100 Percent Screening of Air Cargo Two Years Away
March 18, 2010 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
Air Cargo Screening
An article on Air Cargo World reports that Gale Rossides, acting director of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), told the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee it was feasible to screen all domestic cargo by the August 3 deadline. But she estimated that 65 percent was probably the best the TSA could do by that date for international cargo.
Speaking separately at an airfreight security conference in Frankfurt organized by Lufthansa Cargo, Warren Miller, who heads the air cargo international programs branch at the TSA, said the agency had already advised the US Congress on two occasions that the deadline could not be met.
The two-year figure, however, is new. The US imports 1.5 million tonnes of airfreight a year from 97 countries, but Rossides said the biggest challenge is getting cooperation from governments of the 20 countries responsible for almost 85 percent of the shipments.
It is clear that the sudden death in December of Ed Kelly, who had been leading the development of cargo security programs at the TSA for three years, has disrupted efforts to implement the 9/11 Act in a way the industry can work with.
Miller said: “There is no single answer. We must recognize there are many ways that companies move cargo. If we all acted the same way, that would be too predictable. But we must increase security without impeding the free flow of commerce.”
via Read Full Article.
From Global Security Newswire
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is not on pace to meet a congressional mandate to ensure that all cargo transported on passenger planes is screened for weapons of mass destruction, government officials said yesterday.
That prompted at least one key lawmaker to say Congress might have to take new steps to help the agency reach that goal instead of changing the August 2010 deadline.
Pakistani Court Charges 5 Americans With Terrorism
March 17, 2010 by national
Filed under Homeland Security NewsAmericans Charged With Terrorism in Pakistan
Five Americans face life in a Pakistani jail after officials there charged them with plotting terror attacks.
A Pakistani court charged the five men from Virginia on Wednesday with attempting to join al Qaeda-linked groups to carry out attacks in Pakistan.
Officials said they believe the group was also planning to go to Afghanistan to fight against U.S. and NATO troops.
The men, all Muslims ranging from 18 to 25 years old, deny the charges, claiming they were planning to work with charity groups in Afghanistan.
“The charges were read out by the judge. The judge asked if they accept the charges. All the accused unanimously rejected them. They said 'We totally deny the charges,” said their lawyer, Hasan Dastagir.
He called the charges “lies” and said the men believe they are being framed by Pakistan and the United States.
via Pakistani court charges 5 Americans with terrorism.
Five Doomsday Scenarios for an IT Apocalypse
March 15, 2010 by national
Filed under Homeland Security NewsCyber Terrorism
Technology drives just about everything we do, and not just at our jobs. From banks to hospitals to the systems that keep the juice flowing to our homes, we are almost entirely dependent on tech. More and more of these systems are interconnected, and many of them are vulnerable. We see it almost every day.
But what if instead of simply a denial-of-service attack against select Websites, the entire Internet suddenly stopped working — or for that matter, Google could not be reached. What if instead of a mere data breach, our financial institutions were attacked by a weapon that could instantly neutralize all electronic transactions? Or if hackers wormed their way into the systems that control the power grid?
If you think these things can’t happen, think again. Some already have occurred on a smaller scale. But we thought it might be fun to turn up the volume and see what might happen — how likely a “tech doomsday” scenario might be, how long it would take us to recover, and how we might prevent it from coming to be.
Tech doomsday scenario No. 1: America goes dark
Tech doomsday scenario No. 2: Wall Street gets e-bombed
Tech doomsday scenario No. 3: Google is gone
Read the full article to find out how likely the events are to occur, what would happen and the chances for recovery.
Five Doomsday Scenarios for IT: Tech Apocalypse – PCWorld Business Center.
Terrorists Targeting Children Via Social Media
March 15, 2010 by national
Filed under Homeland Security NewsTerrorism Recruitung Growing Online
The Internet grew 20 percent uglier last year, with terrorists and racists increasingly turning to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter — and targeting children, finds the 2010 Digital Hate Report.
The Internet grew 20 percent uglier last year, with terrorists and racists increasingly turning to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter — and targeting children, finds the 2010 Digital Hate Report,as reported by Fox News.
The CD-ROM report, put out annually by the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Tolerance, aims to assist law enforcement, public officials, educators, parents and the news media to better grasp the scope of hate.
The report, based on some 11,500 problematic Web sites, social networks , chat forums, twitter posts, other Internet postings, found that hate-filled language is increasingly filling social networks. In compiling it, researchers for the Wiesenthal center found such disturbing online content as video footage showing bomb-making instructions and hate games — including one about bombing Haitian earthquake victims.
US State Department Travel Warning For Mexico
March 14, 2010 by national
Filed under Homeland Security NewsTravel Warning Issued for Mexico
The Department of State has issued this Travel Warning to inform U.S. citizens traveling to and living in Mexico of concerns about the security situation in Mexico, and that it has authorized the departure of the dependents of U.S. government personnel from U.S. consulates in the Northern Mexican border cities of Tijuana, Nogales, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey and Matamoros until April 12. Family members of US Government personnel assigned to other areas of Mexico outside the Mexican border states are not affected by this departure measure. This Travel Warning supercedes that of February 22, 2010, and announces the authorized departure of some dependents and updates security incidents.
While millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year (including tens of thousands who cross the land border daily for study, tourism or business and nearly one million U.S. citizens who live in Mexico), violence in the country has increased. It is imperative that U.S. citizens understand the risks in Mexico, how best to avoid dangerous situations, and who to contact if victimized. Common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where prostitution and drug dealing might occur, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable.
Recent violent attacks have prompted the U.S. Embassy to urge U.S. citizens to delay unnecessary travel to parts of Durango, Coahuila and Chihuahua states(see details below) and advise U.S. citizens residing or traveling in those areas to exercise extreme caution. Drug cartels and associated criminal elements have retaliated violently against individuals who speak out against them or whom they otherwise view as a threat to their organizations. These attacks include the abduction and murder of two resident U.S. citizens in Chihuahua.
Violence Along the U.S. – Mexico Border
Mexican drug cartels are engaged in violent conflict – both among themselves and with Mexican security services – for control of narcotics trafficking routes along the U.S.-Mexico border. To combat violence, the government of Mexico has deployed military troops throughout the country. U.S. citizens should cooperate fully with official checkpoints when traveling on Mexican highways.
Some recent confrontations between Mexican authorities and drug cartel members have resembled small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and grenades. Large firefights have taken place in towns and cities across Mexico, but occur mostly in northern Mexico, including Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Chihuahua City, Nogales, Matamoros, Reynosa and Monterrey. During some of these incidents, U.S. citizens have been trapped and temporarily prevented from leaving the area. The U.S. Mission in Mexico currently restricts its U.S. government employees’ travel within the state of Durango, the northwest quadrant of the state of Chihuahua and an area southeast of Ciudad Juarez, and all parts of the state of Coahuila south of Mexican Highways 25 and 22 and the Alamos River. This restriction was implemented in light of a recent increase in assaults, murders, and kidnappings in those three states.
The situation in northern Mexico remains fluid; the location and timing of future armed engagements cannot be predicted. Recently, the cities of Durango and Gomez Palacio in the state of Durango, and the area known as “La Laguna” in the state of Coahuila, which includes the city of Torreon, experienced sharp increases in violence. In late 2009 and early 2010, four visiting U.S. citizens were murdered in Gomez Palacio, Durango. These and several other unsolved murders in the state of Durango have caused particular concern.
A number of areas along the border continue to experience a rapid growth in crime. Robberies, homicides, petty thefts, and carjackings have all increased over the last year across Mexico, with notable spikes in Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and northern Baja California. Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana and Nogales are among the cities that have experienced public shootouts during daylight hours in shopping centers and other public venues. Criminals have followed and harassed U.S. citizens traveling in their vehicles in border areas including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, and Tijuana. Travelers on the highways between Monterrey and other parts of Mexico to the United States (notably through Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros) have been targeted for robbery and violence and have also inadvertently been caught in incidents of gunfire between criminals and Mexican law enforcement. Such incidents are more likely to occur at night but may occur at any time.
The situation in the state of Chihuahua, specifically Ciudad Juarez, is of special concern. The U.S. Consulate General recommends that American citizens defer non-essential travel to the Guadalupe Bravo area southeast of Ciudad Juarez and to the northwest quarter of the state of Chihuahua including the city of Nuevo Casas Grandes and surrounding communities. From the United States, these areas are often reached through the Columbus, NM, and Fabens and Fort Hancock, TX, ports of entry. In both areas, American citizens have been victims of drug-related violence.
Mexican authorities report that more than 2,600 people were killed in Ciudad Juarez in 2009. Additionally, this city of 1.3 million people experienced more than 16,000 car thefts and 1,900 carjackings in 2009. U.S. citizens should pay close attention to their surroundings while traveling in Ciudad Juarez, avoid isolated locations during late night and early morning hours, and remain alert to news reports. Visa and other service seekers visiting the Consulate are encouraged to make arrangements to pay for those services using a non-cash method.
U.S. citizens are urged to be alert to safety and security concerns when visiting the border region. Criminals are armed with a wide array of sophisticated weapons. In some cases, assailants have worn full or partial police or military uniforms and have used vehicles that resemble police vehicles. While most crime victims are Mexican citizens, the uncertain security situation poses serious risks for U.S. citizens as well. U.S. citizen victims of crime in Mexico are urged to contact the consular section of the nearest U.S. consulate or Embassy for advice and assistance. Contact information is provided at the end of this message.
Crime and Violence Throughout MexicoU.S. citizens traveling throughout Mexico should exercise caution in unfamiliar areas and be aware of their surroundings at all times. Bystanders have been injured or killed in violent attacks in cities across the country, demonstrating the heightened risk of violence in public places. In recent years, dozens of U.S. citizens living in Mexico have been kidnapped and most of their cases remain unsolved. U.S. citizens who believe they are being targeted for kidnapping or other crimes should notify Mexican law enforcement officials and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City or the nearest U.S. consulate as soon as possible. Any U.S. visitor who suspects they are a target should consider returning to the United States immediately. U.S. citizens should be aware that many cases of violent crime are never resolved by Mexican law enforcement, and the U.S. government has no authority to investigate crimes committed in Mexico.
U.S. citizens should make every attempt to travel on main roads during daylight hours, particularly the toll (“cuota”) roads, which generally are more secure. When warranted, the U.S. Embassy and consulates advise their employees as well as private U.S. citizens to avoid certain areas, abstain from driving on certain roads because of dangerous conditions or criminal activity, or recommend driving during daylight hours only. When this happens, the Embassy or the affected consulate will alert the local U.S. citizen Warden network and post the information on their respective websites, indicating the nature of the concern and the expected time period for which the restriction will remain in place.
U.S. citizen visitors are encouraged to stay in the well-known tourist areas. Travelers should leave their itinerary with a friend or family member not traveling with them, avoid traveling alone, and check with their cellular phone service providers prior to departure to confirm that their cell phone is capable of roaming on GSM or 3G international networks. Do not display expensive-looking jewelry, large amounts of money, or other valuable items. Travelers to remote or isolated hunting or fishing venues should be aware of their distance from appropriate medical, law enforcement, and consular services in an emergency situation.
Demonstrations and Large Public Gatherings
Demonstrations occur frequently throughout Mexico and usually are peaceful. However, even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate to violence unexpectedly. Violent demonstrations have resulted in deaths, including that of an American citizen in Oaxaca in 2006. In 2008, a Mexican Independence Day celebration was the target of a violent attack. During demonstrations or law enforcement operations, U.S. citizens are advised to remain in their homes or hotels, avoid large crowds, and avoid the downtown and surrounding areas. Since the timing and routes of scheduled marches and demonstrations are always subject to change, U.S. citizens should monitor local media sources for new developments and exercise extreme caution while within the vicinity of protests.
The Mexican Constitution prohibits political activities by foreigners, and such actions may result in detention and/or deportation. U.S. citizens are therefore advised to avoid participating in demonstrations or other activities that might be deemed political by Mexican authorities. As is always the case in any large gathering, U.S. citizens should remain alert to their surroundings.
Further Information
For more detailed information on staying safe in Mexico, please see the Mexico Country Specific Information. Information on security and travel to popular tourist destinations is also provided in the publication: “Spring Break in Mexico- Know Before You Go!!”
For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s internet web site at http://travel.state.gov/ where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada, or, for callers from Mexico, a regular toll line at 001-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). American citizens traveling or residing overseas are encouraged to register with the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate on the State Department’s travel registration website at https://travelregistration.state.gov/.
For any emergencies involving U.S. citizens in Mexico, please contact the U.S. Embassy or the closest U.S. Consulate. The numbers provided below for the Embassy and Consulates are available around the clock. The U.S. Embassy is located in Mexico City at Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, telephone from the United States: 011-52-55-5080-2000; telephone within Mexico City: 5080-2000; telephone long distance within Mexico 01-55-5080-2000. You may also contact the Embassy by e-mail at: ACSMexicoCity@state.gov The Embassy’s internet address is http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/.
Consulates:
Ciudad Juarez: Paseo de la Victoria 3650, tel. (011)(52)(656) 227-3000. http://ciudadjuarez.usconsulate.gov/.
Guadalajara: Progreso 175, telephone (011)(52)(333) 268-2100. http://guadalajara.usconsulate.gov/.
Hermosillo: Avenida Monterrey 141, telephone (011)(52)(662) 289-3500. http://hermosillo.usconsulate.gov/.
Matamoros: Avenida Primera 2002, telephone (011)(52)(868) 812-4402. http://matamoros.usconsulate.gov/.
Merida: Calle 60 no. 338-K x 29 y 31, Col. Alcala Martin, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico 97050, telephone (011)(52)(999) 942-5700 or 202-250-3711 (U.S. number). http://merida.usconsulate.gov/.
Monterrey: Avenida Constitucion 411 Poniente, telephone (011)(52)(818) 047-3100. http://monterrey.usconsulate.gov/.
Nogales: Calle San Jose, Nogales, Sonora, telephone (011)(52)(631) 311-8150. http://nogales.usconsulate.gov/.
Nuevo Laredo: Calle Allende 3330, col. Jardin, telephone (011)(52)(867) 714-0512. http://nuevolaredo.usconsulate.gov/.
Tijuana: Tapachula 96, telephone (011)(52)(664) 622-7400. http://tijuana.usconsulate.gov/service.html.
Consular Agencies:
Acapulco: Hotel Continental Emporio, Costera Miguel Aleman 121 – local 14, telephone (011)(52)(744) 484-0300 or (011)(52)(744) 469-0556.
Cabo San Lucas: Blvd. Marina local c-4, Plaza Nautica, col. Centro, telephone (011)(52)(624) 143-3566.
Cancún: Plaza Caracol two, second level, no. 320-323, Boulevard Kukulcan, km. 8.5, Zona Hotelera, telephone (011)(52)(998) 883-0272 or, 202-640-2511 (a U.S. number).
Ciudad Acuña: Closed until further notice.
Cozumel: Plaza Villa Mar en el Centro, Plaza Principal, (Parque Juárez between Melgar and 5th ave.) 2nd floor, locales #8 and 9, telephone (011)(52)(987) 872-4574 or, 202-459-4661 (a U.S. number).
Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo: Hotel Fontan, Blvd. Ixtapa, telephone (011)(52)(755) 553-2100.
Mazatlán: Playa Gaviotas #202, Zona Dorada, telephone (011)(52)(669) 916-5889.
Oaxaca: Macedonio Alcalá no. 407, interior 20, telephone (011)(52)(951) 514-3054, (011) (52)(951) 516-2853.
Piedras Negras: Abasolo #211, Zona Centro, Piedras Negras, Coah., Tel. (011)(52)(878) 782-5586.
Playa del Carmen: “The Palapa,” Calle 1 Sur, between Avenida 15 and Avenida 20, telephone (011)(52)(984) 873-0303 or 202-370-6708(a U.S. number).
Puerto Vallarta: Paradise Plaza, Paseo de los Cocoteros #1, Local #4, Interior #17, Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, telephone (011)(52)(322) 222-0069.
Reynosa: Calle Monterrey #390, Esq. Sinaloa, Colonia Rodríguez, telephone: (011)(52)(899) 923 – 9331.
San Luis Potosí: Edificio “Las Terrazas”, Avenida Venustiano Carranza 2076-41, Col. Polanco, telephone: (011)(52)(444) 811-7802/7803.
San Miguel de Allende: Dr. Hernandez Macias #72, telephone (011)(52)(415) 152-2357 or (011)(52)(415) 152-0068.
Bollywood Pursues Terrorism and Terrorists at Full Throttle
March 14, 2010 by national
Filed under Homeland Security NewsTerrorist Camp in Yemen
“The Hurt Locker” may have won big at the Oscars this week, but for movie fans outside the U.S., the night was a bust. With a paltry $4 million in earnings overseas, hardly anyone saw the film. One reason: Like other post-9/11 pictures about Iraq and the global war on terror, Kathryn Bigelow’s was weighed down by dull historicity and an obsession with America’s conduct in the war. Such movies often fail to address the core issue: Islamic radicalism. Enter Bollywood.
Back in the carefree 1990s, Hollywood’s take on terrorism—”True Lies,” “Die Hard 2,” “Air Force One”—was fun and spectacularly successful. These were essentially live-action cartoons, in which the extremists were interchangeable: an evil Arab was just as script-worthy as an evil Kazakh. But even before the World Trade Center attacks, Hollywood got cold feet. Under pressure from Islamic groups tired of googly-eyed jihadi villains, it scrubbed many Muslim terrorists out of screenplays. In the name of political correctness the industry shifted from caricature to avoidance, and in the process became irrelevant.
Not so in Bollywood, however, where terrorism narratives are pursued full throttle, and where Islamic radicalism and the suffering it causes come together in extravagant form. Whereas Hollywood focuses on bumptious American bureaucrats and politicians (“Syriana,” “Lions for Lambs”), troubled soldiers (“Stop-Loss”) and ruthlessly efficient super-agents, India makes movies about actual terrorists, based on its long, painful history of domestic extremism.
Colorado Mom Arrested in Ireland Terror Case Released
March 12, 2010 by national
Filed under Homeland Security NewsSecond woman arrested in cartoonist terror plot
UPDATE: Irish police release U.S. woman held in plot. An American woman and three others arrested in Ireland over an alleged plot to assassinate Swedish artist Lars Vilks have been freed without charge, Irish police said Saturday.
Seven people — including the American woman, three Algerians, a Libyan, a Palestinian and a Croatian — were arrested Tuesday in Ireland. Irish police said three others who were also arrested remained in custody and were being questioned.
Original Post
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a Colorado mother has been arrested in connection with an assassination attempt on a Swedish cartoonist. This is the second American woman to be arrested in terror investigations this week.Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, 31, was arrested in Ireland with several other suspected terror conspirators. She is in the custody of the Irish police, along with six other individuals, arrested as part of an investigation into a conspiracy to commit murder.
Ramirez is described as a mother who had a $30,000-a-year job as a medical assistant in Leadville.
Ramirez disappeared on Sept. 11 and later told her family she went to Ireland with her 6-year-old son and married an Algerian whom she met online, her mother Christine Mott of Leadville told The Associated Press. The Wall Street Journal, quoting anonymous sources familiar with the case, reported on its Web site that Paulin-Ramirez was being held in the alleged plot.
Denver FBI officials said they did not have an open case on Paulin-Ramirez. Her stepfather, George Mott, said the FBI seized a desktop computer in late September but did not tell the family what they found.
al-Qaida Seen Eyeing Less Complex Attacks On US
March 11, 2010 by national
Filed under Homeland Security NewsTargeting terrorism
Ever since al-Qaida attacked the United States in 2001, U.S. authorities have worked to detect and prevent the next big terrorist strike.
But officials and counter-terrorism experts say the Christmas airline plot and last November's shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, may have shown al-Qaida that smaller-scale attacks also can prove unsettling, without the complexity and risk of bigger attempts.
The Christmas Day attempt to bring down a Detroit-bound flight — allegedly by a young Nigerian man with explosives in his underwear — was not successful. The attempt, however, shook the government, set agencies against each other and led to months of political second-guessing.
Short of mass casualties, the attack produced the kind of reaction that al-Qaida desires.
Now it appears that the group, which has prided itself on its ideological purism, seems to be eyeing a more pragmatic and perhaps more dangerous shift in tactics. The emerging message appears to be that big successes are great, but sometimes simply trying can be just as good.
It's not clear what Osama bin Laden and his senior leaders are thinking and plotting. But U.S.-born al-Qaida spokesman Adam Gadahn made a public pitch for such smaller, single acts of jihad in a recent Internet video.
“Even apparently unsuccessful attacks on Western mass transportation systems can bring major cities to a halt, cost the enemy billions and send his corporations into bankruptcy,” Gadahn said in the video.
via Read Full Article.
No-Fly List Has Doubled in Size and Will Get Bigger
March 10, 2010 by national
Filed under Homeland Security NewsTerror Watch List Growing
U.S. enforcement and intelligence officials said Wednesday that the no-fly list barring passengers with suspected terror ties from boarding planes has already increased in size since the attempted Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Flight 253, and was likely to get much larger.
Security procedures have been stepped up since the attempted bombing of Delta Flight 253 on Dec. 25, 2009.
U.S. enforcement and intelligence officials said Wednesday that the no-fly list barring passengers with suspected terror ties from boarding planes has already increased in size since the attempted Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Flight 253.
“It’s getting bigger and it will get much bigger,” said Russell Travers, deputy director of the National Counterterrorism Center, testifying at a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
After the hearing, government officials confirmed to ABC News an earlier press report that the no-fly list had nearly doubled in size since December 25, from 3,400 names to over 6,000 individuals.
“The figure reported today generally reflects that expansion, although the number of individuals on the no-fly list varies daily,” said an official from the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center (TSC).
via Source.
Flight Attendants Seek Counter-terror Measures
March 8, 2010 by national
Filed under Homeland Security NewsAirline Cabin
The nation’s flight attendants say the government needs to ratchet up security measures inside airplanes and we couldn’t agree more. This four point plan outlined by the Assn. of Flight Attendants is simple and effective.
The new rules seek to strengthen in-cabin security through hand-to-hand combat instruction, personal radios and standardized size limits for carry-on luggage.
From The LA Times. The Assn. of Flight Attendants has been lobbying Congress for the last month or so to adopt its strategy for stronger counter-terrorism measures. The group hopes that lawmakers will include money to put some of their ideas into action under an upcoming funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The group, which represents more than 55,000 attendants at 20 airlines, wants to implement a four-point plan:
- Institute mandatory hand-to-hand combat training for all crew members.
- Equip flight attendants with portable communications devices so they can speak to the pilots during emergencies.
- Standardize the size of carry-on luggage so that flight attendants can look for suspicious passengers instead of struggling with oversized bags.
- Shut down onboard wireless Internet during high-threat periods to prevent terrorists from communicating with collaborators on the ground.
U.S. Sees a Terror Threat – Pakistanis See a Heroine
March 7, 2010 by national
Filed under Homeland Security NewsAafia Siddiqui
Relations between the United States and Pakistan often have a through-the-looking-glass quality, where almost nothing appears quite the same from the other side. The latest example is the case of Aafia Siddiqui.
In the United States, authorities say Ms. Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist who once studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is suspected of having links to Al Qaeda. She was convicted by a New York court in February of trying to kill American military officers while in custody in 2008 in Afghanistan. She faces life in prison when she is sentenced in May.
In Pakistan, she has become a national symbol of honor and victimization so potent that politicians of all stripes, Islamists, the news media and an increasingly anti-American public have all lined up to champion her claim of innocence.
In a rare display of unity, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, who has described Ms. Siddiqui as a “daughter of the nation,” and the opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, have promised to push for her release. Last week, senators passed a resolution to demand her return to Pakistan.
U.S. Hunts for Citizens Training With Terror Groups
March 6, 2010 by national
Filed under Homeland Security NewsTargeting Terrorism
The top U.S. diplomat in Pakistan said Friday that the Obama administration does not know how many Americans might have disappeared overseas to train with Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups, but the number is not thought to be large.
Speaking to the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles, Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson outlined a “nightmare scenario” in which people holding U.S. passports receive terrorist training then return legally to the U.S. to commit violent acts.
“They can easily infiltrate back into the United States and, frankly, we don’t know what to do about them,” Patterson said. “We think there are more out there than we know about.”
“We just have to keep working at it,” she said.
Patterson said the U.S. is gathering information with Pakistan and other governments to identify and locate such people.
“It’s not very many. But it’s hard to get a precise number,” Patterson said.
via Read Full Article.
Student Visa Fraud Ring Discovered at Florida School
March 4, 2010 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News, Incident ReportsStudent Visa
A Florida language school helped illegally obtain student visas for foreign nationals who never went to class, violating laws enacted after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks exposed weaknesses in the program, authorities said Thursday.
Eighty-one student visa holders purportedly studying at the Florida Language Institute have been arrested. None was on any federal watch list or linked to terrorism, U.S. authorities said, though investigators were checking their backgrounds.
“We don't know exactly what they were doing,” said U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sloman.
The school's owner, Lydia Menocal, 58, and employee Ofelia Macia, 75, allegedly made $2.4 million over the past three years from foreign nationals applying for U.S. student visas. It was not clear how much they charged each student for the paperwork, authorities said.
Menocal and Macia were charged with conspiring to commit an offense against the U.S., and Menocal faces other charges including falsifying immigration documents, according to a grand jury indictment.
via Feds: Student visa fraud ring found at Fla. school – Yahoo! News.
Cyber Threat is Nations Biggest Economic Risk
March 2, 2010 by national
Filed under Homeland Security NewsCyber Attack Biggest Economic Threat
At the RSA security conference in San Francisco today, White House cybersecurity chief Howard Schmidt said that the biggest economic threat facing the nation is the cybersecurity problem.
He said the government is mobilizing to deal with electronic attacks, which have hit everyone from Google to everyday consumers who have had their identities stolen in credit card scams. (He didn’t dwell on the idea that this is the biggest economic threat; after all, bankers and insurance companies have been pretty big threats to the U.S. economy as well).
In his first major public appearance since President Obama appointed him last year, Schmidt said that the country has to do something about fixing systemic problems that make the nation’s computers vulnerable to cyber attack.
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