A daily, open source, around the world tour of international security-related news.

By Professor Joseph B. Varner

Continue reading "Global Security Brief" »

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A daily, open source, around the world tour of international security-related news.

By Professor Joseph B. Varner

Continue reading "Global Security Brief" »

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(Credit: DHS Leadership Journal)

By Jenni Hesterman

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff believes that a significant story regarding the terror threat has been mostly overlooked by the press…and he’s right.

About 18 months ago, transportation officials announced worldwide restrictions for carrying liquids on domestic and international flights. Not much could be said at the time about the threat, and frustrated travelers, airline and security personnel all questioned the basis for the directive. A case playing out this month in a London this courtroom finally provides the long awaiting answer.

Eight men are currently on trial for conspiring to smuggle explosive agents on board seven international flights in August 2006, all originating at Heathrow Airport in London, with destinations in North America. The group planned to detonate the devices mid-flight, halfway across the ocean, "in the name of Islam".

The explosive devices were to be fashioned from a mixture of hydrogen peroxide bleach and Tang powdered drink, which provides citric acid. This mixture which would then be carried onboard the flight in plastic bottles, disguised as sports drinks or soda. Once airborne, the remaining component (a common device which I will omit from this posting) would be added to the liquid, forming a powerful explosive device. Court-appointed scientists used the material to create a sample blast, which was so powerful that it destroyed the video camera capturing the event.

The plotters targeted full flights to achieve maximum loss of life. The first flight in the sequence of seven targeted flights was to take off at 2:30pm for San Francisco, and the last just 1 hour and 41 minutes later, a 5:11pm flight bound for Chicago. According to British officials, who had been watching the group for months, the plot was disrupted just 2 weeks from execution.

Only 1 month prior to their arrest, the group paid roughly $240K in cash for a flat in East London to use as a meeting place and laboratory for assembling the devices. The flat contained not only the ingredients and instructions for the bombs, but several suicide martyrdom tapes calling for jihad, and expressing individual motives for planning the attacks.

The self-professed leader of the group, Abdulla Ahmed Ali, said that Osama bin Laden was his inspiration for the pending attacks, and also stated “the time has come for you to be destroyed”. On the tape, he boasts that “body parts will decorate the streets”, and that he wanted to join in holy war to “punish and humiliate” nonbelievers. Another defendant, Uma Islam states “this is revenge for actions by the USA in the Muslim lands, and their accomplices, such as the British and the Jews” and “this is a warning to the nonbelievers that if they do not leave our land, there are many more like us, and many more like me, ready to strike until the law of Allah is established on this earth”. Waheed Zaman professes that "America and England have no cause for complaints. I am warning these two nations death and destruction will pass upon you like a tornado."

One of the men, Assad Sarwar, who is suspected of links to extremists in Pakistan, wasn’t going to be an actual suicide bomber--he had other deadly ambitions. His briefcase was recovered in the woods behind his house with a computer memory stick containing information about attacks on other U.K. targets, such as power stations, oil refineries, and a major gas terminal.

Today, a tape was shown to the court showing the men shopping for the bomb ingredients at B&Q, Ikea and Tesco stores in London. Despite the overwhelming evidence, all 8 men deny the charges against them. The trial is expected to continue for several more weeks before the jury renders its verdict.

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The US National Counterterrorism Center has launched an interactive version of its 2008 calendar.

The US National Counterterrorism Center is pleased to present an interactive version of the 2008 Counterterrorism Calendar. This version of the Calendar contains many features across the full range of terrorism-related issues: terrorist groups, wanted terrorists, and technical pages on various threat-related issues. The Calendar timeline marks dates according to the Gregorian and Islamic calendars, and contains significant dates in terrorism history as well as dates that terrorists may believe are important when planning “commemoration-style” attacks.

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HSToday.com is providing its first-ever Homeland Security Education Guide.

In it you'll find online universities, community colleges and private-sector continuing education businesses that offer everything from advanced postgraduate degrees in homeland security studies to extended education for first responders in local communities.

Schools highlighted include: American Military University, George Washington University, and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

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By Aaron Richman

This Intelligence report includes information from open and closed intelligence sources. Not all information is able to be verified; however, the TAM-C is actively evaluating the reporting to establish its accuracy and to determine if it represents a possible link to terrorism.

Continue reading "Actionable Intelligence Round Up" »

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This Intelligence report includes information from open and closed intelligence sources. Not all information is able to be verified; however, the TAM-C is actively evaluating the reporting to establish its accuracy and to determine if it represents a possible link to terrorism. For more information about these intelligence briefings, visit

Continue reading "Actionable Intelligence Roundup" »

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The Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) is providing free automatic access to the Homeland Security Digital Library (HSDL) (HSDL) for all federal, state, and local government agencies, research institutions, and U.S. military instillations.

The library offers a collection of over 45,000 homeland security-related policy and strategy documents to include:

• Presidential directives, executive orders, and key U.S. policy documents
  
• Homeland Security related reports from federal, state, and local agencies from around the globe
  
• Homeland Security related theses and research reports
  
• Featured documents on terrorism, public health, school violence, emergency response, border security, and more
  
• Quick links to state homeland security offices

For individual access, users may request an account by going to the “Request an Individual Account” link from the HSDL homepage or visiting https://www.hsdl.org/?auth/request_account.

CHDS also offers organization-wide access via IP and DNS domain authentication. If you are interested in organization-wide access to the HSDL, CHDS ask that you e-mail hsdl@nps.edu and provide the following information:

• Your organization’s IP range and CIDR number/subnet mask (Example 152.30.0.0/16). If NAT (Network Address Translation) or a proxy server is used to access the internet, please provide the ip/subnet for the NAT or proxy server interface.

• Or, the DNS domain names associated with the computers in your organization (Example dhs.gov).
  

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By Bob Jaffin

Tornado disasters in Iowa…ice storms in Washington…fires in California … Snow and flooding in New England. One common feature is that the local police and fire, along with the National Guard, are undermanned when responding because too many first responders are off fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Local National Guard armories have been stripped of hardware and assets in order to sustain the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, which means the first-responders are also under-equipped.

This highlights the larger issue of public service and volunteerism in this country.

Continue reading "Volunteers Needed" »

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Director Marc Forster (who's just been tagged to do the newest James Bond feature) has announced plans to direct a new movie inspired by the real-life experience of Kurdish immigrant Ibrahim Parlak.

In 2004, Parklak was taken into custody by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on July 29, 2004, based on his alleged past ties to the PKK, a rebel group that sought to win independence for Northern Kurdistan from Turkish rule.

Conservative political commentator, radio talk show host, columnist, and attorney Debbie Schlussel thinks the planned movie will be a total whitewash of what really took place.

Read Schlussel's take. Then tell us what you think.

"James Bond Director Whitewashes Real Terrorist, Defames ICE Agents, Tries to Influence Court"

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This Intelligence report includes information from open and closed intelligence sources. Not all information is able to be verified; however, the TAM-C is actively evaluating the reporting to establish its accuracy and to determine if it represents a possible link to terrorism.

Continue reading "Actionable Intelligence Roundup" »

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By Aaron Richman

This Intelligence report from the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response includes information from open and closed intelligence sources.

Not all information is able to be verified; however, the TAM-C is actively evaluating the reporting to establish its accuracy and to determine if it represents a possible link to terrorism.

Continue reading "Actionable Intelligence Briefing - July 2, 2007 to July 9, 2007" »

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This Intelligence report from the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response includes information from open and closed intelligence sources.

Not all information is able to be verified; however, the TAM-C is actively evaluating the reporting to establish its accuracy and to determine if it represents a possible link to terrorism.

Continue reading "Actionable Intelligence Briefing - June 25 to July 2, 2007" »

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20 June 2007 London: Anti-war protests are scheduled for 10 AM in Parliament Square. This demonstration is a protest against possible future military actions aimed at Iran.
Peace Strike, the group sponsoring this event, has previously attempted to serve a citizen's arrest warrant on Great on Britain's PM Tony Blair. (Also see 23 June 2007)

22 June 2007 Quebec City: The GUERRE À LA GUERRE coalition has called for the disruption of military ceremonies that are to occur prior to the Afghanistan deployment of the Royal 22nd Regiment of Valcartier. The group has planned "a day of disruptive actions."

23 - 28 June 2007 London: An Anti-war Camp is scheduled to be conducted in Parliament Square. This unauthorized demonstration (no parade/demonstration permit has been obtained) is intended to influence incoming British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The focus of the demonstrations is the Trident nuclear submarine project, the war in Iraq, and the potential for conflict with Iran.

Peace Strike, the group sponsoring this event, has previously attempted to serve a citizen's arrest warrant on Great on Britain's PM Tony Blair. (Also see 20 June 2007). The unauthorized nature of this demonstration will likely produce street disorder as police take enforcement actions.

24 June 2007 Los Angeles: ANSWER is sponsoring a mass march for immigrant rights in Los Angeles. The theme is ". A strong and united movement for immigrant rights will bolster the overall struggle for civil rights and against racism." ANSWER events typically include mass civil disobedience.

27 June - 1 July 2007 Atlanta, GA: The United States Social Forum (USSF) is dedicated to opposing United States policies and actions within the country and abroad. They will be holding a conference in Atlanta to discuss various issues and to build an action calendar for the next year. The Forum includes "anti-imperialism" and anti-war groups. TAM-C analysts expect the USSF to focus attention on the Iraq war through legal demonstrations.

28 June - 3 July 2007 Glen Woods, Scotland: Protests targeting the Faslane Trident nuclear submarine base are scheduled. Billed as a "student camp", it will include protests and direct action.

29 June 2007 Montreal: Anarchy groups will be demonstrating their anger at the CN Railroad and their support of Indian activists who state that the railroad was built a stolen indigenous people's land.

30 June 2007 London: A Gay Pride parade is scheduled to start on Baker Street at 1 PM. This even will end with a rally in Trafalgar Square. Parade organizers expect anti-gay protests along the parade route .

30 June 2007 Leeds, UK: The World Development Movement will be holding a training/educational program at the University of Leeds. The program, aimed at anti-establishment groups from across the world, is entitled "Whose Rules Rule?" Although this is billed as an educational program, TAM-C analysts expect "anti-globalization" protests in the area.

30 June 2007 London: In preparation for protests at August's Climate Action Camp, British ecological activists are conducting a day of Non-Violent Direct Action (NVDA) training. The training is designed to help the activists prepare for confrontations with police and security personnel. At this time, protest leaders are being asked to use this training opportunity to conduct actual protests in the area of the construction of the International Olympic site that is being prepared for the 2012 Olympics. TAM-C researchers will continue to monitor this in an attempt to confirm that the protests will actually occur and to provide an exact location.

30 June 2007 Multiple Locations: Racist organizations are mourning the death of David Lane, the founder of the militant group, The Order, who died in prison. Racist organizations are attempting to organize a Global Day Of Remembrance And Protest For David Lane. Locations with active "White Nationalist" groups should prepare for protests and counter protests surrounding this event.

6 - 8 July 2007 Iceland: A summer of international dissent and action against infrastructure improvement in Iceland will begin 6 July 2007. These protests are aimed at the improvement of roads and the construction of a power plant that will enable the growth of industry in the island nation.

19 - 23 July 2007 Los Angeles: Animal Rights 2007, the animal rights movement's annual national conference will be taking place in Los Angeles. Speakers include representatives of extremely militant AR organizations − from SHAC (Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty) to SPEAK (the organization currently trying to shut down Oxford University's research lab [currently under construction]).

TAM-C analysts expect street demonstrations throughout this period. However, organizers are planning for demonstrations on 23 July 2007. Likely targets are UCLA's animal research labs.

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This Intelligence report from the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response includes information from open and closed intelligence sources.

Not all information is able to be verified; however, the TAM-C is actively evaluating the reporting to establish its accuracy and to determine if it represents a possible link to terrorism.

Continue reading "Actionable Intelligence Briefing - June 18 to June 25 , 2007" »

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By Bob Jaffin

For a number of reasons related to safety and risk, i.e. theft of high value goods and potential risks to the public of dangerous goods incidents or misuse, we have long needed to improve our maritime port security systems and structure.

From a homeland security perspective what is the value of tightly controlling access to the bulk of the contiguous areas that make up our maritime ports? If there are incoming materials sitting on these facilities then we are probably two or three layers of protection too late while we are geographically too close. By the same token it is highly implausible that we need to protect these ports from the outbound smuggling of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

As part of a layered approach and as an extension of the greater risks from a commercial/insurance aspect there is no doubt that ‘port security needs to improve. The larger issue that needs to be addressed is how those homeland security dollars are being spent to upgrade and protect the infrastructure and approaches to our ports. For many major ports taking down a single bridge or blocking a shipping channel represent a much greater risk and therefore might deserve many more dollars.

Bob Jaffin is currently a program manager for the Military Studies and Public Safety degree programs at American Military University.

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Global security is a huge market – in excess of $100 billion and made up of tens of thousands of businesses. How can you be part of this exciting industry – and launch a rewarding career? Jeffrey T. Fowler, program manager for security management at American Military University, provides tips and insights for entering and succeeding in the field.

Continue reading "How You Can Take Part in the Security Industry's Growing Job Market" »

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Check out AMU program manager Bob Jaffin's two part article about increased opportunities in the homeland security job market.

Homeland Security Careers: More Opportunities Than Ever Before

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A special report reprinted from FrontLine Security Spring 2007
By Professor Joe Varner

The protection of critical infrastructure is a key national security issue in a way that it has not been since the ‘snakes and ladders’ days of the late 1950s and the early Cold War civil defence program. Today’s threat has changed from Soviet rockets to various state and non-state actors armed with an equally wide variety of weapons. With this revolution in military affairs, has come a renewed interest in asymmetric confrontation of the Superpower and its NATO and Western Allies. The target is the very institutions and systems that maintain our way of life and/or our cutting edge in military defence. It is the engine of our economy. Get at our critical infrastructure and strangle our economy. That is the goal of our opponents in the Global War on Terror.

Continue reading "Is There a Terrorist Threat to Our Critical Infrastrucure?" »

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A special report reprinted from FrontLine-Canada Online Nov/Dec 2005

By Professor Joe Varner

Al-Qaeda has long had a fascination with maritime targets and has a history of going after these interests with only limited success. Its interest in maritime adventures is no secret and warnings abound. For example, on 3 August 2003, Tom Ridge, then U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, warned that terrorists might strike at ferries. One year later, Britain’s First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Alan West claimed to have intell that Al Qaeda was planning to attack Western maritime interests including naval forces. Admiral West also warned that prime targets included port and naval chokepoints such as the Suez Canal and the Straits of Gibraltar.

Observers believe that you can tell a great deal about Al-Qaeda’s future plans and intentions from their past deeds, both successful and the failures.

But it appears that as much as Al-Qaeda would like to carry out a spectacular maritime even, so far its successes have been limited. Al Qaeda has not lived up to its hallmark standard of spectacular event, high degree of coordination, and accompanying high body count. Al-Qaeda’s only real maritime successes, limited as they are, have been their strikes on the USS Cole, the French Tanker Limburg and attacks by their affiliates on two Philippine passenger ferries:

• October 2000: Two Al Qaeda attackers rammed a small boat loaded with
explosives into the side of the USS Cole in the Port of Aden. Sadly, 17 sailors were killed and 40 civilians were injured in the attack, an event celebrated by Osama bin Laden.
• October 2002: The French oil tanker Limburg was attacked in Yemen’s coastal waters when it was apparently rammed by a small craft carrying TNT. The explosion killed one crewman and spilled 90,000 barrels of oil into the Gulf of Aden.
• January 2004: A bomb was exploded on a Philippines ferry, Superferry 14, in
Manila Bay killing 116 people. The Al-Qaeda-linked Philippines terror group Abu Sayyaf claimed responsibility for the attack.
• August 2005: The Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in the Philippines bombed a ferry, the Dona Ramona, at Lamitan on the island of Basilan. Some 30 people were injured
when the device exploded near gas containers in the ship’s canteen.

All of these attacks involved either placing a small craft loaded with explosives next to a vessel or placing a bomb on board the vessel. While Al-Qaeda’s tactical successes have been limited, they have had several notable failures:

• January 2002: It was reported that Singaporean authorities had busted a 13-member Al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah cell that had plotted to attack American air and naval forces in that
Southeast Asian nation. One plan was centred on an attack against naval personnel
riding on a bus ashore, while another was to bomb U.S. naval vessels Northeast of Singapore around Changi and Palau Tekong.

• June 2002: Moroccan authorities arrested three Saudi nationals believed linked to Al-Qaeda who were reportedly plotting to attack British and American naval forces in the Straits of The Gibraltar with dingies loaded with explosives around the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

• October 2004: U.S. authorities warned that groups of men, thought to be “Middle Eastern,” had videotaped the inside of some of the Washington State ferries. Some 19 incidents were
considered at the time to be “highly likely” or “extremely likely” to have been terrorist surveillance operations.

• August 2005: Turkish authorities busted a reported Syrian-led Al-Qaeda plot to ram explosive laden speed boats into Israeli cruise ships in international waters as they sailed to visit
Turkey. Five Israeli cruise ships were diverted to Cyprus along with their five thousand passengers to avoid attack.

• August 2005: Al Qaeda reportedly fired timer-controlled Katyusha rockets at the USS Ashland and USS Kearsage. The U.S. warships were docked at the Red Sea Jordanian Port of
Aqaba. One Jordanian soldier was killed in the attack but the ships and their crews were unharmed.

These failed Al-Qaeda plots again concentrated on the tactic of ramming a small craft loaded with explosives into a vessel or placing a bomb inside the ship. The closest Al-Qaeda has come to its “spectacular event” has been the failed Katyusha attack on two U.S. warships in Jordan.

Thus far, Al-Qaeda has not sought to attack a major port facility, but that lapse seems to have come to an end, marked by the failed Jordanian venture in August. Al Qaeda also has witnessed
the example set by Palestinian terrorists. Consider the 14 March 2004, joint Al Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade-Hamas suicide bomber attack on the Israeli Port of Ashdod, where two bombers apparently exited shipping containers to attack the Israeli facility. One bomber detonated himself near the chemical storage area of the busy Mediterranean port – either by accident or more seriously by design – possibly hoping to create a massive toxic chemical cloud in the area.

Additionally, there have been several news reports about how U.S. Homeland Security officials are deeply concerned about the prospect of a merchant ship carrying a weapon of mass
destruction into a port adjacent to a major city. Former U.S. Counter Terrorism Coordinator,

Richard Clarke, and the U.S. Intelligence community had come to a similar dark assessment of
the potential for an Al-aeda attack on a port city using a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) tanker. For instance, a Sandia National Laboratories study has warned that a terrorist attack on
an LNG tanker passing Boston Harbor could be catastrophic. The study determined that an LNG spill from a 16-foot hole blasted in the side of the tanker’s hull, if ignited, would create a thermal blast that would set buildings on fire and melt steel out to 1,281 feet and give people second-degree burns up to 4,282 feet away.

Thus, when Al -aeda ends its fascination with attacking ships in or near to port, it is almost certain to turn its attention to the port facilities themselves, a prized economic target. This threat of spectacular maritime attack on a port facility should cause most G-8 countries like Canada to give pause. Canada has ranked fifth on the so-called Al Qaeda list of enemies
to kill and is the only country yet to face a major Al Qaeda strike.

Canada’s ports are far too open and vulnerable to organized crime and terrorist attack. On 6 December 1917, history was made when two ships collided by accident in wartime Halifax Harbour and created the largest man-made explosion at that time. Some 1,900 people were
killed and another 4,000 injured; 1,630 homes were destroyed; 12,000 damaged; and 6,000 people were left without shelter. It was an accident of navigation, not an intentional act of terror, but it is likely that this historical event has caught some Al-Qaeda planner’s attention.
In a post-September 11th world, Canada, like all G8 nations, could face an attack that would dwarf the Halifax Explosion.

It’s true that warships, luxury cruise ships, passenger ferries and super tankers have been the targets of the past, a major port appears to be the prized Al-Qaeda target of the future. Taking such a threat seriously and preparing for worst-case scenarios could mitigate the effects of an attack, if not thwart such plans.

Joe Varner is Assistant Professor and Program Manager for Homeland Security at American Military University

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AMU has recently posted a great site with audio, video and presentations from their homeland security symposium, The Ripple Effect.

Check it out - www.apus.edu/disaster/presentations

It's in Flash, so you'll need to have the Adobe Flash player to view. If you don't have it, you can download it here.

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By John A. Cote MSSI, CPP

Since that dreadful day in September 2001, many committees and organizations have tried to rate our performance as a country prepared for the next terrorist attack. The report cards given for our preparedness so far have been varied to say the least.

Many experts agree that it's not a matter of if but when the next attack will take place. Will we be ready?

When thinking of terrorism, folks tend to predict what may happen in the future based on past events. Overall, thinking this way does not prepare us for new techniques our enemy may have devised for inflicting carnage on us. No one, prior to 9/11, was truly prepared for an attack on our country by commercial jetliners used as flying bombs.

NORAD was prepared for an attack on our country by bombers or jet fighters, however there did not seem to be protocols for engaging a civilian aircraft acting in a threatening manor.

If you recall, just after we were attacked by the four commercial jetliners the security industry went to great lengths to develop countermeasures to secure this gap in our national security.

The Transportation Security Administration was developed and began to implement new security measures in our nation’s airports. Private industry developed new cockpit doors which could withstand repeated attacks from guns and forced entry. Some pilots decided to carry guns on board as a last defense against a cockpit attack.

All these measures are very good steps in preventing another attack of the same nature, however, our enemy is very cunning and adaptable.

Even now, some six years after 9/11, many other modes of transportation besides air travel are very vulnerable.

In London, terrorists didn't use airplanes they chose to attack the subway systems. In Spain, terrorists chose to attack trains. I recently rode the train from a major eastern city. My ticket was not checked until the train had reached the fourth stop. There was one person trying to check tickets but a cursory glance was all that was given as throngs of people marched toward the waiting train. Anyone could have boarded that train carrying anything they wanted.

So again I ask are we ready for the next attack? Let me put it another way, are you ready for the next attack? Each person needs to take responsibility and prepare themselves for what may come.

Now, I don’t mean we need to be afraid, but with the passage of time between major violent events, people become complacent and enveloped in a false sense of security that can cloud our thinking. It is up to each one of us to be prepared for what's coming.

How do you prepare for such an event?

There are many Web sites out there with excellent emergency preparedness information – Ready.gov, The American Red Cross, and the National Terror Alert just to name a few. There’s a definite consensus:

1. Create an emergency communications plan
Choose an out-of-town contact your family or household will call or e-mail to check on each other should a disaster occur. Your selected contact should live far enough away that they would be unlikely to be directly affected by the same event, and they should know they are the chosen contact. Make sure every household member has that contact's, and each other's, e-mail addresses and telephone numbers (home, work, pager and cell). Leave these contact numbers at your children's schools, if you have children, and at your workplace.

2. Establish a meeting place
Having a predetermined meeting place away from your home will save time and minimize confusion should your home be affected or the area evacuated. You may even want to make arrangements to stay with a family member or friend in case of an emergency. Be sure to include any pets in these plans, since pets are not permitted in shelters and some hotels will not accept them.

3. Assemble a disaster supplies kit
Prepare a disaster supplies kit in an easy-to-carry container such as a duffel bag or small plastic trash can. Include "special needs" items for any member of your household (infant formula or items for people with disabilities or older people), first aid supplies (including prescription medications), a change of clothing for each household member, a sleeping bag or bedroll for each, a battery powered radio or television and extra batteries, food, bottled water and tools. It is also a good idea to include some cash and copies of important family documents (birth certificates, passports and licenses) in your kit.

4. Check on the school emergency plan of any school-age children you may have
You need to know if they will they keep children at school until a parent or designated adult can pick them up or send them home on their own. Be sure that the school has updated information about how to reach parents and responsible caregivers to arrange for pickup. And, ask what type of authorization the school may require to release a child to someone you designate, if you are not able to pick up your child. During times of emergency the school telephones may be overwhelmed with calls. (source: American Red Cross)

For more on information on preparing for the unexpected, visit:

• American Red Cross
  
• National Terror Alert
  
• Ready.gov

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. homeland security experts are aware of significant gaps in disaster preparedness, such as pre-established destinations for evacuees.

Although natural and man-made disasters in the past few years have spurred agencies at all levels of government to examine their emergency response plans and address deficiencies, gaping holes still exist, said panelists who took part in a forum sponsored by the American Military University on Feb. 6.

Plans for evacuation of endangered populations are incomplete, explained Patrick McCrory, mayor of Charlotte, NC., and a member of President Bush's Homeland Security Advisory Council.

"We all have great evacuation plans, but we don't know where the people are going," McCrory said.

"We have to have evacuation agreements with neighboring cities and even cities that could be as far as 300 or 400 miles away, where they're willing to take our residents and we're willing to take theirs," McCrory said.

McCrory told UPI that Charlotte has direct experience with the complications of not having evacuation agreements. He explained that people fleeing Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 began arriving in Charlotte with just five-hours warning. The city of Charlotte spent $500,000 per day hosting people who fled north in the wake of Katrina, McCrory said.

"Most cities are not prepared to accommodate an influx of people at such short notice and for an extended period of time," McCrory said.

The effectiveness of evacuation plans depends on the ability of authorities to warn the population of an approaching threat, said David Paulison, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Paulison called for the development of an audible warning system, similar to the type used in areas of the country that are particularly vulnerable to hurricanes and tornados.

Paulison said that a countrywide audible warning system would be just one component of the "robust, quick-activated system" that the United States needs to invest in so that authorities can alert the public about any major threat.

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By Mike Harbert

Evacuations. Everyone in the country has an opinion about what happened with the evacuations for Hurricane Katrina. And there are any number of people or organizations that will offer a list of lessons learned, but I maintain that in most communities these are merely lessons recorded but not learned. Many of these same lessons were “learned” in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, and many of them were learned in countless previous storms. So, what lessons have we learned (recorded) for evacuations? Here’s a quick (though not inclusive) sampling of questions to ask:

First, let’s look at what makes up most evacuation plans – getting people out of town. Pretty simple. But where do they go? What happens when they cross state lines and move into a different jurisdiction? Has anyone coordinated with the “destination” communities? Has anyone instructed their citizens on what they should bring and not bring? Now is the time for them to collect and copy essential documents.

Fuel: We learned with the evacuations brought on by Katrina and Rita that plans have to include ensuring that fueling points are manned and have sufficient reliable and redundant power sources. Likewise, is there a contingency to refuel stranded motorists or man traffic control points? Communities in the hurricane zones have probably addressed this, but how about cities in the heartland?

Moving people without cars: We learned that plans need to include options to evacuate those who may have no other means to leave. We may incorporate school busses and local charter companies into our evacuation plans, but do we have contingency plans for drivers. How would local evacuation plans change if bus drivers, first responders, and key personnel were victims? Or if essential equipment or even evacuees needed decontamination or to be quarantined? Have we coordinated with the destination cities for busses and drivers to come to our communities and pick people up? How does your evacuation plan handle registered sex offenders or those on probation? Has anyone coordinated with the destination cities to identify and receive these folks, or will they just be released to the community?

Receiving evacuees: On the other end, how many cities have an evacuation reception plan? How many people can your community absorb? For how long? Will there be a secondary decontamination capability or quarantine? How will you handle evacuees arriving with no identification? Are you prepared to run criminal background checks on everyone coming in? Evacuation and emergency response plans must be regional, with cooperation extending across jurisdictional lines.

Does anyone outside the EOC know the plan? The mayors and emergency mangers who spoke at the symposium emphasized that communities must be able to handle the first 24-48 hours of any emergency before outside aid arrives. In order for this to happen, individuals and families must be prepared as well – not only to survive the first 48 hours, but to evacuate. This includes having important papers and copies of identification cards ready to go or located with relatives in communities that, hopefully, are outside of the impacted area. This includes having food, water, and other essential supplies to last at least that first 48 hours. Of course, we as individuals have a long way to go as is evidenced by the lines at a grocery store the night before a predicted snow storm.

Having our communities and families prepared for an emergency isn’t the federal government’s responsibly. It’s ours, and it’s the responsibility of our local leaders. It is also our civic duty to hold our local leaders accountable and demand that they keep our communities prepared. If we are prepared, then when something happens it is an emergency. It’s when we aren’t prepared that it becomes a disaster.

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By Mike Harbert

Whenever anyone mentions homeland security funding, the first topics that come up involve interoperability issues, radios, and mobile command centers. While the need to ensure that first responders from different jurisdictions can work together is essential, there are other items that are not as exciting and do not receive the same attention, but are every bit as necessary.

This morning I attended a panel at American Military University’s “Homeland Security: The Ripple Effect” symposium that addressed an area that we never hear about in the news or from the politicians. That is, Mass Fatality Management. We frequently hear about “Mass Casualty” exercises, or how hospitals and first responders will handle hundreds of sick and injured, but no one wants to address the aftermath.

Dealing with dead bodies is not something people want to think about. Politicians would rather deal with hope and recovery than with death and disposal. Most table top disaster exercises end before anyone has to deal with anything more than designating a collection point for fatalities. Maybe someone will think far enough ahead to state that refrigerated trucks will be used, but few will think to figure out where the trucks will come from or how many will be needed.

Here are a few thoughts:

• How will a community handle 500 dead over a period of a week? How about 5,000? Or 50,000?
• If the disaster is WMD related, how and when do we decontaminate the remains? Politicians ensure that first responders are issued PPE and trained, but how about mortuary professionals?

• How does a community identify 5,000 or 50,000 casualties? Are systems in place to handle that amount Ante-Mortem and Post-Mortem data collection? How many phone calls will come into the operations center about missing persons when 50,000 are killed? Can we issue death certificates and process estates without doing the appropriate identification of remains?
  
  
• Can local mortuary services handle those numbers? How many bodies can fit in local refrigerated storage? How many bodies can fit in a 48-foot refrigerated trailer?
  

• Where will they get 5,000 or 50,000 caskets or embalming supplies for that many? Cremation? Consider that a modern crematorium needs 4 to 6 hours to cremate one body. Will religious and cultural issues be considered in final disposition of remains?
  

• What about funerals? If the disaster is a pandemic, will the population be able to gather, or will the risk of transmission be too great?
  

• Over $100 million has been spent identifying and processing the 2749 victims of the World Trade Center attacks. Has your community considered the cost associated with handling ten times that number of dead?

These are just some of the issues that were addressed at this session of the symposium, and they barely scratched the surface. There is some debate as to whether this is a medical issue or a logistical issue. From my viewpoint, it’s a leadership issue.

It’s time for our politicians and leadership to begin addressing these issues. It’s time that the table top exercises continue beyond first response and relief operations and address these unpopular but necessary issues.

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In Homeland Security is an American Military Univeristy(AMU) sponsored blog that features analysis and commentary on issues in homeland security today.

A network of industry experts will cover topics dealing with terrorism research, emergency preparedness and response, border security, military intelligence, law enforcement and national security.

Our intended audience is comprised of the expert-level policymakers as well as the more broad and general audience of people interested in homeland security. The blog is non-partisan and non-commercial.

About AMU

AMU (www.amu.apus.edu) is a member institution of American Public University System, one of the few institutions that is both regionally and nationally accredited by federally recognized accrediting agencies.

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By John A. Cote MSSI, CPP

President Bush’s New Iraq plan met with resistance the moment it was unveiled to the world. A Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that 52 percent of Americans disapproved of the plan with 61 percent not agreeing to the increase of 20,000 troops in Iraq.

Continue reading "New Iraq Plan" »

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