Terrorists @ MindSay

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

 

July 1, 2008 - As U.S. Africa Command prepares to go fully operational, one of its big challenges will be communicating not only what it aims to achieve, but also what it doesn't, senior officials at the Pentagon and at the new command agree. AfriCom, which began initial operations Oct. 1, is slated to become an independent unified command three months from today. This will make it a full-fledged geographic combatant command on par with U.S. European Command, Pacific Command, Southern Command and Central Command, focusing on the African continent.

 

AfriCom will be responsible for all U.S. military activity in Africa. The one exception will be Egypt, which will remain under U.S. Central Command.

 

The goal, as described by Army Gen. William "Kip" Ward, AfriCom's commander, is to work in tandem with other U.S. government agencies and international partners to help African nations deal with a full range of challenges. AfriCom will support this effort through military-to-military programs, military-sponsored activities and other operations, all aimed at promoting a stable, secure Africa, the general said.

 

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters while visiting the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies here last week that the United States recognizes the "hugely important issues to be addressed in Africa."

 

"That's one of the reasons we stood up AfriCom, because it's such an important continent for us," he said.

 

Mullen cited Africa's tremendous resources, but said it faces great challenges as well, from poverty and disease to threats including terrorists seeking safe haven.

 

"It's a place where there are opportunities for terrorists to evolve," he told the AfriCom staff while visiting their headquarters. "We have to address those things, because if we don't, they are coming our way. Either we have to engage them or they are coming to us as a country, and actually, as a world."

 

The AfriCom headquarters will become fully operational a decade after the near-simultaneous Aug. 7, 1998, terrorist attacks on the U.S. embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. The 10 years since then have witnessed additional terrorist activity, including the double car-bombing of a United Nations building in Algiers in December. Mullen told the AfriCom staff that the Pan-Sahel region and Horn of Africa are particular concerns.

 

Americans historically have looked east and west to face off threats, but Mullen said AfriCom and SouthCom show increasing recognition that the focus needs to go beyond that. "America doesn't look north and south to its own detriment," he said.

 

Despite widespread recognition of the challenges facing Africa, Mullen acknowledged last week that AfriCom has suffered from misconceptions about its intent. He told reporters at the Marshall Center that the command's standup has met with "some pretty stiff resistance" from Nigeria, South Africa and some other countries in the region or with ties to it.

 

"I think some of it is tied to the newness of it," Mullen told reporters after a town hall meeting at the AfriCom headquarters. "We have not been ... heavily engaged in Africa historically, so there are questions from people on the continent. There are questions from those who have been engaged historically, some of the former countries who were colonial powers in that part of the world."

 

Mullen said the United States needs to constantly repeat the intent behind AfriCom to clear up those questions and dispel misconceptions. But ultimately, he said, actions will speak louder than words. "I fundamentally believe we communicate most effectively through our actions," he told the AfriCom town hall session.

 

The United States has no interest in a big troop presence in Africa, the chairman said. AfriCom's headquarters will remain in Stuttgart -- also home to EuCom, which has had primary responsibility for Africa -- for at least the next several years.

 

"It is my view that it is much more important to emphasize projects and engagement than it is footprint," Mullen said.

 

Navy Vice Adm. Robert T. Moeller, AfriCom's deputy commander for military operations, emphasized during an address at the Brookings Institute earlier this month that the command also has no intention of stepping on the toes of other organizations' work there. He said the command will support -- not disrupt or confuse -- ongoing U.S. government, international and nongovernmental efforts in Africa.

 

Ward described military engagement the United States already has with Africa during testimony before the House Armed Services Committee in March. U.S. soldiers and Marines provide military training to African peacekeepers and professional development at the individual and unit level. The Air Force contributes airlift and logistical support. U.S. forces provide special operations counterterrorism training teams to strengthen national capabilities and enhance multinational cooperation. The Navy and Coast Guard are helping African nations increase maritime safety and security.

 

"Our intent is to enable them to provide for their own security," Ward told the committee.

 

He cited other U.S. agencies that also contribute toward this effort. The State Department's Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program has helped prepare thousands of African troops for international peacekeeping missions. In addition, U.S. forces work hand in hand with the U.S. Agency for International Development to support numerous humanitarian missions in Africa, he noted.

 

Moeller stressed that AfriCom isn't trying to move into the foreign policy realm or militarize U.S. foreign policy. Rather, he said, the command will support the State Department and other U.S. agencies working in Africa.

 

Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates, AfriCom's deputy for civil-military affairs and former ambassador to Ghana and Burundi, said the command's mix of "hard" and "soft" power elements in a single organization will bring added value to ongoing operations in Africa. While helping to bring capacity to the Africans, she said, it will support other programs by the United States and others.

 

Ward took that message to Lisbon earlier this month for a meeting with the Commonwealth of Portuguese Speaking Nations. The group conducts peacekeeping operations and disaster response exercises with five African nations: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe.

 

"Every nation around the world benefits from a stable and secure Africa, but each has limited resources to apply toward security capacity-building efforts," Ward told the Commonwealth of Portuguese Speaking Nations representatives. "Together we can cooperate to bring coherent programs to the African continent."

 

Like others, Ward said has heard the "Why now?" questions about AfriCom's standup. As he escorted Mullen around the command's headquarters facilities last week, he said the more significant question should be: "Why not now?"

By Gerry J. Gilmore

American Forces Press Service

 

June 25, 2008 - President Bush today welcomed Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to the White House as a friend of the United States and as the leader of a free country. After meeting with the Iraqi chief executive, Bush hailed Talabani as "a man who has been on the front lines of helping to unify Iraq and to help Iraq recover from a brutal regime, that of Saddam Hussein."

 

The two leaders discussed ongoing negotiations to establish a strategic framework agreement between Iraq and the United States, Bush told reporters. The agreement, among other things, would determine how U.S. servicemembers in Iraq would be treated under Iraqi law. A ratified agreement would replace a United Nations resolution that expires Dec. 31.

 

Bush and Talabani also were expected to discuss long-term political, economic and security ties between their two nations.

 

Bush complimented Talabani for his efforts to improve security and to implement political reconciliation and needed legislative changes.

 

"He and his fellow officials are reaching out to all aspects of society to help people realize the blessings of a free life," Bush said.

 

The Iraqi economy has improved under Talabani's stewardship, Bush noted, while the mood of the Iraqi populace has become correspondingly more upbeat.

 

"I'm proud of what you've done. And I thank you for the tough decisions, so that the people of a free Iraq can realize hopes and dreams," Bush said of Talabani's accomplishments.

 

Talabani said he is grateful for Bush's praise. The Iraqi president hailed Bush as "a liberator of Iraq" who delivered the Iraqi people "from the worst kind of dictatorship."

 

Iraq and the United States are making good progress in crafting a new security framework agreement, Talabani noted.

 

The Iraqi president pledged that his country and the United States will "continue our cooperation in our struggle against terrorism and for promotion of democracy in Iraq and in [the] Middle East."

 

"We are proud to have such good friends here in this great country," Talabani said.

 

Talabani predicted that his government's legislature would pass new oil and election laws by the end of the year. Meanwhile, he said, reconciliation efforts to convince Iraq's Sunni citizens to join the country's national unity government are continuing.

Large swaths of Iraq have been made safer against incursions by terrorists and illegal militias, said Talabani, who acknowledged that U.S. military support has helped Iraqis to realize increased security within their country.

 

"I am again here to thank our great friend President Bush and the American people for their sacrifice and their support for [the] Iraqi people," Talabani said.

 

Iraq has improved its relations with Kuwait, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan, Talabani reported, while it has normalized relations with Iran and Syria. Iraq and Iran had fought a bloody, costly war in the 1980s.

 

Today, the Iraqi government "is going to play its role in the Arab world," Talabani said, noting his government is engaged with Iraq's neighbors.

How Smallpox Changed the World

“Smallpox epidemics continued through the 20th century until vaccination programs were regulated and implemented around the world. In 1980, the World Health Organization declared smallpox completely eradicated, but samples of the virus remain in two laboratories in the United States and Russia, prompting fears of biological warfare should the virus land in the wrong hands.” (Live Science; 23Jun08; Heather Whipps) http://www.livescience.com/history/080623-hs-smallpox.html

 

Enzymes made to order

“‘For the first time, we have been able to computationally design [and create] enzymes from scratch,’ says team member Daniela Röthlisberger, a biochemist at the University of Washington in Seattle. These enzymes are capable of dealing with substances for which no naturally occurring enzymes have evolved, she says. And in principle, the technique could be used to produce enzymes capable of ‘accelerating any desired reaction at all.’ The possibilities, the researchers agree, are vast and intriguing. […] Whichever industry they're used in – be it pharmaceutical, agricultural or chemical – Brown says the synthetic enzymes ‘have great potential to be used in … reducing the use of solvents and heavy metals, or degrading harmful chemicals such as pesticides and toxins.’” (Cosmos; 19Jun08; Lauren Monaghan) http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/features/online/2053/enzymes-made-order

 

CDC [Center for Disease Control and Prevention] action at germ lab questioned [Atlanta, Georgia]

“At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new $214 million infectious disease laboratory in Atlanta, scientists are conducting experiments on bioterror bacteria in a room with a containment door sealed with duct tape. […] The tape was applied around the edges of the door a year ago after the building's ventilation system malfunctioned and pulled potentially contaminated air out of the lab and into a ‘clean’ hallway.

Nine CDC workers were tested in May 2007 for potential exposure to the Q fever bacteria being studied in the lab […] agency officials said; the lab is safe and poses no risk to workers. The public was never at any risk because numerous security layers were in place between the lab and the outdoors, they said. Yet the duct tape remains in place. ‘It's an enhancement,’ said Patrick Stockton, CDC safety and occupational health manager, as he and four other agency officials took a reporter to see the door Wednesday. ‘We could take it off.’” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; 22Jun08; Alison Young) http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2008/06/21/cdclab_0622.html

 

Norman Regional to host decontamination exercises [Norman, Oklahoma]

“Norman will be the site next week for exercises to help emergency personnel deal with accidents involving hazardous materials or bioterrorism situations that would require decontamination. […] Dozens of central Oklahoma hospital employees are expected to be in town to observe when Norman Regional Health System employees participate in decontamination training exercises Tuesday with the Norman Fire Department.

NRHS employees will be in level C suits and the fire department personnel will be in level A suits -- full decontamination gear, including head gear and a SCBA or self contained breathing apparatus in exercises at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.” (The Norman Transcript; 20Jun08; Carol Cole-Frowe)

http://www.normantranscript.com/localnews/local_story_173003327

 

Flora Industrial Park site [Madison County Mississippi]

“The Gulf States Bio and Agro-Defense Consortium is a coalition of public and private entities working collectively to attract the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) to Mississippi. The Consortium is comprised of the State of Mississippi, the University of Mississippi (UM), the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), Mississippi State University (MSU), Jackson State University (JSU), Tulane University, the Tulane National Primate Research Center, the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Tougaloo College, and Battelle Memorial Institute. […] Proposed NBAF Site Location [:] The proposed site is located in the Flora Industrial Park in Madison County, Mississippi. […] The portion under consideration for the NBAF currently has no tenants or physical structures and is approximately 150 acres.” (The Clarion Ledger; 20Jun08; DHS) http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080620/NEWS/80620050

 

Exercise prepares county for outbreak [Van Wert County, Ohio]

“The northwest region of Ohio, which is comprised of 18 counties, was involved in tabletop and functional exercises in preparation for an instance of pandemic flu. All 18 county health departments, emergency management agencies and almost all of the hospitals and in those counties participated. […] ‘This would be during a pandemic influenza, lets say if the bird flu would mutate - a type of flu that we do not have a vaccine for,’ said Hoffman of this year's focus. ‘We probably wouldn't have a vaccine for at least six months. It would be a very grand scale - a lot of death, a lot of illness. Any health care facility would breach their surge capacity.’ […] In such a situation, gravely ill patients or those needing emergency medical attention might be seen in the emergency department, but Hoffman said they could expect to wait six to eight hours.” (Times Bulletin; 21Jun08; Jill Dewert)

http://timesbulletin.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=147419&TM=5606.901

 

Here’s to your health! Open house at new facility [Pittsburgh County, Pennsylvania]

“It’s a year late, one contractor defaulted and another had to scramble to get the job finished, but the new Pittsburg County Health Department was the center of attention Friday as more than 200 people attended an open house. The 31,000 square foot structure, located across the street from the McAlester Regional Health Center on Strong Boulevard, is designed to offer a wide range of services. Dignitaries and just regular folks were given the grand tour during the event.” (McAlester News-Capital; 21Jun08; John Yates) http://www.mcalesternews.com/local/local_story_173153103.html

 

Mock Emergency Drill Tested Many Agencies' Response [Sebring, Florida]

“Wednesday's emergency preparedness drill at the Agri-Civic Center was only practice, but almost 200 volunteers and county employees acted like the mock exercise was real. […] Orange cards describing their roles were given to some volunteers who became belligerent or non-compliant, while others were unable to speak English, and some had special needs and many had mobility issues and trouble walking. […] The drill spilled over into the Emergency Operations Center, the county administration building and Florida Hospital Heartland Division campus in Sebring, Lake Placid and Wauchula. Several scenarios were created to give county workers a chance to put long-practiced plans into action. Terrorists were supposed to have planted anthrax poison at the local car race track in the water misting system used to cool race fans. Florida Hospital Heartland Division had an unbelievable string of bad luck: A fire broke out, a bomb was discovered, a tornado touched down, the flow of oxygen and gas was turned off and the morgue filled up during the exercise at the Sebring hospital.” (Red Orbit; 19Jun08; Bill Rettew Jr) http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1441595/mock_emergency_drill_tested_many_agencies_response/

 

Elk Grove man sentenced for toxic threats

“A former nuclear engineer and attorney who sent threatening letters containing fake poisons to local political officials and businesses was sentenced Friday to 51 months in federal prison. Michael Lee Braun, 53, of Elk Grove was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Edward Garcia, and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and $43,715 in reimbursement for law enforcement and hazardous material cleanup efforts. Braun sent letters that contained threats and a white powder, which he asserted was ‘poison’

and a ‘death powder’ and recipients feared might contain anthrax or some other weapon of mass destruction. Laboratory analysis showed it to be baking soda. He pleaded guilty to four counts on April 11.” (Sacramento Business Journal; 20Jun08; Mark Anderson) http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2008/06/16/daily71.html?jst=b_ln_hl

 

Staged protest at biolab site not much of a hit with police [Boston, Massachusetts]

“Maryann Colella, 21, and Leeanne McHugh, 22, were placed in a police vehicle at 609 Albany St., the site of the proposed biolab, after officers charged them with disturbing the peace and damage to property via graffiti. Police said they responded to a complaint about a small group of females throwing dummy bodies into the street. According to the report, one young woman at the scene, wearing white and red makeup on her face to simulate blood, lay on the sidewalk while a second female outlined her body in chalk. Meanwhile, police said, passing pedestrians and motorists slowed to rubberneck.”(Boston Globe; 22Jun08; Marc Larocque) http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/06/22/staged_protest_at_biolab_site_not_much_of_a_hit_with_police/

 

ECU professor receives federal grant for research

“An East Carolina University professor, in collaboration with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Springs, Md., has been awarded more than $400,000 by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense to study antibacterial activity. […] Due to their improved drug-like properties and increased stability, the peptides may be used to treat infections that are the result of bacterial, biological warfare agents – an area of research being examined by the WRAIR [Walter Reed Army Institute of Research].” (The Daily Reflector; 23Jun08) http://www.reflector.com/local/content/news/stories/2008/06/23/ecunotes.html

 

Academy grad's glow points way to award

“Myrtle Beach's Leah Baker, a 2008 graduate of the Academy of the Arts Science and Technology in Carolina Forest, won a national award for her Public Health DVD entry. The 18-year-old environmental science major simulated the theoretical spread of disease for her senior mastery project that recently earned a $2,500 award in the Labs Are Vital Scholarship contest promoted on Facebook. […] Early one morning before her classmates arrived, Baker dusted a door handle at the academy with some harmless fluorescent powder that glows under black light. A few hours later, she checked every student's hands to see how far the pseudo germ had traveled. ‘Based on the schoolwide experiment, if the disease were real, all of Horry County would be infected in 14 days,’ said Baker.” (Myrtle Beach Online; 22Jun08; Jan A. Igoe) http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/123/story/494972.html

 

Syria, North Korea helped Iran nuclear programme: report

“Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is having second thoughts about helping Iran with its controversial nuclear programme, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported Saturday, quoting unspecified intelligence reports. […] Der Spiegel, which did not elaborate on al-Assad's reported change of heart, also said Iran, Syria and North Korea had apparently been cooperating in the production of chemical weapons.  It cited an explosion near the Syrian city of Aleppo in July 2007, during which many were reported to have died when quantities of mustard gas and the nerve agent Sarin escaped. In addition to 15 Syrian military officials, dozens of Iranian ‘rocket scientists’ and three North Koreans were among those killed, the magazine said.” (The Earth Times; 21Jun08) http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/213997,syria-north-korea-helped-iran-nuclear-programme-report.html

 

State [Colorado] sets own deadline for mustard destruction

“Colorado officials told the Department of Defense this week to get rid of its mustard agent stockpile in Pueblo County by 2017, the same deadline set in recent legislation authored by some members of the state’s congressional delegation. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a compliance order on Wednesday requiring the Defense Department to destroy its entire stockpile at the Pueblo Chemical Depot by 2017, six years earlier than the current target date of 2023.” (The Pueblo Chieftan; 21Jun08; John Norton) http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/06/21/news/local/doc485cb7926a528215719979.txt

 

Chemicals Blamed for Gulf War Ills

“An academic report released in March cites chemicals in pesticides, weapons and drugs used to counter nerve gas as causes of a wide variety of ailments reported by Persian Gulf War veterans. ‘Enough studies have been conducted and the results shared to be able to say with considerable confidence that there is a link between chemical exposure [and the ailments],’ Dr. Beatrice Golomb told the (San Diego) Union-Tribune. Golomb, an associate professor at the University of California- San Diego, wrote the report, which was published March 10 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. She analyzed findings from more than two dozen studies of U.S., Australian and European Persian Gulf War vets exposed to chemicals such as the nerve agent sarin.” (Red Orbit; 19Jun08; Tim Dyhouse) http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1440444/chemicals_blamed_for_gulf_war_ills/

 

Are we ready? Simulated chemical attack tests response [Gaylord, Michigan]

“The voice from Otsego County 9-1-1 Central Dispatch came crackling through at 1000 hours with a message over the scanner beginning and ending with ‘THIS IS AN EXERCISE.’ The message, for emergency responders, was all part of a disaster drill informing them of a terrorist incident in which the nerve gas Sarin had been released during preparations for a concert at the Otsego County Fairgrounds. ‘THIS IS AN EXERCISE.’ With the dispatch delivered, emergency personnel from across the county sprang into action beginning a three-hour, full-scale exercise Monday morning to gauge emergency response plans and procedures in the face of a chemical terrorism threat.” (Gaylord Herald Times; 18Jun08; Michael Jones) http://www.gaylordheraldtimes.com/articles/2008/06/18/news/top_stories/doc48590511789aa161728186.txt

 

Hill AFB [Utah] conducting readiness exercises

“Hill Air Force Base will conduct readiness exercises today through Friday. Airmen of the 388th Fighter Wing, 419th Fighter Wing, 75th Air Base Wing and Ogden Air Logistics Center will participate in an Operational Readiness Exercise. It will test the base's ability to deploy quickly and operate in a chemical combat environment.” (Deseret News;23Jun08)

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700237208,00.html

 

Police squads in chemical boiler suits have raided a suspected crystal meth factory in Paddington.

“Originally cops thought the man was making a chemical weapon, or 'dirty bomb' - using the house as a bomb factory. José Eduardo Vieira, 29, will appear before Westminster Magistrates charged with producing a class A drug.” (The London Daily News; 20Jun08) http://www.thelondondailynews.com/police-raid-paddington-crystal-meth-factory-p-836.html

 

This is only a test: Are we prepared? [West Virginia]

“Mineral County was one of 25 counties that participated in this statewide emergency drill.~ Officials from the 911 Center, Emergency Operation Center, RACEY, CERT out of Piedmont ( a community emergency response team), Mineral County Sheriff, West Virginia State Police, Keyser Fire Department and EMS, Health Department, Department of Highways (DOH), the Medical Reserve Corps and Animal Control were on hand for two days to discuss and plan for this type of emergency.~ The Mineral County Board of Education and the National Guard were on hand for telephone communications. In this particular scenario Red Cross was unavailable. ‘This is our first time doing a statewide drill and I think everyone involved did pretty well,’ said Andrew Root, Mineral County Health Department R.S., administrator.” (Mineral Daily News-Tribune; 23Jun08; Elaine Blaisdell) http://www.newstribune.info/news/x1003971963/This-is-only-a-test-Are-we-prepared

 

Britain Sends Information on Suspect to the U.S.

“The government of Britain has turned over classified material to American military prosecutors at Guantánamo Bay about a British prisoner’s allegations that he was interrogated and tortured in Morocco after secretly being taken there by the C.I.A., according to the British Foreign Office. […] Binyam Mohamed, was charged by American military prosecutors last month with conspiracy and material support for terrorism, and the Foreign Office said in a letter to his lawyer that the evidence it gave to the Pentagon could be ‘exculpatory and relevant.’ […] In the charges filed against Mr.

Mohamed, prosecutors said that he underwent training at several camps run by Al Qaeda in Afghanistan in 2001, in preparation for terrorist attacks in the United States, including the detonation of a so-called dirty bomb.”

(The New York Times; 21Jun08; Raymond Bonner) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/21/world/europe/21gitmo.html

 

FBR, PNRA to jointly combat nuclear trafficking

“The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Un-derstanding (MoU) to promote cooperation against illicit trafficking of radioactive and nuclear materials. Member Customs, FBR, Mahmood Alam, and Member Executive, Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Shakil-ur-Rehman, singed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations. The MoU explains that the world today is facing a growing international threat of illicit trafficking of radioactive and nuclear materials, which present a grave hazard to national and international security.” (The News-International; 23Jun08; Mehtab Haider) http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=119932

 

Bush fails to appoint a nuclear terror czar

“Ten months after Congress passed a law establishing a White House coordinator for preventing nuclear terrorism, President Bush has no plans to create the high-level post any time soon, according to the National Security Council.” (Boston Globe; 22Jun08; Bryan Bender) http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/06/22/bush_fails_to_appoint_a_nuclear_terror_czar/

 

Security lacking at nuclear weapons sites in Europe: US report

“Most European air force bases that house US nuclear bombs are failing to meet security requirements to protect the weapons, according to an internal US Air Force investigation. The air bases often fall short of US Defense Department (DOD) standards, with fencing, lighting and buildings in need of repair and security guards lacking sufficient training and experience, said the document, obtained by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). The 30-member air force team looking at the safety of nuclear weapons said that ‘inconsistencies in personnel, facilities, and equipment provided to the security mission by the host nation were evident as the team traveled from site to site’ in Europe. ‘A consistently noted theme throughout the visits was that most sites require significant additional resources to meet DOD security requirements,’ said the report, titled ‘Air Force Blue Ribbon Review of Nuclear Weapons Policies and Procedures.’ At some bases, military conscripts with less than a year of active duty experience were assigned the task of guarding the weapons against theft, the report said.” (Agence France Presse; 21Jun08) http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ilTADjyg56JIknjap6wfjSEdHNTQ

 

Britain re-investigating umbrella killing

“British police are taking a new look at one of their most notorious Cold War cases -- the 1978 killing of a Bulgarian dissident with a poisoned umbrella. A group of senior detectives from the Metropolitan Police flew to Bulgaria last month to interview witnesses and examine documents in archives, The Independent reported. Dnevnik, a Bulgarian newspaper, reported that one of those they sought to interview was Vladimir Todorov, a former head of the Secret Police.” (United Press International; 20Jun08) http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/06/20/Britain_re-investigating_umbrella_killing/UPI-55311213992113/

 

OPCW Director-General Addresses Seminar on Middle East Security and WMD Non-Proliferation/Disarmament

“The OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, visited Paris, France on 19 June 2008 to address a seminar organised by the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) entitled ‘Middle East Security and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Non-Proliferation/Disarmament.’ Addressing the issue of ‘Confidence Building Measures (CBMs): Benefiting from Previous Experiences,’ […] he stressed that prompt accession to the Convention would contribute to the goal of establishing a WMD-free zone in the Middle East and add a strong building block to the edifice of regional peace and mutual security.” (OPCW News; 20Jun08; Johan de Wittlaan)

http://www.opcw.org/pressreleases/2008/News13_2008.html

 

CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.

By Gerry J. Gilmore

American Forces Press Service

 

June 22, 2008 - After successful efforts to restore order in the Sadr City section of Baghdad, as well as Basra and Mosul, Iraqi security forces now are focused on conducting anti-insurgent operations in the southeastern city of Amarah, a senior U.S. military officer said in Baghdad today. Navy Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll told reports during a Baghdad news conference that Iraq's soldiers and police are doing "their job to make sure the citizens of this country are no longer intimidated by terrorists and extremist militias and their work is being followed by other areas of government."

 

On June 18, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki launched a crack down on illegal militias and criminal weapons smuggling networks that operate in Amarah, the capital of Maysan province that's located near the border with Iran. The militias are loyal to anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

 

Meanwhile, Driscoll said U.S. and coalition forces also are involved in security operations, while concurrently assisting the Iraqi government as it works to restore essential services, reconstruct businesses and homes, and create jobs and opportunities for Iraqi citizens.

 

"This has happened as security operations have progressed in Basra, Baghdad and Mosul," Driscoll pointed out. "It is part of the plan for operations in Amarah."

 

Operation Bashaer as-Salaam is an Iraqi-led, planned and executed security operation conducted in Amarah to enforce the rule of law, reduce criminal safe havens and disrupt weapons-smuggling networks.

 

Current operations in Amarah are proceeding well, Driscoll said.

 

"So far in Amarah, there has been little resistance to the restoration of the rule of law," Driscoll reported. "Weapons have been turned in and calm is prevailing."

 

The operations in Amarah demonstrate the Iraqi government's resolve and commitment to extend security to citizens living across the country, the admiral pointed out.

 

"The people of Maysan (province) need to have the same opportunity to live free of fear as the people of Anbar and the people of Basra," Driscoll said. Anbar province in western Iraq once was a hotbed of insurgent activity, until its citizens united to throw out al-Qaida operatives.

 

Regarding the situation in Amarah before Iraqi forces moved in, Driscoll observed that "no place can be a haven for weapons smuggling, just as no neighborhood can be left to militias that will impose their own codes."

 

The government of Iraq "is on the offensive to secure all areas of Iraq," Driscoll said. Operations in Amarah, he said, demonstrate the Iraqi army's improving capabilities.

 

The Iraqi army still requires some assistance from coalition forces, Driscoll acknowledged. Nonetheless, he said, Iraqi military leaders are now demonstrating the ability to professionally lead, plan and execute military operations.

 

Iraq's military leaders "can maneuver troops to where they are needed," Driscoll said, noting that the presence of those troops "is inspiring greater confidence from the people."

 

As security takes hold across Iraq, then hope and opportunity for it citizens increases, Driscoll observed.

 

"We will continue to work with our Iraqi counterparts create the security conditions that will allow hope and opportunity to become the norm," Driscoll said.

American Forces Press Service

 

June 20, 2008 - Coalition and Iraq security forces killed four enemy fighters and detained dozens more during several operations over the past few days, military officials said. Coalition forces killed four terrorists and detained 18 suspected terrorists yesterday and today during operations around Baghdad targeting al-Qaida in Iraq bombing networks.

 

Coalition forces conducted a series of operations near Balad, targeting the financier behind a bombing network in the Tigris River Valley. At one location today, coalition forces came under attack by small-arms fire from a nearby rooftop. They returned fire and killed four armed men. At other locations yesterday and today, coalition forces detained 16 additional suspected terrorists.

 

Coalition forces captured a suspected key leader in the al-Qaida in Iraq media network. Another operation netted a man believed to conspire directly with an al-Qaida in Iraq leader in Baghdad who oversees the terrorist network in the city.

 

In Mosul, coalition forces detained 12 people today, including two wanted men believed to oversee criminal attacks for the al-Qaida in Iraq network, officials said. About 130 kilometers southwest of Mosul, coalition forces found and destroyed three terrorist hideouts and a cache of weapons used by foreign terrorist facilitators near Biaj.

 

In operations yesterday:

 

-- Iraqi special operations forces captured four suspected cell members for the Islamic State of Iraq, a front organization for al-Qaida in Iraq, in eastern Mosul. Officials say the cell reportedly is responsible for homemade-bomb and mortar attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.

 

-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers operating in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad detained a man suspected of attacks against coalition soldiers and Iraqi security forces. They also located a cache containing bomb-making materials. They also seized grenades, various sized rounds, and artillery fuses in and around Baghdad.

 

-- Iraqi security forces, with advice from coalition forces, started clearing operations in Amarah following a four-day amnesty period for weapons turn-in. During the amnesty period, artillery rounds and a machine gun were turned in to Iraqi security forces, and a militia headquarters was seized after the discovery of a large weapons cache containing hundreds of mines, mortar rounds, rocket-propelled grenades, and four homemade rocket launchers.

 

–- Eight weapons caches were found in Baghdad's Sadr City district.

 

In operations June 18:

 

-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained two men possessing a roadside bomb designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles, fuses, anti-tank mines, rocket-propelled grenades, a 60 mm mortar, and a pair of two-way radios in the Aamel neighborhood.

 

-- After responding to a tip, soldiers arrested two triggermen waiting to detonate a roadside bomb in the Zubaida area.

 

-- In the Hadar community, soldiers detained a man suspected of numerous roadside-bomb attacks, weapons trafficking, and the murder of innocent Iraqis. They also uncovered a rocket-propelled grenade round with launcher, hand grenades, and about 650 7.62 mm rounds while conducting a combined patrol in the Bayaa neighborhood.

 

-- Iraqi national police saved a kidnapped child while patrolling the New Baghdad security district of eastern Baghdad. The soldiers investigated the source of the child's screams and found the boy, who claimed he had been kidnapped. Two men were detained for the kidnapping. In the first suspected kidnapper's house, police found and seized a weapons cache consisting of armor-piercing roadside bombs, RPG launchers, an anti-tank mine, various rifles, a pistol, rounds of various sizes, C-4 explosives, and TNT with blasting caps.

 

-- Iraqi security forces and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers seized various munitions throughout Baghdad.

 

-- Iraqi national police found various ammunition rounds, blasting caps and several belts of RPK ammo in Baghdad's West Rashid district. In another operation, soldiers found rockets, mortars, armor-piercing roadside bombs, an AK-47, anti-personnel RPGs, three rockets, an RPG propellant, bomb-making materials, anti-tank mines and radios.

 

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)