CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News-September 19, 2008

Fourth mystery package for [Representative Tom] Feeney [R-FL]
“A suspicious envelope addressed to the Washington, D.C., office of U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney was found last Thursday by U.S. House officials, a spokeswoman said. This is the fourth suspicious envelope addressed to Feeney offices, all similar in appearance, since Sept. 8 [2008]. One envelope arrived at each of his Florida offices, in Port Orange, Orlando near the University of Central Florida, and Titusville. The first three were deemed to contain baking flour by inspectors. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating.” (Seminole Voice; 19Sep08; Jenny Andreasson)
http://seminolevoice.com/Seminole_Voice/article.asp?ID=940

FDA proposes label requirements for refused imported foods
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a proposed rule designed to reduce a practice known as ‘port shopping’ which puts the safety of imported food at risk. […] When FDA refuses to admit a food into the United States, the food must be exported or destroyed. But some persons attempt to bring the refused food back into the United States in the same condition by shipping it to another U.S. port in hopes that the food will be admitted there. The proposed regulation would require that shipping containers of food barred from entry, and any accompanying documents, be labeled as refused. The label would make it easier for FDA to detect previously-refused food. The proposed rule implements a provision of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 […].” (U.S. FDA; 18Sep08; Michael Herndon) http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01888.html

Homeland Security and Sesame Street team up to indoctrinate the nation's youth
“Today's youngsters will be adequately trained in emergency preparedness by the likes of Grover. The partnership is aimed at children, and seeks to encourage family preparedness plans in the case of emergencies, such as terrorist attacks, biological warfare, and maybe even a devastating hurricane.” (Cleveland Leader; 18Sep08)
http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/6808

SIGA Technologies [Inc.] receives additional $20 million from NIH [National Institutes of Health] for ST-246 antiviral therapeutic development
“SIGA Technologies, Inc. […] today announced that it has received an additional $20 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), a division of the National Institutes of Health […]. The Office of the Biomedical Advance Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has provided this funding to NIAID to advance research and development of biodefense products such as ST-246. […] Dr. Eric Rose, SIGA's Chief Executive Officer, continued, ‘We have made considerable achievements thus far in our R&D efforts with ST-246, and are confident that we are on the right path to bring this drug to market to help prevent or contain the effects of any biological warfare attack using the smallpox virus in the United States or around the world, should the need arise.’” (Trading Markets; 18Sep08) http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1891238/

[Senator] Leahy [D-VT]: Suspect [Bruce Ivins] had help in anthrax attacks
“The chairman of the of Senate Judiciary Committee said Wednesday he does not believe that Dr. Bruce Ivins acted alone in the deadly 2001 anthrax attacks. Sen. Patrick Leahy was one of the targets of the lethal anthrax-laced letters that killed five and sickened 17 in fall 2001. […] Leahy did not say why he believed Ivins had help and he also cast doubt that the Army scientist was the attacker in the first place. […] Republicans shared Leahy's doubts surrounding the case. Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the top GOP member of the panel, said he had problems with some of the evidence against Ivins that has been made public. In a testy exchange with [FBI Director Robert] Mueller, he also demanded to have a say in selecting scientists who will be performing an independent review […].” (Associated Press; 17Sep08; Lara Jakes Jordan) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gBlAAdzjtMryYGvNIIVF1k02ZFMwD938MQA80

Scientist concedes 'honest mistake' about weaponized anthrax [assessment from ‘Amerithrax’ investigation]
“An acclaimed government scientist who assisted the federal investigation of the 2001 anthrax mailings said Tuesday that he erred seven years ago when he told top Bush administration officials that material he examined probably had been altered to make it more deadly. The scientist, Peter B. Jahrling, had observed anthrax spores with the aid of an electron microscope at the government's biological warfare research facility at Ft. Detrick, Md. […] Jahrling […] believed […] that silicon had been added to anthrax recovered from a letter addressed to then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD). The presence of silicon was viewed with alarm because the material, if artificially added to the anthrax, would make it more buoyant in air and more capable of penetrating deeply into the lungs. […] Jahrling said […] that he had been ‘overly impressed’ by what he thought he saw under the microscope.” (Los Angeles Times; 17Sep08; David Willman) http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-anthrax17-2008sep17,0,1753550.story

Midwest public health workers prepare for bioterrorism, other threats with Meridian LMS [learning management system]
“Meridian Knowledge Solutions, LLC is implementing the software-as-a-service (SaaS) version of its learning management system (LMS)for ‘Prepare Iowa,’ which is a partnership of the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Institute for Public Health Practice at the University of Iowa's College of Public Health. […] To access the Prepare Iowa LMS, public health professionals log in online and establish an account. From there, they can find training on subjects ranging from bioterrorism to program evaluation.” (PR Canada; 17Sep08)
http://pr-canada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=46002&Itemid=65

Australia boosts bio-security defenses
“Australia has opened a new National Center for Bio-Security to build its defenses against infectious diseases and biological weapons. Medical experts say it will help protect the country from threats such as SARS and bird flu as well as attacks by terrorists or rogue scientists. […] Its researchers will look at ways to combat biological warfare, naturally occurring diseases and the theft or misuse of sensitive research on micro-organisms. In addition, they will study the dangers posed by synthetic biology […].” (VOA News; 16Sep08; Phil Mercer) http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-09-16-voa8.cfm

EnWave Corporation announces major advancement in pharmaceutical dehydration technology
“EnWave Corporation today announced that it has made a major innovation in its Radiant Energy Vacuum (‘REV’) pharmaceutical dehydration technology to allow for a significant reduction in the moisture content of dried vaccine products. […] Production of dried live pharmaceuticals, such as vaccines, storable at room temperatures would be considered a major industry breakthrough. Dried vaccines with long shelf-life could be shipped worldwide, stored without the need for expensive, constant refrigeration, and stockpiled to protect against pandemic diseases and bioterrorism. The current ‘gold standard’ for dehydrating many liquid pharmaceuticals is freeze drying (‘lyophilization’). This process is expensive, time consuming and often results in significant loss of bioactivity during dehydration.” (Trading Markets; 18Sep08; Source: EnWave Corporation) http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1890416/

[Sri Lankan] Military: Navy sinks 10 rebel boats, killing 25
“The Sri Lankan Military says naval forces have sunk 10 Tamil Tiger boats and killed at least 25 rebel sailors in a major sea battle off the country's northwest. The Military says the battle started about 11 a.m. Thursday off the coast at Nachchikuda and lasted for four hours. Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara says naval forces sank seven small boats belonging to the Tamil Tigers' naval wing and three medium-sized boats. […] The Sri Lankan authorities on Thursday ordered tens of thousands of ethnic Tamils living in Colombo to register with police as fighting in the country's civil war with Tamil separatists grew fiercer. Fresh fighting along the northern front lines killed 25 rebels and one soldier, the Military said Thursday, while brushing off reports the Tamil Tigers had unleashed deadly chemical weapons against advancing troops. As the fighting intensified in recent months, the rebels have been blamed for a series of deadly attacks on buses, trains and other targets in the capital and other towns that have killed scores of civilians far from the war zone. Authorities established a maze of roadblocks and checkpoints and continuously changed traffic patterns in Colombo in an effort to prevent new attacks.” (Associated Press; 18Sep08; Ravi Nessman) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gVoaDFmbCYS-Usz9ACDRIengj21QD9393IT00

In Short LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] has no chemical weapons capability – [according to] Military spokesman [Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara]
“Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara vehemently denied that the LTTE has the capability of using chemical weapons on the battlefield. […] He affirmed that the LTTE had used CS [Corson & Stoughton’s] gas during the clash in Akkaraynkulam [11Sep08]. ‘The LTTE used the CS gas to resist the Security Forces advancing in Akkarayankulam. Six soldiers who suffered breathing difficulties were admitted to hospital and were discharged,’ he added. Brigadier Nanayakkara said the CS gas was used by the LTTE in the current battlefield at an experimental level. ‘According to intelligence information the LTTE is at an experimental level of using CS gas,’ he added. He elaborated that the CS gas generally used for anti-hijack or hostage operations. ‘The Security Forces are capable of facing such situation and are provided with masks,’ he added.” (Daily News; 19Sep08; Rafik Jalaldeen) http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/09/19/news61.asp

U.S. and Canadian agencies respond to simulated WMD [Sweetgrass, Montana]
“A simulated attempt to smuggle a dirty bomb into the U.S. using the railroad drew a massive cross-border response here Thursday […]. Six months in the planning and at an estimated cost of about $20,000, the exercise involved eight Canadian agencies, seven federal agencies, seven state agencies, and the Montana National Guard. Several local law enforcement agencies from the Sweetgrass area also participated, along with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and the Rocky Mountain Integrated Border Enforcement Team.” (Helena Independent Record; 18Sep08; Martin J. Kidston) http://www.helenair.com/articles/2008/09/18/top/42lo_080918_wmd.txt

Emergency exercise will test our readiness
“Plymouth-Canton staff and students will be put to the test this morning with a hazardous material incident at Plymouth High School that will trigger an evacuation. All Plymouth High, students will actually participate in the exercise and be removed from the school. At the same time, students and staff at all the other schools in the district will be holding ‘shelter in place’ exercises during the course of the day. […] Other mock exercises today will include a live burn at the massive Marathon Oil facility in Detroit and several terrorist attacks, including a radiological dirty bomb, in Oakland County. Put together, it is being billed as one of the most comprehensive disaster training exercises ever performed in this country […].” (Hometown Life; 18Sep08)
http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080918/OPINION/809180481

Fears of US-Russia breakdown on WMD dismantlement
“The authors of a U.S. program designed to secure weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union say they worry that deteriorating relations between the United States and Russia could undermine efforts to keep the weapons out of the hands of terrorists. Sen. Richard Lugar [R-IN] and former Sen. Sam Nunn [D-GA] say the two countries have continued working together to secure nuclear, chemical and biological weapons despite growing hostility after Russia's invasion of Georgia last month. […] The current concern comes as Russia and the United States have begun to draw down cooperation on many fronts. The United States already has suspended joint Military programs and withdrawn an agreement for civilian nuclear cooperation that it had hailed previously as a breakthrough. It has promised further action. Russia, in turn, has hinted that it could halt cooperation on efforts to rein in Iran's nuclear program.” (Associated Press; 18Sep08; Desmond Butler) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jttDn6BPh7apBLSIhN9th0IC1udgD9393RC00

PharmAthene to present data for Protexia(R) and Valortim(R) at HHS [Department of Health & Human Services] PHEMCE [Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise] Stakeholders Workshop 2008 “PharmAthene, Inc. […] announced today that the Company will present two poster presentations and an oral presentation on its Protexia(R) and Valortim(R) medical countermeasures programs at the upcoming HHS Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE) Stakeholders Workshop […]. Protexia(R), a recombinant version of human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), is being developed as a pre-and post-exposure therapy for casualties on the battlefield or civilian victims of nerve agent attacks. Valortim(R), in co-development with Medarex, Inc., is a fully human monoclonal antibody designed to treat and protect against inhalational anthrax.” (PR Newswire; 18Sep08) http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-18-2008/0004888089&EDATE

Keep Israel and Syria talking
“The indirect negotiations between Syria and Israel that began last May have gone as far as they can. Their purpose --to break the ice between the two states after eight years of not talking, and to test one another's resolve over certain issues --has been achieved. Now, Syrian President Bashar Assad wants to move forward, as evidenced in his proposal to Israel for direct peace talks at a recent four-way summit in Damascus involving Syria, Turkey, France and Qatar. […] While Israel may have no big concerns about a conventional Military confrontation with Syria, it does worry about the latter's stockpile of chemical and biological weapons (CBW) and its surface-to-surface missiles. Syria has been developing its CBW capability since the 1980s and has gained the capacity in recent years to launch large numbers of medium and long-range rockets. If tipped with chemical or biological warheads, these rockets could cause significant damage and terror in Israel. Do these Military considerations rule out any chance of war, then? Not necessarily. Conflict between the two countries could still occur […].” (Middle East Times; 18Sep08; Bilal Y. Saab & Bruce O. Riedel, Brookings Institute) http://www.metimes.com/Opinion/2008/09/17/keep_israel_and_syria_talking/8362/

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.

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 18, 2008

F.B.I. will present scientific evidence in anthrax case to counter doubts
“Growing doubts from scientists about the strength of the government’s case against the late Bruce E. Ivins, the military researcher named as the anthrax killer, are forcing the Justice Department to begin disclosing more fully the scientific evidence it used to implicate him. […] ‘That is going to be critically important, because right now there is really no data to make a scientific judgment one way or the other,’ Brad Smith, a molecular biologist at the Center for Biosecurity at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. ‘The information that has been put out, there is really very little scientific information in there.’ F.B.I officials say they are confident that their scientific evidence against Dr. Ivins, who killed himself last month as the Justice Department was preparing an indictment against him, will withstand scrutiny, and they plan to present their findings for review by leading scientists. But the scrutiny may only raise fresh questions.” (New York Times; 15Aug08; Eric Lichtblau & David Johnston)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/16/washington/16anthrax.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

U.S. Sen. Grassley: More than $4.1 Million to Iowa from Health and Human Services
“Senator Chuck Grassley today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the Iowa Department of Public Health a $4,113,883 grant through the Hospital Preparedness Program. […] The Iowa Department of Public Health must use the funds to help pay for the following capabilities: an interoperable communication system, bed tracking system, emergency system for the advance registration of volunteer health professionals, fatality management plans and hospital evacuation plans. The funds may be optionally used to pay for the following capabilities: alternate care sites, mobile medical assets, pharmaceutical caches, personal protective equipment and decontamination. The funds must incorporate the National Incident Management System, education and preparedness training and exercises, evaluations and corrective actions into the development and maintenance of all capabilities.” (Iowa Politics; 15Aug08)
http://www.iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=133694

Labs that perform bioterrorism research proliferating
“There are 326 laboratories authorized by the CDC to work with biological agents, an increase from 194 in 2003. Another 73 are authorized by the USDA.. […] The criteria include that the individual have no convictions of a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year, not be a fugitive from Justice or an illegal alien, and that the individual not have been dishonorably discharged from the Army. […] Of the 399 institutions registered to work with biological agents, 234 are working with anthrax, the records show. Many of them are working with, or at least storing, the ‘Ames strain,’ which was used in the anthrax mailings. Martin Hugh-Jones, a professor at Louisiana State University, said obtaining permission to work with that strain has become almost like a status symbol for labs. LSU was one of 16 laboratories identified by the FBI as working with the Ames strain of anthrax before the letters were mailed.” (Courant; 16Aug08; Dave Altimari)
http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/nation/hc-labsecurity0816.artaug16,0,1589319.story

Rensselaer researcher wins AIChE Young Investigator Award
“Ravi S. Kane, professor of chemical and biological engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has won the 2008 Young Investigator Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Nanoscale Science and Engineering Forum. […] In a recent publication in Nature Nanotechnology, Kane’s team demonstrated for the first time that upon exposure to invisible and near-infrared light, carbon nanotubes mediate the selective deactivation of attached proteins. Kane’s group used this phenomenon to design nanotube-peptide conjugates that selectively destroy anthrax toxin from a mixture of proteins. The group also used these findings to develop and create transparent ‘self-cleaning’ nanotube coatings.” (Rensselaer; 18Aug08)
http://news.rpi.edu/update.do

Nanocoating preventing corrosion and reducing ice formation on aircrafts
“The development of a transparent coating that causes water to bead up into drops and roll or bounce off a surface will help protect and sustain Air Force systems by preventing corrosion and reducing ice formation on optical elements and aircraft. […] Their recent work has opened the door to new applications that exploit the way the coated surface interacts with liquid droplets. When water droplets roll along the coated surface, they pick up debris as they go. Doctor Brinker explained that this property might make the collection, concentration and identification of aerosol borne particles like anthrax possible.” (Nanotechnology; 17Aug08)
http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=7185

Siting a national biolab [Plum Island, Mississippi]
“The lab, called the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, would eventually replace a 24-acre research complex on Plum Island, just off the northeastern tip of Long Island in the Sound. Although a spokeswoman for homeland security has said that an expansion and upgrade of the facility at Plum Island is still on the table, that proposal is costly and apparently not ranked highly among the agency's preferred plans. Overruling their own advisers, homeland security officials selected Flora, Miss. That site was ranked 14th out of 17 locations around the country on grounds that it was too remote from existing biodefense programs and researchers with expertise in contagious diseases.” (Courant; 18Aug08)
http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-biolab.artaug18,0,7612906.story

Reliable biosafety essential to prevent bioterrorism: Ambassador Masood Khan
“A reliable biosafety and biosecurity regime is essential to prevent and counter bioterrorism and biological warfare, Ambassador Masood Khan said. Speaking at the 2008 meeting of experts of Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) […] While emphasising the importance of a code of conduct for an oversight of the scientific research, he said that it was not possible to have one universal code of conduct. He suggested that each state party needed to intensify its efforts to involve life scientists, policy makers and relevant international organizations to develop flexible but effective codes of conduct containing elements of ethics, education and training programmes [sic].” (Associated Press of Pakistan; 18Aug08)
http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=49257&Itemid=2

Firms in defence export breaches
“Australian companies have repeatedly breached export control regulations designed to prevent sensitive defence technology falling into the hands of North Korea, Iran, China and Russia. Previously undisclosed information issued by the Minister for Defence, Joel Fitzgibbon, reveals that in the past three years there have been 41 known breaches of Australia's defence export regulations. […] Mr Fitzgibbon did not reveal the names of the
firms involved or the specific equipment or materials involved in each case. But he did confirm the rules were broken in relation to both military equipment and so-called ''dual use'' technology that has both civilian and military applications. The breaches involved military equipment, chemicals, telecommunications and electronic equipment, information security technology, avionics, material processing technology and other controlled goods. Seventeen breaches involved the export of chemicals which are regulated because they could be used in the manufacture of chemical weapons, explosives or missile propellants.” (The Canberra Times; 16Aug08; Phillip Dorling)
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/firms-in-defence-export-breaches/1246064.aspx

Chemical weapon depots look to weapon-less future [Pine Bluff, Arkansas]
“During the Cold War, the Pine Bluff Arsenal held the secrets of the nation's stockpile chemical and biological weapons against prying Soviet eyes. Now, arsenal commander Col. Bill Barnett worries about disclosing how many gas masks and mortar rounds workers can produce in a day. The fear comes not from the threat of foreign spies, but rather the possibility of being undercut by competing private manufacturers. […] As the arsenal prepares to eliminate its remaining mustard gas, the base about 35 miles southeast of Little Rock finds its mission changing as the United States destroys the weapons it and other eight other arsenal sites once housed. While some only housed the biological and chemical agents, other bases now manufacture weapons or other items needed as the nation fights two other wars abroad. The Pine Bluff Arsenal, conceived a month before the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, had the task of building grenades and bombs for the growing U.S. military. Over time, the arsenal began manufacturing chemical and biological weapons, storing them in earthen igloos that also housed German rockets studied after World War II.” (Chicago Tribune; 17Aug08; Jon Gambrell)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-ar-chemicalweapons-f,0,5049937.story

Preparing for an urban WMD attack [San Francisco, California]
“The scenario was this: a terrorist with a backpack full of sodium cyanide--a chemical used in gold mining operations that quickly attacks and shuts down the human respiratory system--unleashed it inside 555 California. […] The attack instantly kills a number of people and injures others. Because of the victims, the fire department is the first to arrive
on the scene, and when the firefighter discover what's happened, they isolate the building's lobby and deny entry into the building by anyone else, and then quickly set up a mass decontamination system nearby. And then they call in the specialists. […] the whole point: to bring in the many different types of specialists […] the scenario had more to it: emergency personnel also discover an improvised explosive device inside 555 California, and just when they're dealing with everything going on there, there's also a shooting in another office building nearby. […] the exercise, which cost about a quarter million dollars, was paid for with federal grant money. One of the elements of the scenario was that no one actually knows at first what the terrorist has attacked with. […] Finding out and then disseminating that information is one of the goals of the exercise.” (CNet News; 16Aug08; Daniel Terdiman)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10018658-52.html?hhTest=1

Site of former [Fernald Preserve near Cincinnati] Ohio uranium plant turns to nature
“A site once home to a Cold War-era uranium processing plant and the focus of a contentious struggle to clean up toxic waste has re-emerged as a haven for wildlife and a memorial to those who worked to make the area safe. The Fernald Preserve and its visitors center make their public debut Wednesday at the former site of the government facility that processed uranium metal for nuclear weapons from 1952 to 1989. […] The $4.4 billion site cleanup was officially completed in January 2007. The visitor's center and preserve, which cost $7 million, are the first developed under Legacy Management, which is responsible for more than 60 other waste sites around the country […]” (San José Examiner; 16Aug08; Lisa Cornwell, AP)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1540544~Site_of_former_Ohio_uranium_plant_turns_to_nature.html

Terror drill finds culprit with dirty bomb [New York, New York]
“More than 17 boats from a variety of agencies, including the Coast Guard, FDNY and New Jersey State Police, set up a checkpoint underneath the Verrazano Bridge at the mouth of the harbor to scan all incoming vessels. Scores of boats were boarded and searched during the drill, which officials said was the largest counterterrorism exercise in the city's history and allowed the NYPD to test two new $750,000 radiation-tracking boats. The Tracs boats successfully stopped a speedboat named The Last Dollar and found a device that simulated the same radiation as a dirty bomb.” (Daily News; 15Aug08; Jonathan Lemire)
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/08/15/2008-08-15_terror_drill_finds_culprit_with_dirty_bo-1.html

Iran Rejects Nuclear, Terrorism Charges Against Banks
“Iran has rejected accusations by France, Britain and the United States that its banks are financing illegal nuclear activities and Terrorism. Iran sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council Friday, calling the allegations baseless. It also accused France, Britain and the U.S. of trying to disrupt the financial affairs of millions of Iranian bank customers. Earlier this month, the three countries warned the Security Council of attempts by Iran to use the country's banks to help expand its nuclear capabilities.” (Voice of America; 16Aug08)
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-08-16-voa12.cfm

Yorkshire schoolboy locked up on terror charge
“Britain's youngest terrorist - a teenager from Wesat Yorkshire – was behind bars today after a guide to death and explosives was found in the schoolboy's home. Hammaad Munshi, just 16 and taking GCSEs when arrested, was part of a cell of cyber groomers that set out to brainwash the vulnerable to kill ‘non-believers’ […] Two bags of ball-bearings – the shrapnel of choice for suicide bombers - were found in one of his pockets. On his PC were al Qaida propaganda videos and recordings promoting ‘murder and destruction.’ […] Also found were US and Canadian military training manuals, a Terrorist's Handbook, a Mujahideen Explosives Handbook, and a Mujahideen Poisons Handbook containing a recipe for ricin and encouragement for ‘brothers’ to experiment on ‘kuffar’ (non-believers).” (Yorkshire Post; 18Aug08)
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Yorkshire-schoolboy-locked-up-on.4401314.jp

Nuke [CBRN] trainer says he taught Uganda only ‘defense’
“More information continues to emerge about Uganda’s chemical and biological weapons operation--the U.K. expert who provided the training to top Ugandans insists in an exclusive interview with The Black Star News that the East Africans were trained only on ‘defensive’ and not ‘offensive’ capabilities. ‘There is a big difference between defense and attack—huge difference,’ says Ian Day, Operations Director at U.K.-based The CBRN Team Ltd (an acronym referring to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear), who provided the training to the Ugandans. […] There have been widespread speculation that biological agents or toxins have been used to kill prominent Ugandans. Last year, when a top Uganda military official, Brigadier Noble Mayombo, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defense died suddenly, there was speculation that some type of toxins could have caused his demise.” (Black Star News; 15Aug08; Milton Allimadi)
http://blackstarnews.com/?c=122&a=4768

Police personnel to study Terrorism, conflict resolution
“With an aim to prepare them for upcoming challenges, Police personnel will now be given formal training in subjects like Terrorism, biological warfare, forensic science and conflict resolution at the first National Police University to be established here. […] The courses to be offered by the university would include subjects like Terrorism, organised crime, cyber crime, VIP security, forensic science, biological warfare, criminal psychology, human rights, public relation, communal tension, conflict resolution, peace and harmony and man management, he said.” (Zee News; 17Aug08)
http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=462631&sid=NAT

The war on terror is shrinking
“As science races to confront Terrorism with new technology, researchers are unveiling a new generation of devices featuring ever-more sophisticated sensors to quickly detect explosives, radiation, chemicals and biological agents. Most share the promise of doing more with far less bulk, suggesting a future in which radiation from a dirty bomb is detected by a commuter’s iPhone, a laptop warns of explosives more than a football field’s length away, a hand-held unit spots airborne anthrax spores within seconds and a device no bigger than a matchbox sniffs out a tiny release of hazardous chemicals. […] The method […] has its origins in […] how certain frequencies of light can produce sound waves when pulsed onto a surface. Importantly, the version devised by Oak Ridge researchers lets them identify materials out in the open instead of within a pressurized chamber that would have undermined the technique’s usefulness. Essentially, the instrument illuminates a target with pulses of laser light. The light reflected off the target’s surface generates a signature sound when it becomes a vibration through an interaction with a tiny quartz crystal tuning fork.” (MSNBC; 18Aug08; Bryn Nelson)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26044715/

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.

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- June 20, 2008

MIT SUMMER PROFESSIONAL COURSES

The MIT Professional Institute will be offering the following course this summer.

Combating Bioterrorism/Pandemics: Implementing Policies for Biosecurity [17.60s] July 28-30, 2008

“The threats of bioterrorism and global pandemics pose new challenges for public health, law enforcement and national security agencies. All these agencies face new biosecurity priorities, including learning to collaborate with each other. Yet agencies have deeply embedded professional norms and organizational cultures, which resist change.
MIT experts and affiliates explore the obstacles to implementation and strategies to overcome them.”
http://web.mit.edu/mitpep/pi/courses/combating_bioterrorism.html

FORUM ON BIOSECURITY [Reprint]
“The International forum on biosecurity will be held in Amman (Jordan) under the title ‘Confronting Biological Threats: Biosecurity, Biological Weapons Nonproliferation, and Regional Cooperative Mechanisms.’ This forum will take place in Amman, Jordan on October 27 – 29, 2008. The event brings together academic experts and practitioners from governments, inter-governmental organizations, academic institutions, civil society and the private sector.” (Arab Institute for Security Studies; 02Jun08).
http://www.acsis.org/announcements.asp#1

Ennis trial hears of Ricin find
“A jury in the Central Criminal Court has heard that the lethal toxin Ricin was found in the prison cell of a former Las Vegas poker dealer accused of conspiring with a Clare woman to kill her partner and his two sons. Detective Garda Gerald Fahy told Ms Una Ní Raifeartaigh that he had received intelligence which led him to suspect that the toxin was hidden somewhere in Mr Essam Eid’s cell in Limerick Prison where he had been held since his arrest following the burglary of the Howard family business in September 2006.” (The Irish Times; 20June08) http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0620/breaking92.htm

More than 100 doses of tetanus vaccine given during local floods [Iowa]
“Hamilton County Public Health administered 101 doses of tetanus vaccine to workers and volunteers helping with the recent flooding events, according to Shelby Kroona, public health administrator. She reported the figures to the Board of Health during its regular session Thursday. Kroona said the agency had been scheduled to conduct a bioterrorism drill this month, but the weather related events of the past two weeks allowed the department to put into action many of the drill elements. They were then able to assess the agency’s strengths and weaknesses in the disaster. Kroona said her agency was able to immediately begin administrating tetanus shots at no cost to the flood workers. She added that the agency needs to formalize the instant command procedures and roles, as well as make better use of alerts and information from the Health Alert Network.” (The Daily Freeman Journal; 20June08; Anne Blankenship)
http://www.webstercitynews.com/page/content.detail/id/501601.html?nav=5006

Report on the social and ethical challenges of synthetic biology
“An independent report on the social and ethical challenges associated with research into synthetic biology has been published this month (see press release). The report, ‘Synthetic Biology: social and ethical challenges’, has been written by Andrew Balmer and Paul Martin of the Institute for Science and Society at the University of Nottingham and was commissioned by the BBSRC’s Bioscience for Society Panel. The report begins by giving an overview of synthetic biology and summarising the main areas of research in this field. It then goes on to review the main social and ethical issues raised in public debate and the corresponding policy responses. The key issues were identified as uncontrolled release, bioterrorism, patenting and the creation of monopolies, trade and global justice and creating artificial life.” (PHG Foundation; 20June08; Dr.Sowmiya Moorthie)
http://www.phgfoundation.org/news/4250/

Kennedy-Burr Bill Targets Potential Threats From Within Bio-Research Labs
“As the fear of biological attack spurs an expansion of high-security research labs, a new threat has emerged from a place receiving less attention — the labs themselves. Sens. Edward M. Kennedy , D-Mass., chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Richard M. Burr , R.-N.C., who formerly headed the Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness Subcommittee, have introduced legislation (S 3127) to check that risk.” (CQ Politics; 19June08; Matt Korade)
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=hsnews-000002901336

Preparing for terror's aftermath [Valencia, California]
“From biological warfare to bomb attacks, local health officials prepared for the worst case scenarios Wednesday at a training session at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital. Health care professionals ranging from law enforcement to firefighter trained this week to be able to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive weapon warfare.” (The Signal; 19June08; Katherine Geyer)
http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/2433/

Maryland to seek Superfund status for Fort Detrick dump site
“Maryland’s environmental secretary, hoping to speed the cleanup of ground water tainted by an old Army dump, has asked federal regulators to add the site at Fort Detrick to a list of the nation’s most polluted places. The Army says it has spent $43 million since 1992 to remove industrial and laboratory waste dumped decades ago in unlined trenches, but it has yet to clean up the contaminated ground water.” (The Herald; 18June08) http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=196702&format=html

Low approval rate for vets' chemical tests claims
“The Veterans Affairs Department has granted only 6 percent of health claims filed by veterans of secret Cold War chemical and germ warfare tests conducted by the Pentagon, according to figures obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. Veterans advocates called the number appallingly low. By comparison, about 88 percent of processed claims from Gulf War vets were granted as of last year, according to VA documents. More than 90 percent of processed claims from Iraq and Afghanistan vets were granted as of earlier this year.” (Associated Press; 19June08; Erica Werner) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h6mM70jju27eQpAELACuysUGpHOAD91DF4FG0

Oregon to allow Army to burn waste at depot
“The Oregon Environmental Quality Commission agreed Thursday to allow the Army to resume burning agent-contaminated waste -- like rags and protective suits -- at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. The decision came after the commission accepted a report commissioned by the Department of Environmental Quality that concluded that burning nerve agent, poisonous gas and its waste posed minimal health and environmental risk.” (Tri-City Herald; 20June08; Mary Hopkin) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/217840.html

Neighbors of Hill AFB Alerted of Combat Drills [Utah]
“Utah's Hill Air Force Base is about to go on alert. The base is running a practice drill next week to get an idea of how people there would do in a chemical combat environment.” (KUTV; 19June08)
http://www.kutv.com/content/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=0d88a917-abc7-41e9-8d1d-4c56365ca893

The influence of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on oxidative stress and nitric oxide synthesis in stimulated macrophages treated with a mustard gas analogue
“Sulphur mustard gas, 2, 2a-dichlorodiethyl sulphide (HD), is a chemical warfare agent. Both mustard gas and its monofunctional analogue, 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulphide (CEES), are alkylating agents that react with and diminish cellular thiols and are highly toxic. Previously, we reported that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) significantly enhances the cytotoxicity of CEES in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages and that CEES transiently inhibits nitric oxide (NO) production via suppression of inducible NO synthase
(iNOS) protein expression. NO generation is an important factor in wound healing.” (7th Space Interactive; 20June08) http://7thspace.com/headlines/285012/the_influence_of_n_acetyl_l_cysteine_on_oxidative_stress_and_nitric_oxide_synthesis_in_stimulated_macrophages_treated_with_a_mustard_gas_analogue.html

Colorado wants mustard gas destroyed
“Colorado health officials ordered the Defense Department to speed up its destruction of mustard gas at a chemical weapons depot, saying the military had ignored requests to do so. Health department spokeswoman Jeannine Natterman said Wednesday's order affecting the Pueblo Chemical Weapons Depot was mandatory. About 2,600 tons of the gas are stored at the site.” (Los Angeles Times; 19June08; Associated Press) http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-na-pueblo19-2008jun19,0,7289585.story

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.

Vikings Cheerleaders Visit Bagram Air Base

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
Special to American Forces Press Service

May 20, 2008 - Historically speaking, Vikings and Afghanistan don't have much in common, but all that changed yesterday when five cheerleaders from the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings pumped up a standing-room-only crowd of servicemembers here. The event started with songs, dancing and cheers intended to vitalize the troops' spirits, Vikings cheerleader Peyton said. Team policy is to use only cheerleaders' first names.

"We are all very glad to be here, and we are going to put on a great show," Peyton said as she warmed up before the event. "This is our last show in Afghanistan, and we want to make this a night the troops will remember."

With a promise to give the night their all, the cheerleaders went backstage and the event coordinators began letting in the men and women who were anxiously waiting outside.

First through the door was U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Oscar Bruck, 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron phase crew chief. "I've been waiting here since 6:20 (p.m.)," said Bruck, a Marlett, Mich., native deployed from the Royal Air Force base at Lakenheath, England. The event did not start until 8 p.m., but waiting nearly two hours didn't bother Bruck. "I wanted a front-row seat to make sure I got good photos," he said.

Good photos were not all Bruck received. He also got picked to come onstage, meet the cheerleaders and challenge 19 other servicemembers to a push-up contest.

Bruck did not win the contest, as his skills were no match for Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Gilbert Corpuz, who knocked out 103 regulation push-ups in a minute. For his victory, Corpuz was rewarded with a Vikings calendar, autographed by all the cheerleaders.

After the push-up contest was finished, the cheerleaders performed another routine, and then they picked 10 servicemembers to join them on stage for a game of "Cheerleader Says," modelled after the classic children's game "Simon Says."

Once again, the stage was speckled with an array of U.S. uniforms, and a Polish soldier also joined the ranks. The Polish soldier and two U.S. soldiers were eliminated in the first round. Two airmen and two more soldiers fell in the second round. Four rounds later, a tie was called as Army Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Winger and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Billy Grant refused to be outsmarted.

A fair mix of rivalry and camaraderie added to the evening's excitement, one coalition NCO said. "I like American football; it is tough, yet fun. This is like the feeling of the people here -- keyed up and still having fun," French army Sgt. Domera Phelippon said. "I know the Minnesota Vikings because I saw them on TV. Still, I didn't imagine the cheerleaders would be this pretty. I am glad I came."

What Phelippon may or may not have known was that the cheerleaders were equally as pleased to meet him and the other men and women in attendance.

"My favorite part of the tour is meeting so many people from so many places and hearing all their different stories," said Payton, whose brother serves aboard the world's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise. Another cheerleader, Amanda, said her father retired from the Air Force.

The team's captain, Sarah, said that although she doesn't have family in the military, she has spent a great deal of time with servicemembers lately. She volunteered for the Super Sunday Tour in Iraq in February and said she feels blessed to have the opportunity to travel to military bases through the Vikings, she said.

After the performance, a line of men and women stretched around the Morale, Welfare and Recreation clamshell here, as the cheerleaders volunteered to pose for individual photos and sign autographs for the servicemembers.

"I had a blast here," said Pfc. Ryan Clement, a route-clearance soldier and Earlham, Iowa, native. "Not only did I get to see a fine performance, I got to come up on stage and embarrass myself in the 'Cheerleader Says' competition." Clement only made it to the third round, but that did not abate his mood at all.

"I've been out at the [forward operating bases] and on patrols outside the wire since I came here," he said. "To see this event and the energy these ladies put in on our behalf helps out a lot. It really boosts our morale."

(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace serves with Combined Joint Task Force 101 Public Affairs.)

4th Infantry Division Soldiers Moving Into Iraq

By Spc. Walter Klein, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

Dec. 12, 2007 - The 4th Infantry Division began deploying to Kuwait in early November for final preparations before taking over as the headquarters element of Multinational Division Baghdad. To help facilitate the movement of soldiers through Kuwait and into Baghdad, the Division Tactical Advance Center here stood up to provide final training to MND Baghdad soldiers as they move to the combat zone to assume their duties.

The DTAC team is responsible for organizing inbound and outbound flights, logistical concerns such as water and ammunition, and setting up training for soldiers.

Perhaps the most important section of the DTAC is the Division Transportation Office, which is responsible for moving soldiers, equipment and supplies.

"Nothing happens till something moves," said Army Staff Sgt. Lonnie Johnson, a logistics noncommissioned officer and a native of Hollywood, Fla. "We are responsible for all incoming and outgoing flights, all vehicle moves for 4th Infantry Division, as well as other MND-B units arriving in Kuwait."

Another important section in the Division Tactical Advance Center is the Joint Network Node team. They are responsible for setting up communications, running phone lines and setting up satellite trucks that coordinate with Division G6 communications and electronics.

"We are responsible for managing the communications network, installing communications in the Tactical Operations Center and keeping the brigade combat teams in contact with MND-B," said Army Pfc. Joshua Turner, a signal support specialist with Company C, Special Troops Battalion, and an Atlanta native.

The personnel office and the operations and training office are responsible for in-processing soldiers in Kuwait and seeing to their final training on subjects including improvised-explosive-device recognition, fratricide-prevention training, weapons ranges, and counter-remote-control improvised-explosive-device electronic warfare.

The logistics section's role is to see to the needs of the soldiers while they are in Kuwait, including distributing water, ammunition and food. They also are responsible for tracking down equipment soldiers need before moving onto Baghdad and maintenance issues that might arise while in Kuwait. This mission encompasses all soldiers that fall under Multinational Division Baghdad.

The communications and electronics helpdesk also plays a crucial role in the transition. "We help keep the (Tactical Operations Center) running, solving any computer problems that may pop up while we move our soldiers and equipment to Kuwait," said Army Sgt. Owen Martin, a helpdesk NCO and a native of Sioux City, Iowa.

(Army Spc. Walter Klein is assigned to 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs.)

Law Enforcement Technology

Editor's Note: Many of the technologies in this summary are being used by state and local police departments for domestic counterterrorism and homeland security.

NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, July 26, 2007

"NOPD Unveils New Crime Maps"
New Orleans Times-Picayune (07/20/07) P. 1; McCarthy, Brendan

On July 19, the New Orleans Police Department launched an upgraded Web site mapping tool that lays out crimes on a map. The tool, located at the bottom of the police department's Web site, permits users to enter any address in New Orleans. At that point, they can look for particular crimes, zoom in and out of certain neighborhoods, and locate incidents going back to the start of 2005. The mapping tool was published on the Web site in early May and got poor reviews from users, who contended that crime information was missing, the maps were difficult to read, and directions were bad. Since then, police department technology head Maj. Michael Sauter and the Mayor's Office of Technology have redone the model and included numerous features. Users can now look by police district boundaries, neighborhoods, ZIP codes, and other information. In addition, they can email maps and transfer the information onto spreadsheets. Sauter notes that around 95 percent of all uniform crime events will be included in the mapping database.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/
base/news-8/118491566289730.xml&coll=1

"Do Tasers Save Lives? DeKalb Takes Another Look"
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (07/23/07); Simpson, David

The DeKalb County, Ga., Police Department, which stopped using Taser stun guns in 2005 due to alleged fatalities, is reconsidering the device. Before DeKalb withdrew its Tasers, the guns had been employed 62 times without a reported injury or complaint by a civilian, notes Maj. J.E. Helms, who heads training for DeKalb police. Helms stresses he does not think Tasers by themselves cause fatalities. DeKalb Police Chief Terrell Bolton has obtained the assistance of Southern Christian Leadership Conference president Charles Steele Jr. in facilitating the comeback of Tasers for DeKalb police. Steele states he is in favor of the decision, so long as officers and medical employees are correctly instructed. Meanwhile, R.K. de Graaf, the vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police's DeKalb chapter, stresses the stun guns protect both officers and suspects from injuries. Nationally, Tasers have been marketed as a way to lower shootings, with varied results. Shootings in Miami are said to have significantly fallen when Tasers are employed, while Houston saw its shooting fatalities rise from two in 2004 to 11 in 2005 after Tasers were distributed to officers.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/dekalb/
stories/2007/07/22/taser_0723.html

"Laconia Police Eye Use of TASERs"
Laconia Citizen (NH) (07/20/07)

The Laconia, N.H., Police Department is ready to wrap up another fiscal year and is thinking about employing Taser stun guns. The department has already bought one Taser. While both the Belknap Sheriff's Department and the Tilton Police Department employ Tasers, Laconia Police Chief Tom Oetinger said on July 19 that he wants Lt. Steve Clarke to perform an in-depth study of the guns' utilization across New Hampshire and nationally before they are implemented in Laconia. "While I'm always interested in being ahead of the curve in a lot of areas, technology involving the use of force is something where I tend to be conservative until there is some sort of ability to benchmark it and there has been significant street use by other organizations," Oetinger stated.
http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=
/20070720/CITIZEN_01/107200345/-1/CITIZEN

"Cameras to Catch Street Action"
Capital Times (WI) (07/19/07) P. B2; Miller, Mike

Police in Madison, Wis., are using video cameras to better monitor a busy downtown area of the city heavily populated by bars and clubs. The department says they hope this new technology will provide a more efficient, cost effective way of monitoring the area. The city has spent an additional $100,000 to up police presence in the downtown district as a response to some recent robberies and disturbances caused by drinkers leaving the bars. One camera will be set up in the area on a trial basis. If the trial proves successful, eight more will be put in place by fall. These cameras will be hooked up to laptops in police cruisers allowing officers to monitor several areas at once. http://www.madison.com

"Homeland Security Grants Aid Vital Communications"
Omaha World-Herald (NE) (07/19/07); Stoddard, Martha

New grants announced on July 18 will provide Iowa and Nebraska significant help in offering police, fire fighters, and additional emergency responders the means to speak with each other. Iowa's 911 project manager, John Benson, explained the new grant will be crucial to his state's communications campaign. Nebraska Emergency Management Agency assistant director Al Berndt added that his state has employed a large percentage of its homeland security money to expand the communications network throughout Nebraska. Nebraska has evolved in enabling law enforcement and first responders to talk with each other within certain areas, he added. The initiative includes new radio equipment and technology. Berndt says the next phase is to expand that ability to the entire state and get state agencies on board. The U.S. government is offering $968 million for communications nationwide, utilizing money presented by Congress in a bill from 2005. http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10081784

"A Full-Scale Immersion in Disaster Training"
Colorado Springs Gazette (07/22/07); Zubeck, Pam

The National Exercise Program's latest simulation center in Washington, D.C., conducted a nationwide emergency response training between April 30 and May 17, engaging emergency responders from 11 states and six federal agencies. The latest nationwide drill, Ardent Sentry, cost $20 million and forced responders to extend their resources as a Category 3 mock hurricane hit New England--affecting seven states--and several other disasters occurred within days. The national center is expected to provide written and electronic synopses of the training simulations involving various local and federal personnel to help local and state governments create their own training programs for emergency responders. The center also will offer tabletop exercises and other localized drill information. Officials at the center say that a nuclear disaster will overwhelm many local response teams and their ability to medically care for the injured and exposed.
http://www.gazette.com/articles/national_25130___article.html/pino_local.html

"La. State Police Crime Lab Shrinks Rape Kit Backlog"
Advocate (07/18/07) P. A1; Vetter, Kimberly

The backlog of sexual-assault kits in Louisiana that have not been examined for DNA evidence has fallen from 3,100 four years ago to 200. Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory director Capt. Jerry Patrick notes that kits between 2004 and this year exist, and that the remainder of the kits, many of them going back to the 1980s, have been taken care of. Patrick credits the lab's ability to lower its backlog to federal grant funds and an expansion in the lab's DNA program. He adds that processing a single rape kit for DNA information costs between $600 and $1,000. Being able to reduce Louisiana's backlog has created an increase in the ability to resolve cold cases. After a rape kit is processed, the results are studied and put in a database known as the Combined Index System (CODIS). The database employs a pair of indexes to produce investigative crimes in cases where biological proof is found at a crime scene. The Convicted Offender index lists DNA profiles of individuals found guilty of felony sex crimes and additional violent offenses. http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/8566202.html

"State Gears Up to Use Internet to Improve 911 Calls"
Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN) (07/18/07); Jacobs, Don

Emergency Services centers are looking for ways to use the Internet to make responding to a crisis faster and easier. Tennessee is one state already looking to institute a new Web-based technology called Next Generation-911 (NG-911). This system will use a combination of Internet technology and fiber-optics that will allow callers to communicate visual as well as verbal information to dispatchers. The dispatchers will then be able to use the same system to send that message to personnel in the field. It will also allow emergency service workers from across the state to better coordinate their efforts. For example, police will be able to use the system to scan fingerprints during traffic stops. NG-911 can also be used to transmit a 3-D map of a building in a siege situation to help officers find the safest way to extract hostages.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/jul/18/state-gears-
up-to-use-internet-to-improve-911/

"State-Run Sites Not Effective Vs. Terror"
USA Today (07/23/07); Hall, Mimi

The 42 anti-terrorism "fusion" centers that have been created in 37 states have thus far proved inefficient at sharing information to combat terrorism, according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service. The fusion centers were created with the aim of increasing information-sharing among federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. But many of the centers have strayed from their central anti-terrorism mission and have instead "increasingly gravitated toward an all-crimes and even broader all-hazards approach," the report says. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has provided states with some $380 million in funding to create the fusion centers. One common problem plaguing the centers is that federal agents have resisted sharing information with local police, said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who believes there should be a requirement that federal analysts be posted at each center. One DHS official predicts that by the end of 2008, 35 DHS analysts will be working in the centers.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-07-23-intel-centers_N.htm

"Notification System Gives Status of Criminal Cases"
Reading Eagle (PA) (07/18/07); Young, Mary E.

Victims and witnesses of crime in Berks County, Pa., might be automatically informed in the near future by email or phone when the defendants in whose cases they had a part are to be set free from jail. Computer equipment would be made available within eight weeks after the county commissioners sanction county involvement in the system. A federal grant of $1.25 million will fund the equipment. Victims and witnesses who choose to be entered into the system will have to offer contact data and utilize a personal identification code to obtain information. The system would inform users when a certain defendant is set free on bail, has finished a jail term, or is sent to another facility. District Attorney Mark C. Baldwin believes the system will be helpful as well to law enforcement officials. The system will eventually have data on prisoners in all 53 of Pennsylvania's county prisons and possibly data on inmates in state jails. The system was scheduled to be voted on July 19. http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=50794


"New Lab Expands N.Y.'s Ability to Analyze DNA"
Newark Star-Ledger (NJ) (07/19/07) P. 32

New York City intends to expand its study of DNA evidence by over 17,000 cases annually, due to a new forensics lab that authorities claim is the biggest in the nation. On July 18, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other city representatives met to formally launch the Forensic Biology Laboratory of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. New York City wants to begin studying DNA evidence in over 20,000 cases annually, up from the present 3,000 per year. The facility cost nearly $290 million, and has 75,000 square feet of lab room. Bloomberg explained that the lab would enable New York City to locate criminals, and also rule out innocent individuals and study DNA evidence in crimes beside murder cases, including burglaries. He added that the lab would be utilized as well by the Missing Persons agency and the unit that attempts to locate the remains of World Trade Center victims. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly stated that police officers would be alternating their protocols to make obtaining DNA an element of more crime investigations. "We'll be increasing our obtaining of DNA samples and training people, our evidence collection teams," Kelly said. http://www.nj.com/news/ledger

"Digital Prints"
Idaho Falls Post Register (07/19/07) P. A1; Wells, Heather

The Rexburg, Idaho, Police Department has been pursuing those who are involved in child pornography with the aid of new software that permits investigators to acquire digital proof from storage devices in computers by making a copy of their hard drives. The software can find files that were rewritten or removed, helping to catch child pornographers and embezzlers, and breaking up drug rings. Rexburg police are now utilizing the Forensic Tool Kit to look into a pair of child pornography cases, and they hope to bring charges soon. Earlier in 2007, Rexburg Police Department Det. Supervisor Lt. Shane Turmin requested a federal grant for $14,000 to buy the tool kit. Though the Idaho Falls Police Department does not employ the kit, it does have access to related software. That department has been able to determine passwords on computers and obtain files as primary evidence in child pornography cases. Last year, 17,291 cyber-crime complaints were filed in this country. http://www.idahonews.com

"Sheriff Welcomes Statewide Role"
New Orleans Times-Picayune (07/19/07) P. 1; Scallan, Matt

The newly elected president of the Louisiana Sheriff's Association says adding technology to the sheriff's department will be a priority for him. St. Charles Parish's Sheriff Greg Champagne says technology is an integral part of the department's operations and should be readily available. "The law says we have to register sex offenders, but about half the departments in the state are still filing paper documents and fingerprints with State Police," Champagne states. To remedy the problem, Champagne says efforts are underway to "get all the departments on the same sex offender [reporting] program." As part of the effort, all of the departments will move to new 700 MHz radio systems so that first responders from various agencies can communicate, and email alert systems will be implemented for residents to let them know when criminals are in their area.
http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/
base/news-4/1184833711296930.xml&coll=1

"Watching You: Downtown Camera Proposal Gains Momentum"
Daily Progress (07/18/07); Rosen, Seth

Charlottesville, Va., law enforcement are backing an approximately $300,000 proposal that would install cameras downtown to monitor high-crime areas. Police say aside from circumventing potential crimes in the area, the cameras would also assist in investigations. Councilors say that they need more information about the placement and monitoring of the cameras before reaching a decision, but in light of eight assaults that have taken place downtown in the span of two months, the proposal is gaining momentum. "Whether [the public's safety concerns] are real or perceived, we have a responsibility to try to address it in as many ways as we possibly can," said Police Chief Timothy J. Longo. Although councilors noted that some residents might cite privacy issues as reasons for preventing the surveillance, they say public safety should rank above those concerns. The exact method for monitoring the cameras is still up for discussion, but Longo said the surveillance footage would only be used by law enforcement. Longo also said real-time should be used to stream the footage, yet such technology is also more costly. Charlottesville has no current deadline for receiving the bids or voting on the cameras.
http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CDP/MGArticle/
CDP_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352040076&path=

"Pepper Spray: Is the Hot Stuff Still Relevant in Our High-Tech Electronic World?"
Police and Security News (06/07) Vol. 23, No. 3, P. 65; Ijames, Steve

The use of pepper spray made with Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) became widespread among the majority of U.S. law enforcement agencies by 1992, and its use is still relevant today. Tests conducted in the late 1990s by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the University of North Carolina found that OC-based sprays are generally safe and effective and that just two of 63 proximal deaths over a period of five years could be attributed to pepper spray. The report also concluded that pepper spray helped reduce injuries among officers as well as suspects, slashed complaints of excessive force, and was used to successfully handle resistance in 85 percent of the cases where it was used. Compared to TASERs, pepper spray is more affordable, priced at about $12 per officer. The newer versions are also more effective, based on evidence that pain is a result of the portion of capsaicinoid in the product and that cone-shaped delivery units require less accuracy compared to conventional spray tools. Pepper sprays are also effective for cases that go beyond the TASER and when multiple suspects are present. One of the newest pepper spray products is the TigerLight, which features a super-bright light and a concealed blast of pepper spray on the handle end. The device is intended for one-handed use and a study by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office indicates that compliance among suspects was achieved by deputies in 98 percent of the cases when it was used. http://www.policeandsecuritynews.com

"Interoperability: A 21st Century Name for an Evolving Requirements in Ocean City, Maryland"
Sheriff (06/07) Vol. 59, No. 3, P. 11; Dimaio, Bob

For Ocean City, Md., the meaning of interoperability indicates being able to instantly communicate with people from other agencies, departments, or areas via dependable and high quality service. For example, the governments of Ocean City and Worcester County, Md., distribute separate radio systems that link together via a system-to-system network connection. The radios' programming allows them to work on either system. Every Ocean City radio also features extra channels from the National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (NPSPAC) designed to let incompatible radios communicate. A countrywide initiative has been launched to build repeater coverage using these channels, and Maryland is spearheading the effort through projects such as the Maryland Eastern Shore Interoperability Network (MESIN). MESIN provides interoperability to counties through such 800 MHz NPSPAC mutual aid channels as 8Call, 8TAC-1, 8TAC-2, 8TAC-3, and 8TAC-4. MESIN is an IP-based network that features gateways, routers, and a fully redundant switch, utilizing 12 tower sites across Maryland's Eastern Shore for disparate personnel with 800 MHz equipment. In 2006, Ocean City added a self-contained Mobile Command Vehicle that has a stand alone 4 channel trunked radio site that can work in conjunction with or in place of the Ocean City Trucked System. More than 100 portable radios are stored ready for use. Another system that enables interoperability is the ACU1000 Interconnect System that can link low band, VHF band, UHF band, military band, 800 MHz band, and wireless phones; modifications in the field for radios can be made as needed using onboard hardware and software. http://www.sheriffs.org