United States

(SSI) TSA Aviation Security Directive Airport-Issued Identifcation Threat Reporting

The threat to U.S. civil aviation remains significant. Current credible intelligence indicates Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups continue to develop plans for multiple attacks against targets in the United States, including airports and civil aviation. These terrorist groups continue to pursue a range of targets, tactics, and capabilities to accomplish this objective, including employment in the aviation sector to gain knowledge of aviation operations. Terrorist operatives view attacks on the United States as a priority because of their potentially Significant economic and psychological impacts.

(U//FOUO) DHS Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-8 Draft Implementation Concept

Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8/HSPD-8 establishes policies to strengthen the preparedness of the United States to prevent and respond to threatened or actual domestic terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies by requiring a national domestic preparedness goal; establishing mechanisms for improved delivery of Federal preparedness assistance to State and local governments; and outlining actions to strengthen preparedness capabilities of Federal, State, and local entities. This paper describes a concept for rapid and systematic implementation of the provisions of HSPD-8 to improve preparedness doctrine and practice and reorient preparedness programs and activities that converged within homeland security under a unified national all-hazards preparedness strategy.

Hezbollah: Background and Issues for Congress

Lebanon’s Hezbollah is a Shiite Islamist militia, political party, social welfare organization, and U.S. State Department-designated terrorist organization. Its armed element receives support from Iran and Syria and possesses significant paramilitary and unconventional warfare capabilities. In the wake of the summer 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and an armed domestic confrontation between Hezbollah and rival Lebanese groups in May 2008, Lebanon’s political process is now intensely focused on Hezbollah’s future role in the country. Lebanese factions are working to define Hezbollah’s role through a series of “National Dialogue” discussions.

(U//FOUO) TSA Transportation Suspicious Incident Report (TSIR) October 2010

(U//FOUO) The Transportation Suspicious Incident Report (TSIR) provides a weekly comprehensive review of suspicious incident reporting related to transportation. The TSIR includes incident reporting, analyses, images, and graphics on specific incidents. In addition, selected articles focus on security technologies, terrorism, and the persistent challenges of securing the nation’s transportation modes. This product is derived from unclassified incident and law enforcement reporting and does not represent fully evaluated intelligence.

U.S. Navy NATOPS Air Traffic Control Manual

This manual contains information on administrative and operational procedures for all Navy and Marine Corps units providing air traffic control services and applies on a worldwide basis. Marine forces tactical air traffic control is provided by Marine Air Traffic Control Detachments (MATCD). Each MATCD is organized and equipped to provide continuous all-weather air traffic control services to an independent and geographically separated main air base or air facility and/or remote air sites or points. These services include airport traffic control, low approach and landing, and terminal area control services. To the extent possible and consistent with the ATC requirements of the area to which deployed, the functions, training, qualification, and certification for Marine forces tactical ATC units shall be as prescribed in this manual.

Federal Reserve Bank of New York Shadow Banking System Research Report

The rapid growth of the market-based financial system since the mid-1980s changed the nature of financial intermediation in the United States profoundly. Within the market-based financial system, “shadow banks” are particularly important institutions. Shadow banks are financial intermediaries that conduct maturity, credit, and liquidity transformation without access to central bank liquidity or public sector credit guarantees. Examples of shadow banks include finance companies, asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP) conduits, limited-purpose finance companies, structured investment vehicles, credit hedge funds, money market mutual funds, securities lenders, and government-sponsored enterprises. Shadow banks are interconnected along a vertically integrated, long intermediation chain, which intermediates credit through a wide range of securitization and secured funding techniques such as ABCP, asset-backed securities, collateralized debt obligations, and repo. This intermediation chain binds shadow banks into a network, which is the shadow banking system. The shadow banking system rivals the traditional banking system in the intermediation of credit to households and businesses. Over the past decade, the shadow banking system provided sources of inexpensive funding for credit by converting opaque, risky, long-term assets into money-like and seemingly riskless short-term liabilities. Maturity and credit transformation in the shadow banking system thus contributed significantly to asset bubbles in residential and commercial real estate markets prior to the financial crisis.

(SSI) DHS-CBP-TSA Terrorist Watchlist Screening Implementation User’s Guide

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) merges the capability to anticipate, preempt, and deter threats to the homeland whenever possible through its component agencies. Under the guidance of its Screening Coordination Office, DHS directed U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to combine the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) Pre-Departure and Secure Flight concepts and systems to provide “One DHS Solution” to the commercial aviation industry consistent with applicable authorities and statutes.

Presidential Report on Effects of Ionizing Radiation From Human Scanning Systems July 2003

This Presidential Report from the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) has been prepared at the request of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA has the responsibility for regulating the manufacture of electronic products that emit ionizing and nonionizing radiation and is working with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which has the responsibility of providing security measures for transportation activities. The FDA asked the NCRP for advice on radiation protection issues concerning exposure to ionizing radiation from radiation-producing devices used for non-medical security purposes. These devices, particularly x-ray scanning systems, are being evaluated by various agencies (e.g., U.S. Customs Service and TSA) for use in security screening of humans. The use of such scanning devices involves a broad societal decision that needs to be made through appropriate procedures by the authorities utilizing the x-ray producing electronic products (and other types of ionizing radiation producing systems) as a security device for screening humans. This report provides an evaluation of radiation levels, radiation risk, and radiation protection measures that should be taken into consideration by implementing authorities. However, the NCRP cannot render an opinion of the net benefit of using these devices based on the ionizing radiation aspects alone.

(U//FOUO) DHS Snapshot: Yemen Explosive Packages on Cargo Aircraft

(U) As of 29 October, packages on cargo aircraft containing explosive materials were intercepted in the United Kingdom (UK) and Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The packages were shipped from Yemen, with the United States listed as the final destination. On the evening of 28 October,security officials at East Midlands Airport in Lockington, UK identified a suspicious package containing a modified printer-toner cartridge that was later confirmed to contain explosives.

CJCS Military Family “Self-Help Guide” to Antiterrorism

This guide is designed to assist in making you and your family less vulnerable to terrorists. You should review its contents and incorporate protective measures applicable to your particular situation. It is important that you ensure all members of your family are made aware ofthis valuable information so they not only protect themselves, but also become an integral part of the overall community force protection effort. Terrorists generate fear through intimidation, coercion, and acts of violence such as bombings, hijackings, or kidnappings. As recent events have shown, terrorists have reached new levels of organization, sophistication, and violence, often targeting members of the Department of Defense and their families. Their tactics and techniques are also continually changing and will continue to be a challenge to predict and neutralize. Accordingly, we must remain vigilant.

(U//FOUO) Michigan Fusion Center: Soldier Uses Military Disguise to Enter Sporting Event

An athletic facility reported an illegal entry incident during a sporting event on 9, October 2010. The subject arrived at the facility in a military Humvee, wearing a full military formal dress uniform, just prior to the start of the event. The subject advised event security personnel that he was there as part of the game day military Honor Guard, and requested to park the Humvee in the secured parking area reserved for police vehicles. The individual was allowed access at several points and subsequently parked the Humvee in the secured lot. The individual exited the vehicle and retrieved two military M-16 rifles with bayonets from the Humvee.

(U//FOUO//LIMDIS) FEMA National Capital Region Catastrophic Incident CONPLAN Draft

In the event of a catastrophic incident or threat to the National Capital Region (NCR), the significant federal presence would both necessitate and complicate a robust response. In order to facilitate the coordination that would be required for the integration of federal, state, and local response efforts, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the FEMA Office of National Capital Region Coordination (NCRC) have compiled this draft NCR Federal Concept Plan (CONPLAN) of Catastrophic Planning Assumptions. For planning purposes, a catastrophic incident is defined in the National Response Framework as any natural or manmade incident, including terrorism, which results in an extraordinary level of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, and/or government functions.

(U//FOUO) USMC Company Intelligence Cell in Stability and Support Operations TTPs

In the asymmetrical threat climate of the 21st century, stability and support operations (SASO) are often conducted from a companylevel firm base (FB). These company and platoon size units need immediate, on-scene intelligence support to deal with an enemy that can recruit, rest, and resupply amongst the population in a predominately urban environment. This requires an intense collection and analysis effort by even the smallest unit. And, because of the noncontiguous nature of SASO, it is unrealistic to expect that higher echelon staffs will consistently be available to support them. Therefore, Marines in small units must establish and maintain a limited, but effective, capability for themselves.

SIGTARP October 2010 Quarterly Report to Congress

More than two years have passed since the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (“EESA”) authorized the creation of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (“TARP”). On October 3, 2010, Treasury’s authority to initiate new TARP investments expired, marking a significant milestone in TARP’s history but also leading to the widespread, but mistaken, belief that TARP is at or near its end. As of October 3, $178.4 billion in TARP funds were still outstanding, and although no new TARP obligations can be made, money already obligated to existing programs may still be expended. Indeed, with more than $80 billion still obligated and available for spending, it is likely that far more TARP funds will be expended after October 3, 2010, than in the year since last October when U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (“Treasury Secretary”) extended TARP’s authority by one year. In short, it is still far too early to write TARP’s obituary.