"Operation Quick Resolve" RI Flu Crowd Control Drill, + News

Disaster drill prepares organization for action
Emergency response team simulates crisis at Cobb Stadium
http://media.www.thehurricaneonline.com/media/storage/paper479/news/2008/03/03/News/Disaster.Drill.Prepares.Organization.For.Action-3247618.shtml

There were three dead and 31 wounded after the bleachers collapsed in Cobb Stadium last Saturday. But don't worry - this was only a test. The disaster drill was to prepare the Canes Emergency Response Team (CERT), a student-run organization whose members are prepared to assist during disasters and respond to a problem to which the police and firefighters cannot react immediately. Their ability to handle this situation was graded by professionals in different emergency fields....

During the blackout last week, city personnel were flooded with emergencies such as people being stuck in elevators. They were stretched thinner when two people were necessary to direct traffic at each intersection in the area. CERT members were able to assist and lessen the strain on the police and fire departments.Although the members of CERT knew there was going to be a drill on Saturday, they did not know what or where the situation was going to be. The members of the outgoing executive board made these plans and kept them private.Tim Queeny, a team leader for CERT, only knew an event was going to happen but admitted that this knowledge did give him a slight advantage saying, "It made me more available than I might have been."

"Operation Quick Resolve"

National Guard holds surprise training drill (RI)

http://www.eyewitnessnewstv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7952938&nav=F2DO

CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) -- The Rhode Island National Guard held a surprise training drill to test how it would respond to quick activation by the governor in an emergency.
More than 85 members of the Army and Air National Guard were awakened at about 4 a.m. yesterday and ordered to report to Camp Fogarty in East Greenwich and Quonset Air National Guard Base in North Kingston.
The training exercise, "Operation Quick Resolve," was designed to test the Guard's ability to quickly alert, mobilize and deploy troops. In this case, the scenario was a massive civil disturbance during a pandemic flu scare.
Among the strategies they practiced: using less-than-lethal tactics in crowd control.

India to hold biggest ever war games close to Pakistan border http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30654&Itemid=2

Making war-games simulators is big business for Orlando division of Cubic Corp.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-cover0308mar03,0,6939890.story

The technician gazes intently as she places tiny metal dots on the circuit board's microelectronic pathways. She is crafting the "brains" of a simulated machine gun that soldiers will eventually use to hone their infantry skills.It is quiet now as she works in the electronics assembly lab at Cubic Corp.'s Orlando simulation plant. But later, it will be loud, really loud, on the virtual firing range as the weapons are tested....

America's Robot Army: Are Unmanned Fighters Ready for Combat?

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/4252643.html

DARPA to iRobot: Build a LANdroid bot


Robotics company iRobot Corp. has landed an R&D contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop a communications robot for the DARPA LANdroids program.
Under the contract, robotics maker iRobot (Nasdaq: IRBT) is expected to develop a communications relay robot, intended to be portable and disposable. The goal of the DARPA LANdroids program is to provide robots small enough that a single soldier can carry multiple robots, which would form a communications infrastructure to support operations.
http://www.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2008/03/03/daily4.html

Homeland Security Update: Congress Asking Who is in Charge?http://www.rotor.com/Default.aspx?tabid=510&newsid905=58059

Fact Sheet: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Announces 6.8 Percent Increase in Fiscal Year 2009 http://www.pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=77475&Itemid=9

"Silver Dragon II", "Cyber Storm II", + News

“Silver Dragon II”

Disaster drill to mimic real chaos, test response quickness

http://www.examiner.com/a-1252057~Disaster_drill_to_mimic_real_chaos__test_response_quickness.html

Mar 1, 2008 6:00 AM (11 hrs ago) by Tamara Barak Aparton, The Examiner
San Mateo County (Map, News) - In a race against time and amid simulated chaos, volunteers will pound the pavement for three hours to get emergency “medicine” into the hands of 3,000 San Mateo and Foster City residents.
Dubbed “Silver Dragon II”, the March 13 exercise will test the county’s ability to receive and distribute large quantities of medicine and medical supplies from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Strategic National Stockpile. The SNS was designed to provide immediate medical care after an explosion or bioterrorism attack.
Working with Foster City and San Mateo fire and police, as well as the county health departments, volunteers in brightly colored vests will go door to door in both cities from 9 a.m. to noon.
While they will hand out earthquake preparedness materials in place of medicine, the drill has been designed to mimic the chaos and confusion that would accompany a real disaster, said San Mateo County Health Department spokeswoman Beverly Thames.

County officials will gauge how many households the volunteers can reach in three hours and test communication using satellite phones, handheld and HAM radios

County officials will gauge how many households the volunteers can reach in three hours and test communication using satellite phones, handheld and HAM radios.
The drill is the biggest of its kind in the area, Thames said. In January 2007, the health department coordinated with Foster City to conduct a similar drill, Silver Dragon, reaching 1,300 households.
“I think the biggest challenge this year for the health department was making the exercise more realistic, so we could get a better picture of how many households we could reach,” Thames said.
In an actual health crisis serious enough to deplete local supplies, medicines could be delivered by the federal government within 12 hours. The goal of the March 13 drill is to see how quickly those supplies could get into the hands of San Mateo County residents, Thames said.
While the exercise is a colossal coordination project, the organizing of volunteers and hammering out of logistics is being done by the fire departments, said Carl Hess, the county’s bioterrorism grant coordinator.
“The fire departments are extremely organized and experienced, so it’s easy to conduct a drill with them,” he said

Cyber Storm II stirring

http://www.fcw.com/online/news/151806-1.html

The Homeland Security Department is getting ready to lead foreign governments, corporations, states and federal agencies on a second round of cyber war games. During the second week of March, nine states, four foreign governments, 18 federal agencies and 40 private companies will participate in Cyber Storm II — a weeklong simulation designed to better prepare the players for cyberattacks. DHS, FBI and the Defense Department are among the federal agencies that will participate. The exercise will be the culmination of more than 18 months of planning, led by DHS’ National Cyber Security Division, to design a series of simulations that will test the players’ abilities to respond to cyberattacks on information technology, communications, chemical and transportation infrastructure. The first Cyber Storm exercise, in 2006, focused on air transportation. Cyber Storm II participants have been broken into two teams: planners and players. The players have not seen any of the scenarios they will have to mitigate. A source familiar with the planning of the exercise said that this year’s simulation exercises could include elements of organized crime, terrorism or a hacking attempt driven by political goals. “We are looking at a more sophisticated scenario this time around,” he said. “It’s going to be quite an event.” The exercise will take place in Washington, but will also be played out virtually by thousands of people worldwide. Australia, along with the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, is planning a simultaneous cyber simulation exercise that will include its military. Each of Cyber Storm II’s participants will have their own goals and challenges designed to bolster their own abilities. The private-sector participant list includes giants such as Dow Chemical, Microsoft, McAfee, Cisco and Nova Chemicals, among others, the source said. “The exercise is very much deliberately intended to overload people,” the source said. “We don’t do these things to pat ourselves on the back.” ...

China and U.S. Agree to Open Military Hot Line

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/01/world/asia/01briefs-hotline.html?ref=world

China and the United States officially signed in Shanghai on Friday an agreement on setting up a military hotline between the two defense departments, the Chinese Defense Ministry said.

The Real R2D2: ASTRO Takes on Space Rogues http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,333575,00.html

R2D2, the feisty, resourceful and intrepid droid that specialized in saving the day in the “Star Wars” films, has leaped from the big screen into real life. ASTRO, also rotund and ingenious, is the real deal and ready to play ball in today’s space race.
When ASTRO recently achieved a first-in-space-history moment 300 miles above Earth on March 8, 2007, he did so with the modest low profile we may associate with R2D2.
The Russians may have created a lot of hoopla when they accused the U.S. of covering up the testing of an anti-satellite weapon, but talk about a storm in a teacup. Of course the U.S. can shoot down satellites. What the Russians should be worried about is real cutting-edge U.S. technology like ASTRO......

Headed Toward an International Robot Arms Race?http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/archives/2008/02/headed_toward_an_international_robot_arms_race_ethical_concerns.html

MAGTFTC Battle Simulation Center puts combat in virtual perspective http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/0/de04b6c6489be624852573fe0072fecf?OpenDocument CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWETNYNINE PALMS, Calif.(Feb. 29, 2008) -- The Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command Battle Simulation Center is providing deploying Marines and sailors with a variety of cutting-edge virtual training tools to help them prepare for today’s combat environment.The BSC was stood up at the Combat Center in 1996 and originally offered only a couple of training simulations, the MAGTF Tactical Warfare Simulation and the Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulation, said Gary R. Stump, BSC site manager and simulation analyst.MTWS focused primarily on larger-scale training, meaning the company, battalion and regimental levels, while JCATS was designed to train Marines at the fire team through platoon levels.“We’ve always been here to train Marines, but since 1996, we’ve expanded,” said Stump. “We have a lot more capabilities now than we did back then.”The Battle Simulation Center works closely with the MAGTF Integrated Systems Training Center, which focuses of command and control systems training. To date, the BSC offers 10 different training simulators and the MISTC hosts seven training programs.Virtual Battle Space 1 and 2: VBS 1/2 are PC-based first-person viewpoints of a fully functional battlefield that focus on smaller-unit operations. VBS2 is currently more advanced and more prevalent than its older counterpart. Depending on the demands of the individual units, VBS can take the form of many different combat scenarios and environments, which can immerse between one and 100 Marines into a virtual world where small-unit leaders can test their standard operating procedures, as well as conduct rehearsals on the same terrain they will be likely walking to in the near future....

Preparing for War with China? General Dynamics, Pandemic Prep, +

"Key Resolve"

U.S. aircraft carrier Nimitz arrives for joint exercise
http://www.kois.go.kr/News/News/NewsView.asp?serial_no=20080228020

A 97,000-ton U.S. aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea’s southern port city of Busan Thursday (Feb. 28) for a weeklong exercise that will begin early next week, the public affairs office of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) said.The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz, and its 5,300 crew members will play a key role in the annual joint exercise of South Korean and U.S. forces here.The exercise, Key Resolve, mainly aims to test the combined forces’ ability to host over 600,000 U.S. troops to be deployed here in case of an armed conflict while effectively defending the country from enemy hostilities."Key Resolve is a joint/combined command-post exercise designed to provide training for the ROK-US Combined Forces Command in various aspects of Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration of forces from bases outside of the country," CFC said in a press release, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea. Key Resolve replaces what was simply called RSO & I.....

IN THE DRAGON'S LAIR US prowls for China in the Philippines

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JB28Ae01.html

Since the closure of its military bases in the country in 1991, the United States has incrementally regained, transformed and deepened its military presence and intervention in the Philippines. The manner in which the US has attempted to re-establish basing in the Philippines illustrates its attempts to radically overhaul its global offensive capabilities to become more agile and efficient while overcoming mounting domestic opposition to its presence around the world. The objectives with which the United States has sought to achieve this in the Philippines - a country that is firmly within what US analysts and strategists call "the dragon's lair" - point to the
emerging US strategy toward what it has officially identified as the one country with "the greatest potential to compete with the United States" - China. In this strategy, the Philippines, by virtue both of its location as well as its political disposition towards the US relative to its neighbors, plays a crucial role.....

The Nightly News, Courtesy of General Dynamics

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/02/the-nightly-new.html

Forget lighting guns, I've decided that my new favorite punching bag is going to be the not-yet-established "strategic communication agency." Look, it's too late with lightning guns, the company formerly known as Ionatron is laughing all the way to the bank. But with the strategic communication agency, there's still hope. Actually, maybe it is all over.
Check out this job advertised on journalismjobs.com:
General Dynamics [the same company making those armed robotic sentries below -- ed.] is seeking English and foreign language editors in preparation for the launch of a string of web-based news sites around the world....

StratCom chief backs investing in new nukes
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/02/airforce_stratcom_022708w/

The nation’s nuclear stockpile is safe and reliable now, but Strategic Command boss Gen. Kevin Chilton told Congress Wednesday that more research is needed to develop a nuclear warhead to replace those built for the Cold War.
Chilton made his case for Congress to invest in the Reliable Replacement Warhead Design Definition and Cost Study at the U.S. Strategic Posture Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Request for Strategic Programs hearing in order to provide more information into the viability of building a post-Cold War warhead....

Army Manual Upgrades Nation-Building

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jgPXz3dl2glsJmXPEki7sfnqqlVgD8V3FAB00

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — The Army on Thursday rolled out the first revision of its operations manual since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, putting stability operations — nation-building — on par with combat.
Army officials said the revision reflects a focus on fighting terrorism.
"The field manual is our Army's blueprint for an uncertain future," said Lt. Gen. William Caldwell IV, commander of Fort Leavenworth, where the document was produced. "It does provide the blueprint for how we, as an Army, will operate over the next 10 to 15 years."......

OSI Geospatial Signs US$2.2 Million U.S. Marine Corps Contract

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/industries/finance/article/osi-geospatial-signs-us22-million-marine-corps-contract_496712_9.html

OSI Geospatial Inc. delivers advanced geospatial systems and software that enable shared real-time situational awareness for military, safety and security applications. Our products and services enable our customers to integrate and visualize live data with any combination of sensor data, imagery, maps and charts. This capability provides our customers with enhanced operational performance, safety and security through shared real-time situational awareness...

States Prepared to Respond to Pandemic Flu Outbreak, Says Report

http://www.govtech.com/gt/268160?topic=117677

States are rapidly improving their preparedness for a pandemic outbreak, according to a new interim report by the NGA Center for Best Practices (NGA Center).
The report catalogs the results of five regional workshops involving 27 states and territories held between April and August 2007. The NGA Center convened the workshops to identify gaps in state pandemic preparedness, specifically in non-health-related areas such as continuity of government, maintenance of essential services and coordination with the private sector. In addition, the workshops examined strengths and weaknesses of coordination activities among levels of government, both vertically (state-federal and state-local) and horizontally (state-state and state-private sector).....

FEATURE-ER of future fights threats big and small http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN27619730

WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Like every U.S. hospital emergency room, the one at Washington Hospital Center is overwhelmed -- on any day patients lie on gurneys in the corridor, hooked up to monitors. Others wait for hours to see a doctor.But next door to the old and crowded emergency department is a bright oasis of calm. Backed by a $2.2 million federal grant and drawing on 600 different ideas from a task force of experts, the hospital is putting in what emergency department chairman Dr. Mark Smith hopes will be a first draft of the emergency department of the future.It is designed to handle a sudden influx of mass casualties from a natural disaster, biological attack or a pandemic, and at the same time prevent the ongoing disaster of hospital-acquired infections."Our goal is to build a center as a demonstration facility -- a model test bed for the rest of the country," Smith said in an interview.

Future Combat Systems "Threat to Humanity" + News

Automated killer robots 'threat to humanity': expert http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080227111811.y9syyq8p&show_article=1

"They pose a threat to humanity," said University of Sheffield professor Noel Sharkey ahead of a keynote address Wednesday before Britain's Royal United Services Institute.
Intelligent machines deployed on battlefields around the world -- from mobile grenade launchers to rocket-firing drones -- can already identify and lock onto targets without human help.
There are more than 4,000 US military robots on the ground in Iraq, as well as unmanned aircraft that have clocked hundreds of thousands of flight hours.
The first three armed combat robots fitted with large-caliber machine guns deployed to Iraq last summer, manufactured by US arms maker Foster-Miller, proved so successful that 80 more are on order, said Sharkey.
But up to now, a human hand has always been required to push the button or pull the trigger.
It we are not careful, he said, that could change.
Military leaders "are quite clear that they want autonomous robots as soon as possible, because they are more cost-effective and give a risk-free war," he said.
Several countries, led by the United States, have already invested heavily in robot warriors developed for use on the battlefield.
South Korea and Israel both deploy armed robot border guards, while China, India, Russia and Britain have all increased the use of military robots.
Washington plans to spend four billion dollars by 2010 on unmanned technology systems, with total spending expected rise to 24 billion, according to the Department of Defense's Unmanned Systems Roadmap 2007-2032, released in December.
James Canton, an expert on technology innovation and CEO of the Institute for Global Futures, predicts that deployment within a decade of detachments that will include 150 soldiers and 2,000 robots.
The use of such devices by terrorists should be a serious concern, said Sharkey.
Captured robots would not be difficult to reverse engineer, and could easily replace suicide bombers as the weapon-of-choice. "I don't know why that has not happened already," he said.
But even more worrisome, he continued, is the subtle progression from the semi-autonomous military robots deployed today to fully independent killing machines.
"I have worked in artificial intelligence for decades, and the idea of a robot making decisions about human termination terrifies me," Sharkey said.
Ronald Arkin of Georgia Institute of Technology, who has worked closely with the US military on robotics, agrees that the shift towards autonomy will be gradual.
But he is not convinced that robots don't have a place on the front line.
"Robotics systems may have the potential to out-perform humans from a perspective of the laws of war and the rules of engagement," he told a conference on technology in warfare at Stanford University last month.
The sensors of intelligent machines, he argued, may ultimately be better equipped to understand an environment and to process information. "And there are no emotions that can cloud judgement, such as anger," he added.
Nor is there any inherent right to self-defence.
For now, however, there remain several barriers to the creation and deployment of Terminator-like killing machines.
Some are technical. Teaching a computer-driven machine -- even an intelligent one -- how to distinguish between civilians and combatants, or how to gauge a proportional response as mandated by the Geneva Conventions, is simply beyond the reach of artificial intelligence today.
But even if technical barriers are overcome, the prospect of armies increasingly dependent on remotely-controlled or autonomous robots raises a host of ethical issues that have barely been addressed.
Arkin points out that the US Department of Defense's 230 billion dollar Future Combat Systems programme -- the largest military contract in US history -- provides for three classes of aerial and three land-based robotics systems.
"But nowhere is there any consideration of the ethical implications of the weaponisation of these systems," he said.
For Sharkey, the best solution may be an outright ban on autonomous weapons systems. "We have to say where we want to draw the line and what we want to do -- and then get an international agreement," he said.

L-3 Gets CDC Pact Worth Up to $215M
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5574361.html

NEW YORK — Defense contractor L-3 Communications said Wednesday it signed a blanket purchase agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worth up to $215 million over five years.
Under terms of the agreement, L-3 said it will assist the agency with preparedness efforts for all-hazards, including acts of bioterrorism and pandemic outbreaks.
The scope of work will include strategic and operational planning, training and exercise programs for CDC personnel, as well as institutional and organizational capacity and leadership building, L-3 said.

"Heartland Agressor", India Rising, Drills +

"Heartland Aggressor"

Illinois National Guard to support Homeland Security exercise March 1
http://www.cantondailyledger.com/articles/2008/02/26/news/news07.txt

RANTOUL — Soldiers and Airmen of the Illinois National Guard will participate in a homeland security training exercise in Champaign County this weekend.The exercise, known as Heartland Aggressor, is part of a series of homeland security activities that strategically positions the Illinois National Guard along side numerous outside agencies and local first responders to test preparedness and their ability to respond to large-scale emergencies....

Navy Conducts Accountability Exercise http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,162823,00.html


WASHINGTON - Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC), in coordination with Command Navy Personnel Command (CNPC) and U.S. Fleet Forces Command will hold a Navywide large-scale personnel accountability (PA) exercise Feb. 25-29.....

......CPA 08-1 is the first of two early fiscal year 2008 Citadel PA Exercises conducted by CNIC. The second exercise will be in coordination with the National Level Exercise conducted in late April 2008. (cont...)

India tests underwater missile http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080226/ap_on_re_as/india_missile_test

NEW DELHI - India tested a nuclear-capable missile designed to be launched from a submarine, in a move aimed at expanding India's ability to respond in case of a nuclear attack, officials said Tuesday. .....

India to host next military exercise with China
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gnCDrDbzmOtJ414cgZPcJf9moixgNEW DELHI (AFP) — India will host the second joint military exercises with China, as the neighbours continue to mend ties after a brief but bitter border war in 1962, a report said.
The first-ever military manoeuvres between the world's most populous nations were held in China in December, when about 200 Indian and Chinese troops jointly "took out" a group of supposed terrorists along their border.
"The next joint exercise will be held in India this year," Defence Minister A.K. Anthony was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency....

U.S. missile shield plan nearly final, Czechs say http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/25/europe/shield.php


Senior Center, school may be used in emergencies (MA)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x677168726


In case of a disease outbreak or bioterrorism attack.....


The town should be able to handle 24,000 inoculations, most of the population, in two days, Gikas said.......


In emergency, center will be focal point (CT)
http://www.connpost.com/ci_8363174?source=most_viewed

BRIDGEPORT — Once it was the home of Producto Corp. Then it was vacant industrial land. Now it's on the way to providing greater safety for southwestern Connecticut.
Rising off Pequonnuck Avenue in the city's South End, a new, 911-emergency operations command and dispatch center is designed to serve 14 towns in the corridor from Stratford to Stamford in the event of terrorist attack, emergency or natural disaster.....


Providence Mayor appoints new emergency management director
http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2008/02/25/providence_mayor_appoints_new_emergency_management_director/

FCS: "Crusher Robot", War Game/Drill Watch

DARPA Crusher Robot is Field Tested at Fort Bliss

UGCV PerceptOR Integration (UPI)Field Tests at Fort Bliss, Texas

Nancy Ott of CMU's National Robotics Engineering Center writes, "Here's the latest on the DARPA UPI program's Crusher robot (including pictures and video). Crusher is coming off a round of field tests at Ft. Bliss, TX, where it planned and executed missions designed by ordinary soldiers" The autonomous 6 wheeled Crusher robot is part of DARPA's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program. The current field test are based on NERC's UGCV PerceptOR Integration (UPI) program which combined the original Crusher UGCV robot with the PerceptOR autonomous perception and navigation system. See also our previous stories on outdoor robot navigation systems that were tested on the Crusher robot.

France and Gulf allies in war games amid Iran tensions
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL2545241220080225


DUBAI (Reuters) - Forces from France, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar began their first joint war games on Monday in the Gulf amid lingering tensions between Iran and the West.
The "Gulf Shield 01" exercises took place on UAE territory and in international waters near key oil shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, with combined operations to include mock attacks on a "hostile" island, the French military said.
"The main scenario involves a large fictitious island in the Gulf that threatens the UAE and Qatar, so we intervene in the framework of defense pacts to protect these two countries," Lieutenant-Colonel Thierry Fusalba told Reuters.
The exercises last until March 5 and involve 1,500 French, 2,500 UAE, and 1,300 Qatari troops operating on land, at sea, and in the air. Around a half dozen warships, 40 aircraft, and dozens of armored vehicles are involved....

High-tech war games put premium on readiness
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/feb/25/hightech_war_games_put_premium_readiness/?city_local
Fort Leavenworth — Army Maj. Jake Peterson pondered his next steps after his armored battalion led the capture of a communications center and road network.
That victory came at a price. The battalion, one of two under Peterson’s command, took a beating.
“They threw everything they had at it,” Peterson said of the enemy troops trying to protect what maps on his computer screen labeled Objective Bravo. “That unit was rendered combat ineffective.”
The year is 2013. The country of Azerbaijan has been invaded by neighboring Ahuristan, a breakaway province from Iran. Azerbaijan asked the U.S. and its coalition allies, Great Britain and Turkey, for help in repelling the invaders.
In reality, Ahuristan doesn’t exist, and the war scenario was played recently over five days at Fort Leavenworth’s Command and General Staff College and Combined Arms Center. Participants used an elaborate computer system called Command Post of the Future and PM Battle Command........
The U.S. and U.K. are planning computerized war exercises that will have them working together while each stays on its side of the Atlantic. A major exercise is planned for 2010, Collett said.....

"Operation Fowl Play"

Virginia Beach prepares for the possibility of a pandemic flu outbreak
http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=7912475&nav=menu45_2

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA.(WAVY.com) -- How prepared is the city of Virginia Beach to deal with pandemic influenza?
City departments, military representatives and hospital staffers met for a table top exercise on the subject Friday morning at the city's convention center. The health department's Erin Sutton tells WAVY.com, "We want to make sure the city is prepared to deal with this because it's unlike any other emergency."....

General Dynamics to build robot vehicles
http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/32325-1.html

General Dynamics will build robotic vehicles to conduct surveillance and other security tasks for the Army under a five-year contract that could be worth as much as $40 million.
The semi-autonomous security vehicles are designed to perform a number of surveillance activities without the aid of a human driver, including checking for intruders and monitoring stored ordnance.
The contract calls for General Dynamics Robotic Systems of Westminster, Md., to produce 24 vehicles, spare parts and training and technical services – all part of the Army’s Robotic Mobile Detection and Assessment and Response System. ....

The big bucks from DHS http://www.washingtontechnology.com/print/23_03/32299-1.html

$562M Integrated Coast Guard Systems
$360M IBM Corp.
$347M L-3 Communications Corp.
$315M Unysis Corp.
$292M SAIC
$265M Boeing Co.
$240M Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
$192M Accenture Ltd.
$191M Lockheed Martin Corp.
$188M General Electric Co.
*Integrated Coast Guard Systems is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman Corp.

SAIC gets urban warfare research work http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/32280-1.html

Science Applications International Corp. will assist the Army in developing technology that will allow troops to see inside buildings during urban military operations under a $5.2 million contract, the Defense Department announced Feb. 19.
Under the contract, SAIC will help the Army develop and test technology for the concept known as VisiBuilding.
VisiBuilding is a project by the Strategic Technology Office in the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency. In urban warfare, warfighters no longer have the advantages of traditional surveillance and reconnaissance methods after enemy forces retreat indoors. The goal is to find ways to help troops determine building layouts, find unusual quantities of materials inside structures and locate people in buildings. To accomplish this requires using signal, sensor and modeling technologies, according to DARPA....

Lockheed Martin Donates to Purdue! (home to SWS, and fraudulent WTC simulation)http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080222/BUSINESS/80222021

Purdue University officials today announced that Rick and Cheryl Kosdrosky, engineers at Lockheed Martin's Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, Texas, have pledged a combined $2.2 million to the university's college of engineering and college of technology....

LEPC prepares for disaster drill (OK)
http://www.pryordailytimes.com/local/local_story_056094316.html

Laser Weapons Better Against Rockets?http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/02/israelis-demand.html

Has America started a new arms race? http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_7257000/7257215.stm

* Please ignore previous post, lengthy run of the flu and some entanglements with internet trolls had me down. It was momentary, this information is too important to not continue...

Signing Off...

Signing Off -the military surveillance tool, the Internet.

I am taking yet another hiatus from this intractable debacle. I have tried to stay away from
the attacks of 9/11(serious fatigue) and focus on what the perps are planning next, yet i keep getting sucked back into endless hours of reading every detail of what every one is doing in the 9/11 movement, which is really one giant COINTLEPRO mind F--K!

I believe, as I have stated elsewhere, many still plugging away in the 9/11 "movement"are suffering from PTSD and obsessive compulsive disorder as much as from any desire to see
an end to this through justice. The only thing that matters now is activism, which I will pursue
off the net and away from spook infiltration.

All the best to the real ones out there!

Greg Nixon
2/20/08