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• 2016 Chief Freedom of Information Act Officer Report to the Attorney General of the United States

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  "The Report summarizes the Department's accomplishments in achieving its strategic goals related to transparency, openness, and implementing FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] from March 2015 through March 2016. [...] This report also highlights the large number of FOIA requests and appeals the Department received this fiscal year and the sizable backlog reduction. As has been the case for several years, DHS continues to receive the largest number of FOIA requests of any federal department or agency in each fiscal year (FY), acquiring almost 40 percent of all requests within the Federal Government. Since President Obama took office, DHS experienced an increase in the number of received FOIA requests."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Privacy Office

  2016-03
• Recovery Act: Grant Implementation Experiences Offer Lessons for Accountability and Transparency, Report to Congressional Requesters

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  "In response to the recent serious recession, Congress enacted the Recovery Act to promote economic recovery, make investments, and minimize or avoid reductions in state and local government services. Approximately $219 billion was distributed as grants for use in states and localities, making grants a major component of the act. These grants covered a broad range of areas including education, transportation, energy, infrastructure, the environment, health care, and housing. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine grant management lessons learned resulting from the Recovery Act. This report examines federal, state, and local experiences with implementing grants funded by the Recovery Act by identifying examples of good practices employed and challenges faced in meeting the act's accountability and transparency requirements. GAO reviewed relevant documents including OMB and Recovery Board guidance, relevant literature, and previous reports by GAO, federal inspectors general, and others. GAO also interviewed officials from OMB, the Recovery Board, four federal agencies, three state governments, and two local governments, among others. This report also draws on GAO's past bimonthly reviews of selected states' and localities' use of Recovery funds."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2014-01
• Joint Concept of Operations for Global Information Grid NetOps

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  "The Unified Command Plan (UCP) assigns the missions of Information Operations (IO) and Global Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) to Commander, US Strategic Command (CDRUSSTRATCOM). Included in these missions is the responsibility to operate and defend the Global Information Grid (GIG). NetOps [Network Operations] is the operational construct that the CDRUSSTRATCOM will use to operate and defend the GIG. The goal of NetOps is to provide assured and timely net-centric services across strategic, operational and tactical boundaries in support of DOD's [Department of Defense] full spectrum of war fighting, intelligence and business missions. The desired effects of NetOps are: assured system and network availability, assured information protection and assured information delivery. This Concept of Operations (CONOPS) provides a high level description of the key attributes of NetOps: Essential Tasks, Command and Control Operating Principles, Command and Control Structure and Relationships, and the Collaborative Command and Control Process."

  United States. Strategic Command (2002- )

  2005-08-10
• MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, December 10, 2021

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  The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Update on Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus Outbreaks -- Worldwide, January 2020-June 2021"; "Comparative Effectiveness and Antibody Responses to Moderna and PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Vaccines among Hospitalized Veterans -- Five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, United States, February 1-September 30, 2021"; "Community-Based Testing Sites for SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] -- United States, March 2020-November 2021"; "Influenza A(H3N2) Outbreak on a University Campus -- Michigan, October-November 2021"; "Notes from the Field: Deployment of an Electronic Self-Administered Survey to Assess Human Health Effects of an Industrial Chemical Facility Fire -- Winnebago County, Illinois, June-July 2021"; "Errata" for Vol. 69, No. SS-7 [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=847967] and Vol. 70, No. 37 [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=858482]; and "QuickStats: Percentage of Employed Adults Who Needed to Work Closer Than 6 Feet from Other Persons All or Most of the Time at Their Main Job, by Occupation -- National Health Interview Survey, United States, July-December 2020." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link: [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)

  2021-12-10
• Emergence of Organizational Fit: Applying Configuration Theory to the Snohomish County (WA) Emergency Operations Center

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  From the thesis abstract: "An emergency operations center (EOC) plays a critical role during a community's response to a disaster. Yet, little research exists that assesses the impact of the organization's structure on an EOC staff's performance. This thesis explores how configuration theory, which emphasizes the need for an organization's structure to fit the situation, can help emergency managers organize an EOC's staff to improve its performance. Specifically, it uses configuration theory to examine the Snohomish County (WA) EOC's response to the State Route 530 flooding and mudslides incident. From that case study, three workgroups were selected, and members of each workgroup were interviewed. The results were analyzed twice, first by distinct workgroup and then cumulatively. Among the findings is the diversity of influences on the task environments of different workgroups responding to the same incident; the findings also reveal that the groups implemented aspects of more than one structure. Based on these analyses, recommendations are made to update EOC doctrine and training to focus on situational factors and flexible configurations, including hybrid configurations. And while the setting for this research is a local EOC, its outcomes reinforce the applicability of configuration theory to any organization responding to a crisis."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security

  Biermann, Jason M.

  2016-03
• Transboundary Hydrocarbon Reservoirs, Hearing Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, October 1, 2013

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  This is the October 1, 2013 hearing "Transboundary Hydrocarbon Reservoirs" held before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. From the opening statement of Ron Wyden: "The purpose of today's hearing is to consider legislation to implement the U.S./Mexico Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreement. I want to thank our witnesses, first of all, for appearing today. For the first time in over half a century, the U.S. and Mexico are entering into a robust energy partnership between our 2 countries. Hopefully this momentum will extend to other areas of trade, investment, and mutual cooperation, renewing the North American Alliance and strengthening our economy. The Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreement will provide a way for the United States and Mexico to pursue the joint development of shared energy resources. This agreement resolves claims to a dispute area in the Gulf of Mexico so that the energy resources can be developed and the benefits can be shared by both Nations." Statements, letters, and other materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Tommy P. Beaudreau, Mary L. Landriew, Erik Milito, Lisa Murkowski, Carlos Pascual, Jacqueline, Brian Schatz, and Ron Wyden.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2013
• Cyanotoxins in Drinking Water, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on the Environment and the Economy of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session, November 19, 2014

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  This is from the November 19, 2014 hearing, "Cyanotoxins in Drinking Water," before the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on the Environment and the Economy. From the Opening Statement of Chairman Shimkus: "Today, the subcommittee will be taking a look at the harmful algal blooms in drinking water, including the source water used for drinking. I thank Representative Latta for his efforts on this issue and for bringing it to the subcommittee's attention. He has delved into the minutia of this issue in search of useful and longterm solutions to this problem. Having sat in some of the meetings Mr. Latta has been having on this issue, I realize what a complex and widespread issue this is, but one which only gained national attention a few months ago. Some folks may be tempted to think there are easy solutions to this problem, but I caution jumping to simple or sweeping conclusions. There is no single 'smoking gun' that leads to algae-based toxins in drinking water, I believe we will hear our witnesses say there are still plenty of things we don't know about this subject." Statements, letters and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: John Shimkus, Craig Butler, John Donahue, Peter Grevatt, and Lynn Thorp.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2015
• World Cruise of the Great White Fleet: Honoring 100 Years of Global Partnerships and Security

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  "The world cruise of the Great White Fleet had dual origins, a diplomatic crisis with Japan and a need to test new U.S. battleships. On June 27, 1907, at the height of a crisis in Japanese-American relations, President Theodore Roosevelt decided to send the Atlantic battleship fleet to the Pacific in the fall. The 1904-5 Russo-Japanese War had demonstrated the military and naval might of Japan, while the decisive Russian defeat at Tsushima impressed on the public's consciousness that a battle fleet, after steaming great distances, could arrive at its destination in no condition to fight. With nearly all U.S. battleships in the Atlantic Fleet, the U.S. naval force in the Pacific was no match for the Japanese Imperial Navy. Aware of these conditions, West Coast residents of the United States felt vulnerable to attack."

  Naval History & Heritage Command (U.S.)

  Crawford, Michael J.

  2008
• Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2011

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  "For 35 years, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has tracked the number of firefighter fatalities and con-ducted an annual analysis. Through the collection of information on the causes of firefighter deaths, USFA is able to focus on specific problems and direct efforts toward finding solutions to reduce the number of fire-fighter fatalities in the future. This information is also used to measure the effectiveness of current programs directed toward firefighter health and safety. Several programs have been funded by USFA in response to this annual report. For example, USFA has sponsored significant work in the areas of general emergency vehicle operations safety, fire department tanker/tender operations safety, firefighter incident scene rehabilitation, and roadside incident safety. The data developed for this report are also widely used in other firefighter fatality prevention efforts. In addition to the analysis, USFA, working in partnership with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), develops a list of all onduty firefighter fatalities and associated documentation each year. If certain criteria are met, the fallen firefighter's next of kin, as well as members of the individual's fire department, are invited to the annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend Service. The service is held at the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, MD, during Fire Prevention Week in October of each year. [...] The specific objective of this study is to identify all onduty firefighter fatalities that occurred in the United States and its protectorates in 2011 and to analyze the circumstances surrounding each occurrence. The study is intended to help identify approaches that could reduce the number of firefighter deaths in future years."

  United States Fire Administration; United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency; United States. Department of Homeland Security

  2012-07
• Responding to Hate: The Role of Religious Actors, Hearing Before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, First Session, July 16, 2019

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  This is the July 16, 2019 hearing "Responding to Hate: The Role of Religious Actors" held before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. From the Opening Statement of Gwen Moore: "[O]ne of the most prolific and influential religious actors of our time famously said--and that would be the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.--that darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that. So let us use this truth as we examine the role of religious actors. You know, we're politicians. But the role of religious actors is embedded in the history of this country and around the world. And I am led to believe that it is time for the religious community to take its historic place in the forefront for the march of justice. And let us firmly use love and responsible policy to develop policies that will save lives and protect human rights." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: James Martin, Gamal Fouda, Hazzan Jeffrey Myers, Radia Bakkouch, Aaron Jenkins, Usra Ghazi, and Alina Bricman.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2020
• Natural Gas Drilling: Public Health and Environmental Impacts: Joint Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife and the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, First Session, April 12, 2011

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  This is the April 12, 2011 joint hearing, "Natural Gas Drilling: Public Health and Environmental Impacts," before the Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife and the Committee on Environment and Public Works. From the opening statement of Benjamin L. Cardin: "Let me start by saying the United States has as much natural gas as Saudi Arabia has oil. According to Penn State, the Marcellus Shale which runs from Central New York State to West Virginia may be the second largest natural gas field in the world. We have enormous reserves that can help America meet its energy needs and do so in a way that produces far less pollution than coal, help the United States on its path to energy independence, and improve our national security. High volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is now being used to extract natural gas from shale formations in thousands of new wells. In Pennsylvania, more than 2,700 Marcellus wells were drilled from 2006 to March 10 of this year. A study last year estimated that Marcellus drilling would create or support more than 100,000 jobs in 2011 plus billions of dollars in economic value for the State. The natural gas industry is booming, but it may be in jeopardy. New York has imposed a moratorium on fracking operations. New Jersey is considering a ban on the practice. The city of Pittsburgh has enacted a ban on fracking operations within the city limits. Tiny Mountain Lake Park, MD adopted an ordinance making the drilling of natural gas illegal within the town limits." Statement, letters, and material submitted for the record include those of the following: Benjamin L. Cardin, James M. Inhofe, Barbara Boxer, John Barrasso, John Cornyn, Robert P. Casey, John Boozman, Frank R. Lautenberg, Dan Boren, Robert Perciasepe, Robert Summers, Conrad Daniel Volz, Jack Ubinger, Jeff Cloud, and David Neslin.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2014
• Budgeting for Nuclear Waste Management, Hearing Before the Committee on the Budget, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, First Session, July 16, 2009

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  From the statement of Christopher A. Kouts: "The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 as amended directs the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management to undertake numerous activities. Among those are to provide for the development of one authorized geologic repository for the permanent disposal of waste. The Act also authorizes one commercial spent nuclear fuel interim storage facility under certain conditions. The Department's fiscal year 2010 budget request announced the administration's intended termination of the Yucca Mountain Repository Project and includes the funding needed to explore alternatives for nuclear waste disposal and to continue participation in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission license application process. However, the Department remains committed to meeting its obligations for managing and ultimately disposing of spent nuclear fuel and high level waste. To that end, the Secretary of Energy is convening a blue ribbon panel of experts to evaluate alternative approaches for meeting the federal government's responsibility." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: John M. Spratt, Michael K. Sampson, Michael F. Hertz, Kim Cawley, Gregg Harper, Betty McCollum, and Paul Ryan.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2010
• Challenging the Status Quo at TSA: Perspectives on the Future of Transportation Security, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Transportation Security of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, July 10, 2012

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  This is the July 10, 2012 hearing on "Challenging the Status Quo at TSA: Perspectives on the Future of Transportation Security," held before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Transportation Security. From the opening statement of Mike Rogers: "Let me start by saying that giving up on TSA without having something better to fill its place is not an option. For all its faults, the fundamental reason TSA was set up after 9/11 was to deploy enhanced security measures to prevent another attack on aviation. That security mission is just as important today, if not more important, than it was 11 years ago. Having said that, letting TSA carry on the way it has for the last 11 years is equally not an option. TSA's poor conduct is sending a strong message to the American taxpayer. The message is TSA doesn't care or doesn't know how to best serve and protect the traveling public. I am convinced we need to undertake a major reform to the Federal Government's role in our airports. I look forward to discussing some of those reforms here today." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Mike Rogers, Richard W. Bloom, Robert W. Poole, Jr., Rick Nelson, Tom Blank, and Colby Alonso.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2013
• DoD Management of Bulk Petroleum Products, Natural Gas, and Coal

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  This manual is issued under the authority of DoD Directive 4140.25, "DoD Bulk Petroleum Management Policy," January 1993 and DoD 4140.1-R, "DoD Materiel Management Regulation," January 1993. It provides policy guidance, supply procedures, and assigns functional responsibilities for the DoD Integrated Materiel Management (IMM) of bulk petroleum products. It also implements the Military Standard Petroleum System (MILSPETS) and Defense Fuel Automated Management System (DFAMS) which are designed to document inventory data and supply transactions and record such data in a central data bank (via electronic-network) for inventory and financial accountability of bulk petroleum stocks.

  United States. Defense Energy Support Center

  1994-06-22
• Final Report of the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee to the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration

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  "This report represents the best efforts of the Public Safety community to define and document its critical need for communications resources and the spectrum which will support them -- now and through the year 2010... the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) established the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC or Advisory Committee) to evaluate the wireless communications needs of federal, state, and local Public Safety agencies through the year 2010 and recommend possible solutions. The membership of the PSWAC encompassed a broad range of Public Safety agencies (federal, state, and local), public service providers, equipment manufacturers, commercial service providers, and the public at large. This Final Report, drawn from the five attached subcommittee reports on Operational Requirements, Interoperability, Technology, Spectrum Requirements, and Transition, embodies the findings and recommendations of the PSWAC developed over the past year."

  United States. Federal Communications Commission

  1996-09-11
• Department of Homeland Security Appropriations for 2009, Part 3: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Second Session, Subcommittee on Homeland Security, April 1, April 2, March 5, and March 6, 2008

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  This document contains official Government Printing Office (GPO) transcripts from four different hearings before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations. Hearings include: "Addressing the Challenges of Protecting the Nation's Physical and Cyber Infrastructure" held on April 1, 2008; "Border Security Programs and Operations-Challenges and Priorities," held on March 6, 2008; "Cargo Container and Supply Chain Security," held on April 2, 2008; and "Coast Guard 2009 Budget on Maritime Safety, Security, and Environmental Protection," held on March 5, 2008. From the opening statement of David E. Price for April 1, 2008: "Today, we are going to be discussing the Department's approach to protecting our nation's critical infrastructure, physical assets, such as ports, chemical plants, and nuclear facilities, as well as the servers and computer networks that make up the cyber infrastructure upon which our society increasingly relies." The March 6 "Border Security" hearing focuses on how to achieve Congressional border security objectives including securing land borders with international cooperation and a limited budget. The April 2 "Cargo Container" hearing examines: "the challenges and priorities facing our Nation to secure containers, cargo, and the supply chain from radiological and nuclear attacks." The "Coast Guard" hearing held on March 5, 2008 offers testimony on the "Coast Guard's 2009 budget request and its impact on the Coast Guard's maritime, safety, security, and environmental protection missions." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following (some appear at more than one hearing, but are only listed once): April 1, 2008 "Addressing the Challenges" hearing: Robert Jamison, Robert Stephan, Gregory Garcia, Harold Rogers, John Carter, and David E. Price; March 6, 2008 "Border Security" hearing: W. Ralph Basham, Robert A. Mocny, Richard M. Stana, Jerry Lewis, Kay Granger, John Peterson, and Chet Edwards; April 2, 2008 "Cargo Container" hearing: Stephen Flynn, Chris Koch and John Culberson; March 5, 2008 "Coast Guard" hearing: Thad W. Allen, John P. Hutton, Robert Aderholt, Sam Farr, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Nita Lowey, Vayl S. Oxford, Jayson P. Ahern, and Stephen L. Caldwell.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2008
• Nuclear and Chemical Weapons and Materiel: Chemical Surety

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  "This regulation prescribes policies, procedures, and responsibilities for the Army Chemical Surety Program. It also implements DoD physical security requirements pertaining to security matters for chemical weapons (including binary weapons when uploaded with both components) and research chemical agents. It has been revised to update responsibilities, Personnel Reliability Program (PRP) procedures, transportation policies, chemical event notification, chemical accident or incident response and assistance (CAIRA) operations, and inspection requirements. It also amplifies safety, security, and PRP requirements pertaining to chemical agent operations, including contractors."

  United States. Department of the Army

  2001-06-26
• Guide for the Selection of Chemical Agent and Toxic Industrial Material Detection Equipment for Emergency First Responders (Volume II)

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  "The National Institute of Justice is the focal point for providing support to state and local law enforcement agencies in the development of counterterrorism technology and standards, including technological needs for chemical and biological defense. In recognizing the needs of state and local emergency first responders, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, working with the National Institute of Justice, the Technical Support Working Group, the U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command, and the Interagency Board, is developing chemical and biological defense equipment guides. The guides will focus on chemical and biological equipment in areas of detection, personal protection, decontamination, medical, and communication. This document focuses specifically on chemical detection equipment for chemical agents and toxic industrial materials and was developed to assist the emergency first responder community in the evaluation and purchase of chemical detection equipment."

  National Institute of Justice (U.S.)

  2000-06
• Documents on Disarmament, 1970

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  "The present publication is the latest in a series of volumes that have been issued annually since 1960. It contains basic documents on arms control and disarmament developments during the year. The work of the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency is described in the 10th Annual Report, which is printed at the end of the documentary material. The papers are printed chronologically. They are preceded by a topical list of documents and followed by a chronological list. Other reference aids include a bibliography, an index, and lists of abbreviations, international organizations and conferences, and persons. The papers were compiled and annotated by Robert W. Lambert, Chief, Historical Division, with the assistance of Ruth Ihara, Jean Mayer, and Douglas Kline. Useful suggestions were also received from other officers of the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. Technical editing was done in the Editorial Branch of the Publishing and Reproduction Services Division, Department of State."

  United States. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

  Lambert, Robert W.

  1971-12
• New Chapter of the United States-Indonesia Defense Relations: Reengagement Through IMET

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  From the thesis abstract: "Indonesia is of strategic importance for the U.S. Hence, the U.S. has contributed to helping the country develop its military after Indonesia's independence. Various programs, including International Military Education and Training (IMET), have given Indonesian military personnel access to U.S. doctrine and tactics. In fact, the two countries view IMET as an indicator of their defense relationship. However, due to the dynamics and changes in priorities of interest between the U.S. and Indonesia, the IMET program has experienced ups and downs. For over a decade, the U.S. Congress imposed a ban on the IMET program for the Indonesian military. During this period, Indonesia's access to U.S. professional military education was significantly reduced. Nevertheless, after negotiations and shifts in U.S. national interest priorities after 9/11, the U.S. fully resumed the IMET program for Indonesia. Now the two countries build their mutual and complementary interests through IMET as well as through other programs including exercises and training in counter-terrorism, maritime security, and stability operations. This helps foster personal and professional relationships which support good nation-to-nation relations. Understanding the causes and the processes that resulted in the U.S. ban on IMET for Indonesia assists both countries in maintaining and strengthening their relationship."

  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

  Inkiriwang, Frega W.

  2013-06-14
• Department of Homeland Security: Assessments of Selected Complex Acquisitions, Report to Congressional Addressees

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  "Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acquisitions represent hundreds of billions of dollars in life-cycle costs to support a wide range of missions. Creating acquisition policies and processes to provide insight into the performance of a wide array of complex investments, while also providing oversight for many component agencies new to acquisition management, has been an ongoing challenge for DHS. GAO performed this review because DHS implementation and transformation is on GAO's high risk list. This report (1) provides an update on DHS's efforts to implement acquisition oversight for all investments; (2) describes acquisition performance and common challenges across selected programs; and (3) provides individual profiles for 18 selected programs, 15 of which were major programs that had initiated acquisition activities. GAO selected programs based on relevance to frontline homeland security missions and assessed cost and schedule performance and acquisition planning challenges."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2010-06
• Averting Armageddon: A Select Review of the Literature on Nuclear Proliferation and Terrorism

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  "Since the end of the Cold War, there has been a steady reduction in the nuclear enterprise. Both the US and Russian governments have substantially reduced their nuclear arsenals. Nevertheless, today there is much consternation over the increasing availability of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). A steady dissemination of dual-use equipment enables rogue states or terrorist organizations to produce chemical and biological weapons. Moreover, motivations of terrorists are changing, with modern terrorists likely to be inspired by millenarian and extremist ideologies instead of the secular ideologies that animated earlier terrorists thus increasing their proclivity to use (WMD). With the breakup of the Soviet Union, new concerns arose about the security of nuclear weapons and the greater risk of a black market for WMD, components and related expertise. The Soviet Union‟s collapse left eighteen thousand nuclear warheads in the hands of leaders of new countries, though there is no evidence that any of these weapons ever left government control."

  USAF Counterproliferation Center; Air University (U.S.). Air War College

  Michael, George

  2013?
• Fifty Feet Above the Wall: Cartel Drones in the U.S.- Mexico Border Zone Airspace, and What to Do About Them

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  From the thesis abstract: "Over the last decade, the U.S. military and homeland security research groups have contemplated the issue of how to counter unmanned drones. Recently, border security agencies responsible for securing the U.S.-Mexico border are having to contend with the emerging threat of Mexico's drug cartel narcotics-smuggling drones, also known as narco-drones. Narco-drones are an example of cartel innovation for smuggling, among other deviant purposes, that U.S. border security will need a strategy to counter. This study aimed to build on the conceptual framework related to hostile drones in the airspace and specifically to find a strategy that the Department of Homeland Security could pursue to manage the narco-drone problem in the border-zone airspace. The author argues that the Mexican drug cartels adopt innovative drone tactics in response to border security measures or lack thereof, as well as through organizational learning. This thesis concludes that leveraging U.S. military experience, anti-drone doctrine, and detection assets developed for countering terrorist drones in the war zones of Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan is an effective strategy for countering narco-drones at the U.S.-Mexico border."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Schmersahl, Aaron R.

  2018-03
• Second Quarterly Report on Iraq (April 5, 2004)

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  This is the second quarterly report required by Section 2207 of the Emergency Appropriations Act for Defense and for the Reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan, FY 2004. This report updates information contained in the report I submitted on January 5, 2004. As with the first report, this too relies on the capable planning and analysis of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Baghdad and reflects the priorities Ambassador Bremer has identified as essential to Iraq's security, political stability and economic growth. This report discusses several revisions to the spending plan submitted on January 5, 2004. Specifically, resources were redirected to enhance training of the Iraqi Police Service, the Department of Border Enforcement, and the Facilities Protection Service; to increase the number of battalions in the Iraq Civil Defense Corps; and to create a new rule of law program designed to provide judicial, prosecutorial, and attorney training to ensure a more transparent and fair legal system. In addition, the report identifies resources to be used as operating funds for CPA's successor organization as permitted in the FY 2004 Supplemental.

  United States. Office of Management and Budget

  2004-04-05
• Averting Armageddon: A Select Review of Recent Literature on Nuclear Proliferation and Terrorism

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  Nuclear Proliferation is active to the point of the possibilities of an Armageddon if a terrorist is in possession of one. George Michael, the author, illustrates through a "select review of recent literature on Nuclear Proliferation and Terrorism" on how the threat is, and suggests what needs to be accomplished. From the Introduction: "Since the end of the Cold War, there has been a steady reduction in the nuclear enterprise. Both the US and Russian governments have substantially reduced their nuclear arsenals. Nevertheless, today there is much consternation over the increasing availability of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). A steady dissemination of dual-use equipment enables rogue states or terrorist organizations to produce chemical and biological weapons. Moreover, motivations of terrorists are changing, with modern terrorists likely to be inspired by millenarian and extremist ideologies instead of the secular ideologies that animated earlier terrorists thus increasing their proclivity to use (WMD). […] The most worrisome aspect of modern terrorism is the prospect of a radical group obtaining a nuclear weapon. In fact, on the eve of the Nuclear Security Summit in April 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama announced that the prospect of nuclear terrorism was 'the single biggest threat to U.S. security, both short-term, medium-term and long-term.'"

  USAF Counterproliferation Center

  Michael, George

  2013?
• Reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the 115th Congress [November 30, 2017]

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  "The funding authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), included in the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-190) and the subsequent Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-63), is now set to expire on March 31, 2018. In addition to setting spending levels, FAA authorization acts typically set policy on a wide range of issues related to civil aviation. This report considers topics likely to arise as the 115th Congress continues to debate FAA reauthorization. It does not attempt to be comprehensive. Many issues debated prior to passage of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 are not discussed unless further congressional consideration appears probable. Additional issues, not discussed in this report, may arise as Congress moves forward."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Elias, Bartholomew; Tang, Rachel Y.

  2017-11-30
• MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, November 6, 2020

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  The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Sociodemographic and Geographic Variation in Awareness of Stroke Signs and Symptoms Among Adults -- United States, 2017"; "Computerized Capability of Office-Based Physicians to Identify Patients Who Need Preventive or Follow-up Care -- United States, 2017"; "Network Characteristics and Visualization of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Outbreak in a Large Detention Facility in the United States -- Cook County, Illinois, 2020"; "Transmission of SARS-COV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Infections in Households -- Tennessee and Wisconsin, April-September 2020"; "Birth and Infant Outcomes Following Laboratory-Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Pregnancy -- SET-NET [Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network], 16 Jurisdictions, March 29-October 14, 2020"; "Update: Characteristics of Symptomatic Women of Reproductive Age with Laboratory-Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Pregnancy Status -- United States, January 22-October 3, 2020"; "Telework Before Illness Onset Among Symptomatic Adults Aged ≥18 Years With and Without COVID-19 in 11 Outpatient Health Care Facilities -- United States, July 2020"; "A SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak Illustrating the Challenges in Limiting the Spread of the Virus -- Hopi Tribe, May-June 2020"; "'Notes from the Field': Development of an Enhanced Community-Focused COVID-19 Surveillance Program -- Hopi Tribe, June-July 2020"; and "'QuickStats': "Age-Adjusted Death Rates for Alzheimer Disease Among Adults Aged ≥ 65 Years, by Sex and Race/Hispanic Origin -- National Vital Statistics System, 2018." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2020.html].

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)

  2020-11-06
• CTC Sentinel [November/December 2020]

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  This November/December 2020 issue of the U.S. Military Academy's Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) Sentinel features the following article: "Afghanistan's Future Emirate? The Taliban and the Struggle for Afghanistan" by Seth G. Jones. Other reports include: "Biosecurity in the Wake of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]: The Urgent Action Needed" by Hamish de Bretton-Gordon; and "Outlasting the Caliphate: The Evolution of the Islamic State Threat in Africa" by Jason Warner, Ryan O'Farrell, Héni Nsaibia, and Ryan Cummings.

  Combating Terrorism Center (U.S.)

  2020-12
• Protection of Civilians Military Reference Guide, Advance Copy

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  "This 'Protection of Civilians (PoC) Military Reference Guide' grew out of conversations and collaborations with a number of individuals and institutions working to prevent and respond to violence against civilians. Significant among these was a 2009 workshop convened by the Stimson Center at the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham which engaged experts and doctrine writers alongside military and civilian leaders with experience in protection crises. It included a two-day simulation exercise involving escalating violence against civilians and challenged workshop participants to propose and evaluate courses of action to protect civilians. The workshop was organized by Alison Giffen and Max Kelly to capture insights that could be distilled into guidance for future missions mandated to protect. The project resulted in three products authored by Max Kelly and/or Alison Giffen: 'Addressing the Doctrinal Deficit: Developing Guidance to Prevent and Respond to Widespread or Systematic Attacks Against Civilians'; 'Protecting Civilians: Proposed Principles for Military Operations'; and 'Military Planning to Protect Civilians: Proposed Guidance for United Nations Peacekeeping Operations'. These publications detailed why doctrine on the protection of civilians is needed, outlined a strategic framework for the doctrine and proposed seven doctrinal principles for military operations facing protection challenges. Although the Reference Guide's content has evolved beyond Stimson's work and includes the input and expertise of many, Stimson's 'Addressing the Doctrinal Deficit' initiative and publications served as the point of departure for this Guide."

  Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute

  2013-01-02
• America's Strategic Unconventional Fuels: Volume II - Resource-Specific and Cross-cut Plans

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  "The oil shale program goal is to stimulate private industry development of a domestic oil shale industry while responsibly managing and mitigating environmental impacts, and protecting affected states and localities from adverse socio-economic impacts. The oil shale development objective is the production of 2.5 million barrels per day (MMBbl/d) of shale oil by the year 2035. A significant commitment by both industry and local, state, and the Federal government will be required to attain the development objective. This commitment to an effective private-public partnership underpins the comprehensive approach in this plan."

  United States. Office of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves. Strategic Unconventional Fuels Task Force

  2007-09