Israel has tightened security at its airports, seaports and border crossings—increasing both technological surveillance as well as information gathering efforts —in order to thwart attempts at smuggling radioactive materials into the country. These materials could potentially be used in the production of a “dirty bomb” that could be detonated within Israel.
A “dirty bomb”, which is essentially a low grade nuclear weapon, is far less lethal than an atomic bomb, but can still lead to massive casualties and injuries should it be employed. It basically consists of an ordinary explosive “laced” with radioactive materials. When detonated, these nuclear materials then emit dangerous levels of radiation, which can quickly spread across a rather large area.
As previously noted, Israel is growing increasingly vigilant of a possible ‘dirty bomb’ attack. Supervision at seaports is at an all time high, and new detectors have been put in place to identify nuclear materials hidden in containers and freight cargo. Moreover, heightened security has been instituted at sensitive sites, such at the nuclear waste site in southern Israel, in order to prevent theft and smuggling of radioactive materials.
The United States instituted similar heightened security measures at its borders crossings and sea ports several months ago, following repeated security alerts. Radiation detection devices were placed along major access points into Manhattan, including bridges and tunnels. Security measures were tightened after it was discovered that they were especially prone to attack. Cargo is often left unsupervised at US harbors, and incoming shipments are seldom screened for radioactive materials.
A senior Israeli security official stated that, “There is growing concern regarding ‘dirty bombs’ among Israeli anti-terrorism units. They work at thwarting such potential attacks on a daily basis.”
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http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3477905,00.html
Czech high-speed train derails in Prague, nobody injured
2007-12-01
PRAGUE, Czech Republic - A high-speed train derailed Saturday in the Czech capital, officials said. No one was injured, but sabotage was suspected. The Pendolino train from Prague to the eastern city of Ostrava derailed shortly before noon (1100GMT) on the outskirts of Prague, Czech Railways spokesman Ondrej Kubala said. None of the 150 passengers were injured, Kubala said. He said authorities had discovered a manmade cut in the track, suggesting the rail could have been damaged intentionally.
But Jan Kucera a deputy head of Czech Rail Inspection, a government body that investigates accidents, said after visiting the scene that it was too soon to say what caused the derailment. Kucera said the train was traveling at 100 kph (60 mph) when the accident happened. The entire train went off the tracks, he said. The train travels at speeds up to 160 kph (100 mph).
http://www.pr-inside.com/czech-high-speed-train-derails-in-prague-r327246.htm
WASHINGTON - The latest crop of Al Qaeda recruits is salted with white, Anglo-featured converts from Europe who look more like TV's Jack Bauer than Osama Bin Laden. U.S. officials are worried about fair-skinned Al Qaeda killers with light-colored eyes, who most Americans would never suspect as Muslim jihadis ready to die in martyrdom missions like Sept. 11.
"It is a very big concern," a top counterterror official told the Daily News of the possibility that real-life terrorists resemble Kiefer Sutherland's character on "24." The Europeans have been spotted in Pakistan's tribal belt bordering Afghanistan, where a resurgent Al Qaeda runs small training camps.
"Al Qaeda is attempting to recruit 'Western' individuals to better blend into European and American societies," a senior military officer who monitors secret reports on the region said. "It's a continuing concern for the intelligence community." The danger is that they may blend in back home - or take advantage of the visa-waiver program the U.S. shares with Eurpean allies that eliminates a key layer of scrutiny for travelers. The travel loophole allows 15 million people to enter the U.S. from 18 European countries without visas, including Britain, France, Germany and Norway.
Intelligence on white jihadis cropped up long before Bin Laden warned Europe last week to leave Afghanistan in a new tape. Top CIA official John Kringen told lawmakers earlier this year that he was "very concerned" about Al Qaeda using Europe as "a launching point for bringing terrorists into the United States." One counterterror official said the Department of Homeland Security isn't moving aggressively to counter those who don't fit the typical Al Qaeda ethnic profile. Most of its agents are from Arab countries, Asia or North Africa.
But DHS spokeswoman Laura Keehner said terrorists "come in all shapes, sizes and colors," and screening procedures "do not take appearances into account." Peculiar behavior, rather than appearance, is increasingly relied on to tell the difference between a safe traveler and a terrorist, Keehner said.
The number of white Europeans who have converted to Islam and been trained by Al Qaeda in Pakistan is believed small, but their value is incalculable. Besides ease of travel, they offer a window into Western culture.
Bin Laden has no one left in his top five tiers of leadership with experience in the West, such as captured 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who attended a North Carolina college. His only adviser on America is California-raised propagandist Adam Gadahn, the likely author of Bin Laden's recent speeches.
The first public inkling of the new threat came last year when a Newsweek reporter in Afghanistan met a Taliban leader who was guarded by a European with light-colored eyes, referred to as one of their "English brothers." Military officials in Afghanistan told The News last summer they've never captured or killed any Europeans near the border. But Al Qaeda has suggested that European jihadis are plentiful.