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ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: AZ Central

02April2011 1:19pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: A Mesa wastewater employee faces terrorism charges after police say he shut down a Southeast Valley wastewater treatment plant, creating a buildup of methane gas and sparking a standoff with Gilbert SWAT.

Mesa police and Gilbert SWAT officers responded to the plant, which is owned by Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek but operated by Mesa.

A two-hour standoff ended when Olson surrendered at 4:30 a.m., Balafas said. He was booked into the Maricopa County 4th Avenue Jail on suspicion of terrorism, making terrorist threats, misconduct involving weapons, tampering with a public utility, criminal trespassing and criminal damage to property. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: FBI

08March2011 9:59pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:

PHILADELPHIA—Jamie Paulin Ramirez, 32, a U.S. citizen and former resident of Colorado, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. Ramirez faces a potential maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine at sentencing.

The guilty plea, which was entered today before U.S. District Court Judge Petrese B. Tucker was announced by Todd Hinnen, acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger, and FBI Special Agent in Charge George C. Venizelos.

Ramirez was first charged in a superseding indictment, filed in April 2010, along with co-defendant Colleen R. LaRose, a U.S. citizen and former resident of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. On Feb. 1, 2011, LaRose, aka “JihadJane,” aka “Fatima LaRose,” pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, making false statements, and attempted identity theft.

According to documents filed with the court, Ramirez, LaRose and others conspired to obtain military-style training in South Asia and then traveled to and around Europe to participate in, and in support of, violent jihad. In a series of electronic communications dated July 19, 2009, one co-conspirator (identified as CC#2 in the superseding indictment) directed another to recruit online “some brothers that can travel freely…with eu passports…[A]nd I also need some sisters too.” The co-conspirator further explained that “sister fatima will be in charge of other sister care…[W]e have already organized everything for her….[W]e are will[ing] to die in order to protect her no matter what the risk is.”

Ramirez exchanged e-mail messages with LaRose during the summer of 2009, in which LaRose invited Ramirez to join her in Europe to attend a training camp. For example, on Aug. 1, 2009, LaSupporting TerrorismRose sent electronic communications to Ramirez stating that “soon i will be moving to Europe to be with other brothers & sisters…when i get to europe, i will send for you to come be with me there…[T]his place will be like a training camp as well as a home.” In electronic communications dated on or about August 7, 2009, CC #2 recruited another individual to find brothers and sisters to go to a “camp for [military-style] training…and th[e]n come back to europe to do the job…[T]he job is to [k]nock down some individual[s] that are harming islam.” CC#2 goes on to explain that he is structuring “an ORGANIZATION” divided into a “plan[n]ing team…research team…action team…recruitment team…finance team.”

Ramirez accepted LaRose's invitation to travel to Europe and asked to bring along her minor male child. On Sept, 12, 2009, Ramirez traveled to Ireland with her child with the intent to live and train with jihadists. The day after she arrived in Ireland, Ramirez married CC#2, whom she had never before met in person, in an Islamic ceremony, knowing and intending that her presence in Europe, her marriage to CC#2, and her future actions would provide support for the conspiracy.

“Today's guilty plea by Jamie Ramirez, coupled with that of Colleen LaRose last month, underscores the evolving nature of the terrorist threat we face,” said acting Assistant Attorney General Hinnen. “Many counterterrorism and law enforcement officials worked tirelessly to deal with the threat these defendants posed; I applaud their efforts and those of all of the national security professionals and prosecutors that work to keep the country safe.”

“Keeping our community and the country safe are a top priority of this office,” said U.S. Attorney Memeger. “This case, and the guilty pleas, are a culmination of the vigilant efforts by the FBI agents in this district, the prosecutors in my office, and law enforcement officers around the globe. It underscores the importance and success of international collaboration when fighting terrorism.”

“The guilty plea in this case today is yet one more success our efforts against the continuing and evolving threats that we face,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge George C. Venizelos. “Our Joint Terrorism Task Forces work very closely with all of our partners in the law enforcement and intelligence communities to ensure that we remain vigilant, alert and creative in our approaches to identifying and preventing acts of terrorism.”

This case was investigated by the FBI Field Division in New York, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force in Philadelphia, the FBI Field Division in Denver, and the FBI Field Office in Washington, D.C. Authorities in Ireland also provided assistance in this matter.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams, and Matthew F. Blue, a Trial Attorney from the Counterterrorism Section in the Justice Department's National Security Division. The Office of International Affairs in the Justice Department's Criminal Division also provided assistance. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Associated Press

07March2011 10:00amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: STERLING, Va. — Muslim Americans are not part of the terrorism problem facing the U.S. – they are part of the solution, a top White House official said Sunday at a Washington-area mosque.

Islamic Radicalization of AmericansDeputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough set the Obama administration's tone for discussions as tensions escalate before the first in a series of congressional hearings on Islamic radicalization. The hearings, chaired by New York Republican Peter King, will focus on the level of cooperation from the Muslim community to help law enforcement combat radicalization.

The majority of the recent terror plots and attempts against the U.S. have involved people espousing a radical and violent view of Islam. Just a few weeks ago a college student from Saudi Arabia who studied chemical engineering in Texas was arrested after he bought explosive chemicals online. It was part of a plan to hide bomb materials inside dolls and baby carriages and blow up dams, nuclear plants or the Dallas home of former President George W. Bush.

King said the Muslim community could and should do more to work with law enforcement to stop its members from radicalizing and recruiting others to commit violence.

"I don't believe there is sufficient cooperation" by American Muslims with law enforcement, King said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." "Certainly my dealings with the police in New York and FBI and others say they do not believe they get the same – they do not give the level of cooperation that they need." (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Fox News

07March2011 4:00amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: WASHINGTON — Radical Islam poses a threat to the United States as a whole, but is particularly dangerous to American Muslims who are targeted by terror groups, the Radical Islamchairman of the House Homeland Security Committee said Sunday in defending upcoming hearings on radical Islam.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., is facing a backlash, including a Sunday protest in New York, over his decision to hold Thursday's hearing — the first in a series — on the threat of Islamic radicalization. King said he's surprised the American-Muslim community is not embracing his hearings because they are the ones most victimized when radical elements infiltrate their communities.

"I've said time and again the overwhelming [majority] of Muslims are good Americans, but the threat is coming from their community and we have to find out why, how it is being done and how to stop it," he told Fox News. "We have an absolute obligation to investigate that." (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The Voice Of Russia

07March2011 3:00amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Investigators say a Russian jet crash on Saturday might have been the result of a terror attack.

Antonov-148 crashes killing all six on board.Other hypotheses include human error, a mechanical fault, substandard parts and adulterated fuel.

The jet was an Antonov-148, with four Russians and two trainee pilots from Myanmar on board.

All six died when it crashed to the ground in the Region of Belgorod south of Moscow.

Locals say they observed it falling apart in mid-air.

The plane was undergoing tests ahead of delivery to Myanmar. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: CS Monitor

05March2011 10:00pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Frankfurt – Arid Uka was a typical product of Frankfurt, a city where Arid Ukaa third of the population is not originally from Germany. An ethnic Albanian born in Kosovo and raised Muslim, he grew up in a middle-class family in Germany and lived with his parents and siblings. It was only recently that he turned to radical Islam, apparently connecting with extremists on Facebook and online jihadi forums.

On Wednesday, Mr. Uka became the first person to successfully carry out a terrorist attack in Germany since 9/11. He has been charged with killing two US airmen and wounding two others at the Frankfurt airport in an act that German prosecutors say Uka carried out on his own. In court Thursday, he confessed to the killings and said he shot the four men because he felt America was at war with Islam. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Right Side News

05March2011 5:00amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: An analysis of the propaganda campaign to get Al-Jazeera carried by more cable and satellite systems reveals an interesting fact. The terrorist TV channel is already available through something called MHz Networks. And it turns out that the MHz Networks is Al Jazeera station funded by American taxpayersupported by the American taxpayers at the federal and state levels.

MHz Networks is a division of Commonwealth Public Broadcasting and receives over $2 million a year from federal and state governments. In this case, because Commonwealth is based in Virginia, the culprit is the state of Virginia. However, Governor Robert F. McDonnell has proposed eliminating state funding of public broadcasting by cutting $2 million in fiscal 2012 and $2 million in fiscal 2013. Even if state legislators go along with this proposal, that still leaves the federal subsidies for Commonwealth and MHz Networks.

According to figures supplied by Joseph H. Koch, Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, $1.4 million of that $2 million came from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which is funded by Congress. The CPB distributes taxpayer money to public broadcasting stations and entities. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Daily Mail

02March2011 8:30amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: A shocking video has emerged from Pakistan depicting children role-playing a Taliban suicide bombing.
The 84-second clip shows Pashtun children recreating a terrorist attack, with one boy dressed in black – the 'bomber' – being embraced and wished well by his friends before setting off on his deadly mission.
In the single-take video, the 'bomber' then approaches another boy, dressed in white, who appears to be mimicking a member of the security forces and tries to stop him.

But the young Jihadi then 'detonates' – with other boys throwing sand into the air to simulate the explosion – and others rush in to examine the children who are playing dead.
Ahsan Masood, a Pashtun from Waziristan in Pakistan, posted the video on Facebook because he 'thought it was funny'.
He said he believed it had been filmed in Khost, Afghanistan, and that it had been sent to him via his mobile phone by a friend.
It has been described as 'horrifying' by a children's charity in Pakistan, but others have said it could be seen in a positive light as children role-play to deal with the violent circumstances they see in their everyday lives. (read full report)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/g_xoyosKy3w?rel=0

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The Washington Times

01March2011 6:30amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Evidence outlined in a Pentagon contractor report suggests that financial subversion carried out by unknown parties, such as terrorists or hostile nations, contributed economic sabotageto the 2008 economic crash by covertly using vulnerabilities in the U.S. financial system.

The unclassified 2009 report “Economic Warfare: Risks and Responses” by financial analyst Kevin D. Freeman, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Times, states that “a three-phased attack was planned and is in the process against the United States economy.”

While economic analysts and a final report from the federal government's Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission blame the crash on such economic factors as high-risk mortgage lending practices and poor federal regulation and supervision, the Pentagon contractor adds a new element: “outside forces,” a factor the commission did not examine.

“There is sufficient justification to question whether outside forces triggered, capitalized upon or magnified the economic difficulties of 2008,” the report says, explaining that those domestic economic factors would have caused a “normal downturn” but not the “near collapse” of the global economic system that took place. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Ria Novosti

28February2011 6:50pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Russia's Interior Ministry has to step up efforts to prevent and counter terrorism and extremism, as well as bolster security in public places to implement the tasks set by President Dmitry Medvedev, Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev told the Izvestia daily.

Medvedev and PutinMedvedev said in early February that the fight against terrorism, as well as efforts to combat extremism, organized crime and corruption were priorities for the country's law enforcement agencies.

Medvedev ordered a nationwide tightening of transport security measures after January's terrorist attack on Moscow's Domodedovo airport, which killed 36 and injured dozens. He said one of the most important tasks was for law enforcers to prevent crimes.

Transport Minister Igor Levitin said in mid-February at a meeting with Medvedev that Russia will spend 46.7 billion rubles ($1.6 billion) by 2014 on a program to ensure transport security. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The Washington Times

28February2011 6:34pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: LONDON (AP) — A jury on Monday convicted a former British Airways computer specialist of plotting with U.S.-born extremist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki to blow up an airplane.

Rajib KarimRajib Karim, a 31-year-old Bangladeshi man, was convicted of four counts of engaging in preparation for terrorist attacks. He already had pleaded guilty to other, lesser terrorism offenses.

Prosecutors said he used his position at the airline to plot an attack with Mr. al-Awlaki, a notorious radical preacher associated with al Qaeda thought to be hiding in Yemen.

Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw told the court that Karim “sought work in this country of the sort which would be useful to him or a terrorist organization in planning an attack — an attack of the sort which might result in the wholesale loss of life.”

Prosecutors said that in heavily encrypted exchanges, Mr. al-Awlaki quizzed Karim about details of security flaws and urged the aspiring terrorist to train as a flight attendant to assist plans to use suicide bombers or mail bombs to down U.S.-bound flights. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Federal News Radio

28February2011 9:30amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: The federal government is not adapting fast enough to the ever-changing threats to homeland security.

From cyber threats to homegrown terrorism, the challenges law enforcement face today are vastly DHS Sealdifferent from those of the past.

Bart Johnson, principle deputy undersecretary of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security, said the recent rise in domestic terrorism isn't an anomaly – it's the new norm – and security agencies need to operate accordingly. He said federal agencies can't handle the spike in homegrown terrorism alone; that they must partner with state, local and tribal law enforcement groups.

In order to facilitate collaboration, the 2007 National Strategy for Information Sharing called for the establishment of fusion centers. The centers serve as focal points for collecting, analyzing and sharing threat related information between federal and state, local and tribal partners.

"This is the new plan A," said Johnson during a speech Thursday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "There is no plan B and there shouldn't be a plan B. This national network of fusion centers needs to be enhanced, it needs to continue to provide the value-added, and it certainly needs to be institutionalized." (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: DEBKAfile

26February2011 12:04pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Iraq's biggest oil refinery at Baiji, 180 kilometers north of Baghdad, was blown up early Saturday, Feb. 26, by an Al Qaeda cell activated by the Iranian Revolutionary Baiji Oil Refinery in IraqGuards Al Qods Brigades, DEBKAfile's Middle East sources report. Tehran is using the Middle East turbulence to generate fuel shortages in Iraq and boost oil prices worldwide.

Thursday night, Feb. 24, saw the first signs of unrest in Saudi Arabia with demonstrations by young people demanding reforms of the kingdom's system of government and by Shiites living and working in the kingdom's oil-rich eastern regions. They demonstrated at Awwamiya in Qatif in solidarity with the protests in Libya and Bahrain. They also demanded the release of detainees rounded up by Saudi security authorities among the two million Shiites living and working in the main oil centers of Saudi Arabia to nip potential unrest in the bud.

Friday, in the Red Sea town of Jeddah in the west, a group calling itself "Jeddah Youth for Change staged a demonstration.

The slightest sign of unrest in Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, is bound to affect the price of oil. Iran is the biggest beneficiary of soaring prices. Day after day, as Arab capitals are beset by popular turbulence, Tehran is watching the damage caused its economy by international sanctions shrinking. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Fox News

Adam Housley reporting

23February2011 1:52amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: As if the threat of deadly drug cartels in Mexico wasn't enough, some of them are joining forces with Middle East terror groups.

"Hezbollah are absolute masters at identifying existing smuggling infrastructures," says former DEA Hezbollah influence on Mexian cartelsChief of Operations Mike Braun, adding that the group "is developing relations with those responsible for operating those smuggling operations and then forming close relations with them, so that they can move anything they have an interest into virtually anywhere in the world." He goes on to tell me that the Middle East terror group is "rubbing shoulders" with drug cartels around the globe.

My military and Department of Homeland Security contacts are insistent…it's not [a question of] if Hezbollah operatives have been smuggled into the U.S….but how many? They note that drug tunnels are becoming much more sophisticated and striking similar as tunnels being used by terror organizations to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip. My contacts also say they have real concern that bombing techniques used in the Middle East to promote terror are now also being used inside Mexico, as the cartels war with each other and anyone in their way.

This comes as Mexican authorities busted a senior Hezbollah operative who employed Mexicans nationals with family ties to Lebanon to set up the network, designed to target Israel and the West, according to multiple reports. The man's name is Jameel Nasr and he was arrested after a Mexican surveillance operation revealed that he traveled frequently to Lebanon to receive information and instructions from Hezbollah commanders and he also spent several months in Venezuela working with the terror group and Hugo Chavez's people. American security contacts say the Mexican operation was impressive and they are seeing some increased pressure on the cartels from Mexican authorities and thus…their friends. (read full report)

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: HS Today

14February2011 11:10amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: In testimony before Congress, the general manager for DC Water related a success story for his agency that underscored both the payoffs and challenges for making use of inherently safer technology and extending chemical facility security laws to water treatment facilities.

Chemical facility securityBefore 9/11, DC Water used chlorine and sulfur dioxide to treat wastewater, George Hawkins told the House Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology Friday. Those chemicals would have posed a threat to the surrounding community if a terrorist attack on the facility ignited them.

Workers at DC Water's Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Facility could see the smoke from the attack on the Pentagon on 9/11, which prompted the agency to accelerate a plan to switch to treating water with safer chemicals — sodium hypochlorite (bleach) and sodium bisulfite.

The transition, though successful, cost $16.4 million, Hawkins noted. Moreover, DC Water now pays $2 million annually for the safer chemicals rather than $800,000 annually for the previous more dangerous chemicals.

Republicans have objected to mandating the use of inherently safer technology under the Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) in part due to the costs to the chemical industry. Those objections derailed a bill that would have permanently authorized CFATS in the last Congress because it would have required the use of inherently safer technology where possible.  (read full report)

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

Director of the CIA says such a terrorist attack is 'a real national security threat' that would damage financial and government systems.

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times

11February2011 10:32pmEST

GCIS CYBER-SECURITY UPDATE: Washington —
A major cyber attack somewhere in the United States is becoming increasingly possible, top government intelligence officials said Thursday, warning that an assault on America's power grid Cyber Terrorismsystem "represents the battleground for the future."

The officials, speaking at a special hearing on Capitol Hill, also said that although Al Qaeda has been diminished after nine years of the U.S. war on terror, more foreign groups have risen up, increasing concerns among U.S. authorities that one of them may eventually get their hands on a nuclear device.

"I don't think there's any question but that this is a real national security threat that we have to pay attention to," CIA Director Leon Panetta said of a cyber attack in this country. "The Internet, the cyber arena … this is a vastly growing area of information that can be used and abused in a number of ways."

With that in mind, he told the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, "when it comes to national security, I think this represents the battleground for the future. I've often said that I think the potential for the next Pearl Harbor could very well be a cyber attack." (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's advertisers or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: HS Today

11February2011 9:51amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Radical changes in methods, strategies and technologies of New policing policies post-9/11policing necessitate the forging of new relationships between police and communities, according to a new study by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), titled  The Changing Environment for Policing, 1985-2008.
 
“Not only are changes occurring in the environment that may affect the structure of policing but police themselves are in the process of changing the way they work,” the report explains, noting that the factors driving this are the threat of terrorism, intelligence- led policing and DNA analysis.
 
While these developments have helped drive a significant decrease in violent crime over the past two decades, according to the report, each has also transfered initiative in directing operations to specialists who collect and analyze information and away from both general-duties police and the public.
 
 “Ironically,” the report notes, “ these changes could undo the signature contribution of the 1980s — community policing. “
 
A focus on counterterrorism, for example, centralizes decision making, shifting it upward in police organizations and making it less transparent.
 
“In the aftermath of Sept. 11,”  the report says, “a new emphasis has been placed on the development of covert intelligence gathering, penetration and disruption. In the United States, the development of covert counterterrorism capacity has been unequally distributed, being more pronounced in larger police forces. Where it occurs, important questions arise about legal accountability as well as operational payoff.” (read full report)

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's advertisers or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The Washington Times

10February2011 2:15pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid criticism that intelligence services DNI James Clappermissed the signs of Arab revolt in Tunisia and Egypt, the nation’s top intelligence official will tell Congress that the threat from al Qaeda and its affiliates remains his No. 1 priority, U.S. officials said.

In testimony scheduled Thursday before the House Intelligence Committee, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper will stress that counterterrorism to keep Americans safe is the focus of the intelligence community, according to one of those officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss matters of intelligence.

Mr. Clapper is expected to defend how the intelligence community tracked the revolts that have swept through two major American allies in the Arab world, toppling the leader of Tunisia and threatening the regime in Egypt, the officials said. (read full report)

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's advertisers or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

Testimony of Secretary Janet Napolitano Before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, "Understanding the Homeland Threat Landscape – Considerations for the 112th Congress"

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: DHS

09February2011 5:29pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: "Since 9/11, the United States has made important progress in Janet Napolitano of DHSsecuring our Nation from terrorism. Nevertheless, the terrorist threat facing our country has evolved significantly in the last ten years – and continues to evolve – so that, in some ways, the threat facing us is at its most heightened state since those attacks. This fact requires us to continually adapt our counterterrorism techniques to effectively detect, deter, and prevent terrorist acts.

Following 9/11, the federal government moved quickly to build an intelligence and security apparatus that has protected our country from the kind of large-scale attack, directed from abroad, that struck us nearly ten years ago. The resulting architecture yielded considerable success in both preventing this kind of attack and limiting, though not eliminating, the operational ability of the core al-Qaeda group that is currently based in the mountainous area between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Today, however, in addition to the direct threats we continue to face from al-Qaeda, we also face growing threats from other foreign-based terrorist groups that are inspired by al-Qaeda ideology but have few operational connections to the core al-Qaeda group. And, perhaps most crucially, we face a threat environment where violent extremism is not defined or contained by international borders. Today, we must address threats that are homegrown as well as those that originate abroad.

One of the most striking elements of today's threat picture is that plots to attack America increasingly involve American residents and citizens. We are now operating under the assumption, based on the latest intelligence and recent arrests, that individuals prepared to carry out terrorist attacks and acts of violence might be in the United States, and they could carry out acts of violence with little or no warning…" (read full DHS report)

 

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's advertisers or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: AZ Central

02February2011 12:41pmEST

Arizona sheriff expects battle with cartels within 30-90 daysGCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu is anticipating an armed conflict between his deputies and cartel members within the next 30 to 60 days.

Babeu made that prediction last week as he addressed an Ahwatukee Foothills Republican women's club, and reiterated it Tuesday on the heels of a speech by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano asserting that border communities are safer than ever. (read full report)