SECURITY BULLETIN - WikiLeaks · 2014-01-13 · Arup has sought to ensure the veracity of the...
18
SECURITY BULLETIN Arup Security Consulting APRIL 2010
Transcript of SECURITY BULLETIN - WikiLeaks · 2014-01-13 · Arup has sought to ensure the veracity of the...
SECURITY BULLETIN
Arup Security Consulting
APRIL 2010
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Europe
The region remained generally stable in April, with Russia’s North Caucuses region constituting the main source of security risk, although flashes of nationalist extremism are evident in Northern Ireland and mainland Europe.
Middle East
Aside from the ongoing insurgency in Iraq, the region remains generally stable, with the bulk of strategic risk residing in Yemen and its border with Saudi Arabia.
Americas
The region remained generally stable throughout April, with political violence and organized crime continuing to represent a significant risk in Mexico and across South America.
Africa
The security situation across the continent remained characteristically variable in April and some enduring extreme security risk areas remain.
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
SA
rup Security C
onsulting:A
PR
IL 2010
2
Arup S
ecurity Consulting
:AP
RIL 2010
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
S
2
Disclaimer: The information contained in thisdocument is based upon open-source information, Arup in-house data, and Arup regional expertise and experience available at the time of publication. Arup has sought to ensure the veracity of the information contained in this document to the best of its ability; however, in the absence of a formal engagement between Arup and the recipient of this document, Arup does not accept any liability for the accuracyof any information contained within.
The Arup Security Bulletin is a monthly circulation summarizing selected security events and strategic risk issues from around the world.
This issue of the Arup Security Bulletin includes those incidents and strategic risk issues developing during the month of April 2010.
Arup is a global firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists offering a broad range of professional services. Arup Security Consulting is an award winning specialist team within Arup, providing strategic risk consultancy for commercial and government clients throughout the world. Arup Security Consulting operates from regional hubs in London, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Abu Dhabi, Sydney, Melbourne and Hong Kong and calls upon analysts based in more than 80 offices throughout the world to give local context to global issues. Arup Security Consulting is able to assist in the determination of risk exposures and in the development of integrated risk management solutions, from strategic operational or organizational reviews to physical asset protection.
Asia
Events in April have underscored the region’s diverse risk profile, with political protest escalating into violence and, in Kyrgyzstan, a change in government. Unresolved national tensions and separatist violence continue to impact the region.
South Asia
Aside from the ongoing insurgency in Afghanistan, Pakistan continues to constitute the fulcrum of strategic risk in the region, although the complexity and diversity of political violence faced by India was further demonstrated in April.
Austalasia
The region experienced a general undercurrent of unrest throughout the island states and provinces – away from major capitals and population centres. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines continue to monopolise the bulk of strategic risk in the region.
3
EUROPE
Regional Summary
The region is generally stable with the bulk of strategic risk residing in Russia’s North Caucasus region, although flashes of nationalist extremism are evident in Northern Ireland and mainland Europe. Greece continues to experience demonstrations and sporadic extremist activity, all linked to the country’s failed economy. Islamist and nationalist terrorism will continue to be the focus of extreme security shock in the region over the next 30 days. Strategic stability in the region will be dominated by improving US/NATO-Russian relations, although Moscow’s activity in its ‘near abroad’ (e.g. in Ukraine) continues to cause anxieties.
GreeceGreece’s central bank reported that the country’s economy has deteriorated further after the government announced drastic spending cuts to contain the debt crisis. Hours after a senior official revealed that the nation had enough money to get by until the end of April, the Bank of Greece forecast that the Greek economy would contract by 2% this year – worse than the government’s predicted 1.7% and bound to exacerbate fiscal woes. All this came as average wages dropped for the first time since the restoration of democracy in 1974. Frustrated low-paid workers are expected to mount more demonstrations and left wing extremists will seek to capitalise on the national uncertainty.
Ukraine It is clear that the latest deal with Russia to continue the rights of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet to be based in the Crimean ports has caused a great deal of anxiety. Violent protests inside and outside the parliament building in Kiev appear to signal a period of deep disagreement between nationalist and pro-Kremlin factions. More unrest should be expected and this may be more focused on Russian bases; Ukrainian cities such as Sevastopol may see unrest and civil disobedience. Although we assess that the Ukrainian state security agencies are probably capable of containing the anticipated demonstrations, in Kiev and the Crimea the unrest could be more intense.
PolandElections to find a successor to President Lech Kaczynski (killed in a plane crash in April) are to be held on 20 June. The election date was announced by acting President Bronislaw Komorowski. Mr Komorowski and the late president’s twin brother (Jaroslaw) are expected to be the main candidates. However, opinion polls in Poland suggest that Mr Komorowski, (who represents the centre-right Civic Platform party), is well ahead of potential challengers. The presence of Russia’s president Dimitri Medvedev at Mr Kaczynski’s Funeral (one of the few international leaders able to attend) is indicative of a more conciliatory and thoughtful approach to former Soviet satellites in Russia’s near abroad.
Strategic Risk Highlights
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
SA
rup Security C
onsulting:A
PR
IL 2010
4
Significant Security Incidents
Greece: Athens On 19 April Greek police raided an arms cache belonging to the left wing terrorist group Revolutionary Struggle in an Athens suburb. At least eight rocket launchers, dozens of submachine guns and ammunition were found, as well as nearly 200kg of ammonium nitrate. Five men and one woman from the group have been arrested this month on charges of carrying out explosions and attempted homicide. The organisation is deemed by authorities to be Greece’s most dangerous terrorist group and is on a European Union terrorist watch list; the group is linked to a rocket attack on the US embassy in Athens in 2007.
Republic of Ireland: DublinOn 9 April an Army bomb disposal team made a safe a viable improvised explosive device in Palmerstown, County Dublin. The device was made safe at the scene and removed for further examination. No controlled explosion was carried out. The local police are investigating the incident and no one has claimed responsibility.
UK (Northern Ireland): Hollywood On 12 April a vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED) exploded near an Army base in Hollywood, County Down, forcing the evacuation of several homes. The attack seems to have been timed to coincide with the official transfer of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly; the Real IRA has admitted it carried out the attack. The VBIED was a hijacked taxi, with the driver being forced to drive his vehicle to the base, a proxy-bomb tactic not seen for some years.
Ukraine: SimferopolOn 17 April the body of a local government official was found badly burned in his vehicle, at a remote spot in Ukraine’s volatile Crimean region. It appears that Vladimir Papunya was brutally murdered before his body was set ablaze in a vehicle. We believe that either organised criminals or Ukrainian nationalists could be responsible; Mr Papunya was an ardent supporter of Ukraine’s new pro-Kremlin president.
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Sarajevo On 21April a number of people were injured in violent demonstrations outside government buildings in Sarajevo. The demonstrators were Bosnian and Croat war veterans who were protesting against government-imposed austerity measures that will cut war pensions that had been granted to veterans and families of the fallen of the 1992-95 civil war.
Russia (Ingushetia): Nazran On 19 April an Improvised Explosive Device denotated under the car of Beslan Shadiyev (deputy interior minister of the Russian autonomous region of Ingushetia). The vehicle had been parked in an Interior Ministry car park in the region’s administrative centre Nazran. This is one of a number of security incidents in the North Caucasus that have occurred in April, attributed to Islamist extremists opposed to pro-Moscow local governments in the region.
United Kingdom (Northern Ireland): County Armagh Throughout April dissident Irish Republicans have used VBIEDs to target police stations in County Armagh (Newtownhamilton and Crossmaglen). While some of the VBIEDs were made safe by bomb disposal teams, one VBIED on 22 April exploded outside Newtonhamilton’s police station, which had been unsuccessfully targeted with a VBIED earlier in the month. Two more Explosive Devices were made safe in Lurgan on 28 April.
5
MIDDLE EAST
Strategic Risk Highlights
Israel There are strong signs that indirect peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders could resume as early as June 2010. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has informed his Likud party that talks could begin early in May 2010 and Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon gave a similar message in Washington. Palestinian leaders have repeatedly insisted the talks will not resume without a complete freeze in the construction of Jewish settlements. Analysts expect that Israel will delay any further housing projects in and around East Jerusalem, at least while the talks resume.
YemenPolitically motivated violence permeated Yemen in April, as the political situation in the country continued to destabilize. Amid increasing tensions in the north – with the ceasefire between government forces and Houthi rebels looking likely to disintegrate - a secessionist movement focused on the Dhale Province in the south escalated, with a number of explosive attacks, shootings and violent protests being reported. There have
been indications that the disquiet in the south may trigger more widespread opposition against the government which, in turn, may result in an even
more robust government response.
IraqAl Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) suffered significant losses in April when three key leaders were killed in joint Iraqi-US military operations. On 19 April, it was announced that Abu Omar al-Baghdadi – leader of the Islamic State of Iraq (an AQI front organization) – and Abu Hamza al-Muhajir – AQI’s
military commander – were killed in an operation close to Tikrit in the Salah ad Din province, north of Baghdad. On 20 April, it was revealed that AQI’s military commander in Ninveh, Salah ad Din and Kirkut – Ahmed al-Obeidi – had been killed in the northern city of Mosul. While the deaths resulted in an immediate escalation in violence in Baghdad, with AQI keen to avenge its losses and to demonstrate that its capability had not been eroded, the loss of three of its senior leaders is likely to have a significant impact on the organisation’s effectiveness in the longer term.
Regional Summary
Aside from the ongoing insurgency in Iraq, which suffered significant attrition in April with the loss of three senior Al Qaeda leaders in the country, the region remains generally stable with the bulk of strategic risk residing in Saudi Arabia and its border with Yemen. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) represents a consistent if not growing threat to the oil sector and Western interests in the region. No extreme change is anticipated in the region in the next 30 days.
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
SA
rup Security C
onsulting:A
PR
IL 2010
6
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
SA
rup Security C
onsulting:A
PR
IL 2010
6
Significant Security Incidents
Yemen: San’aOn 26 April, Britain’s ambassador to Yemen escaped unharmed after his convoy was targeted by a suicide bomber as it passed through the Noqm district of San’a. The attacker – believed to be a 22 year old student from Taiz – is understood to have detonated the explosives belt he was wearing as the ambassador’s vehicle passed. Three bystanders sustained injuries in the attack, which was the first of its kind in the capital for more than a year. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) claimed responsibility for the attack.
United Arab Emirites: DubaiOn 12 April, a Dubai (UAE) court convicted two men of involvement in the 2009 assassination of Chechen military commander Sulim Yamadayev in Dubai. It handed down life sentences. Makhsood Jan Asmatov of Tajikistan and Iranian Mehdi Taqi Dahuria, were charged with aiding and abetting in the murder of Yamadayev, who was shot dead in the car park of a luxury beach apartment.
Iran: KhoyOn 20 April, three members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps were reported to have been killed in a contact with ‘counter-revolutionary elements’ in the northwest city of Khoy. Iranian media have attributed responsibility to the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Jordan: AqabaOn 22 April, two 122mm Katyusha rockets landed in the Jordanian tourist resort of Aqaba. One of the devices hit a warehouse while the other landed in the Red Sea, close to the town. A third device was subsequently discovered by divers close to the nearby Israeli resort of Eilat. No casualties were reported from the incident. It has been suggested that the devices had
been fired from a location on Egypt’s Sinai peninsula – a claim denied by Cairo. An alternative possibility is that the attackers fired the rockets from a site inside Jordan, with Eilat being the intended target. In August 2005, rockets were fired from Aqaba at Eilat and at a US warship off the Jordanian coast; the US navy continues to use the port at Aqaba. There have been no claims of responsibility for the incident.
Iraq: BaghdadOn 04 April, three suicide car bombs were used in attacks targeting diplomatic missions in Baghdad. The series of attacks began at approximately 11:20, when a suicide bomber detonated a car laden with explosives outside the gates to the Iranian Embassy. Minutes later, a second device detonated close to the Spanish and Syrian Embassies and a German diplomatic residence in the Mansour district. A third attacker simultaneously drove an explosives-laden car into security forces guarding the Egyptian Consulate. At least 42 people were killed in the attacks, and more than 200 sustained injuries. A further two car bombings were averted after security forces shot two other assailants – killing one and injuring another. The vehicles they were driving contained more than 500kg of explosive material and were subsequently made safe. Responsibility for the attacks has been claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) – a front name used by Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Iraq: NinevehOn 22 April, an improvised explosive device detonated in Nineveh province targeting an oil pipeline linking Kirkuk to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The pipeline – operated by the state-run North Oil Co. - carries approximately 25% of Iraq’s oil output and oil exports via the pipeline were completely suspended as a result of the damage caused by the blast. Responsibility for the attack is being attributed to Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and the incident re-emphasizes the continuing interest of Al Qaeda linked militants in attacking critical infrastructure (and particularly oil) targets in the region.
7
ASIA
Regional Summary
Events in April have underscored the region’s diverse risk profile. From the Central Asian republics to the Koreas, and throughout Southeast Asia political protest has escalated into armed violence threatening, and in Kyrgyzstan achieving, change of government. Unresolved tensions between the Koreas pose a continuing threat to regional security, and separatist violence continues to impact southern Thailand and the Philippines. China’s increasing involvement in regional resource development projects exposes the country and its nationals to local and international security risk.
Strategic Risk Highlights
ThailandThailand’s political turmoil continued in April, with protest activities in Bangkok becoming increasingly retrenched and triggering heightened levels of violence in the nation’s capital. United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) protestors – more commonly known as the ‘Red Shirts’ - continued to occupy the Central Business District in pursuit of their aspiration for early elections and the restoration of former Prime Minister Thaksin Sinawatra to power. The Red Shirts began fortifying their barricades in anticipation of a military response, however, the armed forces have proved reluctant to use force against the protestors and, amid growing reports that serving and former members of the military are working with the protestors, the army elite are becoming increasingly agitated by the situation. Army chief General Anupong Paojinda has called on the government to agree to the protestor’s demands for a dissolution of parliament and pressure from a variety of sources is mounting on the government to assent
to some of the UDD’s demands – the only realistic means by which peace and stability can be restored. Meanwhile, in the mainly Muslim southern provinces separatist violence continues to pose a challenge to central authority.
KyrgyzstanPopular protests and violent unrest spread throughout Kyrgyzstan in April, eventually leading to the overthrow of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and the installation of a fragile interim government headed by Roza Otunbayeva, a former ally of Mr. Bakiyev and, more recently, a prominent opposition leader. The protests – triggered by popular discontent about the state of the economy, massive increases in energy prices, perceived official corruption and nepotism, as well as the interference of the government in the independence of the press – began in Talas on 6 April and spread to Bishkek and other regions on 7 April. The civil strife has led to at least 85 deaths and more than 1000
people have reportedly sustained injuries in clashes between protestors and security forces. Although the provisional government has been rapidly introducing political reforms and has established a democratic development plan - a one-year plan aimed at constitutional reform and the holding of free presidential and parliamentary elections in September or October - it has not yet fully consolidated its position and continues to seek legitimacy from foreign and domestic audiences. The situation in Kyrgyzstan remains fluid and there are growing concerns that the recent events in the country could destabilize the wider region.
South KoreaThe sinking of a South Korean naval vessel in March and subsequent reports that the vessel had been deliberately destroyed by North Korean forces raised tensions in the peninsula. However, public and market reactions in South Korea reflected a belief that the incident would not escalate into armed confrontation.
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
SA
rup Security C
onsulting:A
PR
IL 2010
8
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
SA
rup Security C
onsulting:A
PR
IL 2010
8
Significant Security Incidents
Thailand: YalaSeparatist violence continued in the southern provinces. On 22 April in Muang Yala, a grenade was thrown into a police station compound, killing one officer and injuring some 60 others. Two hours later a car bomb explosion outside the station injured a further 17 people. On 26 April gunmen attacked a municipal garbage truck in Pattani, killing one worker and injuring four others. Also in Pattani fourteen soldiers were injured when a bomb concealed in a motorcycle exploded.
Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh CityOn 19 April, a 65 year old woman was arrested in the Go Vap district of Ho Chi Minh City, accused planning a series of bombings in the capital to coincide with National Liberation Day (30 April). The Ministry of Public Security’s Antiterrorism Police Department claimed that the suspect’s intended targets included public transportation hubs, schools, hospitals and the Ho Chi Minh Statue. The suspect had been living in Thailand since 2002, where she reportedly became associated with terrorist elements.
Thailand: BangkokOn 22 April, five grenades were fired from an M79 grenade launcher at various targets in Bangkok’s Sala Daeng financial district, killing three people and injuring more than 80 others. Three of the grenades hit the Sala Daeng Skytrain station, a fourth detonated close to the Dusit Thani Hotel and the fifth landed outside the headquarters of the Charoen Pokphand Group, Thailand’s biggest agribusiness company. Hundreds of pro-government protestors (‘Yellow Shirts’) had gathered in the area, as had many members of the Thai security forces. It is believed that the attack was perpetrated by fringe elements within the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) – the ‘Red Shirts’ who may be seeking to use the protests to catalyse more widespread violence.
Myanmar: YangonOn 15 April three bombs exploded in Yangon, targeting crowds at a New Year’s water festival celebration. The attacks are reported to have killed ten people and injured at least 170 others. Bombings are a fairly frequent occurrence in the former capital, although the latest attack represents the worst since 2005. In further violence, on 17 April two people were reportedly arrested by police after attempting to plant a bomb in a market in Loikaw. They were subsequently taken to a local police station where one of the suspects detonated an explosive device he was concealing, killing himself and injuring four police officers. Also on 17 April a series of blasts occurred at the Myitsone dam project near Myitkyina, close to the Chinese border.The hydropower project represents a joint investment by the state-owned China Power Investment Corporation (CPI) and Myanmar’s private Asia World Company. The project, which is intended to supply power for export to China, has antagonised local residents and environmentalists. In a separate incident on 27 April at least four people were injured in grenade attacks on the Thaukyegat hydroelectric project close to Tantabin in the Pegu province. The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack claiming that the project was not in the interests of local communities.
China: WeiFangOn 30 April, a farmer injured five pre-school children and a teacher in a hammer attack at a school in Weifang, Shandong province, before fatally setting fire to himself. The attack represented the fourth incident in a wave of violence directed at schools throughout China since 24 March, when eight children were killed by an attacker in Nanping, Fujian province. In two other attacks – on 28 April in Leizhou, Guangdong province and on 29 April in Taixing, Jiangsu province – at least four adults and 43 children sustained injuries. None of the attacks are believed to have been connected or politically motivated and security in schools across China has been enhanced.
9
SOUTH ASIA
Regional Summary
Aside from the ongoing insurgency in Afghanistan, Pakistan continues to constitute the fulcrum of strategic risk in the region, with high-casualty terrorist attacks being reported throughout the country in April. However, the government and Pakistani society seem relatively stable and capable of absorbing such events with minimal impact on strategic, military and political ambitions. The complexity and diversity of political violence faced by India was further demonstrated in April, by a series of attacks perpetrated by disparate groups. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections returned the ruling coalition to power.
Strategic Risk Highlights
PakistanIn a move intended to strengthen democracy in Pakistan, President Asif Ali Zardari signed the 19th Amendment to the Pakistan constitution on 19 April. The constitutional reforms are aimed at restoring power from the presidency to the prime minister and parliament, as well as devolving authority to provincial bodies and extending fundamental constitutional rights. The reforms were demanded by the public and politicians in order to reverse the successive acquisitions of power by previous military leaders – most notably former president Pervez Musharraf. The measures were passed unanimously by Pakistan’s lower legislative chamber on 8 April and eventually gained the assent of the Senate on 15 April, despite initial opposition from the PML-Q – the party formed by Mr Musharraf. Some elements of the constitutional amendment have proved controversial, most notably the renaming of the North
West Frontier Province as ‘Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’, a move that provoked lethal ethnic clashes in the province.
Sri LankaBuoyed by its military successes in defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and bringing to an end a 26 year insurgency, the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), a coalition led by President Rajapaksa, won 144 of the 225 seats in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election – 39 more than the party won in 2004. The election – characterized by a record low turnout of 61 percent – reaffirmed the popularity of Mr Rajapaksa three months after he won the presidential election. Mr Rajapaksa has affirmed that he will use his mandate to re-invigorate Sri Lanka’s economy, particularly focusing on the country’s tourism industry. The president has also committed himself to addressing the
concerns of the ethnic Tamil minority concentrated in the country’s north, particularly their demands for greater autonomy – the primary cause of the insurgency that has dominated the country’s security situation in recent history. However, some have criticized Mr Rajapaksa for riding roughshod over Sri Lanka’s democracy and claim that he has been responsible for suppressing political opposition, controlling the independent media and the unjustified use of emergency rule. There has also been criticism of the government’s rehabilitation programme for those detained during the counter-insurgency campaign.
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
SA
rup Security C
onsulting:A
PR
IL 2010
10
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
SA
rup Security C
onsulting:A
PR
IL 2010
10
Significant Security Incidents
Pakistan: Peshawar On 5 April, at least four assailants, armed with two car bombs, automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and explosive suicide vests mounted a sophisticated attack targeting the heavily fortified US Consulate in Peshawar. The incident began at approximately 13:30, when the attackers detonated a car bomb, containing approximately 100kg of explosives, at the main Consulate checkpoint. It is believed that this initial blast was intended to disable the checkpoint’s hostile vehicle mitigation measures, permitting the second car bomb to enter the Consulate compound. However, the explosion failed to achieve this objective and the anti-vehicle barriers remained effective, preventing the second vehicle from penetrating the checkpoint. The assailants subsequently threw grenades over the checkpoint, towards the Consulate buildings and opened fire with automatic weapons and RPGs. The Pakistani police and private security contractors guarding the Consulate held off the attack until the Pakistani military arrived and engaged the attackers – killing at least four of the militants. Undetonated suicide vests were subsequently found on some of the assailants. At least seven people were reported killed in the attack – although no Consulate workers or US citizens were among the fatalities. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack, which is believed to have been co-ordinated with an earlier suicide bomb attack targeting an Awami National Party rally in Timergara, which killed at least 51 people and injured more than 120 others.
India: ChhattisgarhOn 6 April, Maoist insurgents killed 73 members of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh and injured a further 12. The victims were part of a 120-strong CRPF unit who were returning to their base in Tademetla when their convoy of armoured vehicles was attacked with
a series of roadside explosive devices. Two groups of Maoist insurgents, hiding in bunkers by the side of the road, then opened fire on the survivors.
India: BangaloreOn 17 April, two explosive devices detonated outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore as spectators were arriving for an Indian Premier League cricket match. Seventeen people sustained injuries in the attack, which occurred approximately an hour before the match – attended by 40,000 fans – was scheduled to begin. One device was concealed in a plastic bag and located at one of the stadium’s twenty entrance gates. The second device exploded nearby. A small section of the stadium wall also sustained damage. A further four devices were subsequently discovered and defused – at least one of them had been set to detonate as spectators were due to leave the venue following the match. Indian authorities have indicated that the attack bore the hallmarks of the Islamist terrorist group Indian Mujahideen (IM) and Mohammad Zarar Siddi Bawa – the organisation’s key bomb-maker – has emerged as the prime suspect. Although the devices were of low intensity – consisting of a mixture of ammonium nitrate, engine oil and ball bearings – they were of a form similar to those used by IM in previous attacks.
Afghanistan: KandaharOn 15 April, two attacks targeting western commercial interests were reported in Kandahar. In the first incident, a car bomb was remotely detonated outside the Noor Jehan Hotel, which contains the offices of a number of foreign news agencies. At least eight people sustained injuries in the attack. Later the same day, a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden car at the inner security checkpoint of a commercial compound having successfully passed through the outer perimeter security barrier. The business estate contains the regional headquarters of a number of western companies. The massive blast is reported to have killed at least six people and shattered glazing up to 4km away from the attack site.
11
AUSTRALASIA
Regional Summary
The region has a general undercurrent of unrest throughout the the island states and provinces of the area whilst remaining quiet in the major capitals and population centres. The majority of the strategic risks in the region are associated with Indonesia (where JI continue to pose a significant threat despite the recent deaths of key senior members), Malaysia (with ongoing issues surrounding Sabah Province) and the Philippines (where electoral violence in April supplemented the ongoing Muslim insurgency and communist violence in the country). In addition, East Timor continues to be volatile with violent, gang related crime seriously effecting the overall security situation. No extreme security shock is anticipated in the region over the next 30 days; however, the JI response to recent Indonesian security force successes is likely to be “spectacular” when it does come.
Strategic Risk Highlights
AustraliaIn April evidence emerged of a number of high profile cyber attacks in the region. On 21 April, it was reported that three major Australian mining companies – BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group had been targeted by cyber attacks reportedly originating in China. The attack targeting Rio Tinto allegedly occurred in July last year and coincided with the arrests of a number of senior Rio executives in China accused of corruption and the theft of commercial secrets. The attack is thought to have been serious enough to lead to the organisation’s Singapore office being taken offline for three days and is also believed to have
affected Rio’s Perth office. Also in April, it was reported that a major Australian financial services company was subject to a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack originating in China. Another DDoS attack in April brought down the Free Malaysia Today news website.
PhilippinesThe Philippines saw an upswing in politically motivated violence in April, predominantly driven by mayoral elections across the country. The presidential elections – to be held on 10 May – are likely to catalyze further violence. A number of mayoral candidates have been killed and violence has been directed at a diverse
range of targets, from security forces to schools, from media outlets to public transportation, with responsibility being attributed to Muslim militants, communist terrorists and politically biased organized crime enterprises. Elections are frequently accompanied by violence in the Philippines – around 130 people were killed during violence that marked the 2007 elections. The decision to drop the charges against two brothers for the murder of 57 people in an ambush that took place in Mindanao in November 2009 has led to outrage in some quarters, where the suspects’ connections to a politically powerful clan are seen as a more likely reason for their freedom than any lack of evidence.
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
SA
rup Security C
onsulting:A
PR
IL 2010
12
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
SA
rup Security C
onsulting:A
PR
IL 2010
12
Significant Security Incidents
Philippines: Isabela CityOn 13 April, approximately 25 suspected Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) militants dressed in police and army uniforms mounted an audacious and sophisticated attack in Isabela City, Basilan province. Shortly after the morning rush-hour, the assailants detonated an explosive device concealed in a van close to a sports stadium in the city, causing considerable damage. Military personnel responding to the attack were ambushed by sniper fire and three marines were killed. Approximately an hour later, an explosive device attached to a motorcycle detonated close to a Roman Catholic cathedral. A third device was subsequently discovered close to the residence of a local judge and defused. Following the explosions, the police, army and marines engaged the militants, who split into three groups and shot at the pursuing security forces. Reports also suggest that the assailants attempted to both detonate further explosive devices and take hostages during the incident, which bore resemblances to the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. Nine people were killed in the attack and a further seven sustained injuries. Seven militants were also killed and one detained in the encounter.
Philippines: ManiaOn 20 April, suspected members of the New People’s Army – a communist militant group that has largely crossed over into the world of organized crime – used a landmine and grenades to ambush a police vehicle just outside Manila. Four police officers were killed in the attack and
a further seven sustained injuries.
Indonesia: Aceh On 14 April special units of the Indonesian police killed Enal Tao who was responsible for the decapitation of three female Christian students in 2005. Tao was also a terrorist trainer and thought to be responsible for
recruiting and training Indonesian militants in the Southern Philippines.
Indonesia: JakartaOn 14 April, large-scale protests in Jakarta descended into violence leading to the deaths of three Satpol public order police officers and the wounding of more than 100 people. The civil unrest – centred on an area close to Tanjung Priok- Jakarta’s main seaport – was triggered by those opposed to the planned demolition of part of a cemetery which accommodates a memorial to a revered Muslim scholar in order to provide space for the expansion of a container terminal at the port.
Indonesia: PapuaOn 13 April, suspected members of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) armed with guns and grenades, attacked a group of construction workers employed by the Indonesian company PT Modern, in the Puncak Jaya region of Papua. Two workers were killed in the attack while a thrird remains missing. Four workers managed to escape the assault and sought refuge in a nearby police checkpoint. Violence in the region is escalating and the OPM – which is campaigning for the succession of west Papau from Indonesia – is becoming increasingly active, primarily directing its attacks at construction and mining companies on the island as well as individuals associated with the Indonesian government or security forces
Australia: Sydney On 14 April, police indicated that they have started investigating reports that radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki delivered a lecture by telephone from Yemen to a congregation of young Australian Muslims at the Lakemba Mosque in Sydney in February 2009. The state anti-terrorist unit had previously taken no action as it failed to identify the cleric as a potential threat. Al-Awaki, an American Muslim cleric thought to be residing in Yemen, is thought to be a pivotal figure in global Al Qaeda linked terrorism and has been implicated in a series of attacks throughout the world.
13
AFRICA
Regional Summary
The security situation across the continent remained characteristically variable, some enduring extreme security risk areas remain. Piracy and related kidnap & ransom incidents remain an extreme risk in the Horn of Africa (and into the Indian Ocean) and in the Niger Delta. Somalia remains a locus of acute instability and this is set to continue, although there is little evidence of overspill of terrorism into neighbouring states. No extreme change is anticipated in the region over the next 30 days.
Strategic Risk Highlights
MadagascarA coup attempt was averted in Madagascar, after 19 people were arrested, suspected of being behind a plot to attack the residence of the prime minister on 19 April. The alleged coup attempt comes amid growing instability on the island and disquiet among the armed forces over the rule of President Andry Rajoelina, a former mayor of Antananarivo who seized power in a 2009 coup d’etat which was backed by dissident members of the military. The latest attempt to depose the president comes after the African Union imposed sanctions on Mr Rajoelina and 108 of his supporters in March for their failure to restore constitutional order in the country.
MoroccoIn April, Moroccan security and intelligence agencies arrested 24 terrorist suspects in Casablanca and a number of other cities, allegedly disrupting an Al Qaeda linked cell planning attacks targeting symbols of the state and foreign interests in the country. The group was thought to
have been led by a French citizen – Ahmed Sahnouni – who was arrested by French authorities in a Paris suburb on 30 April in connection with the case. Moroccan authorities frequently claim to have dismantled terrorist networks operating in the country and the lack of transparency in counter-terrorist operations has led to criticism and accusations that the security response is disproportionate to the actual threat. However, so far Morocco has managed to avoid the levels of political violence experienced by its neighbours and, in light of the importance of the country’s tourism industry, a robust approach to counter-terrorism in the kingdom is likely to continue.
SudanSudan held elections from 11 to 15 April to elect a President and a new national assembly. The presidential elections were marked by the withdrawal of candidates from Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Umma Party. The incumbent Omar al-Bashir won (with 68% of the votes); we feel that the elections were
neither free nor fair. Mr al-Bashir was indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in July 2008. In the autonomous region of South Sudan, the SPLM’s leader Salva Kiir gained a 93% share of the vote, becoming the second president of South Sudan. Given the degree of UN supervision the elections in South Sudan are assessed as being reasonably free and fair. Next year is likely to see a referendum on full independence from Khartoum and this will be a tense period for the Juba government as it seeks to split from the main body of Sudan.
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
SA
rup Security C
onsulting:A
PR
IL 2010
14
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
SA
rup Security C
onsulting:A
PR
IL 2010
14
Significant Security Incidents
Niger: ArlitOn 22 April a Frenchman and his Algerian driver were kidnapped close to Arlit, 150 km from the Algerian border. The incident was confirmed by the French Foreign Ministry. Local authorities blamed the kidnap on a group led by Taleb Abdoulkrim, which claims connections to Al-Qaeda.
Ethiopia: Adi HaroOn 24 April five people were killed and 20 wounded in a bomb attack on a café in the Ethiopian town of Adi Haro, close to the Eritrean border. The Ethiopian Government has blamed the attack on Eritrean rebels. The attack came a day after two Eritrean militant groups – the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organisation (RSADO) and the Eritrean National Salvation Front (ENSF) claimed joint responsibility for co-ordinated attacks on military camps in southern Eritra, which they claim resulted in the deaths of 11 military intelligence officers and the wounding of a further 20. It has not be possible to independently verify these claims. Ethiopia will hold general elections on 23 May, the first since 2005 and the period leading up to the polls is likely to see a significant increase in politically motivated violence.
Somalia: Wajid On 7 April the extreme Islamist Al-Shabab group attacked and took over a United Nations compound in Wajid, 400km south-west of Mogadishu. The World Food Programme (WFP) stated that the camp had been abandoned earlier and that the attack would not affect the WFP work in Somalia. Al-Shabab has previously demanded that WFP leaves Somalia.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Fizi On 9 April eight employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were seized by the pro-government Mai Mai Yakutumba militia near Fizi in the South Kivu province. The ICRC workers were released unharmed a week later.
Algeria: TidjelabineOn 03 April, seven Algerian security guards employed by private security firm SPAS under contract to state electricity and gas company Sonelgaz, were killed when suspected members of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) opened fire on the vehicle in which they were travelling, as it passed through the town of Tifra in the Kabylie region. The victims were providing security for workers from a Turkish company involved in a high-voltage electricity line project near Bejaia. Approximately an hour later, a explosive device was remotely detonated at the scene targeting those responding to the initial attack. One soldier was killed in the blast and a further two sustained injuries. The incident represents the deadliest single attack in Algeria since seven guards contracted to the Canadian engineering company SNC Lavalin were killed in October 2009.
Ethiopia: DanotOn 5 April, a British geologist was killed after the vehicle in which he was travelling was ambushed close to the town of Danot in the Ogaden region. The victim – identified as Jason Read - was employed by IMC Geophysics International which had been subcontracted to the Malaysian oil company Petronas. Mr Read was undertaking seismic surveys in the area when his vehicle came under fire by suspected bandits. His driver and security guards sustained injuries in the attack after they returned fire. Although Ethiopia does not currently have any proven oil or gas deposits, Petronas and other oil companies are prospecting in the country’s deserts. A number of militant groups are active in the Ogaden region – including the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), which has previously threatened foreign oil companies operating in the country. However, the group denied any involvement in the attack, which is being attributed to criminal elements, who may have been attempting to kidnap Mr Read for financial gain.
15
AMERICAS
Regional Summary
The region remained generally stable throughout April, with the bulk of strategic risk residing in Mexico and South America, where the organized crime / terrorism nexus continues to challenge government authority. In the United States, domestic terrorism has been identified as a growing threat, manifested in the activities of those at both the extreme left and right of the political spectrum. Relatively low-impact explosive attacks by anarchist groups were reported across Latin America in April, and while such incidents are increasing in frequency, there is little evidence to suggest that they are likely to escalate in intensity.
Strategic Risk Highlights
United States of AmericaOn 04 April, Senator Joe Lieberman – the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee – highlighted the increasing threat presented by domestic terrorism in the US. While acknowledging that the international terrorist threat remains the greatest challenge to US homeland security, Lieberman claimed that there is evidence that violent domestic groups at both the left and right extremes of the political spectrum are becoming increasingly active. While eco-terrorist and anti-globalization extremists continue to engage in illegal activities, the FBI has identified the ‘sovereign citizen’ extremist movement as an escalating danger. This movement is characterized by the beliefs of its members that they are ‘sovereign’ from the US and are therefore not under the jurisdiction of the government and state authorities.
EcuadorIn April, Ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa, sought to strengthen his hand in negotiations with foreign oil companies operating in the country by threatening to nationalize them unless they agree to switch from production-sharing arrangements to service-provider contracts. Mr Correa claimed that his government would submit a bill to Congress that, if passed, would ‘facilitate expropriation and nationalisations’ aimed at Andes Petroleum, Peroriental, Petrobas, ENI SpA and Repsol YPF – responsible for 42 percent of Ecudaor’s oil production. Foreign oil companies will be forced to pay greater remuneration to the government or face nationalisation under the proposals. Since 2007, when Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chavez, nationalised a number of large oil projects and forced a number of foreign oil companies out of the country, a number of South America leaders have been seeking to increase state control over natural resources
ParaguayIn response to the increasing violent activities of the Paraguayan People’s Army (EPP) – a leftist militant group primarily operating in the remote northern regions of the country – on 23 April, the country’s Senate passed the legislation required for the declaration of a state of emergency in the five provinces in which the EPP are most active. The declaration provides greater powers to law enforcers in the Concepcion, San Pedro, Amambay, Alto Paraguay and Presidente Hayes provinces, although these powers – which limit the legal rights of those arrested or under judicial investigation – will expire after 30 days. The declaration of a state of emergency was triggered by an attack in Horqueta on 21 April which killed a police officer and three others. The attack was attributed to the EPP, which is believed to have received training from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
SA
rup Security C
onsulting:A
PR
IL 2010
16
CO
NTE
NTS
EU
RO
PE
MID
DLE
EA
ST
AS
IAS
OU
TH A
SIA
AU
STR
ALA
SIA
AFR
ICA
AM
ER
ICA
SA
rup Security C
onsulting:A
PR
IL 2010
16
Significant Security Incidents
Colombia: CorintoOn 26 April, an improvised explosive device detonated in an automatic teller machine (ATM) outside a branch of the Banco Agrario bank in Corinto. Responsibility for the attack – which caused extensive damage to the bank and nearby buildings but no casualties – is being attributed to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which has a strong presence in the area.
Chile: TemucoOn 27 April, at approximately 03:05, a fire extinguisher packed with explosives detonated outside a Catholic church in the southern city of Temuco causing damage to the church and nearby buildings but no casualties. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by a group calling itself Kaos Nativo Orquestal. However, the device used was similar to those employed in previous attacks in Santiago which have been attributed to anarchist groups. On 23 March a bomb exploded at the headquarters of an airline company in the capital, a day after another device struck a bank in the city.
Argentina: Buenos AiresOn 27 April, protestors attacked the Greek Embassy in the La Recoleta district of Buenos Aires with stones and petrol bombs, leading to clashes with police. The protestors – who tried to set fire to the building – were members of an anarchist group demanding the release of a Greek anarchist sentenced to 35 years in prison for his involvement in an attack on a bank in Athens in 2006. The protest – which resulted in four injuries and five arrests – coincided with similar demonstrations in several other countries that had been coordinated via the internet.
Mexico: Nuevo LaredoOn 11 April, unidentified assailants threw an explosive device over the fence of the US Consulate in Nuevo
Laredo, causing some damage but no casualties. Meanwhile, anarchist groups are suspected of being responsible for three explosive attacks targeting banks in and around Mexico City in April. The crude butane-based devices caused significant damage but no casualties after detonating outside branches of Banco Santander and Banamex. The latest attacks are indicative of the recent upswing in anarchist violence in the capital.
Mexico: MonterreyOn 21 April 2010, dozens of gunmen attacked the Holiday Inn Hotel in central Monterrey. After sealing off the surrounding streets with vehicles, the unidentified assailants entered the hotel and went to specific rooms from where they kidnapped four business people. The gunmen also abducted the hotel receptionist as well as another receptionist from the Hotel Misión directly across the street from the Holiday Inn. Officials said one hotel security guard was missing, and they didn’t know whether he was also kidnapped or had worked with the gunmen.
Bolivia: PotosiOn 16 April, protestors in the Potosi province have occupied and set fire to the offices of San Cristobel – a mining subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation - the Japanese keiretsu. The protestors – campaigning for the company to invest more in the local infrastructure and economy – caused extensive damage and financial losses through their actions.
Canada: Dawson CreekOn 14 April, Dawson Creek Daily News received a bomb threat letter promising further attacks this summer targeting EnCana gas pipelines in British Columbia. Between October 2008 and July 2009 six bomb attacks targeted the company’s gas operations in the region. The suspected bomber has previously sent two letters to the Dawson Creek Daily News, although the veracity of the latest threat has not been confirmed.
EuropeChris Tomlinson
a: 13 Fitzroy Street, London, W1T 4BQt: +44 20 7755 5765
Middle EastMuttahir Salim
a: PO Box 212416, Dubai, United Arab Emiratest: +971 25075615
AsiaMark Hayman
a: Arup, Level 5, Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kongt: +852 2268 3632
South AsiaStuart Inglis
a: 13 Fitzroy Street, London, W1T 4BQt: +44 20 7755 3614
AustralasiaSteve Dalton
a: Arup, Level 17, 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne, 3000t: +61 3 9668 5624
AfricaAnders Groenli
a: 13 Fitzroy Street, London, W1T 4BQt: +44 20 7755 2203
AmericasMichael Beairsto
a: 1775 K Street NW, Suite 220, Washington, DC, 20006t: +1 202 729 8227
www.arup.com/securityconsulting
![[VERACITY] behind stories of japan location](https://static.fdocuments.in/doc/165x107/568bd7851a28ab2034a003b9/veracity-behind-stories-of-japan-location.jpg)
