An Endangered World, Running out of Time?

Business Office Publisher’s Message 517 Benfield Road, Suite 303 By Martin (Marty) Masiuk Severna Park, MD 21146 USA www.DomesticPreparedness.com On 25 June 1950, North Korea launched a surprise attack against South (410) 518-6900 Korea, starting a war that lasted more than three years and caused Staff hundreds of thousands of casualties, many of them American. The war Martin Masiuk ended with an uneasy “truce” on 27 July 1953 with the establishment of an Publisher [email protected] artificial and frequently violated demilitarized zone between North Korea and South Korea. James D. Hessman Editor in Chief Earlier this week, Pyongyang struck again – with the UN-banned underground [email protected] explosion of a nuclear device, the test-launch of five short-range missiles into John Morton international waters off the east coast of North Korea, and a steadily escalating barrage Strategic Advisor of violent threats against South Korea, the United States, and the United Nations. [email protected] Dan Brethauer The emerging possibility that a second and much more devastating Korean War might Account Executive break out at any time was a serious distraction for U.S. and allied political leaders and [email protected] military planners, who already were in the process of developing highly uncertain contingency plans on what to do: (a) when, and/or if, the Afghanistan-based Taliban Susan Collins should defeat Pakistan (and thereby acquire already operational nuclear weapons); Creative Director [email protected] and/or (b) Iran should continue its nuclear “enrichment” and “research” programs and also become a nuclear power to reckon with. Carole Parker Database Manager There is, of course, no totally effective way for the United States, acting on its own, or [email protected] even with its allies, to deal with any of these suddenly major threats – or several others that might easily be imagined. But it is reasonable to suggest that the United States itself Advertisers in This Issue: should and must focus much more attention on total preparedness, both at home and Bruker Detection overseas, for the foreseeable future. Overseas, through the continued upgrading of the nation’s naval and military forces; and at home to cope with the still shocking Idaho Technology Inc. reality that U.S. cities are now, for the first time since the War of 1812, vulnerable to Knowledge Foundation - Biodetection enemy attacks – particularly attacks by domestic or foreign terrorist groups. Technologies Conference MSA This month’s printable issue of DPJ deals in much greater detail with several of the nightmare scenarios mentioned above. Neil Livingstone’s leadoff article, in fact, PROENGIN Inc. describes the possibility of a Taliban victory in Pakistan as probably the single most Remploy Frontline dangerous scenario facing U.S. contingency planners. Two articles, by Bruce Clements and Rob Schnepp, deal with separate aspects of large-scale biological incidents, natural UPP or manmade. Amit Yoran contributes an insightful analysis of a less bloody but economically devastating cyber-security invasion/intrusion. And Glen Rudner provides a helpful and somewhat more hopeful report on recent upgrades in the personal protective clothing and equipment items now available to help first responders cope with chemical and/or biological incidents. © Copyright 2009, by IMR Group, Inc.; reproduction of any Other domestic threats are covered by: Joseph Trindal, who comments on several part of this publication without express written permission nationally publicized shooting incidents that have both alarmed and energized the is strictly prohibited. nation’s law-enforcement community; Joseph Cahill, who analyzes the national and DomPrep Journal is electronically delivered by the IMR global implications of the swine-flu outbreak earlier this year; Patrick Bird and Michael Group, Inc., 517 Benfield Road, Suite 303, Severna Park, MD 21146, USA; phone: 410-518-6900; fax: 410-518-6020; also Allswede, who take a long second look at the Beslan School Massacre – and warn that the available at www.DomPrep.com United States is not prepared to cope with a similar attack; and Rodrigo Moscoso, Articles are written by professional practitioners who provides an encouraging report on the many new crime-busting advances made in homeland security, domestic preparedness, and possible by improvements in LPR (License Plate Reader) technology. related fields. Manuscripts are original work, previously unpublished and not simultaneously submitted to another publisher. Text is the opinion of the author; publisher holds Rounding out the issue, as always, are timely reports, by Adam McLaughlin, on recent no liability for its use or interpretation. homeland-security upgrades, improvements, and advances in four states (California, Massachusetts, Montana, and New York) in different areas of the country. About the Cover: Studio shot, by Chad Baker, Getty Images, of an hourglass, with a globe inside, seeming to hover in midair. Copyright © 2009, DomesticPreparedness.com; DPJ Weekly Brief and DomPrep Journal are publications of the IMR Group, Inc. Page 3 Bruker Detection Corporation E2M GC/MS System Identifies and quantifies organic substance in soil, air, water and from surfaces Mobile, compact, fast and reliable Software includes all standard MS acquisition methods Use internally purified air as carrier gas – no helium, hydrogen, or nitrogen required HAWK FR Stand Off Detection Early Detection Detects chemical vapors up to one mile line of sight Detects CWAs and many is the First Step industrial chemicals in Protection Scan large areas in seconds Stand-alone or can be integrated into a network M-IR Mobile FT-IR Wear-free ROCKSOLID™ interferometer for industry leading performance and reliability in harsh environments Rugged, portable, self contained solids and liquids analyzer Bearing mechanism is space qualified and virtually free from wear Easy-to-use graphical user interface; assistant guided operation (978) 663-3660 x1308 [email protected] www.bruker.com/detection think forward CBRN Detection DomPrep Channel Masters “What Will It Mean for U.S. Domestic Security?” First Responders Glen Rudner Worst-Case Scenario: Fire/HazMat Pakistan Falls to the Taliban Stephen Grainer By Neil C. Livingstone, Viewpoint Fire/HazMat The most significant and his principal advisors would have to Rob Schnepp potentially devastating very quickly, and correctly, determine Fire/HazMat national-security threat what that cataclysmic change would Joseph Cahill now facing the United mean to security planners, law- EMS States, and the Obama enforcement agencies, first responders, Administration, would be the fall of and others tasked with protecting the Kay Goss Pakistan, a nuclear power, to Islamic United States itself. Emergency Management extremists allied to Al Qaeda and the Joseph Watson Taliban. Earlier this month the Taliban A Potential Nuclear Holocaust? Law Enforcement was within sixty miles of the capital The first and foremost question to be of Islamabad and already engaged Joseph Trindal considered must be what would or Law Enforcement in fierce fighting with the central could be done about Pakistan’s government, headed by President Asif nuclear weapons. If they are not Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso Ali Zadari. secured by the United States and/or Law Enforcement other nations and fall under control The Pakistani government, in a Medical Support of the Taliban, the United States Theodore (Ted) Tully move roundly criticized in the West, would, for the first time since the Health Systems had earlier negotiated a truce with fall of the Soviet Union, face the real the Taliban in the Swat Valley, prospect of a nuclear attack, either Michael Allswede once a tourist Mecca. In exchange against U.S. forces in the region or Public Health for supposedly laying down their by a weapon surreptitiously slipped into Raphael Barishansky arms, the Taliban was permitted to the United States itself and detonated Public Health impose Islamic, or sharia, law, on the in one of America’s great cities. The region. But the Taliban reneged on Taliban might well share its nuclear Updates their promise to disarm and instead arsenal and technology with other Adam McLaughlin introduced a reign of terror throughout State Homeland News rogue nations, or even with terrorist the area, cutting off heads, burning groups such as Al Qaeda, immensely Viewpoint down girls’ schools, requiring men compounding the threat. Neil Livingstone to grow beards and women to be ExecutiveAction fully covered, and mandating that Another nightmare possibility is that disputes be settled in religious Funding & Regulations other nations might find the threat of courts dominated by clerics rather Diana Hopkins a nuclear attack from Pakistan or its Standards than in traditional (i.e., slow and allies so terrifying that they would bureaucratic) secular courts. Borders & Ports decide to take preemptive action on Corey Ranslem their own, igniting a regional war Coast Guard Despite some encouraging Pakistani that could quickly become a global combat successes in the first two conflagration. There already have been Military Support weeks of May, there was no guarantee credible reports that Israel and India, Jonathan Dodson that the Taliban advance could and National Guard to take but two likely examples, have would be stopped on a permanent been meeting secretly to develop a basis. If the Zadari regime should joint contingency plan to take out the collapse and be replaced

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