Security

by Jose Campos PALAWAN, Philippines -In the sweltering heat of Palawan, the defenders went to work, one palm frond at a time. Members of the U.S. Marine Corps  and Philippine Marine Corps went to ground, to dig and disguise fighting positions ahead of a live-fire counter-landing drill at Quezon. The …

The plot involved members of an Iranian sleeper cell, authorities said. Book review by Tom Squitieri There are some who believe nations of the world have been unfair to Iran, that the nation has been maligned, miscast, and put in a corner for economic and political reasons of others. Reading …

by Susan Katz Keating A wave of drone attacks lit up targets on June 1 deep inside Russian territory – another clear signal that unmanned warfare is rewriting the rules in real time. But the idea of drones doing the killing – or at least the hunting – isn’t as …

by Robert M. Kurtz Excerpted from Mercenaries, Gunslingers, and Outlaws: Two Years as a Security Contractor in Iraq. Whoever set up the last IED that directly targeted my vehicle showed a little more ingenuity than usual. We were somewhere just outside of Bagdad; all the convoys seem to run together …

by Nikolay Shevchenko It was late evening when a cash truck pulled up in front of a fancy department store on Mozhayskoye Highway in Moscow. Leaving two partners behind in the truck, the third guard stepped over the store’s threshold to collect the cash that had piled up there throughout …

by Jose Campos A growing alliance of criminal groups has emerged to wrest control from Los Chapitos. The firefight began on the main federal highway in Mexico, and it didn’t let up for hours. Long after dark, the sound of gunfire echoed through Mocorito in Sinaloa, turning the stretch of …

by Susan Katz Keating The promise of Red Mercury infiltrated the underworld of gullible would-be tyrants, despots, and autocrats, sparking imaginations and a frenzy of deal-making. But what was this mysterious substance? It was the ultimate black market sensation. A substance so powerful it could transform even a lone terrorist …

by Robert McAlister  Editor’s Note: Six armed men on April 30, 1980 stormed the Iranian embassy in London. The men were Iranian Arab terrorists campaigning for sovereignty of Khuzestan Province. They took hostages, and issued demands. Enter the British Special Air Service (SAS) and Operation Nimrod. British crisis expert Robert …

by “Sol Prendido” One of the most influential capos in Mexico’s history met a tragic end – and so did his doctors. One of the most powerful drug lords in Mexico was Amado Carrillo Fuentes, who was born in Navolato, Sinaloa, in 1956. El Señor de los Cielos (Lord of …

The fact that a high-profile lone wolf attack may not be based on any clear motive doesn’t worry some terrorist groups. They will still claim the perpetrator as one of their own, to gain maximum publicity. by Jeffrey D. Simon For many Americans, the events of September 11, 2001, were the first …