January 2008

Iran: A 'duty' for Muslims to attack the West

29 Jan 2008

Iran: A 'duty' for Muslims to attack the West, says editor

Tehran, IRAN: Hossein Shariatmadari, managing editor of 'Kayhan' (Universe) one of Iran's most influential newspapers, has issued a strongly worded editorial inviting Muslims to topple moderate Islamic governments and attack US, European and Israeli interests.

In the editorial, entitled "The enemy's shield", Shariatmadari argues that in Shia or Sunni Islam "It is legal to strike those who protect the enemy" .

The real enemies, says Shariatmadari are "The barbaric Zionists, the ferocious Americans and their European allies".

"Because of this, we must remove those Islamic regimes that stop Muslims attacking their enemies; that is not only legal, but a duty..."

-- Source/continues: http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=1.0.1821628560

ERRI/EmergencyNet News analyst note: For those who believe that the radical Islamist threat is "overblown," or that websites like this one are being "alarmist," we would suggest that they read the last two entries (and inherent links) posted here. The threat of Jihadist terrorist attack has not diminished and our assessment would suggest that there may be an increasing threat of attack in the future. Internet chatter about potential attacks has escalated and very specific threat messages have been dispatched from both Sunni and Shi'ite Jihadist sources in the past few days. While it is difficult to ascertain the validity of these threats without more information, our analysts say that greater awareness and precaution, but not panic, is warranted at this time...particularly in Europe. Watch EmergencyNet News for more on what may be an emerging threat trend...

Pakistani Militant Leader Threatens Washington, London and New York

Jan. 28, 2008

More Dangerous Than Osama
Militant Leader Claims He Is Fighting a 'Defensive' Jihad to Destroy the White House

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: He is more dangerous to Pakistan than Osama bin Laden, analysts say. He may be the single most important person in Pakistan's fight for its future. And for the first time, he has described the goals and the details of the network of militants responsible for the most violent time in Pakistan in 60 years.

During a 25-minute sit-down with al Jazeera, Baitullah Mehsud, the man Pakistan blames for killing former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, claims he is fighting a "defensive" jihad with the goal to destroy the White House, New York and London.

"Our main aim is to finish Britain, the United States and to crush the pride of the non-Muslims," he told Admad Zaidan, al Jazeera's bureau chief in Islamabad from an undisclosed location in northwest Pakistan. "We pray to God to give us the ability to destroy the White House, New York and London. And we have trust in God. Very soon, we will be witnessing jihad's miracles..."

-- Source/continues: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4199754&page=1

Suspected terror plots throughout Europe

25-Jan-08 7:50 PM EST

New Report of Suspected Terror Plots in Europe

The U.S. Attorney General says that he is troubled by the recent string of suspected terror plots throughout Europe. CBS National Security Correspondent David Martin reports from the Pentagon.

Bush Order Expands Computer Network Monitoring

Saturday, January 26, 2008; Page A03

Bush Order Expands Network Monitoring
Intelligence Agencies to Track Intrusions

By Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post Staff Writer

WASHINGTON, DC: President Bush signed a directive this month that expands the intelligence community's role in monitoring Internet traffic to protect against a rising number of attacks on federal agencies' computer systems.

The directive, whose content is classified, authorizes the intelligence agencies, in particular the National Security Agency, to monitor the computer networks of all federal agencies -- including ones they have not previously monitored.

Until now, the government's efforts to protect itself from cyber-attacks -- which run the gamut from hackers to organized crime to foreign governments trying to steal sensitive data -- have been piecemeal. Under the new initiative, a task force headed by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) will coordinate efforts to identify the source of cyber-attacks against government computer systems. As part of that effort, the Department of Homeland Security will work to protect the systems and the Pentagon will devise strategies for counterattacks against the intruders.

There has been a string of attacks on networks at the State, Commerce, Defense and Homeland Security departments in the past year and a half. U.S. officials and cyber-security experts have said Chinese Web sites were involved in several of the biggest attacks back to 2005, including some at the country's nuclear-energy labs and large defense contractors.

The NSA has particular expertise in monitoring a vast, complex array of communications systems -- traditionally overseas. The prospect of aiming that power at domestic networks is raising concerns, just as the NSA's role in the government's warrantless domestic-surveillance program has been controversial.

"Agencies designed to gather intelligence on foreign entities should not be in charge of monitoring our computer systems here at home," said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. Lawmakers with oversight of homeland security and intelligence matters say they have pressed the administration for months for details.

The classified joint directive, signed Jan. 8 and called the National Security Presidential Directive 54/Homeland Security Presidential Directive 23, has not been previously disclosed...

-- Source/continues at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/25/AR2008012503261.html

Fire Reported in Monte Carlo Hotel in Vegas

EmergencyNet News *FLASH* Report

01/25/2008 - 1:32:37 PM CST

Fire Reported in Monte Carlo Hotel in Vegas

LAS VEGAS, NV: There is a large fire at the Monte Carlo hotel/casino on the strip in Las Vegas, NV. The latest report says that it is a three-alarm fire and that evacuation of the hotel is underway. Large clouds of black smoke are seen coming from the upper floors and roof of the hotel.

It is not known if there are any injuries at the time of this report. The blaze was first reported at approximately 11:00 (Vegas time).

Few other official details are currently available. This is a preliminary notification...watch EmergencyNet News for additional details as circumstances warrant.

Utilities threatened by cyber attacks

22 January 2008

CIA: Utilities threatened by cyber attacks

CIA says U.S. utilities are at risk for cyber attack; security experts said the CIA's acknowledgment of the problem indicates how seriously they are taking it, as CIA policy had been not to disclose such things

The nation's utilities are at risk for cyber attack, the CIA's top cybersecurity expert, Tom Donahue, told a gathering of utility security experts, the Washington Post reported. Attackers have hacked into utility companies' computer systems overseas, in one case causing a power outage that affected multiple cities. "We do not know who executed these attacks or why, but all involved intrusions through the Internet," Donahue said at a trade conference in New Orleans. "We suspect, but cannot confirm, that some of the attackers had the benefit of inside knowledge." The hackers are using the attacks to demand money from utilities.

Security experts said the CIA's acknowledgment of the problem indicates how seriously they are taking it. CIA policy had been not to disclose such things. "The CIA wouldn't have changed its policy on disclosure if it wasn't important," Alan Paller, research director at the SANS Institute, told the Post. "Donahue wouldn't have said it publicly if he didn't think the threat was very large and that companies needed to fix things right now." Andrew Storms, director of security operations for nCircle Network Security, said that "these statements of threats and risks to the nation's infrastructure are not new. In private meetings with the CIA and FBI, information-security personnel have heard time and time again that the nation's utility systems are at risk and are a likely target by cyber attackers," he said.

-- Source/continues:http://hsdailywire.com/single.php?id=5385

Evacuations in Brooklyn after explosives found

1:46 PM EST, January 20, 2008

Evacuations in Brooklyn after explosives found

NEW YORK (BROOKLYN), NY: Residents of several Brooklyn Heights buildings were evacuated Sunday after police found several explosive devices and a cache of weapons in one apartment.

A 31-year-old man who lives on the fourth floor of 58 Remsen Street went to Long Island College Hospital at about 12:45 a.m. Sunday morning with a gunshot wound to the hand. Police said the wound was self-inflicted and possibly caused by a handgun or a similar type of firearm.

When police searched the man's home, they found the explosive devices as well as several weapons. The apartment building, as well as neighboring buildings, were evacuated while police conducted their investigation.

A police spokesman said it wasn't clear if the explosive devices were active or duds; the bomb squad planned to take them to a police range for further testing.

The man was released from the hospital and is being held for questioning. He has not yet been identified.

Terrorism has not been ruled out, police said. Officers took several items, including a computer processor and a fascimile machine, out of the apartment building...

-- Source/continues: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-nybomb21,0,5853512.story

Wind Chill Advisory - Midwest

COUNTIES OF...
WINNEBAGO-BOONE-MCHENRY-LAKE ILLINOIS-OGLE-LEE-
DE KALB-KANE-DUPAGE-COOK-LA SALLE-KENDALL-GRUNDY-
WILL-KANKAKEE-LIVINGSTON-IROQUOIS-FORD-LAKE INDIANA-
PORTER-NEWTON-JASPER-BENTON-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...

ROCKFORD...WOODSTOCK...WAUKEGAN...OREGON...DIXON...DEKALB...
AURORA...CHICAGO...OTTAWA...OSWEGO...MORRIS...JOLIET...KANKAKEE...
PONTIAC...WATSEKA...PAXTON...GARY...VALPARAISO...MOROCCO...
RENSSELAER...FOWLER

15:56 PM CST SAT JAN 19 2008 /456 PM EST SAT JAN 19 2008/

WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 PM CST /1 PM EST/ SUNDAY...

TEMPERATURES WILL DROP TO 10 TO 15 BELOW ZERO ACROSS FAR NORTHERN ILLINOIS OVERNIGHT...AND TO 5 TO 10 BELOW ZERO ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. WEST WINDS BETWEEN 10 AND 15 MPH WILL AGAIN PRODUCE DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILL READINGS OF 20 TO 30 BELOW ZERO OVERNIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING.

WIND CHILLS OF 20 BELOW ZERO WILL CAUSE FROSTBITE IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES. PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO THESE DANGEROUSLY COLD CONDITIONS CAN LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA AND SERIOUS HEALTH RISK.

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. THIS WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1607 PM CST SAT JAN 19 2008

KOOCHICHING-NORTHERN ST. LOUIS-NORTHERN COOK/NORTHERN LAKE- NORTHERN ITASCA-CENTRAL ST. LOUIS-NORTHERN CASS-SOUTHERN ITASCA- SOUTHERN CASS-CROW WING-NORTHERN AITKIN-SOUTHERN AITKIN- CARLTON/SOUTHERN ST. LOUIS-PINE-DOUGLAS-BAYFIELD-BURNETT-WASHBURN- SAWYER-

16:07 PM CST SAT JAN 19 2008

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 PM CST SUNDAY...

BITTERLY COLD ARCTIC AIR COMBINED WITH WEST-NORTHWEST WINDS OF 5 TO 15 MPH...WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE WIND CHILL VALUES OF 25 TO 40 BELOW ZERO ACROSS THE NORTHLAND TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. WIND CHILL VALUES THIS LOW CAN BE LIFE THREATENING...CAUSING FROSTBITE TO OCCUR IN 5 TO 10 MINUTES AND POSSIBLY LEADING TO HYPOTHERMIA.

IF YOU MUST TRAVEL ACROSS THE AREA THIS WEEKEND...BE SURE TO LET SOMEONE KNOW OF YOUR TRAVEL PLANS...AND CARRY A CELL PHONE AND WINTER SURVIVAL KIT IN CASE YOU BECOME STRANDED. WHEN WORKING OUTDOORS...DRESS IN LAYERS AND BE SURE TO TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS IN A WARM SHELTER. REMEMBER THAT PETS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO COLD WIND CHILLS AS WELL.

-- Source: National Weather Service

References on Hypothermia and Cold Weather Injuries

"COLD Weather injuries"

Can be found at: http://www.emergency.com/coldwthr.htm

Extreme Cold: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety

Can be found at: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/guide.asp

International computer hackers threatening to hold cities ransom

January 18, 2008

CIA says hackers pulled plug on overseas power grid

Overseas attacks recently declassified, but some details obscure

By Robert McMillan

(IDG News Service) -- Criminals have been able to hack into computer systems via the Internet and cut power to several cities, a Central Intelligence Agency analyst said this week.

Speaking at a conference of security professionals on Wednesday, CIA analyst Tom Donahue disclosed the recently declassified attacks while offering few specifics on what actually went wrong.

Criminals have launched online attacks that disrupted power equipment in several regions outside of the U.S., he said, without identifying the countries affected. The goal of the attacks was extortion, he said.

"We have information, from multiple regions outside the United States, of cyber intrusions into utilities, followed by extortion demands," he said in a statement posted to the Web on Friday by the conference's organizers, the SANS Institute. "In at least one case, the disruption caused a power outage affecting multiple cities. We do not know who executed these attacks or why, but all involved intrusions through the Internet."

"According to Mr. Donahue, the CIA actively and thoroughly considered the benefits and risks of making this information public, and came down on the side of disclosure," SANS said in the statement.

One conference attendee said the disclosure came as news to many of the government and industry security professionals in attendance. "It appeared that there were a lot of people who didn't know this already," said the attendee, who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak with the press...

-- Source/continues at: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?
command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9057999

Last updated at 23:33pm on 18th January 2008

CIA launches hunt for international computer hackers threatening to hold cities ransom by shutting off power

By WILLIAM LOWTHER

The CIA has launched a major hunt for international computer hackers who are threatening to throw cities into chaos by sabotaging their electricity supplies. In a shock announcement last night the American spy agency said that the hackers were running a massive extortion plot. They are threatening to cut off city lighting and power supplies unless they are paid huge sums of ransom money...

-- Source/continues: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html
?in_article_id=509186&in_page_id=1811&ito=1490

Probe Into Heathrow Crash Landing

Updated:17:49 BST, Thursday January 17, 2008

Probe Into Heathrow Crash Landing

LONDON, ENGLAND: Investigators are trying to piece together what caused a British Airways passenger jet to crash land at Heathrow Airport. The plane hit the ground several hundred yards short of the runway, narrowly missing a busy road.

The Boeing 777 had lowered its landing gear as it went to touchdown but witnesses have described how moments later it "dropped" out of the sky.

A Heathrow spokesman said the plane carried out an emergency landing at 12:42 pm (12:42 GMT) and that it had been fully evacuated.

More than 150 people were forced to dive down inflatable chutes and onto the tarmac as emergency services rushed to the scene. British Airways said Flight 38 came down as it was approaching the south runway of the London airport after flying from Beijing.

Only six passengers on the crashed plane have needed hospital treatment for minor injuries, the London Ambulance Service said.

After a temporary halt to flights, air traffic controllers now say planes are taking off and landing on the airport's northern runway. There are, however, many delays, with some planes diverted to other London airports.

A London police spokesman said there was no suggestion that terrorism was involved...

-- Source/continues: http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,70131-1301161,00.html

Attack on U.S. Embassy vehicle in Beirut kills Four

15 Jan 2008

Attack on U.S. Embassy vehicle in Beirut kills Four

BEIRUT, LEBANON: An explosion targeted a U.S. Embassy vehicle Tuesday in northern Beirut, killing four Lebanese and injuring a local embassy employee just ahead of a farewell reception for the American ambassador, U.S. and Lebanese officials said today.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said two embassy employees -- including the driver -- were in the vehicle damaged in the blast, which could be heard across the Lebanese capital and sent gray smoke billowing near the Mediterranean coast.

The driver was slightly wounded and the other staffer is fine, McCormack told reporters. He said no American diplomats or American citizens were in the car.

"My understanding is there were four Beirut residents who do not work for the embassy who were killed in the blast," he said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families."

A senior U.S. official, who was not authorized to release the information and spoke condition of anonymity, said no Americans injured or killed.

A senior Lebanese security official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military rules, told The Associated Press the explosion targeted the U.S. vehicle and was in the predominantly Christian Dora-Karantina neighborhood.

-- Source/continues at:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080115/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon_explosion

Blast at Kabul Hotel Kills Six

14:00 EST - 14 Jan 2007

Blast at Kabul Hotel Kills Six

Published: January 15, 2008, NYT

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: A thunderous explosion struck a 2-year-old Kabul luxury hotel frequented by foreigners on Monday, and the Taliban took responsibility, calling it a coordinated assault by four men armed with guns and suicide belts.

The Interior Ministry said at least six people were killed and at least six were wounded in the explosion at the Serena Hotel, including two foreign officials it did not identify. It was not immediately clear if any of the dead included foreigners.

If the Taliban claim is confirmed it would be the first attack on the hotel and one of the most brazen assaults by the Taliban in the heavily protected heart of the Afghan capital.

Roads around the hotel were sealed off by the police, and it was impossible to see precisely where the explosion took place or view any damage.

The Serena Hotel, which was opened in 2006, is the only five-star hotel in Afghanistan and one that is popular among diplomats and is often used for conferences. The explosion, at around 6.15 p.m. local time, could be heard for up to two miles away across the city...

-- Source: NY Times, at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/world/asia/15afghan.html

Explosion Reported at Kabul's Diplomat Hotel

EmergencyNet News *FLASH* Report

09:30CST - 14 Jan 2008

Explosion Reported at Kabul's Diplomat Hotel

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: An explosion and several rounds of gunfire reportedly occured on Monday at a new hotel often inhabited by foreigners. The audacity and brutal nature of the attack quickly reverberating throughout the Afghan capital. An American citizen inside the hotel said she saw a body and pools of blood in the lobby. The incident reportedly occurred at approximately 18:12 p.m., Afghan time.

Largely unconfirmed reports suggest that "multiple attackers" threw hand grenades killing two guards to get past the outer security cordon and into the hotel compound where one or more detonated their explosive vests, an unidentified official said. Other accounts coming from the region speak about multiple gunshots coming from the hotel.

An Afghan official said he had no further information on casualties. However, other witnesses say at least two (2) people may have died...but that has not been verified by the Afghan government or U.S. troops who responded to the explosion. It is also thought that a number of people were wounded in the attack.

It is still not clear if the explosion was inside the Serena Hotel or in its large courtyard where the parking lot is located. Police kept journalists and onlookers far from the building and troops cordoned-off the area from on-lookers.

A Taliban spokesman almost immediately claimed responsibility for the attack and reportedly said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber and three militants with grenades and guns.

The hotel is located in the diplomatic and business sector of Kabul. It is often the site of official meetings and receptions for foreign officials. Watch EmergencyNet News for more on this still emerging story...

Additional Reference:

Frontline: Return of the Taliban

-- Source: WGBH educational foundation, can be found at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/taliban/

The Implications of the Dismissal of Stephen Coughlin

January 12, 2008

The Implications of the Dismissal of Stephen Coughlin, Joint Staff, Pentagon

Stephen Coughlin Update. Here is an excellent summary piece on Coughlin's firing, its implications, and what must be done next.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to clarify the incidents surrounding the firing of Mr. Coughlin, and enumerate the implications of this event to U.S. National Security and the GWOT (Global War on Terror).

Background: Mr. Stephen Coughlin works as a contractor on the Joint Staff, J-2 (Intelligence) for the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. The Joint Staff specifically requested him because of his knowledge of Islamic Doctrine as it applies to "Jihad" and the Strategic objectives of our enemy. He is, by many accounts, the leading expert on Islamic Doctrinal drivers of Jihad within the U.S. Government, and likely, in the United States. His thesis, "To Our Great Detriment: Ignoring What Extremists Say About Jihad," was recently accepted by the National Defense Intelligence College, and deals specifically with Islamic Doctrine dealing with doctrinal drivers of jihad, and the failure of the United States leadership to learn and understand this doctrine. He has a background in Law and international business. Mr. Coughlin is also a Major in the U.S. Army Reserves, and was activated after 9/11 to serve as a Strategic Targeting Officer for the U.S. forces. He has taught, lectured, and briefed senior members of DoD, members of Congress, senior U.S. Government officials, and many law enforcement and intelligence officers in the United States. He is a regular briefer at the Information/Operations course at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the Joint Forces Staff College. He has briefed at the Navy War College and the Marine Corps War College, and recently briefed the General Officers of I MEF, United States Marine Corps.

Event: Via a campaign undertaken by Hesham Islam, the senior advisor for International Affairs to Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England, on Thursday, January 3, 2008 Mr. Coughlin was told by his employers that his contract would not be renewed due to the fact his message, and therefore he himself, had become too "politically hot." In a meeting between Mr. Coughlin and a member of Mr. England's staff, at which Hesham Islam unexpectedly attended, Mr. Islam asked Mr. Coughlin to "soften his message" regarding Islamic Doctrine. Mr. Coughlin refused. Islam was heard referring to Coughlin as a "Christian zealot with a poison pen." Despite the fact that no one in his chain of command has disputed the veracity, accuracy, and balance for his thesis, lectures, or briefings, Coughlin's employment is being terminated for speaking the truth to the Department of Defense.

Analysis: This event on its own reveals that a senior U.S. advisor is being removed from his direct and critical role in the current war in which we are engaged solely because his message was defined as "extreme" by an advisor who caters to Islamist organizations in the U.S., not because it was factually incorrect. This alone seems significantly problematic given the current war in which we are engaged. Additionally, some of the details suggest Mr. Coughlin?s civil rights, to include his First and Forth Amendment rights, as well as federal law, may have been violated, which suggests an inquiry is required. The effort to silence Mr. Coughlin came from a senior advisor to a senior U.S. official under official cover -- a violation of law. Most disturbing is that Mr. Islam is [allegedly] associated with groups and organizations which have been designated as Muslim Brotherhood organizations within the United States. If this is in fact true, the implications are devastating.

Source/continues at: http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/019534.php

Kyrgyzstan: Authorities Seize Radioactive Material Bound For Iran

Posted: 11 Jan 2008

Kyrgyzstan: Authorities Seize Radioactive Material Bound For Iran

If the world needed reminding of the ongoing threat posed by nuclear materials left unsecured and scattered across the former Soviet Union, it's got it now.

On January 9, Kyrgyz officials announced that they had taken possession of a small load of a radioactive substance discovered aboard a train bound for Iran. The material has been placed in a special area in Kyrgyzstan, but questions are being raised about the nature and quantity of the substance, who was behind its transport, and how the train carrying it crossed three border checkpoints before being detected.

While it might simply be a coincidence that the train was bound for Iran, such a destination is also likely to raise eyebrows, given Western concerns over Tehran's nuclear activities and alleged support of terrorism.

Kyrgyz officials are looking for answers, but their behavior has raised questions, too. Why, for example, did it take them nine days to announce the discovery of the material, which was found on December 31 when radiation detectors alerted Uzbek border guards? They promptly sent the train back to Kyrgyzstan.

The Kyrgyz National Security Service continues to decline comment on that and other questions, and Almabek Aitikeev, a departmental head in the Kyrgyz Emergency Situations Ministry, offered only generalities about the quantity of the material when asked by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service.

"Not quite a bucketload of radioactive waste material was there mixed in with sand, dust, and snow," Aitikeev said. "We did our work and sealed up the waste on December 31."

Kubanych Noruzbaev, an official from the Kyrgyz Ecology and Environmental Protection Ministry, said on January 10 that the material was cesium-137, a product of nuclear reactors and weapons testing that is often used in medical devices and gauges. But it could also be used in a crude radioactive explosive device -- a "dirty bomb" -- and underscores the fact that despite some progress since 1991, parts of the former Soviet Union are still littered with sites where lethal radioactive materials remain largely unsecured...

-- Article source/continues at: http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/01/460cd9d5-93ea-424a-a68a-316142bcf3e1.html

Additional Emergency.com reference:

http://www.emergency.com/hzmtpage.htm

Additional CDC Reference:

Radioisotope Brief: Cesium-137 (Cs-137)

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/isotopes/cesium.asp

Pakistan bombings reach 'unprecedented' level

8:11 a.m. EST, Thu January 10, 2008

Pakistan bombings reach 'unprecedented' level

19 suicide bombings have rocked Pakistan over the last three months

...On Thursday, a suicide bomber killed at least 23 people and injured more than 58 others outside a court in Lahore, police said.

The attack brought to 20 the number of suicide attacks in Pakistan in the last three months, including a failed attack on Bhutto's life in October. The bombings have killed close to 400 people and wounded nearly 1,000 others in the last three months, according to government officials.

Pro-Taliban militants with ties to al Qaeda are carrying out the attacks, according to analysts and government officials.

CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen says the number of suicide bombings in Pakistan has "reached unprecedented levels in the past year." Previously, Bergen says, such attacks were rare.

"The reason for this rise is because al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban have morphed together ideologically and tactically, and both see themselves at war with the Pakistani state," Bergen says. "Many of the suicide attacks have been aimed at Pakistani politicians, officials and soldiers."

Story continues at: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/01/10/pakistan.bombings/index.html

Terror Attack Reported at Lahore High Court; At Least 24 Dead

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Homicide Bomb Rocks Pakistani High Court, Killing Dozens, Injuring Scores

LAHORE, PAKISTAN: A suspected Islamic militant blew himself up among police guarding a court on Thursday, killing 24 people and wounding scores more, in the first major attack in Pakistan since the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.

The blast at Lahore High Court, minutes before a planned anti-government rally by lawyers, was a bloody reminder of the security threats facing the country ahead Feb. 18 elections.

Over the past three months there have been at least 20 homicide bombings that have killed 400 people, many of them security forces -- the most intense period of terror attacks since Pakistan allied with the United States in its war against Al Qaeda in 2001.

Police said the attacker walked into a group of around 70 officers in riot gear outside the courtroom and detonated explosives on his body, sending a shower of shrapnel that left mangled bodies sprawled in pools of blood on the street. All but three of the dead were police officers (at least 21)...

-- Source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,321569,00.html

Click here to view photos (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT - NOT for children):
http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/0,4644,3073,00.html

ERRI counter-terrorism analysts note: Amid the continuing political strife that has engulfed Pakistan following the assassination of former P.M. Bhutto, and the lead-up to coming elections, the number of terrorist bombings in Pakistan has increased dramatically. In the incident reported above, Pakistani police took the brunt of this latest and extremely brutal attack.

Various factions, including both political and religious organizations, are undertaking these attacks...in hopes of destabilizing or overthrowing the current Pakistani government. Particularly Islamic extremists, like Usama Bin Laden, have vowed to defeat or kill Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and install a "radical-friendly" administration in Pakistan. Musharraf has been a U.S. ally in the Global War on Terror (GWOT).

ERRI analysts and EmergencyNet News correspondents continue to closely monitor events in Pakistan and we will bring you additional details as circumstances warrant. Watch Emergency.Blog for more on this still developing story.

Presidential Travel Plans Changed; Manpad Threat

01/9/2008 - 16:09:08 PM

Bush travel plans in Israel changed at last minute due to (manpad) missile threat

TEL AVIV -- The United States revised travel plans by President George Bush because of the threat of a Palestinian missile attack. Israeli sources said the U.S. Secret Service canceled Bush's plans to travel by helicopter from Ben-Gurion Airport to Jerusalem on Wednesday. The sources said...

This story continues at:

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2008/ss_israel_01_09.asp

Emergency.com Reference

1. World-Wide Terrorism Predictive Analysis: 01 May, 2005

On the net at: http://www.emergency.com/2005/World-Wide%20Terrorism_2005.pdf

2. Series of EmergencyNet News Reports Concerning the Threat of Usage of Shoulder-fired Anti-aircraft Missiles: 31 May 2002 to 01 June 2002

On the net at:http://www.emergency.com/2002/manpad_update02.htm

Tape Shows Iranian Boats Surrounding U.S. War Ships

Jan. 8, 2008

US Releases Dramatic Video of Iran Boat Incident
Tape Shows Iranian Boats Surrounding U.S. War Ships, Ignoring Order to Leave

STRAIT OF HORTMUZ: The U.S. Navy released dramatic video and audio of this weekend's stand-off with Iran. The video shows Iranian speedboats swarming around three American warships going through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

On the tape, the crew of the destroyer USS Hopper can be heard repeatedly warning the Iranian boats to identify themselves and move away. "I am engaged in transit passage in accordance with international law," a sailor on the bridge of the USS Hopper says. "I intend no harm."

As the Iranian boats get closer, the USS Hopper sounds its horns. "You are approaching coalition warships," the USS Hopper's crew warns. "You are straying into danger and may be subject to defensive measures. ... Request you alter course immediately to remain clear."

It is at that point that a heavily accented voice can be heard over the radio, apparently coming from the Iranians. "I am coming to you," the voice says. "You will explode after a few minutes..."

-- Source/continues: http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=4105110&page=1

Iranian "Serious Provocation" of U.S. Navy

07 Jan 2008 - 12:00 noon CST

Pentagon says ships harassed by Iran

WASHINGTON, DC/STRAIT OF HORMUZ: In what U.S. officials called a serious provocation, Iranian boats harassed and provoked three U.S. Navy ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, threatening to explode the American vessels.

U.S. forces were on the verge of firing on the Iranian boats in the early Sunday incident, when the boats -- believed to be from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's navy -- turned and moved away, a Pentagon official said. "It is the most serious provocation of this sort that we've seen yet," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record. Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman called it a "serious incident. This is something that deserves an explanation."

Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the weekend incident was "something normal" and was resolved.

National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the United States urges the Iranians "to refrain from such provocative actions that could lead to a dangerous incident in the future..."

-- Source/continues at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080107/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_navy_iran_19

Notice: Dangerous Ecstasy laced with methamphetamine

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503

PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: ONDCP PUBLIC AFFAIRS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2008
(202) 395-6618

CANADIAN-MADE, METH-LACED ECSTASY BEING DUMPED INTO U.S. ILLEGAL DRUG MARKETS
IS A ONCE-WANING FAD MAKING A COMEBACK IN A DANGEROUS NEW FORM?

(Washington, DC) -- The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is warning public health and safety leaders across the country about a dangerous new drug threat coming from Canada. Ecstasy laced with methamphetamine (meth) has been entering the United States illegal drug markets, particularly in northern border states. Intelligence reports indicate that once smuggled into the U.S., the meth-laced Ecstasy is then being distributed throughout the country.

The dangerous poly-drug combination of methamphetamine and Ecstasy (MDMA) can have severe health consequences, especially as both drugs have toxic effects on the brain. They both can interfere with the body's ability to regulate temperature, leading to sharp increases in body temperature (hyperthermia), which can result in liver, kidney, and cardiovascular system failure and death. The potential for a life-threatening or fatal overdose is also increased when meth-laced Ecstasy is combined with alcohol. Recent laboratory research suggests that Ecstasy and meth combinations may produce greater adverse neurochemical and behavioral effects than either drug alone.

John Walters, the Nation's "Drug Czar," said, "This 'Extreme Ecstasy' is a disturbing development in what has been one of the most significant international achievements against the illicit drug trade. Historic progress against Ecstasy availability and use is in jeopardy of being rolled back by Canadian criminal organizations. Desperate to develop their client base, they are dangerously altering a product for which demand by youth and young adults had plummeted, and are exploiting vulnerabilities along our shared border. This is alarming for the youth of both Canada and the United States."

Ecstasy use in the United States rose in the late 1990s with the rise of the 'Rave' culture, however due to the well-coordinated national and international response -- Ecstasy use in the U.S. diminished in the early 2000s. In fact, the U.S. witnessed a 54 percent reduction since 2001 in the number of United States teens using Ecstasy in the past month, however recent data show progress against the drug has ebbed. The number of people in the U.S. who reported that they tried Ecstasy for the first time during the past year increased 40 percent between 2005 and 2006 -- from 615,000 to 860,000. One-third of these new users in 2006 were under age 18 when they started using Ecstasy.

And while still lower than its peak in 2002, past-month Ecstasy use has been increasing over the last two years among young adults aged 18-25. An estimated 326,000 young adults reported past-month Ecstasy use in 2006, compared to 231,000 in 2004. These increases coincide with increased trafficking of Ecstasy from Canada. Additionally, the latest Monitoring the Future Study, which tracks teen attitudes and behavior with respect to drug use, found decreases in the perception of risk of taking Ecstasy occasionally among 8th and 10th graders (-7% and -4%, respectively). After years of increased perception of risk for Ecstasy use, today's young people are not getting the message that Ecstasy use is dangerous and potentially deadly.

Prior to 2003, Europe (primarily The Netherlands and Belgium) was the predominant source of Ecstasy consumed in the United States. Increased cooperation among U.S. and European governments, combined with improved law enforcement operations and mass media reports, effectively dismantled the European -- U.S. Ecstasy trade. However, U.S. and Canadian intelligence reports indicate that Canada-based drug trafficking organizations are attempting to fill the supply void, and have drastically increased their Ecstasy production and trafficking.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) estimates that the current combined production capacity of Canadian Ecstasy laboratories exceeds 2 million tablets per week. Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies along the U.S. -- Canada border report large increases in the flow of Ecstasy from Canada into the United States. In 2003, 568,220 dosage units of Ecstasy were seized federally in the ten Northern border states; in 2006, 5,485,619 dosage units were seized.

Alarmingly, more than 55 percent of the Ecstasy samples seized in the United States last year contained methamphetamine. Cutting their product with less-expensive methamphetamine boosts profits for Canadian Ecstasy producers, likely increases the addictive potential of their product, and effectively gives a dangerous "face lift" to a designer drug that had fallen out of fashion with young American drug users.

Federal law enforcement officers are working with the RCMP to put greater pressure on Canadian Ecstasy producers through increased intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement operations, and RCMP officials are focusing their efforts on the importation of precursor chemicals used in drug production. In the meantime, Director Walters is urging State and local public health officials to reinvigorate their prevention efforts, to enhance educational outreach to youth, parents, school systems, emergency departments, medical examiners, poison control centers, and law enforcement agencies regarding the hazards of Ecstasy and methamphetamine, to shore up treatment systems to look for and address the unique and well known challenges of meth addiction.

"We cannot allow our young people to once again be victimized by the 'Rave' culture, 'designer' drugs, or the myth that drug use is safe," said Director Walters. "We cannot afford to be complacent with the progress made against Ecstasy since 2001. Just as we must teach new generations of children to read, we must continue to educate new generations of young people on the harms of drug use."

Additonal reference: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/

Additional reference:

01/20/92-22:00CST -- "ECSTASY" IS BEING IMPORTED FROM EUROPE,
By Clark Staten, EMT-P, I/C, can be found at: http://www.emergency.com/ecstasy.htm

Election - 2008

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Kenya: Will March Ignite Civil War?

Updated:06:52, Thursday January 03, 2008

Violence Looms Ahead Of Kenya Rally

Kenya's main opposition party is set to defy the police and hold a rally to demand President Mwai Kibaki quits over allegations of vote rigging in the recent election that saw him returned to power. Humanitarian groups estimate that at least 300 people have already been killed and 100,000 displaced.

Both sides have accused each other of genocide - and fears are growing of a civil war.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga called today's "million man" rally in protest at the December 27 election, which he insists was a "sham."

He told reporters that the rally was meant to be peaceful, but the government has banned the demonstration. With security forces deployed in force, violence was likely to erupt if protesters follow the call.

More on this developing story can be found at SkyNews: http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1299082,00.html?f=rss

Additional Reference:

Kenya Braces For More Violence

Opposition Leader Vows To Go Ahead With Banned Protest Despite Huge Security Presence...

More can be found at CBSNews: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/03/world/main3668671.shtml

KENYA: More Than 300 Killed, Country on Verge of Tribal War?

January 2, 2008

50 die in blazing church as spectre of tribal war looms

NAIROBI, KENYA: A mob set fire to a church where dozens of people had sought refuge from violence in Kenya yesterday, killing at least 50 and raising new fears that one of Africa's most stable countries would collapse into a bloody tribal war.

The dead were mostly of the Kikuyu tribe, which overwhelmingly backed President Kibaki's bid for a second term in last Thursday's election. Mr. Kibaki defeated his rival, Raila Odinga, by just 230,000 votes and Mr. Odinga's supporters, who are mostly ethnic Luo, believe that the election was "stolen".

The admission last night by Samuel Kivuitu, the head of Kenya's Electoral Commission, that he was pressured by Mr. Kibaki's Party of National Unity not to hold an inquiry into the results appeared to support the claim. European envoys and the state-run Human Rights Commission had called for an investigation.

More than 300 people have been killed in Kenya since the election, and last night there was no sign that security forces were willing, or able, to bring the rampaging mobs under control. Gangs of machete-wielding men set up roadblocks along the main road out of Nairobi to the west, pulling Kikuyus from their cars.

The Kenyan Red Cross said that 70,000 people had fled the violence, and some Kikuyus had reportedly crossed into Uganda for safety. "This is a national disaster," said Abbas Gullet, the agency's secretary-general...

Article continues at: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article3118970.ece

Happy New Year - 2008

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