Canada Views Terrorist Threat to Transportation
“On 12 November 2002, Osama Binladen issued a public statement which specifically targeted Canada for the first time for its collaboration with the United States in attempting to dismantle Al Qaida,” a 2002 Canadian intelligence report (pdf) noted.
With that statement in mind, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) conducted classified studies on the terrorist threat to Canadian transportation systems. Two of those classified studies have now been declassified and released in redacted form.
The declassified studies were obtained under Canada’s Access to Information Act by former Canadian intelligence officer and author Stéphane Lefebvre, who provided copies to Secrecy News.
At least some of the many redactions seem silly, for example: “Surface transportation presents a [adjective deleted] degree of vulnerability to terrorist attacks,” one study begins. The missing word is probably not “low” or “negligible.”
See “International and National Terrorist Threats to Surface Transportation,” CSIS Study #2002-3/26 (redacted) (3 MB PDF).
and “The International Terrorist Threat to Maritime Transportation,” CSIS Study #2003-4/02 (redacted) (2.7 MB PDF).
Russia currently maintains nearly 5,460 nuclear warheads, with an estimated 1,718 deployed. This represents a slight decrease in total warheads from previous years but still positions Russia as the world’s largest nuclear power alongside the United States.
The stakes are high: how we manage this convergence will influence not only the pace of technological innovation but also the equity and sustainability of our energy future.
We’re launching an initiative to connect scientists, engineers, technologists, and other professionals who recently departed federal service with emerging innovation ecosystems across the country that need their expertise.
With wildfire risk increasing and the potential for destruction along with it continues to grow nationwide, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) today joins with other organizations to launch a new coalition, Partners in Wildfire Prevention.