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:
Air Cargo Security

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

1. World

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released "The Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005". It reports, "The annual net loss of forest area between 2000 and 2005 was 7.3 million hectares/year -- an area about the size of Sierra Leone or Panama -- down from an estimated 8.9 million ha/yr between 1990 and 2000. This is equivalent to a net loss of 0.18 percent of the world‚s forests annually." However, the rate of loss has slowed due to new planting and expansion of existing forests.
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2005/1000127/index.html

China has confirmed a woman farmer as its first human fatality from the H5N1 strain of avian influenza. In a second case of infection, the boy did not die, and additional cases are under investigation. In response to the spreading infection among birds, China will vaccinate its entire poultry stock, which is comprised of more than five billion chickens, ducks, and geese as livestock and some 14 billion on small farms and households. The Indonesian outbreak is also spreading, so far including seven fatalities. Britain's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) issued an epidemiology report on a case of H5N1 detected in a quarantine facility. The report finds that the virus was more likely brought to the quarantine center by 50 finches from Taiwan rather than by the parrot as previously thought, and that there was no further transmission. Investigation into quarantine procedures is under way. Meanwhile, the Council on Foreign Relations held a conference on "Avian Flu - Where Do We Stand?" Dr. Robert Webster warned that if people with the depressed immune systems related to HIV/AIDS infection are infected with H5N1 it could readily mutate into a pandemic form, making its arrival in Africa particularly worrying.
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2005_11_17/en/index.html
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/051115b.htm
http://www.cfr.org/publication/9230/council_on_foreign_relations_conference_on_the_global_threat_of_pandemic_influenza_session_1.html

A Pew survey on the US's place in the world finds that, shaken by the war in Iraq, there has been a revival of isolationist feelings comparable to that following the Vietnam War. Among the key findings:

An international donor's conference has ended with pledges in excess of the $5.2 billion necessary to recover from the earthquake in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where the death toll stands at 73,000 and millions are homeless. In Indian-administered Kashmir about 1,400 people died. Five border crossings between the two sides are now open. Many of the contributions are low interest loans, led by $1 billion from the Asian Development Bank. The winter snows are imminent and disaster response agencies need assistance NOW:

2. Africa

Burkina Faso's National Election Commission has declared that President Blaise Compaore has been re-elected with 80 percent of the vote, with turnout of 57 percent in the country's first multi-party presidential race.
http://www.ceni.bf/ (in French)
For background, note this article:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50089

In Chad, an unknown group attacked army bases in the capital, Ndjamena, and the nearby town of Koundoul. Two of the attackers were killed, 15 captured, and others escaped with stolen weapons.

Democratic Republic of Congo's army and UN forces engaged in anti-militia operations, primarily focused against the Congolese Revolutionary Movement (MRC), in the eastern Ituri district. At least 40 militiamen and three government soldiers were killed, and four soldiers were injured. The death toll is likely to rise as more bodies are recovered. The UN Mission reports success, with only scattered groups that present no threat remaining. Now attention has turned to the thousands of civilians displaced by the fighting.

Ethiopia released more than 3,000 people arrested in election protests, bringing the total released to more than 8,000, with at least 3,000 still in custody. In the eastern town of Kebri Dehar, 34 members of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) held in a military prison turned the town into a battleground as they stole guards' weapons and broke out, chased by soldiers. During the clashes that followed at least 20 people were killed, including three of the prisoners.

Ivory Coast's political process remains in stalemate after New Forces rebels rejected a proposed list of four candidates for Prime Minister because their Secretary General, Guillaume Soro, is not included.

Kenyans held huge peaceful rallies on Saturday ahead of the constitutional referendum on Monday. Violence in the lead-up to the vote left nine people dead.

Liberia's National Elections Commission has begun reviewing claims of fraud during last week's presidential elections. Current results reflect a victory for Ellen Johnson-Sirlead, with 59 percent of the vote compared to 41 percent for George Weah, with a turnout of 61 percent. http://www.necliberia.org/

Nigeria's High Court ruled that oil firms' practice of gas flaring (burning off unwanted natural gas that rises when they are drilling for oil) violates the human rights of local people and must stop. Climate Justice, one of the groups that brought the action on behalf of the Iwerekan community, explains that, " More gas is flared in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. Estimates are notoriously unreliable, but roughly 2.5 billion cubic feet of gas associated with crude oil is wasted in this way everyday. This is equal to 40 percent of all Africa's natural gas consumption in 2001, while the annual financial loss to Nigeria is about US $2.5 billion. The flares have contributed more greenhouse gases than all of sub-Saharan Africa combined. And the flares contain a cocktail of toxins that affect the health and livelihood of local communities, exposing Niger Delta residents to an increased risk of premature deaths, child respiratory illnesses, asthma and cancer."
http://www.eraction.org/modules.php?name=ERA_News&file=article&sid=41
http://www.climatelaw.org/gas.flaring/report
http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/media_briefing/gasflaringinnigeria.pdf

Somalia's capital Mogadishu was the scene of heavy fighting last weekend when Islamic courts used militias to attack movie theaters showing Bollywood films the courts deemed immoral and contributing to crime. During the fighting eleven people were killed and twenty injured. On Wednesday, three people were killed and four injured when their vehicle hit a landmine.

South Africa and Zimbabwe have signed a cooperative agreement for defense and security.

Sudan's southwestern state of Western Equatoria was the scene of fighting between Dinke and Zande tribes that led to the looting and burning of a UN compound, forcing the evacuation of 100 staff. Several people were killed, but none of the UN staff were harmed. In Darfur, Sudanese forces fought with Chadian army deserters; casualties are unknown.

Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye returned from a 4-year exile last month. He has now been arrested and faces charges including treason and criminal charges. The government alleges he is connected with the rebel groups People's Redemption Army and the Lord's Resistance Army. President of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Besigye plans to run in presidential elections next March, in which he is seen as the strongest challenger to incumbent President Museveni. Besigye's supporters have demonstrated against his arrest, while police responded with tear gas and bullets that led to a series of running battles. As rioting continued into a second day, one man was shot dead. At the end of the week 18 men joined Besigye to face treason charges. During the court hearing, a group of military commandos turned up in court, disrupting the proceedings.

3. Americas

In Argentine, legislators in Buenos Aires have suspended the Mayor, Anibal Ibarra, and face impeachment proceedings over the Republica Cromanon nightclub fire that killed nearly 200 people last year and for which poor safety standards by Ibarra's government have been blamed by some victims' groups.

Bolivian protestors blocked roads around La Paz and in three southern cities ahead of December elections in which the economy, public services and electoral changes will be important issues.

Chile's Supreme Court rejected Peru's request to extradite former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori. Peruvians went to the streets to demand the extradition, and Peru is preparing a new request. Chile's own former dictator, Augusto Pinochet, met directly with jailed secret police chief Manuel Contreras to help the court determine whether Pinochet controlled the secret police. Pinochet told the judge that God will pardon him for the death of 3,000 civilians during his government.

Colombia's right-wing paramilitary United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) agreed to resume disarmament, and the government will extend the disarmament deadline.

In southern Colombia along the border with Ecuador, fighting has displaced more than 2,000 people, including some that have been badly wounded, creating a serious humanitarian situation in the area.

Guatemalan military officer links to US drug trafficking is documented in investigative journalist Frank Smyth's report " The Untouchable Narco-State: Guatemala's Military Defies the DEA". The National Security Archive provides this with supporting declassified US documents to inform readers on:

Haiti's UN Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH) conducted search and security operations in the capital, Port-au-Prince last weekend. One person was killed, two injured, and nine arrested. During the week another anti-gang operation involved a gun battle, with no civilian or UN casualties, and the arrest of 33 gang members. Presidential and legislative elections, delayed twice, are now scheduled for 27 December. http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minustah/

Mexico and Venezuela have each withdrawn their ambassadors from the other's capitals. Venezuelan President Chavez refused to apologize for criticizing and belittling Mexican President Vincente Fox.

The US has ratified, signed, and deposited the Inter-American Convention Against Terrorism. They join Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Dominica, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela, who are already parties to the Convention.

The 9/11 Discourse Project has issued the 9/11 Commissioners Third Report on Recommendations, which focuses on the failure to prevent terrorists' acquiring nuclear weapons. It also addresses the need to improve the US image abroad following damaging reports of prisoner abuse.
http://www.9-11pdp.org/press/2005-11-14_report.pdf

The US Senate has voted 79 to 19 to demand regular reports from the White House on progress towards a phased pullout of troops from Iraq, but rejected a Democratic proposal that called on a timetable for withdrawal.

At the invitation of the US government, Arjun Sengupta, the Independent Expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty of the UN Commission on Human Rights, toured poor areas in the US, including urban areas of New York and hurricane-devastated New Orleans. The visit demonstrated that extreme poverty is a societal problem irrespective of a country's income level, and found in most countries in the world. Sengupta noted, "The case of the United States was particularly interesting as it presented an apparent paradox: as the wealthiest country on earth, with higher per capita income levels than any other country, the United States also had one of the highest incidences of poverty among the rich industrialized nations." In 2004, 12.7 per cent (or 37 million) of the population lived in poverty, showing significant disparities between African Americans (24.7 per cent), Hispanics (21.9 percent) and non-Hispanic Whites (8.6 per cent). The high cost of healthcare (15.7 percent - 45.8 million - were without health insurance), inadequate access to quality education and training, low wages, and housing challenges were seen as serious obstacles in leaving poverty behind. http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/68E2DD8540B09F7DC12570BA002FE0FD?opendocument
In related coverage, note this article on the use and abuse of undocumented workers in the Katrina recovery effort:
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,385044,00.html

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified its top 10 art crimes worldwide. Leading the list: 7,000-10,000 looted and stolen Iraqi artifacts in 2003.
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/nov05/toptenart111505.htm

Washington Post reporter Dana Priest reports on "Foreign Network at Front of CIA's Terror Fight: Joint Facilities in Two Dozen Countries Account for Bulk of Agency's Post-9/11 Successes". She writes that "The CIA has established joint operation centers in more than two dozen countries where U.S. and foreign intelligence officers work side by side to track and capture suspected terrorists and to destroy or penetrate their networks, according to current and former American and foreign intelligence officials. The secret Counterterrorist Intelligence Centers are financed mostly by the agency and employ some of the best espionage technology the CIA has to offer, including secure communications gear, computers linked to the CIA's central databases, and access to highly classified intercepts once shared only with the nation's closest Western allies. The Americans and their counterparts at the centers, known as CTICs, make daily decisions on when and how to apprehend suspects, whether to whisk them off to other countries for interrogation and detention, and how to disrupt al Qaeda's logistical and financial support."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/17/AR2005111702070.html?referrer=email&referrer=email

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA( reports that less than one percent of more than 321,000 people evacuated during hurricanes Katrina and Rita are in group shelters. Those still occupying some 53,000 hotel rooms will not be funded after 1 December and must find temporary accommodation in advance of finding longer-term homes.
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=20607

Venezuela has given the US missionary group New Tribes 90 days to leave the country because they are believed to have made unauthorized flights, set up luxurious camps in poor areas, and provided sensitive information to the US Central Intelligence Agency.

4. Asia Pacific

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has concluded its 17th Ministerial Meeting. The primary focus was economic, including agreement to strengthen the multilateral trading system, liberalize trade and investment, enhance economic and technical cooperation, share prosperity of the knowledge-based economy, and related issues. Regarding security, they addressed the human, health and energy components. They noted the threat presented by highly pathogenic avian influenza, both regionally and internationally. In counterterrorism, they reviewed multilateral progress and actions undertaken this year to comply with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, export control systems, anti-money laundering, airport vulnerabilities including MANPADS and baggage screening, and nuclear security, including adoption of the IAEA's Additional Protocol.
http://www.apec.org/apec/news___media/media_releases/161105_kor_apecministerialmeetingjointstatement.html

Australian police report that a nuclear research reactor outside Sydney may have been the target of the men arrested on terrorism charges last week, some of whom are also reported to have attended training camps in the outback.

Chinese farmers have only about six percent of their income subsidized, far lower than most Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. The OECD's "Review of Agricultural Policies in China" compares Chinese government support and subsidies to Japan (58 percent) and Korea (64 percent). They find that even China's low level of funding could be used more efficiently to spread benefits across society. Agriculture in China accounts for nearly 15 percent of GDP and 40 percent of jobs. The report suggests changes ranging from market integration and increased efficiency to environmental stability and government policies.
http://www.oecd.org/document/56/0,2340,en_2649_201185_35650488_1_1_1_1,00.html
China has held a low-key ceremony to publicly mark for the first time the birthday of former Communist party leader Hu Yaobang, whose 1989 death sparked Tiananmen Square student protests.

The US embassy in China and its consulates in southern China issued a security advisory warning of a possible terrorist threat against US government facilities in Guangzhou.
http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/111305u.html

In East Timor, peacekeeping operations led by Australia in 1999-2000 resulted in casualties revealed for the first time under Australia's Freedom of Information laws. Australian soldiers were involved in 33 confrontations with armed militia and Indonesian soldiers and police. At least 14 militia were killed.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17234212-2,00.html

Indonesia aired a video on TVRI that had been recovered from a house raided last week. It showed a masked man believed to be most wanted terrorist Noordin Mohammad Top, a key Jemaah Islamiah leader. The video, believed to be the first from Southeast Asia, named America, Australia, England and Italy as specific targets because of their use of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Anshar El Muslimin website, which claims to have been established under orders from an Islamic militant, provided specific instructions and operational guidance, in Indonesian, for terrorist attacks. The last of three suicide bombers in the attacks in Bali last month has been identified as Aip Hidayat from West Java.

In Aceh, the third phase of decommissioning has taken place. The fourth and final phase is due in December.

Papuans reacted with mixed feelings to the publication of " Een Daad van Vrije Keuze" (An Act of Free Choice). The Dutch-commissioned study by Pieter J. Drooglever from the Institute of Netherlands History finds the 1969 vote on incorporation into Indonesia was a sham, rigged by Indonesia. Students and separatists protested in favor of a UN review of the vote. Indonesia's Foreign Ministry dismissed the report, emphasizing that Papua as an integral part of Indonesia was internationally recognized even in the Netherlands.
http://www.inghist.nl/Nieuws/Actueel/06AFC (In Dutch)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20051118.C01
http://www.deplu.go.id/?category_id=117

Philippine security forces continued an offensive against Abu Sayyaf remnants in the mountains of Sulu. Seven soldiers were killed and 21 injured. More than 2,000 villagers fled the fighting, in which at least 27 were killed. There is an estimate of at least 20 Abu Sayyaf deaths. In Calinog, Panayt soldiers were returning to base on Saturday night when suspected New People's Army (NPA) rebels ambushed them, Nine soldiers were killed and 20 wounded. Rebels tried to take weapons from the fallen soldiers but were driven off, suffering an unknown number of casualties.

Thailand requires prepaid phones in three southern provinces to be registered. After 15 November the signals of unregistered phones will be blocked. This measure is intended to curb the use of mobile phones as improvised bomb detonators.
http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/previewnews.php?news_id=254811150019&news_headline=RESIDENTS

This measure did not prevent the latest attacks in which raids by suspected Islamic militants attacked homes with grenades and guns, killing at least nine and injuring nine more. The International Crisis Group reports that the emergency decree won't help either:

A Uzbek court has sentenced 15 men to prison terms of between 14 and 20 years after they pleaded guilty of trying to overthrow the government in favor of an Islamic state. Evidence suggests that in fact the events in May in Andijan were democratic protests brutally suppressed. These proceedings are generally seen as a show trial, tolerated because of Uzbekistan's strategic location.

Uzbekistan and Russia have signed a military treaty permitting mutual use of military installations in each other's country. The US has been told to leave the country by year-end, following strained relations over the suppression in Andijan.

A Vietnam court has sentenced six Montagnards to prison terms ranging from 7 to 17 years for threatening national security in connection with 2004 demonstrations in favor of religious freedom. The Montagnard ethnic minority predominantly follows an evangelical protestant faith, which is not sanctioned by the government.

5. Europe

In Azerbaijan's capital Baku, some 30,000 demonstrators rallied to protest rigged elections, the largest of three protests over the last two weeks. The electoral authorities are completing limited investigation into fraud claims, which is not expected to change preliminary results giving victory to the incumbent government. Official results will be announced on 26 November.

France has extended the state of emergency that was put in place following serious riots for another three months. Police say that violence has returned to normal levels.

Germany's Christian Democrat (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU) and Social Democrat parties have formally established a "grand coalition" which will have Germany's first woman Chancellor, CDU leader Angela Merkel.

Italian police obtained tapes of Rabei Osman Sayed Ahmed ("Mohamed the Egyptian"), jailed on terrorism charges. The tapes have not been released but some information has been made available:
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article327957.ece
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/18/international/europe/18milan.html

Malta has increased security ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit later this month following a claim that Sudanese refugees had established a terror cell and were planning an attack.

In Turkey's capital, Istanbul, a bomb hidden in a rubbish bin went off near an entertainment district, killing one and injuring 11. Although no one has claimed responsibility, the attack is characteristic of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK).

Britain's Crimestoppers has launched a Most Wanted website.
http://mostwanted-uk.org

The Home Office has deported 15 failed Iraqi asylum seekers. Although acknowledging that areas of Iraq are unsafe, the group is believed to have been sent to the Kurdish area.

The Queen of England, as head of the Church of England, has been called an enemy of Islam in a video message from Ayman al-Zawahiri. A transcript is available here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4443364.stm

Vatican City hosted the first official visit of any Israeli head of state. Israeli President Moshe Katsav invited Pope Benedict XVI to make a state visit to Israel, as the late John Paul II had done.

6. Middle East

The Economist Intelligence Unit's Index of Political Freedom ranked 20 countries across the Middle East on 15 indicators of political and civil liberty. On their 10-point scale, the ratings, from most democratization to least, are:

Egyptian voters in 133 constituencies where no candidate won outright (with more than 50 percent of the votes) several violent incidents were reported including a woman who was shot and injured, and the stabbing of a Muslim Brotherhood campaigner by a member of the ruling National Democratic Party. There have been significant gains by the Muslim Brotherhood, which if confirmed officially would more than double their current representation, to some 33 seats. Two more phases of voting are due on 20 November and 1 December.

Gaza's border with Egypt will be open at the Rafah crossing from 25 November, following negotiations among Israeli and Palestinian officials brokered by US Secretary of State Rice. The crossing will be monitored by an EU police force and includes video surveillance accessible by the EU-Palestinian police team and Israel.
http://ue.eu.int/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/misc/86932.pdf

Iraq's week began a series of roadside bombings killed ten people, and ended with suicide attacks that killed scores. The worst attack were suicide bombings against two Shia mosques in Khanaqin (a town in a Kurdish-controlled area) that killed at least 77 people, and injured more than twice that number. Other suicide car bombs raised the 2-day death toll to at least 137.

The major military "Operation Steel Curtain" conducted near the border with Syria continued, leaving more than 50 insurgents dead. At least five Marines were killed and 11 US troops injured. There has also been serious displacement and death among civilians.

The US has now acknowledged that it used white phosphorus in Iraq as an incendiary weapon. They say that the weapon was used only against insurgents, not against civilians. The operation in Fallujah, described in the Italian state television broadcast shown last week, was also documented in "The Fight for Fallujah" in "Field Artillery", March-April 2005. The US is not a signatory to an international treaty that restricts use of these devices but a previous claim that they were used only for illumination has been another public relations disaster, and has generated an investigation by an Iraqi human rights team.
http://www.rai.it/news/articolornews24/0,9219,4201030,00.html (in Italian)
http://sill-www.army.mil/FAMAG/
http://usinfo.state.gov/mena/Archive/2005/Nov/14-31240.html
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0511/S00185.htm
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/wp.htm

UN staff member Joseph Stephanides, who had been dismissed following findings in the February report of the Independent Inquiry committee into the Oil-for-Food Program, has been reinstated following a review by the Joint Disciplinary Committee (JDC). Secretary General Annan stated that he does not agree with this decision, but Stephanides has been given a written censure.
http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=1784

Jordan's King Abdullah has appointed a new national security advisor, Maaruf al-Bakhit, who previously served as the ambassador to Israel. New anti-terrorism laws are being drawn up. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, head of Al Qaeda in Iraq, threatened further attacks but said that the bomb at the Radisson was intended against a meeting of intelligence officers, not the wedding party.

Lebanon's Phalange Party has reunited after 20 years.

Syria and the UN are still attempting to agree a location in which UN investigators can question six Syrian officials connected to the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

In the West Bank two Palestinian militants from al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades were shot dead when attacked by an Israeli undercover unit. Several other Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and Gaza during other Israeli operations last week.

7. South Asia

In the Afghan capital, Kabul, a suicide car bomber drove into a convoy of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) vehicles, killing himself, a German soldier, and six Afghans. An hour later on the same road, a second suicide car bomb targeted Greek soldiers. During the exchange of fire the suspected attacker was reportedly killed, and several civilians were injured. Eight bodies were later found in a ditch. Although Taleban spokesman claimed credit for the attacks, police said the suicide bombers appeared to be Arab and believe al Qaeda may have been behind them. On Tuesday, a bomb in Paktita province killed one US soldier, and injured two Afghan and one US soldier and a civilian. On Wednesday, a suicide car bomb killed himself and three civilians in Kandahar. On Friday a landmine exploded as two international peacekeeper vehicles passed by, killing a Portuguese soldier and injuring three more. Portugal plans to reduce its 200-person contingent next year: this was their first fatality.

Note Joe Stephens and David Ottaway's coverage of "The Race to Reconstruction in Afghanistan" in the Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/19/AR2005111901248.html

In Bangladesh, two judges were killed when an attacker threw a bomb at their vehicle as they traveled to court. The suspected attacker (who was arrested) and two bystanders were injured. The bomber was identified as Iftekhar Hasan Al Mamun, an activist with the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami called Islami Chhatra Shibir, and a member of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which is believed to be behind the attacks. Mamun's father and brother were picked up for questioning. The Home Affairs minister warned of the new dimension suicide bomb squads presented in the fight against terror.

Indian forces have been sent to Bihar to help the state government hunt for Maoist prisoner who stormed a prison on Sunday night. Rebel district commander Ajay Kanu was freed as well as nearly 400 other inmates. During the attack, involving about a thousand rebels, at least seven people were killed, including prison guards and another prisoner, Binu Sharma ("Bade Sharma") who commanded the banned Ranvir Sena, a powerful upper-caste private army dedicated to wiping out left-wing extremists in Bihar.

Indian police in Delhi have arrested Tariq Ahmed Dar, a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET) operative and executive for a multinational company, at his home in Srinigar, Jammu and Kashmir state. He is believed connected to the team of men responsible for the October 29 series of explosions in Delhi, and possibly the financier of the attacks.

Indian-administered Kashmir experienced repeated clashes between security forces and militants. Al Mansurin militants claimed responsibility for launching an attack on Monday that left two civilians and two soldiers dead and seven people injured. Fighting continued into a second day and ended with the death of one LET militant and arrest of a Aijaz Ahmad Bhat ("Abu Sumna") of Pakistan . It was the first time that a member of a suicide squad was captured alive. Unnamed militants threw a grenade directed against senior politician Ghulam Hassan Mir. Mir was slightly injured, but two people were killed and 60 more injured. Another politician, Usman Majid, was the target of a car bomb that injured him and 60 other people. On Wednesday, a massive explosion outside the Jammu and Kashmir Bank killed four and injured 40. Investigators believe LET was responsible for the three days of attacks.

Nepal's Maoist rebels and leaders of the democratic movement have reportedly held secret talks in India to discuss a common campaign against the monarchy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4450438.stm

In Karachi, Pakistan a car bomb struck a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet, killing three and injuring 15. Responsibility was unclear but similar attacks in the past have been undertaken by religious extremists. The explosion was near a hotel in which the English cricket team was staying, but the match will continue.

In Sri Lanka, former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse won the presidential election with just over 50 percent of the vote - a narrow margin over opposition candidate Ranil Wickramasinghe. Although turnout was as much as 75 percent in Sinhala areas of the south and west, less than one percent of Tamils voted in the north and east. Wickramasinghe favors the ongoing peace process, while Rajapakse wants to renegotiate the ceasefire and takes a hard line in the peace process. The lack of Tamil participation in the vote gave him Rajapakse victory, but with the ceasefire already so precarious, it could also herald a return to conflict. The Tamil Tigers have issued a warning against any move to break the 3-year-old pact.

8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

Research from the UK Information Commissioner indicates that 80 percent of people are concerned about the use, transfer and security of personal information, and more than half worry that their personal details may be passed on to unknown organizations. Only 16 percent were confident in how internet sites handle personal information, 20 percent in retailers and telecommunications, 30 percent in tax and benefit authorities, and 64 percent in the National Health Service.
http://www.ico.gov.uk/

"The National Survey on Data Security Breach Notification" reports that:

Sony BMG has recalled all music CDs that use the controversial XCP anti-piracy software. Affected discs can be exchanged for the same CD without copy protection. The problems connected with the software occur only when used on a computer, not on conventional CD players.
http://www.sonybmg.com/
There are now cases of malicious software that uses the uninstaller in attempting to take over Windows machines, and recent work suggests the uninstaller is a greater risk than the original rootkit.
http://secunia.com/advisories/17610/
http://www.websensesecuritylabs.com/alerts/alert.php?AlertID=340
http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/archive-112005.html#00000709

Delegates to the World Summit on the Information Society have agreed to let the US-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) retain supervisory control of the internet. In addition, there will be an international forum for discussing internet issues. Although the debate over control of the internet will continue, these measures cleared the way for discussion on ways to help poorer countries benefit from technology and overcome the digital divide. Among new initiatives at the conference were the MIT "green machine", a small computer costing less than $100, and a new report, "The internet of Things" in which the International Telecommunications Union describes the use of electronic tags and sensors, whose use could dwarf the changes wrought by the internet.
http://www.itu.int/wsis/newsroom/press_releases/wsis/2005/18nov.html
http://www.wgig.org/
http://www.itu.int/
http://www.icann.org/
http://www.internetgovernance.org/
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/USDNSprinciples_06302005.htm
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/1433&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

9. Finance

A report in "Media Indonesia" claimed that the late Jemaah Islamiah terrorist Azahari and his colleague Noordin, accused in the 2002 Bali bombings, had received funds from sympathizers in Malaysia. Malaysia's deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar said the allegation had no basis in fact and if there is evidence it should be provided to the police.
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=165153

Indian police in Delhi arrested Tariq Ahmed Dar in connection with the October 29 series of explosions in Delhi, which he is believed to have financed. Interrogation of another Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET) operative, Abdul Razzak Masood, indicated that wanted LET terrorist Abdul Karim Tunda (connected with more than 30 bombings between 1996 and 1998) is alive and had not been killed in Bangladesh as some reports had suggested. Police believe that Karim deposited funds from a Middle East country in Dar's account shortly before the bombings. Dar had previously been connected with hawala transactions.
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=81925

UBS AG was fined GBP100,000 for system failures in reporting suspicious transactions. Britain's Financial Services Authority (FSA) found that between May 1999 and October 2005, equity transactions executed by UBS WM with outside brokers had been incorrectly reported with UBS WM denoted as Principal when it was the Agent. UBS is taking remedial steps. This decision was the first using the settlement process introduced after a review of FSA's enforcement processes.
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Communication/PR/2005/123.shtml

The Group of Experts on Ivory Coast, established by the UN Security Council in February, reports that Ivory Coast's defense spending is high, revenue from the main export crop of cocoa lacks transparency, and blood diamonds may be purchasing weapons in violation of the arms embargo. In addition, Ivory Coast is illegally trying to rebuild its airforce. The Experts called for government audits, an inventory of rebel weapons, and other assistance.
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2005/699

Chinese police in Liaoning detained seven people suspected of laundering approximately two billion yuan ($246 million) through operating an illegal foreign exchange, Zhen'ai Commercial House, led by Piao Zhen'ai. She worked with another front company, Shenyang Xinjie Electrical Appliance Co, operated by Cheng Baiwan. Another investigation led to the closure of another illegal financial company, Dongsheng Commercial House, operated by Li Dongsheng and Li Deai, who have been arrested and their assets frozen.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-11/14/content_494373.htm

Israel's National Serious and International Crimes Unit has gathered evidence in connection with the money laundering case regarding the Tel Aviv branch of Bank Hapoalim. Billionaire businessman Vladimir Gusinsky is likely to be indicted in this case, possibly in partnership with Israel's ambassador to the UK, Zvi Heifetz who had managed Gusinsky's business in Israel.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/645388.html

The US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has released the ninth issue of
The SAR Activity Review - Trends, Tips & Issues.
http://www.fincen.gov/sarreviewissue9.pdf.

In a letter to US Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, Comptroller of the Currency John Dugan echoed earlier pubic comments that the regulatory office will improve anti-money laundering enforcement, by adding resources, and improving training and examination procedures.
http://www.aba.com/NR/rdonlyres/C029EFA2-D64A-419E-BC3C-6B3D69728977/41104/BSAlettertoShelby2005.pdf

FSA held their annual Financial Crime Conference whose theme was "Fighting Financial Crime Together". The discussion included speeches by Philip Robinson, Financial Crime Sector Leader, FSA, and Callum McCarthy, Chairman, FSA
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Communication/Speeches/2005/1115_pr.shtml
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Communication/Speeches/2005/1115_cm.shtml

FSA recently took over the regulation of insurance intermediaries, and recently completed a national investigation that found only two of 1,700 companies conducting insurance mediation activities behaved illegally. Among secondary providers such as motor dealers, travel agents, etc. 14 were fond to have willfully acted illegally.
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Communication/PR/2005/122.shtml

Britain's Joint Money Laundering Steering Group updated Appendix D of the Prevention of Money Laundering Guidance Notes to reflect changes to the FATF non-cooperative countries and territories list
http://www.bba.org.uk/bba/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=362&a=6435
http://www.bba.org.uk/bba/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=362&a=4915

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) held its first Conference of Fraud Prosecutors. It highlighted both agriculture and commercial trade fraud and VAT frauds.
http://www.europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=OLAF/05/17&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

The UK National Audit Office released "Dealing with the complexity of the benefits system". The report found that the system is so complicated that neither staff nor claimants understand it. As a result, fraud and human error accounts for an estimated 2004 loss of GBP2.6 billion.
http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/05-06/0506592.pdf

US House and Senate committees approved bills that would extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA), currently scheduled to expire at the end of the year, for another two years.

10. Human Rights

20 November marks 60 years since the first public session of the Nuremberg trials
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,338612,00.html
http://nuremberg.law.harvard.edu/
http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/warcrimetrials/
http://www.kubiss.de/ (in German)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/20/newsid_4356000/4356166.stm

The US Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics released figures on capital punishment. They report that as of 31 December 2004 there were 3,315 state and federal prisoners on death row, 63 fewer than the year before. 59 prisoners were executed last year, six fewer than 2003.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/press/cp04pr.htm

EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini told the European Parliament that individual countries are responsible for investigating claims that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) used secret prisons in European countries such as Poland and Romania.
http://www.europarl.eu.int/news/expert/infopress_page/030-2277-318-11-46-903-20051111IPR02230-14-11-2005-2005--false/default_en.htm
Spain, Iceland and Sweden have opened investigation into allegations that CIA planes carrying suspected terrorists used their airports for such transfers. A case is also being investigated in Canada. http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1132441821196

A UN mission in Iraq (UNAMI) report expresses concern over US-led coalition mass arrests and the resulting rise in the number of inmates, without adequate judicial oversight.
http://www.uniraq.org/
This finding was overshadowed by the discovery of prisoner abuse by Iraqi security forces detained at an Iraqi interior ministry building.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/17/AR2005111700649.html
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=20120
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=16607&Cr=iraq&Cr1=

Brazil's Globo television station broadcast a video and photos that showed soldiers newly promoted in rank subjected to torture in apparent initiation ceremonies. An inquiry is under way.
http://fantastico.globo.com/Jornalismo/Fantastico/0,,AA1071689-4005,00.html (in Portuguese)

Independent UN human rights experts rejected a US invitation to Guantanamo Bay after they rejected the standard Terms of Reference, including their ability to conduct private interviews with the detainees.
http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/25111BD687D2DB80C12570BD003324D3?opendocument

Amnesty International and Reprieve are hosting a 3-day conference 19-21 November on "The Global Struggle Against Torture: Guantanamo Bay, Bagram and beyond". It includes case studies and is the largest gathering of former prisoners and their families. Interviews are online. http://news.amnesty.org/pages/conference-press-eng

Research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation finds that many of Britain's minority ethnic groups are succeeding in breaking the class barrier, but not all. Upward mobility is most closely tied to education.
http://www.jrf.org.uk/pressroom/releases/141105.asp

Egypt's first Christian television channel, Aghapy Television, established by the Coptic Church and delivered via satellite, has begun broadcasting.
http://www.aghapy.tv/

Britain's House of Lords unanimously upheld an appeals court judgement that restored support to destitute asylum seekers, setting aside "policy 55" as a breach of human rights because it had refused basic food and housing to those who do not claim asylum immediately on arrival.
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/news/2005/Nov05/relea1105_1.htm

11. Law and Legal Issues

Mohammed Abouhalima, convicted as an accessory to the fact in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, completed his 8-year prison term and has been deported back to Egypt, where he holds citizenship.

Abdulkahal Abundol, Mamarink Pillay and Jairulla Hassan were arrested in the Philippines. The three Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members face multiple murder and attempted murder charges, including charges connected with using civilians as human shields.

Babar Ahmad, born in the UK, faces extradition to the US to face trial on accusations of supporting terrorists in websites he has administered. The extradition order will be appealed.

Khursheed Ahmed, Abdul Gaffar, and Samiullah have been arrested by security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir. The Lashkar-e-Toiba members were found with grenades.

Abdul Aziz Muhammad Cholili, and Amif Solchaludin, arrested last week, have been charged in Indonesian court with assisting terrorism in connection with the bombings last month in Bali. They may face additional charges as the investigation continues.

Lance Corporals Bakhit Mohammed Bakhit and Abdul-Malik Abdullah Mohammed have been sentenced to death by a special war crimes court in Sudan for torturing and killing a civilian, Adam Idris Mohammed Hatim, in Darfur.

Paul Bisengimana, a mayor in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide, has pleaded guilty before the International Criminal Tribunal to murder and extermination.

Yamine Bouhrama, Khaled Serai and Mohamed Larbi have been arrested in Italy. The three Algerians are suspected of planning a terrorist attack in connection with the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC).

Adan Castillo, head of Guatemala's Antinarcotics Analysis and Investigation Service (SAIA) and two colleagues have been arrested in the US on drug-trafficking charges, including conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine in the US.
http://www.dea.gov/

Josh Connole, an environmental activist, had been jailed for four days as a suspect in an Earth Liberation Front ecoterrorism campaign of arson and vandalism against four SUV dealerships in California in 2003. In response to a lawsuit contenting civil rights violations and harm to reputation, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has agreed to pay $100,000 and issue a letter of regret.

Manuel Contreras, former head of the secret police under Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship, has been sentenced to three years in prison in Chilean court for the 197 disappearance of a teacher. He faces further charges in other human rights cases.

Nicolas Carranza, a naturalized US citizen and formerly deputy defense minister of El Salvador, has been found guilty of acts of torture and murder undertaken by soldiers under his command during the military junta of the 1980s. He has been ordered to pay $1.5 million to each of the four who brought the case, although he apparently does not have these funds and is likely to appeal the decision.

Moutaz Almallah Dabas will be extradited from the UK to Spain where he is wanted in connection with the 2004 Madrid bombings.

Paul Edward Darragh has been charged in Northern Ireland court with possessing an article for use in terrorism, after he had downloaded the item online.

Peter Francis-Mcrae has been sentenced to six years in prison for blackmail, fraudulent trading and other charges in connection with spam email schemes. He was making over GBP 100,000 per week from his activities, totaling some GBP 1.6 million. For refusing to disclose where he had hidden unspent funds, he was also convicted of concealing criminal property. He was cleared of two threats to kill charges.

Abu Hassan Ghazi, head of the As-Saiqa militia, was arrested in a Lebanese refugee camp on charges of carrying out terrorist acts.

Hissene Habre, the former president of Chad, has been arrested from his home in exile in Senegal after Senegal received an international arrest warrant for his extradition to Belgium to face war crimes charges.

Sefer Halilovic, a former Bosnian Army commander, has been cleared of war crimes charges related to the 1993 killing of Croat civilians.

David Hicks, an Australian captured in Afghanistan in 2001 and since held in Guantanamo Bay, will not face hearings in a military tribunal until after the US Supreme Court rules on the legality of the tribunals, following the decision of US District Judge Colleen Kollar Kotelly.
http://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/opinions/2005/Kollar-Kotelly/2002-CV-299~10:35:13~11-15-2005-a.pdf
http://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/opinions/2005/Kollar-Kotelly/2002-CV-299~10:35:13~11-15-2005-b.pdf

Aziz Khan, Mingla Khan and Abdul Jabbar, allegedly with the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), have been detained in Pakistan in connection with the car bombing of a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet this week.

Saad Loubani , a leading member of the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) was arrested in a Lebanese refugee camp for illegal weapons possession.

Slobodan Milosevic, former president of Yugoslavia, will undergo another medical examination after recurring ill health. His war crimes trial in The Hague has accordingly be adjourned.

Rachid Ramda has fought off extradition from the UK for ten years, making him Britain's longest serving extradition prisoner. This may change following a High Court ruling that his deportation would be legal. The Algerian is wanted in France on 23 charges of financing the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) and organizing the August-November 1995 bombing campaign and on a separate extradition for conspiracy in the 1995 Saint Michel Metro station bombing. The case may be appealed to the House of Lords.

Igor Reshetin, director of the rocket technology company TsNIIMASH-Export, has been arrested with two associates on charges of selling state secrets to China.

Hamid Sharqi Shadid has been arrested by US forces in Iraq, where he is believed to have been involved in leading Baath insurgent activities in Diyala province as the head of the New Baath Party.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051115_3353.html

Omri Sharon, son of the Israeli Prime Minister, will plead guilty to perjury and falsification of documents in connection with setting up fake companies to conceal illegal contributions to his father's Likud party in 1999. He will step down as a Member of Parliament and may face a prison term.

Raghuraj Pratap Singh, who resigned from Uttar Pradesh's state cabinet last week, has been denied bail and will remain in judicial custody until 26 November. Charges originally laid in 2003 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) have been reinstated following a review of cases pending under POTA prior to its repeal. Singh's trial will take place in Madhya Pradesh.

Fernando Zevallos, former owner of Aero Continente and designated in the US as a drug kingpin, has been arrested in Peru, where he is already facing charges over an intercepted cocaine shipment.

12. Transportation

See this week's Feature Article, below, on the topic of "Air Cargo Security".

The European Parliament has approved a common blacklist for airlines that do not meet safety requirements and therefore will be banned from operating throughout the EU. In addition, passengers will be informed of the identity of the operating carrier and have a right to compensation if a carrier is included on the blacklist after a reservation is made.
http://www.europarl.eu.int/news/expert/infopress_page/062-2284-320-11-46-910-20051111IPR02249-16-11-2005-2005--true/default_en.htm

The International Maritime Bureau's Weekly Piracy Report cites continuing threats along Somalia's northeast and eastern coast:

Measures to address piracy in Somalia will also be discussed at the International Maritime Organization Assembly meets, beginning on Monday. A voluntary audit scheme is also on the agenda.
http://www.imo.org/

The port of Buenos Aires in Argentina has become the 41st operational Container Security Initiative (CSI) port, targeting and prescreening cargo destined for US ports.
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/press_releases/11172005.xml

British Transport Secretary Alistair Darling, in a speech before the "Anti-terrorism in Public Transport" conference of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) described risk mitigation and emergency response measures. He said that new systems such as x-ray screening and body scanners are being tested for use in the UK rail and underground systems. http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_mobility/documents/page/dft_mobility_610396.hcsp
http://www.uitp.com/events/2005/london/

Morocco's national security service plans to issue contactless national ID cards including biometrics from 2007.
http://www.thalesgroup.com/press/press_releases/?index=11

The UK Passport Service is increasing the price of a 10-year adult passport by GBP9 to GBP51 to pay for new security measures including enhanced background checks, introduction of biometrics, and face-to-face interviews for first-time applicants.
http://www.ukpa.gov.uk/press_171105.asp

13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

Transcripts, presentations and blogs of the 2005 Carnegie International Nonproliferation Conference have now been posted online.
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/static/npp/2005conference/2005_conference.htm

Iran has provided documents to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that had been obtained from the AQ Khan nuclear network. They provided instructions in casting uranium for the core of a nuclear warhead - just one of the necessary steps. Iran has also started processing more uranium.

The Multinational Initiative on Malaria held its fourth conference in Cameroon, reviewing "New Strategies against an Ancient Scourge". More than 1500 delegates from over 65 countries participated in discussions that included the link between malaria and in utero HIV infections, the potential impact of preemptive malaria treatment for children, drugs and drug resistance, new vaccines, and capacity building measures. With support from international organizations, more people from more countries - 80 percent from Africa - were able to attend than ever before.
http://www.mim.su.se/conference2005/

The University of Texas at San Antonio opened the Margaret Batts Tobin Laboratory designed to research emerging infectious diseases, using a level-three biosafety lab.
http://www.utsa.edu/today/2005/11/tobin.cfm

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons concluded its meeting of the parties to the convention. The goal of all signatories having enacted domestic legislation and administrative measures for implementation had not been met, and the deadline was extended to next year's December conference. Libya was also given more time in which to eliminate its chemical weapons. The Conference also established a Day of Remembrance of all victims to chemical warfare, to be observed on 29 April, when the Convention entered into force.
http://www.opcw.org/

The European Parliament has approved chemical safety legislation called REACH, for Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals. To become law, the regulation has to be approved by national governments.
http://www.europarl.eu.int/news/expert/infopress_page/064-2382-318-11-46-911-20051116IPR02381-14-11-2005-2005--false/default_en.htm

14. Recently Published

Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon, "The Next Attack: The Failure of the War on Terror and a Strategy for Getting it Right", Times Books/Henry Holt

Faisal Devji, "Landscapes of the Jihad: Militancy, Morality, Modernity", Cornell University Press

Robert Fisk, "The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East", Knopf

Tom Holland, "Persian Fire: The First World Empire, Battle for the West", Doubleday/Little Brown

Ismail Karare, transl. David Bellos, "The Successor", Arcade Publishing (novel)

Bruce Lawrence, editor; transl. James Howarth, "Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden", Verso http://www.versobooks.com/books/klm/l-titles/lawrence_ed_messages_osama.shtml

Chris Patten, "Not Quite the Diplomat: Home Truths About World Affairs", Allen Lane

Ben Shephard, "After Daybreak: The Liberation of Bergen-Belsen, 1945", Schocken

Ibrahim Syukri, transl. Conner Bailey and John Miksic, "History of the Malay Kingdom of Patani", Silkworm Books/Ohio University Press

Simon Winchester, "A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906", Harper Collins

FEATURE ARTICLE: Air Cargo Security

The US Congress enacted the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) in November 2001, shortly after the 9/11 attacks. It established the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), now part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) primary focus of the legislation was on safety and security of passengers. Screening of passengers and their baggage became the dominant security measure. Baggage carried in the belly of the plane, by air freight forwarders and all-cargo air carriers received little attention, although its screening was also mandated under ATSA.

Congressional hearings in 2003 put pressure on DHS to act on this matter, and a strategic plan was developed, but practical actions were not forthcoming. Earlier this year, an attempt to create a cargo inspection system was defeated in Congress. Last week, the two Congressmen that had led earlier air cargo security efforts launched a new attempt.

Representatives Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Christopher Shays of Connecticut introduced two new legislative measures, the Safe Skies Cargo Inspection Act and the Unscreened Cargo Notification Act. The former directs DHS to establish a system to inspect cargo transported on passenger aircraft, with 35 percent screened by 2006, rising to 100 percent by 2008. The latter directs DHS to notify passengers when unscreened cargo is carried in the cargo hold of an aircraft to ensure that passengers are informed about this security risk.

Introducing the legislation, Markey criticized the Bush Administration "which continues to cater to the wishes of the cargo industry while refusing to require urgently needed cargo security that would make America safer". He continued, "We must not wait until disaster strikes before we close the cargo security loophole. Pilots and flight attendants, government investigators, the 9/11 Commission and homeland security experts all have pointed out the dangers posed by uninspected cargo. As the busy Thanksgiving travel season approaches, now is the time to strengthen the security of cargo carried on passenger planes, 6 billion pounds of cargo travel on passenger planes every year, but it only took one pound of explosives placed by terrorists in the cargo bay of Pan Am Flight 103 to take hundreds of lives". Shays commented, "Air cargo is routinely inspected in several other nations and, given that the US is target number one, we can no longer afford to roll the dice". He added, "We are Islamists terrorists‚ prime target and airplanes have been one of their prime tools. How we can justify not inspecting air cargo is simply beyond me. Airline passengers deserve better. The time to act is now."

This is not a simple undertaking. A Congressional Research Service report summarizes the industry as follows:

Air cargo security risks include:

A variety of mechanisms are available to mitigate these risks. Some of these are procedural, such as employee background checks and security training, knowing the shipper, verifying the identity and screening indirect carriers, cargo screening and inspections, physical security and access control. Other measures are technical in nature, including the use of tamper-resistant and tamper-evident packaging and containers; screening and explosive detection systems; blast-resistant containers; and biometric identification and access control of workers.

In September, the 9/11 Public Discourse Project found "Minimal Progress" in screening of checked bags and cargo. They summarize: "More attention and resources should be directed to reducing or mitigating the threat posed by explosives in vessels' cargo holds. The TSA should expedite the installation of advanced (in-line) baggage screening equipment. Because the aviation industry will derive substantial benefits from this deployment, it should pay a fair share of the costs. The TSA should require that every passenger aircraft carrying cargo must deploy at least one hardened container to carry any suspect cargo. TSA also needs to intensify its efforts to identify, track, and appropriately screen potentially dangerous cargo in both the aviation and maritime sectors".

The Government Accountability Office (GAO ) report release last week was more detailed and stronger. "Federal Action Needed to Strengthen Domestic Air Cargo Security" describes the background and current status of TSA and sister agency efforts, reflecting repeated delays and absence of necessary funding. It reviews current and proposed security measures, emphasizing the role needed by private industry, which controls the resources. The report concluded that TSA should:
complete assessments of air cargo vulnerabilities and critical assets
reexamine the rationale for existing air cargo inspection exemptions
develop measures to gauge air carrier and indirect air carrier compliance
assess the effectiveness of compliance enforcement actions
ensure that the data to be used in the identifying elevated risk cargo are complete, accurate and current".

Security plans may pose financial, operational, and technological challenges to TSA and stakeholders, particularly given the reliance on public-private partnership and the highly distributed supply chain. Recognizing the importance of air cargo security and the limited resources available to protect it, in order to meet the objectives a risk management approach is essential to establish priorities and properly balance costs and security.

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