May 29, 2009 by Tim McDowell.

YEONPYEONG, South Korea — North Korea defiantly test-fired another short-range missile Friday and warned it would act in “self-defense” if provoked by the U.N. Security Council, which is considering tough sanctions against the communist regime for conducting a nuclear test.

The North fired the missile from its Musudan-ni launch site on the east coast, a South Korean government official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the matter. It is the sixth short-range missile North Korea has test-fired since Monday’s nuclear test.

The official did not provide further details. But the Yonhap news agency cited an unidentified South Korean government official as saying the missile is a new type of ground-to-air missile estimated to have a range of up to 160 miles (260 kilometers).

With tensions high on the Korean peninsula, Chinese fishing boats left the region, possibly to avoid any maritime skirmishes between the two Koreas. But U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said the situation was not a crisis and no additional U.S. troops would be sent to the region.

North Korea, meanwhile, warned it would retaliate if provoked.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,522783,00.html?test=latestnews

“If the U.N. Security Council makes a further provocation, it will be inevitable for us to take further self-defense measures,” the North’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

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May 29, 2009 by Tim McDowell.

On 28 May 2009 four bombs were detonated in Peshawar, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 70 others as militants targeted a busy market and a military checkpoint within the city. The bombings occurred in two separate attacks that were spaced hours after each other. The Taliban had previously warned of more attacks, following a bombing at a police station in Lahore, perpetrated less than 24 hours before the Peshawar attacks. According to reports, in the first attack explosives-laden motorcycles were detonated via timer, and as police officers arrived at the scene they were met by a Taliban ambush. The second attack occurred when a suicide bomber drove his car into a checkpoint on the outskirts of Peshawar. Pakistani officials have banned all public gatherings in the city and have placed restrictions on motorists in order to prevent additional attacks. The coordination of the attacks and the fact that they occurred only 24 hours after the Lahore incident raises some concern that a new wave of Taliban attacks may be launched against Pakistani cities.

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May 28, 2009 by Tim McDowell.

North Korea continued to increase tensions on 27 May 2009 after launching another short-range missile overnight. According to local media in South Korea, the North launched the ground-to-ship missile from the east coast of the country at approximately 2100 local time. Some officials believe that the North is attempting to prevent other governments from verifying the nuclear test that took place on 25 May.

In addition, North Korea warned South Korea of the possibility of a military attack after Seoul stated that it was joining the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative on 26 May, which Pyongyang views as a declaration of war. North Korea warned on 28 May that it could potentially intercept foreign warships if they attempted to stop, board or inspect its ships in the adjacent waters. Pyongyang also stated that it will no longer be bound by the 1953 armistice accord. In response to the increasing tensions, South Korea elevated its alert status on 28 May. The alert level for U.S. troops stationed in South Korea was also increased.

Comment: Reports indicate that day-to-day activities in South Korea are proceeding as normal despite North Korea’s hostile rhetoric and the increased alert level. The latest developments will likely not have a direct impact on travelers to South Korea at this time, as there are no indications that military conflict is immediate; however, there is an increased potential for limited naval engagements and border skirmishes in the near future.

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May 21, 2009 by Tim McDowell.

 (August 6-9; Kansas City, MO) This year’s conference will feature four tracks designed for decision makers and first responders in the emergency industry:

1. Health and Medical
2. Homeland Security/Emergency Management
3. Technology
4. Enhanced Local Emergency Planning Committees

 http://www.marc.org/gti/lepc-terc/

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May 21, 2009 by Tim McDowell.

(June 15-17; Washington, DC) The conference will discuss current countermeasure research, development, and procurement programs and give participants the chance to interact face to face with high-level government representatives tasked to build the country’s biodefense and pandemic influenza capacity.

http://www.infocastinc.com/index.php/conference/biodef09

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May 21, 2009 by Tim McDowell.

Four men were “arrested Wednesday night in what the authorities said was a plot to bomb two synagogues in the Bronx and shoot down military planes at an Air National Guard base in Newburgh, N.Y.,” reports the New York Times . They “were petty criminals who appeared to be acting alone, not in concert with any terrorist organization.” They were arrested after “after planting what they believed to be bombs in cars outside” two synagogues. However, an antiaircraft missile system and “the bombs, obtained with the help of an informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, were fake.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/nyregion/22terror.html?ref=global-home

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May 21, 2009 by Tim McDowell.

Christian Science Monitor  “The former theater of war in northeastern Sri Lanka has been out of bounds for aid workers for months, with the Sri Lankan government only granting sporadic access to the International Committee of the Red Cross [which has] permission to supply food aid and to evacuate the injured,” reports the Christian Science Monitor . “… In recent months, as the military aggressively went after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam … determined to crush the three-decade-old insurgency, this has largely been a war without witness. Journalists, independent observers, and aid groups have been persistently denied access to the region. Even now, with the government having announced victory against the rebels this week, the region still remains inaccessible … According to United Nations estimates, more than 7,000 people have been killed since January alone, and aid groups are pressing for unfettered access to provide aid to 265,000 people, including 80,000 children.”

 http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0520/p06s10-wogn.html

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May 21, 2009 by Tim McDowell.

On 20 May 2009 authorities arrested four men who were allegedly involved in a plot to bomb two synagogues in New York City and shoot down U.S. military aircraft. The men acquired two fake bombs from an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informant and planted the devices outside the Riverdale Temple and the Riverdale Jewish Center in the Bronx. As part of the sting operation, the FBI provided the men with an inactive missile, which the men planned to use to shoot down military cargo aircraft at the New York Air National Guard Base at Stewart International Airport (KSWF/SWF) in Newburgh, which is located 60 mi/88 km north of New York City. The men carried out surveillance near the airport to determine an appropriate spot from which to launch the attack. The suspects will be arraigned at a Federal District Court in White Plains, New York, on 21 May. FBI officials have stated that the men began to plan the attack as early as July 2008 and accelerated their plans in April 2009.

ASI Comment: Authorities have stated that the men did not appear to have acted in coordination with any domestic or international terrorist organization, though they were under the impression that the FBI informant had ties to Jaish-e-Muhammad, a Pakistan-based militant group that has links to al-Qaeda. Reports indicate the men were upset about the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan and had expressed a desire to “commit jihad.” There are no indications that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to raise the national terrorist threat level, which is currently Yellow, or elevated.

There is likely to be a greater emphasis on boosting security at Jewish facilities in the United States in the coming months. In the years since the 9/11 attacks, there have been at least two incidents in the United States targeting Jewish and Israeli interests: the July 2006 shooting incident at a Jewish center in Seattle and the July 2002 shooting at an El Al Airlines check-in counter at Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX/LAX). The FBI classified the LAX shooting as a terrorist attack, but only categorized the Seattle incident as a hate crime. So-called “lone wolves” — who did not act in concert with any terrorist groups — perpetrated both of the attacks.

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May 13, 2009 by Tim McDowell.

The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad issued the following Warden Message on 11 May 2009: “Several political parties have announced the call for a strike in Karachi on 12 May 2009. Previously, similar actions have generated large demonstrations or processions that have escalated into violence.

“Given the unpredictable nature of these events the U.S. Embassy advises all Americans throughout Pakistan to take appropriate individual precautions to ensure their safety and security at all times. These measures include maintaining good situational awareness, avoiding crowds and demonstrations and keeping a low profile. Americans should avoid setting patterns by varying times and routes for all required travel. Americans should ensure that their travel documents and visas are valid at all times.”

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May 13, 2009 by Tim McDowell.

On 12 May 2009 Pope Benedict XVI visited the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. There have been reports of scattered protests, though none appear to have been particularly disruptive. Israeli security forces continue to close streets in areas near the locations the pope is visiting. The pope will arrive in Bethlehem at 0930 local time for a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. He will then celebrate mass at Manger Square and will visit the Grotto of the Nativity, the Caritas Baby Hospital and the Aida Refugee Camp before attending a departure ceremony at the presidential palace at 1730 local time.

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