January 2007 Security News

US Justice Department to Release Spy Program Documents VOA 31 Jan 2007 -- The U.S. attorney general says he will release to lawmakers secret documents detailing the government's controversial domestic surveillance program.
British Anti-Terror Police Question 9 Men VOA 31 Jan 2007 -- British police have arrested nine men in pre-dawn raids in the city of Birmingham
Report: Gunmen in Madagascar Kill Bin Laden's Brother-In-Law VOA 31 Jan 2007 -- Unidentified gunmen in Madagascar have reportedly killed a brother-in-law of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 31 Jan 2007
Court Reinstates Charge in US Terrorism Case VOA 30 Jan 2007 -- A U.S. appeals court in Atlanta has reinstated murder-conspiracy charges in the case against alleged al-Qaida operative Jose Padilla
L-3 Communications Receives Contract Award for Talon(TM) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security L3 Communications 30 Jan 2007 -- --L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) announced today that its Communication Systems-East (L-3 CS-East) division, a leading supplier of secure government communication products and systems, has received a sole source contract award from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for 250 of its Talon(TM) (KOV-26) in-line network encryptors.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 30 Jan 2007
New Bird-Flu Fears Surface RFE/RL 29 Jan 2007 -- Bird flu is back. In recent weeks, there have been reported cases in South Korea, Japan, and Indonesia
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 29 Jan 2007
Canada Apologizes for Role in US Rendition of Syrian-Canadian VOA 27 Jan 2007 -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his government will pay nearly $9 million to a Syrian-born citizen detained and deported by the United States after he was wrongly identified as a suspected terrorist.
Avian Influenza Causes More Human Deaths in Indonesia, Egypt Washington File 26 Jan 2007 -- U.S. Navy scientists and their Egyptian partners working in Cairo are helping confirm new human cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in North Africa and the Middle East
Homeland Security’s Chertoff Warns of Nuclear Terror Threat Washington File 26 Jan 2007 -- Today, the international community faces a test of its willingness to stop nuclear terrorism, says Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.
US Official Praises Philippines For Success in War on Terror VOA 26 Jan 2007 -- Karen Hughes, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, has praised the Philippines for pursuing terrorist groups in the country but says economic development is equally important in creating conditions that can sustain peace
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 26 Jan 2007
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 25 Jan 2007
More Texas National Guard Called Up to Protect U.S.-Mexico Border AFPS 24 Jan 2007 -- More than 600 Texas National Guardsmen were activated by the state’s governor Jan. 22 to support a surge operation targeting crime and international drug and human trafficking along the state’s 1,200-mile border with Mexico.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 24 Jan 2007
Five Arrested in British Anti-Terror Sweep VOA 23 Jan 2007 -- Five men have been arrested in two separate anti-terror raids in northern England
Two South Africans to Fight Charge of Al-Qaida Link VOA 23 Jan 2007 -- Two South African Muslims accused of having ties to the al-Qaida terrorist network say they will challenge the charge and are asking authorities to provide them with proof
Northrop Grumman Wins Three Biometrics and Identity Management Contracts Northrop Grumman 23 Jan 2007 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) recently won three new biometrics and identity management contracts focused primarily on the intelligence and counterintelligence aspects of biometric technologies in asymmetrical, or non-traditional, warfare.
Al-Qaeda's No. 2 Mocks Bush's Plan For Iraq RFE/RL 23 Jan 2007 -- Al-Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri has mocked U.S. President George W. Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq.
UN Calls for Renewed Vigilance as Bird Flu Outbreaks Increase VOA 23 Jan 2007 -- Fresh outbreaks of bird flu have triggered a renewed United Nations call for vigilance against the spread of the disease
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 23 Jan 2007
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 22 Jan 2007
Indonesian Woman Dies From Bird Flu; S Korea Announces Culling Plans VOA 20 Jan 2007 -- Indonesia's Health Ministry announced Saturday the death of another woman from Avian influenza, raising the country's death toll to 62
Russia, India set to conduct counter-terrorism exercises in 2007 RIA Novosti 20 Jan 2007 -- Russia and India are planning to conduct joint land and naval counter-terrorism exercises in 2007, a Russian Defense Ministry official said Saturday.
Philippines Confirms Death of Abu Sayyaf Leader VOA 20 Jan 2007 -- The Philippine military has confirmed Khaddafy Janjalani - the leader of the country's most violent Muslim militant group, Abu Sayyaf - is dead
US Task Force Recommends Radical Changes to Immigration Policy VOA 20 Jan 2007 -- As the new U.S. Congress prepares to debate immigration reform and border security, a bipartisan task force has released a report outlining suggestions to simplify and strengthen U.S. immigration policy.
Train Derailment Sparks Calls for New Safeguards VOA 19 Jan 2007 -- A train transporting hazardous materials derailed on Tuesday in the southern U.S. state of Kentucky
Onetime Afghan Resistance Leader Resurfaces as Terrorist Ally VOA 19 Jan 2007 -- In recent months the Taleban has ratcheted up its attacks on U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan
LOCKHEED MARTIN WINS $135 MILLION CDC CONTRACT TO SUPPORT TERRORISM PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE Lockheed Martin 19 Jan 2007 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] was selected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to continue providing support to the Agency’s Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response (COTPER).
Pentagon Proposes New Rules On Trying Terror Detainees RFE/RL 19 Jan 2007 -- The Pentagon has sent the U.S. Congress its proposals for new procedures governing the military trials of detainees in the war on terror.
High alert for terrorist attacks lifted in Russia RIA Novosti 19 Jan 2007 -- Russian security and police units stood down and resumed routine operations Friday after warnings from an unnamed foreign intelligence service of possible terrorist attacks on the country's public transportation system proved unsubstantiated.
Pentagon Drafts New Criteria for Trials of Suspected Terrorists VOA 19 Jan 2007 -- Pentagon officials have released new regulations for upcoming trials of suspected terrorists before special military commissions
DoD Releases Military Commissions Manual AFPS 18 Jan 2007 -- The Defense Department today presented to Congress its manual outlining rules for military commissions as they will be conducted under the Military Commissions Act of 2006.
Transcript: DoD Press Briefing on New Military Commissions Rules 18 Jan 2007 -- Presenter: Principal Deputy General Counsel Dan Dell’Orto and Legal Advisor Brigadier General Thomas Hemingway, Office of Military Commisions
Philippines: 10 Abu Sayyaf Militants, 3 Soldiers Killed in Jolo Island Gunbattle VOA 18 Jan 2007 -- The Philippine military says troops have killed 10 members of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in a gunbattle on the southern Philippine island of Jolo.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 18 Jan 2007
US Terrorist Surveillance Program Put Under Special Court VOA 17 Jan 2007 -- Big changes are being made in a highly controversial domestic surveillance program launched by the Bush administration after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States.
More Bird Flu Deaths in Humans Reported as Milestone Is Passed Washington File 17 Jan 2007 -- Indonesian health authorities are reporting another human death from a dangerous strain of avian influenza -- the fourth in that nation in 2007, according to case histories compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Research underway to Protect Airliners from Missiles VOA 17 Jan 2007 -- The U.S. government is attempting to address concerns that civilian aircraft are vulnerable to shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles
Indonesia Takes Steps to Stop Spread of Bird Flu VOA 17 Jan 2007 -- Indonesia says it will cull tens of thousands of chickens kept in backyards across the sprawling archipelago in an effort to stop the spread of the bird flu virus
Reports on plotted terror acts in Russia not substantiated-body RIA Novosti 17 Jan 2007 -- Reports on plotted terrorist acts in public transport in Russia have not been substantiated, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said Wednesday.
Philippines Kills Abu Sayyaf Terror Group Leader VOA 17 Jan 2007 -- Philippine military officials say troops have killed a top leader of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group, which is linked to a number of bloody attacks in the country.
Russia Issues Terror Alert RFE/RL 17 Jan 2007 -- Russia says it has received information from foreign sources that suggests terrorists are planning to strike the Russian public-transportation system.
FBI says no comment on Russia terrorist plot warning RIA Novosti 17 Jan 2007 -- The United States federal criminal investigative intelligence agency has declined to comment on whether it provided Russian authorities with information on a possible terrorist plot to attack public transport.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 17 Jan 2007
National Guard Rolls Out for Yet Another Midwest Storm AFPS 16 Jan 2007 -- More than 600 citizen-soldiers and airmen in Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas have been called out in response to the latest in a series of severe winter storms to blanket the Midwest with snow and ice.
Analysis: Deadly End to Spain's ETA Talks cfr.org 16 Jan 2007 -- It was a short nine months into the cease-fire between the Spanish government and ETA (Basque Fatherland and Liberty), a separatist terrorist group that aims to create an independent Basque state, when a car bomb exploded in late December in the parking garage of Barajas airport in Madrid
Pakistan Army Strikes Al-Qaida Camps Near Afghan Border VOA 16 Jan 2007 -- Pakistan forces launched a powerful air strike against a series of suspected al-Qaida military camps in the country's tribal region near the Afghan border Tuesday
Northrop Grumman Begins Operational Test and Evaluation of its Guardian Commercial Airline Anti-Missile System Northrop Grumman 16 Jan 2007 -- An MD-10 aircraft in commercial revenue service with the Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) Guardian(tm) system installation departed Los Angeles International Airport today, marking the beginning of the operational test and evaluation portion of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Counter-Man Portable Air Defense Systems (C-MANPADS) program.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 16 Jan 2007
New Bird Flu Outbreaks Raise Alarm in Asia VOA 15 Jan 2007 -- Rising numbers of human bird flu deaths in Indonesia and avian flu outbreaks among poultry in several Asian countries have put the region on alert
Indonesia Announces Two Bird Flu Deaths; Japan Confirms Outbreak VOA 13 Jan 2007 -- An Indonesian health official announced Saturday the recent deaths of two women from Avian influenza
Complexity Marks Pakistan-US Relationship on Counterterrorism VOA 12 Jan 2007 -- Remarks by outgoing U.S. intelligence chief John Negroponte have sparked an angry reaction from Pakistan
Somalia asked U.S. to help liquidate al Qaeda militants - FM RIA Novosti 12 Jan 2007 -- The U.S. is helping Somalia liquidate al Qaeda militants on a request from the Transitional Federal Government, the Somali foreign minister told RIA Novosti on the phone from Kenya Friday.
Radical group says responsible for U.S. Embassy attack in Athens RIA Novosti 12 Jan 2007 -- An extremist group has claimed responsibility for a shell attack on the United States Embassy in Athens early Friday morning, police said, citing an anonymous phone call to the embassy.
Terrorist Attack Against US Embassy in Athens Causes No Injuries VOA 12 Jan 2007 -- Gunmen fired a rocket at the American embassy in the Greek capital, Athens early Friday morning, causing damage but no injuries
Pakistan Rejects US Assertion of New Al-Qaida Headquarters VOA 12 Jan 2007 -- Pakistani officials sharply reject U.S. comments alleging al-Qaida has re-established its global headquarters in Pakistan
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 12 Jan 2007
New Guantanamo Facility Safer for Guards, More Comfortable for Detainees AFPS 11 Jan 2007 -- Five years after the first detainees from the war on terror arrived at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a new state-of-the-art facility there is making duty safer for guards and more comfortable for detainees.
Guantanamo Facility Needed ‘for Foreseeable Future,’ Admiral Says AFPS 11 Jan 2007 -- The United States will need a detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for as long as the country is fighting a war on terror, the admiral in charge of operations there said today.
Russian President blasts Guantanamo camp RIA Novosti 11 Jan 2007 -- Russia's president Thursday harshly criticized the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, which marked its fifth anniversary today.
US Diplomat Says Key al-Qaida Figure Not Killed in US Air Strike in Somalia VOA 11 Jan 2007 -- The U.S. ambassador to Kenya says an American air strike in southern Somalia earlier this week did not kill an al-Qaida leader accused of planning the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa.
China: Border Security Tightened Amid 'Terrorist Infiltration' Warning RFE/RL 11 Jan 2007 -- China has tightened security along its borders with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan amid claims that "international terrorists" are infiltrating China's northwest Xinjiang region, the home of China's Muslim Uyghur minority.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 11 Jan 2007
Guantanamo Still Important, Relevant, Official Says AFPS 10 Jan 2007 -- The detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, remains a valuable asset in the war on terror as a place to hold enemy combatants and a source of useful intelligence to prevent future terrorist attacks, a top Defense Department official said here today.
NORTHCOM Agency Helps Civil Authorities Prepare For WMD Events AFPS 10 Jan 2007 -- A joint U.S. military organization headquartered in Virginia regularly coordinates with state and local emergency preparedness agencies to prepare for potential new terrorist attacks on the homeland and other catastrophic events, the organization’s commander said here yesterday.
Guantanamo Anniversary Rekindles Controversy VOA 10 Jan 2007 -- This week marks the fifth anniversary of the detention center for terrorism suspects at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Basque Group Threatens More Terror Attacks VOA 10 Jan 2007 -- The Basque separatist group ETA is warning it may launch new terrorist attacks, following its December 30 bombing at a Madrid airport that killed two people
US Defends Anti-Terrorist Strike in Somalia VOA 10 Jan 2007 -- The State Department is defending U.S. military action in Somalia, saying it was aimed at senior figures of the al-Qaida terrorist organization
Somalia Government Tries to Confirm Terrorist's Death VOA 10 Jan 2007 -- Somalia's interim-government spokesman says the government cannot confirm one of the three key al-Qaida operatives involved in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in East Africa has been killed in a U.S. air strike in southern Somalia
Analysts: Nigeria May Be Hot Spot For Terrorism in West Africa VOA 10 Jan 2007 -- While current U.S. military attention is focused on removing possible al-Qaida cells in Somalia, some analysts say terrorist threats from other parts of Africa should also be closely monitored
Bangkok Steps Up Security Measures VOA 10 Jan 2007 -- Security measures are being stepped up in Bangkok, following the fatal New Year's Eve bombings and before an annual celebration this Saturday
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 10 Jan 2007
Analysis: Democratic Homeland Offensive cfr.org 09 Jan 2007 -- For half a decade, the Democratic minority in Congress championed homeland security proposals that led to the formation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the 9/11 Commission.
US House Approves Homeland Security Bill VOA 09 Jan 2007 -- The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives has approved a package of security measures aimed at preventing the kind of terrorist attacks that occurred on the United States on September 11, 2001
US Confirms Air Strike on al-Qaida Leaders in Somalia VOA 09 Jan 2007 -- The U.S. Defense Department says its forces conducted an air strike in southern Somalia on Monday, but says that, contrary to some reports from the region, that was the only U.S. air strike there in recent days
US Military Confirms Airstrike in Southern Somalia VOA 09 Jan 2007 -- The U.S. military has confirmed conducting an airstrike against suspected al-Qaida leaders in southern Somalia, amid reports of a second attack Tuesday.
U.S. Confirms Air Strike In Somalia RFE/RL 09 Jan 2007 -- The Pentagon today confirmed that U.S. forces conducted an air strike against a suspected Al-Qaeda cell in Somalia on January 7.
New Airstrikes Reported in Southern Somalia VOA 09 Jan 2007 -- Helicopter gunships were seen launching new attacks in southern Somalia Tuesday, close to the site of a U.S. airstrike against suspected al-Qaida hideouts late Monday.
Aircraft Attack Al Qaeda Haven, Ike Moves off Somalia AFPS 09 Jan 2007 -- U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunships struck al Qaeda targets in Somalia yesterday, news sources reported last night.
Somalia: US Warplanes Strike Suspected al-Qaida Hideouts VOA 09 Jan 2007 -- A U.S. gunship late Monday attacked one, possibly two, suspected al-Qaida hideouts in southern Somalia
Somalia's Interim Leader Agrees With US Strike VOA 09 Jan 2007 -- Somalia's interim president say a U.S. strike late Monday on al-Qaida hideouts in his country was the right thing to do.
China Says Camp in Xinjiang Raided by Police Had Links to 'International Terrorist Forces' VOA 09 Jan 2007 -- The Chinese government says police have raided a "terrorist camp" in Xinjiang province with links to "international terrorist forces."
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 09 Jan 2007
UK MPs call for inquiry into US abuse of Guantanamo detainees IRNA 08 Jan 2007 -- The British government was urged Monday to support demands for an investigation into allegations of US abuse against Muslim detainees held at its naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
U.S. Continues To Help Build Disaster Response Capacities Washington File 08 Jan 2007 -- The United States continues to help Indian Ocean countries affected by the December 2004 tsunami expand their national and local capacities to respond effectively to the crisis and similar ones in the future, says a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) official.
U.S. Health Agency To Fund New Influenza Anti-viral Drug Washington File 08 Jan 2007 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded a $102.6 million, four-year contract to Alabama-based BioCryst Pharmaceuticals January 4 to develop the company’s influenza anti-viral drug, peramivir, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has begun testing in people of a DNA vaccine that could prevent avian flu.
Homeland Security Top Priority for New Congress VOA 08 Jan 2007 -- The new Democratic-led U.S. Congress Tuesday begins work on homeland security legislation, a top priority for lawmakers
Mysterious Odor Frightens New Yorkers VOA 08 Jan 2007 -- A mysterious gas-like odor swept over part of New York City, temporarily suspending some train service and forcing the evacuation of several buildings
World: Former CIA Analyst Says West Misunderstands Al-Qaeda RFE/RL 08 Jan 2007 -- Michael Scheuer is a 22-year veteran of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), where for six years he was in charge of the search for Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden
WHO, FAO Seek to Investigate Avian Flu Outbreaks in Vietnam VOA 08 Jan 2007 -- In December, avian influenza broke out in three southern Vietnamese provinces
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 08 Jan 2007
Disbanded Militant Youth Group in Somalia Support Al-Qaida Message VOA 05 Jan 2007 -- In Somalia, an alleged message from Osama bin Laden's deputy urging Somalis to launch an Iraq-style guerrilla war against Ethiopian forces there is being taken seriously by a now mostly-disbanded group of militant Somali youths known as the Shaabab
Mullah Omar says He Has Not Seen bin Laden for Years VOA 05 Jan 2007 -- The fugitive leader of Afghanistan's ousted Taleban regime, Mullah Mohammad Omar, says he has not seen al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in five years.
National Guard Rescues People, Cattle After Severe Storms AFPS 05 Jan 2007 -- National Guard troops in eight states rescued people and hauled hay to livestock following a severe end-of-year winter storm that stretched from America’s northern to southern borders. At least 13 people in five states died in the storm.
ATK Civil Ammunition Business to Supply DHS With High Performance Ammunition ATK 04 Jan 2007 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) has received a series of contracts to supply the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with a variety of small-caliber ammunition. If all contract options are exercised, the total value could exceed $90 million
Cases of inmates torture, insult to holy Quran recorded in FBI report from Guantanamo IRNA 04 Jan 2007 -- The US media said on Thursday that an internal report made by the Federal Bureau of Information (FBI) employee from the notorious Guantanamo prison recorded cases of torture against inmates and insults to Muslims' holy book of Qur'an.
Wyoming National Guard Assists Colorado Airlift Mission AFPS 03 Jan 2007 -- The Wyoming National Guard is deploying an air crew today to airlift hay to livestock stranded by last week’s blizzard in Colorado.
Body Found in Rubble of Madrid Airport Bombing VOA 03 Jan 2007 -- Rescue workers at Madrid's airport have found the body of one of two Ecuadorean men missing since a Saturday car bombing blamed on Basque separatists.
New Airport Technology Raises Issue of Security versus Privacy VOA 03 Jan 2007 -- Ever since the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States, the need for airport security has led to a steady increase in the use and improvement of technology
Report: Emergency Communications Systems in US Still Fall Short VOA 03 Jan 2007 -- The federal government has released a report saying emergency responders in most U.S. cities still do not have the equipment and training they need for "interoperability" -- the ability to communicate easily with each other during a crisis.
US Government Report Documents Alleged Abuse at Guantanamo Military Prison VOA 03 Jan 2007 -- A government report shows 26 incidents of possible mistreatment at the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba.
US Seeks to Prevent Escape of al-Qaida Figures From Somalia VOA 03 Jan 2007 -- United States said Wednesday it is patrolling Somalia's coast and consulting with its neighbors to try to prevent the escape of terrorist suspects after Ethiopia's military rout of Islamist militias there

Homeland Security

January 2007 Security News