AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff

TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - July 15, 2007

SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, July 15, 2007

TEXT:

As US officials determine that al Qaeda has been strengthened, deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri issued an audiotape warning that Britain faces a bombing blitz as punishment for Salman Rushdie's knighthood, and Osama bin Laden, in his first message for a year, emphasized the importance of martyrdom. Recommended Reading offers a summary of the National Security Council's interim report on progress for the new way forward in Iraq. Other reports this week range from the increased cost of AML/CFT compliance and the eighth report of the inquiry into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik, to two reports on the effects of climate change.

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.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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AML/CFT Incidents/Cases
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Betfair.com has denied reports that Islamic terrorists laundered money through the sports betting web site.
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2007/July/13/Betfair-denies-claims-of-terrorist-laundering.aspx

Australian police have arrested Arumugam Rajeevan on suspicion of raising funds for the Tamil Tigers.
http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/11/1975762.htm
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/July1180839JV.html
http://www.spur.asn.au/society_for_peace_media_release_120707.htm

Brazilian authorities have issued a warrant for the arrest of Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, who resides in London. Brazil wants to extradite Berezovsky to face charges of money laundering. He is wanted in Russia on embezzlement charges. The money laundering charges are connected with a football (soccer) club.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2126356,00.html

A Brazilian judge has ordered the arrest of Iranian-born businessman Kia Joorabchian, an agent for a football (soccer) player who is accused of money laundering involving offshore accounts.
http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2125480,00.html

The civil trial of Drummond Coal, a US company operating in Colombia, has opened in US court in Alabama. They are accused of paying Colombian paramilitaries to kill three union organizers.
http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page60?oid=23130&sn=Detail
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/12/AR2007071202192.html

A civil suit has been filed in Indonesia seeking the return of some $1.54 billion in damages and funds allegedly stolen from the state during his 32 years in power.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/09/asia/AS-GEN-Indonesia-Suharto-Lawsuit.php

Irish building society manager Shane Sutton was acquitted of 47 money laundering charges after the prosecution was unable to prove the origin of checks used as evidence of criminal origin.
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0709/breaking69.htm

Kenya's internal security minister John Michuki claims that some opposition politicians are financing the Mungiki sect, associated with a series of bloody executions and beheadings, to destabilize some constituencies in the country.
http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=43670

Liberia is taking steps to seize assets of former President Charles Taylor, his relatives and associates. Taylor is on trial in The Hague for war crimes. A 2004 UN order seized assets abroad following a determination that he had financed regional wars.
http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=545198

Nigerian diplomat G A Ojedokun has been detained in India in connection with illegal hawala transactions.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Officials_to_probe_Nigerian_angle_in_hawala_route/articleshow/2199331.cms
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/no-immunity-nigerian-diplomat-will-pay-for-crime/44944-3.html

Money laundering charges have been laid against four former Nigerian state governors: Joshua Dariye (Central Plateau), Jolly Nyame (northern Taraba), Saminu Turaki (northern Jigawa), and Orji Uzor Kalu (South-east Abia).
http://www.afriquenligne.fr/news/daily_news/nigeria_charges_ex-governors_with_money_laundering_200707142648/

Spain and the United Arab Emirates held a high-level meeting to increase AML/CFT and other areas of cooperation.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/07/13/10138875.html
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=496128&Itemid=1

London police raids led to 16 arrests for money laundering connected to the drug trade.
http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/content/towerhamlets/advertiser/news/story.aspx?brand=ELAOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsela&itemid=WeED13%20Jul%202007%2008%3A54%3A51%3A917

Chicago businessman Muhammad Salah was acquitted in a high profile Hamas financing case in February. This week he was sentenced in a civil case to 21 months in jail for lying under oath.
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_court_jails_Palestinian_on_lesse_07112007.html

A US federal grand jury in Detroit, Michigan, has indicted Vito Munaco and John Burcham II with money laundering and making false claims in connection with a conspiracy to defraud workers' compensation insurance carriers.
http://crainsdetroit.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070712/REG/70712006/1009/

Former New York Judge David Gross admitted conspiring with a mobster to launder the proceeds of stolen jewelry.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-ligros0714,0,7285039.story

Eight former executives of the failed National Century Financial Enterprises have been charged in Ohio court with money laundering and other offenses.
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?Feed=ACBJ&Date=20070710&ID=7147855

In Tennessee, Reginald Hall, former CEO of Advanced Integrated Management Services, has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison in connection with a 2005 theft and money laundering conspiracy.
http://www.oakridger.com/stories/071307/new_184062797.shtml

Andre Mtine and two senior Zambia Postal Services employees have been arrested for money laundering and theft.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200707100719.html
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AML/CFT Legislation and Regulation
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KPMG has released its second AML survey of banks worldwide, finding the costs of AML/CFT compliance have ballooned, increasing an average of 58 percent over the past three years.
http://www.kpmg.com/Services/Advisory/Other/AML2007.htm

The UN investigative arm is looking into allegations that a Pakistani peacekeeping contingent was involved in smuggling gold in Democratic Republic of Congo.
http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-07-14T041110Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_India-284651-2.xml

The European Court of Justice have overturned a European Commission restriction against diamond company De Beers from buying rough stones from Russian Alrosa.
http://curia.europa.eu/en/actu/communiques/cp07/aff/cp070046en.pdf

India and Jersey, Channel Islands, agencies are investigations money laundering and other issues involving those named in the Volcker report on the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal.
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/204736.html

Vlastimir Djordjevic and Zdravko Tolimir have been delisted from the European Community's list of those subject to financial sanctions related to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/news/2007/071.htm
http://www.un.org/icty/

The State Bank of Pakistan will establish a Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) to "develop strategies and formulate policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing".
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=63920
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C07%5C11%5Cstory_11-7-2007_pg5_4

Russian President Putin has instructed the central bank and cabinet to strengthen AML/CFT laws.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aoy6GeB.RsuU

The Bank of England has designated Bilal Abdullah as a terrorist financier under the Terrorism Order 2006, thereby freezing his assets and requiring that no funds, economic resources or financial services be made to him.
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/news/2007/073.htm

US House Financial Services Committee chair Barney Frank called on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to either create a more accurate state financing of terrorism web site or remove it.
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1323496320070713
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/498f0d18-2e7d-11dc-821c-0000779fd2ac.html
http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2007/2007-121.htm

Yemen's Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Combating the Funding of Terrorism has finalized a new draft law that will now be sent to parliament.
http://www.yobserver.com/business-and-economy/10012544.html
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AML/CFT Modalities
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Southeast Asian terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah has turned to selling magazines, videos, fertilizer, and common goods to help fund its activities, mostly in Indonesia.
http://www.asianewsnet.net/news.php?aid=10866
http://www.straitstimes.com/Prime+News/Story/STIStory_137176.html

Luxury vehicles stolen in Malaysia are being smuggled abroad to fund terrorism and organized crime.
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=272154

Counterfeit products may be financing terrorism in the Philippines.
http://www.asianjournal.com/?c=186&a=21487

This article describes how inexpensive a terrorist attack can be:
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1072592007

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.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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ETM Corruption and Transnational Crime
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The World Bank Institute released "Governance Matters, 2007: Worldwide Governance Indicators 1996-2006". It shows that a number of countries, including Africa, are making progress in governance and fighting corruption, but there is no overall improvement worldwide.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21402561~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html

Canadian newspaper mogul Conrad Black has been found guilty in US court of criminal fraud and obstruction of justice. He was cleared of racketeering. The charges follow accusations that he and three co-defendants stole $60 million from Hollinger International and its shareholders.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/13/AR2007071300662.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/14/business/14react.html
http://www.thestar.com/article/235905

Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former governors Kalu and Turaki. They are accused of corruption, money laundering, and other charges. Other governors are also wanted.
http://www.efccnigeria.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1474
http://www.efccnigeria.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1476
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/13/africa/AF-GEN-Nigeria-Corruption.php

Alberto Fujimori remains under house arrest in Chile pending a final court ruling on his extradition to Peru, where he is wanted for human rights abuses, including death squads, and corruption. A Supreme Court judge rejected his extradition this week, claiming that Peru has not proven the charges or are not illegal in Chile. Fujimori, who has dual Peruvian and Japanese citizenship is running in Japanese national elections even under detention.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/11/america/LA-GEN-Chile-Fujimori.php
http://www.transparency.org/news_room/latest_news/press_releases/2007/2007_07_13_fujimori_rejection
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/07/11/peru16382.htm
http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=325245

The UK Treasury is planning to disband its controversial arms sales department, which has been the target of anti-corruption and disarmament campaigners.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/armstrade/story/0,,2121881,00.html

The US Department of Justice investigation into possible bribery in BAE's al-Yamamah deal will include people involved in signing the original agreement under British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article2051250.ece
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ETM Economies and Financial Systems
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"Capital Flows, Financial Integration, and International Reserve Holdings: The Recent Experience of Emerging Markets and Advanced Economies" is a paper from the International Monetary Fund that paper examines the interaction between capital flows and international reserve holdings in the context of increasing financial integration.  
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.cfm?sk=21034.0

Gaza faces irreversible economic collapse. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA has put on hold about $93 million worth of projects because of the lack of cement and other building materials.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/881324.html
http://www.thestar.com/article/235860
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=23174&Cr=palestin&Cr1=

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reports that revenue accruing from sale of crude oil came down by 20.5 per cent from N1.280 trillion to N1.018 trillion at the end of the first quarter of the year, when compared to the preceding quarter.
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=83187
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ETM Environment and Climate Change
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Banking giant HSBC released its first international survey of public attitudes towards climate change. The HSBC Climate Confidence Index shows that people in developing economies exhibit the greatest concern, commitment and optimism towards the problem of climate change and in developed economies the greatest indifference, reluctance and fatalism. Other findings include:
*  Climate change is having a significant impact on public opinion in the developing countries surveyed. Around 60 percent of respondents registered a high level of concern in China, India, Mexico and Brazil, compared with only 22 per cent in the UK and 26 per cent in Germany; and
* People's assessment of their commitment to tackling climate is higher in developing economies. Around 47 per cent of people indicated high levels of personal commitment to combating climate change in India and Brazil, compared with only 19 per cent in the UK.
http://www.hsbc.com/1/2/newsroom/news/news-archive-2007/hsbc-launches-international-survey-of-public-attitudes-towards-climate-change

Changing cows' diet could lower emissions.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,493611,00.html

China's director of the State Environmental Protection Administration Director Zhou Shengxian has released tough new rules to control worsening lake pollution and to stop rampant violation of environment rules.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/12/content_6366544.htm

India is drafting a national plan on climate change. It is planned for release in October.
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070018827
http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-07-13T150400Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_India-284559-1.xml

The US Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) released the second in a series of 21 Synthesis and Assessment reports, "Scenarios of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Atmospheric Concentrations, and Review of Integrated Scenario Development and Application".
http://www.energy.gov/news/5214.htm

The Union of Concerned Scientists released "Confronting Climate Change in the US Northeast". If cites the threats of rising sea levels, dangerously hot days, and lower crop productivity, but there is a rich array of strategies to reduce emissions and avoid the most severe consequences.
http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/global-warming-to-hit-0044.html

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) released "Unnatural Disaster: Global Warming and Our National Parks". The report finds that "The gradual, accelerated warming of our planet will have disastrous consequences for America's national parks. Glaciers in the national parks of Alaska as well as North Cascades and Mount Rainier National Parks will continue to disappear; Joshua trees will no longer exist at Joshua Tree National Park; and a rising sea will drown Everglades National Park and portions of historic sites such as Colonial National Historical Park, site of the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown", but immediate action can still halt the most severe effects of climate change.
http://www.npca.org/globalwarming/unnatural_disaster.pdf
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ETM Human Rights
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The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture completed a review on the Czech Republic, raising serious concerns about conditions of life in prison and the use of chemical castration.
http://www.cpt.coe.int/documents/cze/2007-07-12-eng.htm

The US military in Iraq is building a database of fingerprints, eye scans and other personal data from thousands of Iraqi men to identify and track suspected militants.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-07-12-iraq-database_N.htm

Thailand will establish a committee to investigate alleged torture of insurgent suspects at a military base in Pattani province.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=7870
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ETM Infectious Diseases
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Czech soldiers and firefighters destroyed thousands of chickens at two poultry farms in East Bohemia infected with H5N1.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/93314

Another H5N1 fatality in Indonesia, a young boy, has raised the country's death toll to 81. Of 102 laboratory confirmed cases, 81 have been fatal.
http://www.disasternews.net/news/article.php?articleid=3285
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2007_07_11/en/index.html

The US Secretary of Health and Human Services began the Pandemic Flu Leadership Blog on 22 May and concluded the project on 27 June.
http://blog.pandemicflu.gov/

Tanzania's president and opposition leaders launched a campaign for voluntary HIV/Aids testing by being tested in public.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6899134.stm
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ETM Legal Systems
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Corruption is booming in the Ivory Coast legal system.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=73229

The Special Court for Sierra Leone has reached agreement with the UK that former Liberian president Charles Taylor will be imprisoned in the UK if he is convicted on war crimes charges. Similar agreements have previously been signed with Austria and Sweden.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=23237&Cr=sierra&Cr1=leone

Former White House aide Harriet Miers has refused to appear at a congressional hearing into the dismissal of eight federal prosecutors. President Bush invoked executive privilege to prevent his aids from testifying.
http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=2835
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6896149.stm
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ETM Populations
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World Population Day was marked on 11 July. This year's theme is men as partners for maternal health.
http://www.unfpa.org/wpd/
http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2664

Borneo's Penan tribe's future is in danger.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6897252.stm

Pastoralism is under threat from climate change, shifting global markets and increased competition for land and other natural resources, even though it generates substantial income in areas where conventional farming is not possible.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=73231

The livelihood of Mongolia's nomadic tribesmen is threatened by desertification.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/F574E121-5F82-458D-B4C7-9EC3FB2B9C7E.htm

Ethnic Arabs in Chad are being swept up in ethnic violence that associates them with Sudan's Janjaweed militias.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6285436.stm
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ETM Social Responsibility
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"Business and Human Rights: the Evolving International Agenda" describes the impact of globalization, focused on human rights.
http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/m-rcbg/CSRI/publications/workingpaper_38_ruggie.pdf

Carbonfund.org launched its CarbonFree(TM) Certified Product label, which is designed to allow leading companies to promote their products as being climate neutral by reducing and offsetting the life-cycle carbon footprint associated with the production, shipping, operation and disposal.
http://www.carbonfund.org/site/more/media/471
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ETM Weapons (WMD, Proliferation)
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After the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors approved a report detailing IAEA's future activities in North Korea, IAEA inspectors will return to North Korea to monitor the shutdown and eventual abandonment of the Yongbyon nuclear facilities. They expect the shutdown to go smoothly.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2007/bog090707.html
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2007/dprkshutdown.html
https://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/07/14/200707140008.asp
http://www.asianewsnet.net/news.php?aid=10974

On Saturday North Korea said that it has shut down the Yongbyon reactor and readmitted international inspectors. UN inspectors are working to verify this claim.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/88414.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/world/asia/15nuke.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6899345.stm

IAEA and Iran held talks this week during which they agreed on further negotiations over Iran's nuclear programs.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/PressReleases/2007/prn200711.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/12/AR2007071200989.html

The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) reports that satellite imagery indicates Iran has begun tunneling in a mountainous area adjacent to the Natanz uranium enrichment complex.
http://www.isis-online.org/publications/iran/IranNatanzTunnels.pdf
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/08/AR2007070801307.html

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva plans to invest some $540 million over eight years to complete a stalled navy project to build a nuclear-propelled submarine.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,2201,00.html

The nuclear arsenal at the US Air Force Base in Ramstein, Germany, has apparently been removed, but the US still keeps some 350 nuclear warheads in Europe.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,493540,00.html

Russia is suspending its obligations under the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6898690.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/world/europe/15russia.html

At an ASEAN counterterrorism workshop senior police officers have called for bioterror preparedness across the region.
http://www.upi.com/Security_Terrorism/Briefing/2007/07/13/asean_police_confer_on_bioterrorism/7999/

The European Commission issued a policy paper addressing the need for transnational cooperation to secure biotechnology and prevent bioterrorist attacks.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/289

Albania has become the first country to completely eliminate its entire chemical weapons stockpile.
http://www.opcw.org/pressreleases/2007/PR73_2007.html

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.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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CIM Agriculture and Food
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The Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted a number of measures to address food safety. Codex codes adopted this year include a measure reducing contamination of Ochratoxin A, which is toxic to the kidneys, in wines; a revised standard for infant formulae, including those for special medical purposes to save babies' lives; and a revised code of hygiene for eggs and egg products to protect people from bacteria such as Salmonella Enteritidis.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr34/en/index.html
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000624/index.html

"Import Alert" is a new report from Food and Water Watch that describes the dangers of imported seafood. The report follows measures taken by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after finding restricted antibodies in several species of Chinese seafood. China expects to reach national quality standards by 2010.
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/fish/pubs/reports/import-alert
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/09/AR2007070901762.html
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/11/content_6356444.htm

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) secretariat met to discuss regional food security, including self-sufficiency in production, global competitiveness, and the impact of regulation on the cost of production. The food sector needs to grow and reduce reliance on imports.
http://www.caricom.org/jsp/pressreleases/pres168_07.jsp
http://www.caricom.org/jsp/pressreleases/pres169_07.jsp
http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c=47&a=13354
http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_general_news?id=56524308

China's People's Liberation Army is taking steps to ensure food safety for its 2.3 million troops.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-07/13/content_5433983.htm

China has executed its former food and drug regulator for taking bribes to approve untested or counterfeit medicines.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/10/content_6353536.htm

The European Parliament has approved with amendments four regulations to update and simplify methods for authorizing food additives and bringing them into line with the latest scientific findings.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/067-8946-190-07-28-911-20070706IPR08894-09-07-2007-2007-true/default_en.htm

Italian pasta manufacturers have warned that the price of the country's staple will rise by some 20 percent, the result of declining production in some traditional growing areas affected by higher temperatures and the increased use of wheat sold as biofuel.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,493795,00.html

Sharply higher wheat prices have led to an increase in British bread prices for the second time in six months.
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2750518.ece
http://www.premierfoods.co.uk//download.cfm?id=A993D3D1-1143-DB69-2B93-C06A5788B763

The US House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight, held a hearing on "Farm to Fork: Partnerships to Protect the Food You Eat".
http://hsc.house.gov/hearings/index.asp?ID=69
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/testimony/testimony_1184092241513.shtm
http://www.newage-examiner.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18569976&BRD=2310&PAG=461&dept_id=480505&rfi=6

An attack on the food supply may be hard to execute but could sicken or kill thousands.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19649891/site/newsweek/page/0/
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CIM Banking and Finance
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The China Banking Regulatory Commission issued a risk warning last week, reminding customers not to leak their bankcard information. The ATM withdrawal limit was recently raised, and most ATMs are located outside bank buildings. With China now the third largest ATM market in the world, ATM security has become a critical issue.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2007-07/10/content_5424010.htm

A record $300 million was stolen from the Dar Es Salaam bank in Baghdad, by its own security guards.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/12/africa/12iraq.php

In Papua New Guinea, Garry Tunstall, chair of the Commercial Bankers Association and managing director of the ANZ Banking Group of PNG, has warned that some branches may have to be closed if security is not improved.
http://www.thenational.com.pg/071107/nation3.htm

South African banks are investing millions in surveillance, guards, and other security measures to counter ATM bombers.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20070711015838867C210612

The UK Parliament passed the Regulatory Reform (Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) Order 2007 to reduce the number of burdens currently placed on the Financial Services Agency (FSA) and businesses.
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_77_07.cfm

US financial regulators have issued a Proposed Interagency Questions and Answers Regarding Community Reinvestment that encourages working with homeowners unable to make mortgage payments, providing affordable small loans, and several other items, including substantive and technical revisions to the existing version. Public comment is due by 10 September 2007.
http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2007/fil07063.html

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued a proposed rule to reduce regulatory burdens, update certain rules, and make conforming changes to its regulations.
http://www.occ.gov/ftp/bulletin/2007-23.html

The House Committee on Financial Services held a hearing on "Hedge Funds and Systemic Risk: Perspectives of The President's Working Group on Financial Markets". They emphasize a principle-based collaborative approach to the market. Under Secretary for Domestic Finance Robert K. Steel cited these recent changes:
* In the last five years, the number of hedge funds has more than doubled, growing to over 9,000 funds today.
* Since 1999, hedge fund assets have grown by more than 400 percent, totaling approximately $1.4 trillion.
* They are also generating an increasing share of trading volume. Some experts estimate they may represent up to 50 percent of trading in our markets today.
* The number and nature of investment strategies that these managers deploy have also continued to grow, and today there are over 20 different categories of investment strategies.
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hr0705074.shtml
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CIM Chemical
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Canadian researchers warn that thousands of common chemicals need to be reassessed because they have not been recognized for their ability to accumulate in humans and other mammals and birds that breath air. Current assessments are based on water-breathing animals.
http://www.sfu.ca/pamr/media_releases/media_releases_archive/media_release07120701.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6896330.stm

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) describes the efforts chemical companies will need to take for effective chemical security, and the foundation that the association's Responsible Care Security Code provides.
http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_acc/sec_article.asp?CID=61&DID=5039

ACC also released the latest Responsible Care performance metrics for its members.
http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_acc/sec_news_article.asp?CID=206&DID=5676

The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Subcommittee on Transportation, Safety, Infrastructure Security, and Water Quality hearing entitled, "Lessons Learned from Chemical Safety Board (CSB) Investigations, Including Texas City, Texas".
http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=8df2d438-802a-23ad-4f92-3cc51c2464bc
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CIM Commercial Facilities
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Mexican President Calderon has sent 5,000 elite troops to guard strategic sites following recent Pemex pipeline bombings and the threat of further attacks. Several factories were forced to suspend or scale back operations due to lack of natural gas.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1642391,00.html

This article describes how the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) offers protection at large special events like concerts, conventions, and sporting events.
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/july07/event071307.htm

New York City is planning a comprehensive surveillance system similar to that in London.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/09/nyregion/09ring.html
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CIM Cybersecurity
--------------------------------------------------
Microsoft issued six security updates patching 11 vulnerabilities of which five are rated critical, including repairs to bugs in the way Active Directory validates an access request.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms07-jul.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS07-039.mspx

Applying the MS07-040 patch for .NET, which is the most important of those released this month, has caused several major system problems.
http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=3132
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931212/en-us

Apple has released security updates to fix eight vulnerabilities.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61798
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305947

Western countries are under daily cyber attacks from foreign intelligence agencies, and the risk of a large-scale concerted hacking incident is rising.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6290102.stm

The US state of Ohio has announced that yet more personal information was on a computer backup tape stolen last month, including the names and social security numbers of 576,000 individuals with un-cashed refund checks; 14,123 former employees; and 86,986 vendors.
http://governor.ohio.gov/News/July2007/News71107/tabid/324/Default.aspx
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/17485407.htm

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed securities fraud charges against two Texas individuals in a high-tech scam that hijacked personal computers nationwide to disseminate millions of spam emails and cheat investors out of more than $4.6 million.
http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2007/2007-130.htm

Business software consultant Binyamin Schwartz has been sentenced to 60 months in prison following his conviction on charges of identity theft, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud and wire fraud associated with this theft of 111,000 individuals' personal data stolen from the insurance company for which he was working.
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/tnm/press_releases/2007/7_9_07.html

The UK Information Commissioner released his annual report. Launching the report, Richard Thomas said, "Over the last year we have seen far too many careless and inexcusable breaches of people’s personal information. The roll call of banks, retailers, government departments, public bodies and other organizations, which have admitted serious security lapses is frankly horrifying. How can laptops holding details of customer accounts be used away from the office without strong encryption? How can millions of store cards fall into the wrong hands? How can online recruitment allow applicants to see each others’ forms? How can any bank chief executive face customers and shareholders and admit that loan rejections, health insurance applications, credit cards and bank statements can be found, unsecured in non-confidential waste bags?"
http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/pressreleases/2007/annual_report_press_releases_110707004.pdf
http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/corporate/detailed_specialist_guides/annual_report_2007.pdf
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6287504.stm

The Information Commissioner's Office also released a step-by-step guide to help individuals understand how to protect and manage personal information.
http://www.ico.gov.uk/Home/for_the_public/topic_specific_guides/personal_information_toolkit.aspx

Although Younis Tsouli ("irhabi007") has been jailed for ten years for masterminding extremist web sites, but the internet remains al Qaeda's best friend.
http://www.economist.com/world/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9472498
http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,2119590,00.html
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200606u/labi-interview
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CIM Dams and Bridges
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Brazil is proceeding with plans to build two large hydro-electric dams on the Madeira River, the longest tributary of the Amazon, despite Bolivia's environmental concerns.
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN1324970420070713
http://www.waterpowermagazine.com/story.asp?sectioncode=130&storyCode=2045916

Villagers in southern China's Guangxi Province clashed with police during a protest against inadequate compensation for farmland flooded by a dam project.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2007/07/12/2003369167
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CIM Defense Industrial Base
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The US Army and Marine Corps have experienced problems with delivery of supplies to those fighting in Iraq. In "Defense Logistics: Efforts to Improve Distribution and Supply Support for Joint Military Operations Could Benefit from a Coordinated Management Approach" the Government Accountability Office examined Defense Department efforts to develop and manage joint theater logistics. They recommend a coordinated and comprehensive management approach across the department to improve distribution and supply to US forces in a joint theater.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-807
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CIM Emergency Services
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The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Emergency Services Agency (ESA) has dumped the controversial Firelink communications system after determining it was more suited to military than emergency operations.
http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=general&story_id=1020973&category=general
http://www.esa.act.gov.au/

Rapid emergency response times in England and Wales have improved heart attack treatment dramatically.
http://www.bhf.org.uk/news_and_campaigning/press_office/latest_news__views/doubt_costing_lives.aspx
http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/news/news.asp?PR_id=360

In the US capitol, Washington DC, local bomb squads lack sufficient equipment to respond to the kind of simultaneous attacks being attempted or executed by global terrorists.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/12/AR2007071202213.html
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CIM Energy
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The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that by 2012 production will fall short of global demand. Demand is up, supplies are down, and alternatives are not yet available.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2d97d75a-2e0c-11dc-821c-0000779fd2ac.html
http://omrpublic.iea.org/mtomr.htm
http://www.iea.org/journalists/headlines.asp
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article2056350.ece
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/df06ca50-2f29-11dc-b9b7-0000779fd2ac.html

Europe's only chance of getting gas along pipelines that Russia doesn’t control is the Nabucco project that would connect gas from the Caspian and the Middle East to Europe via the Caucasus and Turkey, but the chances of this proceeding are getting more and more remote.
http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9465477

Russian gas monopoly Gazprom has taken a major shift in its monopolistic position by partnering with Total to exploit the Shtokman gas field in the Barents Sea.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/822dd2e4-2d7e-11dc-939b-0000779fd2ac.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/09/europe/EU-FIN-Russia-Gazprom-Shtokman.php
http://www.gazprom.com/eng/news/2007/07/24577.shtml
http://www.total.com/en/press/press_releases/pr_2007/070713-total-gazprom-shtokman-agreement_12970.htm
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B7DDC2A6-8A96-4486-B4F2-B666BA335A40.htm

This article addresses implications for US policy of Africa's oil and gas sector.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Africa/bg2052.cfm

The costs of building new power plants are surging, as copper, nickel, stainless, steel, and other components are rising.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/10/business/worldbusiness/10energy.html
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CIM Government Facilities
--------------------------------------------------
Mexican President Calderon has sent 5,000 elite troops to guard strategic sites, including refineries and dams, following recent Pemex pipeline bombings and the threat of further attacks.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pemex13jul13,0,5950315.story

Nepal's government has ended personal allowances for the royal family and may next nationalize the royal palace.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Nepal_King_may_now_lose_his_palace/articleshow/2200532.cms

The University of California (UC) faces a $3 million proposed civil penalty  as the former operating contractor of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, for violations of classified information security requirements, The current management, Los Alamos National Security (LANS) faces a $300,000 penalty. Investigations found that management deficiencies of both contractors were a central contributing factor in the unauthorized reproduction and removal of classified matter from the nuclear research site. A Compliance Order requires specific corrective actions on a prescribed timetable in the physical protection and cyber security of classified information.
http://www.hss.energy.gov/Enforce/eas/ea-2007-02_PNOV.pdf
http://www.hss.energy.gov/Enforce/eas/ea-2007-01_Compliance_Order.pdf
http://www.hss.energy.gov/Enforce/eas/EA-2007-01_PNOV.pdf
http://lanl-the-rest-of-the-story.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
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CIM Information Technology
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Intel has joined the One Laptop per Child initiative, giving a significant boost to the global effort.
http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20070713corp.htm?iid=pr1_releasepri_20070713r

Electronic goods discarded in the west are the source of some of the high levels of toxic lead that later turn up in cheap jewelry from China.
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14558

In the Indian state of Karnataka, an exclusive anti-terrorist force is planned for the state capital Bangalore, home to much of the nation's IT industry as well as to three residents associated with a failed UK terror plot.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1109673
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CIM National Monuments and Icons
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The new Seven Wonders of the World have been selected through a global online election.
http://www.new7wonders.com/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/6272956.stm
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/07/06/seven.wonders/index.html
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CIM Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste
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Brazil will proceed with building its third nuclear reactor.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/10/america/LA-GEN-Brazil-Nuclear.php

The Czech Republic insists that it has breached no agreements signed with Austria regarding the Temelin nuclear power plant.
http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/index_view.php?id=261340

Uranium extraction employees in Burma (Myanmar) are working without sufficient health protection devices.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=7816

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is furious with energy company Vattenfall for having been slow to publicly admit the severity of recent mishaps at two reactors in northern Germany. Meanwhile, the company still seems to be in denial.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,493775,00.html

Britain is unprepared to respond to a serious incident at the Sizewell B nuclear power station, particularly related to the scale of a major evacuation.
http://www.largeassociates.com/3093%20Saxmundham/R3093-final-summary.pdf
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6292982.stm

The operator of Scotland's Dounreay nuclear plant was fined GBP15,000 for health and safety failings that contaminated two employees. They say they have improved safety at the plant.
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1091712007

The US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, held a hearing on "Dirty Bomb Vulnerabilities: Fake Companies, Fake Licenses, Real Consequences". Undercover Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigators set up a fake company and obtained a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that would have allowed them to obtain components for a dirty bomb. The hearing focused on the process by which parties obtain NRC materials licenses and the vulnerability of NRC materials licenses to counterfeiting.
http://www.senate.gov/~govt-aff/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=464
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-1038T

The Government Accountability Project sampled homes, businesses and public areas around the Los Alamos National Laboratory and found significant amounts of radioactivity. The Project says that the particles most likely came from the laboratory, but Los Alamos scientists believe that radiation came from naturally occurring sources and prior nuclear testing.
http://www.whistleblower.org/doc/2007/FinalLANLReport.pdf
http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/64551.html
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CIM Public Health and Healthcare
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The Australian Federal Police (AFP) raided health offices and found that tens of thousands of health workers entered without detailed security checks.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,2201,00.html

Swaziland's public healthcare system is buckling under a surge of HIV/AIDS patients, leaving many with home-based care (HBC) as the only alternative.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=73237

The UK is concerned that lax hospital security could provide terrorists' access to deadly viruses and chemicals.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6773642,00.html

The Department of Health has drafted a code of practice to combat fraud and security incidents.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_076634

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released an updated "Yellow Book" that provides information for international travel health risks.
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2007/r070713.htm
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CIM Telecommunications
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The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released "Communications Outlook 2007". They report that telecommunications investment continues to rise and consumers are generally paying less for more and better services across the OECD area but technology developments are presenting new challenges to telecoms operators
http://www.oecd.org/document/43/0,3343,en_2649_201185_38949291_1_1_1_1,00.html

The electronics industry is sizing up the iPhone.
http://www.embedded.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201000194
http://www.eetimes.com/rss/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=200900718

"The Athens Affair" describes how Greek government officials were spied on by tapping the mobile phone system.
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/jul07/5280

Militant groups operating in the Kashmir valley increasingly are using cell phones to trigger improvised explosives targeting vehicles of security forces and patrols.
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=88975

US wireless carrier Sprint has terminated the accounts of up to 1200 customers for making too many customer support calls.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SPRINT_NEXTEL_TERMINATED_CUSTOMERS?SITE=CAGRA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
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CIM Transportation
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"Keeping the Skies Friendly" is a new backgrounder that discusses the next steps for general aviation security.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/HomelandDefense/bg2051.cfm

Rather than screening each employee, US airports have adopted a policy of random checks.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2007/07/09/airport_0710.html

Airport workers may be receiving inadequate job training or oversight. "Under the Radar" is a new report from the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy that discusses the possible threats to public health and security this presents.
http://www.laane.org/research/under_the_radar.html
http://cbs2.com/local/local_story_193041506.html

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) released the Report on Piracy Against Ships for the second quarter, which shows a 37 percent spike in attacks compared to the same period in 2006, but similar to the total number of attacks in the first six months: 126 compared to 127 last year. So far in 2007 heavily armed attackers hijacked 13 vessels, 152 crew members were taken hostage, 41 were kidnapped and three were killed. In 66 cases, either guns or knives were used.
http://www.icc-ccs.org/main/news.php?newsid=91

Following Australian links to the UK terror plot, the government is accelerating new border security measures.
http://www.pm.gov.au/media/Release/2007/Media_Release24420.cfm
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,22040319-601,00.html
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CIM Water
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The Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) Chief Minister is seeking ideas and cooperation on cross-border options to secure the water supply of the ACT and those areas of New South Wales that rely on the ACT for their water.
http://www.chiefminister.act.gov.au/media.asp?media=2728&section=24&title=Media%20Release&id=24

Li Yuanchao, leader of East China's Jiangsu Province, has promised there will be no compromises in curbing water pollution at Taihu lake, even if it slows economic growth.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/09/content_6347902.htm

At least three people were killed when chlorine gas being used at a water treatment plant in Nigeria's southeastern Cross River state escaped into nearby homes.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=73168

Urban water quality in Pakistan has deteriorated dangerously over the past decade and the country's most heavily populated province, the Punjab, is at risk, as leaking sewage pipes are allowing dirty water to seep into drinking water pipes.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=73205

"Take Back the Tap" is a new report from Food and Water Watch that explains problems with bottled water and the need to support local water utilities through increased US federal funding.
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/pubs/reports/take-back-the-tap

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.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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DRM Incidents
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China's rainy season this summer already has affected more than 66.3 million people. 360 people have been killed and direct economic losses exceed 24.3 billion yuan (3.13 billion).

The overloaded MV Blue Water Princess 1 ferry sank in rough waters in the Philippines after striking a rock or coral. Of some 256 passengers, 128 have been rescued.

In Indonesian waters, the KM Wahai Star sank in rough seas. Of 70 people on board, 33 have been rescued.

Flash floods in Sudan have left 30 dead and scores injured.

Torrential rain in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province has swept at least 22 people to their deaths.

Heavy rains in western Nepal caused a landslide that killed at least 21 people.

An Iranian truck driver fell asleep and collided with a bus in northern Iran. 18 people were killed and 12 injured.

In Athens, Greece, a commuter train collided head-on with a freight train, injuring 52 people. Operator Hellenic Railways has had several accidents this year, and this incident is under investigation.
--------------------------------------------------
DRM Response and Recovery
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China's Ministry of Agriculture and health authorities have arrived at the Dongting Lake district of central Hunan province, where severe flooding has forced some ten billion rodents from lake islands. The mice and rats have destroyed crops and invaded three cities, posing a potential health hazard. More than 2.25 million rodents (90 tons) have been killed since 21 June. They have been covered with quicklime and buried deep underground.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/11/content_6361119.htm
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/07/070711-china-rats.html

The MSC Napoli was re-floated, nearly six months after it was grounded in a January storm, but had to be re-beached shortly thereafter when a diving survey revealed more extensive damage than previously believed.
http://www.mcga.gov.uk/
http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/democracycommunities/msc-napoli-update.htm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/flash/0,,1996150,00.html

The UK Environment Agency says that in recent flooding five times as many homes and businesses were flooded by overflowing drains and sewers as were affected by river flooding. Climate change will increase flooding, and coordinated action is needed now.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/news/1817352

The US Army Corps of Engineers released the draft Hurricane Protection Decision Chronology (HPDC) for the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project (LPVHPP) in the Greater New Orleans area. There is a 30-day public comment period. The report was to provide an explanation, as opposed to an evaluation, of how Corps policies and organization, legislation, and financial and other factors influenced the decisions that led to the LPVHPP protective structures in place when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. The HPDC focus on project decision-making is intended to complement the engineering forensics investigations on the performance of the LPVHPP during Katrina, such as those conducted by the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force and other institutions.
http://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/inside/products/pub/hpdc/hpdc.cfm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/10/AR2007071001993.html

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable collapse of ceiling tile in an interstate highway connector n Boston, Massachusetts, was deformation and fracturing of an epoxy anchor adhesive applied inappropriately. One woman died in the accident.
http://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2007/071007b.htm
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DRM Risks
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Thousands of Indonesian villagers have been moved to camps away from Mount Gamkonora, in North Maluku province. Many of the evacuees are experiencing respiratory problems. The volcano has been spewing ash, smoke, and flaming rocks, and magma is rising amid fears that an eruption could be imminent.
http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSJAK324750._CH_.2400

Benfield Hasard Research Center's Tropical Storm Risk researchers have slightly lowered estimates for hurricane risk this year. The number of tropical storms predicted in the Atlantic dropped from 15.7 to 14.7, and hurricanes dropped from 8.6 to 7.9. Intense hurricanes fell slightly from 3.9 to 3.5.
http://tsr.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/

Marsh Ltd. in London issued "Optimising Return on Capital Employed on Risk Transfer". The white paper outlines the process necessary for clients to ensure their risk-financing investments and other tools are effective. Their recommendations highlight ways firms can maintain a balance between how risks are managed, helping companies to lower the total cost of risk.
http://www.marsh.co.uk/media/rc/risk_transfer_white_paper_200707.pdf
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DRM Mitigation
--------------------------------------------------
This article addresses mechanisms for pandemic influenza insurance.
http://hiu.nahu.org/article.asp?article=1615

The National Transportation Safety Board made twenty safety recommendations in connection with the collapse of a ceiling tile in a highway connector tunnel ceiling in Boston, Massachusetts. These include:
* Developing standards and protocols for the testing of adhesive anchors to be used in sustained tensile-load overhead highway applications. These standards and protocols should consider site-specific ultimate strength values as well as the creep characteristics of the adhesive over the expected life of the structure;
* Prohibiting the use of adhesive anchors in sustained tensile-load overhead highway applications where failure of the adhesive would result in a risk to the public until testing standards and protocols have been developed and implemented that ensure the safety of these applications;
* Developing specific design, construction, and inspection guidance for tunnel finishes and incorporate that guidance into a tunnel design manual;
* Reviewing the use of adhesive anchors in highway construction within your jurisdiction and identify those sites where failure of the adhesive under sustained load could result in a risk to the public. Once those sites have been identified, implement an inspection and repair program to ensure that such failures do not occur;
* Requiring creep testing for the qualification of all anchor adhesives.
* Disqualifying for use in sustained tensile loading any adhesive that has not been tested for creep or that has failed such tests;
* Using building codes, forums, educational materials, and publications to inform design and construction agencies of the potential for gradual deformation (creep) in anchor adhesives and to make them aware of the possible risks associated with using adhesive anchors in concrete under sustained tensile-load applications.
http://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2007/071007b.htm

7. Recommended Reading

On Thursday, the National Security Council released a report on interim progress for the new way forward in Iraq, as required by Congress. There are two major aspects to the review: military and political.

Following the introduction and an explanation of the strategy, the 25-page report provides an update on the security situation in Iraq. It begins, "The security situation in Iraq remains complex and extremely challenging. Iraqi and Coalition Forces continue to emphasize population security operations in Baghdad, its environs, and Anbar province to combat extremist networks, and create the space for political reconciliation and economic growth.  As a result of increased offensive operations, Coalition and Iraqi Forces have sustained increased attacks in Iraq, particularly in Baghdad, Diyala, and Salah ad Din.  Tough fighting should be expected through the summer as Coalition and Iraqi Forces seek to seize the initiative from early gains and shape conditions for longer-term stabilization.  These combined operations -- named Operation Phantom Thunder -- were launched on June 15, 2007, after the total complement of surge forces arrived in Iraq.  The full surge in this respect has only just begun". Details of operations in Baghdad, Babil, Diyala, and Anbar provinces follow.

Political reconciliation efforts are bottom-up, and the report explains, " Moving key legislation depends on deal-making among major players in a society deeply divided along sectarian, ethnic, and other lines.  Meaningful and lasting progress on national reconciliation may also require a sustained period of reduced violence in order to build trust.  For this reason, most of the major political benchmarks identified in the legislation -- i.e., final passage of monumental pieces of legislation through Iraq’s Council of Representatives by consensus -- are lagging indicators of whether or not the strategy is succeeding or is going to be successful." They cite the absence of national leadership but site examples they say provide hope that "the Government of Iraq and major political figures can overcome the dynamics that otherwise inhibit effectiveness".

The economic indicators show "modest" improvement.

Key to maintaining support in the US are 18 Congressional Benchmarks. Their status is summarized herewith:

1- Forming a Constitutional Review Committee and then completing the constitutional review

Assessment: The Government of Iraq has made satisfactory progress toward forming a Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) and then completing the constitutional review.

2- Enacting and implementing legislation on de-Baathification reform

Assessment: The Government of Iraq has not made satisfactory progress toward enacting and implementing legislation on de-Baathification reform

3- Enacting and implementing legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of hydrocarbon resources to the people of Iraq without regard to the sect or ethnicity of recipients, and enacting and implementing legislation to ensure that the energy resources of Iraq benefit Sunni Arabs, Shia Arabs, Kurds, and other Iraqi citizens in an equitable manner

Assessment:  The current status is unsatisfactory, but it is too early to tell whether the Government of Iraq will enact and implement legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of hydrocarbon resources to all Iraqis.

4- Enacting and implementing legislation on procedures to form semi-autonomous regions

Assessment: The Government of Iraq has made satisfactory progress toward enacting and implementing legislation on procedures to form semi-autonomous regions.

5- Enacting and implementing legislation establishing an Independent High Electoral Commission, provincial elections law, provincial council authorities, and a date for provincial elections

Assessment:  There are multiple components to this benchmark, each deserving its own assessment:
* Establishing the IHEC Commission:  The Government of Iraq has made satisfactory progress toward establishing an IHEC Commission.
* Elections Law:  The Government of Iraq has not made satisfactory progress toward establishing a provincial elections law.   Drafting of the law has just begun.
* Provincial Council Authorities:  The Government of Iraq has not made satisfactory progress toward establishing provincial council authorities.
* Provincial Elections Date:  The Government of Iraq has not made satisfactory progress toward establishing a date for provincial elections.

6- Enacting and implementing legislation addressing amnesty

Assessment:  The prerequisites for a successful general amnesty are not present; however, in the current security environment, it is not clear that such action should be a near-term Iraqi goal.  

7- Enacting and implementing legislation establishing a strong militia disarmament program to ensure that such security forces are accountable only to the central government and loyal to the constitution of Iraq

Assessment:  The prerequisites for a successful militia disarmament program are not present.  

8- Establishing supporting political, media, economic, and services committees in support of the Baghdad Security Plan

Assessment:  The Government of Iraq has made satisfactory progress toward establishing supporting political, media, economic, and services committees in support of the Baghdad Security Plan.   

9- Providing three trained and ready Iraqi brigades to support Baghdad operations

Assessment:  The Government of Iraq has made satisfactory progress toward providing three trained and ready Iraqi brigades to support Baghdad operations

10- Providing Iraqi commanders with all authorities to execute this plan and to make tactical and operational decisions in consultation with U.S. Commanders without political intervention to include the authority to pursue all extremists including Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias

Assessment:  The Government of Iraq has not made satisfactory progress toward providing Iraqi commanders with all authorities to execute this plan and to make tactical and operational decisions in consultation with U.S. Commanders without political intervention to include the authority to pursue all extremists including Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias.

11- Ensuring that Iraqi Security Forces are providing even-handed enforcement of the law

Assessment:  The Government of Iraq has not at this time made satisfactory progress in ensuring that Iraqi Security Forces are providing even-handed enforcement of the law; however, there has been significant progress in achieving increased even-handedness through the use of coalition partnering and embedded-transition teams with Iraqi Security Force units. ... Because we are holding the ISF to a high standard, however, the overall judgment at this time remains unsatisfactory.  

12- Ensuring that, as Prime Minister Maliki was quoted by President Bush as saying, "the Baghdad Security Plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation"

Assessment:  The Government of Iraq has made satisfactory progress in ensuring the Baghdad Security Plan does not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of their sectarian or political affiliations.

13- Reducing the level of sectarian violence in Iraq and eliminating militia control of local security

Assessment:  The Government of Iraq -- with substantial Coalition assistance -- has made satisfactory progress toward reducing sectarian violence but has shown unsatisfactory progress towards eliminating militia control of local security.  

14- Establishing all of the planned joint security stations in neighborhoods across Baghdad

Assessment:  The Government of Iraq -- with substantial Coalition assistance -- has made satisfactory progress toward establishing the planned JSSs in Baghdad.  

15- Increasing the number of Iraqi security forces units capable of operating independently

Assessment:  The Iraqi Government has made unsatisfactory progress toward increasing the number of Iraqi Security Forces units capable of operating independently. ... ISF performance has generally been adequate, particularly
when units are partnered with Coalition Forces.   
 
16- Ensuring that the rights of minority political parties in the Iraqi legislature are protected

Assessment:  The Government of Iraq has made satisfactory progress toward ensuring that the rights of minority political parties in the Iraqi legislature are protected.  

17- Allocating and spending $10 billion in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects, including delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis

Assessment:  The Iraqi Government is making satisfactory progress in allocating funds to ministries and provinces, but even if the full $10 billion capital budget is allocated, spending units will not be able to spend all these funds by the end of 2007.  

18- Ensuring that Iraq’s political authorities are not undermining or making false accusations against members of the ISF

Assessment:  The Government of Iraq has made unsatisfactory progress in ensuring that Iraq’s political authorities are not undermining or making false accusations against members of the ISF.


SOURCE:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070712.html
This links to the report and press conference

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS:
"Bush fending off an Iraq deadline
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/13/america/13assess.php
"Bush quiets GOP revolt over Iraq"
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-bush13jul13,0,6806874.story
"Despite Failures in Iraq, President Holds Firm"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/12/AR2007071200736.html
"An Iraq Uppercut for Bush"
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,494260,00.html
"Missing the benchmarks"
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-iraq13jul13,0,4031004.story
"No progress report"
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/13/opinion/edbush.php
"Wishful Thinking on Iraq"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/11/AR2007071102042.html
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