The Republic of Korea, more commonly known as South Korea, is one of the economic success stories of the past half-century. The nation emerged from the early 1950s war-torn and impoverished. Soon after, South Korea launched itself on a path of rapid economic growth and development. Today, it is considered one of the world’s more prosperous and developed nations. Korean firms such as Daewoo, Hyundai, LG, and Samsung are well-known brands with a global reach. As a result of this success, businesses from all over the world have established a presence in the Republic. In fact, there are now an estimated one million foreigners living in South Korea while millions more tourists and business travelers visit the country each year. Continue reading
Following the disclosure of a string of assassination operations during the Cold War, President Ford issued Executive Order 11905, prohibiting government personnel from engaging in political assassinations. The order was reaffirmed by President Reagan in Executive Order 12333 and has generally been considered US policy ever since.
However, the United States has continued to engage in military operations that have often blurred the lines between assassination and targeted warfare. For example, President Reagan directly targeted Moammar Gadhafi’s home in 1986 with air strikes. For his part, President Clinton used cruise missiles to attack insurgent camps in Afghanistan in 1998. Furthermore, both presidents Bush and Obama have made drone strikes against Al-Qaeda leaders and militants a major component of the War of Terror. Continue reading
Cyber security is a well-known concern of individuals, companies, and governments. Many organizations hire specialized personnel and put in place elaborate systems to ensure that their information networks are safe from intrusions, viruses, and other cyber threats. However, it is common for managers and planners to fail to see the critical role that physical security plays in safeguarding these systems.
There have been many incidents that highlight the need for proper physical security in any cyber security plan. In fact, almost a third of the disclosed security breaches in 2009 involved missing or stolen physical equipment. For instance, one of the largest government data breaches of all time occurred when a Veteran’s Affairs laptop containing the records of over 20 million people was lost. There has also been a spate of missing/stolen laptops, computers, and other hardware at critically important facilities such as the Los Alamos National Laboratory. These incidents underscore the importance of utilizing physical security techniques to complement cyber security protection plans. Continue reading
In our last three articles on kidnapping, we covered the types, geography, and targets of the crime. In this piece, we will present practical information on how to avoid becoming a victim of abduction. While the past few articles should help individuals assess their risk, this piece will identify clear steps to protect people from this crime. The following are ten tips that can be taken in order to reduce the risk of kidnapping. Continue reading
In our last article, we discussed the geography of kidnapping, investigating the regions of the world with the highest incidence of the crime. In this article, we will be examining the potential targets of kidnapping and determine the types of individuals who stand the highest risk of abduction.
The Rich
It should come as no surprise that those capable of generating a large ransom payment are those that stand a higher risk of becoming targets. This is why the wealthy and affluent tend to be the most popular targets of economic kidnapping. However, it is not only the super-rich who are victims of this type of crime. Many middle-class professionals and businessmen have been targeted as well. In many cases, however, it is not the principle income earner who is the victim. Rather, it is those closest to them, such as their wives or children. Continue reading
In our last article, we presented a brief introduction to kidnapping and described the different variants of the crime. In this article, we will be investigating where the incidence of kidnapping is greatest. It is important to note that kidnapping tends to be highly concentrated by region and by country. For example, almost half of all kidnapping on the globe occurs in Latin America. However, Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Iraq account for much of the remaining half. Moreover, kidnapping tends to be concentrated in particular areas within any given country. Continue reading
When most people think about kidnapping they think of high-profile events such as the Lindbergh baby or Patty Hearst kidnapping. In general, people seem to believe that kidnapping is something that only happens in the movies or to the incredibly wealthy. To be sure, kidnapping is not a common crime. However, it is more widespread than many suspect. In fact, there are 20,000 to 30,000 reported kidnappings-for-ransom in the world each year. However, the actual number of cases is probably much larger, as the crime goes unreported about 80% of the time. Continue reading
It doesn’t take an expert in international relations to know that tensions are high in the Persian Gulf. There is a lot of speculation over the possibility of war, and how such a war may break out. Some believe that the United States or Israel will strike first in attempt to knock out Iran’s nuclear facilities. Others think that Iran might act preemptively if it believes Israeli or American action to be imminent. According to InTrade*, an online prediction market, there is a 40% chance that Israel or the United States will strike Iran’s nuclear facilities by year’s end. Moreover, Iran has indicated that a strike against its nuclear facilities would provoke a massive retaliation that could engulf the entire region in war. As such, the risk of war in the region is very real and perhaps, very near. Continue reading
On June 8th, US Attorney General Eric Holder directed two special prosecutors to investigate a recent spate of intelligence leaks. Republicans have, for some time, criticized President Obama for the poor handling of classified information. Some have even asserted that the White House deliberately leaked intelligence in order to garner some type of political gain. It has yet to be determined whether the recent security breaches are the fault of the administration or simply the irresponsible actions of a few rogue politicos and bureaucrats. What is certain, however, is that the frequency of high-profile intelligence leaks has grown over the years, posing a significant threat to national security. Several recent incidents help illustrate this trend. Continue reading
Most media outlets have covered the increasing violence in Mexico that has resulted from the Mexican government’s decision to assertively confront the drug lords. Since 2006, almost 50,000 people in the country have died in drug-related violence. In fact, 120 American citizens were murdered in Mexico in 2011 alone. As a result of this violence, many tourists have postponed or canceled their trips to Mexico.
Although the danger in Mexico is very real, there are still many safe tourist destinations in the country. After all, Mexico is a large nation. It has over 100 million citizens and is about a fifth the size of the United States in land area. In a country this immense, it would be wrong to assume that the entire nation is wracked with violence. In fact, fewer than 5% of Mexico’s municipalities have been affected by the drug war. While areas of Mexico’s north and southwest coast tend to be violent, many tourist destinations continue to be safe. Moreover, there is no evidence that narco-traffickers are targeting American citizens or other travelers. In fact, most violence seems to be directed at the Mexican government and competing criminal elements. Continue reading