U.S. Investigates Terrorist Attack: Updated

U.S. Investigates Terrorist  Attack - Department of Homeland Security Kicks Aviation Security up a Notch

Friday, October 29, 2010

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Good Friday afternoon everyone... I see that the men and women in charge of our Homeland security are still on their toes. That must mean President Obama and the Dems haven’t gone and screwed everything up... Yet!!!

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Here’s what we got so far on this possible threat...

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Authorities in Dubai intercepted an explosive device bound for a Chicago-area Jewish institution aboard a cargo jet, officials disclosed Friday, triggering a worldwide alert and fears that al-Qaida was attempting to carry out fresh terror attack... A second package - like the first, shipped from Yemen - was discovered aboard a plane in England. It, too, was addressed to a Jewish organization in the Chicago area, although there was no immediate confirmation about its contents... Several other cargo planes at airports along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States also were searched, and officials said no explosives were found. An Emirates Airlines passenger jet carrying cargo from Yemen was escorted from the Canadian border to New York City by two military fighter jets, U.S. officials said. They said it was a precautionary action... President Barack Obama arranged to make a statement about the developments at the White House. Aides said he had been informed about a "potential terrorist threat."...

Read the rest of this AP report at link below...

Explosive found in Dubai, part of US terror probe

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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

October 29, 2010

Statement of White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

Last night, intelligence and law enforcement agencies discovered potential suspicious packages on two planes in transit to the United States. Based on close cooperation among U.S. government agencies and with our foreign allies and partners, authorities were able to identify and examine two suspicious packages, one in East Midlands, United Kingdom, and one in Dubai. Both of these packages originated from Yemen. As a result of security precautions triggered by this threat, the additional measures were taken regarding the flights at Newark Liberty and Philadelphia International Airports.

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The President was notified of a potential terrorist threat on Thursday night at 10:35, by John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counter-terrorism. The President directed U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and the Department of Homeland Security, to take steps to ensure the safety and security of the American people, and to determine whether these threats are a part of any additional terrorist plotting. The President has received regular updates from his national security team since he was alerted to the threat.

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Official TSA Statement on Suspicious Items Onboard Cargo Flights

"The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is aware of and monitoring reports of potentially suspicious items onboard cargo flights that landed safely at Newark Liberty and Philadelphia International airports. Out of an abundance of caution the planes were moved to a remote location where they are being met by law enforcement officials and swept.”

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DHS Statement on Increased Security Precautions

Release Date: October 29, 2010

For Immediate Release

Office of the Press Secretary

"As a precaution, DHS has taken a number of steps to enhance security. Some of these security measures will be visible while others will not. The public may recognize specific enhancements including heightened cargo screening and additional security at airports. Passengers should continue to expect an unpredictable mix of security layers that include explosives trace detection, advanced imaging technology, canine teams and pat downs, among others. As always, we remind the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to local law enforcement."

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More updates to come...

AubreyJ.........

DHS PROPOSES CHANGES TO IMPROVE H-2A TEMPORARY AGRICULTURAL WORKER PROGRAM

DHS Proposes Changes To Improve
H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program

From the Press Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Proposed Rule Will Assist Employers by Streamlining Processing of H-2A Worker Petitions

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced today a series of proposed rule modifications to provide employers with a streamlined hiring process for temporary and seasonal agricultural workers under the H-2A program.

“These proposed changes are designed to provide an efficient and secure program for farmers to legally fulfill their need for agricultural workers within the law rather than outside the law,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “This common-sense simplification of H-2A will provide farm employers with a more orderly and timely flow of legal workers, while continuing to protect the rights of laborers and promoting legal and secure methods for determining who is coming into the country.”

The proposed modifications to the rule reduce current limitations and certain delays faced by U.S. employers and relax the current limitations on their ability to petition for multiple, unnamed agricultural workers. It extends from 10 to 30 days the time a temporary agricultural worker may remain in the U.S. after the end of employment. The rule also reduces from six to three months the time a temporary agricultural worker must wait outside the U.S. before he or she is eligible reenter the country under H-2A status. Additionally, under the proposed rule H-2A workers who are changing from one H-2A employer to another may begin work with the new petitioning employer before the change is approved by USCIS, provided the new employer participates in USCIS’ E-Verify program.

To better ensure the integrity of the H-2A program, and encourage the lawful employment of foreign temporary and seasonal agricultural workers, the proposed rule would:

* Require an employer attestation regarding the scope of the H-2A employment and the use of recruiters to locate H-2A workers;

* Crack down on employers and recruiters who impose fees on prospective H-2A workers;

* Eliminate the ability of employers to file an H-2A petition without an approved temporary labor certification; and

* Prohibit the approval of H-2A petitions for nationals of countries determined to be consistently refusing or unreasonably delaying repatriation of their nationals.

The rule also proposes the establishment of a land-border exit system pilot program. Under the program, H-2A visa holders admitted through a port of entry participating in the program would also depart through a port of entry participating in the program and present upon departure designated biographical information, possibly including biometric identifiers.

The proposed rule is available at www.dhs.gov for public comment and will soon appear at www.regulations.gov under docket number “USCIS-2007-0055,” until 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. More information regarding the proposed rule, plus instructions on submitting comments, is available through an accompanying Fact Sheet available at the USCIS website: USCIS Home Page.

DHS Releases Real ID Regulation

DHS RELEASES REAL ID REGULATION
Core 9/11 Commission Finding to Secure Drivers’ Licenses Nationwide
Friday, January 11, 2008

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today a final rule establishing minimum security standards for state-issued drivers’ licenses and identification cards. The rule sets uniform standards that enhance the integrity and reliability of drivers’ licenses and identification cards, strengthen issuance capabilities, and increase security at drivers’ license and identification card production facilities. The final rule also dramatically reduces state implementation costs by roughly 73 percent.

“The American public’s desire for greater identity protection is undeniable,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “Americans understand today that the 9/11 hijackers obtained 30 drivers licenses and ID’s, and used 364 aliases. For an extra $8 per license, REAL ID will give law enforcement and security officials a powerful advantage against falsified documents, and it will bring some peace of mind to citizens wanting to protect their identity from theft by a criminal or illegal alien.”

The problems that Americans face from document fraud are diverse and growing. A Public Opinion Strategies poll taken last year shows that more than 80 percent of the American public favors secure identification to prevent terrorism and identity theft. Identity theft has increased by nearly 800 percent from 2000 to 2006, according to the Federal Trade Commission. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made 863 criminal arrests during various worksite enforcement operations in fiscal year 2007 - more than 500 were charged with crimes relating to federal and state document fraud - and their Identity and Benefit Fraud Units made 1,211 criminal arrests for document fraud related charges. The U.S. Secret Service made 4,348 arrests last year for identity theft or financial fraud crimes, accounting for approximately $690 million in actual fraud loss to individuals and financial institutions. In a sampling of Secret Service identify theft cases from 2000 to 2006, fraudulent drivers’ licenses were used 35 percent of the time.

REAL ID will address document fraud by setting specific requirements that states must adopt for compliance, to include: (1) information and security features that must be incorporated into each card; (2) proof of the identity and U.S. citizenship or legal status of an applicant; (3) verification of the source documents provided by an applicant; and (4) security standards for the offices that issue licenses and identification cards.

The first deadline for compliance with REAL ID is Dec. 31, 2009. By then, states must upgrade the security of their license systems, to include a check for lawful status of all applicants, to ensure that illegal aliens cannot obtain REAL ID licenses. Some states are expected to be compliant well before that time. Compliance will be needed for access into a federal facility, boarding commercial aircraft, and entering nuclear power plants. Federal agencies will continue to accept licenses for official purposes from residents of states that comply with the law.

DHS is making approximately $360 million available to assist states with REAL ID implementation - $80 million in dedicated REAL ID grants and another $280 million in general funding as part of the Homeland Security Grant Program.

The 73 percent cost reduction – from an original estimate of $14.6 billion to approximately $3.9 billion – was achieved mainly by giving states greater flexibility in issuing licenses to older Americans. Enrollment will be completed for all individuals under 50 years of age by Dec. 1, 2014. For all others, enrollment may be extended three additional years to Dec. 1, 2017. At that time, all state-issued drivers’ licenses and identification cards intended for official federal purposes must be REAL ID compliant.

REAL ID was a core 9/11 Commission finding and mandated by Congress in the REAL ID Act of 2005. This final rule follows a Notice of Proposed Rule Making published in the Federal Register on March 9, 2007. Based on comments received from various stakeholders, DHS drafted the final rule to substantially reduce costs and account for investments that many states have already made to improve the security of their drivers’ licenses.

For more information, this final rule is currently available at www.dhs.gov and will soon be published in the Federal Register.

From press release by the Press Office, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
File photo by DHS
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