Iraqi Reality Show Plants Car Bombs on Celebrities

File under “S” for stupid.

Move over Punk’d, a new show on Iraq television makes unwitting contestants think they are going to jail after they are pulled over at a security checkpoint and a explosive device is found in their vehicle.

The show “Put Him in [Camp] Bucca” has received numerous protests but continues to air.

Popular public figures are tricked by being invited to the headquarters of  TV station Al Baghdadia to be interviewed, while en route a fake bomb gets planted in their car while they were being searched by Iraqi soldiers — who amazingly are in on the prank.

The unwitting celebrities are then secretly filmed, Candid-Camera-style, as they reacted with shock, disbelief and anger as fake checkpoint guards shout abuses at them: “Why do you want to blow us up?” “You are a terrorist.” “How much did they pay you to do it? You will be executed.”  Quality television indeed.

Click HERE for more on the story.

And just in case you think “how dumb is it that Iraqi soldiers are doing pranks like this in a war where untold lives are being lost“?  Meet a member of the US Military who while on active duty in Iraq, decided to film his own version of Punk’d by planting a explosive device in a car during a traffic checkpoint and filming the drivers reaction.   Nice.  Click HERE for the video.

8 Killed in Mexico Near Tourist Hotspot

Eight people died early Tuesday after attackers hurled several Molotov cocktails into a Cancun, Mexico, bar.

Six women and two men, all Mexican nationals and employees of the tavern, were killed.  The matter is  now under investigation by judicial police.

Eight men hurled the explosives at the bar and fled in vehicles, the release said. No shots were fired.  The tavern is just 5 kilometers from the city’s tourist stretch.

Think I need to repeat the last part:   The tavern is just 5 kilometers from the city’s tourist stretch.

The violence in Mexico is getting worse.  Travelers thinking that sticking to the tourist areas will keep them safe, may want to strongly consider additional precautions. 

For the story, click HERE.

Terrorism Dry Run?

Authorities in the Netherlands arrested two U.S. residents who arrived in Amsterdam on a flight from Chicago, after U.S. authorities raised concerns about items they considered suspicious in their luggage.

The two were passengers aboard United Airlines flight 908 on Sunday night and aroused suspicion because of items found in their checked luggage, the Homeland Security department said. “The items were not deemed to be dangerous in and of themselves, and as we share information with our international partners, Dutch authorities were notified of the suspicious items. This matter continues to be under investigation,” the department said.

A law enforcement official said investigators haven’t determined whether the items in the luggage, which included cell phones apparently attached to bottles of liquid, were an attempt at a dry run for a possible plot, or if the items were packed in that manner inadvertently. The men traveled to Chicago on flights from Birmingham, Ala., and Memphis, Tenn., then changed their flights, which prompted further scrutiny, the official said.

– Something was definitely up, and to me this sounds like a “dry run” to test the system.  Items found in one of the individuals checked luggage:

• Cellphone taped to Peto-Bismol Bottle
• Several watches taped togeter
• 3 large knives
• 3 Cellphones taped together

For the full (developing) story click HERE.

** UPDATE:  The men may not be charged as the items may have just been bundled GIFTS for relatives?

Travel Risk in War Zones

USA Today does a good piece on corporate employees working in war zones around the world.

“The nature of the job takes Nelson to unsafe parts of the world.  A legion of globe-trotting Americans face a similar situation, as a global economy has thrown them into the most remote regions of the world, where they’re exposed to war, natural calamity and a risk of terrorism and kidnapping — not to mention disease and petty crime.

In pursuit of new clients and suppliers, U.S. companies of all sizes and interests — ranging from Halliburton to Marriott and Starbucks— are sending more employees on hardship assignments and taking new, aggressive steps to protect them from an ever-changing range of threats. Several recent events — the murders of Western aid workers in Afghanistan, the three American hikers imprisoned in Iran, the massive flooding in Pakistan and the killing of tourists on a bus in Manila on Monday — continue to serve as stark reminders of the perils travelers face overseas.

“Most multinationals and even medium to small companies have to push into emerging markets,” says Bruce McIndoe, president of iJet, which provides global security services and intelligence reports for corporate clients.

About 10% of employees who are transferred from the U.S. are assigned to countries that are considered “dangerous or have harsh conditions of living,”

For the full story, click HERE.

Blackwater Founder Relocates to Middle East

Erik Prince owner of Blackwater (now Xe) has reportedly left the United States to relocate to The Abu Dahubi.  Prince, left the country after a string of civil lawsuits, criminal charges and Congressional investigations singled out Blackwater or its former executives and other personnel.  While fighting these, his enterprises have amassed hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts, mostly relating to the war on terror.   Current and former colleagues said Mr. Prince hoped to focus on security work from governments in Africa and the Middle East. They also said he was bitter about the legal scrutiny and negative publicity his company had received.

For the full story, click HERE.

See Related:  CIA Awards Blackwater 100 Million to Protect

See Related:  Blackwater Receives Afghan Contract

See Related:  Former Blackwater President Indicted

So what’s your take on this.  Is Mr. Prince on the run or just implementing a new strategy?

IRAN – Anatomy of a Presidential Detail

the good folks over at STRATFOR posted an excellent analysis of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s security detail as he navigated the crush of the crowds during a recent public appearance.  It was during that appearance, depending on who you ask, an explosive was detonated or a firecracker thrown.  Regardless, viewing the video shows you the challenges the Iranian presidential guard faces and the marked difference between this motorcade and that of say a US President.

To watch the analysis, as a part of their Above the Tear Line series, click HERE.

See Related:  Assassination Attempt on Iran’s President

Mexican Mayor Killed By Bodyguard

The drug trade fueled violence in Mexico continues.

According to news reports, six police officers in Mexico have been arrested in connection with the murder of a mayor kidnapped early this week in the ultra-violent north of the country, local authorities said Friday.

The officers, including one who acted as bodyguard to Edelmiro Cavazos, the slain mayor of the town of Santiago, were paid off by a drug gang to facilitate the crime, the regional governor and the prosecutor, Rodrigo Medina and Alejandro Garza, told reporters.

Apparently his other bodyguard was overpowered and beaten but otherwise left alive during the kidnap attempt.

Click for the Full Story of The Mexican Mayor Killed by Bodyguard & Police and Violence Rises.

Afghan Government to Ban Private Security Contractors

Now this is interesting…

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai issued a decree Tuesday disbanding all private security firms within four months.

The decree involves international and national private security companies and the security employees of those companies are able to join the Afghan national police with their weapons.

“In order to protect Afghan life and property, avoid corruption, security irregularities and the misuse of military weapons, ammunition and uniforms by the private security companies which have caused tragic incidents, and after the required assessment, I approve shutting down all private security companies within four months, including both domestic and foreign,” the decree said.

…The move spotlights the issue of the role and conduct of U.S. security contractors, who protect embassies and companies, perform training, and help convoys move through dangerous areas. Violent incidents involving such
contractors have enraged Afghans.  U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters on Monday that U.S. officials will study the decree, which was expected to be issued.

If US, Afghan relations weren’t icy before.   It’s no secret that private security contracting in war zones is now big business.  Can’t see these companies going quietly into the night.  Developing…

For the full story, click HERE.

Safar Interviews Hans Van Beuge

Safar Protection Consultants does a great interview with Hans Van Beuge.  For those of you that don’t know Hans, he’s the owner of S.A.V.I.O.R  Services out of Australia, and in my mind a proven authority on the subject of identifying and dealing with stalkers and paparazzi.

In short, Hans is one of the good guys.

Read the interview HERE.

See Related: Industry Spotlight: EP Agent Hans van Beuge

Assassination Attempt on Iran’s President?

A conservative Iranian website said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad escaped an assassination attempt after a handmade grenade exploded near his convoy on Wednesday, but Tehran state TV denied the report. Other media reported an explosion in the area but gave conflicting accounts about the cause. Some said it was a firecracker. The website, khabaronline.ir, said the grenade detonated near Ahmadinejad’s convoy as he was on his way to address a crowd in the western Iranian town of Hamedan but did not harm him.

One person was arrested in connection with the attack, the website report said, adding that Ahmadinejad’s car was about 100 yards (meters) from the blast. It also said there was no information whether anyone was injured.

I’m sure the continuing spin on this will be interesting.   For the full story, click HERE.