FBI Bulletin: Prison Gangs Learn Arabic for Secret Codes

(U//LES) Recent law enforcement reporting indicates that Black Guerilla Family (BGF) members are using language training manuals to learn Arabic at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, California. Both corrections officers and FBI cryptanalysts believe this will lead to inmates using Arabic to create secret codes to communicate. This raises safety concerns for law enforcement officials who may come in contact with BGF associates using Arabic to conceal criminal activity.

ISAF Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Handbook

All of the PRTs in Afghanistan have been under one theater military command (ISAF) since October 5, 2006, when ISAF completed its four-stage geographic expansion throughout the country by assuming responsibility of Region East. Until then, there were two separate military commands – Combined Forces Command Afghanistan (CFC-A) and ISAF – each commanding PRTs in its own separate area of operation. Bringing all the PRTs under one theater commander constituted a major step forward in achieving unity of effort. But even with a single command, achieving coherence among all 26 PRTs remains a challenge, if for no other reason than, as of March 2008, there are 14 different nations leading PRTs.

(U//FOUO) U.S. Forces – Iraq Money as a Weapons System (MAAWS) SOP March 2010

OIF is a dynamic, full spectrum operation encompassing both kinetic and non-kinetic operations and is arguably the most complex and challenging fiscal environment in our nation’s history. The dollar amounts spent supporting or are substantial and represent the treasure of our nation. Leaders must know what funding resources are available and how to best apply them in order to gain the maximum operational effectiveness. This “Money as a Weapons System” (MAAWS) SOP is published to educate and advise you on how to financially resource operations here in Iraq. It will serve as a financial road map to assist you in navigating the myriad of funding challenges and issues that will arise during your time in Iraq.. recommend you keep a copy readily available, and ensure the appropriate leadership in your organizations has access to a copy as necessary.

Human Terrain Team Handbook

Human Terrain Teams (HTTs) are five- to nine-person teams deployed by the Human Terrain System (HTS) to support field commanders by filling their cultural knowledge gap in the current operating environment and providing cultural interpretations of events occurring within their area of operations. The team is composed of individuals with social science and operational ackgrounds that are deployed with tactical and operational military units to assist in bringing knowledge about the local population into a coherent analytic framework and build relationships with the local power-brokers in order to provide advice and opportunities to Commanders and staffs in the field.

USDA Information Technology Services (ITS) Security Policy Manual

This policy manual establishes policy for the management and administration of information technologies for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Information Technology Services (ITS) that supports the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Rural Development (RD) including Large Offices (Beltsville, Fort Collins, Fort Worth, Kansas City, Lincoln, Portland, Salt Lake, St. Louis, and Washington D.C. — hereafter referred to as “Large Offices”) and Service Centers (including State, District, Area, County, and Local Field Service Offices — hereafter referred to as “Field Offices”), and their partners.

California Disguised Weapons Handbook

The mission of the California Department of Justice, Division of Law Enforcement, is to provide its customers and clients extraordinary service in forensic services, forensic education, narcotic investigations, criminal investigations, intelligence, and training. In support of this mission, the Division’s Criminal Intelligence Bureau’s (CIB) Organized Crime Analysis Unit conducted an in-depth intelligence-gathering and examination effort into law enforcement safety handbook.

Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment

The Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE) is the US Government’s (USG) central repository of information on international terrorist identities as established by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. TIDE supports the USG’s various terrorist screening systems or “watchlists” and the US Intelligence Community’s overall counterterrorism mission. The Terrorist Identities Group (TIG), located in the National Counterterrorism Center’s Information Sharing & Knowledge Development Directorate (ISKD), is responsible for building and maintaining TIDE.

OECD U.S. Banking Concentration and Security Note

In the United States, the federal antitrust laws generally apply to commercial banking and investment banking products and services in the same manner as to other economic sectors. Similarly, the Horizontal Merger Guidelines1 (Guidelines) of the U.S. Department of Justice (Department) and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission apply to the analysis of mergers across sectors. Premerger notifications relating to non-bank mergers in the financial sector are filed pursuant to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act2 and are analyzed under the Guidelines.

OECD U.S. Financial Regulatory Transparency Report

This submission provides an overview of the practices of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) (together, “the Agencies”) with regard to transparency and procedural fairness. Part I discusses transparency with respect to substantive standards and agency policies and procedures. Part II discusses open and frequent dialogue with the parties, and Part III addresses the closely related issue of informing parties of the allegations against them in a timely manner. Parts IV and V describe the opportunities that parties are given to respond to agency concerns and to be heard prior to an adverse decision. Part VI addresses the length of antitrust investigations, and Part VII summarizes the Agencies’ practice with regard to the publication of decisions.

Elena Kagan Paper “Private Speech, Public Purpose: The Role of Governmental Motive in First Amendment Doctrine”

In one of the most frequently quoted passages of one of the most frequently cited First Amendment decisions, the Supreme Court declared that “the purpose of Congress … is not a basis for declaring [ ] legislation unconstitutional.” Noting several hazards of attempting to ascertain legislative motive, the Court in United States v O’Brien eschewed this endeavor in First Amendment cases, as well as in other constitutional adjudication.

(U//FOUO) U.S. Marine Corps Information Operations April 2010

Information Operations (BOTTOM LINE)

•IT IS NOT:
–All about technology
–Focused on individual capabilities, i.e., PYSOP, EW, CNO, etc
–Strategic Communication
–Public Affairs

•IT IS:
–All about influencing key decision makers and populations through operations within and affecting the information environment
–The art of integrating lethal and non-lethal capabilities to affect the information environment (supports combat operations)
–Employed across the spectrum of conflict and throughout every phase (0-5) of operations
–Consistent with strategic communication goals and synchronized with public affairs

Confidential NYSE Presentation Boasts High-Frequency Trading “A Race to the Extremes”

Last week’s historic market plunge, in which the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 1,000 points over the course of a few minutes, has led to increased scrutiny of so-called “high-frequency trading” systems and their effect upon market prices. “High-frequency trading” involves the use of computerized systems to place large amounts of orders that are processed within fractions of a second to exploit minute shifts in the price of securities. A number of electronic trading markets have come under particular scrutiny, including the New York Stock Exchange Euronext and Nasdaq OMX Group. Executives from both of these exchanges are set to meet with the Securities and Exchange Commission today to discuss how “conflicting trading rules” may have contributed to last Thursday’s dramatic decline.

(U//FOUO) FBI VoIP Server Intrusions in North Carolina Banks and Businesses

(U//FOUO) This SIR has been produced in an effort to alert federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies of criminal activity with a nexus to North Carolina. The Charlotte Division has observed two similar occurrences of compromised Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) servers used to facilitate vishing attacks. Vishing attacks, a deviation from the term phishing attacks, use voice and text messages rather than email in attempts to trick victims into providing personal and financial account information.

Effects of Subsea Processing on Deepwater Environments in the Gulf of Mexico

Oil and gas exploration and development is extending into deeper water in the Gulf of Mexico. The current record is 3,051 m (10,011 ft) in Chevron’s Toledo prospect in the Alaminos Canyon Block 951 in the Gulf of Mexico. This report was prepared to support the Minerals Management Service (MMS) regulatory decisions for oil and gas leasing. Given the recent development of subsea technologies, it is not surprising that very little information is readily available on the potential environmental effects. This report represents the compilation and synthesis of existing published and unpublished literature on the environmental effects of subsea operations on the deepwater environment. Technical experts from the oil and gas industry, regulatory agencies, and academic institutions were also consulted to identify potential environmental issues.