The Latest from National Terror Alert Response Center

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• Congressman Pushes Bill To Prepare For EMP Threat
  
• Blackwater USA Hired By CIA To Kill al Qaeda Leaders –
  Report
  
• U.S. Asks Businesses To Prepare For H1N1
  
• Ciudad Juarez – 43 Murders In 72 Hours
  
• iWatch Suspicious Activity Report Generates 1500 Tips
  

Congressman Pushes Bill To Prepare For EMP Threat Posted: 19 Aug 2009 11:59 PM PDT America’s electric grid is vulnerable to attack from electromagnetic weaponry, and building a smart grid might make it worse, says Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD). Bartlett, a former research scientist and engineer, offers his solution for securing U.S. electronics from attack. “The more sophisticated we become, the more vulnerable we are,” said Bartlett. “There’s a huge concern about cyber-attacks on the grid. Well a really robust nuclear EMP lay-down means microelectronics across the country would be shut down and you have no power…there’s one event that we will not avoid, and that is a solar electromagnetic interference, solar storm. If we have a big one like the one that occurred back in 1859, that would shut down the whole grid for quite a long while. It would cost about $100 million to protect much of the grid, but if the grid went down, it would cost us between $1 trillion and $2 trillion in damages, and the loss of life could be horrendous if in fact you were without electricity for months at a time. There’s a bill in the House, and it’s got to go through the Energy and Commerce Committee.” Read Full Article WND Listen To NPR Interview With Congressman Bartlett 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. Congressman Pushes Bill To Prepare For EMP Threat

Blackwater USA Hired By CIA To Kill al Qaeda Leaders – Report Posted: 19 Aug 2009 11:45 PM PDT A secret CIA program to kill top al-Qaeda leaders with assassination teams was outsourced in 2004 to Blackwater USA, the private security contractor whose operations in Iraq prompted intense scrutiny, according to two former intelligence officials familiar with the events. Blackwater Missions Against Al-Qaeda Never Began, Ex-Officials Say The North Carolina-based company was given operational responsibility for targeting terrorist commanders and was awarded millions of dollars for training and weaponry, but the program was canceled before any missions were conducted, the two officials said. The assassination program — revealed to Congress in June by CIA Director Leon Panetta — was initially launched in 2001 as a CIA-led effort to kill or capture top al-Qaeda members using the agency’s paramilitary forces. But in 2004, after briefly terminating the program, agency officials decided to revive it under a different code name, using outside contractors, the officials said. Read Full Article 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. Blackwater USA Hired By CIA To Kill al Qaeda Leaders – Report

U.S. Asks Businesses To Prepare For H1N1 Posted: 19 Aug 2009 11:35 PM PDT The federal government is urging employers to offer flexible sick leave policies as the nation braces for a second wave of the H1N1 influenza pandemic. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano offered guidance to businesses on how to prevent the spread of H1N1, also known as swine flu, and to prepare for a major outbreak. They stressed allowing employees who exhibit flu symptoms to go home and to stay home until at least 24 hours have passed since their fevers subsided. They also said businesses should consider eliminating policies that require a doctor’s note or other proof to justify a sick day and that employers should be prepared to operate with fewer people. “It’s more than just a significant health issue. It has the potential to affect every aspect of our lives,’’ Locke said. “It will take Americans from every walk of life pulling together and doing our part to mount an effective response.’’ As the first pandemic in more than 40 years, it has the potential to cause massive disruptions for businesses, schools, and governments. The United States and other northern nations have been scrambling to prepare for a resurgence of the virus by stockpiling flu treatments and vaccines. Read Full Article 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. U.S. Asks Businesses To Prepare For H1N1

Ciudad Juarez – 43 Murders In 72 Hours Posted: 19 Aug 2009 11:27 PM PDT There has been a surge of violence in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez, with 43 people murdered in and around it in the last three days. About 1,300 people have been murdered in the border city since the start of the year. Most of the killings are believed to be drug related. Earlier this year the government sent thousands of troops to the city in an effort to contain the violence. The move had appeared to be working; it is not clear what prompted this rise. Bar attack A family of three were the latest victims of the rash of killings that is currently taking place in Ciudad Juarez. A man was driving his wife and their four-year-old son along a highway near the city when their car was sprayed with automatic gunfire. The father and child were killed instantly, the mother is in hospital. The previous day a popular bar in the centre of town was attacked. The owner and his wife were shot at close range by gunmen who then opened fire on customers, killing six of them. A few hours earlier a group of heavily-armed masked men attacked a house outside the city, close to the border with Texas. A further six people were killed. Mexican prosecutors are offering no explanation for the surge in violence. via BBC NEWS Americas Violence surges in Mexican city. 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. Ciudad Juarez – 43 Murders In 72 Hours

iWatch Suspicious Activity Report Generates 1500 Tips Posted: 19 Aug 2009 06:19 PM PDT Los Angeles police say they have received over 1,500 reports in the past several months through a new program that investigates possible terrorist related activities or other crimes. Police say several of the reports have led to investigations but they declined to elaborate. From the LAPD iWatch Website REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY –A simple observation, a single phone call or report, can lead to actions that can stop a terrorist attack. Think about the power of that, the power of iWATCH. IWATCH, IREPORT, I KEEP US SAFE (iWATCH) is a Terrorism Public Awareness and Reporting Program for the City of Los Angeles developed by the Los Angeles Police Department. If you see suspicious behavior or activity that may indicate terrorist activity, report it. If it is an emergency, call 911. If not an emergency, but a report of something you witnessed, report it online by clicking the report icon or call 1-877-A-THREAT (1-877-284-7328). Website 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. iWatch Suspicious Activity Report Generates 1500 Tips

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