Tom Clancy's Powerful Foresight Into A Post-9/11 World

D. B. Grady at the Atlantic offers a piece on the late Tom Clancy.

In an appreciation of science fiction and its authors, Philip K. Dick once noted of the genre, "It's not just 'What if?' It's 'My God; what if?'" When I learned of the death of novelist Tom Clancy at age 66, those words immediately came to mind. To understand Clancy and his legacy, it's useful to remember a time when we didn't casually toss around terms like "SEAL Team Six" and "radiological bomb," and the only people who worried about the threat of  "NBCs'" were network-television execs.

The power of Tom Clancy is that he gave us a glimpse into a post-9/11 world from the relative comfort of the 1990s. He described the astonishing might of the world's militaries, and of the power that generals wield only for want of an enemy. He didn't just tell you about a fighter jet; he let you fly it. He didn't just quantify the destructive power of an atomic bomb; he blew up the Super Bowl. Restraint was never his specialty, and if it seemed like he was sharing details on par with number of bolts in an aircraft carrier, it's because you could almost see him having so much fun while he was writing. He was a geek with a restless imagination, and vast swaths of his prose are like an applied version of Jane's Defense Weekly.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/10/tom-clancys-powerful-foresight-into-a-post-9-11-world/280204/

Tom Clancy And Ronald Reagan - Two Of America's Greatest Defenders

James Jay Carafano at Foxnews.com offers a column on the late President Ronald Reagan and thriller writer Ton Clancy, who died Tuesday.

Over the last four decades, only two people were able to make wide swaths of the American public really care about the importance of guarding against our nation’s enemies. One was Ronald Reagan. The other was Tom Clancy. The Gipper died in 2004, aged 93. Clancy died Tuesday in Baltimore, just 66 years old.

Despite their age difference, Reagan and Clancy had a lot in common. They loved this country more than anything. They most admired those who put service to nation above service to self. And both were gifted story tellers. Best of all, the stories each man told revealed large and necessary truths.

You can read the rest of the column via the below link:

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/10/02/tom-clancy-made-americans-care-about-importance-guarding-against-our-enemies/

Thriller Writer Tom Clancy Dies

Foxnews.com reports that thriller writer Tom Clancy died. He was 66.

Celebrated author Tom Clancy, who became famous for popular works like “Hunt for Red October” and “Patriot Games,” died on Tuesday night, according to multiple media reports. He was 66.

Clancy died after a brief illness at Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Born in Baltimore, Md., Clancy first made his name in ‘80s for his suspenseful espionage and military novels. Some of his works, including “The Hunt for Red October” and “The Sum of All Fears,” were turned into blockbuster movies.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/10/02/tom-clancy-dies-at-age-66-according-to-multiple-media-reports/

My Washington Times Review Of 'Savage Will: The Daring Escape Of Americans Trapped Behind Nazi Lines'

My review of Timothy M. Gay's Savage Will: The Daring Escape of Americans Trapped Behind Nazi Lines appeared in today's Washington Times.   

Mr. Gay’s “Savage Will” begins in a dramatic fashion with a 23-year-old British Special Operations Executive (SOE) officer in Egypt named Jon Naar receiving a surreal late-night telephone call.

“‘Captain Naar here,’ he answered, in his brisk British public school way,” Mr. Gay writes. “The connection was remarkably free of static. A female operator said, “Please hold for the president.” A moment later, there was no mistaking the patrician Yankee accent, so famous from radio broadcasts and movie newsreels.”

The caller was President Franklin Roosevelt, and he demanded to know why it was taking so long to get the nurses out of Albania. Seven decades later, Mr. Naar, at 93, still recalled the telephone call.

“Before I could explain the logistical complexities of trying to extricate 30 Americans in the dead of winter from a mountainous country occupied by three divisions of the Wehrmacht and several brigades of pro-Nazi Albanian collaborators entirely in control of all the major roads and airfields, the president said ‘Captain, if any one of those girls is so much as touched, there’ll be serious consequences!’

“After a slight pause, FDR snapped, ‘They are the flower of American womanhood. They must be saved at all costs!’”

As this was one of the rare cases of women being trapped behind enemy lines, the British SOE and the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS), along with the Allied air forces, put together a desperate rescue mission to get the nurses and medics out of Albania. Looking over their shoulders with impatience were FDR and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

You can read the rest of the review via the below link:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/2/book-review-savage-will/?page=all#pagebreak

FBI Announces October Is National Cyber Security Awareness Month

The FBI announced that October is National Cyber Security Awarness Month and released the below information:

October marks the 10th anniversary of National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Established by presidential directive in 2004, the initiative—administered by the Department of Homeland Security—raises cyber security awareness across the nation by engaging and educating public and private sector partners through a variety of events and programs. The ultimate goal is to protect the country from cyber incidents and respond to them effectively if they do occur.

The FBI is heavily invested in protecting the country’s cyber interests. We lead the national effort to investigate high-tech crimes, including cyber-based terrorism, espionage, computer intrusions, and major cyber fraud. To stay in front of current and emerging trends, we gather and share information and intelligence with public and private-sector partners worldwide.

But cyber security is a job for everyone. Every American who uses digital technologies at home or in the office needs to play a part in cyber security. If you open a virus-laden e-mail attachment at work, for example, you could infect your entire company’s computer network.
Here are a few basic steps you can take to be more cyber secure:

• Set strong passwords, and don’t share them with anyone.
• Keep a clean machine—your operating system, browser, and other critical software are optimized by installing regular updates.
• Maintain an open dialogue with your family, friends, and community about Internet safety.
• Limit the amount of personal information you post online, and use privacy settings to avoid sharing information widely.
• Be cautious about what you receive or read online—if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

The FBI also runs several other cyber-related programs, including the Internet Crime Comaplaint Center—a partnership between the Bureau and the National White Collar Crime Center that serves as a clearinghouse for triaging cyber complaints and provides an easy-to-use online tool for reporting these complaints—and the Safe Online Surfing (SOS) program, a nationwide initiative designed to educate children about the dangers they face on the Internet and to help prevent crimes against children. And to broaden the reach of SOS, today we launched a Spanish language version of its learning portals.

For more information about National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the FBI’s cyber programs, and other cyber-related matters including how to report cyber crimes and scams, visit the links below:

• FBI Cyber Crime webpage
• Department of Homeland Security’s Stop.Think.Connect. campaign
• Department of Homeland Security’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month website
• National Cyber Security Alliance’s Stay Safe Online website
• IC3 website - Report Cyber Crime
• How to Protect Your Computer
• New E-Scams & Warnings
• Keep Safe on Social Networking Sites

Note: The above photo was released by the FBI.

7 'Essential' Things You Should Know About A Government Shutdown

 

Matt Wilstein at mediaite.com offers his 7 'essential' things you should know about the government shutdown.

Now that Congress has failed to come to a compromise on a spending bill and the government is shutting down, it’s all the more important to know what that means exactly, and how it will affect you. Here are 7 things you should know about the brave new world we’re living in.

You can check out the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.mediaite.com/online/7-essential-things-you-should-know-about-a-government-shutdown/

Note: It should be noted that President Obama and the Democratic Congressional leaders who are pushing Obamacare do not have to sign up for the flawed program. That's like going to a restaurant and seeing an 'out to lunch' sign.

Congressmen and their staffs are exempt, as are unions and corporations who were given waivers.

Did you receive a waiver?

Alleged International Terrorist Arraigned In Brooklyn Federal Court Following Extradition From Nigeria

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Lawal Olaniyi Babafemi, a Nigerian citizen charged with providing material support to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and using firearms in furtherance of that crime, was arraigned today before United States District Judge John Gleeson at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York. At this initial appearance in court in the United States after his extradition from Nigeria, Babafemi was ordered held without bail.

The charges and arraignment were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John Carlin, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division; and George Venizelos, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“As alleged in the indictment, the defendant was a member of a violent terrorist organization bent on doing harm to the United States and its allies. The defendant threw his efforts behind al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s media, recruitment, and weapons training campaigns in an effort to strengthen the terrorist group’s grip on the region and extend its reach throughout the world. We will use every tool at our disposal to combat al Qaeda and other terrorist groups in a manner consistent with our laws,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. Ms. Lynch also expressed her grateful appreciation to the government of Nigeria for its assistance and cooperation in this extradition.

“As alleged, the defendant trained with al Qaeda, assisted in its propaganda efforts, and actively recruited others to join its demented cause. We will continue to work with our international partners to mitigate the global terrorist threat,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Venizelos.

According to court documents and the record of today’s proceeding, between approximately January 2010 and August 2011, the defendant traveled twice from Nigeria to Yemen to meet and train with leaders of AQAP, the Yemen-based branch of al Qaeda. Babafemi assisted in AQAP’s English-language media operations, which include the publication of the magazine Inspire. At the direction of the now-deceased senior AQAP commander Anwar al-Aulaqi, Babafemi was provided by AQAP leadership with the equivalent of almost $9,000 in cash to recruit other English-speakers from Nigeria to join that group. While in Yemen, Babafemi also received weapons training from AQAP.

On February 21, 2013, a grand jury in the Eastern District of New York returned a sealed indictment charging the defendant with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to AQAP, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339B; one count of providing and attempting to provide material support to AQAP, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339B; one count of unlawful use of machineguns, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c); and one count of conspiracy to unlawfully use machineguns, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(o). At the request of the United States, the Nigerian government thereafter commenced extradition proceedings against the defendant in July 2013, and he was ordered extradited in September 2013.

The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted, the defendant faces up to 15 years in prison on each of the material support charges and up to life on each of the firearms charges.

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zainab Ahmad and Hilary Jager, with assistance from Trial Attorney William M. Narus of the Justice Department’s Counterterrorism Section and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.

Defendant:
Lawal Olaniyi Babafemi
Age: 33