AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff
TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - April 23, 2006
SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, April 23, 2006
TEXT:
The nexus between natural resources, corruption, and violence is revealed in many of the stories this week. They include diversion of Chad's oil revenue from development to defense, bribery and money laundering in getting Iraqi reconstruction contracts from the Coalition Provisional Authority, and an increasing variety of border disputes. Highlights from global news in the past week also includes the most recent incidents of terrorism and political violence, and as well as reporting on recent disasters, Recommended Reading covers the centennial of the San Francisco earthquake.
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[email protected].
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GTM Africa
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In Chad, bandits, Sudan's Janjaweed rebels and the Sudan-based rebel coalition, the Unique Front for Democratic Change in Chad (FUC), continued their rampage last week. Human Rights Watch warns that the rebel offensive could lead to ethnic reprisals.
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/04/13/chad13172_txt.htm
Chad's President Deby has confirmed that he wants to use oil revenues to purchase weapons to use against the Sudan-backed rebels. This violates a World Bank agreement that the monies be reserved for development. Deby says that oil production will stop if funds are not released, but extended the deadline on this threat.
Following a number of deadly cattle raids originating in Ethiopia, Kenya has deployed additional security forces. There have been a dozen deaths in the last few weeks, including two people last week, and about 10,000 displaced villagers. There have also been multiple kidnappings and thousands of cows, sheep, and camels have been stolen. Ethiopia suggests that the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) may be behind the attacks, but increased competition connected to the severe drought could also have led to higher numbers of border raids.
Nigerian militants in the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) exploded a remotely detonated car bomb at a Port Harcourt army barracks, killing two people and critically injuring six - all civilians on the base. They reiterated their intentions to target oil installations and rejected President Obasanjo's develop plans, in favor of their own efforts to achieve greater local control over the oil wealth that today largely goes to foreign firms and the central government. MEND has previously carried out armed assaults in the small waterways of the Delta but never attacked a major city or used a car bomb.
The Islamic courts in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, have declared jihad against the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counterterrorism (ARPCT), which was founded by local warlords and is backed by the US, to oppose Islamic extremism.
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=16287
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-6P33TN?OpenDocument
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GTM Americas
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The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the People's Liberation Army (ELN) are believed responsible for an armed assault against Colombian security forces in which 17 soldiers and secret police officers were killed when they were ambushed as they drove through mountains near the Venezuelan border.
The US Pentagon has released a list of Guantanamo Bay detainees who went through the complete Combatant Status Review Tribunal.
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/detainee_list.pdf
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released "Information Sharing: The Federal Government Needs to Establish Policies and Processes for Sharing Terrorism-Related and Sensitive but Unclassified Information." The report demonstrated that federal agencies have still not standardized processes for sharing information, despite multiple government initiatives. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence is responsible for making this happen, but has not yet established the necessary roadmap. The 26 agencies reviewed in the GAO report had 56 different designations for information protection but little in the way of internal controls.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-385
During his high-profile terrorism trial, former professor Sami al-Arian was found not guilty of eight charges, and his three co-defendants were acquitted of all 34 charges against them. The jury deadlocked on nine charges. Now, in a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, al-Arian pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to support Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and agreed to be deported.
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/04/18/Tampabay/Al_Arian_s_plea_ends_.shtml
http://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/
Syed Haris Ahmed have been indicted in the US state of Georgia on charges of conspiracy to provide material support and resources for acts of international terrorism. Alleged colleague Eshanul Islam Sadequee has been arrested in Bangladesh and is being repatriated to New York to face similar charges. Both men are suspected of working with Islamic extremists in Canada.
http://atlanta.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel06/terrorism042006.htm
http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/04/23/d6042301033.htm
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1145657412730&call_pageid=968332188492
The US state of Kansas has signed into law a bill (0025) that creates three new crimes: terrorism, illegal use of weapons of mass destruction, and furthering the commission of terrorism of use of weapons of mass destruction.
http://www.kslegislature.org/
Retired Uruguayan military officers Tomas Casella, Wellington Sarli and Eduardo Radaelli have been extradited to Chile, where they have been accused of conspiring with their Chilean colleagues in the 1990s to prevent biochemist Eugenio Berrios from testifying at a trial regarding his role in preparing sarin-laced explosives for planned assassinations. His disappearance and murder are connected to the Operation Condor plot among South American dictators in the 1970s to eliminate their political opponents.
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GTM Asia Pacific
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Faheem Khalid Lodhi has pleaded not guilty in Australian court to four counts of preparing to commit a terrorist attack, in connection with an alleged October 2003 plot against the national electricity grid and various defense sites.
Nine leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) visited home after 30 years in exile following their declaration of independence from Indonesia. The peace agreement ending the insurgency included amnesty to GAM members.
Indonesia will deport terrorist suspect Mohammad Rosyid ("Hamdan"), who was arrested on Tuesday, to Singapore. Hamdan is a national of Singapore and has been charged with a crime committed there. Hamden is believed to have been a regional leader of Jemaah Islamiah.
Japan's Security Intelligence Agency raided 11 Aum Shrinrikyo facilities in the largest raid for more than two years. They found a document that called for a calm response if cult founder Shoko Asahara is put to death.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/nn20060419a5.html
Shoko Asahara's daughters describe their father and their lives since his arrest in this interview:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1756267,00.html
The Philippines hosted the first Counterterrorism Experts' Conference, in the central town of Cebu. Participants from 56 countries, as well as international organizations and agencies, signed the Cebu Concord, which calls for a middle ground in balancing both hard and soft approaches to counterterrorism, respect for human rights and international law, and addressing causes and contributing factors through development.
http://www.ctec2006.org.ph/
In southern Thailand, the army claims that recent declines in the number of attacks can be credited to the arrest of several key separatists, many achieved through interrogation. They warn of the potential for a large incident on 28 April, the second anniversary of the Krue Se mosque massacre in which 106 people were killed. A fresh spate of attacks followed the visit of caretaker Prime Minister Wannasathit, including a number of bomb attacks and shootings. Further attacks followed the extension of emergency rule. More than a dozen casualties were reported, including the death of two police and an election worker in one incident, and several civilians in earlier attacks.
Rohan Gunaratna, head of the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore, suggested that southern Thailand could become a terrorist breeding ground like Mindanao (a Philippines island), although other attendees criticized his assessment.
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200604230404.htm
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GTM Europe
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French and Italian police launched a joint operation targeting suspects linked to the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), an Algerian group linked to al Qaeda. Eleven people were arrested for terrorist financing, forgery, and illegal immigration.
In the Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, two homemade bombs exploded around noon on Saturday, injuring 14 people. An investigation is under way, but is likely to be motivated by a business dispute.
The UK Defense Department has established the new Special Forces Support Group. The elite force will be comprised of select members of the Royal Marines, Parachute Regiment, and Royal Sir Force Regiment. Based in Wales, they will support rapid international deployment for counterterrorism and special forces assistance.
http://www.mod.uk/
Mohammed Ashraf Hakeem has been sentenced in Scottish court to four months jail after being found guilty of racially aggravated breach of the peace in connection with threatening to blow up a train and mentioning Britons and Americans.
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GTM Middle East
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Al-Jazeera has broadcast a new audio recording attributed to Osama bin Laden in which he cites the situations with Palestinians, and in Iraq, and Sudan, and accuses the west of waging a crusade against Islam. If verified, it will be the first message from bin Laden since January.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/FEE6E1E5-DCC0-4E8A-80CF-FFCCA2BC4C2A.htm
Egyptian authorities are investigating or have detained more than a hundred people associated with fighting between Muslims and Coptic Christians that has left at least three dead and many more injured.
The interior ministry says it has broken up the al-Taefa al-Manasura ("Victorious Faction") underground terrorist network. Its leader Ahmed Muhammad Ali Gabr ("Abu Musab") and some 20 members were mainly based in the suburbs of Cairo. They allegedly planned attacks against Coptic Christian leaders, tourist and infrastructure targets.
An Iraqi army patrol came under fire before dawn on Monday. Fighting lasted for seven hours, with no reported military casualties. Also in Baghdad, the bodies of 12 men were found, shot and showing evidence of torture. In Ramadi, around 60 gunmen and at least two suicide car bombers launched multiple attacks against the main government building and other sites, but were repulsed by US-led forces, reporting several casualties among the gunmen. On Tuesday, a bomb exploded as a police patrol passed a Baghdad cafe. Two policemen and four other Iraqis were killed, and more than 20 people were injured. Today, mortar rounds in Baghdad killed six civilians and injured two.
A suicide bomber in Tel Aviv, Israel killed himself and nine other people, and injured 60. Islamic Jihad named the bomber as Sami Hamid and Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades said the attack was revenge for Israeli operations in Gaza. Hamas has maintained its truce with Israel but called the attack an act of self-defense. Mahmoud Abbas condemned the terrorist attack, and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert said it held the Palestinian Authority responsible.
Saudi Arabia has arrested five people on suspicion of involvement in the February attack on Abqaiq, the largest oil processing plant in the world.
Ali Sufyan al-Amari was sentenced in Yemen court to seven years in prison for founding an Islamist terrorist group with the intent of kidnapping foreigners and bombing Western interests in Yemen. Twelve of his associates were sentenced to terms in prison of between 18 months and six years, while one defendant was acquitted.
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GTM South Asia
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As Afghan President Karzai ordered an investigation into the killing by coalition forces of seven civilians last weekend, more civilians died in the eastern province of Khost. The victims included a mother with her newborn and four other people, while several others were injured. US patrols were blamed for these incidents, which are being investigated. On Thursday, a suicide car bomb attack in the southern province of Kandahar killed the bomber and four Afghans, who worked for a US security company. Other suspected Taleban in Kandahar attacked a police post on Friday, killing six policemen: four of whom were also burned. Another roadside bombing in Kandahar on Saturday killed four Canadian soldiers, while a gunfight on Sunday in Ghazni province killed three Taleban and one policeman. Note this tribute to the Canadian soldiers:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1145742615153
In Bangladesh, Abdur Rahman, leader of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, and five other alleged senior colleagues, have appeared in court on murder charges in connection with the death by bombing of two judges last November.
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland's Khaplang faction and the Indian government have agreed in principle to extend their ceasefire in the northeast for another year.
In Indian-administered Kashmir, former minister Ali Mohammad Nail was injured in an armed assault by suspected militants that killed two of his guards.
Nepal's security forces shot dead a fifth pro-democracy demonstrator on Monday, the 12th day of the opposition general strike.
In Pakistan's Balochistan province, tribal militants are believed responsible for blowing up another gas pipeline.
Three men were beheaded and one shot dead in North Waziristan, where local militants apparently believed they were spying for the US. On Thursday, a militant ambush killed seven paramilitary troops and injured 22. Six of the tribal attackers were also killed.
In Punjab province, prominent Shia scholar Allama Mohammad Fazil Alvi and his driver were killed in a drive-by shooting that also caused their fuel tank to explode.
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers put peace talks on hold pending an end to restrictions on their movements. Soon after this announcement came news of bomb attacks that killed at least eight people, including five soldiers and at least one rebel. Five more Tamils were shot dead on Wednesday. Given the rising violence, the Tigers said they would no longer participate in the peace talks. On Friday, two mine explosions killed three security personnel, and in clashes that followed a civilian was also killed. Today came the worst attack on Sinhala villagers since the 2002 ceasefire began. Tamil Tigers are accused of abducting and shooting dead six villagers in Trincomalee district. The Tigers deny involvement, and the Sri Lankan army calls it an effort to provoke communal violence.
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 [email protected].
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PRM Africa
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The continued violence in Chad poses a real and present danger not only to the government, which came into power through a coup, but to the displaced internal population, and people from neighboring countries, including those fleeing the Darfur crisis in Sudan, that have taken refuge in Chad. Many humanitarian efforts in the area have been forced to close and could collapse entirely, but the UN has worked with Chad to balance the needs of refugees with security requirements, and Chad has withdrawn its threat to expel its 200,000 Sudanese refugees. Despite these threats, including last week's attack on the capital, President Deby says that presidential elections will proceed as planned on 3 May. The main opposition parties plan to boycott it.
The Comoros Islands' first round presidential poll selected three candidates to contest the race in May: Ibrahim Halidi, who is connected to the current administration; religious leader Ahmed Abdallah Sambi; and Mohamed Djaanfari, who was an officer in the French air force.
A new UN battalion of Beninese troops has arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo's northern Katanga province, where severe security problems and a humanitarian crisis have continued for several months. UN forces have been fighting indigenous Mai-Mai combatants who are preventing implementation of local authority.
http://www.monuc.org/News.aspx?newsID=10738#
Liberia's ban on street trading came into force. Soon after, police set fire to stalls to enforce the ban.
Moroccan King Mohammed has freed the last remaining political prisoners from Western Sahara by ordering the release of 48 Sahrawi activists.
Nigeria has paid off its billion-dollar Paris Club debt, becoming the first African country to settle with these lenders, freeing the way for more spending on infrastructure. Nigeria's debt had risen to more than $35 billion, but now less than $5 billion remains outstanding. This economic restructuring is likely to be popular among foreign investors.
A group of Nigerians has launched a new opposition party, the Advanced Congress of Democrats, which is critical of plans to change the constitution to support President Obasanjo's ambitions to serve a third term.
An international investigation has confirmed that pilot error was responsible for the helicopter crash last July that killed former Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) leader John Garang. His supporters believed the Sudanese government was involved in the death. Several days of rioting followed, leaving 130 or more people dead.
Ugandan ministers of defense and foreign affairs asked for UN Security Council support in ending the 20-year terror campaign of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sc8695.doc.htm
Zimbabwe's Commercial Farmers' Union, which has mostly white farmers, has been asked to submit applications to return on their land, much of which was forcibly redistributed but has since been unproductive, through a combination of corruption and incompetence, contributing to widespread food shortages.
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PRM Americas
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Bolivian security forces freed three ministers who were taken captive by village protesters in favor of a Brazilian steel mill project that presented environmental concerns. Brazilian steelmaker EBX failed to secure an environmental permit and violated other regulations in the ax-free border zone, and has now been ordered to leave the country. This is the first expulsion of a foreign investor under the new presidency of Evo Morales, and it settles a power struggle between the leftist administration and local interests in the southeastern region.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/apr2006/2006-04-20-01.asp
http://internacional.radiobras.gov.br/ingles/materia_i_2004.php?materia=262670&q=1&editoria=
http://www.euro2day.gr/articlesfna/13073861/
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8H41F505.htm?campaign_id=apn_home_down&chan=db
Thousands of Brazilians took to the streets to mark the tenth anniversary of the Carajas massacre, in which 19 rural workers involved in a land rights protest were shot dead, with virtual impunity.
http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/6114/53/
http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/document.do?id=ENGAMR190192006
http://www.mstbrazil.org/?q=radiospecialedorado
In Canada, a land dispute is well into its eighth week. It involves an 18th century contract, a rail line, and a proposed housing development on land claimed by the First Nations. Mohawk people from the six nations territory have been occupying the land, including a rail line blockade (resolved through a court injunction) since the end of February. The non-native community advocates development on land claimed by the Mohawks. After successfully rebuffing police attempts to force them out, negotiations are continuing.
http://www.thestar.com/static/PDF/060421_caledonia_land_claim.pdf
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1145657412752
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1145742614975
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=9d9b9a8b-496a-4aa1-af56-8d07d4c04473&k=3040
http://www.cn.ca/about/media/news_releases/2006/2nd_quarter/en_News20060421a.shtml
http://www.sixnations.ca/SideBulletin1.htm
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has criticized media allegations of strong links between state security agency DAS and right-wing paramilitaries. Such connections have been made consistently for the last 40 years, during the conflict with leftist rebels.
http://semana.terra.com.co/wf_InfoArticuloNormal.aspx?IdArt=93895 (in Spanish)
http://www.cambio.com.co/html/secretos/articulos/4713/ (in Spanish)
http://www.presidencia.gov.co/ (in Spanish)
http://www.das.gov.co/ (in Spanish)
http://www.hrw.org/doc?t=americas&c=colomb
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61721.htm
Guyana's Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh, his brother, sister, and a security guard, have been shot dead in his home in apparent incitement ahead of general elections due later this year.
http://www.gina.gov.gy/archive/daily/b060422.html
http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_general_news?id=52566377
http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_general_news?id=52566369
Haiti has begun to collect voting sheets in the second-round parliamentary elections.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N22321732.htm
Mexican authorities stormed a steel plant in the southern state of Michoacan in an effort to break a strike lasting since a union leader was accused of corruption on 2 April. In the assault two workers were shot dead and more than 300 people were injured. The company has regained control of the complex, and negotiations have resumed while the strike continues.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=amYzNMT3OjEk&refer=latin_america
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060421005502&newsLang=en
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/miami/17909.html
In Mexico's Acapulco resort city, the heads of two anti-drug policemen were found dumped near the city finance department with a sign "so that you learn to respect". The bodies were found in a different part of the city. Guerrero state governor Zeferino Torreblanca had already announced a $12 million investment in improved equipment for the police.
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/miami/17889.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-behead21apr21,1,1795062.story
US President Bush hosted a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao, but this was overshadowed even before it took place by Hu's high-profile business meetings, beginning in Washington state. Meanwhile, the Bush administration has undertaken a staff reorganization. They hope that this will help reverse Bush's falling approval ratings, on issues that include national security and jobs going overseas.
While the US congressional debate over immigration is on the backburner during the spring break, Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched a nationwide sweep against employers of illegal immigrants. At one IFCO Systems factory in California 1,187 undocumented workers were detained, and 275 deported.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/2006-04-20-ifco-raids_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/conws/3809998.html
http://www.cbp.gov
The US Central Intelligence Agency has dismissed an employee, identified in media outlets as intelligence analyst Mary McCarthy, for allegedly releasing classified information regarding secret US prisons abroad.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/22/AR2006042201442.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/washington/23mccarthy.html?_r=1&hp&ex=1145764800&en=b2c0a9f955c9fcaa&ei=5094
The family of late investigative reporter Jack Anderson has refused a Federal Bureau of Investigation request to turn over his files so they can identify any classified material therein.
http://chronicle.com/free/2006/04/2006041801n.htm
http://www.courierpress.com/ecp/gleaner_opinion/article/0,1626,ECP_4480_4637421,00.html
New Orleans, Louisiana completed the first round of mayoral elections, putting incumbent mayor Ray Nagin in front. With only 39 percent of the vote he faces a 20 May run-off with lieutenant governor Mitch Landrieu (28 percent), whose father was the last white mayor of the city, nearly 30 years ago.
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PRM Asia Pacific
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The defense leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore have signed a formal agreement for strengthening security in the Malacca Strait. Thailand plans to join after a new government is formed. The agreement involves coordinated maritime and air patrols and intelligence sharing.
Police abuse in East Timor is the topic of a new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, "Tortured Beginnings: Police Violence and the Beginnings of Impunity in East Timor". HRW calls for immediate strengthening of independent and internal accountability mechanisms to address cases of excessive force, torture, and detainee mistreatment requiring hospitalization.
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/04/19/eastti13223.htm
Japan has agreed to cancel a maritime survey it wanted to undertake of the disputed island chain known as the Liancourt rocks, Dokdo (Solitary Islands) in Korea, or Takeshima (Bamboo Islands) in Japan. Following this concession, the two countries agreed to hold talks in May. South Korea's Coast Guard had established a blockade to prevent the survey.
Philippines President Gloria Arroyo used her Easter announcement to commute the death sentences of as many as 1,200 convicts, including some Islamic militants. She did not say she would take measures with Congress to abolish the death penalty, but no executions have been carried out since 2000. The Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order called the move callous to victims and their families, who may now need to take justice into their own hands.
http://www.macapagal.com/gma/speech.html
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200604170401.htm
Singapore has dissolved parliament and announced general elections for 6 May, more than a year earlier than required.
The Solomon Island's parliament elected Snyder Rini the new Prime Minister. Rini was a former cabinet minister associated with corruption allegations in the outgoing government. Supporters of Rural Advancement Party leader Job Dudley Tausinga, who had led in the first round of voting, gathered to protest the results. Election protests quickly turned violent, with the parliament barricaded, stores looted, and buildings set afire. At least 17 Australian peacekeepers were injured before order was restored. Following a written request from the Solomon's government, Australia is sending additional troops. Australia has also offered to airlift foreign nationals from the island. Rini emerged from hiding on Friday, insisting that he would not quit and did not use bribery to win his position. The riots also highlighted tensions that have arisen from Chinese business influences, including large property developments that often bypass official procedures.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,18856991-601,00.html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/troubled-islands/2006/04/19/1145344153292.html
http://www.solomons.com/
Thailand has extended the state of emergency for the southern provinces affected by the separatist insurgency. In a reflection of that area's disapproval of the central government, Dr. Waemahadi Wa-Dao was elected to the Senate. He had been detained as a suspected terrorist and member of Jemaah Islamiah for two years before his acquittal last August.
Thai opposition parties boycotted the second round of elections, held after a low turnout in the 2 April elections did not fill all the seats in the lower house. With voters staying away again, more elections may need to follow again.
Uzbekistan's ultimatum to the UN Development Program has forced its office to close after 13 years. They will continue to assist with voluntary repatriation of refugees, most from Afghanistan, that remain in Uzbekistan. The agency is concerned for Uzbeks detained in Kyrgyzstan after the Andijan massacre, since they face grave threats if returned to their homeland.
http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&id=4444cb6516
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PRM Europe
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In Belgium, hundreds of asylum seekers have marched and occupied churches and a mosque to protest a draft law that makes it more difficult for immigrants to get permission to work.
German police have detained two suspects in the attempted murder of an Ethiopian engineer in what is believed a racially motivated attack by neo-Nazia.
Hungarians are voting in the second round of the general election.
Italy's courts have ruled Romano Prodi the country's election winner
http://www.cortedicassazione.it/ (in Italian)
Racial attacks in Russia have led to the formation of an anti-fascist youth organization, "Nashi", which has been patrolling streets in Moscow, particularly around schools and areas frequented by foreigners. The most recent incident was the non-fatal stabbing of an Indian student in St. Petersburg.
The UK government has issued emergency legislation that will allow the Northern Ireland Assembly to be recalled on 15 May. If the power-sharing executive is restored by the 24 November deadline, assembly elections would take place in May 2008.
http://www.nio.gov.uk/media-detail.htm?newsID=12979
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PRM Middle East
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Egyptian judges Hesham Bastawisi and Mahmoud Mekki, members of the highest appellate Court of Cassation, appeared before a disciplinary tribunal regarding their complaints against electoral irregularities last year. The government decided to prosecute the two men, leading to a sit-in protest by 50 Egyptian judges, fighting for judicial independence.
The political rivalry between Fatah and Hamas took a new twist as rival groups of students fought each other with stones, guns, and homemade explosives at the Fatah-dominated al-Azhar University and the Hamas-dominated Islamic University. There were several injuries but no fatalities. Three people were injured when gunfire was exchanged between Hamas health minister bodyguards and gunmen at the ministry demanding better treatment for a patient.
Palestinian Interior Minister Said Siyam announced a new security force to address rampant crime in the territories. President Abbas issued a decree against the new force, which would be led by Jamal Abu Samhadana. Samhadana is wanted by Israel on terrorism charges. As the leader of the Popular Resistance Committees militant faction he has been an assassination target several times. This is the first time Abbas has overturned a Hamas decision, and although Hamas says they resolve their differences through dialog, they do plan to proceed.
The financial situation in the territories remains dire following Israel's suspension of tax revenues due the Palestinian Authority, and the suspension of direct aid from the EU and US. Although Qatar, Iran, and others have promised funding, the cash is not in the bank. This is leading to a serious humanitarian situation: a quarter of the population depends on government salaries.
Iran has put 200 more police on the streets of Tehran to crack down on women who do not follow the strict Islamic dress code.
The Shia United Iraq Alliance (UIA), which comprises the largest voting block in parliament, nominated Daawa party deputy leader Jawad al-Maliki to be prime minister, after Ibrahim al-Jaafri agreed to withdraw his controversial candidacy. Now President Talabani has asked al-Maliki to form the next government, which must be done within the next 30 days. This ends months of political deadlock and raises hopes that a national unity government could follow.
Israel's new parliament, led by the new Kadima Party, has been sworn in. Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is still putting together a coalition government.
Jordan's foreign minister cancelled a visit to the new Palestinian government after finding a large Hamas weapons stash in Jordan. Hamas denied the accusation, and insists it does not hide weapons in any Arab country.
The Beirut Declaration in Defense of Resistance is the outcome document from the Fourth General Arab National Conference in Defense of Resistance, now available in English:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=23800
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PRM South Asia
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Bangladesh opposition parties held two general strikes in the past week, bringing the country to a virtual standstill in their effort to force electoral reforms ahead of January polls. Police have intervened with teargas and rubber bullets, injuring at least 50 people.
Nepal's pro-democracy protests grew and spread throughout the country. Security forces failing to confront the expanding protests began routinely to use live ammunition, and were given orders to shoot on site if cases of violating the curfew. At least ten people have been killed and hundreds injured in two weeks of strikes and demonstrations. Finally, King Gyanendra agreed to return power to the people under the terms of the last constitution. This was too little too late, and the political turmoil has continued unabated, and with no predictable outcome.
The International Crisis Group suggests "Mobilizing International Influence" during Nepal's current crisis:
"As strikes and demonstrations across Nepal signal the approaching end of the king's direct rule, international actors must prepare for a transition and help start a peace process. There is a need for a Contact Group - including India, the U.S., and the UK, working with the UN - and a complementary Peace Support Group of other key donors and financial institutions. Together they should create a common front to maximise international influence in assisting Nepal to escape from its worsening conflict. The Contact Group should focus on immediate practical planning and maintain pressure for a peace process, while the Peace Support Group should review development assistance. Time is clearly running out for royal absolutism. The people of Nepal should now decide the course of events, but the international community can help guard against the risks of a messy transition."
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=4073
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 [email protected].
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AML/CFT Incidents/Cases
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Ghazeen Marri was arrested in the United Arab Emirates and will be returned to Pakistan, where he faces charges including murder and financing of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). He is the son of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Khair Bux Marri.
Martin J. Bradley III and Martin J. Bradley Jr, officers of the Florida pharmaceutical wholesale distributor Bio-Med Plus, have been convicted of wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and racketeering. They illegally obtained medications, primarily blood derivatives used to treat AIDS, cancer, hemophilia, and other illnesses, working with physicians who were paid to fake prescriptions.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01360.html
The British Columbia Securities Commission has fined the principals of investment firm Union Securities $600,000 for failures in compliance procedures, client account supervision, and gatekeeper duties, particularly in regard to know your customer requirements and other industry money-laundering standards.
http://www.bcsc.bc.ca/release.aspx?id=3047
Jim Horton, the former president of CyberNet, is the first of up to five people who may be charged in a $100 million bank fraud in the US state of Michigan. He pleaded not guilty to bank and mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-29/1145364314325110.xml&coll=6
French and Italian police launched a joint operation targeting suspects linked to the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), an Algerian group linked to al Qaeda. Eleven people were arrested for terrorist financing, forgery, and illegal immigration.
US businessman Philip Bloom has pleaded guilty to bribery and money laundering, to garner lucrative Iraq reconstruction contracts from US officials in the Coalition Provisional Authority.
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=64173
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aRPesAucUhPI
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0420/dailyUpdate.html
http://www.sigir.mil/
Nigerian President Obasanjo held talks with Swiss President Leuenberger, which included discussion of their satisfactory collaboration in the restitution of nearly $700 million looted by the late Nigerian dictator Abacha and his associates.
http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/front/detail/Swiss_and_Nigerians_put_Abacha_dispute_to_rest.html?siteSect=105&sid=6629487&cKey=1144961622000
A US federal grand jury has indicted 15 defendants on 79 counts of conspiracy, bank loan fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering relating to a mortgage fraud scheme that targeted the metro-Atlanta area housing market.
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan
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AML/CFT Legislation and Regulation
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Australia's proposed AML/CFT legislation could harm small businesses that had become financial services agencies to fill in when banks left the remote areas of the Australian bush. Compliance is one size fits all, posing a compliance burden, and potentially opening unaware owners to criminal charges.
http://www.csaust.com/
The Peoples Bank of China has proposed new regulations to curb money laundering in the insurance, banking and securities sectors. The review period continues until 8 May. The National People's Congress will review the draft anti-money laundering law on 25 April.
During the meeting between US President Bush and Chinese President Hu, representatives from China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) lobbied to end punitive sanctions addressing their involvement in weapons proliferation connected to dual-use equipment sales to Iran.
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.asp?feed=FT&Date=20060419&ID=5653756
http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2006_01-02/JANFEB-sanctions.asp
The US Treasury's Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued its Final Rule regarding Imposition of Special Measures Against the Commercial Bank of Syria including its subsidiary, the Syrian Lebanese Commercial Bank as a Financial Institution of Primary Money Laundering Concern.
http://occ.treas.gov
AmSouth Bancorp has attained Bank Secrecy Act compliance, therefore federal and state banking regulators have lifted sanctions imposed in October 2004.
At the Philippines' first Counterterrorism Experts' Conference, participants were urged to do more to counter financing of terrorism. Less than half of the countries in the region have terrorist financing laws.
http://www.ctec2006.org.ph/
The Philippines hosted the first Counterterrorism Experts' Conference, in the central town of Cebu. Participants from 56 countries, as well as international organizations and agencies, signed the Cebu Concord, which calls for a middle ground in balancing both hard and soft approaches to counterterrorism, respect for human rights and international law, and addressing causes and contributing factors through development.
http://www.ctec2006.org.ph/
The UK Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) released a review of Suspicious Activity Reporting, making 24 recommendations for improvement.
http://www.soca.gov.uk/financialIntel/index.html
The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) published a list of 37 financial entities whose websites note a Cayman Islands address but are not registered or licensed to conduct activities regulated by CIMA.
http://www.cimoney.com.ky/section/regulatoryframework/sub/default.aspx?section=CD&id=264
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AML/CFT Modalities
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Jemaah Islamiah and Abu Sayyaf are among the terrorist groups in Southeast Asia taking advantage of informal remittance systems, particularly through charitable and relief organizations.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/20/AR2006042000163.html
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200604210403.htm
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 [email protected].
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ETM Corruption and Transnational Crime
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George Ryan, former governor of the US state of Illinois, has been found guilty of fraud and corruption for channeling state contracts to friends and associates in return for favors. His co-defendant Larry Warner was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, mail fraud, attempted extortion, illegally structuring bank withdrawals and money laundering. Full trial coverage can be found here:
http://www.suntimes.com/index/ryan.html
Indonesia's Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) has uncovered Rp 354 trillion (US$600 million) in Aceh tsunami relief funds unaccounted for, and intended oversight rife with irregularities.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20060419.C01
Kenya's auditor general has uncovered huge price inflation for military and security equipment, including some paid to companies that did not exist.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200604190648.html
http://www.auditor-general.go.ke/
Hyundai Motor Group has agreed to cooperate with an investigation into bribery of government officials involving millions of dollars. The company, its chairman and his son, have apologized and said they will set aside $1 billion in assets for charity.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/opinion/200604/kt2006041920004954090.htm
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2006/04/18/afx2679207.html
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200604/kt2006041920544111910.htm
A dossier prepared by Transparency International details a number of possible criminal offenses that may have been committed by participants in Britain's loans-for-honors scandal.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/04/23/nloans23.xml&DCMP=EMC-new_23042006
http://www.transparency.org/
South Africa will begin public hearings next month, into possible illegal payments connected to Iraq's oil-for-food program.
Vietnam's Communist Party, facing a huge corruption scandal, has promised to wipe out abuse. General Secretary Nong Duc Manh told party members that the scandals threatened the survival of the regime.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4917576.stm
http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-04-23T205109Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-246066-1.xml
The World Bank outlined a comprehensive strategy for tackling corruption, which is, an impediment to development and effective government.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20884956~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html
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ETM Economies and Financial Systems
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The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) "World Economic Outlook" predicts accelerated growth of 4.9 percent despite surging oil prices and recent natural disasters, but oil prices remain a threat to growth, and the impact of an avian influenza pandemic could be disastrous. The IMF is also beginning to address global trade imbalances, which also pose a threat to the global economy.
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2006/01/index.htm
http://www.imf.org/external/np/tr/2006/tr060419.htm
http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2006/pr0681.htm
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ETM Environment and Climate Change
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China has suffered ten major sandstorms since February, raising concerns that they could disrupt the 2008 Olympic Games. The government says it is taking steps to address ecological destruction, which if it continues could become a focal point of social tensions.
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer has called on the developed world to address climate change as its moral duty.
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2006/press_31_06.cfm
Earth Day, on Saturday, focused on renewable energy.
http://www.earthday.net/
http://www.worldwildlife.org/earthday/
http://www.epa.gov/earthday/
On Earth Day, Jordan and Israel agreed to join forces to save the River Jordan.
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ETM Human Rights
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Amnesty International issued its annual death penalty survey. They report 2,148 known executions in 22 countries in 2005, down from 3,797 in 2004. 80 percent of these took place in China, where execution is permitted for non-violent crimes including fraud and embezzlement. 94 people were executed in Iran, 86 in Saudi Arabia and 60 in the US. In addition, 5,186 people were sentenced to death in 53 countries, although not all of them will actually be executed. Only 74 countries retain and use the death penalty, which has been abolished in 86 countries and abandoned in law or practice in 122.
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-stats2005-eng
A US federal judge in North Carolina ruled that a brain wave monitor could be used to supervise an execution by lethal injection, instead of using qualified medical personnel.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/22/us/22execute.html
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/04/north-carolina-execution-carried-out.php
The British Transplantation Society has condemned evidence it has found that China has harvested organs of prisoners it executes and sells them for transplants. China denies these charges, and says it will ban sale of human organs from July.
http://www.bts.org.uk
Philippines President Gloria Arroyo used her Easter announcement to commute the death sentences of as many as 1,200 convicts, including some Islamic militants. No executions have been carried out in the Philippines since 2000. One legislator has suggested that the death penalty could be abolished by June.
http://www.macapagal.com/gma/speech.html
The legislature in the US state of Alabama has approved "The Rosa Parks Act", designed to pardon hundreds of people convicted under Jim Crow segregation laws. Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man, sparking a boycott that started the civil rights movement.
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ETM Infectious Diseases
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Sudan has reported its first cases of H5N1 avian influenza.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns that a human flu pandemic similar to that of the 1918 Spanish flu in the US would cause severe economic disruption, knocking off eight percent of GDP in a single quarter. A more severe outbreak would be "beyond reckoning".
http://www.imf.org/ /external/np/pp/eng/2006/041806.pdf
Writing in The Lancet, Sandra Mounier-Jack and Richard Coker review national pandemic influenza plans in 21 EU countries. They found that, " Although preparation for surveillance, planning and coordination, and communication were good, maintenance of essential services, putting plans into action, and public-health interventions were probably inadequate. Few countries have addressed in their plans the need for collaboration with adjacent countries, despite this being an acknowledged imperative. Similarly, plans for the timely distribution of available medical supplies are notably absent."
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673606685115/abstract
Mercer Human Resource Consulting has added to its avian flu website information regarding the impact on pension plans.
http://www.mercerhr.com/knowledgecenter/reportsummary.jhtml/dynamic/idContent/1207955
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Ben-Gurion University conducted a survey that found more than 40 percent of public health employees would consider the risk of infection during an influenza pandemic too high to risk reporting to work.
http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/press_releases/2006/barnett_workforce.html
The 15 April issue of "Risk and Insurance" focuses on pandemics:
http://www.riskandinsurance.com/060415_toc.asp
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ETM Legal Systems
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The UK Home Secretary has announced new public protection measures, which would include establishing Violent Persons Orders to implement supervision of dangerous offenders after their release from prison, in a process similar to that in place to restrict sex offenders.
http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/press-releases/new-protection-measures
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ETM Populations
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"The State of the World's Refugees: Human Displacement in the New Millennium" is a new UN report. It finds that the number of refugees worldwide has reached its lowest level in 25 years at 9.2 million, the surge in internally displaced people to some 25 million has put the international system for dealing with human displacement at a critical juncture
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&id=4445f6334
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&id=44463fed4
Indira Lakshmanan writes that "Ten years after a change in US immigration law paved the way for mass deportations, Central American countries say they cannot cope with the criminal mayhem being inflicted by tens of thousands of gang members who have been sent back to their native lands. Between 1998 and 2004, the United States deported more than 34,000 criminals to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, according to Department of Homeland Security statistics....
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/17/news/gangs.php
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ETM Technology
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The Human Resource Institute conducted a survey of current thinking on innovation and best practices to support executives at all levels to lead and stimulate innovative thinking across the enterprise. "The Quest for Innovation" identifies insufficient resources, lack of formal strategy, and undefined goals and priorities as the most significant barriers.
http://www.amanet.org/research/index.htm
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ETM Weapons (WMD, Proliferation)
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The day after a UN deadline for Iran to end nuclear enrichment, Iran dismissed such demands and said that its enrichment work is irreversible. The US refuses to rule out nuclear strikes. Russian appeals to end enrichment failed, but they have continued weapons sales and refuse to support sanctions against Iran unless there is concrete proof that its nuclear program is not peaceful.
India has refused to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and says it will make no explicit commitment to the US not to conduct nuclear tests under the proposed civilian nuclear cooperation agreement.
The US Department of Defense has formally notified Congress that it will not be able to comply with either the 2007 deadline or the 5-year extension for demilitarization of chemical weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention. By the extended deadline, only about two-thirds of US chemical weapons stockpile will have been destroyed. No revised timetable was provided.
5. Critical Infrastructure Monitor
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 .
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CIM Agriculture and Food
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The Food and Agriculture Organization completed a review of camel milk, finding it could both provide food to nomadic herders but also provide income, with a potential world market of $10 billion.
FAO)." target="_blank">http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000275/index.html">FAO).
Under the 2006 quotas announced the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Iran will be able to export up to 44,370 kilos of caviar from the Persian sturgeon. The other Caspian Sea countries of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan have not provided required information to establish quotas, therefore allowing no imports of wild stocks this year. Many sturgeon species are suffering serous population declines.
http://www.cites.org/eng/notif/2006/E024.pdf
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CIM Banking and Finance
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Citigroup credits its record earnings to profitable international operations that offset weaknesses in the US.
http://www.citigroup.com/citigroup/press/2006/060417a.htm
A Capco white paper, "A Bad Situation Getting Worse", addresses prolonged compression of US banking profits, while costs to generate revenue will increase.
http://www.capco.com/general.aspx?id=464
Michael White Associated released a new report on bank holding companies that demonstrated they have increased insurance revenues by 19 percent to $44 billion in 2005.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Insurance Commission (IC), Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp (PDIC) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have signed a memorandum of understanding that lays out an information sharing framework that will prevent companies from filing conflicting reports with the different regulatory agencies in the Philippines.
The UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) has partnered with mortgage lenders to establish a streamlined reporting system to lower third party fraud.
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Communication/PR/2006/039.shtml
The Merchant Research Council reports that online fraud rates for merchants are now similar to those in brick-and-mortar stores, but merchants need to invest to keep up with increasingly sophisticated threats.
http://www.merchantriskcouncil.org/press.php?p_press_id=24
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CIM Cybersecurity
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Multiple critical vulnerabilities in Mozilla Foundation products require upgrading to Firefox 1.5.0.2, Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5.0.2, and SeaMonkey 1.0.1.
http://www.uscert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA06-107A.html
http://secunia.com/advisories/19631
A critical Windows patch issued by Microsoft last week is conflicting with third party applications. A fresh patch will be released next week.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918165
Oracle has released a number of security patches as well as a new password scanner utility.
http://www.oracle.com/technology/deploy/security/pdf/cpuapr2006.html
Sophos has released its latest report on the "Dirty Dozen" - the top spam relaying countries for the first quarter this year. It shows that China is creeping up on the US, with 21.9 percent compared to the US figure of 23.1 percent. Two years ago more than half of all worldwide spam originated in the US. By continent, Asia leads with 42.8 percent followed by North America and Europe, each with about a quarter.
http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2006/04/dirtydozapr06.html
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has issued new recommendations for controlling spam. The OECD Anti-Spam Toolkit includes comprehensive information on regulatory approaches, technical solutions, and industry initiatives to combat this costly ad disruptive problem.
http://www.oecd-antispam.org
The UK Identity and Passport Service (IPS) has laid out a major new program of anti-fraud projects to help confirm identity and protect personal details.
http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/press-releases/ips-ten-year-plans
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reports they have generated raw code for "unbreakable" quantum encryption using conventional high-speed networks. The quantum key distribution (QKD) uses single photons in different orientations to produce encryption keys, at a rate of more than 4 million bits per second. This URL links to a web video and animation:
http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/quantumfiber.htm
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CIM Dams
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India's Supreme Court has ruled that Madhya Pradesh state authorities must compensate adequately villagers that would be affected by Narmada dam construction, or face cessation of the project.
http://www.indiawest.com/view.php?subaction=showfull&id=1145553433&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/apr2006/gb20060420_164827.htm
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=124692
http://www.narmada.org/
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CIM Defense Industrial Base
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From 1 July EU defense ministers plan to publish invitations to tender on the internet, to help ensure effective cross-border competition.
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CIM Energy
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In the UK, 35 organizations have formed an alliance that will jointly respond to the government Energy Policy Review. Their "Sustainable Energy Policy" manifesto asks the government to:
* uphold the vision, objectives and targets of the 2003 Energy White Paper and re-affirm its commitment to all related statutory and non-statutory targets;
* develop the long-term policy framework needed to promote business investment;
* minimise the ?energy gap? before trying to fill it, by reducing demand, encouraging efficient energy production and usage, and then boosting renewables;
* focus on sustainable heat and transport as well as electricity; and
* identify a single body responsible for achieving sustainable energy targets.
http://www.r-p-a.org.uk/article_default_view.fcm?articleid=1858
Northern Ireland's Derry City Council has unanimously rejected a local businessman's proposal to build a nuclear power plant in the city.
US gasoline consumers have responded to increased prices by slight reductions in use. Typically, gasoline use this time of year would have increased by 1.5 percent but it grew only .6 percent.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/
http://api-ec.api.org/
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CIM Information Technology
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India's small and medium businesses are likely to spend more that $133 million on IT security solutions this year.
http://www.ami-partners.com/ami/sections/Press/India_Security_4.19.06_with_slide.pdf
A US judge has refused Microsoft's demand for documents that its rival Novell presented to the European Commission, seeing it as an effort to circumvent and undermine European law in connection with an ongoing anti-trust case.
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CIM Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste
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Uzbekistan has returned 63 kilos of spent highly enriched uranium to Russia. The operation took place under the Global Threat Reduction Initiative.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2006/uzbekistan.html
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CIM Public Health and Healthcare
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Russia reports a dangerous new wave of sexually-transmitted HIV infections added to earlier cases tied to drug abuse. More than 30,000 new infections were registered in the past year to a list of 350,000 people, but total infections are likely to exceed a million.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060420/46720692.html
http://www.tass.ru/eng/level2.html?NewsID=6789927&PageNum=0
Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, the former Catholic Archbishop of Milan, said that in married couples where one partner had HIV/AIDS, the use of condoms to prevent transmission to the second partner is the lesser evil. The Vatican has not commented on these remarks in an interview with l'Espresso magazine.
http://www.espressonline.it/eol/free/jsp/detail.jsp?idCategory=4821&idContent=1464314 (in Italian)
A new study from the American Medical Association reports a steep decline in competition in health insurance markets. In 95 percent of markets, a single insurer had a 30 percent or more market share, and in 56 percent a single insurer had more than 50 percent of the market. Patient premiums are rising without expanding benefits, and must be viewed in the context of heavy market consolidation.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/16197.html
The UK Health Protection Agency reviewed health activity at international travel terminals, raising concerns over tuberculosis screening.
http://www.hpa.org.uk/porthealth/default.htm
Recent research on tuberculosis is featured in the May issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/index.htm
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CIM Transportation
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London Underground is installing mobile phone transmitters to support emergency use. Because mobile phones have been used to detonate bombs, it had been feared that new transmitters would present a threat. However, the timer of a phone is independent of a signal, therefore was deemed to present minimal additional risk. A 2-month feasibility study will begin soon.
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/16995.php
Rail safety in Canada is the subject of this article by Kevin McGran:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1145225411797
France has started to issue electronic passports, compatible with US security requirements.
http://www.axalto.com/
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CIM Water
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South Africa's Department of Water Affairs and Forestry reports that no rat-tailed maggots have been found in the drinking water in Cape Town, Durban and the East Rand. An investigation has been launched regarding newspaper reports that were apparently misleading.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=269844
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 [email protected]
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DRM Incidents
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With 11 million people facing a major food crisis due to the East African drought, Oxfam has launched its largest appeal ever, hoping to fill in for the poor response from governments and traditional donors.
http://www.oxfam.org/en/programs/emergencies/eafricafoodcrisis/index.htm
Thailand ended the 10-day Songkran holiday with 476 deaths from road accidents. In addition, 5,985 people were injured in 5,327 accidents. Drunk driving was responsible for 35 percent of the accidents, and 85 percent of accidents involved motorcycles. Despite these statistics, this year's new years celebration was down from the year before.
51 wedding guests died when the brakes on their bus failed, and the bus fell into a canal in India's northeast Assam state: 27 passengers were rescued.
Indonesia's monsoon rains have triggered flash floods and landslides that have left dozens of people dead.
Near Moscow, a fire broke out at a construction site cabin where 15 migrant workers were sleeping. Eleven were killed from carbon monoxide poisoning, and four are critically injured.
In the Indian state of Uttaranchal a bus driver lost control on a sharp turn and his vehicle fell into a deep gorge, killing 13 of the 43 passengers.
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DRM Response and Recovery
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An Egyptian parliamentary inquiry into the sinking of the Al-Salam ferry in the Red Sea found that the ferry was operated despite defects, and the owners forged documents regarding the ferry's condition and overloaded it. The government was also culpable because of the malicious collusion of public officials. More than a thousand people died when the overcrowded ferry sank in February.
http://metimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=200-8870r
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DRM Risks
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Authorities in Peru have declared a state of emergency in the south, where a dormant volcano began spitting ash and smoke three weeks ago, for the first time in nearly 40 years. Geologists report an apparent buildup of lava, and the army has been brought in to help evacuate nearby villages.
"The Incidence and Economic Burden of Injuries in the United States" from the Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, examines lifetime costs associated with injuries in a single year. Among the key findings:
* In 2000 alone, the 50 million injuries that required medical treatment will ultimately cost $406 billion
* Males account for approximately 70 percent ($283 billion) of the total costs of injuries.
* Persons aged 25 to 44 years represent 30 percent of the U.S. population and 40 percent ($164 billion) of the total costs of injuries.
* Motor vehicle and fall injuries account for 22 percent ($89 billion) and 20 percent ($81 billion) of the total costs of injuries.
* Upper extremity and lower extremity injuries each account for 17 percent ($68 billion) of the total costs of injuries.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/Economic_Burden_of_Injury.htm
Risk Management Solutions Inc (RMS) announced that its hurricane frequency model predicts landfall increases that will increase modeled annualized insurance losses by an average of 40 percent across the Gulf Coast, Florida, and the Southeast, and by up to 30 percent in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
http://www.rms.com/NewsPress/PR_2006_0323_HUActivityRates.asp
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DRM Mitigation
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For recent work on earthquake vulnerabilities and risk mitigation in San Francisco and elsewhere, see new reports cited in Recommended Reading, below.
The US Geological Survey and partners has put together an informational booklet, "Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country: Your Handbook for the San Francisco Bay Region". It covers the threat, preparation, survival, and recovery.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/2005/15/
The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, (ICPDR) will introduce trials for a new flood alert system by the end of the year. The finished system will replace national systems with coordinated defenses along the entire Danube basin.
http://www.icpdr.org/
International shipping company DHL and the UN humanitarian affairs office has launched the DHL Disaster Response Team for the Asia/Pacific region, using DHL employee volunteers to help organize disaster relief logistics.
http://ochaonline.un.org/webpage.asp?Site=newscentre
http://www.dhl.com/publish/g0/en/press/release/2006/210406.low.html
The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies has opened its first permanent Catastrophe Response Center, in Ohio. Historically temporary offices have been set up for the inside response team, but this will now be handled from the Response Center. This will help address increasing numbers of catastrophic events, and increased claims.
http://pressroom.progressive.com/Releases/CAT_response_center_06.asp
Government efforts to address similar issues have lagged behind, particularly when it comes to plans for mobile field hospitals:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-04-16-hospital-plans_x.htm
MINT Canadian Specialty Underwriters is launching a new Outbreak Contingency Cover policy for small business owners ordered to shut down in the event of a contagious disease outbreak.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1145483415441
http://www.mcsu.ca/
Just as the sun was rising on 18 April 1907, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake abruptly woke the residents of San Francisco. The massive quake destroyed buildings and led to an extremely destructive fire. About 3,000 people were killed. Today, scientists warn that an even worse event is likely within the next 30 years - and the loss of life will be just as severe. A major conference brought together international experts in earthquake engineering, geology, seismology, and risk management.
Earthquake science conference site:
http://www.1906eqconf.org/
The day before the conference opened, an important new study was released. "When the Big One Strikes Again" calculates that a repeat of that 7.9-magnitude quake would cause 1,800 to 3,400 deaths, damage more than 90,000 buildings, displace as many as 250,000 households and result in $150 billion in damage. Unreinforced masonry or concrete, or structures not tied to their foundations, would make old buildings collapse and lead to most of the deaths. Structures built before the 1970s should be reinforced or replaced.
In addition to this report and other conference findings, many books have been written about the earthquake. In addition to his excellent book on the Krakatoa volcano and its worldwide impact, Simon Winchester's "A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906" (HarperCollins) counts among the best disaster books ever published. Although the earthquake is a dramatic focus, Winchester keeps it in the context of other dramatic geophysical events across the world - including a rumbling Mount Vesuvius the day before San Francisco, as well as beginning of scientific analysis of disasters.
http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060571993
Read reviews here:
http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/history/0,,1582697,00.html
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ae/books/reviews/3452750.html
http://www.popmatters.com/books/reviews/c/crack-in-the-edge-of-the-world.shtml
http://www.booksite.com/texis/scripts/oop/click_ord/showdetail.html?sid=1260&isbn=0060571993&music=&buyable=0&assoc_id=&spring=
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/02/08/012409.php
Author interviews:
http://www.eyeonbooks.com/ibp.php?ISBN=0060571993
http://www.chartock.net/winchester.html
Author website:
http://www.simonwinchester.com
Philip L. Fradkin, a journalist and historian, offers " The Great Earthquake and Firestorms of 1906: How San Francisco Nearly Destroyed Itself" (University of California Press, 2005). This work uses eyewitness reports to draw contemporary parallels, illustrating common failures to address predictable disasters.
http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/9539001.html
Reviews:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/05/08/RVGC7CK44I1.DTL
http://www.historynet.com/ah/reviews/ahreview0406-1/
Author site:
http://www.philipfradkin.com/
Dennis Smith focuses on the fire that followed the earthquake in "San Francisco Is Burning : The Untold Story of the 1906 Earthquake and Fires" (Viking)
http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,0_0670034428,00.html
Photographic coverage in 3-D is available from David Burkhart's "Earthquake Days"
http://www.1906quake.com/welcome.html
Frank Leach was Superintendent of the US Mint in San Francisco during the earthquake. He published a book in 1917 about his experience of living through the disaster, and the Library of Congress has selected this excerpt:
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/timeline/progress/cities/earthqak.html
Another contemporary account is "The San Francisco Horror", which includes many photos:
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/California/San_Francisco/_Texts/SFH/home.html
For more history, note:
- Lucius Beebe and Charles Clegg. "San Francisco's Golden Era: A Picture History of San Francisco Before the Fire" Howell-North, 1960.
- William Bronson, "The Earth Shook, The Sky Burned", Doubleday, 1959.
- Gladys Hansen and Emmet Condon. "Denial of Disaster", Cameron and Company, 1989.
- A.L.A. Himmelwright, "The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire: A Brief History of the Disaster", Roebling Construction Company, 1906.
Eric Saul and Don DeNeri, "The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire", Celestial Arts, 1981.
Other events were coordinated by the 1906 Earthquake Centennial Alliance, and can be found here:
http://1906centennial.org/
Coverage of these events includes:
KQED's California Report, for 17 and 18 April
http://www.californiareport.org/domains/californiareport/archive.jsp
National Public Radio
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5337518
New York Times
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/04/12/travel/12letter.html
PBS News Hour
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/science/1906quake/index.html
San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/greatquake/
Time Magazine
http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1179365,00.html
8. Asset Management Network News
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