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• Building Performance Assessment Report: Hurricane Georges in Puerto Rico--Observations, Recommendations, and Technical Guidance

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  "This report presents FEMA's Building Performance Assessment Team's (BPAT) observations on the success and failure of buildings in Puerto Rico to withstand the wind and flood forces generated by Hurricane Georges. In addition, the seismic resistance of some of the buildings observed was assessed. In this report, 'buildings' refer to single- and multifamily homes, residential buildings, and commercial and industrial buildings. Recommendations to improve building performance in future natural disasters in Puerto Rico are included. During this building performance assessment, additional consideration was given to mitigation success stories, particularly when mitigation successfully reduced damages. In the context of this document, mitigation is defined as actions taken to prevent building damage and/or minimize the extent and impact of building damage if it occurs."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  1999-03
• Threats and Challenges to Maritime Security 2020

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  There are few constants in today's ever-changing world, but one of them certainly is man's reliance upon the sea. From the ancient Greeks and Romans to today, civilized man has depended upon the sea for food, transport, and the fundamental communication of peoples and commerce. The same will hold true 20 years from now; in fact, the increasingly interconnected world of 2020 may be more reliant on the sea than ever for food, transportation, energy, and even minerals. Maritime security, therefore, will be critical to the basic functioning of the global economy of 2020. This document is a broad overview of the forces, events, and activities that may shape the maritime security environment of the next two decades. It is primarily intended as an information tool for use by policy makers, strategic planners, integrated systems analysts, and force structure planners.

  United States. Coast Guard; United States. Office of Naval Intelligence

  1999-03-01
• Use of Force: ATF Policy, Training and Review Process are Comparable to DEA's and FBI's, Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives

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  "According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, managing officers' use of force is one of the most difficult challenges facing law enforcement agencies. The ability of officers to enforce the law, protect the public, and guard their own safety is very difficult in an environment where violent crime is commonplace and firearms are frequently used for illegal purposes. Because the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is the federal agency primarily responsible for enforcing firearms laws, its agents often face this difficulty. Over the past several years, ATF has come under public criticism and congressional scrutiny, in part, due to citizen accusations that ATF agents used excessive force in carrying out their enforcement responsibilities. In August 1995, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government, House Committee on Appropriations, asked GAO [Government Accountability Office] to (1) identify and describe ATF's policies for the use of deadly force; (2) determine how ATF conveys its policies to its agents; (3) determine the reasons for and the extent to which ATF uses dynamic entry--a tactic used to gain rapid entry to premises when serving high-risk search and arrest warrants and which may include forced entry--and the equipment ATF uses to accomplish these entries; and (4) determine whether ATF has complied with its procedures for investigating shooting and alleged excessive use-of-force incidents. The Chairman also asked GAO to compare how ATF addresses these issues with the way the Department of Justice's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) address them. While GAO determined whether ATF complied with its procedures for investigating shooting and alleged excessive use-of-force incidents on the basis of a review of investigative file documents, it did not evaluate the quality and adequacy of ATF's investigations. Neither did GAO verify whether all incidents had been reported nor whether all incidents that had been reported were investigated."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  1999-03
• Design of a Load-Balancing Architecture For Parallel Firewalls

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  From the thesis abstract: "Because firewalls can become a potential choke point as network speeds and loads increase, the Navy needs a cost-effective means of increasing data rate through firewalls by placing several machines in parallel and balancing the traffic load among them. Current firewall architectures consisting of multiple machines do not balance load among machines and require that each type of traffic be allocated to a machine dedicated to processing specific protocols. This situation creates a performance bottleneck. This thesis proposes a load-balancing firewall architecture to meet the Navy's needs. It first conducts an architectural analysis of the problem and then presents a high-level system design as a solution. Finally, the thesis provides a detailed system design, targeted for the BSD/OS [Berkeley Software Design/operating system] operating System. The detailed design describes the state transitions, data types and databases, functional interfaces, and threads of execution for a modular layered software architecture. The result of this thesis is a procedural blueprint for implementation of a firewall architecture, from both software and hardware perspectives, that should mitigate the performance bottleneck. The software architecture is easily verifiable due to its modular, layered design; does not affect either the commercial routers or firewall products; and provides an administrative interface for performance tuning."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Joyner, William L.

  1999-03
• Task Book for the Position of Incident Communications Center Manager (INCM)

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  "Position Task Books (PTB) have been developed for designated positions within the National Interagency, Incident Management System. Each PTB lists the performance requirements (tasks) for the specific, position in a format that allows a trainee to be evaluated against written guidelines. Successful, performance of all tasks, as observed and recorded by an evaluator, will result in a recommendation to the, agency that the trainee be certified in that position."

  National Wildfire Coordinating Group (U.S.)

  1999-03
• Special Report: Fires Involving Medical Oxygen Equipment

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  This report describes the general hazards associated with oxygen-enriched atmospheres, including aluminum in contact with high-pressure oxygen, a number of recent incidents, maintenance recommendations, and contributing factors are also included.

  United States Fire Administration

  Miller, Thomas H. (Professional safety engineer)

  1999-03
• Y2K Communications Sector Report

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  This report examines the status of Y2K remediation in the communications, industry. This report covers five industry sectors: wireline telephone, wireless telephone, cable television, broadcast telelvision and radio, and satellite. In addition, there are sections dedicated to the international telephone network and, emergency services.

  United States. Federal Communications Commission

  1999-03-01?
• Joint Force Quarterly: Autumn/Winter 1998-99, Issue 20 [March 1999]

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  "NDU Press produces Joint Force Quarterly in concert with ongoing education and research at National Defense University in support of the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. JFQ is the Chairman's joint military and security studies journal designed to inform and educate national security professionals on joint and integrated operations; whole of government contributions to national security policy and strategy; homeland security; and developments in training and joint military education to better equip America's military and security apparatus to meet tomorrow's challenges while protecting freedom today."

  National Defense University. Institute for National Strategic Studies

  1999-03
• Health Hazard Evaluation Program Report 98-0152-2729; Wolfeboro Public Safety Building Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

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  "On March 17, 1998, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a Health Hazard Evaluation request (HHE) from the New Hampshire Department of Labor to conduct an evaluation of diesel exhaust exposure at the Wolfeboro Public Safety Building, in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. The request indicated that Fire and Police personnel were exposed to diesel exhaust from fire apparatus. Asthmatic bronchitis was listed as a health problem resulting from this exposure. On June 23, 1998, NIOSH conducted an industrial hygiene evaluation which included air sampling for elemental carbon ('EC,' a component of diesel exhaust), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2, also a component of diesel exhaust). With the exception of the 199-minute EC sample collected in the apparatus bay (0.009 milligrams per cubic meter [mg/m 3 ]), EC concentrations were below the minimum detectable concentration throughout the Wolfeboro Public Safety Building. An NO2 concentration of 0.086 parts per million (ppm) was measured over a 189-minute period in the apparatus bay. Time-weighted average (TWA) NO2 sampling in other areas of the building, revealed concentrations below the minimum quantifiable concentration. Direct-read ('grab') measurements, however, appear to indicate that higher NO2 concentrations ('peak concentrations') may occur in the apparatus bays during very brief periods when vehicles are entering or returning."

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.); National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

  Sylvain, David; Echt, Alan

  1999-03
• Building Performance Assessment Report: Hurricane Georges in Puerto Rico: Observations, Recommendations, and Technical Guidance

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  "This report presents FEMA's Building Performance Assessment Team's (BPAT) observations on the success and failure of buildings in Puerto Rico to withstand the wind and flood forces generated by Hurricane Georges. In addition, the seismic resistance of some of the buildings observed was assessed. In this report, 'buildings' refer to single- and multifamily homes, residential buildings, and commercial and industrial buildings. Recommendations to improve building performance in future natural disasters in Puerto Rico are included. During this building performance assessment, additional consideration was given to mitigation success stories, particularly when mitigation successfully reduced damages. In the context of this document, mitigation is defined as actions taken to prevent building damage and/or minimize the extent and impact of building damage if it occurs."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Mitigation Directorate

  1999-03
• Building Performance Assessment Report: Hurricane Georges in the Gulf Coast: Observations, Recommendations, and Technical Guidance

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  "On September 28, 1998, Hurricane Georges made landfall in the Ocean Springs/Biloxi, Mississippi area. Over the next 30 hours, the storm moved slowly north and east, causing heavy damage along the Gulf Coast in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. Preliminary data from National Weather Service (NWS) reports indicate that maximum sustained winds ranged from 46-mph at Pensacola, Florida to as high as 91-mph with peak gusts up to 107-mph at Sombrero Key in the Florida Keys. Storm surges over the area ranged from more than 5 feet in Pensacola, Florida to 9 feet in Pascagoula, Mississippi. According to the NWS, the Town of Munson, Florida, in Santa Rosa County, received the highest recorded level of rainfall with more than 38 inches. Elsewhere in the Gulf Coast area, total rainfall ranged from 8 to 26 inches. Hurricane Georges caused extensive erosion to the Gulf Coast. Many coastal barrier islands, including Dauphin Island and the Chandeleur Islands, were completely overwashed in areas, and vertical beach loss and considerable shoreline retreat occurred. High tides and rain washed out major highways and flooded beachfront homes in many areas of Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. On October 2, 1998, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Mitigation Directorate deployed a Building Performance Assessment Team (BPAT) to the Gulf Coast to assess damages caused by Hurricane Georges. The team included FEMA Headquarters and Regional Office engineers, planners, and a coastal geologist; consulting engineers; floodplain management specialists; and a forensic engineer. The BPAT's mission was to assess the performance of buildings in the Gulf Coast area and make recommendations for improving building performance in future hurricanes. The assessment included areas of the Gulf Coast from Pensacola Beach, Florida, to Gulfport, Mississippi (including Mobile Bay, Alabama). In addition, a supplemental assessment of manufactured home performance was conducted in the Florida Keys. The assessment also included inland areas along major streams and rivers that experienced flooding. The BPAT process is intended to provide guidance to state and local governments on post-hurricane reconstruction and new construction with the goal of enhancing future building design and construction."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Mitigation Directorate

  1999-03
• Report on Allied Contributions to the Common Defense (1999)

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  This Report presents the Department of Defense assessment of the relative contributions toward common defense and mutual security made by our NATO allies, our key partners in the Pacific (Japan and the Republic of Korea), and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). This report responds to the requirements set forth in the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 (P.L. 105-261), Title XII, Section 1233, Defense Burdensharing, paragraphs a-c. Additionally, this Report covers burdensharing reporting requirements set forth in the Department of Defense Military Construction Appropriations Act (P.L. 105-237), Section 119. In its discussion of "Legislative Provisions Adopted" in the Strom Thurmond Act, Congress directed the Secretary to provide a Report to Congress on "National Security Bases for Forward Deployment and Burdensharing Relationships." The baseline legislation for this requirement is the FY1997 National Defense Authorization Act, Title X, Section 1084. In that provision, Congress requests an analysis of forward deployment options, and related force structures and costs (paragraphs c-e). Such information is beyond the scope of this Report, but readers are advised that the information is available in more comprehensive departmental reports. These include the National Defense University's 1998 Strategic Assessment (on alternative basing options and related force structures); and in the Department of Defense OP-53 Exhibit, Defense Overseas Funding, which addresses DOD worldwide overseas costs. Under legislative provisions dating to the Defense Authorization Act of 1981 (P.L. 96-342, Section 1006), the Department of Defense is required to compare the defense burdens borne by our allies, explain disparities, and describe efforts to eliminate such disparities.

  United States. Department of Defense

  1999-03
• Analysis of Radio Frequency Interference Effects on a Modern Coarse Acquisition (C/A) Code Global Positioning System (GPS) Receiver

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  The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the performance of a twelve channel Standard Positioning Service (SPS) based Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver using an eight state Kalman filter in a hostile radio frequency (RF) environment and to develop instructional tools for teaching RF interference on GPS receivers. The two types of jamming signals generated included Continuous Wave (CW) and Swept CW. Actual GPS and jamming signals were used in the research. The signals received from GPS satellites exhibit a Doppler shift which varies between approximately ± six Kilohertz. The Doppler shift frequency can be reasonably predicted for a given time of day, for a given satellite, and for a known receiver location using GPS satellite almanac or ephemeris data. Additionally, the Pseudorandom Noise (PRN) Coarse Acquisition (C/A) code for each satellite exhibits specific maximum amplitude spectral lines. By tailoring the jamming signals to match with the Doppler shifted satellite frequencies and offsetting the jamming to a maximum spectral line, it was shown that individual Navstar XR5-M receiver channels for specific satellites could be selectively jammed/spoofed. Swept CW jamming resulted in pulling the XR5-M receiver tracking channels off frequency by up to 20 Kilohertz but resulted in a maximum position error of only 220 meters. The CW jamming of at least one of the XR5-M receiver channels resulted in position errors in the receiver in excess of 12 kilometers.

  Air Force Institute of Technology (U.S.)

  Johnston, Kenneth D.

  1999-03
• Integrated Synthetic Aperture Radar/Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System for Target Geolocation Improvement

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  A significant amount of military and civilian research has been aimed at the sensor fusion technology area. However, there has been little research into the fusion between synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors and navigation sensors like the inertial navigation sensor (INS) and the global positioning system (GPS). SAR is used in civilian and military applications to image ground based targets in reconnaissance and fighter targeting missions. The SAR range and range rate measurements are generally obtained and processed independently from the aircraft navigation system. This thesis explores a potential integration technique to fuse information from the navigation sensors with the SAR target measurements. Using Kalman filtering techniques, an INS/GPS/SAR integrated system was simulated in a single Kalman filter to analyze the SAR target geolocation accuracy benefits. Three different GPS receiver models were used in the integrated system: stand-alone, differential, and carrier-phase differential (using floating ambiguity resolution). Each of these GPS models was integrated with a common INS/SAR combination to determine the target geolocation accuracy improvements due only to GPS receiver type. Thesis results show that SAR targeting can be enhanced, through tight integration of an INS/GPS navigation system, without increasing the SAR resolution.

  Air Force Institute of Technology (U.S.)

  Young, Brian James

  1999-03
• Comparative Analysis of the Iridium® and Globalstar® Satellite Transmission Paths

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  Low earth orbit Satellite-based Personal Communication Systems (S-PCS) such as Globalstar 1 and Iridium 2 will provide a valuable global communications asset for business, humanitarian aid and military operations. However, the level of coverage and the quality of the transmission path of these systems are strongly dependent on the latitude of the user and, due to their orbital characteristics; both systems provide reduced levels of coverage at low latitudes. Additionally, the L- and S-Band frequencies utilized by these systems are prone to ionospheric interference at low latitudes. In order to quantify these effects and allow a comparison to be conducted, both constellations are simulated and analyzed in terms of their transmission path elevation and azimuth angles, satellite visibility and levels of path attenuation. The results indicate that the Globalstar constellation architecture provides a considerably better transmission path than Iridium's in several important areas, including path elevation angles, satellite visibility and susceptibility to ionospheric effects. For example, at low latitudes, Globalstar provides a 25% higher elevation angle and a 60% greater probability of multiple satellite coverage. These factors impact the expected levels of signal multipath effects, shadowing and blockage from terrestrial obstacles such as trees or buildings. To assist future study in this area, a unique set of equations has been developed which describe the distribution of Iridium and Globalstar path elevation angles entirely as a function of the user's latitude. In addition to the differences in path elevation angles, modeling indicates that ionospheric scintillation is a potentially serious problem for both systems. However, Globalstar is expected to suffer lower fade levels than Iridium due to its higher downlink frequency and multiple path availability. The research concludes that, within the scope of the analysis, Globalstar provides a higher quality transmission path for users at low to mid-latitudes.

  Air Force Institute of Technology (U.S.)

  Crowe, Kenneth E.

  1999-03
• Expert Review of EPA/OSHA Joint Chemical Accident Investigation Report, Napp Technologies, Inc., Lodi, New Jersey

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  "This report contains the complete analyses of all five external expert reviewers of the joint EPA/OSHA [Environmental Protection Agency/Occupational Safety and Health Administration] investigative report of the Napp Technologies. Also included are EPA and OSHA's response to their major recommendations and comments. EPA and OSHA have determined that the comments of the reviewers did not change the determination of root causes and contributing factors (which were the focus of the investigation). Therefore, there is no need to materially change the Napp investigation report. However, the agencies will utilize the comments and recommendations in upcoming accident reports as well as in Alerts and other products that stem from this investigation. The following is a summary of the general comments and recommendations of the panel and a summary of EPA's and OSHA's responses to these comments." EPA and OSHA wrote a report on an investigation conducted on the accident as Napp Technologies, which this report is a review of. "On April 21, 1995, an explosion and fire took place at the Napp Technologies (Napp) facility in Lodi, New Jersey, resulting in deaths, injuries, public evacuations, and serious damage both on and off site." The original report is in the HSDL database collection.

  United States. Environmental Protection Agency; United States. Occupational Safety and Health Administration

  1999-03
• Fighting Terrorism in the 21st Century

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  The number of attempted terrorist acts in the United States remains equally alarming to the law enforcement community. Investigators must consider the sources of today's international and domestic terrorism threats. Over the last several years, the FBI has noted a new trend in terrorism within the United States that involves a transition from more numerous low-level incidents to less frequent but more destructive attacks, with a goal to produce mass casualties and attract intense media coverage. This analysis covers the different strategies in approaching international and domestic terrorism, and some reasons for the massive climb in activity.

  United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation

  Lewis, John F.

  1999-03
• Joint Terrorism Task Force: A Concept that Works

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  This report covers the integration of varied agencies under the cover of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. The history outlining the combination of federal and local law enforcement agencies is also covered, and the ideas behind the initial founding of the JTTF are also described. "Since its inception, the FBI-NYPD JTTF has remained on the forefront of the war against terrorism. The World Trade Center bombing proved that Americans could not view terrorism as a malady that affected only other countries. That attack, as well as the Oklahoma City bombing and the bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics, awakened Americans to the fact that terrorism had come to the United States. Today, 16 JTTFs stand ready to deter, counter, and respond to acts of terrorism. The FBI-NYPD JTTF, as well as the others throughout the country, remain dedicated to fighting terrorism and eliminating the fear and panic that terrorists rely on to advance their causes. The combining of federal, state, and local law enforcement resources has resulted in effective maximization of resources, the provision of sophisticated investigative and technological resources, and linkage to all federal government resources in the United States and worldwide. The participating law enforcement agencies, working as one, provide the needed knowledge, skills, and resources essential for law enforcement agencies to succeed in fighting the menace of terrorism."

  United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation

  Martin, Robert A.

  1999-03
• Bomb Threat: A Primer for the First Responder

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  The increase in dramatic bombings in the United States and abroad over the last few years has forced most officers to take increased training to prepare for most every situation. First-responder training is vital in preventing danger and injury to law enforcement professionals, and an important instrument in ensuring greater safety to all civilians.

  United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation

  Fuller, T.C.

  1999-03
• Year 2000 Issues: Technology Problems and Industrial Chemical Safety, Report to the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem

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  "On December 18, 1998, at the request of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem, Dr. Gerald Poje, one of Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board's Board Members convened a Year 2000 (Y2K) workshop (Appendix I). The workshop brought together professionals from the public and private sectors for the purpose of drawing on the participants' expertise in order to assess the impact of the Y2K problem with regard to catastrophic events in the chemical process plants. Appendix II contains a copy of the workshop agenda and a list of those individuals who attended. Issues addressed by the workshop were limited to safe and continuous production, storage, and distribution of chemicals critical to a range of American industries."

  United States. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

  1999-03
• Visa Issuance: Issues Concerning the Religious Worker Visa Program, Report to Congressional Requesters

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  "Although the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the State Department have identified some program fraud through the visa screening process and investigations, they do not have data or analysis to firmly establish the extent of fraud in the religious worker visa program. The nature of the fraud uncovered typically involved (1) applicants making false statements about their qualifications as religious workers or their exact plans in the United States or (2) conspiracy between an applicant and a sponsoring organization to misrepresent material facts about the applicant's qualifications or the nature of the position to be filled. INS and State sometimes detect fraud schemes when a sponsoring organization petitions INS for hundreds of religious workers at a time. In order to increase the availability of information necessary to allow reviewers to determine the eligibility of visa applicants and sponsors, INS, with State's support, is considering changes to the visa screening process. These changes include (1) having an applicant submit additional evidence of his or her qualifications, (2) having the sponsoring organization submit additional evidence regarding its ability to financially support the applicant, and (3) incorporating new software applications that alert reviewers to organizations filing petitions for numerous workers."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  1999-03
• International Energy Outlook 1999

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  "The report begins with a review of world trends in energy demand. The historical time frame begins with data from 1970 and extends to 1996, providing readers with a 26-year historical view of energy demand. The IEO99 [International Energy Outlook 1999] projections cover a 24-year period. High economic growth and low economic growth cases were developed to depict a set of alternative growth paths for the energy forecast. The two alternative growth cases consider different levels of future growth in regional gross domestic product (GDP). The resulting projections--and the uncertainty associated with making international energy projections in general--are discussed in the first chapter of the report. The status of environmental issues, including global carbon emissions, is reviewed. Comparisons of the IEO99 projections with other available international energy forecasts are also included in the first chapter. The next part of the report is organized by energy source. Regional consumption projections for oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear power, and renewable energy (hydroelectricity, geothermal, wind, solar, and other renewables) are presented in the five fuel chapters, along with a review of the current status of each fuel on a worldwide basis. The third part of the report looks at energy consumption in the end-use sectors, beginning with a chapter on energy use for electricity generation. New to this year's Outlook are chapters on energy use in the transportation sector and on environmental issues related to energy consumption."

  United States. Energy Information Administration

  1999-03
• Highlights of the 1997 National Youth Gang Survey

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  "The 1997 National Youth Gang Survey is the third annual survey conducted by the National Youth Gang Center. The 1996 survey sample was designed to be statistically representative of the entire country, resulting in an extensive national picture (Moore and Terrett, 1998). The 1997 survey utilized the same sample as that used for the 1996 survey, permitting comparative and trend analysis. [...] Of the 3,018 survey recipients, 2,766 responded (a 92-percent response rate). The number of jurisdictions that reported youth gang activity dropped from 1996 to 1997, but the decrease was negligible: 51 percent in 1997 compared with 53 percent in 1996. The largest decrease (2 percent) in the percentage of jurisdictions reporting active youth gangs appeared in large cities; within that category, the most notable decrease (5 percent) was in cities with populations ranging from 25,000 to 49,999. In the four major regions of the United States (Midwest, Northeast, South, and West), gang activity continued to be most prevalent (74 percent) in jurisdictions in the West. From these data, it was estimated that 4,712 U.S. cities and counties experienced gang activity in 1997, down slightly from 4,824 in 1996. There were an estimated 30,500 gangs and 816,000 gang members in 1997, compared with an estimated 31,000 gangs and 846,000 gang members in 1996. While there was an overall decline in the prevalence of gangs and gang members from 1996 to 1997, the number of gang members rose in small cities and rural counties."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  Moore, John P.; Terrett, Craig P.

  1999-03
• Perspective Series: Human Rights Conditions in Cuba since the Papal Visit

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  "The visit of Pope John Paul II to Cuba on January 21-25, 1998 opened new, though limited, space for the Cuban Catholic Church. However, the Cuban government of President Fidel Castro did not heed the Pope's call for democratic change. Since then, Castro has disregarded similar pleas from Canada, the European Union and members of the Organization of American States, and a year after the Pope's visit Cuba remained under the totalitarian control of a one-party Communist state. […].Heightened repression continued into 1999 with renewed waves of detentions and, in March, with the convictions and sentencing of four of Cuba's most prominent dissidents on charges of 'sedition,' as described later in this section and in Section XII. As the trial approached, at least 100 dissidents, including human rights activists and independent journalists, were temporarily detained or placed under house arrest in an evident attempt to prevent them from campaigning on behalf of those being tried, or from attending or reporting on the proceedings. Cuban human rights monitors said that it was from 482 to 381. However, another 79 prisoners were presumed to have been incarcerated for political reasons, while 16 detained on evidently political grounds were still awaiting trial."

  INS Resource Information Center

  Payne, Douglas

  1999-03
• Analysis and Evaluation of the Ability of the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement to Support U.S. Sealift Requirements During Two Nearly Simultaneous Major Regional Conflicts

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  "The Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) is an interagency agreement between the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) and represents a new level of cooperation between the DOT's Maritime Administration, DOD, and U.S. commercial shipping companies. VISA was formulated in the wake of sealift lessons learned during the Persian Gulf War of 1990 to 1991 and was approved by the Secretary of Defense on January 30, 1997 as a sealift readiness program. The purpose of VISA is to make intermodal systems, including ships, ships' space, and intermodal equipment and management services available to DOD as required to support emergency deployment and sustainment of U.S. military forces. the President's National Security Strategy calls for the United States to be able to defeat adversaries in two distant, simultaneous major theater wars. According to DOD, VISA will provide adequate commercial sealift and intermodal capabilities, when combined with organic sealift assets, to provide sustainment in support of the National Security Strategy. This research examines the development of VISA, its implementation process, and analyses its ability to provide sufficient sealift in the event of two nearly simultaneous major regional conflicts."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Daniels, Shane P.

  1999-03
• Planning Considerations for Secure Network Protocols

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  "An attempt is made to provide the reader with an appreciation for incorporating basic security services within a network protocol (e.g., multicast). Security incorporated within a network design is an increasingly common requirement that users are levying upon network implementations (military and commercial). Network security implementations evoke a myriad of abstractions, technologies and other related issues that can overpower a reader and cloud the topic with details. This thesis is intended to assist readers achieve an overview and background of the varied subject matter network security implementation necessitates. Essential services are introduced and discussed to provide an understanding of what constitutes an adequate and efficient security implementation. Related infrastructure (key distribution/ management) requirements needed to support network security services are examined. The thesis concludes by identifying tactical user network requirements and suggests security issues to be considered in concert with network implementation."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Barlow, Philip R.

  1999-03
• Recreation Area Fire Prevention

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  "This Wildfire Prevention Guide is a project of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. This guide is one in a series designed to provide information and guidance for personnel who have interests and/or responsibilities in fire prevention. Each guide in the series addresses an individual component of a fire prevention program. In addition to providing insight and useful information, each guide suggests implementation strategies and examples for utilizing this information. Each Wildfire Prevention Guide has been developed by Fire Prevention Specialists and subject matter experts in the appropriate area. The goal of this series is to improve and enhance wildfire prevention programs and to facilitate the achievement of NWCG program goals. Recreation can be defined as the 'use of leisure time to freely engage in activities in a variety of settings which provide personal satisfaction and enjoyment and contribute to the 'renewal' and 'refreshment' of one's body, mind and spirit.' […] Actions that provide a direct service to visitors include providing information, maps, signs, supervising use and patrolling. Areas of high human use will increase the potential for increased fire occurrence. To provide adequate fire protection, planning for public and agency fire safety and loss prevention should begin at the earliest possible date. This guide will provide information on developing fire safe recreation areas."

  National Wildfire Coordinating Group (U.S.)

  1999-03
• Fire Communication and Education

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  "This Wildfire Prevention Guide is a project of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. This guide is one in a series designed to provide information and guidance for personnel who have interests and/or responsibilities in fire prevention. Each guide in the series addresses an individual component of a fire prevention program. In addition to providing insight and useful information, each guide suggests implementation strategies and examples for utilizing this information. Each Wildfire Prevention Guide has been developed by Fire Prevention Specialists and subject matter experts in the appropriate area. The goal of this series is to improve and enhance wildfire prevention programs and to facilitate the achievement of NWCG program goals. Every wildland agency employee should be knowledgeable about wildland fire communication and education. When we answer a visitor's question, work with a contractor, or help a hiker locate a landmark on a map, we could be involved in the subject of how our agency manages wildland fires. Our response-whether good or bad-is often retained. Days, months, or even years from now, these persons may decide to support or oppose an agency fire management program based on the impressions they formed during that individual contact. That is why it is important that every employee understands fire education, how it relates to the ecosystem, and agency policy and practices."

  National Wildfire Coordinating Group (U.S.)

  1999-03
• Department of Defense Nuclear/Biological/Chemical (NBC) Defense Annual Report to Congress (1999)

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  The introduction to this report provides a background of the rationale and purpose of the DoD Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP). Chapter 1 describes the accomplishments, processes, and issues related to DoD CBDP management and oversight. Chapter 2 provides information on non-medical NBC defense requirements and research and development programs. Chapter 3 provides information on medical NBC defense requirements and on research and development programs. Chapter 4 provides an analysis of NBC defense logistics posture. The analysis reviews the status of quantities, characteristics, and capabilities of all fielded NBC defense equipment, industrial base requirements, procurement schedules, and problems encountered. Chapter 5 assesses the status of NBC defense training and readiness conducted by the Services. Each of the Services' training standards and programs is reviewed. Chapter 6 provides information on the status of DoD efforts to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which was ratified by the United States and entered into force during 1997. This chapter also includes a summary of plans and activities to provide assistance to other countries in response to an appeal by another State Party to the CWC, pursuant to Article X of the CWC. Annexes A through D provide detailed information on Joint and Service-unique NBC defense equipment, including contamination avoidance, protection, decontamination, and medical programs. Annex E provides a summary of funds appropriated, budgeted, and expended by the DoD CBDP. Annex F provides a reference to NBC defense related sites on the internet. Annex G provides a statement regarding chemical and biological defense programs involving human subjects as required by 50 USC 1523. As detailed in the annex, no such testing has been conducted in over two decades and none is planned. Annex H provides the text of the Congressional language requiring this report. Annex I provides a list of the many acronyms and abbreviations that are used throughout this report.

  United States. Department of Defense

  1999-03
• DOE Handbook: Tritium Handling and Safe Storage

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  "Tritium handling practices have evolved over several decades at Department of Energy tritium facilities. The objective has been to accomplish required tritium work while minimizing and controlling the exposure of workers, the public, and the environment from tritium. This document provides guidance for the handling, storing and shipping of tritium. Literature references furnish information current through mid-1998."

  United States. Department of Energy

  1999-03