Since it would seem desirable to use legitimate provocation as the basis for US military intervention in Cuba a cover and deception plan, to include requisite preliminary actions such as has been developed in response to Task 33 c, could be executed as an initial effort to provoke Cuban reactions. Harassment plus deceptive actions to convince the Cubans of imminent invasion would be emphasized. Our military posture throughout execution of the plan will allow a rapid change from exercise to intervention if Cuban response justifies.
United States
Department of Homeland Security
DHS Coordinates National Level Exercise to Prevent Terrorist Attacks with Federal, State, Local Tribal, Private Sector, and International Partners
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will launch on Monday the five-day National Level Exercise 2009 (NLE 09)—the first national level exercise to focus on terrorism prevention—in conjunction with federal, state, local, tribal, private sector and international partners.
Securities and Exchange Commission
SEC Litigation Release for Hazem Khalid Al-Braikan
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it filed today an enforcement action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, charging Hazem Khalid Al-Braikan, a resident of Kuwait, and three related foreign entities for engaging in an illicit scheme through which they reaped millions of dollars in profits from trading around hoax offers to acquire U.S. companies. The SEC obtained an emergency court order to freeze more than $5 million in trading profits that it has located in various accounts in their names.
Department of Defense
Information Operations Condition (INFOCON)
Information Operations Condition (INFOCON) is a threat level system in the United States similar to that of DEFCON or FPCON. INFOCON is a defense system based primarily on the status of information systems and is a method used by the military to defend against a computer network attack.
U.S. Strategic Command
Strategic Command Directive (SD) 527-1
The INFOCON system provides a framework within which the Commander USSTRATCOM (CDRUSSTRATCOM), regional commanders, service chiefs, base/post/camp/station/vessel commanders, or agency directors can increase the measurable readiness of their networks to match operational priorities.
Centers for Disease Control
CDC Director’s Update Brief July 21, 2009
– novel 2009-H1N1 Declarations
• WHO: Pandemic Phase 6(11 JUN 2009 1600 EDT)
• USG: Public Health Emergency declared (26 Apr 2009)
• HHS: Downgraded to Phase 1 Awareness (9 May 2009)
Only hospitalizations and deaths of cases will be reported as of 23 July 2009.
Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program
SIGTARP Quarterly Report
By itself, the Troubled Asset Relief Program (“TARP”) is a huge program at $700 billion. As discussed in SIGTARP’s April Quarterly Report, the total financial exposure of TARP and TARP-related programs may reach approximately $3 trillion. Although large in its own right, TARP is only a part of the combined efforts of the Federal Government to address the financial crisis.
Government Accountability Office
Project Bioshield: HHS Can Improve Agency Internal Controls for Its New Contracting Authorities
Since 2004, HHS has awarded nine contracts using its Special Reserve Fund (Fund) purchasing authority under the BioShield Act to procure countermeasures that address anthrax, botulism, smallpox, and radiation poisoning. HHS may procure countermeasures that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and ones that are unapproved, but are within 8 years of approval.
Department of Homeland Security
Oral Testimony of Secretary Napolitano Regarding “Identification Security”
Pass ID is a bill that I support. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) worked with governors and other stakeholders to provide technical assistance in its drafting and—so the approach that Pass ID takes to fix REAL ID is one that I support. I think it makes sense. This is an important piece of national security legislation that is designed to help fulfill the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government set security standards for driver’s licenses.
U.S. District Court
Robert Allen Stanford Indictment
Stanford Financial Group (SFG) was the parent company of Stanford International Bank, Ltd. and a web of other affiliated financial services entities, including Stanford Group Company. SFG maintained offices in several locations, including Houston, Texas, Memphis, Tennessee, and Miami, Florida.
Securities and Exchange Commission
Second Amended Complaint in SEC v. Stanford International Bank, Ltd., et al.
For at least a decade, R. Allen Stanford and James M. Davis executed a massive Ponzi scheme through entities under their control, including Stanford International Bank, Ltd. (“SIB”) and its affiliated Houston-based broker-dealers and investment advisers, Stanford Group Company (“SGC”) and Stanford Capital Management (“SCM”). Stanford and Davis, acting in concert with the other defendants, misappropriated billions of dollars of investor funds and falsified SIB’s financial statements in an effort to conceal their fraudulent conduct.
Centers for Disease Control
CDC Director’s H1N1 Update Brief July 17, 2009
Novel 2009-H1 N1 Declarations
* WHO: Pandemic Phase 6(11 JUN 2009 1600 EDT)
* Outbreaks in at least one country in > two WHO regions
* USG: Public Health Emergency declared (26 Apr 2009)
* HHS: Downgraded to Phase 1 Awareness (9 May 2009)
Congressional Budget Office
Preliminary Analysis of the Insurance Coverage Specifications Provided by the House Tri-Committee Group
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) have completed a preliminary analysis of the major provisions related to health insurance coverage that are contained in title I of draft legislation called the Affordable Health Choices Act, which was released by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) on June 9, 2009. Among other things, that draft legislation would establish insurance exchanges (called “gateways”) through which individuals and families could purchase coverage and would provide federal subsidies to substantially reduce the cost of that coverage for some enrollees.
U.S. Air Force
Air Force Advanced Technical Exploitation Contract
Rapid and generally automated exploitation and reporting with adequate human intervention to produce actionable intelligence. This activity ranges from data processing to initial data interpretation to data posting for rapid dissemination/access across the community. It supports current intelligence issues and threats, warning/combat/crisis operations, and cueing other intelligence collectors.
U.S. Army
FMI 2-22.9: Open Source Intelligence
OSINT operations are integral to Army intelligence operations. Directly or indirectly, publicly available information forms the basis of all intelligence operations and intelligence products. The availability, depth, and range of publicly available information enable intelligence organizations to satisfy many intelligence requirements without the use of specialized human or technical means of collection.
National Guard
Region XIII+ (MT) MPC Planning Conference
Vigilant Guard is a Homeland Security/Homeland Defense FEMA Regional exercise program sponsored by NORADNORTHCOM
and the National Guard Bureau J7 Office. The program provides an opportunity for State National Guard Joint Force Headquarters
to improve command and control and operational relationships with internal, regional civilian and military partners.
National Guard
Montana Vigilant Guard Cabinet Brief
Vigilant Guard is a Homeland Security/Homeland Defense FEMA Regional exercise program series hosted by the National Guard Bureau. The program provides an opportunity for the State to improve emergency coordination, response and recovery management with federal, regional, local civilian and military partners.
National Guard
Montana Vigilant Guard 2009 Brief
• Vigilant Guard (VG) dates are 15-16-17 Sep 09
• Units and Soldiers/Airmen will arrive via convoy.
• Units and Soldiers/Airmen will be required to in-process as part of JRSOI operations.
• JRSOI operations will be conducted at Fort Harrison, Helena, MT.
• Units entering the state are not logistically self-sufficient and must be supported by the JFHQ-MT.
• Approximately 675 Soldiers/Airmen participating in VG, approximately 20+ Units and 430 PAX from outside Helena, MT.
United States
US Code Title 42, § 264, Part G: Quarantine and Inspection
The Surgeon General, with the approval of the Secretary, is authorized to make and enforce such regulations as in his judgment are necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of communicable diseases from foreign countries into the States or possessions, or from one State or possession into any other State or possession. For purposes of carrying out and enforcing such regulations, the Surgeon General may provide for such inspection, fumigation, disinfection, sanitation, pest extermination, destruction of animals or articles found to be so infected or contaminated as to be sources of dangerous infection to human beings, and other measures, as in his judgment may be necessary.
White House
Executive Order 13375
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 361(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 264(b)), it is hereby ordered as follows Based upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Surgeon General, and for the purpose set forth in section 1 of Executive Order 13295 of April 4, 2003, section 1 of such order is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection: (c) Influenza caused by novel or reemergent influenza viruses that are causing, or have the potential to cause, a pandemic.
Office of Inspector General of the Depratment of Defense
Unclassified Inspectors General Report on the President’s Surveillance Program
Title III of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Act of 2008 required the Inspectors General (IGs) of the elements of the Intelligence Community that participated in the President’s Surveillance Program (PSP) to conduct a comprehensive review of the program. The IGs of the Department of Justice, the Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence participated in the review required under the Act. The Act required the IGs to submit a comprehensive report on the review to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Department of Homeland Security
United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team Operations
The National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) is a partnership between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the public and private sectors. Established in 2003 to protect the nation’s internet infrastructure, US-CERT coordinates defense against and responses to cyber attacks across the nation. The organization interacts with federal agencies, state and local governments, industry professionals, and others to improve information sharing and incident response coordination and to reduce cyber threats and vulnerabilities.
Department of Homeland Security
DHS Senior Leadership Brief 2009 H1N1 Flu
As of Monday, 04 May 09, 698 schools in 33 States were closed due to confirmed and probable cases of H1N1 Flu. The closures impacted over 358,220 students and 20,684 teachers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Reports 403 confirmed cases of H1N1 Flu in 38 States; 702 probable cases of H1N1 Flu in 41 States and the District of Columbia. Number of deaths remains at 1 (Texas). A state-by-state breakdown is listed in Table 1.
U.S. Northern Command
USNORTHCOM Antiterrorism (AT) Operations Order (U) 05-01
USNORTHCOM has been assigned the Force Protection (FP) mission and AT Program responsibility for the USNORTHCOM AOR. The purpose of the FP mission is to defend, detect, and mitigate against terrorist attacks directed at DoD personnel, infrastructure, resources, and information to ensure DoD’s continued warfighting capability. The scope of this mission extends to all DoD Elements and personnel in the USNORTHCOM AOR, whether assigned or unassigned to USNORTHCOM. While the FP mission supports USNORTHCOM’s primary missions of Homeland Defense (HLD) and Civil Support (CS), it is a separate task assigned in the Unified Command Plan (UCP) (ref. a.) and is executed through a different chain of command from the specified USNORTHCOM missions of HLD and CS. The successful execution of the USNORTHCOM FP mission enables the USNORTHCOM HLD and CS missions, and assures availability of DoD assets in support of other Combatant Command-assigned missions.
Government Accountability Office
Preliminary Results Show Federal Protective Service’s Ability to Protect Federal Facilities Is Hampered By Weaknesses in Its Contract Security Guard Program
FPS does not fully ensure that its contract security guards have the training and certifications required to be deployed to a federal facility. FPS requires that all prospective guards complete about 128 hours of training including 8 hours of x-ray and magnetometer training. However, in one region, FPS has not provided the x-ray or magnetometer training to its 1,500 guards since 2004. Nonetheless, these guards are assigned to posts at federal facilities. X-ray training is critical because guards control access points at facilities. Insufficient x-ray and magnetometer training may have contributed to several incidents where guards were negligent in carrying out their responsibilities. For example, at a level IV facility, an infant in a carrier was sent through an xray machine due to a guard’s negligence. Moreover, GAO found that FPS does not have a fully reliable system for monitoring and verifying guard training and certification requirements. GAO reviewed 663 randomly selected guard records and found that 62 percent of the guards had at least one expired certification including a declaration that guards have not been convicted of domestic violence, which make them ineligible to carry firearms.