December 2007 Security News

DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 31 December 2007 [PDF]
Detainee Transfer Announced 28 Dec 2007 -- The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of ten detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Saudi Arabia
New Attack in Mauritania Raises Fears of Terrorism VOA 28 Dec 2007 -- Mauritania is investigating a second deadly attack less than five days after four French tourists were killed
Pakistani Government Blames Al-Qaida for Bhutto Assassination VOA 28 Dec 2007 -- Pakistan's government says al-Qaida terrorists were behind the assassination of opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 28 December 2007 [PDF]
Security Council urges calm following ‘reprehensible’ terrorist attack in Pakistan UN News Centre 27 Dec 2007 -- Condemning the deadly terrorist attack that killed former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and at least a dozen others in the northern city of Rawalpindi, the United Nations Security Council called on all Pakistanis to show restraint in the wake of today’s tragedy.
EGYPT: Another death highlights avian flu threat IRIN 27 Dec 2007 -- Another human victim of bird flu - the 16th in Egypt - has been registered in the country, underlining the fact that the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu, which was first detected in Egypt in February 2006, has not disappeared.
Bird flu death toll in Vietnam nears 50 RIA Novosti 27 Dec 2007 -- The Vietnamese Health Ministry confirmed on Thursday the 47th known death in the country from bird flu.
Riedel: Bhutto’s Assassination ‘Almost Certainly’ Work of Al-Qaeda cfr.org 27 Dec 2007
Pakistan's Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto Assassinated VOA 27 Dec 2007 -- Pakistan's former prime minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday at a campaign rally just two weeks before parliamentary elections.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 27 December 2007 [PDF]
Suspected Terrorists Flee Mauritania After Allegedly Killing Tourists VOA 26 Dec 2007 -- Three Mauritanians said to have links to an Algerian terrorist organization called al-Qaida of the Magreb are believed to have fled from Mauritania to neighboring Senegal
94th Indonesian bird flu victim dies RIA Novosti 26 Dec 2007 -- An Indonesian woman died from bird flu, bringing the death toll in the Southeast Asian country from the H5N1 virus to 94, China's Xinhua news agency said.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 26 December 2007 [PDF]
Afghan president says bin Laden not in Afghanistan RIA Novosti 25 Dec 2007 -- The world's most wanted terrorist and the head of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization, Osama bin Laden, is not hiding in Afghanistan, the president of the Islamic republic said Tuesday.
Bird flu outbreak in south Russia spreads RIA Novosti 25 Dec 2007 -- A fifth case of bird flu has been confirmed at a farm in the Rostov Region, south Russia, close to the site of previous outbreaks, the regional emergencies ministry said.
No confirmed bird flu case detected in Iran: minister IRNA 24 Dec 2007 -- Health Minister Kamran Baqeri Lankarani on Monday announced that no confirmed case of bird flu has been detected in the country since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year beginning on March 21, 2007.
China completes testing of possible human bird-flu vaccine RIA Novosti 24 Dec 2007 -- Chinese scientists have completed the second phase of tests on a possible human vaccine for bird flu, the Xinhua news agency said on Monday.
Saudi Arabia Arrests 28 Al-Qaida Suspects for Attack Plot VOA 23 Dec 2007 -- Saudi state media say security forces have arrested 28 al-Qaida-linked militants suspected of plotting attacks inside Saudi Arabia.
New bird flu outbreak reported in Poland RIA Novosti 22 Dec 2007 -- A fresh, eighth, outbreak of H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in the north of the country, where the deadly virus was discovered earlier this month, the chief sanitary official said on Saturday.
Saudi Officials Foil Suspected Terror Plot as Hajj Comes to a Close VOA 22 Dec 2007 -- Authorities in Saudi Arabia said Friday they arrested several members of an al-Qaida-linked group suspected of planning to carry out terrorist attacks during the annual hajj pilgrimage.
Guantanamo Detainee Charged 21 Dec 2007 -- The Office of Military Commissions announced today that charges have been sworn against Guantanamo detainee Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Haza al Darbi of Saudi Arabia
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 21 December 2007 [PDF]
Detainee Transfer Announced 20 Dec 2007 -- The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of three detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the United Kingdom
New outbreak of bird flu hits south Russia RIA Novosti 20 Dec 2007 -- A third outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus has occurred in south Russia, regional veterinary officials said on Thursday.
Guantanamo man facing extradition to Spain appears in court IRNA 20 Dec 2007 -- One of three British residents released by the US appeared in court Thursday following his arrest under a Spanish extradition warrant.
German prosecutor charges Moroccan man with aiding al-Qaeda IRNA 20 Dec 2007 -- German federal prosecutors have charged a 25-year-old Moroccan man with aiding the al-Qaeda terrorist network, the press reported Thursday.
Germany okays passing of flight passenger data to US secret service IRNA 20 Dec 2007 -- Germany's upper chamber, the Bundesrat, approved a measure here Thursday under which German authorities could pass data of flight passengers to US intelligence agencies, news reports said.
Vietnam's Vaccination Effort Helps in Fight Against Avian Flu Washington File 20 Dec 2007 -- Vaccinating its highest-risk populations of chickens and ducks has been an expensive and logistically complex effort for Vietnam’s central government, but animal health officials say it has slowed deadly outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza among birds in the Southeast Asian nation and, critically, among people.
French Authorities Hold 5 Suspected of al-Qaida Ties VOA 20 Dec 2007 -- French authorities are holding five men on suspicion of links to the al-Qaida affiliated terrorist group behind the deadly bombings in Algeria last week.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 20 December 2007 [PDF]
Vietnam Bird Flu Preparations Boost General Disease Capacity Washington File 19 Dec 2007 -- In the four years since highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu began infecting and killing the chickens, the ducks and eventually the people of Vietnam, the government has made changes on the ground and across the animal and human health infrastructure that will serve the nation far beyond the threat of avian flu.
INDONESIA: Bird flu preparedness a big challenge for East Java IRIN 19 Dec 2007 -- For the crack medical team specialising in human avian influenza cases at the East Java Provincial Hospital in Surabaya, Indonesia, Pucang market represents their worst fear.
Raytheon Launches 360-Degree Sensor to Enhance Border Security Capabilities Raytheon 19 Dec 2007 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has launched the first wide-area, long-range sensor that provides an unblinking 360-degree view of target areas.
Poultry culled to prevent bird flu outbreak in south Russia RIA Novosti 19 Dec 2007 -- About 500,000 chickens have been culled at a poultry farm in southern Russia where the bird flu virus was found in late November, local authorities said on Wednesday.
UN Chief to Push for Counter-Terrorism Measures VOA 19 Dec 2007 -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has returned from an emotional visit to Algiers where a car bomb ripped through the U.N. compound December 11, demolishing the offices of the U.N. Refugee Agency and its Development Program and killing 17 U.N. staff members
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 19 December 2007 [PDF]
Weapons Of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team Certified 18 Dec 2007 -- The Department of Defense (DoD) notified Congress today that the Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (WMD-CST) of the Puerto Rico National Guard is now certified.
General Dynamics Awarded $22 Million to Support DHS National Coordinating Center General Dynamics 18 Dec 2007 -- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) a task order to provide 24-hour-per-day, 7-day-per-week watch-officer, technical, analytical and liaison support to its National Coordinating Center (NCC).
Two die in bird flu outbreak in Pakistan RIA Novosti 18 Dec 2007 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) is closely monitoring a recent outbreak of bird flu among humans in northwest Pakistan that left two dead, the UN press center said.
Pakistani Authorities Arrest 2 Police Officers After Terror Suspect's Escape VOA 18 Dec 2007 -- Pakistani authorities have arrested two police officers in connection with Saturday's escape of a British terror suspect.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 18 December 2007 [PDF]
Democracy vital in fight against terrorism, says Secretary-General UN News Centre 17 Dec 2007 -- Democracy is one of the most effective tools against terrorism, but the increasing gap between rich and poor around the world threatens to undermine its potential, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.
Armenia, Ukraine ban Russian poultry imports RIA Novosti 17 Dec 2007 -- Armenia and Ukraine have banned Russian poultry imports following a bird flu outbreak at a poultry farm in the Rostov Region, south Russia, local officials said on Monday.
Health Officials Call for Increase in Bird Flu Surveillance VOA 17 Dec 2007 -- Experts with the World Health Organization are urging countries to step up surveillance of bird flu outbreaks in poultry. The announcement follows Pakistan's first human bird flu fatality and Burma's first reported human case of bird flu.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 17 December 2007 [PDF]
Bird Flu Concerns Persist in Nigeria Before Holiday Festivities VOA 16 Dec 2007 -- With the approach of Christmas and Muslims marking Sallah, poultry consumption in Nigeria is expected to reach an all-time high this month
Pakistan Confirms 1st Human Bird-Flu Death VOA 16 Dec 2007 -- Health officials in Pakistan have confirmed the country's first human fatality caused by bird flu.
U.S. NORTHCOM Directs Possible Storm Aid for Icy Midwest AFPS 14 Dec 2007 -- Active military elements are preparing to assist federal emergency responders to help beleaguered Midwest residents cope with the effects of recent massive ice storms, a senior U.S. military officer told Pentagon reporters here today.
Ban Ki-moon voices profound sadness as UN death toll in Algiers reaches 17 UN News Centre 14 Dec 2007 -- As the United Nations today confirmed that 17 of its staff have perished in the terror attacks in Algiers, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced his great sorrow at the toll this “unspeakable crime” has taken.
EADS Defence & Security has been awarded by the French Ministry of the Interior a contract for deployment of ANTARES infrastructure EADS 14 Dec 2007 -- EADS Defence & Security (DS) has just been notified by the French Ministry of the Interior that it has been awarded the contract to expand the ACROPOL radiocommunications network named ANTARES 1 for the benefit of the public services contributing to homeland security missions.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 14 December 2007 [PDF]
Guard Members Respond to Midwest Ice Storms AFPS 13 Dec 2007 -- More than 140 National Guard members in the Midwest responded to a band of deadly mid-December storms that stretched from eastern Texas to the Ohio Valley and into northern New York and New England.
Death Toll From Algeria Bombings Up to 34 VOA 13 Dec 2007 -- Algerian officials say the death toll from Tuesday's twin car bombings in Algiers has risen to 34, after three bodies were found in the ruins of the U.N. offices damaged in the attack.
Terror Trial in Miami Ends in One Acquittal, Six Mistrials VOA 13 Dec 2007 -- A federal jury in Florida has cleared a man accused of plotting terrorist attacks in the United States, but said it was unable to agree on a verdict for six other defendants.
US House Passes Intelligence Measure Amid Interrogation Controversy VOA 13 Dec 2007 -- The U.S. House of Representatives has approved intelligence policy legislation that would prohibit U.S. intelligence officials from using a number of controversial techniques in interrogating detainees
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 13 December 2007 [PDF]
Detainee Transfer Announced 12 Dec 2007 -- The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of fifteen detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
UN Expert Says Guantanamo Suspects Denied Fair Trial VOA 12 Dec 2007 -- A U.N. human rights investigator says terror suspects held in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp are unable to get a fair trial before the military court set up for so-called enemy combatants
Iran: Terrorist Freed In Germany Is Welcomed By Tehran RFE/RL 12 Dec 2007
Nine staff members killed in Algiers, two found alive, confirms UN official UN News Centre 12 Dec 2007 -- Nine United Nations staff members are among the dozens killed in yesterday’s twin bomb attacks in Algiers, a spokesperson for the world body confirmed today, adding that two others were found alive and removed from the debris, and several others remain missing.
Raytheon Hosts First Responders Experiment Raytheon 12 Dec 2007 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) hosted a mission readiness experiment Nov. 30 involving federal, state and local agencies looking for ways to improve the procedures, protocols, interfaces and systems employed for responding to very serious incidents.
Poultry cull imposed to stop bird flu outbreak in south Russia RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2007 -- About 500,000 chickens will be culled at a poultry farm in southern Russia, where 35,000 birds have died from bird flu since late November, a source in the local emergencies service said on Wednesday.
Al Qaeda claims responsibility for fatal Algeria blasts RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2007 -- The North African arm of terrorist group al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for Tuesday's two truck bombings outside a UN building in Algiers, which killed at least 26 people, including 11 UN staff.
Vietnam Releases 3 US Citizens Accused of Terrorism VOA 12 Dec 2007 -- Vietnam has released three of the four Vietnamese-born United States citizens it arrested in November and accused of involvement in terrorism
UN Dispatches Investigators to Probe Algeria Bombings VOA 12 Dec 2007 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has sent top aides to investigate Tuesday's bombing in the Algerian capital that killed scores of people, including at least 11 U.N. staff members.
CIA Chief Faces More Questions on Destruction of Videotapes VOA 12 Dec 2007 -- The head of the Central Intelligence Agency is facing a second day of questioning on Capitol Hill about the destruction of videotapes of interrogations of suspected terrorists.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 12 December 2007 [PDF]
Twin Car Bombs Kill More Than 60 in Algeria VOA 11 Dec 2007 -- Two car bombs have exploded in the Algerian capital, killing at least 62 people and injuring scores more
CIA Briefs Congress on Destruction of Interrogation Tapes VOA 11 Dec 2007 -- The director of the Central Intelligence Agency, General Michael Hayden, briefed members of Congress Tuesday about the CIA's decision to destroy videotapes of terror suspect interrogations
Backgrounder: Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (aka Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat) cfr.org 11 Dec 2007
Some 35,000 birds die of bird flu in southern Russia RIA Novosti 11 Dec 2007 -- Some 35,000 birds have died from bird flu since late November at a poultry farm in southern Russia's Rostov Region, a spokeswoman for the local emergencies ministry said Tuesday.
Bird flu death toll mounts in Indonesia, worldwide RIA Novosti 11 Dec 2007 -- A woman has died of bird flu in Jakarta, Indonesia, bringing the death toll in the Southeast Asian country to almost 100, the Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday.
Former CIA Officer Admits Waterboarding, Calls it Torture VOA 11 Dec 2007 -- A former CIA officer said interrogators used a simulated drowning technique on a senior al-Qaida member, and that he believes the method is torture
2 Car Bombs Kill More Than 60 in Algeria VOA 11 Dec 2007 -- Algerian hospital sources say two car bomb blasts in Algiers have killed more than 60 people and wounded many others.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 11 December 2007 [PDF]
Security Council extends UN counter-terrorism office until 31 March 2008 UN News Centre 10 Dec 2007 -- The Security Council today extended until 31 March 2008 the mandate of the main office tasked with monitoring the efforts of countries to combat the global scourge of terrorism.
New bird flu outbreak in Poland - agriculture minister RIA Novosti 10 Dec 2007 -- There has been a new outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in eastern Poland, the country's agricultural minister said on Sunday.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 10 December 2007 [PDF]
New center of bird flu virus found in Poland RIA Novosti 09 Dec 2007 -- A new center of H5N1 bird flu virus has been found in central Poland, the country's chief veterinary doctor said on Sunday.
Nigerian Muslim Group Denies Terror Link VOA 09 Dec 2007 -- A leading Muslim group in Nigeria has dismissed allegations by the country's secret police that several Muslim suspects in northern Nigeria are linked to terrorist organizations
CIA Chief to Testify Before Congress on Interrogations VOA 09 Dec 2007 -- The U.S. Congress is wasting no time launching its own inquiry into a decision by the U.S spy agency to destroy tapes of interrogations of terror suspects
Delegates Pledge $605 Million in New Delhi for Avian Flu Fight Washignton File 06 Dec 2007 -- Eight nations and the European Commission pledged $605 million December 6 in the continuing fight against the spread of H5N1 avian influenza in birds and people for efforts focusing on halting the virus at its avian source, bolstering disease surveillance and integrating animal and human health services and capabilities.
US Lawmakers, Rights Advocates Question CIA Tape Destruction VOA 07 Dec 2007 -- U.S. lawmakers are calling for a review of the CIA's decision to destroy videotaped interrogations of terror suspects.
National Guard Rescues Hundreds in Oregon Flooding Army News 07 Dec 2007 -- The Oregon National Guard this week assisted in the rescue of between 200 and 400 residents of the coastal town of Vernonia, Ore., after heavy rains Sunday and Monday caused extensive flooding.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 07 December 2007 [PDF]
Department Works to Keep Homeland Secure AFPS 06 Dec 2007 -- The U.S. military is prepared to defend the United States and support civil authorities in ways not even thought of a decade ago, the assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense said to reporters at the Foreign Press Center here today.
Foreign Area Officers Help Bridge Cultural Divides AFPS 06 Dec 2007 -- A cadre of military officers with special foreign language training and cultural expertise are helping the Defense Department and U.S. military bridge gaps between American allies and local foreign populations.
Donors Pledge Additional $400 Million to Fight Bird Flu VOA 06 Dec 2007 -- International donors at a conference on bird flu in India's capital, New Delhi, have pledged more than $400 million in additional funds to deal with the global threat of the disease.
General Dynamics Awarded $48 Million to Provide Cyber Situational Awareness Support to DHS US-CERT General Dynamics 06 Dec 2007 -- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) a $48.2 million task order to provide cyber situational awareness support, analysis and technical and infrastructure support to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT).
Philippines Convicts 14 Abu Sayyaf Militants Linked to 2001 Kidnapping VOA 06 Dec 2007 -- A Philippine court has convicted 14 militants of kidnapping 20 people in a 2001 incident that eventually left two Americans dead, including one who was beheaded
Backgrounder: Judging Guantanamo: The Court, Congress, and the White House cfr.org 06 Dec 2007
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 06 December 2007 [PDF]
India committed to share experience in controlling "Avian Flu" IRNA 05 Dec 2007 -- India is committed to share the experience of control and containment of the outbreak of influenza in poultry, said Dr. Manmohan Singh here today.
Success of counter-terrorism strategy hinges on implementation – UN UN News Centre 05 Dec 2007 -- The success of the landmark Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy ultimately hinges on its complete implementation, United Nations officials and others closely involved with the initiative said today.
US Supreme Court Considers Appeal From Foreign Terrorist Suspects VOA 05 Dec 2007 -- The U.S. Supreme Court has heard a plea that terrorism suspects being held at the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, should be given the opportunity to challenge their detention in American courts.
US Candidates for President Debate Torture, Public Diplomacy VOA 05 Dec 2007 -- Two Republican Party candidates for U.S. president disagreed sharply last week on the use a controversial interrogation technique known as waterboarding
Backgrounder: Judging Guantanamo: The Court, Congress, and the White House cfr.org 05 Dec 2007
US Supreme Court Hears Case on Guantanamo Bay Detainees VOA 05 Dec 2007 -- The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on the Bush administration's detention of terror suspects at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
German Court Convicts 3 of Aiding al-Qaida VOA 05 Dec 2007 -- A German court has convicted three Middle Eastern men of aiding al-Qaida in Germany and sentenced them to prison.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 05 December 2007 [PDF]
“Substantial Progress” in Global Avian Flu Response, Report Says Washington File 04 Dec 2007 -- The world community has made progress in its response to avian influenza, according to a new United Nations-World Bank report whose results were announced in New Delhi December 4, the first day of the New Delhi International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 04 December 2007 [PDF]
Nations Examine Pandemic Flu Preparedness at India Conference Washington File 03 Dec 2007 -- Two days before the December 4-6 New Delhi International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza convened in India’s northern capital, journalists from India and Afghanistan gathered at a two-day workshop to learn how to cover the highly pathogenic viral disease of birds and, in 12 countries so far, people.
Chinese man dies of bird flu bringing national death toll to 17 RIA Novosti 03 Dec 2007 -- A man in China's eastern province of Jiangsu died from bird flu on Sunday, bringing the total number of deaths from the disease in China to 17, the Xinhua news agency reported.
SAIC Awarded Certificate of Completion for Homeland Security Presidential Directive SAIC 03 Dec 2007 -- Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAI) announced today that it, along with its team members, was awarded a certificate of completion for Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-12) Vendor Evaluation.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 03 December 2007 [PDF]
China Reports 17th Bird Flu Death VOA 02 Dec 2007 -- China's health ministry has reported the death of a man from bird flu in the coastal province of Jiangsu.

Homeland Security

December 2007 Security News