Lone Wold Terrorists threat to US.

♦ A joint U.S. Department of Homeland Security/FBI bulletin sent to state and local law enforcement agencies says that lone individuals who favor al-Qaida's extremest ideology are most likely to attack inside the United states in the short-term. The bulletin warns that these individuals are "unburdened by organizational constraints that can slow operational decisions by established terrorist groups," says CNN. The bulletin asks local law enforcement to be especially watchful for suspicious activity.
♦ A new report from the Institute for Homeland Security Solutions at RTI International reveals that while it may be the lone wolves who are most likely to attack, it's the average Joes who are most likely to stop them. Researchers from the Institute for Homeland Security Solutions and the RAND Corporation analyzed 68 potential cases of terrorism in the United States from 1999 to 2009.The findings included that "the general public helped foil nearly a third of those attacks, largely by tipping off law enforcement officers. The tips were of a substantial nature; people noticed genuinely threatening actions that many citizens would not see."

Americans’ security concerns rose again this year.

Americans’ security concerns rose again this year with fears over terrorism and identity theft topping the list. In the U.S. Unisys Security Index, anxiety over security was at its highest level since the survey began in 2007. National security is the main worry with two-thirds of Americans seriously concerned over war and terrorism. However, the safety of infrastructure is also an issue. Approximately 59 percent of those surveyed were seriously concerned about the bridges, power plants, and pipelines.

Possible Implications Regarding the Death of Usama Bin Ladin

The following information is being provided to you by the Department of Homeland Security in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Intelligence Community (IC) assesses the death of al-Qa‘ida leader Usama Bin Ladin could result in retaliatory attacks in the Homeland and against US and Western interests overseas. Attacks might originate with al-Qa‘ida Core elements in the tribal areas of Pakistan, with one of their affiliates overseas, and/or with individuals in the homeland sympathetic to the cause but lacking a formal group association. We have no indications of advanced al-Qa‘ida Core plotting efforts in the Homeland, but the case of now-detained al-
Qa‘ida operative Najibullah Zazi—who, along with two associates, planned to attack the New York City subway in 2009 using homemade explosives—demonstrates that unidentified operatives could advance plotting in the homeland.

We have no indications of advanced al-Qa‘ida Core plotting efforts in the Homeland, but the case of now-detained al-Qa‘ida operative Najibullah Zazi—who, along with two associates, planned to attack the New York City subway in 2009 using homemade explosives— demonstrates that unidentified operatives could advance plotting in the homeland.  Bin Ladin’s death may provide justification for radicalized individuals in the United States to rapidly mobilize for attacks here. Although soft targets will—as they have in the past—remain attractive to homegrown extremist, official targets such as government installations, military personnel and facilities, and senior government officials may gain greater prominence.

Overseas, the strongest reaction is expected to be in South Asia but will likely occur to differing degrees worldwide, including Europe. Other high-risk regions include those where al-Qa‘ida’s affiliates and allies have operational strongholds, including the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Bin Laden dead, but attacks may increase.

Osama Bin Laden’s death will not signal the end of al Qaeda attacks and might create tensions between the United States and Pakistan. These are just two of the predictions surfacing after Bin Laden’s death at the hand of U.S. troops in Pakistan. Reuters journalists suggest that al Qaeda members are vowing retaliation for Bin Laden’s death on Internet forums—a main way that radical Islamists communicate, according to the article. A story in the New York Times suggests that U.S.-Pakistani relations may deteriorate in light of the fact that Bin Laden was discovered in Pakistan in a city that also houses Pakistani troops.

High Death Toll for Americans in Mexico

By Laura Spadanuta

04/28/2011 -
A record number of United States citizens were killed in Mexico last year, according to the State Department.
There were 111 American murders in Mexico last year, and many of them were on or along the Texas border. A reported 80 percent of the murders took place in border states with high narcotics violence.  There were 39 murders in notorious Ciudad Juarez alone.  The travel warning states that there is no indication that American tourists are being targeted.
According to The Houston Chronicle:

The number of U.S. victims last year was more than triple the toll in 2007. Over a four-year period, 283 Americans were reported murdered, according to State Department figures.

In the same lapse, more than 35,000 Mexicans have been killed, including about 15,000 last year. The Mexican government says most were gangsters. But hundreds of innocent civilians also have been killed.

"Bystanders, including U.S. citizens, have been injured or killed in violent incidents in various parts of the country, especially, but not exclusively in the northern border region, demonstrating the heightened risk of violence throughout Mexico," the latest State Department travel warning observes.

The travel warning expands on prior warnings and advises U.S. citizens to avoid non-essential travel to numerous Mexican states as well as Northern Baja, California. The advisory emphasizes threats in border states and also spotlights some other regions that may be unsafe.

Homicides are 3rd leading cause of death in workplace.

The recently-released 2011 Workplace Violence Fact Sheet shows that workplace homicides are the third leading cause of death at workplaces. The fact sheet noted that there are an average of 590 workplace homicides each year, meaning that more than 5,900 people have been killed while at work over the past 10 years. Those numbers do not include attempted workplace murders or suicides that happen at work, said Barry Nixon, the founder and executive director of the National Institute for the Prevention of Workplace Violence. Nixon added that the number of incidents of workplace violence appears to be on the decline, thanks in part to decisions by the government and a number of organizations to boost funding for security. In addition, Nixon noted that companies seem to be learning that preventing acts of workplace violence is better than simply reacting to such incidents, as more companies are asking his organization with help in developing preventative and proactive programs. Nixon said that there is more that companies can do to prevent acts of workplace violence, including engaging in regular and direct communications with employees about their role in preventing workplace violence, and training supervisors to properly handle employee concerns about the potential for violence.

Possible Domestic Terrorism in Colorado.

Federal and local law enforcement are looking for a male "person of interest" caught on surveillance video inside a Littleton, Colorado, mall after two bombs were discovered Wednesday, the anniversary of the Columbine massacre. "The surveillance video shows a white man with gray hair and a mustache, wearing a dark cap with a light-colored logo on the front. His shirt was horizontally striped gray and white, and he wore a dark jacket with silver buttons, jeans and dark shoes, the FBI said," reports The Denver Post. "The FBI earlier characterized the incident as possible domestic terrorism and said a suspect could face federal charges."