Security Debrief

London Protests – Media Misrepresentation Helps No-one

December 10, 2010

Providing accurate coverage of any protest event, especially an event where there is violence, is difficult at the best of times; the media often misunderstand or misrepresent what actually happened. However, it is rare that the media coverage of an event is as inaccurate or misleading as some of the reports I have seen concerning the violence at the student protest in London yesterday. Much of what has been written and broadcast about yesterday’s incidents does not stand up to the facts. Without naming and shaming individual media groups, there were many glaring errors.

DHS Securing the Waterways with Social Media

Security Debrief |

December 10, 2010

By Elaine Bussjaeger
The notion of the “citizen watch” is tried and tested. In communities throughout the country, neighborhood watch programs operate on a simple principle – you watch my back, and I’ll watch yours. In the ever-advancing technological age, how can this basic concept be modified for a new generation of smart phone-using, social media-minded citizens? The Department of Homeland Security, with its Small Vessel Security Strategy, has taken steps to rally citizens through social media as a kind of nautical “neighborhood watch.”

Chamber Forum on Cargo Security Part Deux: TSA, CBP, Commerce and Private Sector Officials Chat

Security Debrief |

December 10, 2010

This is the second video from the US Chamber’s forum on supply chains and cargo security. Officials from TSA and CBP join representatives from the private sector to discuss where policy might be going.

US Chamber forum participants discuss global cargo security

Security Debrief |

December 9, 2010

The US Chamber of Commerce hosted a forum on global supply chain this week, which of course had to include a discussion on international cargo security. Check out the video of CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin speaking to the group.

North Korea: What is the End Game?

Security Debrief |

December 6, 2010

The most recent military development on the Korean Peninsula cannot be seen outside the overall context of US-China relations. In recent weeks, the United States and China have been engaged in a “currency war,” underscoring the race between Washington and Beijing for global influence in the 21st century. The reality is that the US-China relationship is very complex; it is governed by two forces pulling in opposite directions: economic interdependency and economic competition. As long as these two forces are at equilibrium, the U.S.-China relationship can develop on a win-win basis with tremendous benefits to the world community and the global economy. Unfortunately, current data clearly point to a trend towards imbalance favoring China.

TSA Detecting Smuggled Items – Let's Take a Deep Breath

Security Debrief |

December 2, 2010

I think we all need to take a deep breath and remember we live in a dangerous world. I worked as a Special Agent for the U.S. Customs Service and DHS/Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for over thirty years. In that capacity, I was assigned for a period of time to narcotics smuggling groups at Newark and JFK International Airports. While in this assignment, I was forever amazed at the various methods utilized by individuals to attempt to smuggle narcotics through the international port of entry. The bottom line – you could take nothing for granted. Should TSA be any less vigilant?

US Chamber of Commerce to Host Panel: North American Competitiveness and the Global Supply Chain

Security Debrief |

November 30, 2010

Next week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will hold a discussion on the critical link between the global supply chain, security and economic growth. Titled “North American Competitiveness and the Global Supply Chain,” the discussion will take place Tuesday, December 7th, beginning at 8:45 AM at the U.S. Chamber building.

Solving The Confidential Informant Dilemma

Security Debrief |

November 30, 2010

If you are a police officer, there is no doubt sometime in your career you will work with a confidential informant. Whether you’re trying to crack a difficult case, gain key evidence in a conspiracy investigation or trying to learn about criminal activity before it happens, usually you will need to cultivate relationships with confidential criminal informants. Unfortunately, most agencies lack sophisticated systems for managing confidential informants, and they rely on rudimentary spreadsheets and notes on scraps of paper locked away in file cabinets. This archaic way of managing informants is not because technology doesn’t exist to modernize the process; it is because officers are trying to protect their informants’ identities from being divulged.

The Winds of War

Security Debrief |

November 29, 2010

By Peter Probst
Here is an excerpt from an article to be published in the winter edition of the magazine, “Inside Homeland Security.” I recently returned from Israel where I had been invited to speak at the World Wide Counter-Terrorism Summit. An issue that dominated much of the discussions concerned the threat of a nuclear Iran, and how Israel and the US would likely respond to the challenge. Virtually every Israeli I spoke to was adamant that Iran could not be permitted to go nuclear. There was less certainty as to the degree and nature of support Israel could expect from its friends and allies.

Contributor: