Posts
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has handed the Kremlin a list of Russian scientists believed by the Israelis to be helping Iran to develop a nuclear warhead. He is said to have delivered the list during a mysterious visit to Moscow. ....
Sunday, October 4, 2009
New Threat Message Warns: Al-Qaeda Will Attack Germany on a Sunday in October
(MEMRI) The Al-Falluja jihadist forum has posted a new threat message to Germany specifying that attacks will be carried out on one of the Sundays in October. It is titled "To the Infidel German Nation: We Bestow on You the Kindness, for the Third Time, of Specifying the Appointed Day!" The message, which is being heavily promoted by Al-Falluja, is the latest in a series of threats to appear on the forum [1] following the release of Al-Qaeda videos threatening attacks in Germany. ....
Sources: Several Who Traveled With Alleged Terror Suspect, Back In US
There’s not a lot of detail yet however CNN is reporting that several associates who traveled from New York to Pakistan last year with alleged terror suspect Najibullah Zazi, have since returned to the United States.
Intelligence Averts Another Attack -- Why do Democrats in Congress want to change key laws that have helped to discover terrorist plots?
By MICHAEL B. MUKASEY
One would think that the arrests last week of Najibullah Zazi, charged with plotting to bomb New York City subways—and of two others charged with planning to blow up buildings in Dallas, Texas, and Springfield, Ill.—would generate support for the intelligence-gathering tools that protect this country from Muslim fanatics. In Mr. Zazi's case, the government has already confirmed the value of these tools: It has filed a notice of its intent to use information gathered under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which was specifically written to help combat terrorists and spies.
Nevertheless, there is a rear-guard action in Congress to make it more difficult to gather, use and protect intelligence—the only weapon that can prevent an attack rather than simply punish one after the fact. The USA Patriot Act, enacted in the aftermath of 9/11, is a case in point. ....
One would think that the arrests last week of Najibullah Zazi, charged with plotting to bomb New York City subways—and of two others charged with planning to blow up buildings in Dallas, Texas, and Springfield, Ill.—would generate support for the intelligence-gathering tools that protect this country from Muslim fanatics. In Mr. Zazi's case, the government has already confirmed the value of these tools: It has filed a notice of its intent to use information gathered under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which was specifically written to help combat terrorists and spies.
Nevertheless, there is a rear-guard action in Congress to make it more difficult to gather, use and protect intelligence—the only weapon that can prevent an attack rather than simply punish one after the fact. The USA Patriot Act, enacted in the aftermath of 9/11, is a case in point. ....
Senate Intel chairman backs Patriot Act revisions
By LARRY MARGASAK
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate Intelligence Committee chairwoman said Thursday that she no longer had concerns with a proposed modification of the USA Patriot Act, the nation's primary counterintelligence law.
However, liberal Democrats still believe the bill fails to protect Americans' privacy and conservative Republicans want no major changes.
The Senate Judiciary Committee, considering changes to expiring portions of the act, was still too divided at its weekly meeting to send a compromise bill to the full Senate.
Three sections that expire Dec. 31 set the rules the government must follow when conducting electronic surveillance and obtaining documents and other tangible items in national security investigations.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who heads the intelligence committee, told a Judiciary Committee meeting she had overcome concerns that the bill would hinder an ongoing investigation into a suspected train bomb plot in New York City.
She said modifications, added to the bill by Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy and others, "protect both our safety and civil liberties" and would not jeopardize "the biggest (anti-terrorism) investigation since 9/11."
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate Intelligence Committee chairwoman said Thursday that she no longer had concerns with a proposed modification of the USA Patriot Act, the nation's primary counterintelligence law.
However, liberal Democrats still believe the bill fails to protect Americans' privacy and conservative Republicans want no major changes.
The Senate Judiciary Committee, considering changes to expiring portions of the act, was still too divided at its weekly meeting to send a compromise bill to the full Senate.
Three sections that expire Dec. 31 set the rules the government must follow when conducting electronic surveillance and obtaining documents and other tangible items in national security investigations.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who heads the intelligence committee, told a Judiciary Committee meeting she had overcome concerns that the bill would hinder an ongoing investigation into a suspected train bomb plot in New York City.
She said modifications, added to the bill by Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy and others, "protect both our safety and civil liberties" and would not jeopardize "the biggest (anti-terrorism) investigation since 9/11."
Soldiers' Data Still Being Downloaded Overseas, Firm Says
(Analyst's note: Troubling at best.)
By Ellen Nakashima
The personal data of tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers -- including those in the Special Forces -- continue to be downloaded by unauthorized computer users in countries such as China and Pakistan, despite Army assurances that it would try to fix the problem, according to a private firm that monitors cybersecurity.
Tiversa, which scours the Internet for sensitive data, discovered the data breaches while conducting research for private clients. The company found, as recently as this week, documents containing Social Security numbers, blood types, cellphone numbers, e-mail addresses, and the names of soldiers' spouses and children.
The availability of such data, security experts say, exacerbates the threat of identity theft and retaliation against troops on sensitive missions. In addition to using the information to drain financial accounts, hackers could pose as soldiers in an effort to ferret out sensitive data, including passwords to government systems.
Such disclosures represent a "major security risk" to the service members and the military, ....
By Ellen Nakashima
The personal data of tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers -- including those in the Special Forces -- continue to be downloaded by unauthorized computer users in countries such as China and Pakistan, despite Army assurances that it would try to fix the problem, according to a private firm that monitors cybersecurity.
Tiversa, which scours the Internet for sensitive data, discovered the data breaches while conducting research for private clients. The company found, as recently as this week, documents containing Social Security numbers, blood types, cellphone numbers, e-mail addresses, and the names of soldiers' spouses and children.
The availability of such data, security experts say, exacerbates the threat of identity theft and retaliation against troops on sensitive missions. In addition to using the information to drain financial accounts, hackers could pose as soldiers in an effort to ferret out sensitive data, including passwords to government systems.
Such disclosures represent a "major security risk" to the service members and the military, ....
White House Eyeing Narrower War Effort
(Analyst's note: When I read the reasoning given below by the White House, senior advisers, their ignorance of this jihadist enemy is absolutely stunning and breath taking. Gen. McChrystal is correct on all counts about his assessment that "...the Taliban and al-Qaeda share the same strategic interests and that the return to power of the Taliban would automatically mean a new sanctuary for al-Qaeda -- "we must show resolve" and (he) warned that "uncertainty disheartens our allies and emboldens our foes." . Mr. Biden not only has no experience backing his suggestions, he is speaking beyond his Constitutional authority as a VP " By Scott Wilson and Anne E. Kornblut
Senior White House officials have begun to make the case for a policy shift in Afghanistan that would send few, if any, new combat troops to the country and instead focus on faster military training of Afghan forces, continued assassinations of al-Qaeda leaders and support for the government of neighboring Pakistan in its fight against the Taliban.
In a three-hour meeting Wednesday at the White House, senior advisers challenged some of the key assumptions in Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's blunt assessment of the nearly eight-year-old war, which President Obama has said is being fought to destroy al-Qaeda and its allies in Afghanistan and the ungoverned border areas of Pakistan.
McChrystal, commander of the 100,000 NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, has asked Obama to quickly endorse his call for a change in military strategy and approve the additional resources he needs to retake the initiative from the resurgent Taliban.
But White House officials are resisting McChrystal's call for urgency, which he underscored Thursday during a speech in London, and questioning important elements of his assessment, which calls for a vast expansion of an increasingly unpopular war. One senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the meeting, said, "A lot of assumptions -- and I don't want to say myths, but a lot of assumptions -- were exposed to the light of day."
Among them, according to three senior administration officials who attended the meeting, is McChrystal's contention that the Taliban and al-Qaeda share the same strategic interests and that the return to power of the Taliban would automatically mean a new sanctuary for al-Qaeda.
.... Senior White House officials asked some of the sharpest questions, according to participants and others who have been briefed on the meeting, while the uniformed military, including Gen. David H. Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, did not take issue with McChrystal's assessment.
According to White House officials involved in the meeting, Vice President Biden offered some of the more pointed challenges to McChrystal, who attended the session by video link from Kabul. One official said Biden played the role of "skeptic in chief," while other top officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, were muted in their comments. ....
.... Biden has argued against increasing the number of U.S. combat troops in Afghanistan, currently scheduled to total 68,000 by the end of the year. He favors preserving the current force levels, stepping up Predator drone strikes on al-Qaeda leaders and increasing training for Afghan forces. Like many congressional Democrats, Biden is concerned that deploying more U.S. troops could be counterproductive, giving the Taliban more fodder to foment public opposition to the foreign occupation.
McChrystal, whom Obama sent to Afghanistan in May after firing his predecessor, is making his case for additional resources publicly. In a speech Thursday at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, McChrystal said that "we must show resolve" and warned that "uncertainty disheartens our allies and emboldens our foes."
Asked whether a more limited counterterrorism effort would succeed in Afghanistan, he said, "The short answer is: no. You have to navigate from where you are, not where you wish to be. A strategy that does not leave Afghanistan in a stable position is probably a short-sighted strategy." ....
Senior White House officials have begun to make the case for a policy shift in Afghanistan that would send few, if any, new combat troops to the country and instead focus on faster military training of Afghan forces, continued assassinations of al-Qaeda leaders and support for the government of neighboring Pakistan in its fight against the Taliban.
In a three-hour meeting Wednesday at the White House, senior advisers challenged some of the key assumptions in Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's blunt assessment of the nearly eight-year-old war, which President Obama has said is being fought to destroy al-Qaeda and its allies in Afghanistan and the ungoverned border areas of Pakistan.
McChrystal, commander of the 100,000 NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, has asked Obama to quickly endorse his call for a change in military strategy and approve the additional resources he needs to retake the initiative from the resurgent Taliban.
But White House officials are resisting McChrystal's call for urgency, which he underscored Thursday during a speech in London, and questioning important elements of his assessment, which calls for a vast expansion of an increasingly unpopular war. One senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the meeting, said, "A lot of assumptions -- and I don't want to say myths, but a lot of assumptions -- were exposed to the light of day."
Among them, according to three senior administration officials who attended the meeting, is McChrystal's contention that the Taliban and al-Qaeda share the same strategic interests and that the return to power of the Taliban would automatically mean a new sanctuary for al-Qaeda.
.... Senior White House officials asked some of the sharpest questions, according to participants and others who have been briefed on the meeting, while the uniformed military, including Gen. David H. Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, did not take issue with McChrystal's assessment.
According to White House officials involved in the meeting, Vice President Biden offered some of the more pointed challenges to McChrystal, who attended the session by video link from Kabul. One official said Biden played the role of "skeptic in chief," while other top officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, were muted in their comments. ....
.... Biden has argued against increasing the number of U.S. combat troops in Afghanistan, currently scheduled to total 68,000 by the end of the year. He favors preserving the current force levels, stepping up Predator drone strikes on al-Qaeda leaders and increasing training for Afghan forces. Like many congressional Democrats, Biden is concerned that deploying more U.S. troops could be counterproductive, giving the Taliban more fodder to foment public opposition to the foreign occupation.
McChrystal, whom Obama sent to Afghanistan in May after firing his predecessor, is making his case for additional resources publicly. In a speech Thursday at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, McChrystal said that "we must show resolve" and warned that "uncertainty disheartens our allies and emboldens our foes."
Asked whether a more limited counterterrorism effort would succeed in Afghanistan, he said, "The short answer is: no. You have to navigate from where you are, not where you wish to be. A strategy that does not leave Afghanistan in a stable position is probably a short-sighted strategy." ....
UK Army chief warns of 'terrifying prospect' of failure in Afghanistan
In an unprecedented intervention, the chief of the general staff described the conflict as "this generation's war" and added that failure by Nato would have an "intoxicating effect" on militant Islam. ....
Recession's end marks start of state budget woes
By David A. Lieb
The recession is probably over, which means states' financial troubles have only begun.
History suggests it could take six or more years for sales and income taxes — which make up roughly two-thirds of states' revenue — to return to pre-recession levels. That could lead to deeper cuts to state jobs and services in order to maintain funding for core programs such as public schools and Medicaid.
What's different from the three previous recessions, which took states three to five years to recover from, is that employment and consumer spending aren't expected to bounce back as quickly.
To balance their budgets in the meantime, states are likely to raise taxes on the money people earn and spend; increase college tuition; reduce funding for the arts and other cultural programs; and push costs into the future by delaying pay raises for employees and repairs of government buildings. Some states, including Massachusetts, Missouri and Arizona, already are making or considering fresh cuts just months after lawmakers agreed on new budgets.
Rising unemployment and a decline in consumer spending have put a big dent in states' tax revenues. Census figures show states' income taxes plunged almost 28 percent in the second quarter of 2009, falling even further in places such as Arizona and California that were among the hardest hit by the housing market collapse. States' quarterly sales taxes fell almost 10 percent compared to the previous year.
Unlike the federal government, states generally must balance their budgets. That's why one-third of states have raised taxes this year. They've hit the wealthy with income tax surcharges, hiked sales taxes that disproportionately affect the poor and targeted smokers, drinkers and motorists with higher taxes and fees.
Hundreds of thousands of state employees have been furloughed. ....
The recession is probably over, which means states' financial troubles have only begun.
History suggests it could take six or more years for sales and income taxes — which make up roughly two-thirds of states' revenue — to return to pre-recession levels. That could lead to deeper cuts to state jobs and services in order to maintain funding for core programs such as public schools and Medicaid.
What's different from the three previous recessions, which took states three to five years to recover from, is that employment and consumer spending aren't expected to bounce back as quickly.
To balance their budgets in the meantime, states are likely to raise taxes on the money people earn and spend; increase college tuition; reduce funding for the arts and other cultural programs; and push costs into the future by delaying pay raises for employees and repairs of government buildings. Some states, including Massachusetts, Missouri and Arizona, already are making or considering fresh cuts just months after lawmakers agreed on new budgets.
Rising unemployment and a decline in consumer spending have put a big dent in states' tax revenues. Census figures show states' income taxes plunged almost 28 percent in the second quarter of 2009, falling even further in places such as Arizona and California that were among the hardest hit by the housing market collapse. States' quarterly sales taxes fell almost 10 percent compared to the previous year.
Unlike the federal government, states generally must balance their budgets. That's why one-third of states have raised taxes this year. They've hit the wealthy with income tax surcharges, hiked sales taxes that disproportionately affect the poor and targeted smokers, drinkers and motorists with higher taxes and fees.
Hundreds of thousands of state employees have been furloughed. ....
Will California become America's first failed state?
Los Angeles, 2009: California may be the eighth largest economy in the world, but its state staff are being paid in IOUs, unemployment is at its highest in 70 years, and teachers are on hunger strike. So what has gone so catastrophically wrong? ....
Investigation reveals workers at women's prison run sex trade
By Tim Carpenter
"It's an issue everywhere in the country," Werholtz said. ...
(Topeka Capitol-Journal) Topeka Correctional Facility inmates and officers say as many as one-third of the 250 employees have at one time been involved in contraband activities with prisoners, including those using sex as the currency of trade ....
.... Roger Werholtz, the state secretary of corrections, said such sweeping characterizations were reckless. Kansas isn't much different from other states when it comes to unethical behavior by staff and inmates, he said.
The ‘Extreme Makeover’ of Fox News Analyst Marc Lamont Hill
(Analyst's note: Troubling material to say the least about "the former leader of the Nation of Islam & former Chairman of the Black Panther Party.")
by Cliff Kincaid
by Cliff Kincaid
Who would plaster his Twitter page with police mug shot photos of convicted cop-killer Assata Shakur? Fox News contributor Marc Lamont Hill did. At least until David Horowitz and Accuracy in Media took notice and wrote about it. Now the page features photos of boxing great Muhammad Ali. Hill’s MySpace page is also gone.
There are other changes as well. The tributes to Shakur and black racist Khallid Muhammad, known as “America’s Black Hitler,” have disappeared from his web pages. The articles were saved, however, and can be found here. ....
.... (Khallid) Muhammad is quoted as declaring in1995, “This is the time of the black man’s rise and the white man’s demise.” This quote is rather mild, compared to what he said in his 1996 “Kill the White Man” speech to a black audience: .... (click here)
.... What’s more, why is Fox News silent about the entire controversy, other than issuing a one-sentence statement early on that it did not share Hill’s views on terrorist cop-killer Assata Shakur?
Will the Supreme Court Put an End to Gun Control?
Gregory D. Lee
Liberals would deny U.S. citizens the right to “keep and bear arms,” but claim that everyone has the “right” to health care. I don’t recall reading anything about that in the Constitution. ....
Liberals would deny U.S. citizens the right to “keep and bear arms,” but claim that everyone has the “right” to health care. I don’t recall reading anything about that in the Constitution. ....
House support for Fed audit passes 300 Hearings already under way on transparency move
(Analyst's note: Absolutely must read - see this message. Remember the "Federal Reserve" is NOT any more federal than Federal Express.)
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Secession movement spreads beyond Texas Groups operating at various levels of activity in Vermont, New Hampshire, Alaska, Hawaii
Rising public anger over the way Washington does business has produced a growing outcry for state sovereignty and strict adherence to the 10th Amendment, which says powers not specifically delegated to the federal government by the Constitution belong to the states. ....
Iran's Ahmadinejad – a self-hating Jew? Photo of president holding up identity card shows family changed name from Hebrew
(Analyst's note: This could also be his way of self-protection against the actions of the Khumeimist jihadist if they were to discover his background. Otherwise, he would not be offered "full-fellowship.")
By Drew Zahn
Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has exasperated the world with incensed condemnations of Israel and his insistence that the Holocaust is a hoax, but could there be another reason behind his seeming hatred for the Jews?
According to a London Telegraph report, his ferocity may be overcompensation … for his own Jewish roots.
A note on his identification papers, when magnified from the photo, however, suggests the man from Aradan, Iran, carried a common Jewish name from the region of his birth. "Sabourjian," the Telegraph reports, is even on the list of reserved names for Iranian Jews compiled by Iran's Ministry of the Interior. ....
By Drew Zahn
 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad revealing his identity papers (Photo: London Telegraph) |
Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has exasperated the world with incensed condemnations of Israel and his insistence that the Holocaust is a hoax, but could there be another reason behind his seeming hatred for the Jews?
According to a London Telegraph report, his ferocity may be overcompensation … for his own Jewish roots.
Examining a photo of the Iranian president holding aloft his identity card during the nation's 2008 elections, the newspaper discovered Ahmadinejad's original family name – prior to their conversion to Islam – was Sabourjian, a Jewish name meaning "cloth weaver."
Ahmadinejad has not denied that his name was changed when his family moved to Tehran in the 1950s, but he has also never confirmed what that original name was.
A note on his identification papers, when magnified from the photo, however, suggests the man from Aradan, Iran, carried a common Jewish name from the region of his birth. "Sabourjian," the Telegraph reports, is even on the list of reserved names for Iranian Jews compiled by Iran's Ministry of the Interior. ....
Iran trying to get nuclear materials via Canada
Why all the secrecy and subterfuge, if the parts were only for the peaceful generation of electricity? "Iran aiming to get nuclear materials via Canada: customs," from Agence France-Presse, October 1:
OTTAWA (AFP) -- Iran is attempting to acquire clandestine shipments via Canada for its nuclear program, a senior customs official said Thursday.
Canadian customs officers have seized everything from centrifuge parts to programmable logic controllers being shipped to Iran through third countries, George Webb, head of the Canada Border Services Agency's Counter Proliferation Section, told the National Post.
The increasing number of cases involves entrepreneurs and state-sponsored cells, Webb told the daily, in comments that were confirmed to AFP by a spokeswoman for CBSA.
Microchips identified as possible "navigational chips" from the United States, Denmark and Japan were marked as headed for the United Arab Emirates, but officials suspect the end destination was Iran, said the Canadian daily.
"With all of the UN sanctions, of course, now no one declares that the goods are going to Iran. They actually declare UAE, Dubai," he said.
The last seizure occurred just last week.
In April, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police charged a Toronto man with attempting to export pressure transducers, which can be used in nuclear power plants but are also required to produce nuclear weapons, to Iran.
Mahmoud Yadegari is to be tried in January for attempting to ship the items to Iran via Dubai.
In another case, high pressure pipes from Texas were originally suspected of containing Mexican drugs, but turned out to be for nuclear use in Iran.
However, "arrests are rare because the procurement cells are difficult to identify," the newspaper said.
Webb also revealed authorities had recently discovered a new port in the Persian Gulf named Ras al-Khaimah being used to transship goods to Iran.
The port is nominally in the UAE, but is controlled by Iran and is situated just across the Gulf from Bandar Abbas, an Iranian city with a naval base and an airport capable of landing large transport planes, he said.
Report Says Iran Has Data to Make a Nuclear Bomb
(Analyst's note: Troubling at best.)
By WILLIAM J. BROAD and DAVID E. SANGER
But the report’s conclusions, described by senior European officials, go well beyond the public positions taken by several governments, including the United States.
The atomic agency’s report also presents evidence that beyond improving upon bomb-making information gathered from rogue nuclear experts around the world, Iran has done extensive research and testing on how to fashion the components of a weapon. It does not say how far that work has progressed.
The report, titled “Possible Military Dimensions of Iran’s Nuclear Program,” was produced in consultation with a range of nuclear weapons experts inside and outside the agency. It draws a picture of a complex program, run by Iran’s Ministry of Defense, “aimed at the development of a nuclear payload to be delivered using the Shahab 3 missile system,” Iran’s medium-range missile, which can strike the Middle East and parts of Europe. The program, according to the report, apparently began in early 2002.
If Iran is designing a warhead, that would represent only part of the complex process of making nuclear arms. Engineering studies would have to turn ideas into hardware. Finally, the hardest part would be enriching the uranium that could be used as nuclear fuel — though experts say Iran has already mastered that task. ....
By WILLIAM J. BROAD and DAVID E. SANGER
Senior staff members of the United Nations nuclear agency have concluded in a confidential analysis that Iran has acquired “sufficient information to be able to design and produce a workable” atom bomb.
The report by experts in the International Atomic Energy Agency stresses in its introduction that its conclusions are tentative and subject to further confirmation of the evidence, which it says came from intelligence agencies and its own investigations. But the report’s conclusions, described by senior European officials, go well beyond the public positions taken by several governments, including the United States.
Two years ago, American intelligence agencies published a detailed report concluding that Tehran halted its efforts to design a nuclear weapon in 2003. But in recent months, Britain has joined France, Germany and Israel in disputing that conclusion, saying the work has been resumed.
A senior American official said last week that the United States was now re-evaluating its 2007 conclusions.
The atomic agency’s report also presents evidence that beyond improving upon bomb-making information gathered from rogue nuclear experts around the world, Iran has done extensive research and testing on how to fashion the components of a weapon. It does not say how far that work has progressed.
The report, titled “Possible Military Dimensions of Iran’s Nuclear Program,” was produced in consultation with a range of nuclear weapons experts inside and outside the agency. It draws a picture of a complex program, run by Iran’s Ministry of Defense, “aimed at the development of a nuclear payload to be delivered using the Shahab 3 missile system,” Iran’s medium-range missile, which can strike the Middle East and parts of Europe. The program, according to the report, apparently began in early 2002.
If Iran is designing a warhead, that would represent only part of the complex process of making nuclear arms. Engineering studies would have to turn ideas into hardware. Finally, the hardest part would be enriching the uranium that could be used as nuclear fuel — though experts say Iran has already mastered that task. ....
Friday, October 2, 2009
Obama’s Disarmament by Stealth
Posted by Matt Gurney
.... as America’s stockpile ages and diplomats grandstand at the United Nations, Russia and China are improving their nuclear weapons systems, while Iran continues working on its own. All these powers must do is maintain their stockpiles at their current level and wait until America’s military advantages slip away. Russia and China don’t need to spend more money. They just need patience. ....
.... as America’s stockpile ages and diplomats grandstand at the United Nations, Russia and China are improving their nuclear weapons systems, while Iran continues working on its own. All these powers must do is maintain their stockpiles at their current level and wait until America’s military advantages slip away. Russia and China don’t need to spend more money. They just need patience. ....
Former Muslim receiving death threats The Tulsa atheist was critical of all religions, including Islam, in a Tulsa World interview.
(Analyst's note: This man not only left Islam, but he became an atheist. This makes him a double looser in the mind of the jihadist.)
Intelligence Averts Another Attack Why do Democrats in Congress want to change key laws that have helped to discover terrorist plots?
Emergency alert system deemed 'unreliable'
A failure to test and modernize the U.S. emergency alert system leaves doubt whether the president would be able to communicate with the American people during a terrorist attack or natural disaster, congressional investigators said Thursday.
A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) described the existing Emergency Alert System (EAS) as "antiquated" and "unreliable" and said that eight years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has made only "limited progress" in creating a system to replace it.
"Specifically, a lack of training and national-level testing raises questions about whether the relay system would actually work during a national-level emergency," said the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress. ....
11-year sentence upheld for prof linked to Hamas
CHICAGO - A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a sentence of more than 11 years in prison for a former business professor who refused to answer grand jury questions about his relationship with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. .....
Texas Man in Custody on Federal Arson Charges With Possible Eco-Terrorism Link
from FoxNews
A Texas man was arrested this week on federal charges stemming from an arson at a construction site that may have ties to eco-terrorism, according to a criminal complaint. ....
A Texas man was arrested this week on federal charges stemming from an arson at a construction site that may have ties to eco-terrorism, according to a criminal complaint. ....
Hardin, Montana update: AG launches probe
(Analyst's note: Absolutely must read. Please search on the site on "Hardin" to review the initial report.)
By Michelle Malkin
By Michelle Malkin
The latest on what’s happening in Hardin, Montana: State Attorney General Steve Bullock has launched a probe into the jail deal with American Police Force and its shady founder:
Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock launched an investigation Thursday into American Police Force, the California company founded by a Serbian immigrant with a lengthy criminal history that is seeking to run an empty, 464-bed jail in Hardin.
Bullock sent a nine-page demand letter late Thursday afternoon to Becky Shay, the spokeswoman for APF and the company’s only Montana employee.
Shay did not immediately respond to phone calls Thursday.
According to the document, Bullock is launching the civil investigation into APF over concerns that the company might be violating the Montana Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act.
Among other things, Bullock demanded that the company provide proof for many statements about the company included on APF’s Web site. The site says that the company frequently has contracts with the U.S. government and has operations in all 50 states.
Research into the company has turned up no record of APF contracting with the federal government. Bullock has requested that the company provide proof of its federal contracts and operations in other states.
Bullock also requested a copy of the contract between APF and Two Rivers Authority, the economic development arm of the city of Hardin, which built the jail two years ago.
The contract is reportedly a 10-year, multimillion-dollar deal with APF to run the jail.People involved in the deal are jumping ship:
Although Michael Hilton, the man behind APF, and local officials say the deal is as good as done, US Bank, the trustee for the bonds sold to build the jail, has never signed off on it.
A California company’s bid to take over an empty jail in rural Montana appears to be unraveling, with an attorney involved in the project cutting ties Friday and a second company, once named as a subcontractor, denying any involvement.
Those moves followed revelations earlier in the week that Michael Hilton—the lead figure of the company, American Police Force—is a convicted felon with a history of fraud and failed business dealings in California.
“We met with him and he asked us if we can support him,” said Edward Angelino, chief executive of Allied Defense Systems, an Irvine, Calif.-based defense contractor. “We checked his background, we checked his company. He’s not an adequate person to do business with.”Sunlight is always the best disinfectant.
CNN plug-in: Immoral, dangerous software
..... Using peer-to-peer software in this context is morally reprehensible, professionally irresponsible and technologically very dangerous.
Detroit: Too broke to bury their dead Struggling families abandon loved ones in morgue freezer
(Analyst's note: Troubling. We are likely to see more of this as a large number of U.S. cities are in significant financial trouble.)
'Huge threat to power grid' Homeland Security official admits vulnerability
(Analyst's note: Troubling at best.)
from WorldNetDaily
The disclosure reveals the government's familiarity with a report released more than six months ago, in which Jian-Wei Wang used publicly available data to explain exactly how the United States' West Coast grid was connected and how the computers that control the grid could be easily sabotaged.
Most Americans can recall an event fitting this description when in the summer of 2003, a surge at one plant in Ohio caused just such a "cascading failure" and led to complete blackouts in New York City, on much of the East Coast and even in the Midwest. More than 45 million people were left without electricity, and telephone and even water services were disrupted. In all, the outage caused more than $10 billion in losses.
Official reports immediately denied any possibility of terrorism, but a Wall Street Journal report in April of 2009 revealed that hackers from China and Russia have twice breached the national security grid and may have left software programs behind that could be used to remotely crash the system. The same type of hackers successfully compromised a water treatment facility in Australia and caused 200,000 gallons of sewage to flood a city.
Some experts believe the 2003 blackout was in fact caused by a hacker – a software bug within an operating system responsible for managing alarm systems led operators to believe systems were functioning normally when, in fact, they were on the verge of collapse. The "worm" inside the computer system at just one facility contributed to the scale of the catastrophe.
The Obama administration claims the problem is being solved with $200 million of funding, but the reality is that much of the grid uses 1940s equipment and that a few terrorists with a little explosive material – like the kind used at many construction sites around the country – could attack the grid in dozens of vulnerable places at once.
Threats to the grid are not limited only to terrorist attacks or hackers. As Newt Gingrich pointed out in a recent speech, a nuclear weapon detonated in the atmosphere above a U.S. city could act as an Electromagnetic Pulse device, destroying the electrical circuitry that powers every computer in the city. His claims are based on the Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack from April 2008.
Natural disasters can also wreak havoc on our relatively fragile infrastructure, as was the case in New Orleans after Katrina, after the blizzard of 2006 that dumped 26 inches on New York City, and after floods in north Georgia in September of 2009.
In response to the growing threat, many consumers are turning to alternatives, such as the one offered by Solutions from Science, an Illinois-based company that sells a solar-powered generator. Bill Heid, the chief executive officer of the company, explained how the solar power generator works. "The solar powered generator harnesses free energy from the sun, stores it and then delivers it cleanly and quietly whenever you need it," explains Heid.
Unlike traditional gasoline powered generators, the solar powered generator uses entirely free energy from the sun, and emits no fumes and makes no noise. "If you've ever used a gas-powered generator, you know how loud they are and how much they smell," he said. "That's hardly a practical solution in a residential situation."
The solar-powered generator raises another concern of many survivalists whose plans rely on traditional gas or diesel powered generators; the long-term availability of those fuels in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster. If the electric grid is down for any reason, the pumps at gas stations won't work and if there is any serious disruption to the electric grid, the entire "just in time" inventory system will fail altogether.
Consumers who have worked hard to prepare by counting on their traditional generators may find themselves with an expensive piece of equipment that does nothing but take up room.
Heid explains, "A gas powered generator may run out of fuel in as little as a few hours. If you've planned ahead maybe you've stored extra fuel, and if you've taken precautions to prevent it from spoiling, maybe that will buy you a few extra days, but then what? What will your family do when there is no more gasoline?"
Many observers have pointed out that the problems facing the U.S. power grid are likely to remain with us for generations. The aging infrastructure, the left's opposition to nuclear power, a growing population and increased electric consumption are driving demand, while fossil fuel prices inch upwards year after year.
In the book, "Brittle Power: Energy Strategy for National Security," author Amory Lovins makes the case that the U.S. energy infrastructure is even more susceptible to disruption, by accident or through malice than even imported oil.
It is this growing danger of blackouts that has driven many consumers to prepare for the worst, while praying that day never comes. Other consumers cite a desire for peace of mind, recognizing that without electricity, even the best-prepared family will suffer many hardships that could be avoided.
The rather minor glitch that led to the blackout in the northeast in 2003 disrupted water service, communication, transportation and even contributed to the deaths of more than a dozen people. Some consumers were without power for days. A few citizens remained calm and confident in their homes, despite the chaos outside, because of their preparations.
As Heid says, "Having a solar generator is like having a secret power plant hidden in your home…with clean, quiet, permanent electrical power at your fingertips."
from WorldNetDaily
WASHINGTON – Department of Homeland Security official John Verrico admitted that a Chinese researcher had detailed precisely how vulnerable the U.S. electric grid is to a cyber-terrorist attack.
The disclosure reveals the government's familiarity with a report released more than six months ago, in which Jian-Wei Wang used publicly available data to explain exactly how the United States' West Coast grid was connected and how the computers that control the grid could be easily sabotaged.
Wang and his colleagues at the Dalian University of Technology in China demonstrated how an attack on even the most unimportant and least used networks within the power grid could cause what engineers refer to as a "cascading failure," or a domino effect, in which one grid after another becomes overloaded and shuts down.
Most Americans can recall an event fitting this description when in the summer of 2003, a surge at one plant in Ohio caused just such a "cascading failure" and led to complete blackouts in New York City, on much of the East Coast and even in the Midwest. More than 45 million people were left without electricity, and telephone and even water services were disrupted. In all, the outage caused more than $10 billion in losses.
Official reports immediately denied any possibility of terrorism, but a Wall Street Journal report in April of 2009 revealed that hackers from China and Russia have twice breached the national security grid and may have left software programs behind that could be used to remotely crash the system. The same type of hackers successfully compromised a water treatment facility in Australia and caused 200,000 gallons of sewage to flood a city.
Some experts believe the 2003 blackout was in fact caused by a hacker – a software bug within an operating system responsible for managing alarm systems led operators to believe systems were functioning normally when, in fact, they were on the verge of collapse. The "worm" inside the computer system at just one facility contributed to the scale of the catastrophe.
The Obama administration claims the problem is being solved with $200 million of funding, but the reality is that much of the grid uses 1940s equipment and that a few terrorists with a little explosive material – like the kind used at many construction sites around the country – could attack the grid in dozens of vulnerable places at once.
Threats to the grid are not limited only to terrorist attacks or hackers. As Newt Gingrich pointed out in a recent speech, a nuclear weapon detonated in the atmosphere above a U.S. city could act as an Electromagnetic Pulse device, destroying the electrical circuitry that powers every computer in the city. His claims are based on the Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack from April 2008.
Natural disasters can also wreak havoc on our relatively fragile infrastructure, as was the case in New Orleans after Katrina, after the blizzard of 2006 that dumped 26 inches on New York City, and after floods in north Georgia in September of 2009.
Citizens who sit back and expect the government to help them may be shocked to find that getting the power turned back on is not always easy and is rarely a priority for officials. In some cases it takes weeks before all the power facilities are back on line and lines are connected.
In response to the growing threat, many consumers are turning to alternatives, such as the one offered by Solutions from Science, an Illinois-based company that sells a solar-powered generator. Bill Heid, the chief executive officer of the company, explained how the solar power generator works. "The solar powered generator harnesses free energy from the sun, stores it and then delivers it cleanly and quietly whenever you need it," explains Heid.
Unlike traditional gasoline powered generators, the solar powered generator uses entirely free energy from the sun, and emits no fumes and makes no noise. "If you've ever used a gas-powered generator, you know how loud they are and how much they smell," he said. "That's hardly a practical solution in a residential situation."
The solar-powered generator raises another concern of many survivalists whose plans rely on traditional gas or diesel powered generators; the long-term availability of those fuels in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster. If the electric grid is down for any reason, the pumps at gas stations won't work and if there is any serious disruption to the electric grid, the entire "just in time" inventory system will fail altogether.
Consumers who have worked hard to prepare by counting on their traditional generators may find themselves with an expensive piece of equipment that does nothing but take up room.
Heid explains, "A gas powered generator may run out of fuel in as little as a few hours. If you've planned ahead maybe you've stored extra fuel, and if you've taken precautions to prevent it from spoiling, maybe that will buy you a few extra days, but then what? What will your family do when there is no more gasoline?"
Many observers have pointed out that the problems facing the U.S. power grid are likely to remain with us for generations. The aging infrastructure, the left's opposition to nuclear power, a growing population and increased electric consumption are driving demand, while fossil fuel prices inch upwards year after year.
In the book, "Brittle Power: Energy Strategy for National Security," author Amory Lovins makes the case that the U.S. energy infrastructure is even more susceptible to disruption, by accident or through malice than even imported oil.
It is this growing danger of blackouts that has driven many consumers to prepare for the worst, while praying that day never comes. Other consumers cite a desire for peace of mind, recognizing that without electricity, even the best-prepared family will suffer many hardships that could be avoided.
The rather minor glitch that led to the blackout in the northeast in 2003 disrupted water service, communication, transportation and even contributed to the deaths of more than a dozen people. Some consumers were without power for days. A few citizens remained calm and confident in their homes, despite the chaos outside, because of their preparations.
FBI Director: Al Qaeda-Linked Somali Group Could Attack U.S.
By Catherine Herridge
During a hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, FBI Director Robert Mueller was asked if members of al-Shabaab, which translates as "mujahideen youth," would send American recruits back to the U.S. to launch attacks.
"I would think that we have seen some information that the leaders would like to undertake operations outside of Somalia," Mueller told the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
A U.S. counterterrorism official told FOX News that al-Shabaab has exploded since 2006, and it is becoming a full-fledged Al Qaeda affiliate, similar to Al Qaeda in Iraq. Initially the group's militias fought against the Somali government and Ethopian forces who are against an Islamic state in East Africa, the official said, but now the group's focus is turning toward the establishment of a "caliphate" or broad Islamic state not limited to Africa.
In fact, in an exclusive briefing on Thursday, a U.S. counterterrorism official told FOX News that al-Shabaab's leadership is bona fide Al Qaeda. In many cases, the operatives who guide the group in East Africa have pledged allegiance to Usama Bin Laden in person, and in some cases the Al Qaeda leader has entrusted them with missions outside of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, according to the official.
Training camps are now well-established in Somalia, and as many as 1,100 foreign fighters have joined the al-Shabaab movement, the president of Somalia's transitional government told a crowd gathered at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Wednesday.
A U.S. counterterrorism official said there are other troubling developments. A recent videotape from al-Shabaab pledged a formal allegiance to bin Laden, and the intelligence community is now monitoring jihadist Web sites to see if bin Laden will respond and "officially" bless their relationship, the official said.
In addition, the use of simultaneous attacks and suicide bombings -- the signature of al Qaeda -- has now taken hold in Somalia.
In October last year, a Minneapolis man, Shirwa Ahmed, became the first known American suicide bomber, according to the FBI. Ahmed, who travelled from Minnesota to the training camps of al-Shabaab, is one of nearly two dozen men from the United States who authorities believe joined the group.
The FBI is currently investigating another man, an 18-year-old from Seattle, who may be the second documented case of an American suicide bomber. Investigators are comparing the man's DNA with remains from an attack in the Somali capital last month.
After FOX News uncovered al-Amriki's identify, his family told a local TV station in Mobile, Ala., that their son traveled to Somalia with his wife but lost his passport there, where he became indoctrinated by al-Shabaab. One source within Mobile's Muslim community said that, after dropping out of college, Hamammi travelled to Toronto, where he eventually married a Somali woman and became indoctrinated there by "angry" individuals.
Both Hammami's family and the source within Mobile's Muslim community said Hammami has not spoken to his family in years.
They could strike the United States. That grim assessment is the first time the FBI director or any other senior law enforcement or intelligence official has stated on the record that the Al Qaeda-linked group al-Shabaab is no longer content to strike within the East African nation of Somalia.
"I would think that we have seen some information that the leaders would like to undertake operations outside of Somalia," Mueller told the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
Mueller said he is "absolutely" concerned that Americans who traveled to Somalia to train as terrorists would have U.S. legal status and would therefore be able to return to the United States and carry out attacks.
A U.S. counterterrorism official told FOX News that al-Shabaab has exploded since 2006, and it is becoming a full-fledged Al Qaeda affiliate, similar to Al Qaeda in Iraq. Initially the group's militias fought against the Somali government and Ethopian forces who are against an Islamic state in East Africa, the official said, but now the group's focus is turning toward the establishment of a "caliphate" or broad Islamic state not limited to Africa.
In fact, in an exclusive briefing on Thursday, a U.S. counterterrorism official told FOX News that al-Shabaab's leadership is bona fide Al Qaeda. In many cases, the operatives who guide the group in East Africa have pledged allegiance to Usama Bin Laden in person, and in some cases the Al Qaeda leader has entrusted them with missions outside of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, according to the official.
Training camps are now well-established in Somalia, and as many as 1,100 foreign fighters have joined the al-Shabaab movement, the president of Somalia's transitional government told a crowd gathered at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Wednesday.
A U.S. counterterrorism official said there are other troubling developments. A recent videotape from al-Shabaab pledged a formal allegiance to bin Laden, and the intelligence community is now monitoring jihadist Web sites to see if bin Laden will respond and "officially" bless their relationship, the official said.
In addition, the use of simultaneous attacks and suicide bombings -- the signature of al Qaeda -- has now taken hold in Somalia.
In October last year, a Minneapolis man, Shirwa Ahmed, became the first known American suicide bomber, according to the FBI. Ahmed, who travelled from Minnesota to the training camps of al-Shabaab, is one of nearly two dozen men from the United States who authorities believe joined the group.
The FBI is currently investigating another man, an 18-year-old from Seattle, who may be the second documented case of an American suicide bomber. Investigators are comparing the man's DNA with remains from an attack in the Somali capital last month.
In early September, FOX News exclusively identified the American mouthpiece for al-Shabaab as a native of Daphne, Ala. Born Omar Hammami, the big-eared and bright-eyed teenager now goes by the name Abu Mansour al-Amriki, or simply "The American."
After FOX News uncovered al-Amriki's identify, his family told a local TV station in Mobile, Ala., that their son traveled to Somalia with his wife but lost his passport there, where he became indoctrinated by al-Shabaab. One source within Mobile's Muslim community said that, after dropping out of college, Hamammi travelled to Toronto, where he eventually married a Somali woman and became indoctrinated there by "angry" individuals.
Both Hammami's family and the source within Mobile's Muslim community said Hammami has not spoken to his family in years.
Officials Outline Terrorist Threat to United States
by Mickey McCarter
FBI, NCTC, DHS also explain how they work together to defeat terrorists
More than eight years after 9/11, the United States continues to face terrorist threats from a weakened al Qaeda as well as smaller terrorist groups that provide money and training to individuals plotting violence against US communities, the heads of the FBI, National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC), and Homeland Security Department (DHS) told Congress this week.
The recent arrest of Najibullah Zazi, who allegedly traveled to Pakistan for training on making bombs, is an example of the prevailing terrorist threat against the United States as terrorists attempt to support the activities of radicals already inside the country, FBI Director Robert Mueller told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
The FBI also continues to watch for the threat of homegrown terrorists, who have no connection to overseas terrorist organizations, Mueller added. The FBI arrested four individuals allegedly planning to attack a Jewish community center and synagogue in New York City in May 2009, for example, he said.
In all of these cases, the FBI works with federal, state and local law enforcement and intelligence agencies to shut down terrorist operations.
"Our mission at the bureau is not only to disrupt plots, but to dismantle networks so that they no longer pose a threat. And targeted intelligence gathering takes time, requires patience, precision and dedication," Mueller described. It is a labor-intensive process that often does not provide a complete picture quickly, but it is the core of understanding the threats to the homeland..."
NCTC Director Michael Leiter said the overseas threat comes from Pakistan, where al Qaeda's base is shrinking; Yemen, where al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is reemerging; and Somalia, where the terrorist group al-Shabab has been working with insurgents. al Qaeda also possesses a significant presence in Algeria and Iraq, Leiter added, although its ability to strike beyond those nations from those bases is limited.
"We assess that the al Qaeda core is actively engaged in operational plotting and continues recruiting, training and transporting operatives to include individuals from Western Europe and the United States," Leiter stated.
He added: "And although al-Shabab's rank and file fighters remain focused on removing the current government of Somalia vice pursuing al Qaeda's agenda, we are particularly concerned with training programs run by al-Shabab that have attracted violent extremists from throughout the globe, including the United States."
The FBI has been aware that terrorist groups such as al Qaeda have been making intense efforts to recruit Europeans and Westerners to their operations, gambling that they would have an easier time passing through border security operations, Mueller said.
Terrorists also have used the Internet to find recruits, while lone wolf terrorists often turn to the Internet to find materials published by overseas organizations and use it in attempts to perpetuate self-contained terrorist plots, he added.
Interagency cooperation
Despite the recent spate of disrupted terrorist plots in New York, Colorado, Texas and Illinois, DHS has not been inclined to raise the national terror level because officials did not judge there to be an ongoing threat as a part of any of them, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano testified Wednesday.
However, DHS agencies have continued to work closely with FBI and NCTC staff to share information on suspected terrorists as they arise, Napolitano declared. For example, US Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration have shared information like immigration records and travel records with intelligence agencies in the course of their terrorism investigations.
The FBI, NCTC, and DHS also support state and local fusion centers, which pool the resources of law enforcement and intelligence agencies at various levels of government. The fusion centers represent good investments for law enforcement agencies, particularly in difficult financial times, because they extend the capabilities of every officer, Napolitano argued.
"[T]hey're a good deal from a law enforcement expenditure perspective, in terms of...the yield per officer, in terms of what you get particularly from a prevention standpoint," Napolitano said.
"So we have a very active outreach program with governors and mayors. And part of that is making sure they know what the fusion centers do and how they, really, from a budgetary standpoint are a very good expenditure of the limited dollars they have," she added.
DHS further has stood up a Joint Fusion Center Program Management Office to provide centralized assistance to 72 fusion centers around the United States, Napolitano revealed. DHS has deployed 70 analysts to those fusion centers, which also should have access to the Homeland Security Data Network by the end of fiscal 2010.
Leiter identified travel to Pakistan or Somalia among US citizens or residents as an area of particular concern to federal authorities. The FBI, NCTC, and DHS have collaborated in reaching out to US communities that face a heightened probability of contact from terrorist organizations operating in those areas, the officials said.
For example, dozens of the 100,000 Somali-Americans in the United States have been drawn to Somali to assist in al Qaeda's battles there, Leiter noted. So federal authorities have reached out to Somali communities such as that in Minneapolis to explain to them the rights of American citizens, to provide an understanding of the US immigration system, and to underscore the dangers of associations with groups like al-Shabab, Leiter said.
Napolitano emphasized that the US agencies have learned from experiences in the United Kingdom, where disaffected groups did not feel like they were part of the national fabric and thus felt less loyalty to their home countries.
"One of the things we've learned from the UK, for example, is that alienation is a factor or an element that is present oftentimes when someone is in the process of becoming radicalized. And so to the extent that we can engage, that undercuts at least that feature of the radicalization process," she said.
FBI, NCTC, DHS also explain how they work together to defeat terrorists
More than eight years after 9/11, the United States continues to face terrorist threats from a weakened al Qaeda as well as smaller terrorist groups that provide money and training to individuals plotting violence against US communities, the heads of the FBI, National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC), and Homeland Security Department (DHS) told Congress this week.
The recent arrest of Najibullah Zazi, who allegedly traveled to Pakistan for training on making bombs, is an example of the prevailing terrorist threat against the United States as terrorists attempt to support the activities of radicals already inside the country, FBI Director Robert Mueller told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
The FBI also continues to watch for the threat of homegrown terrorists, who have no connection to overseas terrorist organizations, Mueller added. The FBI arrested four individuals allegedly planning to attack a Jewish community center and synagogue in New York City in May 2009, for example, he said.
In all of these cases, the FBI works with federal, state and local law enforcement and intelligence agencies to shut down terrorist operations.
"Our mission at the bureau is not only to disrupt plots, but to dismantle networks so that they no longer pose a threat. And targeted intelligence gathering takes time, requires patience, precision and dedication," Mueller described. It is a labor-intensive process that often does not provide a complete picture quickly, but it is the core of understanding the threats to the homeland..."
NCTC Director Michael Leiter said the overseas threat comes from Pakistan, where al Qaeda's base is shrinking; Yemen, where al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is reemerging; and Somalia, where the terrorist group al-Shabab has been working with insurgents. al Qaeda also possesses a significant presence in Algeria and Iraq, Leiter added, although its ability to strike beyond those nations from those bases is limited.
"We assess that the al Qaeda core is actively engaged in operational plotting and continues recruiting, training and transporting operatives to include individuals from Western Europe and the United States," Leiter stated.
He added: "And although al-Shabab's rank and file fighters remain focused on removing the current government of Somalia vice pursuing al Qaeda's agenda, we are particularly concerned with training programs run by al-Shabab that have attracted violent extremists from throughout the globe, including the United States."
The FBI has been aware that terrorist groups such as al Qaeda have been making intense efforts to recruit Europeans and Westerners to their operations, gambling that they would have an easier time passing through border security operations, Mueller said.
Terrorists also have used the Internet to find recruits, while lone wolf terrorists often turn to the Internet to find materials published by overseas organizations and use it in attempts to perpetuate self-contained terrorist plots, he added.
Interagency cooperation
Despite the recent spate of disrupted terrorist plots in New York, Colorado, Texas and Illinois, DHS has not been inclined to raise the national terror level because officials did not judge there to be an ongoing threat as a part of any of them, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano testified Wednesday.
However, DHS agencies have continued to work closely with FBI and NCTC staff to share information on suspected terrorists as they arise, Napolitano declared. For example, US Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration have shared information like immigration records and travel records with intelligence agencies in the course of their terrorism investigations.
The FBI, NCTC, and DHS also support state and local fusion centers, which pool the resources of law enforcement and intelligence agencies at various levels of government. The fusion centers represent good investments for law enforcement agencies, particularly in difficult financial times, because they extend the capabilities of every officer, Napolitano argued.
"[T]hey're a good deal from a law enforcement expenditure perspective, in terms of...the yield per officer, in terms of what you get particularly from a prevention standpoint," Napolitano said.
"So we have a very active outreach program with governors and mayors. And part of that is making sure they know what the fusion centers do and how they, really, from a budgetary standpoint are a very good expenditure of the limited dollars they have," she added.
DHS further has stood up a Joint Fusion Center Program Management Office to provide centralized assistance to 72 fusion centers around the United States, Napolitano revealed. DHS has deployed 70 analysts to those fusion centers, which also should have access to the Homeland Security Data Network by the end of fiscal 2010.
Leiter identified travel to Pakistan or Somalia among US citizens or residents as an area of particular concern to federal authorities. The FBI, NCTC, and DHS have collaborated in reaching out to US communities that face a heightened probability of contact from terrorist organizations operating in those areas, the officials said.
For example, dozens of the 100,000 Somali-Americans in the United States have been drawn to Somali to assist in al Qaeda's battles there, Leiter noted. So federal authorities have reached out to Somali communities such as that in Minneapolis to explain to them the rights of American citizens, to provide an understanding of the US immigration system, and to underscore the dangers of associations with groups like al-Shabab, Leiter said.
Napolitano emphasized that the US agencies have learned from experiences in the United Kingdom, where disaffected groups did not feel like they were part of the national fabric and thus felt less loyalty to their home countries.
"One of the things we've learned from the UK, for example, is that alienation is a factor or an element that is present oftentimes when someone is in the process of becoming radicalized. And so to the extent that we can engage, that undercuts at least that feature of the radicalization process," she said.
Is There a Tide Beginning to Turn?
(Analyst's note: Must read and heed this letter from ACT for America)
Dear Readers,
Those of us who understand how real and dangerous the threat of radical Islam (jihadist) is to our country sometimes feel frustrated when we don’t understand why other people don’t seem to be concerned about this issue or even recognize it’s a threat.
We wonder why, only eight years after 9/11, it seems that so many appear disinterested in knowing why the attacks occurred and why the threat looms even larger today than it did then.
Polls have born this out. For the past couple of years, the issue of national security and the war on terrorism has steadily dropped as a concern among Americans. Not surprisingly, issues like the economy and health care, which affect people daily in a very personal way and which have dominated the news, have rocketed to the top of the list of issues people are concerned about.
But results from two polls this week reveal a small but recognizable shift in public opinion is taking place. This is almost certainly a consequence of the recent spate of foiled terrorist plots and the looming specter of a nuclear weaponized Iran may be impacting public opinion.
Indeed, had there been more news coverage of these plots (how many people heard about the one in Springfield, Illinois?), public opinion might be shifting even more.
A Rasmussen poll completed just last week showed that the issue of national security/war on terrorism was now the fourth highest concern among respondents out of a list of ten issues, jumping six percentage points.
Yesterday, Fox News reported the results of a just-completed poll that found 61% of Americans support military action against Iran and 69% do not believe President Obama is being tough enough in dealing with Iran.
It would appear that people are beginning to pay a little more attention to the issue of national security. This may only be a temporary phenomenon, but it is an opportunity for us to take action and reach out to others during a time of heightened awareness and concern.
A few weeks ago we launched our “Stop Shariah” project. If you haven’t already done so, we strongly encourage you to log on to www.actforamerica.org/stopshariahnow. Forward the link to others and encourage them to log on as well.
When you log on, you’ll find a wealth of information, resources, pictures and videos. We especially recommend you watch the Joy Brighton videos, the first of which is on the right of the landing page when you log on.
Another important feature of this project is our “Stop Shariah” grassroots lobbying effort. ACT! for America chapter leaders have already been provided an instructional packet and important resources for reaching out to local elected officials in their area.
The objective: To inform such officials about the threat of shariah-compliant finance, its connection to jihad and terrorism, and to provide them with a sample ordinance they can use to fight back against this threat.
You, too, can find out more about this grassroots lobbying effort by clicking here. If you know a school board member, city council member, or county commissioner, we urge you to check out the resources and sample ordinance and explore how you can join us in fighting back against shariah law and shariah finance.
Elected officials are likely more concerned about the issue of terrorism than they were a few months ago, given the succession of recent foiled terrorist plots. Now is a good time to reach out to them.
Another thing you can do is sign up to attend our October 10th webcast of the Citizens in Action conference. For more information, click here.
During times of heightened public awareness each and every one of us can do something to push back against the threat of radical Islam. We offer numerous ways in which each of us can take action, whether as Patriot Partner, Contributing Member, chapter leader, or getting involved in grassroots activities like our Stop Shariah project.
Prior to launching ACT! for America, Brigitte Gabriel would hear everywhere she went, and receive all kinds of emails, from people asking “what can we do?”
As you can see, there is no shortage of actions we have made available to every ACT! for America member. There literally is something for everyone. What can you do this month?
Dear Readers,
Those of us who understand how real and dangerous the threat of radical Islam (jihadist) is to our country sometimes feel frustrated when we don’t understand why other people don’t seem to be concerned about this issue or even recognize it’s a threat.
We wonder why, only eight years after 9/11, it seems that so many appear disinterested in knowing why the attacks occurred and why the threat looms even larger today than it did then.
Polls have born this out. For the past couple of years, the issue of national security and the war on terrorism has steadily dropped as a concern among Americans. Not surprisingly, issues like the economy and health care, which affect people daily in a very personal way and which have dominated the news, have rocketed to the top of the list of issues people are concerned about.
But results from two polls this week reveal a small but recognizable shift in public opinion is taking place. This is almost certainly a consequence of the recent spate of foiled terrorist plots and the looming specter of a nuclear weaponized Iran may be impacting public opinion.
Indeed, had there been more news coverage of these plots (how many people heard about the one in Springfield, Illinois?), public opinion might be shifting even more.
A Rasmussen poll completed just last week showed that the issue of national security/war on terrorism was now the fourth highest concern among respondents out of a list of ten issues, jumping six percentage points.
Yesterday, Fox News reported the results of a just-completed poll that found 61% of Americans support military action against Iran and 69% do not believe President Obama is being tough enough in dealing with Iran.
It would appear that people are beginning to pay a little more attention to the issue of national security. This may only be a temporary phenomenon, but it is an opportunity for us to take action and reach out to others during a time of heightened awareness and concern.
A few weeks ago we launched our “Stop Shariah” project. If you haven’t already done so, we strongly encourage you to log on to www.actforamerica.org/stopshariahnow. Forward the link to others and encourage them to log on as well.
When you log on, you’ll find a wealth of information, resources, pictures and videos. We especially recommend you watch the Joy Brighton videos, the first of which is on the right of the landing page when you log on.
Another important feature of this project is our “Stop Shariah” grassroots lobbying effort. ACT! for America chapter leaders have already been provided an instructional packet and important resources for reaching out to local elected officials in their area.
The objective: To inform such officials about the threat of shariah-compliant finance, its connection to jihad and terrorism, and to provide them with a sample ordinance they can use to fight back against this threat.
You, too, can find out more about this grassroots lobbying effort by clicking here. If you know a school board member, city council member, or county commissioner, we urge you to check out the resources and sample ordinance and explore how you can join us in fighting back against shariah law and shariah finance.
Elected officials are likely more concerned about the issue of terrorism than they were a few months ago, given the succession of recent foiled terrorist plots. Now is a good time to reach out to them.
Another thing you can do is sign up to attend our October 10th webcast of the Citizens in Action conference. For more information, click here.
During times of heightened public awareness each and every one of us can do something to push back against the threat of radical Islam. We offer numerous ways in which each of us can take action, whether as Patriot Partner, Contributing Member, chapter leader, or getting involved in grassroots activities like our Stop Shariah project.
Prior to launching ACT! for America, Brigitte Gabriel would hear everywhere she went, and receive all kinds of emails, from people asking “what can we do?”
As you can see, there is no shortage of actions we have made available to every ACT! for America member. There literally is something for everyone. What can you do this month?
Home Invasions – A Growing Epidemic In U.S.
from National Terror Alert
Earlier this week, we ran a story highlighting a recent episode of Spike TV’’s , Surviving Disaster. The post and the show focused on ‘How To Survive A Home Invasion‘. It was a brief post with a small video clip, however the response was anything but small. Within just the first couple of hours of posting, over 1000 people had read it… That’s unusual for a post that is not a “breaking news event”. I received a number of emails and a variety of questions.
Why so much interest? I’m still not completely sure but I believe it’s partially due to the following. To most people home invasions are a shockingly new and horrific type of crime that few are prepared for, or know how to prepare for. Most have read about them, are shocked by the violent and disturbing nature, but they themselves and the people they know have not been personally affected. People see the rising epidemic and understand that it’s no longer a crime relegated to just the big cities. They see the stories in their local newspaper and they’re afraid it could just as easily happen to them. They want to know how to prepare and hopefully prevent such an attack.
So how bad is it…. Take a look, the stories listed below. All of these stories appeared in the news in the past 24 – 36 hours, yet they represent only a fraction of the home invasions that are taking place across the country. Keep in mind, there are people behind each of these headlines, people who will probably never again enjoy the sense of safety and security they had just 48 hours ago.
- Man pistol whipped in Southwest Miami-Dade home invasion
- Novi police have arrested five men they believe to be responsible for a string of nine home invasions that have taken place in Novi since July 30.
- Home invasion leads to SWAT standoff
- Patriots CB Jonathan Wilhite victim of a home invasion early Sunday morning
- 1 Shot in Leavenworth Home Invasion
- 77 year old homeowner Hurt During Home Invasion Robbery
- Police investigating violent home invasion
- Police searching for suspects in Lubbock home invasion
- DeKalb Home Invasion Leaves 1 Injured
- Two men were arrested by Corpus Christi police after a home invasion Wednesday night.
- 2 arrested in St. Bernard home invasion
- Home Invasion Robbery in Centralia
- Shocked Neighbors Gather After Home Invasion Homicide
- Morning Home Invasion Injures Two
- Fairfield Home Invasion Gang Busted
- Two suspects on the run after violent home invasion
- Three people attack 69-year-old man in South Bend home invasion
What can you do to protect your home and family from such an attack? I had planned on writing a post on how to survive a terror attack on a hotel but instead, next Tuesday I’ll publish a special report detailing the steps you can take to reduce your risk and increase the odds of thwarting a home invasion.
Surviving a home invasion begins long before the actual event. In the report we’ll discuss the following:
- Specific actions you can take that can reduce your risk
- Fortifying your home against a home invasion
- Creating an emergency plan to thwart a home invasion
- Recognizing the signs that you have been targeted
- The first 60 seconds of a home invasion
- After the first 60 seconds
- New Products and Technologies for safeguarding your home
Martial Law Is Their Business – and Business Sure Is Swell
(Analyst's note: Oh yes, this is an absolutely must read item.)
by William Norman Grigg
The "dream" realized: The Two Rivers Detention Facility, the proudest achievement of Hardin, Montana's political class. Sure, it's empty now, but I'm sure those nice men in the black SUVs can do something about that....
If you build it, they will come.
That would appear to be the business plan of an enigmatic California company called American Police Force (APF), which appears to be effectively taking over the town of Hardin, Montana.
At present, the firm is said to be doing "market research," an ominous prospect, given that it's in the business of detention. And it has even spoken about the possibility of expanding the jail within a few years.
Say, that is good news – at least for the people on APF's payroll. Since last Thursday, when company personnel rolled into town in a convoy of black Mercedes SUVs embossed with seals advertising a non-existent "City of Hardin Police Department," the company's payroll has increased by at least one, and possibly two, key local figures.
The first to be snapped up was Becky Shay, a former Billings Gazette reporter whose beat included the Hardin jail. Within a day of APF's arrival, she was hired away from the paper to serve as a $60,000-a-year spokesperson for the company (a pretty hefty salary increase for a local reporter in Montana). So quickly and slickly was this career change made that Shay's editor didn't even know she had talked with APF about the position.
Also in "discussions" with APF is Kerri Smith, a finalist in Hardin's mayoral race and wife of Greg Smith, Executive Director of the Two Rivers Authority (TRA). The TRA is Hardin's economic development agency, which issued $27 million in bonds to build the jail as a public works project.
In what must be the most ill-conceived piece of civic boosterism ever to assault my senses, the TRA's webpage presents the Hardin jail – that's a structure intended to deprive people of their freedom, remember – as the poetic expression of a cherished dream: A YouTube video proudly displays slides of the jail set to the unbearable strains of Russell Watson's wretched ballad "Faith of the Heart" (the musical accompaniment is heard on the TRA's "Detention Center" webpage):
Yes, there's nothing quite like an effeminate power ballad to capture the pure aesthetic grace of a detention camp ringed by barbed wire.
Apparently, the "long road" to building that jail didn't end in prosperity. Since the finished jail has remained empty, the bonds have gone into default. At one point, Hardin's city government indicated it would accept relocated detainees from Gitmo; this prompted a legal battle between the city and the Montana state government.
City officials eventually announced an agreement with the mysterious firm that would bring in $2.6 million for use of the jail, in addition to an "investment" of $23 million to build a new training facility for military and police (which are assumed to be part of one integrated coercive apparatus, of course) on the same TRA-owned property.
The deal – which was publicly announced although the specifics were never publicly disclosed – is supposedly a cornucopia of civic benefits: New computers for the schools; a homeless shelter; a fleet of Mercedes patrol cars for the envisioned city police force; donations to the local food pantry; an animal shelter; gold-plated fixtures for the Mayor's executive washroom. OK, I made that last one up. I think. TRA Executive Director Greg Smith, whose wife is in discussions for a position with APF, helped negotiate the deal. Immediately after it was finished, he was put on "administrative leave," and went to ground. (Calls from Pro Libertate to Mr. Smith's number at the TRA were not returned.)
At a press conference a few days ago, Becky Shay grandly announced that "The decision is the name of the parent company will not be released."
Suspicions were immediately aroused that APF is a tentacle of the corporatist mercenary company formerly known as Blackwater, but now doing business under the odd name Xe (pronounced "Zee"). However, a press spokeswoman for Xe informed Pro Libertate that "We have no connection to that company, and had never heard of it" prior to recent developments in Montana.
by William Norman Grigg
The "dream" realized: The Two Rivers Detention Facility, the proudest achievement of Hardin, Montana's political class. Sure, it's empty now, but I'm sure those nice men in the black SUVs can do something about that....
If you build it, they will come.
That would appear to be the business plan of an enigmatic California company called American Police Force (APF), which appears to be effectively taking over the town of Hardin, Montana.
The "it" in question is a large jail facility outside Hardin, Montana, that was built several years ago but thus far remains unused. "They" refers to prisoners to fill said jail – a 114,000 square foot, 464-bed facility. APF has yet to become firmly established in Hardin (pop. 3,400), but the company's representatives are confident "the place [meaning the jail] would start filling up by 2010."
At present, the firm is said to be doing "market research," an ominous prospect, given that it's in the business of detention. And it has even spoken about the possibility of expanding the jail within a few years.
Say, that is good news – at least for the people on APF's payroll. Since last Thursday, when company personnel rolled into town in a convoy of black Mercedes SUVs embossed with seals advertising a non-existent "City of Hardin Police Department," the company's payroll has increased by at least one, and possibly two, key local figures.
The first to be snapped up was Becky Shay, a former Billings Gazette reporter whose beat included the Hardin jail. Within a day of APF's arrival, she was hired away from the paper to serve as a $60,000-a-year spokesperson for the company (a pretty hefty salary increase for a local reporter in Montana). So quickly and slickly was this career change made that Shay's editor didn't even know she had talked with APF about the position.
Also in "discussions" with APF is Kerri Smith, a finalist in Hardin's mayoral race and wife of Greg Smith, Executive Director of the Two Rivers Authority (TRA). The TRA is Hardin's economic development agency, which issued $27 million in bonds to build the jail as a public works project.
In what must be the most ill-conceived piece of civic boosterism ever to assault my senses, the TRA's webpage presents the Hardin jail – that's a structure intended to deprive people of their freedom, remember – as the poetic expression of a cherished dream: A YouTube video proudly displays slides of the jail set to the unbearable strains of Russell Watson's wretched ballad "Faith of the Heart" (the musical accompaniment is heard on the TRA's "Detention Center" webpage):
Yes, there's nothing quite like an effeminate power ballad to capture the pure aesthetic grace of a detention camp ringed by barbed wire.
Apparently, the "long road" to building that jail didn't end in prosperity. Since the finished jail has remained empty, the bonds have gone into default. At one point, Hardin's city government indicated it would accept relocated detainees from Gitmo; this prompted a legal battle between the city and the Montana state government.
Last March, APF was incorporated in California. Shortly thereafter it began talks with Hardin city officials and the TRA.
City officials eventually announced an agreement with the mysterious firm that would bring in $2.6 million for use of the jail, in addition to an "investment" of $23 million to build a new training facility for military and police (which are assumed to be part of one integrated coercive apparatus, of course) on the same TRA-owned property.
The deal – which was publicly announced although the specifics were never publicly disclosed – is supposedly a cornucopia of civic benefits: New computers for the schools; a homeless shelter; a fleet of Mercedes patrol cars for the envisioned city police force; donations to the local food pantry; an animal shelter; gold-plated fixtures for the Mayor's executive washroom. OK, I made that last one up. I think. TRA Executive Director Greg Smith, whose wife is in discussions for a position with APF, helped negotiate the deal. Immediately after it was finished, he was put on "administrative leave," and went to ground. (Calls from Pro Libertate to Mr. Smith's number at the TRA were not returned.)
What appears to be happening here – and until relevant details are pried out of the prehensile grip of the people running things, we can't know for sure – is nothing less than a corporatist-style military coup: the takeover of a small town in Montana by a politically connected, federally subsidized paramilitary organization.
At a press conference a few days ago, Becky Shay grandly announced that "The decision is the name of the parent company will not be released."
Suspicions were immediately aroused that APF is a tentacle of the corporatist mercenary company formerly known as Blackwater, but now doing business under the odd name Xe (pronounced "Zee"). However, a press spokeswoman for Xe informed Pro Libertate that "We have no connection to that company, and had never heard of it" prior to recent developments in Montana.
Hardin may well be the first of many economically devastated communities to be given a lifeline by the burgeoning military-homeland security-prison-industrial complex. Lifelines of that kind can quickly become nooses.
Glenn Beck discusses Valerie Jarret and the Chicago Olympics "Should this woman be anywhere near the President of the U.S.?"
(Analyst's note: Absolutely must read - see)
Video: Rush Gives Platform to ‘Susan From Glendale’ in Epic 21-Minute Call Her Passion Speaks for Millions
(Analyst's note: Today's politician's should seriously consider employment counseling -- you'll agree after listening to this absolutely must read - hear call. "We the People" just may be waking up!!!!)
If you want to listen to the rest of this phone call click here.
Did you hear about THIS? Senators Have Wires Crossed on Nation's Security
by Left Coast Conservative
[Najibullah Zazi was caught by authorities using the Federal Intelligence Surveillance
Act that liberal Democrat senators now want to abrogate! What's WRONG with them?! Do they have short circuits in their BRAINS?!]
In Washington, a group of Democratic senators are working to undermine FISA. Sens. Chris Dodd, D-Conn.; Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.; Russ Feingold, D-Wis.; and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; introduced the Retroactive Immunity Repeal Act that would make the country free again for lawyers who want to sue telephone companies for cooperating with the federal government.
[Najibullah Zazi was caught by authorities using the Federal Intelligence Surveillance
Act that liberal Democrat senators now want to abrogate! What's WRONG with them?! Do they have short circuits in their BRAINS?!]
In Washington, a group of Democratic senators are working to undermine FISA. Sens. Chris Dodd, D-Conn.; Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.; Russ Feingold, D-Wis.; and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; introduced the Retroactive Immunity Repeal Act that would make the country free again for lawyers who want to sue telephone companies for cooperating with the federal government.
The Feminization of American Education – Destroying Western Civilization?
Robert Weissberg
Bitter Fruits of Mideast Wars
By Patrick J. Buchanan
The first is whether to approve Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s request for thousands more U.S. troops he says he needs to prevent “mission failure” — i.e, to stave off a U.S. defeat in Afghanistan.
The second is whether Obama will start up the road of “crippling sanctions” to war with Iran, to prevent Tehran from moving closer to a capacity to produce nuclear weapons. ....
Impending today are two of the most critical decisions Barack Obama will ever make, which may determine the fate of his presidency, as well as the future of the United States in the Near and Middle East.
The first is whether to approve Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s request for thousands more U.S. troops he says he needs to prevent “mission failure” — i.e, to stave off a U.S. defeat in Afghanistan.
The second is whether Obama will start up the road of “crippling sanctions” to war with Iran, to prevent Tehran from moving closer to a capacity to produce nuclear weapons. ....
Swine flu could overload U.S. hospitals: report
By Julie Steenhuysen
Fifteen states could run out of hospital beds and 12 more could fill 75 percent of their beds with swine flu sufferers if 35 percent of Americans catch the virus in coming weeks, a report released Thursday said.
The study, based on estimates from a computer model developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows the strain hospitals and health departments could face as a second wave of swine flu surges. ....
Fifteen states could run out of hospital beds and 12 more could fill 75 percent of their beds with swine flu sufferers if 35 percent of Americans catch the virus in coming weeks, a report released Thursday said.
The study, based on estimates from a computer model developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows the strain hospitals and health departments could face as a second wave of swine flu surges. ....
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