Indian government officials have focused on domestic terror, indicating that last month’s triple-bombing in Mumbai was the work of a homegrown group, the Indian Mujahideen; the same explosive formulation was used in these attacks as was used in other attacks where responsibility was claimed by The Indian Mujahideen

A new report by the DHS Inspector General warns that Amtrak is vulnerable to terrorist attacks, despite the $1 billion that has already been spent to bolster security; the inspector general found that DHS officials did not ensure that the money was being spent efficiently securing Amtrak’s most vulnerable stations resulting in security gaps

Researchers have developed a portable device can detect the presence of the anthrax bacterium in about one hour from a sample containing as few as forty microscopic spores; the basic design, which is small enough to fit in the overhead compartment of an airplane, potentially could be tailored to detect countless other pathogens, such as salmonella, or be used in the field for DNA forensics

Last week the indictment of two Pakistani-Americans pulled back the veil on the extent of Pakistan’s spy network in the United States; led by Pakistan’s military spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the country’s efforts in the United States are primarily aimed at influencing lawmakers, keeping track of the Pakistani Diaspora, stifling dialogue critical of its military, and stymieing India — the country’s chief rival

In a report submitted to House Homeland Security Committee hearings yesterday, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) says that since the 9/11 attacks, a growing number of American citizens and residents motivated by radical interpretations of Islam have been involved in plots and conspiracies against American interests at home and abroad

Osama Bib Laden was putting together a team of al Qaeda operatives whose mission was to use a shoulder-fired missile to bring down Air Force One or Marine one — the president’s helicopter - on the anniversary of the 9/11 attack; the plot was gleaned from digital storage media picked up on 2 May at OBL’s compound in Pakistan; other plots were discussed, among them flying an explosives-filled plane into a sports stadium on 4th July, and killing General David Petraeus

U.S. lawmakers have lingering concerns about the ability for terrorists to enter the country following last week’s Senate hearing that investigated how two Iraqi nationals with terrorist ties were able to enter the United States and live in Bowling Green, Kentucky for several years; A Government Accountability Report (GAO), released on the same day as the hearing, found four critical gaps in preventing terrorists from entering the United States

DHS officials are now saying Israel’s inclusion on a list of countries that promote, produce, or protect terrorists was a mistake; John Morton, director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said, “The addition of Israel to the list—- was based on inaccurate information provided to the OIG during the course of its audit”; a May 2011 report contained an appendix which lists “specially designated countries” that promote terrorism; the list instructed ICE agents to pay special attention to, and investigate more thoroughly, individuals from these countries arrested by ICE; ICE spokesperson suggested that Israel was included not because its government supports terrorism, but because some individual Israelis do pose a terror threat; 1.5 million of Israel’s 7.5 million citizens are Arabs

On Tuesday the Obama administration unveiled its new counterterrorism strategy that emphasizes protecting the United States from domestic threats; the deputy national security adviser for homeland security and counterterrorism said the new U.S. counterterrorism strategy will focus on “the ability of al Qaeda and its network to inspire people in the United States to attack us from within”; the new policy “is not designed to combat directly every single terrorist organization in every corner of the world”; high administration officials said that the death of Osama bin Laden and the wide spread protests across the Middle East have left al Qaeda and other extremists “on the sidelines, watching history pass them by”