Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)—Established in 1985 by DOS to foster the exchange of security related information between the US government and the American private sector operating abroad; administered by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security; "Annual Briefing and Transnational Crime Seminar" held in Washington, DC; web site is www.ds-osac.org and includes consular affair information, daily foreign political news, deliverable newsletter service, travel warnings, executive alerts, report updates, archival search capacity; very sophisticated and informative

Air Security International (ASI)—Established in 1989; provides "air security international services" which include research, intelligence, ground security services, secure travel services, training, airline safety and security assessments; commercial venture with web site at www.airsecurity.com; web site includes hot spot updates, air routing information, travel and risk management guidance, assigns threat levels for foreign travel destinations, notes high-risk travel dates; ASI asserts that its staff is composed of experienced intelligence professionals who focus on the ability to warn clients of impending crises, especially those that threaten the well-being or immediate interests of travelers or crews; their published intelligence appears factual and accurate

Jet Travel Intelligence (JTI)—Established in 1999; based in Annapolis, MD; characterizes itself as "the premier intelligence organization focused on delivering real time travel intelligence services and travel alerts to travelers, corporations, government and NGOs, learning institutions and the travel industry;" asserts that it operates a 24/7 Travel Intelligence Operations Center which continually monitors and analyzes over 5000 global sources; web site is www.ijet.com; includes risk management training, covers 180 countries and 260 cities; difficult to assess capacity and capabilities

Weismann Travel Reports’ Intelliguide—Fee-based source for travel danger and international security updates; web site is www.weissmann.com; no further information available

Travel Management Daily—Fee-based source for international travel security updates aimed primarily at travel agents; web site is www.tmdaily.com; no further information available

The Lipman Report—A product of Memphis-based Guardsmark, International, this is a 23 year compilation (1979-2001) of confidential and private intelligence on terrorism-related assessments for Guardsmark clients; relies on "exclusive sources" and is designed "exclusively for management" purposes; Guardsmark is acknowledged in the American private security industry as a premier organization and is often characterized as the "Tiffany’s of private security;" Lipman Report is available by fee-based subscription

The Performance Institute and Reason Public Policy Institute—A for-profit educational and training organization which includes the Law Enforcement Development Center; using electronic newsletters, publishes a monthly "Homeland Security Update" for clients and readers; also a public policy think tank that promotes the principles of competition, accountability, performance and transparency in government through practical and innovative approaches to complex government management challenges; web site is www.performanceweb.org; I have instructed nationally for this organization and find their work to be current, informative and helpful

GovExec.com—Uses electronic email newsletter to disseminate information on a variety of government-related issues including Homeland Security; weekly publication; web site is www.govexec.com; sub-publication is the weekly "Homeland Security Week" which recaps all related homeland security developments over the past seven days; informative and useful

ODP Resource Newsletter—A publication of the DOJ’s Office for Domestic Preparedness, this newsletter is intended to enhance the capacity of first responders to react to incidents of terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction; web site is www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp; provides guidance on state and local approaches to WMD in the full range of services (law enforcement, public health, emergency management, fire, infrastructure protection); addresses criminal investigations of epidemiological incidents, hazmat operations, etc and is aimed at both the civilian and military emergency response communities at all levels of government; excellent how-to source using best practices from around the country

National Infrastructure Protection Center NIPC Daily Open Source Report—NIPC publishes a daily (Mon-Fri) summary and assessment of open-source published information concerning significant critical infrastructure issues and is intended to be used as an internal NIPC tool; available by electronic subscription; web site is www.nipc.watch@fbi.gov; covers power, gas and oil, water, government operations, banking and finance, telecommunications, chemical, information technology, transportation, food, emergency law enforcement, and cyber threats and vulnerabilities; excellent daily unclassified overview

Arson and Explosives Advisory—Published by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; this is a weekly electronic summary, for law enforcement use only, of incidents and events throughout the US reported to BATF field offices; deals exclusively with arson and explosives; web site introduction is www.atfhq.atf.treas.gov; very detailed and comprehensive

Beyond the Beltway: Focusing on Hometown Security—Recommendations for State and Local Domestic Preparedness Planning a Year After 9-11—This is a report of the Executive Session on Domestic Preparedness from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, released in September 2002; intended to spur federal, state and local officials to work together to ensure that the first line of defense on the homefront is not forgotten; focuses on the most urgent local and state needs and offers a blueprint for action; web site is www.esdp.org; an excellent piece of work

Law Enforcement and Intelligence: No Longer Ships Passing in the Night—Published in Volume 3, 2002 of the Journal of National Security Law; challenges traditional assumptions about historic nature of relationships between the law enforcement and intelligence communities in the wake of 9/11; very provocative and on point

Undermining Terrorism—A publication of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; "recognized as a leading research institution on domestic terrorism, national security, international relations and nuclear material security;" this source captures key academic papers, reports, books, op-eds and conferences that such research has generated; electronic; excellent reference source

Protecting America’s Freedom in the Information Age—A report of the Markle Foundation released in October 2002; a project of the Markle Foundation in alliance with the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, the Brookings Institute of Washington, DC and the Center for Strategic and International Studies of Washington, DC; jointly authored by the Task Force on National Security in the Information Age; very detailed examination of the title subject focusing on domestic intelligence and related technology

Countering al Qaeda—Authored by Brian Michael Jenkins of the Rand Corporation; published in late 2002; reflects a monograph that grew out of a series of several briefings on the title subject; excellent perspective on adversary courses of action

The Potential Impacts of Recession and Terrorism on US Cities—A product of the Brookings Institute and published in January 2002; explores the often ignored scenarios of eroded tax bases, curtailed services, unbalanced budgets and rising costs of security for local government; for an understanding of true local impacts in the post-9/11 world this reading is imperative

Anti-Terrorism and Disaster Response—Training, Technical Assistance, Funding Opportunities and Resources for Law Enforcement—Published by the Police Executive Research Forum in November 2001; intended to serve as a reference source for training in anti-terrorism investigations, critical incident planning and management, and funding/training resources; web site is www.policeforum.org; excellent reference that is literally encyclopedic in scope and scale but will require updating to remain current

Homeland Security Advisory System—Located at www.homelandsecurity.gov, this is the formal site for the designation of domestic terrorism risk, established through five threat conditions and color-coded for public consumption; it is intended to be the primary means of communication to the public for the dissemination of information regarding the risk of terrorist attack and to prompt the implementation of countermeasures by and through local law enforcement

CNN.com/US—Originally released twelve months ago in January, 2002, CNN.com compiled an impressive and legitimate assessment of local government readiness, focusing on a detailed examination of the respective cities’ experience with local disasters which may mimic the consequences of a terrorist attack; inherent weaknesses in local capacity; defense against bioterrorism; the lessons of New York City post-9/11; the benefit of training for natural disaster as a hedge against terrorism and consequence management; courses of action likely to be considered by terrorist adversaries and targets of opportunities; fairly rigorous preparedness assessments which include an evaluation of local transportation, health/medical, federal preparedness linkages and emergency management for cities with populations of at least 350,000 and jurisdictions that employ at least 1000 full time police officers; although the information is now dated by a year, the tools and criteria used for the assessment remain current and strategic and should still be employed as benchmarks for local adoption

The Homeland Report—Located at both www.centerdigitalgov.com and www.govtech.net, this is a biweekly summary of homeland security issues and analysis from around the nation as reported by the Center for Digital Government and Government Technology magazine; very useful and always current

Homeland Security Research Corporation—Marketed as "the only organization solely dedicated to studying, analyzing and compiling independent, unbiased reports about (the) homeland security industry, and (related) market, technology and product comparison reports;" located at www.hsrc.biz

Federation of American Scientists—Constantly updated at www.fas.org, this is an excellent site for counterterrorism documents, including the full 900 page Senate-House Intelligence Committee report on the 9/11 attacks

National Academy of Engineering—"The National Academies is preparing, in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security, fact sheets on four types of terrorist attacks. Drawing on our many reviewed publications, the expertise of our members, and the knowledge of other esteemed authorities, the fact sheets will provide reliable, objective information." www.nae.edu/nae/pubundcom.nsf/weblinks/CGOZ-642P3W?OpenDocument

"There Are No Dangerous Weapons...: Suicide Attacks and Potential Responses," Michael Hopmeier, www.homelandsecurity.org/journal/Articles/Hopmeier.html

“Efforts to Improve Information Sharing Need to Be Strengthened,” Report to the Secretary of Homeland Security by the US General Accounting Office—Offered in its entirely at www.gao.gov, this is the August 2003 study by GAO on the sharing of information by federal authorities with state and local governments which is critical to the effective execution and unity of homeland security efforts

“Terrorism Update”—Located at www.adl.org/LEARN, this is a periodic report on international and domestic terrorism from the International Affairs and Civil Rights Division of the Anti-Defamation league; grant-funded and in publication since 1986 and intended to “combat the threat of terrorism through political, educational and legal means

“Terrorist Financing—US Agencies Should Systematically Assess Terrorists’ Use of Alternative Financing Methods,” US General Accounting Office, November 2003 (GAO-04-163)

“Terrorism Update”—published periodically by the Anti-Defamation League and reporting on international and domestic terrorism; available at www.adl.org/LEARN

"Managing a Multijurisdictional Case: Identifying the Lessons Learned from the Sniper Investigation" Police Executive Research Forum

"The Production and Sharing of Intelligence" in the series Protecting Your Community From Terrorism discusses the importance of intelligence-led policing and its correlation with problem-oriented policing principles. The report outlines criteria for an effective intelligence function at all levels of government--highlighted by important sidebar contributions from key players in the fields of intelligence and policing. Among the report’s key recommendations is a call to more clearly define “intelligence” and what the needs, expectations and responsibilities are of various agencies in the intelligence community and law enforcement profession, as well as a need for a plan to ensure integrated nationwide and regional intelligence sharing mechanisms.  http://policeforum.mn-8.net/r.asp?a=5&id=41645   (you may need to log in as "guest")

CHEM./BIO BOOKSHELF

Biological Agents

-Smallpox

Information on Military’s Smallpox Vaccination Program: This website offers a comprehensive analysis of the military’s smallpox vaccination program, with information regarding the disease, the risks and benefits of vaccination, as well as the feasibility/likelihood of a smallpox attack. This site is very useful for those executives faced with making preparations for the possibility of such an attack, particularly those seeking information on the risks and rewards of vaccination. http://www.smallpox.army.mil/

CDC Smallpox Fact Sheet: CDC fact sheets are a reliable source of basic information on the nature of the threat posed by a particular agent, as well as the precautions that can be taken in order to minimize the risk of exposure and infection. In addition, CDC fact sheets are linked to a variety of resources on the agent in question. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/index.asp

Department of Health and Human Services Smallpox Information: This website offers numerous links on the subject of smallpox, including a Q&A on the vaccination, a list of reference materials, and information for specific segments of the population, i.e. kids, teens, mothers, etc. http://www.hhs.gov/smallpox/

Smallpox Information Center: Although this organization is not linked to any government or law enforcement agency, it provides a useful forum for researching various aspects of the disease, as well as posing questions to smallpox experts. http://smallpox.phages.org/

World Health Organization Smallpox Information: The WHO, an organization under the supervision of the UN, provides a useful website on the subject of smallpox, with particular attention to the history of the disease and efforts to eradicate it. http://www.who.int/csr/disease/smallpox/en/

New England Journal of Medicine; "The Public and the Smallpox Threat:" This article from the New England Journal of Medicine provides a great deal of information on the medical community’s current position on vaccination, when vaccinations should be given and to whom, as well as general insight into the dangers of an outbreak and the limits of the public health system in dealing with such an event. Click here for the link to this article

Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT) Smallpox Information: The MIPT website offers a great deal of information on topics currently associated with terrorism prevention, including a wealth of information on smallpox, its history, methods of prevention, etc. This website provides numerous articles on this subject as well as other biological and chemical agents that might be used in a terrorist attack. http://www.mipt.org/usmallpox.asp

-Botulinum Toxin

CDC Botulinum Toxin Fact Sheet: The CDC maintains an extensive library of articles on each biological and chemical agent, including botulinum toxin, which is the most poisonous substance known. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/botulism/index.asp

American Medical Association; Consensus Statement on Botulinum Toxin: This article from the Journal of the American Medical Association provides a detailed examination of the manner in which the public health system would manage an intentional release of botulinum toxin. This article, though written for the medical community, can be of use to law enforcement executives seeking a better understanding of the concerns of that community and its preparedness for such an attack. http://www.texmed.org/has/prs/Botulism_Consensus.pdf

United States Department of Defense; "Medical Aspects of Chemical and Biological Warfare, Botulinum Toxin:" This article examines the threat of botulinum toxin from a military perspective, with particular attention to the history and military significance of the agent, as well specific description of the agent’s serology and relation to other bacterial toxins. http://www.nbc-med.org/SiteContent/HomePage/WhatsNew/MedAspects/Ch-33Rprntblscx699.pdf

CDC Botulisum Handbook: This document provides specific information about the history of botulinum toxin in the United States. This information is pertinent due to the relatively large number of people affected by naturally occurring botulinum toxin each year. A familiarity with the frequency of botulinum toxin poisoning in the United States will help law enforcement executives distinguish between a terrorist attack and an unintentional outbreak of food-poisoning. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/botulism.pdf

-Anthrax

CDC Anthrax Fact Sheet: This fact sheet provides a useful overview of the threat posed by anthrax when employed as a biological agent. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/anthrax/index.asp

Anthrax Bioterrorism: Lessons Learned and Future Directions: Lessons-learned type articles are particularly valuable for law enforcement agencies which can use such documents to learn vicariously from those agencies which have already dealt with the issue in question. Furthermore, this document and those like it offer specific information on which elements of their strategy were effective and which were not, offering the hope that the same mistakes will not be repeated in the event of a second attempt at deploying anthrax as a biological weapon. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol8no10/02-0466.htm

US DoD Information Paper: Anthrax as a Biological Warfare Agent: This document offers only a brief overview of the threat posed by weaponized anthrax; however, it offers access to a useful military website focused on the subject of biological and chemical weapons. http://www.defenselink.mil/other_info/agent.html

Protecting Investigators Performing Environmental Sampling for Bacillus anthracis: Personal Protective Equipment: This article provides specific information as to the personal protective equipment law enforcement agents will need to employ when investigating a suspected release of anthrax. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/DocumentsApp/Anthrax/Protective/Protective.asp

Facts About Ricin - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/ricin/facts.asp

-Nerve Agents

CDC Chemical Agents Index: This site offers extensive information on dozens of chemical agents including nerve agents. This site is particularly useful for a brief overview of those agents, including detailed descriptions to enhance the likelihood of a rapid identification, as well as information on the effects of those agents on the human body. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/Agent/agentlistchem.asp

Federation of American Scientists; information on nerve agents: The Federation of American Scientists’ website offers a great deal of information on chemical agents, with specific attention to the most lethal among them—nerve agents. This website is also useful for obtaining information on other WMD threats, including radiological threats such as the ‘dirty bomb.’ http://www.fas.org/nuke/intro/cw/agent.htm - b02

Technical Information on Nerve Agents: This article is highly technical, but may be extremely useful in the event of an attack employing nerve agents. Because this article explores the effects of temperature and moisture on the agents in question, it will provide specific information about how those agents interact with the environment in which they were released, information which could save countless lives. http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/library/randrep/mr1018.5.appb.pdf

United States Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense: Medical Management of Chemical Casualties Handbook, Third Edition: This document offers a comprehensive analysis of those chemical agents likely to be used in an attack, the effects of those agents upon those exposed, and strategies to be employed in managing casualties of such an attack. This document provides information that will be crucial to the successful management of a nerve agent event. http://www.vnh.org/CHEMCASU/05NerveAgents.html

Long-term Health Effects of Nerve Agents and Mustard: Although an understanding of the long-term effects of these agents is not crucial to managing a chemical event, such information may in fact do much to calm exaggerated fears. Familiarity with the long-term effects of exposure will allow officer to make informed decisions when weighing their own safety against the safety of the larger community. http://www.nbc-med.org/SiteContent/HomePage/WhatsNew/MedAspects/Ch-8electrv699.pdf

General Resources

"Sheltering in Place;" information on sheltering in absence of PPE: This article is a must-read for every first-responder. It provides detailed information, including diagrams, on the most effective ways to hide from a chemical or biological attack. If there is an intentional release of a biological or chemical agent, those officers nearby may have little recourse but to assist in sheltering as many people as possible. This document will provide those officers with the information to successfully protect those caught in the middle of a chem./bio event. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/planning/shelteringfacts.asp

Emergency Responders’ Rules-of-Thumb for Air Toxics Releases In Urban Environments: This article is similar to the one above, but far more in-depth. This information will be critical to those officers caught unprepared by a biological or chemical attack. http://www.mipt.org/pdf/la-ur-98-4539.pdf

Chemical and Biological Defense Information Analysis Center: This website offers a wealth of information on chem./bio threats, the technology being developed and deployed to meet those threats, as well as information to assist executives in procurement, a vital aspect of chem../bio preparedness. http://www.cbiac.apgea.army.mil/

Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies: This website, along with that of the Federation of American Scientists and the Centers for Disease Control, offers a full and comprehensive analysis of each element of biological terrorism prevention and preparedness. With links to numerous articles on the subject, fact sheets, and general information, this website is a catch-all for the subject of bioterrorism. http://www.hopkins-biodefense.org/

Interim Recommendations for the Selection and Use of Protective Clothing and Respirators Against Biological Agents: This document, created by the CDC, is an authoritative and official resource for the selection and use of personal protective equipment. This document is a necessary source for those executives who must still procure personal protective equipment. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/documentsapp/Anthrax/Protective/10242001Protect.asp

Rand; Bioterrorism: Homeland Defense: The Next Steps: This document, published by the Rand Corporation, provides an in-depth look at the preparations underway for a biological attack, as well as providing recommendations to be implemented by each element of the response, from the federal government to the public health system, and law enforcement as well. http://www.rand.org/publications/CF/CF155/CF155.1.pdf

Preparing for and Responding to Bioterrorism: The report authored by PERF researchers Melissa Reuland and Heather Davies discusses the relative threats of various biological and chemical agents and the response challenges for first responders. The chapters cover five critical areas involved in preparing for and responding to a bioterrorist event: detecting a biological attack, notifying the proper first responders, intervening and working with other stakeholders, managing health care surge demands, and maintaining communication among all involved agencies and the public. http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1365

Agreement regarding joint field investigations following a suspected bioterrorist incident between the City of New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the City of New York Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation: PDF

Operations Security (OPSEC): Five-step risk-management analytical process used by military and security professionals to protect sensitive information that adversaries could use to their advantage and your disadvantage. Public Safety Awareness Card

Additional Websites

HHS OEP: oep.dhhs.gov
CDC: www.bt.cdc.gov
SBCCOM: www.sbccom.army.mil
FBI: www.fbi.gov
FEMA: www.fema.gov
FEMA Terrorist Incident Planning Guidelines: www.fema.gov/pte/pte052101.htm
FEMA Metropolitan Medical Response System: http://mmrs.fema.gov/
DOJ ODP: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp