THIS STORY COMES TO US FROM THE OFFICIAL UN NEWS AGENCY.

BIRD FLU REMAINS POTENT THREAT WITH POSSIBILITY OF HUMAN
PANDEMIC, UN AGENCY WARNS
New York, Dec 6 2006 11:00AM
The bird flu virus, with its possible mutation into a deadly
human pandemic, remains a potent threat around the world, with
greater transparency and sharing of information critical to meet the
challenge, and Africa emerging as a top priority for resources
and technical aid, according to the latest United Nations update
released today.

“Failure by any one country to contain the disease could lead
to rapid re-infection in many more countries,” UN Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) Assistant Director-General Alexander
Müller warned in a statement ahead of a major donor
<"http://www.avianinfluenzaconference4.org">conference in Bamako, Mali, tomorrow. “One weak link can lead to a domino effect,
undoing all the good that we have achieved so far. Now is no time
for complacency.”

<"
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000454/index.html">FAO said several parts of the world remain particularly
vulnerable because of a shortfall in donor funding, including Africa,
eastern Europe and the Caucasus, and Indonesia where just this
year there have been 55 human cases, 45 of them fatal.

Although well over 200 million birds have died worldwide from
either the H5N1 flu virus or preventive culling, there have so far
been only 258 human cases, 154 of them fatal, since the current
outbreak started in South East Asia in December 2003, and these
have been ascribed to contact with infected birds.

But experts fear the virus could mutate, gaining the ability to
pass from person to person and, in a worst case scenario,
unleash a deadly human pandemic. The so-called Spanish flu pandemic
that broke out in 1918 is estimated to have killed from 20 million
to 40 million people worldwide by the time it had run its course
two years later.

“The possibility of a human pandemic hangs over us,” FAO
warned in a statement prepared for tomorrow’s conference. H5N1
remains a “potent threat around the world, both to animals and
humans,” it said, noting that with the arrival of the virus
this year in Africa there is much cause for concern.

“Africa must now be a top priority for resources and technical
assistance in the battle against avian influenza,” it added,
also calling for continued commitment to unaffected parts of the
world like Latin America and the Caribbean, “where FAO’s
investment in national and regional preparedness planning is paying
off.”


Winning the battle against the virus demands a long-term vision,
with more surveillance, rapid response to outbreaks and greater
transparency and sharing of information essential.
“Scientific breakthroughs on improved diagnostics, vaccines
and treatments can only emerge if virus information is shared
widely and willingly, for the greater good,” FAO said.


It called on countries to place stronger emphasis on hygiene and
movement control throughout the animal production and marketing
chain to produce positive results. “In Viet Nam, for example,
an integrated strategy of surveillance and laboratory capacity
building, movement control, vaccination and culling has averted
what could have been a disaster,” the agency noted.

“It would not have been possible without the government’s
resolute support and the backing of the international donor
community,” it added. Overall Vietnam has suffered 93 cases, 42 of
them fatal, but none this year.


Senior UN System Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza David
Nabarro said last month $1.5 billion is needed worldwide over
the next two to three years for preventive measures. So far, FAO
has received $76 million for its, and agreements have been signed
for $25 million more, with a further $60 million in the
pipeline.
2006-12-06 00:00:00.000

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A DOD PRESS RELEASE I GOT YESTERDAY.Hopefully this indiviual gets replaced almost immediately. Any vacum of leadership in our intelligence community can only have a negative impact on Homeland Security.

Robert

Stephen A. Cambone to Resign

The Department of Defense announced today that Under Secretary
of Defense (Intelligence) Stephen A. Cambone will resign from the
Department on Dec. 31, 2006.

"It has been a distinct honor and privilege to serve the
incredible men and women of our Armed Forces, the secretary of defense,
and the President's national security team during the past
several years," said Cambone.

Cambone has no specific plans for after his departure yet, but
said he looks forward to spending more time with his family.

Cambone was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the under secretary
of defense for intelligence on March 7, 2003.Prior to March 7,
he was the director, program analysis and evaluation, Office of
the Secretary of Defense.Cambone held that position from July 1,
2002.On July 19, 2001, he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as
the principal deputy under secretary of defense for policy.He held
that position until July 1, 2002.Prior to that, he served as the
special assistant to the secretary and deputy secretary of
defense from January 2001 to July 2001.

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2006 - Terrorists and extremists in Iraq
are working to destabilize the country to further their own goals,
a coalition spokesman in Iraq said at a news conference today.

This goal drives the horrific attacks on civilians and fuels
retaliatory killings in and around Baghdad, Army Maj. Gen. William
Caldwell said, adding that all this is counter to the will of
the Iraqi people.

"Al Qaeda, foreign terrorists and extremists do not want to let
the Iraqis decide their own future," Caldwell said. "Through two
elections and a constitutional referendum, the Iraqi people have
demonstrated they want to be a part of this political process
and they want to have a representative government."

Saddam Hussein's rule crippled the oil-rich nation. Making the
transition from dictatorship to democracy would be tough even
without terrorist efforts to derail the process, Caldwell said, but
he predicted the will of the Iraqi people will prevail. "Iraqis
are creating a country that will replace the rule of the gun
with the rule of the law," Caldwell said. "And they will put
criminals and killers out of business."

Mortar and car bomb attacks Nov. 23 that killed more than 180
innocent Iraqis and wounded 245 in Sadr City, a predominantly
Shiite neighborhood on the east side of Baghdad, reflect the al
Qaeda in Iraq strategy in the nation, the general said. "It was
indisputably a terrible crime against the Iraqi people," Caldwell
said. "The retaliatory attacks we have seen the last couple of
days are also."

Terrorists seek to control the Sunni population in the country,
Caldwell explained, and they are looking to dominate Baghdad,
the military and political center of gravity in Iraq. Al Qaeda
kills and intimidates Sunnis who want to work with the elected,
representative government. The group also seeks to weaken the Iraqi
government and destroy faith in the democratically elected
representatives. The terrorists attack the representatives and work
to make Iraqis fearful of dealing with their own government.

Al Qaeda's strategy also calls for attacks on Shiite civilians.
The attacks in Sadr City are an example of this strategy,
Caldwell said. Al Qaeda launches the attacks and counts on illegal
militias to launch revenge attacks on Sunnis. This creates division
along sectarian lines.

The Iraqis and coalition have made progress against al Qaeda in
Iraq, Caldwell said. Since November 2004, Iraqi and coalition
forces have killed or captured more than 7,000 al Qaeda in Iraq
terrorists, including more than 30 senior-level terrorists who
have been captured or killed since July, he said.

Between Nov. 14 and 19, Iraqi and coalition forces conducted a
number of targeted raids across Iraq and captured the terrorist
emirs of Ramadi, Bakuba, Qaim, Tikrit, Bayji and Baghdad,
Caldwell said. The forces also captured two terrorist facilitators, a
courier, an explosive expert and a financier. "The detention of
these terrorists represents a serious blow against the al Qaeda
in Iraq terrorist network," he said.

Iraqi and coalition forces also are working diligently against
death squads. Most sectarian attacks in the country are within 30
miles of Baghdad, and Iraqi and coalition forces continue to
work against illegal militias. "In the past week, our combined
forces conducted 18 operations against sectarian death squads
resulting in the detainment of 78 suspected cell members," Caldwell
said.

Caldwell said that polls in Iraq show the people want the
government to succeed. He said Iraqis are resolved on a unified,
secure and prosperous Iraq. "In polling conducted last month, 89
percent of Iraqis nationwide agreed with this statement: 'My first
loyalty is to my country rather than my sect, ethnic group or
tribe,'" Caldwell said. Only 25 percent of Iraqis said the country
would be better off divided along sectarian lines.

Coalition forces continue to work with Iraqi security forces to
build their professionalism, Caldwell said. More than 4,000 U.S.
servicemembers organized in 430 teams advise the Iraqi army,
police and border guards. The teams are necessary "to sustain and
develop these forces so they can evolve into a professional
security institution," the general said. "They will remain in place
long after we have met our goal of training and equipping 325,000
Iraqi security forces."

NIMS INTEGRATION CENTER ISSUES SAR CREDENTIALING GUIDELINES

Earlier this week FEMA’s NIMS Integration Center announced new proposed credentialing guideline for SAR (search and rescue) personnel. The guidelines were prepared by a working group of subject matter experts. The working group identified 36 positions likely to be needed in an interstate response. They also worked to establish standard definitions for each of the position job titles. The guidelines contain both recommended and minimum criteria for levels of training, experience, licensing etc. The complete guidelines are or soon will be available on the NIMS website. They are in a 45 day period for public comment. Instructions on making comments can also be found at their site

COMMENTS FROM ME

Much effort since 9/11 has been put into improving consistency of response. A big part of this effort is the various guidelines etc. put out by agencies like the NIMS Integration Center. This is also the thinking behind ICS (Incident Command System) and NIMS (National Incident Command System) itself. These efforts are needed. However they need the largest possible participation of people with day to day response responsibility. Granted many “subject matter experts” are or have been first responders themselves. Still my bottom line is if any guidelines produced don’t work for those on the line right now, today, they’re just a waste of trees. I would encourage all first responders to take active advantage of "public comment" periods when guidelines like these are being established. Let the voices of those on the front lines be heard !

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2006 - The Defense Department's technology
transfer program, which shares newly developed DoD technologies
with civilian first responders, benefits both communities in
cost effectiveness and mission accomplishment, the DoD official in
charge of the program said here today.

Congress mandated the technology transfer program in December
2002 as part of the 2003 Defense Authorization Act. However, the
program has only been actively in development for about two
years, Donald Lapham, manager of the program, told the Pentagon
Channel and American Forces Press Service.

DoD has a long history of transferring technology to support
first responders, but this program ensures all the department's
capabilities are leveraged to provide as many options as possible
to the civilian agencies, Lapham said.

"A lot of the equipment and technology that's used by the
warfighter also can be used by first responders," Lapham said. "A lot
of the equipment is similar to what law enforcement uses, and
even what firefighters use."

Under the technology transfer program, DoD works closely with
the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice
to determine the needs of the first responder community, Lapham
said. DoD laboratories look at the technologies they are
developing to identify those that might transfer well to first
responders, and consider dual-use capabilities for future products, he
said.

Due to recent events, there is a strong focus within DoD and the
first responder community on developing compatible
communications, Lapham said. DoD has been working on new communications
systems, and these technologies will probably be the first to be
transferred to civilian first responders, he said.

The technology transfer program will benefit both DoD and the
first responder community in several ways, Lapham pointed out. DoD
will benefit from being able to field new technologies with
first responders for further testing and development, and both
communities will benefit economically, he said.

"If first responders purchase and use the same type of equipment
as the warfighter, this will eventually increase the quantity of
products produced, and DoD will benefit from a lower cost, as
will first responders," he said.

The technology transfer program is still in the development
phase, Lapham said, as many technologies take a long time to be
fully researched and developed. Once the technologies are developed
and transferred, civilian responders will benefit in an obvious
way, by having more resources available to them, but troops
fighting the war will also benefit from the collaborative
environment the program will create between DoD and civilian laboratories,
he said.

"I think that in the future it will benefit the warfighter
because they will see technologies being developed and produced
faster and reach them sooner," he said.

Some of the technologies being developed under the transfer
program are a blood-clotting system, a water purification pen, body
armor, and robotic items that inspect vehicles and containers.