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Extension Agents Warn of Agro-Terrorism
http://www.wtoctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3084974&nav=0qq6XYWV

When you think about homeland security, it's usually the airports and borders and big cities. But what could terrorists do if they hit the farms that raise our food? We talked with some familiar people who now have a role in protecting crops and cattle.

For years, county extension agents have helped Georgia farmers grow their crops. Now they're on the frontlines of homeland security, trying to convince those farmers they could be a target.

"We start telling them what can happen if stuff fell in the wrong hands," said Tim Varnadore of Jeff Davis County. "It opens their eyes."

Between livestock and produce, rural Georgia helps feed the nation, and an attack to contaminate the food supply is an all too real threat.

"When they supposedly found Bin Laden's cave, one of the ones he was hiding in a couple of years ago, one of the most common pamphlets found in the cave was University of Georgia agriculture information," said Danny Stanaland of Bacon County.

Over the next year, they'll train local farmers, fertilizer companies and others how to keep a better eye on problems at home. The challenge is balancing the danger of real threats with the economic disaster of a false alarm.

"We want to be vigilant in what we do, but at the same time we don't want rumors getting out of what could happen," said Mike Dollar of Evans County.

With so many people working in agriculture, even an empty threat would hurt. As Wes Harris of Bulloch County noted, "I think that would be the terrorists' target more, a scare that created an economic disaster rather than a physical one."

Agents say, just like in a neighborhood watch, as more people keep their eyes open, less can happen. In each community, they'll go over ways to watch everything from livestock to fertilizers that could be used in explosives.

They say the toughest thing is getting people to realize the everyday things around us could be used to hurt so many people.

Musharraf: Pakistan lost bin Laden's trail:
http://www.expressnewsline.com/phpnews2.php?action=fullnews&showcomments=1&id=554

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has said his country's intelligence services have lost track of Osama bin Laden.

In an interview with the BBC published Tuesday, Musharraf said Pakistani forces had their strongest indication about bin Laden's location eight to 10 months ago.Since that time they have lost his trail, although they believe he is still in the area.

Musharraf said that when Pakistan launched a large offensive in the tribal belt on the Afghan border last year, bin Laden fled.

Musharraf also said that with the recent killing of Pakistan's most wanted militant, Abdullah Mehsud -- which is yet to be confirmed -- Pakistani forces have more hope of making a breakthrough in the tribal area along the Afghan border, where bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, are believed to be hiding and where Pakistan experiences the most resistance in operations against al-Qaida.

Counter-terrorism expert Bob Newman on Monday told a conference in Dubai that bin Laden attempted to communicate with al-Qaida's front man in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a month ago through a letter.That letter was seized when a ground courier in Pakistan was intercepted, the Pakistani site Dawn reported Tuesday.