August 2008

Scientists hope for new tricks in data analysis

…Powerful computers can make millions of calculations in a blink of the eye, but that leaves a nettlesome challenge: the task of analyzing the resulting mountains of data. In response, scientists are exploring new ways to sift through huge troves of information and transform them into tidbits that researchers, health officials and even police officers can act on. The idea received a boost Wednesday as Georgia Tech announced it received a $3 million grant aimed at establishing visual and data analytics as a distinct research field for the first time. The school hopes to use the grant, funded by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Science Foundation, to recruit faculty and staff and develop guidelines for the field……(AP, 7 Aug 08)

Government Asserts Ivins Acted Alone

Government officials asserted yesterday that a troubled bioweapons scientist acted alone to perpetrate a terrorism scheme that killed five people, a case that centered on a near-perfect match of anthrax spores in his custody and a record of his late-night laboratory work just before the toxic letters were mailed. Federal investigators uncovered e-mail messages written by bacteriologist Bruce E. Ivins describing an al-Qaeda threat that echoed language in the handwritten letters mailed to Senate offices and media organizations in September and October 2001. Ivins, who worked in high-security labs at Fort Detrick, Md., had a motive because of his work validating a controversial anthrax vaccine that had been suspended from production……(Washington Post, 7 Aug 08)

Documents List Essential Clues

The key clues that led the FBI to Army scientist Bruce E. Ivins ranged from the infinitesimally small -- tiny bits of genetic coding on a single anthrax spore -- to items as ordinary as a time stamp on a building security pass.

The evidence trail also included small imperfections on a printed envelope and specks of fiber on cellophane tape. It documented Ivins's odd working hours during early fall of 2001 and his late-night visits to his Frederick lab around the time the deadly anthrax letters were mailed. Each piece of evidence was circumstantial on its face. Yet together they made what Justice Department officials called a compelling case, pointing to a solitary suspect who took his own life last week as indictments were being prepared against him……(Washington Post, 7 Aug 08)

Threat of scud attacks a reality

The threat is real, the technology exists, and it is available and incredibly cheap; at least a half-dozen rogue states and well-funded terrorist groups around the world could afford it, and the menace puts in danger the lives of more than 200 million Americans. Yet almost nothing has been done about it. The threat is that of old, short-range Scud ballistic missiles being launched with nuclear or biological warheads from large container cargo ships from outside U.S. territorial waters, some of the nation's leading experts in ballistic-missile defense (BMD) warn……(UPI, 7 Aug 08)

'2 US aircraft carriers headed for Gulf'

Two additional United States naval aircraft carriers are heading to the Gulf and the Red Sea, according to the Kuwaiti newspaper Kuwait Times. Kuwait began finalizing its "emergency war plan" on being told the vessels were bound for the region. The US Navy would neither confirm nor deny that carriers were en route. US Fifth Fleet Combined Maritime Command located in Bahrain said it could not comment due to what a spokesman termed "force-protection policy." While the Kuwaiti daily did not name the ships it believed were heading for the Middle East, The Media Line's defense analyst said they could be the USS Theodore Roosevelt and the USS Ronald Reagan………(Jerusalem Post, 7 Aug 08)

Durham speaks out on bio-lab

After leaders in Butner, Granville County and the city of Raleigh opposed a bio-lab, now Durham residents are speaking out. A 1,000 page Homeland Security document answers a lot of questions about what the bio and agro defense lab would do, the foreign animal diseases it would study, and the possible accidents that could happen.

But it's the other 'what if's' it doesn't answer that have people in Durham worried…..(ABC WTVD, 6 Aug 08)

Beheading Raises Bus Security Concerns

The beheading of a 22-year-old passenger on a Greyhound bus in Canada last week has sparked new questions about the lack of procedure to ensure bus security and safety. The attack incited calls for tightened security on Canadian buses, but passenger screening remains limited even inside the United States……(ABC, 6 Aug 08)

Judge denies request for delayed re-trial in Holy Land case

A federal judge has denied a request by defense attorneys in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing case who asked that next month’s re-trial be delayed. In an opinion issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Jorge Solis called their claim that they cannot be ready for trial because of delays in payments of their court-appointed attorneys’ fees “hyperbolic and inaccurate.”… “Their accusation that the courts are ‘not acting’ on their requests for funding is misleading at best,” the judge wrote. “Defendants helped create the budget crunch they find themselves in by not submitting a complete budget proposal until June 13, 2008.” With the budget now approved, money will begin to flow, the judge said, giving the defense ample time to prepare for the Sept. 8 retrial. “The same defense attorneys spent three years and considerable resources preparing for the first trial,”…..(Dallas Morning, 6 Aug 08)

Scientist, Counselor Recount Recent Turmoil in Anthrax Suspect's Life

Late last fall, Bruce E. Ivins was drinking a liter of vodka some nights, taking large doses of sleeping pills and anti-anxiety drugs, and typing out rambling e-mails into the early morning hours, according to a fellow scientist who helped him through this period… Ivins "was e-mailing me late at night with gobbledygook, ranting and raving" about what he called the "persecution" of his family, said the scientist, a recovering alcohol and drug user who had been sober for more than a decade. The scientist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that he had been contacted by a co-worker of Ivins's at the sprawling Army biodefense laboratory in Fort Detrick and that the co-worker said the veteran anthrax researcher "has really gone down the tubes."…..(Washington Post, 6 Aug 08)

FBI to Show How Genetics Led to Anthrax Researcher

The FBI today will begin to unveil how it exploited the rapidly advancing science of genetics to link a single bioweapons researcher to samples taken from the victims of the 2001 anthrax attacks and to powder from the letters that killed them.  The bureau scheduled briefings with Senate leaders who were among the targets and with survivors and relatives of those who died after anthrax-laced mail passed through their hands. It also plans to release about 50 pages of documents offering some details of the case.  The FBI said it will share those details with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, including Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), who was the addressee on one of the letters that set off panic on Capitol Hill.…..(Washington Post, 6 Aug 08)

FBI and TSA Conclude Major Terrorism and Transportation Conference in New York

This week over 700 law enforcement personnel, intelligence professionals, and private sector officials attended the Terrorism and Transportation Conference convened in New York, New York, hosted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). This four-day conference was held to bring together terrorism first responders, private industry representatives, and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) experts…..(Press Zoom, 6 Aug 08)

DHS Releases National Emergency Communications Plan

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released today the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) to address gaps and determine solutions so that emergency response personnel at all levels of government and across all disciplines can communicate as needed, on demand, and as authorized. The NECP is the nation's first strategic plan to improve emergency response communications, and complements overarching homeland security and emergency communications legislation, strategies and initiatives…The NECP defines three goals that establish a minimum level of interoperable communications and a deadline for federal, state, local and tribal authorities…..(FSM, 6 Aug 08)

Motorcade Map Found at House Of Bomb Suspect

Police found a map of Camp David marked with a presidential motorcade route inside the Bethesda home of the teenager at the center of a bombmaking probe, along with a document that appears to describe how to kill someone at a distance of 200 meters, a Montgomery County prosecutor said yesterday at a court hearing.

Collin McKenzie-Gude, 18, also had two forms of fake identification: one portraying him as a Central Intelligence Agency employee, and the other in the name of a federal contractor purportedly protected by the Geneva Conventions…His father, Joseph Gude, 62, a retired Air Force captain who works for the Treasury Department, also was charged in the case, accused of buying guns for his son. McKenzie-Gude's mother, Debra McKenzie-Gude, holds a master's degree in social work…A 17-year-old St. John's student was charged as a juvenile in connection with the case. The student was not identified because of his age.  Until recently, the student worked as an intern at a Montgomery County police district station, where authorities said he stole police letterhead stationery that was used to obtain items restricted to law enforcement personnel.  Investigators said they were trying to determine the intentions of McKenzie-Gude and the St. John's student…..(Washington Post, 6 Aug 08)

Video: Weapons and Explosives Found in Maryland Teen’s Home

Union concerned that passport jobs could be contracted out

A federal employee union has asked the State Department to declare the jobs of 1,400 passport workers inherently governmental and therefore outside the reach of contractors. The request from the National Federation of Federal Employees, which represents workers in State's passport services division, was prompted by the publication of the department's 2007 Federal Activities Inventory Reform Act report. NFFE Local 1998 President Colin Walle said the department left the acceptance and verification duty of passport agents off its inventory, which categorizes job responsibilities as inherently governmental -- meaning only a federal employee can perform them -- or commercial in nature… NFFE has been on edge about the passport jobs since 2007, when State hired Arlington, Va., contractor Stanley Associates to help reduce record application backlogs. Contract workers were given certain duties previously performed exclusively by federal workers, such as accepting fees and certifying that an applicant's travel documents were in order, Walle said. Other functions, including determining citizenship and informing applicants if and when their passports would be ready, were considered inherently government and continued to be performed by federal employees, Walle said. Federal workers also were asked to train and oversee the contractors……(Gov Exec, 5 Aug 08)

U.S. counterterrorism efforts flounder in North Africa, GAO says

Federal agencies agree that terrorist activity in North Africa presents a growing security threat to U.S. interests. Vast ungoverned spaces, porous borders and groups aligned with al Qaeda have raised concerns about the area becoming a safe haven for terrorists to launch attacks against the United States. But the agencies most responsible for implementing a key counterterrorism partnership program -- the State and Defense departments and the U.S. Agency for International Development -- can't seem to agree on how to implement policy there.

Disagreements between State and Defense over the control of personnel and activities, and funding fluctuations in USAID programs have hindered U.S. objectives in the region, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office. In addition, agencies have no way of measuring the effectiveness of their activities……(Gov Exec, 5 Aug 08)

Laptop with security applicants' data found

The company that runs an airport security prescreening program said Tuesday they've found a laptop containing the personal information of 33,000 people more than a week after it apparently went missing. The Transportation Security Administration suspended new enrollments to the program, known as Clear, after the unencrypted computer was reported stolen. Officials with Verified Identity Pass, which operates the Clear program, said the laptop was found Tuesday morning in the same office where it supposedly had gone missing. The program allows passengers to pay to use special "fast lanes" to avoid long lines at airport security checkpoints….(AP, 5 Aug 08)

Not the FBI's proudest moment

The FBI's investigation of the deadly 2001 anthrax attacks was the most complex and important in the bureau's history. Immense resources were invested in the search for the perpetrator, whose actions killed five people, sickened 17 others, sowed panic in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 and caused taxpayers to spend extraordinary sums on a crash program to protect the nation against the danger of biological terrorism. Yet for all that, the "Amerithrax" investigation, as the FBI dubbed the case, dragged on for seven years and, until quite recently, got nowhere. If Bruce E. Ivins, the Ft. Detrick, Md., microbiologist who died in an apparent suicide last week, was indeed the perpetrator, the prime suspect was directly under the FBI's nose for years, practically sporting a scarlet "A" on his forehead. If he was not the perpetrator, as many of his fellow scientists at Ft. Detrick are insisting, we're back at square one……(LA Times, 5 Aug 08)

In Accord, Ricin Owner Enters Plea of Guilty

A man who set off a panic in February after the deadly toxin ricin was found in his motel room near the Las Vegas Strip pleaded guilty Monday to possessing the outlawed substance.  The man, Roger Von Bergendorff, 57, accepted a deal with federal prosecutors in which he pleaded guilty to possessing a biological toxin and to a charge of possession of unregistered handgun silencers. In exchange, a charge of possession of unregistered guns was dropped and prosecutors recommended a 57-month sentence.  Mr. Bergendorff is to be sentenced on Nov. 3…Mr. Bergendorff’s cousin, Thomas Tholen of Riverton, Utah, is awaiting trial in federal court in Salt Lake City. He pleaded not guilty to one felony count of failing to report Mr. Bergendorff’s ricin production…..(New York Times, 5 Aug 08)

Anthrax Dryer a Key To Probe

Bruce E. Ivins, the government's leading suspect in the 2001 anthrax killings, borrowed from a bioweapons lab that fall freeze-drying equipment that allows scientists to quickly convert wet germ cultures into dry spores, according to sources briefed on the case. Ivins's possession of the drying device, known as a lyopholizer, could help investigators explain how he might have been able to send letters containing deadly anthrax spores to U.S. senators and news organizations. The device was not commonly used by researchers at the Army's sprawling biodefense complex at Fort Detrick, Md., where Ivins worked as a scientist, employees at the base said. Instead, sources said, Ivins had to go through a formal process to check out the lyopholizer, creating a record on which authorities are now relying. He did at least one project for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency that would have given him reason to use the drying equipment, according to a former colleague in his lab. Ivins committed suicide last week…….(Washington Post, 5 Aug 08)

Senior Member of FARC Terrorist Organization Indicted for His Role in Hostage-Taking of Three Americans Recently Rescued in Colombia

Hely Mejia Mendoza, known better by his alias "Martin Sombra," was indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., on Friday on seven counts of terrorism and weapons charges arising out of his participation in the hostage-taking of three American citizens, Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell and Thomas Howes, in the Republic of Colombia, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Patrick Rowan and District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor announced today. The three former hostages had been held in the Colombian jungle by the members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for over five years, until they were rescued last month by Colombian military forces…….(FBI Press Release…….(4 Aug 08)

Bioterrorism's Threat Persists As Top Security Risk

New York City is at the forefront of confronting the bioterror threat, with one of the most advanced detection and response systems in the country. But the problem "is not fixed in New York or anywhere else," says Richard Falkenrath, the city's counterterror chief and a former senior White House security aide.  The federal government has spent nearly $50 billion on programs to fight bioterrorism since 2001. Still, experience in New York City and elsewhere underscores the enduring difficulty of contending with this type of terror attack. Experts in the field say that the nation's ability to detect biological weapons is still inadequate in most locales, as is its ability to distribute drugs to the population once the lethal agent is identified. Hospitals warn that the volume of casualties from an effective attack could simply overwhelm facilities……(Wall Street Journal, 4 Aug 08)

Researcher Kept Security Clearance as FBI Closed In

As an FBI investigation increasingly focused on him as a suspect in the 2001 anthrax attacks, Fort Detrick scientist Bruce E. Ivins enjoyed a security clearance that allowed him to work in the facility's most dangerous laboratories, to handle deadly biological agents, and to take part in broad discussions about the Pentagon's defenses against germ warfare.  On July 10, the day he was taken to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation, for example, Ivins spent part of the afternoon at a sensitive briefing on a new bubonic plague vaccine under development at the Army's elite biological weapons testing center, according to a former colleague who talked with him there.  Records that have surfaced since Ivins committed suicide last week show that Fort Detrick officials abruptly barred him from the base July 10, based on what a  counselor called his deteriorating emotional condition. ."…….(Washington Post, 4 Aug 08)

How Foreign Policy Functions Shifted to the Pentagon

Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, opened a hearing last Thursday on the creeping militarization of U.S. foreign policy by saying: "There has been a migration of functions and authorities from U.S. civilian agencies to the Department of Defense."  He noted that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has described the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development as "chronically undermanned and underfunded for too long."  As the hearing showed, two programs that began in 2006 provided through the Pentagon the kinds of military and development funds to partner countries in the fight against terrorism -- support that is traditionally directed by the State Department……(Washington Post, 4 Aug 08)

Terrorism Expert: Karen Hughes Gave Money to Bad Guys

A longtime adviser and close confidant of President Bush funneled millions of dollars in U.S. government grants to radical Islamist organizations, many of whose leaders have been convicted or indicted in terrorism cases in the United States, respected terrorism expert Steven Emerson told Congress last week. “When Ms. [Karen] Hughes was appointed as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, she set the tone to continue a disastrous policy of outreach with Islamist partners,” Emerson told the House International Relations Committee……(NewsMax, 3 Aug 08)

DNA links man to anthrax mailings

DNA evidence from the deadly 2001 anthrax mailings led authorities to a suspect who officials say killed himself, according to a source familiar with the investigation. The DNA linked the anthrax used in the mailing to a flask used in Bruce Ivins' lab at the U.S. Army Medical Institute of Infectious Diseases, said the source, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case. Officials say Ivins, a scientist at the lab in Fort Detrick, Maryland, committed suicide. He was found unconscious at his home July 27 and died at a Maryland hospital Tuesday, the same day he was to have discussed a plea deal with prosecutors…..(CNN, 3 Aug 08)

Modest Gains Against Ever-Present Bioterrorism Threat

In the past seven years, the federal government has spent more than $57 billion to shore up the nation's bioterrorism defenses, stockpiling drugs, ringing more than 30 American cities in a network of detectors and boosting preparedness at hospitals.  The result: modest gains, at best, toward preventing another attack similar to the one in 2001, in which anthrax bacteria killed five people and sickened 17, experts and government officials agree.  "The threat of bioterrorism has not subsided," while the challenge of predicting or preventing a major biological attack remains "daunting," Robert Hooks, the Homeland Security Department's deputy assistant secretary for weapons of mass destruction and biodefense, told a House panel two weeks ago.……(Washington Post, 3 Aug 08)

FBI investigates new attacks on Calif. scientists

The FBI is investigating two firebombings targeting scientists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, as the latest in a rash of attacks against biomedical researchers who experiment on animals, authorities said. One scientist and his family, including two small children, were forced to flee from a second-story window Saturday after a firebomb was lit on their front porch, filling the off-campus house with smoke, Santa Cruz police said. An adult was treated for minor injuries at a hospital and released… The attacks came four days after police obtained threatening animal rights pamphlets left at a Santa Cruz coffeehouse containing the names and home addresses of UC Santa Cruz scientists.  "Animal abusers everywhere beware," the pamphlets read. "We know where you live."……(AP, 3 Aug 08)

Military's Social Science Grants Raise Alarm

…The Pentagon's $50 million Minerva Research Initiative, named after the Roman goddess of wisdom and warriors, will fund social science research deemed crucial to national security. Initial proposals were due July 25, and the first grants are expected to be awarded by year's end.  ut the Network of Concerned Anthropologists, which includes professors from American and George Mason universities, said dependence on Pentagon funding could make universities an "instrument rather than a critic of war-making."  In a May 28 letter to federal officials, the American Anthropological Association said that it was of "paramount importance . . . to study the roots of terrorism and other forms of violence" but that its members are "deeply concerned that funding such research through the Pentagon may pose a potential conflict of interest."…….(Washington Post, 3 Aug 08)

New Study, "The Need for an Integrated National Asymmetric Threat Strategy"

On May 8, I was honored to chair one of four panels at a special seminar, "Dealing with Today's Asymmetric Threat," co-sponsored by the National Defense University and CACI International, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Foundation. The purpose of the seminar was to establish a framework for the development of an integrated and synchronized strategy, by the end of the calendar year, to address the asymmetrical threats to United States and global security. My panel, titled, "Global Strategy to Counter Terrorism and Extremism," included Contributing Expert Douglas Farah; VADM Bert Calland, USN (Ret.), former CIA Deputy Director; Jose Rodriguez, former Director of the CIA's National Clandestine Center and the Counterterrorism Center; and Lt. Col. Bill Cowan, USMC (Ret.), FOX News Channel analyst and President of WVC3. My comments included recommendations for the need for continued deployment of joint DOD-Treasury "Threat Finance Cells" and the need to promote the continued work of the non-governmental CT community of nonprofits, journalists, and independent media, including this site… Contributing Expert Walid Phares participated in another panel on "Strategic Communications," which explored how to protect security through an effective communication strategy……(Counterterrorism Blog, 1 Aug 08)

CACI Study: The Need for an Integrated National Asymmetric Threat Strategy

Report: Anthrax Scientist Dies in Apparent Suicide

A Maryland bioweapons expert, who prosecutors were on the verge of linking to 2001 anthrax attacks that killed five people and terrorized the country, has died -- apparently by suicide, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. Bruce E. Ivins, 62, worked for nearly two decades at the Army's elite biological research unit in Fort Detrick. The facility has been a focus of Justice Department and FBI investigators for nearly six years, since anthrax-laced letters arrived at media organizations and U.S. Senate offices shortly after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Ivins died earlier this week, according to a death notice published in a local newspaper… A federal grand jury in the District had been investigating the source of the anthrax letters, which set off a new round of public panic only weeks after hijacked jetliners crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the largest terror attack ever on U.S. soil…..(AP, 1 Aug 08)

Rethinking the post-9/11 strategy

During the seven years since 9/11 there hasn't been a successful terrorist attack within the United States.

And Al Qaeda, the terrorist organization responsible for the downing of the World Trade Center, has been pushed back in Iraq where it continues to lose support. But the core of Al Qaeda continues to thrive, according to security analysts, who note it has increased the number of attacks worldwide since 9/11 as well as its geographic reach. Those facts have led to two starkly different assessments of where the United States stands in its fight against terror – as well as sharp disagreement on the strategy needed as the country goes forward…..(Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug 08)

Deadline ultimatum eases for Iran in nuclear showdown

The United States and its European allies have pulled back from setting Saturday as a firm deadline for Iran to reply to the latest international offer of incentives for a freeze in its nuclear drive. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Thursday that there was no deadline and that his country had already replied. US and European officials have also shown more flexibility over the date. "I didn't count the days. It's coming up soon," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters Thursday when asked if August 2 was the deadline for Iran to accept or reject the package…..(AFP, 1 Aug 08)

Insanity ruling in hit-run spree that hurt 16

The Fremont man accused of a hit-and-run rampage in San Francisco two years ago that injured 16 pedestrians was found not guilty by reason of insanity by a Superior Court judge Thursday, a ruling that will keep him out of state prison but could result in his being institutionalized for the rest of his life. Judge Carol Yaggy ruled after prosecutors and the defense agreed to waive a trial on whether Omeed Aziz Popal was legally insane at the time of the attacks Aug. 29, 2006. Popal, 31, was accused of 16 counts of attempted murder and other felonies.

Yaggy cited the findings of two court-appointed doctors, who said Popal was bipolar and schizophrenic when he ran down the pedestrians, one of whom was left paralyzed. Popal will be institutionalized for at least two years, when he will be entitled to a release hearing……(SF Chronicle, 1 Aug 08)

Travelers' Laptops May Be Detained At Border

Federal agents may take a traveler's laptop computer or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed. Also, officials may share copies of the laptop's contents with other agencies and private entities for language translation, data decryption or other reasons, according to the policies, dated July 16 and issued by two DHS agencies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement…DHS officials said the newly disclosed policies -- which apply to anyone entering the country, including U.S. citizens -- are reasonable and necessary to prevent terrorism. Officials said such procedures have long been in place but were disclosed last month because of public interest in the matter…..(Washington Post, 1 Aug 08)

U.S. embassy in Prague informs about ESTA system on website

The U.S. embassy in Prague has released information on the Electronic System Travel Authorisation (ESTA) for people traveling to the USA without visas on its website, in connection with the planned visa lifting for Czechs, the embassy's press section told CTK today. Czech citizens so far need U.S. visas, but the extension of the U.S. visa waiver programme to include the Czech Republic, along with other countries, is expected this autumn.

The Czech Foreign Ministry said it hoped that the Americans would announce lifting visas for Czechs at the end of October and the beginning of November. Then Czech tourists will have to use the ESTA system as well.

The United States will start testing ESTA as of Friday…..(Ceske Noviny, 1 Aug 08)

July 2008

Emerson Exposes Radical Ties of State Department Outreach Partners

The State Department has collaborated with many radical Islamist organizations and individuals in its attempts to engage in outreach to the American Muslim community at large, Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) Executive Director Steven Emerson told a congressional panel Thursday. Many of the individuals in charge of these organizations, and the organizations themselves, have been convicted, indicted, or designated as unindicted co-conspirators in terrorism cases throughout the United States. Emerson's appearance before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade came despite the protests of some of the same Islamist organizations. Emerson urged Congress to review the State Department's interaction with these organizations in its attempts to reach out to the Muslim community. Emerson outlined some of the more troubling aspects of participation with these groups: namely their ties to terrorist entities and promotion of radical Islamic ideology…While the outreach to the Muslim community by the State Department "is an honorable and worthwhile pursuit, the State Department has conducted outreach to the wrong groups, sending a terrible message to moderate Muslims who are thoroughly disenfranchised by the funding, hosting and embracing of radical groups that purport to be opposed to terrorism and extremism," Emerson wrote in his testimony further stressing the idea that the State Department's polices need to be reanalyzed in order to better select which Islamic organizations receive funding in order to promote peace and understanding…Joining Emerson on the panel was Douglas Farah, a former Washington Post reporter who is senior investigator for the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation. He spoke about ways to maximize foreign aid money in the fight against terrorism. Terrorist groups take root in failed nation states, he said, noting that nearly half of the 43 foreign terrorist organizations listed by the State Department are engaged in narcotics trafficking……(IPT, 31 Jul 08)

Written Testimony: Steven Emerson - Before the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Terrorism    31 Jul 08

Written Testimony: Douglas Farah - Before House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade   31 Jul 08

TSA may fine for wrong terrorist IDs

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration says it may fine airlines up to $25,000 when they wrongly tell passengers they're on a terrorist watch list. TSA officials, stymied that airlines haven't taken steps to eliminate the delays and irritation that happen when a passenger has a name close to a terrorist watch list entry, said it would meet with airlines to "make sure they aren't alarming people and telling them they're on a watch list when they aren't," spokeswoman Ellen Howe told USA Today. Airlines compare passenger names to government watch lists before a flight, USA Today said. If there's an apparent match, a passenger cannot print a boarding pass at home or a kiosk, going instead to the airline's check-in counter with proper identification……(UPI, 31 Jul 08)

Treasury Targets FARC Financiers and Drug-Traffickers

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today designated six companies and 13 individuals that act on behalf of and materially assist the narcotics trafficking activities of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a designated narco-terrorist organization. Today's designation, made pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act), is OFAC's fifth action against the FARC in the past eight months…..(FBI Press Release, 31 Jul 08)

New Yorker gets 30 months for bogus Cisco gear

A hardware reseller from New York state has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for passing off cheap Chinese networking gear as genuine Cisco products. Charles Lacy-Thompson, 52, of Briarcliff Manor, New York, was also ordered to pay $2.2m in restitution and forfeiture of profits, according to the US Attorney's office in the southern district of New York. Bogus Cisco gear from China has emerged as a potential threat to US national security because authorities say it could contain backdoors that conduct espionage on government organizations and businesses. Earlier this year, an FBI probe uncovered a counterfeit networking kit being used by the US military. There was no direct evidence that any of the equipment contained tools for snooping……(Register, 31 Jul 08)

Gates Sees Terrorism Remaining Enemy No. 1

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates says that even winning the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will not end the "Long War" against violent extremism and that the fight against al-Qaeda and other terrorists should be the nation's top military priority over coming decades, according to a new National Defense Strategy he approved last month.  The strategy document, which has not been released, calls for the military to master "irregular" warfare rather than focusing on conventional conflicts against other nations, though Gates also recommends partnering with China and Russia in order to blunt their rise as potential adversaries. The strategy is a culmination of Gates's work since he took over the Pentagon in late 2006 and spells out his view that the nation must harness both military assets and "soft power" to defeat a complex, transnational foe.  "Iraq and Afghanistan remain the central fronts in the struggle, but we cannot lose sight of the implications of fighting a long-term, episodic, multi-front, and multi-dimensional conflict more complex and diverse than the Cold War confrontation with communism,"…..(Washington Post, 31 Jul 08)

Fired MnDOT official now at Homeland Security

A fired MnDOT emergency response director is now working for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The Star Tribune reports that Sonia Pitt is working for Homeland Security's Transportation Safety Administration at its headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. Pitt confirmed her new job to the newspaper but declined to comment. Her job title is "Transportation Security Specialist." A TSA regional spokesperson says she was hired in May.

Pitt was fired by MnDOT as its director of homeland security last November for work-schedule improprieties…..(AP, 31 Jul 08)

Congressional oversight of Homeland Security comes under fire again

Four years after the 9/11 commission recommended that Congress create a "single, principal point of oversight and review," 86 congressional committees and subcommittees oversee the Homeland Security Department. That's about 80 too many, in the view of several officials with expertise in DHS operations…With so many committees exercising jurisdiction over various aspects of Homeland Security's mission, the department is put in the impossible position of having to satisfy competing and sometimes conflicting demands from Congress, said Rogers, ranking member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Management, Investigations and Oversight. In addition, the demands of reporting to so many committees have put an untenable administrative burden on the department…..(Gov Exec, 30 Jul 08)

Stronger oversight of intelligence hubs encouraged

Legislation to ensure that the Homeland Security Department continues funding personnel serving in state-run intelligence "fusion centers" around the country has critics of the facilities arguing for greater congressional oversight. The bill was introduced in May by Homeland Security Intelligence Subcommittee ranking member Dave Reichert, R-Wash., after hearing news that a center in his state was in danger of losing funding. His legislation clarifies mandates of a sweeping law enacted last year to implement recommendations of the 9/11 Commission to make certain grants can be used to keep and hire intelligence analysts for the centers……(Congress Daily, 30 Jul 08)

Congressman Sherman Turns the Tables on MPAC - Group Tried to Block Emerson Testimony

On Tuesday, the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) demonstrated in front of the Office of Congressman Brad Sherman, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism and Nonproliferation. The demonstrators demanded the cancellation of a subcommittee hearing on whether American foreign aid is going to organizations affiliated with terrorists… The day of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, MPAC executive Salam Al-Marayati created a furor when he stated on a Los Angeles radio program, "If we are going to look at suspects, we should look at groups that benefit the most from these kinds of incidents, and I think we should put the State of Israel on the suspect list…"[1]  Two brothers have played a critical role in leading MPAC. Maher Hathout is a senior adviser and one of the founders of MPAC, while his brother Hassan Hathout served as MPAC's president…..(IPT, 30 Jul 08)

ISNA and MPAC Seek to Silence Steven Emerson at Congressional Hearing

As mentioned in Andrew Cochran's July 28 posting, the Investigative Project on Terrorism's (IPT) counterterrorism leader Steven Emerson will be testifying on Thursday July 31 at a Congressional hearing on "Foreign Aid and the Fight Against Terrorism and Proliferation: Leveraging Foreign Aid to Achieve U.S. Policy Goals." This hearing will take place at the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade this Thursday at 10:30 AM ET in room 2200 of the Rayburn House Building.  In the past day, however, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) have been working on a public relations campaign to silence Steven Emerson at this July 31 hearing. ISNA sent out an "Urgent Action Alert" to its membership calling for them to lobby Congressman Brad Sherman to either have "balanced, qualified testimony"... [or demand that] "the session be canceled." MPAC sent a similar letter to Congressman Brad Sherman and also issued "demands" calling for its membership to lobby for silencing Steven Emerson or for Congress to "cancel or postpone" the hearing. ISNA charges Steven Emerson with "Islamaphobia" [sic] and "hate mongering," while MPAC charges Steven Emerson with "bigotry." Not surprisingly, ISNA and MPAC don't support their accusations with any facts or specifics, just ad hominem name-calling to silence and discredit those who speak out against Jihad……(Counterterrorism Blog, 30 Jul 08) 

Canton teen faces terrorism threat charges

An-18-year-old Canton man is being charged with threats of terrorism after he allegedly tried to blow up a bridge in Canton Township. Sgt. Rick Pomorski of the Canton Police Department said Ian Michael Douglas is facing a count of false report or threat of terrorism, one count of placing explosives near property, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of using a firearm in a felony. He faces 45 years in prison. Two witnesses contacted Canton police, after they encountered Douglas near a railroad overpass near I-275 and Haggerty Road, Pomorski said. Douglas had a shotgun… After about an hour, the witnesses saw Douglas ignite a pipe bomb on the ground near the overpass and said he talked about plans to derail a train, according to Pomorski. Then they went their separate ways…..(Journal Group, 30 Jul 08)

Teen Facing Terrorism, Explosives Charges

A Canton teen is facing explosive and terrorism-related charges after trying to derail a train.  Police arrested Ian Douglas after he allegedly set off a pipe bomb under a railroad overpass near I-275 and Haggerty Road Sunday. Two witnesses told police Douglas pointed a shotgun at them on Sunday and, after asking for their identity, lit the bomb and said he was trying to derail a train.  Douglas has been charged with making a threat of terrorism, placing an explosive device near property and assault with a dangerous weapon……(WWJ, 30 Jul 08)

Strategy Against Al-Qaeda Faulted

The Bush administration's terrorism-fighting strategy has not significantly undermined al-Qaeda's capabilities, according to a major new study that argues the struggle against terrorism is better waged by law enforcement agencies than by armies… But the authors contend that al-Qaeda has sabotaged itself by creating ever greater numbers of enemies while not broadening its base of support. "Al-Qaeda's probability of success in actually overthrowing any government is close to zero," the report states.  The study was based in part on an analysis of more than 600 terrorist movements tracked over decades by Rand and the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism. Jones and Libicki sought to determine why such movements ultimately die out, and how lessons from recent history can be applied to the current struggle against al-Qaeda……(Washington Post, 30 Jul 08)

Two bombs found in Athens

Two devices that appeared to be pipe bombs were found at separate post offices Tuesday, and both buildings were evacuated as a precaution, authorities said. No injuries were reported. Columbus fire bomb squads, the FBI, a Postal Service inspector and local authorities examined the objects found in the small towns of Guysville and Stewart……(AP, 30 Jul 08)

Islamic group seeks new look at U.S. wiretapping

A defunct Islamic charity has gone back to court to ask a federal judge to reconsider his dismissal of its challenge to warrantless wiretapping by the Bush administration.  The judge dismissed the lawsuit by the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation this month, but said attorneys could file an amended complaint if they can prove they fall under a legal category called "aggrieved persons."  In federal court for the Northern District of California, the charity's Oregon chapter said Tuesday that two of its attorneys suffered irreparable damage to their ability to represent their clients.  The lawsuit claimed the Bush administration intercepted phone calls to their clients in Saudi Arabia…….(AP, 29 Jul 08)

New Rand Report on Terrorism: Reminders of Reagan Administration

A new Rand Corporation report on the end of terrorist organizations supports the views that police and law enforcement tools are generally more effective than military force in countering most options…The AP report noted that the Rand report said that the use of military force by the United States or other countries should be reserved for quelling large, well-armed and well-organized insurgencies and that American officials should stop using the term "war on terror" and replace it with "counterterrorism." This useful report focuses on how various terrorist groups have ended their activities. It said that by analyzing the 648 terrorist groups that existed worldwide between 1968 and 2006, the authors found that 268 terrorist groups ended during that period. 40% ended because of operations carried out by local police or intelligence agencies. Meanwhile, 43% reached a peaceful political accommodation with their government. In 10% of cases, terrorist groups ended because they achieved victory, while the application of military force led to the end of terrorist groups in only 7% of cases… Actually the emphasis on describing terrorists as criminals goes back to the Reagan administration. This has been largely overlooked in recent years as the use of the law enforcement tool became a political points scoring issue… There are legitimate arguments either way about the ability of past administrations in tracking down and prosecuting terrorists but ignored and forgotten in the criticism is the fact that it was the Reagan Administration that refined and pushed the concept of strengthening and applying the rule of law against terrorists……(Counterterrorism Blog, 29 Jul 08)

Rand Report Brief: How Terrorist Groups End - Implications for Countering al Qa'ida

DHS still having trouble handling Top Secret Information

A recent report out of the DHS's Inspector General's office raises concerns that the Department of Homeland Security is still not taking adequate precautions to protect sensitive information. From the article at Federal Computing Weekly: “Procedural and operational issues, however, remain regarding the effectiveness of the implementation of the department’s intelligence security program and system controls,” the report said. “Furthermore, the department has not yet fully addressed the issues and recommendations that we reported in fiscal year 2006.”……(Network World, 29 Jul 08)

Possible pipe bombs found at 2 Ohio post offices

Two post offices were evacuated Tuesday in southeastern Ohio after the discovery of objects that appeared to be pipe bombs, authorities said. No injuries were reported.  Columbus police bomb squads, the FBI, a Postal Service inspector and local authorities examined the objects found in the small towns of Guysville and Stewart…..(AP, 29 Jul 08)

Study proposes revamping US security system

In a report aimed at the next president, security specialists are proposing a vast overhaul of the U.S. security system, declaring it problem-plagued. The report, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, said frequent feuding and jurisdictional disputes among Cabinet secretaries and other agency heads force the president to spend too much time settling internal fights. Time and money are wasted on duplicative and inefficient actions, slowing down government responses to crises….(AP, 29 Jul 08)

Exposing Terror Financing: Who is Treasury Protecting Under Its Veil of Secrecy?

It has been nearly seven years since the September 11th attacks, but the U.S. Treasury Department continues to shield critical information from the public about the financial activities of Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT). Treasury has evaded demands for improved disclosure of its investigations. The public has a right and a need to know the factual findings of these important investigations, such as the names of the terrorists and important details of their financial records. Such disclosures will allow the public, specifically financial institutions, to ensure that terrorists are unable to move money through the banking system. It will also allow victims of terrorism to obtain the necessary information to know who is responsible for their injuries and losses. Shielding these important facts from the public domain allows terrorists to exploit bureaucratic turf-battles to wage their deadly jihad. To date, Treasury has not publicly provided a sound reason for this secrecy. The time has come to change these policies……(Counterterrorism Blog, 29 Jul 08)

DHS Urges Vigilance Over Next 12 Months

The Department of Homeland Security is advising employees to be on increased alert beginning next month through next summer because of a series of upcoming high-profile events including the Olympics, both major parties' nominating conventions, Election Day and the presidential transition. A department spokesman said a draft internal document will soon be released citing a "period of heightened alert" between August and roughly July 2009, urging DHS agencies to review emergency response plans and intensify coordination and intelligence analysis. The move is based on the nation's increased vulnerability to a terrorist attack, not on any specific or credible new threat information, spokesman Russ Knocke said. The department is not raising the national color-coded threat warning level from yellow, or elevated, nor is it changing its security posture or operations…..(Washington Post, 29 Jul 08)

Study questions US strategy against al-Qaida

The United States can defeat al-Qaida if it relies less on force and more on policing and intelligence to root out the terror group's leaders, a new study contends. "Keep in mind that terrorist groups are not eradicated overnight," said the study by the federally funded Rand research center, an organization that counsels the Pentagon. Its report said that the use of military force by the United States or other countries should be reserved for quelling large, well-armed and well-organized insurgencies, and that American officials should stop using the term "war on terror" and replace it with "counterterrorism." "Terrorists should be perceived and described as criminals, not holy warriors, and our analysis suggests there is no battlefield solution to terrorism,"…..(AP, 29 Jul 08)

Unidentified Flying Threats

…A healthy skepticism about extraterrestrial space travelers leads people to disregard U.F.O. sightings without a moment’s thought. But in the United States, this translates into overdependence on radar data and indifference to all kinds of unidentified aircraft — a weakness that could be exploited by terrorists or anyone seeking to engage in espionage against the United States. The American government has not investigated U.F.O. sightings since 1969, when the Air Force ended Project Blue Book, an effort to scientifically analyze all sightings to see if any posed a threat to national security. Britain and France, in contrast, continue to investigate U.F.O. sightings, because of concerns that some sightings might be attributable to foreign military aircraft breaching their airspace, or to foreign space-based systems of interest to the intelligence community……(New York Times, 29 Jul 08)

Army Captain Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Illegally Smuggle Firearms Parts To Japan

Tomoaki Iishiba, 34, a Captain in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to Conspiracy to Smuggle Goods from the United States. In his plea agreement, Iishiba admits that he shipped firearms parts including holographic night vision firearms sights to contacts in Japan, with false information on the customs declaration forms. When sentenced on November 7, 2008, Iishiba faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and $250,000 fine…..(Press Release, 29 Jul 08)

Police Investigating Mailed Bomb Threat

Police continued to investigate Sunday a possible bomb threat mailed to New Yorkers in the form of a party invitation. Police say on Friday three people received post cards warning of bombings in the Financial District.  Investigators say there is no indication of actual terrorist activity……(NY1, 28 Jul 08)

Chertoff Outlines FY 2008 Homeland Security Grants

On Friday DHS secretary Michael Chertoff announced final allocations for FY08 preparedness grant programs for states and localities. DHS, Chertoff said, had made available a total of over $3 billion in total grants for FY08 for preparedness planning and response programs including both the Homeland Security Grant Program and $844 million in Infrastructure Protection grants which had previously been announced.  The focal point of Chertoff’s announcement was an allocation of $1.69 billion under the Homeland Security Grant Program, which reflects an increase of $32 million over FY07…….(HS Today,  28 Jul 08)

Hawaii to Receive Over $13 Million in Homeland Security Funds

U.S. Senators Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) and Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) announced today that the State of Hawaii and the City and County of Honolulu will receive more than $13.1 million from three grant programs distributed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this year, an increase of more than $1 million (8 percent) over last year…..(Hawaii Reporter, 28 Jul 08)

Steven Emerson & Douglas Farah to Testify Before Congress This Week

Contributing Experts Steven Emerson and Douglas Farah will testify before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade this Thursday at 10:30 am ET in room 2200 of the Rayburn House Building. The subject of the hearing is "Foreign Aid and the Fight Against Terrorism and Proliferation: Leveraging Foreign Aid to Achieve U.S. Policy Goals." Hearing testimony will be posted on the subcommittee's website after the hearing, and I will post a summary. One of the subjects of the hearing will be whether U.S. relations with Thailand should be tied more closely to the Thai government's decision on the extradition of Viktor Bout to the U.S. to stand trial for charges alleged in an indictment. You can read that indictment and access a special CT Blog Viktor Bout archives page here. On July 25, Doug posted on the effort by a bipartisan group of 35 Congressmen, led by the subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Brad Sherman, and ranking Member, Rep. Ed Royce, to urge the prime minister of Thailand to extradite Bout quickly. Steve testified on April 9 before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on the state of the threat posed by Al Qaeda, its affiliate organizations and radical Islamist ideology in general…….(Counterterrorism Blog, 28 Jul 08)

Thai court delays Russian arms dealers' hearing

A Thai court delayed for the second time an extradition hearing for an alleged Russian arms smuggler after his new defense attorney failed to show up on Monday. Viktor Bout has been indicted in the U.S. on four terrorism charges. He is regarded as one of the world's most wanted arms traffickers, though he denies any involvement in illicit activities…The judge set the new date for Sept. 22…The 41-year-old Russian faces charges of conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill U.S. officers or employees, conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile…..(AP, 28 Jul 08)

U.S. to pilot Internet travel authorization scheme

The United States will launch a pilot scheme on Friday which will require travelers covered by its visa waiver program to get prior Internet authorization before boarding flights to America. U.S. officials outlining the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) denied it would amount to reintroduction of visas -- a concern voiced in the European Union -- even though fees might be charged for the process in future… She said a two-month pilot program for the system would be launched on August 1. It will formally start on October 1 and electronic authorization will be a requirement for all citizens covered by the visa waiver program from January 12.

The system will require travelers to complete an online application form via the website https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov answering questions they must currently respond to on paper forms aboard flights or ships bound for the United States……(Reuters, 28 Jul 08)

Judge tosses Savage's suit against Islamic group

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by conservative radio talk show host Michael Savage against an Islamic civil rights group over its use of a portion of his show in which he called the Quran a "book of hate."

Savage sued the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, for copyright infringement and racketeering lawsuit late last year, claiming the group violated his rights by using a segment of his "Savage Nation" show in a letter-writing campaign to get advertisers to boycott the program. In the broadcast used by CAIR, Savage also called the Muslim holy book "a throwback document."….(AP, 26 Jul 08)

Former Weapons Sgt David Neal Kellerman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government Munitions

…defendant David Neal Kellerman, entered a guilty plea today to charges of concealing and retaining stolen property of the United States of a value in excess of $1,000, with the intent to convert said property to his own use, knowing that the property had been stolen, in violation of Title18, United States Code, Section 641 and conspiracy to conceal and retain that stolen property in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.  The stolen property that was the subject of the indictment included approximately 16,500 rounds of .357 caliber ammunition, C-4 explosives, fragmentation grenades, HE grenades, smoke grenades, blasting caps, detonation cord, and firing devices.  Sentencing is scheduled for September 19, 2008 at 11:00a.m.  According to documents filed with the Court, the case began on August 22, 2006 , based upon an ongoing investigation by the United States Army Criminal Investigative Division into Kellerman’s team in Afghanistan…..(FBI Press Release, 25 Jul 08)

ISNA Admits Hamas Ties

In its latest filing before the federal district court in Dallas on behalf of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and its affiliate organization, the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) in the Hamas-terrorism financing case, the ACLU has made a noteworthy admission. Rather than deny that there is copious evidence tying ISNA and NAIT to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, the brief argues that such evidence is merely dated. In a curious footnote on page 7, the reply states: Assuming the authenticity of documents' dates, the most recent documents to mention either ISNA or NAIT are dated 1991, Gov. Exhs. 3-3 and 3-85, but the majority of the documents are older. Almost all of the numerous exhibits that purport to show financial transactions and that contain any mention of ISNA or NAIT are dated 1988 and 1989 (there are two dated 1990), almost a decade before the majority of the overt acts the government alleges in support of its conspiracy charges against the HLF defendants…….(IPT, 25 Jul 08)

DEA as Counter-Terror Agency

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has, quietly, become a very effective counter-terror agency. The arrest of international arms dealers Victor Bout and Monzar al-Kasser (in operations worthy of movie scripts) were only one example. The agency had at least a peripheral role in the Betancourt rescue – a DEA operation inserted bugged satellite phones into the FARC, a crucial tactic that has made a tremendous contribution to the FARC’s overall breakdown. In general the agency seems to have adapted well overall to the counter-terror mission, among other things doing a competent job at building up its analytical capabilities. Last Friday, the DEA’s chief of operations Michael Braun gave a presentation at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (hosted by co-CT Blogger and Washington Institute Fellow Michael Jacobson) that provided important insight into the DEA’s adaptation to the counter-terror mission……(Terror Wonk, 25 Jul 08)

Joint announcement from the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security on passport card production

The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that the new U.S. Passport Card is in full production and is now being distributed. The Passport Card is a convenient, wallet-sized document for land and sea travel between the United States and Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. It is not valid for international travel by air. Beginning in June 2009, travelers will be required to present a single Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative-compliant document denoting both citizenship and identity when entering the United States through a land or sea border. More than 350,000 Americans pre-ordered the U.S. Passport Cards since the State Department began taking orders on February 1. Over 7,600 cards have already been mailed to advance customers, and all pre-orders are expected to be filled by September 30, 2008. After that initial distribution, the processing time for passport cards should be the same as for passport books – less than four weeks. Customers will be able to track the progress of their passport card application online beginning in mid-August. (WebWire, 25 July 08)

Police link Jacksonville man to alleged terrorist

Jacksonville Police say they are on the lookout for a dangerous man with alleged terrorist ties. Police Chief Reece Daniel says Robert Fox, leader of The House of Israel, hates the government and was planning to help a man who has been linked to terrorism. Fox used to live in Canada, where he was known as Robert Nicholas Fotti. Police say the House of Israel is a group that disregards laws in the city and does not recognize the U.S. Constitution. (KETK, 25 July 08)

Secret Service wants more money

The Secret Service has asked for an extra $9.5 million to cover unexpected costs of protecting the presidential candidates during what has turned into an historic year for the agency's campaign security job. Among other things, the extra money would be used for the added costs for the candidates' international travel and a late-in-the-game decision by Barack Obama to accept the Democratic nomination at Denver's Invesco Field at Mile High — an open-air, 76,000-seat stadium — instead of the 20,000-seat Pepsi Center, which is the site of the party's national convention. Presidential candidates are traveling overseas with Secret Service protection more than ever before. (AP, 24 July 08)

Md., Baltimore to get $30 million in security grants

The federal government will dish out nearly $30 million in homeland security grants to Baltimore and Maryland this year, a decrease from last year, officials announced today. While funding nationwide increased, all but a few U.S. cities and states saw similar declines. Even with the decrease, city and state officials said the funding would meet funding needs for a range of programs, training initiatives and