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Homeland Security


February 2003 Security News

  • White House Outlines U.S. Homeland Protection Measures Washington File 28 Feb 2003 -- The federal government marks an historic day on March 1 as over 170,000 employees from more than 20 different agencies officially become part of the Department of Homeland Security. In remarks to new employees of the Department of Homeland Security, the President thanked these public servants for their service to our nation and highlighted the significant progress that has been made over the last 18 months in improving America's preparedness.
  • Coca Cultivation in Colombia Down 15 Percent, ONDCP Says Washington File 28 Feb 2003 -- Coca cultivation in Colombia declined 15 percent in 2002, according to an annual estimate released by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) on February 27.
  • Bush Welcomes Official Launching of Homeland Security Department Washington File 28 Feb 2003 -- On the day before the official beginning of the Department of Homeland Security, President Bush noted that the new Cabinet department was "created ... in a time of war."
  • Rumsfeld Says U.S. Wants to Further Aid Philippine Terrorist Hunt Washington File 28 Feb 2003 -- Following a February 28 meeting with Philippine Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard Myers both said the United States wants "to be helpful" to Manila's ongoing effort to combat terrorism within its borders.
  • Three Chechen Groups Designated as Terrorists Washington File 28 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell recently designated three Chechen organizations -- the Islamic International Brigade, the Special Purpose Islamic Regiment, and the Riyadus-Salikhin Reconnaissance and Sabotage Battalion of Chechen Martyrs -- as terrorist groups, State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher announced February 28.
  • Bush: Homeland Security Department is Critical to Victory Over TerrorismAFPS 28 Feb 2003 -- President Bush today told Homeland Security Department employees that their efforts are critical components in the campaign against global terrorism.
  • I-A-E-A/NIGERIA INVESTIGATION VOA 28 Feb 2003 -- Nigeria has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency to investigate the disappearance of radioactive material in the country. The I-A-E-A sent an emergency team to the West African nation but says it does not know what happened to the missing material.
  • Transcript: Release of the Military Commission Draft Crimes and Elements Instruction 28 Feb 2003 -- "Today we're going to do a background briefing on the Crimes and Elements document that could be used for our military commissions"
  • DOD RELEASES DRAFT MILITARY COMMISSION INSTRUCTION 28 Feb 2003 -- The General Counsel of the Department of Defense (DoD) today released a draft military commission instruction entitled "Crimes and Elements for Trials by Military Commission." This instruction lists and defines certain violations of the laws of war and other offenses triable by military commission.
  • PENTAGON/TRIBUNALS VOA 28 Feb 2003 -- The Pentagon has released a draft list of criminal charges be used in prosecuting al-Qaida terrorist suspects before special military tribunals. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the charges could also be used to prosecute Iraqi authorities for war crimes in the event of a new conflict.
  • PENTAGON/PHILIPPINES VOA 28 Feb 2003 -- U-S plans to dispatch more than one thousand combat troops to the Philippines for joint anti-terrorist operations against the Abu Sayyaf rebels have been put on hold.
  • U-S/CHECHNYA TERROR VOA 28 Feb 2003 -- The Bush administration is imposing anti-terrorist financial sanctions on three Chechen rebel factions, all of which are believed to have been involved in last October's bloody takeover of a Moscow theater. The hostage drama led to the deaths of more than 100 people. The decision by Secretary of State Colin Powell to impose the sanctions was announced Friday in the Federal Register, the U-S government's official publication.
  • PAKISTAN/U-S/SHOOTING VOA 28 Feb 2003 -- At least two Pakistani policemen have been killed and six other people were wounded in a gun attack outside the U-S consulate in the Pakistani port city of Karachi.
  • U-S/CHECHNYA/TERROR VOA 28 Feb 2003 -- The United States is imposing anti-terrorist financial sanctions against three Chechen rebel factions, all of which are said to have been involved in last October's takeover of a Moscow theater that led to more than 100 deaths. The Chechen groups are also expected to face international sanctions through the United Nations.
  • PAKISTAN/U-S SHOOTING VOA 28 Feb 2003 -- In Pakistan, two policemen have been killed and six people wounded in a gun attack outside the American consulate in the southern port city of Karachi.
  • Fight Terrorism to Preserve Civilization, Ambassador Says Washington File 27 Feb 2003 -- The fight against terrorism is a fight to preserve the rule of law and civilization as we know it, says the U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia Marie Huhtala.
  • U.S. Drug Czar Offers Overview of U.S. Drug Policy in Western Hemisphere Washington File 27 Feb 2003 -- The United States now has "an unprecedented opportunity in cooperation with allied nations" to achieve "a long-term reduction in the supply of illegal drugs" because leaders throughout the Western Hemisphere "are acutely aware" that drug-funded terrorism "is the greatest threat to national security and stability," says John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
  • Risk of Terrorist Attack in U.S. Lowered One Level Washington File 27 Feb 2003 -- The U.S. terrorist threat level has been lowered one step to "elevated" risk -- or code yellow -- based on a review of intelligence reports, an assessment of potential threats, and efforts to thwart specific threats, Attorney General John Ashcroft and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said February 27 in a joint statement.
  • Terrorists Most Dangerous Threat to U.S. in 50 Years, Myers Says Washington File 27 Feb 2003 -- The United States is facing "the most dangerous situation of the last 50 years" from a nexus of terrorists, nations hostile to the United States, and weapons of mass destruction, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said February 26.
  • Threat Level Returned to Yellow AFPS 27 Feb 2003 -- Government officials today have decided to return the threat level of terrorist attack to an "elevated" risk, or "yellow."
  • NEW ZEALAND U-S CYANIDE VOA 27 Feb 2003 -- Police in New Zealand are investigating letters threatening terror attacks on American interests if the United States goes to war with Iraq. Four copies of the letter were sent, with one envelope containing the deadly poison cyanide. Three letters were mailed to the British, American and Australian embassies, and one to a New Zealand newspaper.
  • CONGRESS/COLOMBIA VOA 27 Feb 2003 -- The Bush administration is reporting some success in efforts to eradicate coca in Colombia. However, the administration's top narcotics control official was pressed by skeptical lawmakers in a congressional hearing (Thursday) about the effectiveness of U-S policy in Colombia and other countries.
  • PHILIPPINES/POWER ATTACK VOA 27 Feb 2003 -- The southern Philippine island of Mindanao suffers a total blackout Thursday after suspected Muslim separatist rebels bomb a key power transmission line. This is the 12th attack on power installations since government troops launched an offensive against the group early this month.
  • U-S/TERROR ALERT VOA 27 Feb 2003 -- U-S officials lowered the national terror threat level Thursday, suggesting the possibility of a terrorist attack has eased somewhat.
  • Immigration Service Transition Will Be Smooth, Agency Says Washington File 26 Feb 2003 -- The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) will become the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) March 1, moving from its current organizational home in the Department of Justice to the newly-created Department of Homeland Security.
  • Illicit Drugs Damage Economic Growth Washington File 26 Feb 2003 -- Involvement in the illicit drug trade does not help legitimate national economies and, in the long-term, prevents economic growth, especially in developing countries, according to a new report released February 26 by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).
  • Drug trade harms economic growth, UN-linked narcotics panel finds UN News Centre 26 Feb 2003 -- An independent panel overseeing United Nations drug treaties warned today that the narcotics trade harms long-term economic growth in the developing world and also strongly cautioned against any moves to legalize illicit drugs.
  • New group added to Security Council list of Al-Qaida operatives under UN sanctions UN News Centre 26 Feb 2003 -- The United Nations Security Council committee monitoring sanctions imposed against the Taliban has added an organization in the Kurdish-controlled area of north-eastern Iraq to its extensive list of entities and persons subject to the measures because of their links to the group or other terrorist operatives.
  • Rumsfeld, Reyes to Meet on Philippines' Abu Sayyaf Threat AFPS 26 Feb 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Philippine Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes will meet at the Pentagon Feb. 28 to hammer out details of U.S. participation in operations against the Abu Sayyaf terror group.
  • CHINA/TERRORISM VOA 26 Feb 2003 -- Exile groups from a predominantly Muslim area of China say the Beijing government is using the international war on terrorism as an excuse to wipe out the ethnic Uighur minority. Some Uighurs accuse China of tearing down their neighborhoods in Chinese cities.
  • Fighting Terrorism in the U-S VOA 26 Feb 2003 -- The 9/11 attack on the United States abruptly changed the world for Americans. They realized their homeland was now vulnerable to an enemy they had not had to deal with before. To cope with this threat, U-S law enforcement and intelligence agencies have had to make wrenching changes in their way of operating.
  • U-S TROOPS TO PHILIPPINES VOA 26 Feb 2003 -- The American press is commenting on the use of United States military forces to fight terrorism in the Philippines.
  • AFGHANISTAN/U-N DRUGS VOA 26 Feb 2003 -- A United Nations-funded anti-narcotics agency says Afghanistan has again become the world largest producer of opium with a significant upsurge in 2002. The agency is urging the world community to do more to help eradicate poppy cultivation in Afghanistan.
  • EDITORIAL: HEKMATYAR DESIGNATED A TERRORIST VOA 26 Feb 2003 -- The United States has designated Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar [gull-boo-DEEN hehk-mah-T-YAHR] a "global terrorist." The designation is based on evidence that Hekmatyar has participated in and supported terrorist attacks committed by Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network and the former Taleban rulers of Afghanistan. And on February 20th, at the request of the U.S., the sanctions committee set up under United Nations Security Council resolution twelve-sixty-seven added Hekmatyar to its list of entities or individuals associated with Osama bin Laden, al-Qaida, or the Taleban. This will obligate all U-N member states to impose sanctions on Hekmatyar, including a freeze on his assets.
  • Secretaries Mineta, Ridge 'Change Watch' of Coast Guard U.S. Department of Transportation 25 Feb 2003 -- At a historic a 'Change of Watch' ceremony at the D.C. Stadium-Armory, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta today transferred leadership of the U.S. Coast Guard to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, formally recognizing the change in civilian leadership over a military organization.
  • NEW SAFETY AND SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM TO BE INSTALLED IN NEW YORK HARBOR Lockheed Martin 25 Feb 2003 -- The U.S. Coast Guard has authorized Lockheed Martin to begin installation of three Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) systems to meet maritime safety and surveillance requirements in major U.S. ports, including New York Harbor. Under the Ports and Waterways Safety System (PAWSS) systems integration contract, originally awarded by the Coast Guard in 1998, the company will install the VTS systems in the New York harbor area and in the Ports of Houston/Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas.
  • COAST GUARD AND LOCKHEED MARTIN ANNOUNCE NEW HARBOR SAFETY AND SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM FOR U.S. PORTS Lockheed Martin 25 Feb 2003 -- The U.S. Coast Guard announced today that it has authorized Lockheed Martin to begin installation of three Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) systems to meet maritime safety and surveillance requirements in major U.S. ports, including New York Harbor. Under the Ports and Waterways Safety System (PAWSS) contract, originally awarded by the Coast Guard in 1998, the company will install the VTS systems in New York Harbor, and in the Ports of Houston/Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas. The new systems, with a combined value of approximately $24 million, will be in place during 2004.
  • REMARKS FOR THE HONORABLE NORMAN Y. MINETA SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION FAREWELL TO THE U.S. COAST GUARD Department of Transportation 25 Feb 2003 -- Thank you. Thank you everybody. At a Coast Guard event I always thank the Chaplain for his prayer and the band for its performance. So, Chaplain Douglass, thank you. Commander Buckely, and members of the band, thank you.
  • Homeland Security Secretary Takes Coast Guard's Helm AFPS 25 Feb 2003 -- The Coast Guard welcomed Homeland Security Department Secretary Tom Ridge aboard today as its new chief civilian during a symbolic transfer of leadership here.
  • VIETNAM/NAM CAM TRIALVOA 25 Feb 2003 -- Vietnam opened its largest-ever organized crime trial on Tuesday. The defendants in the sensational case include Nam Cam, a reputed crime boss, and several senior members of the Communist Party accused of protecting him.
  • UN/DRUGS-ALTERNATE VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- A new report by the United Nations' International Narcotics Control Board says that the most damaging effects of illicit drugs are on the long-term economies of developing nations.
  • U-N/NARCOTICS REPORT VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- A new United Nations Report says China has become the world's main market and transit point for heroin. The finding is included in the annual report by the U-N's International Narcotics Control Board.
  • CONGRESS/ISRAEL/TERRORISM VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- U-S lawmakers who have just returned from a visit to Israel are calling for a sharper focus on the role of Syria and Iran in supporting international terrorism, and potential threats of weapons of mass destruction.
  • Bremerhaven, Hamburg Ports Operational Under Security Initiative Washington File 24 Feb 2003 -- The U.S. Customs Service's Container Security Initiative (CSI) is now operational in the ports of Bremerhaven and Hamburg, Customs Commissioner Robert C. Bonner announced February 21.
  • State, Local Agencies Are Valued Partners, Ridge Says AFPS 24 Feb 2003 -- "Americans do not submit to fear," the nation "will be prepared," the chief of the Department of Homeland Security reminded emergency management directors from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories today.
  • PRESS BRIEFING BY PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD United Nations 24 Feb 2003
  • KUWAIT/ARRESTS VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- Security forces in Kuwait have arrested three men for allegedly plotting attacks against U-S troops deployed in the Gulf state.
  • U-S DRUG CRACKDOWN VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- U-S law enforcement officials announced a nationwide crackdown on sales of drug paraphernalia over the Internet Monday.
  • PHILIPPINES/U-S VOA 23 Feb 2003 -- The Philippine government says it will not allow U-S troops to take part in combat operations against Muslim separatists in the Southern Philippines. The Philippine defense secretary is preparing to leave for Washington to discuss military cooperation.
  • PHILIPPINES/U-S VOA 22 Feb 2003 -- Philippine political leaders are bracing for strong opposition to a reported plan allowing American soldiers to engage in combat against Muslim rebels in the South. The Philippine government is expected legal challenges and street protests.
  • Armitage: U.S. Understands Concerns About INS Registration System Washington File 21 Feb 2003 -- Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told a visiting delegation from Indonesia February 20 that the United States understands the concern foreign governments have about the National Security Entry Exit Registration System (NSEER), according to a State Department release issued the same day.
  • Colombian Vice President Tours U.S. Drug Rehabilitation Center Washington File 21 Feb 2003 -- Officials representing two countries at the forefront of the war on drugs (Colombia, which produces most of the world's cocaine, and the United States, which is a leading consumer) met face-to-face in a converted Brooklyn waterfront warehouse recently, in an effort to better understand the harrowing nature of drug abuse.
  • Pentagon Sends Troops to Philippines to Help Fight Abu Sayyaf Group Washington File 21 Feb 2003 -- U.S. and Philippine forces will conduct combined operations against the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in the Southern Philippines, DoD officials said today.
  • U.S. Sending More Troops to Philippines Washington File 21 Feb 2003 -- As part of the ongoing global fight against terror, the United States has agreed to send additional military troops to the Sulu Archipelago in the southern Philippines. The decision to provide more support to the armed forces of the Philippines came in response to a request from the Philippine government, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters at a press briefing in Texas.
  • U.S. Aiding in Search for Three Missing Americans AFPS 21 Feb 2003 -- U.S. experts are helping the Colombian armed forces search for three Americans captured by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, embassy officials said today.
  • Little-Known Organization Finds Innovations for Fighting Terrorism AFPS 21 Feb 2003 -- A little-known organization that canvasses private industry to quickly find and develop innovative solutions to problems inherent in fighting terrorism may be emerging from the shadows.
  • U.S., Philippines to Operate Against Abu Sayyaf Terrorists AFPS 21 Feb 2003 -- U.S. and Philippine forces will conduct combined operations against the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in the Southern Philippines, DoD officials said today.
  • EDITORIAL: MOTASSADEQ CONVICTION VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- A court in Hamburg, Germany, has sentenced al-Qaida terrorist Mounir El Motassadeq [moo-near- el moh-tah-she-dek] to fifteen years in prison for providing money and logistical support for the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C. German Federal Prosecutor General Kay Nehm [kye name] said Motassadeq was "especially intensive" in the operations of the Hamburg al-Qaida cell that carried out the suicide attacks. More than three-thousand men, women, and children from some ninety countries were killed.
  • AFGHANISTAN/HEKMATYAR PROFILE VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- The United States has designated a former Afghanistan prime minister, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a global terrorist. Washington says Mr. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has participated in a series of terrorist acts committed by al-Qaida and Afghanistan's former Taleban rulers.
  • PENTAGON/PHILIPPINES VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- U-S and Philippine officials differ over whether there is an agreement to conduct joint anti-terrorist operations in the Philippines starting next month.
  • PHILIPPINES U-S VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- Philippine officials have denied a report that U-S troops, to be deployed in the country for a 10-month counter-terrorism exercise, would take part in combat against Muslim separatist rebels.
  • NEW YORK FIRE VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says a barge explosion at an oil depot on Staten Island was an industrial accident. Two people are missing and one is in critical condition.
  • Eight Alleged Members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Indicted in U.S. Washington File 20 Feb 2003 -- U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and other senior Justice Department officials have announced the arrest of four alleged members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which the U.S. government has designated a foreign terrorist organization.
  • Ansar al-Islam Designated as Terrorist Group Washington File 20 Feb 2003 -- The terrorist group Ansar al-Islam has been designated under Executive Order 13224, effective today. That Executive Order blocks the assets of organizations and individuals linked to terrorism. Today's addition appears on the website of the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
  • Bush Notifies Congress of U.S. Counterdrug Personnel in Colombia Washington File 20 Feb 2003 -- As required by law, President Bush submitted a report on February 20 to notify the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate of the number, location, activities and length of assignment of all U.S. military personnel and U.S. civilian contractors involved in supporting the Plan Colombia comprehensive anti-narcotics campaign in that Andean nation.
  • EDITORIAL: TERRORIST ATTACK IN COLOMBIA VOA 20 Feb 2003 -- The people of Colombia have been terrorized for over three decades by a group that calls itself the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. The FARC has a long history of terrorist acts, including massacres, assassinations, kidnapping, and threats against government officials.
  • U-S/IRAQ/KURDS VOA 20 Feb 2003 -- The United States has imposed financial sanctions against an Iraqi Kurdish rebel group, Ansar al-Islam, said to have close ties with the al-Qaida terrorist network. U-S officials are also welcoming a decision by Norway to expel the group's leader, who faces criminal charges in Jordan.
  • PENTAGON/PHILIPPINES VOA 20 Feb 2003 -- U-S and Philippine troops soon plan to conduct a joint anti-terrorist operation aimed at destroying the Abu Sayyaf guerrilla group.
  • U-S TERROR ARRESTS VOA 20 Feb 2003 -- U-S officials have charged eight-people, including a professor at a Florida university, with supporting the militant group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The State Department has designated the Palestinian group a terrorist organization.
  • KENNETH ROSE/Homeland Security VOA 20 Feb 2003 -- U-S Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge has unveiled a national information program aimed at helping the public prepare for potential terrorist attacks. In Washington Wednesday, Mr. Ridge told reporters that a special internet website and a national telephone hotline have been set up to provide terrorist alerts and emergency planning tips to the public.
  • State Department on Sentencing of Mounir el Motassadeq Washington File 19 Feb 2003 -- Any comment on the jail sentence given by the German court to Mounir el Motassadeq for being accessory to the murder of more than 3000 people who were killed in the 9/11 attacks?
  • Text: U.S. Designates Gulbuddin Hekmatyar a Terrorist Washington File 19 Feb 2003 -- The U.S. government has designated Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the head of the Hezeb-e Islami Afghanistan party, a terrorist, according to a statement from State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.
  • Byliner: Under Secretary Hutchinson on Safety Measures at INS Washington File 19 Feb 2003 -- The historic difficulties of the Immigration and Naturalization Service can be traced to a myriad of shortcomings, from limited resources to fundamental weaknesses of organization. The men and women of the INS are dedicated and hardworking, but President Bush and Congress have recognized the need for a new approach. As a result, on March 1, the INS as it is organized today will no longer exist, and its functions will move into the Department of Homeland Security. This is the first step toward improving both citizenship services and the enforcement of our nation's immigration laws.
  • Transcript: Homeland Security Department Launches "Ready Campaign" Washington File 19 Feb 2003 -- Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge launched the "Ready Campaign" Citizen Preparedness Initiative February 19 to publicize simple steps U.S. citizens can take to prepare for a possible terrorist attack.
  • Germans Sentence Terrorist to 15 Years AFPS 19 Feb 2003 -- A Moroccan man has been sentenced to 15 years in a German prison for his part in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
  • Ridge: 'We Can Be Afraid or We Can Be Ready' AFPS 19 Feb 2003 -- Americans should stay informed of world events, but never surrender to fear, "because fear is the terrorists' most effective weapon," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said today.
  • HOMELAND SECURITY CAMPAIGN VOA 19 Feb 2003 -- The Secretary of Homeland Security has launched a national information program, called the "Ready Campaign," to help the public prepare for potential terrorist attacks.
  • US/AFGHAN TERROR VOA 19 Feb 2003 -- The United States has designated Afghan warlord and former prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar a terrorist, subjecting him to economic sanctions including the seizure of any assets he may have in the United States.
  • PAKISTAN AND THE I-N-S VOA 19 Feb 2003 -- Pakistan is one of 24 Islamic countries whose male nationals are required by a new U-S Immigration and Naturalization Service (I-N-S) anti-terror policy to register with the agency or risk being deported. Pakistan argues it's an ally of the United States and wants its nationals exempted from registering.
  • THAILAND/DRUG WAR VOA 19 Feb 2003 -- Thailand's police and drug enforcement authorities are claiming success after two-weeks of a promised three-month crackdown on illegal drugs. But there are fears that the police are taking things too far.
  • U-S/CHINA COUNTER-TERRORISM VOA 19 Feb 2003 -- The State Department's top counter-terrorism official says China is helping Washington track al-Qaida terrorists and the funds that support such groups.
  • INDONESIA/BALI BOMBING VOA 19 Feb 2003 -- Indonesian police have handed over some 15-hundred pages of evidence against the alleged mastermind of last October's bomb attack in Bali. Imam Samudra faces a possible death sentence if convicted. Patricia Nunan reports from Jakarta.
  • U.S. Issues National Strategy to Protect Cyberspace Washington File 18 Feb 2003 -- The White House has issued a National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, which identifies steps that government, private companies, and individuals can take to protect the information infrastructure -- collectively labeled cyberspace -- that is critical to the security and well-being of the United States.
  • FBI BLAST SCORES A HIT NAVAIR 18 Feb 2003 -- "No matter the amount of explosives used, there is always something to pick up and piece together"that's where we get evidence. That's how we'll catch the perpetrator," explained Kevin Miles, FBI special agent in charge of the Los Angeles Task Force on Terrorism.
  • EDITORIAL: PHILIPPINES EXPELS IRAQI VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- The Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein denies that it has ties with terrorist groups like al-Qaida. But as U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said when he addressed the United Nations Security Council earlier this month, "These denials are simply not credible."
  • THAILAND/DRUG WAR VOA 17 Feb 2003 -- Thailand's newly declared war on illegal drugs has claimed the lives of more than 300 people this month and seen 15-thousand alleged traffickers arrested. Thai police say they are on the right track, but human rights groups are expressing concern about the scale of violence by drug syndicates and authorities.
  • PAKISTAN/U-S/COURT VOA 17 Feb 2003 -- An appeals court in Pakistan has thrown out the death sentences of two men who had been convicted of killing four Americans in the southern city of Karachi five years ago.
  • AUSTRALIA BIN LADEN THREAT VOA 17 Feb 2003 -- The head of Australia's intelligence organization is warning that the al-Qaida terror network may use a U-S-led war with Iraq to fuel a recruitment drive. Dennis Richardson says the group may also step up its activities.
  • U-S/TERROR THREAT VOA 16 Feb 2003 -- The top U-S official for domestic security took to the airwaves Sunday to reassure jittery Americans over the latest national terror alert, which was elevated to "high" more than a week ago.
  • IRAN/AL QAIDA VOA 16 Feb 2003 -- A top Iranian official says Tehran continues to arrest and deport anyone with suspected links to the terror group al-Qaida and denies a report that the eldest son of Osama bin Laden is in Iran.
  • Bush Highlights U.S. Defenses Against Terrorism in Radio Address Washington File 15 Feb 2003 -- President Bush said that, in response to the nation's heightened terrorist alert, "our government at every level is responding to this threat, working to track down every lead and standing watch 24 hours a day against terrorism."
  • U.S. Issues National Strategy to Protect Cyberspace Washington File 15 Feb 2003 -- The White House has issued a National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, which identifies steps that government, private companies, and individuals can take to protect the information infrastructure -- collectively labeled cyberspace -- that is critical to the security and well-being of the United States.
  • Bush Highlights U.S. Defenses Against Terrorism in Radio Address Washington File 15 Feb 2003 -- President Bush said that, in response to the nation's heightened terrorist alert, "our government at every level is responding to this threat, working to track down every lead and standing watch 24 hours a day against terrorism."
  • White House Issues Report on Cyberspace Security Washington File 15 Feb 2003 -- The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace and the National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets will help us protect America from those who would do us harm, whether through physical destruction or by attacking our infrastructures through cyberspace.
  • CQ BUSH/HOMELAND SECURITY VOA 15 Feb 2003 -- President Bush Saturday sought to calm the nerves of a nation on "high" alert for a possible terrorist attack. Congressional Democrats say the president is not doing enough to help local authorities prepare for a another attack.
  • BAHRAIN/TERRORISM VOA 15 Feb 2003 -- Authorities in Bahrain have arrested five men on suspicion of plotting terrorist attacks in the Gulf state.
  • President Bush Pledges To Rout Terrorism "Wherever It Exists" Washington File 14 Feb 2003 -- Coinciding with the February 14 release of his new National Strategy for Combating Terrorism, President Bush vowed to rout terrorism wherever it exists and build "a safer, better world of greater opportunity and freedom for all peoples."
  • Fact Sheet: New Terrorist Threat Integration Center Will Open May 1 Washington File 14 Feb 2003 -- President Bush announced plans on February 14 to launch a new Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC) on May 1 to "better protect America by strengthening counterterrorism intelligence."
  • U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy Will Enhance National Security Washington File 14 Feb 2003 -- The U.S. strategy for battling terrorism requires direct and continuous action against terrorist organizations to initially disrupt them, over time degrade them, and ultimately to destroy them, according to President Bush's new National Strategy for Combating Terrorism.
  • Senior Official Says "Breathtaking" Gains Made in Counterterrorism Washington File 14 Feb 2003 -- The National Strategy for Combating Terrorism unveiled February 14 is "a companion piece" to the national strategies on weapons of mass destruction and homeland security already announced by the Bush administration, a senior administration official says.
  • Bush Says Winning War On Terror Requires Perseverance, Coordination Washington File 14 Feb 2003 -- President Bush says both perseverance and determination are essential in the ongoing global war against terrorism.
  • Bush Pushes Threat Integration Center, Praises Intel Pros AFPS 14 Feb 2003 -- The United States is winning the war on terrorism, in part, because intelligence efforts span the federal bureaucracy and link to the world.
  • THE U-S TAKES SIDES IN COLOMBIA'S WAR VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- Since January, U-S Special Forces have been in Colombia on a new counter insurgency training mission. The training aims to improve the Colombian troops' ability to fight the various factions involved in the South American nation's civil conflict. For several years, the U-S military has been working with Colombian troops on anti-narcotic efforts, but this is the first time U-S troops have trained government troops for action in Colombia's long-simmering war.
  • U-S/TERROR THREAT VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- Bush administration officials from the president on down sought to reassure Americans Friday that they are doing everything possible to prevent another terrorist attack. National Correspondent Jim Malone has the latest on efforts to calm a jittery public.
  • INDONESIA/AMROZI PROSECUTION VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- Indonesian police have handed over nearly two-thousand pages of evidence against a key suspect in last October's terrorist bomb attack on Bali. The man's trial is expected to start in the coming weeks.
  • COLOMBIA/BOMBS VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- An explosion in Colombia has killed at least 15 people and injured around 30 more in the southern city of Neiva, Friday. This is only the latest violent incident authorities are blaming on leftist rebels.
  • AUSTRALIA TERROR KIT VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- Australian households have started receiving government kits offering tips on how to identify suspicious behavior and survive a terrorist attack. Some citizens applaud the government efforts, others believe they are causing unnecessary expense and alarm.
  • THE AL-QAIDA-IRAQ NEXUS VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- The Al-Jazeera television network broadcast an audio tape, purportedly from Osama bin Laden, calling on Iraqis to mount suicide attacks against the United States. U-S officials said the tape demonstrated a burgeoning alliance between the al-Qaida terrorist network and the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein.
  • FRIST/TERRORISM VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- U-S Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, the chamber's only medical doctor, sought Friday to ease a nation nervous about potential terrorist attacks. He offered suggestions on how Americans can keep fear from paralyzing their lives.
  • Strategies for Securing Cyberspace and Protection of Infrastructure Released White House 14 Feb 2003 -- The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace and the National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets will help us protect America from those who would do us harm, whether through physical destruction or by attacking our infrastructures through cyberspace.
  • MADAGASCAR: US boat donation to counter terror threats IRIN 13 Feb 2003 -- A recent US donation of seven patrol lifeboats to Madagascar was expected to improve the security of the island's coastline, officials said on Thursday.
  • OAS Condemns February 7 FARC Bombing in Colombia Washington File 13 Feb 2003 -- The Organization of American States (OAS) has condemned the February 7 bombing by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) of a Colombian nightclub as a "despicable terrorist attack."
  • U.S. Backs Efforts by Muslim, Arab Nations to Build Safer, Better World Washington File 13 Feb 2003 -- President Bush's deputy national security advisor Stephen J. Hadley has outlined the efforts by the Bush administration to build a safer and better world, particularly in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Iraq.
  • Evans Outlines Importance of Economic Inclusion in Combating Terrorism Washington File 13 Feb 2003 -- Freedom, free enterprise and democratic capitalism are the solutions to the poverty that provides fertile ground for terrorist recruitment, according to Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans.
  • U.S. Envoy Praises Czechs as "Stalwart Allies" in Anti-terror Fight Washington File 13 Feb 2003 -- The United States counts the Czech Republic "among the most stalwart allies in the war against terrorism," U.S. Ambassador Craig Roberts Stapleton said February 13 in a speech on U.S.-Czech relations at the Institute of International Relations in Prague.
  • Large Drug Seizure by Coast Guard COAST GUARD NEWS 13 Feb 2003 -- Gulf of Tehuantepec, Eastern Pacific Ocean -- The 378-foot Coast Guard Cutter Rush, home-ported in Honolulu, Hawaii with a San Francisco-based Coast Guard helicopter crew, seized three tons of cocaine and detained four men from a "go-fast" boat Wednesday, Feb. 5.
  • Security Council strongly condemns recent terrorist bomb attack in Colombia UN News Centre 13 Feb 2003 -- The United Nations Security Council today strongly condemned last weekend's bomb attack in Bogotá, Colombia, saying that it regards such acts, like any act of terrorism, as a threat to international peace and security.
  • CONGRESS/BUDGET VOA 13 Feb 2003 -- The House of Representatives has approved (by a vote 338 to 83) a massive budget bill to fund government operations and provide foreign assistance. The bill was the subject of intense debate between Democrats and Republicans.
  • INDONESIA-IRAQ/TERRORISM VOA 13 Feb 2003 -- Indonesians, like Muslims around the world, are (have been) celebrating Eid-al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, and Indonesian police have taken steps to deter possible unrest or acts of terror during the holiday which marks the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Some analysts say authorities in Indonesia should be especially wary of a possible increase in terrorism if there is a war with Iraq.
  • BIN LADEN TAPE VOA 13 Feb 2003 -- As the debate on a war with Iraq continues to heat up, fueled by a dispute over the timing in NATO, an unwelcome voice from another conflict has reappeared. And Osama bin Laden has broadcast an appeal for Muslims worldwide to aid their Iraqi brothers and sisters in any attack by the west.
  • U-S TERROR THREAT VOA 13 Feb 2003 -- Police presence is up around the United States following last week's decision to raise the terrorist threat alert level from elevated to high. The increase in security has also heightened public anxiety.
  • LEAVITT/BIN LADEN VOA 13 Feb 2003 -- An audiotape broadcast Tuesday on Al-Jazeera Arab television calls on Muslims to support Iraq in the event of a war and for suicide attacks against the United States. Matthew Leavitt, senior fellow on terrorism studies at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, talked about the tape, that is said to be the voice of Osama bin Laden.
  • BRITAIN-AIRPORT ARRESTS VOA 13 Feb 2003 -- Three arrests have been made on the third day of Britain's huge security clampdown at airports around the country.
  • EDITORIAL: HAMAS THREAT VOA 13 Feb 2003 -- A leader of the terrorist group Hamas has issued a threat against the United States and other Western countries. If the U.S. and its allies take action to force Iraq to eliminate its weapons of mass destruction, said Sheik Ahmed Yassin [shake AH-mehd yah-SEEN], "Muslims should threaten Western interests and strike them everywhere." Sheik Yassin, the so-called "spiritual leader" of Hamas, made the threat in a letter released to reporters on February 7th. He falsely claimed that any military action against the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq would be "a Crusaders' war" against Islam by "the envious West and the U.S. first among them."
  • White House Announces Anti-Drug Strategy Washington File 12 Feb 2003 -- The White House Office on National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) rolled out the Bush administration's plan for countering drug trafficking and substance abuse February 12. The top priorities identified in an ONDCP press release are stopping substance abuse before it starts, healing the nation's drug abusers and disrupting the profit flow in drug trafficking.
  • Officials Warn of Risk of Increased Computer Hacking AFPS 12 Feb 2003 -- Increased tensions between America and her allies and Iraq could lead to an increase in "global hacking activities," the government body dedicated to protecting the nation's infrastructure warned.
  • BRIT-TERROR THREAT VOA 12 Feb 2003 -- For the second day, Britain remains on an extremely high terrorist alert. Police and soldiers are patrolling the country's main airports and roads along nearby flight paths, as well as other key potential economic and symbolic targets.
  • AUSTRALIA FOREIGN POLICY VOA 12 Feb 2003 -- Australia has unveiled its new foreign policy objectives, which warn that its citizens have become targets for international terrorism. The policy says the country's participation in the war against terrorism and closer cooperation with its Asian neighbors are key to long-term security.
  • LIVINGSTONE-BIN LADEN VOA 12 Feb 2003 -- Al-Jazeera television late Tuesday broadcast an audiotape attributed to al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. In it...the voice calls for Muslims around the world to demonstrate solidarity with Iraq and says anyone cooperating with the United States against Iraq is hostile to Islam.
  • U-S ATTACK WARNINGS VOA 12 Feb 2003 -- Against the backdrop of a new, threatening message from Osama bin Laden, the American people are preparing for violence. The newly created cabinet office of Homeland Security has urged people to buy plastic sheeting and tape to seal off a room in their house. It would be used as a safe haven in the event of a chemical or biological attack.
  • U-S TERROR THREAT VOA 12 Feb 2003 -- New warnings of terrorist threats and the prospect of war with Iraq have put many Americans on edge.
  • CONGRESS/TENET VOA 12 Feb 2003 -- U-S intelligence officials say they are still analyzing the audio tape, believed to have been recorded by (al-Qaida terrorist leader) Osama bin Laden. C-I-A Director George Tenet and another top official, testified for a second day before a congressional panel.
  • PENTAGON/RUMSFELD VOA 12 Feb 2003 -- The U-S military has again stepped up air defenses around Washington as a deterrent to possible terrorist attack. The moves comes as the build-up of U-S forces in the Gulf region for a possible war with Iraq gathers momentum.
  • Iraq, Al-Qaeda "Bound By A Common Hatred," Says Boucher Washington File 11 Feb 2003 -- State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said the audiotape believed to be Osama bin Laden that was aired February 11 by the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera network supports U.S. allegations of links between the al-Qaeda network and Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
  • Powell Budget Remarks Focus on Anti-Terror Campaign Washington File 11 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell told a Senate panel February 11 that containment efforts are not sufficient to disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction and will not prevent such weapons from falling into the hands of al-Qaida and other non-state terrorist organizations.
  • Mueller Says Al-Qaeda Threat Still Strong, Far From Defeated Washington File 11 Feb 2003 -- FBI Director Robert Mueller told a Senate committee February 11 that the United States and its allies have inflicted a series of significant defeats on al-Qaeda and its global terrorist network, here and abroad, "but the terrorist enemy ... is far from defeated."
  • Text: Tenet Says Terror Threat Information "Most Specific We Have Seen" Washington File 11 Feb 2003 -- CIA Director George Tenet says the United States raised its terrorist threat advisory to the second highest level because of multiple intelligence reports that are "the most specific we have seen," warning of potential terrorist attacks in the United States and on the Arabian peninsula from groups with strong al Qaeda ties.
  • CIA Chief Tenet: Threat Info 'Most Specific to Date' AFPS 11 Feb 2003 -- The information that prompted national security leaders to raise the nationwide threat level to "high" last week is the "most specific we have seen," Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet said today.
  • Powell: Bin Laden to Transmit Message to Iraqi People AFPS 11 Feb 2003 -- Osama bin Laden -- or someone "we believe to be bin Laden" -- will be sending a message of solidarity to the people of Iraq, Secretary of State Colin Powell advised the Senate this morning.
  • U-S-REACT/BIN LADEN VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- U-S State Department says the tape attributed to Osama bin Laden and aired Tuesday by the al-Jazeera Arab television network confirms the link between the al-Qaida terror network and Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
  • PARCHINI-TERRORISM VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- C-I-A Director George Tenet has warned of the threat of terrorist attacks against targets on U-S soil or on the Arabian peninsula as early as this week. Mr. Tenet told a U-S Senate committee Tuesday that the threat includes suspected al-Qaida plots to use so-called radioactive "dirty bombs," as well as poisons and chemicals. He attributed information about the threats to specific intelligence -- not just idle chatter. News Now's Rebecca Ward asked terrorism expert John Parachini (par-uh-KEE-nee) of the Rand Corporation just what Mr. Tenet meant when he said "specific intelligence."
  • CONGRESS/TERROR THREATS VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- The directors of the C-I-A and F-B-I say the al-Qaida terrorist organization remains a serious threat to the United States. C-I-A Director George Tenet, and F-B-I Director Robert Mueller, appeared before a congressional panel.
  • BALI SUSPECT SPEAKS VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- A key suspect has admitted taking part in the terrorist bombing on Indonesia's island of Bali and says the attack was intended to kill Americans. Ali Imron also says the bombers were not helped by any outside organization.
  • OSAMA BIN LADEN/IRAQ VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- A tape purportedly recorded by al-Qaida terror leader Osama bin Laden was broadcast Tuesday night on the al-Jazeera Arab satellite station calling for Muslims to support Iraq in the event of war with the United States.
  • Powell/Iraq/Terror VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says he has seen a transcript of a new message, apparently from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, speaking of a "partnership" between his terror organization and Iraq. He says it underscores the need to deal "once and for all" with Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction.
  • Ashcroft Says Information Sharing Vital to Battling Terrorism Washington File 10 Feb 2003 -- Attorney General John Ashcroft says a coalition of 90 nations have come together in the fight against global terrorism to support freedom, the rule of law and shared values.
  • Global Alliance Now Fighting Terrorism, Ashcroft Says Washington File 10 Feb 2003 -- Cooperation, coordination and collaboration between the United States and the global alliance combating terrorism has been invaluable and aggressive in using every means available -- from traditional law enforcement methods to exhaustive intelligence gathering, says U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.
  • Qatar Support in Terror War Called "Outstanding" Washington File 10 Feb 2003 -- State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher praised Qatar's support in the war on terrorism and denied allegations accusing the royal family of harboring terrorists.
  • MUSLIM CHARITY VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- The head of an Islamic charity in the mid-west state of Illinois pleaded guilty Monday to illegally helping Muslim fighters in Chechnya and Bosnia.
  • THAILAND BURMA VOA 09 Feb 2003 -- Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived in northern Burma Sunday for two days of talks on strengthening cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking along their common border.
  • Text: Bush Condemns Bombing of Bogota Nightclub as Terrorist Act Washington File 08 Feb 2003 -- President Bush condemned the February 7 bombing of a nightclub in Bogota, Colombia as a "barbaric act of terrorism" and offered his condolences to President Uribe and the people of Colombia.
  • U.S. Upgrades Terrorist Threat Warning to Second Highest Level Washington File 07 Feb 2003 -- The United States raised its terrorist threat alert to the second-highest level -- code orange -- based on significant intelligence reports warning of a "high risk" of a terrorist attack from the international terrorist group al-Qaeda, Attorney General John Ashcroft and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said February 7.
  • Terrorism Threat Condition Designation Elevated Washington File 07 Feb 2003 -- ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: Good afternoon. The United States government continuously reviews intelligence reporting to assess the current threat condition designation and to determine whether or not it should be adjusted.
  • Under Secretary Aldridge Briefing on Acquisition Programs and TIA Department of Defense 07 Feb 2003 -- will first address some actions we've taken to modify our operation of the Total Information Awareness project being undertaken by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). As you know, TIA, as we call it, is a project to demonstrate information technologies that can be used as tools to prevent future terrorist acts anywhere in the world. There have been some concerns expressed regarding the protection of the privacy of individuals, and to address those concerns, we're establishing two oversight functions.
  • TOTAL INFORMATION AWARENESS (TIA) UPDATE Department of Defense 07 Feb 2003 -- The Department of Defense will establish two boards to provide oversight of the Total Information Awareness Project, the program designed to develop tools to track terrorists. The two boards, an internal oversight board and an outside advisory committee, will work with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), as it continues its research. These boards will help ensure that TIA develops and disseminates its products to track terrorists in a manner consistent with U.S. constitutional law, U.S. statutory law, and American values related to privacy.
  • Boards to Oversee Total Information Awareness Program AFPS 07 Feb 2003 -- Two boards will oversee the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency's Total Information Awareness program, said Pete Aldridge, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, today.
  • BRITAIN/ASYLUM VOA 07 Feb 2003 -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair says he wants to reduce by half the number of people seeking asylum in Britain. This comes after recent arrests of failed asylum-seekers in police anti-terrorist raids.
  • EDITORIAL: IRAQ'S AL-QAIDA CONNECTION VOA 07 Feb 2003 -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told the United Nations Security Council, "Iraq and terrorism go back decades." Potentially most sinister, Secretary of State Powell warned, is the "nexus between Iraq and the al-Qaida terrorist network."
  • N-Y/SECURITY VOA 07 Feb 2003 -- New York has heightened its security at public places, including the subway, in response to Washington's decision to raise the state of alert to high. New York officials are urging people to go about their business as usual and let law enforcement officials worry.
  • NATIONAL THREAT/LEVEL RAISED VOA 07 Feb 2003 -- The Bush administration has raised the nation's terrorist alert status from 'elevated' to 'high' risk. The government is warning citizens of an increasing likelihood of another attack by the al-Qaida network both inside the country and abroad.
  • EDITORIAL: TERRORIST ARRESTS WORLDWIDE VOA 07 Feb 2003 -- As President George W. Bush said, no matter how long it takes, the United States and its allies will bring terrorists to justice. That effort continues around the world.
  • HONG KONG SUITCASE SMUGGLER VOA 07 Feb 2003 -- Smugglers trying to bring illegal immigrants from South Asia into Hong Kong have begun cramming their human cargo into large suitcases. Smugglers have been rolling the suitcases into Hong Kong at busy border crossing points from mainland China.
  • EDITORIAL: STATE OF THE UNION AGAINST TERROR VOA 06 Feb 2003 -- The United States, said President George W. Bush in his State of the Union message, "is leading the world in confronting and defeating the man-made evil of international terrorism
  • Text: Drug Treatment Professionals Praise Bush Rehabilitation Plan Washington File 06 Feb 2003 -- Drug treatment organizations are praising the new Bush administration plan to devote $600 million next year to rehabilitation programs aimed at helping 300,000 people with substance abuse problems.
  • Text: Treasury Department Adds to List of Narcotics Traffickers Washington File 06 Feb 2003 -- On February 5, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added 59 businesses and 78 individuals linked to Colombia's Cali drug cartel to its list of Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers (SDNTs), according to a press release issued February 6 by Treasury Department.
  • Secretary-General reappoints expert group monitoring Al-Qaida sanctions UN News Centre 06 Feb 2003 -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today reappointed for another year, the five experts monitoring implementation of UN sanctions imposed on Al-Qaida and their associates.
  • BRITAIN/TERRORISM VOA 06 Feb 2003 -- British police have arrested seven more suspects in their latest anti-terrorist sweep.
  • Defense Official Says Terror War is Not "Between Civilizations" Washington File 05 Feb 2003 -- Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Peter Rodman, leading an American delegation to Morocco, said the war against terrorism pits all civilized nations against "a very virulent form of extremism which threatens all of us."
  • WEST VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE, AND MICHIGAN CIVIL SUPPORT TEAMS CERTIFIED DefenseLink 05 Feb 2003 -- The Department of Defense notified Congress today that Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams (WMD-CST) from the West Virginia, Tennessee, and Michigan National Guard are now certified. These teams are fully ready to assist civil authorities respond to a domestic weapon of mass destruction incident, and possesses the requisite skills, training and equipment to be proficient in all mission requirements.
  • EDITORIAL: CHENEY ON WAR ON TERRORISM VOA 05 Feb 2003 -- Speaking about the global war on terrorism, Vice President Dick Cheney said, "We are defending both ourselves and the safety and survival of civilization." Today, the U.S. leads a worldwide coalition that is sharing intelligence, hunting down terrorists, and freezing the assets of terrorist groups and front organizations. Al-Qaida has been deprived of its stronghold in Afghanistan. The U.S. and its allies have captured or killed leading al-Qaida terrorists and have disrupted their chain of command.
  • EDITORIAL: LASHKAR-E-JHANGVI ON TERROR LIST VOA 05 Feb 2003 -- Lashkar-e-Jhangvi [LASH-kah-ah-jan-GHEE] has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. The extremist Sunni Muslim group is based in Pakistan. It was involved in the January 2002 kidnapping and killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has long targeted Pakistani Shia Muslims. More recently, it claimed responsibility for the 1997 killing of four American oil workers in Karachi. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi also attempted to assassinate then-Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999.
  • THAILAND/DRUG WAR VOA 04 Feb 2003 -- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has declared a special three-month campaign to rid Thailand of illegal narcotics, especially amphetamines. Some people fear human rights abuses as Thai police turn to extra-judicial measures to carry out the campaign.
  • LONDON/MOSQUE EVICT VOA 04 Feb 2003 -- British authorities have removed a controversial Muslim cleric from his position as head of a London mosque. Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Masri, was accused of making inflammatory remarks.
  • President Discusses Measures to Protect the Homeland from Bioterrorism WhiteHouse 03 Feb 2003 -- Thanks for that warm welcome. It's a delight to be here at the National Institutes of Health, a center of excellence, a center of the brilliance of the American people. It is a place where so many good people do work every day to help save lives. And we're thankful for that. America is really proud of what you do here. NIH is a great credit to America.
  • Project BioShield WhiteHouse 03 Feb 2003 -- TODAY'S PRESIDENTIAL ACTION In his State of the Union Address, President Bush announced Project BioShield -- a comprehensive effort to develop and make available modern, effective drugs and vaccines to protect against attack by biological and chemical weapons or other dangerous pathogens. Project BioShield will: o Ensure that resources are available to pay for "next-generation" medical countermeasures. Project BioShield will allow the government to buy improved vaccines or drugs for smallpox, anthrax, and botulinum toxin. Use of this authority is currently estimated to be $6 billion over ten years. Funds would also be available to buy countermeasures to protect against other dangerous pathogens, such as Ebola and plague, as soon as scientists verify the safety and effectiveness of these products.
  • Bush Outlines 10-Year Plan to Counter Biological Weapons Washington File 03 Feb 2003 -- President Bush told scientists at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland February 3 that he has asked the U.S. Congress to approve a $6 billion, 10-year program to make available safer and more effective vaccines and treatments against agents like smallpox, anthrax, botulinum toxin, e-bola and plague.
  • Afghanistan Improves Performance in International Anti-Drug Cooperation Washington File 03 Feb 2003 -- Afghanistan improved its cooperation with international counternarcotics agreements in 2002, according to the annual narcotics certification process unveiled January 31 by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) of the Department of State.
  • Report Says Burma, Guatemala, Haiti Not Strong Fighters in Drug Wars Washington File 03 Feb 2003 -- The Bush administration has determined that Burma, Guatemala and Haiti have "failed demonstrably" over the last year to do what is necessary to counter international narcotics trafficking. President Bush sent that report to Congress January 31, based on a recommendation from the Secretary of State. He did so in compliance with a law that requires the administration to ascertain annually how well countries are doing in complying with international counternarcotics agreements.
  • WHO Warns of Food Supply Vulnerability to Terrorism Washington File 03 Feb 2003 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging nations to develop better safeguards to ensure that food supplies don't become the next instrument of a terrorist attack. In a January 30 press release, WHO announced that it has published new guidance for governments to use to establish prevention, surveillance and response capacities.
  • Redesign Aims to Maintain Confidence in U.S. Currency Washington File 03 Feb 2003 -- The Treasury Department plans to introduce "significant changes" in the appearance of the dollar at least every seven or eight years as part of an intensified campaign to stop the counterfeiting of U.S. notes, Under Secretary of the Treasury Peter Fisher says.
  • Bush Requests Money to Sustain War on Terrorism in FY 2004 Washington File 03 Feb 2003 -- President Bush has proposed a 4.1-percent increase in government spending in the fiscal year beginning October 1 (FY 2004), with most of the increase intended to support the continuation of the war against terrorism and improvements in homeland security.
  • Bush Plans Protections Against Chemical, Biological Weapons Washington File 03 Feb 2003 -- President Bush outlined details of a new government initiative to accelerate the development of drugs and vaccines to protect and treat the U.S. population in the event of a chemical or biological weapons attack.
  • Bush Seeks More Funds to Combat Terrorist Financing Washington File 03 Feb 2003 -- The Bush administration's proposed budget for fiscal year 2004 (FY2004) includes additional funding for programs that combat money laundering and terrorist financing, the Treasury Department says.
  • Bush Seeks 7.4 Percent Increase in Homeland Security FY 2004 Budget Washington File 03 Feb 2003 -- President Bush is asking Congress to increase the Department of Homeland Security's spending by 7.4 percent to $36,200 million in the fiscal year 2004 (FY 04) federal budget.
  • Bush Budget Request Includes $6 Billion for Project BioShield AFPS 03 Feb 2003 -- President Bush's fiscal 2004 budget request includes $6 billion for Project BioShield, a plan to quickly make available safer and more effective vaccines and treatments against biological agents such as smallpox, anthrax, botulinum toxin, ebola and plague.
  • BUDGET/HOMELAND SECURITY VOA 04 Feb 2003 -- President George Bush has earmarked more than 41 point three billion dollars to support efforts to fight terrorism in his budget plan for 2004. A substantial amount goes to the newly-created Department of Homeland Security Agency.
  • PRESS BRIEFING ON AFGHAN OPIUM ECONOMY BY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME United Nations 03 Feb 2003
  • INDONESIA BLAST VOA 03 Feb 2003 -- Police in Indonesia say a blast at their national headquarters early Monday was caused by explosives, but no injuries were reported. As Patricia Nunan reports from Jakarta, authorities have no suspects yet, but the attack comes after the national police chief fingered a high-profile terrorist group in the October's Bali bombing.
  • AFGHANISTAN/OPIUM VOA 03 Feb 2003 -- A United Nations study shows that opium production in Afghanistan -- once limited to export -- is now leading to domestic addiction and fueling the spread of the H-i-V virus.
  • INDONESIA SINGAPORE TERRORIST VOA 03 Feb 2003 -- Indonesian police arrest a man they say is the Singaporean head of the regional militant group Jemaah Islamiyah. Authorities say Mas Selamat Kastari is behind a failed plot to fly a hijacked plane into Singapore's Changi International Airport.
  • ITALY/TERRORISM VOA 01 Feb 2003 -- Italian police are thoroughly searching an apartment building in the city of Naples, where 28 Pakistanis were arrested Thursday and charged with terrorist activities. Police say they have found evidence the men may have been targeting a top British military official.



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