DHS wants green card holders‘ fingerprints
[cnet.com] Millions of green card holders will be fingerprinted and photographed every time they enter the United States as part of an expansion of a controversial biometric program, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday. The expansion of the US-VISIT program to permanent residents–also known as green card holders–takes effect on January 18, […]
Israel: 54 police officers hurt during drill
Mass police exercise in south takes turn for the worst as car crash injures five officers, mock riot results in dozens of casualties [ynetnews.com] Some 54 police officers sustained minor injuries on Thursday during an exercise gone awry. The Police Department held an exercise simulating mass riot and crowd control procedures near the southern military […]
Spying on pacifists, environmentalists and nuns
An undercover Maryland State Police trooper infiltrated nonviolent groups and labeled dozens of people as terrorists. [latimes.com] To friends in the protest movement, Lucy was an eager 20-something who attended their events and sent encouraging e-mails to support their causes. Only one thing seemed strange. "At one demonstration, I remember her showing up with a […]
RNC: Cell phone were tracked, satellite photos were used
[news.infoshop.org] The American Civil Liberties Union recently came across a revealing RNC Homeland Security Document. This official document (http://www.aclu-mn.org/downloads/homelandsecurity.pdf) was uncovered by the website Wikileaks, which according to its website "We help you safely get the truth out". This document outlines the planning leading up to the Republican National Convention and how security forces would […]
Canada: 1st Predator ‚unmanned aircraft system‘ for border security to arrive Thursday
The first Predator B ‘unmanned aircraft system’ for northern border security is set to arrive at 2 p.m. Thursday at Grand Forks Air Force Base. The UAS will support U.S. Customs and Border Patrol personnel on the ground. The UAS is slated to begin operational flights as early as January, according to a news release. […]
EU: „CHECK THE WEB“ PROJECT
[statewatch News Online, 4 December 2008] EU: "CHECK THE WEB" PROJECT which looks for terrorist websites with the object of closing them down: From "terrorism" to "Islamist propaganda from moderate Islamist websites": Draft Council conclusions on the continuation of work on combating terrorism (EU doc no: 15684/08, dated 14 November 2008) http://www.statewatch.org/news/2008/nov/eu-council-conclusions-combating-terrorism-15684-08.pdf These Conclusions say […]
Morocco issues biometric ID cards
[news.cnet.com] Morocco’s national security service has begun issuing millions of "contactless," biometric identification smart cards to simultaneously fight terrorism and guarantee respect for "citizens‘ rights and liberty," according to that North African government. Moroccan citizens over 18 years old are required to carry the new ID, but on the upside; the card conveniently supplants birth […]
Police seek volunteers to monitor surveillance cameras
[chitowndailynews.org] Residents in the 22nd Police District are being asked by Chicago police to volunteer to monitor cop surveillance cameras. The cameras, formally called Police Observation Devices, or PODs, are mounted on streetlights in neighborhoods and used by police to spot illegal activity, including loitering, drug dealing and other crimes.
Around 150 foreigners deported from Belarus during operation
[axisglobe.com] Around 150 foreigners were deported from Belarus during the operation Illegal Migrant, news agency BelTA reports, referring to the information and public relations department of the Belarusian Interior Ministry. “Results of the special action ‘Illegal Migrant’, which was carried out by law enforcement officers in cooperation with the Border Guard Service and the State […]
First accomplishment of the RapidEye satellite constellation
[gmes.info] The RapidEye constellation, composed by five identical Earth observation satellites in orbit since August 2008, has just provided its first, high resolution, images. This positive result should encourage the next step to be undertaken by the satellite operator RapidEye AG which is to propose scientific and commercial services by the end of 2008. The […]
ESA summit aimed at enhancing space’s role in global challenges
[gmes.info] At the ESA Council Meeting, held on 25-26 November 2008, a set of resolutions have been adopted and concerned the contribution of space to achieve Europe’s global objectives; the budget of ESA for the period of 2009-2013; the financing of the Guiana Space Centre and the future functioning of ESA. Moreover, Ministers agreed on […]
Brigade homeland tours start Oct. 1
3rd Infantry’s 1st BCT trains for a new dwell-time mission. Helping ‘people at home’ may become a permanent part of the active Army [armytimes.com] The 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team has spent 35 of the last 60 months in Iraq patrolling in full battle rattle, helping restore essential services and escorting supply convoys.Now […]
Statewatch: Restriction on the EU freedom of movement
Press release, 27 November 2008 JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS COUNCIL, Brussels, 27 November: Restriction on the EU freedom of movement of citizens who have been convicted of serious crime or for "repeated offences" (which may be "low level") Ministers are discussing the adoption of Council Conclusions: Free movement of persons: abuses and substantive problems – […]
Giorgio Agamben: Terrorism or tragicomedy?
[farkyaralari.blogspot.com] On the morning of November 11, 150 police officers, most of which belonged to the anti-terrorist brigades, surrounded a village of 350 inhabitants on the Millevaches plateau, before raiding a farm in order to arrest nine young people (who ran the local grocery store and tried to revive the cultural life of the village). […]
UK: Police to get 10,000 Taser guns
[timesonline.co.uk] Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, is to arm police with 10,000 Taser stun guns in an escalation of the government’s fight against violent crime. Smith will unveil plans tomorrow that will enable all 30,000 front-line response officers to be trained in firing the electric guns at knife-wielding thugs and other violent suspects. Smith said […]
Obama’s top choice for homeland security secretary is a tough politician
[mcall.com] Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, President-elect Barack Obama’s top choice to run the Homeland Security Department, is tough on illegal immigration, child abuse and Republicans. A former federal prosecutor, state attorney general and twice-elected governor of Arizona, Napolitano would bring a wide skill set to what many have called the hardest job in government. If […]
Eurojust: „A number of illegal immigrants have been detained“
[eurojust.europa.eu] Sixty-five persons suspected of taking part in a people-smuggling network have been arrested throughout Europe during the last few days in an operation, conducted by the Spanish National Police, supported by Europol and Eurojust. The investigations and arrests took place in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, the Slovak Republic and Poland. The majority of the […]
EUROPOL: Coordinating the fight against serious and organised crime
[libertysecurity.org] Europol, the European Police Office responsible for coordinating the fight against serious and organised crime, began operations from its headquarters in The Hague in 1999. In January 2010 it will become an agency of the EU. The Council Decision bringing about this change in its constitution has made some amendments to its objects, powers, […]
The EU and US move towards an international data protection agreement?
Data protection from a transatlantic perspective [libertysecurity.org] Recent years have been marked by a growing demand of personal data for public security purposes. Access and protection of those data are climbing the transatlantic political agenda. They have raised tensions and fostered forms of cooperation. The possible conclusion of an international binding agreement on a common […]
Francesco Cossiga: „The forces of law and order should massacre the demonstrators without pity“
Former Italian Home Secretary, Prime Minister and President [anarkismo.net] The proposed education reform (known as the Gelmini Law, after the current Education Minister) is provoking enormous reaction from students, parents and teachers and many schools and universities have been occupied by protesters in recent days. Two days ago, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi threatened to restore […]