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Two American targets have been attacked in Athens in the run-up to a visit to Greece by US President Bill Clinton. A bomb exploded outside the office of the American jeans company, Levi Strauss, in the northern Halandri area of the capital. Advisory
The Washington Post is currently running an oped by Donald A. Henderson regarding recent media coverage of the bioterrorism threat. Washington Post OPED
There has been a lot of discussion in the Washington Post regarding the legalities of information warfare. We also recommend the following document entitled “An Assessment of International Legal Issues in Information Operations”.
Federal agents found materials to make a deadly agent of biological warfare after they arrested a Tampa man for allegedly threatening Colorado judges. CNN Article
Politicians and relatives of victims of the Oklahoma City bombing pleaded Thursday for donations they said are needed to finish a memorial being built at the site of the blast. At the beginning of a 168-day campaign to honor everyone killed in the April 19, 1995, bombing, organizers said they need $8.6 million to finish…
Law enforcement officials are bracing for cyberattacks from any number of groups hoping to sow electronic chaos under the guise of the year 2000 computer glitch. APBnews
Russian authorities have withheld full cooperation in a multinational probe of computer heists from sensitive Defense Department and other U.S. networks, a top National Security Agency official said. Reuters Story
Reliance on the Internet has made the nation vulnerable to attacks by terrorists who strike through computers rather than with bombs or bullets, a White House security adviser said Thursday. “We could wake one morning and find a city, or a sector of the country, or the whole country have an electric power problem, a…
In just 56 days, the year 2000 will be celebrated jubilantly around the world as no New Year ever has. But the coming turn of the calendar also is being watched closely for signs of violent behavior, including domestic terrorism. Full Article
This is a short piece by the Associated Press on Michael A. Sheehan, the Ambassador at Large and Coordinator for Counterterrorism. You can also read his State Department biography. Sheehan is not new in this position, rather has had the job since December 1998.
The following resource was forwarded to us by by the Littleton Fire Department. In light of recent school and workplace violence, it may be worth examining the contents of this document. Full Report
A group protesting at an impending visit to Greece by U.S. President Bill Clinton set off a homemade bomb at a car dealership in Athens on Thursday, destroying seven cars but causing no injuries. Full Story
The number of cyberattacks reported this year against the Defense Department's information networks has more than tripled compared with last year, according to the director of the Defense Information Systems Agency. Full Story
The Japanese government approved a bill Tuesday that is intended to restrict the expanding activities of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult, which was behind the fatal nerve gas attack in the Tokyo subway system in 1995 and other terrorist acts. New York Times Article
Iran’s supreme leader Wednesday marked the 20th anniversary of the takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran by denouncing those who sought reconciliation with the “Great Satan.” Meanwhile, across the city, a large student rally at Tehran University took on the guise of a counter-demonstration as about 1,000 people protested against violence and called for…
New information on a 1996 car bombing that killed 19 Americans in Saudi Arabia points to the involvement of the Iranian government. The news presents Washington with a dilemma — to seek amends, or play down the news to avoid bolstering hard-liners in Iran. Full Article
Since November 1975, when the group assassinated the top CIA official in Greece, Richard Welch, the United States has pressed Greek police to bring the members of the group to justice, but officials here say their first arrest is still a long way off. Washington Post Story
Osama bin Laden will likely remain in Afghanistan after the United States rejected an offer by the suspected terrorist to leave for a secret destination, a spokesman for the ruling Taliban militia says. CNN Story
In a surprise move, the FBI has released the Project Megiddo report. This report is their analysis of the potential for Y2K related domestic terrorism. After a leaked copy of the report was covered in the press, the FBI decided to make its full contents accessible to the general public. We have archived the report…
Not only is there no evidence so far of foul play in Sunday's crash of EgyptAir Flight 990, but the crash also does not appear to fit the pattern of midair aircraft bombings, terrorism experts said. Full Story
While the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 is still under investigation, there inevitably are some that speculate that terrorism might have been the cause. MSNBC provides some reasons why it may have been an act of terrorism, yet we will not know until more is discovered concerning the crash.
Online magazine Salon is running an article on the threat of chem/bio terrorism. An interesting read and sampling of viewpoints.Salon Article
$1.2 Billion has been budgeted for counter terrorism, particularly in response to the threat of chemical and biological terrorism. Yet with such a large amount of federal funds allotted to this topic, there is little, in no, oversight on whether the funds are being utilized wisely. Gannett
Travel advisories have been issued for Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, and Algeria. Many of these advisories are Y2K related.
There are several articles of interest appearing in the press this weekend. This article in the Washington Post describes an FBI report which indicates the FBI has evidence that religious extremists, racists, cults and other groups are planning millennial violence. This article discusses how the West Nile virus outbreak in New York, serves as a…
Saudi-born terrorism suspect Osama bin Laden has offered to leave Afghanistan and go to another unknown country, a Pakistan-based Afghan news service said Friday. Reuters Story
Osama bin Laden continues to receive help from businessmen in Saudi Arabia who are transferring tens of millions of dollars to bank accounts linked to the accused terrorist, U.S. intelligence officials told USA Today. Washington Post Article and USA Today Article
The Terrorism Research Center receives numerous requests every day for information on terrorism in the United States. As a service to our readers we have archived the FBI “Terrorism in the United States” reports from 1996 and 1997. We highly recommend them as introductory reading material. 1996 Report and 1997 Report
The United States lacks the technology to adequately defend its food supply if attacked by biological warfare, government officials told a Senate Armed Services subcommittee yesterday. Reuters Story
Afghanistan's Taliban movement Thursday denied reports it was poised to hand over Saudi-born terrorism suspect Osama bin Laden because of U.S. pressure and the threat of imminent U.N. sanctions. Reuters Story
The General Accounting Office has released a new report entitled “Combating Terrorism: Need for Comprehensive Threat and Risk Assessments of Chemical and Biological Attacks.” The document has been archived by the TRC in PDF format and can be found here.
Gunmen who killed Armenia's Prime Minister Vazgen Sarksyan and other leading members of parliament in a hail of bullets were holed up in the building Thursday, negotiating with officials over dozens of hostages.Reuters Story
The New York Times is running an article detailing the decision making process and factors involved in the decision to bomb a chemical plant in Sudan last year. The plant was believed to have ties with wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden. NY Times Article
Fearing a possible outburst of millennium-related violence, Israeli authorities rounded up members of two Christian groups living on the slopes of the Mount of Olives on Monday and ordered 20 of them deported. Read Article
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban movement offered Saturday to hold talks with the United States to settle their row over Saudi-born bombing suspect Osama bin Laden whom it refuses to hand over to Washington.Reuters Article
A report in the Washington Post notes that Washington, D.C. has become the top terrorist target in the world according the FBI. Post Article On another note, according to AP, the FBI has created a 50-member National Capital Domestic Response Unit would work with about a dozen other federal, state and local public safety agencies…
With the support of the U.S. Department of State's Research and Training Program for Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII Program), the National Research Council (NRC) will support scholars to travel to Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union for periods of two to six weeks to…
German police were still trying to identify a hijacker on Wednesday who seized an EgyptAir plane from Istanbul at knifepoint but gave himself up after landing at Hamburg. CNN/Reuters Earlier report from the beginning of the hijacking. CNN
Stressing that there can be no justification for terrorism, the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Tuesday calling on all countries to stop providing safe havens for terrorists and to cooperate in bringing them to justice. With global terrorist activities increasing, the council declared that terrorism can threaten international peace and security and urged…
Sen. Charles Schumer is calling for a review of the federal response to the recent outbreak of West Nile-like virus and says the U.S. government should appoint a terrorism czar. AP
When a killer virus carried by mosquitoes hit New York last month, the CIA and FBI did not rule out an act of bioterrorism. President Clinton has already said that he expects an attack against a U.S. city within the next five years, and is spending $2.8 billion to prepare for the consequences. How real…
The UN Security Council is focusing on the increase in global terrorism with a fresh call for international co-operation to prevent terrorist acts and to bring perpetrators to justice. Against a backdrop of recent bombings and killings — from Russia and Kosovo to East Timor and Burundi — the council is holding an open meeting…
Germany has arrested a suspect in the 1975 terrorist attack on OPEC headquarters in Vienna in which 70 people were taken hostage and three killed. AP news
This paper is a follow-up to the award winning “Information Terrorism: Can You Trust Your Toaster?”. It examines some of issues surrounding the U.S. capability to respond to attacks against its critical infrastructures and recommends that valuable lessons can be extracted from our thirty year history of combating terrorism. While this paper was written in…
U.S. Senator Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah), Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem, says that U.S. emergency managers deserve praise for Arigorous preparation in advance of the millennium date change, but development of a long-term strategy is necessary to address cyberterrorism and information warfare — two Y2K-related threats not addressed…
British bomb and forensic experts have been advising Russian law enforcers, who are investigating a wave of bomb attacks which killed nearly 300 people. Reuters
Gunmen in the breakaway Georgian province of Abkhazia Thursday released four of the seven U.N. officials held hostage since Wednesday after a round of negotiations. UPI
Four Muslim militants convicted of bombing the World Trade Center were resentenced in federal court Wednesday as one of them warned that the United States may splinter like the Soviet Union. The District Judge in the case had some interesting comments for the four men. Full Article
On Tuesday evening, ABC's Nightline held a discussion on Biowar/Bioterrorism. SecDef Cohen, Secretary Donna Shalala, and NSC advisor Richard Clarke were all interviewed. Unedited Transcript and the Real Video of the interview are available. (Please note – the Real Video component does not contain the full interview.)
CNN reports that the city of Charleston is considering labeling the KKK as a terrorist organization in order to prevent them from holding public marches. We invite you to share your comments on this subject in our forum area. CNN Article
The State Department has issued a travel advisory relating the events that took place yesterday in Pakistan. Unconfirmed analysis also indicates that counterterrorist professionals should be concerned with the new government's potential ties to bin Laden. Advisory
The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday let stand the sentence of life in prison and the conviction of Terry Nichols for conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. The Supreme Court rejected the appeal without comment or dissent. Reuters Story
More detail on the U.S. State Departments newly up-dated list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The organization headed by Osama bin Laden is added to the list. AP News, CNN
An article by US News and World Report concerning the billions of dollars flowing into the response to bioterrorism. The article suggests that the threat analysis justifying the funding may not be as credible as prior thought. US News
The NY Times has a story on the outbreak of West Nile virus in New York City. On an interesting note, Reuters reported over the weekend that the FBI was investigating the outbreak as a potential attempt at bioterrorism. NY Times Story
The testimony from the hearing before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Technology, Terrorism, and Government Information on “Critical Information Infrastructure Protection: the Threat is Real” is now available. Read the testimony
GovExec.com is reporting that there is a budget item for Critical Infrastructure Protection and computer security in a $611 million mid-year fiscal 2000 budget ammendment. The total designated for CIP and security enhancements is $39 million with $8.4 million earmarked for the federal intrusion detection initiative known at FIDNET. Full Story
The Agence France Presse is reporting that three bombs have exploded at two Corsican Official buildings. The bombs are believed to be the work of hardline separatists.Full Story
Reuters is reporting that authorities have taken a sixth defendant into custody for involvement in the bombings against U.S. embassies in Africa. Further details regarding the arrest should be made available by authorities later this afternoon. Full Story
The man convicted of failing to warn police about the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people lost his bid Friday to reduce his original 12-year sentence, CBS radio reported. Fortier has spent four years in jail, convicted of involuntary manslaughter for failing to warn authorities that his friend Timothy McVeigh was plotting to…