This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Emergency Manager’s Weekly Report
9-5-08
(The articles, reports and additional information contained in this edition were collected from 8-29
to 9-5)
"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the
simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."
Proverbs 22:3
The Weekly Report is also posted on the following websites:
Pearce Global Partners (http://pearceglobalpartners.com/NewsArticles.html)
California Emergency Services Association, Southern Chapter
(http://cesa.net/aoi.cfm?color=st)
IAEM Oceania (http://www.oceania-iaem.com/resources/aoi)
6P International
(http://www.6pinternational.com/news.php?category=Emergency%20Managers%20Wee
kly%20Report&)
EMPOWER (http://www.empower-
women.com/mc/page.do?sitePageId=49319&orgId=emp)
All-Hands.net (http://www.all-
hands.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2235&Itemid=114)
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 1
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Table of Contents
Contributions 3
U.S. News Reports 4
Hurricane Katrina Anniversary 4
Emergency Management 10
Homeland Security, Defense and National Security 12
Campus Safety and Security 18
Special Needs 19
Hazard Research and News 20
Public Safety Communications, Interoperability, 3-1-1 and 9-1-1 News 22
Other 23
Political Conventions Threats and Preparedness 28
International News Stories 29
Civil Preparedness, Security and Humanitarian Affairs 29
Hazard Research and News 32
Indian Floods 35
Russian-Georgian War 36
International Affairs 41
Global Warming/Climate Change News Articles (U.S. and International) 48
Alternate Energy Research and Development News 52
Reports 53
Additional Information 54
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 2
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Contributions
The following individuals or groups contribute to the Emergency Management and Homeland
Security Articles of Interest.
Editor
Steve Detwiler
Regular Contributors
International Association of National Congress for Secure
Emergency Managers Communities
National Emergency Management Fire Chief‘s Command Post
Association American City and County
Florida Emergency Preparedness Corporate Crisis Response Officers
Association Association
Emergency Management Institute, APCO International
Higher Education Program The Institute of the North
Montgomery County, PA Nena Wiley
Department of Public Safety Dave Freeman
Natural Hazards Center Gregory Banner
U.S. Department of Homeland Arthur Rabjohn
Security Martha Braddock
Interagency Coordinating Council on Bill Firestone
Emergency Preparedness and Ed Kostiuk
Individuals with Disabilities Eric Holdeman
National Organization on Kenny Shaw
Disabilities, Emergency Robin Storm
Preparedness Initiative
Hal Newman
EAD & Associates, LLC
Dave Bujak
Emergency Information
Brendan McCluskey
Infrastructure Project
Dean Larson
ProtectingAmerica.org
U.S. Access Board
Florida Division of Emergency
Management
Guest Contributors
David Black
Scott Burnotes, M.S.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 3
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
U.S. News Reports
Hurricane Katrina Anniversary
Half of Katrina victims were 75 or older
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26444326/
Divorce stalks Katrina survivors
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/08/29/broken.homes.katrina/index.html
Forgetting New Orleans
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1837105,00.html
INVESTIGATORS FIND KATRINA CLEANUP SLOW
http://hstoday.us/content/view/4879/128/
In Case of Emergency: BCBSNC Foundation Report Shares Experiences and Lessons Learned
from Local Response to Hurricane Katrina
http://www.prweb.com/releases/Emergency_Preparedness/Natural_Disaster/prweb1253444.htm
On the Third Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina; Trust for America's Health Questions State of
National Emergency Preparedness
http://www.forbes.com/prnewswire/feeds/prnewswire/2008/08/29/prnewswire200808291543PR_
NEWS_USPR_____DCF062.html
Riding Katrina: How St. Bernard Shrimper Survived
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94114066&ft=1&f=1003
Three years after Katrina, colleges on track
http://www.communitycollegetimes.com/article.cfm?ArticleId=1160
Katrina's unclaimed dead entombed, Gustav looms
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/National/2008/8/29/katrina39s_unclaimed_dead_entombed_gust
av_looms.html
Katrina Plus Three
http://www.governing.com/articles/0808potomac.htm
August 31, 2008
After Fanfare, Hurricane Grants Leave Little Mark
By ADAM NOSSITER
NEW ORLEANS — It was the largest housing aid program in American history, billed as the
essential government tool that would make New Orleans whole after Hurricane Katrina.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 4
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Yet even though about $3.3 billion of federal taxpayer money has been spent here on the cash
grant program known as the Road Home, New Orleans on the third anniversary of the hurricane
remains almost as much of a patchwork as it did last year, before most of the money was spent.
The program has had no effect on most of the houses in New Orleans, and has played only a
limited role in bringing back the neighborhoods most flooded in the storm. And as Hurricane
Gustav bears down on the city, many residents are worried that the work already accomplished
could be set back.
Only about 39,000 homeowners in the city received the Road Home grants and stayed in their
houses, of about 213,000 houses remaining in the city. Because of bureaucratic bungling and the
high hurdles that Louisiana imposed on those applying for the money, thousands of homeowners
never applied at all, and many other people moved away and abandoned their homes.
And so, on many blocks, a diligently restored house or two will be punctuated by a drearily
neglected one, with a waist-high lawn out front and a gutted interior. More than a third of the
houses in New Orleans remain unoccupied, according to new estimates by the Greater New
Orleans Community Data Center, a figure almost twice as large as in the city with the next-
highest rate of unoccupancy, Detroit, with 18 percent.
The center has estimated that about 72 percent of the city‘s population has returned, a clear
improvement from the 50 percent who were there immediately after the storm, but a stagnant
growth from the last anniversary, before most of the money was disbursed, when 69 percent had
returned. The Census Bureau has given a lower estimate, saying that about 54 percent of the
prestorm population of 444,000 had returned as of June 2007.
Over all in Southern Louisiana, the program has spent $6.9 billion of the $9.1 billion authorized by
Congress, including about 75,000 grants outside of New Orleans.
For the underinsured homeowners who received the Road Home grants, which averaged about
$59,000, the money was welcome. The houses that received it are easy to spot: new paint, new
trim and fresh plantings outside, while inside furniture and walls sparkle like the model homes in a
freshly built subdivision.
But those houses appear to be a minority in the neighborhoods that need improvement the most.
The Road Home has not yet made whole areas like Gentilly, the Lower Ninth Ward and New
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 5
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Orleans East. Those who did receive the money expressed earnest gratitude, saying it was
crucial to re-establishing their lives.
―It was free money,‖ said Helen Howard, a retired AT&T worker, who said the grant paid more
than the cost of rebuilding her brick home on Pauger Street in Gentilly. ―My fellow Americans
gave me the money. You‘re talking to a grateful American. I have an opportunity to say thank you
to my fellow Americans, and I want to.‖
Others, however, say the help came too late, long after they had dug deep into their savings to
begin work. And a few said they were still waiting for a check, more than a year after applying.
Sabrina Thomas, who works in marketing for the Postal Service, said the money came long after
she had finished most of the work on her house in Gentilly.
―The walls and everything were finished,‖ Ms. Thomas said. ―It really didn‘t help us that much. If
we had waited, we would have been in a trailer for over a year.‖
The initial hopes for the program were big: it would be a government-administered self-help
program for ruined homeowners that would lead inexorably to the city‘s renaissance. It is ―our
ticket to rebuild, recover and resume our productive place in our nation‘s economy,‖ Kathleen
Babineaux Blanco, the governor at the time, said in March 2006 as the program was being
started.
Congress appropriated much of the money for the program in June 2006. Under its rules, money
would be doled out to individual homeowners, based on a house‘s value before the storm and the
extent of the damage, minus insurance payments and other grants already received. Less money
was available to those who chose to rebuild elsewhere in Louisiana or leave the state altogether.
So certain of success was the governor that in the state‘s promotional television advertisements it
was called ―Gov. Kathleen Blanco‘s Road Home Program.‖
But a year later, in the spring of 2007, stranded homeowners were in an uproar as the promised
money had failed to arrive.
―We‘d fax papers; they‘d lose them,‖ said Virginia Burnett of Gentilly. ―We‘d fax them again.‖ It
took 18 months to get a grant, Ms. Burnett said, a process she described as a ―nightmare.‖
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 6
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
The painfully slow pace of the Road Home‘s disbursements cost Ms. Blanco her political career,
sending her into premature retirement. Democrats, saddled with the discredited plan, ceded the
Louisiana governor‘s mansion to the Republicans in last fall‘s election.
Even the severest critics of the Road Home, however, say the money was not wasted. Many
neighborhoods would probably be even farther behind without the trickle of checks that only
began arriving in earnest in mid-2007, more than a year after the program began.
―Without a doubt, this was extremely important for New Orleans, important for its sustenance,‖
said Melanie Ehrlich, a founder of a relentlessly critical activist group, the Citizens Road Home
Action Team, and herself a Gentilly resident. ―It was essential,‖ said Ms. Ehrlich, otherwise
unsparing in her strictures on the program‘s slowness.
Yet two years on, the ―new life‖ Ms. Blanco had promised for New Orleans as a whole is still
struggling to establish itself. While the old pace has largely returned to the Uptown and riverside
neighborhoods only grazed by the storm, the once-flooded districts edging them are as quiet as a
day in the country.
In many cases, neighborhoods that were repopulated cannot thank the Road Home for their
revival. In one crucial Gentilly district, Gentilly Terrace, which has now recovered roughly 75
percent of its prestorm population, about 60 percent of the people had already returned by
January 2007, said a demographer, Greg Rigamer. That was well before the Road Home
program had begun to fulfill its mission substantially.
The numbers are similar in other once-flooded neighborhoods. In the Read Boulevard West
district, in New Orleans East, where perhaps 60 percent of the prestorm population is back, 44
percent had already returned by January 2007. By the same measure, in areas where there has
been little population return and not much rebuilding, like the Lower Ninth Ward, there have been
few grantees.
―The Road Home really follows the significant return of population,‖ said Mr. Rigamer, who is
based in New Orleans. ―Road Home has not been a significant factor in the repopulation. People
that had economic assets had to respond more quickly than Road Home could respond.‖
And not just economic assets: those who fought to return had an emotional attachment to New
Orleans that no amount of sluggish bureaucracy could negate. Mr. Rigamer‘s assessment is
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 7
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
borne out in the statements of the homeowners themselves, in a city with the highest nativity rate,
or percentage of the population born there, in the country.
―If it took everything I had, I was coming back,‖ said Madeline Leon, whose husband, Clarence
Leon, a retired engineering supervisor at the Superdome, had already spent more than $200,000
on his house on Pauger Street and said the grant was ―not at all‖ a help.
It was no surprise that the Leons, and thousands of others, were back in their neighborhoods long
before the Road Home check arrived in the mail. The program‘s many arcane requirements for
receiving the money were conceived with the expectation that the program would be heavily
defrauded, the result of the state capital‘s traditional suspicion of New Orleans.
In fact, officials say relatively little fraud has occurred. But nonetheless, at the outset, a
complicated application process designed to curb it was developed, including the fingerprinting
and photographing of applicants, and punctilious checks of ownership documents that in many
cases were hard to come by. A critical study by the RAND Corporation identified 12 major stages
in the Road Home application, including paperwork, interviews and detailed correspondence;
news reports identified more than 60 steps, major and minor, in all.
Each one slowed down the disbursements. By December 2007, half of the people who had
applied a year earlier still had not received any money, according to the RAND study.
The consequences of the delays for families desperate to return were onerous.
―It was just so long coming,‖ said Louis Rivarde III, who pursued a grant for his elderly parents on
Stephen Girard Street in Gentilly. ―It was a big process of having to go through the records. I don‘t
think it was a real caring process.‖
Mr. Rivarde said it took 18 months for the $40,000 grant to come through, which he described as
a ―little cushion‖ for his parents.
Some in Gentilly spoke of elderly residents dying in the long interval between application and
grant.
The neighborhood has a ways to go, the Road Home notwithstanding. On Carnot Street, new
wood and paint gleams in Julie Francis‘s brick-and-siding elongated cottage. It would be hard to
guess that it took in six feet of water, or that she had to escape in a boat after Hurricane Katrina.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 8
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
The program was a help, but it was mostly savings, frugality and hard work that brought the
Francis family back.
―Everything would be O.K., but the neighbors, we can‘t find them,‖ Ms. Francis said. ―The rats. ...
‖ she said, her voice trailing off.
Pets Rescued From Katrina Still Inspire 3 Years Later
Debra Bell
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Friday, August 29, 2008; B02
Three years ago today, Bourbon nearly lost his life in Hurricane Katrina. His owners fled, leaving
the 10-month-old cream-colored Spitz mix alone as rain and wind pounded his home in New
Orleans. When the levees broke, the home filled with muddy toxic water.
Bourbon remained in that flooded house for three weeks before he was found and brought to the
Washington Animal Rescue League. The dog, which usually weighed 55 pounds, weighed only
25 when he was discovered trapped under a couch.
About 70,000 pets were in the city when Katrina struck, and about 15,000 were rescued,
according to the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Hundreds found homes in the Washington area. The D.C. rescue league alone brought up 126
dogs, including Bourbon.
Bourbon was nursed back to health by rescue league doctors, then adopted by Ron and Jessica
Simon of Silver Spring.
A framed photo of Bourbon in his destroyed home now dons the wall of Living Ruff, the Simons'
pet supply store, which opened this month in Silver Spring. Ron Simon said that when people see
the photo, they share their own animal rescue stories.
"Our inspiration for this store all started with rescuing him and wanting to do whatever we can to
give back to the animal community," he said.
Bourbon still has many fears because of trauma from the hurricane. He is particularly nervous
around new people and in new environments, his owners said.
"He's afraid of everything," Jessica Simon said. "When we brought him home, we quickly realized
he wasn't going to be the dog that people could come up to on the street and pet . . . but that's
okay. He's part of our family, and we adore him, and he adores us."
The stories of Bourbon and other Katrina dogs adopted in the area can be found at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/pets.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 9
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Emergency Management
Iowans Weigh Pro, Cons of Buyouts
http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2008/09/02/news/iowa/6d71522698e9e656862574b8001
1a08d.txt
UNC-CH to Open Center for Natural Disaster Study
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1199039.html
After Gustav, Will People Heed Warnings Next Time?
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iBHjZl2_Eq6vRuqB3ltJYWohaSGwD92V0DF00
Your Tax Dollars at Work
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/09/03/noaa
Are We Ready on the Coast for a Hit from a Big Hurricane?
http://www.mercatus.org/MediaDetails.aspx?id=20860
SurvivorMall.com Supports National Preparedness Month With Free Books, Guides, Downloads
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/70594
Engineers Part of Nationwide Effort to Make Buildings Earthquake Safe
http://www.innovations-
report.de/html/berichte/architektur_bauwesen/engineers_part_nationwide_effort_make_buildings
_116678.html
FEMA Says Weaknesses Remain In Its Ability to Respond Quickly
http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB121996708294481511.html
FEMA developing national SMS text message alert system for US
http://www.intomobile.com/2008/06/07/fema-developing-national-sms-text-message-alert-system-
for-us.html
EPA Completes Water Testing Preparedness Exercise (Kansas)
http://www.wibw.com/localnews/headlines/27513239.html
FEMA denies help for N.H.
http://www.sunjournal.com/story/280423-3/NewEnglandNews/FEMA_denies_help_for_NH/
Latest Innovention at Epcot: Stormstruck (Florida)
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2008/08/latest-innovent.html
Disarray Hampers Emergency Efforts (Oregon)
http://www.theskanner.com/index.php?action=artd&artid=7249
Report criticizes response to SF Bay oil spill (California)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20080828-1807-ca-bayspill.html
79% think Gov. Charlie Crist responded well to Tropical Storm Fay
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-faypoll3008aug30,0,2368691.story
Satellite phones make cowboys wildfire sentinels
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/National/2008/8/30/satellite_phones_make_cowboys_wildfire_se
ntinels.html
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 10
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Smarter Hurricane Evacuations Could Save Lives
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/119715.php
John Muir Charter works with the California Conservation Corps to help wayward students
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-muir30-2008aug30,0,3526144.story
FEMA declares Seminole County a disaster area (Florida)
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7330035&version=1&locale=
EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
Duval Residents Eligible For Fay Disaster Aid (Florida)
http://www.news4jax.com/news/17356310/detail.html
Emergency planner discusses hurricanes (South Carolina)
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/story/577198.html
Flood warning system unveiled by California water agency
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/1181032.html
FEMA plans to inventory emergency systems
http://www.fcw.com/online/news/153613-1.html
EMO adviser: Terrorism is major concern in disaster preparedness (Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands)
http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=83072
Georgia Emergency Officials Prepare for Possible Evacuation of Savannah
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7339109&version=12&locale=
EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
Rutgers to do survey on emergency preparedness (New Jersey)
http://www.nj.com/south/index.ssf/2008/09/rutgers_to_do_survey_on_emerge.html
Why Disasters Are Getting Worse
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1838400,00.html
Red Cross Offers Tool to Keep Families Connected During Evacuations
http://www.govtech.com/em/articles/404338
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 11
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Homeland Security, Defense and National Security
Jewish group holds training camp, hopes to aid Homeland Security (New York)
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2008/08/28/2008-08-
28_jewish_group_holds_training_camp_hopes_t-2.html
Air Force officers sanctioned after sleeping on job
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/08/29/airforce.sanctions/index.html
Six Ways to Fix the CIA
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1838089,00.html
A Biblical Seven Years
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/DN-
friedman_02edi.ART.State.Edition1.4d680d1.html
Former USF professor involved in terror trial is released on home detention
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/wednesday/localandstate/orl-
alarian0308sep03,0,185930.story
Report: Gonzales mishandled classified data
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26509515/
DENVER: BALANCING FIRST AMENDMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY (COLORADO)
http://hstoday.us/content/view/4857/152/
NATIONAL COALITION TO PREPARE AGAINST ‗DIRTY BOMB‘ ATTACKS
http://hstoday.us/content/view/4868/187/
DHS technology contract may be headed for a 'spending spree'
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=40835&sid=60
Air Force seeks steady ground in wake of high-profile blunders
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=40790&sid=60
Homeland security experiment tests port security
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2008/08/25/daily42.html?ana=from_rss
DHS studies PDAs for responders
http://www.fcw.com/online/news/153654-1.html?topic=homeland_security
Navy cancels new destroyers
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-navy31-2008aug31,0,6250180.story
Privacy group: US border-crossing database raises concerns
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1673547729;fp;2;fpid;1
U.S. gears up to detect nuclear material at sea
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-08-28-boats_N.htm
Spray-On Explosives Detector
http://www.sciam.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=1B6FBDCB-A96C-DD32-EDB9DCB1A1D09497
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 12
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Watch-List Pilot to Resume Flying
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1838055,00.html
Controversy Snarls Upgrade Of Terrorist Data Repository
By Robert O'Harrow Jr.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 3, 2008; D01
A major effort to upgrade intelligence computers that hold the government's master list of terrorist
identities is embroiled in controversy about the project's management and the work of contractors
hired for the job, documents and interviews show.
The Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment, or TIDE, serves as the central repository of
information about more than 400,000 suspected terrorists around the world. Operating at the
National Counterterrorism Center, TIDE and other systems each day deliver files of information to
watch-list programs that screen people traveling into the United States, or they make data
available online to intelligence analysts across the government.
Authorities said TIDE has revolutionized many national security tasks. But because it was built
quickly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, it is limited and lacks many features needed by the
intelligence community, documents show. Those limitations in TIDE and related systems hamper
the ability of intelligence analysts to discover patterns and make connections among the growing
pools of data they amass from around the world. TIDE also has suffered periodic outages of up to
two hours, according to interviews with government officials and contractors involved with the
project.
In 2006, authorities quietly launched Railhead, a project worth as much as $500 million over five
years, to improve TIDE and eventually replace it and some related systems with technology that
would significantly expand their capabilities.
After more than a year and about $100 million, the Railhead project has become the focus of
criticism from some counterterrorism analysts and contractors, who have said it does not provide
the search capabilities they expected and appears to be behind schedule. One lawmaker has
taken up those questions and publicly asked for an investigation by the inspector general of the
Office of the Director of National Intelligence, saying his congressional staff has information from
a contractor whistle-blower that shows the project is on the "brink of collapse," possibly
threatening national security.
Officials at the counterterrorism center said in interviews that the allegations are untrue and
irresponsible. They acknowledged that Railhead has suffered from some "speed bumps" common
to large technology projects, including inadequate communication about what features analysts
and other users need. They said that dozens of contract employees had been let go this summer,
but that it was done to spend funds more wisely and on more important tasks.
The officials said the project is on track. A pilot project offering improved access and a wider
array of features for TIDE Online -- the system that allows analysts to draw information from TIDE
-- will be launched in coming weeks. "Have we had some hurdles? Of course we have," said Vicki
Jo McBee, who took over as chief of the project in July.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 13
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
"We are making progress," she said. "The users are going to be more than satisfied."
The questions about Railhead underscore growing apprehension about contract management in
the intelligence community, which has spent tens of billions of dollars in the war on terror in
recent years with an insufficient procurement workforce and little public oversight, according to
documents and interviews.
Several unclassified reviews of intelligence spending in the past few years have said the shortage
of contracting expertise in the classified world is acute.
The allegations of problems also highlight the government's persistent difficulties in conceiving
and building giant computer systems, even for national security projects.
The Railhead project relies on a controversial approach to contracting that gives great authority to
a "lead systems integrator" -- in this case, Boeing -- that serves in essence as a management
proxy for the government. Other projects relying on lead systems integrators, such as the Coast
Guard's Deepwater project, have repeatedly overshot deadlines and costs. The Department of
Defense appropriations bill for 2008 sharply restricted the use of lead systems integrators
because of such problems.
TIDE and related systems have become crucial tools in the war on terror. TIDE is the central
"base for all-source information on international terrorist identities for the U.S. Government,"
according to documents from a congressional briefing in April. One system linked to TIDE, NCTC
Online, has more than 5,500 users in more than 40 federal organizations and agencies.
But counterterrorism officials have made clear that TIDE and related systems need to be
upgraded. Documents used in an April briefing of staff members on Capitol Hill show that the
systems are poorly integrated, and difficult and costly to upgrade. "Those Information Technology
capabilities, as good as they are, were not designed for the scale, robustness or integrated
performance required by the NCTC mission," the briefing documents said.
The Railhead project is set up so that the government can hire contractors to upgrade the system
in increments, leading to an "integrated and accessible" system that would improve the discovery
of information for analysts and make access far easier.
Dozens of documents obtained by The Washington Post show that Boeing and SRI International,
one of the primary contractors, and dozens of other subcontractors have sometimes struggled to
fulfill a mission that from the outset was not clearly defined.
Officials at Boeing and SRI declined to answer questions.
Boeing and SRI have sometimes not cooperated, the documents show. Last summer, during the
transition to Railhead from a previous contracting program, the TIDE system was operated by a
sharply diminished support staff and occasionally shut down, according to interviews with people
involved in the project.
Counterterrorism officials said those issues were a natural result of the transition from one
contract to another and added that it did not impede the systems' effectiveness.
A recent review by SRI and subcontractors, done at the behest of government officials, turned up
more than 500 instances where the system did not function as planned or as analysts expected.
The systems under development, for instance, did not enable analysts examining terrorist data to
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 14
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
see classified cables, to easily sort and filter search results or to search for non-exact matches,
the June 18 document said.
One contract executive involved in Railhead, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he
was not authorized to speak about the work, asserted that the project was not properly planned
and that some tasks may have to start over. The executive said Boeing and SRI did not work well
together in the public's interest. Contractors assessing the project complained about the lack of
cooperation from Boeing in the June 18 document.
"A request for data listed below to complete the gap analysis was requested from Boeing. The
information requested below has not been provided by the LSI [lead system integrator]," the
document said.
In an interview, Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.), chairman of the House Science and Technology
subcommittee on investigations and oversight, said those documents, provided by a whistle-
blower who worked for a contractor, show the Railhead program is in trouble.
In an Aug. 21 letter, Miller asked the inspector general to investigate "the technical failure and
mismanagement of one of the government's most important counterterrorism programs."
"This is a critical national security program that has been plagued by technical design and
development errors, basic management blunders and poor government oversight," Miller said in a
news release issued that same day.
Officials at the counterterrorism center said the staff material Miller provided in support of his
request contains factual errors, including a claim that thousands of CIA cables had not been
properly entered into TIDE and that the program has cost $500 million so far.
The officials acknowledged the "gap analysis" reports issued in June. But they said most of those
shortcomings have been addressed in recent months and that information in those reports was
taken out of context.
Despite occasional outages, the TIDE system has been available for counterterrorism work more
than 99 percent of the time, and it has not missed any deadlines for supplying terrorist information
to watch-list systems, one senior government official said.
Miller defended going public with his preliminary probe, saying "we conduct our business in the
open."
Radiation Detector Plan Falls Short, Audit Shows
Concerns About Cost and Effectiveness Could Curtail Program
By Robert O'Harrow Jr.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 4, 2008; D01
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 15
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
An ambitious Bush administration program to use new technology to stop radioactive materials
from being smuggled into the country has fallen far short of its aims and will likely be sharply
curtailed, according to an audit report obtained by The Washington Post.
The project, involving three contractors, has been embroiled in allegations that the department's
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office misled Congress about the testing, cost and effectiveness of
the machines. Budget documents this year showed the cost to put the monitors at borders and
ports would be far higher than the detection office originally estimated.
An audit report by the federal Government Accountability Office shows that officials in the
detection office plan to deploy the machines, known as advanced spectroscopic portal monitors
or ASPs, on a far more limited basis than originally planned. The new plan will focus on using the
machines to monitor cargo containers, the report said. The detection office is not sure what
method it will use to screen "rail cars, privately owned vehicles, airport cargo and cargo at
seaport terminals" in the near future, the report said.
"Senior DNDO officials acknowledge a deployment program that is dramatically different in scope
than the one presented to and approved by Congress," the audit report said. "Program officials
now state the program includes only the standard cargo ASP -- a significant reduction in planned
ASP equipment."
The report is the latest blow to one of the Bush administration's most prominent homeland
security initiatives. In announcing the $1.2 billion program two years ago, Department of
Homeland Security officials said the costly monitors were vital to national security, would
dramatically improve the detection of nuclear materials and reduce false alarms experienced by
current equipment.
The program has been delayed repeatedly after investigators turned up evidence that the
detection office provided misleading cost estimates and inflated detection capabilities in a cost-
benefit report to Congress in 2006. Congress later required Homeland Security Secretary Michael
Chertoff to certify the effectiveness of the machines before they could be widely deployed.
Last fall, Chertoff put off deployment after the GAO alleged that detection officials fudged testing
of the machines and after customs officials complained that they did not work well in field tests.
The government continues to rely on existing, less expensive equipment. The current machines
are effective at detecting the presence of radiation but often cannot distinguish benign sources,
such as cat litter, from materials that can be used in weapons.
The GAO audit is part of an ongoing review of the detection office's cost estimates. The review
found that the cost to install and operate the machines in U.S. ports of entry -- based on the
detection office's 2006 plan -- could be as high as $3.8 billion over a decade, about 81 percent
higher than previous estimates. The report said the likely cost would be about $3.1 billion, about
48 percent higher than previous estimates, the report said.
The review found that contracts for the development of the machines "have already experienced
unfavorable cost and schedule variances" since the contracts to three firms were awarded in July
2006. Contractors include Raytheon, Thermo Eberline and Canberra.
One contract is 25 percent over budget and 23 percent behind schedule, the report said, without
providing details about the contractor. "These unfavorable variances are not likely to improve, but
quite likely will worsen, over the course of the ASP contracts," the report said.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 16
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Auditors said they struggled to develop those figures because the detection office has declined to
provide sufficient details about the program. The detection office also "instructed its ASP
contractors to refuse GAO requests for interviews and data," the report said.
A Homeland Security spokeswoman declined to discuss the report, saying the department has
not had an opportunity to formally respond to it.
"We will not proceed to full-rate production on Advanced Spectroscopic Portal systems until the
secretary certifies that they have a significant increase in operational effectiveness over current
systems," spokeswoman Laura C. Keehner said. "The department has been following a prudent
path leading to certification."
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee plans a hearing about the
report and related matters Sept. 25. Chairman Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), whose staff has
been conducting a parallel investigation, said the program is "a mission where failure is not an
option."
"GAO has done both the Congress and the department a great service, by doing a realistic,
tough-minded evaluation of the costs of this important program," Lieberman said.
A GAO official involved in the review declined to comment.
"In our view, the frequent changes in deployment plans, and the lack of available cost
documentation, raises concerns about the overall management of the radiation portal monitor
project, and whether it is guided by a sound and stable strategy," the report said.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 17
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Campus Safety and Security
Man charged with shooting traffic light near UCLA; cops find 10K rounds in van, locker
(California)
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/09/man-charged-wit.html
Washington State Protecting K-12 and College Campuses with Emergency Preparedness
Technology
http://news.yahoo.com/s/prweb/20080827/bs_prweb/prweb1254534_2
Wake Forest makes big strides toward better communication in event of emergency (North
Carolina)
http://www.wfu.edu/news/release/2008.08.27.e.php
Campus Safety Alerts Ready to Sound at UW Eau Claire (Washington)
http://www.weau.com/home/headlines/27559719.html
UA students pay fee for increased campus safety (Arizona)
http://news.ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=944528
CU evaluates additional campus safety measures (Colorado)
http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=98542
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 18
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Special Needs
For additional articles on this topic feel free to visit:
http://www.eadassociates.com/news.html or
http://www.nod.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=1564
Equal access to emergency information for all, please
http://www.bigmedicine.ca/thevillagespeaks.htm
Special-needs emergency shelter opens (Kentucky)
http://www.kentucky.com/211/story/504125.html
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 19
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Hazard Research and News
Graham: Invisible Nuclear Threat
http://www.washtimes.com/news/2008/sep/02/invisible-nuclear-threat/
Folks who barely avoided Fay's flooding fear they might go under
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/community/news/debary/orl-hanna0308sep03,0,7879542.story
National Coalition to Educate About Possible 'Dirty Bomb' Attacks
http://www.ohsonline.com/articles/67050
Southern US coast watches Tropical Storm Hanna
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080902/ap_on_re_us/hanna_us
Scientists: More Hurricanes to Come
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1838260,00.html
Storms near the ocean's surface can create hurricanes
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=224674
Magnitude-3.7 quakes strikes Central Coast (California)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20080828-0726-ca-centralcoastquake.html
CDC: Salmonella outbreak appears to be over
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26439766/
PARENTS FEARFUL OF VACCINATIONS SPARKS PUBLIC HEALTH WORRY
http://hstoday.us/content/view/4866/149/
Flooding County-By-County (Florida)
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Sidebar/2008/8/18/fay_county_by_county.html
Official: DeBary's woes will linger for weeks (Florida)
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/volusia/orl-fay-flood-debary-082908,0,1531646.story
Debacle in DeBary: Flood control on the cheap
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/volusia/orl-debary3108aug31,0,3893288.story
Restrictions related to Fay flooding spoil boating fun along St. Johns
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/volusia/orl-river3008aug30,0,3267810.story
2 workers hurt when crane topples in Dallas (Texas)
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/National/2008/8/28/2_workers_hurt_when_crane_topples_in_dall
as.html
Major Severe Weather Event Across Phoenix (Arizona)
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/psr/pns/2008/August/28thStorms.php
Bacteria in water at Okla. E. coli outbreak site
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-08-29-deadly-bacteria_N.htm
Cal-OSHA walkway probe could take months (San Diego, CA)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080829-1840-bn29collapse.html
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 20
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Dust storm causes some to leave Burning Man early (Nevada)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080831/ap_en_ot/burning_man_festival
Chemical prompts lockdown at 2 St. Louis ERs (Missouri)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26473821/
8 sickened by chemical exposure at plant in Ill.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080831/ap_on_re_us/hospitals_lockdown;_ylt=ArIoePeevevkHEN
aG9SiaTqs0NUE
Oklahoma seeks source of deadly E. coli
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/08/29/oklahoma.ecoli/index.html
It's the season of flames and fear in Topanga (California)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-martinez1-2008sep01,0,2959487.column
Trio of storms stirs up Atlantic
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/09/02/hurricane.hanna/index.html
6 shot in Skagit Co. Shooting spree (Washington)
http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_090208WAB_trooper_Shot_KS.3a3b8494.html
Rock band settles $1M R.I. club fire suit
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-09-02-ri-club-fire_N.htm
Category 4 Hurricane Ike fiercer as Hanna strengthens
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080904/us_nm/storm_hanna_dc
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 21
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Public Safety Communications, Interoperability, 3-1-1 and 9-1-1 News
DHS unveils wireless radio for emergency response
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20080827_1113.php
DHS seeks template for responding to emergency calls
http://www.fcw.com/online/news/153617-1.html?topic=homeland_security
DHS studies PDAs for responders
http://www.fcw.com/online/news/153654-1.html?topic=homeland_security
New York Statewide Wireless Network in Trouble
http://www.govtech.com/em/articles/404360
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 22
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Other
Man in Pa. collar-bomb case pleads guilty
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-09-03-collar-bomb_N.htm
Calif. budget plan fails in Senate
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20080829-1303-ca-statebudget.html
California enters uncharted territory with no budget
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-budget1-2008sep01,0,6965137.story
Death penalty upheld for Orange County white supremacist (California)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-death30-2008aug30,0,4965652.story
New search starts for missing adventurer Fossett (Nevada)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080831/ap_on_re_us/fossett_search;_ylt=AjkWOaEq6cJeLwM0qn
mDEJes0NUE
Burn Center: Orlando team's game will help save lives in disasters (Florida)
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/community/news/ucf/orl-burn0408sep04,0,2811336.story
9/11 claims one more victim
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/09/03/2008-09-03_911_claims_one_more_victim.html
Absenteeism Report Irks Federal Employees
Senator Says Too Many Go AWOL
By Christopher Lee
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 29, 2008; A13
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has been checking up on the attendance records of federal
employees. And he doesn't like what he's found.
Civil servants have been away from their jobs without permission much too often in recent years,
Coburn says in a new report. Records from 17 federal agencies and the U.S. Postal Service show
that workers were absent without leave for 19.6 million hours between 2001 and 2007, the study
found.
That's the equivalent of 2.5 million missed days of work, or 316 employees skipping out for entire
30-year careers, says Coburn, the ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs subcommittee on federal financial management.
"During my time in Congress, I have met many wonderful people who work for the federal
government out of a sense of service to their country," Coburn wrote in a cover letter for the
report, released Aug. 21. "Unfortunately, there is also a sizeable and growing number of federal
employees who undermine the agencies they serve by failing to show up to work. . . . I believe
the American taxpayer deserves better."
But federal employees and their advocates, and a few agency officials, called the report
misleading. They said it does not put the numbers in context, omits other figures and unfairly
disparages the professionalism of the federal workforce, which averaged about 2.5 million people,
including postal employees, during the period Coburn studied.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 23
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Looked at another way, for example, Coburn's numbers show that the average federal employee
is absent from work without permission for about 67 minutes a year.
Colleen M. Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents more
than 150,000 federal workers, said in an e-mail: "The report is little more than a collection of
numbers surrounded by innuendoes and loose extrapolations. The problem with doing this kind of
misrepresentation is that it tells federal employees their work is not valued and their contributions
are not recognized -- making it much harder for agencies to recruit and retain the high-quality
employees they need."
In a telephone interview, Coburn said he is bashing not the rank-and-file but rather bosses who
do not address the issue. "This isn't about the federal workforce, this is about the management of
the federal workforce," he said. "That's what needs to be better."
In the Senate, Coburn is known as "Dr. No," a lawmaker who considers the government too big
and wasteful and routinely votes against creating or expanding programs. He asked agencies for
data on workers who were AWOL, or absent without leave, between 2001 and 2007. That meant
they were late or absent altogether, but not because of vacation, illness, jury duty or other
approved leave.
As the report notes, not all agencies define AWOL the same way. Some consider employees
AWOL when they are 15 minutes late. Others do so only for lengthier absences. Some agencies
provided incomplete data -- Transportation Security Administration figures were only for 2007, for
instance. Employees are not supposed to be paid for time they are AWOL.
In Coburn's calculus, the departments of Veterans Affairs and the Treasury were the most
absentee-plagued, with employees missing for 8 million and 4 million hours, respectively.
Absenteeism matters, he wrote, because less work gets done and agencies may hire more
people to compensate, driving up payroll costs.
"It is unreasonable and unfair to expect taxpayers to foot the bill for inefficiencies that federal
agencies fail to address," Coburn wrote.
But the full story behind the AWOL numbers is more complicated, according to critics and agency
officials.
At VA, the department's 273,000 employees worked about 2.5 billion hours over the period, said
spokeswoman Lisette Mondello. The 8 million AWOL hours is a tiny amount in comparison,
amounting to one-third of 1 percent of all hours worked, she said. Mondello said the department
tracks AWOL hours "meticulously" to let employees know that lateness and unapproved
absenteeism won't be tolerated.
The report "gives the impression that employees at the VA are not there and it's the furthest from
the truth," she said. "We take accountability very, very seriously."
At Treasury, about 96 percent of the AWOL hours were logged by Internal Revenue Service
employees, many of whom are part-time or seasonal workers who have accrued little or no sick
leave or vacation time, said spokeswoman Brookly McLaughlin.
"This is an important issue, and we at Treasury continue to look for ways to ensure proper
identification of employee absences," McLaughlin said. "We work to train employees and
management to address these issues."
J. David Cox, the national secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government
Employees, the largest federal employee union, said some federal workers taking approved leave
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 24
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
-- vacation, family and medical leave or leave without pay, for example -- may be marked down
temporarily as AWOL until paperwork is completed.
"It's a classic example of how you can pull out numbers if you are trying to prove some point,"
Cox said.
Andrea Brooks, an AFGE national vice president, said the study would have been more
meaningful if it showed disciplinary moves made by agencies. "No agency is going to let
employees rack up hundreds of hours of leave without permission without taking some action,"
she said.
Even public servants with the best of intentions are not always where they are supposed to be.
Coburn, for instance, has missed 58 of 1283 votes, or 4.5 percent, during his nearly four years in
the Senate, according to congressional records. In six years in the House, he missed 232 of 3741
votes, or 6.2 percent.
Coburn said he missed 40 Senate votes when he was being treated for cancer last year. As for
the missed House votes, he said: "It's probably because of the same reasons I miss votes on
Monday nights -- because flights get in late."
FAA outage reveals odd computing practices
By JOELLE TESSLER and JORDAN ROBERTSON
The Associated Press
Friday, August 29, 2008; 4:08 PM
WASHINGTON -- When a computer glitch at a Federal Aviation Administration center caused
widespread airline delays this week, it served as a reminder that the U.S. flight system is waiting
for a modernizing overhaul. But it also appears the FAA's management of its existing
technologies falls short of standards in other vital sectors.
By using computing practices that would be considered poor in credit card networks or power
plant operators, for example, the FAA was vulnerable to a problem caused when new software
was loaded at the Atlanta center that distributes flight plans.
Because the FAA relies on just two computing systems, one in Atlanta and one in Salt Lake City,
to handle that chore for the entire nation, the software glitch all but sank the system Tuesday. The
Salt Lake center remained up and served as a backup, but it became overloaded by information
coming from airlines. More than 600 flights were delayed from Atlanta all the way to Boston and
Chicago.
A failure at the same Atlanta center caused major delays across the East Coast in June 2007.
Such breakdowns often can be prevented with sufficient redundancy, or enough different
computers and communication channels to handle the same workload in an emergency.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 25
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Redundancy is so critical for power and water utilities that they can be fined hundreds of
thousands of dollars a day if they're found insufficiently prepared _ and $1 million per day if
they're found to be willfully negligent.
"In the industries I work in, if you have something that critical, you generally build more
redundancy," said Jason Larsen, a security researcher with consultancy IOActive Inc. who
previously spent five years at Idaho National Laboratory examining electrical plants' control
systems. "If this (FAA outage) happened at a power plant, I'd be telling them to open up their
checkbook and expect to be fined."
FAA spokeswoman Tammy Jones stressed that these types of problems "don't happen on a
mass scale or a regular basis," and noted that the FAA handles 50,000 to 60,000 fights a day.
And flying on U.S. airlines has never been safer.
"The system is working," she said. "We are making sure people are getting from one place to
another."
Basil Barimo, vice president of operations and safety for the Air Transport Association of America,
a trade association that represents the nation's largest carriers, says the fundamental problem is
that the FAA still relies on outdated technology, including a radar-based control system designed
in the 1940s and '50s. Barimo is optimistic that the FAA's NextGen modernization program _ a
$15 billion-plus upgrade to satellite-based technology that will take nearly 20 years to complete _
will help make more efficient use of the nation's airspace and safely allow more planes in the sky.
At the Atlanta center that saw this week's failure, the National Airspace Data Interchange Network
computer has been owned and operated by the FAA since the 1980s, after the Dutch company
that developed it went out of business. The network is being upgraded, and will have much more
memory, process data much more quickly and be more robust and "fault-tolerant."
"We should see significant improvements by the end of September ... which should prevent the
type of problem we had on Tuesday," said FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown. The agency also is
considering adding a third backup site for that and other systems at a technology center in New
Jersey, but no final decisions have been made, she added.
However, Doug Church, a spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association _ a
union that has been locked in a contract dispute with the FAA since 2006 _ argues that the
agency has tried to focus on future technology to deflect its lack of diligence in maintaining its
current systems.
Not only did Church cite the agency's lack of a "safety net of redundancy," but he also pointed to
its "fix-on-fail" policy of waiting for something to break before addressing a problem.
Indeed, in December, the agency exempted its computer maintenance personnel from having to
perform some periodic certification checks as required by government handbooks for technical
equipment. The FAA said that would eliminate unnecessary certifications that historically had little
or no effect on total system performance and safety. And a 2006 report from the Government
Accountability Office had found support for the idea in some instances.
But computing experts say they often advise private companies to reject that approach.
"It's common, you see it in retail too _ it's the whole `don't fix it if it ain't broke' thing," said
Branden Williams, director of a unit of VeriSign Inc. that assesses the security of retailers'
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 26
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
payment systems. "It's unfortunate because it's very reactive, and it typically winds up costing you
more. If you do fix-on-fail, it usually costs you more."
Of course, there's a difference between a private company's outage that delays your DVD order,
and one at the agency administering airline traffic. And such events have happened to the FAA
multiple times.
Communications between an air traffic control center in Memphis, Tenn., which directs planes
passing through a 250-mile radius from the city, and an unknown number of airplanes were
disrupted this month when a car struck a utility pole, severing a fiber-optic cable. Last September,
the same center lost all its communications and some air traffic controllers had to use their
personal cell phones to route planes out of the seven-state area. The FAA blamed that outage on
the failure of a major AT&T Inc. phone line.
In May, the FAA system that issues preflight notices to pilots about runway, equipment and
security issues went down for about a day when a server crashed and the backup operated too
slowly to be effective. The database was not able to issue updates or new notices, but pilots
continued to receive relevant information from local air traffic controllers and through alternate
systems.
After this week's outage, Paul Proctor, a Gartner Inc. analyst focused on security and regulatory
compliance for large corporations, said it appeared that the FAA didn't deploy the flight-plan
computers with nearly as much redundancy as big companies generally have in systems critical
to their operations.
"You need to do a good analysis about whether this is acceptable risk," Proctor said. "One of the
things the government is betting on is the fact that if there's ... a failure, it's not a safety issue."
Sid McGuirk, associate professor and coordinator of the air traffic management program at
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., believes that given the budget
realities facing the FAA, the agency has maintained a good balance. It keeps the system running
efficiently without compromising safety, said McGuirk, a former air traffic controller and FAA
manager for 35 years.
"From time to time, we are going to have a glitch, but it's a tradeoff," he said. "Would I like to see
more modern equipment in the system? Sure. But most folks would not want to see their taxes
tripled to pay for new technology every two years."
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 27
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Political Conventions Threats and Preparedness
Hundreds to be charged in court after RNC protests
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/02/rnc.security/index.html
Good timing
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/news_cut/archive/2008/08/good_timi
ng.shtml?refid=0
Dem Platform Backs U.S. Cat Fund
http://www.propertyandcasualtyinsurancenews.com/cms/nupc/Breaking+News/2008/08/29-
CATFUND-dp
Special TSA force helps secure Democratic convention
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=40837&sid=60
Questions surround stadium security for Obama speech
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=40834&sid=60
Security glitch slows early arrivals at Democratic convention
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=40803&sid=60
DHS to use controversial fusion centers during conventions
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=40799&sid=60
Police raid headquarters of RNC protesters
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/30/rnc.protest/index.html
Police fire chemical agents, projectiles at RNC protesters
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/02/rnc.security/index.html
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 28
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
International News Stories
Civil Preparedness, Security and Humanitarian Affairs
U.N. says North Korea needs $503 million in food aid
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080902/wl_nm/korea_north_food_dc
Aid plane crashes in Congo with 17 on board
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080902/ap_on_re_af/un_congo_plane_crash
3 charged over threat to kill U.K. premier
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26453284/
Head of U.N. Al Qaeda Monitoring Unit Outlines Vulnerabilities of Al Qaeda and Taliban; Offers
Counter-Terror Measures in New Analysis
http://www.sunherald.com/451/story/768333.html
Hackers attack Iraq's vulnerable computers
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/hacking/2008-08-28-iraqhackers_N.htm
'PM terror threat' three charged (United Kingdom)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7586801.stm
Morocco 'breaks terror network'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7588853.stm
Ferry bomb terror suspect held in Manila (Philippines)
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/30/philippines.suspect/index.html
Iraqi police want equipment to stop bombers
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080830/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_battling_the_bombers
Rescuers head to quake site in southwest China
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080831/ap_on_re_as/china_earthquake
Mexican leader to adopt several anti-crime measures
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-08-31-mexico-crime-response_N.htm
Nigeria: Nema Partners NYSC On Disaster Management
http://allafrica.com/stories/200809011095.html
Cyberwar fears grow after Georgia websites attacked
http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn14635-cyberwar-fears-grow-after-georgia-websites-
attacked.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news9_head_dn14635
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 29
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Boats Depart Gaza After Aid Delivery
7 Palestinians Leave With Activists Who Flouted Blockade
By Linda Gradstein
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, August 29, 2008; A10
JERUSALEM, Aug. 28 -- Two boats carrying international peace activists left the Gaza Strip on
Thursday, five days after they defied an Israeli naval blockade to reach the territory. The activists
took seven Palestinians with them, including a 10-year-old boy who lost a leg in an Israeli army
attack on Palestinian fighters three years ago.
One of the activists, Paul Larudee, said several Israeli naval vessels shadowed the wooden boats
as they left Gaza and sailed toward international waters. Larudee, 63, a piano tuner from
California, said the departure of the Palestinians was a milestone: "They got exit stamps from the
Palestinian government, they boarded the ships, and soon they'll be in international waters and
then in Cyprus. This is the first time, ever, that Palestinians have been able to freely enter and
leave their own country."
Thousands of Palestinians went to greet the 44 activists from 17 countries when they landed in
Gaza on Saturday. The visitors brought 200 hearing aids for Palestinian children and thousands
of balloons.
Among the seven Palestinians who left in the boats were Saad Mesleh and his father, Khaled,
who said he hoped to have his son fitted with an artificial leg in Cyprus.
Nine of the activists decided to stay in the strip at least temporarily.
Israeli government spokesman Aryeh Mekel said the activists were hoping to attract widespread
media coverage, which would have resulted had Israel stopped the boats.
"They entered and they left," he said. "If these were terrorists, we would care. But the fact is, we
allowed it."
Mekel said Israel did not think the voyage would set a precedent. "If anyone expects a regular
flow of ships going back and forth, this is not going to happen," he said.
Journalist Ahmed Abu Hamda said the visit was "a small victory for Hamas," the armed Islamist
movement that won Palestinian elections in January 2006. Hamas took exclusive control of the
territory in June 2007 after clashes with members of the rival Fatah movement. Israel has since
severely limited the flow of goods into Gaza, allowing only food and medicine.
A cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which went into effect in June, has not ended
the blockade. Palestinians say there are shortages of many goods and frequent blackouts
because of Israeli limits on the supply of fuel.
"Hamas sent a message to Arab countries who they feel aren't doing anything, saying, 'These
Western activists managed to do what you haven't been able to do for two years,' " Abu Hamda
said.
The only Jewish Israeli on the boat, Jeff Halper, was arrested Tuesday as he returned to Israel
and was charged with violating an Israeli military order that prohibits Israelis from entering Gaza.
He spent a night and a day in jail and was released on bail. Halper, head of the Israeli Committee
Against House Demolitions, said the two boats forced Israel to relinquish at least some control
over access to Gaza by sea.
Halper, who last visited the strip in 2000, said Gazans were eager to speak Hebrew with him.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 30
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
"I would do a telephone interview for the media in Hebrew and, by the end, there would be a
dozen Palestinians around me who all wanted to speak to me in Hebrew and tell me about their
friends in Tel Aviv," he said. "It really was very moving. They would say, 'We're the same, why is
there all this conflict between us?' "
"It's the opposite of what the Israeli public thinks," Halper said. "They think that Gaza is all Hamas
and they hate Israelis. But if they knew the truth, they'd have to say that there is a basis for
peacemaking here."
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 31
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Hazard Research and News
Series Of Quakes Shaking Up B.C. Coast (Canada)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/28/tech/main4391885.shtml
Crystals improve understanding of volcanic eruption triggers (Greece)
http://www.physorg.com/news139151009.html
Two Iraqi Deaths Blamed on Cholera
http://www.redorbit.com/news/international/1536274/two_iraqi_deaths_blamed_on_cholera/index.
html
Experts probe 'mini tsunami' (South Africa)
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2381892,00.html#
Quake rattles southwestern China
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/30/china.quake.ap/index.html
Blast rocks Sri Lanka's capital, wounding 45
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080830/ap_on_re_as/sri_lanka
China quake forces rethink over hazard maps
http://environment.newscientist.com/article/mg19926715.000-china-quake-forces-rethink-over-
hazard-maps.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news3_head_mg19926715.000
No rain, no water for hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080831/sc_afp/bulgariaenvironmentwater_080831032312
Floods strand 20,000 in Bangladesh
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/floods/2008-08-31-bangladesh-floods_N.htm
Back-to-back storms leave Haiti farms reeling
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080831/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/haiti_gustav_food_impact
15 dead in Chinese fireworks blast
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/31/china.fireworks.blast/index.html
Families dismayed by tsunami horror film Vinyan
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article4636451.ece
Earth Faced Death in Permian
http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1538929/earth_faced_death_in_permian/index.html
Grim prospects for Australian river system as drought bites: official
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080902/sc_afp/australiadroughtclimate_080902163425;_ylt=AoAF
aDQbTK8aOFKSpsxJE5nPOrgF
Volcano's eruption colors world's sunsets
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26529769/
Freak hailstorm turns part of tropical Kenya white
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080903/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_kenya_weather
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 32
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Quake Brings Grim Repetition to China
6.1-Magnitude Temblor Kills at Least 32, Damages or Destroys 250,000 Homes
By Maureen Fan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, September 1, 2008; A09
BEIJING, Sept. 1 -- It was a familiar scene: Rescue teams headed into an earthquake zone
Sunday to help tens of thousands of frightened farmers deal with hundreds of aftershocks and a
shortage of tents.
Less than a week after the close of the Olympic Games, which brought mostly good news to
China's government, officials struggled with the aftermath of a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that
killed at least 32 people and injured hundreds Saturday.
The official New China News Agency said Monday that more than 250,000 homes had collapsed
or been destroyed. The news agency said it was unclear how many more people were buried in
rubble near the epicenter of the quake, about 30 miles southeast of Panzhihua, a city in southern
Sichuan province.
The temblor destroyed nearly 400 houses in Panzhihua and 1,000 in neighboring Liangshan, the
China Earthquake Administration said on its Web site.
"All the houses in our village have nearly collapsed, and right now we are risking our lives to bring
our belongings out of our homes," said Xiong Mei, a farmer from Nanhai village in Liangshan
prefecture who spent the rainy night in the courtyard of her partially destroyed home.
"In our village, there are 60 to 70 people who are seriously injured and staying in the playground
of our elementary school," she said. "We don't have enough clothes or canvas to shelter
ourselves, so we have to sew plastic bags together."
Xiong, 37, was near the epicenter of the massive May 12 Sichuan earthquake that killed nearly
70,000. On Sunday, there was only one tent assigned to her production unit in the village -- a way
of organizing and managing rural residents by their jobs -- and it was not enough for the elderly
and weak. "From yesterday to this afternoon, we've only eaten once. I am very frightened. The
year of 2008 is a year full of disasters," Xiong said.
A man in the rescue supplies office of the Panzhihua Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau said the city
needed several thousand more tents and possibly other supplies, such as food and clean water.
"The biggest problem for us is a shortage of big tents and blankets. We have already distributed
more than 2,000 tents," said the man, who gave only his surname, Cao. "We sent most of our
people to the countryside to see if any people are still buried. The situation there is still unclear
now."
Many Chinese think 2008 has already brought more than their fair share of bad luck. Crippling
snowstorms struck Guangdong province during the Chinese New Year travel period, and many
Chinese include the Tibet riots and protests against the Olympic torch relay in this year's negative
news.
"There are so many disasters this year, and the people's mood is very low here," said Ju Guihua,
46, a nurse at a county hospital in Panzhihua that had admitted two quake survivors with broken
legs. "The earthquakes are a serious and somber topic around here."
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 33
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Xu Zhencong, 51, a teacher in Dalongtan town in Panzhihua, was riding a motorcycle home when
the quake struck.
"I saw dust in the air from the collapsed houses. And just now, I felt two aftershocks," Xu said.
"Today the government sent people to the village to check, but we only have four tents, so I have
to buy rain clothes and set up a shelter by myself."
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 34
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Indian Floods
Indian flood victims face months in camps
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/09/03/india.flooding.rescue.camps.ap/index.html
India floods strand hundreds of thousands
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080830/ap_on_re_as/india_floods
Indian flood victims face food shortages
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/31/india.floods/index.html
India's 'untouchables' last to be helped in floods
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26498436/
India mounts mammoth rescue effort
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/09/02/india.flooding.ap/index.html
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 35
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Russian-Georgian War
West faces stark choice over Georgia
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080829/ap_on_re_eu/the_georgia_conundrum
Georgia to cut diplomatic ties with Moscow
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080829/ap_on_re_eu/georgia
Putin blames US for Georgia role
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7586605.stm
Georgia says Russia troops blocking refugee return
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080830/ts_nm/georgia_ossetia_dc
AFTER GEORGIA, WHAT FUTURE FOR NATO?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0818/p10s01-usfp.html
Georgia refugees appear free to return but fearful
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080831/ap_on_re_eu/georgia_russia
Russia promises military aid to South Ossetia
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080831/ap_on_re_eu/georgia_russia
Russia warns it will respond to "aggression"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080831/ts_nm/georgia_ossetia_dc
Russia says US may have sent weapons to Georgia
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080901/ap_on_re_eu/russia_georgia
Crowds jam Georgia's streets to protest Russia
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-09-01-Georgia-demonstration_N.htm
Putin Vows 'Answer' to NATO Ships
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1837975,00.html
Report: Bush administration planning $1B aid package for Georgia
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/09/report-bush-adm.html
3rd US Aid Ship En Route to Georgia
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1838256,00.html
Russia rejects EU partnership talks threat
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/09/02/russia.georgia.summit.sanctions/index.html
Who Started the War in Georgia?
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1838305,00.html
Russian Attack Praised in Mideast
By Ellen Knickmeyer
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, August 30, 2008; A18
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 36
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
CAIRO -- For some in the Middle East, the images of Russian tanks rolling into Georgia in
defiance of U.S. opposition have revived warm memories of the Cold War.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flew last week to Moscow, where he endorsed Russia's
offensive in Georgia and, according to Russian officials, sought additional Russian weapon
systems.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi's influential son, echoed the delight
expressed in much of the Arab news media. "What happened in Georgia is a good sign, one that
means America is no longer the sole world power setting the rules of the game," the younger
Gaddafi was quoted as telling the Russian daily Kommersant. "There is a balance in the world
now. Russia is resurging, which is good for us, for the entire Middle East."
In Turkey, an American and European ally that obtains more than two-thirds of its natural gas
from Russia, the reaction was more complex. Turks watched as the United States, NATO and a
divided European Union hesitated in the face of Russian military assertiveness, leaving them
more doubtful than they already were about depending on the West to secure U.S.-backed
alternative oil and gas supply lines.
"This Russian invasion of Georgia is a turning point in the relations of the Atlantic community with
Russia, including, of course, Turkey," Ozden Sanberk, a former Turkish ambassador to Britain,
said by telephone from Turkey. "There is a change in the paradigm, a change in assessment."
Since Aug. 8, when Russia sent troops and tanks across its southern border in a confrontation
with Georgia's pro-Western government, many Turkish newspapers have urged the Turkish
government to improve relations with Russia, in pragmatic acceptance of the possibility that
Russia could directly or indirectly control most oil and gas supplies from Central Asia to Europe.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the past two weeks has sought to persuade
leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia to put their political differences aside in the
interest of keeping oil and gas flowing.
Russian leaders, angry at Turkish military aid to Georgia, repeatedly refused to take Erdogan's
calls, Turkish news media reported.
Russia has been paying closer attention to the needs of the United States' least favorite Middle
East countries, Syria and Iran.
Russia's ambassador in Tehran, Alexander Sadovnikov, told Iranian news media this week that
Russia was committed to helping Iran finish work on its Bushehr nuclear plant as soon as
possible. At the same time, Iran's oil minister declared his country's eagerness to do more
business with Russia's main energy company, Gazprom.
The United States has tried to discourage European countries and Turkey from turning to Iran for
oil and gas. With Russia demonstrating its ability to control supplies through Georgia and the rest
of the Caucasus, Iran's supplies are going to look more attractive to U.S. allies in Europe,
analysts noted.
And with the United States and Russia at odds, Iran also can expect more help from Russia in
blocking U.S. efforts in the U.N. Security Council and other international bodies to sanction Iran
over its nuclear program, said Flynt Leverett, a former Bush administration Middle East policy
director and now a senior fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 37
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Especially with Assad's visit to Moscow, Russians are signaling that there is more they can do to
undermine U.S. policies, Leverett said.
Syrian officials this week denied reports in Russian news media that Assad had sought Russian
ballistic missiles on his visit to Moscow and had offered to host a Russian naval post again, as
Syria did in the Cold War to ward off any attack by Israel.
Iranian officials, mindful of a possible U.S. or Israeli strike, also have voiced hopes of obtaining
Russia's most advanced antiaircraft missile systems.
In Israel and the United States, there is "definitely rising concern Russia may go ahead and
deliver those systems as a way of further indicating how unhappy it is with U.S. policy," Leverett
said.
Russia, however, also has been building relations and trade with Israel, and has denied selling its
most advanced systems to Syria or Iran. Syria itself is in indirect peace talks with Israel. Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last week that Russia was ready to sell Syria arms of a
"defensive character that do not violate the strategic balance of power in the Middle East."
Israel said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert planned to travel to Russia to discuss any Syria-Russia
arms deals, amid statements from Israeli officials that the arms could be used to bolster Syrian
ally Hezbollah.
Middle East governments have experience with Russian-made weapons, which haven't worked
so well, said Abdel-Moneim Said, director of the al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic
Studies in Cairo. Egyptians still blame their defeats in wars against Israel partly on their Russian-
supplied weapons.
Many Arab analysts initially cheered Russia's flexing of its military muscles. An opinion piece in
the United Arab Emirates-based Gulf News called it "long overdue." Editorials in some Arab news
media this week and last expressed second thoughts, questioning whether Russia has the
stability, surety of purpose or strength to be a leader among countries.
"All that ended up to be a kind of nostalgia, or looking for a new kind of Cold War, when there
was not only one, single power dominating the world, the United States, and its ally, Israel," Said
said.
Now, "there's a realization that Russia has a lot of interests with the West. Also that Russia is still
a limited power," he said. "It's no match. There is no new Cold War coming."
September 2, 2008
E.U. Meets on Georgia Crisis Response
By JUDY DEMPSEY
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 38
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
BERLIN -- Wary of warnings from Russia that it would retaliate if European Union leaders
imposed sanctions at an emergency meeting Monday in Brussels, several influential member
states called for dialogue with the Kremlin over the crisis in Georgia.
President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, the chairman of the meeting , said he was ready to return to
Moscow and Tbilisi to try to resolve the conflict, which has shaken European governments as
they scramble to respond to the biggest crisis they have faced in their relationship with Russia
since the end of the Cold War.
―Sarkozy will head for the Russian and Georgian capitals,‖ the French prime minister, François
Fillon, said.
Mr. Sarkozy, who holds the chair of the EU‘s six-month rotating presidency, helped broker a six-
point cease-fire last month. Even though his foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, hinted at
sanctions last week, France has not pushed this idea.
In what appears to be a softening of the French position, Mr. Fillon said ―the word ‗sanctions‘ is
not on the agenda today. The word that is on the agenda is ‗dialogue.‘‖
Mr. Sarkozy, who is gambling that he can defuse the crisis, said in a letter to EU leaders, ―It is up
to Russia to make a fundamental choice. Russia‘s commitment to a relationship of understanding
and cooperation with the rest of Europe is in doubt.‖
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov lashed out Monday at countries calling for sanctions
to be imposed on Russia.
―Today‘s summit should clear up a great deal. We hope the choice they make will be based on
Europe‘s fundamental interests,‖ Mr. Lavrov said. ―It is time for Europe to get back to simple, non-
politicized and non-geographical values.‖
Poland and the Baltic states want the EU to adopt some form of sanctions, such as blocking
Russia‘s membership in the World Trade Organization or postponing talks on a new trade and
partnership accord with the EU.
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany is under pressure from her conservative bloc to take a
tough line that could include excluding Russia from the Group of 8.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 39
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
But she is also being urged by German industry to avoid this path, according to German
diplomats.
Gernot Erler, Germany‘s deputy foreign minister and a Russia expert, said Berlin and Paris were
united in rejecting sanctions. Sanctions would hurt the Europeans more than Moscow because
―Russia had many possibilities to react,‖ he said on German radio, Monday. But he acknowledged
that it would be almost impossible to reach consensus among the 27 EU member states.
Jean-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg, also rejected sanctions.
―The motto cannot be sanctions against Russia but the motto must be help for Georgia,‖ he told
German public television.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, who has close ties with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin,
said sanctions or punitive measures would be pointless.
Russia, he said, was a power to be reckoned with. ―It still has a nuclear potential to destroy 10
times the population of the world. It is a country growing at a rate of between 7 and 8 per cent a
year. It is a country which has oil and gas,‖ he said.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 40
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
International Affairs
Karadzic defiant before war crimes tribunal
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26452779/
Iran, Nigeria Make Nuke Agreement
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1837414,00.html
Cheney travels to Azerbaijan as part of ex-Soviet republics tour
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-09-03-cheney-azerbaijan_N.htm
N Korea 'Reassembling' Nuke Facility
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1838247,00.html
Dalai Lama in hospital with "discomfort"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080828/ts_nm/india_dalai_dc
Pentagon brass meet with Pakistanis on carrier
http://www.usatoday.com/news/states/2008-08-28-mullen-pakistan_N.htm
Former Argentinian generals sentenced to life
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/08/28/argentina.convictions/index.html
Iraq bans nuclear tests
http://technology.newscientist.com/article/mg19926712.800-iraq-bans-nuclear-
tests.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news4_head_mg19926712.800
Russia tests out new lethal nuke
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1621970.ece
Iraq signs $3B oil deal with China
http://www.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/08/30/iraq.china.oil.deal/index.html
Thousands rally against Taiwan's China policy
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-08-30-taiwan_N.htm
Egypt opens border crossing with Gaza Strip
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080830/ap_on_re_mi_ea/palestinians_egypt
Joint Afghan-US-UN probe launched into deadly raid
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080830/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan
U.S. probe disputes civilian deaths in Afghanistan
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20080902-1455-afghanistan.html
Report says China offered widespread help on nukes
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2008-08-28-china_N.htm
Iranian conservative attacks president on economy
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080831/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_ahmadinejad
Iran warns any attack would start 'world war'
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080830094819.pcrrm00f&show_article=1
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 41
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Thai parliament discusses political crisis
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/31/thailand.protests.ap/index.html
Iraqi-US troops on alert ahead of Anbar handover
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080831/ts_afp/iraqunrestusanbar
Palestinians reject partial peace accord
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080831/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians;_ylt=AsSiRd5nTe.gim
QagB.0m1tvaA8F
Unpopular Japanese prime minister resigns
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan2-2008sep02,0,4074860.story
Weather data to help monitoring for nuclear tests
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080901/sc_nm/un_weather_nuclear_dc;_ylt=AqaHCXdwc.ZXoJK
VUHkUUnMhANEA
U.S. confirms raid inside Pakistan
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20080903-1838-pakistan.html
China Unlikely to Loosen Its Grip in West
Experts Anticipate Unyielding Response to Latest Fatal Attacks in Xinjiang Province
By Jill Drew
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, August 30, 2008; A14
BEIJING, Aug. 30 -- Violent outbursts are continuing in the Xinjiang region of western China, with
the latest resulting in the deaths of two policemen who were attacked Wednesday while
searching a cornfield for a woman they believe is involved in a separatist cell.
State media reported Saturday morning that police found the alleged assailants and shot six of
them dead after they tried to defend themselves with knives, wounding two security officials.
The attack and ensuing capture of suspects was the fourth incident this month in the area,
bringing the total dead to 39 despite intense paramilitary police patrols since before Beijing's
Summer Olympic Games.
In both Xinjiang and the nearby Tibetan regions, China has deployed thousands of security
personnel in recent months to keep the peace and root out troublemakers. Now the government
might consider keeping those forces in the regions indefinitely, experts said, because tensions
remain high. Required affirmations of political loyalty and surveillance of telephone calls, Internet
use and physical movement are also expected to continue.
"Three days ago, I called my mother back in Tibet," said Tenzin Losel, who fled Tibet for India in
1997 and had not spoken with his parents since this spring's riot in Lhasa and the ensuing wave
of anti-government protests that swept the Tibetan plateau. He said he did not want his call to get
them in trouble with police, but he wanted to hear his mother's voice. "She said hello and that she
was okay. Then she asked if I was okay and after I said yes, she just put down the phone. I felt in
that moment the tense division in Tibet."
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 42
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Losel said he knew the attention paid to China during the Olympics would not resolve Tibetan
issues with the government, but he said that "there is a feeling of desperation and helplessness"
among exiled Tibetans after the Games because no foreign official spoke out in support of Tibet.
"There is no justice when it comes to politics," he said.
The Uighurs are a Turkic-speaking Muslim population. Like Tibetans, they have long chafed
under Chinese rule and are pushing for more cultural and religious freedom and economic
opportunity.
The Chinese government rejects calls from foreign governments and exile Tibetan and Uighur
advocacy organizations that it discuss the groups' grievances against China's policies. July
negotiations with envoys for the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, went nowhere.
Chinese media criticize the Dalai Lama as someone who cannot be trusted, while government
officials insist their problems in Xinjiang are the work of terrorist forces attempting to split China.
Indeed, a separatist group that calls itself the Turkestan Islamic Party has issued several
threatening videos this year, urging Uighurs to attack police, government officials and Olympic
targets to draw attention to their call for an independent Uighur nation.
Each of the four attacks this month in Xinjiang was directed at police or security forces. No group
has asserted responsibility for the incidents, all of which used rudimentary weapons and
explosives.
In Xinjiang's Jiashi county, eight police officials armed with clubs were searching for a suspect
when six men wielding knives jumped out of a cornfield, said Kuerbanjiang, 24, a police officer
who was there. "I heard my colleague yell to me, 'Run, run!' " he said in a telephone interview. "I
saw one person carrying a knife pursuing me. I escaped very quickly, cutting through a field to get
through to the village."
The village police chief and a police assistant both died of stab wounds in the abdomen, said a
nurse at a local hospital who spoke on the condition of anonymity. A third officer was seriously
injured. All of the officers attacked are Uighurs, not Han Chinese, police officials said.
Between 1,000 and 2,000 paramilitary police searched for the attackers, identified from
photographs as being the same group that ambushed and killed three security officials in a
nearby town on Aug. 12, Kuerbanjiang said. They found the suspects near Kashgar on Friday
evening, apprehending and wounding three while killing six, according to an official report from
China News.
Uighur advocacy groups say China's approach to the unrest exacerbates the problems. "I worry
about the situation there very much because the Chinese policy of suppression makes the local
situation more serious," said Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman for the World Uighur Congress, an exile
group based in Germany.
But Chinese academics say Xinjiang is a region where China needs to maintain a firm hand to
prevent separatism and terrorism.
"The main and core issue in Xinjiang is separatism, although it combines with some farmers and
land problems. . . . We cannot regard this case purely as citizens trying to protect their rights,"
said Yu Jianrong, a professor at the Institute of Rural Development in the Chinese Academy of
Social Sciences. "If you want peaceful life, you must have strong and forceful measures. If the
government wants to keep Xinjiang inside Chinese territory, they must take measures to crack
down on separatists without any softness."
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 43
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Nicholas Bequelin, a China researcher for Human Rights Watch, said the level of government
control is already so high that it constitutes "a very broad denial of rights in both regions." He said
he does not expect China to let up.
Rather, he expects the government to continue to encourage ethnic Han Chinese to move into
the regions, eventually diluting the ethnic components into the Han majority. "China probably has
the most efficient assimilation model in the world," he said. "It's the ultimate solution."
Russian Activist Shot Dead By Police
By Philip P. Pan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, September 1, 2008; A09
MOSCOW, Aug. 31 -- A leading opposition figure in Russia's volatile Ingushetia province was
shot and killed Sunday after being detained by police, authorities said. His colleagues issued a
call for protests in response, and human rights groups demanded an investigation.
Magomed Yevloyev, a businessman and the owner of a Web site that angered Kremlin-backed
local leaders with its coverage of official corruption and police abuse, suffered a gunshot wound
to his head while in a police car taking him to a station for interrogation, a spokesman for the
Russian prosecutor's office told the Interfax news agency.
A posting on Yevloyev's Web site, Ingushetiya.ru, which the Russian government has been trying
to shut down, called for a mass demonstration Monday in Nazran, the main city in Ingushetia and
the scene of anti-government protests earlier this year that ended in violent clashes with security
forces.
The local government issued a statement saying that Yevloyev was shot after trying to seize a
weapon from one of the police officers holding him. But a lawyer for Yevloyev ridiculed the
explanation and said police dumped Yevloyev on a road after shooting him.
"It was in no way a mistake," the lawyer, Kaloi Akhilgov, told the Reuters news agency.
Yevloyev had just returned to Ingushetia after an absence of several months. He was seized by a
large group of police officers after disembarking from a plane arriving from Moscow, according to
a journalist at the scene who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he feared reprisals.
The journalist said the regional president, Murat Zyazikov, happened to be on the same flight and
called police to the airport after recognizing Yevloyev in the business-class cabin.
Zyazikov, a former KGB officer and ally of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, has been
struggling to contain a low-grade Islamist insurgency in Ingushetia, perhaps the most volatile of
the impoverished ethnic republics of Russia's north Caucasus region since the government
crushed a separatist rebellion in neighboring Chechnya.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 44
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
The Ingush insurgents have staged a series of deadly attacks against security officers and local
authorities, and the local opposition has accused Zyazikov of exacerbating the situation by
responding with a campaign of abductions, unlawful arrests and killings.
Tensions have been running high since last November, when government forces allegedly killed
a 6-year-old boy in a raid. Journalists from Moscow who traveled to Ingushetia to investigate the
case were abducted, forced into a car with black bags over their heads and abandoned half-
naked in a remote area, human rights activists said.
Yevloyev was perhaps the most prominent member of the opposition in Ingushetia and one of
Zyazikov's most vocal critics. In a posting on his Web site last year, he claimed that Zyazikov had
put a $50,000 bounty on his head.
Because of government restrictions on journalists who visit the region, Ingushetiya.ru has been
one of the few sources of independent information about the simmering conflict for the outside
world. A Russian court ordered it to shut down in June, accusing it of disseminating "extremist"
views, and the site's editor in chief, Roza Malsagova, fled the country in July with her family.
But Yevloyev resisted the order, calling it "an attempt to silence the last independent voice" in
Ingushetia and saying Russian courts had no jurisdiction over the site because it was based in
the United States.
Help Wanted: War-Zone Contractors
By Walter Pincus
Monday, September 1, 2008; A11
Contracting out traditional military functions continues to be the practice when it comes to the
wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as illustrated last month by new offerings from the State
Department and the Army.
On behalf of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, the State Department is seeking a contractor to provide
"a fleet of fixed-wing aircraft, light-lift helicopters and medium/heavy-lift helicopters" for "secure,
safe air transportation in support of Embassy programs." Noting that travel in the country "is
extremely hazardous," the Aug. 15 notice requires a contractor that could "provide airlift for
government personnel who need to travel to various locations throughout Afghanistan."
U.S. Embassy personnel normally have access to aircraft available to military attachés. But the
Kabul embassy expects "35,000 individual personnel movements annually to more than 40
locations, some of which do not have runways/airstrips," according to the notice.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 45
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
One of the embassy's missions is helping Afghans with their drug-eradication program. In
countries such as Colombia, where the United States has a major drug-interdiction program, the
State Department has a history of renting fleets of aircraft. But the requirements listed here go far
beyond the needs of the drug program.
The fixed-wing aircraft would be twin-engine turboprops with a range of up to 2,000 nautical
miles, capable of carrying 15 passengers or more. They must be capable of taking off and landing
on unpaved runways and possess "limited passive defensive armor" and an integrated "missile
launch warning and counter-measures system."
In Iraq, the Army is looking for a contractor to provide six piloted aircraft equipped to conduct
airborne surveillance over "four target areas simultaneously . . . in support of ongoing operations,"
according to a published solicitation modified Aug. 12. Such surveillance is normally done by Air
Force or Army aircraft.
The Army is offering up to $55 million a year, with a two-year option to continue, to the contractor
that supplies the aircraft, which would be based primarily at the Kirkuk air base but could be
deployed to three other airfields.
The aircraft would provide full-motion video of surveillance targets using electro-optic and infrared
sensors. They also must have video downlink transmitters and tactical radios. One aircraft is to
be equipped with equipment that sends a laser pulse to the ground and records the time it takes
to return, helping to map an area or gather other types of intelligence.
One possible contractor asked whether the military would mount search-and-rescue missions for
the civilian crews if the planes went down. The Army agreed to do so. But it also told another
questioner that if an aircraft were lost "due to enemy action or combat operations," the United
States would be liable only if the damage or destruction was "caused by U.S. government
personnel."
September 1, 2008
Russia Claims Its Sphere of Influence in the World
By ANDREW E. KRAMER
MOSCOW — President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia on Sunday laid out what he said would
become his government‘s guiding principles of foreign policy after its landmark conflict with
Georgia — notably including a claim to a ―privileged‖ sphere of influence in the world.
Speaking to Russian television in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, a day before a summit meeting in
Brussels where European leaders were to reassess their relations with Russia, Mr. Medvedev
said his government would adhere to five principles.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 46
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Russia, he said, would observe international law. It would reject what he called United States
dominance of world affairs in a ―unipolar‖ world. It would seek friendly relations with other nations.
It would defend Russian citizens and business interests abroad. And it would claim a sphere of
influence in the world.
In part, Mr. Medvedev reiterated long-held Russian positions, like his country‘s rejection of
American aspirations to an exceptional role in world affairs after the end of the cold war. The
Russian authorities have also said previously that their foreign policy would include a defense of
commercial interests, sometimes citing American practice as justification.
In his unabashed claim to a renewed Russian sphere of influence, Mr. Medvedev said: ―Russia,
like other countries in the world, has regions where it has privileged interests. These are regions
where countries with which we have friendly relations are located.‖
Asked whether this sphere of influence would be the border states around Russia, he answered,
―It is the border region, but not only.‖
Last week, Mr. Medvedev used vehement language in announcing Russia‘s recognition of the
independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Though he alluded in passing to respecting
Georgia‘s territorial integrity, he defended Russia‘s intervention as necessary to prevent a
genocide.
Mr. Medvedev, inaugurated in May, was an aide to Vladimir V. Putin, the former president and
now prime minister.
Mr. Putin appeared on Russian television on Sunday from the nation‘s far east, where he was
inspecting progress on a trans-Siberian oil pipeline to China and the Pacific Ocean, a clear
warning to Europe that Russia could find alternative customers for its energy exports. He was
later shown in a forest, dressed in camouflage and hunting a Siberian tiger with a tranquilizer gun.
Leaders of the 27 members of the European Union, who will meet in an emergency session on
Monday, were considered highly unlikely to impose sanctions or go beyond diplomatic measures
in expressing disapproval of Russia‘s conflict with Georgia.
The members in Eastern Europe have tended to be more wary and more confrontational toward
Russia, while Western European countries have tended to be more concerned with not
jeopardizing energy imports from Russia.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 47
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Global Warming/Climate Change News Articles (U.S. and
International)
4,500-year-old ice shelf breaks away
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/09/03/arctic.ice.shelf.ap/index.html
EU lawmakers get cold feet over CO2 curbs
http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn14620-eu-lawmakers-get-cold-feet-over-
cosub2sub-curbs.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news3_head_dn14620
Warming warnings get overheated
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/15/carbonemissions.climatechange
Climate 'hockey stick' is revived
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7592575.stm
Global warming greatest in past decade
http://www.physorg.com/news139508446.html
UN chief: Next US president must lead on climate
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080831/ap_on_sc/un_us_climate_change;_ylt=AtaYzA3y0xAOKJd
A0tXhc.NvieAA
Extreme and risky action the only way to tackle global warming, say scientists
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/01/climatechange.scienceofclimatechange2
UN climate panel re-elects Rajendra Pachauri as chairman
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080902/sc_afp/environmentclimatewarmingipcc_080902175741;_
ylt=Ajs_ECxalmrYYmN2BQ8FZYrPOrgF
September 2, 2008
Beyond Carbon: Scientists Worry About Nitrogen’s Effects
By RICHARD MORGAN
TOOLIK FIELD STATION, Alaska — As Anne Giblin was lugging four-foot tubes of Arctic lakebed
mud from her inflatable raft to her nearby lab this summer, she said, ―Mud is a great storyteller.‖
Dr. Giblin, a senior scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., is part of
the Long Term Ecological Research network at an Arctic science outpost here operated by the
University of Alaska at Fairbanks.
Public discussion of complicated climate change is largely reduced to carbon: carbon emissions,
carbon footprints, carbon trading. But other chemicals have large roles in the planet‘s health, and
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 48
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
the one Dr. Giblin is looking for in Arctic mud, one that a growing number of other researchers are
also concentrating on, is nitrogen.
In addition to having a role in climate change, nitrogen has a huge, probably more important
biological impact through its presence in fertilizer. Peter Vitousek, a Stanford ecologist whose
1994 essay put nitrogen on the environmental map, co-authored a study this summer in the
journal Nature that put greater attention on the nitrogen cycle and warned against ignoring it in
favor of carbon benefits.
For example, Dr. Vitousek said in an interview, ―There‘s a great danger in doing something like,
oh, overfertilizing a cornfield to boost biofuel consumption, where the carbon benefits are far
outweighed by the nitrogen damage.‖
Soon after Dr. Vitousek‘s report, the journal Geophysical Research Letters branded as a ―missing
greenhouse gas‖ nitrogen trifluoride, which is used in production of semiconductors and in liquid-
crystal displays found in many electronics. According to the report, it causes more global warming
than coal-fired plants. Nitrogen trifluoride, which is not one of the six gases covered by the Kyoto
Protocol, the celebrated international global warming accord, is about 17,000 times more potent
than carbon dioxide. Its estimated worldwide release into the atmosphere this year is equivalent
to the total global-warming emissions from Austria.
―The nitrogen dilemma,‖ Dr. Vitousek added, ―is not just thinking that carbon is all that matters.
But also thinking that global warming is the only environmental issue. The weakening of
biodiversity, the pollution of rivers, these are local issues that need local attention. Smog. Acid
rain. Coasts. Forests. It‘s all nitrogen.‖
Dr. Vitousek‘s summer report followed a similar account in May in the journal Science by James
N. Galloway, an environmental sciences professor at the University of Virginia and a former
chairman of the International Nitrogen Initiative, a group of scientists pushing for smarter use of
nitrogen.
Dr. Galloway is developing a universal calculator for individual nitrogen footprints. ―It‘s
Goldilocks‘s problem,‖ he said in an interview. ―Reactive nitrogen isn‘t a waste product. We need
it desperately. Just not too much and not too little. It‘s just more complicated than carbon.‖ He
continued, ―But we‘re not going to get anywhere telling people this is simple or easy.‖
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 49
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Dr. Giblin of Woods Hole spent the summer at the field station here, midway between the Arctic
Circle and the Arctic Ocean, researching the nitrogen content of lakebed sediment — not the inert
nitrogen that makes up 80 percent of air, the reactive nitrogen that Dr. Galloway referred to. In
forms like nitric acid, nitrous oxide, ammonia and nitrate it plays a variety of roles.
Nitrogen is part of all living matter. When plants and animals die, their nitrogen is passed into soil
and the nitrogen in the soil, in turn, nourishes plants on land and seeps into bodies of water. Dr.
Giblin is pursuing her research because as the Arctic warms, the tundra‘s permafrost will thaw,
and the soil will release carbon and nitrogen into the atmosphere.
When an ecosystem has too much nitrogen, the first response is that life blossoms. More fish,
more plants, more everything. But this quickly becomes a kind of nitrogen cancer. Waters cloud
and are overrun with foul-smelling algae blooms that can cause toxic ―dead zones.‖ Scientists call
this process eutrophication, but the laymen‘s translation is that the water gets mucked up beyond
all recognition. A recent such plague bedeviled China when its Yellow Sea was smothered in
algae at Qingdao, the planned site of Olympic sailing events this summer. More than mere
inconvenience, such problems routinely threaten many coastal areas and riverside communities.
Nancy Rabalais, executive director of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, is known as
Queen of the Dead Zone. She cruises around the Gulf of Mexico every summer in the research
vessel Pelican to look for damage from nitrogen-rich river flows into the gulf. This year, she
expects a dead zone that will beat the Massachusetts-size 8,500-square-mile bloom of 2002.
One of the problems, Dr. Rabalais said, is that the Mississippi River involves so many
communities that it requires stronger federal guidance, which she said was not a part of the Bush
administration‘s policies. She is part of a national research committee financed by the
Environmental Protection Agency and run by the National Academies of Science, but, she said,
―it‘s so much talk and not enough action.‖
She continued: ―Because you‘re not just going up against the agribusiness lobby, but also the
livelihood of farmers. It‘s not exactly popular in the Midwest.‖
Fertilizer use is largely inefficient. With beef, only about 6 percent of nitrogen used in raising cows
ends up in their meat; the rest leeches out into air or water supplies. With pork, it is 12 percent;
chicken, 25 percent. Milk, eggs and grain have the highest efficiency, about 35 percent, or half of
what, in the metric of report cards, is a C-minus.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 50
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
―Look,‖ she said, ―you just can‘t have all these states and all these communities knowingly
overfertilizing their land because they want a bumper crop every year. That‘s just all kinds of bad.
But Des Moines, for example, is willing to filter their drinking water to an extra degree just to be
able to flood their water supply with more-than-normal levels of fertilizer.‖
Reactive nitrogen competes with greenhouse gases that have greater public awareness. ―But it‘s
like looking at malaria and AIDS in Africa,‖ Dr. Rabalais said. ―They‘re both problems. And they
both need vigilant attention.‖
Environmentalists face the puzzle of how to deal with multiple problems at once. And some worry
that after the hard-fought campaign spotlighting carbon, turning to focus on nitrogen could upset
that momentum.
The tension can plague even the most informed and articulate campaigners. ―One of the many
complexities that complicate the task I‘ve undertaken is complexity,‖ said Al Gore, the former vice
president who won a Noble Peace Prize for his environmental work. Mr. Gore added, ―Look, I can
start a talk by saying, ‗There are 14 global warming pollutants, and we have a different solution
for addressing each of them.‘ And it‘s true. But you start to lose people.‖
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 51
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Alternate Energy Research and Development News
U.S. pledges aid in making S.D. shine in solar-powered program
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080829-9999-1m29solar.html
New steam technology to turn car engine's waste heat into power
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/aug/27/alternativeenergy.energy
Wind, solar energy built on temporary tax breaks
http://www.newsweek.com/id/156502
Experts wary of Pickens' clean-energy plan
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/01/MNO512K43O.DTL&tsp=1
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 52
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Reports
REPORTS OF THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY AND
DEFENCE (Canada)
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/2/parlbus/commbus/senate/Com-e/defe-e/press-
e/RECOMMENDATION-BINDER-eng.pdf
Congressional Research Service, Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC): An
Overview
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34585_20080721.pdf
Observations and Tectonic Setting of Historic and Instrumentally Located Earthquakes in the
Greater New York City–Philadelphia Area
http://www.bssaonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/4/1696
THE FEDERAL RESPONSE TO HURRICANE KATRINA: LESSONS LEARNED
http://www.whitehouse.gov/reports/katrina-lessons-learned/
A Failure of Initiative: The Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the
Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina
http://katrina.house.gov/full_katrina_report.htm
Government Accountability Office, Chemical Safety Board: Improvements in Management and
Oversight Are Needed
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08864r.pdf
NRC Pre-Publication Report on Bureau of Reclamation Dam Security Program
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12463
Kansas‘ Adjutant General‘s Department Annual Report 2007
http://www.kansas.gov/ksadjutantgeneral/Library/Annual%20Report%202007/Annual%20Report
%202007.pdf
Bridging the Gap: Restoring and Rebuilding the Nation‘s Bridges
http://www.transportation1.org/BridgeReport/
In Case of Emergency: Promoting and Improving North Carolina‘s Disaster Preparedness
http://www.bcbsncfoundation.org/elements/media/files/BCBS_Emergency_Handbookweb.pdf
Indigenous Knowledge for Disaster Risk Reduction: Good Practices and Lessons Learned from
Experiences in the Asia-Pacific Region
http://www.unisdr.org/eng/about_isdr/isdr-publications/19-Indigenous_Knowledge-
DRR/Indigenous_Knowledge-DRR.pdf
California State Auditor, Office of Spill Prevention and Response: It Has Met Many of Its
Oversight and Response Duties, but Interaction with Local Government, the Media, and
Volunteers Needs Improvement, August 2008
http://www.bsa.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2008-102.pdf
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 53
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Additional Information
International Association of Emergency Managers Live Learning Center
http://www.softconference.com/iaem/
IAEM Membership Videos
http://www.iaem.com/video.asp
Emergency Information Infrastructure Virtual Forum
http://www.emforum.org/
Florida Division of Emergency Management External Affairs Website
http://www.floridadisaster.org/externalaffairs/
Florida Division of Emergency Management, Training and Exercise Website
http://www.floridadisaster.org/Preparedness/TrainingandExercise/index.htm
FEMA, National Advisory Council Website
http://www.fema.gov/about/nac/
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Leadership Journal
http://www.dhs.gov/journal/leadership/
United Nations, Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Website
http://ochaonline.un.org/
United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency
Response (UN-SPIDER)
http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/unspider/index.html
Principles of Emergency Management
http://www.iaem.com/publications/documents/EMPrinciples091107.pdf
Disaster Zone: Emergency Management in the Blogosphere (Eric Holdeman‘s Blog Site)
http://www.disaster-zone.com/
Southern Poverty Law Center, Intelligence Project Website
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intpro.jsp
National Response Framework Website
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nrf/mainindex.htm
Emergency Management Professional Organization for Women's Enrichment™ (EMPOWER)
Website
http://www.empower-women.com/mc/page.do
Association for Public Safety Communications Officials-International Website
http://www.apco911.org/
FX Networks: 30 Days
http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/30days/index.php
We can solve the Climate Crisis.org
http://www.wecansolveit.org/
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 54
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
U.S. Geological Survey Website
http://www.usgs.gov/
A&E Television, the Cleaner
http://www.aetv.com/the-cleaner/index.jsp
National Hydrologic Warning Council's 2009 conference in Vail, Colorado
www.hydrologicwarning.org
National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services, Emergency
Response Preparedness Self-Assessment Instrument
http://rtc.umn.edu/erp/main/using.asp
FEMA Reopens Public Comment Period on Management Cost Interim Rule
http://www.iaem.com/publications/news/EMNews.htm#FEMA082908
Solar Boston Interactive Map (Boston, Massachusetts)
http://gis.cityofboston.gov/solarboston/
Natural Hazards Center, Disaster Research 508
http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/dr/currentdr.html
Storm Door: Your Online Guide to Hurricane Season 2008
http://homelandsecurity.tamu.edu/hurricane/
Hosting a Disaster: Tips for Host Cities (Mercatus on Policy, No. 23)
http://www.mercatus.org/uploadedFiles/Mercatus/Publications/mop23(1).pdf
Testimony of Prof. Amos N. Guiora, Professor of Law, S. J. Quinney College of Law, University of
Utah, House Committee on Homeland Security Hearing on ‗The Resilient Homeland: How DHS
Intelligence Should Empower America to Prepare for, Prevent, and Withstand Terrorist Attacks‘
http://www.mercatus.org/uploadedFiles/Mercatus/Publications/The%20Resilient%20Homeland.pd
f
Building a Safe Port in the Storm: Private vs. Public Choices in Hurricane Mitigation (Mercatus
Policy Series, Policy Comment No. 21)
http://www.mercatus.org/uploadedFiles/Mercatus/Publications/MPS_PDF_Building%20a%20Safe
%20Port%20In%20the%20Storm.pdf
CIDRAP, WHACK the Flu (City of Berkeley, CA, Public Health Division)
http://www.pandemicpractices.org/practices/resource.do?resource-id=317&state-id=6
A Policy Maker‘s Guide to Effective Disaster Preparedness and Response (Mercatus on Policy
No. 20)
http://www.mercatus.org/uploadedFiles/Mercatus/Publications/MOP_PDF_A%20Policy%20Maker
s%20Guide%20to%20Effective%20Disaster%20Preparedness%20and%20Response.pdf
The Role of Social Entrepreneurship in Post-Disaster Recovery
http://www.mercatus.org/uploadedFiles/Mercatus/Publications/PDF_WP_Role%20of%20Social%
20Entrepreneurship%20in%20PostDisasterRecovery.pdf
Seven Years After 9/11: Al-Qaida‘s Strengths and Vulnerabilities
http://icsr.info/files/ICSR%20Richard%20Barret%20Paper.pdf
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 55
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Simulating the Economic Impacts of a Hypothetical Bio-Terrorist Attack: A Sports Stadium Case
http://www.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1437&context=jhsem
Disaster Management: The Structure, Function, and Significance of Network-Centric Operations
http://www.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1411&context=jhsem
University of Chicago, Master of Science in Threat and Response Management Program
https://grahamschool.uchicago.edu/php/mstrm/
New York City, NY HOWCALM Website
http://www.howcalm.org/
U.S. National Park Service, Yosemite Search and Rescue Website
http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/sar/
Tips for staying connected in disasters
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26458645/
NY Times, the Patchy Return of New Orleans Interactive Graphic
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/29/us/20080831_KATRINA_GRAPHIC.html
YouTube, Katrina Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvoEiBnpCc8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yd5WreHxPg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2vnMBHh4Ow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVsp_ufeHUA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s76Qn7bpCsQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fWg_3mFAyM&feature=related
Inside our border's first line of defense (United States)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25999369/
Stand Up to Cancer Website
http://su2c.standup2cancer.org/
Florida Special Needs Sheltering Information Index Website
http://floridadisaster.org/disability/
Florida Division of Emergency Management, Tropical Storm Fay Civil Air Patrol Mission Aerial
Photos
http://www.floridadisaster.org/gis/kml/flooding/viewer.htm
Emergency Management Assistance Compact Information
Introduction to EMAC
http://www.emacweb.org/?1592
Protocols of EMAC ETF and LSR
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 56
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
http://www.emacweb.org/?1597
The State‘s Role Under EMAC
http://www.emacweb.org/?1594
Understanding EMAC
http://www.emacweb.org/?1593
Storm Pulse
Stormpulse.com is a production of Matt and Brad and is the result of almost as many hours of
conversation as coding. Matt began creating Stormpulse.com in 2004. He currently resides in
West Palm Beach, Florida. Brad joined the effort in 2006, wearing many hats, from system
administrator to relentless visionary. His code is mailed in from Chicago, Illinois. We also want to
thank our friends and family that have supported the project, especially our nameless ―resident
skeptic and occasional consultant‖ for never ceasing to fuel the fire of wanting to prove him
wrong.
Complete details and storm tracking at:
http://www.stormpulse.com/hurricane-ike-2008
Alternative Medical Treatment Site Exercise
The Center for Disaster Risk Policy at FSU in association with Florida‘s Department of Health,
recently developed and facilitated a series of five Alternative Medical Treatment Site exercises
across the state. These exercises were designed to assess the ability of local emergency
responders and volunteer medical personnel (Medical Reserve Corps members and others) to
treat victims with minor injuries in the event of a mass causality incident thus reducing the patient
surge on local hospital.
For additional information on this series of exercises please visit the following web site:
www.betaexercise.org
Center for Homeland Defense and Security MET Seminar
The MET seminar focuses exclusively on enhancing the capacity of top government officials to
successfully address new Homeland Security challenges. For states, the target audience is the
Governor and his/her Homeland Security team, which is expected to consist of the Governor‘s
senior staff and the heads of each department and agency that has a role in Homeland Security.
The MET seminar is also available for major urban area senior Homeland Security leaders.
Complete details at:
http://www.chds.us/?met
Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with
Disabilities, August 2008 Updates
Federal Communications Commission
FCC Adapts Telephone Numbering System and E-911 Requirements for Providers of Internet-
Based Telecommunications Relay Services
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took important step toward providing
Americans with hearing and speech disabilities with access to the telephone network that is
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 57
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
―functionally equivalent‖ to voice telephone services. Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS),
and newer, Internet-based forms of TRS, including Video Relay Service (VRS) and Internet
Protocol (IP) Relay, allow persons with hearing and speech disabilities to communicate with
hearing users of voice services. Until now, there was no uniform, consistent way for voice
telephone users to call Internet-based TRS users. Further, TRS typically has not provided the
same access to emergency services as compared to traditional telephone services.
The FCC Order adopts a system for assigning traditional ten-digit telephone numbers to Internet-
based TRS users. This means that Internet-based TRS users will be able to reach and be
reached by both hearing users of the traditional telephone network and other Internet-based TRS
users by doing something most Americans take for granted – dialing a ten-digit phone number.
Internet-based TRS users will also be able to transfer their numbers from one provider to another,
and users will be able to use any Internet-based TRS provider they choose.
In addition, to ensure that Internet-based TRS users have functionally equivalent access to
emergency services, the Order requires providers to obtain and maintain the physical location of
their users — the same obligation the FCC has imposed on interconnected voice over IP
providers – and to automatically route emergency calls from Internet-based TRS users to the
appropriate emergency services authorities using such information. The Order also directs
Internet-based TRS providers to notify their users of these changes. Providers of Internet-based
TRS must comply with the Order‘s requirements no later than December 31, 2008.
In an accompanying Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC sought additional comment on
related implementation issues, including, for example, the potential application of anti-slamming
protections to protect relay consumers, and whether and to what extent the customer proprietary
network information (CPNI) rules should apply to TRS providers.
US Department of Labor
Relief Report: Iowa Disability Program Navigators (DPNs)
Iowa DPNs, assisted by two Wisconsin DPNs, addressed the identification and stabilization of
Iowa residents with disabilities impacted by the floods. The DPN deployment plan enhances the
relief efforts of all Iowa agencies through various strategies, including the implementation of a $17
million DOL National Emergency Grant, in coordination with FEMA and the American Red Cross.
Deploying the DPNs as first-line responders to assist people with disabilities to obtain on the-
ground services, followed by connecting them back to/linking them with the workforce investment
system to promote stability and economic self-sufficiency has proven to be an effective model
during the Gulfport Hurricanes and again during the recent Iowa flooding. The level of
collaboration and successful outcomes are impressive.
There was a two-week deployment operating simultaneously in three areas: 1) Waterloo/Cedar
Falls; 2) Cedar Rapids/Iowa City; and 3) Quad Cities, Burlington. In each of the three areas,
there is team consisting of an Iowa DPN and a Wisconsin DPN. This ensures that at least one
DPN on each team was part of the DPN Gulf Coast Hurricane relief and recovery effort.
Recently Released Resources
Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC)
The National Library of Medicine has created the DIMRC to aid in the nation‘s disaster
management efforts by providing information as part of the Federal effort to help prepare,
respond to, recover from, and mitigate the adverse health effects of disasters in conjunction with
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 58
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
Federal, State, local government, private organizations, and local communities. To learn more,
visit http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc.html
Around the World Today 03/09/08 (Part I)
BANGLADESH: Rising rivers driven by late monsoon storms in northern Bangladesh Tuesday
flooded hundreds of homes and forced the rescue of thousands of people stranded in muddy
villages, officials said. The swollen Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers breached their banks,
inundating farmlands in the 16 stricken districts in the past two days, the Flood Forecasting and
Warning Centre said. The rains have been blamed for at least eight deaths in mudslides since the
weekend. Nearly 20,000 people from the low-lying areas in Kurigram and Gaibandha districts
were given shelter in schools and community centres. Another 100,000 people were waiting to be
rescued, officials said.
YEMEN: Hundreds of families (totalling about 2,000 people) in the southern governorate of Abyan
have begun to leave their homes due to severe drought in their mountain villages, a senior official
has said. Sirar District, a mountainous area in Abyan, has been particularly badly affected since
May. Al-Khader Mohammed Saleh, director-general of Sirar District, told IRIN that over 300
families had left their villages over the past week as a result of the drought.
Around the World Today 04/09/08 (Part II)
BENIN: Rising sea levels have destroyed hundreds of homes, hotels, roads and harvests, and
threaten to engulf large areas of Cotonou, Benin's capital. A government-commissioned study
about a year ago recommended urgent action to hold back the rising tides, and save the city's
ports, airport, and coastal communities, but political infighting has blocked funding. Residents of
the city, with a population of about three million people, say little has changed - except the
advancing sea.
INDIA: Uttar Pradesh - Nearly 200 people, mostly children, have died in an outbreak of Japanese
encephalitis in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, health officials said today. A
spokesman from the state-run BRD Medical College in the state's Gorakhpur district said the toll
had reached 199 with the deaths of five more children on today.
BURKINA FASO: Six people have been killed through torrential rains and violent winds in
southwest Burkina Faso. 18 others are wounded and 4,200 are homeless, said the Government
National Council for Emergency Aid - CONASUR.
CANADA: Nunavut - One of Canada's five remaining Arctic ice shelves - the 4,500-year-old, 50-
sq.-km. Markham Ice Shelf - has broken completely away from Ellesmere Island and drifted into
the Arctic Ocean, the most dramatic sign yet of how rising temperatures and retreating sea ice
are creating "irreversible" changes to the country's polar frontier. Just days after Prime Minister
Stephen Harper returned from a northern tour that highlighted an emerging national debate over
the economic and ecological future of the oil-rich Arctic, a Canadian-led team of scientists has
revealed to Canwest News Service that the Markham Ice Shelf collapsed in early August and that
more than 200 square kilometres of Canada's ice shelves - 23 per cent of the total area covered
in Canada by these rare physical features - have disappeared this summer alone.
PUERTO RICO: Though Hurricane Hanna has passed Puerto Rico and was downgraded earlier
today (Sep. 2) to tropical storm status, reports released today indicate that two students of the
University of Puerto Rico are likely dead due to the storm. Police officials confirmed today that the
body of a Columbian man has been recovered from a surging river swollen by the torrential rains
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 59
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.
This service is brought to in cooperation with the International Association of Emergency
Managers (IAEM). If you‘re interested in learning more about IAEM, please visit our website
at: http://www.iaem.com/
of Hanna. Additionally, a Brazilian woman who was with the deceased at the time of the storm
remains missing and is also presumed dead.
AUSTRALIA: Rivers in Australia's most important farming region are in critical condition thanks to
the long-running drought, with no sign of an end to the 'big dry,' officials said Tuesday. The
Murray-Darling Basin Commission, which monitors the east coast region that accounts for some
40 percent of the nation's farming production, said the level of water entering the Murray River
was at a record low.
COLOMBIA: A 4.6 magnitude earthquake rattled the crater of the active Nevado del Huila
volcano in southeastern Colombia near noon Tuesday. Shakes were felt in various southeastern
cities and towns, including Neiva, the capital of the department of Huila, but no injuries or
damages were reported. The volcano has been monitored constantly since its reactivation in
2007 after 500 years of dormancy. Activities have caused several evacuations of the surrounding
areas.
USA: Louisiana - A tornado struck a New Orleans suburb today, smashing buildings but causing
no injuries in a community evacuated before Hurricane Gustav hit a day earlier, the fire chief said.
Fire chief Keith Bouvier said the extent of the damage in the city of Westwego showed that two
tornadoes may have hit the area. Damage to an estimated 15 buildings included roofs ripped off
and a brick wall collapsed onto a car.
RUSSIA: Altayskiy Kray - A total of 35 sheep have been tested positive for brucellosis on a
private farm in the village Volchikha of Volchikhinskaya region. The farm is located in the territory
of former bigger farm called Voskhod. There are 701 sheep on this farm and specimens have
been taken from all of them. One sheep died before being tested. The regional office of ministry
of emergencies said that there are 9 people who came in contact with these sheep. All these
people have been tested for brucellosis as well, and 3 of them had positive results. Currently all
sick and suspected animals have been isolated. The entire herd is banned from entry into grazing
areas. The entrances to the infected farm are supplied with disinfecting barriers. The entire farm
has been disinfected. A ruling of local government has been issued about limitations imposed on
sheep in the territory because of brucellosis. The issue of utilization of sick animals and contacted
herd is now being discussed.
CHILE: Over 12,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in southern Chile due to a
chain of storms and heavy rain that is thought to be the worst in 40 years in the area. A further
10,000 people were left isolated in the Araucania Region alone. Of these, some 6,000 were in the
area of Curarrehue, which remained out of bounds for police helicopters Tuesday due to difficult
weather conditions.
FIJI: The medical authorities in Fiji confirmed a national dengue fever outbreak, the Fiji Times
reported on Wednesday. Sources close to the Health Ministry said divisional teams had been
activated after a marked increase in cases reported at hospitals and health centers throughout
the country. It is understood that more than four cases of dengue per day have been reported at
public and private health facilities over the past few weeks.
TURKEY: A moderate earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 shook eastern Turkey on Wednesday,
causing damage to buildings in the southeastern province of Adiyaman. It said the quake
occurred at 05:22 a.m. (0222 GMT) in the province of Adiyaman. There were no immediate
reports of casualties.
Disclaimer: The information included in this document does not necessarily represent the 60
opinions of the editor or IAEM. Steve Detwiler or IAEM do not endorse or support any agency,
organization, or company that posts or distributes this document.