"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
— Albert Einstein
Hope you had a great weekend...and no overhang!
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USA
December 29, Homeland Security Newswire – (National) Pentagon revamps security in wake of Wikileaks. There are 2.2 million people in the United States with access to one or more levels (confidential, secret, and top secret) of classified information; there are 854,000 people with top secret clearances — of which 265,000 are contractors; the 9/11 Commission recommended more sharing of information among agencies — but critics say too much sharing is as risky as too little sharing. The two massive Wikileak releases in June and November 2010, as well as threats from the organization to force a major bank executive to resign, shows Wikileaks is far from relenting. This news has brought the U.S. federal government’s safeguards and method of data sharing into question. The Department of Defense (DoD) has taken steps to increase security since documents were first disclosed by Wikileaks. They conducted an internal 60-day review of security procedures with recommendations sent to the Secretary of Defense. Some combatant commanders have taken individual measures for their commands. Removable storage media have been restricted or disabled as well as the capability to write or burn removable media on DoD classified computers. This is a temporary technical solution to mitigate future risks of personnel moving classified data to unclassified systems. Source: http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/pentagon-revamps-security-wake-wikileaks
December 28, Los Angeles Times – (National) 2.3 million Americans reentered without proper documents. Despite new travel requirements, more than 2.3 million Americans reentering the country by land or sea from Mexico or Canada failed to produce a passport, birth certificate, or other secure document to establish identity and nationality, according to a report by the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security. Most people, including about 500,000 in California, were allowed to pass through ports of entry without the approved documents or without being sent to a secondary inspection post for a more in-depth examination. Many travelers were allowed to pass after undergoing extensive questioning and producing at least a driver’s license, the report found. Overall, 96 percent of travelers arriving at the 39 busiest land ports were in compliance with the new law, which took effect in June 2009. The audit concluded that if all those who skirted the rules were sent for a secondary inspection, the agency would not have the necessary staffing and infrastructure to handle the resulting increase in workload. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agreed with the report’s findings and plans to follow the Inspector General’s recommendations, an agency spokeswoman said. Source: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/28/local/la-me-customs-audit-20101228
EUROPE
Dispatch: China Considers Buying European Debt
ASIA
Chinese Provincial Reshuffling and the 6th Generation of Leadership | STRATFOR
December 30, Reuters – (International) Danish court charges 3 men with attempted terrorism. Three men suspected of planning a deadly attack on a Danish newspaper were charged with an attempted act of terrorism and possession of weapons December 30. Police detained four men in Denmark and one in Sweden, December 29, on suspicion of plotting an assault by January 1 on the office block on Copenhagen’s city hall square that houses Jyllands-Posten — the Danish daily that published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in 2005 — and another newspaper. The three — one Tunisian and two Swedish citizens — pleaded not-guilty to the charges, officials said. The Danish security police chief said the arrests prevented an “imminent terror attack” that aimed “to kill as many as possible” of the people present at the Copenhagen offices of the newspaper. A court in Glostrup ordered the suspects be held in custody for 4 weeks pending more investigations. A fourth man detained in Denmark, a 26-year-old Iraqi asylum-seeker, was released but remains a suspect, though police did not have evidence to hold him further. The fifth detainee, a 37-year-old Swedish citizen, was scheduled to appear before a court in Sweden December 30, and was also expected to be remanded in custody, a Swedish court official said. The men came to Denmark from Sweden the night of December 28. Police found plastic strips that could be used as handcuffs, a machine gun, a pistol, and more than 100 cartridges. Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BT1QV20101230
RUSSIA
Russia: 10 ICBM Tests Planned For 2011 January 3, 2011
Ten combat training and test launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles are planned for 2011 by the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF), according to Defence Ministry spokesman Col. Vadim Koval, Interfax reported Jan. 3. The tests will include three RS12M Topol, four start-PC-18 and three missiles featuring the multiple warhead RS-24, Koval stated.
IRAN
Iran: Navy Gains New Missile Systems January 3, 2011
New naval cruise missile systems designed and produced by Iranian experts were delivered to the navy, Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said, Press TV reported Jan. 3. Vahidi said launch pads and missile location and guiding capabilities allow the new systems to spot and destroy different targets at sea. He added the deployment of the missile systems along the Iranian coastline boosts national defense capability as well as playing a key role in maintaining regional security and stability.
IRAQ
Iraq: ISI Claims Attacks In Mosul, Ramadi January 2, 2011
The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), al Qaeda’s Iraqi franchise, claimed responsibility for two separate bombings in Mosul and Ramadi the week of Dec. 26 that killed eight policemen and five other individuals, according to a Jan. 2 statement released by the Search for International Terrorist Entities (SITE) Intelligence Group, AFP reported. The ISI laid claim to the attacks, carried out on Dec. 27 and Dec. 29, on jihadist Internet forums, SITE said.
ISRAEL
NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT
AFGHANISTAN
The Continuing U.S.-Pakistani Disconnect Over the Afghan War | STRATFOR
Afghanistan: Cease-fire Negotiated In Helmand Province January 3, 2011
The leaders of the largest tribe in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, the Alikozai tribe, have pledged to cease its insurgency and expel foreign fighters, AP reported Jan. 3, citing U.S. Marine Maj. Gen. Richard Mills, commander of coalition forces in southwestern Afghanistan. The deal between local elders in Sangin district and Helmand province Gov. Gulabuddin Mangal was struck after 25 days of negotiations, Mangal’s office said. The tribe controls the majority of the 30 villages in the Sarwan-Qalah area of the Upper Sangin Valley. Mills said the coalition will monitor whether the deal will lead to reduced insurgent influence.
Afghanistan: 2,000 Tribal Militias Disarmed In East January 3, 2011
About 2,000 tribal militants in Afghanistan’s eastern Khost province have been disarmed in the past two months, the province’s governor, Abdul Jabar Nayeemi, said Jan. 3, Pajhwok news agency reported. The government decided to disband the militias two months ago, and Nayeemi heads a special commission that handles the process and comprises tribal elders, religious scholars and government officials. Around 2,000 weapons have been collected, Nayeemi said, and security operations will be launched to recover others. The Haider Khel tribe of Ismail Khel district, Awzee tribe of Mandozai district, and the Shamel and Grbuz tribes of Gorezo district were disarmed. The Naseer-ul-din and Bori Khel tribes voluntarily gave up their weapons. Nayeemi said the program includes “reconstruction projects worth hundreds of thousands of dollars” that will employ those who relinquish their illegal weapons.
MIDDLE EAST
Egypt: Al Qaeda Linked To Church Bombing - Report January 3, 2011
Egyptian security forces are screening travelers who recently arrived from countries where al Qaeda operates after a preliminary investigation suggested the group may have been behind the new year’s day church bombing in Alexandria, Reuters reported Jan. 3, citing security sources. One source said the suicide bomber has been accused of ties to al Qaeda. Police have been increased at Egyptian ports and airports to prevent those involved from fleeing, another security source said. Egyptian authorities are preparing a list of individuals who recently arrived from countries where al Qaeda recruits, the source added.
SOUTH OF THE BORDER
Iraq: ISI Claims Attacks In Mosul, Ramadi January 2, 2011
The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), al Qaeda’s Iraqi franchise, claimed responsibility for two separate bombings in Mosul and Ramadi the week of Dec. 26 that killed eight policemen and five other individuals, according to a Jan. 2 statement released by the Search for International Terrorist Entities (SITE) Intelligence Group, AFP reported. The ISI laid claim to the attacks, carried out on Dec. 27 and Dec. 29, on jihadist Internet forums, SITE said.
MISC
NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT
Except where noted courtesy www.stratfor.com
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