Thursday, June 28, 2007

Steps Toward WWIV + Fake Terror at Home









Putin's Arctic invasion: Russia lays claim to the North Pole - and all its gas, oil, and diamonds
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=464921&in_page_id=1811




Mr "World War IV"


Rice Picks Eliot Cohen, Neocon Champion Of Iraq War, as Counselor
http://www.wrmea.com/archives/May-June_2007/0705036.html













"Operation Kaboom."

Behind The NYPD Drill To Locate Fertilizer Bomb
http://www.wnbc.com/news/13590116/detail.html

Stopping terrorist attacks not only requires focusing on the known threats from potential attackers, but also foiling the plots that law enforcement doesn't see coming.
To that end, the New York City Police Department conducts terror drills to see how the department reacts to potential disaster on a moment's notice.
Jonathan Dienst and the Investigations Unit of WNBC have obtained videotapes that show the NYPD in action during such drills
The first tape shows how authorities react to a 'dirty bomb' threat. As Dienst showed in his report on June 27,
they were able to find the SUV involved in the test
.
Images: 'Dirty Bomb' Detection Test
Another tape shows a drill called "Operation Kaboom." The premise: to see how easy it would be to make and transport an ammonium nitrate-based bomb into Manhattan.
In this test, officers not trained in bomb-making built explosives using supplies available to all consumers. They bought ammonium nitrate fertilizer upstate -- no questions asked -- despite the fact that they had New York City-area identification.
They built the bomb in a Bronx storage unit, near the Triboro Bridge, with the door wide open for anyone to look in and see. They mixed ammonium nitrate with fuel oil and other chemicals.
Ammonium nitrate is a cheap fertilizer that is used in farming across the country, but it was also a key ingredient in the bombs used in the 1993 World Trade Center attack, the Oklahoma City bombing, and more recent attacks in Bali and Morocco.
In this case, after mixing it all together, officers loaded it into a van, drove it into the city and went through the motions terrorists would if they wanted the device to explode.
Later, they drove over the Triboro Bridge to a location NewsChannel 4 has agreed not to disclose for security reasons. No one caught on, and the truck was able to park on the street without any questions.
New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said afterward, "These were detectives who had some fairly basic training, and they were able to do it with disturbing ease."
Kelly said there are nine farm suppliers in New York alone that sell large amounts of ammonium nitrate. There is a lobbying group, The Fertilizer Institute, that now supports a bill requiring buyers and sellers to register.
New York Sen. Charles Schumer said this should serve as a wakeup call.
"Until we are registering this chemical and able to trace it and see who is buying it and in what quantities, it's going to be hard to police."

Philippines weighs war drills with Australia, US




The Philippine military is looking at the possibility of organizing joint war drills with US and Australian troops to bolster the regional battle against terror groups, a military official said Wednesday.
The Philippines holds several military exercises each year with the United States, its longtime ally, under a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and two other security accords.
Last month, it signed a Status of Forces Agreement with Australia that would allow large-scale exercises with Australian troops. (Cont..)



HI

Local Post Offices Conduct Anthrax Drill
http://kgmb9.com/kgmb/display.cfm?storyID=11835&sid=1183

Hawaii postal employees took part in an extensive and realistic drill Wednesday to be ready for a bio-terrorism attack.
Fourteen federal, state and local agencies took part in the training exercise at the Honolulu Airport post office. The exercise simulated a full evacuation after a package of anthrax was found by a bio-hazard detection system (cont..)

MPRI

Detrick gears up for emergency drill
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=61869

FORT DETRICK -- From a hurricane tearing through Frederick to a bomb exploding at Fort Detrick, the coordination among city and post officials during a crisis would be critical.
This concept was the basis for a seminar Fort Detrick held Tuesday and Wednesday. Staff and local officials prepared for larger-scale emergency training in September.
"We can rely on each other to prevent, deter and detect, and then recover from whatever happens," said Ray Wharton, a Fort Detrick antiterrorism officer.
MPRI, an Alexandria, Va.-based training and simulation defense contractor, led the Installation Force Protection Exercise classroom sessions. (Cont..)






Tuesday, June 26, 2007

The Homeland Security Scam Marches on....




Boeing




The Secure Border Initiative (SBI)
http://www.boeing.com/ids/advanced_systems/sbinet/


Virtual fence is rising along the border
http://news.com.com/Virtual+fence+is+rising+along+the+border/2100-11746_3-6193315.html

SASABE, Ariz.--If the effort to catch people illegally crossing the border here in the southern Arizona desert is a cat-and-mouse struggle, the Homeland Security Department says it has a smarter cat.
It comes in the form of nine nearly 100-foot-tall towers with radar, high-definition cameras and other equipment rising from the mesquite and lava fields around this tiny town.
Known as Project 28, for the 28 miles of border that the towers will scan, the so-called virtual fence forms the backbone of the Secure Border Initiative, known as SBInet, a multibillion-dollar mix of technology, manpower and fencing intended to control illegal border crossings.
If successful, hundreds of such towers could dot the 6,000 miles of the Mexican and Canadian borders. (Cont..)

AGS Finds Growth In Homeland Security Arena
http://www.crn.com/white-box/199904973

Adtech Global Solutions is a $49 million system builder mining the flood of Homeland Security opportunities expanding in the post-9/11 era.
The Alpharetta, Ga., firm, which caters exclusively to OEM and ISV customers and their resellers, enjoyed a high rate of growth last year—a 37 percent increase in unit sales—selling computer and storage systems to clients that include military customers designing weapon simulators and vendors developing security and surveillance systems to meet Homeland Security initiatives, executives said (cont..)

US Expands Airport Biometric Data Collection
http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/07/06/26/1944228.shtml

QinetiQ unit completes purchase of 3H Technology for up to 52 mln usd
http://www.hemscott.com/news/latest-news/item.do?newsId=45709189739563



QinetiQ speech recognition technology allows voice control of aircraft systems
http://www.epicos.com/epicos/portal/media-type/html/user/anon/page/default.psml/js_panename/News+Information+Article+View;jsessionid=179479EE5E17340B5D18D71AD48E353F.tomcat5?articleid=79191&showfull=false


Arlington’s In-Q-Tel invests in California’s Pixim
http://www.techjournalsouth.com/news/article.html?item_id=3320

Real-Time Ambition: Reaching the Potential of Event Processing
http://www.intelligententerprise.com/channels/bi/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199902891


Complex event processing (CEP) software delivers on the promise of real-time insight, but is the technology too green for mainstream success? CEP was once available only to big financial institutions and government agencies that could afford custom development projects. That's no longer the case, as off-the-shelf products and implementations have proliferated. Intelligent Enterprise shares success stories and explores the potential of CEP as your next competitive edge.
"Real-time" is now one of the buzz phrases that shows up all over the place, but if there's any technology that can truly deliver on these words, it's the emerging category of complex event processing (CEP). With so many organizations now using conventional http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=business


Coda Octopus Group to design electronic chassis for weapons system for Raytheon
http://mae.pennnet.com/display_article/296204/32/NEWS/none/none/Coda-Octopus-Group-to-design-electronic-chassis-for-weapons-system-for-Raytheon/


NEW YORK, 26 June 2007. Coda Octopus Group Inc., maker of
underwater terrorism prevention solutions: http://mae.pennnet.com/articles/article_display.cfm?Section=ARCHI&C=News&ARTICLE_ID=139634&KEYWORDS=underwater%20terrorism&p=32
won a $1,560,000 contract with Raytheon Missile Systems through its wholly owned subsidiary, Colmek Systems Engineering.
The contract is for the upgraded design and production of electronic chassis for the robust, integrated Phalanx in-close weapons defense system with advanced radar and infrared video to locate and destroy incoming hostile threats. (Cont..)



MDA Enters Into Research Agreement With The U.S. National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/June2007/19/c6115.html

RICHMOND, BC, June 19 /CNW/ - MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (TSX: MDA), a provider of essential information solutions, has entered into a US $775,000 agreement with the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) to assess the change detection potential enabled by RADARSAT-2 imagery. This research supports NGA's mandate to develop new capabilities to assist with operational intelligence analysis. As such it is an important step to developing future RADARSAT-2 applications and information products that will provide critical geospatial information for U.S. defense agencies. About MDA MDA provides advanced information solutions that capture and process vast amounts of data, produce essential information, and improve the decision making and operational performance of business and government organizations worldwide. Focused on markets and customers with strong repeat business potential, MDA delivers a broad spectrum of earth and space based information solutions, ranging from complex operational systems, to tailored information services, to electronic information products. MDA employs more than 3,000 people in locations across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The Company's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TSX:MDA.

L-1 Identity Solutions buys McClendon Corp. for $66M
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2007/06/18/daily19.html

Billerica, Mass.-based L-1 said it will pay McClendon shareholders $33 million in cash and $33 million in equity. McClendon, with offices in Chantilly and Jessup, specializes in imagery intelligence and validation technology. L-1 develops biometric identification technology and sells software used for verifying documents like passports.
McClendon, a veteran-owned firm founded in 1983 with about 200 employees, has seen sales grow by more than 30 percent a year for the last three years. The company has a $98 million backlog, and L-1 (NYSE: ID) says its acquisition will add about $20 million in annual revenues.
The acquisition is expected to close next month.
McClendon's customers include the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Intelligence chief working to change 1981 Executive Order on national security
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20070612-1221-newspyrules.html





Sunday, June 24, 2007

Why Do We Have a "Defense Department"?







Why do we spend 3/4 of a trillion dollars a year
on "defense"? Who are the enemies? To quote Larry Gelbart's 70's sitcom M*A*S*H: " Have you ever seen a General in an unemployment line?" Why not? If you don't have a real enemy,


you must manufacture one - Al Qaeda. Are people stupid? Do we really believe in the bogey man in a cave (Bin Laden) as need to justify having a standing army and outrageous military spending?





General Dyanimics CEO: (thanks to Nico Haupt for research)






PA

Postal Workers Taking Part In Bio-Terror Drill
http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_175095900.html

AP) PHILADELPHIA Postal workers will be delivering in Philadelphia Sunday, but don’t look for bills and letters. The deliveries are part of a bio-terror drill.The exercise will test how well postal carriers can deliver simulated boxes of medication to the public in case of an emergency.Mail carriers will deliver 55,000 boxes to parts of Germantown, Fairmount and Mayfair. The boxes will not contain actual medication, just instructions that basically say, "This is a test."Postal officials said the boxes will list a phone number and Web site where people can get more information.The deliveries will be timed and the city’s emergency operations center will monitor the drill

War games with Russia, China likely
http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/24/stories/2007062451050900.htm

NEW DELHI: Senior Indian Army officers will meet their Russian and Chinese counterparts next month to plan for bilateral war games later this year, Army sources said.
This will be the first time that Indian soldiers will practice manoeuvres on Russian and Chinese soil.
"The planning conferences will be held in the expectation that the exercises will take place in September-October. They will be company-level exercises in all probability and the meetings will decide the final dates. The backdrop will be counter-terrorism," they said.
Interestingly, the Army’s joint exercises would be preceded by a bigger interaction between Russia and China along with three Central Asian countries with the same counter-terrorism backdrop.

China military, hardware for SCO exercise to arrive via Russia
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11656036&PageNum=0


MOSCOW, June 23 (Itar-Tass) - Russia’s top military said on Saturday that Chinese military personnel, armaments and hardware would arrive to the area of the CSO Peace Mission 2007 military exercise only via Russia in bypassing Kazakhstan.
They will be delivered by trains and aircraft of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Ground Troops, Colonel General Vladimir Moltensky said.
The first group will arrive at the Chebarkul training range in the Chelyabinsk region on July 31, while the rest military will arrive between August 1 and 4, he said.
They will arrive earlier to hold several joint trainings with other participants in the manoeuvres from other countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the general explained.
He said up to six trains with personnel, armaments and hardware will head to Russia from China. Chinese military and armaments will arrive via the cities of Zabaikalsk, Novosibirsk and Omsk.
Forty-six Chinese military aircraft will be engaged in the exercise.
General Moltensky noted that after foreign military cross the Russian border, Russia will assume all expenses connected with their lodging, meals as well the manoeuvres themselves, in line with international practice.
Army General Alexei Maslov, Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Troops, said about 2,000 Russian military and over 500 units of hardware will take part in the exercise.
Maslov said the Peace Mission 2007 exercise will be held from August 9 to 17 on Chinese and Russian territories. The first stage of the exercise, including political consultations, will take place in China. The second, main, stage will be held at the Chebarkul training range of the Volga-Urals military district. Over 5,000 military from all six SCO states will participate.

BAE Systems Information and Electronics, Nashua, N.H., is being awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for $15,332,183. This contract is to advance the state-of-the-art and scientific knowledge for large area, high-performance, high functionality Short Wavelength Infrared mercury-cadmium telluride hybrid Sensor Chip Assemblies. The High State technology development program will advance infrared sensor state-of-the-art for a new generation of future missile warning and missile defense spacebased system deployment. Solicitations began March 2007 and negotiations were complete June 2007. This work will be complete by June 2012. To date $850,000 has been obligated. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., is the contracting activity (FA9453-07-C-0181).
http://www.defenselink.mil/contracts/contract.aspx?contractid=3542






Friday, June 22, 2007

Cyber"Terrorists" (9/11 truth? ) +Prep Drills , Perp Blackstone cashes in




Offutt in running for Cyberspace Command
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/06/ap_offuttcybercommand_070621/




OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. — Offutt Air Force base is in the running for a new Air Force command that will match wits and bits with enemies in cyberspace.
How many jobs or how much money that might mean to the Omaha-area economy was unclear, especially given that cyber warriors can take aim from most anywhere the Internet is available.
In March, the commander of the Offutt-based U.S. Strategic Command told the Housed Armed Services Committee that the best defense against cyber attacks on U.S. military, civil and commercial networks is to go on the offensive.
"Cyberspace has emerged as a war fighting domain not unlike land, sea and air, and we are engaged in a less visible, but nonetheless critical battle against sophisticated cyberspace attacks," said the StratCom boss, Marine Gen. James Cartwright.
"Our adversaries seek to operate from behind technical, legal and international screens as they execute their costly attacks," he said.
On Nov. 3, the Air Force secretary announced formation of the new Cyberspace Command.
Secretary Michael Wynne said the new command would be part of the 8th Air Force and that its organization would spring from elements of the 67th Network Warfare Wing, which is based at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.
Besides hosting StratCom, Offutt also is home to the 55th Wing — a component of the 8th Air Force.
The high-tech technical and human infrastructure required by StratCom and other Offutt units makes it attractive to potential cyber warriors.
"Offutt is the most logical, best location for this command because there’s so many of the high-tech capabilities they need already in place," said Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., whose assignments include the Armed Services Committee.
Offutt’s likely competitors include the home of the 8th Air Force — Barksdale Air Force Base, near Bossier City, La., — and Lackland Air Force Base — in San Antonio — which hosts the 67th Network Warfare Wing.
"We’re building up speed toward the command, like you build up speed to get on the highway," said Tech. Sgt. Kristina Barrett, a spokeswoman for the 8th Air Force.
Officials in Bossier City, La., are planning a 58-acre, $100 million technology innovation center near Barksdale that could help serve the new cyber command.
A decision on the new unit’s headquarters was expected later this year

"Exercise Frontier Sentinel"



Military exercise aims to improve agencies' emergency co-operation
http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=39405&sc=89

The USS Wasp is an amphibious assault vessel, similiar to one the Canadian military wants to buy. (Daily News/Andre Forget)

Improving collaboration sounds like more paperwork, but it means saving lives.Exercise Frontier Sentinel, coming up next week, will test the operational bonds between the Canadian Forces, various government agencies and American authorities. It's an experiment to spot any holes when it comes to working with other agencies and nations. After the exercise is analyzed, changes will be made to the rule books, some of which may require legislation.The Canadian costs of the exercise are estimated at $425,000, but the results will be priceless, according to a retired commodore."It's an extremely wise way to spend one's money," said Eric Lerhe, a military analyst.Sharing information is crucial and could have prevented several tragedies, he said. For instance, it was discovered there were 10 instances leading up to the terrorist attacks in 2001 where information wasn't shared."If they had shared data, they could well have stopped the attack," he said.It's the same story with the Air India bombing, he said.The scenario for the exercise is a "maritime-security event with a nexus on organized crime," said Capt. Bruce Belliveau, chief of staff operations for Joint Task Force Atlantic, during a news conference yesterday.Some time on June 24, an emergency call will be made from a ship off the coast of Nova Scotia and New England. There will be hostages taken, and the RCMP will be the first to respond, with the navy backing the agency up.It's a pretense that's pretty realistic, Belliveau said."It's one of many potential threats in the maritime environment. It is not based on a specific threat today, but it's one of the scenarios we've determined is a potential."But the hostage-taking scenario isn't what's important, Belliveau said."It's the collaboration and the ability for us to turn the whole of government to a problem, and provide the right level of assets to deal with any maritime security threat," he said.The Americans are contributing aircraft, but mostly they've offered the USS Wasp, an amphibious-assault vessel unlike anything in the Canadian fleet."We're looking at it as an asset we can use to push a security problem further off shore," said Cmdr. Richard Strayer, a Maritime Homeland Security officer."It is one of our objectives to use Wasp, a ship like that, in this capacity to see how well it functions."Canadians want a similar ship, but it has been bumped down on the priority list, said Belliveau.It's a complex exercise, but civilians won't be able to catch a glimpse because all the action will happen far off shore, he noted.







Blackstone IPO raises $4.13 bn
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=167960



JUNE 22: Blackstone Group LP, abandoning 22 years of private ownership, now faces increasing scrutiny from US and British lawmakers who want the buyout firm to pay more taxes.
Blackstone raised $4.13 billion yesterday in the biggest US initial public offering in five years, selling a 12.3% stake that values the company at $33.5 billion. It sold partnership units at $31 each, the top of the range used to market the securities (cont..)


Emergency agency plans disaster drill
http://www.masslive.com/metrowest/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-9/118249868451180.xml&coll=1

SOUTHWICK - The Southwick Emergency Management Agency will test its communication skills during a 24-hour disaster drill tomorrow and Sunday.
The drill, which runs from 2 p.m. tomorrow until 2 p.m. Sunday also involves emergency agencies in Springfield, Chester, Granville, East Longmeadow and Monterey and national agencies here and in Canada, agency director Charles H. Dunlap said yesterday. (Cont..)


of Note:

World in Conflict to Bring World War III to Xbox 360 This Fall
http://sev.prnewswire.com/computer-electronics/20070621/LATH10421062007-1.html


Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Drills


Quote for the day:


"Civilians at SAIC used to joke that the company had so many admirals and generals in its ranks it could start its own war. Some might argue that, in the case of Iraq, it did." ....and 9/11 and the fake War on Terror!



http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/03/spyagency200703?currentPage=4




MO




Drill on simulated bioterrorism event set for July 1
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070620/BREAKING01/70620034





The Springfield-Greene County Health Department will partner with Schweitzer United Methodist Church in a simulated bioterrorism response July 1.The exercise will simulate distributing antiviral medication to approximately 300 people who may have been exposed to a dangerous virus, illness or bioterrorism agent."This will be a unique exercise for us," said bioterrorism planner J.D. Slaughter. "In the past we’ve pulled in area public health department staff, local nurses and Community Heroes volunteers to help staff our point of dispensing, or POD, sites. This time we are going to do it all in-house, using only members of the church."In the drill, the health department will test its ability to quickly train lay workers to open, organize and operate their own POD with minimal support.The exercise will take place at 1 p.m. at Schweitzer United Methodist Church, 2747 E Sunshine St

CIS countries begin military drills
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-06/20/content_6270022.htm




MOSCOW, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Six countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) began large-scale command and staff exercises with live fire practices on Wednesday, an aide to the Russian Air Force commander said.
The drill would be held in four stages on territories of three CIS states, Colonel Alexander Drobyshevsky was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.
The first stage of the maneuvers will be held at Russia's northwestern Telemba range with the participation of air force and air defense units and the Russian Baltic Fleet and of Belarussian air defense.
The second stage will be held in the second half of August at the Ashuluk range in the southern Astrakhan region.
The exercises will involve aviation and air defense of Russia, Armenia, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, Drobyshevsky said.
The third and fourth stages are scheduled for late August and early September at training ranges in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan with the participation of air force and air defense units of the six CIS countries.
Drobyshevsky also said missile systems S-75. S-125. S-200. S-300 would be used in a live fire practice.
Sukhoi and MiG fighters will drill strikes on aerial and ground targets. Taking part in the drill will be Su-24, Su-25, Su-27 and MiG-29 aircraft.

TX

Drill on Fort Hood to create traffic delays in the area
http://www.kcentv.com/news/c-article.php?cid=1&nid=13290

A drill on Fort Hood, simulating a terrorist attack will have the post closed to some incoming traffic Wednesday.
Fort Hood officials said the drill will simulate an explosion at the post's Abrams Physical Fitness Center, triggering an emergency response.
The Warrior Way gate at W.S. Young, 10th street, and the old Copperas Cove Road gate will be closed from 1:00-3:00 Wednesday afternoon.
Officials said drivers should also be cautious on 58th Street, because emergency vehicles will be using the street during the drill.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

6/19 Drills (China)

Beijing to hold first nuclear terror drill next month
http://www.indiaenews.com/asia/20070619/56858.htm


Beijing will conduct its first drill to test its responses to a potential terrorist nuclear attack next month, the municipal government announced Tuesday.
Organised by the municipal health bureau, the drill will involve several government bureaus, including environmental protection, the centre for disease control and fire brigade, said Shan Qingsheng, an official with the government's emergency response office.
The drill would focus on a scenario in which a 'dirty bomb' loaded with explosives and radioactive substances is set off outside an 'Olympic stadium', said Shan.
The bureaus involved will have to immediately react to the bomb. Using radiation detectors, the fire brigade would first find a safe route to the scene of the 'bombing' before rescuers could enter to give first aid.
Medical teams would then give a radiation rating and define the type of radiation so that the injured could receive appropriate treatment.
The national medical base of nuclear and radiation incident, located in the Third Hospital of Peking University, will receive and treat 'victims' of the drill, according to the drill plan.
The organizers declined to give the exact time and location of the drill, nor how many people would be involved.
Beijing will hold more drills on various subjects in the run-up of the Olympics, Shan said.
On Tuesday afternoon, a state-level anti-terrorist drill was held in the capital.
The drill tested the capacity of Chinese police to handle a large-scale hostage taking and helped improve China's anti-terrorist ability, an official with the Ministry of Public Security said.

"Great Wall No. 4,"

China holds anti-terror drill for games
http://www.superxtra.co.za/default.asp?id=219114&des=article


Chinese police staged their first anti-terror exercise of the year on Tuesday as part of security preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, state media said.
The exercise, called "Great Wall No. 4," addressed the need to maintain law and order and combat possible terrorism during the Beijing Games, the Xinhua news agency reported, without saying how many officers took part.
Television images showed police storming a building and testing small robots equipped with cameras.
The exercise was designed to test the police's ability to tackle a major hostage situation, the report quoted an anonymous police official as saying.
At the same time, Luo Gan, who is responsible for Olympic security, called on security forces across the country to mobilise, according to a television report.
"All regions, all interested departments must reinforce the higher interest of the country, strengthen their cooperation, join all forces from all corners of the country to work towards security for a successful Olympics," he said on television.
He was speaking at a meeting in Beijing focused on tackling potential attacks.
The Beijing municipal government separately announced Tuesday a plan to hold an exercise "to test responses to a potential nuclear attack," Xinhua said.
The drill, scheduled for July, would involve a scenario in which a "dirty bomb" loaded with explosives and radioactive substances is set off outside an "Olympic stadium," Shan Qingsheng, an emergency response official, said in the report.
Various agencies would have to react immediately to the incident, Xinhua said, but organisers declined to give the exact time or location of the drill, nor how many people would take part.

Monday, June 18, 2007

6/18/07 Drills and Co's of Interest

EADS Unveils Three New Portable Detection Sensors For U.S. Homeland Security Threats
http://www.epicos.com/epicos/portal/media-type/html/user/anon/page/default.psml/js_panename/News+Information+Article+View;jsessionid=079A1FE9020FD59EF323CF983EE1D4BA.tomcat5?articleid=79001&showfull=false


A trio of advanced EADS sensors designed to detect homeland security threats that range from drugs and explosives to chemical, biological and nuclear hazards is being displayed for the first time at this week's Paris Air Show.
These systems utilize EADS technologies that have been adapted to portable detection sensor applications at the initiative of the company's Chief Technical Officer and EADS Innovation Works, along with EADS SODERN in cooperation with EADS North America's new Homeland Security Program Office.
Two of them - the Laser Ion Mobility Spectrometry (LIMS) sensor and the Bio Detection System - were evolved from development activity at EADS Innovation Works, the Group's center for corporate research, while the neutron interrogation sensor is based on defense and industrial systems already fielded by EADS SODERN.
"This is an extremely important step for EADS, as it shows how advanced technology and systems from throughout the company can be identified and tailored for specific applications in the United States," said Ralph D. Crosby, Jr., Chairman and CEO of EADS North America. "We are now seeking partners for the marketing and industrialization of these three very capable systems."
(Cont..)

BAE Systems Receives Homeland Security SAFETY Act Designation
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070618005811&newsLang=en


NASHUA, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BAE Systems has received SAFETY Act designation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for its JETEYE™ aircraft missile defense system. The system was developed to protect commercial airliners against infrared-guided missiles.
The SAFETY (Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies) Act encourages the development and rapid deployment of anti-terrorism technologies by giving sellers of qualified technologies liability protection from lawsuits.
During the 18-month Phase III program, JETEYE will continue flying on the world’s largest airline, American Airlines, and also will fly on an ABX Air cargo aircraft. The continuing development aims to reduce the potential cost to the airline industry by streamlining system installation, reducing aerodynamic drag, and improving reliability and maintainability.
“This designation is an important milestone for the program and our teammates at American Airlines and ABX Air,” said Steve duMont, BAE Systems’ business development director for infrared countermeasures. “Our goal is to provide the best protection capability for our nation’s airline industry.” (Cont..0

Emergent BioSolutions Announces Expansion of Board of Directors and Appointment of Dr. Sue Bailey to the Company's Board of Directors
http://www.pharmalive.com/News/index.cfm?articleid=451656&categoryid=33%2C34


ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 15, 2007 - Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS), a biopharmaceutical company, announced today that at a regularly scheduled meeting of its board of directors the board passed a resolution authorizing the expansion of the total number of members of the board to eight. The board also unanimously appointed Sue Bailey, M.D., as a Class III director, for a two-year term that will expire at the 2009 annual meeting of stockholders.
"I am delighted to welcome Dr. Bailey to the Emergent BioSolutions Board of Directors. Her extensive experience in managing complex organizations and healthcare-related issues for both the federal government and private corporations and her expertise in media relations will contribute greatly to our ability to meet our nation's need for bioterrorism countermeasures and to create shareholder value," said Fuad El-Hibri, Emergent BioSolutions' chairman and chief executive officer.
Dr. Bailey served as a news analyst for NBC Universal from 2001 to 2006, focused on national security, bioterrorism, environmental safety and public health issues. (Cont..)

SAIC Selects Tele Atlas Digital Map Data for New Mission-Critical Government Solutions
http://www.gisuser.com/content/view/11921/


San Diego, CA—ESRI International User Conference, June 18, 2007— Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI), one of the nation’s leading systems integrators in the government market, today announced that its Geospatial Enterprise Architecture Rack (GEAR) products will demo the use of the latest digital map 1. data from Tele Atlas (FSE: TA6, EUNV: TA), a leading global provider of digital maps and dynamic content for navigation and location based solutions. Tele Atlas will provide customized map data specific to each GEAR application, which will be pre-configured and installed according to the map coverage needs of the agency or department implementing the GEAR solution. The GEAR product line is on display at the ESRI International User Conference in San Diego, both in the SAIC (#1725) and Tele Atlas (#1307) booths.


VA

Naval Academy holds emergency drill

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-06-18-0180.html



“Danube Guard 07"
Three Balkan countries to stage first military exercise on Danube
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2007-06/19/content_897056.htm


Canada

Exercise Western Sentry: Policing the waters

http://www.lookoutnewspaper.com/archive/20070618/index.shtml


Just like a police officer on land intercepting a suspicous vehicle, small boat coxswains are skilled at intercepting crafts in or near an on-water security perimeter or Controlled Access Area (CAA).
During Exercise Western Sentry, intercepts were a regular occurrence. Western Sentry was a joint domestic port security exercise that ran from May 28 to Jun 8 out of HMCS Discovery, Vancouver’s Naval Reserve Division.
For the annual exercise, more than 150 part-time sailors and soldiers came together from across Canada to form a Port Security Unit (PSU), a flexible and responsive unit that can be deployed to domestic ports to augment existing security organizations.
This action-packed two weeks was rich with demonstrations underlining the importance of the Navy’s port security capability (cont..)

Indonesia, India plan joint military exercises
http://english.people.com.cn/200706/18/eng20070618_385370.html


Australia, US launch biggest joint military exercises (update)
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1181813062120&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull


Australia and the United States launched their biggest joint war games Monday, with 27,500 troops backed by a US aircraft carrier engaging in exercises aimed at consolidating the allies' military dominance in the Asia Pacific region.
The biennial Talisman Sabre exercise pits 20,000 US troops and 7,500 Australian forces against two fictional enemies - the Kamarians and Musorians - in a variety of land and sea-based scenarios designed to test their skills in combat, peacekeeping and humanitarian relief efforts.
The exercise, which runs until July 2, will also include 10 US ships, 20 Australian ships and 125 aircraft operating off the coast of Rockhampton in northeastern Queensland state.
"The United States and Australia have a long-standing relationship ... we share the same values and interests. Foremost among those interests is the stability and security of the Asia-Pacific region," US Vice Admiral Doug Crowder told reporters on board the USS Blue Ridge in Sydney.
"Therefore it is very important that our militaries train together to carry out the types of missions our governments may call upon us to execute to ensure regional security and stability."
The exercise comes as the United States and Japan step up efforts to build a joint missile defense system in Asia, partly as a bulwark against regional threats such as a nuclear-armed North Korea.
Australia, a steadfast US ally that maintains around 2,000 troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, is studying whether to participate in the defense shield, Defense Minister Brendan Nelson announced this month.
Canberra is expanding its military personnel to 30,500 troops from 27,500, and ramping up other defense capabilities as part of an overhaul to take greater responsibility for Asian security.
Japan plans to send observers to the Talisman Sabre operation, Crowder said, but would not expand on what role they might play in the exercise. Australia and Japan signed a security agreement in March that will enable Japanese forces to train alongside Australians for disaster relief and peacekeeping missions, and boost cooperation between the two countries in counterterrorism measures and intelligence sharing.
Meanwhile, environmentalists have voiced concern about the possible dangers of submarine-hunting sonar equipment to whales in the region. The International Whaling Commission issued a report this month saying a mid-frequency sonar sometimes used by US and Australian ships can cause hearing loss and tissue damage in whales and can alter their diving habits.
"A huge part of the planning for this exercise has been the environmental concerns. We have many procedures in place," Crowder said. He would not elaborate on the procedures, saying only that the operation "will be conducted in compliance with all the Australian governmental requirements."
About 100 people gathered Monday outside an army barracks in the northeastern city of Rockhampton to protest the exercises. They laid a wreath and hundreds of shoes at the gate of the barracks to symbolize military and civilian casualties from the Iraq war.
"We mourn all loss of life and we feel the shoes are a very powerful symbol," Robin Taubenfeld, of the environmental group Friends of the Earth said.

DARPA scramjet nudges Mach 10
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/18/scramjet_test/