From a U.S. Forces Iraq News Release
May 5, 2010 - Iraqi security forces arrested eight terrorism suspects in operations today and yesterday, military officials reported.
In a combined operation with U.S. advisors northeast of Baghdad today, Iraqi forces arrested five suspected al-Qaida in Iraq criminal associates.
The Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched several buildings for a suspect in roadside-bomb attacks and arrested the five associates based on information and evidence gathered at the scene.
In Mosul yesterday, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors arrested a suspected high-level al-Qaida in Iraq leader who allegedly is involved in bribery and extortion of judicial officials in northern Iraq, along with two suspected associates.
The suspected al-Qaida in Iraq leader allegedly has contact with other high-level terrorist members, and is the leader of Islamic State of Iraq terrorist group's efforts to bribe judicial officials and facilitate the release of accused terrorists from detention facilities, officials said.
Showing posts with label criminal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label criminal. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Monday, December 29, 2008
Training Opens Doors for Former 'Sons of Iraq'
By Army Sgt. David Hodge
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 29, 2008 - Instructors from the Jihad Civil Services Department are teaching job skills to former "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members in southern Baghdad's Rashid district. About 400 students attend the six-month vocational school, said Wissam al-Kinani, CSD principal, adding that about 100 of the students are former Sons of Iraq members.
"If this project didn't exist, the students would have a
choice -- to be criminal or constructive citizens," Kinani said. "We give them the opportunity to become constructive citizens, to learn something, a profession, so they can go out in the Jihad community and be somebody."
With an improved economy in the northwest Rashid area -- due to an increase in open shops and home construction -- the job outlook is "looking good for the CSD graduates," said Army 1st Lt. Matthew Wilden of the 4th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team.
"I can't speak for all of Baghdad, but this area has
improved a lot since we got here," Wilden said. "They will at least come out with some good skills and be able to find a job."
The goal, Wilden said, is eventually to place all Sons of Iraq members into a Civil services department or in the Iraqi security forces.
The Iraqi security forces and CSD have opened their doors to most of Rashid's 7,500 Sons of Iraq members as they transition under the care of the Iraqi government, officials said.
As the former security personnel get other jobs, the Sons of Iraq program should fade away, Wilden said. As the security situation continues improving, the citizen security groups will not really be needed, he explained, so job training will allow former Sons of Iraq to remain productive members of society.
The Jihad CSD offers 11 training areas, including commercial driving, electrical engineering and basic medicine.
Saad Shekher Mishjen, a former Sons of Iraq member who attends the commercial driving course at the CSD, said he never imagined the studies would be so in-depth.
"When I came here, the project and the classes went beyond
my expectations. I never imagined it would be like this," said Mishjen, who said he hopes to find work with the Iraqi government after his training.
Oday Hashim Wahib, a medical student at the CSD, is a former Sons of Iraq member with a degree in biology from Baghdad University. Wahib said he considered pursuing a career in the Iraqi security forces, but believes he made the right choice by attending the CSD.
"At the school, we are studying," he said. "We get useful information."
Kinani said he hopes the students use the education to improve their outlook on life.
"I am a business owner," he said. "I could generate more money doing my business, but because I believe in this project, because I believe in my people, I want them to change their lives. That is why I and the teachers are here. We believe these people will be good members of society."
(Army Sgt. David Hodge serves in the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 29, 2008 - Instructors from the Jihad Civil Services Department are teaching job skills to former "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members in southern Baghdad's Rashid district. About 400 students attend the six-month vocational school, said Wissam al-Kinani, CSD principal, adding that about 100 of the students are former Sons of Iraq members.
"If this project didn't exist, the students would have a
choice -- to be criminal or constructive citizens," Kinani said. "We give them the opportunity to become constructive citizens, to learn something, a profession, so they can go out in the Jihad community and be somebody."
With an improved economy in the northwest Rashid area -- due to an increase in open shops and home construction -- the job outlook is "looking good for the CSD graduates," said Army 1st Lt. Matthew Wilden of the 4th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team.
"I can't speak for all of Baghdad, but this area has
improved a lot since we got here," Wilden said. "They will at least come out with some good skills and be able to find a job."
The goal, Wilden said, is eventually to place all Sons of Iraq members into a Civil services department or in the Iraqi security forces.
The Iraqi security forces and CSD have opened their doors to most of Rashid's 7,500 Sons of Iraq members as they transition under the care of the Iraqi government, officials said.
As the former security personnel get other jobs, the Sons of Iraq program should fade away, Wilden said. As the security situation continues improving, the citizen security groups will not really be needed, he explained, so job training will allow former Sons of Iraq to remain productive members of society.
The Jihad CSD offers 11 training areas, including commercial driving, electrical engineering and basic medicine.
Saad Shekher Mishjen, a former Sons of Iraq member who attends the commercial driving course at the CSD, said he never imagined the studies would be so in-depth.
"When I came here, the project and the classes went beyond
my expectations. I never imagined it would be like this," said Mishjen, who said he hopes to find work with the Iraqi government after his training.
Oday Hashim Wahib, a medical student at the CSD, is a former Sons of Iraq member with a degree in biology from Baghdad University. Wahib said he considered pursuing a career in the Iraqi security forces, but believes he made the right choice by attending the CSD.
"At the school, we are studying," he said. "We get useful information."
Kinani said he hopes the students use the education to improve their outlook on life.
"I am a business owner," he said. "I could generate more money doing my business, but because I believe in this project, because I believe in my people, I want them to change their lives. That is why I and the teachers are here. We believe these people will be good members of society."
(Army Sgt. David Hodge serves in the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team public affairs office.)
Coalition Forces Kill Taliban Fighters in Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service
ec. 29, 2008 - Coalition forces killed two armed Taliban militants while targeting the network's kidnapping and roadside-bombing operations in Afghanistan's Ghazni province yesterday, military officials reported. In the province's Gailan district, coalition forces targeted a Taliban militant known to coordinate and carry out the kidnappings of Afghan officials and westerners to finance their criminal activities. The targeted Taliban militant also is believed to facilitate and direct roadside bombings along Highway One in Ghazni and Zabul provinces, deliberately killing and injuring innocent civilians and coalition forces, officials said.
After coalition forces called for everyone inside to leave the targeted building peacefully, the two militants engaged the force with small-arms fire. The coalition forces killed them using hand grenades.
A search following the operation revealed multiple AK-47 assault rifles.
(From a U.S. Forces Afghanistan news release.)
ec. 29, 2008 - Coalition forces killed two armed Taliban militants while targeting the network's kidnapping and roadside-bombing operations in Afghanistan's Ghazni province yesterday, military officials reported. In the province's Gailan district, coalition forces targeted a Taliban militant known to coordinate and carry out the kidnappings of Afghan officials and westerners to finance their criminal activities. The targeted Taliban militant also is believed to facilitate and direct roadside bombings along Highway One in Ghazni and Zabul provinces, deliberately killing and injuring innocent civilians and coalition forces, officials said.
After coalition forces called for everyone inside to leave the targeted building peacefully, the two militants engaged the force with small-arms fire. The coalition forces killed them using hand grenades.
A search following the operation revealed multiple AK-47 assault rifles.
(From a U.S. Forces Afghanistan news release.)
Friday, December 26, 2008
U.S., Iraqi Forces Seize Rocket-Delivery System in Baghdad Raid
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 26, 2008 - American and Iraqi security forces found and seized a rocket-rail system during a combined operation conducted in Baghdad's Rashid district Dec. 25. U.S. 4th Infantry Division soldiers and Iraqi police discovered the rocket-delivery system while performing a security sweep in the district's Abu T'shir community, a U.S. military official said.
"Combined operations account for many significant finds in the Rashid district," said Army Maj. Dave Olson, a spokesman for the division's 1st Brigade Combat Team. "The 1st 'Raider' Brigade continues to teach, coach and mentor the ISF as they provide a safe and secure environment for the people."
In Dec. 22 operations:
· Iraqi soldiers arrested two suspected terrorists in Baghdad. One of the detainees is a former major general who'd served in Saddam Hussein's regime. He is linked to the financing of several terrorist and criminal groups.
· An Iraqi Special Weapons and Tactics team arrested three alleged terrorists during an operation in Hit.
In other news, an Iraqi Special Weapons and Tactics team from Mosul arrested a suspected terrorist during an operation conducted in Hay Hathel Village Dec. 21. The detainee is accused of making improvised explosive devices and facilitating their placement in and around Mosul.
Iraqi Special Operations soldiers captured two men in Salman Pak Dec. 20. These men allegedly facilitated the movement of weapons into Abu Ghraib and were involved in house bombings in the area. During another operation conducted in Hashimiya that day, an Iraqi Special Weapons and Tactics team from Hillah arrested three suspected criminals.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Dec. 26, 2008 - American and Iraqi security forces found and seized a rocket-rail system during a combined operation conducted in Baghdad's Rashid district Dec. 25. U.S. 4th Infantry Division soldiers and Iraqi police discovered the rocket-delivery system while performing a security sweep in the district's Abu T'shir community, a U.S. military official said.
"Combined operations account for many significant finds in the Rashid district," said Army Maj. Dave Olson, a spokesman for the division's 1st Brigade Combat Team. "The 1st 'Raider' Brigade continues to teach, coach and mentor the ISF as they provide a safe and secure environment for the people."
In Dec. 22 operations:
· Iraqi soldiers arrested two suspected terrorists in Baghdad. One of the detainees is a former major general who'd served in Saddam Hussein's regime. He is linked to the financing of several terrorist and criminal groups.
· An Iraqi Special Weapons and Tactics team arrested three alleged terrorists during an operation in Hit.
In other news, an Iraqi Special Weapons and Tactics team from Mosul arrested a suspected terrorist during an operation conducted in Hay Hathel Village Dec. 21. The detainee is accused of making improvised explosive devices and facilitating their placement in and around Mosul.
Iraqi Special Operations soldiers captured two men in Salman Pak Dec. 20. These men allegedly facilitated the movement of weapons into Abu Ghraib and were involved in house bombings in the area. During another operation conducted in Hashimiya that day, an Iraqi Special Weapons and Tactics team from Hillah arrested three suspected criminals.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Afghan Commandos, Coalition Nab Insurgent Commander
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 24, 2008 - Afghan army commandos and coalition forces yesterday captured a suspected insurgent commander believed to be responsible for a deadly bombing in Afghanistan's Baghlan province, military officials reported today. The combined forces nabbed Mullah Dahoud during an early morning raid on a compound in Pol-e-Kohmri, outside of Kabul, reported to be Dahoud's home and a transit point for insurgent fighters.
Dahoud and his insurgent fighters are believed to be responsible for an attack on the Baghlan district headquarters in October that killed Afghan officials and civilians, and for the Fobrica sugar factory bombing in 2007 that killed more than 50 civilians.
"The Afghan commandos captured this murderer," Afghan Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, chief spokesman for the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense, said. "The innocent people affected by this criminal net can now have justice."
Elsewhere, coalition forces killed four armed militants while targeting a suspected Taliban subcommander in the Shinkai district in southern Zabul province, northeast of Kandahar, officials said.
While attempting to capture the subcommander, militants from inside the building fired on coalition forces. Forces responded with hand grenades, killing the militants.
A search yielded a machine gun, multiple assault rifles, blasting caps and wires used to make roadside bombs, and bandoliers full of ammunition. Forces later destroyed the items.
The subcommander is believed to be in contact with several local senior Taliban commanders, and in control of more than 30 fighters in the region. The militants reportedly coordinated roadside bombings and other attacks against civilians, government officials and coalition forces.
(Compiled from U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.)
Dec. 24, 2008 - Afghan army commandos and coalition forces yesterday captured a suspected insurgent commander believed to be responsible for a deadly bombing in Afghanistan's Baghlan province, military officials reported today. The combined forces nabbed Mullah Dahoud during an early morning raid on a compound in Pol-e-Kohmri, outside of Kabul, reported to be Dahoud's home and a transit point for insurgent fighters.
Dahoud and his insurgent fighters are believed to be responsible for an attack on the Baghlan district headquarters in October that killed Afghan officials and civilians, and for the Fobrica sugar factory bombing in 2007 that killed more than 50 civilians.
"The Afghan commandos captured this murderer," Afghan Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, chief spokesman for the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense, said. "The innocent people affected by this criminal net can now have justice."
Elsewhere, coalition forces killed four armed militants while targeting a suspected Taliban subcommander in the Shinkai district in southern Zabul province, northeast of Kandahar, officials said.
While attempting to capture the subcommander, militants from inside the building fired on coalition forces. Forces responded with hand grenades, killing the militants.
A search yielded a machine gun, multiple assault rifles, blasting caps and wires used to make roadside bombs, and bandoliers full of ammunition. Forces later destroyed the items.
The subcommander is believed to be in contact with several local senior Taliban commanders, and in control of more than 30 fighters in the region. The militants reportedly coordinated roadside bombings and other attacks against civilians, government officials and coalition forces.
(Compiled from U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.)
U.S., Iraqi Soldiers Seize Criminal, Weapons
American Forces Press Service
, Dec. 24, 2008 - Iraqi and U.S. soldiers apprehended suspected criminal and seized weapons caches in operations in Iraq yesterday, military officials reported. The soldiers nabbed five suspected criminal with outstanding warrants during a combined operation in Baghdad's Rashid district. They also seized 153 AK-47 assault rifles, two submachine guns, two rifles and two pistols in the Saydiyah community.
In other operations:
-- Iraqi and U.S. soldiers seized and destroyed a weapons cache north of Baghdad that included 99 37 mm high-explosive projectiles, 400 empty rocket tubes and two 155 mm illumination rounds.
-- A local resident's tip led U.S. soldiers to a cache west of Baghdad consisting of five 82 mm mortars, a mortar tube and a tripod.
-- Iraqi soldiers seized two rocket-propelled grenades in northwestern Baghdad's Ameriyah district. They gave the weapons to U.S. soldiers for disposal.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
, Dec. 24, 2008 - Iraqi and U.S. soldiers apprehended suspected criminal and seized weapons caches in operations in Iraq yesterday, military officials reported. The soldiers nabbed five suspected criminal with outstanding warrants during a combined operation in Baghdad's Rashid district. They also seized 153 AK-47 assault rifles, two submachine guns, two rifles and two pistols in the Saydiyah community.
In other operations:
-- Iraqi and U.S. soldiers seized and destroyed a weapons cache north of Baghdad that included 99 37 mm high-explosive projectiles, 400 empty rocket tubes and two 155 mm illumination rounds.
-- A local resident's tip led U.S. soldiers to a cache west of Baghdad consisting of five 82 mm mortars, a mortar tube and a tripod.
-- Iraqi soldiers seized two rocket-propelled grenades in northwestern Baghdad's Ameriyah district. They gave the weapons to U.S. soldiers for disposal.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Monday, December 22, 2008
Iraqi, Coalition Forces Detain Six Terrorist Suspects
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 22, 2008 - Coalition and Iraqi security forces detained six terrorist suspects in operations in recent days, military officials said. Iraqi forces working with coalition troops detained a suspected terrorist Dec. 20 in southern Baghdad's Rashid district. The man was wanted for bomb attacks in the area.
Iraqi national police and the "Sons of Iraq" civilian security group worked with soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, in capturing the suspect. They also found a rocket-propelled grenade with wires attached as a makeshift bomb in the Aamel community. The Iraqis transported the munitions to a nearby Iraqi forward operating base for disposal.
Also in Baghdad on Dec. 20, Iraqi police and soldiers with the U.S. 1st Infantry Division's 10th Cavalry Regiment detained a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq cell leader in the Ameriyah district of northwestern Baghdad. The man is suspected of building homemade bombs at a car shop in Yarmouk.
On Dec. 19, Iraqi security forces captured three suspected terrorists in central Iraq in two operations.
Iraqi special operations forces detained two suspected criminal in Baghdad. One of the detainees is suspected in explosives attacks and extortion in Mustansirya.
In a separate operation, emergency response brigade soldiers captured a suspected terrorist in Baghdad. The man is believed to be the leader of a new terrorist group operating in Baghdad and has a high level of influence and ties to a terrorist organization.
Also on Dec. 19, coalition forces apprehended an Iraqi citizen suspected to be an Iranian intelligence agent and an alleged associate during an operation in Qastin, just north of Baghdad.
Acting on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted the man, who allegedly is a commander of Iranian special operations in Iraq. The suspect also is believed to be involved in the training of Iraqi militants at Islamic Republican Guard Corps Quds Force training camps.
In Qastin, coalition forces approached the residence of the wanted man, who identified himself to forces and was apprehended without incident. The suspected criminal then led forces to the location of an associate at a nearby residence. The associate was apprehended without incident.
Iran's Quds Force is believed to provide direct support to multiple extremist groups in Iraq, and to be responsible for weapons being smuggled into Iraq from Iran.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Dec. 22, 2008 - Coalition and Iraqi security forces detained six terrorist suspects in operations in recent days, military officials said. Iraqi forces working with coalition troops detained a suspected terrorist Dec. 20 in southern Baghdad's Rashid district. The man was wanted for bomb attacks in the area.
Iraqi national police and the "Sons of Iraq" civilian security group worked with soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, in capturing the suspect. They also found a rocket-propelled grenade with wires attached as a makeshift bomb in the Aamel community. The Iraqis transported the munitions to a nearby Iraqi forward operating base for disposal.
Also in Baghdad on Dec. 20, Iraqi police and soldiers with the U.S. 1st Infantry Division's 10th Cavalry Regiment detained a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq cell leader in the Ameriyah district of northwestern Baghdad. The man is suspected of building homemade bombs at a car shop in Yarmouk.
On Dec. 19, Iraqi security forces captured three suspected terrorists in central Iraq in two operations.
Iraqi special operations forces detained two suspected criminal in Baghdad. One of the detainees is suspected in explosives attacks and extortion in Mustansirya.
In a separate operation, emergency response brigade soldiers captured a suspected terrorist in Baghdad. The man is believed to be the leader of a new terrorist group operating in Baghdad and has a high level of influence and ties to a terrorist organization.
Also on Dec. 19, coalition forces apprehended an Iraqi citizen suspected to be an Iranian intelligence agent and an alleged associate during an operation in Qastin, just north of Baghdad.
Acting on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted the man, who allegedly is a commander of Iranian special operations in Iraq. The suspect also is believed to be involved in the training of Iraqi militants at Islamic Republican Guard Corps Quds Force training camps.
In Qastin, coalition forces approached the residence of the wanted man, who identified himself to forces and was apprehended without incident. The suspected criminal then led forces to the location of an associate at a nearby residence. The associate was apprehended without incident.
Iran's Quds Force is believed to provide direct support to multiple extremist groups in Iraq, and to be responsible for weapons being smuggled into Iraq from Iran.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Coalition Forces Kill Terrorist, Detain 25 in Iraq Operations
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 21, 2008 - Coalition forces continued to degrade al-Qaida in Iraq networks yesterday and today, killing one terrorist and detaining 25 other suspects during operations throughout the country, military officials reported. Coalition forces killed a terrorist yesterday in Qayyarah, south of Mosul, during an operation targeting an alleged al-Qaida weapons facilitator. Reporting led forces to a residence in the city identified as the location of the wanted man. As coalition forces entered the building, a man inside reached for an AK-47 rifle and attempted to engage them. Perceiving hostile intent, forces engaged and killed the man, later identified as the wanted terrorist. Another suspect believed to be an associate of the wanted man was detained without further incident.
An alleged al-Qaida financier was captured yesterday in Tikrit, north of Baghdad. The wanted man also is reportedly associated with al-Qaida in Iraq's terrorist court system. One additional suspect was detained during the operation.
Coalition forces took aim at al-Qaida's central Iraq networks during an operation late yesterday near Abu Ghraib. There, forces detained five suspects believed to be associates of an alleged suicide bomber and administrative facilitator in the region.
Also yesterday, forces detained one man believed to be associated with Samarra al-Qaida leaders during an operation near Kifri, southeast of Kirkuk.
Forces continued targeting Samarra al-Qaida leaders early today in the Jalam Desert, north of Baghdad. That operation netted three suspects.
Two suspects believed to be associated with a regional al-Qaida leader were detained by coalition forces today in Tarmiyah, north of Baghdad.
Also today in Tarmiyah, forces detained three suspects believed to be associates of a wanted al-Qaida financier.
Coalition and Iraqi forces dealt another blow to al-Qaida's bombing networks in Salahuddin today. The combined force captured an alleged improvised explosive device and suicide bomber facilitator near Hawijah, southwest of Kirkuk. Three suspects believed to be the wanted man's associates also were detained.
Al-Qaida bombing networks in Mosul were also degraded today. There, forces detained four suspects during an operation targeting an alleged IED facilitator.
In other operations yesterday:
-- Coalition forces arrested an alleged Kataib Hezbollah special operations cell leader and detained two other suspects during an operation in Baghdad's Adhamiyah district. Acting with a warrant issued in accordance with Iraqi law, coalition forces targeted the alleged cell leader, believed to be responsible for the July improvised rocket-assisted mortar attack in Adhamiyah. Coalition forces approached the suspected terrorist's residence in Adhamiyah and arrested the wanted man without incident. Forces also detained two of his associates, who are suspected of being Kataib Hezbollah terrorists.
-- Acting on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted an alleged finance manager for several terrorist network cells in Baghdad's Adhamiyah district. Coalition forces approached a residence believed to be the location of the wanted man, where he was apprehended without incident, along with two associates.
-- In a separate operation conducted in Adhamiyah, forces targeted an individual believed to be involved in nefarious activities with leadership from two criminal networks, including special groups. Forces approached the suspect's residence in Adhamiyah and apprehended the suspected terrorist and two associates without incident.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained four suspected "special groups" criminals in Baghdad's Rashid district. Soldiers from Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conducted a combined patrol with Iraqi national Police officers from the 1st Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, and detained four individuals after receiving a tip from an Iraqi citizen. The individuals are suspected of murder and roadside bomb attacks.
-- Iraqi security forces, alongside Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers, seized weapons and munitions in the Ghazaliyah and Ameriya districts of northwest Baghdad. During combined combat operations, Iraqi security forces serving with the 4th Battalion, 54th Brigade, and 2nd Battalion, 22nd Brigade, both of the 6th Iraqi Army Division, supported by the 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, operationally attached to the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, the 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, and the 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, both of the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, seized a total of five separate caches of various sizes. The largest cache consisted of 15 various sized mortar rounds, 12 AK-47 assault rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade warhead
In operations Dec. 19:
-- Iraqi security forces arrested two suspected criminals during combat operations in southern Baghdad's Rashid district. Iraqi Army soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 53rd Brigade, 14th Iraqi Army Division, arrested a suspected criminal in accordance with an outstanding warrant. Police officers from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, served a warrant for the arrest of a suspected criminal in the Furat community.
-- Soldiers serving with 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, seized six AK-47s, a pistol, and a box containing an undetermined amount of ammunition in Baghdad's Ghazaliyah neighborhood.
-- Soldiers serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armor Division, found eight 57 mm projectiles south of Baghdad. An explosives ordnance disposal team responded to the area and destroyed the munitions.
-- Acting on a tip from a concerned citizen, soldiers serving with Company C, 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, discovered a cache north of Baghdad containing eight 125 mm mortars, two 42 mm mortars and five 40 mm high explosive anti-tank rounds. The seized munitions were later destroyed by an EOD team.
-- Soldiers serving with 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armor Division, uncovered two buried caches south of Baghdad. The munitions seized included two 100-pound propane tanks, an 80-pound propane tank, a 100-kilogram bomb, a 2.75-inch Flechette rocket, two 125 mm rounds, two mortars and 150 pounds of homemade explosives.
-- Soldiers serving with 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regt., 2nd
Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, found a cache containing a base plate and an anti-aircraft barrel, 570 rounds linked and 1,500 rounds unlinked of .50-caliber ammunition north of Baghdad.
-- Iraqi national Police serving with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st National Police Division, seized five automatic timer mines, two pounds of unknown bulk explosive material, 15 57 mm projectiles, a rifle and eight project boxes used in IEDs near the joint security station Tuwaitha south of Baghdad.
-- Iraqi Police officers from 1st Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, patrolling with soldiers from Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, responded to a tip and detained a suspected criminal in the Abu T'shir community of Baghdad's Rashid district.
In operations Dec. 18:
-- National Police officers from 1st Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, conducting a combined patrol with soldiers from Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, found an RPG round in an Abu T'shir neighborhood of Baghdad's Rashid district.
-- Police officers from 2nd Battalion, 7th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, working with soldiers from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, discovered an emplaced roadside bomb consisting of one anti-tank mine and a propane tank in the Masafee community. An Iraqi EOD team dismantled the bomb.
-- Police officers from 2nd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, working with soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, responded to a tip and detained a suspected criminal in the Aamel community.
-- Soldiers serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armor Division, discovered a cache containing eight propane tanks wrapped in detonation cord.
-- Soldiers serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, discovered a large cache north of Baghdad. The cache included 28 82 mm mortars, seven grenades of various sizes, a 60 mm mortar, an 82 mm mortar tube and stand, 14 high-explosive rockets of various sizes, two 57 mm projectiles, 19 39.5 mm mortar fuses, 2,640 rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition, 20 sticks of TNT, 20 pounds of PE-4 explosive material and various bomb-making materials.
-- Iraqi Army soldiers serving with 4th Battalion, 54th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, and Iraqi Police from Ameriya found a weapons cache. The munitions seized included a 155 mm projectile, three rocket-propelled grenades, 20 blasting caps, six sticks of C-4 explosive, an RPG motor, 100 meters of detonation cord, and a V25 rocket fuse.
-- A suspected terrorist was apprehended and detained by soldiers from1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, in Khan Bani Sab. The individual detained is suspected to be involved in weapons trafficking, indirect fire attacks, and other acts of terrorism.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)
Dec. 21, 2008 - Coalition forces continued to degrade al-Qaida in Iraq networks yesterday and today, killing one terrorist and detaining 25 other suspects during operations throughout the country, military officials reported. Coalition forces killed a terrorist yesterday in Qayyarah, south of Mosul, during an operation targeting an alleged al-Qaida weapons facilitator. Reporting led forces to a residence in the city identified as the location of the wanted man. As coalition forces entered the building, a man inside reached for an AK-47 rifle and attempted to engage them. Perceiving hostile intent, forces engaged and killed the man, later identified as the wanted terrorist. Another suspect believed to be an associate of the wanted man was detained without further incident.
An alleged al-Qaida financier was captured yesterday in Tikrit, north of Baghdad. The wanted man also is reportedly associated with al-Qaida in Iraq's terrorist court system. One additional suspect was detained during the operation.
Coalition forces took aim at al-Qaida's central Iraq networks during an operation late yesterday near Abu Ghraib. There, forces detained five suspects believed to be associates of an alleged suicide bomber and administrative facilitator in the region.
Also yesterday, forces detained one man believed to be associated with Samarra al-Qaida leaders during an operation near Kifri, southeast of Kirkuk.
Forces continued targeting Samarra al-Qaida leaders early today in the Jalam Desert, north of Baghdad. That operation netted three suspects.
Two suspects believed to be associated with a regional al-Qaida leader were detained by coalition forces today in Tarmiyah, north of Baghdad.
Also today in Tarmiyah, forces detained three suspects believed to be associates of a wanted al-Qaida financier.
Coalition and Iraqi forces dealt another blow to al-Qaida's bombing networks in Salahuddin today. The combined force captured an alleged improvised explosive device and suicide bomber facilitator near Hawijah, southwest of Kirkuk. Three suspects believed to be the wanted man's associates also were detained.
Al-Qaida bombing networks in Mosul were also degraded today. There, forces detained four suspects during an operation targeting an alleged IED facilitator.
In other operations yesterday:
-- Coalition forces arrested an alleged Kataib Hezbollah special operations cell leader and detained two other suspects during an operation in Baghdad's Adhamiyah district. Acting with a warrant issued in accordance with Iraqi law, coalition forces targeted the alleged cell leader, believed to be responsible for the July improvised rocket-assisted mortar attack in Adhamiyah. Coalition forces approached the suspected terrorist's residence in Adhamiyah and arrested the wanted man without incident. Forces also detained two of his associates, who are suspected of being Kataib Hezbollah terrorists.
-- Acting on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted an alleged finance manager for several terrorist network cells in Baghdad's Adhamiyah district. Coalition forces approached a residence believed to be the location of the wanted man, where he was apprehended without incident, along with two associates.
-- In a separate operation conducted in Adhamiyah, forces targeted an individual believed to be involved in nefarious activities with leadership from two criminal networks, including special groups. Forces approached the suspect's residence in Adhamiyah and apprehended the suspected terrorist and two associates without incident.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained four suspected "special groups" criminals in Baghdad's Rashid district. Soldiers from Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conducted a combined patrol with Iraqi national Police officers from the 1st Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, and detained four individuals after receiving a tip from an Iraqi citizen. The individuals are suspected of murder and roadside bomb attacks.
-- Iraqi security forces, alongside Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers, seized weapons and munitions in the Ghazaliyah and Ameriya districts of northwest Baghdad. During combined combat operations, Iraqi security forces serving with the 4th Battalion, 54th Brigade, and 2nd Battalion, 22nd Brigade, both of the 6th Iraqi Army Division, supported by the 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, operationally attached to the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, the 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, and the 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, both of the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, seized a total of five separate caches of various sizes. The largest cache consisted of 15 various sized mortar rounds, 12 AK-47 assault rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade warhead
In operations Dec. 19:
-- Iraqi security forces arrested two suspected criminals during combat operations in southern Baghdad's Rashid district. Iraqi Army soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 53rd Brigade, 14th Iraqi Army Division, arrested a suspected criminal in accordance with an outstanding warrant. Police officers from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, served a warrant for the arrest of a suspected criminal in the Furat community.
-- Soldiers serving with 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, seized six AK-47s, a pistol, and a box containing an undetermined amount of ammunition in Baghdad's Ghazaliyah neighborhood.
-- Soldiers serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armor Division, found eight 57 mm projectiles south of Baghdad. An explosives ordnance disposal team responded to the area and destroyed the munitions.
-- Acting on a tip from a concerned citizen, soldiers serving with Company C, 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, discovered a cache north of Baghdad containing eight 125 mm mortars, two 42 mm mortars and five 40 mm high explosive anti-tank rounds. The seized munitions were later destroyed by an EOD team.
-- Soldiers serving with 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armor Division, uncovered two buried caches south of Baghdad. The munitions seized included two 100-pound propane tanks, an 80-pound propane tank, a 100-kilogram bomb, a 2.75-inch Flechette rocket, two 125 mm rounds, two mortars and 150 pounds of homemade explosives.
-- Soldiers serving with 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regt., 2nd
Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, found a cache containing a base plate and an anti-aircraft barrel, 570 rounds linked and 1,500 rounds unlinked of .50-caliber ammunition north of Baghdad.
-- Iraqi national Police serving with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st National Police Division, seized five automatic timer mines, two pounds of unknown bulk explosive material, 15 57 mm projectiles, a rifle and eight project boxes used in IEDs near the joint security station Tuwaitha south of Baghdad.
-- Iraqi Police officers from 1st Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, patrolling with soldiers from Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, responded to a tip and detained a suspected criminal in the Abu T'shir community of Baghdad's Rashid district.
In operations Dec. 18:
-- National Police officers from 1st Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, conducting a combined patrol with soldiers from Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, found an RPG round in an Abu T'shir neighborhood of Baghdad's Rashid district.
-- Police officers from 2nd Battalion, 7th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, working with soldiers from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, discovered an emplaced roadside bomb consisting of one anti-tank mine and a propane tank in the Masafee community. An Iraqi EOD team dismantled the bomb.
-- Police officers from 2nd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, working with soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, responded to a tip and detained a suspected criminal in the Aamel community.
-- Soldiers serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armor Division, discovered a cache containing eight propane tanks wrapped in detonation cord.
-- Soldiers serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, discovered a large cache north of Baghdad. The cache included 28 82 mm mortars, seven grenades of various sizes, a 60 mm mortar, an 82 mm mortar tube and stand, 14 high-explosive rockets of various sizes, two 57 mm projectiles, 19 39.5 mm mortar fuses, 2,640 rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition, 20 sticks of TNT, 20 pounds of PE-4 explosive material and various bomb-making materials.
-- Iraqi Army soldiers serving with 4th Battalion, 54th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, and Iraqi Police from Ameriya found a weapons cache. The munitions seized included a 155 mm projectile, three rocket-propelled grenades, 20 blasting caps, six sticks of C-4 explosive, an RPG motor, 100 meters of detonation cord, and a V25 rocket fuse.
-- A suspected terrorist was apprehended and detained by soldiers from1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, in Khan Bani Sab. The individual detained is suspected to be involved in weapons trafficking, indirect fire attacks, and other acts of terrorism.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)
Friday, December 19, 2008
U.S. Soldiers Team Up With Afghan, New Zealand Forces
By Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2008 - A unit of the 10th Mountain Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team had a new mission in Afghanistan recently when it teamed up with Afghan and New Zealand forces to combat crimes in the eastern part of the country. After an increase in robberies and other insurgent activities in parts of Bamyan province, a team from Task Force Warrior security force joined forces with the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team and Afghan National Police to conduct combat patrols and searches in several areas of the province.
The security force normally provides transportation for key personnel throughout the area of operations. But for the last couple of weeks, they conducted offensive operations in conjunction with other elements of the brigade as well as the PRT and ANP, Army Lt. Col. Stephen Jeselink, the task force's deputy commander, said.
"There had been a couple recent robberies along the Shibar Pass, which runs along the boundary of Bamyan and Parwan provinces," said Army 1st Lt. Brian Capra, officer in charge of the force, who implemented vehicle checkpoints and static observation posts throughout Shibar Valley.
The force also conducted patrols along the Gandak Highway, which runs along the territory where Hungarians conduct operations in Baghlan province.
"The operation targeted insurgents known to traffic weapons and explosives used to conduct attacks," said Jeselink, who reported the operation as successful and without incident.
Coalition forces established more of a presence to dissuade criminal activity and deny the enemy freedom of movement, officials said. In addition, they established relationships with local villagers.
"Afghan people were very generous," Capra said, noting that village elders allowed troops to stay overnight in village schoolhouses as they traveled throughout the territory.
The force also distributed radios and handed out other humanitarian aid as they conducted patrols.
(Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens serves in the Task Force Warrior public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2008 - A unit of the 10th Mountain Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team had a new mission in Afghanistan recently when it teamed up with Afghan and New Zealand forces to combat crimes in the eastern part of the country. After an increase in robberies and other insurgent activities in parts of Bamyan province, a team from Task Force Warrior security force joined forces with the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team and Afghan National Police to conduct combat patrols and searches in several areas of the province.
The security force normally provides transportation for key personnel throughout the area of operations. But for the last couple of weeks, they conducted offensive operations in conjunction with other elements of the brigade as well as the PRT and ANP, Army Lt. Col. Stephen Jeselink, the task force's deputy commander, said.
"There had been a couple recent robberies along the Shibar Pass, which runs along the boundary of Bamyan and Parwan provinces," said Army 1st Lt. Brian Capra, officer in charge of the force, who implemented vehicle checkpoints and static observation posts throughout Shibar Valley.
The force also conducted patrols along the Gandak Highway, which runs along the territory where Hungarians conduct operations in Baghlan province.
"The operation targeted insurgents known to traffic weapons and explosives used to conduct attacks," said Jeselink, who reported the operation as successful and without incident.
Coalition forces established more of a presence to dissuade criminal activity and deny the enemy freedom of movement, officials said. In addition, they established relationships with local villagers.
"Afghan people were very generous," Capra said, noting that village elders allowed troops to stay overnight in village schoolhouses as they traveled throughout the territory.
The force also distributed radios and handed out other humanitarian aid as they conducted patrols.
(Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens serves in the Task Force Warrior public affairs office.)
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Coalition, Iraqi Forces Kill Three, Capture 31 in Iraq
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 16, 2008 - Coalition and Iraqi forces killed three insurgents and captured 31 others, including a key Iranian-backed suspect, in operations in Iraq today and yesterday, military officials reported. Coalition and Iraqi forces wrapped up two days of coordinated operations early today that resulted in the capture of 24 suspected terrorists in central Iraq.
Early today, forces near Haditha, northwest of Baghdad, detained eight suspects during an operation targeting terrorist leaders in Anbar province, and two additional suspects believed to be associated with Anbar province al-Qaida in Iraq leaders were captured in Baghdad.
During a separate operation today in Baghdad, forces detained four suspects believed to be associated with a man reportedly planning a suicide bombing. A suicide-bombing coordinator was the target of an operation early today in Tikrit, which netted one suspect.
Al-Qaida in Iraq's leadership networks were disrupted during three synchronized operations late yesterday near Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad. Coalition forces detained five suspects believed to be associated with regional al-Qaida in Iraq leaders.
Also yesterday, coalition forces dealt a blow to al-Qaida in Iraq's improvised explosive device networks with the capture of a suspected terrorist in Tikrit, 100 miles north of Baghdad. The wanted man is believed to be an IED facilitator in the region and reportedly was planning several IED attacks in Tikrit in the near future. Forces detained an additional suspect during the operation.
In other operations yesterday:
-- Two terrorists were killed in Ash Shurah, south of Mosul, where troops were targeting a suspected al-Qaida operative. They stopped a vehicle believed to be occupied by the targeted man and called for the occupants to surrender. One of the men refused to comply with the assault force's instructions and revealed a suicide vest. Perceiving hostile intent, the assault force engaged and killed both men.
-- During a separate operation in Ash Shurah, coalition forces killed a wanted man believed to be involved with al-Qaida in Iraq's military network in northern Iraq. The terrorist pulled a pistol on the assault force as they moved in to apprehend him. Acting in self-defense, the team engaged the man and killed him.
-- A second wanted man believed to be connected to al-Qaida in Iraq military networks in northern Iraq was captured in Hammam Al Alil, southeast of Mosul. The suspected terrorist also is believed to be involved in car-bomb and extortion operations in the area.
-- In Irbil, southeast of Mosul, coalition forces captured a wanted man and detained an additional suspect. The wanted man is believed to be involved with al-Qaida in Iraq media operations in the Tamim province.
-- Coalition forces captured a key suspect with the Iranian-funded Asaib Ahl al-Haq criminal network and three associates in the New Baghdad area of Baghdad. Acting on intelligence information, the troops targeted the network's alleged regional operations leader, who is believed to be responsible for attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces, as well as running a network recruitment in the Baghdad area. He identified himself to forces and was apprehended without incident, along with three associates.
-- Coalition and Iraqi troops and members of the "Sons of Iraq" civilian security group seized four weapons caches in Baghdad that included 120 pounds of ammonium nitrate, 20 mortar rounds, a half-pound of propellant, nearly 400 rockets, 40 boxes of ammunition, two anti-aircraft machine guns with tripods, four SKS rifles, a 103 mm projectile, seven bags of M6 rocket-propelled grenade warhead tips, six boxes of M6 RPG warhead tips, seven RPD launchers, two RPG rounds and various bomb-making components.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Dec. 16, 2008 - Coalition and Iraqi forces killed three insurgents and captured 31 others, including a key Iranian-backed suspect, in operations in Iraq today and yesterday, military officials reported. Coalition and Iraqi forces wrapped up two days of coordinated operations early today that resulted in the capture of 24 suspected terrorists in central Iraq.
Early today, forces near Haditha, northwest of Baghdad, detained eight suspects during an operation targeting terrorist leaders in Anbar province, and two additional suspects believed to be associated with Anbar province al-Qaida in Iraq leaders were captured in Baghdad.
During a separate operation today in Baghdad, forces detained four suspects believed to be associated with a man reportedly planning a suicide bombing. A suicide-bombing coordinator was the target of an operation early today in Tikrit, which netted one suspect.
Al-Qaida in Iraq's leadership networks were disrupted during three synchronized operations late yesterday near Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad. Coalition forces detained five suspects believed to be associated with regional al-Qaida in Iraq leaders.
Also yesterday, coalition forces dealt a blow to al-Qaida in Iraq's improvised explosive device networks with the capture of a suspected terrorist in Tikrit, 100 miles north of Baghdad. The wanted man is believed to be an IED facilitator in the region and reportedly was planning several IED attacks in Tikrit in the near future. Forces detained an additional suspect during the operation.
In other operations yesterday:
-- Two terrorists were killed in Ash Shurah, south of Mosul, where troops were targeting a suspected al-Qaida operative. They stopped a vehicle believed to be occupied by the targeted man and called for the occupants to surrender. One of the men refused to comply with the assault force's instructions and revealed a suicide vest. Perceiving hostile intent, the assault force engaged and killed both men.
-- During a separate operation in Ash Shurah, coalition forces killed a wanted man believed to be involved with al-Qaida in Iraq's military network in northern Iraq. The terrorist pulled a pistol on the assault force as they moved in to apprehend him. Acting in self-defense, the team engaged the man and killed him.
-- A second wanted man believed to be connected to al-Qaida in Iraq military networks in northern Iraq was captured in Hammam Al Alil, southeast of Mosul. The suspected terrorist also is believed to be involved in car-bomb and extortion operations in the area.
-- In Irbil, southeast of Mosul, coalition forces captured a wanted man and detained an additional suspect. The wanted man is believed to be involved with al-Qaida in Iraq media operations in the Tamim province.
-- Coalition forces captured a key suspect with the Iranian-funded Asaib Ahl al-Haq criminal network and three associates in the New Baghdad area of Baghdad. Acting on intelligence information, the troops targeted the network's alleged regional operations leader, who is believed to be responsible for attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces, as well as running a network recruitment in the Baghdad area. He identified himself to forces and was apprehended without incident, along with three associates.
-- Coalition and Iraqi troops and members of the "Sons of Iraq" civilian security group seized four weapons caches in Baghdad that included 120 pounds of ammonium nitrate, 20 mortar rounds, a half-pound of propellant, nearly 400 rockets, 40 boxes of ammunition, two anti-aircraft machine guns with tripods, four SKS rifles, a 103 mm projectile, seven bags of M6 rocket-propelled grenade warhead tips, six boxes of M6 RPG warhead tips, seven RPD launchers, two RPG rounds and various bomb-making components.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Friday, December 12, 2008
Troops in Iraq Detain 11 Terrorism Suspects, Find Bomb, Weapons
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2008 - Eleven suspected terrorists, including two wanted men, were removed from al-Qaida in Iraq networks yesterday and today as coalition forces targeted the terrorist organization in central Iraq, military officials reported. In other recent operations, Iraqi soldiers foiled a bombing attack on an Iraqi judge, and coalition and Iraqi troops discovered enemy weapons stockpiles.
Early today in Hafriyah, southeast of Kirkuk in Iraq's Diyala province, forces captured an alleged weapons smuggler who also is believed to be associated with bombing attacks in the area. Three suspected associates also were detained.
Two more suspects were netted today in an operation targeting a Diyala-area al-Qaida in Iraq courier in Sadiyah, northeast of Baghdad.
In operations yesterday:
-- U.S. soldiers detained a suspected weapons smuggler and criminal recruiter in eastern Baghdad's New Baghdad district.
-- Forces in Baghdad captured an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq cell leader who officials believe is responsible for bombing attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces and Iraqi police.
-- Near Tuz Khurmatu, southeast of Kirkuk, forces detained three suspects during an operation targeting an al-Qaida in Iraq leader associated with bombing activities in the area.
-- Iraqi soldiers in the Kadhamiyah district of northwestern Baghdad reported finding a bomb attached underneath a judge's vehicle at an Iraqi army checkpoint yesterday. An Iraqi army explosive ordnance disposal team was called in and removed the bomb, which was made from two blocks of C4 explosive.
Also yesterday, Iraqi and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found weapons caches in the greater Baghdad area:
-- Iraq soldiers found an empty 105 mm shell and an empty illumination shell west of Baghdad in the Abu Ghraib area.
-- U.S. and Iraqi soldiers found four 60 mm mortars and two 81 mm mortars south of Joint Security Station Taji, north of Baghdad. The munitions were destroyed in a controlled detonation.
-- U.S. soldiers followed up on a tip from an Iraqi citizen and seized a white bag with an unknown substance and an armor-piercing bomb array encased in foam east of the Abu Ghraib area. The munitions were destroyed in a controlled detonation.
-- U.S. soldiers found a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and 11 RPG rounds north of Abu Ghraib.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Dec. 12, 2008 - Eleven suspected terrorists, including two wanted men, were removed from al-Qaida in Iraq networks yesterday and today as coalition forces targeted the terrorist organization in central Iraq, military officials reported. In other recent operations, Iraqi soldiers foiled a bombing attack on an Iraqi judge, and coalition and Iraqi troops discovered enemy weapons stockpiles.
Early today in Hafriyah, southeast of Kirkuk in Iraq's Diyala province, forces captured an alleged weapons smuggler who also is believed to be associated with bombing attacks in the area. Three suspected associates also were detained.
Two more suspects were netted today in an operation targeting a Diyala-area al-Qaida in Iraq courier in Sadiyah, northeast of Baghdad.
In operations yesterday:
-- U.S. soldiers detained a suspected weapons smuggler and criminal recruiter in eastern Baghdad's New Baghdad district.
-- Forces in Baghdad captured an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq cell leader who officials believe is responsible for bombing attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces and Iraqi police.
-- Near Tuz Khurmatu, southeast of Kirkuk, forces detained three suspects during an operation targeting an al-Qaida in Iraq leader associated with bombing activities in the area.
-- Iraqi soldiers in the Kadhamiyah district of northwestern Baghdad reported finding a bomb attached underneath a judge's vehicle at an Iraqi army checkpoint yesterday. An Iraqi army explosive ordnance disposal team was called in and removed the bomb, which was made from two blocks of C4 explosive.
Also yesterday, Iraqi and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found weapons caches in the greater Baghdad area:
-- Iraq soldiers found an empty 105 mm shell and an empty illumination shell west of Baghdad in the Abu Ghraib area.
-- U.S. and Iraqi soldiers found four 60 mm mortars and two 81 mm mortars south of Joint Security Station Taji, north of Baghdad. The munitions were destroyed in a controlled detonation.
-- U.S. soldiers followed up on a tip from an Iraqi citizen and seized a white bag with an unknown substance and an armor-piercing bomb array encased in foam east of the Abu Ghraib area. The munitions were destroyed in a controlled detonation.
-- U.S. soldiers found a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and 11 RPG rounds north of Abu Ghraib.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Troops in Iraq Capture Suspects, Find Weapons
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 11, 2008 - Coalition soldiers and Iraqi security forces captured suspected criminals and terrorists, disarmed a roadside bomb and found enemy weapons stockpiles in recent operations, military officials reported.
In operations today:
-- Iraqi National Police and U.S. infantry soldiers detained a man officials described as a suspected criminal leader.
-- Al-Qaida in Iraq leadership was the target of an operation in Baghdad that resulted in a wanted man's capture. The suspected terrorist, who surrendered himself to coalition forces, is believed to be associated with al-Qaida in Iraq leadership. During a concurrent operation near Ramadi, west of Baghdad, forces captured an alleged associate of the wanted man. He, too, identified himself to the assault force and was detained with another suspect.
-- In Mosul, a suspect was detained during an operation targeting the city's al-Qaida in Iraq bombing networks.
In operations yesterday:
-- In two synchronized operations near Tarmiyah, north of Baghdad, forces captured a wanted man who reportedly is connected to al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in the area. A second operation netted another suspect believed to be associated with the network.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found a roadside bomb in northwestern Baghdad's Kadhamiyah district. U.S. soldiers received a tip from an Iraqi citizen about the bomb, and an Iraqi army explosive ordinance disposal team was called in to remove it.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found weapons caches in and around the Iraqi capital. The first, in the Abu Ghraib area west of Baghdad, included 48 mortar primers, three rocket fuses and eight mortar charges. Later, U.S. and Iraqi soldiers working together seized 67 81 mm projectiles and 35 57 mm projectiles in Baghdad's Sab Al Bour area.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Dec. 11, 2008 - Coalition soldiers and Iraqi security forces captured suspected criminals and terrorists, disarmed a roadside bomb and found enemy weapons stockpiles in recent operations, military officials reported.
In operations today:
-- Iraqi National Police and U.S. infantry soldiers detained a man officials described as a suspected criminal leader.
-- Al-Qaida in Iraq leadership was the target of an operation in Baghdad that resulted in a wanted man's capture. The suspected terrorist, who surrendered himself to coalition forces, is believed to be associated with al-Qaida in Iraq leadership. During a concurrent operation near Ramadi, west of Baghdad, forces captured an alleged associate of the wanted man. He, too, identified himself to the assault force and was detained with another suspect.
-- In Mosul, a suspect was detained during an operation targeting the city's al-Qaida in Iraq bombing networks.
In operations yesterday:
-- In two synchronized operations near Tarmiyah, north of Baghdad, forces captured a wanted man who reportedly is connected to al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in the area. A second operation netted another suspect believed to be associated with the network.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found a roadside bomb in northwestern Baghdad's Kadhamiyah district. U.S. soldiers received a tip from an Iraqi citizen about the bomb, and an Iraqi army explosive ordinance disposal team was called in to remove it.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found weapons caches in and around the Iraqi capital. The first, in the Abu Ghraib area west of Baghdad, included 48 mortar primers, three rocket fuses and eight mortar charges. Later, U.S. and Iraqi soldiers working together seized 67 81 mm projectiles and 35 57 mm projectiles in Baghdad's Sab Al Bour area.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Sadr City Residents Take Pride in Their Neighborhood
By Army 2nd Lt. Clayton Merkly
Special to American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, Dec. 3, 2008 - In the not-too-distant past, Baghdad's Sadr City district was considered by many to be one of the worst places to live in Iraq. Violence riddled the district, sewage-filled gutters overflowed onto the roads, and children played on trash piles containing concertina wire and rubble from houses -- the remnants of the violent fighting that drove Iranian-backed criminal elements out of the area.
Now, when soldiers with the 1st Armored Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, Task Force 1-6, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, -- currently attached in Multinational Division Baghdad to the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team -- go on patrol, they see a radically different landscape.
Parks have emerged from previously vacant lots; children run rampant, enjoying themselves on previously prohibited playgrounds. Trash piles disappeared seemingly overnight, and concertina wire no longer blocks sidewalks and passageways. The streets are clean. Functioning sewers eliminate not only an offensive odor, but also a pressing health hazard to the citizens of Sadr City's Tharwa 1 neighborhood.
Buildings are freshly painted in bright colors, and storefronts are redone to present a welcoming appearance. While some of this work has been done by private business, much of it has been completed due to the efforts of Iraqis volunteering to clean their own sectors and neighborhoods. They're taking pride in their communities, and it is beginning to show.
A recent push removed trash from the main streets and collected it into designated areas where public services workers could pick it up and take it away. U.S. forces have noticed and appreciated this effort.
"It is good to see the Iraqis cleaning their neighborhoods," Army Spc. Richard Parr, a native of Nebraska who serves with Company C, said. "After being here for almost eight months, I am beginning to see a real change in attitudes of the people. The people are friendlier, and while security is still our primary mission, I am able to enjoy both an educational and cultural experience each time I go out on patrol. We are definitely seeing results of our hard work during this deployment."
The volunteer efforts make the neighborhood cleaner and safer. Removing trash and painting buildings means it is harder to hide roadside bombs in trash piles, and snipers cannot lurk in the bombed-out shells of buildings. The people also benefit from a more hygienic environment.
"I feel safer out in sector," Army Pfc. David Beveridge, a Virginia native who serves in Company C, said. "The clean streets make it easier to see obstacles and means that we can spot suspicious objects faster, saving both our own lives and any innocent bystanders."
A member of the district advisory council, a mid-level government official and a local sheik supported the effort by providing tools and labor for the many projects. Their participation, officials said, is a clear signal to the people that it is time to unshackle themselves from the grip of enemies and instead enjoy the opportunity to better themselves and their communities.
(Army 2nd Lt. Clayton Merkly serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, Dec. 3, 2008 - In the not-too-distant past, Baghdad's Sadr City district was considered by many to be one of the worst places to live in Iraq. Violence riddled the district, sewage-filled gutters overflowed onto the roads, and children played on trash piles containing concertina wire and rubble from houses -- the remnants of the violent fighting that drove Iranian-backed criminal elements out of the area.
Now, when soldiers with the 1st Armored Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, Task Force 1-6, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, -- currently attached in Multinational Division Baghdad to the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team -- go on patrol, they see a radically different landscape.
Parks have emerged from previously vacant lots; children run rampant, enjoying themselves on previously prohibited playgrounds. Trash piles disappeared seemingly overnight, and concertina wire no longer blocks sidewalks and passageways. The streets are clean. Functioning sewers eliminate not only an offensive odor, but also a pressing health hazard to the citizens of Sadr City's Tharwa 1 neighborhood.
Buildings are freshly painted in bright colors, and storefronts are redone to present a welcoming appearance. While some of this work has been done by private business, much of it has been completed due to the efforts of Iraqis volunteering to clean their own sectors and neighborhoods. They're taking pride in their communities, and it is beginning to show.
A recent push removed trash from the main streets and collected it into designated areas where public services workers could pick it up and take it away. U.S. forces have noticed and appreciated this effort.
"It is good to see the Iraqis cleaning their neighborhoods," Army Spc. Richard Parr, a native of Nebraska who serves with Company C, said. "After being here for almost eight months, I am beginning to see a real change in attitudes of the people. The people are friendlier, and while security is still our primary mission, I am able to enjoy both an educational and cultural experience each time I go out on patrol. We are definitely seeing results of our hard work during this deployment."
The volunteer efforts make the neighborhood cleaner and safer. Removing trash and painting buildings means it is harder to hide roadside bombs in trash piles, and snipers cannot lurk in the bombed-out shells of buildings. The people also benefit from a more hygienic environment.
"I feel safer out in sector," Army Pfc. David Beveridge, a Virginia native who serves in Company C, said. "The clean streets make it easier to see obstacles and means that we can spot suspicious objects faster, saving both our own lives and any innocent bystanders."
A member of the district advisory council, a mid-level government official and a local sheik supported the effort by providing tools and labor for the many projects. Their participation, officials said, is a clear signal to the people that it is time to unshackle themselves from the grip of enemies and instead enjoy the opportunity to better themselves and their communities.
(Army 2nd Lt. Clayton Merkly serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team.)
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Coalition Kills Two Terrorists, Captures Nine in Iraq
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 25, 2008 - Coalition forces killed two terrorists and captured nine additional suspects today and yesterday during operations targeting terrorist networks in Iraq. Coalition forces killed two terrorists while striking an al-Qaida in Iraq foreign terrorist network yesterday southwest of Mosul.
When coalition forces approached a vehicle with a suspected terrorist inside, two men got out and attacked the soldiers with small-arms fire. Coalition forces returned fire, killing the men. One of the attackers was later determined to be a wanted man.
In the vehicle, coalition forces found multiple rifles, three rocket-propelled grenade rounds, 12 grenades and a suicide vest.
Today, coalition forces netted two men believed to be associated with the leader of Mosul's bombing network. Coalition forces also captured two men while targeting al-Qaida in Iraq senior leadership in Baghdad. North of Baghdad, forces captured two men believed to be associates of a senior courier in al-Qaida in Iraq's Diyala network.
Yesterday, coalition forces captured a wanted man believed to be a terrorist cell leader in Beiji, south of Mosul. North of Baghdad, forces captured two suspects believed to be associated with a car-bomb cell leader in Tikrit.
In other operations:
-- Coalition forces and Iraqi security forces arrested a man believed to be a leader in an Iranian-backed illegal militia along with two other suspects Nov. 21 in Qurna in central Iraq. The leader is suspected of having worked with Iranian intelligence for three years, helping to smuggle weapons, money and information into Iraq to facilitate enemy activities, officials said.
-- Iraqi and coalition forces captured a suspected terrorist Nov. 21 believed to have ties to the al-Qaida in Iraq and Islamic State of Iraq terrorist groups while targeting terrorist leadership in northern Iraq's Ninevah province. The man is suspected of facilitating foreign fighters, displaced insurgents and equipment through Mosul, officials said.
-- Iraqi soldiers arrested a man Nov. 21 believed to be trained to assassinate Iraqi special forces officials.
-- An Iraqi special weapons and tactics team arrested a suspected criminal Nov. 21 during a raid to disrupt criminal operations in central Iraq's Babil province. The SWAT team detained another suspect in Hayy Askari, also in central Iraq, believed to have ties to transporting weapons, kidnappings and roadside-bomb attacks against Iraqi special forces.
-- Iraqi soldiers captured a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist Nov. 20 in northern Iraq's Farhatiya area. The man is believed to have aided foreign fighters, officials said.
-- Iraqi special operations forces captured a suspected criminal during an operation Nov. 20 in Baghdad's West Rashid district.
Other recent operations resulted in seizure of enemy weapons stockpiles:
-- Multinational Division Baghdad and Iraqi soldiers seized a weapons cache south of Baghdad yesterday consisting of artillery rounds, 57 mm rockets, boxes of 25 mm and 30 mm ammunition and other military equipment. Later, a tip led Iraqi soldiers to a cache hidden in front of an apartment building. The cache included two mortars, a fuse and an illumination round.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers confiscated a weapons cache north of Baghdad yesterday consisting of anti-aircraft guns and other military equipment. Lst night, soldiers seized a weapons cache that included machine guns, rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, RPG warheads, RPG boosters, RPG sights, half-loaded AK-47 assault rifle magazines, AK-47 ammunition, MK-19 rounds, professional-grade TNT, two improvised explosive devices and other military equipment.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers confiscated a weapons cache northwest of Baghdad yesterday consisting of a 120 mm mortar round, 60 mm mortar rounds, anti-aircraft guns and other military equipment. Later, Iraqi soldiers seized a munitions cache north of Baghdad that included high-explosive projectiles and a blasting cap.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers seized a weapons cache northwest of Baghdad Nov. 23 that consisted of a 127 mm missile motor and a machine gun. Later that day, soldiers seized another weapons cache consisting of 155 mm projectiles, SA-7 rocket, 60 mm mortar, 130 mm rockets, 130 mm rocket warheads, 100 mm projectiles, land mines and other military equipment.
-- An Iraqi special weapons and tactics team discovered a weapons cache in northern Iraq on Nov. 20 that included bomb-making materials.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Nov. 25, 2008 - Coalition forces killed two terrorists and captured nine additional suspects today and yesterday during operations targeting terrorist networks in Iraq. Coalition forces killed two terrorists while striking an al-Qaida in Iraq foreign terrorist network yesterday southwest of Mosul.
When coalition forces approached a vehicle with a suspected terrorist inside, two men got out and attacked the soldiers with small-arms fire. Coalition forces returned fire, killing the men. One of the attackers was later determined to be a wanted man.
In the vehicle, coalition forces found multiple rifles, three rocket-propelled grenade rounds, 12 grenades and a suicide vest.
Today, coalition forces netted two men believed to be associated with the leader of Mosul's bombing network. Coalition forces also captured two men while targeting al-Qaida in Iraq senior leadership in Baghdad. North of Baghdad, forces captured two men believed to be associates of a senior courier in al-Qaida in Iraq's Diyala network.
Yesterday, coalition forces captured a wanted man believed to be a terrorist cell leader in Beiji, south of Mosul. North of Baghdad, forces captured two suspects believed to be associated with a car-bomb cell leader in Tikrit.
In other operations:
-- Coalition forces and Iraqi security forces arrested a man believed to be a leader in an Iranian-backed illegal militia along with two other suspects Nov. 21 in Qurna in central Iraq. The leader is suspected of having worked with Iranian intelligence for three years, helping to smuggle weapons, money and information into Iraq to facilitate enemy activities, officials said.
-- Iraqi and coalition forces captured a suspected terrorist Nov. 21 believed to have ties to the al-Qaida in Iraq and Islamic State of Iraq terrorist groups while targeting terrorist leadership in northern Iraq's Ninevah province. The man is suspected of facilitating foreign fighters, displaced insurgents and equipment through Mosul, officials said.
-- Iraqi soldiers arrested a man Nov. 21 believed to be trained to assassinate Iraqi special forces officials.
-- An Iraqi special weapons and tactics team arrested a suspected criminal Nov. 21 during a raid to disrupt criminal operations in central Iraq's Babil province. The SWAT team detained another suspect in Hayy Askari, also in central Iraq, believed to have ties to transporting weapons, kidnappings and roadside-bomb attacks against Iraqi special forces.
-- Iraqi soldiers captured a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist Nov. 20 in northern Iraq's Farhatiya area. The man is believed to have aided foreign fighters, officials said.
-- Iraqi special operations forces captured a suspected criminal during an operation Nov. 20 in Baghdad's West Rashid district.
Other recent operations resulted in seizure of enemy weapons stockpiles:
-- Multinational Division Baghdad and Iraqi soldiers seized a weapons cache south of Baghdad yesterday consisting of artillery rounds, 57 mm rockets, boxes of 25 mm and 30 mm ammunition and other military equipment. Later, a tip led Iraqi soldiers to a cache hidden in front of an apartment building. The cache included two mortars, a fuse and an illumination round.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers confiscated a weapons cache north of Baghdad yesterday consisting of anti-aircraft guns and other military equipment. Lst night, soldiers seized a weapons cache that included machine guns, rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, RPG warheads, RPG boosters, RPG sights, half-loaded AK-47 assault rifle magazines, AK-47 ammunition, MK-19 rounds, professional-grade TNT, two improvised explosive devices and other military equipment.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers confiscated a weapons cache northwest of Baghdad yesterday consisting of a 120 mm mortar round, 60 mm mortar rounds, anti-aircraft guns and other military equipment. Later, Iraqi soldiers seized a munitions cache north of Baghdad that included high-explosive projectiles and a blasting cap.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers seized a weapons cache northwest of Baghdad Nov. 23 that consisted of a 127 mm missile motor and a machine gun. Later that day, soldiers seized another weapons cache consisting of 155 mm projectiles, SA-7 rocket, 60 mm mortar, 130 mm rockets, 130 mm rocket warheads, 100 mm projectiles, land mines and other military equipment.
-- An Iraqi special weapons and tactics team discovered a weapons cache in northern Iraq on Nov. 20 that included bomb-making materials.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Saturday, November 15, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- November 14, 2008
Drive-by flu shots [Las Vegas, Nevada]
“With a record 140 million flu vaccinations expected to be administered this year in the U.S., hospitals and health clinics from Norwood, Mass., to Randolph County, Ala., have started offering drive-by shootings, using concern about the regular old flu to help prep for outbreaks of potentially far graver diseases like avian flu and anthrax. The curbside care is simple: you pull up, read about the risks and sign a consent form, then bare your bicep and get a shot--all without leaving the driver's seat. In October in Lynchburg, Va., the Central Virginia Health District's first drive-by clinic served 300 patients in 3 1/2 hours. That's less than 45 seconds per vaccination (and no time cooped up in a room with possible germ spreaders). But critics say that the process is dangerous and that the last place you want to be if something goes wrong is speeding down the highway. […] Still, Dr. Kerry Gateley, Central Virginia's health director, says doctors' offices dole out the shots almost as quickly. The biggest risk, he adds, may be that some drivers get woozy after the shot.” (Time; 13Nov08; Laura Fitzpatrick) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1858892,00.html
Disease laboratory prepares for germs [Columbia, Missouri]
“Scientists at the University of Missouri won’t have to wait much longer to study infectious diseases such as anthrax, rabbit fever, West Nile virus and Q fever. Campus officials will dedicate MU’s Regional Biocontainment Laboratory on Saturday, though the official opening won’t be for another couple of months, said George Stewart, chairman of MU’s Department of Veterinary Pathology. […] MU received $13.4 million for the lab, MU spokesman Christian Basi said, and contributed about $4.6 million to complete construction, said Deborah Anderson, associate director of the Regional Biocontainment Lab. Laboratories designated Level 3 - a reference to its security status - house ‘significant’ airborne infectious pathogens for which there are vaccines or treatments, Stewart said.” (Columbia Tribune; 13Nov08; Jenna Youngs) http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Nov/20081113News006.asp
Joint exercise responds to 'anthrax' discovery [North Platte, Nebraska]
“At approximately 2:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, members of the North Platte Fire Department Hazardous Materials team and the 72nd Civil Support National Guard unit out of Lincoln responded to an anthrax discovery at a local college dorm. Or, at least, that was the training scenario. […] The scenario entailed a missing persons report and the possible presence of an unknown chemical inside the fire station, which was set up as a mock university dormitory. Firefighters discovered suspicious materials and made a methodical search of the area along side members of the 72nd. After donning complete hazmat gear, the teams began monitoring the air for suspicious chemicals as they slowly searched the area […].” (North Platte Telegraph; 13Nov08; Mark Young) http://www.nptelegraph.com/articles/2008/11/13/news/50001069.txt
More than just flu shots at clinic [Rapid City, South Dakota]
“The city's mass vaccination clinic also provided volunteers and health professionals with training for the day that thousands could need medical aid in a future disaster. Fighting a public health menace, today and tomorrow, was the two-pronged purpose of the second annual clinic. It is part of South Dakota's Child Influenza Immunization Initiative. […] If the community ever needed mass inoculations or medications because of an epidemic, pandemic, natural disaster, chemical warfare or bioterrorism, the emergency point-of-dispensing system used at the mass clinic could be expanded to vaccinate 100,000 people over a 48-hour period, Kirchgesler said. ‘We've planned for 5,000 to 6,000 students. If we were to exceed that, we do have access to an additional 2,000 units of vaccine,’ [Rapid City Department of Fire & Emergency Services Capt. Mark Kirchgesler] said. […] Sioux Falls has had such two clinics, and other communities are planning theirs, he [Kirchgesler] said. ‘There's a plan throughout the state.’” (Rapid City Journal; 13Nov08; Jomay Steen) http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/11/13/news/local/doc491bc3354c273346533058.txt
Army: EPA's polluted site designation for Ft. Detrick [Maryland] area unnecessary
“The Army says it is unnecessary for the federal Environmental Protection Agency to add to a list of the nation's most polluted places an old Fort Detrick dump site that has tainted private wells and yielded live pathogens from biodefense labs. […] Fort Detrick is home to the military's biological warfare defense program. Workers there dumped industrial chemicals and biological wastes in unlined trenches at Area B from the 1940s through the 1960s, before such practices were outlawed. […] In 2004, the Army finished removing about 3,500 tons of contaminated soil, drums, laboratory vials and cylinders from four trenches at Area B, but lacked funding to clean up the ground water. Since then, contamination levels in the ground water have fallen sharply, installation spokesman Chuck Gordon said in April. During that operation, workers found small vials of live pathogens including E. coli and the microbes that cause pneumonia, tuberculosis and the livestock disease brucellosis. They also found a non-pathogenic form of anthrax.” (Baltimore Sun; 12Nov08; Source: AP) http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-army1112,0,619484.story
Leak detected at depot [Blue Grass Army Depot, Kentucky]
“A leak was detected Thursday in a M55 rocket holding the nerve agent GB at the Blue Grass Army Depot, officials said. The leak comes a day after crews began neutralizing 157 gallons of GB, also known as sarin, in a plan called Operation Swift Solution. Thursday's leak was unrelated to the neutralizing plan, which will destroy sarin that is stored in three steel ton containers at the depot. […] The low-level sarin vapor that was detected was confined to the tube and didn't seep into the igloo in which the rockets are kept, said Richard Sloan, spokesman for Blue Grass Chemical Activity, the agency that oversees chemical weapons at the depot. The rocket will be overpacked in a leak-proof container and stored in another igloo containing similar GB munitions in the next few days, Sloan said.” (Lexington Herald-Leader; 13Nov08; Ashlee Clark) http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/591243.html
The things he [the author] carried [through airport security]
“Because the TSA’s security regimen seems to be mainly thing-based—most of its 44,500 airport officers are assigned to truffle through carry-on bags for things like guns, bombs, three-ounce tubes of anthrax, Crest toothpaste, nail clippers, Snapple, and so on—I focused my efforts on bringing bad things through security in many different airports, primarily my home airport, Washington’s Reagan National, the one situated approximately 17 feet from the Pentagon, but also in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, and at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport […] During one secondary inspection […] I was wearing under my shirt […] a ‘Beerbelly,’ a neoprene sling that holds a polyurethane bladder and drinking tube. […] [which] contained two cans’ worth of Bud Light at the time of the inspection. It went undetected.” (Atlantic; Nov08; Jeffrey Goldberg) http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/airport-security
Strike anywhere at al-Qaida
“On Monday, the New York Times revealed that in the spring of 2004, Donald Rumsfeld, then the US secretary of defence, signed a secret order providing the US military with a mandate and fast-track approvals mechanism to launch raids against al-Qaida terrorists in countries outside the ‘conflict zones’ of Iraq and Afghanistan. […] The number of special forces operations launched by the US military against al-Qaida targets under the new authority appears not to have been that high: the number of such raids not previously publicly disclosed was less than a dozen. […] [I] n a speech in the British Parliament on October 31, Michael Chertoff, the US homeland security secretary, argued: ‘[…] There are areas of the world that are ungoverned or ungovernable but nevertheless technically within the sovereignty of boundaries. Does that mean we simply have to allow terrorists to operate there, in kind of badlands, where they can plan, they can set up laboratories, they can experiment with chemical weapons and with biological weapons?’ […] The Obama administration is likely to reiterate these arguments in order to keep every option on the table in the hunt for Bin Laden.” (Guardian; 12Nov08; Paul Cruickshank) http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/nov/12/barack-obama-al-qaida
Joy to the world: holiday cards for 'any soldier'
“This holiday season, Americans can send soldiers and wounded troops greeting cards — even if they don’t know their names. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the anthrax attacks, the Pentagon required that mail addressed to ‘any soldier’ be returned to the sender, leaving Americans without a way to send mail to soldiers whose names they didn’t know. […] But for a second year, an American Red Cross program is allowing the public to send holiday greeting cards that aren’t addressed to a particular soldier. The cards will be screened, sorted and distributed to military hospitals and bases nationally and overseas in time for the holidays. […] To speed delivery, mailers should not send care packages, money or any inserts, including glitter. […] In a voluntary effort, the mail service provider Pitney Bowes Inc. will screen the cards for hazardous material, and the Red Cross will sort through the cards to ensure the contents are appropriate.” (Associated Press; 12Nov08; Christine Simmons) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gaaFaQDRe6yR7RES41omQtzXtCAwD94D977O0
EDA [European Defence Agency] hosts a chemical, biological and radiological agents exercise [Namur, Belgium]
“The European Defence Agency hosts an exercise on how to deal better with the effects of Chemical, Biological and Radiological or Nuclear (CBRN) agents, in Jambes, Namur, from 11 to 13 November, bringing together about 100 experts from its participating Member States. […] Having worked for two years to develop procedures and practices, they are now being put into practice at a high level headquarters based exercise. military experts from across the European Union are gathered to refine these procedures and to exchange ideas on the best way to address an attack of this nature. Although primarily focused on deployed operations, the exercise takes the opportunity to share ideas on homeland defence from different European institutions and other agencies. Representatives from NATO are also sharing their experiences and ensuring that their work goes hand in hand with that the European Defence Agency.” (European Defence Agency News; 12Nov08)
http://www.eda.europa.eu/newsitem.aspx?id=428
Five passports are lost in the post every day by Home Office raising fears they're falling into criminal hands
“Figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats reveal that between 2001 and 2007, government officials lost 12,200 passports in the post. Since February 2004, when the Identity and Passport Service - a Home Office agency - ditched Royal Mail and awarded a multi-million-pound contract to a courier service to deliver the documents, 3,000 have gone missing. […] Blank passports are particularly desirable to fraudsters as they can be used to create an entirely new identity, and used to open bank accounts, obtain thousands of pounds in credit and access public services. But security experts have also warned that if the documents fell into the hands of terrorists and other criminals, they would yield a host of technological secrets and allow fraudsters to produce their own versions. […] Dhiren Barot, an al-Qaeda chief convicted of plotting to kill thousands of Londoners with a radioactive 'dirty bomb', was issued with nine British passports - two using false identities and seven in his own name before his arrest in August 2004.” (Daily Mail; 12Nov08; Ian Drury) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1085160/FIVE-passports-lost-post-day-Home-Office-raising-fears-theyre-falling-criminal-hands.html
3 Pa. [Pennsylvania] courthouses receive anthrax scare letters
“Identical letters sent to three Pennsylvania county courthouses this week mentioned anthrax but did not contain the poisonous substance. The letters were received in Jefferson and Pike counties on Tuesday and Schuylkill County on Wednesday, said Reggie Wade, spokesman for U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Philadelphia. […] Wade said there have been about 19,000 incidents in which unknown substances, threats or anthrax references have been sent through the mail since fatal anthrax mailings targeted media organizations and Congress in October 2001. All have been false alarms or hoaxes.” (Fulton County News; 13Nov08; Source: AP) http://www.fultoncountynews.com/news/2008/1113/church_news/111.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.
“With a record 140 million flu vaccinations expected to be administered this year in the U.S., hospitals and health clinics from Norwood, Mass., to Randolph County, Ala., have started offering drive-by shootings, using concern about the regular old flu to help prep for outbreaks of potentially far graver diseases like avian flu and anthrax. The curbside care is simple: you pull up, read about the risks and sign a consent form, then bare your bicep and get a shot--all without leaving the driver's seat. In October in Lynchburg, Va., the Central Virginia Health District's first drive-by clinic served 300 patients in 3 1/2 hours. That's less than 45 seconds per vaccination (and no time cooped up in a room with possible germ spreaders). But critics say that the process is dangerous and that the last place you want to be if something goes wrong is speeding down the highway. […] Still, Dr. Kerry Gateley, Central Virginia's health director, says doctors' offices dole out the shots almost as quickly. The biggest risk, he adds, may be that some drivers get woozy after the shot.” (Time; 13Nov08; Laura Fitzpatrick) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1858892,00.html
Disease laboratory prepares for germs [Columbia, Missouri]
“Scientists at the University of Missouri won’t have to wait much longer to study infectious diseases such as anthrax, rabbit fever, West Nile virus and Q fever. Campus officials will dedicate MU’s Regional Biocontainment Laboratory on Saturday, though the official opening won’t be for another couple of months, said George Stewart, chairman of MU’s Department of Veterinary Pathology. […] MU received $13.4 million for the lab, MU spokesman Christian Basi said, and contributed about $4.6 million to complete construction, said Deborah Anderson, associate director of the Regional Biocontainment Lab. Laboratories designated Level 3 - a reference to its security status - house ‘significant’ airborne infectious pathogens for which there are vaccines or treatments, Stewart said.” (Columbia Tribune; 13Nov08; Jenna Youngs) http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Nov/20081113News006.asp
Joint exercise responds to 'anthrax' discovery [North Platte, Nebraska]
“At approximately 2:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, members of the North Platte Fire Department Hazardous Materials team and the 72nd Civil Support National Guard unit out of Lincoln responded to an anthrax discovery at a local college dorm. Or, at least, that was the training scenario. […] The scenario entailed a missing persons report and the possible presence of an unknown chemical inside the fire station, which was set up as a mock university dormitory. Firefighters discovered suspicious materials and made a methodical search of the area along side members of the 72nd. After donning complete hazmat gear, the teams began monitoring the air for suspicious chemicals as they slowly searched the area […].” (North Platte Telegraph; 13Nov08; Mark Young) http://www.nptelegraph.com/articles/2008/11/13/news/50001069.txt
More than just flu shots at clinic [Rapid City, South Dakota]
“The city's mass vaccination clinic also provided volunteers and health professionals with training for the day that thousands could need medical aid in a future disaster. Fighting a public health menace, today and tomorrow, was the two-pronged purpose of the second annual clinic. It is part of South Dakota's Child Influenza Immunization Initiative. […] If the community ever needed mass inoculations or medications because of an epidemic, pandemic, natural disaster, chemical warfare or bioterrorism, the emergency point-of-dispensing system used at the mass clinic could be expanded to vaccinate 100,000 people over a 48-hour period, Kirchgesler said. ‘We've planned for 5,000 to 6,000 students. If we were to exceed that, we do have access to an additional 2,000 units of vaccine,’ [Rapid City Department of Fire & Emergency Services Capt. Mark Kirchgesler] said. […] Sioux Falls has had such two clinics, and other communities are planning theirs, he [Kirchgesler] said. ‘There's a plan throughout the state.’” (Rapid City Journal; 13Nov08; Jomay Steen) http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/11/13/news/local/doc491bc3354c273346533058.txt
Army: EPA's polluted site designation for Ft. Detrick [Maryland] area unnecessary
“The Army says it is unnecessary for the federal Environmental Protection Agency to add to a list of the nation's most polluted places an old Fort Detrick dump site that has tainted private wells and yielded live pathogens from biodefense labs. […] Fort Detrick is home to the military's biological warfare defense program. Workers there dumped industrial chemicals and biological wastes in unlined trenches at Area B from the 1940s through the 1960s, before such practices were outlawed. […] In 2004, the Army finished removing about 3,500 tons of contaminated soil, drums, laboratory vials and cylinders from four trenches at Area B, but lacked funding to clean up the ground water. Since then, contamination levels in the ground water have fallen sharply, installation spokesman Chuck Gordon said in April. During that operation, workers found small vials of live pathogens including E. coli and the microbes that cause pneumonia, tuberculosis and the livestock disease brucellosis. They also found a non-pathogenic form of anthrax.” (Baltimore Sun; 12Nov08; Source: AP) http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-army1112,0,619484.story
Leak detected at depot [Blue Grass Army Depot, Kentucky]
“A leak was detected Thursday in a M55 rocket holding the nerve agent GB at the Blue Grass Army Depot, officials said. The leak comes a day after crews began neutralizing 157 gallons of GB, also known as sarin, in a plan called Operation Swift Solution. Thursday's leak was unrelated to the neutralizing plan, which will destroy sarin that is stored in three steel ton containers at the depot. […] The low-level sarin vapor that was detected was confined to the tube and didn't seep into the igloo in which the rockets are kept, said Richard Sloan, spokesman for Blue Grass Chemical Activity, the agency that oversees chemical weapons at the depot. The rocket will be overpacked in a leak-proof container and stored in another igloo containing similar GB munitions in the next few days, Sloan said.” (Lexington Herald-Leader; 13Nov08; Ashlee Clark) http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/591243.html
The things he [the author] carried [through airport security]
“Because the TSA’s security regimen seems to be mainly thing-based—most of its 44,500 airport officers are assigned to truffle through carry-on bags for things like guns, bombs, three-ounce tubes of anthrax, Crest toothpaste, nail clippers, Snapple, and so on—I focused my efforts on bringing bad things through security in many different airports, primarily my home airport, Washington’s Reagan National, the one situated approximately 17 feet from the Pentagon, but also in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, and at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport […] During one secondary inspection […] I was wearing under my shirt […] a ‘Beerbelly,’ a neoprene sling that holds a polyurethane bladder and drinking tube. […] [which] contained two cans’ worth of Bud Light at the time of the inspection. It went undetected.” (Atlantic; Nov08; Jeffrey Goldberg) http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/airport-security
Strike anywhere at al-Qaida
“On Monday, the New York Times revealed that in the spring of 2004, Donald Rumsfeld, then the US secretary of defence, signed a secret order providing the US military with a mandate and fast-track approvals mechanism to launch raids against al-Qaida terrorists in countries outside the ‘conflict zones’ of Iraq and Afghanistan. […] The number of special forces operations launched by the US military against al-Qaida targets under the new authority appears not to have been that high: the number of such raids not previously publicly disclosed was less than a dozen. […] [I] n a speech in the British Parliament on October 31, Michael Chertoff, the US homeland security secretary, argued: ‘[…] There are areas of the world that are ungoverned or ungovernable but nevertheless technically within the sovereignty of boundaries. Does that mean we simply have to allow terrorists to operate there, in kind of badlands, where they can plan, they can set up laboratories, they can experiment with chemical weapons and with biological weapons?’ […] The Obama administration is likely to reiterate these arguments in order to keep every option on the table in the hunt for Bin Laden.” (Guardian; 12Nov08; Paul Cruickshank) http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/nov/12/barack-obama-al-qaida
Joy to the world: holiday cards for 'any soldier'
“This holiday season, Americans can send soldiers and wounded troops greeting cards — even if they don’t know their names. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the anthrax attacks, the Pentagon required that mail addressed to ‘any soldier’ be returned to the sender, leaving Americans without a way to send mail to soldiers whose names they didn’t know. […] But for a second year, an American Red Cross program is allowing the public to send holiday greeting cards that aren’t addressed to a particular soldier. The cards will be screened, sorted and distributed to military hospitals and bases nationally and overseas in time for the holidays. […] To speed delivery, mailers should not send care packages, money or any inserts, including glitter. […] In a voluntary effort, the mail service provider Pitney Bowes Inc. will screen the cards for hazardous material, and the Red Cross will sort through the cards to ensure the contents are appropriate.” (Associated Press; 12Nov08; Christine Simmons) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gaaFaQDRe6yR7RES41omQtzXtCAwD94D977O0
EDA [European Defence Agency] hosts a chemical, biological and radiological agents exercise [Namur, Belgium]
“The European Defence Agency hosts an exercise on how to deal better with the effects of Chemical, Biological and Radiological or Nuclear (CBRN) agents, in Jambes, Namur, from 11 to 13 November, bringing together about 100 experts from its participating Member States. […] Having worked for two years to develop procedures and practices, they are now being put into practice at a high level headquarters based exercise. military experts from across the European Union are gathered to refine these procedures and to exchange ideas on the best way to address an attack of this nature. Although primarily focused on deployed operations, the exercise takes the opportunity to share ideas on homeland defence from different European institutions and other agencies. Representatives from NATO are also sharing their experiences and ensuring that their work goes hand in hand with that the European Defence Agency.” (European Defence Agency News; 12Nov08)
http://www.eda.europa.eu/newsitem.aspx?id=428
Five passports are lost in the post every day by Home Office raising fears they're falling into criminal hands
“Figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats reveal that between 2001 and 2007, government officials lost 12,200 passports in the post. Since February 2004, when the Identity and Passport Service - a Home Office agency - ditched Royal Mail and awarded a multi-million-pound contract to a courier service to deliver the documents, 3,000 have gone missing. […] Blank passports are particularly desirable to fraudsters as they can be used to create an entirely new identity, and used to open bank accounts, obtain thousands of pounds in credit and access public services. But security experts have also warned that if the documents fell into the hands of terrorists and other criminals, they would yield a host of technological secrets and allow fraudsters to produce their own versions. […] Dhiren Barot, an al-Qaeda chief convicted of plotting to kill thousands of Londoners with a radioactive 'dirty bomb', was issued with nine British passports - two using false identities and seven in his own name before his arrest in August 2004.” (Daily Mail; 12Nov08; Ian Drury) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1085160/FIVE-passports-lost-post-day-Home-Office-raising-fears-theyre-falling-criminal-hands.html
3 Pa. [Pennsylvania] courthouses receive anthrax scare letters
“Identical letters sent to three Pennsylvania county courthouses this week mentioned anthrax but did not contain the poisonous substance. The letters were received in Jefferson and Pike counties on Tuesday and Schuylkill County on Wednesday, said Reggie Wade, spokesman for U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Philadelphia. […] Wade said there have been about 19,000 incidents in which unknown substances, threats or anthrax references have been sent through the mail since fatal anthrax mailings targeted media organizations and Congress in October 2001. All have been false alarms or hoaxes.” (Fulton County News; 13Nov08; Source: AP) http://www.fultoncountynews.com/news/2008/1113/church_news/111.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.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
TERRORISM, CRIME & BUSINESS SYMPOSIUM
Terrorism, Crime and Business Symposium: Understanding the Fundamental Legal and Security Liability Issues for American Business
March 5th-6th, 2009
Federal Reserve Bank, Houston Branch
1801 Allen Parkway
Houston, Texas
Symposium Focus:
This first of its kind symposium presents a unique opportunity for American business entities to receive critical information on the emerging area of civil liability lawsuits brought by victims of terror or Crime against an "affected target," i.e., a particular business. Not only will internationally recognized subject matter experts in law and security provide the latest developments in this area, but participants will receive actionable information regarding specific ways that businesses - both in the United States and overseas - can mitigate potential legal liability as a result of acts of Terrorism or Crime. The symposium focuses on these issues as they operate in both cyberspace and the physical world.
Events at a Glance:
An overview of the aims and objectives of the global terror threat posed by al-Qa'eda-styled terror groups, sub-State terror groups, and "lone-wolf" terrorists.
An analysis of the specific threats to American business sectors that are deemed part of the nation's "critical infrastructure," i.e., energy, petrochemical, electric utilities, communication, transportation, health, banking and finance, agriculture, water and shipping.
An understanding of the varied legal issues associated with Terrorism and criminal negligence claims against businesses that have suffered a terror attack or serious criminal act in cyberspace or the physical world.
A comprehensive overview of how to develop appropriate physical security methods.
Location, Cost and Registration:
The symposium will be held from March 5-6, 2009, at the Federal Reserve Bank, 1801 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. The registration fee is $300, which includes breakout refreshments, a hosted lunch, and extensive printed materials, e.g., Terrorism Law: Materials, Cases, Comments 5th Edition. Participants may qualify for Continuing Legal Education Units (CLE). For registration information and details, contact Faithe Campbell at (210) 431-2219 or fcampbell@stmarytx.edu.
March 5th-6th, 2009
Federal Reserve Bank, Houston Branch
1801 Allen Parkway
Houston, Texas
Symposium Focus:
This first of its kind symposium presents a unique opportunity for American business entities to receive critical information on the emerging area of civil liability lawsuits brought by victims of terror or Crime against an "affected target," i.e., a particular business. Not only will internationally recognized subject matter experts in law and security provide the latest developments in this area, but participants will receive actionable information regarding specific ways that businesses - both in the United States and overseas - can mitigate potential legal liability as a result of acts of Terrorism or Crime. The symposium focuses on these issues as they operate in both cyberspace and the physical world.
Events at a Glance:
An overview of the aims and objectives of the global terror threat posed by al-Qa'eda-styled terror groups, sub-State terror groups, and "lone-wolf" terrorists.
An analysis of the specific threats to American business sectors that are deemed part of the nation's "critical infrastructure," i.e., energy, petrochemical, electric utilities, communication, transportation, health, banking and finance, agriculture, water and shipping.
An understanding of the varied legal issues associated with Terrorism and criminal negligence claims against businesses that have suffered a terror attack or serious criminal act in cyberspace or the physical world.
A comprehensive overview of how to develop appropriate physical security methods.
Location, Cost and Registration:
The symposium will be held from March 5-6, 2009, at the Federal Reserve Bank, 1801 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. The registration fee is $300, which includes breakout refreshments, a hosted lunch, and extensive printed materials, e.g., Terrorism Law: Materials, Cases, Comments 5th Edition. Participants may qualify for Continuing Legal Education Units (CLE). For registration information and details, contact Faithe Campbell at (210) 431-2219 or fcampbell@stmarytx.edu.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- November 5, 2008
U.S. snaps up [Bacillus Anthracis] scanner
“Clients included hazardous materials teams in major American cities and US defence agencies, [Andrew Rudge] said. Existing technologies and products took between 30 minutes and three days to do the same job and destroyed the sample so it could not be tested further. […] ‘It's simple to use analysis begins with the press of a single button and it returns a spores detected or no spores detected result within minutes. That saves both time and money in terms of disruptions and evacuations, because security staff get immediate feedback on whether they are dealing with a hoax or the real thing.’ [according to Veritide chief executive officer Andrew Rudge] […] There were plans to extend the Scout's detection capability to include other dangerous biological threats such as ricin.” (The Press, New Zealand; 05Nov08; Rebecca Todd) http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4749967a6530.html
Media makes infectious diseases seem much worse
“Popular media coverage of infectious diseases makes them seem worse than they are, according to a new Canadian study. Diseases that surface frequently in the print media -like bird flu - are considered more serious than similar diseases that do not receive the same kind of coverage, such as yellow fever, according to the research. ‘The media tend to focus on rare and dramatic events,’ said Meredith Young, co-author and graduate in the department of psychology, neuroscience & behaviour, McMaster University. […] ‘Another interesting aspect of the study is when we presented factual information about the diseases along with the names of them, the media effect wasn't nearly as strong,’ said Karin Humphries a co-author [of the study].” (Microsoft News; 04Nov08; Source: Indo-Asian News Service) http://lifestyle.in.msn.com/health/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1692100
Flu clinic becomes emergency drill [Frederick County, Maryland]
“Monday's flu clinic took the form of an emergency preparedness drill, and more than 360 health department employees and a handful of other county agencies participated to help ensure the county is ready for a medical emergency. Jurisdictions are required to hold preparedness drills every year to retain their funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said Barbara Rosvold, the health department's public health preparedness and response director. For most people, a flu pandemic is the first type of medical emergency that comes to mind, but the department would activate the same response system during situations such as a smallpox outbreak or anthrax exposure. […] The drill also put to the test the department's emergency communication systems, including landlines, cell phones, TalkAbouts and 800-megahertz radios. Amateur radios were used this year for the first time; the radios proved to be the most reliable form of communication in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Rosvold said.” (Frederick News-Post; 04Nov08; Ashley Andyshak)
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1510393
Select agent, man [discusses removal of citrus greening bacteria from select agent list]
“Just in time for the $20 million citrus greening research push from the Florida Department of Citrus and the Florida Citrus Production Research Advisory Council, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has agreed to take the citrus greening bacteria off the federal Bioterrorism Select Agent list. […] The greening bacteria was put on the list before it became endemic in Florida precisely to prevent its introduction into the U.S.
Once it became endemic, that served no further purpose […] Effective Nov.17, all three strains of the greening bacteria will not be on the select agent list. […] Now scientists conducting greening research can expand their efforts free of the strict constraints of the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002.” (Ledger; 03Nov08; Kevin Bouffard)
http://citruspulpwash.theledger.com/default.asp?item=2280985
Scientists slam FBI anthrax probe [of Bruce Ivins] “
It was an open-and-shut case, the FBI said. But three months after agents pinned the post-9/11 anthrax mailings on Army scientist Bruce Ivins - who committed suicide as the FBI closed in on him - his former colleagues have approached a lawyer to sue the feds for fingering the wrong man, The Post has learned. […] The move by the Army scientists comes on the heels of a Senate Judiciary Committee demand for an independent review of the case following a hearing with FBI Director Robert Mueller in which committee members called the bureau's case an ‘open matter.’ The bureau has named a panel of independent scientists to review the evidence against Ivins - a probe that will take six to 18 months. Sen. Patrick Leahy, a target of the 2001 anthrax attacks, said at the Judiciary Committee hearings that he doubted Ivins, who worked at Fort Detrick, Md., could have acted alone and that he believes ‘there are others who could be charged with murder.’”
(Military.com; 03Nov08; Source: New York Post) http://www.military.com/news/article/scientists-slam-fbi-anthrax-probe.html?col=1186032310810
Man [Fernando Gomez] dies from anthrax exposure [Hackney, London]
“The Health Protection Agency has announced the death of a patient who inhaled anthrax. The Agency is now carrying out an investigation to identify where the anthrax originated from. A team wearing protective clothing will carry out tests at the deceased man’s workshop in Hackney, London. […] The HPA has also been following up any contacts of the patient who may have been explosed [sic] to the anthrax spores by being in the same room as the patient, when animal skins were being prepared to be made into drums (believed to be the source of the contamination).” (OnMedica News; 04Nov08)
http://www.onmedica.com/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=8472a1ab-d054-43ae-9313-2885177a3268
How dangerous is drum making? [relating to anthrax exposure]
“A second drum maker in two years has died after apparently inhaling anthrax spores from animal skins. What are the risks of this seemingly safe job? Fernando Gomez had been in intensive care for more than a week after handling animal skins at his drum-making workshop in London. But his condition deteriorated over the weekend and the 35-year-old died from inhalation anthrax on Sunday night. Two years earlier, Christopher Norris, a craftsman from Scotland, died after inhaling anthrax. But are these cases a coincidence or a cause for alarm? In the UK, the death of Mr. Gomez is the second case in more than 30 years. Across the world, there are four other known cases since 1974 of drum makers dying from anthrax.” (BBC; 03Nov08)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7706239.stm
Expert: Egypt modernizing Army, but committed to peace
“Egypt's military is gradually doing away with dated Soviet equipment and replacing them with superior American F-16 fighter jets, Apache combat helicopters and Abrams tanks, according to arms control expert Prof. Yiftah Shapir of Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Securities Studies. […] As for unconventional weapons, Egypt may have researched and produced chemical warfare agents and stockpiled mustard and nerve agents, although this has not been confirmed. It is thought to possess 190 scud-type missiles. […] Shapir said he was not overly concerned by reports of Egyptian military drills in which Israel was the simulated enemy. ‘There is no military force other than Israel on their borders, so the drills are simulated with Israel in mind. Every Army undergoes drills and builds up plans. The Egyptian Army is looking at Israel's capabilities, not its intentions. Egypt believes Israel is fully interested in safeguarding the status quo, and Israel believes the same of Egypt. But the Egyptian military cannot ignore its next door neighbor's military and act as if it is neutral,’ Shapir said. He added that Israel, too, trained for scenarios involving the Egyptian military. ‘We can't expect things to be any different,’ he said. ‘We are not in the European Union. Before the current era, and before the world wars, European powers held drills with their neighbors in mind.’” (Jerusalem Post; 02Nov08; Yaakov Lappin) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1225199631823&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
OPCW Director-General addresses the Sixty-Third Session of the United Nations General Assembly
“On 3 November 2008, the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter addressed the 63rd Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, on the theme ‘Cooperation between the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).’ […] he gave an overview of the progress made in the destruction of declared chemical weapons. He noted that the OPCW had verified the destruction of more than 41% of the total stockpiles declared by six States Parties and that two of the six declared possessors — Albania and A State Party — had completely fulfilled their destruction obligations under the Convention. […] Director-General Pfirter also referred to the importance of developing the industry verification regime in a manner that is responsive to the need of ensuring the long term validity of the Convention’s non-proliferation objectives. […] Director-General Pfirter further drew attention to the Organisation’s international cooperation and assistance programmes, including periodic field exercises for the delivery of assistance in case of use of chemical weapons that the OPCW carries out in collaboration with the UN and other international organisations. He informed the UN General Assembly that the next such exercise is scheduled to be held in Tunisia in 2010.” (OPCW News; 04Nov08) http://www.opcw.org/news/news/article/opcw-director-general-addresses-the-sixty-third-session-of-the-united-nations-general-assembly/
Attorneys file suit to stop burning at Umatilla Chemical Depot
“Attorneys for the Government Accountability Project have filed a lawsuit to stop a plan by Oregon agencies to incinerate the Umatilla Chemical Depot's cache of World War Two mustard agent. The suit was filed in the Multonomah County, Ore., state circuit court by the watchdog group's attorneys on behalf of Hermiston-based GASP, the Oregon Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club and six Umatilla County and Morrow County residents. […] The Government Accountability Project, or GAP, is concerned that some of the mustard agent is contaminated with mercury and other hazardous wastes. It believes the mercury would not be fully captured by the filter systems currently in place or planned for the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility. Department of Environmental Quality […] has given approval for using enhanced carbon filters for incineration of mustard gas after the department studied options. […] More than 60 percent of the chemical agent stockpile at the depot is mustard agent, according to GAP. However, the Army has identified containers contaminated with mercury and they comprise 16 percent of the total.” (Tri-City Herald; 04Nov08; Annette Cary)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1406/story/372918.html
A learning experience at mock disaster [Blue Grass Army Depot, Kentucky]
“Twenty-seven observers from across the country came to observe Madison County’s emergency response personnel in a mock disaster scenario. […] A ton bulk agent container filled with GB nerve agent byproducts was being transported to the depot’s demilitarization building (which, in reality, is in the process of being constructed) where it was to be destroyed. During the transport, the container was spilled and nerve agent was released. […] While workers were cleaning the spill and filtering the nerve agent vapors from the igloo, another storage igloo at the depot was struck by lightening, causing a small fire inside the igloo. […] All workers and volunteers performed very well in each scenario to make sure the community remained safe, [Carl] Richards [county EMA director] said. […] Various schools throughout Richmond and Berea participated by practicing the ‘shelter-in-place’ drill where students and faculty are to go to the closest place that can be sealed off from outside air and has few or no windows.” (Richmond Register; 30Oct08; Ronica Shannon) http://www.richmondregister.com/homepage/local_story_304082725.html?keyword=leadpicturestory
PharmAthene initiates Phase I study of nerve agent bioscavenger
“The randomized, placebo-controlled, third-party double-blind, dose escalating Phase I clinical trial will study Protexia administered intramuscularly at one and two time points in healthy human volunteers. Approximately 32 subjects will participate in the study, comprised of healthy male and female volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 years who are willing to give informed consent and are in general good health. […] The primary endpoint of the study is an evaluation of the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity of escalating single doses of Protexia given intramuscularly in healthy human volunteers. […] Protexia, which is produced in the milk of transgenic goats, is a recombinant version of human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), which has been shown to be effective in animal models in preventing toxicity from exposure to chemical nerve agents.” (Pharmaceutical Business Review;
30Oct08)
http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/article_news.asp?guid=33DAABC4-56C7-4A68-BA5F-DBE60B23D339
Detecting illicit nuclear materials takes layered approach
“The nuclear threat is something we really have to pay attention to, said Mike Johnson, mission area manager for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Of all the types of terrorist attacks that could involve nuclear material, the most likely is a ‘dirty bomb' that is composed of a source of radiation surrounded by a conventional explosive such as TNT. Furthermore, Johnson said, the approach to preventing such an attack has to be layered. […] Part of DNDO's mission is to test, recommend and buy detection equipment for government agencies such as Customs and Border Patrol as well as the Coast Guard. The agency is pretty satisfied with the current state of cargo security at points of entry along the nation's borders, Johnson told an audience of Homeland Security practitioners and technology providers at the 10th annual Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness in Chicago last week. The DNDO's next focus will be to improve cargo screening of small private planes and yachts coming into the United States through non-points of entry.” (Government Technology; 04Nov08; Corey McKenna) http://www.govtech.com/gt/427950?topic=117680
CIA officers could face torture trial in Britain
“British officials are considering bringing criminal charges against senior CIA officers for the abduction and torture of a British resident now incarcerated at Guantanamo. […] In April 2002, Binyam Mohamed was arrested in Karachi, Pakistan after attempting to board a flight to London with a fake British passport. American authorities informed British counterparts Mohamed was plotting to build and detonate a ‘dirty bomb.’ […] Lawyers representing Mr. Mohamed have sued, on Mohamed's behalf, British intelligence forces for their part in his detention and purported torture. British judges overseeing the case and having received secret evidence, have become increasingly critical of U.S. conduct and are now considering charging American forces for their culpability in Mr. Mohamed's abuse.” (Examiner; 03Nov08; Jay McDonough) http://www.examiner.com/x-243-Progressive-Politics-Examiner~y2008m11d3-torture
Cases against detainees have thinned
“The six Algerians were scooped up in Bosnia and shuttled to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in early 2002. Days later, President Bush proclaimed in his State of the Union address that the men had been plotting to blow up the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo. The case would seem to be an easy victory for the Bush administration, which is preparing to defend the men's lengthy detentions in landmark federal court proceedings scheduled to begin this week. But the government is backpedaling. The charges of plotting to blow up the embassy have been dropped. […] The government recently also has withdrawn allegations that another detainee is linked to a high-profile ‘dirty bomb’ plot. Together, the legal moves raise questions about the government's claims over the years that it has disrupted imminent terrorism threats.” (Washington Post; 02Nov08; Del Quentin Wilber) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/01/AR2008110102018.html?hpid=topnews
The horror of U.S. depleted uranium in Iraq threatens the world
“Doctors in Iraq have estimated that birth defects have increased by 2-6 times, and 3-12 times as many children have developed cancer and leukemia since 1991. Moreover, a report published in The Lancet in 1998 said that as many as 500 children a day are dying from these sequels to war and sanctions and that the death rate for Iraqi children under 5 years of age increased from 23 per 1000 in 1989 to 166 per thousand in 1993. […] On hearing that [depleted uranium] DU had been used in the Persian Gulf in 1991, the UK Atomic Energy Authority sent the Ministry of Defense a special report on the potential damage to health and the environment. It said that it could cause half a million additional cancer deaths in Iraq over 10 years. […] Britain and America not only used DU in this year’s Iraq war, they dramatically increased its use — from a minimum of 320 tons in the previous war (1991) to a minimum-of 1500 tons in this one (2003).”
(Tehran Times; 01Nov08)
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=181303
Mercy [hospital in Roseburg, Oregon] uses grant dollars to prepare for disasters
“For the simulation exercise, Ray was a bus driver who was injured when a bomb exploded on the bus he was driving. The 48-year-old was the only patient the Umpqua Community College students had to treat, but he was involved in a mass-casualty incident, and the students had to respond accordingly. The exercise Thursday morning gave the students and Mercy Medical Center staff a chance to show state and federal Department of Human Services officials how several years of grant dollars have been used. […] The hospital has used grant funding to purchase decontamination shelters, portable ventilators, isolation gowns and chemical resistant suits, among other gear, that could be used by staff responding to various chemical exposures, from anthrax to pesticide, Bones said. The money has also purchased satellite phones and other communication equipment that would likely be needed for security and incident command in a natural disaster, she said. […] The training not only prepares the staff for local emergencies, but also provides preparation for regional and statewide emergencies, DePew said.” (News-Review; 03Nov08; Marissa Harshman) http://www.nrtoday.com/article/20081103/NEWS/810319920/1063/NEWS&ParentProfile=1055&title=Mercy%20uses%20grant%20dollars%20to%20prepare%20for%20disasters
Canada Preparing for WMD Strikes at 2010 Olympics
“The threat of WMD attacks has long been a focus of the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit, a group overseen by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The team would not reveal any of its specific preparations for such incidents, threats that it said have taken high priority since Vancouver was awarded the 2010 Olympics four years ago. […] More than 100 Canadian emergency responders and military personnel this week were briefed on potential attacks at the Olympics that could involve deadly materials such as ricin, mustard blister agent, sarin nerve agent or radiological and nuclear substances. They were also provided information on ‘multithreat detection systems’ capable of scanning for WMD ingredients across large areas.” (NTI: Global Security Newswire; 30Oct08) http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20081030_6762.php
FBI investigating envelopes of white powder in Ocala [Florida]
“The FBI is investigating the mailing of several envelopes containing white powder in Marion County. […] On Monday, local fire rescue teams responded to schools, churches, libraries, a day care center, funeral home and the county elections office. All had received suspicious envelopes. Similar mailings are expected to be delivered on Tuesday. Marion County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Heather Danenhower says it appears the envelopes were sent by the same mailer, using what’s believed to be a fake Ocala return address and the name Osama bin Laden, which was misspelled.” (Ledger; 04Nov08; Source: AP)
http://www.theledger.com/article/20081104/NEWS/811040248/-1/WIRE04?Title=FBI_Investigating_Envelopes_of_White_Powder_in_Ocala
[Indy] Star locked down after letter labeled 'anthrax' arrives [Indianapolis, Indiana]
“Several hundred employees at The Indianapolis Star were locked down for more than two hours late Monday afternoon while Police and health officials investigated a mysterious envelope that arrived at the newspaper's Downtown office. The mailing, which had a return address under the name MK Publishing in Sacramento, Calif., was similar to anthrax hoax mailings that have been sent to newspapers across the country. […] Monday, representatives from the Marion County Health Department and Indianapolis Fire Department tested samples of the substance for radioactivity and toxic industrial chemicals, both of which were negative, said Jeff Larmore, manager of hazardous materials with the Health Department. The building lockdown ended about 7:15 p.m. Larmore said that because the threat was similar to others that have taken place and the substance was not released, the risk of exposure was minimal.” (Indy Star; 04Nov08; Francesca Jarosz) http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081104/NEWS02/811040380
[Florida] State senator [Evelyn Lynn, Rep., Dist. 7] victim of white powder hoax
“Sen. Evelyn Lynn [FL] is the latest victim in the white powder hoax, officials here said earlier today. Lynn received an envelope at her post office box address in Ormond Beach on Monday, but had not actually looked at it until this morning when she arrived at her Daytona Beach office, Police and fire officials said. Police investigator Jimmie Flynt said Lynn never opened the envelope, but realized something was amiss when she held it up to the light. […] Godawa said the powdery substance inside the envelope sent to Lynn was ‘non-threatening.’ Recently, white powder-filled envelopes were sent to Rep. Tom Feeney's offices in Port Orange, Orlando and Titusville. The FBI is also investigating the mailing of several envelopes containing white powder in Marion County.” (News-Journal Online; 04Nov08; Lyda Longa) http://www.news-journalonline.com/newsjournalonline/breakingnews/powder110408.htm
Patrick Swayze unhurt in Berwyn [Illinois] Police hazmat scare
“The arrival of a parcel of suspect white powder led Berwyn Police to quarantine four employees and a Comcast employee who brought the package into the station Tuesday. But Hollywood actor Patrick Swayze, who happened to be in the west suburban station house filming a movie, didn't come into contact with the powder, which Police later determined was corn starch. The incident began at 3:35 p.m., when the Comcast worker entered the Berwyn Police Department headquarters with a box that was leaking a white powder, Police Chief William Kushner said.” (Chicago Tribune; 04Nov08; Joseph Ruzich) http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/11/patrick-swayze-unhurt-in-berwyn-police-hazmat-scare.html
Letter received by The [Providence] Journal tested negative for anthrax
“Test results confirmed a package that was labeled anthrax and mailed to The Providence Journal last week was sugar, the FBI said today. test results for a similar letter received by the Newport Daily News were negative for anthrax or other biological agents, said Annemarie Beardsworth, a state Department of Health spokeswoman. The Providence Journal and Newport Daily News are among more than three dozen media outlets around the country that have received hoax letters containing packets of sugar that were labeled anthrax. A California man was arrested last week on three counts of sending hoax anthrax threats by mail. […] Keyser, 66, had already been interviewed by the FBI in January 2007 for allegedly sending a package containing a small aerosol can labeled ‘Anthrax,’ along with a compact disc, to the Sacramento News and Review newspaper, according a criminal complaint filed Thursday in federal court, the Associated Press reported.” (Providence Journal; 03Nov08; Maria Armental)
http://newsblog.projo.com/2008/11/hoax-letter-rec.html#422524
Pioneer Press [Minnesota] receives envelope labeled anthrax
“Saint Paul Police and the FBI are investigating another envelope containing a suspicious white powder labeled ‘anthrax’ that was mailed to the St. Paul Pioneer Press this weekend. […] The incident follows a string of anthrax scares at other newspapers across the country, including the Minneapolis Star Tribune. […] Pete Crum of the Saint Paul Police department says the department is working with the FBI, the Postal Inspector and the Minnesota Department of Health to test the powder. ‘The Saint Paul Police and fire responded to the Pioneer Press building. Initial tests showed it to be sugar. It will be sent on to the department of health for further testing,’ said Crum.” (Minnesota Public Radio; 02Nov08) http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/11/02/pioneer_press_envelope_labeled_anthrax/
Bail set at $25K for Calif. anthrax scare suspect
“A federal judge has set bond at $25,000 for the man suspected of mailing more than 120 hoax anthrax letters nationwide. U.S. Magistrate Kimberly Mueller said the bond for 66-year-old Marc M. Keyser must be co-signed by Keyser's sister and brother-in-law. Mueller also barred Keyser from any activities intended to draw responses to a biochemical hazard. […] ‘He appears to think he has a right to go on a mission to call attention to this issue,’ [Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin] Wagner said, referring to biohazard threats. ‘I think his motivation is to generate traffic to his Web site and sell his book.’ […] Keyser's next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 19.” (Google News; 01Nov08; Source: AP) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gOEvESecTFU0-uVQs-DC7jC19V0gD945QK7G0
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.
“Clients included hazardous materials teams in major American cities and US defence agencies, [Andrew Rudge] said. Existing technologies and products took between 30 minutes and three days to do the same job and destroyed the sample so it could not be tested further. […] ‘It's simple to use analysis begins with the press of a single button and it returns a spores detected or no spores detected result within minutes. That saves both time and money in terms of disruptions and evacuations, because security staff get immediate feedback on whether they are dealing with a hoax or the real thing.’ [according to Veritide chief executive officer Andrew Rudge] […] There were plans to extend the Scout's detection capability to include other dangerous biological threats such as ricin.” (The Press, New Zealand; 05Nov08; Rebecca Todd) http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4749967a6530.html
Media makes infectious diseases seem much worse
“Popular media coverage of infectious diseases makes them seem worse than they are, according to a new Canadian study. Diseases that surface frequently in the print media -like bird flu - are considered more serious than similar diseases that do not receive the same kind of coverage, such as yellow fever, according to the research. ‘The media tend to focus on rare and dramatic events,’ said Meredith Young, co-author and graduate in the department of psychology, neuroscience & behaviour, McMaster University. […] ‘Another interesting aspect of the study is when we presented factual information about the diseases along with the names of them, the media effect wasn't nearly as strong,’ said Karin Humphries a co-author [of the study].” (Microsoft News; 04Nov08; Source: Indo-Asian News Service) http://lifestyle.in.msn.com/health/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1692100
Flu clinic becomes emergency drill [Frederick County, Maryland]
“Monday's flu clinic took the form of an emergency preparedness drill, and more than 360 health department employees and a handful of other county agencies participated to help ensure the county is ready for a medical emergency. Jurisdictions are required to hold preparedness drills every year to retain their funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said Barbara Rosvold, the health department's public health preparedness and response director. For most people, a flu pandemic is the first type of medical emergency that comes to mind, but the department would activate the same response system during situations such as a smallpox outbreak or anthrax exposure. […] The drill also put to the test the department's emergency communication systems, including landlines, cell phones, TalkAbouts and 800-megahertz radios. Amateur radios were used this year for the first time; the radios proved to be the most reliable form of communication in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Rosvold said.” (Frederick News-Post; 04Nov08; Ashley Andyshak)
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1510393
Select agent, man [discusses removal of citrus greening bacteria from select agent list]
“Just in time for the $20 million citrus greening research push from the Florida Department of Citrus and the Florida Citrus Production Research Advisory Council, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has agreed to take the citrus greening bacteria off the federal Bioterrorism Select Agent list. […] The greening bacteria was put on the list before it became endemic in Florida precisely to prevent its introduction into the U.S.
Once it became endemic, that served no further purpose […] Effective Nov.17, all three strains of the greening bacteria will not be on the select agent list. […] Now scientists conducting greening research can expand their efforts free of the strict constraints of the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002.” (Ledger; 03Nov08; Kevin Bouffard)
http://citruspulpwash.theledger.com/default.asp?item=2280985
Scientists slam FBI anthrax probe [of Bruce Ivins] “
It was an open-and-shut case, the FBI said. But three months after agents pinned the post-9/11 anthrax mailings on Army scientist Bruce Ivins - who committed suicide as the FBI closed in on him - his former colleagues have approached a lawyer to sue the feds for fingering the wrong man, The Post has learned. […] The move by the Army scientists comes on the heels of a Senate Judiciary Committee demand for an independent review of the case following a hearing with FBI Director Robert Mueller in which committee members called the bureau's case an ‘open matter.’ The bureau has named a panel of independent scientists to review the evidence against Ivins - a probe that will take six to 18 months. Sen. Patrick Leahy, a target of the 2001 anthrax attacks, said at the Judiciary Committee hearings that he doubted Ivins, who worked at Fort Detrick, Md., could have acted alone and that he believes ‘there are others who could be charged with murder.’”
(Military.com; 03Nov08; Source: New York Post) http://www.military.com/news/article/scientists-slam-fbi-anthrax-probe.html?col=1186032310810
Man [Fernando Gomez] dies from anthrax exposure [Hackney, London]
“The Health Protection Agency has announced the death of a patient who inhaled anthrax. The Agency is now carrying out an investigation to identify where the anthrax originated from. A team wearing protective clothing will carry out tests at the deceased man’s workshop in Hackney, London. […] The HPA has also been following up any contacts of the patient who may have been explosed [sic] to the anthrax spores by being in the same room as the patient, when animal skins were being prepared to be made into drums (believed to be the source of the contamination).” (OnMedica News; 04Nov08)
http://www.onmedica.com/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=8472a1ab-d054-43ae-9313-2885177a3268
How dangerous is drum making? [relating to anthrax exposure]
“A second drum maker in two years has died after apparently inhaling anthrax spores from animal skins. What are the risks of this seemingly safe job? Fernando Gomez had been in intensive care for more than a week after handling animal skins at his drum-making workshop in London. But his condition deteriorated over the weekend and the 35-year-old died from inhalation anthrax on Sunday night. Two years earlier, Christopher Norris, a craftsman from Scotland, died after inhaling anthrax. But are these cases a coincidence or a cause for alarm? In the UK, the death of Mr. Gomez is the second case in more than 30 years. Across the world, there are four other known cases since 1974 of drum makers dying from anthrax.” (BBC; 03Nov08)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7706239.stm
Expert: Egypt modernizing Army, but committed to peace
“Egypt's military is gradually doing away with dated Soviet equipment and replacing them with superior American F-16 fighter jets, Apache combat helicopters and Abrams tanks, according to arms control expert Prof. Yiftah Shapir of Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Securities Studies. […] As for unconventional weapons, Egypt may have researched and produced chemical warfare agents and stockpiled mustard and nerve agents, although this has not been confirmed. It is thought to possess 190 scud-type missiles. […] Shapir said he was not overly concerned by reports of Egyptian military drills in which Israel was the simulated enemy. ‘There is no military force other than Israel on their borders, so the drills are simulated with Israel in mind. Every Army undergoes drills and builds up plans. The Egyptian Army is looking at Israel's capabilities, not its intentions. Egypt believes Israel is fully interested in safeguarding the status quo, and Israel believes the same of Egypt. But the Egyptian military cannot ignore its next door neighbor's military and act as if it is neutral,’ Shapir said. He added that Israel, too, trained for scenarios involving the Egyptian military. ‘We can't expect things to be any different,’ he said. ‘We are not in the European Union. Before the current era, and before the world wars, European powers held drills with their neighbors in mind.’” (Jerusalem Post; 02Nov08; Yaakov Lappin) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1225199631823&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
OPCW Director-General addresses the Sixty-Third Session of the United Nations General Assembly
“On 3 November 2008, the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter addressed the 63rd Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, on the theme ‘Cooperation between the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).’ […] he gave an overview of the progress made in the destruction of declared chemical weapons. He noted that the OPCW had verified the destruction of more than 41% of the total stockpiles declared by six States Parties and that two of the six declared possessors — Albania and A State Party — had completely fulfilled their destruction obligations under the Convention. […] Director-General Pfirter also referred to the importance of developing the industry verification regime in a manner that is responsive to the need of ensuring the long term validity of the Convention’s non-proliferation objectives. […] Director-General Pfirter further drew attention to the Organisation’s international cooperation and assistance programmes, including periodic field exercises for the delivery of assistance in case of use of chemical weapons that the OPCW carries out in collaboration with the UN and other international organisations. He informed the UN General Assembly that the next such exercise is scheduled to be held in Tunisia in 2010.” (OPCW News; 04Nov08) http://www.opcw.org/news/news/article/opcw-director-general-addresses-the-sixty-third-session-of-the-united-nations-general-assembly/
Attorneys file suit to stop burning at Umatilla Chemical Depot
“Attorneys for the Government Accountability Project have filed a lawsuit to stop a plan by Oregon agencies to incinerate the Umatilla Chemical Depot's cache of World War Two mustard agent. The suit was filed in the Multonomah County, Ore., state circuit court by the watchdog group's attorneys on behalf of Hermiston-based GASP, the Oregon Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club and six Umatilla County and Morrow County residents. […] The Government Accountability Project, or GAP, is concerned that some of the mustard agent is contaminated with mercury and other hazardous wastes. It believes the mercury would not be fully captured by the filter systems currently in place or planned for the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility. Department of Environmental Quality […] has given approval for using enhanced carbon filters for incineration of mustard gas after the department studied options. […] More than 60 percent of the chemical agent stockpile at the depot is mustard agent, according to GAP. However, the Army has identified containers contaminated with mercury and they comprise 16 percent of the total.” (Tri-City Herald; 04Nov08; Annette Cary)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1406/story/372918.html
A learning experience at mock disaster [Blue Grass Army Depot, Kentucky]
“Twenty-seven observers from across the country came to observe Madison County’s emergency response personnel in a mock disaster scenario. […] A ton bulk agent container filled with GB nerve agent byproducts was being transported to the depot’s demilitarization building (which, in reality, is in the process of being constructed) where it was to be destroyed. During the transport, the container was spilled and nerve agent was released. […] While workers were cleaning the spill and filtering the nerve agent vapors from the igloo, another storage igloo at the depot was struck by lightening, causing a small fire inside the igloo. […] All workers and volunteers performed very well in each scenario to make sure the community remained safe, [Carl] Richards [county EMA director] said. […] Various schools throughout Richmond and Berea participated by practicing the ‘shelter-in-place’ drill where students and faculty are to go to the closest place that can be sealed off from outside air and has few or no windows.” (Richmond Register; 30Oct08; Ronica Shannon) http://www.richmondregister.com/homepage/local_story_304082725.html?keyword=leadpicturestory
PharmAthene initiates Phase I study of nerve agent bioscavenger
“The randomized, placebo-controlled, third-party double-blind, dose escalating Phase I clinical trial will study Protexia administered intramuscularly at one and two time points in healthy human volunteers. Approximately 32 subjects will participate in the study, comprised of healthy male and female volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 years who are willing to give informed consent and are in general good health. […] The primary endpoint of the study is an evaluation of the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity of escalating single doses of Protexia given intramuscularly in healthy human volunteers. […] Protexia, which is produced in the milk of transgenic goats, is a recombinant version of human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), which has been shown to be effective in animal models in preventing toxicity from exposure to chemical nerve agents.” (Pharmaceutical Business Review;
30Oct08)
http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/article_news.asp?guid=33DAABC4-56C7-4A68-BA5F-DBE60B23D339
Detecting illicit nuclear materials takes layered approach
“The nuclear threat is something we really have to pay attention to, said Mike Johnson, mission area manager for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Of all the types of terrorist attacks that could involve nuclear material, the most likely is a ‘dirty bomb' that is composed of a source of radiation surrounded by a conventional explosive such as TNT. Furthermore, Johnson said, the approach to preventing such an attack has to be layered. […] Part of DNDO's mission is to test, recommend and buy detection equipment for government agencies such as Customs and Border Patrol as well as the Coast Guard. The agency is pretty satisfied with the current state of cargo security at points of entry along the nation's borders, Johnson told an audience of Homeland Security practitioners and technology providers at the 10th annual Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness in Chicago last week. The DNDO's next focus will be to improve cargo screening of small private planes and yachts coming into the United States through non-points of entry.” (Government Technology; 04Nov08; Corey McKenna) http://www.govtech.com/gt/427950?topic=117680
CIA officers could face torture trial in Britain
“British officials are considering bringing criminal charges against senior CIA officers for the abduction and torture of a British resident now incarcerated at Guantanamo. […] In April 2002, Binyam Mohamed was arrested in Karachi, Pakistan after attempting to board a flight to London with a fake British passport. American authorities informed British counterparts Mohamed was plotting to build and detonate a ‘dirty bomb.’ […] Lawyers representing Mr. Mohamed have sued, on Mohamed's behalf, British intelligence forces for their part in his detention and purported torture. British judges overseeing the case and having received secret evidence, have become increasingly critical of U.S. conduct and are now considering charging American forces for their culpability in Mr. Mohamed's abuse.” (Examiner; 03Nov08; Jay McDonough) http://www.examiner.com/x-243-Progressive-Politics-Examiner~y2008m11d3-torture
Cases against detainees have thinned
“The six Algerians were scooped up in Bosnia and shuttled to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in early 2002. Days later, President Bush proclaimed in his State of the Union address that the men had been plotting to blow up the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo. The case would seem to be an easy victory for the Bush administration, which is preparing to defend the men's lengthy detentions in landmark federal court proceedings scheduled to begin this week. But the government is backpedaling. The charges of plotting to blow up the embassy have been dropped. […] The government recently also has withdrawn allegations that another detainee is linked to a high-profile ‘dirty bomb’ plot. Together, the legal moves raise questions about the government's claims over the years that it has disrupted imminent terrorism threats.” (Washington Post; 02Nov08; Del Quentin Wilber) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/01/AR2008110102018.html?hpid=topnews
The horror of U.S. depleted uranium in Iraq threatens the world
“Doctors in Iraq have estimated that birth defects have increased by 2-6 times, and 3-12 times as many children have developed cancer and leukemia since 1991. Moreover, a report published in The Lancet in 1998 said that as many as 500 children a day are dying from these sequels to war and sanctions and that the death rate for Iraqi children under 5 years of age increased from 23 per 1000 in 1989 to 166 per thousand in 1993. […] On hearing that [depleted uranium] DU had been used in the Persian Gulf in 1991, the UK Atomic Energy Authority sent the Ministry of Defense a special report on the potential damage to health and the environment. It said that it could cause half a million additional cancer deaths in Iraq over 10 years. […] Britain and America not only used DU in this year’s Iraq war, they dramatically increased its use — from a minimum of 320 tons in the previous war (1991) to a minimum-of 1500 tons in this one (2003).”
(Tehran Times; 01Nov08)
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=181303
Mercy [hospital in Roseburg, Oregon] uses grant dollars to prepare for disasters
“For the simulation exercise, Ray was a bus driver who was injured when a bomb exploded on the bus he was driving. The 48-year-old was the only patient the Umpqua Community College students had to treat, but he was involved in a mass-casualty incident, and the students had to respond accordingly. The exercise Thursday morning gave the students and Mercy Medical Center staff a chance to show state and federal Department of Human Services officials how several years of grant dollars have been used. […] The hospital has used grant funding to purchase decontamination shelters, portable ventilators, isolation gowns and chemical resistant suits, among other gear, that could be used by staff responding to various chemical exposures, from anthrax to pesticide, Bones said. The money has also purchased satellite phones and other communication equipment that would likely be needed for security and incident command in a natural disaster, she said. […] The training not only prepares the staff for local emergencies, but also provides preparation for regional and statewide emergencies, DePew said.” (News-Review; 03Nov08; Marissa Harshman) http://www.nrtoday.com/article/20081103/NEWS/810319920/1063/NEWS&ParentProfile=1055&title=Mercy%20uses%20grant%20dollars%20to%20prepare%20for%20disasters
Canada Preparing for WMD Strikes at 2010 Olympics
“The threat of WMD attacks has long been a focus of the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit, a group overseen by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The team would not reveal any of its specific preparations for such incidents, threats that it said have taken high priority since Vancouver was awarded the 2010 Olympics four years ago. […] More than 100 Canadian emergency responders and military personnel this week were briefed on potential attacks at the Olympics that could involve deadly materials such as ricin, mustard blister agent, sarin nerve agent or radiological and nuclear substances. They were also provided information on ‘multithreat detection systems’ capable of scanning for WMD ingredients across large areas.” (NTI: Global Security Newswire; 30Oct08) http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20081030_6762.php
FBI investigating envelopes of white powder in Ocala [Florida]
“The FBI is investigating the mailing of several envelopes containing white powder in Marion County. […] On Monday, local fire rescue teams responded to schools, churches, libraries, a day care center, funeral home and the county elections office. All had received suspicious envelopes. Similar mailings are expected to be delivered on Tuesday. Marion County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Heather Danenhower says it appears the envelopes were sent by the same mailer, using what’s believed to be a fake Ocala return address and the name Osama bin Laden, which was misspelled.” (Ledger; 04Nov08; Source: AP)
http://www.theledger.com/article/20081104/NEWS/811040248/-1/WIRE04?Title=FBI_Investigating_Envelopes_of_White_Powder_in_Ocala
[Indy] Star locked down after letter labeled 'anthrax' arrives [Indianapolis, Indiana]
“Several hundred employees at The Indianapolis Star were locked down for more than two hours late Monday afternoon while Police and health officials investigated a mysterious envelope that arrived at the newspaper's Downtown office. The mailing, which had a return address under the name MK Publishing in Sacramento, Calif., was similar to anthrax hoax mailings that have been sent to newspapers across the country. […] Monday, representatives from the Marion County Health Department and Indianapolis Fire Department tested samples of the substance for radioactivity and toxic industrial chemicals, both of which were negative, said Jeff Larmore, manager of hazardous materials with the Health Department. The building lockdown ended about 7:15 p.m. Larmore said that because the threat was similar to others that have taken place and the substance was not released, the risk of exposure was minimal.” (Indy Star; 04Nov08; Francesca Jarosz) http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081104/NEWS02/811040380
[Florida] State senator [Evelyn Lynn, Rep., Dist. 7] victim of white powder hoax
“Sen. Evelyn Lynn [FL] is the latest victim in the white powder hoax, officials here said earlier today. Lynn received an envelope at her post office box address in Ormond Beach on Monday, but had not actually looked at it until this morning when she arrived at her Daytona Beach office, Police and fire officials said. Police investigator Jimmie Flynt said Lynn never opened the envelope, but realized something was amiss when she held it up to the light. […] Godawa said the powdery substance inside the envelope sent to Lynn was ‘non-threatening.’ Recently, white powder-filled envelopes were sent to Rep. Tom Feeney's offices in Port Orange, Orlando and Titusville. The FBI is also investigating the mailing of several envelopes containing white powder in Marion County.” (News-Journal Online; 04Nov08; Lyda Longa) http://www.news-journalonline.com/newsjournalonline/breakingnews/powder110408.htm
Patrick Swayze unhurt in Berwyn [Illinois] Police hazmat scare
“The arrival of a parcel of suspect white powder led Berwyn Police to quarantine four employees and a Comcast employee who brought the package into the station Tuesday. But Hollywood actor Patrick Swayze, who happened to be in the west suburban station house filming a movie, didn't come into contact with the powder, which Police later determined was corn starch. The incident began at 3:35 p.m., when the Comcast worker entered the Berwyn Police Department headquarters with a box that was leaking a white powder, Police Chief William Kushner said.” (Chicago Tribune; 04Nov08; Joseph Ruzich) http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/11/patrick-swayze-unhurt-in-berwyn-police-hazmat-scare.html
Letter received by The [Providence] Journal tested negative for anthrax
“Test results confirmed a package that was labeled anthrax and mailed to The Providence Journal last week was sugar, the FBI said today. test results for a similar letter received by the Newport Daily News were negative for anthrax or other biological agents, said Annemarie Beardsworth, a state Department of Health spokeswoman. The Providence Journal and Newport Daily News are among more than three dozen media outlets around the country that have received hoax letters containing packets of sugar that were labeled anthrax. A California man was arrested last week on three counts of sending hoax anthrax threats by mail. […] Keyser, 66, had already been interviewed by the FBI in January 2007 for allegedly sending a package containing a small aerosol can labeled ‘Anthrax,’ along with a compact disc, to the Sacramento News and Review newspaper, according a criminal complaint filed Thursday in federal court, the Associated Press reported.” (Providence Journal; 03Nov08; Maria Armental)
http://newsblog.projo.com/2008/11/hoax-letter-rec.html#422524
Pioneer Press [Minnesota] receives envelope labeled anthrax
“Saint Paul Police and the FBI are investigating another envelope containing a suspicious white powder labeled ‘anthrax’ that was mailed to the St. Paul Pioneer Press this weekend. […] The incident follows a string of anthrax scares at other newspapers across the country, including the Minneapolis Star Tribune. […] Pete Crum of the Saint Paul Police department says the department is working with the FBI, the Postal Inspector and the Minnesota Department of Health to test the powder. ‘The Saint Paul Police and fire responded to the Pioneer Press building. Initial tests showed it to be sugar. It will be sent on to the department of health for further testing,’ said Crum.” (Minnesota Public Radio; 02Nov08) http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/11/02/pioneer_press_envelope_labeled_anthrax/
Bail set at $25K for Calif. anthrax scare suspect
“A federal judge has set bond at $25,000 for the man suspected of mailing more than 120 hoax anthrax letters nationwide. U.S. Magistrate Kimberly Mueller said the bond for 66-year-old Marc M. Keyser must be co-signed by Keyser's sister and brother-in-law. Mueller also barred Keyser from any activities intended to draw responses to a biochemical hazard. […] ‘He appears to think he has a right to go on a mission to call attention to this issue,’ [Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin] Wagner said, referring to biohazard threats. ‘I think his motivation is to generate traffic to his Web site and sell his book.’ […] Keyser's next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 19.” (Google News; 01Nov08; Source: AP) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gOEvESecTFU0-uVQs-DC7jC19V0gD945QK7G0
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
