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Concerns over bioterrorism grow

Concerns over bioterrorism grow – Homeland Security Newswire
Recent concern about the growing threat of bioterrorism attacks that could strike cities throughout the world has led governments, militaries, and the biopharmaceutical industry to a heightened state of alert.

Congressman Calls on YouTube to Pull Jihadi Videos

Congressman Calls on YouTube to Pull Jihadi Videos – The Investigative Project on Terrorism
U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner has called on YouTube to make terrorist propaganda videos less accessible, particularly those of Anwar al-Awlaki, dubbed the “bin Laden of the Internet.”

DHS gives itself 30 days to decide SBInet fate

DHS gives itself 30 days to decide SBInet fate – Homeland Security Newswire
DHS has bought itself time to decide whether to proceed with a beleaguered border security project by retaining the system’s contractor on a temporary 30-day basis, according to House lawmakers who requested an audit of the program.

Senators Question DHS Dismissal of Immigration Cases in Houston

Senators Question DHS Dismissal of Immigration Cases in Houston – Blogs for Borders
Seven U.S. Senators sent a letter to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano asking for answers about a recent investigation conducted by the Houston Chronicle that found a dramatic increase of dismissed immigration cases.

Al Qaeda Troubled by Helen Thomas's Firing

Al Qaeda Troubled by Helen Thomas’s Firing | The Weekly Standard A few weeks ago, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released the second edition of its online magazine, Inspire. As with the first edition, Inspire seeks to garner new recruits in the West who are willing to carry out acts of jihad.So, Inspire’s message […]

The Real New Middle East Order – Part II – "Oil Security at Risk"

In Part I of this series, we discussed the emergence of a U.S. strategy towards the Middle East built on two pillars – Oil Security and Israel Security – and the introduction of a third pillar in support of the first two – the Peace Process. In this part, we explore the impact of regional developments and U.S. actions and/or reactions on the security of oil from a U.S. strategic interest. We begin with the region’s single most important event of the last 20-plus years of the twentieth century – the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Power Companies Need Better Threat Intelligence, Group Finds

Power Companies Need Better Threat Intelligence, Group Finds – CQ Homeland Security
Of all the industries considered “critical infrastructure,” perhaps none is so accustomed to recovering from disasters as the electricity sector. Power companies are well-versed in restoring service after storms, hurricanes and earthquakes.

U.S. Border Czar Calls on Congress to Get Serious about Immigration Reform

U.S. Border Czar Calls on Congress to Get Serious about Immigration Reform – Immigration Impact
While some candidates continue to make political fodder out of immigration and border security on the campaign trail, administration officials are pushing Congress to get real about overhauling our broken immigration system. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner, Alan Bersin, recently commented that Congress needs to ‘get serious about a post-election immigration overhaul if the nation is to deal with the duality of enforcing border security while facilitating trade.’

DHS Adviser – Government Needs Public's Help in Fighting Human Trafficking

DHS Adviser: Government Needs Public’s Help in Fighting Human Trafficking – CQ Homeland Security
The banking and legal communities have a major role to play in stamping out the scourge of human trafficking, a top Department of Homeland Security adviser said Monday.

Seeking Hard Answers from Commissioner Bersin on Predator UAS for Border Patrol

Last week, speaking at the Migration Policy Institute, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Alan Bersin gave a glowing review of the successes CBP was having in meeting its mission. Whether one agrees with Bersin’s overall assessment, there was one area that jumped out at me that begs further inquiry. One will note that Commissioner Bersin was clever in his wording, in that he did not SPECIFICALLY talk about the need to deploy Predator UASs, but about UASs in general. To my mind, he was being too clever by half, but he is not the first government official to use verbal misdirection to give himself wiggle-room for a later time.