AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff
TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - January 29, 2006
SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, January 29, 2006
TEXT:
Among this week's news are efforts to end stability in the resource-rich Great Lakes region of Africa, democratic intervention into succession of Kuwait's ruling family, details on the financing of Jemaah Islamiah (JI) from one of their former commanders, new identity theft incidents and protective measures, and the deadly effects of record cold in Europe at a time of serious energy disruption. The surprise victory of Hamas, which will now form the next Palestinian government, is given particular attention in our special report, found at
http://www.politicalriskmonitor.com/2006/01/PRM2902.shtml
CONTENTS:
1. Global Terrorism Monitor
2. Political Risk Monitor
3. AML/CFT Monitor
4. Emerging Threat Monitor
5. Critical Infrastructure Monitor
6. Disaster Reduction Monitor
7. Recommended Reading
8. Asset Management Network News
The Global Terrorism Monitor is a monthly 16-page print publication. News highlights from the past week are provided in this free email update, but detailed analysis, background information and source documents are only available to subscribers. For subscription information, email
info@tamni.com.
Amid continued violence from militias and other armed groups in the Great Lakes region, particularly the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), the UN Security Council completed a daylong debate and unanimously passed a resolution condemning the attacks and calling for international support of regional stabilization. The Great Lakes are rich in natural resources. These have financed brutal civil wars but could become the engine of African development. Read more here:
http://globalterrorismmonitor.com/2006/01/GTM2904.shtml
Central African Republic (CAR) civilians are adding to the massive refugee population already in neighboring Chad. Thousands of villagers in northwest CAR have been forced to flee from rebel attacks, summary executions, kidnappings and lawlessness as well as violent military search operations.
Rising violence in eastern Chad has forced the UN refugee agency to withdraw staff from two of five offices as a temporary security measure. Last weekend, unknown armed men attacked UN operations and kidnapped five people, including the local government official and head of the local military police.
Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) UN peacekeepers met a group of up to 60 LRA rebel fighters in the Garamba National Park on the border with Sudan. Serious fighting on 23 January, including use of armed helicopters, killed at least 15 LRA and eight UN peacekeepers. Five members of the UN contingent were injured. Local aid workers now report that in Katanga Province, Mai-Mai militias have begun initiating attacks against the army and destroying an entire village. Before, they would respond to an army attack, kill soldiers and leave, without widespread destruction.
http://www.monuc.org/News.aspx?newsID=9716
The divided Ivory Coast is likely to face UN sanctions against leaders who are seen to have whipped up violence and interfered with peace efforts. Many UN staff members have been evacuated temporarily. The World Food Program (WFP) has suspended operations following the violent disturbances last week that included looters, responding to radio broadcasts, who stripped two WFP warehouses.
In Port Harcourt, Nigeria, gunmen on speedboats attacked Italian oil company Agip, killing at least nine people, including eight policemen. A large amount of money was stolen. Following the attack Agip has evacuated staff and contractors from the area.
http://www.eni.it/ (in Italian)
Somali pirates have released one of four Taiwan fishing boats hijacked last year. Three others are still held, and a United Arab Emirates-registered merchant ship is reported hijacked. Reportedly, ransom was paid.
Sudan's western Darfur province has suffered a deteriorating security situation with continued fighting between government forces and the rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA). SLA is attempting to regain control of the government-held town of Golo, forcing evacuation of local aid workers.
http://www.unmis.org/english/en-main.htm
Colombia will hold a referendum over whether it should exchange hostages held by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for jailed rebels. This vote will take place in conjunction with March congressional elections.
Colombia's attorney general says it broke up a false documents ring associated with both FARC and al Qaeda. The US assisted in the operation, conducted in five cities, and plans to request extradition of some of those arrested.
US senior defense personnel said that the military needs a cultural change to adapt to the "Long War". Army Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno said, " Our estimate is that for at least the next 20 years, part of our focus will be on how do we deal with the extremist networks that will continue to threaten the United States and its allies." In this new war, information will be as important as ammunition.
http://www.globalterrorismmonitor.com/2006/01/GTM2901.shtml
http://www.globalterrorismmonitor.com/2006/01/GTM2902.shtml
After 9/11, hundreds of people visiting the US were detained for months as "persons of interest" to the investigation, then deported. Now six former detainees are testifying in federal lawsuits. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/01/23/news/detainees.php The Justice Department's Inspector General has previously reported on widespread abuse at detention centers and systemic problems with the detentions.
http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/reports/FBI/index.htm
Federal judge Alvin Hellerstein has granted summary judgment to the city of New York and dismissed claims against the designers and builders of the World Trade Center, rejecting claims that they breached duty of care. The insurers suits were dismissed except in the case of Salomon Brothers, a tenant who stored large amounts of diesel fuel for emergency power, and the building personnel who permitted its storage.
http://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/Sept11Litigation.htm
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed suit on behalf of the American Academy of Religion, the American Association of University Professors and PEN American Center, and also names Tariq Ramadan, a Swiss intellectual and leading Muslim scholar, as plaintiff. The action addresses a revocation of Mr. Ramadan's visa, preventing his from assuming a tenured position at the University of Notre Dame or speaking to audiences in the US on the basis of the ideological exclusion provision of the USA Patriot Act.
http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/23908prs20060125.html
The Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security held hearings on US Entry/Exit Tracking, finding limited success or what remains a work-in-progress.
http://appropriations.senate.gov/subcommittees/record.cfm?id=250766
http://appropriations.senate.gov/subcommittees/record.cfm?id=250767
Indonesian police have identified Aubir Sugiarto and Abu Saraf, who were arrested earlier this month, as suspects in the 1 October Bali bombings after finding links to wanted terrorist Noordin. At least ten people were detained this week in connection with the ongoing investigation.
Wahyu Diarto ("Syaifullah") was sentenced in Indonesian court to five years in jail for two bomb attacks in Yogyakarta in January 2000 that resulted in one injury. He had planned the attacks and built the bombs. Taufiqurrohman was sentenced to four years for funding the attacks and Muhammad Auwal Suhardi to two years for failing to report the plot.
The Papua People's Anti-Militarism Front and other protesters stormed the Papua legislative council building. They protested the police shooting of a civilian when they used live ammunition to disperse a crowd of people. Two others were injured. The demonstrators demanded an independent investigation and withdrawal of Indonesian soldiers from the territory.
Japan's ministry of justice approved a second 3-year extension authorizing continued surveillance of the Aleph cult, formerly Aum Shrinrikyo.
In the Philippines, two groups of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels fighting over land, forced displacement of several thousand villagers. Two people were killed as the rebels traded gun and mortar fire and occupied local roads. The fighting ended when police and volunteers cordoned the area.
New People's Army (NPA) in Mabinay, Bacolod, assassinated Rogelio Mambato ("Ka Malvar"), a former regional commander with the breakaway Revolutionary Proletarian Army - Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB).
In Thailand, the Pattani United Liberation Organization (PULO) said it would dropping demands for independence if Thailand agreed to remove the 20,000 troops stationed in the South, release imprisoned PULO leaders, and engage in negotiations. This conflict has killed more than a thousand people in the last two years.
The European Court of Human Rights is considering an appeal by Ilich Ramirez Sanchez ("Carlos the Jackal" against French authorities, who are holding him in solitary confinement for 22 hours each day. A lower court last year ruled this did not breach human rights conventions because special treatment was necessary to detain a man once considered the most dangerous terrorist in the world, associated with bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings. He was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of two French agents and an informer.
http://www.globalterrorismmonitor.com/2006/01/GTM2903.shtml
In Russia, Dagestan's Supreme Court acquitted Magomed Salikhov of terrorism charges in connection with the 1999 apartment bombing that killed 64 and injured 100. He was found guilty of participating in an illegal army, false documents, and illegal border crossing.
Turkish prosecutors report that Mehmet Ali Agca, who attempted to assassinate Pope John Paul II in 1981, will remain in jail until 2010. Fifteen of his relatives have begun a hunger strike to protest his return to prison. He had served nearly 25 years in Italy and Turkey, and was freed earlier this month. Soon after a court ruled that he had not served enough time for the 1979 murder of a Turkish journalist.
UK Home Secretary Charles Clark has requested public comment on guidance for police stop and search under the Terrorism Act 2000. This follows the revelation that nearly 36,000 people were stopped and searched under the emergency powers last year, compared 10,200 in 2001. This increase raised serious concerns over the anti-terrorism legislation
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news/stop-and-search-guidance-consult
Muhedin Ali has been charged in London court with assisting Hussain Osman, (one of the suspects in the failed 21 July bombings who is accused of attempted murder), to evade arrest and withholding information.
Abu Mansha has been sentence in British court to six years in prison for planning to kill or harm decorated soldier Corporal Mark Byles in revenge for his success in Iraq.
Iain Rea has been charged in Northern Ireland court with the January 2003 murder of Ulster Defense Association (UDA) member Roy Green, and various weapons charges.
In Gaza, Israeli soldiers shot dead a 13-year boy when he and his friends approached the border to throw stones. A 9-year girl was also shot and killed. Investigations are under way.
An Iranian government office and the privately held Saman Bank were the apparent targets of two bombings in the southwest city Ahwaz, near the Iraqi border. Eight people were killed and 40 injured in the explosions. The little-known separatist group The Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwazose claimed responsibility, and the UK is accused of cooperating with them. Iran also says that Israel and the UK are implicated in two deadly military plane crashes, one in early December and one earlier this month, purportedly to disrupt Iranian security.
US military statistics reveal a dramatic rise in violence in Iraq in 2005 compared with the prior year. Pedestrian suicide bombing rose, from seven in 2004 to 67 in 2005. Suicide car bombs rose in numbers from 133 to 411. All recorded attacks, most targeting US and Iraqi troops, rose nearly 30 percent, from 27,000 in 2004 to 34,100 in 2005.
http://aimpoints.hq.af.mil/display.cfm?id=8950
In Iraq an upsurge of Sunni violence followed release of election results, mostly targeting Iraqi police, oil infrastructure, and other government-affiliated targets. On 23 January, a driver detonated a car bomb as a police patrol passed near the Iranian embassy. The driver, two civilians, and a policeman were killed. Today, coordinated car bombs targeted the Vatican embassy and four churches, killing at least three people in Baghdad and Kirkuk, and a bomb outside a shop in a Shia town killed at least ten people. Germany paid ransom to secure the release of an aid worker last December: two German engineers were kidnapped this week. There have been a number of other bombing and shooting incidents.
In the West Bank gunmen linked to Fatah killed Nablus party leader Abu Ahmed Hassouna ahead of the elections, while Israeli troops continued to round up suspected militants. After the elections, clashes erupted in the Gaza Strip protesting both Hamas's overwhelming and unexpected victory and the poor performance of Fatah. There were several injuries.
Bangladesh will receive counterterrorism from the United States. Among new measures under consideration is an ordinance to permit electronic surveillance. Bangladesh is also working with India to help prevent weapons trafficking across the border.
Indian police arrested Obaidur Rahman in West Bengal state. He is a suspected Islamic militant member of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) wanted in Bangladesh in connection with the series of nearly 400 bombs across Bangladesh last August. Two colleagues were also arrested. JMB leader Sheikh Abdur Rahman remains at large.
Indian counterterrorism efforts declined in 2005 , according to sources obtained by the Indian Express. They report that only a third as many terror cells were disrupted. This estimate excluded the northeastern states beset by Maoist (Naxalite) separatists and the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir. The Express quoted Home Ministry figures of
45 registered cases in 2004 compared to 15 registered cases in 2005
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=86676
India celebrated Republic Day amid high security, but the precautions didn't stop Maoist rebels. In Bihar, an attack on a police station injured three policemen. There were multiple explosions in Jharkhand, and a key rail line and a rail bridge were blown up. The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) claimed responsibility a series of attacks on 22-23 January. Nine bombings and several grenade attacks were directed against oil pipelines and security forces. Two policemen were killed and at least 30 people injured.
In Indian-administered Kashmir, two Harkat-ul-Mujahideen militants and two policemen were killed in an overnight gunbattle 23-24 January. Harkat-ul-Mujahideen commander Mobammad Wasim Malik, suspected of involvement in the 1995 Republic Day Stadium bombing, has been arrested. On the 28th, seven militants and two army personnel were killed in a gunfight as the rebels attempted to cross into India.
Nepalese troops fought Maoist rebels in the southwest following a number of attacks on police checkpoints. At least three policemen and four rebels were killed, and dozens injured.
In Pakistan's southwest province of Balochistan a bus ran over a landmine, possibly planted by tribal rebels. At least six people died, and five were injured.
As Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse met with senior Norwegian mediator Erik Solheim, news came of two Tamil men shot dead in separate attacks in the eastern port of Trincomalee. Five simultaneous bombs went off in the capital, Colombo, soon after the talks, but there were no casualties and no claims of responsibility. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission is investigating a report that the Sri Lankan army shelled a Tiger camp in Batticaloa, killing seven Tigers, including senior officer Major Kavilan. Accusations and counter-accusations fly, while arrangements to restart peace negotiations are underway.
The Political Risk Monitor is a monthly 16-page print publication. News highlights from the past week are provided in this free email update, but detailed analysis, background information and source documents are only available to subscribers. For subscription information, email info@tamni.com.
Benin trade unions held a 2-day strike to apply pressure on the government to fund presidential elections scheduled for March. Private efforts to raise the necessary funds and avoid a postponement started last week with efforts by a coalition of non-governmental organizations as well as 13 political parties.
Ivory Coast remains divided and in a precarious security situation. Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Alassane Ouattara has returned after three years in exile in Paris and announced his intention to stand against President Laurent Gbago in presidential elections later this year. Following violence last week, the UN Security Council is considering targeted sanctions against individuals hindering the peace process, including the broadcast hate messages that incited the weekend attacks.
Malawi opposition United Democratic Front (UDP) leader Maxwell Milanzi withdrew an impeachment motion against President Bingu wa Mutharika and resigned his party, becoming an independent. Several opposition members of parliament resigned over their disagreement with the impeachment bid, and the new Democratic Progressive Party has attracted some of them.
The African Union has asked the United Nations to permit an exception in the arms embargo against Somalia (which has been in place since 1992) to permit deployment of a peacekeeping force.
South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority announced that it will begin prosecutions of people who were refused or did not apply for amnesty with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). They will take into account health and age of individuals, and will focus initially on those who had been denied amnesty.
Violence and impunity in Sudan threaten an imminent humanitarian crisis:
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sc8618.doc.htm
http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/admin/opendoc.htm?tbl=ADMIN&id=43d643334
Swaziland is investigating the firebombing of two schools, bringing the number of such attacks to 17 since last year. There were no casualties, only property damage. Government property has been the target, leading to accusations against the banned People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO). PUDEMO and 16 political activists accused of prior attacks have denied involvement.
Bolivian President Evo Morales has cut his salary by 57 percent (to about $1800 per month). Since no government employees can earn more than the president, all salaries will be reviewed, and money saved will go towards increasing the numbers of doctors and teachers. Members of Congress have been asked to also cut their pay.
http://www.presidencia.gov.bo/ (in Spanish)
In Brazil, 31 tourists in a bus travelling on a main road from the airport to a deluxe hotel were hijacked and robbed by a group of four armed robbers the night of 19 January.
Canadians voted in a general election that gave 124 seats in parliament to the Conservatives, ending 12 years of Liberal rule, but falling short of a majority. The Liberals won 103 seats, Bloc Quebecois 51, New Democratic Party 29, and there was one independent. Corruption scandals among the liberals were the main reason for the Conservative victory. Prime Minister elect Stephen Harper will need parliamentary allies to implement his reform program, which features policies more in favor with the current US administration.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has rebuked US Ambassador David Wilkins after he said that the US and most other countries do not recognize Canada's claim to northern waters. Harper told reporters, "The United States defends its sovereignty and the Canadian government will defend our sovereignty".
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/01/26/wilkins-harper060126.html
Former Chilean military ruler Augusto Pinochet has been stripped of legal immunity regarding tax fraud and in several human rights cases. Now his wife and four of their five children have been arrested on tax evasion charges involving millions. An international arrest warrant was issued for eldest daughter Lucia Pinochet, who traveled to Argentina as reports emerged of the possible arrests. She was arrested in the US, en route to Los Angeles, but her request for political asylum was refused and she has been repatriated. The others responded to a summons and are waiting for a decision on bail.
In El Salvador members of the notorious Mara 18 street gang forced a group of amateur football (soccer) players and their fans, numbering about 100, to lie on the ground. Six people were shot dead, followed by a revenge attack that killed another. (22 January)
A Haitian armed group has kidnapped for ransom a missionary, a nun and one or two others, all French citizens. Abducted on Wednesday, they were released on Saturday and will return to France. Conditions of their release were not announced. There were 162 reported kidnappings in Haiti last month, most for ransom.
Honduras new president Manuel Zelaya has been sworn in to office, promising to tackle the problems of street gangs and poverty.
The US Supreme Court blocked the execution of Clarence Hill in order to consider whether the chemicals used in the execution violate a Constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Lethal injection is the most common method of execution in the US.
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/orders/courtorders/012506pzr.pdf
The US military is being stretched to the breaking point according to new reports from the Center for strategic and Budgetary Assessments and the National Security Advisory Group. They cite limited resources and poor strategic planning.
http://www.csbaonline.org/
http://reed.senate.gov/documents/Reports/National Security Report 01252006.pdf
The US army has changed court martial rules in a way that permits capital punishment.
Uniform Code of Military Justice
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ucmj.htm
Indonesia submitted to parliament a draft law to grant partial autonomy to Aceh province and permit the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to become a local political party.
Laos has accused Thailand of deporting a group of 26 Hmong children who were missing from a Thai refugee camp. Without commenting on the charge, Thailand says illegal immigrants, such as the Hmong, are encouraged to return, but not forced. The two countries are considering how best to reunite the children with their parents.
In Papua province on 23 January a crowd of some 200 people called for Indonesian troops to withdraw and forced their way in to a legislative building, where they met with legislators. Tensions have increased following clashes with police the week before in which a student was killed and two people injured.
Mongolia's parliament has chosen Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party candidate and former Ulan Bator mayor, Miyeegombo Enkhbold as the new Prime Minister. This ends the parliamentary crisis that followed the breakup of the governing coalition and resignation of Prime Minister Tsakhia Elbegdorj. Precipitation of the crisis has been blamed variously on poor economic results and corruption.
Turkey has offered to open ports and airports to Cyprus if Greek Cypriots lift restrictions on Turkish Cypriots. They also propose to renew talks on reunification of the island.
Russia's Federal Secret Service (FSB) says that it uncovered a British spy ring in which four members of the British Embassy staff concealed information inside "transceiver rocks". President Putin has used this incident to bolster support for his actions against non-governmental organizations.
http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2006/01/24/001.html
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060123/43142046.html
Photos
http://www.rian.ru/photolents/20060124/43153045.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/24/wspy24.xml&DCMP=EMC-new_24012006
http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,1693488,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4639782.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4648068.stm
The Chechen Prosecutor's Office reported that criminal abductions had increased from 12 in 2004 to 25 in 2005.
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=2857040&PageNum=0
Turkey has dropped charges of insulting the republic that had been laid against famed writer Orhan Pamuk.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4637886.stm
The UK House of Lords overturned proposed requirements in the Identity Cards Bill to require passport or license holders to be included in the database and demanded new legislation before any measure of compulsion could be considered.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds06/text/60123-28.htm
The Vatican has been protected by Swiss guards for 500 years:
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=105&sid=6390573&cKey=1137854577000
In Egypt, UN refugee workers have completed interviews of Sudanese detainees. They advised the government that 14 of those detained were persons of concern who should be released immediately. Another 34 were recommended five days in which they could appeal findings, and others were deemed ineligible for refugee protection. More than 440 Sudanese have already been released.
The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) latest audit details post-war planning inhibited by secrecy and chaotic misuse of billions, disbursed without accounting procedures or contracts.
http://www.sigir.mil/
Saddam Hussein, two of his co-defendants, and his defense team walked out of court minutes after the new presiding judge opened proceedings and removed two of the defendants from the courtroom for making political speeches. The trial was adjourned in an uproar and will resume on Wednesday.
Israel's National Insurance Institute reports that nearly one in four Israelis live in poverty, a 45 percent increase over the last five years.
http://www.btl.gov.il/
Kuwait has resolved the leadership crisis that lasted more than a week after the death of Sheikh Haber al-Ahmed. Parliament voted out the new emir, Sheikh Saal al-Abdullah, who is too ill to serve effectively. The royal family was unable to resolve the crisis, so parliament intervened and nominated Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah as the new emir. He had been the de facto ruler for years, but his succession did not follow traditional royal protocol. This is the first time a ruler in the Gulf was removed through a constitutional process.
http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=807978
Lebanon was criticized for not restoring authority over its territory. The UN security Council noted progress in withdrawal of foreign forces but criticized the lack of progress in disarming militias.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sc8616.doc.htm
Saudi Arabia and India have reached a number of economic and security agreements, including counterterrorism cooperation, and joint investment opportunities. See the Delhi Declaration, Signed by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh of India
http://meaindia.nic.in/
India and Saudi Arabia have reached a number of economic and security agreements, including counterterrorism cooperation, and joint investment opportunities. See the
Delhi Declaration, Signed by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh of India
http://meaindia.nic.in/
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari have been issued Interpol "red notices". These are not international arrest warrants. She says corruption charges are politically motivated but Ms. Bhutto and her husband say they will return to face charges if summoned by the courts.
Nepali police used live ammunition against pro-democracy demonstrators, injuring at least three. Despite increased state violence, the activists plan to continue their campaign.
Following meetings with Norwegian mediators, the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tigers rebels have agreed to hold talks in Switzerland next month aimed at shoring up a precarious ceasefire in the face of a surge in violent attacks that threatens a return to war.
The AML/CFT Monitor is a monthly 16-page print publication. News highlights from the past week are provided in this free email update, but detailed analysis, background information and source documents are only available to subscribers. For subscription information, email info@tamni.com.
Officials in Bangladesh met with US Department of State Assistance Secretary for South Asian Affairs, Christian Rocca, who insisted that Bangladesh immediately arrest wanted militants, stop money laundering, and share information and intelligence. The steps must be taken lest sanctions are imposed against Bangladesh.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/01/27/d6012701011.htm
Bolivian President Evo Morales has appointed former mayor and coca grower Felipe Caceres deputy minister for social defense. He will lead anti-drug trafficking efforts, but opposes US crop eradication programs.
Former territorial commander of Jemaah Islamiah (JI), Nasir Abbas spoke at the State Islamic University, where he said that JI's ideology supported robbery of infidels in the name of God, lending credence to recent links between armed robbery and terrorist financing.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20060126.C02&irec=1
http://www.uinjkt.info/www-ina/wartadetil.asp?mid=917&catid=1& (in Indonesian)
The Securities and Exchange Board of India has issued AML guidelines.
http://www.sebi.gov.in/
Pakistan authorities, on the request of Interpol and Afghanistan, have frozen 15 bank accounts belonging to two Afghan trading firms in Peshawar that are suspected of financing Taleban guerillas.
Serbia's Public Prosecution Office has opened a new department to focus on organized crime and corruption.
Credit Suisse announced it would no longer take on clients in Burma, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan or Syria. UBS announced it is severing all ties with clients in Iran.
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=105&sid=6406554&cKey=1138141668000
The British Parliament reviewed the problem of counterfeit medicines and their use in money laundering and terrorist financing. Member of Parliament Charles Walker told the House of Commons that, "In developing countries, up to 60 per cent. of public and private health expenses are used to buy medicines. The WHO estimates that 25 per cent. of those medicines are fake, and in some countries the figure could be as high as 40 per cent. In the world's poorest and most vulnerable communities, people are dying needlessly of AIDS and malaria. Counterfeiting hot spots include Mexico, Pakistan, India, China and Russia."
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm060126/debtext/60126-40.htm#60126-40_head2
The Emerging Threat Monitor will be published in print later this year. News highlights from the past week are provided in this free email update, but detailed analysis, background information and source documents are only available to subscribers. For more information, email
info@tamni.com.
The debate over free trade, debt, and indigenous rights is in full swing as the World Economic Forum (WEF) meets in Davos, Switzerland, and the anti-globalization alternative World Social Forum is meeting in Caracas, Venezuela.
http://www.weforum.org/
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br
Italian demonstrators briefly hijacked the Olympic flame from Italian Olympiad Eleanora Berlanda. Four of the eight anarchists involved were arrested and four got away.
Among the issues discussed in Davos is the growing crisis of global unemployment. International Labor Organization (ILO) Director General Juan Somavia called this "one of the biggest security risks we face today". He argued, "It is time to revisit the commitments made by the global community to promote social inclusion and jobs as the basis of poverty reduction, and respect for fundamental principles and rights at work". Necessary steps include making jobs the center of development efforts, government regulation that encourages entrepreneurship and innovation, expansion of training and education, and stronger international governance.
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2006/2.htm
Insurance industry representatives at the WEF assessed terrorism, an oil-price spike, natural disasters and a bird-flu pandemic as the big threats this year. Avian influenza was called the potential 21st century Black Death. Markets are not prepared for the worst case scenario that these threats could occur at the same time.
The Chinese Ministry of Health released a statement with UNAIDS and the World Health Organization that finds increased HIV infections, with 700,000 new cases each year. Overall prevalence is at 0.05 percent and rising. Surveillance and monitoring systems are needed.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2006/china_hiv_aids/en/index.html
http://www.unaids.org/en
Rock star Bono has launched Product red. The new global brand will use profits to help fight HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. American Express, Gap, Converse and Giorgio Armani announced a range of "red" branded products including T-shirts, footwear, sunglasses and a credit card.
http://www.joinred.com/
The global Conference on Disarmament opened its annual session. UN Secretary General Annan urged a pragmatic approach to overcome the 7-year deadlock. He said, "An already weakened global disarmament machinery has been eroded yet further by the disappointing results of the 2005 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the impasse in the Conference on Disarmament and, not least, the absence of any reference to disarmament and non-proliferation in the Outcome Document of the 2005 World Summit".
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sgsm10320.doc.htm
Russia has proposed enriching uranium on Iran's behalf. Iran has responded positively, but says more is needed to provide for its future energy needs. An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) special meeting on Iran will be held 2 February.
The Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly has "strongly condemned the massive human rights violations" committed in the old Soviet bloc. The resolution called for all communist or post-communist member states to condemn past communist abuses "without any ambiguity".
http://assembly.coe.int/Mainf.asp?link=/Documents/AdoptedText/ta06/Eres1481.htm
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have asked for a research paper published in the Journal of Neuroendocrinology to retract a paper published last April because it violated editorial policy against studies causing unnecessary pain and suffering to experimental animals.
http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/23013/
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has called animal rights and ecological activists a major threat to US security.
The latest BBC/Globescan global survey found that Mexicans, Germans, and Russians had become more positive on the economy, while Indonesians, Britons, French and Americans
5. Critical Infrastructure Monitor
The Critical Infrastructure Monitor will be published in print later this year. News highlights from the past week are provided in this free email update, but detailed analysis, background information and source documents are only available to subscribers. For more information, email
info@tamni.com.
The California Air Resources Board has classified tobacco smoke as a toxic air pollutant, "the same category as the most toxic automotive and industrial air pollutants". This could pave the way for further regulation.
http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr012606.htm
Providence Home services has begun contacting about 365,000 current and former patients following the theft of computer tapes and disks containing personal information.
http://www.providence.org/oregon/hcs/newsrelease.htm
Financial services company Ameriprise Financial Inc. is notifying some 158,000 customers and 68,000 financial advisers that personal information including names, account numbers and Social Security numbers was compromised last month when an employee's laptop computer was stolen from a locked car.
http://www.ameriprise.com/amp/global/press-center/press-release-53.asp
The US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) released a multimedia educational tool to educate consumers on ways to protect themselves against identity theft.
http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/guard/index.html.
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued "Social Security Numbers: Stronger Protections Needed When Contractors Have Access to SSNs".
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-238
The US National Security Agency (NSA) Central Security service has developed recommendations on securing documents converted from Word to PDF.
http://www.nsa.gov/snac/vtechrep/I333-TR-015R-2005.PDF
StopBadware.org is a "Neighborhood Watch" campaign aimed at fighting spyware, malware, and deceptive adware Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and Oxford University's Oxford Internet Institute are leading this initiative
http://www.stopbadware.org/
IBM released its 2005 Global Business Security Index Report, which anticipates a fundamental shift in 2006 from pervasive global outbreaks to smaller, targeted attacks for criminal gain.
http://www-1.ibm.com/services/us/index.wss/offering/bcrs/a1008776.
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/19141.wss
New instant messaging and peer-to-peer networks are increasingly the targets of malicious computer attacks. "IMPact Report: Summary Analysis of IM and P2P Threats in 2005" from FaceTime Security Labs reports that:
* IM and P2P threats increased more than twenty-fold from 2004 to 2005.
* The frequency of IM and P2P threats are accelerating with 778 incidents recorded in Q4 2005 compared with 59 in Q1 2005.
* Quarter-on-quarter increase in security incidents is occurring at a 90 percent growth rate (CAGR).
* In 2005, there was a dramatic change in hacker attacks across multiple networks, where in 2004 security incidents primarily spread via one network only. Individual viruses or security breaches are 19 times more likely to use two or more public networks in Q4 2005 compared with Q1 2005.
* The MSN network experienced the largest number of incidents in both 2004 and 2005. For 2005, 57 percent of IM incidents targeted MSN, 37 percent targeted AOL, and 6 percent targeted Yahoo!.
* Year-on-year growth rates were largest on the AOL network with a 1,300 percent increase of security incidents.
* P2P file-sharing vectors, while constituting only 7 percent of all incidents in 2005, grew at the aggressive pace of over 5,000 percent vs 2004.
http://www.facetime.com/securitylabs/impactreport.aspx
Canada's Ontario Power Authority plans to undertake environmental assessments now, while discussion over future energy needs is underway. While natural gas plants take 2-3 years to construct, nuclear plants take up to ten.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1138276087459&call_page=TS_Ontario&call_pageid=968256289824&call_pagepath=News/Ontario&pubid=968163964505
Indonesian police in West Java have mounted 24-hour guards around high voltage power lines in five areas after state electricity company received threats from local residents objecting to installations crossing their land.
Russia has resumed gas deliveries to Georgia that were seriously disrupted after explosions last week. It may take several days to serve the entire country. Georgia has accused Russia of deliberate sabotage, and cut off supplies to the Russian embassy in Tbilisi. Relations between the countries have deteriorated markedly.
Britain's Department of Trade and Industry has launched a national review of energy. The review begins with a consultation document, "Our energy challenge: securing clean, affordable energy for the long term". A key issue is the future role of nuclear power.
http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/review/
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reports that 1,456 cybersquatting cases were filed with its Arbitration and Mediation Center in 2005, the highest number of cases since 2001, and 20 percent more than in 2004. Claimants found the agency delivered a faster and less expensive route than traditional litigation to safeguard their trademark rights against this abusive registration of trademarks as Internet domain names.
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety have developed guidelines to reduce work-related motor vehicle accidents.
http://www.osha.gov/Publications/motor_vehicle_guide.pdf
Thailand's telecommunication company Shin Corp has been sold to Singapore's Temasek Holdings, raising security concerns over foreign control of critical radio and satellite assets, as well as accusations of public corruption.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/25Jan2006_news01.php
The East African Submarine System (EASSy) is a project to install an undersea fiber optic cable to connect at least 15 East African countries with the rest of the world.
http://www.criticalinfrastructuremonitor.com/2006/01/COM2901.shtml
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released "Drinking Water: EPA Should Strengthen Ongoing Efforts to Ensure That Consumers Are Protected from Lead Contamination"
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-148
The Disaster Reduction Monitor will be published in print later this year. News highlights from the past week are provided in this free email update, but detailed analysis, background information and source documents are only available to subscribers. For more information, email
info@tamni.com.
In Poland, the weight of snow made the roof of the town hall in Katowice collapse during an international meeting of pigeon enthusiasts. At least 66 people were killed and about 100 injured. A day of mourning has been declared and an inquiry is underway.
Electrical shortages in Bangladesh, due to maintenance, have led to violence when police fired on a mob angry over lack of electricity, killing 7 and injuring more than 100.
Flooding and landslides in Indonesia claimed more victims. More than 4,000 people have fled their flooded homes. This month, dozens have been killed and many are still missing, with similar weather set to continue for some time.
The Zambezi River Basin flooded last week, affecting 12,000 people in Mozambique.
The US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has held multiple hearings, with more planned, on issues related to Hurricane Katrina. This week they reviewed "Preparing for a Catastrophe: The Hurricane Pam Exercise". Testimony reiterated the point that the disaster had long been predicted. Senators Joseph Lieberman (Democratic, Connecticut) and committee chair Susan Collins (Republican, Maine) criticized lack of cooperation from the White House, including refusal to release relevant documents that could help explain the "sluggish" and uncoordinated response to the disaster.
http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=310
http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=1168
Their remarks were supported by documents obtained by the Washington Post that gave the White House "detailed warnings about the storm's likely impact, including eerily prescient predictions of breached levees, massive flooding, and major losses of life and property" 48 hours before Hurricane Katrina hit.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/23/AR2006012301711.html
An inquiry that began last October into the death of two oil workers on the Brent Bravo platform in September 2003 continues at the Aberdeen Sheriff Court in Scotland. The Health and Safety Executive has reported that no risk assessment was performed on a critical maintenance issue.
The UN Children's Organization, UNICEF, has launched its annual Humanitarian Action Report. It outlines emergency funding requirements of more than $800 million to help protect women and children affected by humanitarian crises in 29 countries. About a third of the funding would go to the continuing crisis in Darfur. Other critical areas include the drought and HIV/AIDS pandemic in eastern and southern Africa; the aftermath of wars in central and eastern Europe, absolute poverty in 330 million South Asian children, the tsunami aftermath and avian influenza in Asia Pacific, and the situations in Iraq and among Palestinians. The 200-page report also warned of donor exhaustion. Although more donations were received last year than ever before, four appeals received half of the required amount and the rest an even smaller fraction of the amount needed.
http://www.unicef.org/emerg/index_30756.html
The World Food Program called for a "food first" policy in Africa. The number of Africans fed by WFP has doubled in a decade. Record levels of hunger result from the combination of poverty, conflict, HIV/AIDS, drought, and weakened governments.
http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=1990
Argentina is taking Uruguay to the International Court of Justice to prevent construction of two pulp mills on the Uruguay river to avoid pollution. Uruguay wants the foreign investment and jobs. Argentina wants tourism and river resources.
Asian and Pacific governments meeting at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific conference pledged to harmonize economic growth with environmental sustainability in addressing climate change, air pollution, industrial development and energy issues.
http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2006/jan/g01.asp
http://www.unescap.org/esd/rim/
Greenomics Indonesia and the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) warn of environmental disaster if the government continues to grant timber concessions in tsunami-hit Aceh province. Imported wood from donors is suggested as an alternative for reconstruction.
http://www.greenomics.org/
http://www.eng.walhi.or.id/
UN-HABITAT Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka used the collapse of a multi-story building in Kenya to call for stricter construction regulations, as well as investigation and legal action for those responsible for the tragedy that killed 14 people and injured more than 100.
Mexico's National Commission for Human Rights and Humane Borders Inc announced a joint migrant safety education project. Humane Borders, which operates emergency water stations near the border, will use geographic data and personal reports to develop maps printed and distributed by the human rights commission to local communities. The maps are intended to help educate migrants of the dangers of illegal crossings through the desert into the US, where fatalities, including the numbers of women and children, have been rising. Following concerns that the maps could provide a means for anti-immigrant attacks, the project was shelved.
http://www.cndh.org.mx/
http://www.humaneborders.org/news/PressReleaseJan.192006.html
http://www.ice.gov/
Tanzania has approved a 3-month tax exemption for maize imports, and asked for such consignments to be expedited. These measures are meant to improve food supplies and keep prices low despite low rainfall that has reduced the domestic crop.
Yemen's water shortages present a looming national disaster. Read the details here:
http://www.disasterreductionmonitor.com/2006/01/DRM2901.shtml
Australian researchers analyzed global tide data to discover that global sea levels could rise by about 30 cm during this century if current trends continue. This is in line with predictions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
http://www.ipcc.ch/
"In the Front Line: Shoreline Protection and other Ecosystem Services from Mangroves and Coral Reef" from the UN Environment Program reports on the economic value of these resources:
"* The value of coral reefs is estimated at between $100,000 to $600,000 per square kilometer a year.
* The estimated costs of protecting them, through the management costs of a marine protected area, is just $775 square kilometers per annum.
* The costs of installing artificial breakwaters made of concrete tetrapods around the Male, Maldives, was $10 million per kilometer. This was done following the degradation of the natural reef
* In Indonesia, a hotel in West Lombok has spent an average of $125,000 per annum over seven years restoring its 250 meter-long beach following erosion as a result of offshore coral mining." http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=467&ArticleID=5085&l=en
Researchers at the University of Connecticut report that rain gardens significantly reduced the concentration of fertilizers, oil and particulates reaching storm drains, thereby reducing urban pollution.
http://www.uconn.edu/
http://pubs.acs.org/journals/esthag/index.html
New genetic evidence shows that human activity - deforestation - is linked to a dramatic collapse of orangutan populations in Malaysia.
http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10%2E1371%2Fjournal%2Epbio%2E0040025
After being mentioned by Osama bin Laden, William Blum's "Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower" (Common Courage Press) has been flying off the shelves.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article340375.ece
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/20/AR2006012001971.html
http://www.commoncouragepress.com/index.cfm?action=book&bookid=194
Editors of "Security Sector Reform and Post-conflict Peacebuilding" (UN University) draws on experiences in several African countries as well as Bosnia, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Macedonia, Northern Ireland and Russia to warn that international efforts to restore stability to Iraq are having the opposite effect. Instead of stabilizing places like Iraq, international efforts to centralize power are creating a more fragile security environment than ever before. Co-editor Albrecht Schnabel said, "There is a great fear that unstable States and post-war societies provide an ideal breeding ground for terrorist training and activity". He and Hans-Georg Ehrhart note that transnational criminals and terrorists exploit countries with poor security sectors. They warn that "increased focus on terrorism should not lead to the misguided support for further centralization and an empowerment of unaccountable and oppressive security structures, in the belief that strong security structures are required to fight terrorism".
https://unp.un.org/details.aspx?entry=E05001&title=Security+Sector+Reform+and+Post-conflict+Peacebuilding
8. Asset Management Network News
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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0974309133/qid=1138540933/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-832?n=507846&s=books&v=glance
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