Saturday, September 13 - A series of five bomb blasts hit Delhi today. In an Email to Indian police responsibility was claimed by a group calling itself the Indian Mujahideen.
Hurricane Hammers Houston
Saturday, September 13 - Ike made landfall early this morning. The Houston Chronicle is maintaining a blow-by-blow blog at http://blogs.chron.com/hurricanes/
Different Strategies to Improve Intelligence
Saturday, September 13 - On Friday the FBI moved ahead with new guidance for counter-terror investigations. According to the Wall Street Journal, "The guidelines allow FBI agents to open "threat assessments," which are lower-level investigations that are based only on having a "purpose," and not necessarily any factual reason to do so. In these investigations, agents would be able to conduct "pretext interviews," without identifying themselves as FBI agents. The rules also loosen restrictions on agents being able to use physical surveillance, solicit new informants or assign informants to seek information without high-level approval.
Also on Friday the House Homeland Security Committee released a Staff Report that concluded current federal efforts to share intelligence with State and local partners, "has primarily been focused on providing security clearances to an ever-increasing number of law enforcement personnel and private sector representatives to assure access to classified homeland security information. This approach, all too often, prevents information from being shared with the cops on the beat – the people best-positioned to detect suspicious activities or uncover a terrorist cell.
Ike Strengthens before Strike
Friday, September 12 - Hurricane Ike is expected to make landfall by tomorrow morning. According to the National Hurricane Center:
IKE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH...20 KM/HR. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY...WITH A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH EXPECTED ON SATURDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF IKE WILL BE VERY NEAR THE UPPER TEXAS COAST BY LATE TODAY OR EARLY SATURDAY. HOWEVER...BECAUSE IKE IS A VERY LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE... WEATHER WILL DETERIORATE A LONG THE COASTLINE TODAY...LONG BEFORE THE CENTER REACHES THE COAST. REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IKE IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND IKE IS FORECAST TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE BEFORE THE CENTER REACHES THE COAST.
Terrorism Training Banned
Friday, September 12 - YouTube has banned postings that advocate terrorism or incite violence. The new guidelines state, "While it might not seem fair to say you can’t show something because of what viewers theoretically might do in response, we draw the line at content that’s intended to incite violence or encourage dangerous, illegal activities that have an inherent risk of serious physical harm or death. This means not posting videos on things like instructional bomb making, ninja assassin training, sniper attacks, videos that train terrorists, or tips on illegal street racing. Any depictions like these should be educational or documentary and shouldn’t be designed to help or encourage others to imitate them." Some are skeptical, see Wired.
Power Grid Vulnerable
Friday, September 12 - According to Congress Daily, "During a hearing before the Energy and Commerce Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee, several witnesses and lawmakers argued that the threat to the nation's power grid from cyberattacks is real and urged lawmakers to enact legislation to give FERC additional powers to order utilities to take the necessary steps to address the problem."
Afghan/Pakistan Border Heats Up
Thursday, September 11 - Saeed Shah writes in the Globe and Mail that al-Qaeda and "its local partners have destabilized nuclear-armed Pakistan, and largely taken over its northwest fringe. Afghanistan has been sent into a tailspin of violence. While al-Qaeda was beaten back in Iraq... its influence is now entrenched in Pakistan and Afghanistan, from where it is feared that terror strikes against the West are still being planned." Yesterday the Pakistani Army Chief criticized US and NATO cross-border operations from Afghanistan. This morning the New York Times reports, "President Bush secretly approved orders in July that for the first time allow American Special Operations forces to carry out ground assaults inside Pakistan without the prior approval of the Pakistani government..."
Terrorism Trails Economy, Energy and More
Thursday, September 11 - On the seventh anniversary of 9/11,Terrorism is no longer a major issue for most Americans according to recent polls. Some suggest this is because the battle against terrorism is being won. According to the Human Security Brief, there has been "a sharp net decline in the incidence of terrorist violence around the world."
Earthquakes in South and East Asia
Thursday, September 11 - Two nearly simultaneous earthquakes shook the Pacific "ring of fire" earlier today. Another strong earthquake caused damage and at least one death in southern Iran and the Persian Gulf on Wednesday.
Earth is not Destroyed
Wednesday, September 10 - Early today the Large Hadron Collider produced its first energy beam. In his book Catastrophe: Risk and Response, Richard Posner explained that some are worried about the LHC producing a strangelet disaster. This would consist of a shower of quarks that could "convert anything else encountered into a strange new form of matter." A second beam will be spawned later today.
African Coast Clears
Wednesday, September 10 - After two very active weeks, Hurricane Ike remains the only tropical threat to the Eastern and Southern United States. There are currently no organized lows off West Africa. This suggests five days or more when an Atlantic hurricane is unlikely.
Report Highlights WMD Threat
Tuesday, September 9 - The Partnership for a Secure America will release a report tomorrow highlighting US vulnerability to a catastrophic attack using nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons of mass destruction. UPDATE: Access the full report here.
Recovery Underway in Haiti, Cuba, and on the Gulf
Tuesday, September 9 - Reeling from four major storms in three weeks Haiti is "hell on earth," according to a United Nations official. Hurricane Ike strafed much of Cuba and will probably hit again before heading into the Gulf. In the US the gulf coast continues to recover from Gustav as it appears Ike may target Texas and Mexico. Late Monday New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said, "It would be difficult to get people to move again for Ike after so many evacuated for Gustav. People are so weary and so financially tapped." Over 137,000 Southern Louisiana residents remain without electricity, according to CNN.
UK Convicts Three Terrorists
Tuesday, September 9 - On Monday a British court convicted three of eight arrested in 2006 for plotting to bomb several transatlantic airliners. The Daily Telegraph reports police believe several involved in the plot are still at-large.
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