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ARSENAL WORKERS REMINDED OF THREAT

By Larry Ault/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Thursday, May 26, 2005 10:36 AM CDT

Pine Bluff Arsenal employees were warned Wednesday to be on the lookout for terrorist activities and suspected terrorists.

Jim Love, representing the 902nd Military Intelligence Group, which conducts counterintelligence activities in support of Army commands, warned Arsenal employees of a major change in terrorism.

"This is a religious war," Love warned a crowd of Arsenal employees attending a safety, security and wellness awareness program in the Pine Bluff Convention Center auditorium.

Love explained terrorist attacks are "very professional" and warned Arsenal employees to "understand who hates us this week because it changes." He warned that "domestic terrorism is on the rise."

Love stressed environmental groups in the United States are becoming more of a threat.

"They haven't strapped on a bomb yet, but that couldn't be far in the future," he warned.

Love warned Arsenal employees to be alert for people taking photographs, suspicious people and even people drawing sketches.

Call security immediately, Love said, telling the crowd not to take any chances. He told the crowd that if they encounter anything suspicious they should call 1-800- CALLSPY, which enables people to report subversion and espionage directed against the Army.

The crowd was warned to be on the lookout for suspicious foreign travel and contact, undue affluence, unauthorized possession and removal of classified information, extensive copying and transmission of classified information and unnecessary work outside normal duty hours.

Cheryl Avery, a spokeswoman for the Arsenal, said about 600 non-essential personnel attended a workshop on safety and security which is held every year.

"All federal employees come and get their annual training," she said. "This is a way of doing it all in one day."

The session is videotaped to be shown later to Arsenal employees who are unable to attend, she said.

Other security issues were addressed by Madeline Taylor, an Arsenal security specialist who spoke about OPSEC, which is code for Open Platform for Security.

Taylor said concern about breaches of security arose out of the Vietnam War when enemy forces utilized unclassified information.

Taylor also said "the insider is the biggest threat" because "their objective is to blend in."

"For the most part, Americans are unsuspecting," she said.

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