This Joint Special Event Threat Assessment (JSETA) addresses potential threats to the National Football League (NFL)USPER Super Bowl XLV, which will be played on 6 February 2011 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It focuses on potential threats to the game—and to various NFL-sanctioned events scheduled for the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex-area during the 12 days prior to the game—from international and domestic terrorists, cyber actors, criminals, and foreign intelligence services.
Author Archive for Public Intelligence
Archistrategos.
Department of State, Egypt
U.S. State Department OSAC Egyptian Revolution Warnings January-February 2011
Five U.S. State Department Overseas Advisory Council Egyptian Revolution Warnings from January 26 – February 2, 2011.
Congressional Research Service
Mexico’s Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Rising Violence
In Mexico, the violence generated by drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in recent years has been, according to some, unprecedented. In 2006, Mexico’s newly elected President Felipe Calderón launched an aggressive campaign—an initiative that has defined his administration— against the DTOs that has been met with a violent response from the DTOs. Government enforcement efforts have had successes in removing some of the key leaders in all of the seven major DTOs. However, these efforts have led to violent succession struggles within the DTOs themselves. In July 2010, the Mexican government announced that more than 28,000 people had been killed in drug trafficking-related violence since December 2006, when President Calderón came to office.
Headline
Egyptian Revolution Photos January 2011
These photos are from the last several days, beginning approximately January 26, 2011. Photo credits are at the bottom of the page. Special attention should be given to the fact that Al Jazeera English and many reporters have released…
News
Department of Homeland Security Still Monitoring Public Intelligence
The NOC will use Internet-based platforms that provide a variety of ways to follow activity related to monitoring publicly available online forums, blogs, public websites, and message boards. Through the use of publicly available search engines and content aggregators the NOC will monitor activities on the social media sites listed in Appendix A for information that the NOC can use to provide situational awareness and establish a common operating picture. Appendix A is a current list of sites that the NOC will use as a starting point under this Initiative.
Transportation Security Administration
(U//FOUO) TSA Air Cargo Threat Overview
FOUO TSA Office of Intelligence Air Cargo Threat Overview from June 2008.
Department of State, Norway
(U//FOUO) U.S. State Department Social Media Landscape: Norway
Norway boasts an active online community with high Internet penetration rates in comparison to the rest of Europe. In addition, access rates are high and spread fairly evenly across demographic groups, age ranges and locations. A range of social media activities are popular, including blogging and content sharing, however social networking is the most prominent activity, with Norwegian Facebook users now exceeding 2 million. A large number of Norwegian companies have an active social media presence with Facebook and Twitter the platforms of choice. Whilst, usage is high, few companies at present measure or evaluate social media and there is a reluctance to divert resources for this purpose. Social media is emerging as a defining behavior of Internet usage in Norway, and the government has been keen to harness social media as a potential engagement and consultation tool. The government is also in the process of designing an innovative electronic voting system to increase voter turnout, which is hoped to be trialled in 2011. The government clearly appreciates the value of a digitally inclusive society and has set an ambitious target of supplying broadband connectivity to the entire country. In order to aid digital inclusivity the Government also ensures the text on public websites is suitable for older and weak sighted people. In keeping with most of Norwegian society, politicians, journalists and NGOs are all increasingly using social media as a communications tool.
Department of State, Romania
(U//FOUO) U.S. State Department Social Media Landscape: Romania
Internet penetration and usage in Romania is still relatively underdeveloped in comparison to the rest of Europe, with availability and usage limited mainly to Bucharest, the capital city. As a result, social media usage is also generally focused around Bucharest. As well as geographical limits for Internet activity, social demographics play a large part in determining Internet usage; with professionally-employed, university educated citizens representing by far the largest community active online. Amongst Internet users, social media use is growing in popularity; particularly social networking sites, blogging, photo and video sharing, and microblogging. Businesses are beginning to identify opportunities to use social media as part of their communications strategies. The government and state services have been slower to adopt social media, although individual politicians are experimenting with the media for campaigning purposes. While Romanian is widely used, English is the common language for conversation via social media in Romania. Politics is a very popular topic of conversation amongst Romanian Internet users, particularly given recent levels of political uncertainty. Concern currently exists that the lack of regulation over the Internet, combined with the real-time nature of the medium is devaluing the quality of content being consumed by the public. Although Internet use is low compared to the rest of Europe, social media are establishing a relevancy to Romanian society as a means to connect; share and debate and we can expect their use to grow.
Department of State, Italy
(U//FOUO) U.S. State Department Social Media Landscape: Italy
Strategic use of social media by the Italian government is minimal, but there is evidence of limited use by political parties, particularly politicians who are leveraging their Facebook profiles to engage with voters. Commercial employment of social media and digital communications is limited in Italy although global brands are beginning to demonstrate some level of engagement with consumers through different social media platforms, primarily Facebook which is often used to generate conversation around specific products. Smaller businesses are expected to emulate this kind of social media engagement over the coming months.
New York
NYPD Active Shooter Incidents Analysis for Risk Mitigation
Active shooter attacks are dynamic incidents that vary greatly from one attack to another. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defines an active shooter as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.” In its definition, DHS notes that, “in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.” The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has limited this definition to include only those cases that spill beyond an intended victim to others.
Belgium, Department of State
(U//FOUO) U.S. State Department Social Media Landscape: Belgium
The social media landscape in Belgium has grown considerably over the last few years and Belgians appear to be increasingly proactive in their social media endeavors as Internet access is obtainable from many electronic sources. All generations, young and old have familiarized themselves with the cell phone, iphone, Blackberry and Netbook usage in order to access social media sites while on the move. The rise in Internet access via mobile devices has created an abundance of new social media users.
News
You May Be a Terrorist
Did you know? You might be a terrorist. You probably didn’t know that. In fact, you probably don’t think about terrorism much. However, there are a large amount of people at the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and a variety of law enforcement agencies all around the country that do think about it, a lot. It is, in many respects, their job to think about it. Yet, the ever-expanding search for potential activities and indicators of terrorist activity has become emblematic of the overreaching and obsessive nature of efforts to combat terrorism in the United States. Departing more and more from rational depictions of truly suspicious activity, the criteria listed in law enforcement reports as indicating criminal or terrorist activity have become so expansive as to include many ubiquitous, everyday activities. The following list demonstrates the extent of “suspicious activity reporting” by listing a number of criteria which are said to indicate criminal or terrorist activity.
U.S. Marine Corps
(U//FOUO) USMC Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) Information Assurance Directive
Marine Corps Order (MCO) 5239.1 formally establishes the Marine Corps Information Assurance Program (MCIAP) and defines the responsibilities for protecting the Marine Corps information infrastructure as well as delineating Department of Defense (DoD) directives, instructions, and guidance governing DoD Information Assurance (IA). United States Marine Corps (USMC) IA Enterprise Directive 014 Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) outlines the security configuration and implementation standards for WLANs within the Marine Corps Enterprise Network (MCEN) boundary security framework.
Headline
Everybody Loves Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Qishan
Wang Qishan (Chinese: 王岐山; pinyin: Wáng Qíshān; born July 1948 in Qingdao, Shandong) is a politician in the People’s Republic of China who currently serves as the Vice-Premier in charge of economic, energy and financial affairs under premier Wen Jiabao.…
U.S. Marine Corps
(U//FOUO) USMC Engineer Equipment Technical Characteristics Manual
USMC Engineer Equipment Technical Characteristics Manual from June 2009.
U.S. Marine Corps
(U//FOUO) USMC Principal Technical Characteristics of Motor Transportation Equipment 2010
This Technical Manual (TM), authenticated for Marine Corps use and effective upon receipt, provides technical characteristics information for Marine Corps Motor Transport Equipment.
China, Open Source Center
(U//FOUO) Open Source Center Chinese Internet Discussion Topics Reports
Examples of weekly reports created by the Director of National Intelligence’s Open Source Center analyzing the organization’s continual monitoring of People’s Republic of China internet users’ discussions and online postings.
Department of Homeland Security
(U//FOUO) DHS Hydrogen Peroxide Food Bomb Warning
Terrorists could use hydrogen peroxide and organic fuel mixtures (HPOMs), made by mixing concentrated hydrogen peroxide with a variety of organic fuels, in an attack against the United States. The viability, performance, and sensitivity of these explosives vary and are based on a number of factors including the fuel chosen, the ratio of peroxide to fuel, and the concentration of peroxide used. Peroxide can be concentrated from lower percentages by simple evaporation through heating, and it is readily available in a variety of stores. The organic fuels used in these mixtures include common products such as cumin, black pepper, flour, sugar, honey, acetone, nitromethane, ethanol (grain alcohol) or ground coffee. HPOMs are extremely sensitive to impact, friction, static/spark, and heat and in large quantities can self-heat and ignite if in sunlight or a hot room.
Department of Homeland Security
(U//FOUO) DHS Domestic Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Threat Overview
Domestic Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Threat Overview from July 2008.
News
A Look Inside “Little Guantanamo”: Communication Management Units and Terrorist Inmate Surveillance
Several restricted intelligence reports from the Counter-Terrorism Unit of the Federal Bureau of Prisons obtained by Public Intelligence detail the incredible levels of surveillance conducted on inmates convicted of terrorism offenses. In particular, the reports detail inmates stored in secretive units known as “Communication Management Units” (CMU) which have been widely criticized by the ACLU and other human rights groups for placing severe restrictions on the activities, as well as visitation and communication rights of inmates housed in the facilities.
Federal Bureau of Prisons
(U//FOUO/LES) Federal Bureau of Prisons Counter-Terrorism Unit Inmate Spying Reports
The following documents contain analysis of the monitoring of communications made by inmates convicted of offenses related to domestic and international terrorism. Many of the inmates are housed at the Communications Management Units in Terre Haute, Indiana (THA CMU) or Marion, Illinois (MAR CMU). These secretive units have been described by inmates as “Little Guantanamo” due to their unusual construction and treatment of detainees, severely restricting access to the public and media. For background information, see the June 25, 2009 Democracy Now interview with Andrew Stepanian, an animal rights activist imprisoned at one of the Communications Management Units.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
(U//LES) FBI Second Issue of Inspire Magazine Encourages Use of WMDs
An article in the second issue of the English-language jihadist magazine “Inspire” emphasizes the use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD); however the article did not provide specific instructions. In the article entitled “Tips for Our Brothers in the United Snakes of America,” the author encourages those with microbiology and chemistry degrees to develop biological or chemical toxins such as botulism, ricin, or cyanide. WMD was referred to as the “next stage… [in] the war with America.” It is also stated in the article that upcoming issues of “Inspire” will cover WMD in greater detail.
U.S. Army
U.S. Army Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Procedures Manual
UXO on the battlefield affects the mobility and mission aspects of all units. Battlefields are littered with UXO hazards from two sources: ordnance that has either failed to function or ordnance designed to be used for area denial, such as conventional land mines and the family of scatterable mines (FASCAM). With the sophistication of modern weapons systems, battlefield commanders can target anything within their theater of operations.
After these attacks are completed, UXO hazards will be left on the battlefield. UXO hazards may not always pose an immediate threat to unit mission or mobility, but they are hazards that have in the past caused needless loss of life and materiel. Battlefield commanders need to know where UXO hazards are, as these hazards can affect the mobility of follow-on elements. This manual teaches personnel about the UXO hazard and how this hazard affects mission capabilities and what procedures are used to report
and protect personnel and equipment. All units should be able to react to the UXO hazard effectively and to report and protect against it.
Headline
Canadian Children Afghanistan War Peace Art Photos
The following photos are from the Canada in Afghanistan phostream, which is one of the official Flickr accounts used by the Candian government. The account usually posts photos produced by the Canadian Department of National Defence of the war in…
Open Source Center, Peru
(U//FOUO) Open Source Center Peru Leaders Claim Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) Infiltration
A recent spate of Peruvian press reports allege widespread penetration of domestic social and political groups by Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) member states and affiliated entities. President Garcia’s administration has used the controversy to support its claim that Peru is under attack from an ALBA-directed “conspiracy” and has linked the supposed threat to opposition leader Ollanta Humala as well as to NGOs.