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Department of Homeland Security Terror Bulletin Warns of "Weaponized Drones"

posted by martyb on Wednesday November 15 2017, @11:32AM   
from the plans-are-up-in-the-air dept.

takyon writes:

Homeland Security bulletin warns of weaponized drones and threat to aviation

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an updated terror bulletin on Thursday highlighting the threat of weaponized drones, chemical attacks and the continued targeting of commercial aircraft.

"We continue to face one of the most challenging threat environments since 9/11, as foreign terrorist organizations exploit the internet to inspire, enable or direct individuals already here in the homeland to commit terrorist acts," reads the bulletin.

[...] "The current bulletin introduces unmanned aircraft systems as potential threats and highlights sustained concern regarding threats against commercial aviation and air cargo," said DHS acting press secretary Tyler Houlton in a statement.

There's been an "uptick in terrorist interest" in using unmanned aerial systems as weapons in the United States and other western countries, according to a senior DHS official. These tactics have been used by terrorists on the battlefield, and the department wants to "guard against those tactics being exported to the west," said the official. The official said that DHS wants to be "forward leaning" about seeing what terrorists are doing overseas and tactics they might adopt in the future.

Since the last bulletin, concerns about terrorist targeting aviation sector have grown, said the official. "[T]errorists continue to target commercial aviation and air cargo, including with concealed explosives," reads the updated bulletin.

Related: UK Criminals Use Drones To Case Burglary Targets
Drones Banned from Flying Within 32 Miles of Super Bowl
FAA Updates its Ban on Drones in Washington
Prison Blames Drone for Inmate's Escape
FAA Restricts Drone Operations Over 10 U.S. Landmarks

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Original Submission

• Re:Timely and well lobbied regulatory capture... (Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday November 16 2017, @05:01AM

  by khallow (3766) on Thursday November 16 2017, @05:01AM (#597585) Journal

  It's the concentration of natural resources and technology that dictate how large businesses grow through the principle of economy of scale.

  Neither is particularly concentrated. Hobby-size projects aren't going to be competitive for the most part, but big companies have to worry about bureaucratic inefficiencies and conflicts of interest more than the small company.

  The regulations are the by-product of the resulting power balance and ownership structures.

  That is, dominance by government combined with a mentality that sees regulation as the solution to most problems.

  Again, the best you can do is keep mobile and ride the wave out. If you have enough resources spread around enough people since you can't have it all managed by a few, then you end up with a democracy and what you call a "free market". If you have one or two rivers, and one or two mines, then you're going to end up with a couple of families owning everything and eventually fighting each-other over it all.

  There are vastly more than one or two rivers and one or two mines.

  You call this self-defeating. But I feel denying the reality of things is far worse since it leaves us unprepared to face what's to come.

  I consider them the same thing. As Sun Tzu wrote:

  If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

  Parent