US President Bush announced "The Way Forward in Iraq". Our coverage of what he calls a new strategy includes the presidential address, congressional hearings, and international response, as well as the latest list of incidents in Iraq. Other news highlights this week include European strategies to jointly address climate change and a unified energy policy, fresh outbreaks of avian influenza, and a wide range of other topics. Recommended Reading focuses on the fifth anniversary of the first arrivals to the US detention center in Guantanamo Bay.

3. AML/CFT Monitor

Anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism is not simply an issue of compliance with local regulations. It is a global crime that can only be understood by crossing national or regional boundaries. Subscribers to the monthly AML/CFT Monitor receive information and analysis of worldwide incidents, trends, legal and regulatory issues, modalities, and related topics such as financial fraud and narcoterrorism. Purchase a subscription at our online store:
TAMNI Publications

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AML/CFT Incidents/Cases
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Algeria has opened the trial of 104 co-defendants accused in connection with the 2003 collapse of Khalifa Bank and disappearance of $45 million from its accounts. Most prominent among the defendants is UK businessman Abdelmoumene Rafik Khalifa, who is being tried in absentia.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=78305
http://www.elkhabar.com/FrEn/lire.php?ida=55875&idc=52
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,9010,00.html

China detected its largest money laundering racket, in Shanghai, when a bank reported that a customer was making money transfers multiple times a day.
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=302261&type=Metro

Former Philippines justice secretary Hernando Perez, his wife Rosario, his brother-in-law Ramon Arceo, and business associate Ernest Escaler have been charged with money laundering, graft, extortion, and falsification of public documents.
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200701090401.htm

Representatives of Somalia's Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) visited London last November, where they met with Foreign Office officials, and garnered support from local sympathizers. They raised thousands of pounds for road repair and defense.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/alqaida/story/0,,1989407,00.html

Former Suriname Trade Minister Siegfried Gilds is being tried on money laundering and other charges connected with property deals.
http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000050/005047.htm

Neil Kynoch has admitted using his Berkshire Motor World car dealership to help launder the proceeds of a GBP1.3 million pound bank fraud involving identity theft. Four other defendants are also on trial.
http://icberkshire.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200berkshireheadlines/tm_headline=car-dealer-admits-laundering-thousands-of-pounds-cash&method=full&objectid=18449959&siteid=50102-name_page.html

Colville Hogsett, Gary William James Riddell and George Campbell Kennedy were remanded into custody in Northern Ireland on blackmail, terrorist funding, and weapons charges associated with a loyalist extortion scheme.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6236969.stm

Financing for the largest mosque in New England includes contributions from a Saudi Arabian bank that some people have accused of supporting extremists.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,1988288,00.html

Lee Cobb and Joseph Upshaw were arrested for smuggling steroids, and have been charged with trafficking and money laundering.
http://www.kwwl.com/Global/story.asp?S=5932486&nav=2Ifu

Former New Jersey prosecutor Paul Bergrin and his associates James Cortopassi and Hiram Ortiz, were charged with money laundering and conspiracy in connection with promoting prostitution.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--prosecutor-prosti0110jan10,0,496881.story

Also in New Jersey, medical services company MedSys's CEO Anthony Rubino has been charged with laundering the proceeds of an alien smuggling operation.
http://www.nj.com/business/ledger/index.ssf?/base/business-5/116849437521840.xml

Reverend Keigh Brooks, who founded the Power of Deliverance Temple/Judah Sanctuary of Praise, pleaded guilty to money laundering and corruption in connection with renting a home to a drug dealer.
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/16418268.htm

In Virginia, Monica Blair Yates has been indicted on charges of money laundering, mail fraud and wire fraud associated with the theft of nearly $1.5 million from clients for whom she was supposed to provide financial advise.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/99855

Zimbabwe dismissed reports that diamonds were being smuggled into South Africa by River Ranch Limited, in violation of the Kimberley Process.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=57054
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AML/CFT Legislation and Regulation
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Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer commented on an investigation into funding of a mosque by Saudi extremists. The Saudi embassy issued a statement expressing its shock at the comments, and the Foreign Office issued a statement that indicated they had not implicated Saudi Arabia.
http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/transcripts/2007/070108_abc.html
http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/transcripts/2007/070108_ds.html
http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=2391

China and Russia have condemned recent US actions against defense firms the US has sanctioned for allegedly selling weapons or components of WMD to Iran and Syria.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-01/09/content_5584553.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6238805.stm

Germany's second-largest bank, Commerzbank, cites US pressure in its decision to terminate business with Iran conducted in dollars, at the end of this month.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2f452992-a1e2-11db-8bc1-0000779e2340.html

Guyana is circulating for comment a new AML bill that would include new reporting provisions, money transfer controls, and other changes to the old Money Laundering Prevention Act of 2000. Legislation to allow casinos will proceed. Prime Minister Sam Hinds said that the risk of casinos for laundering money are similar to those in any other business, and more robust AML legislation will be presented to parliament in the spring.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_general_news?id=56511248
http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_general_news?id=56511399

Iran's State Expediency Council says it supports AML efforts, including new legislation that would take into account international law and ensure that Iran is on a level with other regional states.
http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=48746&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

Pakistan's National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue met to review the Anti-Money Laundering Bill, 2006.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=38145

Britain's Assets Recovery Agency, established to take monies from criminals to help combat organized crime, will become part of the Serious Organized Crime Agency, established last year to address drug trafficking and other major crimes.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,1988288,00.html

The US Treasury designated Iran's state-owned Bank Sepah, pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which freezes the assets of proliferators of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their supporters and isolates them financially. Under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence Stuart Levey reports that Bank Sepah has provided financial services to Iranian missile and aerospace firms previously designated as proliferators, as well as facilitating business with North Korea's chief ballistic missile-related exporter, KOMID.
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp219.htm
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp220.htm

Bank Sepah denies the charges and says it will pursue legal action.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-usa-iran-bank.html

Meanwhile, the US Bush administration is providing $86 million to support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' security forces, an effort that could easily backfire.
http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=12400
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116855166917574338.html

Dr Palitha Kohona represented the Sri Lankan government in a visit to Australia, where he called for Australia to enact laws making it illegal to raise money for the Tamil Tigers. Australia classifies the Tigers as a terrorist organization but has not implemented legislation against them.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/put-ban-on-tigers-support-sri-lanka/2007/01/08/1168104923490.html
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AML/CFT Modalities
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Addressing the case of rocket launchers stolen from the Australian Defense Force, Anthony Bergin discusses the links between terrorism and organized crime, pointing to their shared financial networks.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21044911-7583,00.html

The Correctional Service of Canada describes organized crime in the country. The level of sophistication and complexity of organized crime has increased dramatically among traditional groups as well as eastern European, Asian and Aboriginal gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, Colombian cartels, and others with business connections that span the globe.
http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/pblct/letstalk/2006/31-2/2_e.shtml

Mexican drug cartels are moving into Peru, supporting Shining Path's reemergence.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/world/stories/010708dnintlperucartels.3323e00.html

This is just one example of narcotrafficking in Latin America. It is also a major source for financing The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and other groups.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=36083

4. Emerging Threat Monitor

Climate change, pandemics, and global economic imbalances are just a few of the threats emerging in this 21st century. Subscribers to the Emerging Threat Monitor stay a step ahead with monthly analysis of trends and responses worldwide. It offers executives a heads-up of new risks, and details of the policies and best practices gleaned from every country around the globe. Subscriptions to Emerging Threat Monitor can be purchased at our online store:
TAMNI Publications

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ETM Corruption and Transnational Crime
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India's Supreme Court has upheld the federal parliament's decision to expel 11 members who were secretly filmed taking bribes. The Members of Parliament are from both the government and opposition parties.

A Dahaf Institute poll finds that 84 percent of Israelis believe their political leadership is corrupt.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/812010.html

Corruption investigations regarding Israel's tax authority are expanding to include Prime Minister Olmert.

A South Korean investigation into a corruption scandal involving bribery at the Financial Supervisory Service may also implicate senior politicians.
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=101730&topicId=101180003&docId=l:556446769

After a bribery investigation into the sale of British fighter jets to Saudi Arabia was dropped, delivery of 72 Eurofighter is getting under way. In the UK, legal action is being taken against the Serious Fraud Office, alleging that rather than the excuse of national security that was given, the investigation was dropped for political reasons.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/01/08/saudi.warplanes.ap/
http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=123649&d=122&h=24&f=46
http://www.baesystems.com/
http://www.sfo.gov.uk/news/prout/pr_497.asp?id=497

Now, the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has asked for legal assistance from South Africa following explosive new allegations of dirty money and influence peddling in a BAE arms deal with South Africa.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleId=295457
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ETM Economies and Financial Systems
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The World Economic Forum's 2007 Global Risk Report highlights "a growing disconnect between the power of global risks to cause major systemic disruption, and our ability to mitigate them. It highlights current needs, and recommends innovations including global coalitions around specific issues, and escaping risk silos.
http://www.weforum.org/en/media/Latest%20Press%20Releases/Global_Risks_2007_report

Foreign direct investment (FDI) grew in 2006 for the third consecutive year to reach $1.2 trillion, according to initial estimates released by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). However, economic growth is likely to slow this year because of high commodity prices and other factors.
http://www.unctad.org/Templates/webflyer.asp?docid=7993&intItemID=1528&lang=1

EU business confidence has overtaken the US for the first time in the five years that Grant Thornton has been producing their International Business Report. Asian business optimism outpaces both Europe and the US.
http://www.internationalbusinessreport.com/main/index1.php?page=123&lang=en&id=112904&country_id=0

France's Conseil d'orientation des retraites (Pensions Advisory Council) has called for increased employment of older workers and a fresh look at the pensions system to prevent retirement expenses creating an unsustainable economic burden.
http://www.businessinsurance.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=9222
http://www.cor-retraites.fr/

Increasing violence in the Niger Delta has led to a loss of some $4.4 billion oil revenue during the past year.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200701090118.html
http://www.nigeria.gov.ng/todayspressrelease.aspx#FG_GIVES_A_BUDGET_BREAKDOWN_FOR_N2.3_TRILLION_FOR_2007.

South Sudan has introduced a new currency. The Sudani replaces the dinar that was introduced in 1992 and was seen as a measure to extend Arabization. Northern Sudan is Muslim, while the south is Christian and animist.
http://www.cbos.gov.sd/currency/en/index.html

Over the next two years, Thailand will tighten regulations governing foreign businesses. Changes to the Foreign Business Act would prevent a foreign company from controlling more than 49 percent of the voting rights of a Thai business. Banking, retail, and other key sectors would be exempt. The proposed legislation, which must pass the parliament and the King, risks further damage to the shaky economy.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a9qvpA6NBXCc
http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/10/opinion/opinion_30023739.php
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2007-01-09T112459Z_01_BKK28453_RTRUKOC_0_US-THAILAND-ECONOMY-INVESTMENT.xml

Vietnam has become the 150th member of the World Trade Organization.

Zimbabwe's inflation rate reached 1,281.1 percent in December.
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ETM Environment and Climate Change
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The Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization (CSIRO) has predicted that by 2050 climate change will have virtually eliminated snowfalls. University of New South Wales researchers in the Laboratory for Ecosystem Science and Sustainability say that as the snow vanishes, water yields will plummet, and the forests will dry out. In turn, there will be massive bushfires. These events will have a calamitous impact throughout the River Murray region and far beyond.
http://www.science.unsw.edu.au/news/2007/bushfire.html
http://www.csiro.au/csiro/content/standard/ps50.html

China has failed to meet its targets on emissions and energy efficiency. Several power companies have been cited for polluting or not obtaining proper environmental approvals.

European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso has called for a post-industrial revolution in which a common European energy policy will reduce the region's greenhouse gas output by 20 percent by 2020.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/29
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/8
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6247723.stm

A major focus of EC efforts will be mandatory efficiency standards on all new vehicles sold in Europe, and additional costs imposed on gas guzzlers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6257327.stm

Key points of the Commission Communication, "Limiting Global Climate Change" are:
* Climate change is already happening. It is a global problem that requires a global solution. The EU, responsible for 14 percent of worldwide emissions, cannot solve the problem alone.
* Global warming has to be limited to no more than 2 degrees C above the pre-industrial temperature to prevent dangerous levels of climate change. It is both technically feasible and economically affordable to meet this objective if major emitters act swiftly.
* To have a 50/50 chance of staying within the 2 degrees C limit, the world will need to cut greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 50 percent of 1990 levels by 2050. As an essential step towards this long-term reduction, the group of developed countries should cut their emissions to an average of 30 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 under a new global climate change agreement.
* The EU should continue to take the lead by committing autonomously to reduce its own emissions by at least 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. This figure should be increased to 30 percent as part of a satisfactory global agreement. The measures foreseen in the Strategic EU Energy Review, together with others already in place, will deliver a significant share of the EU reduction.
* Action by developing countries will also be essential, since their emissions are projected to overtake those from developed countries by 2020. Developing countries should start to slow the rate of growth in their emissions as soon as possible, and then reduce their emissions in absolute terms from 2020-2025 onwards. Many options are available that would deliver immediate economic and social benefits and would not affect their pursuit of economic growth and poverty reduction.
* To control climate change effectively it will also be essential to halt tropical deforestation completely within the next two decades and then reverse it through afforestation or reforestation schemes. Deforestation currently contributes around 20 percent of global greenhouse emissions - more than transport.
* By offering a 30 percent emissions reduction in the context of a satisfactory global agreement, and committing autonomously to a cut of at least 20 percent, the EU would provide a clear basis for public and private investment in a low-carbon EU economy. This will increase EU resilience to oil price shocks, spur technical innovation and improve local air quality.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/17
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/16

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that 2006 was the warmest year on record for the US. In this report it acknowledged for the first time that, " A contributing factor to the unusually warm temperatures throughout 2006 also is the long-term warming trend, which has been linked to increases in greenhouse gases."
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2007/s2772.htm

US President Bush lifted a ban on oil and gas drilling in the North Aleutian Basin of Alaska, known as Bristol Bay, and a second area in the Central Gulf of Mexico, both home to wildlife including endangered species. Bristol Bay may contain some 200 million barrels of oil. The US consumes 20 million barrels per day. Further environmental review will precede drilling.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/01/20070109.html
http://www.interior.gov/news/07_News_Releases/070109.html
http://www.mms.gov/PDFs/010907MMSFactSheet.pdf
http://www.mms.gov/PDFs/PL109d_.pdf (map)
http://www.mms.gov/PDFs/MMS_map_nab_area.pdf (map)
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ene_oil_con-energy-oil-consumption

The Detroit Motor Show featured green alternatives, although Chrysler's chief economist launched a fierce attack on "chicken little" attitudes to climate change, an report from which Chrysler issued a response deeming the description of the meeting misleading.
http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=74&docid=31656
http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=74&docid=31747
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6247371.stm
http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/dccom/0-5-7145-1-687391-1-0-0-0-0-0-11979-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.html
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ETM Human Rights
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) released World Report 2007, on the fifth anniversary of the arrival of the first Guantanamo Bay detainees. (See Recommended Reading, below, for full details on the anniversary.) HRW says that with US credibility undermined by the Bush administration’s use of torture and detention without trial, the EU must fill the leadership void on human rights, and not be dragged down by a lowest common denominator approach. The report cites the bloody crisis in Darfur is the most pressing, with more than 200,000 dead, 2 million displaced, 4 million dependent on international food relief, and its spillover destabilizing Chad and the Central African Republic. Other urgent human rights challenges include:
* Iraq has degenerated into sectarian and political blood-letting, with civilians the principal victims.
* Ruthlessly repressive governments in North Korea, Burma, and Turkmenistan deprive their people of fundamental rights and dignity.
* Dictatorships persist in Saudi Arabia and Syria.
* China is moving backwards.
* Russia and Egypt are cracking down on non-governmental organizations.
* Iran and Ethiopia are silencing dissident voices.
* Robert Mugabe would rather drive Zimbabwe to ruin than tolerate political opposition.
* Civil war is reigniting in Sri Lanka and intensifying in Afghanistan and Somalia
* Conflict continues in Colombia.
* Israel launched indiscriminate attacks in Lebanon and littered southern Lebanon with cluster bombs during its war with Hezbollah.
* For its part, Hezbollah attacked Israeli cities without distinguishing between military and civilian objectives.
http://hrw.org/wr2k7/index.htm

Nepal's Maoist rebels are still recruiting child soldiers.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=57040

South Africa's Treatment Information Group, which objects to the use of antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV/AIDS, has submitted a criminal complaint to the International Criminal Court, in which it charges Treatment Action Campaign head Zackie Achmat with genocide for promoting the provision and use of antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=295438
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=14&click_id=125&art_id=vn20070111130203108C477057

The US Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing on "Balancing Privacy and Security: The Privacy Implications of Government Data Mining Programs". Testimony focused on the need for accountability, oversight, and due process. Senators pointed to government data mining programs that in some cases violate US law, and promise to increase oversight.
http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=2438

The Department of Defense settled a lawsuit under which it will no longer share high school military recruitment data with third parties, and take other measures to protect privacy.
http://www.aclu.org/studentsrights/gen/27929prs20070109.html
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ETM Infectious Diseases
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The World Economic Forum's 2007 Global Risk Report cites emerging diseases, many driven by climate change, among the serious and growing threats from new risks.
http://www.weforum.org/en/media/Latest%20Press%20Releases/Global_Risks_2007_report

Avian influenza has re-emerged with new animal and human infections in China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Backyard poultry is common in all three countries, where close contact to humans presents a serious threat of infection and emergence of a strain more easily transmitted from person-to-person. Indonesia is reporting detection of a more virulent strain in ducks.

A 14-year-old Indonesian boy was the first avian influenza fatality of 2007. Two other women have now died as well. Of 77 confirmed cases in Indonesia, 61 have been fatal.

Avian influenza has also been found on two farms in northwestern Nigeria. Mass culls are under way.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=57058

The Texas National Guard was called out to evacuate ten blocks in the capital Austin, where dozens of bird deaths were reported. Preliminary measurements showed no air quality problems, and no humans were affected. Autopsies are under way.
http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,121942,00.html

The EU has implemented strict rules for imports of live captive birds to protect animal health and reduce threats to human health, in particular, avian influenza. The UN is concerned that the ban, which does not include live domestic poultry, may create black markets and undermine poor African communities.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/40
http://www.cites.org/eng/news/press_release.shtml

UK workers will be vaccinated for seasonal flu to help minimize the risk of catching human and bird flu at the same time.
http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=254912

Canada's SARS Commission, an independent investigation undertaken by Justice Archie Campbell, has released its final report, "Spring of Fear". The report includes 92 recommendations, including strong recommendations for better worker protection and disease controls.
http://www.sarscommission.ca/report/index.html

In Thailand, Thammasat University researchers warn that global warming has led cholera toxin to reproduce year-round, rather than just during the summer, suggesting the problem will spread to more locations, and there will be more outbreaks. Other diseases are likely to show similar growth.
http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/12/headlines/headlines_30023943.php

Duke University Medical Center researchers have developed a highly sensitive test of identifying drug-resistant HIV strains in patients.
http://www.dukehealth.org/news/9985
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ETM Legal Systems
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The Correctional Service of Canada has reviewed government proposals for minimum sentences, a 3-strikes law, and other elements of a plan to get hard on crime. The review found that these proposals would violate Charter rights of inmates, disproportionately affect aboriginal people, and lead to serious prison overcrowding, while doing little or nothing to improve public safety.
http://www.thestar.com/article/169976
http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/

India's Supreme Court has issued a landmark ruling in which more than 200 controversial laws will be open to judicial review.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6251067.stm

UK Home Secretary John Reid explained to Parliament how foreign convictions are recorded, following reports that ignorance of such records may have cleared criminals to work with vulnerable people.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/11/nreid112.xml
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news/foreign-convictions
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6247715.stm

Dissatisfaction over poor pay and working conditions led Zimbabwe Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri to predict that more than 10 percent of the police force will quit within the next few months, and efforts to prevent this could spark open rebellion.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleId=295108
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ETM Natural Resources
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Rumors of gold sparked a desperate rush to a small Brazilian town. The illegal mines threaten the environment and pose risks to the personal security and health of the residents.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/brazil/story/0,,1987511,00.html

Growing demand for India's natural stone has had a negative impact on the workers and the environment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/costingtheearth.shtml

UN peacekeepers have been called in to assist Liberian police to enhance security and improve management of the Cocopa Plantation, helping to ensure that the government, which is consolidating democracy after 14 years of civil war, has control over the country's natural resources and the communities where they are found.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=21225&Cr=liberia&Cr1=
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ETM Populations
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Despite some initial hurdles, Botswana's displaced San Bushmen will finally return home.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=57033
http://www.survival-international.org/news.php?id=2151

The National Population and Family Planning Commission of China reports that 118 boys were born to every 100 girls in 2005, indicating that by 2020 there will be 30 million more men of marriageable age than women. This gender imbalance could lead to social instability, exacerbated by a large increase in the elderly population and limited resources.
http://www.npfpc.gov.cn/en/en2007-01/news20070112.htm

Mortality rates in China's least developed rural areas, where just under half the population live, are four to six times higher than urban areas, accounting for three quarters of total mortality.
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_38010.html

Details of more than 30 million British immigrants, obtained from ship and other archival records, are now available on a new website:
http://www.ancestorsonboard.com
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ETM Social Responsibility
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The Los Angeles Times reviewed the goals of the Gates Foundation relative to their investments, finding a number of serious contradictions that may lead to changes among many charitable foundations. One example given was profitable holdings in energy giant Eni, which is responsible for gas flares in Nigeria that cause serious environmental and health problems not addressed by the Foundation's vaccine campaign. At this time, the Gates Foundation does not invest in tobacco stocks or companies in which ownership would represent a conflict of interest; they do not anticipate changes in their approach to investments, and reports that they could shift to ethical investments represent a misunderstanding.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gatesx07jan07,1,955743.story
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gates8jan08,1,3847459.story
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gateswebboxdec12,1,316611.story
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/AboutUs/Announcements/Announce-070109.htm

The UN Development Program is working with the European Commission to embed codes of corporate social responsibility in private sector companies among new member states Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia, and candidate countries Croatia, Macedonia, and Turkey
http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/
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ETM Technology
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The European Commission launched ERAWATCH, a new online information platform that provides information on research systems and policies.
http://cordis.europa.eu/erawatch/

British army intelligence reports say that Iraqi terrorists are using Google Maps to hit UK targets.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/13/wgoogle13.xml

The UK Commons Science and Technology Committee took evidence on the space program, in which it heard that the lack of a national space program with a central budget hurt its participation in international contracts.
http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/science_and_technology_committee/scitechspace.cfm

The US Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in favor of MedImmune, by finding that its payment of royalties did not forfeit its right to challenge a Genentech patent.
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-608.pdf

Wake Forest University School of Medicine researchers report another potential source of stem cells, using amniotic fluid rather than embryos.
http://www1.wfubmc.edu/news/NewsArticle.htm?Articleid=2020

The US House of Representatives passed - again - a bill supporting stem cell research. President Bush says he will veto the bill, as he did before, and congress is unlikely to have enough votes to overturn the veto.
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ETM Weapons (WMD, Proliferation)
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The Center for Nonproliferation Studies has released a special report, "North Korea Likely to Conduct Second Nuclear Test". In it, Daniel Pinkston and Shin Sungtack describe recent reports indicating possible preparations at the Mount Mant'ap nuclear test site, a step in line with North Korean officials' repeated warnings that they are prepared to continue nuclear activities. Political and technical factors suggest that North Korea should be expected to conduct at least one or two more nuclear tests before its leaders can be confident in their "nuclear deterrent".
http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/pdf/070108.pdf

Only 46 countries and the EU have reported to the UN regarding steps taken to apply sanctions imposed on North Korea.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc8938.doc.htm

The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing on Next Steps in the Iran Crisis, revealing sharp divisions on whether to attempt diplomatic engagement.
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/press_display.asp?id=262

Iranian authorities have arrested a suspect who worked for the Iranian Parliament’s Research Center, for allegedly selling nuclear secrets to exiled Iranian opposition group the People’s Mujahedeen.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/09/africa/ME-GEN-Iran-Nuclear-Spy.php

In a BBC interview, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that "Japan cannot tolerate North Korea owning nuclear weapons nor the means to deliver them", and called for international cooperation t prevent this.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6241431.stm

The Sunday Times (London) reported last week that Israel's air force is training to attack Iran's nuclear facilities with tactical nuclear weapons. Israeli officials denied the report.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-2535310,00.html
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2776918

US officials plan to take the "best ideas" from two very different designs for a new generation of nuclear warheads.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/washington/07nuke.html

IAEA sponsored a conference in Algeria where African nations gathered to discuss ways to improve nuclear security, including monitoring uranium mining and preventing smuggling. South Africa has Africa's only nuclear power plants. It, as well as Egypt, Ghana, Libya, Morocco, and Nigeria have research reactors. 38 African countries are members of IAEA.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2007/dg_algeria.html

Here is the latest news on the investigation of the death by polonium of Alexander Litvinenko:
* Russian federal services detected no radiation traces in Russian planes
http://www.tass.ru/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11136967&PageNum=0
* British police detectives suspect that Litvinenko may have been poisoned twice
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/07/nlitvin07.xml
* Britain's Health Protection Agency found 116 of nearly 600 people tested positive
http://www.hpa.org.uk/hpa/news/articles/press_releases/2007/070111_pol210.htm
* Testing now includes 48 countries to evaluate about 450 visitors who may have been exposed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/11/AR2007011101805.html

Nevada residents most likely to be affected by debris thrown up by the massive conventional Divine Strake explosion are concerned that radioactive particles left in the soil from years of prior nuclear tests could be thrown into the air and threaten the population.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/11/us/11nevada.html
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/health/16431879.htm
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2007/Jan-06-Sat-2007/news/11815598.html
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4998530

Lack of expertise and export control loopholes in Japan suggest that the Mitutoyo case is just the tip of the iceberg in the threat of nuclear trafficking.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070109b2.html

A Navy analysis of the October 2001 anthrax outbreak in the Hart Senate office building has found evidence that spores infected people outside the building that had been presumed to be unexposed.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-01-08-anthrax-usat_x.htm

5. Critical Infrastructure Monitor

The 21st century is the interdependent century. Understanding the implicit and explicit networks on which we rely, and the interdependencies among the sectors of the critical infrastructure is essential for business continuity, economic success, and our very survival. The Critical Infrastructure Monitor, published monthly, analyzes these sectors, regulatory frameworks, and issues of enterprise risk management in global supply chains. Subscriptions can be purchased from our online store:
TAMNI Publications

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CIM Agriculture and Food
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The Food and Agriculture Organization reports that proliferation of standards and codes relating to the growing and supply of foods has generated increasing challenges for developing countries to penetrate markets in richer States but good agricultural practices can also help the developing world cope with globalization
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000475/index.html

The International Atomic Energy Agency is working with African countries to use the sterile insect technique (SIT), where radiation is used to sterilize otherwise healthy insects, which are then released to mate without producing offspring, thus controlling and gradually eradicating the pest population, thereby improving food security.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2007/dg_algeria.html

Biofuels are part of the European Commissions plans for alternatives to oil in transport.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/5

Cheap and plentiful animal fats may be the source of the next bio-diesel fuels.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/163511

North Korea has called on a German farmer who breeds rabbits the size of dogs to help set up a giant rabbit farm to help alleviate chronic food shortages.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,458863,00.html
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CIM Banking and Finance
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EU rules for cross-border Euro payments have significantly reduced charges. A EU 100 cross-border transfer, which would previously have cost on average EU 24, now costs on average EU 2.50.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/32

The European Commission reports that in 2006 the number of counterfeit euro coins removed from circulation was around 164 000. The number increased over 63 000 compared to 2005 but this remains insignificant relative to the total number of 69 billion genuine euro coins in circulation. The 2-euro is most frequently counterfeited, most often with the German national side.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/19

Visa has launched a mobile payments platform.
http://www.corporate.visa.com/md/nr/press310.jsp

The London Stock Exchange continues to fight a hostile takeover by Nasdaq.
http://www.londonstockexchange.com/en-gb/about/Newsroom/pressreleases/2007/nasdaq12jan.htm
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1989621,00.html
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CIM Chemical
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A sulfurous odor spread across much of Manhattan and northeastern New Jersey, leading to evacuations and other precautions. Air detectors did not sound an alarm, and its source remains unknown. The odor dispersed after several hours.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/09/nyregion/09smell.html
http://www.wnbc.com/liveat5/10694568/detail.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/10/nyregion/10smell.html

US senators are fighting preemption of chemical security laws. New Jersey, in particular, has legislation much stronger than rules recently proposed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=35856

The International Dairy Foods Association is concerned that because food and dairy processing facilities often use anhydrous ammonia in refrigeration systems, they could be considered chemical facilities under DHS proposed rules.
http://www.idfa.org/news/stories/2007/01/plant_security.cfm
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CIM Commercial Facilities
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The UK Home Builders Federation is working with the Housing Ministry and environmental groups to discuss ways to ensure that buildings, starting with new homes, are both energy efficient and affordable.
http://www.hbf.co.uk/index.php?id=1577&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=10123&tx_ttnews[backPid]=819&cHash=d7d61609bf
http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1505511
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CIM Cybersecurity
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Adobe has released a patch for cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that also addresses earlier releases of Reader and Acrobat.
http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/

Microsoft's monthly patch release included four fixes.
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/update/bulletins/200701.mspx
http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=2034
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms07-jan.mspx

Microsoft got help from the National Security Agency (NSA) to secure the Windows Vista operating system.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/08/AR2007010801352.html

A federal grand jury in Texas has indicted 53 former workers at a Swift meat processing plant on charges of felony identity theft.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/011007dnmetcactus.28b6b0a3.html

Gabriel Murillo and Kartik Patel have been charged with unauthorized access of a computer in connection with hacking the Los Angeles, California, city traffic center to change traffic lights at four intersections in connection with a job action. Murillo is also charged with identity theft, and Patel with disruption or denial of computer services. Both men were engineers with the Automated Traffic Surveillance Center.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-trafficlights9jan09,1,1377761.story

A TRUSTe survey finds that 82 percent of Americans support biometric identification on passports despite 53 percent agreeing that the use of biometrics will greatly reduce personal privacy because the government can track movements, and 63 percent agree that there is high potential for government misuse of the information. More than two-thirds believe that biometric identification on identity documents will make identity theft harder, but also believe that criminals will find a workaround.
http://www.truste.org/about/press_release/01_09_07.php

VeriSign's iDefense unit is offering an $8,000 bounty to researchers who discover previously undocumented vulnerabilities in Windows Vista or IE7 that could allow remote execution or other serious flaws. http://labs.idefense.com/vcp/challenge.php#more_q1+2007%3A+vulnerability+challenge
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CIM Dams and Bridges
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Dams have assumed greater importance as Australia's drought continues. A proposed dam for southeast Queensland is on the table, pending environmental and other reviews. Critics say that damming the Mary River would be ecologically and socially disastrous, and any water would be too expensive.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200701/s1825708.htm
http://www.sd.qld.gov.au/dsdweb/v3/guis/templates/content/gui_cue_cntnhtml.cfm?id=39781

Brazil has closed a bauxite mine after a tailings dam burst.
http://www.mineweb.net/sustainable_mining/577087.htm

The US Energy Department's Inspector General issued a scathing report on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) hydroelectric dam security plans. They found FERC lacked in ensuring licensees followed through on security improvements; lacked documentation and quality control of security assessments; and lacked documentation of yearly security inspections.
http://www.ig.energy.gov/documents/IG-0750.pdf

A US Bureau of Reclamation report on Folsom Dam safety recommends retrofitting for security and other enhancements that could close the recreational area in California for up to seven years.
http://www.edhtelegraph.com/articles/2007/01/10/news/top_stories/02point.txt
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=1808.
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CIM Defense Industrial Base
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The US Congress recently passed legislation that brings defense contractors under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
http://www.brookings.org/views/articles/psinger/20070104.htm

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA), Specialty Steel Industry of North America (SSINA) and United Steelworkers (USW) released "Steel and the National Defense". It says that the US steel industry's ability to supply the defense establishment will depend on its ability to compete in its commercial markets and maintain an onshore manufacturing presence. Losing this would leave the US dangerously dependent upon unreliable foreign sources of supply.
http://www.steel.org/AM/TemplateRedirect.cfm?Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=18258
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CIM Emergency Services
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"Spring of Fear" is the final report of the SARS Commission, an independent inquiry in Canada. 45 percent of those infected with Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrone were healthcare workers, and two nurses and a doctor died. The report includes 92 recommendations, including strong recommendations for better worker protection and disease controls, and better integrated information with those on the front line.
http://www.sarscommission.ca/report/index.html

Scotland's Wishaw General Hospital accident and emergency was forced to reopen following a 64 percent were experiencing unprecedented patient levels. Three hospitals in Lanarkshire county have seen unprecedented levels of activity, supporting criticism of a decision to close the Monklands casualty unit, one of only three in the county.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6244815.stm
http://www.nhslanarkshire.co.uk/News/Winter+Pressures.htm

Coordination between hospitals and state and national emergency planners is essential to ensure coordination during mass casualty and other emergencies.
http://www.washtimes.com/metro/200-7858r.htm
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CIM Energy
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Belarus took legal action against Russia for not paying a new oil transit tax. Russia claims the charges are illegal, so Belarus began siphoning off oil as payment in kind. In turn, supplies were cur off. Transneft's Druzhba pipeline is a key supplier to Europe, where supplies in Poland and branches of the pipeline towards the southeast were affected, as was 20 percent of Germany's supply. This disagreement is an example of a new form of "proxy war" in which Russia is using its energy resources to achieve political goals, in particular, domination of former USSR components and satellites.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6244855.stm
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/12/news/belarus.php
http://www.osce.org/item/22874.html
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,458401,00.html
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,458662,00.html

At the end of the week Russia agreed to reduce charges to Belarus, from the $180 previously demanded to $53 per ton. Belarus, in exchange, has lifted the transit tax and will share profits from refined oil exports.
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11152058
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070112/58992033.html

The EU has agreed on joint action to tackle disruptions in oil supplies from Russia.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/35
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/34

Georgia has started taking gas from Azerbaijan, in a move to reduce dependence on Russian supplies.
http://www.today.az/news/business/34903.html
http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/1273_january_11_2007/n_1273_3.htm

Here is a map illustrating how oil and gas travel from Russia to Western Europe.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,458871,00.html

Since the majority shareholder of the Sakhalin-2 project has changed, from a consortium led by Shell to the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has withdrawn its support.
http://www.ebrd.com/new/pressrel/2007/201sakh11jan.htm

European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso has called for a post-industrial revolution in which a common European energy policy will address both environmental and energy concerns, including the vulnerabilities revealed this week in the dispute between Belarus and Russia. A common energy market is key to achieving the three European energy objectives of competitive costs, energy efficiency and investment including emissions trading, and supply security.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/9
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/7
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6244465.stm

The EC issued an Action Plan to support these goals.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/6
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/13

Technology plays a key role in these EU plans for cheaper renewables, greater efficiency, and global leadership of the energy industry.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/14
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/8
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/2&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European electricity and gas networks require urgent improvements to ensure a well-functioning united energy market.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/11

Indonesia has terminated its Natuna oil and gas contract with Exxon Mobile.
http://www.tempointeractive.com/hg/ekbis/2007/01/12/brk,20070112-91156,uk.html
http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?view=CN&storyID=2007-01-05T113122Z_01_SP151410_RTRIDST_0_INDONESIA-NATUNA-EXXON-UPDATE-1.XML

Turkey has postponed privatization of parts of the electricity distribution network, at least until after the elections, for fear that it would increase prices.

As soybean oil prices increase, biodiesel is looking to exploit cheap and plentiful animal fats, starting with chickens.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/163511

US Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced that he has increased the royalty rate for most new offshore deepwater federal oil and gas leases to 16.7 percent (1/6th).
http://www.interior.gov/news/07_News_Releases/070109.html
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CIM Information Technology
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The One Laptop Per Child program will be released for general sale next year. Customers would purchase two: one for themselves and one going to the developing world. The program launches with five million deliveries this summer.
http://www.laptop.org/

Australia is undertaking a trial of the Green Machines among its indigenous populations.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/laptops--desktops/australia-trials-lowcost-laptop/2007/01/12/1168105153500.html

The Consumer Electronics Show was held this week. Top news included the launch of Apple's iphone and dropping the word computer from the company's name.
http://www.cesweb.org

For excellent coverage, check out BBC Newsnight's Geek Week.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/6241879.stm
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CIM Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste
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The EU's approach to nuclear power, safety and security is "for each member state to decide whether to use nuclear power. Nuclear power can have an important role to play in the European Union's energy mix: but it is important to continue to address issues surrounding safety and security. In recognition of this, the European Commission has proposed the establishment of an EU High Level Group of national nuclear regulators in order to further develop a common understanding and European rules in the field of nuclear safety and security."
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/10

British health and safety inspectors are investigating a broken pipe at the Sizewell A nuclear power station, which leaked 40,000 gallons of radioactive water. The leak was contained in the plant.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/suffolk/6242083.stm
http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/eveningstar/news/story.aspx?brand=ESTOnline&category=News&tBrand=ESTOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=IPED09%20Jan%202007%2014%3A08%3A23%3A043

The UK Health and Safety Executive with other nuclear regulators published guidance on new nuclear power station designs.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2007/e07002.htm

The US Department of Energy released its strategic plan for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. It identifies the technology, economic and environmental information necessary to move forward on initiatives including:
* Expand nuclear power to meet growing energy demand;
* Develop, demonstrate, and deploy advanced technologies for recycling spent nuclear fuel without separating plutonium;
* Develop, demonstrate, and deploy advance reactors that consume transuranics;
* Establish reliable fuel services worldwide;
* Develop, demonstrate, and deploy proliferation resistant reactors appropriate to power grids and;
* Develop enhanced safeguards to ensure nuclear energy systems are used for peaceful purposes.
http://www.energy.gov/news/4595.htm
http://www.gnep.energy.gov/pdfs/gnepStrategicPlanJanuary2007.pdf
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CIM Public Health and Healthcare
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More than 12 million people suffer dog or snake bites and scorpion stings each year. The World Health Organization now plans to boost local production of crucial therapeutic sera which can make the difference between life and death or crippling disability for millions of people in poor countries.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2007/np01/en/index.html
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs099/en/index.html

The International Atomic Energy Agency is working with African countries in using nuclear and isotopic techniques to assess immune responses of individuals infected by various diseases, to monitor the emergence of drug resistance, and to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition strategies. Current Agency projects support applying these techniques to national and regional efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Isotope sterilization is being used to combat the tsetse fly, which carries trypanosomosis (sleeping sickness). It is also continuing work to train developing countries in radiation technology and training to diagnose and treat cancer.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2007/dg_algeria.html

US television host Oprah Winfrey has opened a girls' school in South Africa that is offering free HIV tests and treatment if necessary. She set an example by taking an HIV test herself. Only half of girls aged 15 will live to see their 60th birthday, due to the scale of the AIDS pandemic.
http://www2.oprah.com/ophilanthropy/owlaf/owlaf_landing.jhtml
http://www.mrc.ac.za/

The US Senate Committee on Finance held a hearing on "Prescription Drug Pricing and Negotiation: An Overview and Economic Perspectives for the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit". A key component in the testimony was provided by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), based on the findings of their report "Prescription Drugs: An Overview of Approaches to Negotiate Drug Prices Used by Other Countries and US Private Payers and Federal Programs". Current legislation prohibits price negotiations, and congress is considering amending the statute to allow the Secretary of health and Human Services to directly negotiate prices with drug manufacturers. GAO explains that other countries use a range of approaches to limit drug costs, including ceiling prices, reference prices, and profit limits.
http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing011107.htm
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-358T

The collapse of Zimbabwe's economy has led to the collapse of its once renowned health service.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/&articleId=295252
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CIM Telecommunications
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Repairs on underground cables in Asia have revealed an unprecedented level of damage from the December earthquake. 21 support cables occurred, representing more than normally seen across all of Asia in a year. Systems will not be fully back online before next week. China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have all been adversely affected by the disaster, which demonstrated the vulnerabilities of these key assets.
http://www.globalmarinesystems.com/news/taiwan05Jan07.pdf

Apple's iPhone may "upset the mobile cart".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6248603.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6247803.stm
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/01/09iphone.html

Meanwhile, Cisco has taken legal action for trademark infringement over the name.
http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2007/corp_011007.html?CMP=ILC-001
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CIM Transportation
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Fatal airline accidents reached a 10-year low in 2006, falling from 34 in 2005 to 27 in 2006. Only seven involved passenger jets, but controlled flight into terrain accounted for as many as a quarter of fatal accidents.
http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2007/01/09/Navigation/195/211402/.html

The European Ombudsman has called on the European Commission to correct inaccurate and misleading information contained in public information on air passenger rights, following a complaint two airline associations. http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=EO/07/1

Following the Adam Air disaster, Indonesia's Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology is developing and testing an inexpensive but more accurate aircraft tracking system. Several recent incidents in Indonesia have raised serious concerns over its air safety standards.
http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=336&Itemid=32
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/JAK90463.htm

Switzerland and Germany signed an aerospace cooperation agreement to address shared intelligence and response in the event of a terrorist attack using civilian aircraft.
http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/front/detail/Swiss_German_accord_to_deter_terrorist_attacks.html?siteSect=105&sid=7418026&cKey=1168443509000

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued new safety rules for long-range flights. They require jets that fly long distances over oceans or polar regions with no airports have emergency plans for those on board.
http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=7975

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is providing $445 million among five grant programs to fund ports, transit systems and other components of the critical infrastructure. Of $201.2 million for the Port Security Grant Program 60 percent will be directed toward eight "Tier 1" ports believed to be at highest risk for terrorism: New York-New Jersey, New Orleans, Houston-Galveston, Los Angeles-Long Beach, Puget Sound in Washington state, Delaware Bay, San Francisco Bay and Sabine-Neches River in Texas. The Transit Security Grant Program will $171.8 million for security of rail and bus systems, of which $141 million will go New York-Connecticut-New Jersey, National Capital Region, Boston, San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Philadelphia, Greater Los Angeles and Atlanta. $8 million will go to Amtrak for passenger rail security efforts and coordination. Some funds will support ferry, bus, and trucking initiatives.
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1168366069190.shtm

The International Maritime Organization has formed a new subdivision to focus on maritime security.
http://www.imo.org/

The US House of Representatives has passed a measure requiring 100 percent screening of air and maritime cargo. The measure now passes to the Senate. The cargo industry and the Bush administration generally oppose the measure.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/09/washington/09terror.html
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-ed12207jan12,0,4471267.story
http://www.aircargonews.com/070110/ussecuritybill.html
http://www.aviationweek.com/avnow/news/channel_aviationdaily_story.jsp?id=news/WHI01117.xml

Canada is investing $370 million on an electronic manifest system to speed trade with the US while strengthening security.
http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/newsroom/release-communique/2007/0112windsor-e.html

Shortfalls in performance of the US rail system are harming energy supplies, as they hinder coal production.
http://www.riskcenter.com/story.php?id=14069

German engineers have developed a driverless rail taxi.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,458893,00.html
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CIM Water
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The International Atomic Energy Agency is working with African countries to use isotope hydrology as a tool in managing water resources. Because water contains different isotopes, isotopic dating can be used to estimate the origins and movement of water and determine the availability and capacity of underground aquifers.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2007/dg_algeria.html

Dental floss has become a major problem at wastewater pumping stations and treatment plants in Toronto, Ontario, where people have been flushing it down the toilet.
http://www.thestar.com/article/169538

6. Disaster Reduction Monitor

Natural and manmade events are inevitable, but they need not become disasters. Subscribers to the monthly Disaster Reduction Monitor learn from past incidents to prevent future disasters. It includes analysis of historical events, emerging risks and risk mitigation, and features new techniques to address disaster reduction, ranging from technical advances to regulatory best practices and micro-finance. Disaster Reduction Monitor subscriptions and other titles can be purchased here:
TAMNI Publications

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DRM Incidents
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A plane carrying mostly Turkish construction workers crashed near Balad, Iraq, killing 33 people, and leaving one severely injured survivor. Fog during landing was blamed for the incident.

Tropical rains saturating the mountain soil on the remote island of Sangihe caused a landslide in which at least 16 people died. A similar number remain missing, and more than 60 homes have been swept away or buried in mud. There have been many such incidents this rainy season.

Mudslides in the Philippines have also led to several fatalities.

In Sri Lanka, mudslides have killed 17 and displaced 9,000.

A series of avalanches across the Alps followed a late snow with high winds that contributed to dangerous conditions. At least eight people died, but dozens more were dug out, some in critical condition.

In the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, a multi-storey building under construction in the town of Allahabad collapsed. At least eight people were killed and 27 injured. Rescue efforts and an investigation into the cause of the 5-storey buildings complete destruction, are under way.

A shaft being excavated in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for a new subway station collapsed, plunging several vehicles, including a minibus, into a giant pit. Rescue operations continue in the effort to reach some seven people feared buried.

A collision between two trains in Thailand, just south of Bangkok, killed three and injured 70 when one train was on the wrong line.

In the first US mining fatality of the year, a collapsed roof at Brooks Run mine in West Virginia killed two miners.

Major rivers have burst their banks, and the subsequent flooding in southern Malaysia has forced the evacuation of more than 90,000 people.

Storms caused power failures in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland that shut down the Bank of Ireland's ATM service.
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DRM Response and Recovery
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In waters off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, fragments of the Adam Air plane were found on Thursday, ten days after the plane disappeared. Neither the body of the plane nor any human remains from the 102 people on board have been found. Rewards are offered to those who find the missing pieces.
http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2007/01/11/Navigation/177/211470/New+year's+Day+missing+Adam+Air+737+wreckage+finally+found+in+sea+by.html
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=241120
http://www.flyadamair.com/

Fourteen survivors of the Indonesian Senopati Nusantara car ferry sinking were rescued on Monday, nine days later. A passing cargo ship picked them up from their life raft.

In Mississippi, US District Judge Senter ruled that State Farm Insurance must pay for damage caused to Norman and Genevieve Broussard's home. They argued that tornado damage in August 2005 was part of Hurricane Katrina's storm surge, while State Farm insisted that its policies cover damage from wind, but not water or a combination of wind and water events. The case, which included a $2.5 punitive damages jury award, will be appealed.
http://www.statefarm.com/about/media/media_releases/broussard.asp
http://www.mssd.uscourts.gov/insurance.htm
http://cms.nationalunderwriter.com/cms/nupc/Breaking+News/2007/01/11-STATEFARM-dh
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DRM Risks
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The World Economic Forum's 2007 Global Risk Report emphasizes that today's global risks are tightly interwoven, and we must take this into account by addressing such key needs as:
* Linking energy security with considerations on climate change
* Urgently beginning work on a successor to the Kyoto agreement with three central principles: Involvement of the United States and major developing countries (particularly China and India); Differential responsibilities for future emissions’ reduction dependent upon past emissions and stage of economic development; and, Common overall responsibility for climate change
* Renewing terrorism insurance schemes scheduled to sunset in 2007 in some form; improve framework for public-private arrangements in other countries, and
* In order to prepare for a pandemic, governments should increase research into the identification of critical choke-points in the supply/value chain where skill sets are rare, interdependencies are greatest and the risk of triggering systemic failure is highest.
http://www.weforum.org/en/media/Latest%20Press%20Releases/Global_Risks_2007_report

Mount Vesuvius, the most heavily monitored volcano in the world, holds nearly three million residents within 12 miles of the crater. Evacuation plans to not take into account worst-case scenarios, including the discovery that prior eruptions had covered Naples with deposits of up to ten feet of ash.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6247573.stm

Responding to a report that insurance risk models are flawed, and can be manipulated to justify insurance rate increases, Florida politicians are examining the models, and have requested that AIR Worldwide, Applied Research Associates, EQECAT, Risk Management Solutions, and the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation release their proprietary hurricane loss projection models and underlying assumptions for review.
http://www.tbo.com/news/politics/MGBO8HU0NWE.html
http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/HouseNews/preview.aspx?PressReleaseId=82
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/16431623.htm
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DRM Mitigation
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Washington Hospital Center organized a conference to discuss coordination of state and national disaster plans with hospitals, which also need access to privileged information regarding mass-casualty incidents and other emergencies.
http://www.whcenter.org/body.cfm?id=337&action=detail&ref=208

7. Recommended Reading

This week, on 11 January, marked five years since the first alleged terrorists and enemy combatants began to arrive at the US military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Here are the official sources on the prison camp:
* Naval Station Guantanamo Bay
http://www.nsgtmo.navy.mil/
* Military Commissions
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/commissions.html
* Detainee Affairs
http://www.defenselink.mil/home/features/Detainee_Affairs/
* White House, on Military Commissions
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061017.html

The official sources provide information about the facilities and the policies adopted by the Bush administration. In addition to this material, we now have access to additional investigative reports and first person testimony.

The star witness against the detention center and its practices may be British citizen Moazzam Begg. New Press published his harrowing description on 11 September 2006. "Enemy Combatant: My Imprisonment at Guantanamo, Bagram, and Kandahar" details his extraordinary rendition by US forces in Pakistan and his series of subsequent detentions. He was released after a family campaign, and pressure from the British government, which reviewed his case and has found no grounds on which to charge him.
http://www.thenewpress.com/index.php?option=com_title&task=view_title&metaproductid=1634
http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/biography/0,,1733975,00.html
http://www.opendemocracy.net/conflict-terrorism/moazzam_begg_3328.jsp

Three other British detainees are features in Michael Winterbottom's prize-winning film, The Road to Guantanamo. Ruhal Ahmed, Asif Iqbal, and Shafiq Rasul were all from Tipton in the West Midlands. The "Tipton Three" were captured in Afghanistan and sent to Guantanamo Bay, where they were held in solitary confinement and subject to violent inquisitions, all apparently the result of a mistaken identification on a videotape. They were released without charge after two years.
http://www.channel4.com/film/newsfeatures/microsites/G/guantanamo/index.html
http://film.guardian.co.uk/festivals/news/0,,1711973,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3509750.stm

Treatment of the Chinese Uighurs detained in Guantanamo, and the bizarre contradictions of their case is also important to consider. The US refuses to repatriate them for fear of torture, and instead have sent some to Albania, while others remain in detention.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6242891.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6189517.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uyghur_detainees_in_Guantanamo

Award-winning journalist David Rose's "Guantanamo: The War on Human Rights (New Press, 2004) describes his visit to Guantanamo Bay, and his detailed investigation of the claims of the British detainees, including isolation, harassment, and brutality.
http://www.thenewpress.com/index.php?option=com_title&task=view_title&metaproductid=1100
http://www.guantanamo.co.uk/
http://www.opendemocracy.net/debates/article.jsp?id=3&debateId=77&articleId=2110

Another eyewitness supports these accounts. Army Sergeant Erik Saar, with Time magazine's Viveca Novak, describes the shocking interrogation techniques and other experiences behind the scenes of America's "war on terror". His book, is "Inside the Wire: A Military Intelligence Soldier's Eyewitness Account of Life at Guantanamo" (Penguin Press, 2005).
http://www.eriksaar.com/
http://www.motherjones.com/news/qa/2005/05/saar.html
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/05/04/1342253
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4631899
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1479040,00.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Global-Terrorism/Revealed-sex-and-torture-inside-the-wire/2005/01/28/1106850089795.html

Hundreds of detainees at Guantanamo Bay share similar experiences, but only as the legal machinery completes its full cycle will all the information, and the final outcome of the associated cases, be revealed.

Joseph Margulies was lead counsel in Rasul v. Bush. The lawyer and civil rights activist successfully petitioned the Supreme Court to extend the right of judicial review to Guantanamo detainees. "Guantanamo and the Abuse of Presidential Power" (Simon and Schuster, 2006) provides an excellent narrative of both interrogations and court appearances, and provides a clear and accessible explanation of the Bush administrations attempts to extend presidential authority and avoid official culpability.
http://www.simonsays.com/content/destination.cfm?tab=1&pid=512389
http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7109129
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/booksmags/chi-0612150446dec17,1,7479120.storye

Margulies co-counsel in the case was Michael Ratner, President of the Center for Constitutional Rights. Ellen Ray has collected interviews with Ratner and other source material that shed further light on the case in "Guantanamo: What the World Should Know" (Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 2004)
http://www.chelseagreen.com/2004/items/guantanamo
http://www.alternet.org/rights/18927/ (excerpt)
http://www.wnyc.org/books/33453

Many voices are working for the release of the detainees, and have brought the case to life with their actions, not just on this anniversary, but every day.

At the naval base, international activists marched to demand its closure, including a former detainee, the mother of a detainee, US antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, whose son died in Iraq, and the mother of a New York firefighter killed on 9/11. There were demonstrations outside US embassies, inside US federal offices, in homes across the US, and from Melbourne to Washington.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6250000/newsid_6251900/6251917.stm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200701/s1825478.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6254353.stm
http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2007-01-10T050530Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-282922-1.xml
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6338627,00.html
http://www.nbc6.net/news/10725157/detail.html
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070111/UPDATE/701110479/1020
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/12/america/NA-GEN-US-Guantanamo-Demonstrators.php
http://www.channel4.com/news/content/news-storypage.jsp?id=27607051
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=166870&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29297
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=63671
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=UKNews1&storyID=2007-01-12T062348Z_01_N11418390_RTRUKOC_0_UK-GUANTANAMO-PROTESTS.xml
http://www.slate.com/id/2157488/?nav=tap3

Amnesty International led worldwide protests, in which demonstrators wore the orange jumpsuits to call for detainees to be permitted basic human rights.
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/guantanamobay-index-eng

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights provide legal services for detainees.
http://www.ccr-ny.org/v2/gac/
http://www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/27944prs20070111.html

Human Rights Watch launched its World Report 2007, calling for the EU to step in and fill the human rights leadership void left by the Bush administration's use of torture and detention without trial.
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/01/05/usdom14974.htm
http://hrw.org/doc/?t=usa_gitmo

Reporters Without Borders reiterates its call for the release of Al Jazeera cameraman Sami Al-Haj, a Sudanese citizen who has been held at Guantanamo Bay without being charged or tried since 13 June 2002.
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=20344

Governments across the world, as well as the UN, EU, and Arab League, have called for Guantanamo Bay to close, including US allies such as Germany and the UK.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/11/news/UN-GEN-UN-Guantanamo.php
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/gua070111mc
http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=200-6822r
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/libdems/story/0,,1987178,00.html
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/letters/display.var.1118501.0.0.php

And don't forget that Guantanamo is not the only US detention facility.
https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2006/102206.html#7

8. Asset Management Network News

TAMNI has released two new Special Reports. "The Interconnected Century: Critical Security Issues" describes the ways in which individuals, governments, and businesses rely for their very survival on networks, both explicit and informal. It raises the issues of how these networks interact, and provides examples of practical ways to address risks and opportunities in each sector of the critical infrastructure.

"Trends in Terrorism 2006" provides statistical summaries and analysis of the trends in attacks, tactics, facilities, geographic distribution and other areas for 2006. It includes quantitative comparison over time, and compares these to trends over the past 40 years, and how they compare to natural disasters. This year has expanded to include a chronology of major incidents.

People who purchase a subscription to one of the Asset Management Network Monitors receive related Special Reports at no additional charge. If you purchase one of our premium subscription services between now and 31 January, ten percent of the purchase price will be donated to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP