Critical Releases in Homeland Security: February 11, 2009

"This intelligence assessment is a collaborative effort between the National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) and the NDIC to examine the threat posed to the United States by criminal gangs; it supports U.S. Department of Justice strategic objectives 2.2 (to reduce the threat, incidence, and prevalence of violent crime) and 2.4 (to reduce the threat, trafficking, use, and related violence of illegal drugs). The assessment is based on federal, state, and local law enforcement information and is supplemented by information retrieved from open sources. Information and data used for this report were collected through September 2008. This assessment discusses the proliferation of gangs from urban areas to suburban and rural locations, estimates of the number of gangs and gang members in the United States, gang types, gang-related criminal activities, locations where specific gangs operate, and the relationships between gangs and other criminal organizations. Regional summaries highlighting the most significant gang-related trends are also provided. The assessment also identifies intelligence gaps and provides predictive estimates regarding significant gang-related issues."

"This Plan implements the National Strategy for Maritime Security (September 2005) and the Policy for the Repression of Piracy and other Criminal Acts of Violence at Sea (June 2007) as applied to piracy off the Horn of Africa. The Strategy affirms the vital national interest of the United States in maritime security, and recognizes that nations have a common interest in achieving two complementary objectives: to facilitate the vibrant maritime commerce that underpins economic security, and to protect against ocean-related criminal and dangerous acts, including piracy. Our Policy provides that we shall '[c]ontinue to lead and support international efforts to repress piracy . . . and urge other states to take decisive action both individually and through international efforts.' Accordingly, this Plan seeks to involve all nations, international organizations, industry, and other entities that have an interest in maritime security to take steps to repress piracy off the Horn of Africa. This Plan's objective is to repress piracy off the Horn of Africa in the interest of the global economy, freedom of navigation, Somalia, and the regional states. Accordingly, this Plan focuses on immediate operational measures to prevent, disrupt, and punish acts of Somali pirate organizations. We intend this Plan to respond to the growing threat and to be mutually supportive of longer-term initiatives aimed at establishing governance, rule of law, security, and economic development in Somalia."

"The purpose of the Integrated Planning System (IPS) is to further enhance the preparedness of the United States by formally establishing a standard and comprehensive approach to national planning. It is meant to provide guidance for conducting planning in accordance with the Homeland Security Management System (HSMS), described in the National Strategy for Homeland Security of 2007. [...] To execute the direction set forth in the Strategy, the President issued Annex I (National Planning) to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8 (HSPD-8) (National Preparedness). Annex I directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to, among other tasks, develop the IPS. By introducing a standardized approach to national homeland security planning, the IPS is an important step in enhancing our national preparedness. As this system is implemented over time, it will align and synchronize our Federal planning efforts and serve as a model for planning at all levels of government-Federal, State, local, and Tribal. IPS incorporates lessons learned from both the development of the National Planning and Execution System and the planning process and doctrine elements of the Interim Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101 (CPG-101)."

"One of the most catastrophic incidents that could befall the United States (US), causing enormous loss of life and property and severely damaging economic viability, is a nuclear detonation in a US city. It is incumbent upon all levels of government, as well as public and private parties within the US, to prepare for this incident through focused nuclear attack response planning. Nuclear explosions present substantial and immediate radiological threats to life. Local and State community preparedness to respond to a nuclear detonation could result in life-saving on the order of tens of thousands of lives. The purpose of this guidance is to provide emergency planners with nuclear detonation-specific response recommendations to maximize the preservation of life in the event of an urban nuclear detonation. This guidance addresses the unique effects and impacts of a nuclear detonation such as scale of destruction, shelter and evacuation strategies, unparalleled medical demands, management of nuclear casualties, and radiation dose management concepts. The guidance is aimed at response activities in an environment with a severely compromised infrastructure for the first few days when it is likely that many Federal resources will still be en route to the incident. The target audiences for the guidance are response planners and their leadership. Emergency responders should also benefit in understanding and applying this guidance."