GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Debka Report: Israel and Hamas near a Spring war

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: DEBKAfile

02April2011 1:00pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Saturday, after nearly two months of heightened Palestinian terrorist activity and low-key Israeli reprisals, both sides dropped their long pretense of seeking calm.

Ever since the massacre of five members of an Israeli family at Itamar on Feb. 11, Israeli government leaders have tried to sell the line that Hamas was not really seeking to raise the level of violence.

They continued to play down Hamas' motives through a 50-round mortar barrage in a single day (March 19) on Israeli civilian locations abutting the Gaza Strip, several Grad missiles fired at the towns  Ashkelon, Ashdod, Beersheba and Netivot and a bombing attack in Jerusalem on March 23, which killed a tourist and injured 65 after two relatively terror-free years.

In between major attacks, the Palestinians have maintained up until the present a steady trickle of Qassam and mortar fire against Israeli civilians.

While intensifying its attacks, Hamas picked up the convenient Israeli mantra which claimed that the terrorist-rulers of Gaza wanted nothing but a ceasefire which would also embrace all the smaller terrorist organizations taking part on the shooting as well.

The Israeli army statement after the pre-dawn air strike over Gaza Saturday abruptly broke that pose by exposing Hamas's true intentions for the first time. He admitted that the Palestinian radicals had set up a major murder-cum-kidnap campaign for striking terror across the Green Line and favorite Israeli vacationing spots in Sinai, to be launched during the eight-day Passover holiday April 18-28…(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.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Coordinated Terrorist Attacks on Global Energy Infrastructure: Modeling the Risks

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The Heritage Foundation

22March2011 9:00amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: The 2010 Heritage Energy Game demonstrated that there are significant vulnerabilities in the domestic and international energy network. Coordinated attacks by terrorists and other violent nonstate actors could cause a massive drop in oil production and price spikes that would seriously harm the U.S. and the global economies. The reality may be even harsher: wide, prolonged instability in the Middle East may threaten Saudi Arabian and other Persian Gulf oil production, including spare capacity. Careful implementation of select policies could limit the economic damage, but implementation of misguided policies could easily make such a crisis even worse. The United States and its allies would need to exercise decisive and effective leadership to deal with the crisis, but this requires the U.S. to develop an assertive international energy policy, preferably before such a crisis.

In June 2010, The Heritage Foundation conducted a simulation exercise to assess the strategic and economic impact of a major energy supply disruption caused by coordinated terrorist attacks on key nodes in the global energy infrastructure. The exercise built on two prior games conducted in 2006 and 2008[1] and included two iterations.

The purpose of the exercise was to examine the international and domestic responses to the crisis, examine the principal actors’ interactions, and simulate the effects on world oil supply, demand, and prices. Analysts at The Heritage Foundation’s Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies developed the simulation exercise to assess the long-term and short-term policy implications of the oil disruptions. Analysts in Heritage’s Center for Data Analysis measured the effects of these disruptions on the U.S. economy and the international oil price. Under the business-as-usual (baseline) scenario:

• Petroleum prices jump from $75 per barrel to $250 per barrel and eventually fall back to $125 per barrel after two years;
• Gasoline prices jump to $8 per gallon and remain above $4 per gallon throughout the first year;
• Gross domestic product (GDP) losses exceed $300 billion per year for both years of the crisis;
• Employment drops by more than 1.3 million the first year and drops an additional 1.1 million in the second year for a total two-year drop of 2.4 million.

(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.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Hamas digging ‘terror tunnels’ along border with Israel

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Jerusalem Post

22March2011 8:00amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Facing a possible new conflict against Hamas, concern is growing within the IDF regarding increased efforts by Palestinian terrorist groups to dig tunnels under the border that could be used to infiltrate into Israel and perpetrate attacks.

According to IDF sources, the number of tunnels has grown in recent years. Hamas is under orders to dig “terror tunnels” along the border.

Hamas has split into five different regional brigades – north, Gaza City, central Gaza, Khan Younis and Rafah.

The exact number of tunnels is unknown to the IDF.

Tunnels have been used in the past by Hamas and other terrorist groups to infiltrate into Israel. The terrorists who abducted Gilad Schalit from his military post near Kerem Shalom, in June 2006, crossed into Israel through an underground tunnel.

Palestinian terror groups in Gaza have made some major improvements to their military capabilities since Operation Cast Lead over two years ago, it is understood. One of these improvements has been in missile capability, with the addition of new long-range rockets, like the Iranian-made Fajr-5 that has reportedly been smuggled into Gaza and can reach Tel Aviv.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad are also believed to have obtained new guided anti-tank missiles like the Kornet, Fagot and Sagger, one of which was fired at an IDF patrol on Friday.

The IDF believes that Hamas is also working to improve its communication capabilities. (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.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Terrorist Threat to the U.S. Homeland – Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Carnegie Endowment

03March2011 9:08amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the organization behind the attempted Christmas Day 2009 attack and last October’s cargo bomb plot, has repeatedly attempted to strike American interests. In testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee, Christopher Boucek warns that AQAP is now the greatest single terrorist threat to the United States—a greater danger even than al-Qaeda’s senior leadership. (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.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Self-Described “Militant Extremist” Sentenced in Maryland for Visa Fraud

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: FBI

01March2011 6:00amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:

GREENBELT, MD—U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus, sentenced Brahim Lajqi, age 51, an ethnic Albanian from Kosovo residing in Silver Spring, Maryland, today to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for visa fraud. Judge Titus granted the government's requested sentence enhancement based on Lajqi conducting activities to fulfill his pledge to retaliate against the United States for its involvement in the Kosovo conflict, which Lajqi believed had led to the deaths of several family members.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations.

"The evidence showed that Mr. Lajqi repeatedly and consistently made statements and took actions indicating that he planned to engage in terrorist activity," said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.

"As this case clearly demonstrates, visa fraud presents a vulnerability that could be exploited by dangerous criminals or even terrorists," said William Winter, Special Agent in Charge of ICE's Homeland Security Investigations in Baltimore. "ICE HSI will continue to vigorously pursue those who seek to exploit and corrupt America's legal immigration system."

According to Lajqi's guilty plea, he made false statements on immigration documents. Lajqi admitted that on his application to become a permanent resident in the United States he stated that he had been granted asylum status, when in fact, he had not. Lajqi further admitted that he forged his mother's signature on a petition for an alien relative that was purportedly filed by her on his behalf.

According to court documents and testimony at today's sentencing hearing, Lajqi is a self-described extremist militant trained by Bosnian rebels, who on several occasions expressed a desire to "get even" with the United States and discussed obtaining weapons and explosives for an attack on Washington, D.C. According to court documents, Lajqi drove around Washington, D.C. on two occasions to discuss and view potential targets, including Capitol Hill, the courthouse where his immigration proceedings were being held, the White House, the Treasury building, and a Metro train stop during rush hour. Lajqi also stated that he was in the process of renewing his commercial drivers license (CDL) in South Carolina so that he could transport weapons from Canada. Lajqi actually traveled to West Virginia in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a CDL there.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and ICE-HSI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Welsh, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Harvey E. Eisenberg, Chief of the National Security Section, who supervised the case. (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.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: My family will live and die in Libya: Chilling pledge from Gaddafi's son as battle for Tripoli begins

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Daily Mail

26February2011 1:00pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: The battle for Colonel Gaddafi’s last stronghold of Tripoli appeared to be under way last night, with claims that some suburbs in the Libyan capital had fallen to rebels.

Triumphant but terrified residents said anti-Gaddafi protesters were in control of up to three areas in the sprawling city, despite another bloody crackdown by mercenaries and troops which left at least nine dead and dozens wounded.

As night fell on Tripoli, Gaddafi appeared in the central Green Square to make an impassioned speech of defiance, telling 1,000 of his supporters waving pictures of him to fight back and ‘defend the nation’.

Pumping his fist in the air, Gaddafi, wearing a fur cap and sunglasses, spoke from the ramparts of the historic Red Castle to demand his supporters ‘retaliate against them’ and ‘prepare to defend the nation and defend the oil’.

He went on: ‘We are ready to triumph over the enemy . . . I am in the middle of the crowds . . . We will defeat any foreign attempt, as we have defeated Italian colonialism and American raids.’

Gaddafi’s favourite son, Saif, vowed that his family will ‘live and die in Libya’ and will not allow ‘a bunch of terrorists’ to take control of the country.

In an interview aired on Turkish TV, he was asked if his family has a ‘plan B’ in the face of the growing unrest and would leave the country.

He replied: ‘We have Plan A, Plan  B and Plan C. Plan A is to live and  die in Libya, Plan B is to live and die in Libya, Plan C is to live and die in Libya.’ (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.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Alleged Supporter of Terrorist Group Extradited from Paraguay

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: FBI

26February2011 11:37amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:

PHILADELPHIA—Moussa Ali Hamdan, 38, a dual citizen of the United States and Lebanon and a former resident of Brooklyn, New York, made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia today after being extradited from Paraguay. He is being held pending a detention hearing. Hamdan is among several defendants charged in a conspiracy to provide material support to Hizballah, a designated foreign terrorist organization. He was indicted November 24, 2009, along with nine co-defendants. Hamdan was taken into U.S. custody in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Thursday, by U.S. Marshals who escorted him to Washington, D.C., where members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force took him into custody.

At the time of the indictment, Hamdan had left the United States. On June 15, 2010, Paraguayan authorities arrested him in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of Paraguay for the crime of material support of terrorism.

Hamdan is charged in 28 of the 31 counts in the indictment, including conspiring to provide material support to Hizballah in the form of proceeds from the sale of counterfeit money, stolen (genuine) money, and fraudulent passports. According to the indictment, Hamdan and several other defendants were also charged with several counts of transporting stolen goods, trafficking in counterfeit goods, and making false statements to government officials. (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.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Foreign Affairs report: How al Qaeda Works

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Foreign Affairs

24February2011 11:00pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Despite nearly a decade of war, al Qaeda is stronger today than when it carried out the 9/11 attacks. Before 2001, its history was checkered with mostly failed attempts to fulfill its most enduring goal: the unification of other militant Islamist groups under its strategic leadership. However, since fleeing Afghanistan to Pakistan's tribal areas in late 2001, al Qaeda has founded a regional branch in the Arabian Peninsula and acquired franchises in Iraq and the Maghreb. Today, it has more members, greater geographic reach, and a level of ideological sophistication and influence it lacked ten years ago.

Still, most accounts of the progress of the war against al Qaeda contend that the organization is on the decline, pointing to its degraded capacity to carry out terrorist operations and depleted senior leadership as evidence that the group is at its weakest since 9/11. But such accounts treat the central al Qaeda organization separately from its subsidiaries and overlook its success in expanding its power and influence through them. These groups should not be ignored. All have attacked Western interests in their regions of operation. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has also long targeted the United States, but its efforts have moved beyond the execution stage only in the last two years, most recently with the foiled plot to bomb cargo planes in October 2010. And although al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has not yet attacked outside its region, al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) was reportedly involved in the June 2007 London and Glasgow bomb plots. (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.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Hezbollah support in America: Identifying Hezbollah cells & participants in the U.S. (Part 1 of 2)

Part One: Imam Abdul Alim Musa: A Drug Lord turned Hezbollah supporter

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Northeast Intelligence Network

23February2011 7:17pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: The difference with Muslim cleric Abdul Alim Musa is he is not from the Middle East, but rather an African-American named Clarence Reams with a long criminal past. Known by his criminal nom de guerre, ” Big Hank,” instead of what he calls his “slave name,” Musa was an international drug dealer and well-known criminal personality in Oakland, California who converted to Islam while in the U.S. prison system. One source for this article has described Musa’s adoption of militant Islam as payback for the U.S. government putting him behind bars, an old adage “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” He operates a Muslim group called Sabiqun that seeks to establish an Islamic world order and is an honored guest speaking at mosques in California and anti-Israel events at colleges like UC Irvine and UCLA.

Musa has gone on record publicly stating that “Jews are the enemy of humanity” and he openly supports both Hamas and Hezbollah, the Iranian terrorist proxies. Musa is a perfect example how the militant Islamists take people from the lower classes in our society and elevate them in stature to promote an internal “revolution” against the established state. Besides lecturing at other mosques in the US besides his own, Musa lectures at universities and colleges where he is a frequent guest of the Muslims Students Associations that operate at the behest of the Saudis.

While in Oakland during the 1960s, Musa associated with H. Rap Brown, who later also adopted a radical version of Islam and became known as Imam Jamil al-Amin. Al-Amin was imprisoned after murdering an American black police officer during a traffic stop in Atlanta.

“Big Hank” was later arrested for setting up a drug dealing heroin and currency smuggling operation in Colombia, and was also charged with assaulting a federal agent. Later, he fled to Algeria, where he hooked up with several self-exiled Black Panther leaders such as the late Eldridge Cleaver. He eventually returned to the United States and turned himself in. While in prison, “Big Hank” converted to Islam and adopted his Arabic Islamic name. He became a radical and supported Khomeini’s 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution, believing, or at least wanting to believe that Khomeini’s oppressive regime would lead to global Islamic dominance as Iran is striving for today. Once Khomeini’s regime was installed in power, Musa declared his unwavering support for the new Iranian dictator and his program of anti-Americanism. He has made several visits since the 1980’s to Iran proclaiming himself the representative of American Muslims and pledging undying support for the regime. He has managed to ally himself with anti-American Muslims, both Sunni and Shia since then and encouraged unity of purpose as being the road to success for Islam against the United States.

To promote this unity Abdul Musa uses anti-Semitism. The ADL has described his statements as a theme that “propagates a radical and anti-Semitic ideology.” He accuses Jews of being responsible for the slave trade prior to the 20th century to inflame African-American passions against the Jewish community in the same manner as Louis Farrakhan does with this Black Muslims group. Musa has demanded, “Who ran the slave trade…who funded it? You’ll study and you will find out: the Jews…It was the Jewish bankers…In Vienna, with pockets full of money, funding and insuring, that’s who did it…You can’t tell us about no Holocaust. Between the African Americans and the Native Americans, everybody else’s stuff was small potatoes.”

Historically inaccurate and designed to promote Jew-hatred, his speeches are heard even on “enlightened” U.S. college campuses. At the University of Washington under the invitation of the Black Students Commission where he proclaimed America was controlled by Jews and that “Yahuds [Jews] are the enemy of humanity.” In California he has spoken on campuses such as at UC Irvine, currently considered one of the most anti-Semitic campuses in the country by assorted civil rights organizations.

Challenged publicly on his anti-Semitism, Musa tries to claim he only opposes supporters of Israel or “Zionists” and not Jews in general, but he has drawn allusions in his sermons to “Yahuds” [Jews] even back to Mohammed’s days with them in Saudi Arabia and described them as conniving and responsible for usury.

Musa even challenged the FBI to arrest him once for funding Hamas, one of the terrorist groups funded by the Khomeini regime in Iran and similar to Hezbollah. Waving a check made out to Hamas at a demonstration in 1999, he dared the government to do something about it. The check however was never presented nor cashed. (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.

GCIS/MSS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Google Street View raises Israeli security fears

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: WIStv

22February2011 11:32amEST

GCIS/MSS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: JERUSALEM (AP) – Google has for years fought claims its mapping and photography services infringed on personal privacy. Now the Internet giant is facing concerns from Israel that the technology could be used for terrorism.

Israel announced Monday it is considering ways for Google Street View to photograph Israeli cities, despite concerns the popular service could be used by terrorists to plot attacks against sensitive locations or political figures.

A team of Israeli Cabinet ministers led by Intelligence Minister Dan Meridor instructed experts Monday to work with Google Inc. to find a safe way to implement the feature "as soon as possible," according to an official statement. The team is weighing benefits, such as increased visibility for tourist sites, with public safety and personal privacy.

Street View allows users to virtually tour locations on a map. It is already available in 27 countries. Google uses special vehicles with panoramic cameras to take ground-level, 3-D images.

The feature has sparked intense debate about invasions of privacy in the U.S., Germany and other countries.

Critics argue the images could reveal people in places they don't want to be seen or doing things that might be embarrassing. Also, Google said last year that its vehicles had inadvertently collected computer data from Wi-Fi networks.

The issue has created a special dilemma in Israel, a country that is known as an international high-tech powerhouse but where the public is on constant alert for attacks by Palestinian militants. (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.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: FBI NEWS

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

18February2011 12:50amEST

SOURCE: FBI

Russell Defreitas Sentenced to Life in Prison for Conspiring to Commit Terrorist Attack at JFK Airport

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:

BROOKLYN, NY—Earlier today in the Eastern District of New York, United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry sentenced convicted defendant Russell Defreitas to life in prison for conspiring to commit a terrorist attack at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, by exploding fuel tanks and the fuel pipeline under the airport. Defreitas and his coconspirators believed their attack would cause extensive damage to the airport and to the New York economy, as well as the loss of numerous lives.

The sentence was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in New York.

A federal jury convicted Russell Defreitas and coconspirator Abdul Kadir in July 2010 after a nine-week trial. The evidence at trial established that Russell Defreitas, a naturalized United States citizen from Guyana, originated the idea to attack JFK Airport and its fuel tanks and pipelines by drawing on his prior experience working at the airport as a cargo handler. In 2006 and 2007, Defreitas recruited Kadir and others to join the plot during multiple trips to Guyana and Trinidad. Between trips, Defreitas engaged in video surveillance of JFK Airport and transported the footage back to Guyana to show Kadir and their co-conspirators. Kadir, a trained engineer with connections to militant groups in Iran and Venezuela, provided the conspirators with links to individuals with terrorist experience, advice on explosive materials, and a bank account through which to finance the terrorist attack. (read full report)

Ten Indicted and Arrested in Texas for Roles in Human Trafficking Scheme:

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:

HOUSTON—A three-year investigation into the trafficking of young and minor female Mexican nationals for the purpose of compelling their service as prostitutes at Houston area bars and restaurants through force, fraud, and coercion has lead to the indictment of 10 individuals, including the owner/operators of the La Costeñita Bar and El Club Restaurante, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.

U.S. Attorney Moreno was joined in making this announcement at a press conference today by FBI-Houston Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael H. Bonner; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean McElroy; Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia; Major George Rhyne, Texas Department of Public Safety; and Lt. C.A. Vazquez of the Houston Police Department; whose agencies worked together as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) to conduct the investigation leading to the charges.

The three-count indictment returned by a Houston grand jury under seal on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011, was unsealed today. All 10 defendants charged were taken into custody as a result of coordinated enforcement actions undertaken by teams of investigating agents last evening. All those in custody made initial appearances before a United States Magistrate Judge earlier this morning. All will appear for a detention hearing tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 18, 2011, before United States Frances H. Stacy at 1:00 p.m.

"I applaud the bravery of the young lady who made the 911 call for help in this case," said Moreno, "and commend the efforts of the agency members of the HTRA for the investigative efforts to rescue the victims in this case and apprehend their oppressors."

Maria Rojas, aka "Nancy," 46, a co-owner of the La Costeñita Bar and El Club Restaurante, located at 8403 and 8037 Clinton Drive, respectively, in Houston and her brother, Jose Luis Rojas, 38, who operated the La Costeñita as well as the locations adjacent to the bar located at 8303 Clinton Drive where the prostitution allegedly took place, are charged with conspiring to hold persons in conditions of peonage and recruiting, holding, transporting, and providing and obtaining persons for sexual services. (read full report)

Exec Testifies on Conducting Lawful Electronic Surveillance in the Face of New Technologies

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: In order to enforce the law and protect our citizens from threats to public safety, it is critically important that we have the ability to intercept electronic communications with court approval. In the ever-changing world of modern communications technologies, however, the FBI and other government agencies are facing a potentially widening gap between our legal authority to intercept electronic communications pursuant to court order and our practical ability to actually intercept those communications. We confront, with increasing frequency, service providers who do not fully comply with court orders in a timely and efficient manner. Some providers cannot comply with court orders right away but are able to do so after considerable effort and expense by the provider and the government. Other providers are never able to comply with the orders fully.

The problem has multiple layers. As discussed below, some providers are currently obligated by law to have technical solutions in place prior to receiving a court order to intercept electronic communications, but do not maintain those solutions in a manner consistent with their legal mandate. Other providers have no such existing mandate and simply develop capabilities upon receipt of a court order. In our experience, some providers actively work with the government to develop intercept solutions, while others do not have the technical expertise or resources to do so. As a result, on a regular basis, the government is unable to obtain communications and related data, even when authorized by a court to do so.

We call this capabilities gap the “Going Dark” problem. As the gap between authority and capability widens, the government is increasingly unable to collect valuable evidence in cases ranging from child exploitation and pornography to organized crime and drug trafficking to terrorism and espionage—evidence that a court has authorized the government to collect. This gap poses a growing threat to public safety. (read full report)

Armenian Power Organized Crime Group Targeted in Federal Indictments That Allege Racketeering Offenses, Including Bank Fraud Schemes, Kidnappings, and Drug Trafficking

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:

LOS ANGELES—As a result of two federal indictments and state cases that charge a total of 99 defendants with a wide range of crimes—including kidnapping, extortion, bank fraud, and narcotics trafficking—law enforcement authorities this morning arrested 74 members and associates of the Armenian Power organized crime group.

The majority of the defendants arrested this morning are named in two federal indictments that charge a total of 88 defendants linked to Armenian Power, which is commonly called AP.

One indictment accuses 29 defendants with participating in a RICO conspiracy in violation of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The RICO charge alleges a host of illegal activities, some of which are sophisticated white-collar crimes such as identity theft, credit card skimming, and manufacturing counterfeit checks. Among the conspiracies charged in the racketeering indictment is a bank fraud and counterfeit credit card scheme that victimized hundreds of customers of 99 Cents Only Stores throughout Southern California. AP members allegedly caused more than $2 million in losses when they secretly installed sophisticated "skimming" devices to steal customer account information at cash registers and then used the skimmed information to create counterfeit debit and credit cards.

The 134-count racketeering indictment returned three weeks ago by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles charges a total of 70 defendants. In addition to the RICO count that includes nearly 450 overt acts, the indictment includes charges against AP members for kidnapping, extortion, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, credit card fraud, marijuana distribution, and conducting an illegal gambling business. (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.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: On Capitol Hill, MPAC Panel Seeks to Whitewash Jihadist

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Right Side News

11February2011 8:41amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Two days after a panel took to Capitol Hill to say the terrorist threat to America is overblown, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a House committee Tuesday that "the terrorist threat to the homeland is in many ways at its most heightened state since 9/11."

That threat comes from homegrown terrorists ready to strike with "little or no warning," she said.

Islamist groups including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, al-Shabaab and branches of al-Qaida are driving the threat, National Counterterrorism Center Director Michael Leiter added. "I actually consider al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, with Awlaki as a leader within that organization, probably the most significant risk to the U.S. homeland," he said.

Both officials said the problem reflects on only a tiny portion of the Muslim-American community.

A similar theme was emphasized during a forum Monday sponsored by the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). But the rest of "Muslims, Law Enforcement and National Security" offered a tutorial on how not to have a serious discussion about the homegrown terrorist threat. Panelists mired themselves in platitudes and use of misleading statistics to downplay the threat to the United States. They relied on data from faulty studies and featured witnesses who have downplayed the threat of radical Islamist groups. (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.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov claims responsibility for Moscow airport attack

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Christian Science Monitor

08February2011 10:19amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov claimed responsibility for last month’s deadly bombing of Moscow's Domodedovo Airport in a video posted online late Monday. The video of Russia’s most-wanted criminal was the second to surface in the past few days, stoking fears of further acts of terrorism by radical Caucasus groups.

Mr. Umarov said in the video that he ordered the Jan. 24 attack on Russia’s largest airport, which killed 36 people and injured 180, and warned that more bombings will follow if Russia does not grant the Caucasus independence.

"You see this special operation carried out by my order … more special operations will be carried out in the future," Mr. Umarov said in the video, as translated from Russian by the Associated Press. (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.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: GAO Report says Canadian border bigger threat

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: NY Daily News

03February2011 12:42pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Worried about terrorists sneaking into the United States? You might want to look north.

It turns out that even as Mexico grapples with drug and gang violence, the U.S.-Canadian border poses a bigger terror risk, according to a new government report.

Just 32 of the 4,000 miles – less than 1% – along the northern border have an "acceptable level" of security, according to the Government Accountability Office report, released Tuesday.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) called the report "absolutely alarming" during a news conference on Capitol Hill.

He fears the northern border provides "easy passage into America by extremists, terrorists and criminals whose purpose it to harm the American people."  (read full NY Daily report)

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"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.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Wall Street Execs On New Terror Threat Info

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: NBCNewYork.com

01February2011 3:34pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Security officials are warning the leaders of major Wall Street banks that al Qaeda terrorists in Yemen may be trying to plan attacks against those financial institutions or their leading executives.

Intelligence officials stress the threats are general in nature and there is "no indication of a targeted assassination plot" against any Wall Street executive. But NBCNewYork.com has learned officials fear the names of some top banking executives have been discussed by terror operatives overseas.

Intelligence analysts added they have a general but growing concern that operatives in Yemen may again try to send package bombs or biological or chemical agents through the mail to Wall Street bankers.

In recent weeks, the FBI' Joint Terrorism Task Force and NYPD officials have been briefing bank executives and their security departments on the nature of the threat information. Much of it gleaned from al Qaeda writings like 'Inspire' magazine that recently warned of attacks targeting financial institutions. (read full report)

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Soft Targets:The Moscow Attack and Airport Security

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Right Side News

28January2011 1:42pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: The Jan. 24 bombing at Moscow’s Domodedovo International Airport killed 35 people and injured more than 160. The attack occurred at approximately 4:40 p.m. as passengers from several arriving international flights were leaving the airport after clearing immigration and customs. The attacker (or attackers; reports are still conflicting over whether the attack was conducted by a man or a man and a woman together) entered the international arrivals hall of the airport, a part of the facility that is outside the secure area and that is commonly packed with crowds of relatives and taxi and limo drivers waiting to meet travelers.

Once the attacker was in the midst of the waiting crowd and exiting passengers, the improvised explosive device that he (or she) carried was detonated. It is not clear at this point whether the device was command-detonated by the attacker as a traditional suicide bomb or if the device was remotely detonated by another person. The attack was most likely staged by Islamist militants from Russia’s Northern Caucasus region who have conducted a long series of attacks in Russia, including the Aug. 24, 2004, suicide bombings that destroyed two Russian airliners.

The Domodedovo attack serves as a striking illustration of several trends we have been following for years now, including the difficulty of preventing attacks against soft targets, the resourcefulness of militants in identifying such targets and the fixation militants have on aviation-related targets.  (read full report)

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Nuclear Watchdog Chief Warns of Nukes Falling Into the Wrong Hands

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Fox News

28January2011 12:11pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: DAVOS, Switzerland  While the mood here at Davos has been optimistic about recovery from the global credit crisis, the consensus is that the world is far from out of the woods.

Austerity and cutbacks are the buzzwords in this exclusive ski resort for this week, at least.
Among those worried about funding his project in this tight environment is Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA.

He is here at the World Economic Forum making the case for his agency. “We are aware of the difficulties of countries (who fund the IAEA). I need to strike a good balance of the needs of the agency and the capacity of countries to contribute.”

Amano is also here to make sure political leaders at this global meeting are fully aware of some of the risks we all face in the area of nuclear proliferation. He does not just mean North Korea and Iran.

“Another risk is nuclear material falling into the hands of terrorists. Some people do not believe this is a real risk. But the IAEA has a database and, on average, every two days we receive information about the illicit trafficking of nuclear materials or radioactive materials and this may only be the tip of the iceberg.” (read full report)

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: US warns of possible February attacks by al-Qaida-linked Somali extremists in Burundi, Uganda

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Canadian Press

27January2011 4:48pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: WASHINGTON — The United States is warning Americans of the potential for terrorist attacks in the east African nations of Burundi and Uganda next month, possibly by Somali extremists with links to al-Qaida.

The U.S. embassies in Bujumbura, in Burundi, and Kampala, in Uganda, issued near identical alerts to Americans on Tuesday. The warnings say that regional terror groups remain actively interested in attacking U.S. interests in Burundi and Uganda.

(read full report)

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: PA Leader Abbas Grants $2,000 to Family of Dead Terrorist

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Israel National News

27January2011 4:03pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Despite the Palestinian Authority's frequent denials that it supports terrorism, Palestinian Media Watch has uncovered a PA media report stating that PA leader Mahmoud Abbas has given $2,000 to the family of a terrorist who was killed trying to murder IDF soldiers.
 
The incident occurred several weeks ago, when a would-be "holy martyr" (shahid) carrying two pipe bombs ran towards the Israeli soldiers manning the Hamra checkpoint near the Jordan Valley. Screaming "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is Greater), he was shot and killed before he could detonate the bombs.

The presidential grant was awarded this week by the governor of the Jenin district, Kadura Musa, to the family of the would-be murderer in the family's village of Al-Yamoun. The governor noted that the grant is financial aid in the amount of $2,000 from Mahmoud Abbas. (read full report)