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CONTENTS:

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

1. World
2. Africa
3. Americas
4. Asia Pacific
5. Europe
6. Middle East
7. South Asia
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
9. Finance
10 Human Rights
11. Law and Legal Issues
12. Transportation
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
14. Recently Published

FEATURE ARTICLE:
Maritime Security Part 2: Security Measures

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

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1. World

The UN's "Human Development Report 2004" called for cultural freedom to become a basic human right, and that countries that do not respect and promote cultural freedom lose out socially and find great difficulty in gaining economic benefits from globalization. There are more than 5,000 different ethnic groups in the world and 2/3 of countries have an ethnic or religious minority of more than ten percent of the population.

The International AIDS Conference was held last week. http://www.aids2004.org/ A number of important reports were released in conjunction with the conference. International Labour Organization released "HIV/AIDS and work: global estimates, impact and response". It finds that, "The loss of life and the debilitating effects of the illness will lead not only to a reduced capacity to sustain production and employment, reduce poverty and promote development, but will be a burden borne by all societies - rich and poor alike". http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/trav/aids/publ/global_est/index.htm UNAIDS "2004 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic" finds local successes but warns that a comprehensive response to the pandemic for one year may cost $20 billion by 2007. http://www.unaids.org/bangkok2004/GAR2004_html/GAR2004_00_en.htm Meanwhile, the UN Human Development Report finds that AIDS has reduced life expectancy in some parts of Africa to less than 33 years. The US GAO addressed key challenges to expanding anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment in the most severely affected countries, finding needs of greater coordination and the need to enhance health infrastructure, including the shortage of health workers. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-784 Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) reported on the failure to provide medications suitable for the 2.5 million infected children. http://www.msf.org/countries/page.cfm?articleid=695E36DC-F411-4492-8CA62FF19812DAD4 Nature offers an online special including a conference blog. http://www.nature.com/news/index.html Nelson Mandela and his colleagues have linked tuberculosis and AIDS treatment, including the need for general health infrastructures. http://www.ias.se/article/show.asp?article=2981

To find out what life is like for the more than a billion people living on less than $1/day, read Davan Moharaj's series "Living on Pennies" in the Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/specials/world/la-fg-work11jul11.story

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2. Africa

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) reports that the low level of trade among African countries is due to transportation links still tied to the patterns established during the colonial era rather than trade links developed within Africa. To illustrate the problem, "A striking example is the transport sector, where shipping a car from Japan to Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, costs $1,500; while shipping that same car from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Abidjan would cost up to $5,000". http://www.uneca.org/

Security in the West African Gulf of Guinea was the topic of a hearing in the US Senate Foreign Relations committee. Testimony included warnings that US dependency of oil from the region would increase over time but instability, corruption and terrorism in the area needs to be addressed. http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2004/hrg040715p.html

Burundi rebels of the National Liberation Front (FNL) attacked a town in the south, killing at least 15 people. The UN Mission in Burundi (ONUB) will hold discussions with FNL to encourage them to join other rebel movements in signing a ceasefire agreement and taking part in the transitional government.

Cameroon and Nigeria have exchanged three border villages as part of continuing moves to end the territorial dispute and settle the final border. The next step will be the controversial and difficult handover of the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula from Nigeria to Cameroon. Discussions on how to proceed with this step are underway.

Democratic Republic of Congo saw more fighting in Ituri, in which dozens have been killed, including rebels, security forces, and civilians.

Ghana's national Reconciliation Commission (NRC) has completed public hearings and is beginning to work on its report. http://www.nrcghana.org/

Conditions in Guinea are described in "Economic crisis and Liberian gunmen threaten stability" from IRIN news http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42213

"Cote d'Ivoire: No Peace in Sight" from the International Crisis Group finds that the peace accords have been badly compromised and there is a risk the violence could spread to other countries. This is because "The situation is triangular, linking the political elite, the security forces and militias, and business interests connected to economic, often criminal, networks. The latter work in conjunction with the political elite and are quick to take advantage of the services of either security forces or militias." The economic dimension is of particular importance and is described in Finance, see below. http://www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=2858

Kenya has received an apology if any offense was caused by a speech made by UK High Commissioner Edward Clay that included a pointed attack against government corruption in which he said corrupt ministers were "eating like gluttons" and "vomiting on the shoes" of donors. Furthermore, "...against a World Bank figure of US $1 trillion spent on bribes each year, Kenya perhaps accounts for only $800 million or so, annually, since the 2002 election. It's pretty staggering to think bribes were worth about 3 percent of world GDP at the time of the study I've just mentioned. But it is outrageous to think that corruption accounts here and now in Kenya for about 8 percent of Kenya's GDP". The Kenyan government asked him to back up his claims that have been backed by the British Foreign Office and US and Norwegian officials, although Transparency International does point out that police corruption has fallen since Kibake took over in December 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/africa/3893625.stm

Nigeria's oil-rich Delta region was the scene of continued fighting that killed militiamen and several bystanders. The leader of the militia is Asari Dokubo (Muhahid Dokubu Asari, Dokubo-Asari). A profile of him is available at http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42230

In Sudan, the African Union mediated intensive talks that collapsed after the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), that is opposed to the government, walked out of the talks. The Sudan Liberation Army is also pulling out. The AU is attempting to restart the negotiations. In the meantime, the humanitarian crisis is worsening as torrential rains and sandstorms are forcing refugees to move again and are hampering access for humanitarian aid. The Guardian's directory of charities that are coordinating aid to Darfur is online at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sudan/story/0,14658,1242074,00.html

Uganda's army captured senior Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) commander Kenneth Banya. Five LRA rebels were killed and five captured during Banya's capture. LRA massacred a family of 11 last weekend. About 300 former LRA fighters have completed a retraining program and been integrated into the national army. The International Red Cross is resuming activities in the north, devastated by LRA violence, for the first time in three years, after six staff members had been killed in a Ugandan-controlled area of DRC.

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3. Americas

Argentina government declared July 18 a day of national mourning in honor of the victims the 1994 bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 and injured hundreds. It was the worst such attack in Argentina.

Bolivians are voting in a referendum on whether the country should export its natural gas reserves, thereby benefiting foreign interests, versus nationalization, as well as other related questions. The issue has been highly contentions, accompanied by threats against the government and widespread protests.

Canada has expelled the Iranian ambassador after learning they would not be allowed to observe the trial of a man accused of the murder of Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi. The trial ended suddenly; see Law, below.

Colombian guerillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) attacked and shot dead seven peasants. FARC has released the two sons of former governor and senator Jaime Losada but his wife, a senator, is still held hostage.

Colombia and Venezuela have agreed to build a natural gas pipeline across northern Colombia to the Pacific Ocean for Venezuelan exports. They will use armed forces from both countries to protect the pipeline and emphasized their determination to prevent Colombia's guerillas and paramilitaries from operating in Venezuela.

Facing continued violence in Haiti, police have given armed rebels and militants until September 15 to turn in their weapons before they begin concerted efforts to root out the weapons and arrest those holding them. The interim government, the EC, Inter-American Development Bank, UN and World Bank have released a report assessing social, economic and political needs over the next two years. Funding the recovery will require nearly a billion dollars in additional financing. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20225397~menuPK:34463~pagePK:34370~piPK:34426~theSitePK:4607,00.html

US Attorney General Ashcroft released a report demonstrating use of the Patriot Act. http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2004/071304_patriot_report_remarks.htm
http://www.lifeandliberty.gov/docs/071304_report_from_the_field.pdf

The US Department of Defense reports that it has notified all Guantanamo detainees they have the right to contest their status before a tribunal and be represented. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2004/n07162004_2004071604.html

In preparation for the Democratic National Convention next week, (the first such event after the September 11 attacks), Homeland Secretary Ridge reviewed security measures and described federal collaboration with state and local authorities in Massachusetts. http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/press_release/press_release_0463.xml Chemical packs in case of an attack are being provided to Massachusetts and New York, where the Republican convention is being held. These are among the first shipments, part of a planned series of efforts to counter unconventional weapons.

The US General Accounting Office (now renames the Government Accountability Office) issued a report on DHS's system of communicating threats. It finds the color-coded system vague and confusing and called for DHS to clearly document communication protocols for sharing threat information and incorporating risk communication principles into the advisory system. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-682

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4. Asia Pacific

Australia's foreign ministry has released a white paper, "Transnational Terrorism: The Threat to Australia", pointing to regional and transnational extremists to whom Australia is a target. http://www.dfat.gov.au/publications/terrorism/index.html

Brunei's parliament will convene for the first time in more than 40 years.

Cambodia's King Sihanouk and the national assembly have endorsed and ratified the reappointment of Hun Sen as Prime Minister, ending 11 months of political deadlock. Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) won the largest number of votes but had to reach agreement with the royalist Funcinpec party in a coalition with enough seats to govern.

China has been closely observing US maneuvers in the region and its military support for Taiwan. Later this month it plans military drills testing a mock invasion of Taiwan as well as ballistic missile tests. In a separate development, China is offering financial incentives to encourage more girls to counter the gender imbalance of 117 boys for every 100 girls compared to a global average of 105 to 100. They will also ban sex determination and sex-selective abortion.

In Indonesia's Aceh province, troops killed three suspected rebels in separate clashes and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatists killed one soldier.

New Zealand has imposed diplomatic sanctions on Israel over two alleged members of the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. They have been sentenced to six months prison for illegally trying to obtain New Zealand passports and working with criminal gang, in white Prime Minister \Clark called "a breach of New Zealand sovereignty and international law " http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.cfm?DocumentID=20339

"Southern Philippines Backgrounder: Terrorism and the Peace Process" from the International Crisis Group finds: "Persistent reports of links between the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terror network overshadow and put at risk the peace process between the MILF and the Philippine government. While the MILF leadership continues to deny any ties, all evidence points to ongoing operational and training links. What is uncertain is whether top leaders are aware of the activity and unwilling to admit it, or whether members of JI and other like-minded jihadist groups have established their own personal ties to individual MILF commanders without the knowledge of the MILF leadership." http://www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=2863

In southern Thailand, motorbike gunmen shot dead two security officials in the latest of a series of attacks in the region that have been attributed to Islamic militants.

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5. Europe

Al Qaeda's offer of a European armistice if countries withdrew forces from Islamic nations ended on July 15.

Georgia, its breakaway South Ossetia region, and Russia held two days of intense talks that ended with an agreement not to use force.

In Ireland, the interim report of the Morris Tribunal (investigating some Gardai of the Donegal Division) found that two police officers divided up Irish Republican Army (IRA) arms finds to later rebury them and fake discovery in both Ireland and Northern Ireland. http://www.morristribunal.ie/images/sitecontent_80.pdf

Kosovo's Ombudsperson Institution's first annual report strongly criticizes both the UN mission and local Albanian authorities for failing to provide even minimal protection of human rights and freedoms, particularly for the Serbian minority. http://www.ombudspersonkosovo.org/annual%20report2000_2001.htm

Moldova used armed police to force the closure of the Tiraspol School No 20 in the breakaway Transdniestria region in an action called "nothing less than linguistic cleansing". http://www.osce.org/news/show_news.php?id=4238

Montenegro has adopted their own flag, national anthem and national day as part of their efforts to obtain independence from Serbia.

The Netherlands issued a terror alert following threats against European and UN organizations in The Hague and Brussels and has urged public vigilance with strengthened security measures that will remain in force for the time being. This is the only country in Western Europe that has issued a heightened threat alert.

Chechen rebels seized 12 members of the presidential security force backed by Russia. During the operation eight police and five rebels were killed. Other attacks killed four soldiers. An attack against the acting president missed its target but killed one person.

Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon testified before the March 11 panel that Europe's biggest terrorist threat comes from Morocco, where there are as many as a hundred al Qaeda cells and perhaps a thousand potential suicide attackers. He also said he knew from the start that Islamic militants, not ETA, were not responsible for the attacks. Other testimony included reports of lax security and militants funded by Saudi Arabia.

In the UK, the MI5 security service is recommending radical changes to ensure the security of Westminster, including a steel barrier rather than concrete, that can be blown up and generate lethal projectiles. A new counter-terrorist unit is being set up to cover the West Midlands, where there are large Muslim communities, and MI5 will establish regional intelligence cells. Also note MI5's discussion of global security requirements in its annual report. http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/5EADA/sr2004_ch6.pdf

Key findings of the Butler Report investigating the intelligence the British government used to justify the war in Iraq include:

Lord Carlile of Berriew's Report on the Operation of the Terrorism Act 2000 concludes the legislation is necessary and appropriate but raises a number of concerns particularly the stop and search powers. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs3/TerrorismAct_rpt.pdf
Home Office response: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs3/150704_report.html

On July 17, 1974, a bomb exploded in the Tower of London, killing one and injuring 41.

In Northern Ireland the eve of July 12 commemorations for the victory of Protestant William III over Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 were accompanied by a number of violent incidents in which gunshots and petrol bombs accompanied the traditional bonfires. On the 12th, Orangemen gathered in 19 venues across Northern Ireland. Most of the parades proceeded peacefully but trouble erupted in the flashpoint area of Ardoyne when nationalist youths attacked security forces. There were several hours of rioting in north Belfast in which 35 security forces were injured as well as an unknown number of civilians. One man died of a heart attack during the rioting.

The Continuity Irish Republican Army, (a/k/a Continuity Army Council, Republican Sinn Fein), has been designated, by the US Department of State, as a foreign terrorist organization. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/34345.htm

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6. Middle East

Bahrain's police have arrested seven men suspected of connections to al Qaeda and plans to bomb a number of locations designed to harm economic interests. Six of those detained had been arrested last month but were freed for lack of evidence.

In Gaza the week began with an Israeli operation to destroy houses in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in which a disabled man in his 70s was killed when his house was crushed. During the week there was a spate of kidnappings and attacks among Palestinians has created a chaotic situation and generated a political crisis. The head of Gaza police was kidnapped, accused of corruption, and paraded in the streets before being released. Four French aid workers and other Palestinian officials were also seized and released. Prime Minister Qurei described security in Gaza as "a real disaster, a real catastrophe, and an unprecedented lawlessness", submitted his resignation, and is determined to leave his post despite Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's refusal to accept it. Arafat declared a state of emergency in Gaza and reorganized the security service, removing the police chief accused of corruption but appointing his nephew as head of public security. There have been a number of large protests, including one in which protesters set fire to a security post, focusing on corruption in the Palestinian Authority. The chaos is also connected to the struggle over who will have control of Gaza after the planned Israeli withdrawal.

Iran's intelligence minister reports all branched of al Qaeda in Iran have been dismantled and its members have been detained.

In Iraq the government led a security crackdown against crime in which more than 500 people were arrested. Militant attacks continue, including the beheading of a Bulgarian hostage, a car bombing that killed the governor of Mosul and ten others, sabotage against an gas pipeline, and many other incidents. The number of foreign nationals killed has passed the 1,000 mark. The Philippines is pulling their troops out early to try to save one of their citizens from execution; a Saudi company has pulled out its contractors.

Israeli Prime Minister Sharon ordered construction to continue on the West Bank barrier despite the International Court of Justice advice that its designed path is illegal but a the route is being redrawn based on a ruling by the Israeli high court that it must reduce hardship for Palestinians.

Saudi Arabia has expressed disappointment over the low response to its amnesty for Islamic militants. So far only four have taken advantage of it, including Khaled al-Harbi ("Abu Suleiman al-Makki), Othman al-Amri, Saaban al-Shihri, and Ibrahim al-Sadeq al-Qaidy. Al-Harbi is a wheelchair-bound confidant of Osama bin Laden who was flown in from the Iran-Afghan border after he had contacted the Saudi embassy in Iran.

West Bank Hamas militant Malek Nasser a-Din, on Israel's wanted list, was shot dead by Israeli troops after he did not meet their demand to surrender. A local leader of Islamic Jihad was also shot dead.

Yemen has regained control of border areas handed back by Saudi Arabia in accordance with an agreement signed four years that completes demarcation of the Yemeni-Saudi border.

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7. South Asia

Flooding in South Asia has stranded or left homeless more than 20 million people and caused more than 150 deaths in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

To protect the Afghan presidential election "Operation Lightening Resolve" has been launched by US military and coalition forces. The UN Security Council has called for faster disarmament of former fighters, but without additional resources. Meanwhile, attacks by Taliban and others continue, targeting security forces, relief and election workers. President Karzai called the warlords and private militias, once closely allied with the west, a greater threat to security than the Taliban.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2004/n07142004_2004071407.html
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=11361&Cr=afghanistan&Cr1=

In Assam, India, rebels of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) set a series of explosions including one against a gas pipeline that caused a major fire. In Gujarat, the federal government has ordered a new investigation into the train attack that triggered religious riots across the state in 2002.

Nepal's Maoist rebels continued attacks including a bomb in a government office that killed one.

Sri Lankan investigators probing the recent suicide bomb report that rather than an explosives-laden jacket she was apparently wearing a bra bomb. In a Sri Lankan prison, fighting between two rival Tamil Tiger factions has killed two and injured a third.

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8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

South Korea has blamed China for a series of internet security breaches, most recently infecting up to 300 government computers with spyware. South Korea has announced plans to work with neighboring countries to create a regional monitoring system and increase cooperation with Australian CERT.

British film companies have launched the " Piracy is a Crime" campaign to convince movie-goers that buying pirate DVDs funds terrorism and drug trafficking. One advertising poster has the message " "Terrorist groups sell DVDs to raise funds."
http://www.piracyisacrime.com/
http://www.fact-uk.org.uk/

Clearswift's thirteenth spam index finds "The overriding trend is the transition of spam from being annoying and indecent to illegal and malicious." From an "almost even mix of pornography, financial, healthcare and direct product spam" today "financial and pharmaceutical spam... now mak[e] up 69.6 percent of spam between them, compared to 39.2 percent this time last year." Spam is more sophisticated and "organised crime gangs have since been moving their operations online and spam provides a virtually invisible channel for this kind of activity. By using spam to direct email users onto disreputable websites, it is possible to conceal their activity from authorities. Spam is now a hotbed for a variety of financial scams, such as web-phishing and ‚'pump and dump‚' stock tipping, and serves as a black market for illegal goods such as fake pharmaceuticals and counterfeit software." http://www.clearswift.com/news/PressReleases/488.aspx

To test if your browser is susceptible to the counterfeit URL spoofing flaw (the frame injection vulnerability) check out Secunia's Browser vulnerability test. http://secunia.com/multiple_browsers_frame_injection_vulnerability_test/>Secunia Browser Vulnerability Test

Microsoft issued two critical Windows updates, to fix flaws in the task scheduler and in the built-in "HTML Help" function. So far this year there have been 12 critical software fixes. Five less serious patches were also released.

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9. Finance

The US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations completed hearings and issued a report finding that Riggs Bank assisted former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet to launder millions in assets and had similar dealings with former Equatorial Guinea dictator Teodoro Obiang Nguema. Chile and Equatorial Guinea are evaluating additional actions. Riggs Bank has accepted a purchase offer of $779 million from PNC Financial Services Group. If approved it will end the 165 years history of Riggs, once the preeminent national bank and the bank of diplomats. The Senate report also criticized regulators for slack enforcement. The hearings and report can be found here:
http://govt-aff.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=189.
Also note prior Newsletter coverage on this issue at
https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2004/051604.html#FeatureArticle
https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2004/052304.html#FeatureArticle

"Cote d'Ivoire: No Peace in Sight" from the International Crisis Group finds the economic dimension is of particular importance in allowing violence in Ivory Coast to continue and spread. They report: "The political impasse is exceptionally lucrative for almost everyone except ordinary citizens. Major government figures have been accused of using state monies, especially from the Enron-like maze of interlinked institutions within the cocoa marketing system, for personal enrichment, purchasing weapons, and hiring mercenaries. Members of the Forces Nouvelles have been accused of monopolising lucrative economic activity, including the trade in cotton and weapons. Some observers have gone so far as to say that the killings of perhaps 120 citizens attempting a peaceful protest in Abidjan on 25-26 March 2004 originated in a power struggle between the ruling FPI and the opposition PDCI over who would control the lucrative rents emanating from corruption at the port." http://www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=2858

Dutch Finance Minister Zalm has announced that all registered foundations and other associations will be required to disclose annual accounts as part of efforts to combat terrorist financing in the Netherlands. The Netherlands has frozen all financial assets of the al-Haramayn charitable foundation.

Joseph Estrada, former Philippines president, was found not guilty in Philippines court, of money laundering charges connected with opening a bank account in a different name in 2000 because the use of false names only became illegal in 2001. He faces additional charges.

Swiss officials, unable to find any accounts linked to former Argentine President Carlos Menem, have suspended a money-laundering inquiry requested by Argentina as part of an investigation into an alleged bribe to cover up Iran's alleged role in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center.

Russian authorities have closed down two gangs accused of supplying false passports and other documentation to foreign nationals and Chechen rebels.

Barclays Bank has frozen accounts held by the British National Party (BNP), citing reputational risk connected with the far right group. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/business/3901621.stm

The US Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council released new guidance on IT management and technology outsourcing including service provider selection, contract issues, and relationship monitoring. http://www.ffiec.gov/press/pr071504.htm

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10. Human Rights

"Respect for human rights and human security are inextricably linked", Louise Arbour, the newly appointed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said as she addressed the 81st Session of the Human Rights Committee. http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/FEC66240ABED211BC1256ECF006F6D26?opendocument

Reporters Without Borders reports that threats against journalists in eastern Sri Lanka have created "a situation that has become much too volatile for them to assert that press freedom is a given in the country". http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=10957

The US Department of State will not certify Uzbekistan as respecting human rights thereby affecting up to $18 million aid. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/34363.htm

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11. Law and Legal Issues

Abderrameb Hammadi Afandi was arrested in Madrid, Spain, in connection with the March 11 train bombings.

David Anyaele and Emmanuel Egbuna, Nigerians who claim that they were mutilated, while on a 1999 business trip to Sierra Leone, by rebels backed by former Liberian President Taylor, have been granted the right to use local press to serve court papers seeking Taylor's extradition. Taylor was granted asylum in Nigeria last year.

Costas Avramidis has been charged in Greek court with membership in November 17 and involvement in their attack.

Abu Rahim Ayub was arrested in Australia on charges of conspiring to commit murder (allegedly of members of the former Baath Party) in Iraq.

Joseph Estrada, former Philippines president, was found not guilty in Philippines court, of money laundering charges connected with opening a bank account in a different name in 2000 because the use of false names only became illegal in 2001. He still must face charges of plundering state resources and perjury.

Goran Hadzic, former Croatian Serb political leader, has been indicted by the international tribunal on eight charges of crimes against humanity and six counts of violating the laws or customs or war for an ethnic cleansing campaign in the early 1990s. http://www.un.org/icty/latest/index.htm

Salim Ahmed Hamdan, held at the US Guantanamo Bay naval base as an "enemy combatant", will face charges in a military tribunal that include conspiring to commit attacks against civilians, to commit murder by an unprivileged belligerent, and to commit terrorism. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2004/n07142004_2004071406.html

A court in Iran trying the intelligence agent accused of killing Canadian journalist Zahra Kasemi ended abruptly without a verdict announced. Lawyers representing Kazemi refused to sign the record of proceedings, saying the event was a farce. Diplomats and journalists, including any Canadian representation, had been prohibited from the hearing and authorities are being accused of a cover-up.

Angela Aramendi Landa and Julen Eizagirre Urgana have been arrested in France on suspicion of membership n Basque separatist group ETA, working in an electronic workshop that is part of ETA's logistics apparatus.

Dejan Milenkovic was arrested in Greece where authorities are awaiting an extradition request from Serbia, where he is one of the main suspects in the murder of Serbian Prime Minister Djindjic.

Slobodan Milosevic's trial in the Hague has been adjourned to August 31 based on review of a medical report.

Abdelghani Mzoudi and Mounir Motassadeq, allegedly linked to an al Qaeda cell in Germany linked to the September 11 hijackers, may be deported to Morocco following steps underway by the Interior Ministry.

Emmanuel Ndindabahizi, former Rwandan finance minister, has been found guilty in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Rolandas Paksas, former Lithuanian president, has gone on trial for leaking state secrets, following his impeachment on corruption charges.

The estate of Yaron and Efrat Ungar has been awarded a judgement, in a US court in Rhode Island state, against the Palestinian Authority and PLO, in which they would be paid more than $100 million compensation for the Ungar's 1996 death in the West Bank. http://www.rid.uscourts.gov/Opinions/Recent/Opinions%20for%20Publication/07122004_1-00CV0105L_UNGAR_V_THE_PALESTINIAN_AUTHORITY_.pdf

Leyla Zana, Orhan Dogan, Hatip Dicle and Selim Sadak, all former Kurdish parliamentarians, were imprisoned in Turkey for alleged ties to the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Released last month, a Turkish court has overturned their prior convictions as the result of an unfair hearing, and has ordered a new trial.

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12. Transportation

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has suspended the new Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II). For a review of press coverage on this see "Uncle Sam Mothballs Screening Program" by Cynthia Webb, Washington Post July 16. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54487-2004Jul16.html

NATO's entire Mediterranean fleet will be deployed with the Greek navy during the Olympics.

Bangkok, Thailand has opened a new subway system, complete with a safety plan. http://www.mrta.co.th/eng/main/e_safety.html

Peru has grounded Aero Continente, its largest airline, because it was unable to get insurance after being put on a US government blacklist of companies with suspected drug trafficking connections. http://www.rpp.com.pe/noticia/nacional/12240.php http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/actions/20040601.html

The US Transportation Security Administration began its third phase of testing new rail security measures. http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=3843

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13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of the two US nuclear weapons research facilities and site of the development of the first atomic bomb, has stopped all research activities pending safety and security investigations after two computer devices containing classified data went missing, the third such security breach in eight months.

The World Health Organization warned of the possible spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 to humans and reiterated the precautions necessary in dealing with infected poultry. http://www.who.int/csr/don/2004_07_16/en/

The US National Security Archive has released newly declassified documents from the first Single Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP) in which US nuclear war plans were on such a massive scale they were called "a hazard to ourselves as well as our enemy". http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB130/press.htm

Emergency Film Group has just produced "Mass Decon", a video and DVD-based training program for first responders who may need to rapidly carry out contamination reduction activities at terrorist events where large numbers of victims are affected. http://www.efilmgroup.com/Hazardous-Materials/Videos-Mass-Decon-DVD.html

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14. Recently Published

Greg Behrman, "The Invisible People: How the US Has Slept Through the Global AIDS Pandemic, the Greatest Humanitarian Catastrophe of Our Time" Free Press http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/13/books/13FINK.html?8br

Bryan Burrough, "Public Enemies", Penguin http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,11010,00.html

Tom Clancy with Tony Zinni and Tony Koltz, "Battle Ready" Putnam (fiction)

Anne-Christine d'Adesky, "Moving Mountains: The Race to Treat Global AIDS" Verso http://www.versobooks.com/books/cdef/d-titles/dadesky_moving_mountains.shtml

Mark Elvin, "The Retreat of the Elephants: An Environmental History of China" Yale University Press http://www.apress.com/book/bookDisplay.html?bID=318

Thomas C Greene, "Computer Security for the Home and Small Office" Apress, distr Springer Verlag http://www.apress.com/book/bookDisplay.html?bID=318

Valeria Hudson and Andrea den Boer, "Bare Branches: The Security Implications of Asia's Surplus Male Population", MIT Press http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?tid=9963&ttype=2

Norman Myers and Jennifer Kent, "The New Consumers: The Influence of Affluence on the Environment" Island Press http://www.islandpress.org/

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FEATURE ARTICLE: Maritime Security Part 2: Security Measures

The maritime industry must protect its equipment, facilities and people both at the endpoints and while in transit. The risks facing the industry were discussed in Part 1 last week and now we look at measures in place to help mitigate these risks.

The Titanic was the biggest ship ever built and believed impervious to virtually any hazard. When it collided with an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage, killing more than half of those on board, the scale of the catastrophe shook confidence in the promise of technology and led to the world's first maritime safety measures.

The first version of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) was adopted in 1914, some two years after the disaster. It specified minimum standards for construction, equipment and operation of ships and provided for inspection and various proscriptions if a ship was found to be unsafe.

Over time, these physical protection mechanisms have expanded to include the contents of the ship and ports and broadened to include contemporary requirements for access security, information security, and monitoring.

International container security falls under the umbrella of the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the national organizations (such as US Customs and Border Patrol) that implement the required measures. Container security starts by identifying the contents of containers before they reach a port. The advance electronic transmission of customs data helps facilitate trade by providing enough data to identify in advance high risk consignments and target items that could require a higher level of review, testing, and monitoring. All parties in the supply chain, including shippers, consolidators, terminal operators, warehouse operators, and so forth are involved in tracking consignments.

Once the information about a consignment is obtained, part of the screening involves testing the accuracy of the data. This is an evolving area that requires collection of enough data to provide historical information and data of sufficient breadth and depth to make analysis effective. Individuals or companies that have been previously associated with illicit activities may be barred or subject to additional scrutiny. New participants in the supply chain may be subject to background checks and other methods to validate their reliability. In addition, external screening of materials using detection equipment or trained dogs can help identify potential shipments of prohibited goods and of radiological

In addition to ensuring the ship itself is safe, the ship's perimeter must be secured. At the first level, this is accomplished by securing the port facility itself. Measures to secure ports and ships from external attack got underway following the 1985 Achille Lauro incident. In this case, the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) assigned four gunmen incognito to board the luxury cruiser. The action did not go as originally planned, but the ship was hijacked and a passenger killed before ending the siege.

A year after this incident the Rome Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation was adopted. It was modeled after similar measures that were adopted by the Civil Aviation Organization to combat aircraft hijacking.

Under this plan, ports and ships must undergo a security assessment and periodic inspections. Port security measures include establishing restricted areas; using security barriers to establish clear boundaries between restricted and open areas and thereby create a physical and psychological deterrent and means to control access; using security lighting with uninterrupted power supplies; implementing intrusion detection and alarm systems to complement guards and patrols. In addition, access control and identification should be used to verify legitimate access for people and their belongings, including the use of secure identification cards for port workers.

Today, security measures are extended to the full perimeter and may include guards and patrols of vulnerable sea and port areas. Joint patrolling and exchange of intelligence and threat assessments among countries and regions also helps mitigate risk.

On board ships, recommended security measures include restricting access to critical areas of the ship such as the bridge, engine-room, and radio-room; using deck and overside lighting; and access control and identification. In addition security alarms and communication systems are important to complement guards and patrols and provide early warning in the case assistance is necessary.

Traditionally, armed guards are used on board to protect a ship and crew, but electric fences surrounding a ship, like those used at military or other high-security installations, can also be used. This can also help to protect a ship while in transit.

One of the most exciting developments in ship security arises from the way satellite communications can facilitate information exchange around the globe. Ship Security Alert Systems (SSAS) and long-range identification and tracking (LRIT) of ships are examples of two emerging methods of security communication.

SSAS notifies the flag-state of a ship that there is security threat or incident that is political and requires a different response than an on-board distress signal using automatic identification systems (AIS). AIS is a broadcasting device that alerts ships, coastal states, and anyone in the vicinity of an emergency. In high-risk areas, the ship master can take the decision to turn AIS off to avoid providing information that could be of use to pirates or terrorists. A commercial system, "ShipLoc", provides an interesting implementation. It monitors vessel location and transmits position information by satellite. If the panic button is activated, reports are sent to the ship owner, the International Maritime Bureau, and the appropriate authority. In a similar fashion, as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags come into use, containers can also be tracked while in transit.

Such systems also illustrate the importance of information security in the modern maritime world. In addition to secure communications, it is important that the maritime industry ensure reliability of data; controls access and authentication to information and information systems; and ensures that control systems are adequately protected.

All of these pieces come together with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) that amends SOLAS.

This effort was undertaken when the attacks in the US on September 11 led to a ground up review of all existing security measures to take into account new and emerging threat environments. ISPS Code was adopted in December 2002, and entered into force July 1, this year.

ISPS uses risk management to determine appropriate measures based on an assessment of risk in each particular case and provides a framework in which governments can do this consistently. It adopts common definitions of security levels, modifies other international instruments, and adds new measures to improve security identification, documentation, communication and so forth. Compliant ships are issued an International Ship Security Certificate; those that do not comply may be detained, expelled, or other measures as determined by the government.

ISPS does not contain enforcement mechanisms but instead relies on local government implementation and the power of the marketplace to improve security. For example, ship owners and charterers may instruct ships not to proceed to port facilities that are not compliant to avoid problems at subsequent ports of call. Similarly, a catastrophic incident destructive of human life and the environment also damages commercial interests of the countries concerned that can extend to international trade and the world economy.

To implement ISPS and all the security measures discussed here, there is one more critical ingredient: training. Comprehensive security training and education is necessary for all those involved in the maritime industry, at every step of the supply chain. As the USS Cole Commission recommended, security training must be given the same priority as mission training for the military.

Next week, we take a look at where the industry stands on implementing these measures and so reducing the risks.

Further Reading:

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