By Shelley Smith

In May 2008, Anthony L. Kimery wrote an article Emergency Preparedness Complacency Worries Readiness Authorities that brought attention to the problem of Americans continued complacency towards the ongoing national security issues of terrorism.

Today, American citizens are taking for granted those officials, law enforcement, and other agencies who maintain resistance to complacency and who work diligently to stay ahead of the harm that could befall the United States and weaken its’ infrastructure.

American citizenry can no longer afford to be complacent and wane against terrorism. In seems there is more concern about a biological terrorist attack then any other security issues, while at the same time, less concern of an influenza pandemic and individual pandemic preparations. In the following as quoted from Kimery article:

“This creeping complacency, as many of us call it, among the public at large is quite disturbing,” said a senior federal emergency preparedness official.

“Studies have shown that less than one-third of all Americans have not taken special steps to prepare for an emergency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that “Americans are too busy, too distracted, or too frightened to plan carefully for a natural disaster, disease outbreak, or local catastrophe.”

“This, CDC said, has led to “a crisis of complacency.””

To guard against the release of biological agents Homeland Security defenses and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have accelerated momentum in the establishment of an effective national bio-defense capability. The detection system monitors the status of the environment, water, food, human health, and animal health that provide early warning to prevent large numbers of casualties and deaths.

Today the enemies are still present and there are still those citizens who feel the threat of terrorism attacks has subsided. While complacency is a normal human response after a tragedy, complacency can cause security vigilance to be lowered, and risk and crisis security safeguards not to be incorporated enough, or at all into community and business infrastructures.

However, it does not stop with the citizenry. There are still short-comings at local and state government levels. Business preparedness responsibility on a national level was shown to be not as prepared as was desired for occurrences. This is reflected in the January 2008, The FBIIC/FSSCC Pandemic Flu Exercise of 2007 After Action Report that was sponsored by the United States Department of the Treasury. The analytical working group found areas of potential future concerns for the U.S. financial services and their employees.

Some of the concerns are improvement in planning activities and participation in regional partnerships; enhancement of information sharing; improved coordination in the event of a crisis including pandemics; state and local policies consideration of what affects employees and indirectly effect financial organizations by strengthening operations in the potential absence of employees. Issues of employee safety at a workplace were weighed regarding State or Federal laws, health codes and labor codes, and the possibility of social distancing or alternative worksites that could affect employees going to work. Included too was considerations of organizations who may wish to stockpile and distribute anti-viral medications for multiple reasons, while weighing relevant legal issues.

There is the mindset amongst the citizenry that government will take care of the problems in the event of a disaster or crisis. And there are those individuals who put aside the reality that First Responders, law enforcement, and others can be affected by a critical event as well. Lack of citizen preparedness and prevention actions and in participation, weakens and hampers infrastructures and reduces less capability for responses during the course of a natural disaster, and terrorism event.

Without continued organized initiatives to stimulate citizen awareness and preparedness and to break this cycle of complacency, the consequences of not being prepared to handle responsibilities before they occur and after, will be far worse then expected.

About the Author

Shelley Smith is an expert in analysis and research on varied national and international issues, homeland security, terrorism and counterterrorism, law enforcement, criminal justice systems, and other. Smith has an A.S. in Criminal Justice with Honors and a B.A in Intelligence Studies. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Intelligence Studies Capstone with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies at American Military University.

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By Shelley Smith

The announcement of the Taliban planning a 20-year war in Afghanistan and the international questions of whether the United States developing policies to match the current issues as strategically right, will not stop a troop drawdown and extra brigades being sent to Afghanistan. On the other hand nor will the increase of troop involvement in Afghanistan cause a halt to suicide bombing recruitment, and those who carry it out to inflict damage and cause civilian and military casualties and death.

Muslim extremist women are coming forward in increasing numbers to become female jihadists. In the May 31, 2008, Associated Press article Women Fight for Right to Join Al Qaeda, Muslim women are challenging the Islamic gender conflict by Al Qaeda and its offshoot group’s refusal to include women in its ranks. While there are no women that are known to be in leadership ranks terrorism experts note there are clearly sympathizers.

Yet, this has not stopped some al Qaeda members from training women suicide bombers who have wrecked havoc in Iraq since 2003. With Hamas in disagreement with al Qaeda over the use of women, Hamas has launched many Palestinian female suicide bomber attacks over recent years.

Rabeebat al-Silah, Arabic for “Companion of Weapons,” was a 2,000 word essay, in response to al Qaeda No. 2 leader Ayman Al-Zawahri who said in April, 2008, al Qaeda does not have women.

“How many times have I wished I were a man ... When Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahri said there are no women in al Qaeda, he saddened and hurt me,” wrote “Companion of Weapons,” who said she listened to the speech 10 times. "I felt that my heart was about to explode in my chest...I am powerless.” As quoted within the above mentioned article.

Rita Katz, director of the SITE Intelligence Group, whose group monitors militant Web sties states “Suicide operations are being carried out by women, who play an important role in jihad.”

But female suicide bombers are not just wreaking havoc in Iraq and Palestine. The LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in Sri Lank, also use female suicide bombers. During October 09, 2008, Sri Lanka’s Minister Maithreepala Sirisena, Minister of Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services escaped the attempted attack by one or more women suicide bombers. According to Debra D. Zedalis, author of Female Suicide Bombers, the first known woman suicide attack was committed by a 16 year old female in 1985 and the LTTE use women as suicide bombers between 30 and 40 percent of the time. She further states that women have participated in suicide bombings not just from Sri Lanka, but in Chechnya, Palestine, Turkey, Israel and others.

In the Sept. 16, 2008 article Women Officers Hired to Thwart Female Bombers Baghdad, by Emad Al-Sharaa, Zaineb Naji and Tiare Rath. The United States military has estimated a greater increase in 2008, then during the periods between 2003 and 2007, due to more suicide bomber attacks being carried out by women. This has forced the Iraqi security forces and the U.S. military to adopt a new security strategy. Due to this increase in the number of women suicide bombers, an all-female civilian security force has been created to try to stem the threat of women suicide bombers. Due to the sensitivity of issues with Islamic social and religious customs, female officers will search women under their abbayas to thwart off a potential suicide attack and suspected would-be bombers.

Quoted from the article, “We want women to be supporters of peace,” said Azhar al-Sharbaf, a legal consultant in the ministry, “not used as a tool for killing.”

As national and international agencies continue the vigilance of chasing down to counter and prosecute those involved in or of attempted suicide bombings and other criminal activities, we can not minimize or divert our attention from the threat of al Qaeda and other “sleeper cells” that threaten within U.S. soil. The seriousness of this issue whether it be from a female, male, or child suicide bomber is represented best from the transcripts of Frontline Chasing the Sleeper Cell, by Lowell Bergman & Matthew Purdy, reporters for the New York Times, that reflect into these present times and that are continually aimed at U.S. national security.

About the Author

Shelley Smith is an expert in analysis and research on varied national and international issues, homeland security, terrorism and counterterrorism, law enforcement, criminal justice systems, and other. Smith has an A.S. in Criminal Justice with Honors and a B.A in Intelligence Studies. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Intelligence Studies Capstone with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies at American Military University.

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By Shelley Smith

As news broke of the strategic drama of smugglers hauling Cuban boat people to Mexico to avoid the U.S. Coast Guard who have reduced illegal human trafficking in the Florida Straits, Mexican and Cuban officials agreed to return illegal Cuban immigrants back to Cuba who came onto Mexican shores illegally for fear such trafficking would induce more and varied criminal activities.

The AP article Cubans Head for Mexico to Dodge US Sea Patrols, by Mark Stevenson, October 20, 2008, gives details of how a boat owner was able to alert authorities after his boat had been stolen from the Florida Keys. He was able to track his boat’s position through a GPS satellite tracking system using his laptop computer, and be a part of the successful recovery of his boat. He was one of the lucky ones.

For illegal immigrants it is not so lucky and is becoming more dangerous and violent as criminal organizations and groups stay focused on making money and becoming more diversified in human and drug trafficking.

On June 27, 2008, the United States Senate passed the Merida Initiative Bill as part of the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008. President Bush signed it into law on June 30, 2008 initiating a bilateral relationship between the U.S., Mexico, and Central American nations in the War against Drugs. The $465 million provided the Mexican government with $400 million and Central America nations with $65 million for equipment and training in the battle against smugglers, cartels, and others.

On July 17th, the Mexican Navy in bilateral cooperation with the U.S. seized a 33-foot mini-submarine 125 miles south of Puerto de Salina Cruz in Oaxaca state that was transporting to traffic 5 tons of cocaine.

However, since the U.S. Coast Guards is the primary maritime law enforcement agency of the United States, the Chief of the Coast Guard’s Law Enforcement Office, Coast Guard Commander, Cameron Naron, is quoted as saying in the article New Law Would Help Drug Enforcement, Coast Guard Officer Says, “Legislation imposing tough penalties for operating undocumented semi-submersible vessels in international waters would help drug-interdiction efforts.”

In order to evade law enforcement, the traffickers have adapted technology on the self-propelled semi-submersibles (SPSSs), to sink when detected and are proven to be used as a mobile asymmetrical method in transporting illegal drugs as far away as South America and along the Pacific coast line. With the increase in encounters with smugglers using SPSSs to transport illegal drugs and the small vessels scuttling quickly, it has put Coast Guard law enforcement teams and others in danger.

Obtaining the drug samples from the mini-submarines can be extremely risky. Naron explained that smugglers who have been caught carrying large quantities of contraband have attempted to flood the stateless SPSSs by scuttling the valves, or by backing down and quickly reversing the engines in attempts to kill the law enforcement team on board by trying to throw them off of the vessel and into the vessel’s propeller.

The new Amended Bill that could add safeguards for the better protection and apprehension of drug and human traffickers using the mini-submarines is H.R.7099: To amend titles 46 and 18, United States Code, with respect to the operation of submersible vessels and semi-submersible vessels without nationality.

The Amendment is written as: “Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act of 2008 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine and/or prison term of up to 15 years for knowingly operating or attempting or conspiring to operate by any means, or for embarking in, any submersible or semi-submersible vessel that is without nationality and that is navigating or has navigated into, through, or from waters beyond the outer limit of the territorial sea of a single country or a lateral limit of that country's territorial sea with an adjacent country, with the intent to avoid detection. Imposes an additional civil fine of up to $1 million for violations.”

The Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies believe this Amended Bill would reduce those risks that are associated with drug interdiction efforts, but at present it is still pending and has yet to be signed by President Bush.

About the Author

Shelley Smith is an expert in analysis and research on varied national and international issues, homeland security, terrorism and counterterrorism, law enforcement, criminal justice systems, and other. Smith has an A.S. in Criminal Justice with Honors and a B.A in Intelligence Studies. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Intelligence Studies Capstone with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies at American Military University.

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By Shelley Smith

Retaliation and violence towards Christians in regions of the Middle East and in India has increased and is spreading. The Taliban, other fundamentalist terrorist groups, and Hindu extremists are using acts of violence against Christian religious groups and others to convey their message of intolerance of Christian proselytizing and other conversions to continue their acts of terrorism and limit religious freedoms. This has lead to property destruction, physical violence, kidnapping, and death to Christians and other innocent people.

During October 2007, in Rajasthan, India, the Islamic religious shrine, Ajmer Shrief was attacked, two persons were killed, and several injured. In May 2008, in Jaipur, Rajasthan, six bombs exploded within 15 minutes in marketplaces close to Hindu temples killing about 100 persons and injuring 400.

In Orissa, India, that is governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Hindu extremists attacked Christian villagers and churches in the Kandhamal district destroying 700 Christian homes, affecting 22 Christian owned businesses, and damaging approximately 100 Christian churches.

According to the Associate Press article Followers of Ancient Faith Caught in Iraq’s Fault Lines, September 30, 2008, Bhubneshwar, India, the violence has worsened. It has been estimated, according to the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India that 40 Christians have been killed and attacks on Christians who make up 2.5 percent of India’s population of 1.1 billion, has spread to the southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

The International Religious Freedom Report 2008, released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor states the India Constitution provides for freedom of religion, but there are some state level laws and policies that impose limits of this freedom by enacting and amending “anti-conversion” laws to restrict and regulate religious proselytism. This was defined as “conversions” occurring only between denominations of Hinduism, but is not effectively policed.

In Kabul, Afghanistan, it is prohibited by law to proselytize. In Kabul, the AP article Taliban gunmen kill Christian aid worker in Kabul, October 20, 2008, by Amir Shah, states Taliban gunmen, who claimed responsibility, open fired on a Christian aid worker, killing her as she was walking to work. The group stated they targeted her because she was spreading the Christian religion.

Quoted within the article, “This woman came to Afghanistan to teach Christianity to the people of Afghanistan," militant spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, told The Associated Press. “Our (leaders) issued a decree to kill this woman. This morning our people killed her in Kabul.”

There has been an increase of kidnappings in Kabul of Westerners and during mid-August, three women who worked for the aid group, International Rescue Committee were shot and killed in a southern province of Kabul. During 2007, the aid group Serving Emergency Relief and Vocational Enterprise (SERVE) experienced the terror of kidnapping. In southern Afghanistan, 23 South Korean workers were taken from a group and taken hostage. Two were killed and the rest were later released. During 2001, two Americans and eight international aid workers were imprisoned for Christian proselytizing. They were later freed.

After the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iraqi Christians began receiving death threats and what followed was murder of religious leaders, threats of violence, or death if they do not abandon their homes and businesses. There was further destruction and bombing of Christian churches and other places of worship. Radio Free Europe Iraq: Christian Population Dwindling Due To Threats, Attacks , May 31, 2007, by Kathleen Ridolfo, states that not only had there been kidnapping and murder, but 27 churches have been destroyed and due to fear and intimidation by threats, other churches and monasteries had been abandoned. Some Christian leaders believe there is a campaign of ethnic-cleansing being conducted against the Christians and many are being driven out by Islamist fundamentalists and criminal gangs and are fleeing Mosul after two suicide bomber attacks.

In May 2008, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) announced its 2008 recommendations for countries that engage in or conduct the universal right to freedom of religion or belief. The Commission’s recommendations for 2008 are Burma, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Eritrea, Iran, Pakistan, People’s Republic of China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. The countries whose conditions that do not rise to the statutory level and the CPC believes requires close monitoring are; Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, and Nigeria. In 2007, Iraq was placed on the Commissions Watch List and the CPC continues to have serious concerns about its’ religious freedom conditions.

About the Author

Shelley Smith is an expert in analysis and research on varied national and international issues, homeland security, terrorism and counterterrorism, law enforcement, criminal justice systems, and other. Smith has an A.S. in Criminal Justice with Honors and a B.A in Intelligence Studies. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Intelligence Studies Capstone with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies at American Military University.

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By Jenni Hesterman

The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) is the primary clearinghouse for all data related to citizens killed, injured or kidnapped as a result of terrorist activity. The NCTC’s most recent report shows trend data from 2005, 2006 and 2007 concerning “noncombatant” kidnappings. Data shows that there has been a slight increase of kidnappings abroad, not just in Iraq and Afghanistan, but in other areas of instability, such as Africa and Central America.

The State Department “A Safe Trip Abroad” website is full of good information for those traveling and living overseas and worthy of review even by the most seasoned traveler. For instance, at the airport, check in and go through security as soon as possible; do your shopping and dining after you are in the secured area.

Make sure someone at home has your itinerary and knows your general whereabouts and movements. Register your travel online with the State Department. Ensure your personal affairs are in order and that papers such as wills and powers of attorney are in an accessible, known place prior to departure. Read the Country Specific Information, Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts issued by the State Department before traveling. Have a list of emergency contact info for your destination including the embassy and consulates.

Stay in large, modern hotels which typically have good security. Travel light so your hands are free and you aren’t burdened by heavy bags if you need to engage an attacker or run. Do not dress or accessorize in a manner that draws attention or makes you appear affluent.

Avoid areas where you could be easily victimized such as festivals, busy marketplaces and crowded subway and bus stations. Don’t use short cuts or poorly lit streets, stay on main roads and sidewalks. Try not to travel alone. Keep a low profile and do not discuss business or travel situations with strangers, including those on airplanes, driving taxis or at the hotel check in desk.

Bring a satellite phone, extra battery and charger. Also, learn how to use the hotel room phone as well pay phones, and have the right change easily accessible. Learn a few key phrases in the host country’s language so that you can indicate the need for police or security response, or ask bystanders for help.

If you have a laptop and need to leave it at the hotel, secure it in the room safe or the hotel safe. A quick internet search will yield several new locking mechanisms that secure your laptop in the hotel room by anchoring it to stationary objects such as pipes or radiators. You can also lock your hard drive to prevent unauthorized downloading. Remember that your laptop will provide a criminal or terrorist a host of information that can later be used against you if kidnapped, including pictures of family members, financial data and work-related information.

If driving, always check your vehicle thoroughly for tampering or unwanted occupants before entering it. Keep the tank full. Don’t fall for ploys such as someone flagging you down for help. If you get into an accident or are purposely “bumped” in the attempt to get you to exit the vehicle, stay put with the windows up and doors locked. Wait until someone of authority approaches the scene before exiting the vehicle and use your cell phone to call the embassy or the consulate and provide information on the incident. When parking at your destination, do not exit the vehicle if you see suspicious individuals, drive by and return later, or park elsewhere and take a taxi to your destination.

In the unlikely situation that you are taken hostage, there are several steps you can take to minimize the danger. First of all, know that if you are kidnapped in a foreign country, the US government looks to that nation to exercise its responsibility under international law to deal with the situation and ensure safe release. However, US government agencies will engage with the country to bring the situation to resolution.

Part of surviving a stressful event such as a violent crime is mental preparation. Envisioning the scenario and how you might react is a good rehearsal for the potential event. The State Department offers the following advice if you find yourself as a hostage (in any situation):
It is extremely important that you remain calm and alert and manage your own behavior.
Avoid resistance and sudden or threatening movements. Do not struggle or try to escape unless you are certain of being successful. Don't try to be a hero, endangering yourself and others.

Consciously put yourself in a mode of passive cooperation. Talk normally. Do not complain, avoid belligerency, and comply with all orders and instructions.

If questioned, keep your answers short. Don't volunteer information or make unnecessary overtures.

Make a concerted effort to relax. Prepare yourself mentally, physically and emotionally for the possibility of a long ordeal.

Try to remain inconspicuous, avoid direct eye contact and the appearance of observing your captors' actions.

Avoid alcoholic beverages. Eat what they give you, even if it does not look or taste appetizing, but keep consumption of food and drink at a moderate level. A loss of appetite and weight is normal.

If you are involved in a lengthier, drawn-out situation, try to establish a rapport with your captors, avoiding political discussions or other confrontational subjects.

Establish a daily program of mental and physical activity.

Think positively. Avoid a sense of despair. Rely on your inner resources. Remember that you are a valuable commodity to your captors. It is important to them to keep you alive and well.

Protecting family members while abroad is another concern. Just a few weeks ago, a 3 year old girl, a US citizen, was kidnapped for ransom in Guatemala. The girl was taken from outside of her home in the early morning hours as she was going to school. The FBI and The State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service immediately responded to the area, and assisted Guatemala’s anti-kidnapping unit (CAS) with negotiations. While communicating with the kidnappers, they were able to pinpoint her location and the girl was successfully rescued and her 5 kidnappers killed in the ensuing operation.

If living in an area for an extended period of time, always vary your schedule and that of your dependants. Kidnappings are often planned events, and the victim is observed over a long period of time. Change routes of travel, times of departure, who travels in the group, etc. Don’t make yourself and easy target by being predictable and habitual.

Finally, trust your intuition. If you believe that you are being watched, or something or someone seems out of place, go with your instincts and take control of the situation. It could be a matter of life and death.

About the Author
Jenni Hesterman is a retired Air Force colonel and counterterrorism expert. She is a senior analyst for The MASY Group, a Global Intelligence and Risk Management firm that supports both the U.S. Government and leading corporations. She is also an adjunct professor at homeland security and intelligence studies and is a contributing editor for The Counter Terrorist Magazine.

You may contact the author at JLHBlog@aol.com.

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By Shelley Smith

There have been serious implications revealed by officials, critics, and former participants that the Venezuelan government in cooperation with Cuban military advisors and Columbian guerrillas are operating a secret Venezuelan paramilitary training camp.

During an interview in 2007 by the Washington Times Venezuelan Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez said that his country was preparing for any “asymmetrical conflict” with the United States. In a recent article in the El Nuevo Herald/Miami Herald Cuba, FARC may be training guerrillas at Venezuelan camp, by Casto Ocando. The implications are that asymmetrical warfare and other is being taught within a closed-off tourist campground at the Venezuela Tapo-Caparo National Park near San Cristobal. Others are waiting for confirmation.

However, witnesses who participated asked for anonymity out of fear of reprisals and stated the camp is maintained in a cloak of secrecy to train Venezuelan civilians who are supporters of President Hugo Cha´vez. Estimated numbers of participants range from 400 to 1,000 persons with continual new arrivals.

The camp is approximately 125 acres and has been closed off to the public. Security has been established with military checkpoints since the government took control of the area. It offers six-week courses consisting of a first-phase political-ideological indoctrination with text and paramilitary disciplines and training. A second phase of guerrilla training includes the use of light and heavy weaponry and explosives.

Trainers at the secret camp have been observed as being members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Francisco Miranda Front.

In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department applied sanctions against government officials of President Cha´vez who are Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios and Henry de Jesus Rangel Silva, both high ranking Venezuelan intelligence officials, and Ramon Emilio Rodriguez Chacin, a former government minister for helping FARC with narcotic trafficking and arms purchasing.

The United States was able to stop and prohibit Spain from selling to Venezuela F-16 fighter jets and several naval ships. But there still remains the concern of CAVIM- Compañía Anónima Venezolana de Industrias Militares. A state owned Venezuelan Military Industries Company delegated to producing small arms and ammunition, chemicals, explosives, and patrol craft for the Venezuelan navy. In July, 2006, Venezuela announced they had purchased the licensing rights to produce AK-47s. The CAVIM factory is to be built and the Venezuelan government is anticipating it to be in full production within two years.

In 2006, the United States was able to introduce sanctions against Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and state-owned aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi to hasten the stopping of arms and weapons and other trafficking to Venezuela. Russia had already completed contracts with Venezuela for 30 Su-30 Flanker air-superiority fighters and 30 helicopters. Yet, Cha´vez continued to negotiate deals with Russia and other sources to bolster his military through the purchase of more military arms and weapons, fighter jets, helicopters and considered purchasing five diesel submarines.

Further revealed in a recent article Russia's warships head for exercise with Venezuelan navy, by Michael Evans, October 06, 2008, the Russian warship Peter the Great a nuclear-powered missile cruiser, an anti-submarine destroyer, and a reconnaissance vessel and a support ship are in route to the Caribbean for maritime exercises with the Venezuelan Navy.

Since 2005, Venezuela had attained from Russia $4 billion in weapons contracts. They would supply the Venezuelan military with 100,000 Kalashnikov AK47 assault rifles, supply fighter jets, and helicopters.

Experts have said a Venezuelan military buildup could destabilize the region by igniting an arms race, irregardless of the lack of Latin America not being fully militarized. But through President Cha´vez’s paranoid determination against the United States and Russia’s recent power posturing and expressing their intent of future deployment of regular global military maneuvers, it makes one wonder – what’s next?

About the Author

Shelley Smith is an expert in analysis and research on varied national and international issues, homeland security, terrorism and counterterrorism, law enforcement, criminal justice systems, and other. Smith has an A.S. in Criminal Justice with Honors and a B.A in Intelligence Studies. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Intelligence Studies Capstone with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies at American Military University.

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By Shelley Smith

Across the United States illegal marijuana plants are being grown in national forests, public lands, agricultural fields, jungles of Hawaii, and on drug buyers purchased private farm lands and other. Drug dealers are overtly and covertly purchasing vineyards as is depicted in the article “Drug dealers turn Wash. vineyards into pot farms”, by Shannon Dininny, August 9, 2008, which demonstrates how the drug dealer and pot growers take a vineyard and convert it into a marijuana operation.

President Bush’s Drug Czar, John P. Walters, said people need to overcome their “reefer blindness.” From the article “Drug czar gives warning”, by Dylan Darling, July 13, 2007, Walters sees the growing of marijuana as a terrorist threat to the public’s health and safety, and to the environment. He believes those who help pot cultivators and pot farmers enter into the United States are assisting terrorists and this could cause mass drug use casualties through the purchase of drugs that fund terrorism and violence.

As people write-off marijuana as harmless, it not only endangers the public, but endangers law enforcement officers and other agents who perform dangerous duties, while working within rough terrain that could be booby trapped and hinder potentially serious HAZMAT conditions due to other chemicals that could be present. There is also the danger of illegal growers and illegal immigrants who are assisting the pot growers who carry assault rifles and other weapons. This makes the conditions extremely dangerous and places them in the category of violent criminals and potential terrorists.

Since pot growers and farmers learn the terrain so well, it makes it easier for them to escape and officers must use stealth in their covert operations to cripple not just the growers, but those organized crime groups behind the drug crop cultivations.

In California, eradication operations are being conducted in the mountains and other public land involving law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Forest Service, and the California National Guard. Unbeknownst to, or non-attentive tax-payers do not realize it costs thousands per acre and millions nation-wide to pull plants, clear for irrigation, and reshape and plant native vegetation.

About the Author

Shelley Smith is an expert in analysis and research on varied national and international issues, homeland security, terrorism and counterterrorism, law enforcement, criminal justice systems, and other. Smith has an A.S. in Criminal Justice with Honors and a B.A in Intelligence Studies. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Intelligence Studies Capstone with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies at American Military University.

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By Shelley Smith

NASA is scheduled to launch the “Glory” satellite into space from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, during June 2009, and has invited members of the public to submit their names to fly around the Earth for an Earth’s atmosphere collection. The Web site where people can place their names in orbit for years to come is on the “Send Your Name Around the Earth.”

Glory will be part of the Afternoon Constellation, or “A-Train,” a series of Earth-observing satellites that will follow each other in close formation. The A-Train will orbit the earth once every 100 minutes that will be carrying the names of the people. All participants receive a printable certificate from NASA and the names are placed on a little microchip that is placed on the satellite.

The mission satellite will be collecting effects of particles in the atmosphere and the sun’s variability on the earth’s climate. This will allow the scientists to measure airborne particles more accurately from space like dust and smog.

The Glory satellite will be up there for years to come and has been opened up to the public for free. On a personal note, I used my email address to place my living family, myself, and I took the opportunity to memorialize my deceased brother and father to orbit the earth too. My mother and nieces and nephew were so delighted to imagine the family name orbiting the earth for years. I see this as a great family and educational project too. Children would get a kick out of knowing their names are in space as they watch the night sky and the twinkling stars above them.

For more information on Glory, visit: http://glory.gsfc.nasa.gov

About the Author

Shelley Smith is an expert in analysis and research on varied national and international issues, homeland security, terrorism and counterterrorism, law enforcement, criminal justice systems, and other. Smith has an A.S. in Criminal Justice with Honors and a B.A in Intelligence Studies. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Intelligence Studies Capstone with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies at American Military University.

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