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Archive for category Threat Watch
Dept. of State Takes Down DEFCAD Gun Files
Posted by Brian in Law, News, Threat Watch on 10/May/2013 15:21
The Blaze reports that the Department of State has claimed ownership of the information which Defense Distributed had on its website.
A letter to Defense Distributed from the Department of State, Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance, Enforcement Division (DTCC/END) explains that while conducting a review of the data posted on DEFCAD it found that the licensed firearm manufacturer might have released ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations)-controlled information without authorization and would thus be in violation.
Redlines and the Problems of Intervention in Syria
Posted by Brian in News, Opinion, Threat Watch on 4/May/2013 08:00
“Redlines and the Problems of Intervention in Syria is republished with permission of Stratfor.”
By George Friedman
Founder and Chairman
The civil war in Syria, one of the few lasting legacies of the Arab Spring, has been under way for more than two years. There has been substantial outside intervention in the war. The Iranians in particular, and the Russians to a lesser extent, have supported the Alawites under Bashar al Assad. The Saudis and some of the Gulf States have supported the Sunni insurgents in various ways. The Americans, Europeans and Israelis, however, have for the most part avoided involvement.
Last week the possibility of intervention increased. The Americans and Europeans have had no appetite for intervention after their experiences in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. At the same time, they have not wanted to be in a position where intervention was simply ruled out. Therefore, they identified a redline that, if crossed, would force them to reconsider intervention: the use of chemical weapons. Read the rest of this entry »
GE Capital Refusing to Loan Money for Guns
Posted by Brian in News, Threat Watch on 28/Apr/2013 08:27
The “war on guns” continues with GE Capital the latest company do deny loans or divest in the firearm business.
From The Blaze:
The U.S. gun market brought in about $11.7 billion in sales last year, according to IBIS World. Additionally, financing is merely a “marginal activity†in the industry so GE’s actions shouldn’t have a huge impact on the gun market, WSJ.com reports.
But that’s not to say gun shops won’t feel it as more large banks refuse to provide lending services.
Our Job by Dom Rasso
Posted by Brian in Law, Opinion, Threat Watch, Warriors on 27/Apr/2013 08:00
Former Navy SEAL Dom Rasso talks about the ongoing assault on our civil liberties and our personal responsibility to stand up for them.
Why the Boston Bombers Succeeded
Posted by Brian in News, Threat Watch on 25/Apr/2013 08:05
“Why the Boston Bombers Succeeded is republished with permission of Stratfor.”
By Scott Stewart
Vice President of Analysis
When seeking to place an attack like the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing into context, it is helpful to classify the actors responsible, if possible. Such a classification can help us understand how an attack fits into the analytical narrative of what is happening and what is likely to come. These classifications will consider factors such as ideology, state sponsorship and perhaps most important, the kind of operative involved.
In a case where we are dealing with an apparent jihadist operative, before we can classify him or her we must first have a clear taxonomy of the jihadist movement. At Stratfor, we generally consider the jihadist movement to be divided into three basic elements: the al Qaeda core organization, the regional jihadist franchises, such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and grassroots operatives who are radicalized, inspired and perhaps equipped by the other two tiers but who are not members of either. Read the rest of this entry »
Mexico’s Drug War: Balkanization Leads to Regional Challenges
Posted by Brian in News, Threat Watch on 24/Apr/2013 08:57
“Mexico’s Drug War: Balkanization Leads to Regional Challenges is republished with permission of Stratfor.”
Editor’s Note:Â This Security Weekly assesses the most significant cartel-related developments of the first quarter of 2013 and provides updated profiles of Mexico’s powerful criminal cartels, as well as a forecast for the rest of this year. It’s the executive summary of a more detailed report available to clients of our Mexico Security Monitor service.
By Tristan Reed
Tactical Analyst
Balkanization of Cartels
Since the late 1980s demise of the Guadalajara cartel, which controlled drug trade routes into the United States through most of Mexico, Mexican cartels have followed a trend of fracturing into more geographically compact, regional crime networks. This trend, which we are referring to as “Balkanization,” has continued for more than two decades and has impacted all of the major cartel groups in Mexico. Indeed the Sinaloa Federation lost significant assets when the organizations run by Beltran Leyva and Ignacio Coronel split away from it. Los Zetas, currently the other most powerful cartel in Mexico, was formed when it split off from the Gulf cartel in 2010. Still these two organizations have fought hard to resist the trend of fracturing and have been able to grow despite being affected by it. This led to the polarized dynamic observed in 2011 when these two dominant Mexican cartels effectively split Mexican organized crime in two, with one group composed of Los Zetas and its allies and the other composed of the Sinaloa Federation and its allies.
This trend toward polarization has since been reversed, however, as Balkanization has led to rising regional challenges to both organizations since 2012. Most notable among these is the split between the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion and the Sinaloa Federation. The Sinaloa Federation continues to struggle with regional crime groups for control in western Chihuahua state, northern Sinaloa state, Jalisco state and northern Sonora state. Similarly, Los Zetas saw several regional challengers in 2012. Two regional groups saw sharp increases in their operational capabilities during 2012 and through the first quarter of 2013. These were the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion and the Knights Templar. Read the rest of this entry »
Son Makes Threats, Dad Has Pistol License Revoked
Posted by Brian in News, Threat Watch on 12/Apr/2013 13:09
From HauppaugePatch:
According to Mayer, his son spoke with a few of his classmates about a pushing incident on the schoolyard, and although Mayer’s son was not involved in the scuffle, he and two of the other boys talked about bringing a water, paintball and BB gun with them to the house of the classmates that did the pushing. While Mayer’s lawyer said that none of the boys actually have any of the toy guns mentioned, word about the perceived threats got around to the principal, who not only suspended Mayer’s son for two days, but also filed a police report.
We Won’t Confiscate Your Guns….Psych!
Posted by Brian in Law, News, Threat Watch on 11/Apr/2013 16:40
New York State confiscates guns of the wrong person:
Beyond the Post-Cold War World
Posted by Brian in Opinion, Threat Watch on 11/Apr/2013 08:42
“Beyond the Post-Cold War World is republished with permission of Stratfor.”
By George Friedman
Founder and Chairman
An era ended when the Soviet Union collapsed on Dec. 31, 1991. The confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union defined the Cold War period. The collapse of Europe framed that confrontation. After World War II, the Soviet and American armies occupied Europe. Both towered over the remnants of Europe’s forces. The collapse of the European imperial system, the emergence of new states and a struggle between the Soviets and Americans for domination and influence also defined the confrontation. There were, of course, many other aspects and phases of the confrontation, but in the end, the Cold War was a struggle built on Europe’s decline.
Many shifts in the international system accompanied the end of the Cold War. In fact, 1991 was an extraordinary and defining year. The Japanese economic miracle ended. China after Tiananmen Square inherited Japan’s place as a rapidly growing, export-based economy, one defined by the continued pre-eminence of the Chinese Communist Party. The Maastricht Treaty was formulated, creating the structure of the subsequent European Union. A vast coalition dominated by the United States reversed the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Read the rest of this entry »
Austin Texas Councilman Admits the Endgame is a Gun Ban
Posted by Gary in Law, Threat Watch on 10/Apr/2013 21:06
Mike Martinez
Austin Texas Councilman Mike Martinez, who appeared at a gun control rally in that city on April 7, admitted that the Universal Background Check endgame is a ban on guns.
“First of all, to the gentleman who is dying for attention, someone needs to inform him that there is no gun ban currently, but because of the work we’re doing here today, we will make your sign legitimate shortly, so you hang on to that.” The crowd cheered in response.
Below is from InfoWars.com
The Acute Jihadist Threat in Europe
Posted by Brian in News, Threat Watch on 10/Apr/2013 07:54
“The Acute Jihadist Threat in Europe is republished with permission of Stratfor.”
By Scott Stewart, Vice President of Analysis, and Sidney Brown
On March 26, the Belgian federal police’s counterterrorism force, or Special Units, conducted a felony car stop on Hakim Benladghem, a 39-year-old French citizen of Algerian extraction. When Benladghem reacted aggressively, he was shot and killed by the police attempting to arrest him. The Special Units chose to take Benladghem down in a car stop rather than arrest him at his home because it had intelligence indicating that he was heavily armed. The authorities also knew from their French counterparts that Benladghem had been trained as a paratrooper in the French Foreign Legion.
Additional intelligence showed that Benladghem had traveled extensively and that, through his travels and email and cellphone communications, he appeared to be connected to the international jihadist movement. Rather than risk a confrontation at Benladghem’s apartment, where he had access to an arsenal of weapons as well as a ballistic vest and helmet, the police decided to arrest him while he was away from home and more vulnerable. The Belgian authorities did not want to risk a prolonged, bloody siege like the one that occurred in April 2012 in Toulouse, France, when French police attempted to arrest shooter Mohammed Merah. Read the rest of this entry »
Proposed Laws Would Fire Sheriffs For Not Obeying Feds
Posted by Brian in Law, News, Threat Watch on 28/Mar/2013 08:50
From The Examiner:
The first effort emerged in Texas. Legislation proposed by Dallas Democratic Rep. Yvonne Davis would remove any sheriff or law enforcement officer who refuses to enforce state or federal laws.
Technology vs Security
Posted by Brian in Opinion, Threat Watch on 19/Mar/2013 08:22
From Wired:
Because the damage attackers can cause becomes greater as technology becomes more powerful. Guns become more harmful, explosions become bigger, malware becomes more pernicious … and so on. A single attacker, or small group of attackers, can cause more destruction than ever before.
As the destructive power of individual actors and fringe groups increases, so do the calls for — and society’s acceptance of — increased security.
MS-13 and Los Zetas Join Forces
Posted by Brian in News, Threat Watch on 15/Mar/2013 08:15
From DangerRoom:
Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, became El Salvador’s deadliest gang through force of numbers and the power of the handgun — while inking some pretty crazy tattoos. Now if they weren’t deadly enough, the gang is transitioning into adopting heavier weapons while teaming up with Mexico’s Zetas.
Fire: The Overlooked Threat
Posted by Brian in Opinion, Threat Watch on 5/Mar/2013 08:30
“Fire: The Overlooked Threat is republished with permission of Stratfor.”
By Scott Stewart
Vice President of Analysis
People sometimes obsess over the potential threat posed by terrorist attacks that use things such as chemical weapons, electromagnetic pulses or dirty bombs. Yet they tend to discount the less exciting but very real threat posed by fire, even though fire kills thousands of people every year. The World Health Organization estimates that 195,000 people die each year from fire, while according to the Global Terrorism Database an average of 7,258 people die annually from terrorism, and that includes deaths in conflict zones such as Afghanistan and Iraq.
There are also instances in which fire is used as a weapon in a terrorist attack. U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and embassy communications officer Sean Smith, the two diplomats killed in the attack on the U.S. office in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012, did not die from gunfire or even rocket-propelled grenade strikes but from smoke inhalation. This fact was not lost on the U.S. Department of State Accountability Review Board that investigated the Benghazi attack. In an interview published by Reuters on Feb. 24, former Ambassador Thomas Pickering, the head of the Accountability Review Board, said more attention should be paid to the threat fire poses to diplomatic posts.  Read the rest of this entry »