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:
Five Lost Opportunities and Sixteen Recommendations

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

1. World

The G8 meeting of the world's eight richest countries has reached a landmark debt relief agreement to help alleviate global poverty.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/business/4084574.stm
The financial measures are tied to governance. The African Governance Institute has been established to foster research, advocacy and policy dialogue.
http://www.undp.org/dpa/pressrelease/releases/2005/june/pr9jun05a.html
An interim report on progress towards the Millennium Development Goals demonstrates how far the international community must go to reach the targets. Links to participating governments and anti-poverty organizations follow:
http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=1501
http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/millennium.htm
http://www.g8.gov.uk/
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/otherhmtsites/g7/g7_home.cfm
http://www.worldbank.org
http://www.whiteband.org
http://www.makepovertyhistory.org
http://www.one.org
http://www.2005plusdexcuses.org
http://www/nientescuse.it
http://www.deine-stimme-gegen-armut.de
http://www.hottokenai.jp
http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca

The G8 meeting will also review the impact of global climate change. The national academies of science for all the G8 countries issued an unprecedented joint statement urging urgent action.
http://www.nationalacademies.org/morenews/#tn0607

The Natural Hazard Working Group has published a report advising mechanisms for detection and early warning of physical natural hazards. They recommend:
1. Establishing an International Science Panel for Natural Hazard Assessment
2. Explore the possibility of extending the World Meteorological Office (WMO) early warning system to cover other natural hazards
3. Increase commitment at national and international level to national capacity building for natural hazard assessment
http://www.ost.gov.uk/policy/bodies/nhwg/

China has announced a second outbreak of avian influenza, this time in the western Xinjiang province.
http://www.iea.org

The International Energy Agency's new report "Saving Electricity in a Hurry" warns that developed countries are straining to meet demand and will experience more outages such as those experienced in Canada, Japan and the US.

2. Africa

Algerian militants, possibly with the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), have been blamed for an explosion in the north that killed 13 government guards who were part of an operation directed against Islamist militants.

Angola's outbreak of Marburg virus - the deadliest ever - has peaked according to health officials, who are optimistic that the epidemic is over, with only one new case reported in the last week.

Burundi's communal elections last week were marred by fraud and violence that led to a re-vote in six districts, but preliminary results indicate that former rebels in the Forces for the Defense of Democracy (FDD) have won more than half the local councils.

In Democratic Republic of Congo's Katanga province Mayi-Mayi militia attacks against villages have forced more than 7,000 civilians to flee, and support for the displaced people, particularly among violently abused women and children, is urgently needed. Australian mining company Anvil Mining has acknowledged providing trucks and planes to transport government troops last October. They characterized it as a response to a legitimate government and denied involvement in the subsequent attack on the town of Kilwa in which more than 100 people were killed, including some 28 summary executions. Australian federal police are investigating this case, while UN investigators are looking into violations of the arms embargo. Note the Australian Broadcasting Corporation report on the Kilwa incident.
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2005/s1384238.htm

Equatorial Guinea President Nguema pardoned six Armenian nationals in the flight crew of the planes used in the attempted coup last year.

Ethiopia has engaged in a violent crackdown against student protests over last month's elections, which they see as fraudulent. At least 26 people were shot dead, many more injured, and at least 600 arrested. Official results have not been declared, but early indications suggest the opposition won more than 80 percent of votes in the capital. Based on rural results the government claimed victory. Ethiopia's ruling party and two opposition coalitions have now agreed to support an inquiry into electoral fraud claims and end the violence.

Ivory Coast's western village of Guitrozon was the scene of a massacre that left behind the dead and uninhabited rubble. Ethnic Dioula attacked the ethnic Guere village and killed more than 100 people, first with machetes then with guns. This is the worst incident in a long-running battle over rich cocoa production land.

A Mauritanian army base was attacked by five members of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) who killed 15 soldiers and injured 17. The government organized anti-terrorism marches in which tens of thousands of people protested the attack.

Nigerian riot police have been deployed in the north to address escalating Sunni/Shiite tit-for-tat violence.

Somalia's efforts to establish a national government faced physical roadblocks this week, as rival warlords competed to put up and take down barricades. More serious interclan fighting was seen in the south-central town of Beletweyne. Fighting broke out on Monday and at least 30 people have been killed during the week.

South Darfur in western Sudan was the scene of fighting between rival rebel groups that led to many casualties and grew so serious the UN Mission was forced to suspend its activities. The Darfur crisis has become the subject of an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation after establishing that the statutory requirements for opening it had been met. In February, a UN inquiry into whether genocide occurred in Darfur found the Government responsible for crimes under international law as well as credible evidence that rebel forces were responsible for possible war crimes, including murder of civilians and pillage. They referred the case to ICC, which has also been given a list of 51 names of people accused of war crimes in the conflict.
http://www.icc-cpi.int/home.html&l=en
NATO has agreed to provide operational support for African Union peacekeepers.

Ugandan President Museveni offered forgiveness and immunity to Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), if he gives up fighting and comes out of the bush. Other former LRA commanders have been given similar treatment, following a blanket amnesty law passed in 2000.

Zimbabwe police warned of ruthless action against a proposed national strike, which failed to materialize. President Mugabe opened a session of parliament with a speech that defended the razing of shantytowns that has left at least 200,000 homeless and thousands arrested. His suggestion of great economic strides was greeted by the opposition as a sign of senile dementia.

3. Americas

The Organization of American States (OAS) general assembly adopted the "Declaration of Florida" that reaffirms "the ideals and commitments of the OAS Charter and the Inter-American Democratic Charter". This continues the non-intervention and self-determination policies and rejects a US proposal to monitor regional democracy.

Bolivia's Supreme Court head Eduardo Rodriguez has become the new president and started steps for a new presidential election. His appointment follows the resignation of President Mesa and protesters' blocking Senate Speaker Hormando Vaca Diez, normally next in line, from appointment. The military had threatened to intervene, but with the interim president in office protesters have begun to lift roadblocks and end oil field occupations. For the first time in several weeks La Paz has fuel. The opposition demands nationalization of the natural gas industry and a new constitution.

Canadian separatist Parti Quebecois's leader, Bernard Landry, has resigned after failing to win support of a quarter of delegates at the party convention, opening the way for a new independence strategy.
http://www.pq.org/

Canada's Information Commissioner released his Annual Report. On the positive side he talks of support for his efforts and new oversight and operational improvements. On the negative side, he referred to new acts with provisions against openness and says, "the clear lesson of these seven years is that governments continue to distrust and resist the Access to Information Act and the oversight of the Information Commissioner".
http://www.infocom.gc.ca/reports/2004-2005-e.asp

In Haiti, rising crime and unrest threaten elections due this autumn. The US provided some 2,600 used firearms last year, in violation of its own embargo, and is evaluating whether to lift the 14-year-old ban on selling weapons in order to arm the police.

Mexican police chief Alejandro Dominguez was assassinated in a drive-by gunfire ambush only nine hours after he assumed the position in the northern border town of Nuevo Laredo, the scene of serious drug gang violence.

A forum of the former September 11 Commission warned that intelligence reform has been hampered by lack of strategic vision and agency deficiencies. They say the changes have increased bureaucratic confusion and ask for agency performance reports. See "The 9/11 Recommendations: The Unfinished Agenda June 6, 2005, Transcript of June 6th Panel Assessing Progress Of CIA And FBI Reform"
http://www.9-11pdp.org/

US President Bush has nominated former vice admiral John Redd as director of the National Counterterrorism Center.

The US refuses to extradite Luis Posada Carilles to Venezuela, where he is wanted in connection with the 1976 bombing of a Cuban passenger jet in which 73 people were killed. US authorities are in the process of reviewing his case to determine what action to take to address his illegal entry into the country. Meanwhile, the National Security Archive has published more documents that highlight the creation of an "Exile Terrorist Umbrella Group". The Archive have requested additional materials also be declassified.
http://www.nsarchive.org

4. Asia Pacific

In Australia, Parliament House, the department of Prime Minister, the British High Commission and the embassies of Italy, Japan, South Korea and the US received white powder packages that resulted in emergency response measures, including temporary closures. Analysis of the powder found no dangerous substances.

Australia is relisting four groups as terrorist organizations. They are HAMAS' Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hizballah's External Security Organization (ESO) (aka Islamic Jihad Organization), Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Under Australian law these listings are in effect for two years.
http://www.law.gov.au

Bougainville has elected former separatist rebel Joseph Kabui as president of the new autonomous government.

Indonesia's military has ruled out a ceasefire in Aceh province despite progress in the peace talks.

North Korea says it is increasing its nuclear arsenal. Meanwhile, South Korea and the US held talks to agree on contingency plans, but nothing on which to act at this time.

Uzbekistan's actions against protesters in Andijian in May amount to a massacre, as detailed in a new report from Human Rights Watch.
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2005/06/07/uzbeki11077.htm

5. Europe

A Defense Economy Council panel report warns that Europe must increase military spending by as much as 45 billion Euros to close the gap with the US, particularly with high technology networking.
http://www.defense.gouv.fr/sites/defense/english_contents/news/international_defence_economy_council_symposium

Denmark's immigration minister was attacked by a group opposed to "racist immigration policies" that called itself "Beatte Without Borders". The arsonists set fire to her car, and it spread to the house, where she and her family were rescued. Security measures have been stepped up.

Norway is celebrating 100 years of independence.
http://www.2005.norway.info/

Portugal's former Prime Minister and a leader of the 1974 revolution, Vasco Goncalves, had died, aged 83.

A Russian train returning from Chechnya was derailed by an explosion attributed to separatists, that injured at least 12. Earlier in the week, Chechen separatists ambushed Russian police officers, leaving seven dead.

Spain's Basque separatist group ETA set off a mortar attack near Zaragoza airport. Given prior warning, the terminal was evacuated and there were no casualties.

6. Middle East

In Gaza, three Hamas militants fired missiles towards Jewish settlements and the Israel Air Force returned fire, forcing the militants to flee. A subsequent rocket attack against a settlement killed a Palestinian and a Chinese worker. Hamas said the attacks were in retaliation for the killing of Islamic Jihad leader Morwah Kamil, who was shot dead in the West Bank during an Israeli army raid. Palestine leader Abbas reached agreement with militant leaders that they would respect the truce but would respond to any Israeli attacks.

Iran's southwest city of Ahwaz, near the Iraq border, was the scene of an organized bomb attack that killed at least five and injured at least 30. Four bombs exploded at government locations over the course of two hours. Responsibility is unknown, but the attacks come ahead of presidential elections next week.

Iraq reports that 887 people were arrested during "Operation Lightening", a 2-week crackdown against insurgents. Today, US marines report that air and ground operations in the west have killed about 40 insurgents. However, dozens of civilians and security force members were killed last week by the insurgents, using suicide and other bombings, executions, and gun battles. In London, the new Iraqi ambassador discovered a cache of weapons and evidence of espionage left behind when the embassy was abandoned in 2003.

Israel's Supreme Court ruled in a 10 to 1 vote that the planned withdrawal from Gaza and settler compensation are constitutional, clearing the way to proceed. Meanwhile, plans to demolish homes in East Jerusalem for an archeological park are on hold pending discussions with residents.

Kuwait appointed two women as members of its municipal council and now has its first female cabinet minister, Massouma al-Mubarak, the minister for planning and for administrative development. Only Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ban female suffrage.

Lebanon continues its parliamentary voting. The second round last week in the south gave victory to Hezbollah. The third round now underway is being carried out in the central and eastern areas where nearly half of seats are open.

Oman's Sultan Qaboos pardoned 31 people who had been convicted in May of attempting to overthrow the government.

Syria's ruling Baath party held its four-day Congress, focused on reform. They agreed to ease (though not remove) the 40-year-old state of emergency. Syria has denied US accusations that it continues to interfere in Lebanon: the UN may send a team to investigate the allegations. Syrian Kurds, still upset at last week's killing of a popular cleric allegedly at the hands of the intelligence service, continued demonstrations that led to violent clashes with police in which one policeman was killed.

7. South Asia

In Afghanistan, Taliban-linked violence has increased and bombings and assassinations have become daily events and led to a large increase in Afghan army desertions - about one in 12 of the current force.

India's special anti-terrorism court in Mumbai (Bombay) freed the remaining eight defendants who were accused of a 2002 bus bombing, for lack of evidence.

The Indian and Pakistani factions of the Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) have decided to reunite ten years after they split, following a disagreement over whether to abandon violent actions. JKLF was the first group to take up arms against India in 1988, but gave up violence in 1995, leading to the creation of a second faction, aligned with other powerful militant groups. They plan to move for an independent Kashmir, and are working on detailed policy objectives. Meanwhile, moderate Kashmiri separatists have been holding talks in Pakistan and say they are prepared to abandon their previous insistence on a UN plebiscite to determine Kashmir's status.

Nepal's Maoist rebels are blamed for a landmine that blew up a passenger bus, killing at least 38 and injuring more than 70. This was the bloodiest attack since the Maoist insurgency began fighting in 1996 and they have admitted it is a serious mistake, and that government soldiers had been the intended target. A group of rebels carrying bombs took shelter in a civilian house, when one of the bombs went off, destroying the house, killing five rebels, and injuring five residents.

Pakistani magazine the Herald reports that there were at least six plots to kill President Musharraf since March 2002. Police in Karachi have arrested two men in connection with the suicide bombing of a Shia mosque last week. They were not names but are accused of membership in the militant Sunni group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), seeming to substantiate Musharraf's assertion that recent attacks have been sectarian and not linked to al Qaeda. In the northern town of Swat two nieces of leading LeJ militant Gul Hasan were arrested on suspicion of training to be suicide bombers.

8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

CitiFinancial, the consumer finance division of Citigroup Inc., announced that computer tapes containing personal data, including the Social Security Numbers and payment histories of 3.9 million customers, has been lost. The case is worrying both in its scope and because the data was lost despite using a highly secure transmission service offered by UPS, which suggests possible criminal intent.
http://www.citi.com/citigroup/press/2005/050606a.htm

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has laid out a new strategy for its computerized case management system. This initiative follows the abandoned Virtual Case File system.
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel05/itbriefing060805.htm
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel05/factsheet.htm

Bluetooth security flaws were the topic of a research presentation at the MobiSys Conference. Researchers Yaniv Shaked and Avishai Wool "describe a passive attack, in which an attacker can find the PIN used during the pairing process. We then describe the cracking speed we can achieve through three optimizations methods. Our fastest optimization employs an algebraic representation of a central cryptographic primitive (SAFER+) used in Bluetooth. Our results show that a 4-digit PIN can be cracked in less than 0.3 sec on an old Pentium III 450MHz computer, and in 0.06 sec on a Pentium IV 3Ghz HT computer".
http://www.sigmobile.org/mobisys/2005/tech/shaked.html

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General released "Disaster Recovery Planning for DHS Information Systems Needs Improvement". The redacted report finds that systems at 19 department sites fail to follow their own disaster preparedness and recovery advice.
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0334.xml

Microsoft has issued an advance notice security bulletin to advise of ten patches due for release on June 14, several rated as critical.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/advance.mspx

9. Finance

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and its regional partner, the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) held their first joint plenary meeting in Singapore. The 55 member countries reiterated their comment to implement the FATF standards and recommendations and to further cooperate in addressing the links between corruption and anti-money laundering/terrorist financing and implementing measures to secure alternative remittance systems. FATF has completed detailed reviews of Norway and Belgium, the first two under strengthened standards, and has published the annual review of Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories.
http://www.fatf-gafi.org

The US Treasury designated three Syrian entities accused of supporting the former Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, offering channels to provide military goods and evade sanctions. Those designated include SES International Corp., based in Damascus, General Zuhayr Shalish and Asif Shalish.
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js2487.htm

The US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued Interim Final Rules for anti-money laundering programs for dealers in precious metals, stones or jewels. http://www.fincen.gov

Liaquat Ali, Akhtar Hussain and Moshan Khan were convicted of money laundering at Leeds Crown Court, but their sentences have been quashed by an appeals panel that ruled prosecutors must prove the suspects did not suspect but knew that the money came from proceeds of a crime. The case could have significant repercussions for other money laundering cases and convictions.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/story.jsp?story=645077

10. Human Rights

World Day Against Child Labor is being marked on June 12. The International Labor Organization used the occasion to call for the elimination of child labor in mining and quarrying within five to ten years. These hazardous and unregulated enterprises endanger the lives of at least one million children who are working in small operations around the world. ILO says that "Because the money they earn is crucial to ensuring that they and their families survive, many are unable to attend school at all. These children are digging for survival". In doing this, "Underground, they endure stifling heat and darkness, set explosives for underground blasts, and crawl or swim through dangerous, unstable tunnels. Above ground, they dive into rivers in search of minerals, or may dig sand, rock and dirt and spend hours pounding rocks into gravel using heavy, oversized tools made for adults".
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2005/29.htm

Palestinian security forces have hanged three confessed murders and executed a fourth by firing squad. The death penalty had been stayed in 2002 but the Palestinian Authority says this is part of their effort to fight chaos and lawlessness.

The war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda issued separate reports citing obstacles to completing work on schedule, including overburdened dockets, lack of predictable funding, and that key indictees remain at large.
http://www.un.org/icty/latest/index.htm
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2005/343
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2005/336
http://www.ictr.org/default.htm

The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations released a study, "Presumption of Guilt: A National Survey on Security Visitations of Canadian Muslims". It finds that "questionable practices are being used in national security interviews" and calls for an independent investigation of the allegations.
http://www.caircan.ca/itn_more.php?id=1677_0_2_0_C

The Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner reviewed Britain's record on human rights, contemning its regime for combating terrorism as flouting presumption of innocence. The report also took issue with control orders, use of evidence obtained under torture, disproportionate numbers of suspects from ethnic minorities, and other areas of concern.
http://www.coe.int/T/E/Commissioner_H.R/Communication_Unit/

11. Law and Legal Issues

Sami al-Arian, a former university professor, is on trial in Florida for allegedly funding Islamic Jihad. Conspiracy charges also take in former student Sameeh Taha Hammoudeh and charity manager Hatim Naji Fariz.

Yasith Chhun, President of the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, has been charged in California court with masterminding attacks in Cambodia and using tax fraud to help finance rebel activities.

Jagtar Siongh Hawara, a leading Sikh militant, and two others were arrested in India in connection with the Delhi cinema attacks.

Umer Hayat and his son Hamid have been charged in the US with planning attacks against the US, following Hamid's Qaeda training in Pakistan. They are being held on charges of lying to the FBI and visa violations. Although the original complaint included details of attacks against significant targets, these charges were withdrawn from the latest court filing.

Maher Amin Jaradit has been arrested in Virginia, US, for concealing ties to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine in his citizenship application.

Bilal Khazal, a former baggage handler for Qantas airlines, has been charged in Australia for compiling a terrorist manual by collecting documents on the internet.

Abu Faraj al-Libbi, an al Qaeda member, has been deported from Pakistan into US custody.

Faheem Khalid Lodhi has been committed to trial in Australian court on nine charges of planning terrorist acts, including electricity and defense sites.

Gary McKinnon appeared in British court to face charges of illegally accessing 53 US government computers, causing $700,000 in damages between February 2001 and March 2002. He has been freed on bail while an extradition request from the US is under consideration. McKinnon, called the "biggest military hacker of all time" was reportedly attempting to prove that aliens exist and to expose weaknesses in security systems because he is a pacifist.

Aboud Rogo Mohammed, Mohammed Kubwa, Omar Said Omar and Mohammed Ali Saleh Nabhan will no longer face murder charges connected with the 2002 suicide bombing of a Mombasa hotel. The Kenyan judge said there was no proof they were connected to the attack.

Munfiatun ("Fitri"), the wife of Noordin Mohammed Top, has been sentenced in Indonesia to three years in prison for failing to provide information about her husband's whereabouts. Top is on the list of Indonesia's most wanted for his role in a series of bomb attacks.

Abdelghani Mzoudi's acquittal in German court for links to the September 11 attacks has been upheld by the federal appeals court, which also ruled there was insufficient evidence for another trial.

Ibrahim Parlak was freed on bail from US immigration detention, where he had been held for ten months, pending an appeal against a deportation order. Parlak is a Turkish Kurd accused of past ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Andre Rwamakuba, former Rwandan education minister, has gone on trial in connection with his role in the genocide, although the accused refuses to attend the proceedings.

Nikolai Tanayev, former Kyrgyzstan Prime Minister, has been issued an arrest warrant in connection with illegal transfer of government funds in a fuel fraud. He is living in exile in Russia.

Robert Young has been sentenced in Northern Ireland to life in prison for the murder of Jim Johnston, a drug dealer and member of the loyalist Red Hand Commando. His sister Lorraine Young and a second woman, Susan Ferguson, were found guilty of lesser charges and will be sentenced later.

12. Transportation

Australia has established an immediate security review for its airports. Conducted by Sir John Wheeler, the review will examine the threat from serious and organized crime, integration of ground-based security and law enforcement arrangements, and the adequacy of the existing security requirements. In addition, the government will immediately require background checks of all holders of Aviation Security Identification Cards (ASICs), require the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police develop an intelligence assessment of criminal activity at major airports; appoint an Australian Government Airport Security Controller at every major airport; require increased scrutiny of people, vehicles, and goods; and remove legal obstacles to increasing video surveillance.
http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/agd/WWW/nationalsecurityHome.nsf/AllDocs/AC17BC9450B39E9FCA257019002A4E29?OpenDocument

Jet Airways (India) Ltd is taking legal action against the US Jet Airways Inc, whose president alleged the Indian company had links to terrorism that should prevent the US Department of Transportation from registering the Indian company from flying in the US. Jet Airways (India) suggests the US action arises from a trade name dispute.
http://www.jetairways.com/Cultures/en-US/About+Us/Press+Room/Press+Releases+NRI/JetAirwaysIndialimited.htm
http://www.jetairways.com/Cultures/en-US/About+Us/Press+Room/Press+Releases+NRI/JetAirwaysIndiaLtd.htm

Airline security remains a controversial topic in the US. Congressional hearings criticized onerous security measures, while a confidential Department of Homeland Security report obtained by the New York Times (Eric Lipton, "Report Presses Easy Ways to Fix Airline Security, June 5) suggests a range of modest changes would help address serious gaps in airline security.
http://commerce.senate.gov/hearings/witnesslist.cfm?id=1529
http://www.house.gov/cha/cb.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/05/national/05secure.html

The International Maritime Bureau issued an alert regarding Somalian waters:
"After a quiet spell, serious attacks have resumed off Somalia. Since 31.03.2005, five incidents were reported where pirates armed with guns and grenades have attacked ships and fired upon them. These attacks took place far away from Somali coast. Eastern and north eastern coasts of Somalia continue to be high-risk areas for hijackings. Ships not making scheduled calls to ports in these areas should stay away from the coast."
http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php

The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) called for the government to focus its search for cross border crime syndicates on "the big end of town", not the wharves, and warns of seafarers operating under flags of convenience that disguise their owner. MUA says that deregulating the coast and allowing Flags of Convenience greater access increases security risks.
http://mua.org.au/news/general/mrbigs.html

The US Coast Guard issued the Annual Port State Control Report". When new maritime security measures came into force, "only 2.5 percent of vessels arriving in US ports were significantly non-compliant with the new security requirements, and were denied entry to port, detained in port, or expelled from port as a result". This number fell to 1.5 percent by year end. A total of 7,241 individual vessels, registered in 81 different countries, made 72,178 U.S. port calls in 2004, and the Coast Guard conducted over 11,000 safety examinations.
https://www.piersystem.com/external/index.cfm?cid=786&fuseaction=EXTERNAL.docview&documentID=73186

Spain hosted "Blue Action 05", a counter-proliferation exercise in the Mediterranean. Last week "Bohemian Guard 2005" took place in Poland and the Czech Republic.
http://usinfo.state.gov/eur/Archive/2005/Jun/06-306201.html

13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

Preliminary tests of uranium traces found on Iranian centrifuges support Iran's claim that the traces were left behind when Iran acquired the equipment from Khan's smuggling network in Pakistan.

The Guardian's Ian Traynor reports, "Electronic drawings that give comprehensive details of how to build and test equipment essential for making nuclear bombs have vanished and could be put up for sale on the international black market, according to UN investigators".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1502378,00.html

The connection between hundreds of cases of childhood thyroid cancer in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine and the 1986 Chernobyl accident has been confirmed.
http://jncicancerspectrum.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/jnci;97/10/724

The Australian government is concerned about rising costs of nuclear waste storage and the role between the states and the federal government in addressing national storage. Environmental concerns have also been raised.
http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/estimates/index.htm
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Nuclear-dump-elusive-as-costs-rise/2005/06/06/1117910243488.html
http://www.acfonline.org.au/asp/pages/document.asp?IdDoc=2402

Japan shut down the Atomic Energy Research Institutes research reactor due to a malfunction. There was no release of radiation and the problem is being repaired.

Successful tests in primates indicate live inoculations against Marburg and Ebola viruses may be successful.
http://info.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/eTge0EVRMj0C30gew0Ee

The US senate Committee on Health held hearings on "Crossing the Valley of Death: Bringing Promising Medical Countermeasures to Bioshield". Testimony focused on the need for increased federal investment.
http://help.senate.gov/bills/hlh_93_bill.html

Grenada has become the 169th party to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's annual review finds that for the first time weapons spending has exceeded $1 trillion - $162 for each person in the world - with the US accounting for nearly half of the total.
http://yearbook2005.sipri.org/
Details in next week's Feature Article.

14. Recently Published

Dominique Bodin, Luc Robene, and Stephane Heeas, "Sport and violence in Europe", Council of Europe Publishing
http://book.coe.int/sysmodules/RBS_page/admin/redirect.php?id=36&lang=EN&produit_aliasid=1773

Rachel DeWoskin, "Foreign Babes in Beijing: Behind the Scenes of a New China", Norton

Stuart Hart, "Capitalism at the Crossroads: The unlimited business opportunities in solving the world's most difficult problems"
Jean Hatzfeld, transl. Linda Coverdale, "Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak", Farrar Straus and Giroux

Oded Shenkar, "The Chinese Century: The Rising Chinese Economy and Its Impact on the Global Economy, the Balance of Power, and Your Job", Wharton (US) and Prentice Hall (UK)

Curt Weldon, "Countdown to Terror: The Top-Secret Information that Could Prevent the Next Terrorist Attack on America... and how the CIA has Ignored It". Regnery Publishing

FEATURE ARTICLE: Five Lost Opportunities and Sixteen Recommendations

Soon after the attacks against the US on September 11, the Federal Bureau of investigation (FBI) indicated that it had no prior warning of the attacks, a statement that was soon found to be untrue. In reviewing what the FBI knew prior to 9/11 that could have been related to the attacks, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has now found "significant deficiencies" that caused the organization to miss several opportunities to possibly uncover the plot and perhaps even prevent the attacks.

Instead, "widespread and long-standing deficiencies in the FBI's operations and Counterterrorism Program" are responsible for "insufficient resources and overwhelming impediments". Problems included the "inadequate analytical program, insufficient supervision of analysts in the program, the focus on operational priorities at the expense of strategic analysis, the failure to adequately share intelligence information, and the lack of adequate tools to facilitate information sharing within and outside the FBI".

Five Lost Opportunities

Nawaf al Hazmi and Khalid al Mihdhar were two of the five hijackers who crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon. OIG found there were at least five opportunities to learn of the al Qaeda members' presence in the US and to find them well before September 11.

1. "[I]n early 2000 the FBI received the NSA information about Mihdhar's planned travel to Malaysia. Although the CIA informed the FBI of the Malaysia meetings in January 2000, the existence of Mihdhar's U.S. visa and the surveillance photographs was not disclosed to the FBI. FBI detailees at the CTC [Counter Terrorism Center] read the pertinent CIA cable traffic with this information and drafted a CIR [Central Intelligence Report] to pass this information to the FBI. But the CIR was not released to the FBI, purportedly at the direction of a CIA supervisor, and the FBI did not learn of this critical information until August 2001. In addition, in March 2000 a CIA office discovered that Hazmi had traveled to the United States in January 2000, but no one from the CIA shared this information with the FBI."

2. "[I]n February 2000 Mihdhar and Hazmi moved to San Diego, where they were aided in finding a place to live by the former subject of an FBI preliminary inquiry. In May 2000, Hazmi and Mihdhar moved in with an FBI asset in San Diego, California. However, the FBI did not learn of this information until after the September 11 attacks."

3. "[I]n early January 2001 the CIA showed [redacted] to a joint CIA/FBI source, and the source stated that [redacted]/ This identification could have led the FBI to focus on who else was [redacted], which could have led the FBI to identify and locate Mihdhar. However, we concluded that, despite the CIA's assertions, [redacted] was not known by the FBI."

4. "[I]n May and June 2001 due to concerns about possible terrorist activities, CIA employees were again examining the [redacted], Hazmi's and Mihdhar's travel (including Hazmi's travel to Los Angeles), and [redacted]. Yet, despite these interactions between the two agencies on the telephone, in e-mails, and in a June 11 meeting in New York, the FBI never was informed of the critical intelligence information that [redacted] with Mihdhar, and that Hazmi had traveled to the United States. Again, this information could have led the FBI to initiate a search for Hazmi and Mihdhar earlier than it eventually did."

5. "[I]n July 2001 a former Bin Laden Unit Deputy Chief who was working in ITOS [International Terrorism Operations Section] in FBI headquarters confirmed that [redacted] and wrote in an e-mail to CTC managers that this information needed to be sent in a CIR to the FBI. However, this information was not sent in a CIR to the FBI until several weeks later. On August 22, an FBI employee detailed to the CTC notified the FBI that Mihdhar had entered the United States on July 4, 2001. The FBI began an intelligence investigation to locate Mihdhar and Hazmi. However, the FBI assigned few resources to the investigation and little urgency was given to the investigation. The FBI was not close to locating Mihdhar and Hazmi before they participated in the September 11 attacks."

OIG concluded that these lost opportunities were the result of systematic problems. These included inadequate oversight and guidance to detailees at the CIA, lack of understanding of CIA procedures, inconsistent documentation of intelligence information received informally, lack of priority given to counterterrorism investigations before September 11, and the effect of the wall on FBI criminal investigations. Furthermore, although the FBI did not "exploit the information that was made available to them", the CIA did not provide information when it should have and therefore " shares significant responsibility for the breakdown in the Hazmi and Mihdhar case".

The report also reviews details of the investigation into Zacarias Moussaoui, which have been redacted pending resolution of the case. However, handling of information communicated from Phoenix and other information about the use of airplanes demonstrates additional lost opportunities, and similar systemic problems.

The analysis of these cases led to Sixteen Recommendations:

The FBI responded to this report by citing substantial progress since it was first produced, a year before its release this week.

The findings in this report echo those of many other analyses, including recommendations of the 9-11 Commission. However, the Commission went a significant step further by addressing failures of imagination and leadership. Operational issues cannot be successfully addressed until these issues of substance and strategy, beginning at the highest levels of public policy with citizen participation, are resolved.

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