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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:
Trafficking in Persons

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

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1. World

The global battle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic is losing ground. A review meeting to check progress in the 2001 international Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS cited accelerating infection rates and limited response. Only 12 percent of those needing antiretroviral therapies in low- and middle-income countries receive them. Children are particularly badly affected. The report "Our Voice, Our Future" cites 5,000 new infections per day among 15- to 24-year-olds. There is urgent need for collective action to address prevention, care, treatment, and alleviation of the pandemic's impacts.
http://www.unaids.org

The UN General Assembly is reviewing the "draft outcome document for the High-Level Millennium Review", which will take place September 14 - 16. The document provides an early vision of what international consensus on development, security, human rights and UN reform might look like.
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2005/pingpc050603.doc.htm
http://www.un.org/largerfreedom

World Environment Day was marked on June 3 with a new atlas, "One Planet Many People" that compares and contrasts spectacular satellite images of past decades with contemporary images, bringing environmental change and damage into sharp focus.
http://www.unep.org/

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2. Africa

Burundi began voting for communal councilors in the first national elections since the civil war began in 1993. There have been few disturbances but those that have occurred were serious, including incidents of fraud and violence, the most serious of which was a grenade attack on a polling station that killed one person.

Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern Ituri region remains lawless and violent. In addition to ongoing local violence, UN peacekeepers investigating an incident were fired upon, and one subsequently died of his injuries. Armed men kidnapped two Doctors without Borders employees.

Ethiopia's election results will not be announced until July 8, as election officials continue to investigate alleged incidents of fraud and vote rigging. Early indications suggest the ruling party and its allies have won an overall majority but the opposition made significant gains. In six constituencies new elections were held because of fraud in the earlier polling, and others may follow.

In Kenya, Sudanese fighters with the Toposa tribe raided a town, killing five people including two children, apparently in revenge for cattle theft. Ethiopian tribal fighters attacked another village, killing four people and stealing more than a hundred cattle.

Ivory Coast saw renewed fighting in the cocoa producing west, near the Liberian border. The clashes between Muslim Dioulas and Christian Gueres killed at least 41 people. In revenge attacks that followed at least ten more people were killed.

Niger's government refused demands by demonstrators that they do more to alleviate the food crisis, saying it would be foolish to provide food aid. The UN has appealed for aid needed after poor rains and a locust invasion, but has not received a single pledge. 3.6 million people, including 800,000 children under five, are at risk and deaths by starvation have already occurred.

Somali warlords clashed in Baidoa, killing 15 people. The local warlord wants the government to be set up in the capital, Mogadishu, but the interim government says it is too dangerous and prefers Baidoa.

South Africa plans to prosecute eight of the 61 mercenaries that had been returned from Zimbabwe, where they had been detained in connection with a plot to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea. South Africa's deputy president Jacob Zuma has come under pressure after his close friend and financial advisor Schabir Shaik was found guilty of corruption. It is widely believed that the bribery and corruption in government contracts could not have occurred without Zuma's assistance.

Sudan hosted a visit from UN Secretary General Annan, who has called for rapid action to end the violence in Darfur and provide assistance to implement peace in the south

In Togo, sanctions imposed by regional body ECOWAS after deceased President Eyadema's son was installed as his successor have been removed following an election agreement. The African Union is split over the role of regional versus supranational bodies in handling Togo's election-related crisis.

Zimbabwe's "Operation Drive Out the Rubbish" demolished thousands of "illegal shelters", leaving more than 10,000 homeless. More than 22,000 people were arrested. There have been a number of clashes between residents and riot police. The World Food Program is preparing food aid for 3 million people in Zimbabwe.

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3. Americas

Bolivians protesting energy policy and demanding nationalization of the energy industry have shut down large parts of the capital, La Paz, accompanied by sporadic violence. President Carlos Mesa has set a date to elect a constitutional assembly and a referendum for provincial autonomy, but his proposals have not reduced the level of protest.

Canada is holding a public inquiry into the case of Mahar Arar, who was arrested in the US on terrorism charges. The US offered to return him to Canada only if he would face criminal charges. Other testimony suggested that economic concerns were the focus of the US border agreement, not civil liberties.

Colombia's army announced the largest ever seizure of an arms cache from the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

The Haitian peacekeeping mission from the UN has been extended for 24 days (due to Chinese opposition for a longer term) despite its failure to end persistent and serious violence in the fragile country. The government promised to crack down on gangs but the violent raids have left up to 20 people dead and no reduction in violence, including arson and shootings at the hands of police. The International Crisis Group reports on an explosive security situation and "deep political, social and economic crisis" blamed on "powerful spoilers" of warring gangs and the "chronic failure to tackle poverty, social deprivation and exclusion" underlying much of the violence.
http://www.crisisgroup.org

Surinam's elections have ended in deadlock and negotiations are under way to try to gather the two-thirds majority needed to elect a president.

The US National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) was established by presidential executive order last fall. The implementing legislation required that it begin operations by June 17, but President Bush has not yet named a director nor settled whether the director reports directly to the President or through the Director of National Intelligence.

Venezuela's Supreme Court President Omar Mora was refused entry to the US because of an apparent error on his visa application, but Mora believes he was refused entry because he had requested extradition of Luis Posada Carriles over a 1976 airline bombing. His extradition request was also rejected on a technicality. Venezuela has suggested they will refuse entry of US officials in response to the insult paid their top judge.

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4. Asia Pacific

China has increased security in Beijing for the Tianamen Square anniversary.

China and Japan again opened discussions over disputed gas fields in the East China Sea.

Fiji's opposition Labor party walked out of parliament to protest a bill that would allow conspirators of the 2000 coup to be released if they had acted for political reasons.

Indonesia's embassy in Canberra, Australia was closed after receiving a package containing bacterial powder that was subsequently deemed harmless. The action was attributed to public anger over the 20-year sentence of an Australian convicted in Indonesia of drug smuggling.

In Aceh, separatists with the Free Aceh Movement and the government ended the round of talks in Helsinki and have agreed to meet again in July.

On the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, two bombs exploded on May 28, killing at least 22 and injuring 40. The two bombs in a crowded market went off within minutes of each other. The island has been the scene of ongoing Muslim-Christian violence despite a 2001 peace agreement, and it was suggested that the bombings could have been designed to incite further violence.

Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court, which played a key role in the ouster of former president Akayev, has not been open following the April elections when protesters occupied the building to support their failed candidates. Last week, hundreds of protesters entered the building to eject the protestors. Police are attempting to keep order.

Mongolian's elected the former Communist party candidate their new president, with 53.4 percent of the vote.

North Korea continued to frustrate attempts at multi-party talks, that has not been helped by mixed messages coming from the US, with Korea denouncing Defense Secretary Cheney's critical words and praising President Bush's politeness. Note Scott Stossel's article in the July/August issue of Atlantic Monthly in which he suggests that "Dealing with North Korea could make Iraq look like child's play - and the longer we wait the harder it will get".
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/prem/200507/stossel

Uzbekistan continues its clampdown against dissidents, while international pressure into the alleged Andijan massacre increases.

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5. Europe

Georgia and Russia have agreed a timetable for withdrawal of Russian troops in which 3,000 will leave by 2008.

In Russia, Chechen rebel commander Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for last week's power outage in Moscow. He claimed an attack against an electricity substation.

Serbia has arrested several soldiers seen in a video that allegedly shows 1995 executions in Srebrenica. The video footage sent shock waves across the country, and has forced people to review their role in the Balkan war, nearly ten years after the Srebrenica massacre. UN war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte indicated additional video evidence would be presented in court.

The Spanish government plan to negotiate with Basque separatist group ETA faced opposition in the form of a march in which more than 250,000 people demonstrated their disagreement to engagement with ETA, which has been responsible for more than 800 deaths during its 40-year independence campaign.

The UK Association of Chief Police Officers has provided pocket guides to advise on response to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear terror attacks. They use "CHALET" as a memory aid:

Amnesty International UK has appealed to people around the world to urge British judges not to participate in a public inquiry into the murder of Belfast lawyer Patrick Finucane. Director Kate Allen said, "Any judge presiding over an inquiry into the Finucane murder under the Inquiries Act 2005 would be presiding over a sham. We urge judges not to sit on any such inquiry"
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news/press/16142.shtml

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6. Middle East

In Gaza, Hamas won local elections in three districts in May, but Fatah complained of irregularities and the result was frozen. Now, although international observers found no evidence of irregularities, a new vote has been ordered, Hamas says it will boycott the vote and blames Fatah for not holding to negotiated agreements. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas announced plans to appoint a deputy and said that parliamentary elections scheduled for July 17 will be postponed.

Iraqi and US soldiers have arrested more than a hundred suspected insurgents in "Operation Lightning" to better secure Baghdad. A large, fully furnished underground complex containing everything from air conditioning and showers to weapons was found in Anbar province. Such examples have not diminished the insurgency, which is relying increasingly on suicide bombings. Scores were left dead last week, from bombings as well as gun attacks. One man was arrested for providing poisoned watermelons. The Interior Minister announced the official death toll from insurgent violence over the past 18 months as 12,000.

The parliament in Iraq's Kurdish autonomous region has opened. Saddam Hussein's trial will begin in within two months, focusing on 12 charges of crimes against humanity that have been fully documented, rather than pursuing all 500 possible cases. UNMOVIC weapons inspectors report that additional equipment and materiel that could be used for making biological or chemical weapons have been removed from 109 sites in Iraq.
http://www.unmovic.org/
Finally, UN official Joseph Stephanides has been dismissed in connection with the Oil for Food program investigation.
http://www.iic-offp.org

Israel has released 398 Palestinian prisoners (two more chose not to be released) as part of the February ceasefire deal. The Jerusalem municipality plans to demolish 88 houses to turn the neighborhood into an archaeological park; the matter is in court.

Lebanese journalist Samir Qasir was killed by a bomb outside his home. This is the most prominent assassination since former Prime Minister Hariri's death, and has led to anti-Syrian protests and calls for pro-Syrian President Lahoud to resign. Qasir was opposed to Syria's presence in Lebanon. Suspicion for the attack has fallen on Syria, which denies any involvement.

Southern Lebanon is voting in the second of four regional rounds for parliamentary elections.

Syrian Kurdish cleric Sheikh Muhammad al-Khaznawi was found dead, showing signs of torture, three weeks after his disappearance. Syria denied any political motive in the death of the popular pro-democracy figure, and say they have arrested several suspects who have confessed to what is a purely criminal matter. Syria has also denied Israeli claims that it test-fired scud missiles.

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7. South Asia

Afghan election officials have published the preliminary list of candidates for September's parliamentary and local elections, including more than 6,000 people. The International Crisis Group suggests an immediate need to strengthen political parties.
http://www.crisisgroup.org
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime reports progress in interdiction of drug supplies and progress in reducing progress in some parts of the country.

These signs of progress have not reduced the rising popular discontent or violence. Recent attacks include the drive-by shooting of leading anti-Taliban cleric Mawlavi Abdullah Fayaz and several roadside explosions, with a number of casualties, including the death of two US soldiers and two de-miners. By far the most serious incident, and one likely to have a lasting impact, was a suicide bomb attack at a mosque in Kandahar. 20 people were killed as they mourned the death of Fayaz. In Afghanistan, attacks against a mosque are extremely rare. Responsibility is unknown, but the governor suggests al Qaeda Arabs were involved.

In Bangladesh, rival student groups at Shaka University clashed, protesting the death of a female student and a bombing, demanding more security. More than 50 people were injured.

India's government and separatists with the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) are considering talks that would include the issue of sovereignty.

In the state of Madhya Pradesh, environmentalists warn that rushing to meet a June 20 deadline for cleaning up the toxic waste at the Bhopal site is leading to carelessness, including poor control of seepage and lack of safety equipment.

India's northeast state of Manipur was the scene of two attacks blamed on separatists in which three people were killed.

Two suspects, believed members of the outlawed Sikh group Babbar Khalsa, have been detained in Punjab in connection with the May bomb attacks on two cinemas in Delhi.

India and Pakistan ended talks on the disputed Sir Creek marshland boundary without agreement. There is also no agreement on the Siachen glacier border.

Kashmiri separatist leaders have crossed from India to Pakistan, over the Line of Control, where they are holding talks with both Pakistani officials and local officials from Pakistan-administered Kashmir. They warn that the current peace is very fragile.

The Maldives parliament voted unanimously to support a new system for multi-party democracy.

Nepalese lawyers have participated in several demonstrations demanding the return of civil rights and now say that the government formed by King Gyanendra in February was unconstitutional and that it should be dissolved. Government troops and Maoist rebels clashed in the southwest, killing one rebel and one soldier.

In Karachi, Pakistan, a suicide attack against a Shia mosque killed five people and injured 20. Riots followed, and a Kentucky Fried Chicken was set on fire. Six people were killed in the blaze. More unrest followed, and many shops and business closed in protest at the government's failure to prevent the sectarian violence.

Sri Lanka's defense ministry blamed the shooting death of Major Nizam Muthalif, an intelligence officer, on the Tamil Tiger rebels.

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8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

Sophos reports that the new Sober-N worm was the most prevalent in May. Sober-N, at 44 percent of attacks, offers free World Cup tickets.
http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/pressrel/uk/20050601topten.html

Other notable viruses include Psyme, a trojan that poses as a message regarding bin Laden's capture, and a rapidly spreading Bagle variant.
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/downloader.psyme.html
http://www.messagelabs.com/news/detail/default.asp?contentItemId=1417&region=

Israeli authorities have arrested 18 people, including senior executives of high tech companies, in connection with a computer espionage ring.

Possible identity thefts have been identified in connection with a lost disk from the Tokyo branch of investment bank UBS and the theft of a laptop computer from the US Justice Department.
http://www.ubs.com/1/e/media_overview/media_asiapacific/mediareleases.html?newsId=79122
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/31/AR2005053101379.html

The US Federal Trade Commission has issued a new rule that requires disposal of personal information derived from consumer reports. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2005/06/disposal.htm

The US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) that regulates banks has issued guidance on developing pre-employment background screening.
http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2005/fil4605.html

BearingPoint reviews security requirements for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in a new white paper. http://www.bearingpoint.com/portal/site/bearingpoint/menuitem.710f8b9efd732a30357b6910826106a0/channel/published/executive%20insights/generic/cit_c3161_voips

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9. Finance

Brazil issued 124 arrest warrants and arrested 89 people for illegal logging, nearly half government workers responsible for Amazon protection, who were able to provide false documentation for timber shipment. In addition to deforestation, illegal logging harms the economy and weakens government institutions. The World Bank, working with the World Wildlife Fund, have announced a global program to reduce deforestation and curb illegal logging.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20515080~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html

Abuse of natural resources was also the topic of a Human Rights Watch report into illegal gold mining. "The Curse of Gold" documents how local armed groups fighting for the control of gold mines and trading routes have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity using the profits from gold to fund their activities and buy weapons. The report provides details of how a leading gold mining company, AngloGold Ashanti developed links the Nationalist and Integrationist Front (FNI), and other transnational crime connections.
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2005/06/02/congo11041.htm

John Authers and Stephen Fidler write of "Hard cases to crack" in the June 4-5 issue of the Financial Times. They describe the case in which Raul Salinas, brother of the former Mexican President, gained huge sums of money, possibly by supporting drug trafficking. They show that "A 10-year effort to prove this charge highlights the odds against money laundering cases".

Youssef Nada and Ghaleb Himmat, accused of using their Nada Management Organization and Bank al-Taqwa to support terrorist organizations, have been given a reprieve. Swiss prosecutors feel they have insufficient evidence at this time to open a terrorist financing case.
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=107&sid=5755773

Britain's Financial Services Authority (FSA) Newsletter advises of forthcoming changes to money laundering laws. They include changes to "the position over proceeds deriving from conduct overseas; the circumstances under which pre-transaction consent needs to be sought where there is not much money involved; some limited exemptions over what has to be reported; and reduced penalties over the failure to use the form in which reports have to be made.
http://www.fsa.gov.uk

The Financial Stability Forum concluded its first African regional meeting, where they discussed strengths and vulnerabilities in international and regional financial systems.
http://www.fsforum.org/press/press_releases_77.html

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10. Human Rights

Thousands of Muslim protesters around the world have demonstrated against abuse of the Koran by US personnel at Guantanamo Bay. The US has now released details of how the Koran had been mishandled.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun2005/20050604_1552.html

Massive anti-poverty rallies are being planned for the forthcoming G8 summit in the UK.
http://www.live8live.com/

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) published two reports giving an overview of education on the Holocaust and anti-Semitism and the prevention of hate crimes in the OSCE area.
http://www.osce.org/item/14902.html

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has exhumed the body of Emmet Till, a 14-year-old boy whose 1955 lynching became a key event in the civil rights movement. Forensic experts plan a new analysis that could lead to fresh prosecutions.
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/May/04_crt_311.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/till/

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11. Law and Legal Issues

Moutaz Almallah Dabas was arrested in the UK on charges connected with running a safe house in Madrid that included some of the 3/11 train bombers. Born in Syria, the Spanish national faces extradition to Spain.

Terence Davidson was charged in Belfast Magistrates court with the murder of Robert McCartney. James McCormick was accused of the attempted murder of Brendan Devine on the same night. The murders have been connected to an Irish Republican Army (IRA) cover-up.

Jose Luis Galan ("Ghassub al-Abrash Ghaylun ") has been charged in Spanish court with helping to plan the 9/11 attacks in the US. He is among 24 defendants in the case, whose main defendant is Immad Yarkas ("Abu Dahdah").

Gul Hasan has been found guilty by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan and sentenced to death for masterminding May 2004 bombings of two Shia mosques that killed 45 people.

Abu Faraj al-Libbi, a senior al Qaeda suspect captured in Pakistan, will be deported to the US.

Roberto Morandi, Nadia Desdemona Lioce, Marco Mezzasalma and Diana Blefari were sentenced to life in prison in Italian court for the 2002 murder of labor reformist Marco Biagi. Simone Boccaccini was sentenced to 24 years. All five are believed members of the Red Brigades - Communist Combatant Party that claimed the killing.

Khamal Muhammad, a member of the Pakistani militant Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM) and Hamid Sheikh, a member of the militant Shia Sipah-e-Mohammed Pakistan (SMP) have been deported from the US./

Diego Murillo ("Don Berna") turned himself in to Colombian authorities, who arrested him on suspicion of killing a local politician. Murillo is a senior commander with the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), which is connected to drug trafficking.

Arnoldo Otegi, arrested last week, has been charged in Spain with membership in the banned Basque separatist group ETA.

Rafiq Abdus Sabir and Tarik Shah, a doctor and martial arts expert respectively, have been charged in Florida and Manhattan were arrested on charges of conspiracy to provide material support to al Qaeda.

Ayad Salman, Ali Ghabdan and Asaad Deefis were convicted of the murder of Iraqi government official Abdul-Mohsen Ali Abdul-Sada and have been sentenced to death. They can appeal the ruling of the Baghdad court.

Waemahadi Wae-dao, Maisuru Haji Abdulloh, Muyahid Abdulloh, and Samarn Wae-kaji were all acquitted of membership in Jemaah Islamiah and planning bombings against western embassies. The Thai court ruled there was no physical evidence to support the prosecution's case, which was based on allegations from JI member Arifin bin Ali.

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12. Transportation

Croatia has become the fourth state to sign a Proliferation Security Initiative Shipboarding agreement with the US.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2005/47039.htm

The two busiest US seaports, Los Angeles and Long Beach, will have complete Radiation Portal Monitor (RPM) coverage, using 90 RPMs to screen international container traffic and vehicles for nuclear and radiological material. They will be operational in December.
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=4530
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/press_releases/06032005_2.xml

The Port of Santos, Brazil, becomes the second South American Country to participate in the Container Security Initiative (CSI), thereby make it possible for all maritime cargo destined for the US to be targeted and pre-screened for terrorists and terrorist weapons.
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/press_releases/05252005_2.xml

Electronic submission of commercial shipment data prior to arriving or departing for the US will be required as of June 6, although few systems are in place to support this mandate.

Security of the Malacca Straits remains problematic. South Korea has now weighed in the demands for better security measures.

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began the third and final implementation phase of the Hazmat Threat Assessment Program this week with the fingerprinting of commercial truck drivers applying to renew or transfer the hazardous materials endorsement (HME) on their State-issued commercial drivers licenses (CDL).Drivers must renew the HME at least once every five years.
http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=44&content=090005198013062d

The US Office of Special Counsel has substantiated allegations that US Border Patrol agents and employees engaged in extensive kickback and fraudulent reimbursement schemes at one Arizona patrol station.
http://www.osc.gov/documents/press/2005/pr05_12.htm

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13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

The National Security Archives report that "Recently declassified intelligence estimates from the 1950s and 1960s show that a minimal capability to produce two nuclear weapons a year would be a relatively inexpensive investment - $911 million in today's dollars - for a country that sought a nuclear weapons capability. Moreover, the U.S. intelligence community concluded that a country that sought a nuclear weapons capability for prestige reasons or to deter the United States would be difficult to stop even if nuclear test bans and a proliferation agreement were in place".
http://www.nsarchive.org

The Bellona Foundation issued "The Russian Nuclear Industry - The Need for Reform". The report says that "t money sent to Russia by the United States for the purposes of improving nuclear and non-proliferation safety would be more effective if that funding supported a fundamental reform of the Russian nuclear industry. In Bellona?s assessment, simple and well established programs supported by the United States, such as submarine dismantlement, are in good working order. However, more complicated programs involving western investment such as the Mayak Fissile Materials Storage Facility (FMSF) in the Southern Urals, and the shut down of Russia?s remaining plutonium production reactors, have faltered. Such programs as the HEU-LEU program, whose funding is allocated on a freer basis, allows Russia to maintain the Soviet-era status quo of its nuclear industry, and offer no impetus for Moscow to re-assess the current structure of its nuclear industry".
http://www.bellona.no/en/international/russia/nuke_industry/co-operation/38314.html

Sweden has closed its Barseback 2 nuclear reactor as part of its plan to phase out nuclear power. About half of Sweden's energy is generated by nuclear power and the decommissioning is raising serious issues of the best way to deal with the spent fuel.

"Bayes, Bugs and Bioterrorists: Lessons Learned from the Anthrax Attacks", by Kimberly M. Thompson, Robert E. Armstrong, and Donald F. Thompson, suggests the use of a risk- and decision-based framework for combating biological attacks. Their model, derived from Bayesian statistics, provides a framework that "recognizes the significantly different attributes of potential biological weapons and offers a strategy for improving communication to effectively coordinate national biopreparedness efforts. The framework identifies generic decisions related to routine immunization, response planning, stockpiling vaccines and therapeutic agents, surveillance choices, containment, emergency response training, research, media and communications preparations, information management, and policy development. This paper provides a straw man to be used in wargames, exercises, practices, etc., at all levels of government."
http://www.ndu.edu/ctnsp/DTP%20_14.htm

The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) has released the PCB Inventory and Management Decision Supportive Tool (DST), a software toolkit that help inventory and manage risks of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The hazardous chemicals are being phased-out by 2025, under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
http://www.unep.org
http://www.basel.int
http://www.pops.int/

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14. Recently Published

Mani Shankar Aiyar, "Confessions of a Secular Fundamentalist" Penguin Books India

Council of Europe, "Short guide to the European Convention on Human Rights", Council of Europe Publishing.
http://book.coe.int/sysmodules/RBS_page/admin/redirect.php?id=36&lang=EN&produit_aliasid=1919

Alex Klaits and Gulchin Gulmamadova-Klaits, "Love and War in Afghanistan", Seven Stories

Emmanuel Mourlon-Druol, "La strategie nord-americaine apres le 11 septembre: Un reel renouveau?", L'Harmattan, Collection Inter-National, 2005

Timothy Naftali, "Blind Spot", Basic Books

Lynn H. Nicholas, "Cruel World: The Children of Europe in the Nazi Web", Knopf.

Yaroslav Trofimov, "Faith at War: A Journey on the Frontlines of Islam, From Baghdad to Timbuktu", Henry Holt

Shane White and Graham White, "The Sounds of Slavery: Discovering African American History Through Songs, Sermons, and Speech" Beacon Press

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FEATURE ARTICLE: Trafficking in Persons

For the last five years, the US Congress has required the State Department to submit reports on foreign government efforts to eliminate severe forms of human trafficking. The 2005 report has just been released, including more countries and expanding coverage of forced labor and involuntary servitude. It finds that the largest category of transnational slavery is linked to prostitution, and there are strong ties between conflict and exploitation.

Country assessments fall into three tiers. Tier 1 meets basic standards. Tier 2 is a warning watch list. Tier 3 countries persistently fail in serious areas and may face withholding of non-humanitarian, non-trade related assistance from the US. This year Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were placed on Tier 3 for failing to address forced labor trafficking, such as involuntary servitude and child camel jockeys. They join countries such as Burma, Cambodia, Cuba, North Korea, and Sudan. Countries in this category are given a grace period in which they can take significant action and thereby avoid sanctions.

The consequences of trafficking include psychological and physical harm, including disease and stunted growth and other damage. It also promotes social breakdown by disrupting family and community support network. In addition to the human rights consequences, trafficking affects public health, economics and security. Profits from organized crime through trafficking amount to some $9.5 billion and are closely connected with money laundering, drug trafficking, document forgery, human smuggling, and undermining the rule of law. Trafficking deprives countries of the irretrievable loss of their human capital and contributes to depressed wages, poverty and illiteracy that can slow a country's development. Public health services must also deal with the consequences of physical, sexual, and psychological trauma, including diseases such as HIV/AIDS, scabies, tuberculosis, and other communicable diseases. Dealing with these consequences can also harm government authority and encourage corruption.

The report suggests a number of measures to address human trafficking:

One of the most interesting sections of this report is "International Best Practices". Legal measures to criminalize trafficking and to prosecute offenders are described in detail, but there are also many creative measures that address underlying causes and contributing factors, such as poverty and poor education.

Here are four of the numerous examples included in the report:

These cases and many others included in the report illustrate a range of solutions to human trafficking, some relying on public policy or education, and others leveraging outside expertise and technology.

Given the serious consequences of human trafficking for a country's economic and social development as well as the serious security implications, these creative examples from around the world offer both hope and practical advice to overcome this serious crime.

Further Reading:

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