U.S. Space Researcher Arrested on Spy Charges
October 19, 2009 by national
Filed under Incident Reports
There are not a lot of details yet in the report of a top U.S. space researcher who was arrested in an FBI sting Monday and charged with attempting to spy for Israel.
Stewart Nozette, 52 years old, of Chevy Chase, Md., is a former government physicist who worked for agencies ranging from the Defense Department to the White House.
In exchange for thousands of dollars in cash and an Israeli passport, Mr. Nozette attempted to pass on U.S. top secret nuclear and space secrets to an FBI agent who was posing as an Israeli intelligence operative, according to an FBI affidavit filed with the criminal complaint in the case.
Nozette, 52, was arrested shortly after 4:00 p.m. at the Mayflower Hotel in downtown Washington by counterespionage agents from the FBI’s Washington field office after he believed he was meeting with agents from the Mossad to pass information to them in exchange for money, the Justice Department said.
Israel Intercepts Plane Flying Near Nuclear Reactor
October 6, 2009 by Homeland Security NTARC News
Filed under Incident Reports
Few details gave been released today after the Israeli air force scrambled fighter jets after a small aircraft flew into restricted air space over its nuclear reactor in the southern Negev desert, near Dimona, officials said.
The warplanes intercepted the aircraft and forced it to land at a nearby airstrip, where the pilot were handed over to civilian authorities for investigation, an army spokeswoman said.
Police had no immediate comment but Israeli media reported that the pilot, who was flying from Rishon Letzion outside of Tel Aviv to the town of Arad near the Dead Sea, said that he lost his way.
Aircraft are forbidden from flying over the reactor near the desert town of Dimona.
Iran Tests Shahab 3 Long Range Missile
September 28, 2009 by national
Filed under Incident Reports
One day after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards test-fired short and medium range missiles, Iran has test-fired a long-range Shahab-3 missile,according to state TV. The Shahab-3 has a range of up to 1,240 miles, placing Israel and American bases in the Gulf region within range, according to analysts.
Israel Strikes Back At Jihadists In Gaza City – Video
September 28, 2009 by national
Filed under World Report
On Friday, September 25th, An Israel Air Force air-craft targeted and identified hitting three terrorists east of Gaza City who were on their way to fire rockets at Israel’s southern communities.
In the following video an Unmanned Air Vehicle captures two Islamic Jihad terrorists exiting a structure, carrying rockets east of Gaza City. As the two reach their launch zone, a third terrorist joins them to prepare for the attack. Subsequently, IAF forces bomb the site leading Islamic Jihad’s missiles to misfire from secondary explosions.
The three terrorists hit were part of a terrorist cell that has been firing rockets into Israel for the past few weeks, including rockets that hit the city of Sderot during the holiday of Rosh HaShana (the Jewish New Year) a week ago.
Warning: Terror Group Planning Attacks On Israelis In India
September 17, 2009 by national
Filed under World Report
Israel’s Counter Terrorism Bureau issued a severe travel warning on Thursday over fears that terrorist groups may try to attack Israelis across India. The warning comes just as the Chabad houses across India plan numerous events for the celebration of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year. Last year, a large scale terror attack in Mumbai targeted a Chabad house, among other targets.
According to the Counter Terrorist Bureau, the same organization that orchestrated last year’s Mumbai attacks was planning to carry out several attacks across India, including areas frequented by Western and particularly Israeli tourists.
The travel warning is based on a concrete and very serious threat to Israelis. The Counter Terrorism Bureau has recommended to Israelis currently in India to avoid crowded areas, especially tourist areas, which have no apparent armed security.
In addition, due to reports of potential terror attacks across the entire country, Israeli travelers are advised to take precautions and remain alert.
IAEA Denies Report Iran Has Ability To Create Nuclear Bomb
September 17, 2009 by national
Filed under World Report
The U.N. nuclear agency has no proof that Iran has or once had a covert atomic bomb program, it said on Thursday, dismissing a report that it had concluded Iran was on its way to producing nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency reaffirmed IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei’s September 9 comment that allegations the agency was sitting on evidence of Iranian bomb work were “politically motivated and baseless.”
“With respect to a recent media report, the IAEA reiterates that it has no concrete proof that there is or has been a nuclear weapons program in Iran,” an IAEA statement said.
The IAEA received information from a variety of sources that might be relevant to verifying that a state was not hiding nuclear bomb research or development, it said.
All information on Iran that the IAEA had vetted has already been shared with its 35-nation Board of Governors in reports by ElBaradei.
Diplomats close to the IAEA have told Reuters it has no “smoking gun” evidence of Iran currently trying to apply nuclear technology to its ballistic missile program. Two diplomats repeated that position after Thursday’s media report.
via IAEA denies report it is sure Iran seeking atom bomb | International | Reuters.
However… There Is This Story
Experts at the IAEA are in agreement that Teheran has the ability to make a nuclear bomb and is on the way to developing a missile system able to carry an atomic warhead, according to a secret report seen by The Associated Press on Thursday.
The document drafted by senior officials at the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency is the clearest indication yet that the agency’s leaders share Washington’s views on Iran’s weapon-making capabilities. It appears to be the so-called “secret annex” on Teheran’s nuclear program that Washington says is being withheld by the IAEA’s chief.
According to the document, the Islamic republic has “sufficient information” to build a bomb. Iran is likely to “overcome problems” on developing a delivery system, according to the report.
Pakistani Police – 13 Militants Arrested, Terror Plots Foiled
August 24, 2009 by national
Filed under World Report
Pakistani police say they thwarted multiple terror plots by arresting 13 militants with links to al-Qaida or the Taliban during raids in southern and eastern Pakistan.
Police said Monday they seized seven men, suicide vests and explosives during a raid in the southern city of Karachi. Authorities said the men belong to the banned al-Qaida-linked Sunni extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.
The group has previously been suspected of plotting to assassinate government officials, as well as masterminding last year's bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad and the bombing of a Shi'ite mosque in 2003.
And police in eastern Pakistan say they captured six suspected Taliban militants in Punjab province. Senior police officer Usman Anwar says the suspected militants had planned to attack foreign targets and places of worship.
Authorities in both cases say the arrests foiled militants' plans to stage terror attacks.
New Drug Protects From Nuclear or Dirty Bomb Radiation
July 18, 2009 by national
Filed under Emergency Preparedness
A drug that can protect people exposed to normally lethal doses of radiation from a nuclear or a “dirty” bomb has been developed, reports say.
In tests involving 650 monkeys exposed to radiation equivalent to that recorded during the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster in 1986, 70 per cent died while the rest suffered serious maladies, the newspaper Yediot Achronot said yesterday.
Of the group given anti-radiation shots, almost all survived and had no side effects. A test on humans not exposed to radiation showed none suffered side effects from the medication.
The medication was developed by Andrei Gudkov, chief scientific officer at Cleveland BioLabs in the US. Also involved was Israel’s Elena Feinstein.
“We made a breakthrough that may save the lives of millions,” Dr Gudkov was quoted as saying.
The medication has important implications in the treatment of cancer, the report said, since it permits use of more powerful radiation.
Exclusive: Dramatic discovery by Jewish-American scientists could change world; anti-radiation medication proves effective, safe in tests. Further experiments to be fast tracked, FDA approval possible within 1-2 years
Medication that can protect humans against nuclear radiation has been developed by Jewish-American scientists in cooperation with a researcher and investors from Israel. The full story behind the dramatic discovery will be published in Yedioth Ahronoth’s weekend edition.
The ground-breaking medication, developed by Professor Andrei Gudkov – Chief Scientific Officer at Cleveland BioLabs – may have far-reaching implications on the balance of power in the world, as states capable of providing their citizens with protection against radiation will enjoy a significant strategic advantage vis-à-vis their rivals.
For Israel, the discovery marks a particularly dramatic development that could deeply affect the main issue on the defense establishment’s agenda: Protection against a nuclear attack by Iran or against “dirty bomb” attacks by terror groups.
Gudkov’s discovery may also have immense implications for cancer patients by enabling doctors to better protect patients against radiation. Should the new medication enable cancer patients to be treated with more powerful radiation, our ability to fight the disease could greatly improve.
Dramatic test results
The process that led up to the medical innovation dates back to 2003, when Professor Gudkov came up with the idea of using protein produced in bacteria found in the intestine to protect cells from radiation.Gudkov recounted an experiment he held with two groups of mice.
“We exposed both groups to lethal radioactive radiation,” he said. “All the mice in the control group died within a short period of time. A few days later, when I approached the cage with the mice that received the protein, I could see that they’re ok, that they’re alive. They survived. It’s hard to describe the joy all of us felt. We realized that finally, after so many years and so many experiments and frustrations, we made a breakthrough that may save the lives of millions.”
New drug offers radiation protection
A drug developed with Pentagon approval offers protection from radiation in the event of a nuclear attack, U.S. and Israeli researchers said.
The medication could offer effective protection in the event of nuclear or dirty bomb attacks, an exclusive report published Friday in the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Aharonoth said.
The drug developed by Professor Andrei Gudkov may affect the future balance of world powers, the paper said, and will offer cancer sufferers better protection as they undergo radiation treatment.
Netanyahu Adviser Raises “MAD” Nuclear Scenario
July 9, 2009 by national
Filed under World Report
Israel must have “tremendously powerful” weapons to deter a nuclear attack or destroy an enemy that dares to launch an atomic strike, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quoted on Thursday as saying.
National security adviser Uzi Arad, in comments to Haaretz newspaper, appeared to allude to what is widely believed to be Israel’s own nuclear arsenal and a standing policy of “mutually assured destruction” (MAD). He warned other countries they could bring about their own devastation if they launched an attack.
Israel has never confirmed it has atomic arms.
In excerpts on Haaretz’s English-language website of an interview to be published on Friday, Arad said he feared that if Iran became a nuclear power, five or six other states in the Middle East would follow suit. He called such a prospect a “nightmare” for Israel.
“The defensive might we have must be improved and become tremendously powerful, and create a situation in which no one will dare to realise the ability to harm us,” Arad said.
“And if they do dare, we will exact a full price, so that they too will not survive.”
Israel has three German-made submarines that are widely assumed
via Reuters AlertNet – Netanyahu adviser raises “MAD” nuclear scenario.
Military Chief Mullen Says Clock Ticking On Iran Nuke
The top U.S. military officer warned on Tuesday that time is running out for dialogue with Tehran to avoid either a nuclear-armed Iran or a possible military strike against the Islamic Republic.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it is critical for diplomatic efforts to reach a solution before Iran develops a nuclear weapon or faces an Israeli or U.S. strike to turn back its nuclear program.
“That window is a very narrow window,” Mullen told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.
“There’s a great deal that certainly depends on the dialogue and the engagement,” he said. “I’m hopeful that that dialogue is productive. I worry about it a great deal if it’s not.”
Mullen noted that some forecasters believe Iran could be as little as a year away from developing a nuclear bomb, adding: “The clock has continued to tick.”
Al-Qaeda Cell Was Preparing To Attack Middle East Gas Pipelines
July 6, 2009 by national
Filed under World Report
An international Al-Qaeda cell, based in the northern Sinai Penninsula, is suspected of being involved in plans to attack gas pipelines running between Israel and Egypt.
According to Egyptian media, the plan was to strike Israeli ships passing through the Suez Canal.
Ten people, allegedly behind a February bomb attack at Cairo’s famous Khan el-Khalili market, have been under suspicion since a police raid uncovered arms and information from a hideout used by the group.
The cache of explosives included anti-tank weapons, car bombs and personal explosive belts.
Two Palestinians, five Egyptians, a Belgian, a Briton and a French citizen are among the suspected cell members.
It is believed the European members probably entered Egypt through underground tunnels near Rafah into the Gaza Strip.
They allegedly received money for their mission and moved back to Egypt through the tunnels, at which time they allegedly carried out the Cairo attack.
It has been suggested the cell was controlled by Khaled Mohammed Ahmed, the Palestinian-based commander of an al-Qaeda group.
Biden Says US Will Not Stand In Way of Israel Attack On Iran
July 6, 2009 by national
Filed under World Report
Joe Biden
Vice President Joe Biden signaled that the Obama administration would not stand in the way if Israel chose to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, even as the top U.S. military officer said any attack on Iran would be destabilizing.
[...]
In an interview on ABC’s “This Week,” Biden also said the U.S. offer to negotiate with Tehran on its nuclear program still stands. Some thought the administration’s approach might change in light of the Iranian government’s harsh crackdown on protesters after the June 12 presidential election. Opponents of the ruling authorities claimed the vote was rigged against them.
“If the Iranians respond to the offer of engagement, we will engage,” Biden said.
It was after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on May 18 that President Barack Obama said it should be clear by year’s end whether Iran was open to direct negotiations. Obama told The Associated Press last Thursday that persuading Iran to forego nuclear weapons has been made more difficult by the crackdown after the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
How Safe Is Pakistan’s Nuclear Arsenal
June 23, 2009 by national
Filed under World Report
The safety of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is a cause for international concern. Even as the Zardari regime is waging a war against Taliban in the Swat valley with support of the US, Taliban has made known its resolve to seize control of the nuclear arsenal of Pakistan and use it to fight the US. The US won’t allow Pakistan’s nuclear arms to pass into the hands of Taliban.
To checkmate that possibility, US has enough safeguards in place to take over Pak’s nuclear weapons in case Islamist fighters came close to doing so. US President Barack Obama recently expressed the confidence that Pakistani government has safeguarded its nuclear arsenal. However, no one has been able to ascertain the validity of Pakistan’s assurances about their nuclear weapons security.
Al Qaeda Says They Would Use Pakistani Nuclear Weapons
If it were in a position to do so, Al Qaeda would use Pakistan’s nuclear weapons in its fight against the United States, a top leader of the group said in remarks aired on Sunday.
Pakistan has been battling al Qaeda’s Taliban allies in the Swat Valley since April after their thrust into a district 100 km 60 miles northwest of the capital raised fears the nuclear-armed country could slowly slip into militant hands.
“God willing, the nuclear weapons will not fall into the hands of the Americans and the mujahideen would take them and use them against the Americans,” Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, the leader of al Qaeda’s in Afghanistan, said in an interview with Al Jazeera television.
Abu al-Yazid was responding to a question about U.S. safeguards to seize control over Pakistan’s nuclear weapons in case Islamist fighters came close to doing so.
“We expect that the Pakistani army would be defeated in Swat … and that would be its end everywhere, God willing.”
