| Oct 17, 2020 |
Threat Journal is a weekly supplement to the
AlertsUSA National Threat
and Incident Notification
Service for Mobile Devices |
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WEEKLY THREAT AND ALERT ROUNDUP
Published Each Saturday Afternoon |
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French President: Paris Beheading
an
'Islamist Terrorist Attack' |
October 17, 2020 |
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On Oct 16, the following
related Flash SMS
messages were sent to AlertsUSA subscriber mobile devices: |
10/16 - Police shoot and kill man brandishing knife and wearing explosive vest in NW Paris suburb of Eragny. Beheaded individual found nearby. Add'l info forthcoming.
10/16 - French media rpt Paris beheading victim ID'd as a teacher who showed drawings of the Prophet Muhammad during lesson on freedom of expression. Killer was parent.
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What You Need To Know |
On four occasions this week AlertsUSA subscribers were notified via SMS messages to their mobile devices regarding safety and security matters.
Most important for this report, on Friday afternoon, AlertsUSA subscribers were notified of a horrific terror attack that had occurred in the Paris suburb of Éragny (Val-d'Oise), northwest of the French capital. According to the French new outlet Le Figaro, police were called to investigate a suspicious individual prowling around a school with bloody hands and carrying a long kitchen knife. When ordered to drop the weapon, the man refused, threatened the officers and reportedly began shouting "Allah akbar!" before being shot dead. 200 meters from this encounter, police discovered the decapitated body of a middle school teacher. Initial reports stated that the attacker was wearing some type of an explosive vest.
The decapitated male was a history teacher and one of his classes covered the topic of freedom of expression. Earlier in the month he is reported to have shown caricatures of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, which in turn, resulted in threats by parents of some of the students and calls for his resignation.
The French news outlet La Mond gives a different account of events. In their version, municipal police discovered the decapitated body and suspect near the college of Bois-d'Aulne, in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine. The suspect then fled towards the neighboring town of Eragny, but he is caught up by a patrol of the anti-crime brigade. He was shot after threatening police with an Airsoft-type handgun while shouting "Allah akbar!" According to the national anti-terrorism prosecutor, the perpetrator was in front of the college during the afternoon and had asked students to identify the future victim.
French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the incident, calling it an 'Islamist terrorist attack.'
Readers are reminded that on Sept 11, 2020, AlertsUSA subscribers were notified that the Al Qaeda terror organization had released an updated English translation of Dec 2019 issue of "One Ummah" magazine. Within the updated issue was an editorial threatening a new wave of attacks in France after the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo reprinted a series of controversial illustrations, cartoons and nude caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. It was those images that led to the attack on the Charlie Hebdo editorial offices in January of 2015. 12 were killed and 11 injured in that attack.
And just weeks ago, several people were severely wounded in a meat cleaver attack in Paris near the newspaper's former offices. Following that incident, the attacker told investigators he thought he was targeting employees of the newspaper and was avenging the publication of the Mohammed caricatures.
AlertsUSA continues to monitor the domestic and international threat environment around the clock and will immediately notify service subscribers, via SMS messages to their mobile devices, of new alerts, warnings and advisories or any developments which signal a change the overall threat picture for American citizens as events warrant.
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Coronavirus Update |
October 17, 2020 |
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As of the time of this reports' preparation on Friday, there were more than 8,048,865 COVID-19 cases reported in the U.S., as well as 218,400 deaths attributed to the virus.
AlertsUSA reminds readers that we are rapidly approaching flu season, and as such, it is well worth the effort to do all you can to maintain good health and boost your immune system, not only out of concern for your own well being, but also that of others. Yes, there are a variety of new therapeutic and treatment options available that are helping to lower the overall COVID-19 death toll, the fact remains that you don't want to get sick from it and end up in the hospital in the first place. While most people who have COVID-19 recover completely within a few weeks, some continue to experience problems long after their initial recovery. Mayo Clinic reports that imaging tests performed months after recovery on individuals who become infected with the virus, even with only mild symptoms, show lasting damage to the heart, lungs, and even the brain.
Other references dealing with the long-term impact of COVID-19 can be found here, here, here and an excellent video here.
Important COVID-19 Headlines
Trudeau: CAN-US border will stay closed until COVID-19 is under control
What country has the worst mortality rate for COVID-19?
Key coronavirus model predicts nearly 80% rise in deaths by Feb.
Covid-19: Protests as Argentina's cases pass 900,000
Iran at breaking point as it fights third wave of coronavirus
European nations smash Covid-19 records
Worried EU nations revive curfews, lockdowns amid growth in virus
Europe Overtakes U.S. in New Cases of Covid-19
SITUATION REPORTS / OFFICIAL CASE NUMBERS
World Health Organization
Centers for Disease Control (U.S.)
Johns Hopkins CSSE (Interactive map updated multiple times daily)
OFFICIAL PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE RESOURCES
White House: Guidelines for Opening Up America Again
CDC: K-12 Schools: Readiness and Planning Tool
CDC: One-Stop Shop for COVID-19 Resources
Department of Homeland Security / Ready.Gov
World Health Organization
CDC: How to Protect Yourself
CDC: What to Do If You Are Sick
OFFICIAL CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION PAGES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Food and Drug Administration
Public Health Agency of Canada
Infection Prevention and Control Canada
World Health Organization |
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AlertsUSA.com
SMS ALERTS FROM THIS WEEK
NOT DETAILED IN THIS NEWSLETTER ISSUE
10/12 - Barrett SCOTUS confirmation protests / counter-protests begin across DC. Expected to grow more tense in coming days. Caution urged if in the district.
10/13 - NJ Gov issues updated 14-day COVID-19 Quarantine Advisory for persons traveling to NJ from 38 states and territories due to incr positive test rates. See email. |
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* Threat Info Direct to Your Mobile Device
* Get Away Early, Give Your Family Extra Safety.
* In Wide Use By Gov, 1st Responders, Travelers.
* 24/7/365 Monitoring. No Hype. Just the Bad Stuff.
* Issued Hours and Days before the MSM.
* On your Cell Phone, Tablet or Email.
* We Give The Clear Truth, Unlike the MSM.
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In fact, they are our customers! |
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National Strategy for Critical
and Emerging Technologies
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October 17, 2020 |
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The National Security Strategy (NSS) lays out a vision for promoting American prosperity; protecting the American people, the homeland, and the American way of life; preserving peace through strength; and advancing American influence in an era of great power competition. It calls for the United States to lead in research, technology, invention, and innovation, referred to here generally as science and technology (S&T), by prioritizing emerging technologies critical to economic growth and security. The NSS also calls for the United States to promote and protect the United States National Security Innovation Base (NSIB), which it defines as the American network of knowledge, capabilities, and people – including academia, National Laboratories, and the private sector – that turns ideas into innovations, transforms discoveries into successful commercial products and companies, and protects and enhances the American way of life.
The full National Strategy document can be accessed HERE.
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Commentary / Analysis / Research |
October 17, 2020 |
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A Nuclear North Korea’s Wake-up Call
A spectacular pre-dawn parade last Saturday served to remind the world of North Korea’s continuing missile progress. The parade reached its climax with the reveal of an all-new intercontinental-range ballistic missile (ICBM) design. Prior to the parade, North Korea’s largest known nuclear-capable ballistic missile was the Hwasong-15, the ICBM that was tested for the first (and so far only) time in November 2017. After four Hwasong-15s rolled through Kim Il Sung Square, an even larger missile appeared in its wake.
~ READ MORE HERE ~
Turkey: Erdogan Fueling Hostility Against the West
The current problem is greater than the Turkish government's violations against territorial waters and airspace of Greece, its continued occupation of northern Cyprus, or its threatening Europe with mass Muslim immigration or Islamist terrorists, among other hostile actions.
~ READ MORE HERE ~
A Little War With Big Consequences in the Caucasus
Small wars can tell you a lot about the biggest geopolitical and military issues of the day. Consider the present conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Most Americans have probably never heard of that disputed region in the Caucasus. But the fighting there reveals key fault lines in an increasingly disordered global environment, and it underscores crucial trends in the evolution of modern warfare.
~ READ MORE HERE ~ |
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| USNI Fleet and Marine Tracker |
October 17, 2020 |
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These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of Oct 12, 2020 based on Navy, public data provided by the U.S. Naval Institute, and open source reporting. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.
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| World News Roundup |
October 17, 2020 |
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AMERICAS
Email reveals how Hunter Biden introduced Ukrainian businessman to VP dad
Outrage as Facebook AND Twitter throttle story about Joe Biden
Trump's top general, national security adviser clash on Afghanistan pullout
White House rejects Russian call to extend nuclear arms control treaty
U.S. assumes control of NATO's air policing in North Atlantic
Trump Demands a Plan to Withdraw U.S. Troops From Somalia
Why Esper’s Call For Light Carriers Would Make The U.S. Navy Weaker
US Navy eyes new design for next-generation destroyer
USAF: New Hypersonic Missile Will Hit Targets 1K Miles Away In Under 12 Min
In Venezuelan rural heartland, angry Maduro supporters fuel protest wave
Canada’s Justin Trudeau slams China over Hong Kong and Xinjiang
Calls grow for radical reform of Chile's national police force
Second Largest Border Meth Bust in History
EUROPE
Winter could force resolution of Karabakh row
Russia to Build New ‘Doomsday Plane’ Based on Il-96-400M
Azerbaijan strikes inside Armenia as Karabakh fighting widens
Nagorno-Karabakh fighting raises threat of deadly escalation
Lavrov: Russia-EU relations unlikely to be good in foreseeable future
EU to sanction 6 in Russia over Navalny poisoning: reports
Greek court sentences Golden Dawn members to prison
Cyprus scraps ‘golden passport’ scheme in a blow to rich Chinese
MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA
Turkey reportedly test-fires S-400 air defense system
Al Shabaab has created a perfect storm in Somalia
Two Americans, 240 Yemen rebels freed in apparent swap
Coronavirus: Syria government 'prepares for virus second wave'
Israel confirms September attacks on Syrian military targets
Lebanon and Israel hold talks on disputed sea border despite state of war
Pompeo: US committed to Saudi Arabia to deter Iran
East Med crisis: Erdogan ramps up rhetoric against Greece, Cyprus
ASIA
Xi Jinping Tells Elite Troops "Prepare For War"
Reagan Carrier Strike Group Returns to S. China Sea for Third Time of 2020
Thailand bans protests after thousands demonstrate in Bangkok
China Conducts Test Of Massive Suicide Drone Swarm Launched From Truck
Two new guided missile destroyers enter Chinese naval service
Thailand: Protesters march on government offices in Bangkok
China accuses US of ‘stirring up confrontation’ in Asia-Pacific
China ‘ready to work with Russia’ to resist US global dominance
Hong Kong lashes out at US ‘Made in China’ labelling rule at the WTO
Philippine plan to deploy militia in South China Sea raises concerns
India to bounce back from Covid crisis with impressive growth
Thousands flee amid fighting between Taliban and Afghan forces |
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Travel Security
The U.S. Dept. of State Travel Website is the authoritative federal source for information on the security situation at travel destinations worldwide. With tensions rapidly increasing in most regions, readers planning international travel, even to such common destinations as Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean Islands, are strongly encouraged to do a little research on the security situation at your destination well prior to departure.
The Department of State’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides a variety of resources to enhance the safety and security of the U.S. private sector businesses and organizations operating abroad.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website is the authoritative federal source for information on current health issues related to specific destinations worldwide. These issues may arise from disease outbreaks, special events or gatherings, natural disasters, or other conditions that may affect travelers’ health.
Foreign Sources of Travel Guidance
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Take Advantage of These Resources
Our social media channels provide a steady steam of important news and resources between issues of Threat Journal with little or no overlap of content. Combined with the AlertsUSA service for instant mobile notification of the really bad developments, you have an unmatched set of tools to keep yourself fully up to speed on the nation's threat environment. With times getting worse by the day, we urge you to utilize these resources.
  
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