Lack of Translators Hurts U.S. War On Terror
U.S. national security agencies remain woefully short of foreign-language speakers and translators nearly eight years after the Sept. 11 attacks resulted in a war on an enemy that often communicates in relatively obscure dialects, current and former officials say.
The necessary cadre of U.S. intelligence personnel capable of reading and speaking targeted regional languages such as Pashto, Dari and Urdu “remains essentially nonexistent,” the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence wrote in a rare but stark warning in its 2010 budget report.
The gap has become critical in the war effort, especially in the Afghanistan-Pakistan theater, where al Qaeda and Taliban operatives text message, e-mail and talk in languages that the intelligence community had largely ignored before 2001.
Intercepting phone and radio calls in the region’s native tongues is critical to monitoring terrorist camps and movements in Pakistan’s tribal areas, officials said.
The National Security Agency (NSA), based at Fort Meade, Md., channels the calls to translation centers, where linguists are supposed to quickly translate the words into English so that they can be distributed in reports and raw transcripts to commanders and policymakers. But such quick follow-through does not always happen.
Rep. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, the senior Republican on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, told The Washington Times that U.S agencies remain “behind the eight ball” in catching up to dialects not deemed important during the Cold War.
George Washington Bridge Guards Fired – Sleeping On the Job
August 31, 2009 by national
Filed under Incident Reports
Two George Washington Bridge guards caught napping on the job by cliffviewpilot.com have been fired, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced this afternoon.
One of the workers was caught dozing twice this morning by Joey Lepore, the owner/operator of a bicycle tour company. The first was during the morning rush. The second time, around 10:15 a.m., Lepore photographed him.
“I didn’t even zoom in,” Lepore said. “I walked right up to the window.”
It wasn’t the first time: At the height of the Aug. 5 morning rush, another guard was photographed nodded out in the west guard booth on the New Jersey side. “And that was the THIRD time I’d seen him sleeping,” Lepore said.
Iraq Ministry Bombers Were Recently Freed by US
August 31, 2009 by national
Filed under World Report
The suicide bombers who killed 95 people in devastating attacks at Iraqi government ministries on August 19 were recently released from U.S. custody, a senior interior ministry official said on Sunday.
The truck bombings in Baghdad also wounded 600 people in what was the worst day of violence to hit the country for 18 months, dealing a major blow to the nation’s security efforts in the wake of a major pullout of U.S. troops.
“The suicide bomber who blew himself up at the ministry of foreign affairs was released three months ago from Camp Bucca,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity, referring to the U.S. jail near Basra.
“The suicide bomber who blew himself up outside the ministry of finance was also released a few months ago from the same jail.”
Since the start of this year 5,236 prisoners have been released from U.S. custody and 1,179 detainees handed over to the government of Iraq, according to figures released on Sunday.
Less than 9,000 prisoners are still in American-run prisons.
“We have no proof that a former detainee was involved in the bombings,” a U.S. army spokesman told AFP.
“The government of Iraq is still investigating the attacks, and it would be inappropriate for us to speculate as to who may have been involved while the investigation is ongoing.”
The interior ministry official, however, told AFP that 14 suspects had been arrested in the wake of the attacks and that the truck bombs were prepared in southern Baghdad.
“The vast majority of them were released in recent months from Camp Bucca,” he said, noting that all of the suspects were from Nineveh and Salaheddin provinces.
Seattle – I-5 Shooting Suspects May Have Planned Sniper Attack
August 30, 2009 by national
Filed under Incident Reports
Two men arrested Friday night during a bizarre shooting spree along Interstate 5 in North Seattle may have been planning to fire at vehicles driving up and down the freeway, police said Sunday. “One theory is that maybe they were going to snipe at people as they were driving by on I-5,” Seattle Police Department spokeswoman Renee Witt told KOMO News.
Investigators also found a hidden campsite the suspects had built in a wooded area near North Seattle Community College, Witt said.
Trash and debris litters the remnants of the suspect’s campsite.
She said the positioning of the camp also lends credence to the idea that the suspects planned a sniper attack on the freeway.
But she cautioned that it is just a theory at this point. “We don’t know,” she said. “One good thing is they’re both in custody,” she added.
Both suspects are being held in the King County Jail following the Friday night shooting spree only yards from Interstate 5 near North Seattle Community College.
One of the suspects was found with an AK-47 assault rifle and multiple rounds of ammunition, police said.
The incident closed down all lanes of the freeway for hours, trapping thousands of motorists, but there were no injuries or property damage.
She said officers performed a more thorough search of the brushy, wooded area between I-5 and the college campus on Saturday and discovered more weapons and ammunition stashed there.
Searchers also found the hidden campsite, covered in a camouflage tarp, with a “significant” amount of ammunition.
Surviving Disaster Premieres Sept 1st – Spike TV
Surviving Disaster Premieres Sept 1st on Spike TV. What will you do when disaster strikes? Spike TV’s new original series Surviving Disaster, led by Navy SEAL Cade Courtley, vividly takes viewers through catastrophic scenarios and arms them with the knowledge needed to survive the unthinkable. Courtley tackles worst-case scenarios and equips viewers with the practical information needed to save their own lives and the lives of their loved ones.
Whether the threat is natural or man-made or on a national or personal level, Courtley speaks directly to the viewers and guides them through a comprehensive, step-by-step process to not only survive the big picture disaster, but endure the many dangerous obstacles that may occur within each catastrophic event. While leading viewers out of danger, Courtley not only provides helpful tips and hands-on instruction, but swiftly points out common misconceptions and fatal mistakes. Unlike any other series, Surviving Disaster may actually save lives by providing actions that anyone can perform.
Having had the opportunity to assist in the research for an upcoming episode I can attest that “Surviving Disaster”, is unlike anything you’ve seen on television. The show will have you on the edge of your seat as you’re instructed step-by-step, how to stay alive when disaster strikes. It’s a show you won’t want to miss and as stated, “could save your life”.
Related post on Spike TV’s Surviving Disaster
Cheney Slams Obama’s Probe of CIA Interrogations
Calling it a “terrible decision” that undermines national security and devastates CIA morale, former Vice President Dick Cheney slammed the Obama administration’s probe of aggressive interrogation of terrorists. “It’s an outrageous political act that will do great damage, long-term, to our capacity to be able to have people take on difficult jobs, make difficult decisions, without having to worry about what the next administration is going to say,” Cheney told “FOX News Sunday” in a no-holds-barred interview.
In blunt, unsparing language, Cheney accused President Obama of setting a “terrible precedent” by allowing an “intensely partisan, politicized look back at the prior administration.”
He said the decision by Attorney General Eric Holder to launch a probe into alleged abuse of prisoners under the prior administration “offends the hell out of me,” as he seemed to question Obama’s fitness as commander-in-chief.
“I have serious doubts about his policies,” Cheney told FOX News’ Chris Wallace in Jackson Hole, Wyo. “Serious doubts, especially, about the extent to which he understands and is prepared to do what needs to be done to defend the nation.”
As evidence, Cheney pointed to Obama’s decision last week to assert White House control over a newly formed unit that will interrogate terrorists. The new arrangement shifts control of such interrogations away from the CIA and toward the FBI, although oversight will be exercised by the National Security Council, which is located in the White House and reports directly to the president.
California Wildfire Threatens Los Angeles TV Broadcast Towers
August 30, 2009 by national
Filed under Incident Reports
The Station Fire, which has expanded to at least 35,200 acres, leaped over the San Gabriel mountains Sunday, is prompting more evacuations. Firefighters have been pulled away from Mount Wilson, where critical broadcast towers for many television and radio stations are located, including KTLA. Fire officials expect the mountain to be overrun with fire by 7:00 p.m. Sunday, indicating a probable outage for local broadcast news outlets.
“We expect it to get there in the next two to four hours,” said county fire Capt. Mark Savage.
Crews were clearing brush around the structures, but fire officials were not sure if they could leave personnel on the mountain to fight the flames because of the danger and limited escape routes.
According to Savage, a strike team of fire engines are attempting to find a safe staging area on Mt. Wilson.
“We are concerned that it will be overrun and we think it will burn, but we are not sure if the communication facilities will be overrun,” Savage said.
The fire is less than two miles away from the broadcast facilities.
List of Mt. Wilson Transmission Towers Includes:
KPFK(FM) 90.7 mhz (110,000 watts)
KBIG(FM) 104.3 mhz (105,000 watts)
KLOS(FM) 95.5 mhz (63,000 watts)
KTWV(FM) 94.7 mhz (58,000 watts)
KRTH(FM) 101.1 mhz (51,000 watts)
KCMG(FM) 92.3 mhz (43,000 watts)
KLVE(FM) 107.5 mhz (29,500 watts)
KCBS(FM) 93.1 mhz (28,500 watts)
KPWR(FM) 105.9 mhz (25,000 watts)
KLSX(FM) 97.1 mhz (20,900 watts)
KZLA(FM) 93.9 mhz (18,700 watts)
KMZT(FM) 105.1 mhz (17,600 watts)
KPCC(FM) 89.3 FM (600 watts)TELEVISION STATIONS
KCOP(TV) Ch. 13 (162,000 watts)
KTTV(TV) Ch. 11 (166,000 watts)
KCAL(TV) Ch. 9 (141,000 watts)
KABC(TV) Ch. 7 (159,000 watts)
KTLA(TV) Ch. 5 (44,700 watts)
KNBC(TV) Ch. 4 (44,700 watts)
KCBS(TV): Ch. 2 (36,300 watts)
Concerns Over Iranian Nuclear EMP Threat
Concerns about Iran’s nuclear capabilities and their potential devastating impact on America are mounting, a special report from Newsmax.TV reveals. The Islamic republic has test-fired missiles capable of reaching Israel, southeastern Europe and U.S. bases in the Mideast, and published reports say Iran is within a year of developing its own nuclear bomb.
And security experts warn that even one nuclear device in the hands of a rogue nation could be used against the United States in a devastating electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack.
So why isn’t the Obama administration doing more to prevent a nuclear nightmare?
I get very, very nervous about it,Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., told Newsmax.TV’s Kathleen Walter.I think Iran will have a nuclear weapon. I think now it’s only a question of when.
The United States is caught in the middle of a Mideast faceoff between one of its strongest allies, Israel, and Iran. Iran has threatened to wipe Israel off the world map, and Israel refuses to rule out a pre-emptive strike on its adversary while insisting that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.
If the United States tries to prevent Iran from making nuclear weapons, its president, Mahmoud Amedinejad, has vowed a campaign of bloody revenge.
Iran’s hatred of Israel is rooted in ideology,said Walid Phares of Foundation for Defense of Democracies.The Iranian regime is jihadist, and they do not acknowledge nor accept the idea that a non-Islamic, non-jihadist state could exist in the region.
Although Iran is thousands of miles from America’s shores, its belligerent actions could have far-reaching repercussions. A regional war or nuclear attack could cause an already shaky U.S. economy to collapse.
Even scarier, say policy analysts, is the growing threat of an EMP, an intense burst of energy from an exploding nuclear warhead high above the Earth. Experts believe such an attack could destroy all electronic devices over a massive area, from cell phones to computers to America’s electrical grid.
Within a year of that attack nine out of 10 Americans would be dead, because we can’t support a population of the present size in urban centers and the like without electricity, said Frank Gaffney, president of the Center for Security Policy. That would be a world without America, as a practical matter. And that is exactly what I believe the Iranians are working towards.
President Barack Obama has committed the U.S. government to a diplomatic approach for resolving the high-stakes nuclear dispute, but Iran has so far rebuffed Obama’s overtures. Meanwhile, Congress is working on legislation to grant Obama the power to impose crippling sanctions on Iran if the talk-first approach doesn’t work.
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-30
August 30, 2009 by national
Filed under National Interest
- Nuclear Attack: Terrorists vs U.S., Are We At Risk : Homeland Security News http://bit.ly/xCME0 #news #tcot #
- Medical Advice On Lockerbie Bomber ‘In Doubt’ : Homeland Security News http://bit.ly/2UOOch #news #tcot #
- New Taliban Leader Threatens US To Avenge Baitullah’s Death : Homeland Security News http://bit.ly/JZ6Jw #news #tcot #
- "ACLU Sues DHS over Laptop Searches – News and Analysis by PC Magazine" http://bit.ly/Sd0W1 #news #tcot #
- @NewsChannel10 We are hearing reports that the Amarillo Airport has been evacuated. Police and Airport officials will not confirm. #news #
- Students, Citizens Thwart School Bus Hijacking : Homeland Security News http://bit.ly/Z1WnP #news #
- DHS – New Directives On Screening Electronic Media At Border : Homeland Security News http://bit.ly/3tqbN #news #tcot #
- Intellipedia – For Intelligence Officers, A Wiki Way To Connect Dots : Homeland Security News http://bit.ly/kswxn #news #
- Mullen – 9/11 Plotters Still Alive And Planning More Attacks : Homeland Security News http://bit.ly/1628WO #news #tcot #
- fire #
- Sneak peak of Spike TV's new show, Surviving Disaster. Surviving a Hijacking http://bit.ly/BhdeG #
- H1N1 Vaccine To Be Available Via Airport Kiosks : Homeland Security News http://bit.ly/11KOP2 #
- New Video Shows Signs al Qaeda Fears US Closing In : Homeland Security News http://bit.ly/BPl6f #news #
- Homeland security job board at NTARC.Search for homeland security jobs or post current opening http://bit.ly/19M4N8 #news #tcot #
- UAE Seizes North Korean Weapons Shipment to Iran : Homeland Security News http://bit.ly/WM28w #news #
CIA Report Hints at Impact of Interrogations on 9/11 Mastermind
Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-described architect of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, looms large in a declassified CIA report on the use of enhanced interrogation techniques. The inspector general’s report, released this week, says Mohammed wasn’t much help before he was waterboarded but went on to become “one of the U.S. government’s key sources on Al Qaeda.” Such revelations have fueled the fiery debate over the effectiveness of the CIA’s tactics and whether the United States should condone methods that many deem torture.
But additional details of his interactions with interrogators may raise more questions than they answer — potentially saying more about the captive than his captors.
Intelligence officials described to the Washington Post a scene almost out of the halls of academia, with the once-resistant high-level detainee giving “terrorist tutorials” to them in a makeshift lecture hall. He even scolded one listener for poor note-taking and his inability to recall details of an earlier lecture.
The CIA report makes it clear that Mohammed wasn’t willing to divulge much before interrogators resorted to the controversial tactics.
“KSM, an accomplished resistor, provided only a few intelligence reports prior to the use of the waterboard, and analysis of that information revealed that much of it was outdated, inaccurate or incomplete,” the report said.
But after he was subjected to waterboarding — or simulated drowning — and prolonged sleep deprivation, among other harsh interrogation techniques, Mohammed began to cooperate and apparently even enjoy revealing secrets.
Mohammed “seemed to relish the opportunity, sometimes for hours on end, to discuss the inner workings of Al Qaeda and the group’s plans, ideology and operatives,” a person familiar with the sessions told the Washington Post. “He’d even use a chalkboard at times.”
While it is impossible to know for sure whether less coercive techniques would have gained the same information, those who defend the tactics believe the results are clear.
Doctors Warning of Severe Form of H1N1 Virus
August 29, 2009 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
Doctors are reporting a severe form of H1N1 that goes straight to the lungs, causing severe illness in otherwise healthy young people and requiring expensive hospital treatment, the World Health Organization said Friday.
Some countries are reporting that as many as 15 percent of patients hospitalized with the new H1N1 pandemic virus need intensive care, further straining already overburdened healthcare systems, WHO said in an update on the pandemic.
“During the winter season in the southern hemisphere, several countries have viewed the need for intensive care as the greatest burden on health services,” it said.
“Preparedness measures need to anticipate this increased demand on intensive care units, which could be overwhelmed by a sudden surge in the number of severe cases.”
Earlier, WHO reported that H1N1 had reached epidemic levels in Japan, signaling an early start to what may be a long influenza season this year, and that it was also worsening in tropical regions.
“Perhaps most significantly, clinicians from around the world are reporting a very severe form of disease, also in young and otherwise healthy people, which is rarely seen during seasonal influenza infections,” WHO said.
“In these patients, the virus directly infects the lung, causing severe respiratory failure. Saving these lives depends on highly specialized and demanding care in intensive care units, usually with long and costly stays.”
UAE Seizes North Korean Weapons Shipment to Iran
August 28, 2009 by national
Filed under World Report
The United Arab Emirates has seized a ship carrying North Korean-manufactured munitions, detonators, explosives and rocket-propelled grenades bound for Iran in violation of United Nations sanctions, diplomats said.
The UAE two weeks ago notified the UN Security Council of the seizure, according to the diplomats, who spoke on condition they aren’t named because the communication hasn’t been made public. They said the ship, owned by an Australian subsidiary of a French company and sailing under a Bahamian flag, was carrying 10 containers of arms disguised as oil equipment.
The council committee that monitors enforcement of UN sanctions against North Korea wrote letters to Iran and the government in Pyongyang asking for explanations of the violation, and one to the UAE expressing appreciation for the cooperation, the envoys said. No response has been received and the UAE has unloaded the cargo, they said.
The UAE and Iranian missions to the UN didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The Financial Times reported the weapons seizure earlier today.
New Video Shows Signs al Qaeda Fears US Closing In
Osama bin Laden’s deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri has ordered his fighters to target Pakistan amid growing signs that its army and US drones are closing in on al-Qaeda. Military analysts and retired senior army chiefs said his call reflected growing disarray in the militant ranks following the death of Pakistan’s feared Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud earlier this month and the brutal leadership battle it has provoked.
Mehsud is one of several “high-value” Taliban and al-Qaeda figures killed by Predator drones in the tribal areas close to its border with Afghanistan, while their allies in Swat Valley, where the charismatic Maulana Fazlullah, known as “Maulana Radio” for his popular fundamentalist radio broadcasts, have been driven out by a Pakistan army offensive.
The Taliban was finally forced to confirm Mehsud’s death earlier this week after insisting he was merely ill. Analysts said they had wanted to confirm his successor before admitting their most effective leader to date had been killed.
Since his death a number of Pakistani Taliban commanders have surrendered or announced ceasefire amid shifting alliances in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).
The intervention of al-Qaeda’s deputy leader is an attempt to shore up the new Taliban leadership, prevent further defections, and inspire a new offensive to stop Pakistani and American forces from getting closer to their “safe haven” along the border, analysts said.
In a video recording released to a militant website, Zawahiri said the battle against American and Pakistani armies in the region is the battle against “crusader” forces. “The war in the tribal areas and Swat is an inseparable part of the Crusaders’ assault on the Muslims the length and breadth of the Islamic world,” he said.
H1N1 Vaccine To Be Available Via Airport Kiosks
Atlanta based AeroClinic announced it will start offering the H1N1 flu shot to travelers at a series of concourse based kiosks at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport.
AeroClinic will have seven location set-up to offer the vaccine as soon as it becomes available. Starting September 15 the privately held company will begin offering the seasonal flu vaccine.
Dr Martin Cetron, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says airports are a natural place for H1N1 to spread with thousands of inbound and outbound passengers in close proximity.
The CDC’s Dr. Anne Shuchat says they are on track to have 45 million to 52 million units of the H1N1 vaccine available mid-October. Most Americans will need at lease 2 doses between 21 and 28 days apart.
