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Counterterrorism Suffers, al-Qaida Benefits from Yemen Turmoil

Counterterrorism Suffers, al-Qaida Benefits from Yemen Turmoil – The IPT blog
Counterterrorism operations in Yemen “have ground to a halt,” and al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is the big beneficiary, the New York Times reports.

REAL ID Implementation Embraced by 41 States: Driver's Licenses Still at Risk of Terrorist Abuse

While driver’s licenses and birth certificates remain a tool sought by terrorists to support jihad in the United States, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is still pushing for repeal of driver’s license and birth certificate standards supported by 9/11 Commission recommendations. Ironically, Secretary Napolitano continues to assail the REAL ID Act’s standards despite new statistics – still held tightly within DHS – showing that 41 states, plus D.C., have embraced REAL ID implementation even without DHS support or new monies.

FBI Anticipates Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Soft Targets

FBI Anticipates Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Soft Targets – National Defense
Soft targets are now a priority for terrorists determined to inflict damage in the United States, said one of the FBI’s top counter-terrorism officials.

F.B.I. Casts Wide Net Under Relaxed Rules for Terror Inquiries, Data Show

F.B.I. Casts Wide Net Under Relaxed Rules for Terror Inquiries, Data Show – The New York Times
Within months after the Bush administration relaxed limits on domestic-intelligence gathering in late 2008, the F.B.I. assessed thousands of people and groups in search of evidence that they might be criminals or terrorists, a newly disclosed Justice Department document shows.

CBP's Predator UAV Use Raises More Questions, Answers Elusive

Last week, as the world was focused on the crisis in Japan and the military action in Libya, the Associated Press reported on the use of Predator UAVs to help Mexican authorities in their war on drug cartels. Yet, at a conference at MIT’s Lincoln Labs on Homeland Security technology, I learned that the Predator was ineffective for wide-area surveillance during the Deep Water Horizon disaster. It was scrapped after less than two weeks. Congress should look closely at the cost/benefit of UAVs and how their use in Mexico deviates from the DHS mission.

What are we waiting for? – A proactive counter-terrorism doctrine of "integrated resilience"

The notion of “resilience” is a core principle in the United States National Security Strategy, yet in practice, the term lacks clarity. Other societies with years of terrorism experience have become more resilient to the risk of terror attacks. Is there a best practice to be implemented here? What is resilience and is community resilience to terrorism achievable? Resilience should become a national priority instead of a soundbite.

Protecting Government Officials – Threat Analysis and Data Collection Needed

How should law enforcement respond to “threats” against government officials, particularly when the “threats” do not rise to the level of criminal activity? Law enforcement has made great strides in collecting data on incidents and behaviors that are suspicious in nature. The advent of Fusion Centers and the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative (NSI) has laid the framework. If we do not begin to look at the threats against our institutions by people who are aggrieved, violently inclined, or mentally ill, then we will likely see more of this kind of crime.

Obama Guantanamo Retreat: Maybe Embarrassing But Politically Neutral

Obama Guantanamo Retreat: Maybe Embarrassing But Politically Neutral – NPR It’s All Politics
President Obama’s announcement Monday of a resumption of military trials at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, a failure of his campaign pledge to close the site, likely won’t hurt him politically.

IATA calls for intelligent approach to air cargo security

IATA calls for intelligent approach to air cargo security – Flightglobal
Improving the security of air cargo consignments must not be achieved at the cost of crippling the industry, says IATA.

"Somethings" may be clogging counterterrorism efforts

“Somethings” may be clogging counterterrorism efforts – Homeland Security Newswire
Initiatives by DHS to encourage sports fans, shoppers, and public transportation users to “Say Something” if they notice suspicious activity may be overwhelming the system and hindering our defenses, according to a policy analyst. The recent partnership between DHS and the NBA shows DHS does not plan on holding back its call for vigilance.