By Professor Joseph B. Varner

Global War on Terror

A provincial official says an insurgent attack on a fuel truck has killed six civilians in eastern Afghanistan. The official, Abdul Wakil Atak, says the truck was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by insurgents in Laghman province on Sunday. Atak is a spokesman for the provincial governor.

By Professor Joseph B. Varner

Global War on Terror

U.S. and Afghan special forces killed two influential tribal leaders and a number of their followers in western Afghanistan in a joint airborne operation Wednesday night amid more accusations of causing civilian casualties, military officials said Thursday.

By Professor Joseph B. Varner

Global War on Terror

A deadly attack on a remote NATO outpost in the eastern province of Kunar is being viewed as a serious escalation in the fighting between the insurgents and the international forces stationed in Afghanistan, and a possible shift in the insurgents' tactical capability. The high casualties sustained by international forces in recent attacks have also increased the prospects that international troops could launch cross-border strikes into Pakistan with increasing frequency.

By Professor Joseph B. Varner

Global War on Terror

Nine U.S. soldiers were killed in heavy fighting Sunday at a military base in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border, according to a Western official. The attack was the deadliest against U.S. forces in the country since 2005.

By Professor Joseph B. Varner

Global War on Terror

U.S. military officials may be voicing concern about Afghanistan, but Canada's former top officer in NATO says he has only seen a continually improving situation in the Asian country. In the past month, U.S. military reports and statements have indicated the war is worsening. A Pentagon report to Congress several weeks ago outlined how a revitalized insurgency is expected to maintain or increase its level of attacks. "The Taliban regrouped after its fall from power and have coalesced into a resilient insurgency," the report said.

同一个世界同一个梦想 (One World, One Dream) Official Symbol and theme of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad

By Jenni Hesterman

In a rare show of transparency, China revealed today that it has detained 82 suspected terrorists since January that 'allegedly plotted sabotage against the Beijing Olympics,' the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing the police chief in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang region that borders Central Asia. As the August 8th opening ceremony approaches, the Chinese government has stepped up warning of a domestic terror threat emanating from the region, fueled by Muslim extremists.

By Professor Joseph B. Varner

Global War on Terror

A U.S. commander says more than 400 Taliban insurgents have been killed since the spring deployment of U.S. Marines in southern Afghanistan. The Marines have also eliminated insurgent positions and strongholds, and are stabilizing the region, CNN reported, quoting Colonel Peter Petronzio, commander of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

By Professor Joseph B. Varner

Global War on Terror

In one of the worst suicide attacks ever to strike the Afghan capital, a car bomber today killed up to 41 people and wounded more than 140 others just outside the Indian Embassy.

The Department of Defense will soon take on a new role: countering the expanding drug trade in Western Africa. The new initiative is outlined in the FY 2009 defense authorization bill, House Resolution (H.R.) 5658. Section 1024 of the bill provides funding for counter-drug equipment in the Republic of Ghana, the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, and the Republic of Senegal, in addition to the nations of the Western Hemisphere, central Asia, and the Caucasus. Additionally, the Senate Armed Services Committee is concerned by the rapid growth of illegal drug trade in the region and has directed the State Department and the Department of Defense to jointly prepare "a region-wide, counter drug plan for Africa, with a special emphasis on West Africa and the Maghreb."

By Professor Joseph B. Varner

U.S.-led troops backed by warplanes battled militants in southwestern Afghanistan, killing 28 rebels including several Taliban leaders, an Afghan official said Monday.

Other reported violence claimed the lives of two Afghan soldiers, two militants and a government employee, while the Pentagon said a bomb killed an elite U.S. soldier last week. Fighting between insurgents and security forces is escalating, damping the prospect of the Western-backed effort to stabilize the country succeeding any time soon.

By Professor Joseph B. Varner

Early this year, a religious radical calling himself Abu Hamza had a question for the deputy leader of Al Qaeda regarding the Egyptian secret police. "Are they committing unbelief?" he tapped on his keyboard. "And is it permissible to kill them?" A few weeks later, an answer came from a man with a $25 million bounty on his head, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Killing the police is justified, Zawahiri replied, because they are "infidels, each and every one of them." The exchange was part of the latest propaganda coup orchestrated by Al Qaeda: an online chat between Zawahiri, one of the world's most wanted fugitives, and hundreds of curious people around the globe.

By Professor Joseph B. Varner

Global War on Terror

Militants ambushed troops patrolling in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, prompting a gunbattle and airstrikes that left about 55 militants dead, the U.S.-led coalition said Monday. Meanwhile, a coalition helicopter attacked men suspected of laying a roadside bomb in the same region, killing one. Afghan officials said two civilians, including a 4-year-old boy, also died.

It is estimated that organized crime costs the UK in excess of $40B per year. In response to this significant national security and economic threat, the government established SOCA (Serious Organised Crime Agency) in 2006. This unique organization is an intelligence-led agency with law enforcement powers. In short, SOCA serves as a link between strategic efforts to fight organized crime and the work of law enforcement at the tactical level.]]> http://www.inhomelandsecurity.com/2008/06/soca_the_uks_answer_to_intelli.html http://www.inhomelandsecurity.com/2008/06/soca_the_uks_answer_to_intelli.html Commentary and Analysis Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:25:26 -0500 A daily, open source, around the world tour of international security-related news.

By Professor Joseph B. Varner

Global War on Terror

The Office of Training and Development (OTD) has announced the opening of the application period for the Customs Border Protection Tuition Assistance Program (CBP-TAP) fall 2008 term.