January 13, 2010 by Tim McDowell.

http://monitor.asigroup.com/

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November 26, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

 By Joe DeCapua, VOA

Despite the international naval presence off the coast of Somalia, full protection against pirates cannot be given to all the tankers and cargo ships sailing in the Gulf of Aden. However, there’s an alternative being offered that does not involved the use of warships. A company called Anti-Piracy Maritime Security Solutions (APMSS) uses non-lethal methods to prevent pirate attacks.

Nick Davis, chief executive of the firm, spoke from London to VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua about why piracy has grown to be a serious problem in the Gulf of Aden.
“Primarily because of the amount of ships that are…transiting the area. Obviously, it is a pinch point to the Suez Canal. So, there’s an average of between…50 and 70 ships a day using the canal. Then you have those at anchorage. And with the busy Arabian Peninsula, you get them from all directions. So, incredibly busy area…certainly a lucrative one, as the pirates can see,” he says.
All of the APMSS methods are non-lethal. Davis says, “We don’t carry weapons at all. We use acoustic devices, which are basically long-distance, very directional, loud hailing systems. And these emit…150 decibels over a distance of about a nautical mile…. And to give you an idea of…the human pain threshold for sound is 121 decibels. So, it’s pretty excruciating when you get within a short distance of this equipment, firing warning tones and messages at you.”
So far, he says that APMSS has been 100 percent successful and gives a recent example. “We ourselves had an encounter with pirates last Thursday in the Gulf of Aden, where our teams managed to…thwart and repel an attack by pirates that did come quite close to the vessel. But once we activated the evasive maneuvers and increased the speed of the ship and had all the fire hoses going and used the magnetic audio device, the acoustic device that we had on board, then the pirates just turned…and went for a vessel that was unarmed further south behind us,” he says.
As the piracy problem escalated in the Gulf of Aden, ship owners faced the prospect of paying millions of dollars extra in insurance premiums. But says the cost of APMSS is much, much cheaper. “The cost of our service is $20,000 and that’s a fairly small price to pay to have an effective security solution on board,” he says.
Analysts have said that international naval vessels are too few in number to provide full protection for all the ships sailing in the Gulf of Aden. “They’re there with great big warships manned with between 300 and 700 people on board them. So, we’re effectively a three-man team with the necessary security equipment and experience to repel attacks. And our teams are embarked on these ships…. And they’re on board for 48 hours and then they get off again,” he says.
However, Davis says that no matter how much security is provided to ships, the solution to the Somali piracy problems lies in a political solution to the crisis in the country, which includes “infrastructure regeneration to the Somali people. Where they have no government, they have no ability to control their waters.”
He adds that poverty is a driving force behind the piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden. “You know, these people (pirates) live in mud huts on the beach. So, they’re not really aware of what’s going on in the world. All they see is these ships that come in, these big fish factory ships that have sucked up all the tuna so that they can’t catch a single fish anymore. And these nice ships, moving cargo around the world that pay Egypt for the use of the canal…pay them nothing at all. And yet it’s destroyed their coastal development and abilities to earn money,” he says.
Davis adds, “They’re not out to be violent and killing crews…. They need money. They’re desperate for money and the money is shared within the communities. Yes, there are a couple of kingpin warlords that are controlling it all, but they are distributing the wealth along the coastline to the different villages and groups.”

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September 19, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program has surpassed its goal of resettling 12,000 Iraqi refugees during fiscal year 2008: 12,118 Iraqis have been admitted to the United States as refugees since October 1, 2007; only 1,600 were admitted in fiscal year 2007. 

http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1221249274808.shtm

Asylum from what government?  The one our soldiers died to help put in place in Iraq?

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September 16, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

The explosives division of the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) will be conducting operational field demonstrations of remotely operated and standoff explosive countermeasure technologies to address the threat from suicide bombers as well as leave-behind and vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs). S&T’s Standoff Technology Integration Demonstration program is a multi-year effort (which will conclude in 2013), designed to accelerate the development of standoff explosives detection technologies, concept of operations and training to counter these threats. The ultimate goal of the program is to prevent explosive attacks at large public events via a spiral development approach. To that end, S&T seeks to obtain information on remotely-operated and standoff explosive detection technologies and system integration strategies that have the ability to detect unique signatures that could be attributed to the components of a VBIED. Response deadline is Sept. 30, 2008. For additional information, contact Albert Dainton, at 202-254-6371.
  
Treasury looking for contractor to manage seized and forfeited property and more

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August 28, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

 By next year, about 40 percent of Orange County, California, buses will be equipped with cameras to monitor passengers and record onboard incidents. A pilot program to allow transit police to monitor the cameras in real time from patrol vehicles is being developed and should be in place later this year, said an Orange Country Transportation Authority (OCTA) spokesman. Cameras “help strengthen the nation’s transportation network against the risks associated with potential terrorist attacks,” he said. OCTA used about $2 million in homeland security money over the last two years to buy cameras. This week, OCTA accepted another grant for about $1.5 million, most of which will go toward putting cameras on 126 more buses. About $100,000 of the grant will be used to support an emergency preparedness exercise and training program. The money comes from $11.3 million in homeland security funds allotted to Orange and Los Angeles counties for increased bus and rail security, officials said. The security systems will be installed on new vehicles as they join OCTA’s fleet. Video is kept indefinitely, and the system is computerized so drivers can push a button and tag an incident if needed, the official said. In Los Angeles County, the Metropolitan Transit Authority has cameras on its entire fleet of more than 2,500 buses, many of which were funded with homeland security money, a spokesman said. Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cameras27-2008aug27,0,2939872.story

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August 18, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

There’s a reason they call it the “Lifesaver.”

On the outside, it looks like an ordinary sports bottle. On the inside, there’s a miracle: an extremely advanced filtration system that makes murky water filled with deadly viruses and bacteria completely clean in just seconds.

The Lifesaver removes 99.999 percent of water-borne pathogens and reduces heavy metals like lead, meaning even the filthiest water can be cleaned — immediately.

It will be a boon to soldiers in the field, so it’s winning accolades from the military.

It also stands to revolutionize humanitarian aid. It could be the first weapon in the fight against disease after a natural disaster, like the one in Myanmar this week.

I attended the Lifesaver’s launch at DSEi London, the world’s largest arms fair. Its inventor provided a pool of dirty pond water as a test subject, and I drank some after it was filtered. Not only did it look pure once it passed through the Lifesaver, it tasted pure, too.

There’s a reason they call it the “Lifesaver.”

On the outside, it looks like an ordinary sports bottle. On the inside, there’s a miracle: an extremely advanced filtration system that makes murky water filled with deadly viruses and bacteria completely clean in just seconds.

The Lifesaver removes 99.999 percent of water-borne pathogens and reduces heavy metals like lead, meaning even the filthiest water can be cleaned — immediately.

It will be a boon to soldiers in the field, so it’s winning accolades from the military.

It also stands to revolutionize humanitarian aid. It could be the first weapon in the fight against disease after a natural disaster, like the one in Myanmar this week.

I attended the Lifesaver’s launch at DSEi London, the world’s largest arms fair. Its inventor provided a pool of dirty pond water as a test subject, and I drank some after it was filtered. Not only did it look pure once it passed through the Lifesaver, it tasted pure, too.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354735,00.html

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July 16, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

Detecting the Covert Movement of Radioactive Materials

The covert movement of dangerous, radioactive materials is a great security threat. Radionuclide detection and identification systems are required to effectively monitor this threat. The Stride^TM detection units and systems are designed not only to detect, but to also classify such materials.

Stride systems can be openly or covertly installed in any high traffic area or portal as well as along parcel or freight conveyor systems. Within just a few seconds, a Stride detection unit will classify the type of material detected (medical, industrial, naturally occurring or special nuclear material). In addition, the system will also categorize it as innocent, suspicious or threatening and relate the specific isotope detected

http://www.icxt.com/products/icx-detection/radiation/stride/

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