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"London Companies Failing Terror Test" Marsh Inc. reports that more than 33 percent of London companies do not have a concrete plan--crisis, management, emergency response, or business recovery plans--to guide them through the aftermath of a terrorist attack. Experts agree that business continuity plans can help firms recover quickly from disaster and operate efficiently in an emergency, like the terrorist attack on the London Underground in 2005. Not only should employers have these plans in place, but they also must be exercised, developed, and audited on a continuous basis. These activities are particularly important after merger or acquisition activity, a takeover, or other major changes to the company's structure. Marsh warns that disasters can raise warning flags among executives that business continuity is a top priority, but as firms settle back into routines, continuity plans are forgotten. Businesses must resist complacency, especially if they do not have an established terrorism insurance program in place. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom's Cabinet Office released a report identifying the greatest threats to the nation's safety, including terrorism. However, the report warns that although al Qaeda has led terrorist attacks in the past, increased scrutiny has led to the emergence of new extremist groups in the terrorist movement. Other potential threats to the nation include weapons of mass destruction, organized crime, and civil emergencies such as infectious diseases, extreme weather and flooding, and man-made emergencies. "Private Army of Contractors Carries a Heavy Load in Iraq" Recently, the death toll for U.S. troops in Iraq passed 4,000. This number does not include the over 1,100 private contractors who have been killed since the war began five years ago. Over 180,000 private contractors have served in Iraq, performing some of the most dangerous tasks, such as guarding State Department convoys. Some experts say that the U.S. military could not conduct the war without the contractors, who outnumber military personnel in Iraq. Though most of the contractors are Iraqi citizens, 20 percent of the private security force is comprised of Americans, many who have previous military experience. Private security firms have been criticized over the past six months, since Blackwater Worldwide was accused of unjustly killing 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad. Both Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have criticized the large role that private contractors play in Iraq, with Clinton proposing that contractors no longer be allowed to carry weapons. Contractors operate under a different set of orders than military personnel, as they are not allowed to instigate combat against potential threats. They must wait for the threat to take action against them or the people they are guarding before they can engage. "Roadside Bomb Takes American Death Toll in Iraq to 4,000" Four U.S. soldiers were killed on Sunday, bringing the American death toll in Iraq to 4,000 since the war began. The soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb while patrolling the southern part of the city. Experts believe that the milestone will lead to increased calls for the removal of U.S. troops from Iraq, an issue that is expected to be widely debated in the months leading up to the presidential elections. In addition to 4,000 soldiers killed, over 29,000 men and women serving in Iraq have been injured since the war began. The majority of American casualties were inflicted after President Bush announced the end of significant combat in May 2003. In a speech before the fifth anniversary of the war last week, Bush said that the United States was still on the path to victory in Iraq. (go to web site) "Bin Laden Threatens Europe Over Muhammad Cartoons" Osama bin Laden announced in an audiotape published on Wednesday that Europeans will encounter a "severe reckoning" for repeatedly printing cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in magazines and newspapers. The speech was the second time since November that bin Laden has made threats to European nations. In February, a cartoon portraying Muhammad with a bomb for a turban was reprinted in newspapers in Denmark after Copenhagen police announced they had stopped an assassination plan against the illustrator. Bin Laden has attacked European nations for taking part in military efforts in Muslim regions. While he contested those actions, he indicated that the Muhammad cartoons were even more objectionable and that retaliation would happen. "If there is no check on your freedom of words, then let your hearts be open to the freedom of our actions," bin Laden stated. The recording was presented with a still photo of bin Laden holding an automatic rifle and was published by al-Qaeda's media unit, As-Sahab. (go to web site) "U.S. Adapts Cold-War Idea to Fight Terrorists" The U.S. government reverts more and more to the use of deterrence, a Cold-War strategy designed to confuse and dissuade the enemy, in the war on terror. Some of these tactics include highlighting failed attempts by Al Qaeda to carry out attacks, and increased reporting of infighting among insurgent groups. A spokesman for the New York City Police Department cited a case where intensified security and scrutiny prevented a naturalized American citizen from cooperating with Qaeda leaders in Pakistan to carry out an attack on Brooklyn Bridge. In another instance, U.S. officials released videotapes and statements from the predominantly Iraqi group Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia that showed discord and low morale among the leadership. "I've got to figure out what does dissuade you," said Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, the director of strategic plans and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "What is your center of gravity that we can go at? The goal you set won't be achieved, or you will be discredited and lose face with the rest of the Muslim world or radical extremism that you signed up for." Highly-trained security officials in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have recovered hard drives used by Qaeda members and are using the information to circumvent any terrorist activity. Meanwhile, officials here at home have launched a secret campaign to canvas the Internet with fake Web sites and e-mails intended to sow confusion and dissent among militants.(go to web site) “Gordon Brown plan for security council”
The Sunday Times (3/16/08); David Leppard
A national security council designed to combat the threats of terrorism and climate change is expected to be unveiled by Gordon Brown this week. Whitehall officials say the prime minister is planning to announce his much anticipated national security strategy in an attempt to bring the fight against security threats under a cross-government umbrella. Brown has pencilled in this Wednesday, the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, to announce the setting up of the council, which is likely to include senior ministers, intelligence chiefs and military commanders. The new structure will also give the prime minister greater control over Whitehall’s response to disasters such as terrorist attacks, flooding and even outbreaks of foot and mouth disease. Brown has decided to keep the existing Cobra structure, which allows for ad hoc committees of ministers and officials to meet at short notice whenever a national emergency occurs. Cobra dealt successfully with last July’s terrorist attacks in London and Glasgow, as well as the flooding crisis. The council will sit above Cobra and coordinate the work of the Home Office, Foreign Office, Ministry of Defence and Department for International Development in dealing with security threats. There is some speculation that Brown may ask senior political figures from outside Labour to join. (go to website)
"Runway Invader Sparks New Security Fears" An intruder carrying a bag breached security and ran onto the runway at Heathrow Airport in England on March 13, the second major security break at the airport in the last month. The man climbed over a security fence and ran around the runaway before being arrested at gunpoint by police, delaying the departure of several flights. Law enforcement performed a controlled explosion on the bag, which was found to contain harmless items. Security was supposed to be improved after the 2005 terrorist attacks on London; however, this is the second time in a month that people managed to breach runway security. Last month, five Greenpeace activists climbed on top of a plane in order to protest the proposed expansion of the airport. Though airport officials were pleased with the response to the incident, pointing out that the intruder was captured within two minutes of climbing the fence, one security expert said that the incident could prompt major changes in airport security. Heathrow's former security chief said that a higher fence would do little to prevent future security breaches, suggesting that it would require costly motion-sensor technology. (go to web site) "Ethnic Dispute Tears al Qaeda, Hayden Says" Internal disagreements between Egyptian and Saudi leaders of al Qaeda are creating "fissures" in the terrorist organization and a potential fight over who will take Osama bin Laden's place one day, CIA Director Michael Hayden said on Tuesday. Hayden added that al Qaeda restructured itself over the last two years inside tribal regions of Pakistan and forged relationships with Pashtun area extremists along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Hayden explained that bin Laden is an "iconic" entity hiding in the remote border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He noted that bin Laden is Saudi, and that of lot of al Qaeda's leaders are Egyptian. As such, Hayden stated, if bin Laden dies, who becomes the next head of al Qaeda "may be quite a contentious matter." Hayden said he is not certain if Ayman al-Zawahri, an Egyptian who is al Qaeda's second-in-command, will take over the organization if bin Laden passes. He noted that Zawahri has become more active, making the chance of capturing him higher since "the more active you are, the more vulnerable you are." (go to web site) "China Says It Thwarted Terrorist Plot" Chinese law enforcement officials encountered and thwarted several recent attacks possibly aimed at bringing critical attention to the country before this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing. Two major incidents occurred in the Xinjiang province near the borders of Afghanistan and Kazakhstan. In January, police officers killed two and arrested 15 members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, a group recognized by both the United States and the United Nations as a terrorist organization. Chinese officials confiscated axes, knives, and grenades the group intended to use in an attack during the Olympics. On March 7, a group of assailants attempted to hijack a flight traveling from Xinjiang to Beijing but were intercepted by the crew. Another incident outside Xinjiang involved a suspect who was shot and killed by a police sniper after holding hostage a group of 10 Australian tourists in the tourist hot-spot of Xian. Beijing will be under much scrutiny during the games since many heads of state, including President Bush, will be present, but some foreign relations experts think the Chinese are using the games as an excuse to sweep unwanted groups out of the city. "The Olympics are a high-risk venture," says Ed Turzanski of the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia. "But I also wouldn't put it past them to use the threat of terrorism to clean up problems they feel they have internally and to get people off their backs, such as human rights groups." (go to web site) "Camera in UK Can 'See' Under Clothes" The British company ThruVision created a camera using electromagnetic rays - capable of penetrating walls and clouds - to detect explosives or drugs hidden under clothes and in luggage. The T5000 utilizes this "passive imaging technology" to identify suspicious items from up to 25 meters away, and can read Terahertz or T-rays to differentiate between cocaine and a bag of flour. The device could be used in airports to check for dangerous items as people move between terminals. The T5000 performs these functions without revealing clear details about a person's body or exposing them to physical harm. ThruVision will premiere the product at a scientific development exhibition held by Britain's Home Office on March 12-13. (go to web site) "Personal Care Workers Frequent Victims of Workplace Violence" Personal support workers at long-term care facilities in Canada are seven times more likely to be the victims of daily violence than workers in Nordic countries, according to a recent study. Researchers at Toronto's York University surveyed 71 unionized long-term care facilities. In the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia, 43 percent of personal support workers reported daily physical violence, while 25 percent said that it was a weekly occurrence. The violent acts reported include being hit, bitten, and spit on. The results are part of a large project that is also researching working conditions at facilities in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Although most studies compare Canada's healthcare to the United States, this study compares Canada to other countries that have public healthcare systems. One of the researchers said that the biggest difference between Canada and the other countries is staffing levels. Many of the employees surveyed said that they did not report most incidents, either because it would take too much time to do so or because they feared they would be blamed. (go to web site) |
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