The Latest from National Terror Alert Response Center

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  Iran Missile Test Claim - Europe Within Range
  
  
  
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  Cheney, Obama - No Middle Ground on Gitmo
  Approach
  
  
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  Terror Suspects Could Have Acquired Missiles
  Elsewhere
  
  
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  Homeland Security Says Homegrown Plots Part of
  Focus
  
  
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  US Marshall Service Struck By Computer Virus
  Attack

Iran Missile Test Claim - Europe Within Range Posted: 21 May 2009 08:49 PM PDT Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed to have sucessfully tested another ballistic missile capable of reaching Europe. Speaking in the northern Iranian city of Semnan, where the Sajil-2 missile was allegedly test-fired, Mr Ahmadinejad said the blast was a success and “met the predetermined target.” If its alleged range of almost 2,000 kilometers is true, the missile could reach Athens, southern Italy and the Black Sea coast of new EU members Romania and Bulgaria. A similar test was carried out in November, while in February Iran launched a domestically-made satellite that prompted France and Great Britain to express their concerns over the missile capabilities of the Islamic state. Israel, also a nuclear power, said Wednesday’s test should be more of a concern to Europe, since previous missiles tested by Iran could already reach the Jewish state. With presidential elections scheduled for 12 June, the test could also be read as part of Mr Ahmadinejad’s re-election campaign, as three other contenders have been approved by Iran’s electoral council. Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini had to cancel at the very last minute a trip to Tehran when he found out that Iranian authorities had organised his meeting with reformist ex-president Mohammed Khatami in Semnan, where the missile was tested, not in the capital as initially agreed. Source This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information. Share this post

Cheney, Obama - No Middle Ground on Gitmo Approach Posted: 21 May 2009 08:44 PM PDT The headlines will say two big, dueling speeches about the war on terror were delivered in Washington on Thursday, one by President Barack Obama and one by former Vice President Dick Cheney. And that’s true, as far as it goes. But it would be more accurate to say that four quite different speeches were delivered. Mr. Cheney gave one speech, a remarkably focused, blistering attack on those who criticize the Bush administration’s methods for detaining and interrogating terror suspects. Scathing in terminology, scornful in tone, Mr. Cheney took on those critics and gave not an inch of ground to them. He questioned both the integrity and wisdom of those, including the current president, who would reverse policies that he said have kept America safe for more than seven years since the 9/11 terror attacks. Obama: I know some have argued that brutal methods like water-boarding were necessary to keep us safe. I could not disagree more. As commander-in- chief, I see the intelligence, I bear responsibility for keeping this country safe, and I categorically reject the assertion that these are the most effective means of interrogation. Cheney: The interrogations were…legal, essential, justified, successful, and the right thing to do. The intelligence officers who questioned the terrorists can be proud of their work and proud of the results, because they prevented the violent deaths of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of innocent people. Those who prefer their Washington policy debates to be cloaked in understatement or delicate euphemisms may have been taken aback by the ferocity of the Cheney rejoinder, which crackled in intensity, even while being delivered in the former vice president’s trademark monotone style. Meanwhile, Mr. Obama, facing the trickier task of selling a policy to both parties, really gave three speeches wrapped in one. His first was meant to address critics on the right, who charge he has gone soft on terror and that his decision to close the military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay will bring to U.S. soil dangerous extremists. via No Middle Ground on Gitmo Approach - WSJ.com. This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information. Share this post

Terror Suspects Could Have Acquired Missiles Elsewhere Posted: 21 May 2009 08:39 PM PDT The four men accused of plotting to blow up two New York synagogues and shoot down military planes could have procured surface-to-air guided missiles elsewhere if the FBI had not provided them with inert versions, terror analysts told FOXNews.com. “I don’t know if you could buy it on Craigslist, but there’s certainly a lot of people who engage in this type of contraband,” Steve Emerson, executive director of The Investigative Project on Terrorism, said of the anti-aircraft Stinger missile. “They’re not that big, either, so they could’ve been smuggled into the United States.” Emerson said the 5-foot-long weapon, which has a range of 5 miles and weighs 35 pounds fully armed, could have been bought in a number of black arms markets in Middle Eastern countries, including Lebanon, Pakistan, Gaza and Saudi Arabia. The missile system could be purchased for “tens of thousands of dollars,” Emerson said. Source This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information. Share this post

Homeland Security Says Homegrown Plots Part of Focus Posted: 21 May 2009 08:31 PM PDT The foiled terror plot in New York is raising questions about whether the Department of Homeland Security is focused on the threat of “radicalized” Muslims in the U.S. after the department issued a controversial report last month warning instead of right-wing extremists. [...] “It’s fair to say that homegrown terrorism is a serious threat and something that law enforcement agencies and the government are taking seriously at the federal and local levels,” he said. “This is something that people have been concerned about for a number of years.” An informant helped the FBI arrest four homegrown terror suspects Wednesday night following a nearly yearlong undercover investigation that revealed a plot to blow up two synagogues in New York City and to shoot down planes at an Air National Guard base. “Neither DHS nor the FBI has any credible information indicating any further threat to the homeland,” Sean Smith, a Homeland Security spokesman, told FOXNews.com. “But we do continue to urge vigilance and ask all Americans to report any suspicious activities or information to appropriate authorities.” [...] “This alleged plot shows that — even though we have not been attacked domestically since 9/11 — we must remain vigilant concerning the potential radicalization and recruitment of individuals in the United States for terrorist activity.” Source This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information. Share this post

US Marshall Service Struck By Computer Virus Attack Posted: 21 May 2009 06:29 PM PDT A computer virus attack has struck the computer system at the U.S. Marshal Service, affecting Marshals in Birmingham. The virus has caused the Marshal Service to shut down parts of their system to keep it from spreading to other agencies. That means Marshals in Birmingham can’t access the NCIC computer and they don’t have access to email. A Marshals spokeswoman in Washington, D.C. says at no time was any data compromised. The type of virus and its origin have not yet been determined. Source This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information. Share this post