Next Two Weeks Critical to Pakistan’s Survival Posted: 30 Apr 2009 11:54 PM PDT
Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, has told U.S. officials the next two weeks are critical to determining whether the Pakistani See related story here - Taliban Nuclear Nightmare “The Pakistanis have run out of excuses” and are “finally getting serious” about combating the threat from Taliban and Al Qaeda extremists operating out of Northwest Pakistan, the general added. But Petraeus also said wearily that “we’ve heard it all before” from the Pakistanis and he is looking to see concrete action by the government to destroy the Taliban in the next two weeks before determining the United States’ next course of action, which is presently set on propping up the Pakistani government and military with counterinsurgency training and foreign aid. Petraeus made these assessment in talks with lawmakers and Obama administration officials this week, according to individuals familiar with the They said Petraeus and senior administration officials believe the Pakistani army, led by Chief of Staff Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, is “superior” to the civilian even if Zardari’s government falls to the Taliban. American officials have watched with anxiety as Taliban fighters advanced earlier this month to within 70 miles of the capital city of Islamabad. In recent days, the Pakistani army has sought to reverse that tide, retaking control over strategic points in the district of Buner even as the Taliban struck back by kidnapping scores of police and paramilitary troops. The see-saw nature of the battles Wednesday demonstrated to U.S. officials that, as one put it to FOX News, “even with intent and superior technology, the This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and Share this post                  |
Suspicious Packages Found Near California State Capitol Posted: 30 Apr 2009 05:18 PM PDT
A loud boom echoed from a grassy area in front of the state Capitol just after noon today as California Highway Patrol officers apparently blew up a Two packages were found on a statue near the north end of the Capitol and were x-rayed by a hazardous materials team, according to Jarrod Lassila, a One of the packages, a paper bag, was found to contain clothes. The other had a piece of metal sticking out of it, so officers moved it to a grassy area and Lassila said the bag did not contain explosives or hazardous materials. He said Some areas of the Capitol were evacuated during the operation. This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and Share this post |
Diesease And Terrorism In A Connected World Posted: 30 Apr 2009 05:09 PM PDT
A complacent America, growing ever less concerned about the threat of pandemic bird flu, was startled last week by the sudden appearance of a major epidemic of swine flu in neighboring Mexico. Cases were soon reported from New York, California, Texas and Ohio, as well as France, New Zealand, Canada and Britain. So far, the apprehension and confusion about what to expect resembles the early days of the anthrax attacks of 2001, when a Then, as now, health authorities were taken completely by surprise, and the public panicked out of all proportion to the The similarities between the flu and biological terrorism are not coincidental. In recent years the world has changed in ways that have made the threats the increasing prospects of a bioterrorist attack, we are also struggling with the challenge of emerging diseases: AIDS, pandemic strains of influenza and the "mad-cow disease” that terrified Britain only a decade ago. The way these threats unfold—and the responses they call for—are becoming ever more similar. The central driver is the increasingly interconnected world we live in. This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and Share this post |
Chertoff Points To Possibilities Of Biological Attack Posted: 30 Apr 2009 04:59 PM PDT
Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says the biggest threat from terrorists may come in the form of biological weapons. In an interview segment aired Thursday on the FederalNewsRadio program Homeland Security: Inside and Out, the ex-DHS head said concerns about the possibility of a biological attack should outweigh fears of an attack using a nuclear weapon, chemical agents or conventional explosives. “The natural ingredients of a biological threat are not difficult to come by, and it’s just a question of the know-how in terms of fabricating them to make a weapon,” said Chertoff. While he did not dispute the idea that a nuclear attack would have the most far-reaching and devastating consequences, the likelihood of terrorists getting a nuclear bomb is “very remote at this point,” Chertoff said. The former Homeland Security chief told program co-host Dave McIntyre that, far from being a theoretical possibility, a biological attack has already occurred in the United States. “Only someone who has a very short memory and doesn’t recall what happened in the fall of 2001, when we had an anthrax attack, albeit one on a small And - while terrorists would have to go to some lengths to obtain nuclear material - anthrax and plague are naturally occuring and thus far more The former DHS head said he believes the U.S. has already done much to implement biohazard detection. “We also need the capability to distribute detection equipment much more widely and much less expensively,” Chertoff added. This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and Share this post |
Alleged Al Qaeda Sleeper Agent Pleads Guilty to Terror Charges Posted: 30 Apr 2009 03:28 PM PDT
A man held since 2001 as an alleged Al Qaeda sleeper agent has Ali al-Marri entered his plea Thursday before U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm in Peoria. He admitted to one count of conspiring to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization. The Bush administration declared al-Marri, a legal U.S. resident, an “enemy The designation was dropped when a federal grand jury in support to terror. Sentencing is set for July 30. This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and Share this post |
| Email delivery powered by Google | |
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment