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If someone asks to borrow your cell phone, or you leave it unattended, beware! Unless you actually watch them use it, they may be secretly grabbing every piece of your information on the device, even deleted messages. If you leave your phone sitting on your desk, or in the center console of your car while the valet parks it, then you and everyone in your contacts list may be at risk, to say nothing of confidential e-mails, spread sheets, or other information. And of course, if you do not want your spouse to see who you are chatting with on...

The September 2008 updates to the Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle are now available at the ISF OOB homepage. The significant changes to the Order of Battle that occurred in August are summarized below.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2008 – An Army colonel working with Iraqi security forces in the country’s southern provinces said yesterday their proficiency and dedication have been impressive. "I am very impressed with the professionalism and the willingness of the Iraqi army to go out there and fight and go after the insurgents, smugglers or other special groups out there," Army Col. Philip F. Battaglia, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, told bloggers during a teleconference about the brigade’s mission in Iraq since deploying there in mid-June. Battaglia's brigade, based out of Fort Hood, Texas, works with...

Sorry for the vanity post but I wanted to give many of you an insight as to what's happening in downtown St Paul on the eve of the RNC. The area around Xcel Enegy Center has been walled off to foot and motor trafic. I approached one of the checkpoints from the W 7th St (or western side). There is A LOT of security present...plainclothes Secret Service, local cops, wildlife/game officers (yes, they're armed too)and a lot of National Guard. Groups of St Paul police are patrolling the perimeter on some really huge horses. Helicopters are constantly flying over downtown...

RedXDefense of Rockville, Maryland has recently developed a portable kit that could provide a quick and simple visual diagnostic for detecting plastic explosives favored by terrorists. The device, which was designed to be used by in security checkpoints and under harsh conditions, is currently undergoing field tests in Iraq. While most explosives-detection methods look for vapors coming from the explosive metrical, the plastic explosives often used by terrorists such as like Richard Reid (the notorious “shoe bomber”) are not very volatile, and technologies for their detection usually require dislodging the explosive before running a chemical analysis. Unfortunately, these systems are...

BAGHDAD, Aug. 29, 2008 – The view from the sky indicates the tide in Iraq may be turning. An AH-64D Apache takes off from Camp Taji, Iraq. Pilots with 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, have enjoyed a less intense and less kinetic mission since arriving at Baghdad International Airport. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Soldiers of 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, made the move from Camp Taji to Camp Stryker at the Baghdad International Airport about a month ago. Army Maj. Parker Frawley, the unit’s operations officer, said the squadron already is seeing the...

A California woman is crying gender discrimination after she claims she was forced to strip off her bra and walk through airport security without support after being busted when the underwires in her lingerie set off a metal detector. The brassiere boondoggle took place Sunday morning at Oakland International Airport as Nancy Kates, a 45-year-old documentary filmmaker who grew up in Lexington, was going through security on her way to Boston. “I felt I was being treated like a criminal,” said the Harvard-educated Kates, who was headed to Massachusetts to see her mother and vacation on the Cape.

Personal details of more than a million bank customers have been found on a computer sold on eBay. Highly- sensitive information on American Express, NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland customers was stored on the machine's hard drive. It includes names, addresses, mobile phone numbers, bank account numbers, sort codes, credit card numbers, mothers' maiden names and even signatures. 'A thief's treasure chest': Andrew Chapman with the hard disk drive he bought on eBay containing the private bank details of more than a million people It was described as 'a data thief's treasure chest', with everything a criminal needs to...

A proud Iraqi finishes with the transition process to the national police, Aug 22. The screening process consisted of the applicants taking a test to determine suitability, a physically fitness test, identification verification and medical screening. Photo by Sgt. Philip Klein. FORWARD OPERATION BASE WAR EAGLE — Members of the successful Sons of Iraq security program began the transition from neighborhood guardians to full fledged members of the Iraqi Security Forces at Forward Operating Base War Eagle, Aug. 22.The screening process took place at War Eagle where Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers facilitated the transition of Iraqi citizens to the...

Web site advertising is often reasonable, and it is the way that many sites earn enough money to deliver their content. ...There are unfortunately advertisers that abuse the privilege of access to people’s computers by pushing ads–usually Shockwave Flash–with excessive bandwidth utilization that slows even DSL Internet connections noticeably. (We banned Doubleclick.net from our computer eight or nine years ago, when we were still using a dial-up connection, because it kept refreshing its banner ads.) Other ads superimpose themselves over the page content, and have no button on which to click to close them. Still others vibrate or jiggle back...

Confidential information on almost 130,000 prisoners and dangerous criminals has been lost by the Home Office, sparking yet another Government data crisis. The loss of the details, which were stored on an unencypted computer memory stick, has raised fears that the taxpayer may now face a multi-million pound compensation bill from criminals whose safety may have been compromised and police informants who could be at risk of reprisals. The home addresses of some of Britain's most prolific and serious offenders - including those who have committed violent and sexual crimes - are understood to be among the missing data. A...

The worsening situation in Mexico, despite its barbarity, breadth of murder, kidnappings, and corruption, is not resonating in the American psyche (albiet, perhaps the border states). We agonize and scrutinize the security situation in Iraq, headlines about dozens of wounded and dead, and we have this raging debate on the way ahead there. We have more deaths in our inner-cities from drug related crime nationwide, let alone the horrific numbers climbing in our southern neighbor..yet it doesn’t appear to be a front burner concern...and the Mexican senior military leadership knows this. Expect to see “martial law” and Calderon will be...

People stop at a water point on Main Supply Route Jackson during a pilgrimage to Karbalah in celebration of Muslim Preist, Mahdi's birthday, Aug.15, 2008. Photo by Pfc. Christopher McKenna. FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAHMUDIYAH — Iraqi Army Soldiers and Coalition forces provided security, food and water to Iraqis on a pilgrimage to Karbala, Aug. 11-18. “The Iraqi Army is providing security with assistance from the coalition,� said Pvt. Esam Hussein Fleih, 1st Battalion, 23rd Brigade, 17th Iraqi Army Division. “People have been happy with the way we have been doing the security, and it shows with nothing bad happening during...

Iraqi Army Soldiers with the 3rd Battalion, 42nd Brigade, 11th Iraqi Army Division, sort through a large cache discovered in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, Aug. 14, 2008, after a resident informed the unit of its location. Photo by Sgt. Zachary Mott. PATROL BASE COMANCHE — In the three months since the Iraqi Army began patrolling inside the Sadr City district of Baghdad, the Soldiers conducting these patrols have worked hard to cultivate a relationship with the people there. Constant patrols, handing out food and water as well as providing medical services have helped advance this new relationship. In...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2008 – Security operations in Iraq’s Diyala province have achieved success, in part, because coalition and Iraqi forces are working in proximity to and with the support of Iraqi citizens, a senior U.S. Army officer in Baghdad said yesterday. Ongoing security operations in Diyala province that have contributed to greatly lessened violence there “are going well,” Multinational Force Iraq spokesman Brig. Gen. David G. Perkins told reporters. “Over the past 18 months, we have seen time and again in Iraq that security is sustainable with support and service from the people,” Perkins said. “Part of the success...

Iraqi Army Maj. Ahmed Majeed, commander of Company D, 3rd Battalion, 31st Brigade, 8th IA Division goes over a list of high value targets Coalition forces suspected were in the area during Operation Leros, Aug. 5, 2008, in the Shaka 5 region. Photo by Spc. Amanda Mcbride. FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — Iraqi Army Soldiers led the way in Operation Leros, an early morning house and cache clearing operation, Aug. 5, in the Shaka 5 region, resulting in the detention of five personnel. “We raided the different homes to find caches and to find people on the Iraqi Army’s high...

Apple has taken the place of Microsoft for disclosing more vulnerabilities than any other vendor, according to an IBM security report. The company rose from second place in 2007 to take the top spot away from Microsoft, which had fallen into third place behind open source content management system Joomla.

Beijing ratchets up security following violent attacks 2 hours, 51 minutes ago China stepped up security around Olympic sites on Tuesday following recent violent incidents but a Games official repeated assurances that visitors were in no danger. The tighter security included extra new checks on journalists entering the Olympic media village and an armored personel carrier parked in front of the main Olympic press center. The moves come a week after the fatal stabbing of a US Olympic coach's relative on Saturday by a Chinese man and violent incidents in western China that Beijing has blamed on Muslim militants targetting...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11, 2008 – While the security situation in northern Iraq has improved, governors of the four provinces there do not believe it is time for provincial Iraqi control, the coalition commander in the region said. Army Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling gave a rundown of the situation in the four provinces his Multinational Division North has responsibility for during a Pentagon news conference today. Hertling spoke via teleconference from Forward Operating Base Speicher, in Iraq. Hertling praised the progress of Iraqi security forces, saying they “have made monumental strides” in capabilities and professionalism. Still, the division and Iraqi...

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AFP) - Security specialists on Sunday showed that cracking top-rated locks said to secure the US Pentagon and Britain's royal family is child's play. Marc Tobias was in a sea of hackers practicing lock picking at a DefCon gathering in Las Vegas when he easily opened Medeco's flagship lock with a paper clip and a key cut from plastic sheets in a Shrinky Dinks toy. "We think this is a pretty serious threat, and the government guys here we've been talking to agree," Tobias told AFP.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10, 2008 – The Iraqi navy teams with coalition forces in conducting important maritime security missions, a senior U.S. military officer posted in Iraq said today. “The Iraqi navy and coalition naval forces partner in critically important maritime missions which includes maintaining security and stability in Iraq’s territorial waters, monitoring maritime traffic, protecting commercial shipping into and out of Iraq’s ports and protecting Iraq’s coastline and infrastructure from any potential threats,” U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll told reporters during a Baghdad briefing. An important element of joint coalition and Iraqi maritime security operations is protecting Iraq’s...

I received the following e-mail from my Congress critter today that may be interesting to a lot of you so I thought I’d post. This is from Congressman Steve Buyer (R – 4th District Indiana). He is a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce: ISSUE POSITION STATEMENT: THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) “The OCS is located off-shore of America’s coasts (East and West coast and in the Gulf of Mexico). Although portions of the OCS are currently available for energy production leases, over 80% of the OCS remains off-limits to U.S. production. According to the U.S. Mineral Management...

Once again we are told of an incident in which one of our Boarder Patrol Agents has been placed in a life threatening situation while protecting the boarder between Mexico and the United States. However, let's consider this situation a little differently. Let's consider it, if we can, from the thoughts that might have been going through the mind of our Agent while he was being held at gunpoint by the Mexican military on the American side of the boarder.

<p>U.S. Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan, left, and U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukase...</p> <p>Wed Aug 6, 9:35 AM EDT Authorities have cracked what is believed to be the largest federal hacking and identity theft case ever, involving the theft and sale of more than 41 million credit and debit card numbers.</p>

The August 2008 updates to the Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle are now available at the ISF OOB homepage. The significant changes to the Order of Battle that occurred in July are summarized below. There are major changes to the order of battle pages and map due to new formations, re-subordinations, and reorganizations.

Gary McKinnon, the British hacker who broke into military computers looking for evidence of UFOs in the "biggest military hack of all time," did so using his home computer and a 56k modem. I think we just lost our rights to complain about not having Japan-fast broadband. Using his own computer at home in London, McKinnon hacked into 97 computers belonging to and used by the U.S. government between February 2001 and March 2002.McKinnon is accused of causing the entire U.S. Army's Military District of Washington network of more than 2,000 computers to be shut down for 24 hours.Using...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2008 – Five districts in the southern portion of Afghanistan’s Konar province all differ in quality of governance and development, and they suffer from a lack of security, power and infrastructure. The 451st Civil Affairs Battalion is working to improve the situation in Narang, Nurgul, Sarkani, Khas Konar and Chowkay districts. Army Capt. Roman Skaskiw, 451st Civil Affairs Battalion, talks to Mohd Wali, police chief for the Chowkay district of Afghanistan’s Konar province. Skaskiw and Wali met to discuss development and security in the area. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "The overall security...

In further evidence of our rapidly eroding civil liberties, the Department of Homeland Security disclosed today that US Customs and Border Protection and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement have the right to confiscate and search a traveler's laptop or other electronic device without any suspicion of wrongdoing. The rules -- which we reported on in February -- allow for searches of hard drives, flash drives, cellphones, iPods, pagers, and video or audio tapes, and specify that the agencies can "detain" belongings for a "reasonable period of time," (i.e., as long as they please). Additionally, the DHS can share the data...

sale of 160 M2 .50 calibur Machine Guns, 160 M1117 Armored Security Vehicles (ASVs), 4 Heavy Duty Recovery Trucks, 160 Harris Vehicular Radio Systems, 144 MK19 MOD3 40mm Grenade Machine Guns with Bracket,.... The estimated cost is $206 million." http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2008/Iraq_08-86.pdf sale of 392 Light Armored Vehicles (LAVs) which include 352 LAV-25, 24 LAV-CC, and 16 LAV-A (Ambulances);.... The following are considered replacements to vehicles/weapons requested in the Military Table of Equipment (MTOE): 5 LAV-R (Recovery), 4 LAV-L (Logistics), 2 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles, 41 Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR), 2 MK19 40mm Grenade Machine Guns, 773 9mm Pistols,...

Congress appeared deadlocked Wednesday on responding to the nation's energy problems amid a bitterly partisan rift over whether to open long-restricted offshore waters to oil and gas drilling. A Democratic proposal to counter oil market speculation fell victim to the drilling dispute, failing 276-151. That was nine votes short of the two-thirds needed for approval because the measure had been offered under expedited rules imposed by the Democrats to avoid GOP attempts to attach an offshore drilling provision. A Senate bill, also aimed at curbing abuses in the oil markets, has been stalled for two weeks as Republicans have insisted...

News item: Russia announced plans on Sunday to revive its once-mighty navy by building several aircraft carriers and upgrading its fleet of nuclear submarines in the coming years. Russia's power at sea is a shadow of the formidable Soviet navy which challenged U.S. military dominance in the Cold War. But, with a strong economy now from booming oil exports, it is seeking to raise its profile on the world stage by modernizing the armed forces. Russia will build five or six aircraft carrier battle groups in the near future, RIA news agency quoted Navy Commander Vladimir Vysotsky as telling Navy...

WASHINGTON, July 27, 2008 – The security situation in Iraq’s northern provinces has improved, but Iraqi and coalition troops will continue to pursue al-Qaida in Iraq and other criminal groups, the U.S. commander in the region said during a briefing in Baghdad today. Army Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, the commander of Multinational Division – North, told reporters that the number of security incidents in his area of operations has dropped from more than 2,600 in June 2007 to 650 in June 2008. The numbers for July 2008 continue to show a reduction. Hertling said Iraqi commanders will launch a...

Iraqi Army Soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, recently seized a weapons cache in the Rusafa District of eastern Baghdad. The cache included four rocket-propelled grenade rounds and two boosters. U.S. Army photo. FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY -- Since their arrival into the critical Baghdad District of Rusafa, Iraqi Army Soldiers of 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, have played a critical role in the safety and security of the Iraqi people. Recently, Soldiers from 3rd Bn., 4th Bde., 1st IA Div., acted on a citizen tip to prevent possible attacks against Iraqi...

Excerpt - SAN FRANCISCO (AFP)--Internet security researchers warned Thursday that hackers have caught on to a "critical" flaw that lets them control traffic on the Internet. ~ snip ~ "We are in a lot of trouble," said IOActive security specialist Dan Kaminsky, who stumbled upon the Domain Name System (DNS) vulnerability about six months ago and reached out to industry giants to collaborate on a solution. "This attack is very good. This attack is being weaponized out in the field. Everyone needs to patch, please. This is a big deal." ~ snip ~

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – Iraq’s fledgling navy is gaining prominence within its country’s security forces due to its role in protecting the nation’s oil infrastructure, a coalition advisor said July 22. British Royal Navy Capt. Paul Abraham, director of the Maritime Strategic Transition Team and senior advisor to the Iraqi navy, explained during a conference call with military bloggers that in addition to quickly expanding their naval force, Iraqi marines and sailors also are fast moving into a lead role in defending Iraq’s major ports and oil terminals from insurgent attack. “The Iraqi navy's aim is to be able...

In Chicago, people like Robert Perry are subjected to exhaustive security checks. He was patted down, his wheel chair was examined and his hands were swabbed, all in public view in a see-through room at the security checkpoint. Perry, 71, is not alone "It's humiliation," Perry said. Perry was also taken to a see-through room by a TSA agent when his artificial knee set off the metal detector. "He yelled at me to get the belt off. 'I told you to get the belt off.' So I took the belt off. He ran his hands down over and pulled the...

Yesterday I saw the World Net Daily article suggesting Islamofascist terrorist organizations, including the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, will be providing security for Obama in Palestinian territory. Tony Blair, in a recent trip to Israel, cancelled a trip into Palestinian territory because the Palestinians intended that arrangement for him.I did not blog this then because I tend to want other sources to back up what World Net Daily says. Today, I think it is safe to say the Obama campaign confirmed the story in an indirect way.Major Garrett reports there is some squabbling over Obama's speech in Berlin. Obama wants...

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2008 – Training Afghan security forces is the key to success in the country, but the effort continues to be plagued by a shortage of trainers, the general in charge of that training said today. Army Maj. Gen. Robert W. Cone, commander of the Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, said Afghanistan has “made positive strides in fielding professional security forces that are competent, diverse and capable of providing security,” but that much remains to be done. Cone spoke to reporters gathered at the Foreign Press Center here in a teleconference from Kabul. The command is responsible for...

[note: You won't read this in five minutes] Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.: Good morning. Welcome to the Heritage Foundation and the fifth Margaret Thatcher Freedom Lecture.The Margaret Thatcher Lecture series began in Sep­tember 2006, with a major speech by former Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky on the subject, "Is Free­dom for Everyone?" It was followed by lectures on economic freedom and religious freedom by Hernan­do de Soto and Michael Novak, and by Ambassador John Bolton's lecture "Does the United Nations Advance the Cause of Freedom?"Our distinguished speaker today is Victor Davis Han­son, who will address the theme, "In Defense of Liberty: The...

Across China, Security Instead Of Celebration Washington Post[Saturday, July 19, 2008 11:54] Police Crack Down on 'Hostile Forces,' Apply New Safety Measures By Edward Cody Washington Post Foreign Service YENGISHAHAR, China July 19 - Shortly after dawn on July 9, the local government here bused several thousand students and office workers into a public square and lined them up in front of a vocational school. As the spectators watched, witnesses said, three prisoners were brought out. Then, an execution squad fired rifles at the three point-blank, killing them on the spot. The young men had been convicted of having connections...

Candid Camera: Severe Atmosphere, Beijing Police Patrol with Assault Weapons for First Time By Boxun Jul 18, 2008 - 3:09:14 PM With less than 20 days until the Olympics, Beijing's streets have seen an increase in Peoples Armed Police in full riot gear, police with special duties and regular beat police. The police are carrying semi-automatic assault weapons for the first time. From the grim expressions on these policemen's faces, it is clear that they are prepared for a surprise attack. Beijing citizens expressed to Boxun that not even after the military crackdown in Tiananmen Square in 1989 did police...

Threat of ‘no-fun’ Olympics By Mure Dickie, Geoff Dyer and Jamil Anderlini Published: July 18 2008 20:47 | Last updated: July 18 2008 20:47 Just three weeks before the Beijing Olympics, concerns are growing that China’s sweeping security measures could end up sucking all the fun out of the world’s biggest sportsfest. Pre-Olympic jitters are almost a tradition but a Chinese visa crackdown that has sent visitor numbers plunging, heightened security checks, dire warnings of terrorist attack and curbs on Beijing nightlife have led to some observers dubbing the 2008 Olympics the “no-fun Games”. Michael Payne, the International Olympic Committee’s...

I was evicted because of security clampdown for the Beijing Olympics Jane Macartney in Beijing I will miss the tree-lined alley in the heart of Beijing that has been my home for three years. But the security clampdown for the Beijing Olympics has edged into even this narrow lane. It was always clear that the Olympics would disrupt the lives of the people of Beijing, that security would be intense and the rules and regulations deeply intrusive. But it's always a surprise when this happens to you. The underlying factor in all this is fear. Fear pervades the system in...

Hackers are deluging web users with malware-laden spam claiming that World War III has started following a US invasion of Iran. Security experts warned today that spam emails with subject lines including 'Third World War has begun', '20000 US Soldiers in Iran' and 'US Army crossed Iran's borders' have been intercepted. The emails contain links to a malicious webpage that displays what appears to be a video player showing the mushroom cloud of a nuclear explosion. Text on the page reads: 'Just now US Army's Delta Force and US Air Force have invaded Iran. 'Approximately 20000 soldiers crossed the border...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq, July 11, 2008 – The commander of 9th Iraqi Army Division and leaders from the 1st Armored Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team met here July 8 to assess the security of the Madain Qada region. Maj. Gen. Jassem Nazal Qassim, commander of 9th Iraqi Army Division, explains his views on security during a meeting July 8, 2008, at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Michael Schuch, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Iraqi Maj. Gen. Jassem Nazal Qassim shared concepts for further increasing...

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2008 – Iraq experienced the lowest number of acts of violence in more than four years last week, a spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq said in Baghdad today. Video Security progress in Iraq is unmistakable, Army Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner said. Civilian deaths around the country were at their lowest point in three years, the general told reporters, adding that the reduction in violence is allowing the Iraqi government and the coalition to put in place projects that improve the quality of life in the country and create jobs for Iraqis. The general said the security...

ICx ships Cerberus units to U.S. borders WASHINGTON, July 8 (UPI) -- ICx Technologies has begun shipping its unmanned mobile surveillance systems for deployment along the U.S. border with Mexico. ICx officials say the shipments of their Cerberus unmanned mobile surveillance technology, part of a $4 million order, will go to support the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol's operations along the U.S.-Mexican border. The Cerberus units offer Border Patrol officers mobile surveillance towers with advanced radars and camera technology that company officials say enhance the ability to identify and track potential suspects attempting to cross the border as part of...

KONAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, July 7, 2008 – As the security situation becomes more stable in five of this Afghan province’s southern districts, coalition civil affairs teams are helping improve governance and infrastructure. Army Capt. Roman Skaskiw (left), 451st Civil Affairs Battalion, dines with Mohd Wali, Chowkay police chief, at the Chowkay district center in Afghanistan’s Konar province, June 21, 2008. Courtesy photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Capt. Roman Skaskiw, 451st Civil Affairs Battalion, is responsible for the five southern Konar districts. Although these districts differ in the quality of governance and development, they all suffer...

Mexico City, Official Residence The Presidency reported that President Felipe Calderón met Arizona Senator John McCain, who will be nominated as the US Republican Presidential Candidate in September, at the official Los Pinos residence today. The President remarked that Mexico trusts the United States will value the priority given to bilateral work on migration, trade, development, regional competitiveness and security as the means for promoting the well-being of both societies. President Calderón confirmed his government’s intention of continuing to collaborate on all issues of common interest, including the prevention of and response to natural disasters and pandemics, food security and...

So where does the average citizen stand in the eyes of those who occupy the offices at Capitol Hill? Check out this "Geeks On Caffeine" cartoon, and it will become crystal clear...BEFORE you even get through the security check! NOTE: The author has requested that you visit the web site and refrain from copying the cartoon into the body of this thread. Thank you very much!