Significant number of known Al-Qaida financiers and terrorism financiers such as Perouz Sedaghaty, Soliman Al-But'he, Youssef Nada, Ahmed Nasreddin, Yasin Al-Kadi, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, Wael Hamza Julaidan, and others are free. The list of known Al-Qaida financiers and terrorism financiers that are free is growing.
The problem resides with the policies and institutions having such mechanisms as the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the legal assistance from the U.N. Counter Terrorism Committee. Given the mechanisms no person has ever been extradited to stand trial for Al-Qaida financing and terrorism financing. Problem resides also in the mechanisms to bring charges against Al-Qaida financiers and terrorism financiers. Prosecutors encounter difficulty in converting intelligence into usable court evidence. There are complex constraints on sharing intelligence in court and complex efforts made to come up with open source evidence that can confirm the intelligence in court.
Must find an effective and productive way to convert intelligence into usable court evidence to bring charges against Al-Qaida financiers and terrorism financiers.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Friday, August 05, 2005
Beyond Crew Cut Sameness, Cherish Each Soldier's Unique Gifts by Sue Diaz
Whatever it is, let's be cool about it. We can act as if we don't even notice," I suggested.
My husband and I were driving to the airport to pick up our 21 year old son, Roman, an infantryman with the 101st Airborne in Fort Campbell, Ky. Specialist Diaz was coming home to San Diego for 10 days before heading back to Iraq to begin his second 15 month deployment there.
In a call shortly before we left for the airport, his sister, whom he'd just visited, told us we were in for a surprise. But the only clue Anne offered was that it had something to do with her brother's hair.
"Now, Mom, just keep in mind where he's been and what he's going back to. Who can blame him right now if he just wants to have a little fun?"
"New color?" I guessed.
"You'll see," was all she'd say.
Roman's height alone 6'2" would have made him easy to spot, standing there near the curb in front of the terminal. But his hair made him impossible to miss. There's something head turning about a Mohawk even when it stands no more than an inch and a half high especially a bright red one, with the tips dyed black.
"Oh," his computer engineer dad gulped, catching sight of him.
"Oh, my," I elaborated.
But after a curbside flurry of car doors opening and a couple of quick hugs, we simply said to Roman, with all the nonchalance we could muster, "Welcome home!" and "Good to see you!"
On the drive back I turned from time to time in the front bucket seat to ask him about his flight from San Jose, his weekend with Anne and Erick. His dad chatted offhandedly about the weather, asked about the soldiers in the unit he now leads "my Jedi," Roman calls them.
But there was an elephant in the room. Twenty minutes into the trip, I could ignore it no longer. "Hmmmmmmmm," I said, twisting to look at Roman full on. "I can't quite put my finger on it. But something's definitely . . . different."
"Hmmmmmmmm. What could it be?" he teased, fingertip touching one corner of his smile.
Roman has always had an independent streak. And as far as surprises go, this one was small compared to his decision three years ago to join the Army instead of going to college. It's taken me nearly this long to come to terms with that choice. And I think I have, as much as any mother can. In fact, just a few days earlier, I'd told friends and neighbors about our soldier's brief visit home and invited them to come say "Hi" at a block party barbecue on Sunday in the cul de sac the same place Roman learned to ride a two wheeler.
A recent picture of him graced one corner of the photocopied invitation. Smiling in his dress uniform, complete with medals, ribbons, and the blue cord of the infantry, he looked handsome, clean cut, and all American. His hair was dark brown, not DayGlo red. And in that photo, it still grew on the sides of his head.
The former PTA mom in me wrestled at first with what the neighbors would think. I wondered if I might convince them he was actually a member of an elite, top secret special forces unit. "You've heard of the Green Berets?" I imagined myself saying. "Well, Roman is with the Airborne's Red Mohawks."
"Don't worry, Mom. I'm going to shave it off at the end of this leave. I'll have to," he said. "It's just that I've always wanted to do something crazy with my hair. And I figured this was my last chance."
I trust he was looking ahead to his role someday as a responsible post Army adult. But like the dark smoke of a roadside bomb, the idea of "lasts" inevitably hovers over a leave like this one and colors it in ways Clairol never thought of. Anyone with someone they love heading into harm's way knows this. War has a way of making clear what really matters in this life. "What the neighbors think" is not high on that list.
To their credit and his, the 60 or so who came to the block party seemed to take Roman's hair in stride. It was a vindication of sorts, if any was even needed. Men clapped him on the back and laughed. Kids said, "Cool." Moms wrapped their arms around him. In spite of differing views about the war, everyone there wished our unconventional soldier well.
I must confess I still thought this new, albeit temporary, look of his was not the most mature thing my son's ever done. And then he surprised me again with something that was. It came in answer to a question I asked the day before he left.
We'd been talking about how time flies, and how the end date of his four-year stint in the service will come up while he still has three months left in Iraq. "Well, then. Think the Army might let you come back sooner?" I asked. "You know, before the rest of your unit?"
Roman sent me a look that said he couldn't believe I was asking that. "Mom, even if the Army would, I couldn't do that. Say to my men, 'See ya! I'm outta here!'? No way. No. I'll come home when they do."
The next time you see a dusty group of US soldiers in the news, remember these stories the funny hair, the serious conversation. Think about the unique individuals who wear those look alike uniforms their goodness and goofiness, their complexity and their courage. Think about all we as a country lose when even one of them falls.
My husband and I were driving to the airport to pick up our 21 year old son, Roman, an infantryman with the 101st Airborne in Fort Campbell, Ky. Specialist Diaz was coming home to San Diego for 10 days before heading back to Iraq to begin his second 15 month deployment there.
In a call shortly before we left for the airport, his sister, whom he'd just visited, told us we were in for a surprise. But the only clue Anne offered was that it had something to do with her brother's hair.
"Now, Mom, just keep in mind where he's been and what he's going back to. Who can blame him right now if he just wants to have a little fun?"
"New color?" I guessed.
"You'll see," was all she'd say.
Roman's height alone 6'2" would have made him easy to spot, standing there near the curb in front of the terminal. But his hair made him impossible to miss. There's something head turning about a Mohawk even when it stands no more than an inch and a half high especially a bright red one, with the tips dyed black.
"Oh," his computer engineer dad gulped, catching sight of him.
"Oh, my," I elaborated.
But after a curbside flurry of car doors opening and a couple of quick hugs, we simply said to Roman, with all the nonchalance we could muster, "Welcome home!" and "Good to see you!"
On the drive back I turned from time to time in the front bucket seat to ask him about his flight from San Jose, his weekend with Anne and Erick. His dad chatted offhandedly about the weather, asked about the soldiers in the unit he now leads "my Jedi," Roman calls them.
But there was an elephant in the room. Twenty minutes into the trip, I could ignore it no longer. "Hmmmmmmmm," I said, twisting to look at Roman full on. "I can't quite put my finger on it. But something's definitely . . . different."
"Hmmmmmmmm. What could it be?" he teased, fingertip touching one corner of his smile.
Roman has always had an independent streak. And as far as surprises go, this one was small compared to his decision three years ago to join the Army instead of going to college. It's taken me nearly this long to come to terms with that choice. And I think I have, as much as any mother can. In fact, just a few days earlier, I'd told friends and neighbors about our soldier's brief visit home and invited them to come say "Hi" at a block party barbecue on Sunday in the cul de sac the same place Roman learned to ride a two wheeler.
A recent picture of him graced one corner of the photocopied invitation. Smiling in his dress uniform, complete with medals, ribbons, and the blue cord of the infantry, he looked handsome, clean cut, and all American. His hair was dark brown, not DayGlo red. And in that photo, it still grew on the sides of his head.
The former PTA mom in me wrestled at first with what the neighbors would think. I wondered if I might convince them he was actually a member of an elite, top secret special forces unit. "You've heard of the Green Berets?" I imagined myself saying. "Well, Roman is with the Airborne's Red Mohawks."
"Don't worry, Mom. I'm going to shave it off at the end of this leave. I'll have to," he said. "It's just that I've always wanted to do something crazy with my hair. And I figured this was my last chance."
I trust he was looking ahead to his role someday as a responsible post Army adult. But like the dark smoke of a roadside bomb, the idea of "lasts" inevitably hovers over a leave like this one and colors it in ways Clairol never thought of. Anyone with someone they love heading into harm's way knows this. War has a way of making clear what really matters in this life. "What the neighbors think" is not high on that list.
To their credit and his, the 60 or so who came to the block party seemed to take Roman's hair in stride. It was a vindication of sorts, if any was even needed. Men clapped him on the back and laughed. Kids said, "Cool." Moms wrapped their arms around him. In spite of differing views about the war, everyone there wished our unconventional soldier well.
I must confess I still thought this new, albeit temporary, look of his was not the most mature thing my son's ever done. And then he surprised me again with something that was. It came in answer to a question I asked the day before he left.
We'd been talking about how time flies, and how the end date of his four-year stint in the service will come up while he still has three months left in Iraq. "Well, then. Think the Army might let you come back sooner?" I asked. "You know, before the rest of your unit?"
Roman sent me a look that said he couldn't believe I was asking that. "Mom, even if the Army would, I couldn't do that. Say to my men, 'See ya! I'm outta here!'? No way. No. I'll come home when they do."
The next time you see a dusty group of US soldiers in the news, remember these stories the funny hair, the serious conversation. Think about the unique individuals who wear those look alike uniforms their goodness and goofiness, their complexity and their courage. Think about all we as a country lose when even one of them falls.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
United States Defense Systems in Space
United States defense systems in space are decades ahead of the rest of the world, but they are also years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget.
Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite System:
- Cost has increased by more than 50 percent.
- Production problems.
- Changing security environment and requirements.
- An overly optimistic schedule.
Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle System:
- Cost has increased by more than 81 percent.
- Reduced commercial launch market. (Boeing Launch Services, Inc. and Lockheed Martin Space System formed a joint venture to combine production, engineering, test, and launch operations.)
Navstar Global Positioning System:
- Cost has increased by more than 20 percent.
- Seven additional Navstar Global Positioning System II or GPS II satellites have been added to Navstar Global Positioning System.
- Delay has been put on Navstar Global Positioning System III or GPS III.
National Polar Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System:
- Cost has increased by more than 10 percent.
- Difficult constant changes to contracts.
- Increased program management costs.
- Increased funds spent to mitigate risks.
Space Based Infrared System or Missile Warning Program:
- Six years behind schedule.
- Cost has increased 150 percent or from about $3.9 billion plus to $9.9 billion plus.
Wideband Gapfiller Satellite System:
- Five years behind schedule.
- Cost has increased since 2000.
- Design, integration, and manufacturing problems.
- Not able to leverage expertise from the commercial market.
Mobile User Objective System:
- Schedule has been compressed.
- Increased risks on production and software development and design.
Transformational Satellite Communications System:
- Has entered acquisition phase.
- One of seven critical technologies is mature.
Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite System:
- Cost has increased by more than 50 percent.
- Production problems.
- Changing security environment and requirements.
- An overly optimistic schedule.
Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle System:
- Cost has increased by more than 81 percent.
- Reduced commercial launch market. (Boeing Launch Services, Inc. and Lockheed Martin Space System formed a joint venture to combine production, engineering, test, and launch operations.)
Navstar Global Positioning System:
- Cost has increased by more than 20 percent.
- Seven additional Navstar Global Positioning System II or GPS II satellites have been added to Navstar Global Positioning System.
- Delay has been put on Navstar Global Positioning System III or GPS III.
National Polar Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System:
- Cost has increased by more than 10 percent.
- Difficult constant changes to contracts.
- Increased program management costs.
- Increased funds spent to mitigate risks.
Space Based Infrared System or Missile Warning Program:
- Six years behind schedule.
- Cost has increased 150 percent or from about $3.9 billion plus to $9.9 billion plus.
Wideband Gapfiller Satellite System:
- Five years behind schedule.
- Cost has increased since 2000.
- Design, integration, and manufacturing problems.
- Not able to leverage expertise from the commercial market.
Mobile User Objective System:
- Schedule has been compressed.
- Increased risks on production and software development and design.
Transformational Satellite Communications System:
- Has entered acquisition phase.
- One of seven critical technologies is mature.
United States Weapons Networking Systems
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, United States Air Force Research Laboratory, Rockwell Collins, Thales, Boeing, and Launch Pad Labs, are studying and will start testing two systems that are QNT enablers around September of 2007. The two QNT enabler systems are Tactical Targeting Network and Weapons Data Link Network. Tactical Targeting Network is a high speed, low latency, and dynamic ad hoc network designed to assist in rapid retargeting. Weapons Data Link Network is an in flight communication interface for precision guided weapons.
QNT will result in robust and network data link technologies suitable on and with weapons and soldiers. QNT will also enable precision guided weapons, unmanned air vehicles, and unmanned ground vehicles to strike high value targets that are time critical and mobile. At the same time, these robust and network data link technologies will secure weapons handoff to any air and/ or ground systems and soldiers.
QNT will result in robust and network data link technologies suitable on and with weapons and soldiers. QNT will also enable precision guided weapons, unmanned air vehicles, and unmanned ground vehicles to strike high value targets that are time critical and mobile. At the same time, these robust and network data link technologies will secure weapons handoff to any air and/ or ground systems and soldiers.
Monday, August 01, 2005
War on Terrorism, Intelligence VS. Soundbytes, and United States Security and Strategic Applications
The War on Terrorism is the new battlefield, with new rule sets, challenges, and concerns. If one does really consider terrorism to be the new modern battlefield, intelligence is a major role in developing effective and productive national security and strategic applications. Military strategist Sun Tzu wrote that "what is called foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits, nor from gods, nor by analog with past events, nor from calculations. It must be obtained from men who know the enemy situation."
Hardly a day goes by without soundbytes on the War on Terrorism. These soundbytes, according to the marketers, come from sources that have government and/ or certifications to prove their competency. This sounds and looks excellent on paper, but this requirement could be skewed to favor bias and alienate perspective. These marketers fail to note that certifications and/ or college degree(s) does not make a person any more competent than a professional. Contrary to the interests of certification and testing institutions, and higher education institutions, nearly anyone can pass a test and what matters is how they perform in the workroom, not how they perform in the classroom.
George Orwell wrote that if you preach something loud and often enough, you can get folks to believe it as truth, no matter how far fetched the message. Those that accept soundbytes on the War on Terrorism, will never be able to discuss and/ or implement effective and productive national security and strategic applications. They are basing their intelligence on soundbytes from sources that have never set their spirit, mind, and body in the workroom and/ or battlefield and only know the enemy by what they've read and/ or heard about them. That is dangerous, no matter what workroom and/ or battlefield you are on.
Hardly a day goes by without soundbytes on the War on Terrorism. These soundbytes, according to the marketers, come from sources that have government and/ or certifications to prove their competency. This sounds and looks excellent on paper, but this requirement could be skewed to favor bias and alienate perspective. These marketers fail to note that certifications and/ or college degree(s) does not make a person any more competent than a professional. Contrary to the interests of certification and testing institutions, and higher education institutions, nearly anyone can pass a test and what matters is how they perform in the workroom, not how they perform in the classroom.
George Orwell wrote that if you preach something loud and often enough, you can get folks to believe it as truth, no matter how far fetched the message. Those that accept soundbytes on the War on Terrorism, will never be able to discuss and/ or implement effective and productive national security and strategic applications. They are basing their intelligence on soundbytes from sources that have never set their spirit, mind, and body in the workroom and/ or battlefield and only know the enemy by what they've read and/ or heard about them. That is dangerous, no matter what workroom and/ or battlefield you are on.
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