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:
Rail Security

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

1. World

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake, centered in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, has killed more than 19,000 people and injured more than 41,000. The human toll is likely to rise as rescuer operations continue. There is massive property damage, including communications infrastructure, and entire villages have been wiped out. More than 200 Pakistani soldiers were killed, but there have been no reports of compromised weapons facilities.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its Director Mohamed ElBaradei have won this year's Nobel Peace Prize for leading the global struggle against proliferation.
http://nobelprize.org/peace/laureates/2005/index.html
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2005/nobelprize2005.html

Scientists and public health officials around the world are struggling with the challenges posed by pandemic influenza and the threat of an outbreak in which humans could be infected by avian influenza (H5N1). There is a serious outbreak in Indonesia, with three of four confirmed cases fatal. These have been tied to local poultry, among which avian influenza is now endemic, but the situation is being carefully monitored for cases of human-to-human transmission. Suspected cases in Romania are under investigation. If confirmed, they represent the first in Europe. Neighboring Turkey reported its first case of avian influenza, and ordered all birds in the village where it was found to be destroyed.

Concern over human infection was strengthened by the recent discovery that the deadly Spanish flu of 1918 was an avian virus. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory reconstructed the 1918 pandemic influenza virus that killed up to 50 million people around the world. Understanding this strain will help prepare for the next pandemic.
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r051005.htm
Also note the review article in the 29 September issue of New England Journal of Medicine
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/13/1374

Britain's Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) commissioned a report into the global effects of climate change on migratory species. The investigation found many species, including migratory birds, face extinction due to increased storms, rising sea levels, water scarcity, and other threats.
http://www.bto.org/notices/climate_change.htm
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/resprog/findings/climatechange-migratory/index.htm

2. Africa

Chad has closed its consulate in Darfur, Sudan and has asked Sudan to close its consulate in eastern Chad in reaction to the assaults last week from Sudanese-government backed militias and generally deteriorating security.

Democratic Republic of Congo sent at least 2,000 troops to the border with Uganda, ousting Lord's Resistance Army rebels, and forcing them back across the border. Several thousand civilians have begun returning home after having fled the fighting last week.

In Ethiopia, the Mount Arteale volcano erupted. There were no human casualties, but 50,000 nomads have been displaced and hundreds of livestock killed.

Liberia's elections will take place as planned on 11 October after mediation succeeded in ending legal disagreements.

Morocco and Spain continued actions to address migrants attempting to force their way into the Spanish enclave of Melilla, under a 1992 agreement with Morocco that allows Spain to expel illegal entrants back to their point of entry in Morocco even if they are of a different nationality.

Nigerian police and army officers clashed in Lagos when a disagreement deteriorated into a free-for-all fight on Wednesday, killing three civilians in crossfire, and triggering street fighting, looting, and arson.

Republic of Congo's Ninja rebels with the National Liberation Council (CNR) proposed forming a government of national unity. They are waiting on a response from the government.

Sudan's government, and rebels with the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM) and Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA) held a fresh round of peace talks, amid continued violence in Darfur. An ambush on Saturday against African Union peacekeepers killed two soldiers, injured three, and killed two civilian contractors - the first deaths among AU forces.

A new briefing from the International Crisis Group discusses "Unifying Darfur's Rebels: A Prerequisite for Peace". It warns:
"The Abuja peace talks will fail and Darfur's conflict continue until the main rebel groups stop fighting each other, mend internal divisions and present a unified negotiating front. The chief figures in the Sudan Liberation Army/Movement (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), must return to Darfur, organise broad-based conferences to resolve leadership disputes, restore command and control and instruct their Abuja delegations. Otherwise, they will be vulnerable to Khartoum's manipulation and become increasingly isolated as they lose legitimacy. The international community should coordinate better so rebel factions cannot play them off against each other; press them to resolve internal problems; and support the conferences each needs to do so. If the rebels continue their descent into banditry and warlordism, the crisis will continue indefinitely, and civilians will pay the costs."
http://www.crisisgroup.org

Swaziland's police accused the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), a coalition of banned opposition parties, of responsibility for a series of firebombings last weekend. There were no casualties. PUDEMO denies any involvement.

Zimbabwe will loose 7 percent of its GDP this year, have an inflation rate of 400 percent, an unemployment rate of over 70 percent, and widespread poverty. These are among the results of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) review.
http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pn/2005/pn05139.htm
In a similar vein, the Institute for Security Studies warns that the army is no longer able to feed its soldiers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/africa/4321778.stm

3. Americas

Tropical storm Stan triggered floods and landslides in Central America and southern Mexico. Most of the deaths have been in Guatemala, where landslides brought the toll to 610 confirmed deaths. 1,400 people are trapped in two villages, so this number is likely to rise. There have also been fatalities in El Salvador (67), Mexico (17), Nicaragua (10), Honduras (4), and Costa Rica (2).

Colombian rebels with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) attacked a village in the northwest, abducting more than 60 policemen. A US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report looks at "Efforts to Secure Colombia's Cano Limon-Covenas Oil Pipeline have Reduced Attacks, but Challenges Remain". GAO describes the issue as follows:

The right-wing paramilitary United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) have suspended demobilization pending resolution of the potential extradition of Diego Fernando Murillo ("Don Burro") to the US to face drug charges. President Uribe has set up a commission to compensate victims of demobilized armed groups, which at this time comprise only the AUC.

Costa Rica filed a case against Nicaragua at the International Court of Justice to determine who should control the San Juan River.

Ecuador's former president, Lucio Gutierrez, and three companions have been granted asylum in Colombia. He was ousted in April and has been accused of damaging Ecuador's security.

Peru's former president, Alberto Fujimoro, has announced that he will run for president in 2006. He had been ousted and fled to Japan five years ago, and in Peru faces charges of corruption and human rights abuse. Although he recently received a new Peruvian passport, he has not said whether he will leave his self-imposed exile to run in Peru, or attempt to run from Japan.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that the Guantanamo Bay hunger strike is serious, and ICRC is following it with concern. Details have not been made public, but other human rights groups have called for an end to restraints and forced feeding, and asked the British government to intervene.
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news/press/16468.shtml
http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/detention

US President Bush discussed the "war on terror", claiming that "Overall, the United States and our partners have disrupted at least ten serious al Qaeda terrorist plots since September the 11th, including three al Qaeda plots to attack inside the United States".
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/10/20051006-3.html

Vice President Cheney, speaking before the Association of the United States Army Sustaining Members, warned that the war on terrorism could take decades and would only be lost if the US loses its nerve and abandons Iraq and the Middle East.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/10/20051005-3.html

Central Intelligence Director Porter Goss has reviewed an inspector-general report on whether 9/11 could have been prevented, and has spoken to each individual named in the report. He has decided that any one person or group of people could have prevented the attacks and rejected the recommendation to order an accountability board.
http://www.cia.gov/cia/public_affairs/press_release/2005/pr10052005.html

4. Asia Pacific

As the world united to condemn to series of bombings in Bali, Indonesia last weekend, the aftereffects have rippled throughout the region. Malaysia called for closer cooperation among Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and promised it will step up efforts to prevent terrorist planners from working in Indonesia. Two Malaysia fugitives, Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Mohamed Top have been implicated in the most recent bombings. They and Jemaah Islamiah militants are believed to have trained in the Mindanao region of the Philippines. The Philippines government believes that training camps on Mindanao have been dismantled, and militants have moved elsewhere.

Jemaah Islamiah is believed to have carried out the latest Bali bombings. Two JI suspects linked to earlier attacks have become the subjects of Rewards for Justice programs. $10 million is offered for information leading to the location, arrest, or conviction of Dulmatin ("Amar Usman"), and $1 million for Umar Patek ("Umar Kecil").
http://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/wanted_captured/index.cfm?page=dulmatin
http://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/wanted_captured/index.cfm?page=Patek

The attacks also led to reviews of JI and its changing tactics. Marian Wilkinson reports that "Jemaah Islamiah is adapting its strategy. Using smarter and smaller weapons, it is also drawing from a wider pool of suicide bombers".
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/indonesias-terrorist-underground-mutates/2005/10/07/1128563003618.html
Indonesia's lead investigator believes the bombers were part of "a new generation", recruited specifically for the attacks.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=20051007124621&irec=9

Also Note Finance, below, and background on JI at
https://terrorismcentral.com/Library/terroristgroups/JemaahIslamiyah/List.html

Australian Prime Minister agreed that banning Jemaah Islamiah would have no practical impact but that foreign minister Downer will attempt to convince Indonesia to undertake such a ban if only to deter recruitment. Indonesian officials have said that such a ban is impossible.

China's vice-premier Wu Yi has begun a 4-day visit to North Korea, where he is meeting with Kim Jong-Il and is expected to focus on North Korea's nuclear program.

Indonesia's police went on high alert after last Saturday's bombings in Bali, whose death toll has now risen to 23. Debate over reviving the military intelligence apparatus to address terrorism is underway, with the proposal generating great controversy. Photographs of the severed heads of the bombers have been circulated, and 10,000 photographs of the suspected masterminds were dropped by helicopter in an area where one of the men narrowly evaded capture.

Philippine security forces were placed on increased alert after the Indonesian bombings. They have been conducting local operations against suspected terrorists. Amy officers captures seven members of the New People's Army (NPA), which now says it will increase its attacks to twice daily.

Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has visited the south to demonstrate he and his cabinet are not afraid of insurgents operating there, including those who launched an attack on Wednesday that killed five Thai soldiers on Wednesday.

Uzbekistan's violent suppression of anti-government protests in Andijan last May have led the EU to approve arms and travel embargoes, while their closing of a US airbase led the US senate blocking for at least one year a $23 million payment.

5. Europe

Belarus opposition groups have united under a single presidential candidate, Alexander Milinkevich, in an attempt to challenge the Lukashenko dictatorship. Presidential elections are due next year.

The Bosnian Serb government has submitted a list of more than 19,000 Serb soldiers who operated in the Srebrenica region during the 1995 massacre to the state prosecutor's office for review.

Italian authorities stated an emergency response exercise during morning rush hour in Rome to test preparedness after the 7/7 London bombings. The simulation included a suicide bomb at the Coliseum, and bombs in the subway and on a bus near St. Peter's Basilica. Business disruption and slow response were among areas identified for possible improvement.
http://www.interno.it/news/articolo.php?idarticolo=21449 (in Italian)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/03/AR2005100301048.html

The Kosovo Police Service now has access to a human rights booklet. Its detail of international human rights and applicable laws in Kosovo can be applied to law enforcement, and help address gaps in current procedures.
http://www.osce.org/item/16509.html
Talks on Kosovo's permanent status will begin soon.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=16134

In Istanbul, Turkey, a bomb exploded in a shop killing the bombmaker and injuring seven people. He and two of those wounded are believed to be members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Britain's proposed law banning the "glorifying" of terrorism has been revised to include a requirement that such acts involve an intention to incite. Metropolitan anti-terrorism police have arrested ten suspects.

In Northern Ireland, former Ulster Defence Association (UDA) leader Jim Gray was shot dead when he opened the door to two gunmen. An investigation is underway, and six people have been arrested.

6. Middle East

The International Crisis Group's new report, "Reforming Egypt: In Search of a Strategy", suggests:

In Gaza, at least two dozen Palestinian police broke into the parliament to demand a crackdown against Hamas gunmen, a day after Hamas had attacked a police station and killed a police commander and two civilians. The protestors said they did not even have enough bullets to defend themselves. Parliament voted in favor of a resolution ordering President Abbas to form a new government within two weeks, instead of pursuing a no-confidence motion. Parliament also decided to appoint an inquiry to determine how Yasser Arafat died: many believe Israel poisoned him. At the end of the week, Palestinian militant groups issued a statement blaming Hamas for violence in Gaza. There were several kidnappings among rival groups in both Gaza and the West Bank.

Iran has denied British accusations that Iranian Revolutionary Guards are responsible for the deaths of eight soldiers killed in Iraq this year. The accusation was based on explosives that Britain claims were based on technology from Lebanese Hezbollah that traveled to the Mehdi army in Iraq via Shia supporters in Iran. UK Prime Minister Blair said that although new explosive devices have been used, Iranian involvement is not conclusively established.

Iraq's preparations for the 15 October constitutional referendum are nearly complete, and a parliamentary attempt to change the rules to make it nearly impossible to defeat the constitution has been ended. US and Iraqi forces undertook offensives along the Euphrates valley, in "Operation River Gate". The fighting has displaced thousands; casualties are not yet determined. Insurgents freed the brother of the Interior Minister who was kidnapped last weekend. Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum survived a roadside bomb, but two of seven vehicles in the convoy were destroyed, and two guards killed. The oil ministry was also targeted by a car bomb that killed ten and hurt 8.A mosque south of Baghdad was bombed on the first day of Ramada, killing 25 and injuring 87. Al Qaeda in Iraq called for more attacks against Shias during the holy month. However, al-Qaeda's second-in -command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has warned al Qaeda in Iraq to use less brutal methods, as beheadings repulse supporters more than bullets.

In Lebanon, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC) claims that the Lebanese Army was blockading its bases near Syria, and said that it will not disarm.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has dismissed 81 judges as part of his program to reform the legal system. In addition, salaries for judges were increased by 25 percent, and they were given better benefits. Although meant to improve legal processes, criticism was raised that such intervention supports corruption and undermines judicial independence.

In the occupied West Bank, a 30-year old Palestinian mother of five attacked a female Israeli soldier with a knife at a military checkpoint. Soldiers shot and killed the attacker.

7. South Asia

Afghanistan's Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) announced provisional results from two provinces. These indicate the continued influence of warlords, but also included a successful female candidate. Final results are expected at the end of October.

NATO plans to increase its peacekeeping deployment in Afghanistan from 10,000 to 15,000. Meanwhile, the US-led operation against al Qaeda and Taleban continued, with some three dozen Taleban reported killed in a number of clashes. A suicide car bomber rammed a convoy, prematurely setting off his bomb. In addition to the attacker, a 10-year-old boy died, and a Canadian soldier was injured. Another suicide attack today injured four Britons there to assist with customs regulations.

Bangladesh courts were the target of a series of five bombings over the course of about 30 minutes, in Chitagong, Chandpur, and Lakshmipur. Two people were killed and ten injured. Six suspects, members of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, have been arrested.

In India, attendees at the annual conference of Directors and Inspectors General of Police addressed the threat posed by Maoists, also called Naxalites, who operate in 13 states. Economic development was the recommended solution to the violence.

India's Supreme Court ruled that the government's decision to dissolve Bihar's legislative assembly was unconstitutional but that new elections should go ahead as planned this month. In Jharkhand state, a mine explosion attributed to Communist Party of India Maoist killed 12 paramilitary soldiers.

In Indian-administered Kashmir, violence is reported to have fallen by more than 50 percent over the past three years.
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=55961

India and Pakistan have signed security cooperation agreements to provide for advance warning of ballistic missile tests and to establish a coastguard hotline.

Nepal is in danger of political collapse, according to an EU delegation visiting the country.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=49399
http://www.delind.cec.eu.int/en/index.htm

In Pakistan's North Waziristan region, clashes with paramilitaries killed four suspected militants. A major offensive following that incident killed up to 40, including foreign fighters. Taleban spokesman Latifullah Hakimi was detained in Balochistan. Unknown gunmen attacked a mosque in Punjab, killing eight and injuring 20 as they gathered for Friday prayers.

Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, was the scene of an explosion outside a newspaper office that injured one person.

8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

An al-Qaeda affiliated website has posted job advertisements, recruiting for open posts such as language specialists, researchers, and a video programmer.
http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=1987

The European Commission has presented new proposals to increase protection of personal data and permit more effective interchange of data among international police and judicial services, to address threats posed by transnational organized crime and terrorism.
http://www.europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/1220&format=HTML&aged=0&language=en&guiLanguage=en
http://www.europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/05/349&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

The state of California has passed the Anti-Phishing Act of 2005, the first anti-phishing law in the US. Under the Act victims can receive the greater of either the damages suffered or $500,000. Prosecutors can seek penalties up to $2,500 per violation.

The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released updated federal cryptography guidelines for comment.
http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/drafts/800-21-Rev1_September2005.pdf

9. Finance

An Indonesian police investigator said that tupperware, bolts, ball bearings, batteries, mobile phones, and three sticks of TNT were used in last week's Bali bombings, a cost of some A$700 per bomb.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Cost-of-death-and-chaos-cheap-expert/2005/10/04/1128191712394.html

The US Department of Treasury designated seven Egyptians as Specially Designated Nationals for their support of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has frozen their US assets and prohibits any US individual from engaging in any transactions. OFAC says, "The activities of these individuals included training and providing material support to al Qaida, as well as conspiring to commit terrorist acts. One of the individuals, Madhat Mursi Al-Sayyid Umar, was an explosives and chemical substances specialist for al Qaida. Another designee, Abdullah Muhammad Rajab Abd Al-Rahman, was responsible for coordinating al Qaida's work with other terrorist organizations. These individuals are wanted by Egyptian authorities for their involvement in terrorist cases and membership in a terrorist organization. The other named individuals are Hani Muhammad Yusuf al-Sib'i, Al-Sayyid Ahmad Fathi Husayn Alaywah, Zaki Izzat Zaki Ahmad, Muhammad Ahmad Shawqi Al-Islambuli, and Ali Sa'd Muhammad.
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js2960.htm
For profile on Egyptian Islamic Jihad, see
https://terrorismcentral.com/Library/terroristgroups/Al-Jihad/Al-JihadDS.html

In Somalia, there has been a sharp rise in violations of the arms embargo, including supplied from Yemen and Ethiopia.
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2005/625

Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has returned $4.5 million to a Chinese victim of a "419" advance fee fraud between 1995 and 2000.
http://www.efccnigeria.org

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed " Drug Control: Air Bridge Denial Program in Colombia Has Implemented New Safeguards, but Its Effect on Drug Trafficking Is Not Clear."
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-970

Tim Phillips new book, "Knockoff: The Deadly Trade in Counterfeit Goods" reveals that:

10. Human Rights

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued its first warrants, naming five Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) commanders associated with 20 years of fighting, murder, torture, and the abduction and abuse of thousands of children. For background see
https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2004/022904.html#FeatureArticle
https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2002/063002.html#FeatureArticle
https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2002/070702.html#FeatureArticle

The "World Youth Report" finds that " More than 500 million youths worldwide live on less than $2 a day, 113 million are not in school, 88 million are unemployed and 10 million have HIV/AIDS". On the positive side, " Since 1995, the number of children completing primary school has continued to increase, while the current generation is the best educated in history."
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/wyr05.htm">World Youth Report 2005

Australia's Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs has issued a public apology to Vivian Alvarez and her family following the finding of the Comrie report that her wrongful deportation to a hospice in the Philippines "can only be described as catastrophic". Two officials are under investigation for breach of duty and a third has resigned.
http://www.immi.gov.au/media_releases/media05/d05038.htm

Venezuela's National Prisons Observatory warned of inmate deaths, with more than 300 inmates dead in Venezuelan jails so far this year.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4308946.stm

Israel's Supreme Court has banned the use of human shields, as a violation of international law.

The Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has approved a measure to reserve government jobs and education places for economically deprived members of its minority Muslim community. It is the first state in India to take such action.

Spain's Constitutional Court ruled that cases of genocide committed in other countries could be judged in Spain under the principle of universal jurisdiction, whether or not Spanish citizens had been involved.

Greece's "degrading practices of detention" have been singled out in a new report, "Out of the Spotlight: The rights of foreigners and minorities are still a grey area in Greece", from Amnesty International.
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/grc-051005-action-eng

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that banning prisoners from voting breaches their human rights. The case, which had been brought by a British prisoner serving a life sentence, is likely to lead to immediate changes in British parliamentary and local election law.

The US Senate has voted 90-9 in favor of a motion that outlaws cruel or degrading treatment of detainees held in US custody abroad. The motion amends a military funding bill and is not included in the House version. The two bills need to be reconciled, and President Bush says he would veto the final bill if it contains this provision.

11. Law and Legal Issues

Yevgeny Adamov, former Russian nuclear energy minister, will be extradited to the US, where he is wanted on embezzlement charges, following a decision by the Swiss ministry of justice. Russia had appealed to the Swiss against US extradition for fear that knowledge of Russia's nuclear weapons programs could fall into US hands. The Swiss said the US request had precedence because he could be extradited to Russia after serving a US term, while the reverse was not true.
http://www.ejpd.admin.ch/ (in German)

Harriet Aguirre, the suspected second-in-command of Basque separatist group ETA was arrested in France with two colleagues.

Hamed Abderraham Ahmed has been convicted in Spanish court of belonging to al Qaeda. He had been held in the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay before being transferred to Spain. He has been sentenced to six years in prison.

Shabbir Ahmed, an imam with the Lodi mosque in California, was deported to Pakistan by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials after evidence suggesting he was linked to al Qaeda had been presented.

Don Bullman will stand trial for IRA membership and money laundering at the Special Criminal Court in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has been granted bail until the trial, scheduled for next March.

Mahmoud Data was sentenced in an Israel Defense Forces court to life in prison plus ten years for being an accomplice to the 2003 murder of a 7-year-old Israeli girl during a car ambush conducted by Islamic Jihad gunmen. .

Larry Franklin, a former Pentagon analyst, has pleaded guilty in US court to passing classified information to two officials from the pro-Israeli lobbyist group, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The two AIPAC officials have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to communicate this classified information. Franklin has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, and will be sentenced in January.

Latifullah Hakimi, a leading Taleban spokesman, has been arrested in Pakistan. Pakistan says that if Afghanistan requests extradition, they will consider it; such a request is pending.

Mufti Abdul Hannan, leader of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, was arrested in Bangladesh for the 2000 attempted assassination of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He had been sentenced in absentia to life in prison in 2003.

Mahmadruzi Iskandarov, leader of Tajikistan opposition Democratic Party, was kidnapped from Moscow after a failed extradition request and has now been sentenced to 23 years in prison on terrorism and embezzlement charges. The case may be politically motivated.

Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda and his number two Vincent Otti have reportedly been named in warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). ICC also issued warrants against Raska Lukwiya, Okot Odhiambo, and Dominic Ongwen, who may have been killed by Ugandan soldiers last week.

Maritza Garrido Lecca has been sentenced in Peruvian court to 20 years in prison for sheltering Abimael Guzman, founder of the Shining Path rebels, prior to his 1992 arrest. She has already served 13 years under a sentence originally imposed by a military court. That sentence was overturned and a new trial held. In addition to the sentence, she was ordered to pay a fine of $18,000.

The Muslim Brothers, a political group deemed illegal in Libya, has been granted a new trial by Libya's Supreme Court. The recently abolished People's Court had sentenced 85 members of the group to punishments ranging from ten years to life in prison for supporting a political party.

Protais Zigiranyirazo, a former district administrator in Rwanda and brother-in-law of former Rwandan President Habyarimana, has gone on trial in the international tribunal over five genocide charges.

12. Transportation

Canada and the EU have signed an agreement on the transfer of air passenger data.
http://www.europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/1216&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Bacolod airport in the Philippines has increased security with extra bag inspections, warning of possible attacks such as those in Indonesia.

The two ships hijacked by Somali pirates have been freed. The ten crew members of the MV Semlow, which was hijacked in June while carrying food aid, have been released after the ship ran out of fuel. The Semlow was towed into port by the ship taken last week, which has also been released.

The International Maritime Bureau continues to issue an Alert regarding Somalia's east and northeast coast:

"Twenty two incidents have been reported since 15.03.05. Heavily armed pirates are now attacking ships further away from the coast. A recent incident took place 120 nm off the eastern coast. Ships are advised to keep as far away as possible from the Somali coast.
http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php

A new piracy attack occurred in Indonesia on Friday, when armed pirates hijacked a cargo ship carrying valuable tin ingots. The crew of 14 was allowed to leave in a small boat.

Colombo, Sri Lanka, has become the 40th port in which the Container Security Initiative has become operational.
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/press_releases/09292005_2.xml

13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

The November issue of Atlantic Monthly features "The Wrath of Khan: How A. Q. Khan made Pakistan a Nuclear Power - and Showed that the Spread of Atomic Weapons Can't Be stopped", by William Langewiesche.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/prem/200511/aq-khan

The Nuclear Threat Initiative's film, "Last Best Chance" has been available on DVD for some time. Now, it will be released for broadcast by HBO on 17 October.
http://www.lastbestchance.org/

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a final rule in connection with the Bioterrorism Act. This, the third drafted since 9/11, requires domestic and foreign food processors to register with the FDA.
http://www.fda.gov/oc/bioterrorism/furls/

The European Union's foreign ministers issued a statement backing a global treaty regulating small arms, and called for a formal process to start in the UN "at the earliest opportunity".
http://ue.eu.int/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/gena/86442.pdf

A document from British domestic security agency MI5, "Companies and Organisations of Proliferation Concern", provides a list of some 360 entities connected with inadvertent exports of sensitive goods or expertise that has been used for covert WMD development.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/armstrade/story/0,10674,1587750,00.html
http://www.mi5.gov.uk/output/Page73.html

14. Recently Published

Joschka Fischer, "Die Ruckkehr Der Seschichte: Die Welt nach dem 11 September und die Erneurerung des Westens", Kiepenheuer and Witsch ("The Return of History: The World After September 11 and the Reconstruction of the West)

Myla Goldberg, "Wickett's Remedy", Doubleday (novel about the 1918 flu epidemic)

Robert Kaplan, "Imperial Grunts: The American Military on the Ground", Random House

Riz Khan, "Alwaleed: Businessman, Billionaire, Prince", Morrow

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, "World Disasters Report 2005", IFRC
http://www.ifrc.org/docs/News/pr05/5405.asp

Tim Phillips, "Knockoff: The Deadly Trade in Counterfeit Goods", Kogan Page
http://www.kogan-page.co.uk/bookdetails.aspx?ISBN=0749443790&AffID=888

Cass Sunstein, "Radicals in Robes: Why Extreme Right-Wing Courts are Wrong for America", Basic Books

Bing West, "No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah", Bantam

FEATURE ARTICLE: Rail Security

New York City officials increased security after notification of a very specific threat (carrying limited credibility) against the public transportation system. The warning of remote-controlled bombs hidden in briefcases, bags or baby carriages was made public, and travelers were urged not to travel with such items. The threat level remained at "orange" (high).

The city has been on heightened alert since the bombings against transport systems in Madrid and London. In addition to an increased police presence and inspections, they have relied on the "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign that calls on passengers to:

The US passenger rail system carries more than 11 million passengers in 35 metropolitan areas every weekday. Their security is not the responsibility of a central authority. Instead, it is shared among the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Transportation (DOT), in conjunction with state and local government, and the private sector. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reviewed these efforts. In common with other such initiatives, they found a lack of leadership to set priorities and guide security efforts. They called for development of a project plan including a timeline to complete its methodology and risk assessments, and develop rail security standards that are measurable and enforceable.

In conducting this review, GAO studied security practices taken by selected rail operators both domestically and internationally, and suggested that certain security practices undertaken by foreign operators should be considered.

Some measures were common: "Specifically, most U.S. and foreign operators we contacted had implemented customer awareness programs to encourage passengers to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, increased the number and visibility of their security personnel, increased the usage of canine teams to detect drugs and explosives, enhanced employee training programs, upgraded security technology, tightened access controls, and made system design improvements to enhance security."

Three rail security practices currently are not used in the US. They are covert testing, random screening, and use of a national government clearinghouse. Here are the GAO descriptions:

"Covert testing:

"Random screening:

"National government maintains clearinghouse on technologies and best practices:

The report warns of political, legal, fiscal, and cultural challenges in implementing these practices in the US. Countries with these practices have dealt with terrorist attacks against public transportation, while there have been none in the US. The impact on passengers, differences in business models and finances, and the structure of police forces all have an impact. However, to secure rail transport in the US additional steps need to be taken, and such additional measures as these should be evaluated.

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