As Hurricane Katrina showed so dramatically, government alone cannot secure the nation or respond to major disasters. It needs the vast resources and expertise of the business community. Business needs government, too. Individual businesses do heroic things in times of crisis, but they know they could do much more working in concert with government.
Government Accountability Office
Gaps in Pandemic Planning and Preparedness Need to Be Addressed
Leadership roles and responsibilities for an influenza pandemic need to be clarified, tested, and exercised, and existing coordination mechanisms, such as critical infrastructure coordinating councils, could be better utilized to address challenges in coordination between the federal, state, and local governments and the private sector in preparing for a pandemic.
White House
Annual Report to Congress on the White House Office Staff
Abraham, Yohannes A. Employee 40,000.00 Per Annum LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT AND ASSISTANT TO THE HOUSE LIAISON
Abrams, Adam W. Employee 65,000.00 Per Annum WESTERN REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Adams, Ian H. Employee 36,000.00 Per Annum EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR OF SCHEDULING AND ADVANCE
Agnew, David P. Employee 92,000.00 Per Annum DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
Ahrens, Rebecca A. Employee 42,800.00 Per Annum OPERATOR
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Operation Northwoods Documents
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.
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.
International Monetary Fund, Lebanon
Letter from Lebanese Government to the International Monetary Fund
The agreement reached at Doha in May 2008 paved the way for the election of a new president and the formation of a new national unity government, which was sworn in on July 11, 2008. The government’s principal task is now to prepare for the legislative elections of May 2009. In parallel, the country’s main political forces have resumed their national dialogue under the auspices of President Suleiman, with a view to finding a solution to the contentious political issues that have fueled internal strife and dissent.
Corporate
AIG: Is the Risk Systemic?
Systemic risk is the risk imposed by inter-linkages and interdependencies in a system or market, which could potentially bankrupt or bring down the entire system or market if one player is eliminated, or a cluster of failures occurs at once. Systemic financial risk occurs when contingency plans that are developed individually to address selected risks are collectively incompatible. It is the quintessential “knee bone is connected to the thigh bone…” where every element that once appeared independent is connected with every other element.
Bilderberg
Official List of Participants for the 2009 Bilderberg Meeting
The 57’h Bilderberg Meeting will be held in Vouliagmeni, Greece 14 – 17 May 2009. The Conference will deal mainly with the financial crisis, governments and markets, role of institutions, market economies and democracies, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, US and the World, cyberterrorism, new imperialisms, protectionism, post-Kyoto challenges.
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.
G8, International Monetary Fund
The Global Economy and Oil Markets: Developments and Prospects
After sharp price run-ups through mid-2008, the commodity price boom ended abruptly with the financial crisis and the onset of the global downturn. The collapse of commodity prices largely reflected much weaker demand prospects, with financial factors playing a secondary role.
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.
Documents
Soldiers’ Testimonies from Operation Cast Lead, Gaza 2009
Several months have passed since the end of Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, and many Israelis are still not aware of what really happened there. For lack of basic facts, we are forced to accept unconditionally the positions of the official bodies, which assure us that in spite of any doubts, the IDF’s conduct was faultless and public accountability is uncalled for.
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.
United Kingdom
MI6 Headquarters, Vauxhall Cross
The headquarters of the British Secret Intelligence Service, also known as Military Intelligence, Section 6, is located at 85, Albert Embankment in the south western part of central London, on the bank of the River Thames beside Vauxhall Bridge. Designed by Terry Farrell and built by John Laing, the Developer Regalian Properties PLC approached the government in 1987 to assess their interest in the proposed building. At the same time, MI6’s sister service MI5 was seeking alternative accommodation and collocation of the two organisations was considered.
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.