Canadian Tactical Training Academy

Nortel hit by suspected Chinese cyberattacks for a decade

2012-02-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

Hackers based in China enjoyed widespread access to Nortel's computer network for nearly a decade, according to a report.

The hackers – who appeared to be based in China – had unfettered access to the former telecommunications giant as far back as 2000, according to Brian Shields, a former Nortel employee who launched an internal investigation of the attacks, the Wall Street Journal reports.

They “had access to everything”, Shields told the Journal. “They had plenty of time. All they had to do was figure out what they wanted.”

Over the years, the hackers downloaded business plans, research and development reports, employee emails and other documents.

According to the internal report, Nortel “did nothing from a security standpoint” about the attacks.
Corporate espionage is a growing problem for North American companies, with the majority of attacks coming from China.

China rejects cyberspying allegations
Last November, a group of U.S. analysts said there were as many as 12 different Chinese groups participating in cyberattacks on U.S. companies and government agencies.

China has rejected allegations of cyberspying, saying it is also a target of attacks.

The long-term attack on Nortel isn’t the only time a Canadian company has been targeted by hackers.
During BHP Billiton’s hostile takeover bid for Saskatchewan’s PotashCorp, hackers traced to China targeted Bay Street law firms and other companies to get insider information on the $38-billion corporate takeover.

Those same hackers also targeted Canadian government computers in fall 2010, targeting the Finance Department, the Treasury Board, and Defence Research and Development Canada, a civilian agency of the Department of National Defence.

Nortel attacks went unreported
Nortel, currently selling off assets as part of a 2009 bankruptcy filing, failed to disclose the attacks to potential buyers of its patents and business units, according to the Journal.

During the investigation, the telecom giant made no effort to determine if any of its products were compromised. Nortel, as a publicly traded company, would have been required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to disclose any “material” risks to investors.

According to Shields, Nortel discovered the hacking in 2004, and the company’s silence put acquiring companies at risk. Three former Nortel executives are currently on trial for allegedly tampering with quarterly results in order to trigger millions of dollars in bonus payments.

With files from The Associated Press

About the Canadian Tactical Training Academy

The Canadian Tactical Training Academy (CTTA) is an organization devoted to the training of law enforcement, security, investigation, protection officers, and all those who dedicate themselves to maintaining peace.

CTTA offers applied security devices for surveillance and counter-surveillance activities as well as consulting services related to security risk assessments.

The Canadian Tactical training Academy (CTTA) is an organization devoted to worldwide training of peace and law enforcement officers, as well as all other professionals involved in the fields of security, investigation, protection and the maintenance of order.The Academy also provides tailored security and safety oriented civilian training at both the individual and corporate levels.

Training courses can be customized according to specific needs.

Our FACEBOOK page is “The Canadian Tactical Training Academy”

Expanding Business Demands in the Security Industry

2012-01-31T11:16:00.000-08:00

MEXICO CITY — With the Iraq war over and the American presence waning in Afghanistan, U.S. security contractors are looking for new prospects in Mexico, where spreading criminal violence has created a growing demand for battle-ready professionals.

After years of lucrative work in the Middle East and Central Asia, where their presence has been occasionally marred by incidents of excessive force and misconduct, contractors and private security firms of varying sizes and specialties are being drawn into a battle closer to home. But Mexico’s restrictive gun laws mean that foreign contractors must enter the bloody drug war unarmed as they take jobs ranging from consulting and technical training for the Mexican military to guarding business executives from kidnapping gangs and extortionists.

Nov. 16, 2011: An estimated 17 tons of marijuana were seized when authorities discovered a major cross-border drug tunnel between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico.

The companies are beckoned by swelling pots of public and private contracting gold. In November, the Pentagon’s counter-narco-terrorism program office solicited bids on more than $3 billion in contracts worldwide, with an unspecified amount destined for operations in Mexico. The State Department has pledged nearly $2 billion in drug war aid to Mexico since 2008, much of it available to U.S. companies that can provide equipment or services to the embattled Mexican state.

Security spending by private companies in Mexico and the Mexican government has also surged. Since President Felipe Calderon deployed Mexico’s military against the country’s drug kingpins in December 2006, the number of armed private security firms in the country has doubled, Mexican federal police statistics show. But while there are 1,400 licensed firms in good standing, analysts say there may be another 10,000 operating without proper authorization.

Still, despite Mexico’s potential for highly remunerative work, experts caution that it will never equal the bonanza that U.S. companies found in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For one, the money available in Mexico doesn’t measure up to the cash that flowed through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the U.S. government spent more than $200 billion on private contractors over the past decade.

About the Canadian Tactical Training Academy

CTTA offers applied security devices for surveillance and counter-surveillance activities as well as consulting services related to security risk assessments.

The Canadian Tactical training Academy (CTTA) is an organization devoted to worldwide training of peace and law enforcement officers, as well as all other professionals involved in the fields of security, investigation, protection and the maintenance of order.

The Academy also provides tailored security and safety oriented civilian training at both the individual and corporate levels.

Training courses can be customized according to specific needs.

Our FACEBOOK page is "The Canadian Tactical Training Academy"

Navy SEAL raid shows US leaner way ahead

2012-01-26T10:31:00.001-08:00

Kimberly Dozier and Robert Burns

January 27, 2012 - 4:49AM - AP

The Navy SEAL operation that freed two hostages in Somalia is representative of the Obama administration's pledge to build a smaller, more agile military force that can carry out surgical counterterrorist strikes to cripple an enemy.

That is a strategy much preferred to the land invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan that have cost so much American blood and treasure over the past decade. The contrast to a full-bore invasion is stark: A small, daring team storms a pirate encampment on a near-moonless night, kills nine kidnappers and whisks the hostages to safety.
Special operations forces, trained for such clandestine missions, have become a more prominent tool in the military's kit since the September 11, 2001, attacks that led to the ongoing war in Afghanistan. The administration is expected to announce on Thursday that it will invest even more heavily in that capability in coming years.

The SEAL Team 6 raid in Somalia, which followed the operation in May last year that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has political dimensions in an election year.

It gave an added punch to the five-state tour President Barack Obama began the day after he delivered his State of the Union speech. Obama did not mention the raid that was unfolding during his Tuesday night address, but he dropped a hint upon arriving in the House chamber by telling Defense Secretary Leon Panetta: "Good job tonight."
The SEAL mission also helps soften the blow of defence cuts the White House is seeking in spite of a chorus of criticism by hawkish lawmakers.
Not to be discounted is the feel-good moment such missions give the American public, a counterbalance to the continued casualties in Afghanistan.
Obama sent a letter to congressional leaders on Thursday outlining the reasons for the raid and declaring that his order to use force to rescue the hostages was in line with his constitutional powers as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He wrote that the kidnappers were "linked to" Somali pirates and financiers.
After planning and rehearsal, the Somalia rescue was carried out by SEAL Team 6, officially known as the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU). It was not clear whether any team members participated in both the raid in Somalia and the bin Laden mission in Pakistan.
The SEALs parachuted from US Air Force special operations aircraft before moving on foot, apparently undetected, to the outdoor encampment, two officials said. They found American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and Poul Hagen Thisted, a 60-year-old Dane, who had been kidnapped in Somalia in late 2011.

The SEALs encountered little resistance from the kidnappers during the operation, which lasted about an hour to an hour and a half, two US officials said. Only one of the attackers fired back and was quickly subdued, one official said. The rest were believed killed, although officials did not rule out the possibility of an escape, as aerial surveillance of the scene was hampered on the cloudy, dark night.
Army special operations MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters then swooped into the subdued encampment near the town of Adado to carry away the SEALs and hostages.
The captors were heavily armed and had explosives nearby when the rescuers arrived on the scene, Pentagon press secretary George Little said, but he was not more specific. Little declined to say whether there was an exchange of gunfire and would not provide further details about the rescue beyond saying that all of the captors were killed by the Americans.
A US defence official said on Thursday Buchanan and Thisted had been flown to Naval Air Station Sigonella, on the Italian island of Sicily, for medical screenings and other evaluations before heading home.
Buchanan's family is meeting her at NAS Sigonella, which is the hub of US Navy air operations in the Mediterranean and hosts an Italian air force base.

Man Dies After Being Hit by Stun Gun

2012-01-19T09:08:00.001-08:00

January 16, 2012 - Authorities in San Bernardino County were investigating the death of a 43-year-old man who died in police custody shortly after a stun gun was used on him during his arrest.

Officers with the Colton Police Department responded to the scene of a “disturbance” report in the 1100 block of South Mohave Dr. in Colton around 5 p.m. Saturday.

Hutalio Serrano, of Colton, allegedly refused to follow an officer’s commands and “actively resisted” the officer, according to a statement from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, which is investigating the death.

An officer then deployed “an electronic control device” on the man, but the measure was ineffective. Three officers managed to handcuff Serrano, but the 260-pound man continued to resist, authorities said.

Shortly after being taken into custody, Serrano suffered a medical emergency and was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 6:23 p.m.

Authorities said an autopsy will be performed later this week to determine a cause of death.

CTTA OFFERS COURSES IN LESS-THAN-LETHAL CONTROL TECHNIQUUES

Among the many courses which CTTA provides worldwide, is the Rapid Integrated Survival Kombat System. This three level course is scheduled monthly at CTTA’s Montreal training facility but it is delivered to larger training groups in the United States on a regular basis.

Hundreds of law enforcement professionals have been trained in the R.I.S.K. Defensive Tactics System.

Each level of the R.I.S.K. Defensive Tactics course is 16 hours and there are now seven instructors in the USA who have been certified by CTTA Master Instructors. Upon the successful completion of the course CTTA will issue a certificate to each participant.

The R.I.S.K. System is a highly effective combat system specifically developed for law enforcement and security professionals. Based on human anatomy and biomechanics, its effectiveness is due to the simplicity of both instinctive as well as learned techniques.

The objective of the R.I.S.K. Defensive Tactics System is to train the participant in the various aspects of physical confrontation so that he can better defend himself in dealing with different types of aggressors, who may be armed or unarmed, and restrain an uncooperative individual while performing an arrest.

This system prides itself in the effective use of recognized “Use of Force Continuums” in order to avoid unnecessary liability issues for both the officer and the department alike.

Some of the skills which participants will acquire are the following:

• Defense against strikes
• Efficient striking techniques
• Restraint techniques
• Ground control and handcuffing
• Ground defense
• Defense against edged weapons
• Handgun and long gun disarming
• Intervention in confined areas

Training courses can be customized according to specific needs.

Our FACEBOOK page is "The Canadian Tactical Training Academy"

www.ctta-global.com

CTTA To Give RISK DT Intro Course at 2012 Bleuline Trade Show

2011-12-08T08:12:00.000-08:00

The Canadian Tactical Training Academy will be giving a 1-day RISK DT (Rapid Integrated Survival Kombat - Defensive Tactics) course at the 2012 Blueline Trade Show.

RISK Defensive Tactics is an easy-to-learn and effective intervention system for Police, Corrections and Security forces.

The RISK System (Rapid Integrated Survival Kombat – Defensive Tactics) was developed by Law Enforcement personnel for Law Enforcement personnel.

RISK Defensive Tactics is an easy-to-learn and effective intervention system for police, corrections and security forces, that integrates natural reactions with the most effective defensive tactics and control techniques available today. Finding a suitable defensive tactics system that complies with proper use-of-force guidelines and still remains effective has been challenging, until now.

RISK DT offers a system that is use-of-force compliant and is effective at controlling noncompliant and aggressive suspects quickly and easily.

To registre for this event, please visit the Blueline registration page: (Please note this course is restricted to Law Enforcement, First Responders, Corrections, Military & Security Personnel)

http://blueline.ca/tradeshow/courses/10/

Occupy Protests & Officer Tactics

2011-11-29T11:23:00.001-08:00

Reporting from San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York -- Police efforts to break up Occupy encampments in Northern California and elsewhere have led to investigations, apologies and lawsuits. And now the soul-searching: Why did some officers use what is being described as excessive force, wielding batons and pepper spray, against apparently peaceful protesters?

The tough response to the 2-month-old movement of civil disobedience — particularly in Oakland and on campuses in Berkeley and Davis — is an outgrowth, some say, of factors that include the spontaneous nature of the Occupy protests and two post-9/11 trends: a heightened police sensitivity to threats and a more militaristic approach to police work.

Former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper, who presided over the chaotic and violent response to the World Trade Organization protests in his city in 1999, faults what he calls the militarization of police forces across America in the last 10 years for the heavy-handed crackdowns on Occupy protesters.

"Everyday policing is characterized by a SWAT mentality, every other 911 call a military mission," Stamper wrote recently in The Nation. "What emerges is a picture of a vital public-safety institution perpetually at war with its own people."

Others see the very nature of the movement — leaderless and spontaneous — as stymieing police departments that have been well-trained in responding to more traditional forms of protest, particularly in New York City, the birthplace of Occupy Wall Street.

Jon Shane, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice who specializes in police policy, said New York cops are well-trained to handle planned occurrences but have struggled with "the unique challenge of a rapidly evolving situation."

With Occupy Wall Street, "you don't know if half the group is going to Wall Street or the other half goes to Times Square," said Shane, who is a retired Newark, N.J., police captain. "That's part of the tactics covered under riot control. You have to have a cadre of people ready to move rapidly."

The most vilified police responses to Occupy protests all happened in Northern California, a region with a long history of civic demonstrations and law enforcement agencies accustomed to civil disobedience.

Two of those were on University of California campuses — Friday's pepper-spraying of seated students at UC Davis and the wielding of batons against protesters, including former poet laureate Robert Haas, at UC Berkeley on Nov. 9.

UC President Mark G. Yudof this week launched an investigation into the Davis incident, which will be headed by former Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton, and a review of police policies in handling student protests at all 10 UC campuses.

The varied responses to Occupy encampments have highlighted vastly different policing practices across the country — and even within the UC system.

Although all UC police departments' 300 or so sworn officers operate under an 86-page, systemwide guideline, officials at each campus have wide discretion, particularly in adapting use-of-force policies. For example, said UC spokeswoman Dianne Klein, departments at UC San Francisco, UC Santa Cruz and UCLA do not use Tasers, but other departments do.

"UCSF has a six-level continuum" in addressing protesters, Klein said. Level 1 involves "mere presence, show and look mean," she explained. "Six is deadly force. Pepper spray and batons are Level 5.

"Again, it's not a stair-step, where each must be applied before you go to the next…. Escalation is based on sound judgment."

At UC Berkeley, Police Chief Mitch Celaya has not authorized the use of large pepper spray canisters like the ones used against students at Davis, said Capt. Margo Bennett. "It is just something we would rather not use on our campus."

Although officers carry small canisters on their utility belts, Bennett said, it is "not intended for primary use in dispersing crowds."

The incident at Berkeley is under review, Bennett said, declining to discuss specifics. But officers used their batons because "the crowd behavior at that moment was not a simple peaceful linking of arms. It was active resistance, where the crowd was pushing against police and acting in a non-peaceful manner."

CTTA OFFERS COURSES IN LESS THAN-LETHAL CONTROL TECHNIQUES

Among the many courses which CTTA provides worldwide is the Rapid Integrated Survival Kombat System - Defensive Tactics (RISK DT). This three level course is scheduled monthly at CTTA’s Montreal training facility but it is delivered to larger training groups in the United States on a regular basis.

Hundreds of law enforcement professionals have been trained in the RISK Defensive Tactics System.

Each level of the RISK Defensive Tactics course is 16 hours and there are now seven instructors in the USA who have been certified by CTTA Master Instructors. Upon the successful completion of the course CTTA will issue a certificate to each participant.

The RISK System is a highly effective combat system specifically developed for law enforcement and security professionals. Based on human anatomy and biomechanics, its effectiveness is due to the simplicity of both instinctive as well as learned techniques.

The objective of the RISK Defensive Tactics System is to train the participant in the various aspects of physical confrontation so that he can better defend himself in dealing with different types of aggressors, who may be armed or unarmed, and restrain an uncooperative individual while performing an arrest.

This system prides itself in the effective use of recognized “Use of Force Continuums” in order to avoid unnecessary liability issues for both the officer and the department alike.

Some of the skills which participants will acquire are the following:

• Defense against strikes
• Efficient striking techniques
• Restraint techniques
• Ground control and handcuffing
• Ground defense
• Defense against edged weapons
• Handgun and long gun disarming
• Intervention in confined areas

Training courses can be customized according to specific needs.

Follow us on TWITTER @ CTTAGLOBAL

Our FACEBOOK page is "The Canadian Tactical Training Academy"

www.ctta-global.com

Police & Military Move in to Secure Brazilian Slums

2011-11-16T11:18:00.001-08:00

RIO DE JANEIRO — About 3,000 police officers and soldiers moved into one of the largest slums here on Sunday in a pivotal effort by the government to assert control over lawless areas of the city ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics.

The military presence included armored carriers. In an operation that began before dawn, military helicopters buzzed the sky, and tanks rolled through the narrow streets of the Rocinha slum. Elite police squads patrolled the alleys, and snipers perched on rooftops.
The authorities said the occupation was an effort at the “pacification” of the sprawling slum, or favela, and it was carried out peacefully. By early Sunday evening, the police, accompanied by contingents from the Brazilian Army and Navy, had not fired a shot.
Under the government plan to assert control over the favelas in Rio, the authorities have brought in specially trained community police officers and have tried to improve basic services. But the process has not always gone smoothly. Street battles last year in the Complexo do Alemão, a patchwork of slums, left more than 30 people dead before security forces won control of the area.
The operation in Rocinha — which is located above some of Rio’s most exclusive residential neighborhoods — was considered the most important step yet in the effort to impose order.
Officials said the operation’s success was made possible by months of intelligence gathering and by the arrest last week of Antônio Bonfim Lopes, the drug lord known as Nem, who was said to have effectively ruled Rocinha.

“Some say it’s good; others say it’s not,” said Nilson Ferreira, 31, a doorman who lives in Vidigal, a slum near Rocinha that was also occupied on Sunday by soldiers and the police. “For me, it’s fine,” said Mr. Ferreira, who watched the police clean an area where drug traffickers had thrown oil to prevent vehicles from passing.
The occupation of Rocinha and Vidigal, which command spectacular views of Rio, is also a crucial phase in the crackdown against drug traffickers that control many of the city’s slums.
The preparations to enter Rocinha, a hillside community of more than 80,000 people that has a thriving assortment of businesses and an emerging tourism trade, involved months of planning, officials said.
Critics said the operation, called “Shock of Peace,” seemed somewhat overdone, given the relative calm in Rocinha compared with the atmosphere in other favelas in Rio, a city with a population of 11.8 million.
“The helicopters flying overheard are more Coppola than Vietnam,” said Luiz Eduardo Soares, a security expert and author, in a Twitter message that referred to the movie “Apocalypse Now,” the director Francis Ford Coppola’s fictional account of the Vietnam War. Mr. Soares also criticized the news media frenzy ahead of the operation, saying that it fed the middle class’s exaggerated fears.
Still, the operation allowed officials to highlight the security gains of recent years, which have made parts of the city considerably safer. Rio’s security chief, José Mariano Beltrame, said on television that the Rocinha operation had returned “dignity and territory to those who haven’t had them for 30 years.”

Searches by the police in the Laboriaux area of Rocinha turned up drugs and caches of weapons and ammunition. The police also guided journalists through the luxurious three-story villa of a Rocinha drug trafficker called Peixe, or Fish, who was arrested last week, showing them his hot tub, swimming pool and collection of imported spirits.
But such displays belied the sense of normalcy that prevailed in Rocinha on Sunday. With the authorities surveying the scene from helicopters, residents gathered to chat while sharing tall bottles of beer. The wheels of commerce also began turning as they had before the incursion.
“Sign up right now,” the vendors for a satellite television service called out to residents. “When there is an operation,” a salesman, Ronaldo Oliveira, 46, said, “there is greater demand.”

About the Canadian Tactical Training Academy
The Canadian Tactical Training Academy (CTTA) was the featured company in a recent trade mission to Brazil sponsored by the province of Quebec.
The trade mission took place from August 29 until September 2, and included visits to Sao Paulo and Brasilia. Angelo Marino, VP of Operations of CTTA represented the company.
CTTA met with the Canadian Vice Consul and Trade Commissioner in Sao Paulo as well as the regional Manager for the Canadian Export Development Corporation.
CTTA participated in many discussions regarding Risk Management and intends to negotiate consulting contracts to provide services based on its extensive expertise and experience in this sector of the security industry.
Going forward, CTTA will follow up specific requests by providing additional information to various companies and agencies.
During the next few years Brazil will spend more than $1 Billion on all aspects of public security as it prepares to host many very important international events. Security expenditures will include training, risk assessment consulting, and surveillance devices for all level of the military, police, and events security.
Brazil normally attracts 5 million tourists per year who spend more than $6 Billion. These numbers are expected to rise sharply over the next years.
The Canadian Tactical Training Academy (CTTA) is an organization devoted to the training of law enforcement, security, investigation, protection officers, and all those who dedicate themselves to maintaining peace.
CTTA offers applied security devices for surveillance and counter-surveillance activities as well as consulting services related to security risk assessments.
The Canadian Tactical training Academy (CTTA) is an organization devoted to worldwide training of peace and law enforcement officers, as well as all other professionals involved in the fields of security, investigation, protection and the maintenance of order.
The Academy also provides tailored security and safety oriented civilian training at both the individual and corporate levels.
Training courses can be customized according to specific needs.
Follow us on TWITTER @ CTTAGLOBAL
Our FACEBOOK page is “The Canadian Tactical Training Academy”

U.S. Top Threat, According to Military Official

2011-11-08T06:38:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON - Iran is the biggest threat to the United States and its allies in the Middle East, surpassing al-Qaida, which is down but not out, a senior U.S. military official said on Friday.

"The biggest threat to the United States and to our interests and to our friends, I might add, has come into focus and it's Iran," said the official, addressing a forum in Washington.

Reporters were allowed to cover the event on condition that the military official not be identified.

Next week, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, is expected to release a report that includes evidence of Iranian nuclear research which makes little sense if not weapons related, Western diplomats said.

The official said he did not believe Iran wanted to provoke a conflict and added he did not know if the Islamic state had decided to build a nuclear weapon.

Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful and that it is enriching uranium to power reactors for electricity generation.

"I don't know that the Iranians have made the decision to make a nuclear weapon," the official said.

He however added the international community had united against Tehran's nuclear ambitions because of the uncertainty over Iran's future course of action.

CTTA Teaches Counter-Terrorism Seminars

According to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), TERRORISM is the unlawful use of force or violence against person or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population or any segment there-of, in furtherance of political or social objectives.

The Counter-Terrorism seminars offer participants both general and more specific views on modern-day terrorism. The objective is to shed light on terrorist groups and their methods and philosophies, so that Security and Law Enforcement professionals may identify the potential components and motivations at the source of a criminal act, and establish a concrete comparative between terrorist ideologies and preventative and protective measures within a given environment. Participants will be better prepared to analyze the present risks within a given work environment and propose the appropriate defensive measures.

Participants will acquire skills involving but not restricted to;

· Definition and history of terrorism
· Understanding terrorism
· Terrorist groups and their signatures
· Local, national, and international terrorism
· Psychological tools of the trade
· Operational tools of the trade
· Government legislation and terrorism
· Terrorism and associated threats
· Modern-day tendencies
· Societal consequences of terrorism
· External influences on terrorism
· Statistical case studies
· Territorial protection and the importance of ports of entry (air, maritime, land, railroad)
· Threat assessment in regards to terrorism (specific operational environments)
· Implementation of the necessary counter measures

The Canadian Tactical training Academy (CTTA) is an organization devoted to worldwide training of peace and law enforcement officers, as well as all other professionals involved in the fields of security, investigation, protection and the maintenance of order.

The Academy also provides tailored security and safety oriented civilian training at both the individual and corporate levels.

Training courses can be customized according to specific needs.
Follow us on TWITTER @ CTTAGLOBAL

Our FACEBOOK page is "The Canadian Tactical Training Academy"

www.ctta-global.com

Experienced Executives will Assist in Company Expansion

2011-11-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

Montreal, Quebec--(November 1, 2011) -

The Canadian Tactical Training Academy (CTTA) (Pink Sheets:CTTG).

The Canadian Tactical Training Academy (CTTA) is pleased to announce the appointment of two new executives.

On October 31, 2011, the Company appointed the following as officers of the Company:

George Tsolakos, Vice President Business Development

In his position of VP Business Development, Mr. Tsolakos will define and implement CTTA’s new global solutions business strategy in order to achieve the best fit with our clients’ needs and expectations. Mr. Tsolakos will be based at CTTA’s head office in Montreal (Quebec-Canada) and will be responsible for the development of an integrated approach to the applied security solutions business in addition to working closely with the Company's R&D and Operations services in identifying new opportunities within this market.

Mr. Tsolakos, a seasoned executive with extensive experience in business development at the international level, has managed business initiatives in the security, pharmaceutical and biotech fields. Prior to joining

CTTA, Mr. Tsolakos held senior level positions in business development and project management at various international companies, most recently he was Director of Business Development at Algorithme Pharma for EU and US based clients.

Mr. Tsolakos holds a Bachelors Degree from the University of Concordia, and a Diploma in Project Management from McGill University.

Larry Kurlender, Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Kurlender is a Chartered Accountant (CA), and also holds Bachelor of Commerce and MBA degrees from

McGill University. Mr. Kurlender is a practicing CA and has managed his own firm since 1996. During his career he has held executive level positions in finance and in management in four major enterprises including multi-national public companies.

Mr. Jocelyn Moisan, President of the company commented “We are very pleased to have these two very experienced executives with the company as we expand our products and services as well as our geographical reach.”

Contacts:

Jocelyn Moisan, Angelo Marino and John Farinaccio

Canadian Tactical Training Academy

7000 Cote de Liesse, Suite 8

Montreal, Quebec, H4T 1E7, Canada

Phone: 514-373-8411 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting

http://www.ctta-global.com

info@ctta-global.com

Twitter @ CTTAGLOBAL

Loaded Gun Slips Through Security Screening

2011-10-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

Airport security officials at Los Angeles International Airport failed to detect a loaded handgun that was contained in a traveler's checked bag Sunday, according to several law enforcement sources.

An airport ramp crew discovered the loaded .38-caliber handgun Sunday after it tumbled from an unzipped compartment in a duffel bag they were loading onto Alaska Airlines Flight 563, according to the sources. The aircraft was leaving the terminal at LAX at 8:15 a.m. Sunday, bound for Portland, Ore.

Workers called Los Angeles Airport Police to report the discovery. The owner of the gun was questioned at the LAPD's Pacific station and released and allowed to board a later flight to Portland. The gun was turned over to Los Angeles police, the source said.

The law enforcement sources declined to speak for attribution on the case, saying they were not authorized to speak for their departments.

A TSA spokeswoman said she was unfamiliar with the incident, but was seeking details and would comment later in the day.

TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers said the TSA had screened the bag for explosives and there were none.

"It's the airline and passenger's responsibility to ensure that firearms are transported correctly," she said. Dankers noted that since the firearm was in a checked bag, the passenger would not have had access to it on the flight].

According to the law enforcement sources, the traveler had not given the airline required notification that he was traveling with a gun in his checked bag on the trip from Los Angeles to Portland.

The traveler told authorities that he had flown out of Portland with the same bag, with the gun inside, three days earlier. It was not immediately clear whether he had notified the airline about the gun when he flew out of Portland.

Marshall McClain, president of the union representing Los Angeles Airport Police, said the incident showed that the Transportation Safety Administration had not focused on its core mission, to thoroughly screen passengers, while expending too much effort on duties that police perform.

"TSA must do their primary mission and do it well," McClain said. "Local law enforcement needs to know that TSA is doing their part and not continuously trying to duplicate the law enforcement side of the airport screening program while their primary mission suffers."

About the Canadian Tactical Training Academy

Security forces play a very important role in emergency management as well as in the daily operations of any airport and/or airline. A safety department’s ability to successfully deal with a crisis situation depend directly upon the preparedness of its officers. In this day and age, the field of airport and airline security is considered to be a specialization for which officers must combine both proper training and pertinent experience. Although some officers represent private entities, generally this is a service carried out under the supervision of a government entity. This training offers the participant the opportunity of acquiring the fundamental notions and necessary instruction from experts in the fields of Airport and Airline Protection, having operated both locally and internationally.

CTTA Training Programs include but are not limited to:

Airport Security Operations:

- ICAO and IATA security standards

- Perimeter protection and access control

- Protecting public areas (parking, ticket counters, restaurant, shops, restrooms, etc.)

- Protecting restricted areas (lounges, restaurants, duty-free shops, restrooms, etc.)

- Vehicle and pedestrian patrols, (public and restricted areas)

Airline Security Operations:

- ICAO and IATA security standards

- Passenger profiling

- Passenger and employee screening

- Dealing with unruly passengers

- Cargo, courier and mail security

Training courses can be customized according to specific needs.

Our FACEBOOK page is "The Canadian Tactical Training Academy"

Syrious Crimes

2011-10-13T09:39:00.001-07:00

REPORTING FROM BEIRUT -- Heavy fighting was reported Tuesday in Syria as security forces mounted an offensive in the city of Homs, where activists said seven people were killed.

The government said “armed terrorist gangs” had assaulted a police station, a hospital and a roadway, and tried to assassinate the head of the hospital’s emergency room. Authorities confiscated heavy weapons and explosives and arrested more than 100 “wanted men,” said the official Syrian Arab News Agency.

The city of more than 1 million in west-central Syria has been a hub of the opposition to the rule of President Bashar Assad since anti-regime protests broke out across the country in March. But anti-regime activists say attacks by government security forces in Homs and surrounding communities have escalated in recent days.

The Local Coordinating Committees, a grass-roots group seeking Assad's ouster, accused the government in a statement of “targeting anything that moves in the streets,” describing “continuous shooting,” outages of electricity and water, and plainclothes security units “roaming the residential neighborhoods.”

Activists have blamed Syrian security forces for attacking peaceful demonstrators, prompting some civilians and army defectors to take up arms. The official news agency blames “terrorist” gunmen for the apparently escalating violence.

The Syrian government has barred most journalists from entering the country, making it difficult to obtain independent verification of reports of casualties and damage.

Almost 3,000 people have died in violence in Syria since March, according to the United Nations. The Syrian government says more than 1,000 security personnel have been killed.

CTTA Teaches Intelligent Crowd Control Methodology

Intelligent Crowd Control Methodology (Trade Mark Pending) is an important aspect of CTTA`s training curriculum. This approach adheres to Canadian government guidelines respecting human rights.

Intelligent Crowd Control Methodology allows law enforcement personnel to effectively maintain the peace in a manner that protects the individual demonstrator from injury. CTTA developed this comprehensive proprietary methodology in response to legal requirements in Canada. Acceptance and demand for this approach in world markets soon followed. Governments, armed forces, and police departments desire to maintain the respect of its citizens even under adverse conditions. News clips of bloodied demonstrators on the evening news do not engender respect; quite the opposite, they produce an even more violent response by the crowd.

Intelligent Crowd Control Methodology helps the law enforcement officer control the situation without causing unnecessary harm to the subjects in a manner which ensures his own safety.

The Canadian Tactical training Academy (CTTA) is an organization devoted to worldwide training of peace and law enforcement officers, as well as all other professionals involved in the fields of security, investigation, protection and the maintenance of order.

The Academy also provides tailored security and safety oriented civilian training at both the individual and corporate levels.

Training courses can be customized according to specific needs.

Our FACEBOOK page is "The Canadian Tactical Training Academy"

www.ctta-global.com

Hamas calls for seizing Israeli soldiers to swap for Palestinian prisoners

2011-10-07T09:10:00.001-07:00

xinhuanet.com

A senior official of the Islamic Hamas movement in Gaza on Friday called on Palestinian militants to seize Israeli soldiers and exchange them with Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

The popular, political, media and diplomatic efforts inside and outside "can never be an alternative to the military efforts to rescue our prisoners from the oppressive occupation's prisons," said Ahmad Bahar, a Gaza-based Hamas leader and deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, in a press statement.

"We should be tireless of making every possible effort to seize Zionist soldiers and exchange them through prisoners swap deals," Bahar said.

In June 2006, Hamas militants and two other minor armed groups seized the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in a cross-border raid southeast of the Gaza Strip. Shalit's captors asked for the release of 1,000 prisoners in exchange for him.

However, the mediation of Egypt and Germany had so far failed to finalize a prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel. Both sides traded accusations that the other was hindering the deal.

Around 6,000 Palestinian and Arab prisoners have been holding a gradual hunger strike in all the 25 Israeli jails for 10 days, protesting tightened measures imposed by the Israeli Prisons Authorities.

Bahar called on the Arab League and its secretary general as well as international rights organizations "to play a more important role to activate the prisoners' question and help release the Palestinian prisoners."

"It's unreasonable that United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki- moon visited Shalit's family but ignored thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails," Bahar said.

2011-10-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

Strong Business Potential Uncovered in High Level Meetings

MONTREAL, Oct 5, 2011 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- The Canadian Tactical Training Academy (CTTA) was the featured company in a recent trade mission to Brazil sponsored by the province of Quebec.

The trade mission took place from August 29 until September 2, and included visits to Sao Paulo and Brasilia. Angelo Marino, VP of Operations of CTTA represented the company.

CTTA conducted worthwhile meetings with a number of world class Brazilian companies and government agencies including Petrobras, Embraer, Flight Technologies, Dimensao, The Port authority of Santos, the Brazilian Association of Defence and Security Industry, the Sao Paulo Department of the Defence Industry, and Union of State Highway Patrols, among others.

Mr. Marino was extremely pleased with the quality and content of the discussions and indicated that "The companies and government departments that we met were very interested in our products and services. There are a great many opportunities in Brazil for CTTA and I believe that important contracts will be signed in the future."

Mr. Marino added that he was pleased with the efforts of the Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade, competently represented by Quebec based Karine Couture and Brazilian based Jose Castro, for organizing the trade mission.

CTTA also met with the Canadian Vice Consul and Trade Commissioner in Sao Paulo as well as the regional Manager for the Canadian Export Development Corporation.

CTTA participated in many discussions regarding Risk Management and intends to negotiate consulting contracts to provide services based on its extensive expertise and experience in this sector of the security industry.

Going forward, CTTA will follow up specific requests by providing additional information to various companies and agencies.

Mr. Marino indicated that he expects Mr. Castro, Quebec's commercial attache in Sao Paulo, to visit CTTA's headquarters in Montreal in the next few weeks.

During the next few years Brazil will spend more than $1 Billion on all aspects of public security as it prepares to host many very important international events. Security expenditures will include training, risk assessment consulting, and surveillance devices for all levels of the military, police, and events security.

Upcoming events include:

- The Brazilian Grand Prix, held annually at Interlagos, is part of the Formula One world Championship.

- World Youth Day to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2013 which will include a visit by Pope Benedict XVI.

- The FIFA World Cup of Soccer to be held in 12 cities in 2014.

- The Summer Olympics will be hosted by Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Brazil normally attracts 5 million tourists per year who spend more than $6 Billion dollars. These numbers are expected to rise sharply over the next years.

About The Canadian Tactical Training Academy

The Canadian Tactical Training Academy (CTTA) is an organization devoted to the training of law enforcement, security, investigation, protection officers and all those who dedicate themselves to maintaining peace.

CTTA offers applied security devices for surveillance and counter-surveillance activities as well as consulting services related to security risk assessments.

Risk factors and cautionary statement about forward-looking information

This press release includes forward-looking statements about our plans and future performance, including those under Outlook for 2011. These statements use such words as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "plan," "anticipate," "contemplate," "target," "continue," "intend," "estimate," "project," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. They reflect our expectations and speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake to update them. Our expectations (or the underlying assumptions) may change or not be realized, and you should not rely unduly on forward-looking statements.

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: Canadian Tactical Training Academy Inc.

CONTACT: Jocelyn Moisan, Angelo Marino and John Farinaccio
        Canadian Tactical Training Academy
        7000 Cote de Liesse, Suite 8
        Montreal, Quebec, H4T 1E7, Canada
        Phone: 514-373-8411
 
http://www.ctta-global.com            info@ctta-global.com
        Twitter @ CTTAGLOBAL

India To Help Train Afghan Security Forces

2011-10-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

CNN

India will help train Afghan security forces under a deal signed by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, according to a copy of the agreement released by India.

The two nations agreed on a wide range of political, trade and person-to-person links under the strategic partnership deal signed Tuesday.

The agreement comes at a time of increasing tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan, India's fiercest regional rival.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday downplayed the significance of the agreement.

"It does not make a difference to Pakistan, nor does it cause Pakistan any harm," he said on GEO TV.

But Kanwal Sibal, a former Indian foreign secretary, laid out the regional tensions to CNN on Wednesday.

"Pakistan continues to press the international community to reduce India's role in Afghanistan, but that position has been effectively rejected by the United States," he said at a conference on the region in London.

"Pakistan cannot have a veto over the right of a sovereign, independent Afghan government to have a relationship with India," he said.

But, he added: "We have no interest in getting involved in the military situation in Afghanistan, so Pakistan has no reason to worry."

One expert on the region refused to predict what effect the deal would have.

"South Asia is a paradox. There are no consistencies in relationships between countries," said Sajjan Gohel, director for international security at the Asia-Pacific Foundation. "What may be the current understanding could well be very different in six months' time."

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are particularly poor at the moment.

Afghanistan said this week that Pakistan's intelligence agency played a role in the assassination of a former Afghan president turned key peace negotiator.

Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was spearheading the reconciliation process with the Taliban in Afghanistan, was killed in a September 20 suicide bombing at his home.

"There are no doubts that ISI had its involvement in the plot," Interior Minister Bismillah Mohammadi told Afghan lawmakers, referring to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency. "We have handed over the documents and proof to the Pakistani government."

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry denied the claims, calling them "baseless allegations."

Pakistan did not comment on the India-Afghanistan agreement and did not respond to questions from CNN about it Wednesday.

The deal notes that it is "not directed against any other state or group of states."

It also includes a promise of Afghan support for India's quest to get a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Tensions Ignited by Rival Gangs Casino Shootings

2011-09-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

KEN RITTER

With a Hells Angel dead in a northern Nevada casino shooting, two members of the rival Vagos motorcycle club wounded and a third hurt in a drive-by attack hours later, investigators were using video and witnesses Monday to identify who's responsible for the weekend violence.

One Hells Angels member was in jail, but no arrests have been made in Friday night's slaying of Jeffrey "Jethro" Pettigrew at John Ascuaga's Nugget, Deputy Sparks Police Chief Brian Allen said. Pettigrew, 51, was the president of the Hells Angels chapter in San Jose, Calif., where he worked as a city heavy equipment operator.

Allen said Monday that casino surveillance video won't be made public until investigators complete the painstaking work of identifying about 60 Vagos and 12 Hells Angels amid a crowd of several hundred people gambling and partying. Members of the crowd suddenly dove for cover when gunfire disrupted the regional Street Vibrations motorcycle rally.

"In Arizona, more than two dozen members of the rival groups were arrested in August 2010 after a shootout left five people wounded in Chino Valley, north of Prescott.

In California, an annual organized crime report from the state attorney general calls longstanding tensions between the Hells Angels and the Vagos "particularly poignant." It cited instances in which the Hells Angels have forced Vagos out of chapters in Hells Angels hotspots.

San Jose police Sgt. Jason Dwyer downplayed the possibility of retaliatory acts in the largest city of the San Francisco Bay area.

"We are not aware of any specific threat at this time," Dwyer said Monday. "We are not expecting any action here."

Allen said it appeared from the videos that the Sparks shooting was spontaneous and not the result of two groups entering the 1,600-room hotel and casino girded for battle.

One witness told the Reno Gazette-Journal that a man wearing Hells Angels insignia pulled a handgun and fired after being bloodied and knocked to the floor in a fistfight.

The shooting drew a heavy response from local, state and federal law enforcers, prompting the cancellation of the weekend rally in Sparks. The mayor declared a state of emergency.

Two men identified by police as Vagos motorcycle club members from California were wounded.

The only man arrested immediately after the shooting — Cesar Villagrana, 36, a Hells Angel member from California — was being held Monday on $500,000 bail at the Washoe County jail in Reno. He faces a court appearance on felony assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a stolen firearm charges.

Sparks Mayor Geno Martini later linked a drive-by shooting Saturday morning that left a motorcyclist wounded to the deadly casino shooting less than 12 hours earlier.

CTTA THROUGH ITS PARTNER PALESTRA GROUP INTERNATIONAL, OFFERS ANTI-GANG AND ANTI-MOTORCYCLE GANG COURSES

These courses identify colors, monikers, hierarchy, financial activities, tattoos, coded writings, hand signs and speech as well as counter surveillance techniques used by the clubs. These courses include case studies of the clubs and their organization.

These courses are designed to give a basic working knowledge of street gangs and the ability to recognize and identify a street gang member.

Course List:

· BASIC STREET GANG

· CANADIAN STREET GANGS “Bangin Across the Border”

· CRIMINAL PROSECUTORS - BASIC STREET GANGS

· CHILD AND YOUTH SERVICES - BASIC GANGS

· OUTLAW MOTORCYCLE GANGS - O.M.G

· COMPREHENSIVE BASIC STREET GANGS

· SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER - BASIC STREET GANGS

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B.C. could lose RCMP if November deadline not met

2011-09-28T07:08:00.001-07:00

By Katie DeRosa

VICTORIA — With negotiations over the policing contract in B.C. stalled, the federal government has given the province an ultimatum: sign a 20-year deal by November or we’ll withdraw RCMP services from the province.

B.C. Solicitor General Shirley Bond said Tuesday the federal government is effectively forcing the province to sign an inadequate “take-it-or-leave-it” deal without accountability or cost control measures.

“That ultimatum is an unfortunate development for local governments who’ve been consistently concerned about containing their escalating RCMP costs,” Bond said in a terse statement, after raising the issue at Union of B.C. Municipalities meeting in Vancouver.

Bond said negotiations are being stonewalled by the federal government, which refuses to push back the November deadline.

“I am committed to making a deal that reflects a true partnership, strengthens accountability and contains costs in specific ways — matters the federal side has been ignoring in the interest of giving us an ultimatum,” Bond said.

The province and the federal government have been negotiating over the last four years for a new RCMP contract. The current one expires March 2012.

Bond said she was disappointed when, in the last month, Alberta and Saskatchewan broke away from negotiations by a block of provinces and inked 20-year deals with the RCMP.

“We still believe, fundamentally, that all levels of government benefit from having a national police presence like the RCMP in community policing but I am starting to wonder whether the federal government still wants to be in contract policing,” Bond said in the statement.

The RCMP in have faced a barrage of criticism in B.C. after several high profile police shootings and deaths, included the Tasering death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski in the Vancouver International Airport in October 2007.

Critics have urged the B.C. government to negotiate a five-year deal with the RCMP so that it can look at setting up a provincial force. The province also wanted the RCMP to be accountable to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner and the new Independent Investigations Office, which look into police misconduct and police-involved shootings or serious injuries, respectively.

The RCMP could not be reached for comment.

Victoria Times Colonist

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Stay Sharp – Edged Weapons Still a Threat

2011-09-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

Dave Grossi, Law Officer's Tactics columnist

It’s been over two decades since Calibre Press, Inc. released their award-winning video “Surviving Edged Weapons.” That training video and the concepts and tactics of edged weapon defense, perhaps more than anything else, revolutionized the officer safety skills required to keep cops safe when dealing with likely knife threats. The “21-foot drill” developed by retired Salt Lake City, Utah Police Lieutenant Dennis Tueller has become a staple of edged weapon defense.

Yet, edged weapons continue to be a significant danger to today’s street cops. A study released a few years ago by the FBI reported that “edged weapons are the second leading cause of homicides in the U.S. behind handguns.” In fact, suspects continue to kill more people with knives and other edged weapons than with rifles and shotguns combined. Cops are still dying at the hands of edged weapon assailants.

Earlier this month, New Castle County, Del., Police Sergeant Joe Szczerba, age 44, an 18-year veteran, was fatally stabbed while fighting with a suspect he was trying to arrest for disorderly conduct. Details regarding the incident are still sketchy, and this article isn’t going to address the tactics surrounding that officer’s arrest attempts. But, this piece is prompted in part by that death and the fact that, in my opinion, many trainers and agencies have let their edged weapon defense training lapse over the years because of increased emphasis on active shooter training, WMD issues and other matters.

We all know training time is limited, but hopefully EW threats and the tactics needed to counter them have not fallen too far by the way side.

Dedicated to the Memory of New Castle County, Del., Police Sergeant Joe Szczerba.

CTTA OFFERS COURSES IN LESS-THAN-LETHAL DEFENSIVE TACTICS

Among the many courses which CTTA provides worldwide is the Rapid Integrated Survival Kombat System. This three level course is offered through CTTA’s Montreal training facility as well as being is delivered to larger training groups in the United States on a regular basis.

Hundreds of law enforcement professionals have been trained in the RISK Defensive Tactics System.
Each level of the RISK Defensive Tactics course is 16 hours and there are now seven instructors in the USA who have been certified by CTTA Master Instructors. Upon the successful completion of the course, CTTA will issue a certificate to each participant.

The RISK System is a highly effective combat system specifically developed for law enforcement and security professionals. Based on human anatomy and biomechanics, its effectiveness is due to the simplicity of both instinctive as well as learned techniques.

The objective of the R.I.S.K. Defensive Tactics System is to train the participant in the various aspects of physical confrontation so that he can better defend himself in dealing with different types of aggressors, who may be armed or unarmed, and restrain an uncooperative individual while performing an arrest.
This system prides itself in the effective use of recognized “Use of Force Continuums” in order to avoid unnecessary liability issues for both the officer and the department alike.

Some of the skills which participants will acquire are the following:

• Defense against strikes
• Efficient striking techniques
• Restraint techniques
• Ground control and handcuffing
• Ground defense
• Defense against edged weapons
• Handgun and long gun disarming
• Intervention in confined areas

Training courses can be customized according to specific needs.

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Gun On Plane - Error Not Terror

2011-09-23T07:07:00.001-07:00

CTV NEWS

Aaron Haight, a licensed owner of a Glock 22 and Baby Eagle 941, had no business boarding with his firearms and he knew it. What he couldn’t figure out was why everyone else seemed to think it was OK for his pistols to be in the cabin with him.

It's a story that starts early, 4:30am on June 14th, 2011. Aaron's sleepy, and needs to fill out a form in order to bring his firearms with him from Vancouver to Collingwood, Ont. for a shooting competition.

The RCMP has given him permission to travel with the weapons; he asks the Air Canada customer service agent for the form. The white paper he's handed doesn't look familiar, but he's told to fill it out. So he does.
Not once was he asked for a badge. Not once did he say he was a police officer. Nonetheless he's given police paperwork, on which he indicates the RCMP has authorized the travel. Those four little letters were enough to have him arrested upon landing in Toronto.

We can debate back and forth about whether he made a mistake. There's not much question that he shouldn't have filled out that form. But as a passenger who might have been travelling on board that plane, it's a comforting thought to know such mistakes get caught, either by the airline or the Canadian Airline Transportation Safety Authority. Prepare to get uncomfortable.

When Aaron told security he didn't have a badge, they accepted his gun licence. When he questioned whether it wouldn't be a problem to bring the guns on board he was told to hand the case to the flight attendant. Only in-flight and unable to produce a badge he never claimed to have, did the pilot sound the alarm.

When I asked the Peel Regional Police officers about the file they were adamant -- Aaron did nothing illegal. Three hours after they arrested him, he was cleared of all charges -- after the police watched video surveillance from YVR. They concluded Aaron never did anything to give the impression he was a peace officer; that he should never have been given that form. What's more, CATSA and Air Canada both acknowledge it happened and have made changes in hopes it doesn't happen again… as someone who travels from time to time I sure hope so too. And that if a mistake like that ever happens again, that it happens to someone like Aaron. Someone who has no intention of harming anyone, who has a great respect for firearms and who was willing to tell me the story of how his Glock 22 got on board.

The Canadian Tactical training Academy (CTTA) is a for-profit educational institution devoted to worldwide training of peace and law enforcement officers, as well as all other professionals involved in the fields of security, investigation, protection and the maintenance of order.

The Academy also provides tailored security and safety oriented civilian training at both the individual and corporate levels.

CTTA courses include Counter-Terrorism seminars, Airport and Airline Security, Physical Security and Protection of Infrastructure, among others.

CTTA Homepage Twitter Facebook Google +1 LinkedIn Youtube

Introduction To Concealed Compartments

2011-09-19T11:50:00.001-07:00

October 26th, 2011

Medal of Honor for Marine

2011-09-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

www.washingtonpost.com

By Associated Press, Published: September 14 | Updated: Thursday, September 15, 6:09 AM

Memorials to coincide with Medal of Honor ceremony for former Marine who saved 36 lives

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Dakota Meyer saved 36 lives from an ambush in Afghanistan and the former Marine will collect the nation’s highest military honor at the White House on Thursday. While he is receiving the Medal of Honor, Meyer’s slain comrades will be memorialized in hometown ceremonies at his request.

His hero’s moment was his darkest day. Meyer lost some of his best friends the morning of Sept. 8, 2009, in far-off Kunar

(Associated Press ) - In this undated photo released by the U.S. Marines, Sgt. Dakota Meyer poses for a photo while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Ganjgal Village, Kunar province, Afghanistan. The White House announced the 23-year-old Marine scout sniper from Columbia, Ky., who has since left the Marine Corps, will become the first living Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor in decades for his actions in Afghanistan.

“It’s hard, it’s ... you know ... getting recognized for the worst day of your life, so it’s... it’s a really tough thing,” Meyer said, struggling for words.

Meyer charged through heavy insurgent gunfire on five death-defying trips in an armored Humvee to save 13 Marines and Army soldiers and another 23 Afghan troops pinned down by withering enemy fire. Meyer personally killed at least eight insurgents despite taking a shrapnel wound to one arm as he manned the gun turret of the Humvee and provided covering fire for the soldiers, according to the military.

President Barack Obama will bestow the medal at a White House ceremony. The two have also met privately, having a beer on a patio outside the Oval Office on Wednesday.

“Over the weekend, the President’s staff called Meyer in preparation for Thursday’s Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House. Meyer asked the staffer if he could have a beer with the President. POTUS invited Dakota to come by the White House this afternoon,” spokesman Jay Carney tweeted.

In Afghanistan, Meyer was part of a security team supporting a patrol moving into a village in the Ganjgal Valley on the day of the ambush.

Meyer and the other Americans had gone to the area to train Afghan military members when, suddenly, the village lights went out and gunfire erupted. About 50 Taliban insurgents on mountainsides and in the village had ambushed the patrol.

As the forward team took fire and called for air support that wasn’t coming, Meyer, a corporal at the time, begged his command to let him head into the incoming fire to help.

Four times he was denied his request before Meyer and another Marine, Staff Sgt. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez, jumped into the Humvee and headed into the fray. For his valor, Rodriguez-Chavez, a 34-year-old who hailed originally from Acuna, Mexico, would be awarded the Navy Cross.

“They told him he couldn’t go in,” said Dwight Meyer, Dakota Meyer’s 81-year-old grandfather, a former Marine who served in the 1950s. “He told them, ‘The hell I’m not,’ and he went in. It’s a one-in-a-million thing” that he survived.

With Meyer manning the Humvee’s gun turret, the two drew heavy fire. But they began evacuating wounded Marines and American and Afghan soldiers to a safe point. Meyer made five trips into the kill zone, each time searching for the forward patrol with his Marine friends — including 1st Lt. Michael Johnson — whom Meyer had heard yelling on the radio for air support.

With Meyer and Rodriguez-Chavez ready to test fate a fifth time in the kill zone, a UH-60 helicopter arrived at last to provide overhead support. Troops aboard the chopper told Meyer they had spotted what appeared to be four bodies. Meyer knew those were his friends and he had to bring them out.

“It might sound crazy, but it was just, you don’t really think about it, you don’t comprehend it, you don’t really comprehend what you did until looking back on it,” Meyer said.

Wounded and tired, Meyer left the relative safety of the Humvee and ran out on foot.

“He just really took a chance,” Dwight Meyer said.

Ducking around buildings to avoid heavy gunfire, he reached the bodies of Johnson, a 25-year-old from Virginia Beach; Staff Sgt. Aaron Kenefick, 30, of Roswell, Ga.; Corpsman James Layton, 22, of Riverbank, Calif.; and Edwin Wayne Johnson Jr., a 31-year-old gunnery sergeant from Columbus, Ga.

Meyer and two other soldiers dodged bullets and rocket-propelled grenades to pull the bodies out of a ditch where the men had died while trying to take cover.

The deaths of Meyer’s comrades prompted an investigation into events that day, and two Army officers were later reprimanded for being “inadequate and ineffective” and for “contributing directly to the loss of life.” Along with Meyer’s friends, a fifth American — Army Sgt. Kenneth W. Westbrook, 41, of Shiprock, N.M. — was fatally wounded in the ambush.

Meyer said he’ll be humbled by the memory of his fallen comrades as he receives the award Thursday. One of the memorials will be at a Columbus cemetery for gunnery sergeant Johnson, a father of three who served nearly 13 years in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Will Duke, one of the organizers, said the memorials spoke volumes about Meyer.

“I can tell by his actions, not only the actions he took in earning the Medal of Honor in Afghanistan but also the actions he is taking now. Essentially by requesting these memorial services for his fallen comrades, he’s saying this is about them,” Duke said.

Militants Launch Attack on U.S. Embassy in Kabul

2011-09-13T07:32:00.001-07:00

www.nytimes.com

By ALISSA J. RUBIN and JACK HEALY

Published: September 13, 2011

KABUL, Afghanistan — Insurgents launched a complex assault against the American Embassy and the nearby NATO headquarters on Tuesday, pelting the heavily guarded compounds with rockets in an attack that raised new questions about the security of Afghanistan’s capital and the Westerners working there.

At least 10 explosions — apparently from rockets launched by militants — and waves of automatic weapons fire were reported amid the drone of sirens and English-language warnings telling Americans inside the embassy to take cover.

Sediq Sediqi, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said that two attackers had been killed, as had one policeman. At about 4 p.m. local time, three attackers were believed to be still fighting. Kerri Hannan, a spokeswoman for the American Embassy, said that no embassy personnel had been hurt.

It was unclear precisely how many assailants were behind the assault or whether they were attacking from a single or multiple locations. The attackers were holed up on several floors of a tall, partly built concrete building that offered a bird’s-eye view of the secured diplomatic and military compounds about a half mile away. Flashes from gun barrels could be seen as the militants fired from their perch. Afghan security forces returned fire from the ground, sending puffs of concrete dust into the air as bullets slapped the building.

“We don’t know how many suicide bombers are in the building,” said Col. Abdul Zahir, of the criminal investigative division of the Kabul police. “They’re shooting at the embassy. We’re still in fighting position. We can’t say anything.”

Two explosions were also reported near the Afghan Parliament, but it was unclear whether militants were specifically trying to attack the government building or other targets.

The embassy assault, which began around 1:15 p.m., was the latest in a string of attacks that have chipped away at a tenuous sense of security in the capital. In August, militants killed eight people in an attack on a British cultural center, and in June, nine suicide bombers breached layers of security to attack the hillside Intercontinental Hotel.

By 3:10 p.m., two Blackhawk helicopters circled the building, but did not immediately open fire.

The streets surrounding the site of the attack, normally choked with the traffic of minibuses, bicycles and Toyotas, were deserted on Monday afternoon of all but security forces and people racing for cover.

“We don’t know what’s happening,” one Afghan soldier said. “Everywhere you can hear shooting.”

Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack in a text message, saying the Taliban had set out to attack the embassy, a NATO base and Afghan government buildings. His claim could not be immediately confirmed.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force confirmed there were continuing attacks against the embassy and ISAF headquarters, and said in a Twitter message there were “forces responding quickly,” but provided no other details. The attack came less than two months after Afghan forces assumed formal responsibility for security in the capital, one of several corners of the country where security was officially handed over in July.

Sharifullah Sahak and Ray Rivera contributed reporting.

The Canadian Tactical Training Academy in Brazil

2011-08-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

As part of our efforts to continue developing international contracts, CTTA has joined the Quebec government’s trade mission to Brazil, taking place in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro until September 2nd.

Brazil will be hosting several major international events in the coming years including the FIFA 2014 world cup, the 2016 Olympics as well as the annual Brazilian Grand Prix. Thousands of police officers and security guards will need to be hired and trained in preparation for these large-scale events.

CTTA is offering a variety of specialized training to police, military and security forces; including Crowd Control Methodology, Special Event Security & Security Management, Executive Protection Training, domestic Intelligence, Counter Terrorism as well as offering tactical courses such as baton, handcuffing and defensive tactics training.

Brazil will be spending nearly $1 Billion in the coming years on solidifying their security framework.

The Passing Of A legend And A Friend - John T. McAleese

2011-08-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the passing of our adjunct instructor, warrior, friend, colleague, and mentor John T. McAleese.

John is a legendry member of the SAS and will always be remembered for his actions at the Iranian Embassy siege in 1980; where millions watched as the SAS stormed the building. But, John was much more. He was a teacher, a consummate professional, a father and a friend.

Our thoughts and our prayers are with his family and friends. We hope he is now at peace and with his son Paul.

God bless you John and Rest in Peace, Brother.

The CTTA Team

"A tribute to one of Britain's true heroes. John McAleese (aka Mac) served in

Her Majesty's Armed Forces for 22 years with 15 of these being in the SAS".

-John McAleese Appreciation Society Facebook Group

Calderon: Mexico Casino Fire Deaths "Act Of Terrorism"

2011-08-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

www.washingtonpost.com

MEXICO CITY — Calling a deadly fire at a casino “an act of terrorism,” Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his top law enforcement officials vowed Friday to capture the gangsters responsible for the deaths of 52 people who perished in a fire set by gunmen at the Casino Royale in Monterrey.

Security cameras captured images of a dozen assailants pulling up in four vehicles to the front doors of the casino, spilling out of their trucks and cars in mid-afternoon and entering the entertainment complex, which offers bingo and betting on sports and horse racing.

As casino customers are seen quickly rushing from the front doors, some of the gunmen stand watching by their cars. They did not appear to wearing masks, and with computer enhancements, the license plates numbers of their vehicles would likely be readable.

Within two minutes and 30 seconds of their arrival, black smoke and flames appear in the security video and the gunmen are seen rapidly leaving and driving away.

The Casino Royale is the third such establishment targeted this month in northern Mexico. On Wednesday night, gunmen attacked the Caliente Casino in Saltillo, following a similar attack on Aug. 15 against the Sun City casino there.

The industrial and business-oriented city of Monterrey was previously free from Mexico’s crime and murder wave, but in the past year the city has seen its homicide rates soar, as organized crime and drug gangs attack each other and police, and prey upon businesses in extortion rackets.

The governor of the state of Nuevo León in northern Mexico said at a press conference Friday morning the Monterrey fire was ignited by "a group of people linked to organized crime," but did not specify what group or if there were any links to Mexico’s drug trafficking organizations.

Gov. Rodrigo Medina de la Cruz put the official death toll at 52 and said that most of the victims appeared to have died of smoke inhalation and burns from the fire — and not from gunshots. The governor said that 13 eyewitnesses to the attack had been interviewed.

Wearing a black suit and tie as a sign of mourning, President Calderon said Friday morning that the country was “facing real terrorists who know no limits.

"We have to fight even more forcefully. They can not be allowed to own our streets, our cities," Calderon said.

In his remarks, Calderon also blamed the United States. The Mexican president called on Congress, the U.S. government and citizens to reflect on the tragedy and see that the insatiable consumption of drugs “involving millions and millions of Americans” fueled the criminal gangs in Mexico with billions of dollars in profits.

"This drug consumption should be reduced drastically, and if that is not possible, the United States must work at least to prevent the transfer of the dollars to Mexico," Calderon said.

Calderon, however, did not identify what drug smuggling cartel might have been involved in the fire.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation. Some witnesses reported that the attackers threw grenades into the Casino Royale in Monterrey, while others said gasoline bombs started the fire.

The flames trapped customers and staff in the building. A survivor told the Mexico City newspaper Reforma that many of the dead were crushed to death in a stampede for the emergency exits.

Video: Marine Corps Times interviews Dakota Meyer, Medal of Honor recipient

2011-08-26T05:17:00.000-07:00

Marine Corps Times interviews Dakota Meyer, Medal of Honor recipient

GREENSBURG, Ky. — It has been a long journey.

Dakota Meyer will receive the Medal of Honor on Sept. 15, two years after he braved enemy fire multiple times in Afghanistan in attempt to save fellow U.S. service members in Ganjgal, Afghanistan. He made it out of the valley alive, and they didn’t. It’s a tough situation to digest.

Marine Corps Times readers know the story well by now — various aspects of it have led me to write three cover stories since early last year, including a profile on Meyer.

With the White House announcement now official, however, I made my way down to Meyer’s hometown this week with staff photographer Chris Maddaloni.

We met him at his grandparents’ farm Tuesday in this rural town of 2,500 people, sitting in their living room to discuss the battle, its aftermath and how he handles all the attention. An excerpt of the interview is available here:

We’ll have a lot more in next week’s print edition of Marine Corps Times, but I thought it was worth sharing some personal observations here.

Meyer has taken the time to do at least 20 interviews since the White House’s announcement — a heavy workload that must be both monotonous and exhausting. Still, he sits dutifully, answering questions from reporters — some of whom clearly haven’t done their research and ask dumb questions, based on a quick Google search.

Meyer still loves to crack jokes, and clearly has a great relationship with his grandparents, Dwight and Jean Meyer. Married 58 years, they’re planning to fly to Washington for the ceremony. They proudly shared their recollection of the Korean War, which Dwight served in as a Marine. His haircut is still squared away, snow-white hair and all.

Anti-Terror Program 'Kept New York Safe,' - NYPD

2011-08-25T06:58:00.000-07:00

www.nydailynews.com

The NYPD and CIA sent undercover agents to watch mosques, bookstores and cafés in Muslim neighborhoods to sniff out terror plots - a tactic cops say helped them thwart seven planned attacks.

The Daily News largely confirmed the details of an Associated Press report revealing the existence of what it called the NYPD's Demographic Unit, which uses "mosque crawlers" to gather information.

Critics charge the operation to gather intel on the city's imams, cabbies and street-meat sellers blurs the line between foreign and domestic spying and stretches legal limits on racial profiling.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne blasted the AP story, saying it was "marked by outright fiction," and insisting there's no such thing as "mosque crawlers."

Browne said cops did nothing wrong in their efforts to combat terrorism - and foiled some major plots in the process.

"We're going to do all we reasonably can to keep New York safe," he said. "And we uphold the Constitution in doing so."

He said there have been at least 13 major plots against New York since 9/11 and pointed to seven cases in which information from the NYPD's Intelligence Unit helped nab would-be terrorists.

"We commit over a thousand officers to the fight every day to stop terrorists who've demonstrated an undiminished appetite to come back and kill more New Yorkers," Browne said.

"We don't apologize for it."

City Councilman Peter Vallone, head of the Public Safety Committee, was even more blunt.

"Maybe they should infiltrate a few sewing clubs, just to be politically correct?" he asked rhetorically. "Clearly, they are going where they reasonably believe terrorist activity could be."

One source said the department has deep undercovers who live as members of different communities to keep a constant watch for danger.

Top cop taps CIA veteran

The counterrorism operation was started by CIA veteran David Cohen, who was tapped in 2002 by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who thought the 9/11 attacks proved the NYPD could no longer rely on the feds to protect the city.

Cohen and another agency veteran, Larry Sanchez, created an operation inside the NYPD with spies and analysts and an unprecedented international scope. The AP said Sanchez stayed on the CIA payroll while maintaining offices at Police Headquarters and the CIA station in New York.

The revelations of surveillance of New York's Muslim community reignited the verbal battle about freedom versus security, one that has been smoldering since 9/11.

"The question we should all have is whether the NYPD is operating a domestic CIA - but without the oversight or regulations that hold it in check," said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

"You call the U.S. a free country and you do this?" asked Shahid Malick, 28, a Pakistani cabbie from Bay Ridge.

"From now on, I can't feel safe in my own mosque because someone might be sitting behind me spying."

But Saleem Akbar, 58, a fabric store owner who is the unofficial mayor of Midwood's large Pakistani community, said the cops are trying to protect everyone in the city.

"They are doing it for your children and my children. I don't mind even if they are doing it secretly. If someone is hatching a conspiracy, they are hiding it from me, too. I want them found out," Akbar said.

"U.S. security comes first. I don't care if they are doing it in mosques. I don't care if they are doing it in airports. I'm glad they are doing it."

The AP said arrests for even minor crimes could become leverage to persuade someone to become an informant and young Middle Eastern men are singled out for extra questioning.

Rep. Peter King (R-L.I.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said he's confident the department is abiding by the Constitution.

"I don't see civil rights abuses," King said.

"Everyone was critical of law enforcement after 9/11 for not thinking out of the box. The NYPD is getting the job done."

One source familiar with the NYPD counterterror operations said the only way to root out jihadists is to hang out where they might be.

"If you're looking for the IRA, you don't go to Katz's Deli - you go to an Irish pub," the source said.

The cases against Shahawar Matin Siraj, who was found guilty in 2006 of plotting to bomb the subway, and the two men arrested at Kennedy Airport on their way to join terrorists in Somalia, were developed in such a manner.

NYPD Intelligence Unit Seen Pushing Rights Limits

2011-08-24T04:22:00.000-07:00

by NPR Staff

Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the New York Police Department has become one of America's most aggressive gatherers of domestic intelligence. Its intelligence unit, directed by a retired CIA veteran, dispatches undercover officers to keep tabs on ethnic neighborhoods — sometimes in areas far outside their jurisdiction.

The existence of the Intelligence Division & Counter-Terrorism Bureau has been public knowledge, but many of its operations were kept secret. An investigation by the Associated Press has uncovered new details about how the unit, led by Deputy Commissioner David Cohen, works.

"The lesson of 9/11 to the NYPD was, 'We can't just can't sit back and let the federal government tell us how to keep us safe or what intelligence we need to know or who might be after us,'" AP reporter Matt Apuzzo tells Morning Edition guest host David Greene. "We need to take responsibility for this ourselves, and we're going to go to wherever we need to go to get this information."

Interview Highlights: David Greene talks with the AP's Matt Apuzzo:

On intelligence operations

"What's new here is just how close a relationship the NYPD has with the Central Intelligence Agency. And because of that relationship, the NYPD has been allowed to expand its intelligence gathering in ways that go far beyond what any other police department in the country can do."

On 'rakers' and 'crawlers'

"They have teams of undercover officers, they're known as rakers, who basically just troll ethnic neighborhoods. One officer described it as mapping the human terrain of New York. They also have informants known as mosque crawlers, who as the name implies, just sort of hang out in mosques, being the eyes and ears of the police department in mosques.

On legality

"If the FBI had an informant in a mosque, without information about a crime being committed, that would seem to violate the federal privacy act, which says the federal government can't collect or maintain information specifically related to First Amendment activities" without specific cause.

On a lack of scrutiny

"The New York Police Department is our largest police department in the country. They get a lot of money from the federal government. There's not a lot of discussion about whether New Yorkers have given up any privacy or civil liberties in exchange for security. And because there's not a lot of oversight, I don't think New Yorkers actually know whether they've given up privacy and liberty in exchange for security."

On public sentiment

"Almost every person we interviewed said, 'Look, this is exactly what you need. This is what has to happen to keep New York safe. And if we don't do it, we're not doing our jobs. And New Yorkers won't accept another attack. They will accept this, because it's what has to be done."

On tactics

"They're being creative in ways that come right up against the line of what the federal government or other police departments either can do, or feel comfortable doing."

SAS troopers help co-ordinate rebel attacks in Libya

2011-08-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

The serving soldiers have joined British special forces and have been acting as forward air controllers and advising on tactics

www.guardian.co.uk

The Guardian has learned that a number of serving British special forces soldiers, as well as former SAS troopers, are advising and training rebel forces, although their presence is officially denied.

The Guardian has previously reported the presence of former British special forces troops, now employed by private security companies and funded by a number of sources, including Qatar. They have been joined by a number of serving SAS soldiers.

They have been acting as forward air controllers – directing pilots to targets – and communicating with Nato operational commanders. They have also been advising rebels on tactics, a task they have not found easy.

For the SAS it is a return to old stamping grounds. In one of their first successful missions in the second world war, they attacked airfields inLibya, destroying 60 aircraft. SAS battle honours include Tobruk in 1941 and a raid on Benghazi in 1942.

They returned to Libya in February this year, even before the UN mandate urging states to protect civilians from Gaddafi's forces. Shortly afterwards, a group of SAS soldiers were seized, though quickly released, by nervous rebels south of Benghazi when their Chinook helicopter landed two MI6 officers with communications equipment.

SAS soldiers later advised Misrata-based rebel forces who secured the port city and helped to pass on details of the locations of Gaddafi's forces to British commanders in the UK and the Naples headquarters of Canadian commander of Nato forces, Lt Gen Charles Bouchard.

In what is hoped to be the endgame in the Libyan conflict and the fight to oust Gaddafi, a number of SAS soldiers are now advising the rebels as they storm the capital, Tripoli.

France is understood to have deployed special forces in Libya and Qatari and Jordanian special forces are believed to have also played a role.

UK riots: More than 1,000 being hauled before courts

2011-08-10T04:36:00.000-07:00

London quieter overnight but looting and fires in

Birmingham, Manchester and elsewhere as police tackle marauding gangs

www.guardian.co.uk

Extra courts are being set up to deal with criminal charges from four nights of looting and rioting in English cities.More than 1,000 people have been arrested in centres including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Bristol and Leicester.

The Metropolitan police arrested 81 people on Tuesday night in the capital, where it was much quieter with 16,000 police officers from forces around the country on the streets.

Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham bore the brunt of the latest rioting and looting, with trouble also erupting in Liverpool, Salford, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton, Bristol and Gloucester.In Birmingham a murder inquiry is under way after three British Asian men were killed by a car in a suspected hit-and-run. Police have not established whether there was any direct link to disturbances in the city apart from the sheer numbers on the streets.

In Manchester police warned looters: "We are coming for you" and in London a senior police officer said vigilante groups set up to protect shops and homes were hampering police operations.

There were reports of people seeking to prevent looting in suburbs including Enfield and Eltham, where there were supporters of the English Defence League present, and Southall, where Sikhs protected their temple.The Met's deputy assistant commissioner Steve Kavanagh told Sky News: "These are small pockets of people. They're frustrated, they're angry and that's totally understandable. But the support that we need is to allow those officers to prevent looting and prevent crime. The sadness of those images through the night and the night before last will affect everyone.

"Ironically, when you see those images with no police available, the police are now having to go and do the vigilantes as well as the other problems that they've got. That needs to stop."Downing Street slapped down an appeal from the London mayor, Boris Johnson, to think again about cutting police numbers following the urban unrest. It said cuts had to be made to deal with the UK's deficit.

David Cameron, the prime minister, chaired another meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee on Wednesday to discuss the continuing unrest.

In Manchester groups of young people repeatedly evaded police from the late afternoon onwards, breaking into upmarket shops and setting a branch of the Miss Selfridge clothing chain on fire. As evening fell up to 200 youths raided an off-licence and other shops in the main shopping precinct of Salford, a couple of miles to the west.

The violence ebbed in Manchester city centre around midnight and police regained control.Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan of Greater Manchester police criticised "unprecendented" criminality and on Wednesday warned: "Hundreds and hundreds of people, we have your image, we have your face, we have your acts of wanton criminality on film." "We are coming for you from today, and no matter how long it takes we will arrest those people responsible."

Nazir Afzal, chief crown prosecutor in the north-west of England, said: "Prosecutors have been working with police to prepare for just such an outcome, and charging those who committed crimes during the disorder last night is our top priority."

We have arranged for increased capacity in the courts to deal with these cases and will seek remands in custody wherever appropriate."

We are also advising on the charging of those caught in possession of property that was stolen. Anyone who handles stolen property is just as guilty of an offence as those who steal in the first place.

"Greater Manchester police said they had arrested more than 110 people overnight, while West Midlands police arrested 109 people following scenes of disorder in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and West Bromwich.Shops including a branch of Marks & Spencer and a hi-fi store were again targeted in Birmingham with reports of a gun being fired, while there were reports of large groups of people in West Bromwich town centre and vehicles being set on fire.

Police in Wolverhampton responded to reports of a large group of people in the city centre after shops were damaged.

In Nottingham a police station and college were firebombed with more than 90 people arrested, while in Leicester officers arrested 13 people following disturbances in the city centre.

Thames Valley police made 15 arrests linked to trouble overnight, including five people who were held in Milton Keynes for alleged criminal damage and public order offences.

The Metropolitan police said 81 arrests were made across the capital overnight, including 20 men who were detained in Harlesden.Scotland Yard confirmed a fire involving a number of vehicles broke out on an industrial estate in Tottenham and its cause was being treated as unexplained.The force said a 21-year-old man had been arrested in connection with a large fire that destroyed a furniture store in Croydon on Monday.

On Wednesday night, businesses and shops across London had shut down early in a bid to avoid attack from the gangs of youths who ransacked buildings across the city over the previous days.

There was trouble in the south-west of England with police coming under attack from gangs of youths. Mounted officers were sent to combat groups of youths, some with their faces covered, who were smashing shop windows in Gloucester city centre overnight, while a fire broke out in the Brunswick area. Gloucestershire police said nine arrests were made.In Bristol police arrested 19 people following a second night of trouble.

There were small outbreaks of disorder reported by Thames Valley police in Reading, Oxford and Milton Keynes, while 200 missile-throwing youths gathered in the south Liverpool area of Toxteth, causing disorder and damage, according to Merseyside police. The force said 35 arrests were made.

More than 1,100 people have been arrested since the violence erupted in London on Saturday night – 768 of them in the capital alone.Parliament will be recalled for a day on Thursday to discuss the situation.

London Riots: Violence Escalates Across London

2011-08-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

www.telegraph.co.uk

Police last night appeared to be losing the battle to take back control of London’s streets as violence, rioting and looting escalated across the capital.

As disturbances entered a third day, the scale of civil disobedience reached unprecedented levels, with incidents in all corners of the capital.
The violence, which began in Tottenham, north London on Saturday spread south and east to Brixton, Streatham, Walthamstow, Edmonton, Enfield, Oxford Circus and Islington on Sunday.
By last night further outbreaks of disorder involving hundreds of hooded yobs had taken place in Hackney, Clapton, East Ham, Lewisham and Clapham Junction. Property and shops were set on fire in Peckham and Croydon.
David Cameron last night announced he would cut short his family holiday in Italy to return to deal with the crisis.
Earlier, Boris Johnson, the London mayor, was forced into an embarrassing climbdown when he announced that he too was coming back hours after his deputy said that to do so would be to reward the rioters.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, who also cut short her holiday, refused to be drawn when asked if Britain’s streets were becoming “lawless”.
As violent confrontations, organised using mobile phone instant messaging systems, spread, Birmingham became the first city outside London to experience trouble with rioters smashing city centre shop windows.

The first wave of attacks in the capital took place in broad daylight as the evening rush hour began. In some of the worst scenes yesterday, youths clashed with riot officers on Mare Street in Hackney, east London, throwing rocks and missiles. One police officer said looted machetes had been used to try to attack officers.
Police were pelted with fireworks and petrol bombs, patrol cars were smashed while other vehicles and buildings were set alight.
Riot officers, whose numbers had been quadrupled in anticipation of widespread violence, seemed largely powerless to intervene as they were outnumbered.
Other areas including Barking, Brent Cross, Palmers Green, Kilburn and Shepherds Bush were expecting violence as gangs of youths congregated. Shops across the capital closed early amid fears that the riots would spread further. Teams of riot officers were on standby in every borough in London.
West Midlands Police confirmed that extra officers were on patrol after the force became aware of a message circulated on social networking sites suggesting that Birmingham city centre would be targeted.
But with no sign that the tactic of increasing police numbers was succeeding, the Government and police faced growing questions over their handling of the riots.
Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, heard during a visit to Tottenham that locals felt police had deserted them. “There was nobody there to protect us”, one resident told him.
Police admitted they were struggling with the number of incidents as rioters used social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to plan their violence. Former police officers said that the sporadic nature of the riots was unprecedented.
Police said they were monitoring these sites and would prosecute people who used the internet to incite violence. One message posted called for a police officer to be killed.

However, much of the planning apparently took place on BlackBerry smartphones, which have a free messaging system. Police are unable to monitor these messages, but BlackBerry’s manufacturer said it would try to co-operate with detectives.
Roy Ramm, a former Scotland Yard commander, said the Met could lose control of London’s streets. “That has to be a possibility and the Home Secretary and [Met] commissioner are going to have to make some difficult decisions.” He said that by using mobile phones and social networks “these people can mass and change direction very quickly and the police tactics are being subverted”.
Last night more than 200 people had been arrested, the majority of them teenagers. The youngest was an 11 year-old, who was charged with burglary. Twenty seven people had been charged with a variety of offences.
Scotland Yard has been stung by accusations of a power vacuum at senior level. It is without a commissioner following the resignation of Sir Paul Stephenson last month.
Tim Godwin, the acting commissioner, made a brief statement to reporters yesterday but it was not until last night, following a meeting with the Home Secretary, that he appeared on television to condemn the worst riots in more than a quarter of a century.
He urged parents to contact their children to get them indoors.
Mr Godwin said that while the violence on Saturday was rooted in frustration over the death of Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old father of four shot dead during a police operation, later disorder on Sunday was “pure criminality”.
Stephen Kavanagh, the deputy assistant commissioner, added: “On occasions like this it is the burglars, the thugs and the bullies that are trying to make the most of the opportunity.”
There were fears that tensions may rise further today when the Independent Police Complaints Commission confirms that a bullet that hit a police officer’s radio in the incident in which Duggan died was a police issue bullet.
Talks have been held with the organisers of Notting Hill Carnival, which takes place at the end of this month, as fears grow that it could become a focal point for violence.
Police have already admitted that they had no choice but to allow looters to steal from high street shops on Saturday evening as they had to focus on the dozens of burning buildings and rioting in Tottenham.

Former Met commanders said the riots were unprecedented in their sporadic and spontaneous nature.
Brian Paddick, the former deputy assistant police commissioner who was a sergeant during the Brixton riots in the 1980s said: “We have not faced this situation before.
“In the absence of intelligence it is a major difficulty for the police, and the fact it is sporadic and widespread.”

CTTA Teaches Intelligent Crowd Control Methodology
Intelligent Crowd Control Methodology (Trade Mark Pending) is an important aspect of CTTA`s training curriculum. This approach adheres to Canadian government guidelines respecting human rights.
Intelligent Crowd Control Methodology allows law enforcement personnel to effectively maintain the peace in a manner that protects the individual demonstrator from injury.
The Canadian Tactical training Academy developed this comprehensive proprietary methodology in response to legal requirements in Canada.
Acceptance and demand for this approach in world markets soon followed.
Governments, armed forces, and police departments desire to maintain the respect of its citizens even under adverse conditions.
News clips of bloodied demonstrators on the evening news do not engender respect; quite the opposite, they produce an even more violent response by the crowd.
Intelligent Crowd Control Methodology helps the law enforcement officer control the situation without causing unnecessary harm to the subjects in a manner which ensures his own safety.
The Canadian Tactical training Academy (CTTA) is an organization devoted to worldwide training of peace and law enforcement officers, as well as all other professionals involved in the fields of security, investigation, protection and the maintenance of order.
The Academy also provides tailored security and safety-oriented civilian training at both the individual and corporate levels.

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New NYPD Dirty Bomb Detection System

2011-08-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

www.lawofficer.com

NEW YORK — The New York Police Department is testing ground-breaking counterterror technology expected to dramatically increase its ability to detect and thwart a potential radiation attack, officials said Thursday.

The technology will allow a command center in lower Manhattan to monitor 2,000 mobile radiation detectors carried by officers each day around the city. The detectors will send a wireless, real-time alert if there's a reading signaling a dirty bomb threat.
The system already is being tested under the watch of federal authorities in hopes it can be perfected and used elsewhere.
"This is the first and only place you'll see it," said Jessica Tisch, an NYPD counterterrorism official. "It's been tested in the field. It works, and we're hoping to get (the wireless detectors) deployed in a few months."
A dirty bomb — intended to spread panic by using a small explosive to create a radioactive cloud in urban settings — has never been discovered or detonated in a U.S. terror plot. But law enforcement considers dirty bombs a serious threat because they're easy to build and because of intelligence that foreign terrorists want to use them against American cities.

The radiation detection system is being developed as part of a $200 million lower Manhattan security initiative. Police say the overall plan was inspired by the so-called "ring of steel" encircling the business district in London but is broader in scope and sophistication.
The initiative will rely largely on 3,000 closed-circuit security cameras carpeting the roughly 1.7 square miles south of Canal Street, the subway system and parts of midtown Manhattan. So far, about 1,800 cameras are up and running, with the rest expected to come on line by the end of the year.
In 2008, police began monitoring live feeds from the cameras round-the-clock at a high-tech command center in lower Manhattan, home to Wall Street, the new development at ground zero, and other sites needing heightened protection.

"We're talking about some of the most significant targets anywhere in the world," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Thursday.
The NYPD is using a single, high-bandwidth fiber optic network to connect all its cameras to a central computer system. It's also pioneering "video analytic" computer software designed to detect threats, like unattended bags, and retrieve stored images based on descriptions of terror or other criminal suspects.

CTTA offers comprehensive Counter-Terrorism courses designed for decision makers and first responders.

From preventative design to developing intelligence assets to the first response to an attack CTTA provides law enforcement personnel the tool to counter this growing threat.

The Canadian Tactical training Academy (CTTA) is an organization devoted to worldwide training of peace and law enforcement officers, as well as all other professionals involved in the fields of security, investigation, protection and the maintenance of order.
The Academy also provides tailored security and safety-oriented civilian training at both the individual and corporate levels.

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DEA Arrest Highlights Drug Trade / Terrorism Connection

2011-07-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

Income from drugs helps the terrorist groups buy weapons and explosives and pay off corrupt governments
LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press | | Wednesday, July 27, 2011
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal authorities said Tuesday they have found fresh evidence of growing cooperation between the drug trade and terrorists in a probe of two major overseas networks of narcotics dealers.

The investigations resulted in the arrests of four men, including one who agreed to support the Taliban in Afghanistan with revenues from the drug trade, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said at a news conference.

"Today's indictments provide fresh evidence of what many of us have been seeing for some time: the growing nexus between drug trafficking and terrorism, a nexus that threatens to become a clear and present danger to our national security," he said. "As crime goes global, the long arm of the law has to get even longer."

To infiltrate the networks, the Drug Enforcement Administration utilized DEA sources posing as links to the Taliban and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Derek Maltz, special agent in charge of the DEA Special Operations Division, said the probe was a response to the growing realization that drug dealers were funding terrorism. He estimated that 50 percent of foreign terrorist organizations are involved in some aspect of the drug trade.

He said income from drugs helps the terrorist groups buy weapons and explosives and pay off corrupt governments, besides funding expenses such as travel.

In one case, authorities announced the arrest of Taza Gul Alizai. An indictment accused him of selling about 5 kilograms of heroin in May 2008 to a DEA source who posed two years later as a Taliban representative when Taza Gul agreed to arrange the sale of six AK-47 assault rifles and an additional 10 kilograms of heroin.

The indictment said a co-conspirator of Taza Gul told the DEA source that heroin laboratories in Afghanistan are under Taliban protection.

In the other prosecution that involved meetings in Turkey, Romania and Greece, DEA sources arranged to import hundreds of kilograms of high-quality heroin into the United States, telling their targets that they would use proceeds of the drug deals to buy weapons for Hezbollah, an indictment said.

Two of three men charged in that probe agreed since February to buy military-grade weapons from the DEA sources so that they could be provided to the Iran-backed Hezbollah Shiite Muslim militia, the indictment said, citing meetings in Romania, Cyprus, Malaysia and elsewhere.

Authorities said the men signed a written agreement in Malaysia last month to buy 48 American-made Stinger missiles, 5,000 AK-47 assault rifles and 1,000 handguns, among other weapons, for $9.5 million.

Those arrested in the probe on conspiracy and weapons charges were identified as Siavosh Henareh, Bachar Wehbe and Cetin Aksu.

Henareh and Aksu were arrested in Bucharest, Romania, on Monday. According to Interpol notices Monday, Wehbe and Taza Gul were detained in the Maldives; both were transferred to DEA custody and brought to New York. At initial court appearances, both were detained without bail. Lawyers for both declined to comment.

All four men face various narcotics and conspiracy charges that carry the potential for a sentence of life in prison. It was not immediately clear who will represent the men in the United States.

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QUEBEC to INCLUDE CTTA in TRADE MISSION to BRAZIL

2011-07-26T04:43:00.000-07:00

Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade Sponsors Security Industry Leaders
Montreal, Quebec--(July 26, 2011) - The Canadian Tactical Training Academy (CTTA) (Pink Sheets: CTTG).

The Canadian Tactical Training Academy is pleased to announce today that it has been selected by the Quebec Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade to be part of an upcoming Trade Mission to Brazil. The Mission will focus on the security industry.

The Ministry`s Department of Latin American Affairs has appointed Ms. Karine Couture, Counsellor in International Affairs to assist CTTA in planning for the Trade Mission. Ms. Couture indicated that CTTA will have one-on-one meetings with between six and ten pre-qualified potential customers in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The Mission begins on August 29 and runs through September 2, 2011.
The Ministry will provide a subsidy in order to reduce CTTA`s expenditures.
During the next few years Brazil will spend more than $1 Billion on all aspects of public security as it prepares to host three very important international events. Security expenditures will include training for all levels of the military, police, and events security.

The Brazilian Grand Prix, held annually at Interlagos, is part of the Formula One world Championship.
In 2014 Brazil will host the FIFA World Cup (of Soccer) in 12 cities.
In 2016 the Summer Olympics will be hosted by Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil normally attracts 5 million tourists per year who spend more than $6 Billion dollars. These numbers are expected to rise sharply over the next years.
Mr. Angelo Marino, Vice President of Operations of CTTA, commented, “We are very pleased to have been selected by the Ministry to be part of this important Trade Mission. This recognition is a confirmation that CTTA is on the right track. Brazil is the place to be for our industry because of the World Cup and Olympics which will be hosted during the next few years. Also, we already have a partnership in Brazil with MAF Protection Control Risks Group, headquartered in Sao Paulo. “

About The Canadian Tactical Training Academy

The Canadian Tactical Training Academy (CTTA) is an organization devoted to the training of law enforcement, security, investigation, protection officers and all those who dedicate themselves to maintaining peace. The Academy also provides tailored security and safety-oriented civilian training at both the individual and corporate levels.
CTTA offers recognized tactical training programs of the highest level, as well as specialized programs for the fields of Intelligence and Investigation, Executive Protection and both Public and Private Security and Safety.
CTTA`s Mission is to facilitate professional training and operational objectives by offering the tools and guidance required to enhance careers and ensure survival!
CTTA offers specialized programs such as: Executive Protection, Investigation and Surveillance, Rapid Integrated Survival Kombat (RISK) System, Tactical Firearms, Handcuffing, Airport and Airline Security (IATA and ICAO standards), Ports Facilities and Maritime Security (ISPS Code), Basic SWAT Techniques, Corporate Safety Awareness, and much more.
CTTA`s civilian training programs are recognized by numerous notable corporations, and its instructors are proud members of several prestigious law enforcement and security associations.

Risk factors and cautionary statement about forward-looking information
This press release includes forward-looking statements about our plans and future performance, including those under Outlook for 2011. These statements use such words as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "plan," "anticipate," "contemplate," "target," "continue," "intend," "estimate," "project," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. They reflect our expectations and speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake to update them. Our expectations (or the underlying assumptions) may change or not be realized, and you should not rely unduly on forward-looking statements.
Contacts:

Jocelyn Moisan, Angelo Marino and John Farinaccio

Canadian Tactical Training Academy

7000 Cote de Liesse, Suite 8
Montreal, Quebec, H4T 1E7, Canada

Phone: 514-373-8411

www.ctta-global.com

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