Press needs to realize terrorists not the only threat

Today a must-read Wall Street Journal editorial explained the extent to which press freedom constitutes an ever-present threat to our national security. Pointing to the recent unauthorized release of secret US government documents by Wikileaks, the paper explained that by continuing to exercise its freedom, "the press will put its own freedom in jeopardy."  

True enough.  But to their credit, the WSJ's editors took the occasion to remind us that threats to national security extend far beyond terrorism: 

 But the closer we and others have looked at the documents, it's clear that the WikiLeaks dump does reveal a great deal about the military's methods, sources, tactics and protocols of communication. Such details are of little interest to the public at large, and they are unlikely to change many minds about the conduct, or wisdom, of the war. But they are of considerable interest to America's avowed enemies and strategic competitors such as Russia and China.

It is important to realize that the terrorists are by no means the only threat that America faces. 

In the interests of national security, DoF Secretary Malcolm P. Stag echoed the Wall Street Journal editors in comments at a press conference this morning:

"'Freedom of the press' must be balanced against the 'risks of the press'," said SecFear.

Terrorists monitoring Gulf of Mexico oil spill response?

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is a tragedy.  But imagine how much worse it might be next time should terrorists have an opportunity to study the impact and scope of the present disaster.    At this moment, terrorist cells may be seeking information concerning the operations of America's disaster-response capabilities.

Fortunately, our friends at Homeland Security have partnered with local law enforcement agencies and some private security firms contracted by British Petroleum.  Together, public and private security forces are keeping a vigilant eye out for suspicious activity in the vicinity of the Gulf of Mexico coastline.   Overly curious or suspicious people are being stopped and questioned.  Raw Story (via 10%):

The photographer, Lance Rosenfield, said that shortly after arriving in town, he was confronted by a BP security officer, local police and a man who identified himself as an agent of the Department of Homeland Security. He was released after the police reviewed the pictures he had taken on Friday and recorded his date of birth, Social Security number and other personal information. The police officer then turned that information over to the BP security guard under what he said was standard procedure.

In the wake of the recent natural disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, America's public and private security personnel must balance the freedom of the public to move about and photograph things against some vital national security interests.    In these dangerous times, the latter has to be given a lot more weight.

Preventing terrorist conquest of North Africa

UPI:

North African Islamist militants linked to al-Qaida are reportedly building heavily fortified bunkers in the Sahara Desert against airstrikes as Algeria and its neighbors mount a combined offensive against them.

Security authorities in Algeria and Mali, its southern neighbor, have reported construction work in their territories. Fortifications are also being built along the border with Niger, east of Mali.

The potential terrorist conquest of North Africa is a real and growing national security concern.

DoF urges the president to initiate predator drone strikes against various locations in Mali, Algeria, and Niger -- anywhere terrorists are suspected of hiding.   Although such measures will certainly not eliminate the threat, it will bring the war to the terrorists.    To paraphrase the former vice president: if we fight them over there, maybe we won't have to fight them here.

Fear sustains NATO mission in Afghanistan

Explaining the continued need to wage war in Afghanistan, UK Defense Secretary Liam Fox writes in a WSJ op-ed:

We must hold our nerve and maintain our resilience. If we want people to pay the price of success, we must spell out the cost of failure. If NATO left Afghanistan now, the Taliban would wrest control of parts of the country and al-Qaeda and their terrorist training camps could return. It would be a shot in the arm to violent extremists everywhere. Instability could spread across this volatile region. Failure would also damage the credibility of NATO, which has been the cornerstone of the defense of the West for the past half-century. We would be less safe and less secure, our resolve called into question and our cohesion weakened....

American and Britain have stood shoulder to shoulder many times in the past, in the face of tyranny and adversity—in defense of freedom. Today in Afghanistan we stand shoulder to shoulder again, alongside our many partners and alongside the Afghans themselves. The struggle against terrorism endures and is bigger than any single country or any single leader, political or military...

UK Defense Secretary Liam Fox understands that fear is critical to sustaining the commitment of Americans to fighting the war in Afghanistan and is determined to stoke it.  DoF is a proud partner of the new government of Great Britain.

Once identified, ICE will respond

Do you live in a Secure Community?   Legislation passed by Congress in May 2010 compels anyone who is arrested in the United States to give a blood sample.  Once the DNA of every suspect has been entered into a national database, the information can then be shared with various agencies, such as DHS or DoF.  Armed with biometric information, we can root out potential terrorists, and others deemed to pose a threat to national security.

RICHMOND, Va.- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Secure Communities was activated as of last week in every county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This biometric information sharing strategy enables ICE to identify any alien booked into local law enforcement's custody for a crime. This capability is part of ICE's comprehensive strategy to improve and modernize the identification and removal of criminal aliens from the United States.

Formerly, during the booking process, arrestees' fingerprints were checked for criminal history information only against the biometric database maintained by the FBI. With the implementation of Secure Communities, this fingerprint information is now automatically and simultaneously checked against both the FBI criminal history records and the biometrics-based immigration records maintained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). If any fingerprints match those of someone in the DHS biometric system, the new automated process notifies ICE.  ICE evaluates each case to determine the individual's immigration status and takes appropriate enforcement action. This includes aliens who are in lawful status and those who are present without lawful authority. Once identified through fingerprint matching, ICE will respond...

Eventually, the agency urges Congress to approve the acquisition of a far more comprehensive database that would include the DNA profile for every resident of the United States.   For example, blood samples should be required of anyone applying for a drivers license or passport. Ideally residents' biometric identification would be incorporated into a mandatory national identification card.   There are many government agencies and initiatives involving our partners in the private sector that could profit from having access to the biometric profiles of all residents.

"Protecting Cyberspace Act" targets WikiLeaks threat

As anyone following the news knows, the United States is at risk of "cyber attack." The impact of cyber war could prove devastating to the economy (and imagine your life without Facebook). The cyber attack threat is not only real, it is broad, encompassing threats that include the potential leakage of classified documents.  For example, the unauthorized release of classified reports detailing how America continues to fight global terrorism.

Fortunately, Congress is taking action:

Confronting threats ranging from Chinese superhackers to the release of secret documents on WikiLeaks and other whistleblowing websites, the Obama administration may be on the verge of assuming broad new powers to regulate the Internet on national-security grounds...

A new bill would grant President Obama the power to declare a “national cyber-emergency” at his discretion and force private companies tied to the Web, including Internet service providers and search engines, to take action in response—moves that could include limiting or even cutting off their connections to the World Wide Web for up to 30 days.

The Protecting Cyberspace Act was introduced last week by Senator Joseph Lieberman, the Connecticut independent who is chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, and Senator Susan Collins of Maine, the panel’s ranking Republican. Counterparts in the House Homeland Security Committee have endorsed identical legislation, meaning that a final bill could be adopted by the full Congress within weeks. The White House has not taken a stand on the legislation so far.

Lieberman said the bill was intended to prevent a “cyber 9/11” in which “cyberwarriors, cyberspies, cyberterrorists and cybercriminals” take aim at the United States and try to shut down infrastructure that is dependent on the Internet—a list of targets that include everything from nuclear power plants to banks to Pentagon computer networks.

We must hope Congress passes "The Protecting Cyberspace Act" quickly.  Of course, this kind of legislation cannot prevent a cyber attack from happening. The underlying danger will not go away. Nevertheless, our president must have tools at his disposal to contain the damage -- especially in the (likely) event WikiLeaks were to release more US government secrets. 

We can never know what information the terrorists will try to use against us.   Common sense says that the fight against global terrorism requires that secrecy be maintained wherever possible throughout all levels of government.  Even the most innocuous government data, report, or document could be turned into a weapon that could be used by our enemies to destroy America.  That's why DoF urges that all federal agencies endeavor to classify information wherever possible.  

Therefore, on one hand, the federal government must seek to classify everything it possibly can; on the other, it must clamp down on so-called "whistle-blowers." Fortunately, the Obama administration is taking the whistle-blower threat seriously.   In our dangerous post-9/11 world, the administration realizes that allowing officials to get away with leaking government documents is the equivalent of letting potential terrorists carry box-cutters onto airplanes. 

WikiLeaks works against  fundamental DoF principles, and, we believe, compromises national security.    Although WikiLeaks cannot easily be shut down,  it can be contained and -- as a 2008 US Army Counterintelligence report suggests -- discredited.

In the meantime, fear Wikileaks.

"An opportunity to share even the most tentative threats"

The New York Times reports on how the US military is tapping social networking skills:

Hunched over monitors streaming live video from a drone, Lieutenant Christopher and a team of analysts recently popped in and out of several military chatrooms, reaching out more than 7,000 miles to warn Marines about roadside bombs and to track Taliban gunfire...  

...three-quarters of the 350 analysts here have never been to the war zones, so a cultural divide can pop up. Several said they were a bit intimidated when Sergeant Smothers, 36, who has had five tours in Iraq, strode onto the floor here in February.

At the time, the analysts were blending data from the U-2s and the drones to watch the roads into Marja and fields where helicopters might land. But as Sergeant Smothers looked over their shoulders, encouraging them to warn the Marines about even the most tentative threats, the analysts warmed up.

The mission of America's social network warriors parallels that of DoF.   Just as Sergeant Smothers wants social networking military officers to "warn the Marines about even the most tentative threats,"  the Department of Fear wants you to share information about "even the most tentative threats" with your friends.  

Let's say you hear that a terror suspect has been captured.   Shock soon gives way to relief that the monster was caught.  But deeper down you are likely frightened.  You are more than little nervous because you have doubts about whether your leaders have been doing enough to protect you.   DoF urges you to share these kinds of fears on a blog, video-blog, Facebook, or Twitter.  Communicate what would make you feel better:   Enhanced interrogation of the suspect?  Stripping the terror suspect of US citizenship? New laws passed by Congress to better balance freedom with security?  More pervasive wiretapping?  Fewer trials?   Shouldn't our president have the authority to do whatever it takes to avert another deadly terror strike?   Do you want to see more public investment in the US Military?  How about tax relief for companies responsible for manufacturing our great arsenal of democracy?  Should the president increase the frequency of US predator drone strikes throughout the Muslim World?  Has the time come to bomb bomb bomb Iran?  Share your personal priorities for making America feel safer. 

If you're pressed for ideas, turn on Fox News.  Then get on twitter and tweet what you've learned. Or sign in to  Facebook where you should strive to be "authentic" with  your online friends.   Genuine people don't just poke their friends and share jokes.  They don't just fret about their diets and trade fashion tips. True patriots are concerned about the security of the homeland.   They talk about how the terrorists seem to hate us so much for our freedoms. They upload photos from FBI.gov of the week's "most wanted" terrorists and post them on their wall.   They chat about nightmare scenarios.*  They know that DoF is there to support them in making the most of today's social networking opportunities.  
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* America's pharmaceutical companies have developed products that help us to cope with anxiety.

Gaza terror flotillas pose danger to Americans

This week the world learned that the terrorists will even use the cover of aid ships as a pretext to attack Israeli soldiers.  The Jerusalem Post has profiled the identity of passengers on board one ship in the so-called "aid flotilla":

Dozens of passengers who were aboard the Mavi Marmara Turkish passenger ship are suspected of having connections with global jihad-affiliated terrorist organizations, defense officials said on Tuesday, amid growing concerns that Turkish warships would accompany a future flotilla to the Gaza Strip.

According to the defense officials, the IDF has identified about 50 passengers on the ship who could have terrorist connections with global jihad-affiliated groups.

Israel apprehended ships full of terrorists in search of martyrdom.  According to a new DoF report, last minute intervention against the flotilla by the heroic IDF forces likely saved many American lives.  The report takes into account the timing of the flotilla mission.   Every summer thousands of American holiday-makers cruise the Mediterranean.  Cruise ships may well have been the intended target of the flotilla. Were it not for decisive Israeli military intervention, tourists might have unwittingly fallen prey to this terror flotilla.

This is the third "Gaza aid flotilla," there will likely be others. In the eastern Mediterranean, the only thing standing between your cruise ship and a terrorist convoy is the Israeli military.  Take this opportunity to call your congressman or senator and ask that the United States increase military assistance to Israel.  

DHS memo: record number of terrorist attacks on US

CNN reports:

Just weeks after the failed car bombing of New York's Times Square, the Department of Homeland Security says "the number and pace of attempted attacks against the United States over the past nine months have surpassed the number of attempts during any other previous one-year period."

That grim assessment is contained in an unclassified DHS intelligence memo prepared for various law enforcement groups, which says terror groups are expected to try attacks inside the United States with "increased frequency."

CNN obtained a copy of the document, dated May 21, which goes on to warn, "we have to operate under the premise that other operatives are in the country and could advance plotting with little or no warning."

Most important government memos these days are classified.   But an exception to the rule is that any memo that could seriously scare Americans and remind them of their vulnerability to the terrorists is better left unclassified.  DoF commends Homeland Security for having quickly released this memo so that it could have maximum effect.

Update: Only an hour after the CNN story was published, twitter users had "re-tweeted' links to this story perhaps one hundred times. Fear is wondrously contagious. (Tip: you can follow DoF on twitter).

Marketing expert calls for business to spread fear

Marketing guru Chris Garret (h/t Guy Kawasaki) presents a ten-point plan for getting your message across.  We like number eight:

#8: Appeal to Primitive Instincts

Observe the newspapers. They sell ... fear because that’s what people respond to...    If you’re having trouble being heard, try turning your message into a warning ... emphasize the dangers.

DoF strictly adheres to this principle.  We believe that our approach can be profitably applied by major corporations and throughout local, state, and federal governments.

MSNBC says Taliban attacked Bangkok

Supposedly on account of civil unrest, many buildings in Bangkok burned to the ground on May 19.   It was a scary situation for everyone in Thailand.   But for Americans, it was very nearly just another day.

Fortunately, MSNBC made the most of the images.  Raw Story,  a blog, reports:

People watching MSNBC Wednesday morning could be forgiven for believing that the Taliban had invaded Bangkok. As NBC's Ian Williams reported on violent protests in the capital city of Thailand, a graphic on the lower third of MSNBC's screen read: "New Taliban Attacks, Bangkok Burns."

DoF has nothing but praise for the way MSNBC handled this story.

MSNBC drew upon the depth of the news organization's ignorance about Thailand and conceived a terrifying hypothesis:  Bangkok is falling to our enemies.  The Taliban are on the move. At home, terrified MSNBC viewers would have been asking themselves: Will Honolulu be next?   Or will the Taliban head straight for LA?   

There is a lesson here.  Whenever there is serious violence overseas, the US media should not hesitate to project whatever scenario evokes Americans' worst fears.  Discussion about what actually happened can be left to the following day's newspapers.

Paul Bremer: "period of heightened risk"

Harvard Business Review recently interviewed Ambassador L. Paul Bremer about the risks terrorists pose to US businesses. Here is a quote from the article entitled, "Doing business in a dangerous world":

I think we really are in a period of heightened risk, for two reasons. First, trends in terrorism indicate an increasing desire and ability to cause mass destruction. That’s been clear now for a decade. In the past 30 years, 80% of terrorist attacks against the United States have been aimed at American businesses. There are reasons to expect that businesses will become increasingly attractive to terrorists, both because they’re less well defended than obvious military or government targets, like embassies, and because of what they symbolize.

It's good to see Paul has been stirring up fear of terrorism in the business community.

The case for fear-based defense spending

DefSec Robert Gates has been planning the Pentagon's future defense budget.  Concerns had been expressed in some circles that the DefSec would propose cutting defense spending drastically,  potentially jeopardizing the security of the American people in these dangerous times.  So far, this has not happened.

Gordon Adams describes the situation at the Simon Center's Budget Insight National Security blog:

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates gave a major speech last week about the future of US defense capabilities and the military budget.  It was generally greeted as a voice of realism... It was nothing of the sort....  Gates ... said nothing about the billions his budget decisions added to replace the systems he ostensibly cut.... 

From the perspective of DoF, it makes sense that an American Secretary of Defense would not submit a defense budget  based entirely on "realism."  Are the fears of the American people based in "realism"?  They are not.  They are a product of our collective imagination, informed by FoxNews and other US media sources.   In a democracy, the technocrats have to consider the feelings of the people.  And the people are afraid. Adams continues:

The key to understanding what Gates was really saying lies in the Secretary’s statement that the current state of the world justifies “sustaining the current military force structure.”   And in his assertion that the defense budget must grow roughly two-to-three percent above inflation to sustain that force structure...

Think about that for a moment:  Gates believes "the state of the world justifies" today's high defense budget.  What does that tell you?   It tells you that the world is a very dangerous place.  Adams:

The QDR lays out US military missions that are staggeringly ambitious and demanding....  DOD missions are being expanded...  The QDR provides no calculus of the level of risk the nation faces by setting such priorities...  This unconstrained piling-on of missions constitutes the most obvious case for endless defense budget growth.  It has gone unchallenged, at DOD, in the administration, or in the Congress...

"The QDR provides no calculus of the level of risk the nation faces..."  Why would it?   DoF maintains that the appropriate calculus in determining the defense budget should not be "level of risk," but  fear.

Just as there is no limit to the fears of the people, there should be no limit to defense spending.

How to dress a terror suspect

Drone assassinations.  Expansion of the presidential  "hit list" to include American citizens.   Reports out of Afghanistan that US troops are executing Afghan prisoners on the battlefield.  DoF is concerned that the Obama Administration needs to reign-in the recent and pervasive enthusiasm for exterminating terror suspects.

The reason DoF is troubled by some of this news is that a dead terror suspect is not a particularly scary terror suspect.

During the Vice President Cheney years, American government officials shared a basic understanding:  the Geneva Conventions might have to be overlooked, but the desirability of keeping terror suspects alive was widely understood (even if not followed in every case).   Although terror suspects are expensive to detain, the Vice President taught us that they can be put to very good use.   

In terms of making the most of captive terror suspects, it was understood a terror suspect must be appropriately dressed to fit the role.    "The clothes make the man," as they say.  At DoF we like to say that the right clothes make you fear the man.

One crisis facing the Obama Administration is that after eight or nine years of war, most of the military's finest designers have been relieved of duty.  The best ones came out of the closet long ago.  The so-called "Don't ask don't tell" policy has led to a situation in which there are simply no outstanding designers of terror suspect attire remaining in the US military.   

Here's a little-known fact for you:  the lack of a talented clothing designer has been the main hold-up in getting the scheduled trial of the notorious Khalid Sheikh Mohammed underway in Manhattan. Obviously, the government can't go parading the 9/11 mastermind around New York City until someone has figured out how KSM ought to be dressed.  The government does not want its  most famous captive terrorist to look like some kind of common criminal or thug (i.e. photo left).   If he is to scare anyone, he must look the part.  The situation is so desperate -- with respect to the lack of a suitable clothing designer  -- that there is now talk of holding the the trial in rural Virginia.

Of course, the answer is twofold.  The president needs to 1) scrap the "don't ask, don't tell" regulation that is preventing some of America's finest clothing designers from serving their country; 2) see that more terror suspects are captured and detained rather than killed.

DoF has included some archival photos of terror suspects "dressed to scare" from the Cheney years.

Army prepares to be at war indefinitely

National Defense Magazine:

U.S. forces are withdrawing from Iraq this year, and operations in Afghanistan are expected to wind down by 2011. Nevertheless, the Army is preparing for the likelihood that it will be at war indefinitely

A major institutional reorganization of the Army, which began in 2004, aims to realign all forces under a rotational model — similar to the one employed by the Navy and Marine Corps. Now the Army plans to institutionalize a rotation model that would give soldiers at least two, and preferably three, years at home in between deployments, said Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey [photo].

It goes without saying that if America did not face imminent and overwhelming danger, the army would not be preparing for an indefinite war.   This announcement provides compelling evidence that our deepest fears are well-founded.

When I showed Sec. Stag this news article, he commented: "To keep people scared, war must not be confided to any one place, nor should it have an end. The precondition for keeping Americans scared can be summarized in two words: 'limitless war'."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein: terrorism development "ominous"

In February, Sen. Feinstein warned us of the danger of trying KSM in New York City.   This week, the senator from California provided Americans with a new reason to be afraid.  SF Gate reports:

... Feinstein, a California Democrat who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the development ominous. 

"It's clear we're facing a new kind of attacker who is already here, who can hide in plain sight," she said. "We need to think about new defenses"

... She drew a link between Shahzad and Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab ...

"I think there's every reason to believe that Abdulmutallab and this man are prototypes of people that we may see more of," she said.

We can't spot them, but they're coming.

Live blog of "Civil Liberties: Learning from China"

The Atlantic Monthly's James Fallows, reflecting on the new Arizona immigration law, wrote:

"...Maybe soon the Chinese State Security apparatus can travel to Arizona and give lectures to local police and sheriffs. They can explain how to avoid going crazy with a new power that so invites abuse. "Civil Liberties: Learning from China" can be the name of the course."

DoF really liked Mr. Fallows' suggestion.   Recognizing that China faces similar threats to the US, including illegal immigration and terrorism, the agency invited Chinese "policing and state security" guru Prof. Xu Wei of Beijing University to Washington D.C. to give a talk.

Following is a live-blog of some highlights from the event at DoF Center on Tuesday evening.

20:00  People are taking their seats.  The front row of the auditorium is occupied by ICE (Immigration and Custom Enforcement) agents,  many of whom brought along their sniffer-dogs.  Sue Ellen, a DoF intern from Dallas, hands out biscuits to the dogs.

20:05 Looks like it may take a while for this thing to get started.  A lot of people are standing in the aisles talking.  You have defense contractors chatting up DHS officials, exchanging business cards.   This is obviously a great networking opportunity for everyone.

20:09 Pastor Thomas, CEO of Prosperity Gospel Ministries, delivers the opening prayer:  "Lord, we are frightened by the prospect of annihilation from terrorists armed with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.   We tremble in the face of the threat from Iran, hijackers, and Pakistani car bombers...    Lord, we are gathered here tonight because millions of illegal immigrants swarm our towns and cities. Among these illegals are drug traffickers responsible for mass killings in Mexico. From Arizona to Alabama we fear for our jobs and the safety of our families...   Lord, may America's law enforcement agencies find ways to apply whatever lessons about civil liberties our friends from China impart here tonight. Amen."

20:12  Opening statement by DoF Sec. Malcolm P. Stag III.   Sec. Stag apologizes for the inconvenience of the document check at the side entrance to the building, but says "exchanging a few freedoms for greater security" serves to remind the public "what we're up against."

20:20  Introductory remarks by his Excellency the Chinese Ambassador to the United States.  Says that just as Mexico is a friend of the US, North Korea is also a friend of China, but "friendship has its limits."  Introduces Prof. Xu Wei.

20:30   Prof. Xu Wei says China has thousands of years of experience policing its borders.  Today, China's government recognizes the need to achieve "balance" between the civil liberties of the Chinese people and security of the state.  Where the two are in conflict, state security takes precedence.

Prof. Xu Wei talks about scope of China's North Korean immigrant crisis.

China's options for dealing with North Korean illegals:  1) shoot them on sight; 2) arrest, detain, shoot them; 3) arrest, detain, repatriate so North Korea can shoot them.*  None of these options completely satisfactory to Beijing, but third option is "least worst," mainly on account of meddling by NGOs, Western governments, etc. 

20:40  Prof. Wei talks about pros and cons of erecting a national security wall.    Says China can manufacture these structures at low cost.  Lists reasons why any future US-Mexico border wall ought to be manufactured in China.  Points to the fact that China has been building and maintaining border security walls for 2,500 years.  Overhead slide projection shows the Great Wall (photo right).

Prof. Wei introduces audience to Tony Xing, President of Dai Xing Engineering Inc.  Tony tells us that Dai Xing Engineering has been involved in the construction of a security wall between China and North Korea.   Tony points out that federal government's cost estimates of a US-Mexico wall are based on the Israeli case study, and he calls these figures "on the high side." He says Chinese engineering firms could build a high border wall for America at an average cost of only $1.3 million per kilometer (using Mexican labor).  Chinese financing available.

20:50  Prof. Wei:  Because documents easily faked in China and many poor Chinese lack proper documentation, police must use their own judgment and exercise "discretion."

21:00 Q and A session begins.  Sec. Malcolm P. Stag III wants to know whether Prof. Wei thinks Chinese have sufficient fear of immigrants, North Korean or otherwise.

Prof. Wei replies that China's five thousand year history has given the people a sense of cultural superiority.   Koreans borrowed their culture from China.  Hence, North Korean immigrants viewed as undesirable by most Chinese.    Another factor is competition for water, food, resources.  Says resource depletion in Northern China is analogous to resource situation in American Southwest.  Chinese fear prospect of competition with North Korean immigrants for limited resources.

21:10  Shouts from back of room. A protester screams something.   Sounds like "Down with Arizona racism!" or something like that.   The man is wearing a blue polo shirt, gray pants, hiking boots.  An ICE agent's dog starts barking.

Two security guards grab the protester, pin him to the floor while a third security guard tasers the anarchist in the back.  The auditorium erupts in applause. 

Reporters and television cameras follow the security guards as they drag the tasered protester away. On their way out of the room, reporters can be heard shouting questions at the semi-conscious anarchist.

21:20  DoF Sec Malcolm P. Stag III takes the mic and says:  "Incidents like this suggest that not only are  illegal immigrants to be feared, so are the anarchists who support them."   Sec. Stag refers to a Fox News report which depicted violence at an immigration rally in Arizona.

21:25   Question for Prof. Wei concerning Muslim separatist militants in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.   Before responding Prof. Wei confers with the Chinese ambassador.  The Chinese confer with Sec. Stag who then announces that we will need to break off.

21:40 Tea and coffee reception in the lobby of DoF Center hosted by Dai Xing Engineering. They are handing out free t-shirts.
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*  An officer of the Chinese embassy emailed DoF Wednesday to explain that Prof. Wei was misquoted on the blog.  "Referring to illegal North Korean immigrants, Prof. Wei did not mean to say that China's policy was to 'shoot them', what the professor said was 'shoo them' as in 'shoo them away'. Moreover, China has received assures from North Korea that repatriated persons are treated in accordance with their human rights. Prof. Wei struggles with American English pronunciation and regrets any misunderstanding."

Lecture tonight on Arizona immigration law

DoF, in collaboration with DHS, ICE, and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China will be hosting a public lecture in Washington D.C. tonight.   Prof. Xu Wei of Beijing University will be speaking on the topic of "Civil Liberties: Learning from China."   The talk begins at 20:00 hrs.  Please be early as your documentation will be checked at the door.

DOF Center
Joseph R. McCarthy Building,
1300 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington D.C.

For the benefit of those unable to attend, Mr. Hanus Fingerhood will be live-blogging the event.

Earth is battlefield for Obama Supreme Court pick

At a news conference today, agency founding director Malcolm P. Stag III said that he was moved speak out in support of President Obama's nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court.

"I fully support the president's nomination of  Elena Kagan," said Sec. Stag.  "Elena Kagan understands the need to wage war on terror.   Moreover, she understands that the battlefield is not confined to any one country, but encompasses the whole earth."

"Danger is everywhere and war is the answer," said Sec. Stag.

Sec. Stag. explained that so long as the Supreme Court recognizes these two fundamental points, there is no reason that the American people cannot be scared indefinitely.

Questioned in 2009 as to whether she had support the detention of al Qaeda suspects without access to US laws -- or even a trial to prove their guilt -- Kagan told Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that she supported the Obama Administration's policy of "indefinite detention."

Graham asked Kagan whether she'd apply battlefield law instead of criminal law if a suspect were believed to be financing al Qaeda.

"I do," Kagan said.

How to achieve maximum benefits from fear

DoF blog reader Doug Kahn writes,

I'm afraid. Is there any guaranteed method of maximizing my benefit from this?

We thought Mr. Kahn asked a great question, so we passed his note along to Sec. Malcolm P. Stag. III.   The founding director of our agency dictated this response:

It's good that you're afraid, Doug. But don't be alone with your fear. Learn as much as you can about what scares your fellow Americans. If you are truly afraid, you probably already watch Fox News.  We invite you to take the next step:  Subscribe to the DoF blog or follow DoF alerts on Twitter. Soak it up.

Then reflect, Doug.  To paraphrase Jack Kennedy, ask not how you might "benefit" from fear, but how you can contribute to its dissemination.  Fear cries out to be exchanged, circulated.   Ultimately, you need to ask what you have to give. 

If you're entrepreneurial, you might want to start a company selling security equipment. Otherwise, plan your investment strategy carefully.  I suggest you invest in leading US corporations that speak the language of fear.  Defense contractors tend to be fluent in the tongue.

Make yourself part of this flow -- this exchange of ideas. 

DoF welcomes your questions and comments and will do our best to respond to them.

Failed terror bombings portend "dangerous shift"

According to a Reuters story entitled "Times Square bomb plot spotlights larger U.S. fear," former Homeland Security adviser Frances Townsend is speaking out about a new threat:

Frances Townsend, homeland security adviser under former President George W. Bush, pointed to what she called a "dangerous shift" from simultaneous, mass-casualty plots to "higher probability but lower consequence events" that are more difficult to detect and disrupt.

While serving Vice President Cheney in 2007, Frances Townsend told CNN that she thought al Qaeda might target the 2008 presidential elections.  When Townsend said that "no specific intelligence"  supported her statement, several bloggers cried foul.

We think it goes without saying that nothing ought to stand between the fears of senior government officials and the American people.  Our leaders need to speak their minds.  We should not wish for them to self-censor their gut feelings.

From the perspective of DoF, Frances Townsend is a "fear pioneer" -- a veritable role model for public officials in these threatening times. 

The architecture of fear

DOF has long been concerned that the architecture of the nation's capital is too open, giving the public a false sense of security.  Fortunately, this situation is beginning to change. NPR: 

Starting Tuesday, visitors to the court will no longer be able to walk up the 44 marble steps and enter through the giant bronze doors, beneath the portico engraved with the words "Equal Justice Under Law."

Instead, visitors will enter the building through entrances on the ground level and they can exit through the bronze doors. The court said it was closing the majestic entrance in light of findings and recommendations from two independent security studies.

But in a written statement, Justice Stephen Breyer, joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, called the decision "unfortunate" and unjustified." They said the stately bronze door entrance is a metaphor for access to justice, and they said potential security threats will exist regardless of where the public entrance is located.

Some metaphors are more useful than others.  Entering the justice building through a side entrance will serve to remind Americans that we live in dangerous times.

One journalist suggests that the Lincoln memorial could be made similarly inaccessible.  We like that idea too.

With China's help Arizona law can work

Journalist James Fallows has an interesting suggestion about how Arizona can effectively implement its new immigration law, citing his experience in China:

I typically did not see Chinese police asking for papers on a whim. Usually something had to happen first. Maybe soon the Chinese State Security apparatus can travel to Arizona and give lectures to local police and sheriffs. They can explain how to avoid going crazy with a new power that so invites abuse. "Civil Liberties: Learning from China" can be the name of the course.

China faces similar threats to the US, including illegal immigration and terrorism.  DOF agrees that we can learn a lot from our Chinese law enforcement counterparts.  

Accordingly, the agency has invited Prof. Xu Wei of Beijing University to give a lecture.  Prof. Wei will speak about how China has countered the threats posed by illegal immigrants along the China-North Korea border.   The event, co-sponsored by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, will be held on Tuesday May 11 at 20:00 hrs in the main auditorium of the DOF Center, Joseph R. McCarthy Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington D.C.   It is open to the documented public.

Illegal immigration supporters' protest turns violent

From a Fox News report headlined, "Violent Scenes From Immigration Rallies":

The fight over Senate Bill 1070 took to the streets of downtown Phoenix, as riot Police were called to the Capitol to control an unruly group of protesters.
 
Witnesses say a group protesting against SB1070 began to fight with a man who was for the controversial immigration bill.
 
Police tried escorting that man away from the scene, fearing for his safety, when they too came under attack by people throwing items, including water bottles.

A young man was arrested during that melee.

Things calmed down moments later, but riot Police remained at the capital to maintain some sort of order.

Not only are illegal immigrants to be feared, so are those who support them.

Illegal immigrants and the Mexican threat to National Security

Here's a quote from a 2006 USAWC Project study entitled, "Illegal Immigration: Is it a threat to National Security?":

Illegal immigration is a concern that poses a serious threat to national security. In the broadest sense, it sends a dangerous message that to the U.S. Government: its laws do not matter, it is incapable of enforcing its borders, and it cannot protect its citizens. Illegal immigration has been shown to provide cover for terrorist opportunities, spur growth in crime, and strain social resources. Although illegal immigrants come from numerous origins, the vast majority of illegal immigrants come from Mexico. Illegal immigration from Mexico has several root causes stemming from Mexican criminal elements exploiting flaws in U.S. immigration law enforcement, Mexican economic depression, Mexico’s disregard for U.S. rule-of-law, and Mexican society along with the Mexican government waging a comprehensive information campaign against the U.S.

Fear Mexico.