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Posted on 07/02/2008 7:02:59 PM PDT by nwctwx
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placemark
http://www.truthusa.com/MoreThanCartoons.html
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http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/chad
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http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_2876.html
Travel Warning
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Washington, DC 20520
This information is current as of today, Tue Jul 22 2008 13:22:44 GMT-0700 (PDT).
CHAD
June 23, 2008
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More Details:
http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2374306
TERRORISM FOCUS
Local Islamist Movement Massacred in Chad after Threatening Holy War
By Andrew Mc Gregor
July 16, 2008
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Ahmat Mamahat Bachir, Chad’s Minister of the Interior, described the preacher and his followers as “terrorists” and “extremists,” adding that Bichara was a “typical suicide guru” (al-Jazeera, July 2; AFP, July 2). Bichara issued a manifesto declaring his jihad on June 3, calling on local Muslims to join a campaign against “Christians and atheists” that would extend as far as Denmark, where cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad were published in 2006 (TchadActuel, July 3). The confrontation came after Bichara rejected the advice of envoys from Chad’s Higher Council of Islamic Affairs.
After Bichara’s followers went on a rampage in Kouno, destroying four churches, 158 homes, a medical clinic and a police station, government forces decided to respond in force. The preacher, who took down the Chadian flag over the local administration building and replaced it with a banner proclaiming “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his Prophet,” refused all efforts to negotiate with security services, claiming he was an emissary from God. The government assault apparently began as Bichara’s followers were listening to what was described as an inflammatory sermon. Other accounts suggest that Bichara’s people attacked the security forces, which used firearms only after tear gas failed to disperse the would-be jihadis (AFP, July 2).
Independent accounts of the fighting are not available, but Chad’s security minister described Bichara’s followers as “intoxicated by indescribable extremism… almost mad” as they “threw themselves” against the fire of security forces in the belief they were immune to bullets (Reuters, July 2). The “clubs, poisoned arrows and swords” used by Bichara’s followers proved to be of little avail against the gunfire of government troops, nor did the amulets that were supposed to provide protection from bullets save those who were hit. The use of such amulets in the region goes back to the very first encounters with firearms—despite a distinctly poor track record in deflecting lead they continue to find a place around the necks of local fighters. The number of dead was given variously as somewhere between 66 and 72, with over 50 seriously wounded. Four security men were killed and four wounded in two days of fighting.
Bichara survived the government assault only to be captured by security forces and removed to N’Djamena with seven of his lieutenants. Brought by authorities to a press conference, the small and bearded shaykh appeared “tranquil and detached,” according to an AFP correspondent. Bichara informed the gathering he received his inspiration from the Quran, which demands: “All Muslims must make holy war” (AFP, July 2).”
Thanks for the ping RR.
Any info on this group?
I haven’t heard of them before.
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/russia
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/venezuela
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http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/22/america/russia.php
“Venezuela and Russia pledge to cooperate”
By Anne Barnard Published: July 22, 2008
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “MOSCOW: President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela and President Dmitri Medvedev of Russia said Tuesday that their countries would more closely coordinate their actions on global oil and gas markets and that they would work together on foreign policy, a sphere in which both countries have sought to counter U.S. influence.”
http://www.memri.org/saudiarabia.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/globaljihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/jihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/oil
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http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=countries&Area=saudiarabia&ID=SP199708
Special Dispatch Series - No. 1997
July 22, 2008 No. 1997
“Senior Saudi Cleric: Bin Laden “Is a Promoter of Evil and Depravity”; Al-Zawahiri Is a “Deviant””
SNIPPET: “Following the recent arrest in Saudi Arabia of 520 terrorists who had planned attacks on the country’s oil facilities, the Saudi daily ‘Okaz published an interview with Saudi Supreme Judicial Council head Sheikh Saleh bin Muhammad Al-Luhaidan. In his discussion of terrorism in Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Al-Luhaidan called Al-Qaeda a criminal organization that threatens to destroy the world’s purest country. He also called bin Laden a promoter of evil, and the members of his organization criminals. In addition, he said that in order to protect the youth from extremist ideas, there was a need for real da’wa at home, in schools and in the media.
Following are excerpts from the interview:
“Whoever Cooperates With [Terrorists] Or Responds to Their Appeals Is Regarded As A Criminal””
www.al-ekhlaas.net
www.al-ekhlaas.net/forum/
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www.memriiwmp.org/content/en/more_islamist_web_status.htm?param=IStatus
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http://www.memriiwmp.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=398
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BLOG:
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/8679.htm
“Video Game Designed to Encourage Children to Fight the US Army, the Shi’ites and the Jews Is Posted on Islamist Forum”
SNIPPET: “On July 21, 2008 a member of the Islamist forum Al-Ikhlas posted a video game designed to encourage children to fight against “the forces of tyranny”.”
(Posted July 22, 2008)
http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html
http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/site/html/search.asp?isSearch=yes&isT8=yes&searchText=T90&pid=108&sid=13&preview=
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http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/iran_e001.htm
Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC)
July 21, 2008
“The Hate Industry: a blatantly anti-Semitic series which incorporates The Protocols of the Elders of Zion has recently been shown on an Iranian TV channel. The series is yet another example of Iran’s deliberate use of anti-Semitism as a political-strategic weapon designed to promote its national objectives.”
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50565
Coalition, Iraqi Forces Detain 14, Find Weapons
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 22, 2008 – Coalition and Iraqi forces detained 14 suspected terrorists and found weapon caches during recent operations in Iraq, military officials said.
Today in northern Iraq, coalition and Iraqi forces captured seven suspected terrorists, including an alleged al-Qaida kidnapping cell leader, officials said.
U.S. and Iraqi troops detained the alleged cell leader and another suspect in Kirkuk after receiving tips from previously captured associates of the suspects. The alleged cell leader reportedly is tied to kidnappings and terrorist activities in Kirkuk and Salahuddin provinces, officials said.
Coalition forces captured five other suspected terrorists during an operation near Khanaqin, 93 miles southeast of Kirkuk.
In operations yesterday, Iraqi police and coalition forces in Baghdad’s New Baghdad district detained an individual suspected of bombings and indirect-fire attacks throughout the city during the past year.
In operations June 20, coalition and Iraqi troops detained five suspected Islamic State of Iraq operatives and an alleged al-Qaida financier and weapons smuggler in separate operations throughout northern Iraq. The Islamic State of Iraq is an umbrella organization for several insurgent groups in Iraq.
A man captured in Mosul is a suspected Islamic State of Iraq leader in charge of terrorist cells in the Jazeera region. The alleged al-Qaida financier and weapons smuggler was captured in Hawijah, 46 miles north of Baghdad. Four suspected Islamic State of Iraq members were detained in Ibrat Najar, 43 miles west of Mosul, officials said.
Also on June 20, Iraqi and U.S. forces found several weapons caches during numerous operations throughout Baghdad in Sadr City, New Baghdad and the northern part of the city, officials said.
All together, the forces confiscated 28 mortars, 16 artillery rounds, 14 rocket-propelled grenades with charges, four rockets, a mortar tube with base plate, two homemade bombs including one specifically designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles, four automatic machine guns, various bomb-making materials and more than 1,000 automatic machine gun rounds, officials said.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50570
“Afghan Security Forces Hold Key to Success, General Says”
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 22, 2008
More details...
July 18, 2008
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://seattle.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/2008/pr071808.htm
SEATTLE WOMAN SENTENCED TO 5 YEARS IN PRISON IN CONNECTION WITH UW ARSON
Defendant was Active Participant in Four Arsons Including UW
JENNIFER L. KOLAR, 33, of Seattle, Washington was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to five years in prison, five years of supervised release and $7,178,236 in restitution in connection with the May 21, 2001 arson at the University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture. KOLAR pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Arson, two counts of Arson, one count of Attempted Arson and Using a Destructive Device During a Crime of Violence. KOLAR was part of a group which called itself “The Family,” responsible for a string of arsons and destructive crimes across the western United States claimed by the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and Animal Liberation Front (ALF). U.S. District Judge Franklin D. Burgess allowed KOLAR to remain out of custody until the United States Bureau of Prisons orders her to report to a facility in late September, 2008.
KOLAR was a participant in four eco-attacks: an arson at Cavel West in Oregon in July 1997; an attempted arson at the Wray Gun Club in Colorado in October 1998; an arson at the Susanville Horse Corral in October 2001; and the fire at the University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture in May 2001. At the UW arson, KOLAR admits she used a knife to cut the glass to gain entry to the office of Professor Toby Bradshaw. A destructive device was then placed in Bradshaw’s office. The fire destroyed the Center for Urban Horticulture. Priceless research and endangered plants were destroyed. It cost more than $7 million to rebuild the facility.
Shortly after being contacted by law enforcement in late 2005, KOLAR agreed to assist the FBI by telling what she knew about the arson spree. KOLAR testified at length against Briana Waters, who was convicted last March of Arson in connection with the fire at the Center for Urban Horticulture. Waters was sentenced last month to six years in prison.
Under the terms of her plea agreement, KOLAR had to be sentenced to between five and seven years in prison, or either side could withdraw from the agreement. Prosecutors asked for a seven year term. “ Kolar’s decision to cooperate, however, can never totally wipe the slate clean. She voluntarily became an important member of one of the most destructive domestic terrorist groups ever to prey upon the people of the Northwest. For over four years she chose, time and again, to engage in violent acts that destroyed millions of dollars in property and had a huge impact on numerous victims, many of whom are still suffering harmful effects from these senseless acts of violence, ” First Assistant United States Attorney Mark Bartlett wrote in his sentencing memo.
In addition to Waters and KOLAR, three others have been charged in connection with the UW fire. Lacey Phillabaum pleaded guilty and faces three to five years in prison when sentenced on August 19, 2008. Justin Solondz, 29, most recently of Jefferson County, Washington is charged with Arson, and Using a Destructive Device in a Crime of Violence. Solondz, a fugitive, is charged with Making an Unregistered Firearm (in this case an incendiary bomb) in Olympia, the day before the UW fire. Solondz is believed to be out of the country. William C. Rodgers (now deceased) also participated in the UW arson. Rodgers, of Prescott, Arizona, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Seattle, but committed suicide December 22, 2005, while being held in the Coconino County Jail in Prescott, Arizona.
This case was the result of a nine-year investigation of numerous arsons in the Northwest and elsewhere. In many of the fires the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and Earth Liberation Front (ELF) claimed responsibility. Participating in the extensive investigation were the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Eugene Police Department, the University of Washington Police Department and other state and federal law enforcement agencies.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Friedman and First Assistant United States Attorney Mark Bartlett.
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/testimony/testimony_1216677175660.shtm
Testimony of Jeffrey W. Runge, MD before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology
Release Date: July 22, 2008
Providence, RI
Good morning Mr. Chairman. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before the Subcommittee on this important and timely issue. My colleagues and I have testified before your Subcommittee on several occasions on this topic, and I appreciate your continued interest in ensuring that an outbreak of a disease, intentional or natural in origin, does not threaten our homeland security, economic stability, and our Nation’s critical infrastructures and key resources. I am thus pleased to have the opportunity to share our views with you and your constituents through this hearing in Providence, RI.
As you know, Mr. Chairman, this is one of the last events where I will appear as the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as I will be leaving Federal service at the beginning of August. I delayed the timing of my departure in order to testify once again to the urgency and importance of giving sufficient attention to biological threats to our Nation. At this, my last hearing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you personally for all that you have done to ensure the success of the Office of Health Affairs and our mission to make the Nation safer and more secure.
Today I will discuss a number of important issues surrounding emerging biological threats and our Nation’s preparedness, including: the current biological threat environment as illustrated by the effect a biological attack might have in a city like Providence, our approach to bio-surveillance and environmental detection, and the roles and responsibilities of Federal, State, local and the private sector in response to and recovery from a biological attack. Providing this information to the public creates a more resilient public. By reducing the elements of surprise, fear and panic, we can reduce the terror associated with such an event, making the public reaction a key part of the solution rather than the problem.
Current Biological Threat
The risk of a large-scale biological attack on the Nation is significant. We know that our terrorist enemies have sought to use biological agents as instruments of their warfare, and we believe that capability is within their reach.
I know many here today recall the anthrax attacks of 2001. As you know, Mr. Chairman, certain buildings occupied by Members of the Legislative Branch were temporarily closed while they were decontaminated. The magnitude of that terrorist attack is miniscule compared to the larger, anthrax release envisioned by our enemies. It is nonetheless exemplary of the potential health and economic damage to which we are vulnerable. Unfortunately, the threat has not diminished since then - in fact, it has been building since well before the attacks of 9/11.
We know that, in the late 1990s, al-Qaeda began developing a biological weapons program and constructed a low-tech facility in Qandahar, Afghanistan for anthrax production. Fortunately, U.S. military forces disrupted this activity and additional American and coalition operations in the region have damaged al-Qaeda leadership and operational capabilities - but not their intent to use biological weapons. You will recall that in 2002, al-Qaeda stated that they had the right to kill 4 million Americans - 2 million of them children - and cripple thousands. An advisor to bin Laden later issued a fatwa on the permissibility of using weapons of mass destruction and increased the 4 million casualty figure to 10 million.
We have determined that al-Qaeda seeks to develop and use a biological weapon to cause mass casualties in an attack on the homeland. Our analysis indicates that anthrax is a likely choice; and a successful single-city attack on an unprepared population could kill hundreds of thousands of citizens. A coordinated attack on multiple targets would come much closer in magnitude to our enemy’s goal. Because of this, we see the threat of an aerosolized anthrax attack as our number one bioterrorism concern, and it is that threat which we vigorously plan, invest and intend to defeat. Our efforts are not optional or discretionary. The ramifications of such an attack include tremendous loss of life, economic costs, damage to critical infrastructure, and unprecedented environmental contamination.
A biological attack would impact every sector of our society - not just the medical and public health communities. A biological attack respects no geographic or geopolitical boundary and will have an impact well beyond our nation’s emergency departments and public health infrastructure.
Absenteeism across multiple sectors due to illness, fear of contagion, or public health measures could threaten the function of critical infrastructure, the movement of goods and services, and the operation of our institutions. No Federal department or agency will be exempt from the consequences of such an attack. Further, critical life-saving activities will depend on actions taken in the first few moments of the event. State and local governments will be called on to take several critical actions - alerting the public of the crisis without inciting panic; maintaining public confidence while making critical decisions; and bolstering local communities to rebound quickly.
As we work together to counter this threat, we must keep in mind that acts of biological terrorism don’t go “bang.” It could be hours or even days before we realize the full extent of an incident. Because of the lack of an explosion or immediate visual damage, many do not perceive the threat of bioterrorism to be as significant as that of a nuclear or conventional strike, even though such an attack could kill as many people as a nuclear detonation and have its own long-term environmental effects. This has caused a lack of public urgency in devoting significant resources to countering this threat - a luxury we simply cannot afford.
Mr. Chairman, many people ask me “what keeps you up at night?” It is the possibility of a large-scale biological attack on our homeland.
Threat Awareness
Given the challenges we face in assessing current terrorist capabilities and identifying plots, it is unlikely that we will receive actionable or specific warning of an imminent biological attack. Furthermore, many of these deadly biological agents, including anthrax, are readily available in nature, relatively easy to procure, culture, and weaponize. There are numerous domestic and international biological research programs using these agents for legitimate purposes, making it more difficult to separate the ill-intentioned research initiatives. As a result, it is unlikely that we will have credible knowledge of an imminent biological threat before it occurs.
This is why it is imperative that we continue to enhance our Nation’s efforts to disrupt biological plots, provide the earliest possible detection and warning of an attack, strengthen our preparedness and response efforts, and increase our capacity to quickly recover.
Secretary Chertoff and I have been promoting the inclusion of health and medical expertise in our State and local fusion centers as they develop and expand. OHA is working with the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis to provide information on biological threats to communities in harm’s way and to encourage fusion centers to tap into local expertise in public health and health care to be a part of their information fusion. We have begun discussions with the HHS Assistant Secretary for Health regarding the incorporation of officers from the corps of the U.S. Public Health Service to help communities achieve this capability. DHS will be holding meetings in the late summer and early fall with States and local representatives with the goal of providing information on the biological threat and discussing the value of public health in fusion centers.
Providence, RI
While it is easy for us to assume that terrorists are only interested in striking major cities such as Washington, D.C. or New York City, we cannot ignore the attractiveness of softer targets to our enemies. On April 19, 1995 Oklahoma City experienced the horrors of terrorism when a truck bomb was detonated in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people, including 19 children, and injuring hundreds more. Who would have thought that Oklahoma City would have been a target for terrorism? It is therefore imperative that all States and local jurisdictions are adequately prepared to handle events across the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear spectrum, as well as more conventional attacks or naturally occurring outbreaks.
The city of Providence, like many mid-size cities, has a number of characteristics that make it potentially attractive as a target, such as its proximity to military assets, major metropolitan areas, and an important transportation routes. An aerosolized sprayer releasing air-borne anthrax particles into the air throughout a city like Providence would not necessarily be detected in the immediate aftermath of the release. Clinical symptoms of inhalational anthrax would not be discovered for at least two or three days after the attack occurred, yet the health effects and environmental consequences could be catastrophic.
Surveillance and Detection
It is critical to receive warning of a biological attack as soon as it occurs and to identify the causative agent immediately. Such a warning would enable the prevention of most cases of inhalational anthrax, through the combined response of the CDC and its State and local partners in distributing sufficient prophylactic antibiotics to the public before the onset of disease. A delay of just one day in detection of an anthrax release - and therefore treatment of affected populations - would result in thousands of unnecessary deaths.
Sufficient early warning through environmental detection is one of the Department’s top priorities, one for which the Office of Health Affairs, working with the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), is responsible. We are investing significant amounts of taxpayer resources to our BioWatch program, which provides detection and warning of a biological attack in our Nation’s highest-risk urban areas through a series of pathogen detectors. With S&T, we are developing the next generation of detectors, known as Generation 3, which will be automated and significantly reduce detection time to allow our health providers to get countermeasures into the hands of affected populations within the critical window of time to save lives.
Complementing our BioWatch capabilities is our establishment of a robust biosurveillance integration center, where other departments and agencies come together to monitor their biological data and analyze potential biological threats. The National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC), authorized in the 9/11 Act (P.L. 110-53), will bring together data from other Federal departments, the public domain and eventually the private sector and States and local government to understand and characterize biological events and incidents across the areas of human health, animal health, food, water and the environment. Through robust data analysis and integration across these sectors, we aim to provide the earliest possible warning of outbreaks and threats to human and veterinary health and the food and water supply. Over the past several months, we have made great progress in our governance structure. We now have all the relevant departments coming to an “ownership meeting,” which recognizes that DHS is the host for NBIC, but the system belongs to every department across the Federal government that needs access to a bio-surveillance common operation picture (BCOP). We are working very closely with the CDC as they develop improved human health surveillance systems, which will be a vital element of the Government’s BCOP. It is in all of our interest to ensure the success of our partner agencies’ improvements in their data systems.
Federal, State and Local Response and Recovery
If a large-scale biological attack occurred here in downtown Providence using aerosolized anthrax, it would likely go undetected for days, until large numbers of people begin showing up in emergency departments and doctors’ offices two to five days after the attack. Unfortunately, most cases would progress quickly to a form of pneumonia that is very resistant to treatment once it has started. The sentinel cases would be those receiving the highest doses of anthrax spores, and would be the harbinger of tens of thousands more, nearly all requiring intensive medical care, including ventilatory support and the anthrax countermeasures we have in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). Federal, State and local law enforcement would seek to identify the perpetrators to prevent subsequent attacks. Since we do not know the extent of the exposure, Federal and local health officials would likely mobilize the SNS for antibiotics to be given to the population as environmental sensors and samples identify the affected areas. In such a scenario, State and local resources, including medical assets, would be taxed if not overwhelmed. Rather than a smoking building defining the extent of the victims, every man, woman, and child in the area - and every building and every farm in the plume - could be affected. This is not a pretty picture, so preparedness is required to minimize the impact.
In such a case, the Secretary of Homeland Security would stand up all of the power and assets of Federal government to manage the incident. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would stand up its National Resource Coordination Center to bring Federal assets to bear. The responsibility for the public health and medical response lies within the Department of Health and Human Services under the Public Health Services Act and as the lead for Emergency Response Function (ESF) - 8: Public Health and Medical Response, with the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) as the HHS Secretary’s principal advisor and as the official responsible for certain functions. In order to have the tools to execute its mission successfully, HHS has invested thousands of hours and billions of dollars to make sure we have the appropriate medical countermeasures to deal with the threats to human health. This includes research and development of new medicines, vaccines and anti-toxins, as well as their stockpiling and distribution. DHS has been their advocate and partner every step of the way.
Additionally, law enforcement and security measures are directed by the Department of Justice as the lead for ESF - 13: Public Safety and Security; decontamination activities and environmental cleanup are directed by the Environmental Protection Agency as the lead for ESF - 10: Oil and Hazardous Materials Response; and the terrorism crime scene investigation, as well as attribution and characterization to prevent second attacks are led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Our success is dependent on their success, Mr. Chairman. I encourage you to lend them your support in this effort, and encourage the support of your Congressional colleagues. While homeland security may not be the primary mission of these agencies, their homeland security responsibilities are crucial to our mission.
The Department of Homeland Security is charged with leading the overall domestic incident management, including coordinating the Federal response and integrating it with the State and local response efforts. OHA leads the DHS biodefense activities, which includes oversight and management responsibility for implementation for Homeland Security Presidential Directive 10, Biodefense for the 21st Century, although many other components and offices have major related responsibilities. The DHS National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, a component of S&T, is responsible for the bioforensics analysis, and working with I&A and law enforcement, to determine the likely source of the germ. Our National Operations Center (NOC) coordinates all of the Federal operations and monitors the responses and requirements of local entities. DHS would quickly stand up a Joint Information Center (JIC) with all the relevant Departments and agencies to ensure accuracy and timeliness of information to the public. Under a Stafford Act declaration, FEMA coordinates Federal assistance to requesting States. In accordance to the National Response Framework and because a biological incident would likely be an unusually complex incident requiring extraordinary coordination Secretary Chertoff has named a pre-designated a Principal Federal Official (PFO) to lead the response to a biological event. The PFO would assist States, local and tribal governments by overseeing a coordinated Federal response. A PFO is a senior Federal official with proven management experience and strong leadership capabilities. Vice Admiral Vivien Crea of the U.S. Coast Guard is our pre-designated PFO for biological events and provides excellent leadership and knowledge.
Recommendations
Mr. Chairman, I have a number of recommendations for the Subcommittee to consider to enhance the state of preparedness in the event of a biological attack or natural outbreak.
Continue to support our development of next generation automated detection technologies to reduce the time-to-detect to allow the necessary time to deliver life-saving medical countermeasures to the population. Because a biological attack is so challenging to accurately predict, we must continue to refine our early detection and warning capabilities. If our partners at HHS are to deliver life-saving prophylactic antibiotics, we must be able to detect a biological release sooner. Our current detection equipment has a built-in delay of up to 36 hours, which is not consistent with the requirements of disease prophylaxis. Over time, we must seek to cover more of our Nation’s population with earlier environmental warning. Such an expansion must be risk-based which takes into account population density and critical infrastructures.
Continue to support the development of the National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC). It is the one place where agencies can come together to share data across the sectors of human health, animal health, food, water and the environment. The Center illustrates the very nature of DHS - to integrate the assets and resources of sister government agencies in a protected, open environment for the purposes of subject matter expertise and information sharing. The service we must provide is a common operating picture for decision makers before and during events to afford them the best possible information upon which to make good decisions. The oversight of NBIC belongs to the Committee on Homeland Security in full view and participation of other Congressional committees and sister agencies.
Support the full integration of health expertise into information fusion centers. While intended initially for law enforcement, with the threats including biological and chemical events, the expertise of the health community is needed in the information fusion process. The assistance of HHS may be available to assist local agencies where needed. DHS will work with local health directors to ensure necessary security clearances and information analysis training to ensure the success of such participation.
Consolidate the Committee’s jurisdiction over issues of homeland security. While DHS is by its authorization (P.L. 109-295) a collaborative agency, so must Congress work collaboratively to ensure a more secure homeland, empowering an effective yet supportive oversight environment. As Secretary Chertoff has mentioned on numerous occasions, the current threat environment does not lend itself to jurisdictional disputes in Congress over the Department’s authorities and responsibilities. Homeland Security is a team sport and we all should have the common goal of a more secure Nation as our first priority.
Conclusion
The threat of bioterrorism against the U.S. remains a significant concern. We continue to face an enemy determined to acquire and develop biological agents into weapons of mass destruction against the Homeland. The Office of Health Affairs and the Department of Homeland Security takes this threat very seriously and are doing significant work to prevent, enhance early detection and surveillance and integrate Federal, State and local preparedness and response capabilities to reduce the catastrophic consequences of a biological attack on the Homeland.
Mr. Chairman, I sincerely appreciate your dedication and efforts to enhance the security of the Nation. Thank you again for the opportunity to testify. It has been a real pleasure working with you during my time at the Department of Homeland Security. I have created an office that is completely ready for the transition. I leave the Office in the experienced and capable hands of Dr. Jon R. Krohmer, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Deputy Chief Medical Officer. I ask for your support of Dr. Krohmer over the coming months, as he is eager to work with you to better secure the Homeland.
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This page was last reviewed/modified on July 22, 2008.
“Infolive.tv Exclusive - On The Scene Of The Second Bulldozer Attack In Jerusalem This Month”
Terrorism
(July 22, 2008)
“Direct Footage From Scene Of The Attack - Terrorist Shot Dead On Camera”
Terrorism
(July 22, 2008)
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http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3571781,00.html
“Killing of terrorist captured on video”
SNIPPET: “Caught on video: Bulldozer driver goes on rampage in Jerusalem, wounds 18 people; terror attack ends quickly thanks to rapid respone by settler Yaakov Asael, Druze Border Guard officer Amal Ganem who shot and killed terrorist”
Efrat Weiss
Published: 07.22.08, 18:33 / Israel News
VIDEO
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7519404.stm
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/mexico/
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/southkorea
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/skorea
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http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_3028.html
Travel Alert
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
This information is current as of today, Tue Jul 22 2008 15:44:09 GMT-0700 (PDT).
Mexico
April 14, 2008
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Note: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049565/posts
5 Koreans Kidnapped in Mexico[Reynosa, across from McAllen, Texas]
The Korea Times ^ | 7-22-2008 | Kim Yoo-chul
Posted on July 22, 2008 1:48:57 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Five Koreans — four men and one woman — had been abducted by several unidentified kidnappers who had disguised themselves as police officers in a U.S.-Mexico border city on July 14, an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Tuesday.
The official, asking not to be identified, said the abductors have demanded $30,000 in ransom, but declined to give details about the whereabouts of the South Korean nationals and their condition.
“As far as I know, the kidnappers have contacted one of the families of the hostages and asked if they were willing to meet their demands for release,” he said.
“Two of the hostages identified by their family names Park and Lee, respectively, phoned Korean embassy officials stationed in Mexico. However, the remaining three didn’t talk with consular staff.”
The ministry said more details will come out later Wednesday.
“We’ve asked our embassy in Mexico to immediately send details of the incident,” a spokesman told The Korea Times.
This latest kidnapping comes amid heightened fears of abductions after 23 Koreans were taken hostage in Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan last year. Taliban militants killed two of the hostages before freeing the rest in August in an apparent deal with Seoul.
The Sunday Telegraph, affiliated with the British newspaper the Daily Telegraph, reported Seoul paid $10 million in exchange for the 21 who were freed, though Seoul denied this.
Later, Taliban officials claimed the money paid was used to buy weapons and ammunition.
bttt
Thank you Unrepentant VN Vet.
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/samirkhan
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revolution.muslimpad.com
revolution.muslimpad.com/2008/07/22/response-to-wbtvs-pro-al-qaeda-web-site-run-by-a-charlotte-man/
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http://wwwwbipicomlink.blogspot.com/2008/07/response-to-wbtv-pro-al-qaeda-web-site.html
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blog:
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/193389.php
“Cue Crickets: Charlotte Jihadi Asked “Are you anti-American?””
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http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8712146&nav=menu1434_3
“Pro Al-Qaeda Web site Run by a Charlotte Man”
Posted: July 21, 2008 08:23 PM
Updated: July 22, 2008 09:04 AM
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “WBTV is investigating a 22-year old running a pro-Al-Qaeda website out of his parent’s home in north Charlotte.
Image, after graphic image... all act as a cheerleader for Jihad, with the bloody violence always at the expense of Americans.
“It’s not a game,” says WBTV Anchor Molly Grantham who is working these reports. “It’s not about some kid ‘cutting and pasting’ stuff to a random blog. The site is so popular it’s reportedly listed among the top one percent of one hundred Internet sites in the world.”
Some cyberterrorism experts are publicly wondering, even asking Capitol Hill, just how connected is this 22-year old Charlottean to the war on terrorism?
Grantham tracked him, and asked him directly.
Click the video link to the right to see the story, and get an idea for what his website shows.
Information from the story is also listed below.”
ON THE INTERNET:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih5tUZL5ZmM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzFKBhLmlug
PROPAGANDA ON THE INTERNET:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhG4STSX5yI
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