New York State Office of Homeland Security Eyes on Commercial Facilities 11 November - 18 November 2009

8/8/2019 New York State Office of Homeland Security Eyes on Commercial Facilities 11 November - 18 November 2009

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Eyes on Commercial Facilities:

Open Source Week in Review

11 November – 18 November

New York State Office of Homeland SecurityIntelligence Division

________________________________________________________________________This product is designed to provide agencies and personnel with an interest in the Commercial Facilities

Sector situational awareness of worldwide events and developments as reported in the Open Source

domain. No operational, classified or law enforcement sensitive information is contained within the report.This information has been compiled by the NYS OHS Intelligence Division. For questions, comments,

suggestions or additional information please contact: Intelligence Analyst Brian Nussbaum at

[email protected]



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Table of Contents

Week in review- Summary & Analysis................... 3

New York State......................................................... 4

North America .......................................................... 6

International..........................................................10



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This weekly product is designed to provide agencies and personnel with a Commercial

Facilities interest situational awareness of worldwide events and developments in the

Commercial Facilities Sector as reported in the open source domain. It is a compilation

of Open Source information only, no operational, classified or law enforcement sensitive

information is contained within the report. This information has been compiled by the

NYS OHS Intelligence Division.

Open Source Week in review- Summary & AnalysiS

Hotel Security remained an important area of discussion this week in the CommercialFacility sector, stemming from several stories in Puerto Rico, Somalia, India andelsewhere. In Puerto Rico there was an incident that served as a reminder that hotels areoften venues for traditional criminal activity; a New York tourist was assaulted androbbed in his high-end luxury hotel room. While several assailants were arrested, thethreat for violence targeting hotel guests remains a concern.

Around the world, there were several stories about hotel security with an internationalterrorism nexus. In India this week hotel security issues were highlighted by a flurry of stories about ties between the recent arrest of David Coleman Headley in the UnitedStates and threats in India. Based on news reports, Headley - accused of ties to Lashkar eTaiba (LeT) and Harkat ul Jihad Islami (HUJI) - appears to have stayed at both hotelstargeted by LeT in the November 2008 attack on Mumbai, India. He reportedly also mayhave visited some of the other targets in that attack, leading to speculation that he mayhave had some direct involvement with LeT in plotting attacks against India.

In Somalia, authorities disrupted what appears to be a plot to attack a peace summit in thetown of Hargeisa with suicide bombers. Posing as members of the peace delegation two

suspected terrorists had their hotel rooms searched, where authorities discoveredexplosives “suitable for use in a suicide attack.”

In the world of sporting security, one of the major stories this week has been the earlysteps in planning for security at Super Bowl XLV this February in Arlington, Texas. Thegame, one of the highest profile sporting events in the United States, brings with it a hostof security concerns. Local mayors in north Texas, and law enforcement from everylevel of government, have been involved in planning efforts. “Thousands” of local, stateand federal law enforcement officers are expected to be working to ensure security ongame day.

There was also a serious mall security issue this week. Here in New York State, therewas violence at a Brooklyn Mall resulting from a massive gathering of teenagers. Therewere at least two separate incidents in which shots were fired at the mall, and three teenswere wounded. The most interesting aspect of the large gathering is how it was“organized.” The teens congregated at a restaurant following its weekly food specialsbeing publicized and discussed on a social-networking website. Over several weeks, thecrowd had been growing and becoming a security concern. This week, NYPD deployedofficers to the mall to help deal with the issue; however there was still some violence.



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New York State

Title: Buffalo Wings Exec: “It Was the Perfect Storm” Published: November 13, 2009

Source: The New York Times, BROOKLYNLink: (http://fort-greene.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/13/buffalo-wings-exec-it-was-the-perfect-storm/ )

The Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant at the Atlantic Terminal mall had been trying forthree weeks to address growing crowds of kids coming out for the Tuesday night 50-centwings special, a top executive said in a telephone interview today.

But a confluence of forces — the restaurant’s location in a major transportation hub, theability of social networking to rally people, and the interest of a large number of kidswanting to gather on the night before a school holiday — all combined to set the stage for

the violence that broke out later that night in nearby Fort Greene, he said.

“It’s sort of a perfect storm, it’s very unfortunate,” said Michael Mehiel, the chief operating officer for Four M Capital LLC, the New York area franchisee for the BuffaloWild Wings chain.

Last night, Mr. Mehiel sent an e-mail announcing that the Flatbush Avenue restaurant’sTuesday night wings special will be indefinitely canceled. But in the interview, Mr.Mehiel said the restaurant’s bargain night was “used as a flag.”

“It could have been Starbucks with kids looking for lattes, or McDonald’s for double

cheeseburgers,” Mr. Mehiel said. “They chose our mall, they chose our special as therallying call.”

Mr. Mehiel said the restaurant, and the Atlantic Terminal mall, had been ramping up itssecurity in the weeks leading up to Tuesday night’s events. Sometime around Oct. 29, hesaid, he received a call from the mall’s general manager telling him, “the crowds aregetting out of control, there are too many kids, they’re spilling out into the mall, you guyshave to do something.”

The restaurant immediately doubled security from two to four guards, he said, and“gained control of the doors,” meaning no one was allowed in unless there was a seat for

them. Since then, he said, there have been “zero instances of violence in the restaurant.”

However, the crowds continued to grow in the mall. He said the mall increased security,and the restaurant added a fifth guard. On Monday, after they picked up the chatter onsocial networking sites over the weekend, encouraging Brooklyn’s teenagers to come toTuesday night’s special, they informed the 88th Precinct, he said.



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On Tuesday, the NYPD sent “a large detail to the mall,” he said, but “unfortunately thisincident occurred.” Three teenagers were shot in two separate incidents related to groupsof roving teens, but none suffered life-threatening injuries. (88th Precinct detectives haveasked for witnesses to come forward.)

Mr. Mehiel said there have been no other incidents like this in any of the franchise’sother restaurants. But the Atlantic mall restaurant is unusual, he said, in that “it is in anenormous transportation hub. People from all over the borough can get there easily.”

Capt. Anthony Tasso, commanding officer of the 88th Precinct, said Wednesday in an e-mail that, “None of the involved individuals were from Clinton Hill, Fort Greene.”

The restaurant has been in contact with the precinct and will continue to work to addressthe problems, he said. Meanwhile, he said, the police department is “in no waydisappointed in us.”

As for criticism of the restaurant by Council Member Letitia James, he said he is notinterested in picking a fight with her. “She has a job to do, we understand that,” he said.



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North America

Title: Police to Play Big Game-Day Role When Super-Bowl Comes toArlington Published: November 17, 2009

Source: The Dallas Morning News, TEXASAuthor: Jeff MosierLink:(http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/111709dnmetsuperbowlmeeting.2c161ba05.html)

Arlington Police Chief Theron Bowman said he doubts many North Texas police officerswill get a holiday when the 2011 Super Bowl arrives.

Thousands of local, state and federal law enforcement officers will be working on gameday, and countless more could be called on if needed.

Bowman, speaking after a Super Bowl XLV Council of Mayors meeting Monday, saidthat he couldn't reveal more specific staffing levels but that the law enforcement effortwould be massive.

"Every officer in North Texas will somehow be connected to the Super Bowl," Bowmansaid.

The Arlington chief was a presenter at the host committee's second Council of Mayorsmeeting. Mayors and city council representatives from more than 50 North Texas citiesgathered at Cowboys Stadium to discuss the game and related events. Other topics

included transportation.

Bowman said safety plans have been in the making since the 2011 Super Bowl was stillup for bid. He said it would be tough to say when security plans would be completedbecause they are constantly changing.

"Nothing will be left to chance," Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said. "We'll have theairspace taken care of. We'll have all the space around ... [the stadium] taken care of."

The Public Safety Executive Committee, which is organizing security, includes Bowman,other police and fire chiefs, an FBI representative and members from the National

Football League and Super Bowl XLV Host Committee.

Local law enforcement officials have also gone to previous Super Bowls to studysecurity, and many are planning to attend the one next year in South Florida.

There will also be a 10-mile no-fly zone around Cowboys Stadium that could last from 4p.m. to midnight on game day. That would effectively ground flights at the municipal



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airports in Arlington and Grand Prairie as well as corporate flights at Dallas/Fort WorthInternational Airport. Commercial flights at D/FW would still be permitted.

Bob Porter, director of Arlington Municipal Airport, said customs agents would be placedat some general aviation airports to handle private international flights coming to the

region for the Super Bowl. He said the Federal Aviation Administration is alsoconsidering installing temporary towers at some airports that don't have them to help withthe increased traffic.

Porter said that as many as 1,500 private planes – about half of them corporate – could becoming to North Texas for the game.

Title: Security Plan Being Developed for Super Bowl XLV

Published: November 17, 2009Source: WFAA, TEXAS

Link: (http://www.wfaa.com/news/business/Super-Bowl-Security-70275527.html)

Dallas-Fort Worth area mayors attended a strategy session for the 2011 Super Bowl inNorth Texas on Monday, and learned more about keeping fans and players safe.

Stadium security will start in the sky.

An estimated 1,500 private aircraft are expected to touch down for Super Bowl XLV atCowboys Stadium in Arlington, ferrying titans of industry on corporate jets and wealthyfans from around the world.

Bob Porter, manager of Arlington Municipal Airport, explained that smaller, outlyingairports will have to be utilized to deal with the influx. "The FAA is considering puttingin temporary towers to handle all the aircraft that's expected," he said.

But no matter who they are, if fans don't get to the airports near the stadium by 4 p.m. onSuper Bowl Sunday, they'll be locked out of the skies. The FAA is planning to enforce ano-fly zone until midnight within a 10 mile radius of the stadium. Flights up to 30 milesaway will be restricted.

Everyone from dignitaries to assistants will have to go through a security screening to getback on their planes. "You would actually be wanded with a metal detector comining in,

there would be a manifest of the passengers on board you would be checking off," Porterexplained.

On the ground, representatives of major area law enforcement agencies will be inundisclosed locations, ready to direct any response needed with massivemanpower. "Every officer in North Texas will somehow be connected to the Super Bowlon game day," said Arlington Police Chief Theron Bowman.



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Cities will direct their own security, but they'll also take direction from the Super Bowl2011 Executive Public Safety Committee. Committee members include police and firechiefs from Arlington, Dallas, Irving and Fort Worth, along with an FBI agent and anNFL representative.

Chief Bowman addressed North Texans sensitive to possible threats, after enduring boththe Fort Hood killings and the recent alleged terrorist plot against a downtown building.

"We are working diligently to ensure this is the absolutely safest place it can possiblybe," he said. "We don't worry about those scenarios here."

Title: Breaking Down Crime at Area Malls

Published: November 17, 2009Source: ABC 2, MARYLAND

Link:(http://www.abc2news.com/content/investigators/story/Breaking-Down-Crime-at-Area-

Malls/MPocOScHPESUw6REXMCG8A.cspx)

Crime does not need to hamper what may already be a down year for holiday shopping.While most wallets are already taking a hit, the last thing you need is for your security todo the same.

Crime is on shopper Jean Slaughter's mind as she starts to prepare her holiday lists andhit area malls.

"[I’m not concerned] in broad daylight, but I wouldn't come here at night time bymyself."

ABC2 News chose one shopping center in each of the four surrounding counties;breaking down each center's crime stats leading up to the holiday season.

Take the Mall at Columbia in Howard County from January of this year through August.In those eight months the mall had 12 robberies, about 500 thefts from 50 dollars to morethan 200, one automobile theft and 29 assaults.

In Baltimore County at Towson Town Center, there were 19 assaults, four thefts fromcars, two robberies and no motor vehicle thefts during the same eight months.

In Harford County at the Festival at Bel Air, there were 49 incidents of theft and twoassaults from January through August.

The intent is not to compare and contrast different malls but simply inform you of thecrime numbers you need to know as you begin your holiday shopping, keeping in mindthat places like the Fesitval at Bel Air serves a lot less people than Arundel Mills Mall.

"That comfortable safe shopping environment is a top priority and we work very hard,



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use a lot of different tactics to make sure that we provide it for our shoppers," saidWendy Ellis, Director of Marketing for Arundel Mills.

Ellis says that hard work is paying off. Last year's crime numbers for the mall werearguably some of the highest in the area. This year though there have only been 14

assaults, down nearly 50 percent, 20 auto thefts, down nearly 40 percent. And then therewas general theft. Arundel Mills Mall had 864 thefts in the first eight months of 2008,but for the same time this year only 385; a drop of 55 percent.

"Yes absolutely we're thrilled the stats have come down but that doesn't make it any lessof a priority any other time of the year. It is a number 1, 100 percent of the time, 24, 7,365. This is what we do."

Ellis says the mall added T3 machines to help patrols in addition to regular foot patrolsand security officers on segways. There is also an elaborate security camera system andmore vigilant vendors.

Those measures plus a good relationship with Anne Arundel County Police have helpedbring the crime numbers down and put shoppers like Slaughter more at ease.

"Sure it does. You would hope all the malls will do that, have more guards policing theshopping, parking lots."

Security, vigilance and now knowledge arming shoppers against those annual crimes of opportunities.

Title: New York Tourist Robbed Inside Ritz Hotel in Puerto Rico Published: November 9, 2009Source: Associated Press, PUERTO RICO

Link:(http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g_xaoohy3VrI_M11Oc2E0Zwe8MzwD9BS

409O0)

A New York lawyer was robbed inside his room at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Puerto Ricoby assailants who tied him up before dawn Monday and stole $800 in cash, police said.

The robbers bound Robert J. Anello with lamp cords and a necktie and threatened himuntil he gave up the password for a debit card that was stolen along with the cash from a

safe, according to a police statement.

Anello's assistant at his law firm said his phone was also taken.

"He's fine. It's just we're frantically trying to get him some kind of communicationdevice," said Donna Kolakowski, of the New York firm Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand,Iason, Anello & Bohrer.



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Six people have been arrested in the case, said police Sgt. Ricardo Haddock. He saidinvestigators were taking fingerprints from the hotel and no further information wasavailable.

Police said Anello, 54, declined medical attention following the robbery at one of the

Caribbean island's top luxury hotels, located in the Isla Verde tourist district east of SanJuan.

Hotel spokeswoman Mirem Ubarri said she could not comment on the robbery during thepolice investigation. She said guests' safety is a top priority for the hotel and there is noneed to change security procedures.

International

Title: Ahmedabad Steps Up Hotel Security, Fearing Terror Strike Published: November 14, 2009Source: ANI, INDIA

Link: (http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/ahmedabad-steps-up-hotel-security-fearing-

terror-strike_100274622.html)

Security of hotels in Ahmedabad has been beefed up in the wake of reports that US terrorsuspect David Coleman Headley stayed at top-end hotels in various cities with the aim of conducting a recce for terrorist attacks.

The Gujarat government has directed hotels to take thumb impressions of all guests andkeep a copy of their identity cards.

Security personnel have also been deployed to check vehicle movement in the city.

“We will tell the hotel people to take thumb impression of the customers. This is a newthing. The staff can come to the police station and we will tell them how to implementthis. If they do not implement it, the department will take the required action,” said M.HVasani, a police inspector.

The FBI arrested Headley, a Chicago resident, in October 2009 for plotting terror attacks

overseas, including India. He was arrested along with Pakistani-born Canadian citizenTahawwur Hussein Rana.

It is reported that Headley came in close contact with several unidentified leaders of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation with links to Al Qaeda.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had registered a case against Headley and Ranain connection with the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.



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Headley was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit terrorist acts involvingmurder and maiming outside the United States and one count of conspiracy to providematerial support to that overseas terrorism conspiracy.

Title: David Headley Case: Cops Search Paharganj Hotels, Cyber Cafes

Published: November 16, 2009Source: Indian Express, INDIA

Link: (http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/542020/)

Delhi Police on Sunday conducted searches in cyber cafes and hotels in Central Delhi’sPaharganj area, where suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba militant David Coleman Headley, hadstayed during his four-day trip.

He had reportedly stayed in two budget hotels. Official sources said details of visitors,

foreigners and others who had stayed between March 3 and March 13 in the hotels inPaharganj are being checked.

Headley had stayed in Hotel De Holiday International and Hotel Anand from March 7 to10. “The exercise is to know whether any suspicious person stayed in hotels around thesetwo hotels,” said an official.

The police and National Investigation Agency, meanwhile, are trying to find out if Headley met anyone in Delhi during his stay.

Delhi Police officials termed today’s searches part of a ‘routine exercise’.

“This is part of a routine exercise. Every cyber cafe is checked by the police once a week and this area is frequented by people from other parts of the country,” a senior policeofficer said.

Headley was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Chicago last month.

A Special Cell team, that visited hotels De Holiday Inn and Hotel Anand in Paharganjthree days ago, had spoke to the staff there and recovered his passport details.

Senior officials said they are probing whether Headley had used cyber cafes in the area.

The National Investigating Agency has registered a case against Headley and hisCanadian accomplice Tahawwur Hussain Rana to probe their role in various terror strikesin the country, including the 26/11 Mumbai attack.

The duo was arrested by the FBI for plotting attacks in India at the behest of the LeT.



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Title: Hotels Told to Keep Eyes on Foreigners

Published: November 16, 2009Source: The Times of India, INDIA

Link: (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hotels-told-to-keep-eye-on-

foreigners/articleshow/5233744.cms)

The David Headley case has spurred Delhi Police into stepping up its vigil on foreigntourists, even at the risk of harassing innocent travellers and costing hotels business.Stung by the revelation that Headley stayed in Delhi earlier this year, and concernedabout the security implications for events like the Commonwealth Games -- which areexpected to see thousands of foreign tourists pour into the capital -- the cops have issuedguidelines to hotel owners even as investigators have been visiting several cyber cafesand hotels in Paharganj.

"There are certain things which will be strictly adhered to. Besides installing CCTVs atcorrect places and frisking each visitor with a hand-held metal detector, we have madeID-card proof mandatory. We have also instructed the police to ensure that managersrecord the contact numbers of all visitors. The beat constables will visit the hotel duringthe day and note down these numbers. We will then randomly cross-check thesenumbers," Karnail Singh, joint commissioner, northern range told TOI.

According to the local police, the hotel managers have also been instructed to report thearrival of any foreign tourist to the Foreigner Regional Registration Office even if he hasvalid papers with the FRRO stamp. "At times, managers fear that they might upsetbusiness if they cross-check the antecedents of foreigners. But the security of the countrycannot be compromised now, especially as the 2010 Games are drawing near," said asenior police officer.

A Special Cell team had visited hotels De Holiday Inn and Anand in Paharganj, whereHeadley stayed, three days ago and spoke to staff there. A check on the antecedents of thestaffers was also carried out.

"We have proposed that the integrated network connecting police stations in India alsokeep scope for live CCTV footages from hotels for quick action. We hope this will helpus counter terrorism better," added another officer.

The hotel owners, themselves say they are not taking chances any more. "Besides theusual checking using hand-held metal detectors and CCTV camera footage, we now ask for telephone numbers and even ask visitors to call back home from our own ISD

facilities just to satisfy our doubts," said a manager at a three star hotel at Chuna Mandinear Paharganj.

"The Karol Bagh blasts last year had forced us to introduce a slew of measures to enforcesecurity in areas frequented by tourists. But, we did not introduce anything specific forforeign tourists. But, with the Headley case surfacing now, we have to be on our guard,"said a senior special cell officer.



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Title: Five Arrested in Anti-Terror Raids

Published: November 17, 2009Source: Agence France Presse, UNITED KINGDOM

Link: (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hpfw5jcSLeqUra8liwewMOfaB8NQ)

Anti-terror police arrested five people on Monday in pre-dawn raids in Manchester andnear London's Heathrow airport, officials said.

The detentions, including a 26-year-old man seized in a hotel near Heathrow, were linkedto an alleged overseas threat, media reported, while officials sought to play down theimmediate danger.

"This is a complex and ongoing investigation, which has now reached the point where itwas necessary to make arrests and speak to a number of people," said Assistant Chief Constable Dave Thompson of Greater Manchester Police.

"Protecting people both at home and abroad is our primary concern, which is why wetake such steps," said Thompson, adding that the raids, starting at 4:00 am, were carriedout by the North West Counter Terrorism Unit.

No armed officers were involved in the arrests, which he described as "low-key." Nofurther details were available.

Britain reduced its national terror alert status in July from "severe" to "substantial," itslowest since July 2005 suicide attacks in London which killed 56.

In June 2007 there were failed car bomb attacks in central London and at Glasgow airportin Scotland, days after Prime Minister Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair.

Title: Egypt Tightens Security Ahead of Algeria Match

Published: November 12, 2009Source: Agence France Presse, PAKISTAN

Author: Cris BouroncleLink: (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gyK6EWQTFaTVagRQL1X1j8ossjSA)

Egypt stepped up security for a decisive World Cup qualifier between Algeria and Egypt

on Saturday, with police vowing tight protection for the Algerians whose bus was stonedwhen they arrived in Cairo.

Thousands of home fans, their faces painted in red, white and black and waving Egyptianflags, thronged the Cairo International Stadium hours before the highly charged match,which was due to kick off at 7:30 pm (1730 GMT).



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A tight cordon was set up outside the ground, where around 2,000 Algerian fans werealso expected among the capacity 70,000 crowd.

Press reports said police units would also be deployed throughout the stands as securitywas raised to highest-ever levels.

The challenge is tough for Egypt's Pharoahs, who need to win by a three-goal margin toqualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and stop Algeria's Desert Foxes fromsewing up the African Group C qualifying place.

Despite official appeals for calm, tensions boiled over on Thursday when the Algerianteam bus was stoned on its way from Cairo airport, with three players injured.

World football governing body FIFA ordered Egypt to guarantee security for the matchafter the attack.

Egyptian official daily Al-Ahram quoted a deputy interior minister, Abdel Rahim al-Qanawi, as saying police will undertake unprecedented security to safeguard the playersin their hotel and on their way to the stadium.

"The Algerian team's bus will be secured completely, in a way that never happenedbefore with other teams," he said.

One FIFA representative, Walter Gagg, confirmed to AFP that three Algerian players hadsustained injuries, potentially ruling them out of the showdown.

"We saw that three players had been injured -- Khaled Lemmouchia on the head, Rafik Halliche above the eye and Rafik Saifi on the arm," Gagg said.

"These weren't superficial injuries," he stressed. "With the stitches needed, we will haveto see if these players can play. The team doctor has still to make a decision on that."

Gagg said Algeria's goalkeeping coach had suffered concussion, and described the busitself as in a "very bad way with broken windows and traces of blood on the floor".

"The players were afraid, they were terrified," he said.

For the Algerians, Egyptian security officials and the media added insult to the injuriesby saying that the Algerian team faked the attack.

The Egyptian press reported that an initial investigation showed the Algerians hadsmashed the windows of the bus with emergency hammers.

Algerian press reports on Saturday said an angry crowd attacked homes of Egyptianworkers at M'sila, in southeastern Algeria, after news of the stoning and graphic picturesof the players' injuries were published in the media.



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A group of young men ransacked a building occupied by managers of a cement worksbelonging to Egypt's Orascom, El-Watan newspaper reported.

Police took the managers and their families to safety but "all flats in the residence were

ransacked and looted" and a car was set on fire, the report said.

The newspaper Quotidien d'Oran said 14 police were hurt in clashes with the young men.

In Algiers, all streets leading to the Egyptian embassy were closed from Thursdayevening and security measures installed at Egyptian companies, an AFP reporter said.

And in France's southern port of Marseille, which has many residents of Algerian origin,security at the Egyptian consulate was boosted and 600 police officers flooded the citycentre.

In Cairo the Algerian squad held a light training session on Friday under policeprotection, with captain Yazid Mansouri saying: "The players are standing firm andunited."

The rival national teams have a history of bad blood, with riots breaking out after Egyptdefeated Algeria in a 1989 match in Cairo.

Algeria player Lakhdar Belloumi was tried in absentia and sentenced to prison in Egyptfor allegedly seriously injuring the Egyptian team doctor with a bottle after that match.

Interpol issued an arrest warrant for Belloumi over the incident.

Egypt last qualified for the World Cup in 1990, and Algeria in 1986.

Title: Thai Military Denies Story About Arrest of Its Spy. Published: November 3, 2009Source: Asia One, CAMBODIA

Link: (http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20091115-179962.html)

The Thai military yesterday refuted a report that an official from the Armed Forces'Security Centre was caught spying at the City Angkor Hotel in Siem Reap where ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra stayed during his visit to Cambodia last week.

Armed Forces spokesman Colonel Sithichai Markkunchorn said no one by the name of Manit, as claimed by Cambodia, worked under the centre.

He said the accusation had slandered the Thai Armed Forces and called on Cambodia toidentify the last name of the person arrested.



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He urged the public to use discretion and not believe any information without checking,as the country may fall victim to ill-intentioned groups.

Ties between the Thai and Cambodian militaries remained normal while people on bothsides of the border continued their ways and earned a living from border trade as usual,

he said.

Thepthai Senpong, the Democrat Party leader's personal spokesman, lashed out at PheuThai Party MP Jatuporn Promphan for protecting Cambodia and insulting the Thaigovernment by accusing it of stealing information from Cambodia.

He blamed Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen for releasing such news to the mediawith the intent of cornering the Thai government.

"Hun Sen has done that because he wants to justify his action against the Thaigovernment. It's a shame that Thais have helped Cambodia to defame their own country,"

he said.

Acting government spokesman Panitan Watanayagorn could not confirm that a secondThai citizen was detained in Cambodia, as reported by a Phnom Penh newspaper.

Panitan, during a telephone interview from Singapore, said he had received no reportsthat a security official attached to the Thai Armed Forces' Security Centre was arrested byCambodian authorities.

The Khmer newspaper said an officer known only as "Manit" was apprehended at theCity Angkor hotel in Siem Reap.

Title: Suicide Attack Against Meeting Organized By Finns Thwarted inSomalia Published: November 13, 2009Source: Helsingin Sanomat, SOMALIA

Link:(http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Suicide+attack+against+meeting+organised+by+Finns+thwarted+in+Somalia/1135250710061)

Security officials in Somaliland narrowly thwarted a terror attack that had been plannedagainst a peace conference in the town of Hargeisa last Sunday. The gathering of clan

leaders had been organised by Finn Church Aid, the foreign aid arm of the FinnishLutheran Church.

Ten kilos of powder-based explosives were found in the possession of two uninvitedguests. The aim was apparently to conduct a suicide attack against the meeting of thechiefs of the Hawie clan.

Such an attack would have put the lives of seven Finnish citizens at risk.



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The events began to unfold on Friday of last week, when about 30 clan leaders flew fromthe Somali capital Mogadishu to the Hargeisa meeting. Also on board the commercialflight were two young men. At the destination they boarded a bus taking the participantsin the meeting to their hotel.

The hotel’s security personnel made note of the nervous behaviour of the two. Organisersof the meeting also noted that there were two people there who had not been invited.

“Their room was searched, and explosives suitable for use in a suicide attack were foundin their possession”, said Antti Pentikäinen, executive director of Finn Church Aid, whospoke by telephone from Washington.

Pentikäinen himself was to have attended the meeting on Sunday, its opening day, but thetrip was cancelled after the terror plot was unveiled.

The suspects were arrested, and they have been interrogated by local officials. Theidentity of the suspected would-be bombers has not been disclosed, nor is there anyinformation on what rebel group they might belong to. News of the incident apparentlyhas not been reported in Somaliland itself* (see note below).

On the basis of previous suicide attacks, the main suspect is the al-Shabab movement,which controls the south of Somalia. Al-Shabab introduced the practice of suicide attacksto Somalia a few years ago, and the movement is believed to have links with the al-Qaedanetwork.

After the plot was unveiled, the organisers considered cancelling the meeting. However,it began on schedule on Sunday.

“Security arrangements are at the maximum. The meeting will proceed only if securitycan be guaranteed”, Pentikäinen says.

The planned attack will not stop meetings aimed at peace from being organised in thefuture, Pentikäinen says. However, he adds that the situation will make it necessary to re-evaluate how the security of participants and organisers can be guaranteed.

“In Somalia, we are trusted as organisers of meetings of this type. Under nocircumstances do we plan to pull out. When we have collected all information about thisevent, we will ponder how the risks could be minimised in the future.”

He sees the case as a worrying example of how security for aid organisations hasdeteriorated in recent years, especially in fragile states such as Somalia.

Finn Church Aid has organised gatherings of clan chiefs and religious leaders in Somaliafor a year and a half already. The meetings are low-profile events set up for airing theviews of local leaders on how the peace process in Somalia should proceed.



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Pentikäinen emphasises that Finn Church Aid does not bring its own agenda to the peaceprocess. Instead, it seeks to support local communities, and to communicate their viewsto the international community.

*NOTE: Apparently this was not the case. We have been informed by a reader that "infact it was the local media which broke the story first, followed by the BBC SomaliService on the same day".

Documents

New York State Office of Homeland Security Eyes on Commercial Facilities 11 November - 18 November 2009