Georgetown Security Law Brief

US pilot's body found off coast of Italy

01/31/13:  CNN reports the body of an Air Force pilot has been found off the coast of Italy, three days after the F-16 he was flying went missing, his family announced Thursday.  Controllers lost contact with the F-16 around 8 p.m. Monday while the jet was on a training flight, the U.S. Air Force reported. Italian search teams found debris believed to be from the fighter jet Tuesday. The aircraft was based at Aviano Air Base, a key NATO installation in northern Italy.

Drone strike prompts suit, raising fears for US allies

01/31/13:  The New York Times reports the death of Malik Daud Khan, a Pakistani tribal elder, in a CIA drone strike might have remained widely unremarked upon, lost amid thousands of others analysts have tallied in the American drone campaign, had not the British courts been brought into it.  The drone strike, which killed Mr. Khan and dozens of others at a tribal council meeting in North Waziristan in 2011, spawned a lawsuit that accuses British officials of becoming “secondary parties to murder” by passing intelligence to American officials that was later used in drone strikes.  The case has put a spotlight on international intelligence-sharing agreements that have long been praised by officials as vital links in the global fight against terrorist groups, but that rights advocates criticize as a way for Britian and other European countries to reap the benefits of the contentious drone program without its political costs.

Guantánamo judge says ‘external body’ was wrong to censor war court

01/31/13:  The Miami Herald reports the judge presiding at the Sept. 11 death penalty tribunal declined Tuesday to say who cut the audio and video feed to his court for three minutes in an episode that has drawn protest.  The attorney for accused 9/11 mastermind had just spoken the word “secret” on Monday when, as Judge James Pohl put it, “some external body” cut the outside world off from hearing the proceedings. The judge did not issue an explicit order to release a transcript of the three-minute censored portion of the Monday hearing. Nor did he provide a public explanation of who else has the technical power to purposefully cut off the courtroom audio.

Nuclear test could open window on North Korea

01/31/13: The New York Times reports the world is warning North Korea against going ahead with its third nuclear test, but inside the American intelligence community, some officials are quietly hoping it happens. A test could give them their first real view in years into whether the North has made significant progress toward a weapon that could threaten the US or its allies.  Since the North’s last test, in 2009, the US has lost much of its visibility into what a former senior intelligence official says is on the cusp of becoming a “runaway program.”  Inspectors have been ejected from the country, and new facilities to make nuclear fuel have appeared. Now the hope is that an underground blast will answer several mysteries.

South Korea launches rocket weeks after North Korea

01/31/13:  The Washington Times reports South Korea said Wednesday it successfully launched a satellite into space from its own soil for the first time, a point of national pride that came weeks after archrival North Korea accomplished a similar feat to the surprise of the world.  The launch is a culmination of years of efforts by South Korea to advance its space program and cement its standing as a technology powerhouse whose semiconductors, smartphones and automobiles command global demand.  North Korea's long-range rocket program, in contrast, has generated international fears that it is getting closer to developing nuclear missiles capable of striking the US. South Korea's success comes amid increased tension on the Korean Peninsula over North Korea's threat to explode its third nuclear device. Pyongyang is angry over tough new international sanctions over its Dec. 12 rocket launch and has accused its rivals of applying double standards toward the two Koreas’ space programs.

UN panel says Israeli settlement plan violates international law

01/31/13:  The New York Times reports Israel has used the expansion of Jewish settlements to pursue a creeping annexation of the occupied Palestinian territories and committed multiple violations of international law in its treatment of Palestinians, the United Nations Human Rights Council said in a report on Thursday that called for an immediate halt to all settlement activity.  Presenting its findings after a nearly six-month investigation, the panel of three jurists led by a French judge, Christine Chanet, said Israel’s settlements had clearly violated the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit a state from transferring its own civilian population into territory it has occupied.  The panel examined 67 submissions from academics, diplomats, Israeli civil society and Palestinians, Ms. Chanet said, but Israel refused to cooperate with the mission, which was unable to visit the West Bank and instead went to the Jordanian capital, Amman, to hear testimony.

New York Times 'hit by hackers from China'

01/31/13:  The BBC reports hackers from China have "persistently" infiltrated the New York Times for the last four months, the US paper says.  It said the attacks coincided with its report into claims that the family of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao had amassed a multi-billion dollar fortune.  The hackers used methods which have been "associated with the Chinese military" to target the emails of the report's writer, the paper said.  China's foreign ministry dismissed the accusations as "groundless". The New York Times said the hacking initially focussed on the computers of David Barboza, the paper's bureau chief in Shanghai who wrote the report, and one of his predecessors, Jim Yardley.  Internet security firm Mandiant, which was hired by the Times to trace the attack, followed the hackers' movements for four months, to try to establish a pattern and block them.  The hackers installed malware which enabled them to access any computer using the New York Times network, steal the password of every employee, and access 53 personal computers, mostly outside the Times offices.

Israeli airstrike in Syria targets arms convoy

01/31/13:  The New York Times reports Israeli warplanes carried out a strike deep inside Syrian territory on Wednesday, American officials reported, saying they believed the target was a convoy carrying sophisticated antiaircraft weaponry on the outskirts of Damascus that was intended for the Hezbollah Shiite militia in Lebanon.  The American officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Israel had notified the US about the attack. In a statement, the Syrian military denied that a convoy had been struck. It said the attack had hit a scientific research facility in the Damascus suburbs that was used to improve Syria’s defenses, and called the attack “a flagrant breach of Syrian sovereignty and airspace.”

US Navy to scrap vessel stuck on Philippine reef

01/31/13:  The New York Times reports The United States Navy has decided to scrap the $277 million minesweeper stuck on an environmentally sensitive Philippine reef, a spokesman said on Thursday, while Philippine officials examined potential legal violations and fines to be levied against the United States.  The complete loss of a Navy ship due to an accident during peace time “is a rarity,” Commander Stockman said.  The ship, the 224-foot USS Guardian, struck the Tubbataha Reef, a Unesco World Heritage site in the southern Philippines, on Jan. 17. According to Unesco, the reefs are home to more than 350 species of coral and almost 500 types of fish, including a wide variety of creatures, like whales, dolphins, sharks and turtles. The Navy is investigating the cause of the incident, including the possibility that inaccurate digital navigation charts were a factor.

Iran 'plans to upgrade enrichment equipment'

01/31/13:  The BBC reports Iran has told the UN nuclear agency it plans to upgrade uranium enrichment centrifuges at its Natanz plant, reports citing diplomats say. The move would allow the country to refine uranium at a faster rate, increasing fears among western states about Iran's intentions. Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful in purpose. The US and its allies fear it seeks nuclear weapons. The plan was set out in a letter to the IAEA dated 23 January, reports said. The letter is said to mention a model of centrifuge, called IR2m, which can enrich two or three times faster than the present equipment being used by Tehran, according to the Associated Press.

Iraqi immigrants sentenced for plotting to help al-Qaeda

01/30/13: CNN reports two Iraqi men living in Kentucky received long prison sentences this week after being convicted of a series of charges involving a plot to help al-Qaeda.  Mohanad Shareef Hammadi and Waad Ramadan Alwan were arrested last August in Bowling Green, Kentucky in a terror-related sting operation.  After arriving in the United States, the men were monitored by federal authorities and told an FBI undercover agent they wanted to provide weapons and explosives to al-Qaeda in Iraq.  Hammadi pleaded guilty in August to twelve counts, including four counts of aiding al-Qaeda in Iraq.  Alwan pleaded guilty to twenty-three counts in December, including plotting to kill Americans overseas.  Alwan, 31, was sentenced to forty years in federal prison. Hammadi, 25, got a life sentence.

UN: no explosion at Iran nuclear facility

01/30/13: The Miami Herald reports the UN nuclear agency is dismissing reports of a major explosion at Iran’s fortified underground nuclear facility.  International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) spokeswoman Gill Tudor said Tuesday that Iran’s denial of “an incident” at the Fordo uranium enrichment plant is “consistent with our observations.”  Some news organizations had cited Israeli intelligence reports of a blast at Fordo, but a source said the IAEA’s information came directly from its own inspectors at Fordo.  Iran is enriching uranium there to a level that is just a technical step away from nuclear warhead material.  Tehran says it is enriching only for reactor fuel and for scientific purposes and denies accusations it wants nuclear arms.

Guantanamo defense lawyers request 48-hour visits

01/30/13: The New York Times reports defense lawyers for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others accused of involvement in the September 11 attacks asked a military judge in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, on Tuesday to let them stay in prison with their clients for 48-hour periods every six months.  Military said the defense should be allowed only a single two-hour visit.  The requested visit was one of several issues raised at a pretrial hearing that focused on information that could become a central focus if the defendants are eventually convicted and face the possibility of a death sentence.  Defense lawyers urged the judge overseeing the case, Army Colonel James Pohl, to allow them to document their clients’ lives and behavior in custody.  Such information could help them develop mitigating arguments against execution.

Russia scraps law enforcement deal with US

01/30/13: Reuters reports Russia abandoned a law enforcement agreement with the United States on Wednesday, further turning back the clock on a “reset” in relations since President Vladimir Putin’s return to the Kremlin last year.  An order to end the deal, signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, was posted on the government’s website. It said the agreement, under which Washington provides financial assistance for law enforcement and drugs control programs, “does not address current realities and has exhausted its potential.”  Lawmaker Alexei Pushkov, a Putin ally who heads the parliamentary committee on international affairs, welcomed the move.  “Russia is reformatting its relationship with the USA: this is already the third agreement cancelled in the last half-year.  We are saying farewell to our dependence on ‘Power No. 1’,” he said on Twitter.

Israel condemns Argentina-Iran probe of 1994 Jewish cultural center bombing

01/30/13: BBC News reports Israel has strongly criticized Argentina for its decision to work with Iran to investigate athe 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires.  The “truth commission” will be made up of five independent judges, none of whom will be from the two countries.  But an Israeli spokesman said the move was tantamount to “inviting a murderer to investigate his own killing.”  Argentine Ambassador was Atilio Norberto Molteni was also summoned by Israel’s Foreign Ministry.  Argentine courts have blamed Iran for the bombing of the center run by the Israeli-Argentine Mutual Association (AMIA), which killed eighty-five people.  Tehran has always denied any involvement, but Argentine prosecutors say the attack was planned and financed by Iran, and carried out by the Lebanese Shi’a Islamist group Hezbollah.

Niger agrees to station US surveillance drones

01/30/13: Al Jazeera reports Niger has given permission for US surveillance drones to be stationed on its territory to improve intelligence on al-Qaeda-linked fighters in northern Mali and the wider Sahara.  Bisa Williams, US ambassador to Niger, made the request at a meeting on Monday with Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou, who immediately accepted it, a senior government source said Wednesday.  The drones could be stationed in Niger’s northern desert region of Agadez, which borders Mali, Algeria and Libya, the source said.  Niger will be the sixth African nation to have a US drone base, joining Morocco, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Uganda, and Djibouti.  A spokesperson for the US African Command (AFRICOM) declined to comment.

Kerry easily confirmed as Secretary of State

01/30/13: The LA Times reports the Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to confirm Senator John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) as Secretary of State, filling a crucial national security spot in President Obama’s second-term Cabinet.  Kerry, the Democratic nominee for President in 2004, will replace Hillary Clinton, who will step down Friday.  After the 94-3 vote, Kerry submitted a letter of resignation, effective Friday, to give up the Senate seat he has held since 1985.  He will take the oath of office in a private ceremony.  President Obama praised Kerry as “a champion of American global leadership” in a statement.  “John has earned the respect of leaders around the world and the confidence of Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, and I am confident he will make an extraordinary secretary of State,” Obama said.

Israeli jets increase flights over Lebanon

01/30/13: The Miami Herald reports Lebanon’s military said Wednesday that Israeli warplanes have sharply increased their activity over Lebanon in the past week, including at least twelve sorties in less than twenty-four hours in the country’s south.  The flights come amid Israeli concerns about the civil war in neighboring Syria and fears that advanced weapons could reach hostile groups in Syria or the militant anti-Israel Hezbollah group in Lebanon.  Among Israel’s chief concerns is that Hezbollah could get its hands on Syrian chemical arms and anti-aircraft missiles.  If that happened, it would change the balance of power in the region and hinder Israel’s ability to conduct air sorties in Lebanon.  A Lebanese army statement said the last of the sorties took place at 2 AM local time Wednesday.  There was no immediate comment from Israel.

China’s incoming leader pledges not to bargain on disputed territory

01/29/13:  The New York Times reports China will never bargain over what it deems to be “core” territorial and security interests, the country’s top leader, Xi Jinping, said in his first published speech setting out his foreign policy since his elevation, which has been accompanied by volatile tensions with Japan and other Asian neighbors over rival maritime claims.  Mr. Xi laid out some of the principles likely to shape Chinese diplomacy under him in a speech to the Communist Party’s elite Politburo that balanced vows of commitment to peace with a warning that certain demands are sacrosanct to Beijing.

Yemen, US intercept ship with 'large cache of illegal arms'

01/29/13:  CNN reports Yemeni authorities working with the US Navy intercepted a ship carrying a "substantial" cache of "illegal arms" such as surface-to-air missiles, potent explosives and rocket-propelled grenades, a U.S. official and Yemen's government said Monday.  The incident took place in Yemeni territorial waters in the Arabian Sea last Wednesday, according to a statement issued five days later from Yemen's embassy in Washington.  The crew of the USS Farragut, a Naval destroyer, was working with Yemeni authorities when they spotted the vessel, said an official in the Obama administration. The ship had several flags onboard, but no reliable documentation showing where it came from, the official added Monday.

Ex-dictator ordered to trial in Guatemalan war crimes case

01/29/13:  The New York Times reports a Guatemalan judge on Monday ordered Efraín Rios Montt, the former dictator, and his intelligence chief to stand trial on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in connection with the massacres of villagers in remote highlands three decades ago.  The ruling clears the way for a public trial for MR. Rios Montt, a former general who ruled Guatemala for 17 months in 1982 and 1983 during the bloodiest period of the country’s long-running civil war. It is a stunning decision for Guatemala, where the military still wields significant power behind the scenes and the country’s elected governments have struggled to build democratic institutions.

Details of the Senate immigration proposal

01/29/13:  The Miami Herald reports here are some details of the bipartisan Senate framework on immigration reform announced Monday. President Barack Obama is expected to endorse a similar set of proposals Tuesday during an appearance in Las Vegas.  Create a path to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country: Increase border security efforts including adding unmanned drones, surveillance equipment and more border agents; Require completion of an entry-exit system to track whether people in the U.S. on temporary visas have left as required; While security measures are under way illegal immigrants can register with the government, pass background checks and pay fines and back taxes in order to earn "probationary legal status." Once security measures are in place, immigrants on "probationary legal status" could apply for permanent legal status behind other immigrants already in the system. People brought to the U.S. as children, and farmworkers, would have a quicker path to citizenship.

Google expands North Korea map coverage

01/29/13:  The BBC reports Google has puts its first detailed maps online of North Korea, a country that has so far been mostly blank on the search giant's popular Maps website.  The data was compiled on Google's Map Maker tool, which allows users to contribute information mainly using satellite images or local knowledge.  Many landmarks are now labelled, as are the notorious prison labour camps and nuclear research sites.  In the capital, Pyongyang, schools, theatres, government buildings and underground stops are now marked in Google Maps, as are statues, some embassies, an ice rink and the infamous 105-storey Ryugyong hotel, which has been under construction for more than 25 years.  The Yongbyong nuclear site is labelled, to the north, and a road called Nuclear Test Road, leading to a site north of Punggye-ri which is believed to be where Pyongyang is preparing to test a nuclear device.

Israel prepares for attacks as Syria falls apart

01/29/13:  The New York Times reports at least one Iron Dome missile defense battery was deployed Sunday in northern Israel amid reports of intense security consultations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Syria and the possibility of chemical weapons falling into the hands of Islamist rebels or being transferred to the militant group Hezbollah.  A spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces said that the deployment of the Iron Dome in the north — where Israel borders Syria and Lebanon — was part of a routine rotation around the country and “not related to any current situation assessments.” But Israeli journalists suspected otherwise, noting that Mr. Netanyahu had been in marathon meetings for several days with military and intelligence chiefs and senior ministers, with unusual strictures on secrecy.

US plans base for surveillance drones in northwest Africa

01/29/13:  The New York Times reports the US military is preparing to establish a drone base in northwest Africa so that it can increase surveillance missions on the local affiliate of Al Qaeda and other Islamist extremist groups that American and other Western officials say pose a growing menace to the region. For now, officials say they envision flying only unarmed surveillance drones from the base, though they have not ruled out conducting missile strikes at some point if the threat worsens.  The move is an indication of the priority Africa has become in American antiterrorism efforts. The United States military has a limited presence in Africa, with only one permanent base, in the country of Djibouti, more than 3,000 miles from Mali, where French and Malian troops are now battling Qaeda-backed fighters who control the northern part of Mali. A new drone base in northwest Africa would join a constellation of small airstrips in recent years on the continent, including in Ethiopia, for surveillance missions flown by drones or turboprop planes designed to look like civilian aircraft.

Help wanted at Pentagon to fend off hackers — 4,000 cybersecurity experts eyed

01/29/13:  The Washington Times reports the US Department of Defense gave the go-ahead to a massive expansion of its cybersecurity force to fight off computer hacks and security compromises, according to media.  The expansion comes on the heels of an Anonymous attack on the US Sentencing Commission's website.  The DoD's Cyber Command is expected to grow its staff from 900 to 4,900 over the next few years, according to media reports.  In public remarks at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York in October 2012, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned of the potential for a “cyber-Pearl Harbor” and advised the United Stations to boost cybersecurity programs.  “An aggressor nation or extremist group could use these kinds of cyber tools to gain control of critical switches,” Mr. Panetta said then, according to media reports.

Iran reports lofting monkey into space, calling it prelude to human flight

01/29/13:  The New York Times reports Iranian state television said Monday that the nation had put a monkey into space “as a prelude to sending humans.” The successful flight involved a relatively small rocket that went straight up and down, according to the state-sponsored news report, and the monkey survived the flight.  Western experts said the brief experiment appeared to have few if any immediate military implications, as it might have if Iran had launched a much larger vehicle that could fly high and fast enough to put a major payload into orbit.  “It doesn’t demonstrate any militarily significant technology,” said Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astronomer who tracks rocket launchings and space activity. “This is a tiny old rocket, and what’s on top is useful only for doing astronaut stuff.”

Syria crisis: 'Bodies of executed men' found in Aleppo

01/29/13:  The BBC reports the bodies of dozens of young men, all apparently summarily executed, have been found in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, rebels and activists say.  At least 65 bodies were found on the banks of the Quwaiq river in the western district of Bustan al-Qasr, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported.  Most had their hands tied behind their backs and gunshot wounds to the head.  Video footage of the gruesome discovery was posted by activists on YouTube.  It showed a large number of bodies strewn in and around the banks of the Quwaiq, which skirts the western side of Aleppo.

French-led troops in Mali seize Timbuktu airport

01/28/13: Al Jazeera reports ground forces in Mali backed by French paratroopers and helicopters have taken control of the airport and roads leading into the desert town of Timbuktu.  French Colonel Thierry Burkhard said Monday that the airport was taken without firing a shot.  “There was an operation on Timbuktu last night that allowed us to control access to the town,” he said.  “It’s up to Malian forces to retake the town.”  About 200 paratroopers landed north of Timbuktu and took control of the routes there.  The advance comes after French and Malian soldiers on Saturday seized the town of Gao, east of Timbuktu, the biggest victory so far in their 17-day operation against the rebels, who have controlled the north for ten months.

Yemen attacks al-Qaeda stronghold after hostage talks fail

01/28/13: Reuters reports Yemeni troops backed by tanks attacked an al-Qaeda stronghold on Monday after talks to free three Western hostages collapsed, leading to a retaliatory militant raid that killed three soldiers.  Tackling lawlessness in the impoverished Gulf state, which flanks the world’s biggest oil exporter Saudi Arabia, is an international priority.  The United States views Yemen as a frontline in its struggle against al-Qaeda.  A Finnish couple and an Austrian man, who were studying Arabic in Yemen, were kidnapped last month by tribesmen in the capital Sanaa.  They were later sold to members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and transferred to the southern al-Bayda province, a Yemeni official said earlier this month.  A separate government official said the army began its Monday offensive after AQAP rejected demands to release the hostages.

Al-Qaeda-linked group claims responsibility for deadly Syria bombing

01/28/13: The Miami Herald reports an al-Qaeda-linked group fighting alongside Syrian rebels has claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing a week ago that reportedly killed dozens of President Bashar al-Assad’s loyalists.  Jabhat al-Nusra said in a statement Monday that one of its suicide bombers detonated a car bomb at the headquarters of a pro-government militia in the central province of Hama.  Activists said at least forty-two people, mostly pro-Assad militiamen, died in the blast last Monday.  Al-Nusra is fighting alongside other rebels to topple Assad; the group has previously targeted government institutions with suicide bombers.  The US says it’s linked to al-Qaeda, and has declared the group a terrorist organization.

Egypt's Morsi calls crisis talks as violence spreads and emergency declared

01/28/13: BBC News reports Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has urged leading opposition figures to attend a “national dialogue” meeting following four days of deadly violence.  Dozens of people have died since a court sentenced twenty-one people to death over riots, and anger over Morsi’s rule has fuelled unrest elsewhere.  Morsi declared a state of emergency in Port Said, Suez, and Ismalia.  The opposition has yet to announce whether it will attend the talks; it says the president must address its demands over the recently adopted constitution.  Violence continued on Monday morning, with one man killed by gunfire near Cairo’s Tahrir Square.  Morsi has invited representatives from eleven political factions – including Islamists, liberals, and leftists – to come to the presidential palace for talks, but so far it is unclear who will accept his invitation.

Senators reach agreement on immigration overhaul

01/28/13: NPR reports a bipartisan group of leading senators has reached agreement on the principles of sweeping legislation to retool the nation’s immigration laws.  The deal covers border security, guest workers and employer verification, as well as a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in this country.  Although thorny details remain to be negotiated and success is far from certain, the development heralds the start of what could be the most significant effort in years toward overhauling the nation's inefficient patchwork of immigration laws.  The eight senators expected to endorse the new principles Monday are Democrats Charles Schumer (N.Y.), Dick Durbin (Ill.), Robert Menendez (N.J.) and Michael Bennet (Colo.); and Republicans John McCain (Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Jeff Flake (Ariz.)  Several of these lawmakers have worked for years on the issue.  McCain collaborated with the late Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) on comprehensive immigration legislation pushed by then-President George W. Bush in 2007, only to see it collapse in the Senate when it couldn’t get enough GOP support.  Comprehensive immigration reform has not been seriously attempted since.

Iran denies explosion at underground uranium facility

01/28/13: Reuters reports Iran has denied reports of a major explosion at one of its most sensitive uranium enrichment sites, describing them as Western propaganda designed to influence upcoming nuclear negotiations.  There have been reports since Friday of an explosion early last week at the underground Fordow bunker, near the city of Qom, that some Israeli and Western media have said caused significant damage.  Saeed Shamseddin Bar Broudy, the deputy chief of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, called the reports “western propaganda ahead of nuclear negotiations to influence their process and outcome” on Sunday.  In late 2011 the plant at Fordow began producing uranium enriched to 20 percent fissile purity, over five times the level needed for nuclear energy plants.  We'll update you if there's any more information about this story.

Pentagon to expand cybersecurity force

01/28/13: The New York Times reports the Pentagon is moving toward a major expansion of its cybersecurity force to counter increasing attacks on the nation’s computer networks, as well as to expand offensive computer operations on foreign adversaries.  The expansion announced by defense officials Sunday would increase DOD’s Cyber Command by more than 4,000 people, up from the current 900.  As part of the expansion, officials said the Pentagon was planning three different forces under Cyber Command: “national mission forces” to protect computer systems that support the nation’s power grid and critical infrastructure; “combat mission forces” to plan and execute attacks on adversaries; and “cyber protection forces” to secure the Pentagon’s computer systems.  In October outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned in dire terms that the United States was increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks.

US urges North Korea to scrap possible nuclear test

01/28/13: The Miami Herald reports a US envoy says North Korea is playing a dangerous game with the international community by threatening a nuclear test.  Glyn Davies, US Special Representative for North Korea Policy, urged Pyongyang on Monday to return to its international obligations and abandon its nuclear programs.  Davies met with Japanese Foreign Ministry officials in Tokyo to discuss the anticipated nuclear test, after visiting Seoul for similar talks over the weekend.  North Korea said Sunday that leader Kim Jong Un had ordered top security and foreign affairs officials to take “substantial and high-profile important state measures.”  The move fueled speculation that North Korea is going ahead with a threat to explode a nuclear device in defiance of the United Nations.

NATO: Patriot missile batteries in Turkey operational on Syrian border

01/28/13: CNN reports the first of six Patriot missile batteries intended to protect Turkey from Syrian threats is operational along the countries’ shared border.  NATO says the other five batteries, which NATO will be for defensive purposes only, are expected to be in place in coming days.  NATO foreign ministers decided in December to deploy the batteries after Syria launched Scud missiles near the Turkish border.  In October, errant Syrian artillery shells hit the Turkish border town of Akcakale.  The operational missile battery is in the city of Adana.  Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said this month that the missile batteries will stay only as long as there is a threat.

Analysis: Who decides the laws of war?

01/27/13: The New York Times today features this piece by Charlie Savage discussing Brigadier General Mark S. Martins, the chief prosecutor of the military commissions system who is leading the case against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Guantánamo Bay detainees accused of aiding the September 11 attacks.  General Martins is currently involved in a dispute with the Justice Department as to whether to defend a past conviction by those tribunals on a charge of conspiracy after that charge was invalidated by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in a separate case.  The dispute involves the thorny question, which has vexed national security law going back to the decision in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld in 2006, as to whether conspiracy to commit a war crime is a standalone offense under the laws of war.  On the other hand, Benjamin Wittes at Lawfare argues the dispute between General Martins and DOJ has less to do with substantive questions about the laws of war and as more about tactical legal positions.  Both pieces are worth a read.

UAE charges 94 in Islamist coup plot

01/27/13: The Miami Herald reports the United Arab Emirates says ninety-four people face charges for allegedly trying to overthrow the state as part of widening crackdowns on Islamist groups with suspected links to the Muslim Brotherhood.  Sunday’s statement by official news agency WAM did not name the UAE suspects, but authorities have been arresting perceived dissidents for months.  The crackdowns have brought complaints from rights groups and raised tensions with Egypt, which is led by Muslim Brotherhood member President Mohammed Morsi.  UAE Attorney General Salem Saeed Kubaish siad the suspects built a secret network to plot the coup and raised money through real estate and other deals.  He also claimed the suspects had links to the Muslim Brotherhood and others for expertise and financial support.

US agrees to refuel French warplanes on Mali mission

01/27/13: The blog Space War reports the United States has agreed to refuel French fighter jets waging war against Islamist militants in Mali, after weighing the decision for more than two weeks.  Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, in a phone conversation Saturday that the Pentagon was ready to offer its vast fleet of aerial refueling tankers to back up French forces in Mali.  “Secretary Panetta informed Minister Le Drian that US Africa Command will support the French military by conducting aerial refueling missions as operations in Mali continue,” Pentagon spokesman George Little said.  The Obama Administration has endorsed France’s intervention and had previously agreed to share intelligence and to provide transport aircraft, but had hesitated on committing to refueling.

Obama Administration requests $32 million in aid for Mali fighters

01/27/13: The Washington Times reports the Obama Administration wants $32 million to help African troops in Mali in their fight against Islamic radicals.  A State Department spokeswoman confirmed Friday that a request has been made to Congress.  The US considers terrorist organizations al-Shabaab, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and Boko Haram to be the primary threats in the region.  As yet the United States is not providing any direct aid to the Malian government, whose democratically elected president was overthrown in a coup in 2012.  Currently, French air power has been primarily used to strike Islamists inside Mali’s northern desert, and ultimately Paris plans to deploy roughly 2,500 troops to aid the effort.  US support has been relegated to a secondary role.

India reportedly tests nuclear-capable missile from underwater platform

01/27/13: The Miami Herald reports India has reportedly conducted a successful test of a medium-range, nuclear-capable ballistic missile fired from an underwater platform in the Bay of Bengal.  An Indian news agency says the missile would soon be ready for deployment on platforms, including a nuclear submarine.  India’s Defense Ministry was unavailable for comment.  A defense expert said Sunday’s test off the east coast was fourteenth in the series with a range of 435 miles.  It would complete India’s nuclear triad: the capability to launch missiles from land, air, and below the sea.  India and its nuclear-armed rival Pakistan routinely test different versions of their missiles.  The countries have fought three wars since they gained independence from Britain in 1947.

Anonymous claims attack on US Sentencing Commission site

01/27/13: The blog Space War reports hacker group Anonymous said it disabled the US Sentencing Commission’s website Saturday and vowed to release government data in revenge for the death of Internet freedom advocate Aaron Swartz.  The Commission’s website was apparently hacked early Saturday.  Anonymous threatened to make public the encryption keys to files that could potentially embarrass judges and other federal employees, saying it acted in protest at how the Justice Department handled Swartz’s case.  Swartz was facing thirty-five years in prison and a $1 million fine for breaking into a closet at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to plug into the computer network.  He downloaded millions of scholarly articles he allegedly planned to distribute for free.

Israeli Defense Minister hints Pentagon plans for Iran strike may make unilateral action unnecessary

01/27/13: The New York Times reports outgoing Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in an interview published Friday that the Pentagon had prepared sophisticated blueprints for a surgical operation to set back Iran’s nuclear program should the United States decide to attack, possibly indicating that Israel might have shelved any plans for a unilateral strike, at least for now.  Last year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was pushing hard for the Obama Administration to set clear “red lines” on Iran’s nuclear progress that would prompt the United States to undertake a military strike, infuriating the administration.  The Pentagon declined to comment, but a senior defense official said, “The US military constantly plans for a range of contingencies we might face around the world, and our planning is often quite detailed.”

Weekly Tech Updates 01/26/13

01/26/13: Here are the rest of this week's technology updates related to national security. Some were posted yesterday as well. 

• Innovative sensor technology for efficient and portable gas detection devices
• Image sensors out of a spray can: organic sensors increase light sensitivity of cameras
• Simple ScanEagle drones a boost for US military
• Mini satellites give soldiers on-demand views of the battlefield
• Firefighters swallow data delivery pills to measure vitals
• Novel antimicrobial hydrogel prevents antibiotic-resistant microbes from forming on wounds, medical devices and implants
• Researchers develop grammar-aware password cracker
• Innovations in soil science will grow solutions to global food security
• Scientists discover genetic key to efficient crops
• Materials scientists create highly water repellent ceramics
• Researchers keep electronics cool with nanotechnology
• World class circuits by chip architects
• Nanosilicon rapidly splits water without light, heat, or electricity
• Controlled crumpling of graphene forms artificial muscles
• DNA gun tags criminals with UV light-detectable evidence

Lawsuit permitted over immigration policy

01/26/13: The New York Times reports a federal judge in Dallas has ruled that a group of federal immigration agents can proceed with a lawsuit that seeks to halt an Obama administration program granting reprieves from deportation to young illegal immigrants. In a suit filed in August, several Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents argued that the administration had exceeded its constitutional authority in granting the reprieves, and said they were being forced to violate the law by obeying instructions to refrain from deporting the young immigrants. Judge Reed O’Connor rejected a Justice Department request to dismiss the case.

Man with Fourth Amendment on chest gets trial over detention

01/26/13: Wired's Threat Level reports a Virginia man who wrote an abbreviated version of the Fourth Amendment on his body and stripped to his shorts at an airport security screening area won a trial Friday in his lawsuit seeking $250,000 in damages for being detained on a disorderly conduct charge. Aaron Tobey claimed in a civil rights lawsuit (.pdf) that in 2010 he was handcuffed and held for about 90 minutes by the Transportation Security Administration at the Richmond International Airport after he began removing his clothing to display on his chest a magic-marker protest of airport security measures.

UN plans 'to fight rebels in DRC'

01/26/13: The BBC reports the UN wants to set up an intervention force to fight rebels fuelling conflict in DR Congo, says a UN official. Meanwhile, eight African presidents are set to sign a UN-brokered accord aimed at bringing stability to the region. As many as 800,000 people have been displaced since the M23 rebel group took up arms against the Kinshasa government last May. The M23 rebels say they want to improve living conditions for the people of eastern DR Congo, but the UN says they are supported by Rwanda, which has been heavily involved in its eastern neighbour since those responsible for the country's genocide fled there en masse in 1994.

Weekly Tech Updates - 01/25/13

01/25/13: Due to the number of items on this week's tech updates, we are posting some of the updates today.  Join us tomorrow for the rest of the updates with our normal posting tomorrow.

 

• DARPA putting laser turrets on fighter jets next year
• Pentagon's wall-of-light laser shield
• DARPA: Using connections to stay ahead of the cyber threat
• 11 body parts defense researchers will use to track you
• Live pathogens: Rapid detection technique developed
• IBM's warmth-activated gel can break up tough bacterial biofilms and kill superbugs
• DARPA's robots practice scavenging space junk from satellites
• Self-healing, stretchable wires using liquid metal
• One kilogram of new polymer can turn swimming pool to jelly
• Peugeot unveils petrol hybrid using compressed air: 81 mpg
• Exotic new chemical compound could be useful in batteries, semiconductors, electronic memory devices
• Multi-tasking micro-lights could spark a communications revolution

 

President Obama announces key White House posts

01/25/13:  The White House released a statement announcing the following individuals will serve in key White House posts:

• Denis McDonough – White House Chief of Staff
• Rob Nabors – Assistant to the President and Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Policy
• Antony Blinken – Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor
• Danielle Gray – Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary               
• Katy Kale – Assistant to the President for Management and Administration
• Lisa Monaco – Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism and Deputy National Security Advisor
• Jennifer Palmieri – Assistant to the President and Communications Director
• Dan Pfeiffer – Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor
• Miguel Rodriguez –Assistant to the President and Director of Legislative Affairs
• David Simas – Assistant to the President and Deputy Senior Advisor for Communications and Strategy