Experts say that this was one of the most well coordinated attacks on civilian targets in the region. There's also a suspicion that Al Qaeda provided assistance to the Indian terrorists.

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According to new reports, federal authorities have issued a warning of a possible Al Qaeda-orchestrated terror plot against New York City subway and other transit systems during the holidays.

An internal FBI memo described the threat as "plausible but unsubstantiated." Although NY seems to be the terrorists' only target, authorities say commuters in other big cities could see security tighten as well.

The gov's report states that in late September, Al Qaeda may have talked about attacking transit systems in and around New York City during the holiday season:

"These discussions reportedly involved the use of suicide bombers or explosives placed on subway/passenger rail systems."

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By Shelley Smith

The National Treatment Agency for Substance Abuse (NTA) is publishing a research paper produced by researchers at the Manchester of University’s National Drug Evidence Centre, whose findings confirm the widely-held belief that rehabilitation programs do work for drug abusers who receive treatment. The results from the study show that through’ first-line’ treatment to stabilize the drug users produced fewer offenses from being committed. In the article “Drug treatment cuts crime”, 17, November 2008, by Louise Hunt, the study shows that drug treatment for drug addicts, cuts crime to almost half when they are in the drug treatment programs.

In the past, research had only focused on the impact of treatment on the criminal activity of drug user’s behavior. The researchers studied 1,500 opiates and crack cocaine users who offended, but were not jailed by the courts and matched anonymous data from the Police National Computer to information in the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System. Even though the users were technically able to commit further offenses the link proved that half of the individuals produced no recidivism. Though eradication of crime does not occur, researchers found that from the start of the treatment program crime offenses went from 4,381 to 2,348, theft offenses fell from 1,234 to 635, and violent offenses were reduced.

As quoted from the article, NTA chief executive Paul Hayes said: “While this research confirms the value of using substitute prescribing as a first-line treatment to stabilize drug users, it also shows that crime is cut rather than being eradicated altogether. This reinforces the need for drug workers to go further and do more to actively get users off drugs and re-integrated into society.”

“While police enforcement activity will always be a key element, I am delighted to see objective evidence that other areas of the strategy, in this case drug treatment, are contributing to a reduction in crime and thus a reduction in the harm caused to local neighborhoods.” He said.

While the study does indicate positive results in the reduction of crime, the British government’s home affairs committee is still wrestling with the rash of knife crime, which is not working. In the article “Fight against knife crime ‘not working’, admits Government”, 17, November 2008, by Jon Land, establishes the “urgent” need to understand the causes of knife crime in the UK. During 2008, 22 out of 28 teenagers had died as a result of knife crime.

The UK chairman of the Government’s home affairs committee, Keith Vaz, is launching a cross-party knife crime inquiry for improving the availability of data and offender profiles to develop more effective means. He further stated it was unhelpful to distinguish whether violent crime was going up or down.

Due to changing crime activities the British Metropolitan Police have been working to get knives off of the streets. Since June, 2008, working under the Tackling Knives Action Program it has resulted in over 2,200 knives being seized following targeted stop and search operations.

In the article “New Anti-Bullying Guidance Launched for Schools”, 18, November 2008, by Hannah Wooderson, there is more of a push then ever in the UK through their National Healthy Schools Program, in partnership with a national coalition of over 60 organizations for the launching of the Anti-Bullying Guidance for Schools that are working to help prevent bullying and help reduce crime.

Research by the academics at the University of York took a good look at how bullying affects children and the problems associated with it. The new Guidance for Schools program is incorporating a ‘hands-on’ practical advice, while emphasizing the effectiveness of different anti-bullying approaches to all forms of bullying.

Hopefully, the results from these new findings and innovative research approaches can provide positive results for other international regions in the constant battle in reducing the present and future crimes for the next generation.

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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Homeland Defense Journal is sponsoring a two-day workshop in Arlington, VA, Nov 13-14. The event is designed to provide specific details on the crisis response, site management, decontamination/remediation, and site release. Attendees will learn what is required so they can include this information in their disaster response plans and exercises.

This is a must attend course for managers and executives who oversee planning, exercises and plans development.

What You Will Learn:

• Lesson learned from WMD incident at Brentwood Mail Distribution Facility
• Understanding WMD response challenges
• Legal, intra state commerce, transportation complicating factors
• Current WMD mitigation technologies and methodology solutions
• WMD Threat assessments
• Innovated methodologies
• Advance technologies
• Knowledge sharing with other municipalities “Best Practices”

About the Speakers:

• Professor Anthony Mangeri, American Military University
  
• Dr. Darren Knight, Vice President for Technologies and Innovation, Agilex Technologies, Inc.
  
• Michael O'Dell, Director Mission Assurance Solutions, Nova Datacom LLC
  

Click here for full event information.

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By Shelley Smith

In April, 2004, Jamie Wilson broke the article Terrorism prompts call to vet research. The British scientific community’s had warranted concerns of scientific research and discoveries that could potentially be carried out through harmful applications towards the development of biological weapons that could be used by bio-terrorists and rogue states.

During that time, Professor Brian Eyre, of the Royal Society Committee on scientific aspects of international security was concerned for a need of more rigorous regulations and improved exercise of judgment on research that could be used to create bio-terror weapons.

Others in the scientific community questioned whether this would really be effective in combating bio-weapons. But by September of 2004, the Commons science and technology committee discovered that UK universities were failing in the areas of implementing needed safeguards. Eyre’s past concerns have now evolved into the realization by the science community, the security services, and the government, of terrorists posing as postgraduate students trying to access top laboratories.

During 2007 and 2008, the British government confirmed from empirical evidence al Qaeda is determined to develop more sophisticated weapons. Warnings from MI5 to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, warned of al Qaeda’s terrorist network and extremist groups were actively targeting university students and seeking to recruit scientists with access to such laboratories with the intent to create chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons.

Mark Townsend’s reveals in his article Terrorists try to infiltrate UK’s top labs November 02, 2008, UK security services, MI5 and MI6 intercepted up to 100 potential terrorists posing as postgraduate students whose aim was to acquire weapons materials and expertise to develop weapons of mass destruction from university laboratories. These university labs do scientific research and contain deadly viruses and weapons technology.

In November 2007, university and security services introduced the Academic Technology Approval Scheme. Security services are conducting extensive background checks using a new vetting scheme. Overseas students from “countries of concern” who are believed to be intent on developing such weapons are now being denied clearance to study in the UK. Yet, officials are questioning how many terrorists have already infiltrated the sensitive laboratories and have passed the information on.

However, after 9/11, the United States developed national security safeguards and passed legislation prohibiting non-Americans from sensitive laboratories in order to safeguard and secure the nation from the possibility of such potential infiltration.

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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