Post by Paddy by Grace on Oct 13, 2009 17:35:03 GMT -7
NORTHCOM Issues Directive Cautioning Against Terror Threat Complacency
theneinblog.blogspot.com/
02 October 2009: Folks, this is serious business. If you, and your familiy and friends are not prepared the cost to be paid in the event of a terrorist attack against the community or national infrastructure will be higher than it need be. I've discussed the need for individual and family preparedness before and include with this NEINBlog entry a .pdf link to the NORAD-NORTHCOM/SG 72-Hour Emergency Supply Kit. You should follow this guide at the minimum.
by Anthony L. Kimery
Thursday, 01 October 2009
'Complacency' is 'top concern,' CONUS directive stated
In response to the handful of thwarted domestic jihadist bombing plots in recent weeks - which included schemes against US military installations - the US Northern Command's (NORTHCOM) Joint Operations Center issued a "Force Protection Directive" that cautioned domestic Defense Department personnel against becoming complacent to staying alert to terrorism threats.
The "For Official Use Only" directive, which was obtained by HSToday.us, advised CONUS military personnel to be aware of "the potential for complacency given the lack of specific information relative to DoD personnel, installations, and facilities" involved in the recent surge of disrupted terrorist attacks.
The NORTHCOM directive stated "complacency" is NORTHCOM's "top concern."
"At all levels of command, it is imperative to understand the lack of visibility that DoD has of the current domestic threat activity," stated the NORTHCOM directive that was issued earlier this month, adding that "due to on-going federal law enforcement investigations there are numerous gaps in the detail of information that may be released to and within DoD channels. The intent of this summation is to provide awareness of known threat activity and to reinforce the understanding that there remains a continuing intent to carry out attacks in the homeland."
"The threat is real and personal/organizational complacency increases DoD vulnerability," NORTHCOM warned, noting that "credible reporting since at least March 2008 indicates a desire for known groups to carry out terrorist operations against DoD interests."
The NORTHCOM directive pointed out that "there [was] a total of seven homeland plots in the last six months, five with a DoD nexus," which meant that the plots involved plans to attack US military facilities.
The directive required the following:
"All subordinate commands conduct an internal process to review, assess, and validate existing active and passive security actions being implemented. Critical to this review is a self-assessment of the actions being implemented to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
"Evaluate and re-issue guidance, as required, regarding the implementation and execution of random antiterrorism measures. Of particular emphasis may be actions promoting random and increased perimeter patrolling and monitoring, active physical security actions at access control points and increased visibility of armed security/police personnel.
"The the maximum extent possible, and via multiple mediums, ensure all personnel are briefed on the importance of personnel remaining vigilant and aware of their surroundings. From the World Trade bombing until 9/11 was 3,113 days. From 9/11 today is 2,934 days. The threat is real and personal/organizational complacency increases DoD vulnerability. Reporting of suspicious activities must be emphasized and should be conducted as per intent of DoD policy."
Speaking in January at a National Defense Industrial Association meeting in Washington, DC, NORTHCOM Commander Brig. Gen. Victor E. Renuart, Jr., said the current problem facing NORTHCOM is the vulnerability of facilities to attack and complacency. He stressed that the US military must become smarter at providing security to its bases, noting that the threat to US military installations is real.
Four years earlier, in September 2004, then NORTHCOM Commander, Air Force Gen. Ed Eberhart, cautioned against complacency despite security gains. "The minute we say, 'the status quo is good,' we become predictable. The enemy is going to out flank us and sock us in the eye again," Eberhart said.
Two years ago, then Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said "in the short run I worry about a developing complacency and cynicism about the threat that we are facing" from Islamist jihadists," adding that "people [are] starting to be unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices in order to make sure that we can continue to disrupt and repel" domestic attacks. Other homeland security, defense, and intelligence officials have expressed similar concerns about the "creeping complacency" that's taken root in recent years.
Responding to HSToday.us' inquiry about the NORTHCOM directive, NORTHCOM spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Gary Ross said Wednesday "the bottomline is we just want to make sure that we remain on our toes for all the installations that are within CONUS to review the policies and procedures and to avoid complacency" toward the continuing domestic terrorist threat to military installations.
Ross said the directive "isn't implying" that's there a lack of appropriate intelligence sharing with DoD facilities about terrorist plots, but rather "it's just a straight forward message" to "reiterate our common practices, and to reiterate how we go about communicating to one another within DoD as well as outside of DoD ..."
Ross stressed that the issue of complacency toward the terrorist threat to military facilities must be taken seriously. "That was the reason for the directive," he said.
theneinblog.blogspot.com/
02 October 2009: Folks, this is serious business. If you, and your familiy and friends are not prepared the cost to be paid in the event of a terrorist attack against the community or national infrastructure will be higher than it need be. I've discussed the need for individual and family preparedness before and include with this NEINBlog entry a .pdf link to the NORAD-NORTHCOM/SG 72-Hour Emergency Supply Kit. You should follow this guide at the minimum.
by Anthony L. Kimery
Thursday, 01 October 2009
'Complacency' is 'top concern,' CONUS directive stated
In response to the handful of thwarted domestic jihadist bombing plots in recent weeks - which included schemes against US military installations - the US Northern Command's (NORTHCOM) Joint Operations Center issued a "Force Protection Directive" that cautioned domestic Defense Department personnel against becoming complacent to staying alert to terrorism threats.
The "For Official Use Only" directive, which was obtained by HSToday.us, advised CONUS military personnel to be aware of "the potential for complacency given the lack of specific information relative to DoD personnel, installations, and facilities" involved in the recent surge of disrupted terrorist attacks.
The NORTHCOM directive stated "complacency" is NORTHCOM's "top concern."
"At all levels of command, it is imperative to understand the lack of visibility that DoD has of the current domestic threat activity," stated the NORTHCOM directive that was issued earlier this month, adding that "due to on-going federal law enforcement investigations there are numerous gaps in the detail of information that may be released to and within DoD channels. The intent of this summation is to provide awareness of known threat activity and to reinforce the understanding that there remains a continuing intent to carry out attacks in the homeland."
"The threat is real and personal/organizational complacency increases DoD vulnerability," NORTHCOM warned, noting that "credible reporting since at least March 2008 indicates a desire for known groups to carry out terrorist operations against DoD interests."
The NORTHCOM directive pointed out that "there [was] a total of seven homeland plots in the last six months, five with a DoD nexus," which meant that the plots involved plans to attack US military facilities.
The directive required the following:
"All subordinate commands conduct an internal process to review, assess, and validate existing active and passive security actions being implemented. Critical to this review is a self-assessment of the actions being implemented to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
"Evaluate and re-issue guidance, as required, regarding the implementation and execution of random antiterrorism measures. Of particular emphasis may be actions promoting random and increased perimeter patrolling and monitoring, active physical security actions at access control points and increased visibility of armed security/police personnel.
"The the maximum extent possible, and via multiple mediums, ensure all personnel are briefed on the importance of personnel remaining vigilant and aware of their surroundings. From the World Trade bombing until 9/11 was 3,113 days. From 9/11 today is 2,934 days. The threat is real and personal/organizational complacency increases DoD vulnerability. Reporting of suspicious activities must be emphasized and should be conducted as per intent of DoD policy."
Speaking in January at a National Defense Industrial Association meeting in Washington, DC, NORTHCOM Commander Brig. Gen. Victor E. Renuart, Jr., said the current problem facing NORTHCOM is the vulnerability of facilities to attack and complacency. He stressed that the US military must become smarter at providing security to its bases, noting that the threat to US military installations is real.
Four years earlier, in September 2004, then NORTHCOM Commander, Air Force Gen. Ed Eberhart, cautioned against complacency despite security gains. "The minute we say, 'the status quo is good,' we become predictable. The enemy is going to out flank us and sock us in the eye again," Eberhart said.
Two years ago, then Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said "in the short run I worry about a developing complacency and cynicism about the threat that we are facing" from Islamist jihadists," adding that "people [are] starting to be unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices in order to make sure that we can continue to disrupt and repel" domestic attacks. Other homeland security, defense, and intelligence officials have expressed similar concerns about the "creeping complacency" that's taken root in recent years.
Responding to HSToday.us' inquiry about the NORTHCOM directive, NORTHCOM spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Gary Ross said Wednesday "the bottomline is we just want to make sure that we remain on our toes for all the installations that are within CONUS to review the policies and procedures and to avoid complacency" toward the continuing domestic terrorist threat to military installations.
Ross said the directive "isn't implying" that's there a lack of appropriate intelligence sharing with DoD facilities about terrorist plots, but rather "it's just a straight forward message" to "reiterate our common practices, and to reiterate how we go about communicating to one another within DoD as well as outside of DoD ..."
Ross stressed that the issue of complacency toward the terrorist threat to military facilities must be taken seriously. "That was the reason for the directive," he said.