Author Archive for Public Intelligence

Archistrategos.

FBI Terrorism Quick Reference Card

First responding officers should be aware of suspicious factors that may indicate a possible terrorist threat. These factors should be considered collectively in assessing a possible threat. This quick reference guide is intended to provide practical information for line officers but may not encompass every threat or circumstance. State and local law enforcement may contact their local FBI field office or resident agency for additional assistance.

DHS Interagency Integrated SOP: Joint Field Office (JFO) Activation and Operations

To facilitate the development of future JFOs and other DHS facilities for each high-threat or regional area, a JFO Development Team (DT) will be established. This team will be cochaired by the appropriate DHS/FEMA regional office, DHS/USSS field office, and/or FBI field office. Membership of the team will include all DHS field elements within the defined urban threat area or regional area. DHS/FEMA will coordinate general oversight and guidance throughout the process, ensuring that the years of experience and existing assets utilized in the development of DFOs are carefully integrated into the JFO developmental process.

Overseas Security Advisory Council: Islamabad Marriott Bombing

• At approximately 2000 local time, a dump truck rammed the security gate at the Marriott, Islamabad.
• While stopped at the gate, the driver exploded a suicide vest, lighting the truck on fire.
• Mortars, other explosives cook off for approximately three minutes, while security organizes and attempts to stop fire.
• Minutes later, the main explosive of about 600kg of RDX and TNT, combined with an aluminum powder to accelerate the flame.

Obama Executive Order: Establishment of the Council of Governors

Sec. 2. Functions. The Council shall meet at the call of the Secretary of Defense or the Co-Chairs of the Council to exchange views, information, or advice with the Secretary of Defense; the Secretary of Homeland Security; the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement; the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas’ Security Affairs; the Commander,United States Northern Command; the Chief, National Guard Bureau; the Commandant of the Coast Guard; and other appropriate officials of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, and appropriate officials of other executive departments or agencies as may be designated by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Homeland Security.Such views, information, or advice shall concern:

(a) matters involving the National Guard of the various States;

(b) homeland defense;

(c) civil support;

(d) synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and

(e) other matters of mutual interest pertaining toNational Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities.

U.S. Army Public Affairs Handbook

Below are some suggestions on why to release information as early as possible:

1. The American public, Congress and the media are entitled to “timely and accurate” information about the military, per the DoD Principles of Information (See Appendix).

2. Early release of information sets the pace and tone for resolution of a problem.

3. If you wait, the story will often leak anyway. If it does, you jeopardize trust and credibility.

FEMA Draft Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101: Producing Emergency Plans

This Comprehensive Preparedness Guide, CPG 101, continues the more -than – 50 -year effort to provide guidance about emergency operations planning to State, Local, Territorial, and Tribal Governments. Some predecessor material can be traced back to the 1960s-era Federal Civil Defense Guide. Long-time emergency management practitioners will also recognize the influence of Civil Preparedness Guide 1-8, Guide for the Development of State and Local Emergency Operations Plans, and State and Local Guide (SLG) 101, Guide for All-Hazards Emergency Operations Planning, in this document.

PNNL: Concealed explosive detection using a wideband holographic millimeter-wave imaging system

A novel wideband millimeter-wave imaging system is presently being developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) that will allow rapid inspection of personnel for concealed explosives, handguns, or other threats. Millimeterwavelength electromagnetic waves are effective for this application since they readily penetrate common clothing materials, while being partially reflected from the person under surveillance as well as any concealed items. To form an image rapidly, a linear array of 128 antennas is used to electronically scan over a horizontal aperture of 0.75 meters, while the linear array is mechanically swept over a vertical aperture of 2 meters. At each point over this 2-D aperture, coherent wideband data reflected from the target is gathered using wide-beamwidth antennas. The data is recorded coherently, and reconstructed (focused) using an efficient image reconstruction algorithm developed at PNNL.

U.S. Nuclear Weapons in Europe

Three main reason used for retaining U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe:

* Russia could turn bad and still has a lot of nonstrategic nuclear weapons
* Symbol of continued U.S. commitment to NATO: provides trans-Atlantic glue
* Other countries on NATO’s southern periphery are developing weapons of mass destruction

Army PR Chain Teaching Program Talking Points

Individuals not specifically addressed within this definition may be included in our PR responsibilities at the direction of the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF). This expands Army PR responsibilities considerably as multinational partners, American civilians, and citizens from other nations in our operational areas now become potential recovery obligations for the Army.

Model Procedures for Responding to a Package with Suspicion of a Biological Threat

Local and world events have placed the nation’s emergency service at the forefront of homeland defense. The service must be aware that terrorists, both foreign and domestic, are continually testing the homeland defense system. In October 2001, a person or persons contaminated the U.S. mail stream with anthrax, resulting in illness and death. The potential threat of similar attacks continues, and the authorities continue to be called in to assess hoaxes and suspect materials. No community is immune from the threat. To protect the health and safety of the public, and to help deal with hoaxes and suspicious materials, clear procedures for assessing and managing biological threats are imperative.

Target Capabilities List User Guide

The Target Capabilities List (TCL) Implementation Project is the method by which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will update the TCL and implement the doctrine of capabilities-based preparedness as outlined in the National Preparedness Guidelines. The goal of the project is to provide more user-friendly, accessible, and credible capability targets with which to link all preparedness cycle activities to strengthen preparedness across prevention, protection, response, and hazard mitigation capabilities. The purpose of this document is twofold. First, it explains the history of the TCL and why FEMA is leading the effort to streamline and revise the content found in TCL Version 2.0 through the establishment of updated Target Capabilities.