Friday, May 22, 2009

The Latest from National Terror Alert Response Center




















Iran Missile Test Claim - Europe Within Range


Posted: 21 May 2009 08:49 PM PDT



Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed to have sucessfully

tested another ballistic missile capable of reaching Europe.


Speaking in the northern Iranian city of Semnan, where the Sajil-2

missile was allegedly test-fired, Mr Ahmadinejad said the blast was a

success and “met the predetermined target.”


If its alleged range of almost 2,000 kilometers is true, the missile could

reach Athens, southern Italy and the Black Sea coast of new EU members

Romania and Bulgaria.


A similar test was carried out in November, while in February Iran launched

a domestically-made satellite that prompted France and Great Britain to

express their concerns over the missile capabilities of the Islamic state.


Israel, also a nuclear power, said Wednesday’s test should be more of a

concern to Europe, since previous missiles tested by Iran could already reach

the Jewish state.


With presidential elections scheduled for 12 June, the test could also be read

as part of Mr Ahmadinejad’s re-election campaign, as three other contenders
have been approved by Iran’s electoral council.


Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini had to cancel at the very last minute a

trip to Tehran when he found out that Iranian authorities had organised his

meeting with reformist ex-president Mohammed Khatami in Semnan, where

the missile was tested, not in the capital as initially agreed.


Source



This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert.

National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and
information.


Share this post Digg Sphinn del.icio.us Facebook Mixx Google NewsVine Propeller Reddit SphereIt StumbleUpon TailRank Technorati TwitThis Wikio Yahoo! Buzz LinkedIn






Cheney, Obama - No Middle Ground on Gitmo Approach


Posted: 21 May 2009 08:44 PM PDT



The headlines will say two big, dueling speeches about the war on terror

were delivered in Washington on Thursday, one by President Barack

Obama and one by former Vice President Dick Cheney.


And that’s true, as far as it goes. But it would be more accurate to say that

four quite different speeches were delivered.


Mr. Cheney gave one speech, a remarkably focused, blistering attack on

those who criticize the Bush administration’s methods for detaining and

interrogating terror suspects. Scathing in terminology, scornful in tone,

Mr. Cheney took on those critics and gave not an inch of ground to them.

He questioned both the integrity and wisdom of those, including the

current president, who would reverse policies that he said have
kept America safe for more than seven years since the 9/11 terror

attacks.


Obama: I know some have argued that brutal methods like water-boarding

were necessary to keep us safe. I could not disagree more. As commander-in-

chief, I see the intelligence, I bear responsibility for keeping this country safe,

and I categorically reject the assertion that these are the most effective

means of interrogation.


Cheney: The interrogations were…legal, essential, justified, successful, and

the right thing to do. The intelligence officers who questioned the terrorists
can be proud of their work and proud of the results, because they prevented

the violent deaths of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of innocent

people.


Those who prefer their Washington policy debates to be cloaked in

understatement or delicate euphemisms may have been taken aback by

the ferocity of the Cheney rejoinder, which crackled in intensity, even while

being delivered in the former vice president’s trademark monotone style.


Meanwhile, Mr. Obama, facing the trickier task of selling a policy to both

parties, really gave three speeches wrapped in one. His first was meant to
address critics on the right, who charge he has gone soft on terror and that

his decision to close the military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay will

bring to U.S. soil dangerous extremists.


via No Middle Ground on Gitmo Approach - WSJ.com.



This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert.

National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and
information.


Share this post Digg Sphinn del.icio.us Facebook Mixx Google NewsVine Propeller Reddit SphereIt StumbleUpon TailRank Technorati TwitThis Wikio Yahoo! Buzz LinkedIn






Terror Suspects Could Have Acquired Missiles Elsewhere


Posted: 21 May 2009 08:39 PM PDT



The four men accused of plotting to blow up two New York synagogues and

shoot down military planes could have procured surface-to-air guided
missiles elsewhere if the FBI had not provided them with inert versions,

terror analysts told FOXNews.com.


“I don’t know if you could buy it on Craigslist, but there’s certainly a lot of

people who engage in this type of contraband,” Steve Emerson, executive
director of The Investigative Project on Terrorism, said of the anti-aircraft

Stinger missile. “They’re not that big, either, so they could’ve been smuggled

into the United States.”


Emerson said the 5-foot-long weapon, which has a range of 5 miles and

weighs 35 pounds fully armed, could have been bought in a number of black

arms markets in Middle Eastern countries, including Lebanon, Pakistan, Gaza

and Saudi Arabia.

The missile system could be purchased for “tens of thousands of dollars,”

Emerson said.


Source



This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert.

National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and
information.


Share this post Digg Sphinn del.icio.us Facebook Mixx Google NewsVine Propeller Reddit SphereIt StumbleUpon TailRank Technorati TwitThis Wikio Yahoo! Buzz LinkedIn






Homeland Security Says Homegrown Plots Part of Focus


Posted: 21 May 2009 08:31 PM PDT



The foiled terror plot in New York is raising questions about whether

the Department of Homeland Security is focused on the threat of “radicalized”
Muslims in the U.S. after the department issued a controversial report last

month warning instead of right-wing extremists.


[...]


“It’s fair to say that homegrown terrorism is a serious threat and something

that law enforcement agencies and the government are taking seriously at
the federal and local
levels,” he said. “This is something that people have been
concerned about for a number
of years.”


An informant helped the FBI arrest four homegrown terror suspects Wednesday

night following a nearly yearlong undercover investigation that revealed a plot to

blow up two synagogues in New York City and to shoot down planes at an Air
National Guard base.


“Neither DHS nor the FBI has any credible information indicating any further

threat to the homeland,” Sean Smith, a Homeland Security spokesman, told
FOXNews.com.


“But we do continue to urge vigilance and ask all Americans to report any

suspicious activities or information to appropriate authorities.”


[...]


“This alleged plot shows that — even though we have not been attacked

domestically since 9/11 — we must remain vigilant concerning the potential
radicalization and
recruitment of individuals in the United States for terrorist
activity.”



Source



This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert.

National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and
information.


Share this post Digg Sphinn del.icio.us Facebook Mixx Google NewsVine Propeller Reddit SphereIt StumbleUpon TailRank Technorati TwitThis Wikio Yahoo! Buzz LinkedIn






US Marshall Service Struck By Computer Virus Attack


Posted: 21 May 2009 06:29 PM PDT



A computer virus attack has struck the computer system at the U.S. Marshal

Service, affecting Marshals in Birmingham.


The virus has caused the Marshal Service to shut down parts of their system

to keep it from spreading to other agencies.


That means Marshals in Birmingham can’t access the NCIC computer and

they don’t have access to email.


A Marshals spokeswoman in Washington, D.C. says at no time was any

data compromised.


The type of virus and its origin have not yet been determined.


Source


This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert.

National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and
information.


Share this post Digg Sphinn del.icio.us Facebook Mixx Google NewsVine Propeller Reddit SphereIt StumbleUpon TailRank Technorati TwitThis Wikio Yahoo! Buzz LinkedIn







No comments:

Post a Comment