Defense Department officials are taking steps to make Common Access Cards the single identity credential for authenticating federal employees, members of the military and contractors when they enter federal buildings or other restricted areas. A request for information about making CACs the main credential for physical access was announced on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site. CACs are now used for visual identification and access to computer systems. The cards are also used with public-key infrastructure tools for signing and encrypting e-mail messages.

Terrorists could acquire more dangerous conventional arms and even biological-weapon agents by 2025, creating the potential for more lethal attacks, U.S. Deputy National Intelligence Director Thomas Fingar said. “I can imagine that the aggregate threat diminishes but the specific instances (of attacks) being much more deadly,” he said, basing his comments on a new National Intelligence Council report, Global Trends 2025.

A new layer of details surrounding President Bush’s Comprehensive National Cyber Security Initiative emerged from a speech delivered by a senior federal official in Washington recently.
Steven Chabinksy, deputy director for the Joint Interagency Cyber Task Force, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, shed new light on 12 core initiatives that are part of the president’s cyber security plan.

Despite compulsory legislative reforms and multiple executive orders intended to streamline the granting of security clearances for access to classified information, the process remains “cumbersome,” according to a new House Intelligence Committee report. While backlogs and processing time have been reduced since enactment of the 2004 Intelligence Reform Act, overall “progress over the past five years has been disappointing,” the report said.

“There are heightened security concerns in India following the November 26 terrorist attacks on hotels, a railway station, restaurant, hospital, and other locations in Mumbai frequented by Westerners. Over 100 persons are believed to have been killed, and hundreds injured. Casualties include both Indian and foreign nationals. Americans appear to have been among those specifically targeted. U.S. citizens should exercise caution and take prudent security measures, including maintaining a high level of vigilance, avoiding crowds and demonstrations, keeping a low profile, varying times and routes for all travel, and ensuring travel documents are current.

Meanwhile, pro- and anti- government protesters have been gathering at various locations throughout the country. At least 20,000 supporters for the pro-government Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) gathered on 30 November outside of the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority to protest against the PAD. The DAAD announced that the protest will continue all night or until PAD protesters vacated Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang International Airports. No violence has been reported. On 30 November the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) announced that it plans to gather in front of the Grand Palace in Bangkok until the PAD ends its siege of the airports to demand that the government along with police and military forces disperse the PAD protestors at the two airports in Bangkok.

Officials have been deployed to prevent further unrest. Both military and government officials have called on the protesters to end their occupation of the capital’s airports after His Majesty the King’s birthday on 5 December. However, as of 1 December, operations at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Don Muang International Airport remain suspended. Airport authorities have stated that Suvarnabhumi Airport will remain closed until at least 1800 local time on 1 December, and it is highly likely that the closure will last longer. PAD leaders showed some willingness to negotiate with the government when they agreed to allow 88 stranded aircraft to fly out of Suvarnabhumi Airport without passengers on 30 November. The aircraft were released in order to help evacuate stranded tourists from airports in other provinces Thousands of police officers remain on standby at the Suvarnabhumi Airport. Reports indicated that another 500 police officers, stationed 3 mi/5 km outside the airport, clashed with more than 200 PAD members armed with pipes, knives and sticks on 30 November. There is no additional information regarding that incident.

Currently more than 240,000 foreigners are stranded in Thailand. Some countries have sent state-sponsored flights to retrieve their citizens. Reports indicate that the Thai government is doing its best to cooperate with foreign governments to facilitate the departure of stranded foreign citizens. Passengers are using the Rayong U-Tapao International Airport (VTBU/UTP) — which is located approximately 90 mi/140 km south of Bangkok — however, the terminal can accommodate only 400 people. This has caused stampedes and chaos, and some passengers have had to receive medical attention. The Thai government has agreed, for the interim, that passengers stranded in Thailand needing medical assistance, will be allowed to receive free treatment at both private and state hospitals. Airports of Thailand (AoT) personnel have begun setting up early check-in counters at the Bangkok International Exhibition and Trade Center (Bitec) and the Centara Grand Hotel. These facilities are requiring passengers to check-in seven hours ahead of departure in order to transit from Bangkok to U-Tapao. Passengers are only allowed to check-in at these facilities with approval from the airlines.

On 30 November PAD leader Chamlong Srimuang agreed to meet with Bangkok police chief Suchart Muenkaew to discuss increasing security at the Government House after an attack on the night of 29 November injured approximately 50 people, four of them seriously. The leader asked that police officers help patrol the area in order to reduce the violence that has sprung up. The chief and leader reported that the meeting lessened tensions. It is unknown whether police officers will support the idea. On 1 December, PAD leaders called for protestors to end the rally at the Government House and move to Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Muang Airport. Reports indicate that daily demonstrations might still take place at Government House but will only last until evening due to safety concerns.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat is currently residing in the northeast of the country, an area where support for his government is strong. Officials believe that Wongsawat left Bangkok because he fears a coup. He also risks losing his post on 2 December when Thailand’s Constitutional Court is scheduled to rule on whether the governing People Power Party (PPP) committed fraudulent acts during elections in 2007. If the PPP is found guilty, the party is expected to dissolve; Somchai would then lose his position as prime minister, which the PAD would claim as a huge success. Additional military forces and police officers were deployed in Bangkok on 1 December, ahead of the 2 December ruling.