Readers; Welcome to the first Monday of March. February is over and Spring is inching ever closer.

In this issue we bring present a couple of articles on the recent lapse in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or FISA to the continued aviation training of foreigners.

As always, thanks for your support.

Winston Churchill

February 18, 2008
Chicago Sun Times.com
Robert Novak

This article is assesses one of the risks facing national security.

A closed-door caucus of House Democrats last Wednesday took a risky political course. By 4-1, they instructed Speaker Nancy Pelosi to call President Bush's bluff on extending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to continue eavesdropping on suspected foreign terrorists. Rather than passing the bill with a minority of the House's Democratic majority, Pelosi obeyed her caucus and left town for a 12-day recess without renewing the government's eroding intelligence capability.

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Analysis of one of the challenges facing America.

The delicate balancing act of maintaining national security while preserving civil liberties seems to get more complicated with each new generation of information technology. The House-Senate stalemate over extending a warrantless wiretapping law marks the latest case in point. President Bush says his ability to prevent terrorist attacks has been jeopardized by the infighting…

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Good article about an expanding military mission – detailed in DOD Directive 3000.5 provided in February 11, 2008 issue of BTW.

The Defense Department is becoming more heavily engaged in missions such as post-war reconstruction, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief…

Secretary Michael Chertoff's analysis of the state of HLS.

Just days from its official fifth birthday on March 1, the Department of Homeland Security is crowing about its successes in establishing tighter security to thwart terrorism.

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To view the latest contract opportunities at Blackwater, visit our Contract Web Page.

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Change in Navy's strategy for procuring and using unmanned vessels.

The Navy has expressed considerable interest in acquiring unmanned vessels that would patrol coastal areas and help protect surface combatants from terrorist attacks…

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Homeland Security news down on the southern border.

Excellent study of interoperability challenges facing first responder organizations.

The First Response Coalition (FRC)'s examination of state-based interoperability programs identified best practices that can be shared throughout the country…

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Innovative information operations campaign.

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - One of the unique products used in psychological operations in the southern Philippines is the comic book “Barbargsa -Blood of the Honorable.”

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This is a supplemental handbook to the TRADOC G2 capstone reference guide on terrorism, and give a good overview of emerging threats and trens.

This informational handbook supports operational missions, institutional training, and professional military education for U.S. military forces in the War on Terrorism (WOT). This document promotes an improved understanding of terrorist objectives and motivation, and terrorist intention to use WMD.

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Free Law Enforcement Newsletter with Training Tips

The Backup Training Corporation has introduced a free new Law Enforcement Newsletter. Delivered in electronic format, the newsletter contains a variety of brief training articles in each issue. These articles have been based on portions of the company's extensive library of law enforcement courses and provide practical tips that you can use in your everyday police work. Read these articles and you will want to see the full courses. The Backup is the premier digital training provider for law enforcement. - Click here to subscribe or learn more!

Tactical Equipment Evaluation

When it comes to big names in hydration systems CamelBak is at the top of the list. Long known for their portable bladder systems that have largely replaced canteens for sport and duty use, CamelBak continues to grow their product line. At SHOT Show I saw their Urban Assault Pack and requested one for Test & Evaluation. I received it within the week and have been using it as my carry-all for about two weeks now. As is common for CamelBak, it's a well thought out and useful design. Let's take a look…

Full Story Can Be Viewed At:

Recreational Equipment Review

"Tomahawk" is a word that brings to mind visions of make-up laden Indians circling wagons on horseback, whooping and kicking up enough dust to blind you. For some it may also bring to mind stories of "'Hawks" being used as combat weapons in the Revolutionary War. K5 Tactical actually designs its 'Hawks for use as breaching tools, but they certainly make impressive weapons if need be. However, for my purposes this week, I tested them as simple camp tools: hatchets, levers, etc. They faired pretty well and I thought I'd share that information.

Full Story Can Be Viewed At:

http://www.borelliconsulting.com/recevals/toolknife/k5hawks.htm

is just the time that Grace abounds most powerfully. My week was too full. The demands too much to get it all done well. I spent most of today (Saturday, March 1) in in-service training classes. I came dragging home at 3 PM…Spent an hour resting… The phone rang… A friend called to say she was bringing dinner. Over the past several weeks a cohort at work has told others in our department about the load on my daughter and myself, the medical demands and the terrible costs that we are facing. Fellow laborers, active and retired, began to send cards and letters of support, most of which contained gifts, good words and prayers of support.

For maximum effectiveness and safety, cardiovascular exercise has specific instructions on the frequency, duration, and intensity.

Full Story

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. It is also one of the main causes of death in Canada and is killing more and more people throughout the world.

Black Five (http://www.blackfive.net)
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Blogs of War (http://www.blogsofwar.com)
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Iraq Slogger (http://www.iraqslogger.com)
The Long War Journal (http://www.longwarjournal.org/)
Small Wars Journal (http://www.smallwarsjournal.com)
The Spy Who Billed Me (http://www.thespywhobilledme.com)

Blackwater Worldwide announces the opening of our new retail store on Hwy 168 in Moyock, North Carolina, near our corporate headquarters.

The store is open to the public and is located at 452 Caratoke Hwy, Moyock NC 27958. It will be open Monday-Friday 10:00am – 6:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm and Sundays during the peak summer season.

We will be selling everything from Blackwater logo apparel to assorted beach gear. Inquiries or questions can be directed to 252-435-2271.

Remember, Blackwater Alumni members and Friends of Blackwater enjoy a 10 per cent discount of off all items. To join the Blackwater Alumni Association please visit our site http://www.blackwaterusa.com/alumni/alumni_overview.html where a link to the application form is provided at the top of the page.

The Blackwater Tactical Weekly is a free weekly e-publication.

The BTW provides readers valuable information from diverse sources regarding tactical and strategic security issues.

Editor-in-Chief – Gary Jackson (btw@blackwaterusa.com)
Managing Editor – John Wrenn (btw@blackwaterusa.com)
Format Editor – Jennifer Granoff (btw@blackwaterusa.com)
Frank’s Review – Frank Borelli (frank@borelliconsulting.com)
Chaplain’s Corner – Chaplain D. R. Staton(chpln1@verizon.net)
Advertising – Melissa Cuthbert (MCuthbert@blackwaterusa.com)

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