Monthly Archives: August 2017

Threat Journal – Hurricane Harvey – 8-27-17

From AlertsUSA

 

This week’s Threat Journal to focus Hurricane Harvey and the state and federal response. See your email for resources.

Supplemental Info:

Once the storm winds moderate, the Red Cross and FEMA will be opening emergency shelters and disaster recovery locations across the region depending on needs. At that time, you can find the location of these temporary facilities and resources using the following links:

Red Cross

http://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery-services/find-an-open-shelter

DHS / FEMA

http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm

https://www.fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers

https://www.disasterassistance.gov/

 

FEMA Mobile App
FEMA has made available a free mobile app for Apple and Android devices with tools and tips to keep you safe before, during, and after disasters. The app is available for Apple devices via the iTunes store and Android devices via the Google Play Store.

Info via SMS

To search for open shelters: text SHELTER and a Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA)  .
To search for open Disaster Recovery Centers, text: DRC and a Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA)  .

 

Social Media

Those impacted by Hurricane Harvey are advised to also monitor both the Red Cross and FEMA on various social media platforms for timely updates on recovery assistance.

National Considerations

There is a distinct possibility Hurricane Harvey will temporarily impact oil and gas production and refining capacity in Gulf Coast facilities. In turn, this impact could result in a temporary increase in fuel prices and even temporary shortages.

Readers are advised to monitor local news for updates and may wish to consider filling up if located anywhere near the region.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: threatjournal

WEEKLY THREAT ROUNDUP 8-20-17

From AlertsUSA

 

Image showing industrial and home made train derailing tools  - ALLOW IMAGES

al Qaeda Calls for Attacks on Rail Transport in the West Europe Rocked by Multiple Terror Attacks

 

August 19, 2017

 

Between August 12th and 18th, the following related Flash messages were sent to AlertsUSA subscriber mobile devices:

8/18 – State Dept warns Spanish authorities still conducting manhunt for missing Barcelona attacker. Again urges vigilance & increased security awareness.

8/18 – Several people stabbed in Turku, Finland by at least 1 attacker screaming “Allahu Akbar”. One assailant shot and in custody. Add’l alerts as warranted.

8/17 – AlertsUSA reminds subscribers of USGOV Europe Travel Alert issued 5/1 warning of cont threat of terror attacks throughout Europe. Caution and vigilance urged.

8/17 – 4 members of terror cell killed in Cambrils, Spain CT op. Local police warn 1 indiv at large w/ possible explosive vest. Cont to order locals off streets.

8/17 – AlertsUSA monitoring reports of fire fight w/police, Cambrils, Spain. Possibly related to earlier incident in Barcelona. Police advising people to seek shelter.

8/17 – Spanish authorities activate call center for relatives of people that could be affected by Barcelona incident: +34 900400012 .

8/17 – Islamic State Amaq News Agency formally claims responsibility for Barcelona attack.

8/17 – Security increasing in public areas, tourist destinations & transport hubs in Britain, France and Belgium on concern of follow-on attacks. Vigilance urged.

8/17 – US Embassy Barcelona urging Americans in Spain to increase vigilance and security awareness following Barcelona incident. 13 dead, 50 wounded.

8/14 – Car intentionally driven into pizzeria in Seine-et-Marne, France (East Paris). At least 8 injured, 6 seriously, 1 dead. Driver arrested. AlertsUSA monitoring.

8/13 – Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula rel ‘Inspire’ mag #17. Focus on derailing trains, design of derail tool, routes, economic impact. U.S. emphasis.

8/12 – Car plows into protesters in Charlottesville, VA event. Early reports of at least 10 injured. AlertsUSA monitoring..

8/12 – AlertsUSA monitoring increasingly tense political demonstrations in downtown Charlottesville, VA. Local police urging avoidance of the area.

 

What You Need To Know

 

On 16 occasions this week AlertsUSA subscribers were notified via SMS messages to their mobile devices regarding security matters. Most pressing for this report, early in the week, subscribers were informed of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s release of the 17th issue of the online news and fieldcraft magazine known as ‘Inspire’ (clean PDF), in which a majority of this issue is devoted to attacking different means of commercial and civilian transportation in the U.S. and Europe. Three modes of attack are explored, including strikes on the actual transport mechanism such as planes and trains, strikes on airports and train stations when they are full of people, as well as on the transport lines and pathways.

Of particular importance, and which has raised significant concern within local, state and federal agencies in the past week, is the emphasis on planning and staging train derailments, including step-by-step guidance on how to fabricate a steel-reinforced concrete derailing tool which attaches to individual tracks to force the wheels up and out of alignment. In addition to the hand’s on guidance, the issue also explores rail system vulnerabilities and even references testimony on the difficulty of protecting the national railroad infrastructure by the General Accountability Office before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

Inspire #17 Cover - ALLOW IMAGES

This is a must-read publication for local, state and federal law enforcement, as well as rail transportation stakeholders and workers so you are up to speed on tactics in what is likely to become an increasingly popular jihadist target.

Multiple Attacks in Europe

Europe was shaken this week by multiple terror attacks, each bearing the hallmarks of previously published guidance and fieldcraft from the Islamic State and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Starting on Monday, AlertsUSA subscribers were notified of an incident in Sept-Sorts, France, located northeast of Paris, within which a lone male intentionally drove his car across a dining patio and into a pizzeria, killing one and seriously injuring eight others.

On Thursday 14 people were killed and more than 100 injured when a rented Fiat van was intentionally driven into revelers along a 500-meter stretch of Las Ramblas pedestrian boulevard in Barcelona, Spain. The 17 year old driver of the van, Moussa Oukabir, fled on foot after the van crashed, and several hours later,turned up in the coastal resort town of Cambrils. There, Moussa and four others carried out yet another vehicular assault on pedestrians before smashing their Audi A3 into a police car stationed at a checkpoint. Seeing the attackers emerging from the car with knives, machetes and axes, a single officer immediately shot and killed four. The fifth attacker escaped and stabbed a pedestrian in the face before being shot dead by a second officer.

Individuals killed and injured in the Barcelona attack came from 18 different nation, including one American.

Spanish police believe the Barcelona and Cambrils attacks are also related to an explosion one night earlier at a house in the small town of Alcanar, 120 miles southwest of Barcelona, which killed one person and injured 16. Police initially thought the explosion was caused by a buildup of natural gas inside of the home. Upon a second inspection, police report finding a large supply of LP gas bottles and traces of the explosive compound TATP ( triactetone triperoxide), leading them to conclude the explosion was likely caused by error during the construction of bombs.

On Friday AlertsUSA subscribers were informed of a warning issued by the State Department that Spanish officials were still hunting for at least one suspect in this terror cell.

The Islamic State Amaq News Agency has issued a formal claim of responsibility for Spain attacks.

Readers may find it interesting that Cambrils, Spain is located less than 3 miles from the town of Salou. Well known in intelligence circles, Salou is the location where Mohamed Atta, the pilot of 1st plane to fly into the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks, held a key planning meeting with an al Qaeda figure earlier in 2001.

Also on Friday, AlertsUSA subscribers were notified of an incident in Turku, Finland within which an individual carried out a knife attack in a market square while screaming “Allahu Akbar,” killing two and injuring several others before being shot in the leg by a police officer. According to news reports, the suspect, who intentionally targeted women in the attack, arrived in Finland in 2016 and had been “part of the asylum process.”

Charlottesville Attack

Last Saturday AlertsUSA subscribers were informed of an increasingly tense political demonstration in downtown Charlottesville, VA and a police recommendation to avoid the area. Soon after that alert was issued, a speeding car was intentionally driven into a crowd of protesters, kill one individual and injuring at least 19 others.

Since this attack, racial and political tensions have dramatically increased across the U.S., with more expected in the coming days and weeks as various groups plan more demonstrations for an assortment of causes, the most prominent of which are anti-white supremacy / racism and the removal of Confederate civil war monuments and symbols. .


FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION…

It is curious that with all of the rage and indignance being shown towards any symbol even remotely related to the Confederacy, and thus, African slavery, why has none of this anger been expressed towards Islam?

Among the LAST states to abolish slavery (principally African slavery) were Saudi Arabia and Yemen (in 1962), Oman (in 1970), and Mauritania (in 1905, 1981, and again in August 2007).

The Prophet Muhammad owned many black slaves and referred to Ethiopians as ‘raisin heads’ (VIDEO).

African slavery in the Middle East was more widespread & brutal than the American counterpart.

The Myth: Muhammad was an Abolitionist

As the personal goal of every devout Muslim is to emulate Muhammad and to follow the teachings of the Koran, why are there no efforts focused on the closure or tearing down of mosques across America? Despite their history with African slavery, why is Islam celebrated, embraced and even protected by Progressives and the Left? Where is the equivalent outrage? Or could it be that the anger and indignance is feigned and something else is in play?

North Korea Update

Readers should not forget the overarching threat still posed by N. Korea. Beginning Monday August 21, tens of thousands of military soldiers from S. Korea, the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Denmark will participate in the Ulchi Freedom Guardian military drills in S. Korea and in the waters surrounding the peninsula. The training exercise, held yearly, invariably causes N. Korea to lash out with threats frequent demonstrations of force. The Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise on will continued through August 31.

AlertsUSA continues to monitor the overall domestic and international threat environment, and will immediately notify service subscribers via SMS messages of new alerts, warnings and advisories or any developments which signal a change the overall threat picture for American citizens as events warrant.


AlertsUSA.com

OTHER ALERTS FROM THIS WEEK
NOT DETAILED IN THIS NEWSLETTER ISSUE

8/18 – KKK rally @ 4:00PM in downtown Durham, NC. Counter-protesters gathering. Main Street closed, tensions high. Caution if in the area. Add’l alerts if warranted.

8/13 – AlertsUSA monitoring increasingly tense political rally and protest in downtown Seattle. Caution urged if in the area. Add’l alerts as warranted.

8/12 – Via state-run newspaper, N. Korea again taunts POTUS saying armed forces of DPRK now “on the standby to launch fire into its mainland” (referring to the U.S.).

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* Homeland Security Threat Info Direct to Your
Mobile Device
* Get Away Early, Give Your Family Extra Safety.
* In Wide Use By Gov, 1st Responders, Travelers.
* 24/7/365 Monitoring. No Hype. Just the Bad Stuff.
* Issued Hours and Days before the MSM.
* On your Cell Phone, Tablet or Email.
* We Give The Clear Truth, Unlike the MSM.
* Over a Decade in Operation!

We are NOT part of the government.
In fact, they are our customers!

 


An airman checks the conditions for a high altitude, low opening jump during exercise Mobility Guardian while flying over Washington state, Aug. 7, 2017. The exercise aims to sharpen airmen’s skills to support combatant commander requirements. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Clayton Cupit.  - ALLOW IMAGES

World News Roundup

 

August 19, 2017

 

Other Developments We Are Following

 

AMERICAS

Targeting American Diplomats, Cuba Is Up to its Dirty Old Tricks
Trump, Security Team Mulling Strategic Options on Afghanistan
President Trump announces move to elevate Cyber Command
U.S. Navy Turns Civilian-Operated USNS Puller Into Commissioned Warship
Venezuela’s Maduro Regime Steps Up Crackdown on Dissidents
USS Fitzgerald’s leadership to be removed from duties over June collision
Confederate monuments removed in Baltimore, other cities
Powerful Venezuelan lawmaker may have issued death order against Rubio
The specter of civil war in Venezuela

EUROPE

NATO Troops Can’t Fight If They’re Stuck at Customs
As Confederate statues fall, Russians are erecting statues for dictator Stalin
Britain seeks Brexit without borders for Northern Ireland
Amateur Drone Lands on the U.K.’s New Aircraft Carrier, No One Even Notices
Britain’s new $3.86B aircraft carrier arrives at home port
Russia unveils new fleet of ‘invisible’ supersonic fighter jets

MIDDLE EAST

Pentagon says captured Islamic State fighters hooked on drugs
U.S. forces to stay in Syria for decades, say militia allies
Iran Sending Warships to Atlantic Ocean Amid Massive New Military Buildup
Syrian army comes closer to encircling Islamic State in central Syria desert
In Iran, Islamic State seeks to fan militancy among minorities
At least 18 killed in attack on restaurant in Burkina Faso
Iran threatens to back out of nuclear deal over Trump sanctions.
Saudi Arabia, Iraq look to reopen border after 27 years.
ISIS poses one of the biggest threats to religious freedom
Jihadists strike across West Africa

ASIA

India, China soldiers involved in border altercation
Beijing is using underwater drones in the South China Sea to show off its might
N. Korea shows the U.S. Capitol being destroyed in propaganda posters
South Korea gave Kim Jong-un a ‘red line’
What will Kim do next? Sixth nuclear test seen critical for North Korea
Has China Finished Its Island Building Campaign In The South China Sea?
A Global Fish War is Coming
The US Is Headed Toward Another Cuban Missile Crisis


Travel Security Update

The U.S. Dept. of State is the authoritative federal source for information on the security situation at travel destinations worldwide. With tensions rapidly increasing in most regions, readers planning on international travel, even to such common destinations as Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean Islands, are strongly encouraged to do a little research on the security situation prior to departure.

Latest USGOV Travel Alerts and Warnings

Iran
08/15/2017

N. Korea
08/10/2017

Somalia
08/03/2017

N. Korea
08/02/2017

Venezuela
07/27/2017

Jordan
07/20/2017

S. Sudan
07/20/2017

Egypt
07/19/2017

Philippines
07/17/2017

Hurricane Season
06/05/2017

Europe
05/01/2017

Worldwide Caution

03/06/2017

Additional Sources of Travel Guidance

Canada Dept. of Foreign Affairs

Australia Dept. of Foreign Affairs

UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office


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Via: threatjournal

Asteroid may pass Earth by just 6,880km in October – Scary news

Good news: Chelyabinsk-sized rattler won’t wipe us out, will let us test asteroid defenses.

NASA’s preparing another round asteroid defense tests, thanks to the October fly-by of a rock that may come within a cosmic whisker of the Earth.

Asteroid 2012 TC4 is said rock, and is between ten and thirty meters across. NASA says it is “certain it will come no closer than 4,200 miles (6,800 kilometers) from the surface of Earth.” That’s a very close encounter indeed given the term “nearby” is applied to rocks that get anywhere inside lunar orbit.

We don’t know a lot about 2012 TC4 because when it was spotted by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescopes in Hawaii, we only got a look at it for seven days.

That’s not a bad thing for a dry-run asteroid-spotting campaign, something proposed by University of Arizona astronomer Vishnu Reddy.

As Reddy explains in the University’s announcement, what’s on the table is “an observational campaign to exercise the network and test how ready we are for a potential impact by a hazardous asteroid”.

2012 TC4 projected orbit

NASA’s graphic of 2012 TC4’s flyby

The October test run will be conducted by Michael Kelly, program scientist with NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), with Reddy assisting.

“The goal of the TC4 exercise is to recover, track and characterize 2012 TC4 as a potential impactor in order to exercise the entire system from observations, modelling, prediction and communication”, the university says.

NASA adds that the uncertainty is big enough for 2012 TC4 to pass 270,000km away from us – another reason the flyby is a good test for the PDCO’s abilities.

More than a dozen universities, observatories and labs worldwide will look for 2012 TC4 to work out its trajectory and its size, which is in the vicinity of the rock that rattled Russian city Chelyabinsk in 2013.

GIF of 2012 TC4 approach

 

via:  theregister

Flaws in web-connected, radiation-monitoring kit? What could go wrong?

Ripe target for ne’er-do-wells.

Black Hat Vulnerabilities in widely deployed Radiation Monitoring Devices (RDMs) present a potential mechanism for triggering false alarms and worse, according to research unveiled at Black Hat on Wednesday.

RDMs are used to monitor radiation in critical infrastructure such as nuclear power plants, seaports, borders, and hospitals. However, like many Internet of Things devices, security shortcomings provide a means to subvert their operation.

An inspection of the technology by Ruben Santamarta, principal security consultant for IOActive, uncovered flaws in RDMs from multiple vendors, including Ludlum and Mirion. Santamarta’s research focused on testing software and hardware, firmware reverse engineering and radio frequency analysis.

The vulnerabilities create a means to meddle with “critical systems used for monitoring radiation levels, for example by falsifying measurement readings to simulate a radiation leak, tricking authorities to give incorrect evacuation directions, or increasing the time an attack against a nuclear facility or an attack involving a radioactive material remains undetected by sending normal readings to deceive operators”.

Inspection of software that ships with the Model 53 Gamma Personnel Portal from Ludlum revealed a backdoor password. “As a result, malicious personnel can bypass the RPM’s authentication and take control of the device, which could be used to disable it, thus preventing the RPM from triggering proper alarms,” Santamarta warned.

Ludlum 53 and software [source: IOActive whitepaper]

Ludlum’s gate monitors – Model 4525 – for vehicle inspection lack any security measure for data communication. Any attacker in the adjacent network can change the device’s network settings, which opens the door to multiple attacks. Worse yet, the device communicates via cleartext, so attackers would be able to falsify readings, disable alarms, or perform any other originally supported operation.

Ludlum’s gate monitors – Model 4525 – for vehicle inspection [source: IOActive]

After studying the hardware and firmware, IOActive also uncovered potential attacks against Mirion WRM2-capable Radiation Monitoring Devices at nuclear power plants. A skilled and sufficiently motivated attacker might be able to forge or sniff “WRM2 transmissions, either by repurposing a Digi S3/S3B XBee Module or by implementing the XSC and WRM2 protocol layers in a SDR device”. Such devices are located at secure facilities, reducing the likelihood of any attack in most scenarios. IOActive is convinced nonetheless that it has identified issues that merit remediation.

“Failed evacuations, concealed persistent attacks and stealth man-in-the-middle attacks are just a few of the risks I flagged in my research,” said Santamarta. “Being able to properly and accurately detect radiation levels is imperative in preventing harm to those at or near nuclear plants and other critical facilities, as well as for ensuring radioactive materials are not smuggled across borders.”

Exposed Digi S3B Module [source: IOActive]

IOActive informed the affected vendors of the findings weeks before Santamarta delivered his talk, Go Nuclear: Breaking Radiation Monitoring Devices, at Black Hat. Despite initial responses indicating the issues would not be addressed, more recent communications from some vendors have indicated work is being done to patch the critical vulnerabilities uncovered.

El Reg contacted Ludlum and Mirion for comment but we’re yet to hear back from either.

A white paper on IOActive’s research includes technical details for the testing conducted and the vulnerabilities identified.

 

via:  theregister

WEEKLY THREAT ROUNDUP 8-13-17

From AlertsUSA

N. Korean Hwasong-14 ICBM launched from Mupyong-ni on July 28, 2017. - ALLOW IMAGES

Growing Potential for War on the Korean Peninsula

 

August 12, 2017

 

Between August 8th and 11th, the following related Flash messages
were sent to
AlertsUSA subscriber mobile devices:

8/11 – USGOV issues new travel warning for N. Korea. Restricts use of U.S. passports for travel into, in, or through N. Korea as of 9/1. See email for full info.

8/9 – SecDef Mattis warns N. Korea it faces devastation and “destruction of it’s people” if it does not end its pursuit of nuclear weapons. See email for full stmt.

8/8 – Per WH pool report, Pres. Trump warns DPRK: “Best not make any more threats to the U.S.. They will be met w/ fire and the fury like the world has never seen.”

 

What You Need To Know

 

On ten occasions this week AlertsUSA subscribers were notified via SMS messages to their mobile devices regarding security matters. Most pressing for this report, there has been a dramatic increase in tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The Trump administration is taking a hard line with North Korea in the face of repeated threats of attack on the U.S. and our allies. On Wednesday, AlertsUSA subscribers were notified of a direct warning to N. Korea made by Secretary of Defense James Mattis which stated:

“The DPRK must choose to stop isolating itself and stand down its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The DPRK should cease any consideration of actions that would lead to the end of its regime and the destruction of its people.

Analysis of commercial satellite imagery by the U.S. Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University suggests North Korea may be accelerating the development of the sea-based leg of its nuclear forces and that a new series of “at sea” test launches may be forthcoming.

Additionally, late Friday USGOV intelligence sources indicated North Korea has begun moving both Intercontinental and intermediate range ballistic missiles, suggesting the possibility of additional launches in the coming hours and days, a move likely to bring a stinging response from the international community.

AlertsUSA subscribers are urged to view this situation with balanced caution, but to be paying close attention. While it is impossible to predict the next actions to be taken by the N. Korean regime, what is very clear is the period of calm negotiation between bespoke, fine brandy swirling plenipotentiaries has drawn to a close.

When the cloudy historical and political narrative is removed, the world is now faced with the following realities:

Given these realities, restraint and the quest for diplomatic solutions virtually assures continued proliferation into the hands of rogue nations and those private individuals and groups with deep enough pockets.

No Evacuation Recommendations… Yet

At the time of this report’s preparation late Friday, there have been no official recommendations issued by the State Department for American citizens to leave the Korean Peninsula. This past June, the Department of Defense carried out the first of two evacuation drills known as Focused Passage. Technically referred to as a noncombatant evacuation operation (NEO), Focused Passage was established to ensure that all DoD family members and non-emergency essential DOD Civilians and their families are prepared in case an evacuation order is issued. In addition to DoD related personnel, the drill and this evacuation means are available to U.S. embassy personnel, DoD retirees, as well as contractors and their families. Essentially, this means anyone with normal military base access, which does NOT include general civilians.

In Focused Passage, evacuees are identified, registered, and moved to evacuation nodes located in the southern coastal region. From there, they are ultimately flown to Japan by the U.S. Transportation Command and their ROK counterparts.

U.S. Civilians in S. Korea Should Be Prepared

It is important for readers to understand that this evacuation option is NOT intended for average American civilians in South Korea for private sector work, study, summers abroad, tourism, etc.. American civilians, like those of most other western nations, are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and have a means of evacuation in place when traveling abroad, and in particular, in dangerous or crisis-prone regions.

If you voluntarily choose to be on the Korean Peninsula during periods of tension, such as the present, you better have your act together because it is NOT the responsibility of the State Department or military to facilitate your departure.

In fact, the U.S. State Department website clearly states the following:

“The assistance we provide depends upon the nature of the crisis. Regularly scheduled commercial flights or transportation are always the best option when local communications and transportation infrastructure are intact and operating normally, even if we have advised all U.S. citizens to leave. Our efforts are devoted to keeping the local U.S. citizen community informed of developments and travel options.”

Expectations of rescue by helicopters, the U.S. military, and U.S. government-provided transportation with armed escorts reflect a Hollywood script more than reality. It is almost impossible for the U.S. government to provide in-country transportation service to individuals or specific groups during a foreign crisis. You should therefore heed State Department travel and safety information for the country you are traveling to or residing in, monitor local conditions, and have a plan of action in case of emergency.”

The State Department also encourages all U.S. citizens traveling abroad, especially those who plan to be overseas for a significant amount of time, to sign up with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). It is important that you keep your contact information up-to-date so that the State Department can notify you or your designated emergency contact of developments and provide valuable information.

AlertsUSA continues to monitor the situation on the Korean Peninsula, as well as the overall domestic and international threat environment, and will immediately notify service subscribers via SMS messages of new alerts, warnings and advisories or any developments which signal a change the overall threat picture for American citizens as events warrant.

 


 

AlertsUSA.com

 

OTHER ALERTS FROM THIS WEEK
NOT DETAILED IN THIS NEWSLETTER ISSUE

8/9 – US Embassy Paris warning Americans in France to maintain security awareness flwg vehicular attack on French soldiers in the Levallois-Perret suburb of Paris.

8/11 – Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula publishes teaser for next issue of Inspire Magazine calling for train derailment ops in the West. Monitoring for release.

8/10 – AlertsUSA monitoring rptd explosion in Denver, CO @ 28th and Dahlia. No injuries. Bomb squad on scene. Few details released. Add’l alerts as warranted.

8/9 – AlertsUSA monitoring response to possible active shooter at the Environmental Protection Agency building (1200 Penn) in Wash, D.C. Caution if in the area.

8/8 – Police fire on vehicle in Molenbeek, Belgium. Suspect claims there are explosives on board. Bomb squad en route. Area on lockdown. Add’l alerts as warranted.

8/7 – Widespread SMS outages are being reported nationwide impacting most major carriers. AlertsUSA suggests a close eye on email today as carriers work to resolve their issues.

8/5 – AlertsUSA monitoring early morning explosion at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Ctr., Bloomington, MN. No injuries, cause unknown. Fed authorities on scene.

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* Homeland Security Threat Info Direct to Your
Mobile Device
* Get Away Early, Give Your Family Extra Safety.
* In Wide Use By Gov, 1st Responders, Travelers.
* 24/7/365 Monitoring. No Hype. Just the Bad Stuff.
* Issued Hours and Days before the MSM.
* On your Cell Phone, Tablet or Email.
* We Give The Clear Truth, Unlike the MSM.
* Over a Decade in Operation!

We are NOT part of the government.
In fact, they are our customers!

 

 


 

Lightning strikes behind a B-52H Stratofortress at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., Aug. 8, 2017. The B-52 can conduct strategic attacks, close-air support, air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations. Air Force photo by Senior Airman J.T. Armstrong. - ALLOW IMAGES

World News Roundup

 

August 12, 2017

 

Other Developments We Are Following

 

AMERICAS

Canada struggles with asylum seeker influx from US
NAFTA negotiations could mark end of era for Mexican exports
Mexican official says migration, security at stake in NAFTA talks
UK criticized over sales of military equipment to Venezuela
Here’s How the DoD Wants to Counter ISIS Drones and Roadside Bombs
Trump promises ‘billions’ more for missile defenses
The Navy’s First Female SEAL Officer Applicant Just Dropped Out
Why the Price of the F-35 Keeps Soaring
Trump declares US opioid pain drugs national emergency
US investigating after diplomats fall sick in Havana
Pentagon’s Silicon Valley unit helps target terrorists

EUROPE

Experts debate pros and cons of lethal arms for Ukraine
Number of migrants arriving in Italy from Libya falls by half in July
Spain migrant arrivals triple compared with 2016
German Defense Industry Gearing Up
Britain’s New Supercarrier Trains Alongside US Counterpart For First Time
Extreme heat decimating crops in parts of Europe
Russian ‘ISIS fanatic’ ‘plotted to crash a US plane by flying a DRONE into it’
French police arrest suspect after car ploughs into soldiers in Paris
Man ambushes French soldiers in car attack, later arrested
Paris attack: ‘Algerian-born’ suspect in Lille hospital

MIDDLE EAST

US drone strikes in Somalia target al-Shabaab fighters
Protesters storm Shell crude flow station in Nigeria’s Niger Delta
ISIS used eBay to funnel terror cash to US, feds say
Mothers exert most influence on foreign fighters to return home
U.S. to designate the IRGC, affiliates as terrorists
Yemen’s civil war turns country into cholera breeding ground
Trump says Iran not ‘living up to the spirit’ of nuclear deal
Israel to speed up Gaza tunnel barrier

ASIA

Second India-China war in 2018? Here’s the war blueprint if it happens
US, Japanese troops begin joint military exercise amid North Korea threat
Any new Korean war could quickly escalate to catastrophe
US and S. Korea to stage huge military exercise despite North Korea crisis
Nations start to choose sides in event of North Korea war
Cambodia PM gives ultimatum to Laos over ‘border invasion’
US diplomacy is gaining results, says Mattis
China protests after US warship sails near island
Russia Boosts Air Defense in Far East Amid N Korea Nuclear Situation
As global reach grows, China builds military to match
On Afghanistan, Trump Is Right to Hesitate

 


 

Travel Security Update

The U.S. Dept. of State is the authoritative federal source for information on the security situation at travel destinations worldwide. With tensions rapidly increasing in most regions, readers planning on international travel, even to such common destinations as Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean Islands, are strongly encouraged to do a little research on the security situation prior to departure.

Latest USGOV Travel Alerts and Warnings

N. Korea
08/10/2017

Somalia
08/03/2017

N. Korea
08/02/2017

Venezuela
07/27/2017

Jordan
07/20/2017

S. Sudan
07/20/2017

Egypt
07/19/2017

Philippines
07/17/2017

Hurricane Season
06/05/2017

Europe
05/01/2017

Worldwide Caution

03/06/2017

Additional Sources of Travel Guidance

Canada Dept. of Foreign Affairs

Australia Dept. of Foreign Affairs

UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office

 


 

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Via: threatjournal

Raise of Prepper Threat Level to Def Con 2, or.. Prep-CON 2

Private Intelligence Officers working 24/7 with www.AlertsUSA.com during this emergency who are members of The Association of Former Intelligence Officers (www.AFIO.com)  tell us that North Korea (NK) WILL NOT Nuke the USA directly, but they DO have the ability.  Rather, the 600 pound miniature nuclear device is more likely to get sold for hard currency.  Even Gold.  At an estimated price of 200-300 million US Dollars.  This is even worse for the USA than the missile threat.

AVOR has Raised its Prepper Threat Level to Def Con 2, or.. Prep-CON 2.  Prep-Con1 is WAR, or a nuke has gone off.  We are 1 step away from Prep-Con1.

North Korea has a HUGE weapons market that specializes in small arms, ammo, grenades, recoilless rifles then they jump right up to short range, intermediate range and long range missiles.  Even missiles that go into space and can orbit the globe for years only waiting for the signal to re-enter the atmosphere and nuke a city.

NK is a master at smuggling items in and out of the country and around the world.  Its been confirmed that ISIS, Al Qaeda and Iran are all players wanting to buy a nuclear device.  Such a device would be taken by something as simple as a heavy duty pickup truck into down town DC or NYC or Atlanta or Dallas or Las Vegas or Silicon Valley or LA… and detonated.

Since it will be a ground detonation it will create a heavy fallout.  Air burst nuclear devices whose fireball never touches the ground have a very small amount of fallout but they have double of the over pressure and air blast destruction.  600mph winds are literally true with a nuclear detonation

ONE nuclear device detonated ANYWHERE in the world will put the people of the planet into a panic.  Grocery stores will sell out of food and water in 1/2 a day, everywhere in the world.  Because people will think because it happened ‘there’ it can happen ‘here.’  Its the “We’re Next” attitude.

Read BELOW on How to Power Your House From Your Car. If you don’t have it when it strikes you are NOT going to get it. So if you are in the USA, its time to get prepared.  What do you do first?  That’s easy, read below.  Yes, we CAN switch off the internet to North Korea, but they already have hacker teams deployed covertly in China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Europe and even inside the USA.  They’ve been planning this for a decade.  Sleeper cells. They are ready. You probably are not.  I am.  Get READY, Get the SUPER COMBOs on the bottom of http://www.Energy1234.com 25% OFF with Coupon Code: NK25 for 3 Days or for as long as the net is up.

Get the Emergency Home Power Class Video to SEE ME show you how to power your house from your car, and  GET 25% OFF ANY and ALL of the 4 Videos with the Coupon Code: NK25 for 3 Days ONLY. Wed, Thus and Fri ONLY.  Get a 3 Hour DIY Prep Video as cheap as $11.21 w/ the coupon code.   Videos are at http://www.Energy1234.com SCROLL all the way to the BOTTOM of this LONG page to see my SUPER COMBOs that will really save you money and time.  Get all 4 Videos, plus a secret bonus one that I don’t mention.

THE PREP- POWER YOUR HOUSE FROM YOUR CAR
In my Free Class on How to Power Your House from Your Car I will SHOW you how to do this in about 5 minutes with a $20 inverter.  I cover what you want and can power in your house and for how long etc…   If you get a BIGGER inverter (800+ Watts) and you leave your car at IDLE then you can power your Refrigerator and Freezer, but you only need to do that for about an hour or two a day.  Who else ever told you this?  PLUS… I have a class on How To Keep Your Refrigerator and Freezer COLD WITH and WITHOUT a Generator.  There are MANY things you can do NOW to keep those cold WITHOUT electricity.  Such simple stuff.  Look for the class (in RED above) with those titles at
http://www.Steven1234.com Get 25% off my Video Class of How to Power Your House From Your Car.  Use the coupon code: NK25 and you can get a 3 Hour HOW TO Video for as cheap as $11.21 Delivered to you INSTANTLY in HD Quality.  Save more when you get all 4 videos in the COMBO DEAL at the bottom of the page.

p.s.  Since you read all the way to the bottom, you can get 33% instead of 25% off ANY of my battery bank classes or other educational material at http://www.Energy1234.com until 11:59PM Tuesday EST with the coupon code SECRET33.  That makes the 2 Hour Emergency Home Power Class (How to Power Your House From Your Car, and MUCH MORE) ONLY $16.22.  Delivered instantly in HD Video.  Jump on this bargain, I only have these sales during storms.

via:  Steven Harris

WEEKLY THREAT ROUNDUP 8- 6 -17

From AlertsUSA

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Australia Foils Islamist Airline Bomb Plot

 

August 5, 2017

 

What You Need To Know

Commercial aviation stakeholders worldwide are on heightened alert following Australia’s disruption of a bomb plot to bring down a passenger airliner. According to Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner of National Security Michael Phelan, the plot, carried out under direct guidance and assistance from the Islamic State, involved an attempt to smuggle an improvised explosive device disguised as a meat mincer onto a Etihad Airlines flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi. Media reports suggest the bag carrying the device was turned away because it was overweight.

Although the initial attempt to smuggle the bomb on board the aircraft occurred on July 15, Australian intelligence services only learned of the plot on July 26 via foreign intelligence services.

Described as one of Australia’s “most sophisticated” militant plots, the device was determined to contain high-grade military explosives that had been shipped to the suspects by air cargo from Turkey. A backup plan to set off a highly toxic hydrogen sulphide bomb on Sydney’s public transport network was also discovered.

Readers are reminded that on multiple occasions over the past year, AlertsUSA has warned that a number of Islamist terror networks including al Qaeda and the Islamic State continue to target the aviation sector for attacks. These threats are of such significance that the Dept. of Homeland Security has raised the baseline for aviation security globally by implementing enhanced security measures, both seen and unseen, at airports in 105 countries around world providing last-point-of-departure flights headed to the U.S.. This includes restrictions on electronic devices larger than a cell phone in the cabins of flights bound for the U.S. from 10 predominantly Muslim nations spread across the Middle East and North Africa. This move is based on gathered intelligence which pointed to attacks in the planning stages.

Readers are also reminded that since the events of Sept 11, 2001, there have a number of attempts at targeting both civilian and commercial aircraft for attacks, including the failed Christmas 2009 attempt to bring down an airliner near Detroitby underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, as well as the October 2010 plot to bring down cargo aircraft using bombs built into printer toner cartridgesbeing shipped to the U.S. from the Middle East.

More recently, Islamist terror organizations have targeted civilian airliners on least three instances in the last three years. On February 2nd of 2016, an explosive device believed to have been built into a laptop computer was detonated on board Daallo Airlines Flight 159 as it flew from Mogadishu, Somalia en route to Djibouti City. Approximately 20 min into the delayed flight, but before reaching cruising altitude, the blast ripped a hole in the starboard, or right-hand, side of the aircraft. In this incident, the only fatality was the bomber, whose burnt body was sucked through the blast hole and discovered near the city of Balad, Somalia. Had the explosion taken place at normal cruising altitude with a fully pressurized cabin, the result would have likely been catastrophic.

And in another incident, on October 31st, 2015, a can of Schweppes pineapple soda was converted into a bomb that was used to down Metrojet Flight 9268 over the northern Sinai Peninsula as it flew from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport in Egypt en route to Saint Petersburg, Russia. All 217 passengers and seven crew members were killed in the incident. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for this attack, even publishing a picture of the explosive device.

AlertsUSA sources within the Department of Homeland Security warn that restrictions on electronic devices allowed into the cabins of flights bound for the U.S. may be extended to other countries outside of the Middle East in the coming months.

AlertsUSA continues to monitor the overall domestic and international threat environment and will immediately notify service subscribers via SMS messages of new alerts, warnings and advisories or any developments which signal a change the overall threat picture for American citizens as events warrant.


AlertsUSA.com

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* Homeland Security Threat Info Direct to Your
Mobile Device
* Get Away Early, Give Your Family Extra Safety.
* In Wide Use By Gov, 1st Responders, Travelers.
* 24/7/365 Monitoring. No Hype. Just the Bad Stuff.
* Issued Hours and Days before the MSM.
* On your Cell Phone, Tablet or Email.
* We Give The Clear Truth, Unlike the MSM.
* Over a Decade in Operation!

We are NOT part of the government.
In fact, they are our customers!


Soldiers conduct a live-fire exercise with M1A2 Abrams tanks at the 7th Army Training Command’s Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, July 31, 2017. The soldiers are assigned to the 4th Infantry Division's Company A, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team. Army photo by Gertrud Zach.   - ALLOW IMAGES

World News Roundup

 

August 5, 2017

 

Other Developments We Are Following:

 

AMERICAS

You Can Thank Leakers for New Russia Sanctions
U.S. Nuclear Strategy in the Face of China’s Rise
US Military Eyes New Mini-Nukes for 21st-Century Deterrence
US attorney general says four charged in crackdown on leaks
Venezuela’s Maduro Fledgling Dictatorship
Canada faces calls to freeze arms sales to Saudi Arabia
‘El Chapo’ seeks release from US prison, says conditions like ‘torture’
A journalist’s murder underscores growing threat in Mexico
VH-92A Marine One Replacement Helicopter Has Taken Its First Flight

EUROPE

Pentagon asks White House to give lethal weapons to Ukraine
US arming Ukraine? A look at how Moscow might respond
Europe’s leaders struggle over a Trump strategy
Kremlin agrees with Trump that Russia-US ties at dangerous low
Four men given life sentences for plotting ‘Lee Rigby-style’ terrorist attack
US plans ‘global’ drills to counter Russia & other ‘complex threats’
NATO ‘Demands Military Schengen Zone’ in Europe

MIDDLE EAST

Russia, Not the US, is Now Calling the Shots in the Middle East
Addressing Iranian Influence in Iraq
Iran’s Top Export to Latin America: Radical Islam
Embassy, mosque attacks fuel fears ISIS bringing Iraq war to Afghanistan
Al-Qaida-linked militants’ advance throws west’s Syria plans into disarray
Gulf crisis: Is there a risk of a military escalation?
US killed Al-Shabaab militant group’s commander in Somalia
Iran rocket launch condemned by Germany, France, UK and US

ASIA

US unveils tougher new UN sanctions on N. Korea, vote due Saturday
US Carriers May Be Headed to Korean Waters for Forward Deployment
North Korea could soon develop a hydrogen bomb
US Renews Push for THAAD in S. Korea After North’s Latest ICBM Test
Chinese state media slams S. Korea’s Moon Jae-in for THAAD
Five Fast-Track Options For Blunting N. Korea’s Missile Threat To America
156-year-old map may reignite Japan-South Korea island dispute
A coming crisis over Taiwan?
China tells India that it won’t back down in border dispute
China and the US are battling to become the world’s first AI superpower


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ARM YOURSELF WITH KNOWLEDGE
USING THESE FREE REFERENCES

In order to help ground readers in the truth on Islam and enable you to crush liberal “Religion of Peace” arguments, AlertsUSA has compiled two free reports filled with passages from Islamic holy books covering some of the most controversial (and often denied) aspects of Islamic teachings, traditions and dogma. Now you can see them for yourself !

DEADLY VERSES - ALLOW IMAGESSEX, WOMEN AND ISLAM - ALLOW IMAGES

 

DEADLY VERSES
164 Passages about Jihad from the Koran


SEX, WOMEN AND ISLAM
80 Passages on Rape, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Female Inferiority,
Wife Beating and Related Doctrines from Islamic Holy Texts


Before the Storm Hits - ALLOW IMAGES


Travel Security Update

The U.S. Dept. of State is the authoritative federal source for information on the security situation at travel destinations worldwide. With tensions rapidly increasing in most regions, readers planning on international travel, even to such common destinations as Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean Islands, are strongly encouraged to do a little research on the security situation prior to departure.

Latest USGOV Travel Alerts and Warnings

Somalia
08/03/2017

N. Korea
08/02/2017

Venezuela
07/27/2017

Jordan
07/20/2017

S. Sudan
07/20/2017

Egypt
07/19/2017

Philippines
07/17/2017

Hurricane Season
06/05/2017

Europe
05/01/2017

Worldwide Caution

03/06/2017

Additional Sources of Travel Guidance

Canada Dept. of Foreign Affairs

Australia Dept. of Foreign Affairs

UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office


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Via: threatjournal