to be destroyed, relate to Operation Montrose, which saw 59 men jailed over drug dealing in 2005.
They include more than 100 “restricted” statements from officers and forensic experts and the personal details of witnesses and suspects.
HM Courts Service (HMCS) said it was investigating.
‘Not original’
A spokesperson said: “We will investigate all allegations of breaches or incidents.
“HMCS takes data security extremely seriously.”
The files had been dumped at Farrington Moss recycling centre near Preston.
They were found by a member of the public who noticed the huge pile of files while he was recycling his newspapers.
The CPS said copies of its files were sent to lawyers and the courts.
It said it was “highly unlikely” that the files that were found were the original CPS documents.
‘Urgent review’
Assistant Chief Constable Colin Matthews said he was calling for an urgent review of procedure.
“This is of particular concern due to the sensitive nature of some of the documents recovered,” he said.
“During a court case, documents are supplied to the Crown Prosecution Service, the courts and defence and as such Merseyside Police has no control over how other parties dispose of their copies.”
He said that inquiries were continuing as to how the files ended up on the tip but they were confident they were not put there by Merseyside police.
“I will be calling for an urgent review of the procedures for the distribution and disposal of court papers to ensure that the safety of witnesses is not the subject of potential compromise in the future,” ACC Matthews said.
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Police files found dumped on a tip in Lancashire
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/7584185.stm
Published: 2008/08/27 17:02:12 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Russia faces fresh condemnation
Seven of the world’s leading industrialised nations have jointly condemned Russia’s decision to recognise Georgia’s breakaway regions.
Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US and UK said Moscow’s recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia violated Georgia’s integrity and sovereignty.
Earlier, the UK’s foreign secretary said Western countries should re-examine their relations with Russia.
David Miliband also warned Russia not to start a new Cold War.
Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, Mr Miliband said Moscow had not reconciled itself with the new map of the region and that the West should should look at ways to reduce its dependence on Russian oil and gas.
Russia was, is and will continue to be the last country in the world that would want a repeat of the Cold War
Dmitry Peskov
Russian government spokesman
French President Nicolas Sarkozy meanwhile described Russia’s move to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia as an unacceptable attempt to change borders.
Russia said it was the last country that wanted a new Cold War.
Fighting between Russia and Georgia began on 7 August after the Georgian military tried to retake its Russian-backed breakaway province of South Ossetia by force.
Russian forces subsequently launched a counter-attack and the conflict ended with the ejection of Georgian troops from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia and an EU-brokered ceasefire.
‘Excessive force’
In a statement, the Group of Seven said they condemned “the action of our fellow G8 member” and reasserted their support for the Georgian government.
“Russia’s recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia violates the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia and is contrary to UN Security Council Resolutions supported by Russia,” the statement said.
SOUTH OSSETIA & ABKHAZIA
South Ossetia
Population: About 70,000 (before recent conflict)
Capital: Tskhinvali
President: Eduard Kokoity
Abkhazia
Population: About 250,000 (2003)
Capital: Sukhumi
President: Sergei Bagapsh
The group also said it deplored Russia’s “excessive use of military force in Georgia and its continued occupation of parts of Georgia”.
“We call unanimously on the Russian government to implement in full the six-point peace plan brokered by President Sarkozy on behalf of the EU, in particular to withdraw its forces behind the pre-conflict lines,” the statement added.
“We reassert our strong and continued support for Georgia’s sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders and underline our respect and support for the democratic and legitimate government of Georgia as we pursue a peaceful, durable solution to this conflict.”
The Russian government responded to earlier criticism from Western leaders by saying Moscow saw no threat of a new Cold War.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Russia had been taking “measures of precaution” against Nato warships in the Black Sea, but hoped to avoid confrontation.
“I wouldn’t agree that we really have a threat of a new Cold War. Russia was, is and will continue to be the last country in the world that would want a repeat of the Cold War,” Dmitry Peskov said.
On Tuesday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he had been obliged to recognise the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia following the “genocide” started by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili in South Ossetia in August.
He also blamed Georgia for failing to negotiate a peaceful settlement.
‘Hard-headed engagement’
The Group of Seven’s statement came only hours after Mr Miliband said the conflict between Russia and Georgia had “provided a rude awakening”.
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David Miliband said Russia must not start a new Cold War
In a speech to a group of students in Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, Mr Miliband said Moscow’s “unilateral attempt to redraw the map marks a moment of real significance”.
Russian President, he said, had a “big responsibility not to start” a new Cold War.
Mr Miliband said the response of the EU and Nato to such “aggression” should be one of “hard-headed engagement”.
“That means bolstering our allies, rebalancing the energy relationship with Russia, defending the rules of international institutions, and renewing efforts to tackle ‘unresolved conflicts’,” he explained.
Mr Miliband again rejected calls for Russia to be expelled from the G8, but did suggest the EU and Nato needed to review relations with it.
He also reiterated the British government’s support for Ukraine’s application for full Nato membership.
Ukraine’s President, Victor Yushchenko, said it was a hostage in a war waged by Russia against states in the old Soviet bloc.
HAVE YOUR SAY Miliband should keep his nose out of it unless he wants it bloodied by the Russians Di, London
He told Mr Miliband that the brief conflict between Georgia and Russia earlier this month had exposed serious weaknesses in the powers of the UN and other international bodies.
Mr Yushchenko also called for Ukraine’s defences to be strengthened and said his country would consider increasing the amount of money Russia pays for the lease of the port of Sevastopol, where it stations its Black Sea Fleet.
In other developments:
* Georgia moved to reduce its diplomatic presence in Moscow, confirming its ambassador would not return
* China addressed the crisis for the first time by expressing “concern” about developments in the region and urging dialogue. The comments came as Chinese President Hu Jintao met President Medvedev in Tajikistan ahead of a regional summit
* German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the continued presence of Russian forces in Georgia proper was a grave ceasefire violation. She also agreed to send up to 15 military observers to Georgia as part of an expanded OSCE mission
* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would support the presence of more international monitors in the buffer zones
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/7585182.stm
Published: 2008/08/27 21:13:38 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
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