February 2008 Security News

Guard Team Responds to Toxic Ricin in Vegas Army News 29 Feb 2008 -- A National Guard Civil Support Team (CST) was on scene within an hour Thursday evening after Las Vegas authorities sought help with a suspicious substance that later turned out to be deadly ricin.
Charges Referred Against Detainee al Darbi 29 Feb 2008 -- The Defense Department announced today that charges have been referred against Guantanamo detainee Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Haza al Darbi of Saudi Arabia.
US Report Faults Anti-Drug Efforts of Venezuela, Burma VOA 29 Feb 2008 -- A U.S. State Department report Friday said Colombia and Afghanistan remain the world's biggest producers of illicit cocaine and opium
Think Tank Calls for Monitoring of Regional Terror Group's Publishing Business VOA 29 Feb 2008 -- An international research organization is calling on the Indonesian government to monitor the publishing arm of Jemaah Islamiyah, the group blamed for the Bali bombings and other terrorist attacks in Indonesia
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 29 February 2008 [PDF]
UN Panel Reviews Security Before Algiers Bombing VOA 28 Feb 2008 -- The head of an independent panel reviewing security at U.N. facilities around the world says members will look at existing U.N. security measures, in addition to reviewing measures in place in the lead-up to the December bombing of a U.N. building in Algeria that killed 17 staff members.
US Sanctions Four Syrians for Helping Iraq Terrorists VOA 28 Feb 2008 -- The United States Thursday imposed sanctions against four Syrians accused of helping facilitate the flow of money, weapons and foreign fighters to the "al-Qaida in Iraq" group
Bush Urges US Congress to Pass Surveillance Bill VOA 28 Feb 2008 -- President Bush says the House of Representatives risks reopening a dangerous gap in intelligence gathering by failing to pass a law expanding warrantless surveillance
Norway, Sweden Arrest 6 on Suspicion of Financing Terrorist Organizations VOA 28 Feb 2008 -- Swedish and Norwegian police have arrested six people on suspicion of financing terrorist organizations, in coordinated raids in Stockholm and Oslo.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 28 February 2008 [PDF]
Al-Qaida's Zawahri Vows Revenge for Killing of Top Commander VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- Al-Qaida's number two leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, has vowed to avenge the killing of a top al-Qaida commander in Pakistan last month.
US Military Designates Afghan Journalist 'Unlawful Enemy Combatant' VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- The U.S. military says an Afghan journalist detained in Afghanistan for three months has been declared an "unlawful enemy combatant."
Backgrounder: The Evolution of Cyber Warfare cfr.org 27 Feb 2008
Analysis: The Privacy vs. Security Conundrum cfr.org 27 Feb 2008 -- The delicate balancing act of maintaining national security while preserving civil liberties seems to get more complicated with each new generation of information technology
China reports third bird flu fatality in a month RIA Novosti 27 Feb 2008 -- China's southern province of Guangdong has announced the death of a 44-year-old woman from bird flu, China's Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 27 February 2008 [PDF]
Charges Referred on Detainee al Bahlul 26 Feb 2008 -- The Defense Department announced today that three charges have been referred against Guantanamo detainee Ali Hamza Ahmad Suliman al Bahlul.
Background Briefing by Senior Administration Officials on FISA The White House 26 Feb 2008
Britain Convicts Terrorist Leader, 3 Followers VOA 26 Feb 2008 -- Britain has convicted four men of organizing or attending terrorism training camps, including a leader who called himself "Osama bin London."
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 26 February 2008 [PDF]
UK forces involved in rendition, says former SAS soldier IRNA 25 Feb 2008 -- British special forces are and have been used to detain suspects in Afghanistan and Iraq for extraordinary rendition to torture camps, a former member of the UK's elite SAS revealed Monday.
BANGLADESH: Poultry industry badly hit by bird flu IRIN 25 Feb 2008 -- Bangladesh's poultry industry is reeling from the impact of bird flu, with losses now exceeding US$80 million, a preliminary report has revealed.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 25 February 2008 [PDF]
US President Says Congress Must Act Now to Protect America VOA 23 Feb 2008 -- President Bush says Congress's failure to reauthorize a controversial wiretapping law is irresponsible
Boeing Receives Full Government Acceptance of SBInet Project 28 Border Security Solution Boeing 22 Feb 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] received full acceptance of its SBInet Project 28 (P28) border security prototype Thursday from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 22 February 2008 [PDF]
China reports second bird flu fatality in a month RIA Novosti 21 Feb 2008 -- A man died of the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain in southern China in the second confirmed case in a month, China's Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday.
China Reports Second Bird Flu Death in Less Than a Month VOA 21 Feb 2008 -- China's Health Ministry says a 41-year-old man from southern China has died of bird flu, the country's second death from the disease in less than a month.
Britain Reveals US Used British Territory for Rendition Flights VOA 21 Feb 2008 -- Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband has revealed that the United States used the British territory of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to transport terrorism suspects in 2002
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 21 February 2008 [PDF]
EADS Defence & Security selected for the TETRA COMDES radio network in the region of Valencia EADS 19 Feb 2008 -- EADS Secure Networks, an integrated line of Business of EADS Defence & Security (DS), will provide the TETRA infrastructure and the support to the operation start-up and will ensure the maintenance of the Network of Digital Mobile Communications for Emergency and Security in the Autonomous Community of Valencia, in Spain.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 20 February 2008 [PDF]
PAKISTAN: Bird flu resurfaces in northwest IRIN 19 Feb 2008 -- Just as Pakistan was beginning to heave a sigh of relief over the fact that the threat of avian flu, which had surfaced in the southern port city of Karachi early in February, had not grown into a full-scale crisis, the disease has resurfaced.
Philippine Military Finds Body Believed to Be Bali Bomber VOA 19 Feb 2008 -- The Philippine military says it has found what it believes to be the body of Dulmatin, an Indonesian militant wanted for the 2002 Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people
THAILAND: Building strong defences against bird flu IRIN 19 Feb 2008 -- As avian influenza continues to surface in poultry farms across northern Thailand, health officials say they are fully prepared
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 19 February 2008 [PDF]
China Says 22-Year Old Died of Bird Flu VOA 18 Feb 2008 -- China's Health Ministry says a 22-year old man from the central Chinese province of Hunan has died of bird flu.
Bush Administration Pressures for Surveillance Law VOA 17 Feb 2008 -- The Bush administration is keeping pressure on the U.S. Congress to reauthorize a domestic terrorist surveillance program involving communications between people in the United States and terror suspects abroad
Assassinated Hezbollah Terrorist Avoided Detection for Long Time VOA 15 Feb 2008 -- The assassination of a top operative for the Lebanon-based group Hezbollah was both a surprise and a puzzle for many people
BANGLADESH: More needs to be done to tackle bird flu IRIN 15 Feb 2008 -- With the latest outbreak of bird flu at two commercial poultry farms in Meherpur District, western Bangladesh, on 12 February, bird flu has now spread to 41 of the country's 64 districts.
UK "soft touch" for terrorists, defence institute warns IRNA 15 Feb 2008 -- The British government Friday rejected the main thrust of the report from the country's oldest defence institute that the UK was a soft touch for terrorists and "flabby" in contrast to the implacability of extremists.
Third death from bird flu in Vietnam since start of year RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2008 -- The Vietnamese Health Ministry reported on Friday the country's third death this year from the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu.
Key US Lawmakers Seek to Resolve Standoff Over Wiretap Bill VOA 15 Feb 2008 -- The chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee is to meet with his House counterpart Friday to try to resolve the political standoff over legislation to overhaul wiretapping legislation before current law expires Saturday
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 15 February 2008 [PDF]
Bazzi: Who Killed Imad Mugniyah? cfr.org 14 Feb 2008
Analysis: A Bomb in Damascus cfr.org 14 Feb 2008 -- The November 2007 Annapolis summit, which aimed to breathe life into the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, put Syria back on the diplomatic map
Straw denies deal with Libya over convicted Lockerbie bomber IRNA 14 Feb 2008 -- Justice Secretary Jack Straw Thursday denied that last year's prisoner-transfer agreement signed with Libya was part of a wider deal over the release Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, convicted over the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
Pilot wrongly accused over 9/11 can claim damages IRNA 14 Feb 2008 -- An Algerian pilot wrongly accused of training the 9/11 hijackers is entitled to claim damages, the Court of Appeal in London ruled Thursday.
Bird flu claims second life in Vietnam since start of year RIA Novosti 14 Feb 2008 -- A man has died in Vietnam of the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu, the local Thanh Nien daily said on Thursday, citing the country's health ministry.
British Court Rules 9/11 Suspect Can Claim Damages VOA 14 Feb 2008 -- Britain's Court of Appeal has ruled an Algerian pilot wrongly accused of training the 9/11 hijackers is entitled to claim damages
British Court Throws Out Convictions of Five Muslims VOA 13 Feb 2008 -- In a Landmark decision, a three judge Court of Appeal panel, headed by the country's most senior judge, overturned Wednesday the convictions of five young British Muslim men who were jailed last July for having obtained information on terrorism from the internet
Democrats Suffer Defeat in House on US Foreign Intelligence Measure VOA 14 Feb 2008 -- In a blow to Democrats, the House of Representatives has voted to reject a measure that would have extended existing foreign intelligence surveillance legislation by three weeks
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 14 February 2008 [PDF]
US Senate Vote Bans CIA from Waterboarding VOA 13 Feb 2008 -- The U.S. Senate has defied a veto threat from President Bush and approved legislation that would prohibit intelligence agencies from using extreme interrogation techniques, including waterboarding
Officials delay basing decision for Air Force Cyber Command AFPN 13 Feb 2008 -- The decision for the final location of the Air Force Cyber Command was expected to be finalized before the official Oct. 1 stand up of the command, but Air Force leaders now say it will not be made until closer to the end of the year.
Backgrounder: Profile: Imad Mugniyah cfr.org 13 Feb 2008
Five British Muslim students win terror appeal IRNA 13 Feb 2008 -- The Court of Appeal in London Wednesday quashed the convictions of five young Muslim men jailed for downloading extremist literature.
Hezbollah says top commander killed by Israel's Mossad RIA Novosti 13 Feb 2008 -- Hezbollah has blamed Israel's secret service for the death on Wednesday of one the Lebanese radical group's top commanders, implicated in several attacks on U.S. and Israeli targets.
Indonesia reports 127th case of bird flu RIA Novosti 13 Feb 2008 -- Indonesia's health ministry confirmed that a 14 year-old girl from west Jakarta has contracted bird flu, the nation's 127th case of the disease, the national ANTARA news agency said on Wednesday.
Hezbollah Announces Killing of Top Agent, Imad Mughniyeh VOA 13 Feb 2008 -- Lebanon's pro-Iranian Hezbollah guerilla group is accusing Israel in the car bomb explosion in Damascus, overnight, that killed Hezbollah terrorist Imad Mugniyah - wanted in dozens of terror attacks Lebanon and elsewhere
Israel Denies Involvement in Hezbollah Leader's Death VOA 13 Feb 2008 -- Officials in Israel say they are not responsible for the bombing that killed Imad Mughniyeh, a senior Hezbollah leader involved in terrorist attacks against Israel and the West for three decades
Bush Presses Lawmakers to Approve Controversial Anti-Terror Bill VOA 13 Feb 2008 -- President Bush is pressing the U.S. House of Representatives to act quickly to renew controversial legislation that allows U.S. intelligence agents to monitor suspected terrorist communications without a court warrant
Opinion: Interrogation Experts Call for Senate to require Adherence to Army Field Manual 13 Feb 2008
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 13 February 2008 [PDF]
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION AWARDS LOCKHEED MARTIN NEXT GENERATION IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM Lockheed Martin 12 Feb 2008 -- NGI to Transform FBI's Primary Law Enforcement, Criminal History and Information Sharing System
Guard Joins Fight against Virginia Wildfires Army News 12 Feb 2008 -- More than 120 Virginia National Guard Soldiers went on state active duty Feb. 11 to join in the commonwealth's battle against wildfires raging throughout the state.
43 Retired Generals and Admirals to U.S. Senate: Require Single Standard for Interrogations 12 Feb 2008 -- "As retired military leaders of the U.S. Armed Forces, we write to express our strong support for Section 327 of the Conference Report on the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, H.R. 2082. Section 327 would require intelligence agents of the U.S. government to adhere to the standards of prisoner treatment and interrogation contained in the U.S. Army Field Manual on Human Collector Operations (the Army Field Manual)."
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 12 February 2008 [PDF]
Raytheon Awarded $179 Million Add-On to U.K. e-Borders Contract Raytheon 11 Feb 2008 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has signed an addendum to the e-Borders contract it won in November 2007
Guard Responds to Storms across Nation Army News 11 Feb 2008 -- Nearly 300 members of the National Guard responded to call-ups from governors in seven states for emergency assistance during the first week in February after tornados and severe thunderstorms leveled communities in the South and snowstorms left residents without power and motorists stranded in the West.
Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Brig. Gen. Hartmann from the Pentagon 11 Feb 2008 -- Presenter: Legal Advisor to the Convening Authority in the DoD Office Of Military Commissions Brig. Gen. Thomas Hartmann
Defense Department Seeks Death Penalty for Six Guantanamo Bay Detainees AFPS 11 Feb 2008 -- The Defense Department announced today it has sworn criminal charges and is seeking the death penalty against six detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Virginia Wildfires Bring Out More Guard Responders AFPS 11 Feb 2008 -- Fighting wildfires in Virginia became the newest mission for members of the National Guard, who were dealing with many domestic emergencies as the new week began.
US Seeks Death Penalty for Six Guantanamo 9/11 Suspects VOA 11 Feb 2008 -- The U.S. Defense Department has charged six detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay detention center with murder and war crimes in connection with the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States
Sept. 11 Co-Conspirators Charged 11 Feb 2008 -- The Defense Department announced today that charges have been sworn against six detainees at Guantanamo, alleged to be responsible for the planning and execution of the attacks upon the United States of America which occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.
US Charges Six September 11 Suspects, Seeks Death Penalty VOA 11 Feb 2008 -- The U.S. government has announced murder and war crimes charges against six suspects in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 11 February 2008 [PDF]
US nears charging 6 in September 11 case IRNA 10 Feb 2008 -- Military prosecutors are in the final phases of preparing the first sweeping case against suspected conspirators in the plot that led to the deaths of nearly 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001, International Herald Tribune said.
Six Guantanamo Detainees May Face Charges in September 11 Attacks VOA 10 Feb 2008 -- U.S. officials say that as many as six detainees held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, may face charges as early as this week related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
US Military Chief: Terrorists Threat to US, Pakistan VOA 09 Feb 2008 -- U.S. Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says militants linked to the Taliban and al-Qaida have found safe haven in Pakistan and represent a threat to both the United States and Pakistan
Pakistan Denies US Claims of Bin Laden, Mullah Omar Whereabouts VOA 09 Feb 2008 -- Pakistan is dismissing an assertion by a U.S. official that the leaders of al-Qaida and the Taliban are operating out of that country's remote tribal areas.
Military Commissions Charges Referred 09 Feb 2008 -- The Office of Military Commissions announced today that three charges have been sworn against Guantanamo detainee Ali Hamza Ahmad Suliman al Bahlul.
Military Commissions Charges Referred 09 Feb 2008 -- The Defense Department has announced that charges were referred to a military commission in the case of Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi, aka "Abu Khobaib al Sudani," by the Convening Authority, Office of Military Commissions, Susan J. Crawford.
Scotland Yard Says Suicide Bomb Blast Killed Bhutto, Not Bullet VOA 08 Feb 2008 -- British investigators from Scotland Yard have concluded that former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed as the result of a suicide bomb blast and not an assassin's bullet
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 08 February 2008 [PDF]
Debate Over 'Waterboarding' Interrogation Technique Continues VOA 07 Feb 2008 -- Lawmakers pressed the U.S. attorney general on Thursday for more specifics about the legal justifications used by the Bush administration in authorizing the past use of the extreme interrogation technique known as waterboarding.
PAKISTAN: Barbecued chicken still popular despite bird flu scare IRIN 07 Feb 2008 -- As chicken meat slowly cooks over a smoke-belching barbeque at one of Karachi's popular and crowded barbecue eateries, it is clear neither the owner nor its customers seem that worried about the most recent bird flu scare.
Raytheon Delivers First Advanced SUV-Based Radiation Detection System Raytheon 07 Feb 2008 -- Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) Integrated Defense Systems delivered the first advanced sports utility vehicle-based radiation detection system to the Department of Homeland Security's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.
Russian research center testing human bird flu vaccine RIA Novosti 07 Feb 2008 -- A research center in Siberia is conducting the second phase of clinical trials for a human vaccine against the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, the center's deputy director said on Thursday.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 07 February 2008 [PDF]
Backgrounder: Pakistan's New Generation of Terrorists cfr.org 06 Feb 2008
Tellis: Pakistan's Mixed Record on Anti-Terrorism cfr.org 06 Feb 2008
Southern Tornadoes Bring out National Guard Army News 06 Feb 2008 -- More than 160 National Guard members turned out Wednesday to support tornado recovery missions in three of the states hit by a violent string of twisters Tuesday night.
Algerian Security Forces Arrest Militants Linked to Bombings VOA 06 Feb 2008 -- Algerian authorities have announced the arrest of at least five men suspected of a role in December double suicide car bombings in Algiers that killed 41 people, including at least 17 United Nations employees.
White House Defends CIA's Use of 'Waterboarding' Interrogation Technique VOA 06 Feb 2008 -- The White House is defending the use of the interrogation technique known as waterboarding in certain, rare circumstances when suspects are believed to have knowledge of an imminent threat.
BANGLADESH: Bird flu threatens poultry industry, livelihoods IRIN 06 Feb 2008 -- Bangladesh's poultry industry faces possible peril as bird flu spreads throughout the country: As of 5 February, H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks have been reported in 37 of the country's 64 districts.
Taliban, Al-Qaida Threaten Pakistan VOA 06 Feb 2008 -- Military and political analysts in Pakistan are expressing growing concern that al-Qaida and Taliban-linked insurgents are now emerging from their traditional strongholds along the border with Afghanistan and are becoming a serious threat to the entire country
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 06 February 2008 [PDF]
Ohio Guard First to Receive Bio Detection System Army News 05 Feb 2008 -- Soldiers from the 637th Chemical Company gathered Jan. 12 to display and demonstrate their newest weapon in the fight against terrorism - the Joint Biological Point Detection System.
Al Qaeda Remains Dangerous, Intel Chief Tells Senate AFPS 05 Feb 2008 -- Al Qaeda and its affiliates remain the most pressing terrorist threats to the United States and its allies, the nation's top intelligence official told the Senate Intelligence Committee today.
CIA Director Confirms Use of Waterboarding on Terror Suspects VOA 05 Feb 2008 -- The director of the Central Intelligence Agency has confirmed that his agency used the extreme interrogation technique known as waterboarding on three terrorism suspects nearly five years ago
US Intelligence Chief Warns of Continued Threat From al-Qaida VOA 05 Feb 2008 -- The top U.S. intelligence official says al-Qaida remains the chief security threat facing the United States
EGYPT: Bird flu infection rates down 40 percent since early 2008 - government IRIN 05 Feb 2008 -- Egypt's Supreme Committee to Combat Bird Flu - a government body - said on 2 February that infection rates among poultry in farms and in backyards had dropped by an average of 40 percent since the beginning of 2008, due to media campaigns and vaccination drives.
Indonesia's bird flu deaths hit 103 RIA Novosti 05 Feb 2008 -- An Indonesian woman died of bird flu over the weekend bringing the total death toll from the H5N1 virus in the Southeast Asian country to 103, the country's health ministry said.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 05 February 2008 [PDF]
USNORTHCOM Responds to Commission: Ready for Homeland Defense Army News 04 Feb 2008 -- U.S. Northern Command's primary mission is Homeland Defense, and its commander said Friday that USNORTHCOM stands ready to respond to any homeland-defense or civil-support mission requirement.
Five Terror Suspects Convicted in Failed London Bomb Plot VOA 05 Feb 2008 -- Five men on trial in Britain have been convicted of terrorist offenses for helping militants mount a failed suicide bombing operation in London.
PAKISTAN: Authorities begin taking action on bird-flu IRIN 04 Feb 2008 -- The avian flu epidemic that has swept across parts of neighbouring India has led Pakistan's Health Ministry to begin putting in place a number of preventative measures.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 04 February 2008 [PDF]
New bird flu outbreak reported in Turkey RIA Novosti 03 Feb 2008 -- A fresh, second outbreak of bird flu has been found in northern Turkey, the country's agriculture ministry said on Sunday.
Bird Flu spreads to India's Uttar Pradesh state IRNA 02 Feb 2008 -- In Uttar Pradesh the officials have culled thousands of chickens in Varanasi and Shahjahanpur district supplied from West Bengal.
Indian Officials Wrap up Efforts to Bring Bird Flu Under Control VOA 02 Feb 2008 -- Officials in eastern India say they are concluding efforts to bring the nation's worst outbreak of bird flu under control.
Top US Military Officer: Killing of Al-Qaida Commander Important in War on Terror VOA 02 Feb 2008 -- The top U.S. military officer says the missile strike that reportedly killed a key al-Qaida commander in northern Pakistan was a "very important" one in the war on terrorism.
Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Assistant Secretary McHale and Lt. Gen. Blum from the Pentagon 01 Feb 2008 -- Presenter: Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Paul McHale and Chief, National Guard Bureau Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum
Commission: Guard, Reserves Must Be 'Backbone' of Homeland Ops Army News 01 Feb 2008 -- The Department of Defense must improve its capabilities and readiness so the military can take a primary role in response to major catastrophes inside the United States, according to a report released to Congress Thursday.
Gunmen Attack Israeli Embassy in Mauritania VOA 01 Feb 2008 -- Suspected Islamic militants attacked the Israeli embassy in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, early Friday.
Al-Qaida Commander Killed in Pakistan VOA 01 Feb 2008 -- A leading al-Qaida operative apparently was among those killed in Pakistan recently by a missile reportedly launched from a U.S. military drone
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 01 February 2008 [PDF]

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February 2008 Security News