Tag Archives: Security

Russia, Great Britain suspend flights to Sharm El-Sheikh

To say it is chaotic at the Sharm El-Sheikh airport is an understatement as Egyptian authorities said that only eight of the 29 rescue flights that were planned for today will be taking off.  Empty planes are being diverted as passengers that can only take their hand luggage with them are struggling to get home. As stranded passengers observe flight after flight being canceled the frustration is mounting.  

Sharm El-Sheikh is a tourist destination for many in Europe but inbound flights have all been canceled from Great Britain and now very few are being sent to pick up the thousands of British Tourists.  According to Reuters, about 20,000 are believed to be in the area.  

Russia has also just announced that until the results have come in regarding the cause of Metrojet Airbus A321 to break up and crash in Sinai all flights in to the region are suspended.  Putin has declared that this action is only prudent for Russian’s safety. He has also asked that all Russian tourists leave the area.  

There are currently 45,000 Russian tourists in Sharm el-Sheikh, one of the most popular destinations for holidaymakers, according to Oleg Safonov, the head of Russia’s state tourism agency quoted by the TASS news agency.

The numbers of Russian tourists currently in the Red Sea resort bring home how devastating Putin’s decision will be for the Egyptian economy. Up to a third of all visitors are Russian.

Some uninvestigated tweets that are coming by tourists stranded at the airport have spoken about how easy it has been to get around security at the airport citing that $35 would get you out of having your luggage searched.  

Ted Koppel States that the U.S. is Unprepared for an Attack on the Power Grid

Veteran journalist, Ted Koppel, is getting the word out to the American public that the U.S. does not have a plan for a cyberattack against the power grid.

In his latest book “Lights Out,” Koppel writes on what would happen if another country took out the nation’s power grid via hacking, and how it would be difficult for unprepared American residents to survive.

“It’s frightening,” Koppel told CBS News. “I mean, it is frightening enough that my wife and I decided we were going to buy enough freeze-dried food for all of our kids and their kids.”

Koppel went on to say that the former Chief Scientists of the NSA told him that Russia and China were already in the power grid. And soon, Iran and terrorist groups like ISIS may be able to hack their way into the power grid’s system that is connected to the Internet.

“I’m not sure why it hasn’t happened yet,” cyber security consultant Larry Pesce told CBS. “It’s definitely not for lack of capability on various parts, be it us or the enemy. I think it comes down to timing. I think we need to make the right people mad at the right time.”

According to Koppel, he has talked with every former secretary of Homeland Security and they all said the same thing: there is no plan for a cyberattack against the power grid. However, Homeland Security replied to CBS saying that there is a plan, but they did not give details.

A former Defense Department official, Paul Stockton, told CBS that Koppel is wrong. While there is a plan in place, Stockton did admit that there could be improvement in security measures both through the government and the power companies.

“The government is building plans very, very quickly now to help manage the consequences of an attack on the grid,” Stockton said.

Stockton did add that Koppel was smart for stocking up on food and water for him and his family.

Average citizens need to be able to take care of their own families and their own neighborhoods and their own communities, and not assume that Uncle Sam is somehow going to magically bring in the cavalry and rescue them,” he said.

Israel Increases Security to Battle Escalating Violence

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is keeping his promise to try and combat the escalating violence in Israel, by deploying extra soldiers in cities across the country and setting up roadblocks in Palestinian neighborhoods.

“Today we … decide on a series of vigorous steps in our fight against the sources of terrorism and incitement,” the Prime Minister said. “They will be implemented as quickly as possible.”

In an overnight session, Israel’s security cabinet authorized the security measures after Palestinians with guns and knives killed three Israelis and injured several others on Tuesday. The approved measures included increasing the ranks of the Israeli police, 300 new security guards for public transportation, and authorization given to police to surround “centers of friction and incitement” in Jerusalem.

Additional measures include “terrorists” having their permanent resident rights revoked and the government confiscating their property. Palestinian neighborhoods will be cordoned off, and Israeli authorities will have the ability to demolish homes of attackers with no rebuilding allowed.

“We’re taking things step by step, stage by stage,” said police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld. “We’re working carefully and cautiously in order to prevent and respond to any further attacks today in Jerusalem.”

Palestinian officials called the increase in security a collective punishment and condemned Israel’s actions. Human Rights Watch also disagreed with the new security measures.

“Locking down east Jerusalem neighborhoods will infringe upon the freedom of movement of all Palestinian residents rather than being a narrowly tailored response to a specific concern,” said Sari Bashi of Human Rights Watch.

Secretary of State John Kerry announced that he would be visiting the Middle East very soon to help calm the situation, but he did not state when exactly he plans to go.

Some have suggested that the violence is part of a third Palestinian uprising, also known as an intifada. Others dismiss this theory, saying it is unrest that is due to the absence of an progress toward peace.

“We’ve tried negotiations and it didn’t work,” a Palestinian youth in the West Bank city of Hebron told CNN. “So now we will fight.”

And the Israeli government is not going to give in.

“Israel will settle accounts with the murderers, those who attempt murder, and all those who assist them,” Netanyahu said. “Not only will they not enjoy their privileges, but we will exact from them the full cost.

“Anyone who raises his hand to harm us — will pay dearly. And we will not hesitate to use all means at our disposal to restore peace to the cities of Israel.”

Pope’s Visit Brings Security Concerns, Including Police Impersonators

Law enforcement personnel are worried that the Pope’s visit to the United States could attract terrorist attacks and even go as far as impersonating police officers, EMTs, and firefighters to launch such attacks.

“The impersonators’ main goals are to further their attack plan and do harm to unsuspecting citizens as well as members of the emergency services community,” said the bulletin, titled “First Responder Impersonators: The New Terrorist Threat.”

The Pennsylvania State Police’s Criminal Intelligence Center distributed a memo to law enforcement throughout the northeast that imposters could use false identification to enter secure areas or to get away undetected from a crime scene. Pennsylvania State Police stated that the memo was not specifically meant for the Pope’s visit and officials confirmed that there were no credible threats known against Pope Francis at this time. The New York State Police Department and the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington also confirmed there were no known threats tied to Pope Francis’ visit.

FBI and Homeland Security reports based the premises for the memo, which made statements that suspects in the U.S. and abroad were in possession of police uniforms. In the past, authorities have arrested potential terrorists who were in possession of U.S. military uniforms, fake IDs, and police uniforms.

“A wide variety of products such as clothing, weapons and tactical gear can be purchased on the Internet by any consumer, regardless of a confirmed affiliation to emergency services, government or law enforcement agency,” the statement read. The document also advised that police be on high alert for theft of uniforms, credentials, and emergency vehicles.

Police officials are also warning citizens to be aware of their surroundings during the Pope’s visit, especially when in large crowded areas. The memo states that event locations and public transit are high risk areas because of the large groups of people and the amount of attention the city will have during the papal visit.

According to House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, the U.S. has stopped at least one threat against Pope Francis last week.

During the Pope’s visit, security preparations include screening checkpoints, airspace restrictions, and a ban on selfie sticks and backpacks at the events. Along the motorcade routes there will be multiple airport-style screenings and extensive street closures in every city he visits. There will also be a significant increase in the amount of first responders deployed in the cities.

Security Measures Increased Ahead of July 4th

Federal officials say that security measures across the country will be increase ahead of the July 4th holiday weekend.

Police say that they are concerned about ISIS sympathizers in the country who might heed the group’s call for major terror attacks during the month of Ramadan.

New York Congressman Peter King told ABC there was “great concern” about terror attacks and that it was unusual for officials to put out warnings so far in advance of a holiday unless they had major reason for concern.

“ISIS is incomparable as far as terrorist organizations as far as being able to reach,” King said on “This Week.” “They can reach the disaffected, they can reach the deranged, they can also reach the ideologically committed.”

King is not alone in his concern.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re sitting here a week from today talking about an attack over the weekend in the United States. That’s how serious this is,” Former CIA deputy director Michael Morrell told CBS News.

The warnings come on the heels of three coordinated terrorist attacks in Europe that were claimed by ISIS.

Al Qaeda Bomb Recipe Causes Airport Security Change

If you will be flying anywhere in the United States over the next few months, prepare for a few extra minutes in the security line.

Al Qaeda published a new “online recipe” for creating bombs that cannot be detected by the current security measures in place at airports.  The result is that the TSA will be conducting random spot checks of carry on baggage at all airports.

Jeh Johnson, head of Homeland Security, met with airline officials to provide them the details of the terrorist thread.  The guidelines from Al Qaeda not only included the bomb mixture but also told bombers where to sit on the planes for maximum damage.

“We have no specific, credible intelligence of an attack of the kind in Paris last week being planned by terrorist organizations in this country,” Johnson said in a statement. “But, the reasons for these measures should be self-evident to the public: the recent attacks in Paris, Ottawa, Sydney, and elsewhere, along with the recent public calls by terrorist organizations for attacks on Western objectives, including aircraft, military personnel, and government installations and civilian personnel.”

“The chief Al-Qaeda bombmaker Ibrahim Al-Asiri is innovative in his designs and isn’t to be underestimated,” security expert Ryan Mauro told FoxNews.com. “For Al Qaeda, it is still somewhat of a victory if they can get an explosive on an airliner or even just inside an airport, regardless of whether the device ignites properly.

Kenya Changes Security Officials After Terror Attack

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced a mass change in security officials after the Islamic terrorist group al-Shabaab struck at a quarry in northeast Kenya.

The terrorists brutally executed any non-Muslim working at the quarry.  At least 36 people were confirmed dead and several others are missing.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the terror attack and said they will keep executing non-Muslims in Kenya until the country pulls their troops out of Somalia, where they are working with African Union forces to eliminate the terrorists.

Kenyan security officials say the terrorists snuck up on the workers while they were sleeping and then separated the Muslims before shooting others at close range.

President Kenyatta said that police chief David Kimaiyo and Interior Minister Joseph old Lenku are out.  He called on the parliament to quickly approve his proposed replacement because “our bickering only emboldens the enemy.”

School Officer Fired After Dumping Wheelchair Bound Student

“He responded in an extremely emotional manner.”

That was one of the excuses given by a spokesman for the Oakland Unified School District after a school resource officer was arrested on felony charges for dumping a wheelchair bound student onto the floor after punching him several times.

A wheelchair bound student, Francisco Martinez, was lingering with some other students in a hallway late for their classes.  Two officers were seen in a security camera video telling the students they needed to move on to their classrooms.  The students refused, so one of the officers, Marchell Mitchell, grabbed the handles of Martinez’ wheelchair and started to push him down the hallway.

Martinez objected and started slapping the officer’s hands in an attempt to get him to stop pushing the wheelchair.

The officer then handcuffed Martinez, struck him several times and then dumped the student onto the floor.  The school immediately fired Mitchell and had him arrested by Oakland police.

“We as a district apologize to the family of the victim,” said Oakland Unified School District spokesman Troy Flint.

NYPD Announces Drastic Security Measures For Super Bowl

The site of 2014’s Super Bowl will have security that could remind visitors of a militarized zone.

The New York Police Department announced huge security measures that will surround the NFL’s biggest game of the year. Parking at the stadium will be limited to people who apply for a parking permit and get approved in advance. No one will be allowed to walk into the area of the Super Bowl. If you are not approved for a parking permit, you will have to ride an official transportation vehicle approved by the NYPD.

Helicopters with radiation detectors will be flying around and scanning the area before, during and after the game. The helicopters will also patrol the area of the stadium and New York during the week prior to the game.

Counter terrorism cars with 360 degree cameras, bomb dogs and video cameras mounted on buildings and electrical poles will be monitored 24/7.

The NYPD will also lock down Times Square, prohibiting auto traffic for the week before the game. Portions of Broadway and 41st street will be blocked off as well.