February 2013 Security News

New Components Reflect Northcom's Development AFPS 28 Feb 2013 -- Ten years after it was established in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, U.S. Northern Command is starting to look increasingly like other U.S. geographic combatant commands, with naval and special operations components formally added to its command structure during the past month.
Cyber Effort Under Way to Safeguard Infrastructure, Official Says AFPS 28 Feb 2013 -- The Defense Department continues to work toward transformation into a joint information environment with defense industry and interagency partners, a senior DOD official said.
US considering share of drone data with Algeria to target militants Iran Press TV 28 Feb 2013 -- The US ambassador to Algeria and top American "counterterrorism" officials have pressed the Obama administration to share drone surveillance data with Algerian security forces to facilitate the killing or capture of militants within and across their borders.
US lawmakers question Obama's drone policy Iran Press TV 28 Feb 2013 -- A number of US lawmakers have expressed concern about President Barack Obama's use of assassination drones to kill US citizens overseas and the secrecy in legal justifications for the targeted killings.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 28 Feb 2013 [PDF]
NORAD Promotes Maritime Awareness to Protect Homeland AFPS 27 Feb 2013 -- Drive around any American city and you're likely to see tractor-trailers hauling huge containers that arrived from overseas at any of 361 major U.S. ports dotting some 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline.
Stuxnet was deployed against Iran in 2007: Symantec Iran Press TV 27 Feb 2013 -- Researchers at a US security firm have uncovered an early version of the Stuxnet computer virus that was used to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 27 Feb 2013 [PDF]
Terrorist Designations of Iyad ag Ghali US Dept. of State 26 Feb 2013
Terrorist Designations of the Commander Nazir Group and Malang Wazir US Dept. of State 26 Feb 2013
US Designates Ansar Dine Chief a Terrorist VOA 26 Feb 2013 -- The United States has placed sanctions on the alleged leader of Malian Islamist group Ansar Dine.
Interview: 'The Terror Factory: Inside The FBI's Manufactured War On Terrorism' RFE/RL 26 Feb 2013 -- Since September 11, 2001, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has claimed many victories in the war on terror.
France Rules Out Talks with Hostage Takers VOA 26 Feb 2013 -- France says it will not negotiate with the kidnappers who seized seven French nationals last week in Cameroon.
Paris rejects talks with kidnappers of French family PressTV 26 Feb 2013 -- France's defense minister says Paris will not negotiate with the kidnappers of a French family of seven, recently abducted from northern Cameroon.
Bracing for Sequester, US Frees Illegal Immigrants VOA 26 Feb 2013 -- The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) says it has released hundreds of detained immigrants in an effort to save money ahead of potential government budget cuts.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 26 Feb 2013 [PDF]
Video Appears to Show French Hostages Abducted in Cameroon VOA 25 Feb 2013 -- A video that appears to show seven French nationals kidnapped in Cameroon last week has appeared online.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 25 Feb 2013 [PDF]
DOD Expands Role of Security Professionals AFPS 22 Feb 2013 -- With ever-changing technology and increasing cyber threats that can affect the nation's security, Defense Department officials are stepping up security professionals' training to help in determining potential risks before they occur, defense officials said here.
Cyber Security Expert Discusses U.S. Vulnerabilities at Naval Academy NNS 22 Feb 2013 -- A cyber expert addressed the Naval Academy Feb. 19 to address how computers are playing a major role in nearly every aspect of our lives.
Taiwan hopes to join planned U.S. cyber security exercises CNA 22 Feb 2013 -- Taiwan has stepped up cyber security cooperation with the United States and intends to take part in planned U.S. cyber security exercises, a senior Taiwanese official stationed in Washington, D.C. said Thursday.
Obama Sends Troops, Drones to Niger to Spy on Islamists RIA Novosti 22 Feb 2013 -- President Barack Obama announced Friday that around 100 US troops have been deployed in the West African nation of Niger in what officials said was the establishment of a new drone base there to spy on Islamist fighters in the Sahara and support French forces in the region.
Pakistan army denies links with killers of Shia Muslims Iran Press TV 22 Feb 2013 -- Pakistan's army has denied any links to a terrorist group that claimed responsibility for a series of bomb attacks that have killed over 180 Shia Muslims in the country in the past few weeks.
Pakistan nabs leader of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant group Iran Press TV 22 Feb 2013 -- Pakistan has arrested Lashkar-e-Jhangvi's leader Malik Ishaq following the militant group carried out two deadly bombings, mainly targeting Shia Muslims.
India Placed on Heightened Security Alert VOA 22 Feb 2013 -- In India, the death toll in the twin blasts that devastated the southern city of Hyderabad has risen to 16, and more than 100 people have been wounded. The entire country has been placed on a heightened security alert, as questions have been raised about the government's failure to respond to warnings of a possible attack.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 22 Feb 2013 [PDF]
State Department Updates Worldwide Caution for U.S. Travelers AFPS 21 Feb 2013 -- State Department officials have issued an updated a worldwide caution for Americans traveling overseas.
Hacking: Not Just China VOA 21 Feb 2013 -- Computer hacking by the Chinese has been causing a stir in recent weeks, but experts warn that focusing too much on Beijing could open the door to cyber spies from other countries the U.S. government is monitoring.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 21 Feb 2013 [PDF]
White House Unveils New Strategy Against Trade Secret Thefts VOA 20 Feb 2013 -- The Obama administration has unveiled a new strategy to help protect American companies from economic espionage and thefts of trade secrets, an issue linked to intensified concerns about cyber espionage.
China rejects US report blaming it for cyber espionage Iran Press TV 20 Feb 2013 -- China has again denied new US claims accusing Chinese military of launching cyberattacks on major American government agencies and corporations, in turn blaming Washington for sponsoring such attacks against Beijing.
U.S., China Accuse Each Other Over Cyberattacks RFE/RL 20 Feb 2013 -- The United States and China have traded accusations following a wave of cyberattacks targeting U.S. government agencies, media organizations, and private firms.
China's Army Denies Launching Cyberattacks on US Firms RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2013 -- China's Defense Ministry officially denied on Wednesday that it was behind cyber-attacks on American companies and organizations.
Chinese Army Rejects US Report on Cyber Hacking VOA 20 Feb 2013 -- China is adamantly denying a report by a U.S.-based Internet security group that accuses Beijing's army of carrying out a 'long-running and extensive cyber espionage campaign' against American government and business targets.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 20 Feb 2013 [PDF]
Military Works to Counter Cyber Threats AFPS 19 Feb 2013 -- The United States military is working diligently to beef up cyber defenses against all threats, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said here today.
How Social Networks Are Dealing With Terrorists RFE/RL 19 Feb 2013 -- At the end of January, Twitter suspended the account of the Somali-based Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group Al-Shabaab. The account was taken offline after the group posted a video on Twitter threatening to kill two Kenyan hostages unless the Kenyan government met its demands.
US Firm Links Chinese Army to Cyber Attacks VOA 19 Feb 2013 -- A U.S.-based Internet security group is accusing the Chinese government of involvement in a sophisticated campaign of cyber attacks against American businesses, government and critical infrastructure.
HMS Argyll deploys on counter-narcotics operations UK MOD 19 Feb 2013 -- HMS Argyll left Plymouth yesterday to conduct counter-narcotic operations across the Atlantic.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 19 Feb 2013 [PDF]
Government Office In Peshawar Attacked, Fatalities Reported RFE/RL 18 Feb 2013 -- Militants disguised as policemen have attacked the compound of a senior government official in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar, killing at least five people.
Pakistan's Hazara Killings Bring Sunni Extremist Group Into Focus RFE/RL 18 Feb 2013 -- Pakistan's failure to contain a hard-line Sunni group in an insurgency-plagued southwestern province threatens to come back to haunt it, leaving upcoming national elections at risk.
Pakistan rallies condemn Quetta attack which killed 84 people IRNA 17 Feb 2013 -- Rallies across Pakistan on Sunday strongly condemned the deadly bomb attack in the Southwestern city of Quetta yesterday which killed nearly 84 people, almost all Shia Muslims.
Death Toll Rises In Quetta Market Bombing RFE/RL 17 Feb 2013 -- The death toll from a bomb attack on a market on the edge of Quetta in southwestern Pakistan at the weekend has risen to 85.
Bomb Targeting Minority Shiites a Failure of Pakistan Security VOA 17 Feb 2013 -- The governor of Pakistan's Baluchistan province has lashed out at the country's security forces for failing to adequately protect the area's minority Shi'ite Muslims. Analysts tell VOA that extremists are taking advantage of a lack of national consensus on how to deal with militant groups.
Powerful blast claims 55 lives in SW Pakistan IRNA 16 Feb 2013 -- At least 55 people were killed and more than 200 injured when a large explosion shook Quetta, the capital of south western Balochistan province on Saturday, police officials said.
Justice Rolls Slowly in Alleged 9/11 Suspects’ Case AFPS 15 Feb 2013 -- The latest round of pre-trial hearings for the alleged 9/11 mastermind and four accomplices wrapped up yesterday.
Critics Continue to Press Obama on Targeted Killing Policy VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- President Barack Obama this week pledged to develop a clear policy framework to guide U.S. counterterrorism operations, including targeted killings of terrorist suspects.
US Wary of Africa 'Terrorist' Threat, Senegal Detains Suspects VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- Senegal has detained a Mauritanian and a Malian for suspected terrorist links.
Terror Attack May Have Caused An-24 Crash - Investigators RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2013 -- Ukrainian investigators are not ruling out the possibility that a terror attack caused the crash of an Antonov An-24 turboprop airliner at Donetsk Airport on February 13.
Navy Installations to Conduct CITADEL SHIELD 2013 in Continental U.S. NNS 15 Feb 2013 -- Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces and Commander, Navy Installations Command will conduct an annual Force Protection and Anti-Terrorism exercise Citadel Shield 2013 Feb. 19 - March 1.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 15 Feb 2013 [PDF]
Indonesian Law Aims to Thwart Terror Funds VOA 14 Feb 2013 -- Indonesia has passed a new law to thwart the revenue streams of extremist groups.
Putin Murder Plot Suspect Testifies, Alleges Torture RIA Novosti 14 Feb 2013 -- A man accused of planning to kill President Vladimir Putin ahead of last year’s presidential elections alleged in court that he had been tortured into confessing to the plot.
Putin Orders FSB to Set Up Anti-Hacker Defense RIA Novosti 14 Feb 2013 -- President Vladimir Putin personally instructed the Federal Security Service to promptly set up a unified system to detect and counter computer-hacking attacks on Russia's IT resources.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 14 Feb 2013 [PDF]
Cybercom Commander Calls Cybersecurity Order First Step AFPS 13 Feb 2013 -- The cybersecurity policy President Barack Obama announced during his annual State of the Union address is a step toward protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 13 Feb 2013 [PDF]
Bin Laden Shooter Gives Interview RFE/RL 12 Feb 2013 -- The U.S. Navy SEAL who claims to have killed Osama bin Laden has given an interview in which he recounts shooting the Al-Qaeda leader in Pakistan in May, 2011.
US Magazine Claims Interview with Bin Laden ‘Shooter’ RIA Novosti 12 Feb 2013 -- A popular US magazine published what it billed as a first-hand account from the special forces soldier who killed Osama Bin Laden.
Executive Order - Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity The White House 12 Feb 2013
Executive Order on Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity The White House 12 Feb 2013
Presidential Policy Directive - Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience The White House 12 Feb 2013
Fact Sheet: Presidential Policy Directive on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience The White House 12 Feb 2013
US Condemns Pardon of Sudanese Convict VOA 12 Feb 2013 -- The United States has condemned Sudan for pardoning a man convicted of aiding the escape of four prisoners who were serving sentences for killing a U.S. diplomat and his driver.
United States and Algeria Consult to Prevent Nuclear Smuggling and Strengthen Strategic Trade Controls US Dept. of State 12 Feb 2013
Salehi: Iran, Argentina adhere to agreement on AMIA case IRNA 12 Feb 2013 -- Foreign Minister, Ali-Akbar Salehi, says Iran and Argentina adhere to provisions of an agreement on AMIA case.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 12 Feb 2013 [PDF]
US Report Highlights Economic Threat of Hacking VOA 11 Feb 2013 -- U.S. officials say hackers pose a threat to the nation's economy and accuse China of carrying out the most cyber-attacks.
Russian President Sacks 6 Drug Police Generals, 1 Colonel RIA Novosti 11 Feb 2013 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed six generals and one colonel from the Federal Drug Control Service.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 11 Feb 2013 [PDF]
National Guard troops in New England respond to massive blizzard Army News 09 Feb 2013 -- Citizen-Soldiers in the Northeast assisting state authorities in the aftermath of Nemo.
Indian Parliament attack convict hanged IRNA 09 Feb 2013 -- Mohammed Afzal Guru, convicted of involvement in the audacious attack on Indian Parliament in 2001, was hanged on Saturday and buried in Delhi's Tihar Jail, six days after a mercy plea was rejected by the President.
Obama's CIA Nominee Grilled on Drones, Torture RIA Novosti 08 Feb 2013 -- US lawmakers on Thursday pressed President Barack Obama's choice as America's next spy chief on issues of transparency, torture and extrajudicial killings in the nation's global counterterrorism operations.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 08 Feb 2013 [PDF]
US Official Defends Drone Strikes After Leaked Memo VOA 07 Feb 2013 -- President Barack Obama’s pick for CIA director says U.S. drone strikes are carried out judiciously and in compliance with federal law. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence questioned counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan days after an administration memo surfaced that provided a legal justification for drone strikes targeting U.S. terror suspects abroad.
Panetta Defends Pentagon Response to Benghazi Attack VOA 07 Feb 2013 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has strongly defended the Pentagon's response to last September's attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the deaths of four Americans. In what is likely his last appearance before a Senate committee, the outgoing Pentagon chief appealed to Congress to take action to prevent automatic spending cuts to military spending, set to happen March 1.
Mental Health Test Delays Cole Bombing Suspect Hearings AFPS 07 Feb 2013 -- Pretrial hearings for the suspected USS Cole bomber are on hold until mid-April as doctors assess his mental competency and the military commission determines how that will affect future proceedings.
CIA Nominee Defends US Drone Policy VOA 07 Feb 2013 -- President Barack Obama's choice to head the CIA, John Brennan, says the United States has a 'rigorous' process when deciding to use lethal force against terrorists.
CIA Nominee Expected To Face Tough Questioning RFE/RL 07 Feb 2013 -- U.S. President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) faces tough questioning on February 7 in a Senate confirmation hearing expected to focus on a secret White House targeted-killing program whose existence was leaked earlier this week.
Legality of Drone Strikes, Assassinations Under Fire in US RIA Novosti 07 Feb 2013 -- US President Barack Obama and his administration may consider themselves capable of correctly determining whether a US citizen can be assassinated for their ties to al-Qaida.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 07 Feb 2013 [PDF]
Obama CIA Pick May Face Tough Questions on Drones VOA 06 Feb 2013 -- President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the CIA may face sharp questions about U.S. policy on targeted killings when his Senate confirmation hearings begin Thursday, and some of the pressure may come from the president's own Democratic Party.
Panetta Warns Cyber Threat Growing Quickly AFPS 06 Feb 2013 -- Pentagon officials are concerned about the growing threat of cyber warfare, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told a Georgetown University audience today.
White House Defends Drone Strikes As 'Legal, Ethical, Wise' RFE/RL 06 Feb 2013 -- The White House has defended the United States' use of drone missile strikes to kill Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist suspects, even if they are U.S. citizens who have not been convicted in court.
Russia Kills Last Terror Suspect Linked to 2010 Metro Blasts RIA Novosti 06 Feb 2013 -- Russian special services reported on Wednesday that the last remaining rebel allegedly involved in the 2010 twin suicide bombing attacks that left 40 dead on the Moscow metro has been killed.
Some Al-Shabab Defectors Still a Security Threat VOA 06 Feb 2013 -- Somali militant group al-Shabab is losing ground and their ability to carry out al-Qaida-inspired tactics like suicide bombings appears to be waning. But for the last few months the group has increasingly turned to sympathizers and 'defectors,' who have joined the Somali national army and the intelligence service, to carry out attacks against government officials, security forces and civilians.
Brennan Hearing Spotlights Drone Strikes, Secret Base VOA 06 Feb 2013 -- President Barack Obama's choice to head the CIA has brought the secretive use of unmanned drones to attack terrorist targets to the forefront of the counter-terrorism discussion.
Dozens of Countries Aided US Secret Detentions: Report RIA Novosti 06 Feb 2013 -- As many as 54 governments throughout the world assisted the United States in its secret detention and rendition operations in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to a new human rights report released Tuesday.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 06 Feb 2013 [PDF]
Attorney General Defends Rationale for Killing American Terrorists VOA 05 Feb 2013 -- U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has explained the Obama administration's rationale behind legally allowing the government to kill U.S. citizens abroad if it believes they are senior al-Qaida leaders actively engaged in planning operations to kill Americans.
Norad Exercise Planned for National Capital Region DoD 05 Feb 2013
Mali a "wake-up call" for drug trafficking, says think tank IRIN 05 Feb 2013 -- At the launch of a Ghana-based Commission on the Impact of Drug-Trafficking on Governance, Security and Development in West Africa, its chair, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, said the situation in Mali should serve as a "wake-up call" to the perils of allowing organized crime to escalate out of control.
US Lifts Kam Air Ban as Kabul Pledges Probe RIA Novosti 05 Feb 2013 -- The United States has lifted a ban on Afghanistan's biggest private airline, Kam Air, after the Afghan government pledged an investigation into US claims of opium smuggling by the carrier, the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF) said in a statement on Tuesday.
US Can Kill Americans Linked to Al-Qaida, Says Memo RIA Novosti 05 Feb 2013 -- A confidential memo obtained by media and published Tuesday spells out the US government's legal justifications for killing US citizens linked to al-Qaida, and offers a rare look at one of the most secretive policies of President Barack Obama's administration.
Justice Dept.: Legal for US to Kill al-Qaida Americans Abroad VOA 05 Feb 2013 -- A leaked confidential memo from the U.S. Justice Department says it is legal for the government to kill U.S. citizens abroad if it believes they are senior al-Qaida leaders actively engaged in planning operations to kill Americans.
Bulgaria Links Hezbollah to Israeli Bombing VOA 05 Feb 2013 -- The Bulgarian government says Hezbollah was responsible for the bombing of a tourist bus near a Black Sea port city last year in which five Israelis and one Bulgarian were killed. The accusation implicates a group whose political wing is a major force in Lebanon's government.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 05 Feb 2013 [PDF]
Hearing for Accused USS Cole Bomber Continues, Despite Delays AFPS 04 Feb 2013 -- Pre-trial hearings for the alleged bomber of the USS Cole opened today at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and encountered issues from both the prosecution and defense that threatened more delays.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 04 Feb 2013 [PDF]
DOD Leaders Vow to Deny Terrorists Middle East, Africa Bases AFPS 03 Feb 2013 -- The need for U.S. vigilance in thwarting terrorism throughout the Middle East and North Africa led the conversation during dual interviews Pentagon senior leaders took part in today.
IRGC among top four cyber armies of world IRNA 02 Feb 2013 -- Brigadier General Mohammad Hossein Sepehr said on Saturday that the Islamic Revolution's Guards Coprs (IRGC) is among top four cyber armies of the world.
Turkish Marxist Group Claims Responsibility for US Embassy Blast VOA 02 Feb 2013 -- A radical Turkish Marxist group has claimed responsibility for a Friday suicide bombing at the U.S. Embassy complex in Ankara that killed a Turkish guard.
Security Council strongly condemns 'heinous' attack on US embassy in Turkey UN News Centre 01 Feb 2013 -- The Security Council today strongly condemned the terrorist attack against the United States embassy in Ankara, Turkey, which resulted in one death and several injuries.
Secret Monitoring Clouds 9/11 Proceedings VOA 01 Feb 2013 -- Military judge in 9/11 case has cut off U.S. government censors after discovering someone outside the court had control over audio feeds of the proceedings.
Deadly Blast at US Embassy in Ankara Kills 2 VOA 01 Feb 2013 -- A suicide bomber detonated his explosives at the U.S. embassy complex in the Turkish capital, Ankara, killing himself and a Turkish guard.
Bomber Targets US Embassy in Turkey, Killing Two VOA 01 Feb 2013 -- A suicide bomber has killed himself and at least one other person at the U.S Embassy complex in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
Two Dead In Suicide Blast At U.S. Embassy In Turkey RFE/RL 01 Feb 2013 -- A suicide bomber has killed himself and a Turkish security guard at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 01 Feb 2013 [PDF]

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February 2013 Security News