SubscribeTurkey launches land offensive into Iraq
February 22, 2008
“Thousands of Turkish troops have crossed into northern Iraq in their hunt for Kurdish PKK guerrillas, a senior military source said on Friday, in an escalation of a conflict that could destabilize the region.
Turkey’s military said the land offensive — the first major incursion in a decade — had fighter aircraft in support. Turkish TV said up to 10,000 troops had entered Iraq.” (Reuters)
Government to OK ‘virtual fence’ along border
February 22, 2008
“A 28-mile “virtual fence” that will use radars and surveillance cameras to try to catch people entering the country illegally has gotten final government approval.” (MSNBC)
China accuses US of double standards over satellite strike
February 21, 2008
“China today accused Washington of double standards after the US navy fired a missile to destroy a failed satellite 150 miles above the Pacific.
Beijing - which was criticised by the US and others when it shot down one of its own satellites last year - turned the tables on the Bush administration after the satellite was shot down today.” (The Guardian)
Analysis: Terrorism 2.0
February 21, 2008
“Terrorism and wars of the future won’t be fought outdoors but from the comfort of our own homes, behind our computer screens. With cyberattacks on the rise and gaining in destructive capability, the threat to the international community is beyond current regulations and defense mechanisms, a panel of experts said last week.” (UPI)
Amtrak outlines security features
February 21, 2008
“Amtrak’s new 15-member security teams, heavily armed and “exceedingly polite,” will show up in force this week at Northeast rail stations, trying to secure a system that is inherently vulnerable to terrorist attack.
The new security measures, including random searches of ticket holders before they board, are designed to balance safety and convenience, Amtrak officials said yesterday. Unlike air travelers, train passengers will not be required to walk through metal detectors or take off their shoes, and trains will not be delayed by the searches.” (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
DHS handoff worries lawmakers
February 21, 2008
“Lawmakers are increasingly concerned about how the Homeland Security Department will manage the challenge of transitioning to a new presidential administration. Meanwhile, some DHS officials’ reluctance to share transition materials with Congress has angered the House Homeland Security Committee chairman.
All agencies face similar challenges when tenants at the White House change once or twice in a decade. But with more than 200,000 employees and more than 20 different agencies, DHS isn’t a typical department.” (Federal Computer Week)
March rollout for FBI’s data sharing system
February 21, 2008
“The FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Service (CJIS) plans to launch the first increment of its National Data Exchange (N-Dex) law enforcement information sharing system March 19, according to program manager Kevin Reid.
Speaking to GCN this afternoon in a telephone interview, Reid said that CJIS and the N-Dex vendor, Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems, expected to bring in the first increment of N-Dex at a cost of about $41 million—approximately $3 million less than the project budget specified.” (Government Computer News)
New U.S. visa requirements divide EU
February 21, 2008
“As the United States prepares to drop visa requirements for Czech citizens starting this fall, the reaction from Brussels has been decidedly negative.” (The Prague Post)
Responders, managers team to control IT incidents
February 20, 2008
“They may be government information technology managers, but they talk like members of a SWAT team.
“We have capabilities in place to manage any type of incident,” Johan Bos-Beijer declares about the Education Department.
“We want to be able to isolate the problem, to address the problem where it exists before it impacts the rest of the organization,” Jaren Doherty says about the Health and Human Services Department.” (Federal Times)
Firm gets U.S. nod for quick passenger data checks
February 20, 2008
“A company owned by international airlines said on Wednesday it had won approval from the United States for a system providing passenger details to U.S. border authorities almost instantaneously.
The Geneva-based SITA information technology firm said the system allows airline check-in desks to get the go-ahead within 2 seconds from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection service (CBP) to issue a boarding card.” (Reuters)