By Mike Mount
An Afghanistan government assessment of its own police force raises concern that unresolved issues are undermining the ability to take over security in the country, according to a report obtained by Security Clearance.
The report by the Afghan Interior Ministry looks at five major threats facing the Afghan National Police. They range across the spectrum of long-time problems inside Afghanistan and include outside terrorist threats and armed opposition to the Afghan government, unlawful governance and corruption, illegal drug trade, organized crime and illegally armed groups. Resolving the threats is critical not just for the police force but also for overall stability as the country seeks to take over security from U.S. and NATO forces by the end of 2014.
The threats, narrowed down from "a list of numerous others," according to NATO officials, are identified in the Afghan National Police Strategy report obtained by Security Clearance.
Now more than ever Jordan's elite special forces are a key ally for US troops. CNN's Barbara Starr was granted exclusive access to see US anti-terrorism troops and Jordian special forces learn lessons from each other and share the latest secrets on how to capture or kill terrorists.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer sits down with Afghan President Hamid Karzai for an exclusive interview at the NATO summit in Chicago. This will air Monday during the 5pm ET hour on CNN.
On Monday, NATO countries are expected to sign off on President Obama's exit strategy from Afghanistan that calls for an end to combat operations next year and the withdrawal of troops by the end of 2014.
Karzai met with President Obama on Sunday and both agreed that the end of the war is close. Karzai reiterated his commitment to the withdrawal timetable, "so that Afghanistan is no longer a burden on the shoulder of our friends in the international community, on the shoulders of the United States and our other allies."
Blitzer is anchoring "The Situation Room" live from Chicago today from 4-6pm ET on CNN.
Editor's note: Read all of Security Clearance's coverage of the 2012 NATO summit in Chicago. Follow our reporting and other key NATO tweets with our NATO summit Twitter list.
By Barbara Starr
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has ordered an internal review across the intelligence community to determine if leaks regarding a Saudi mole who infiltrated an Qaeda affiliate in Yemen came from any of the 16 intelligence agencies he oversees.
Recommended: Mole infiltrated al Qaeda plot
The move comes after revelations this week that a mole helped foil a plot to blow up a U.S.-bound plane by penetrating al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
"We are looking internally to determine whether or not there were unauthorized disclosures of classified information," said a U.S. intelligence official, who has direct knowledge of the review but declined to be named and was only authorized to discuss it if no name was used. FULL POST
By Suzanne Kelly
The Chief of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expected to lay out his new strategy for securing the border Tuesday morning on Capitol Hill.
Testifying before a Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Michael J. Fisher will try to convince lawmakers that a strategy focused less on blanket resources and more targeted to areas of risk is the best way to keep the country from terrorists, drug smugglers and human smugglers while still curbing the numbers of undocumented immigrants trying to cross.
Recommended: Suzanne Kelly's exclusive interview with Chief Fisher
Changing strategy does not mean that CBP will require less resources in the future. It now has nine unmanned aerial surveillance systems in its fleet, better known as drones, and it is expected to take delivery of a 10th this year. FULL POST
by Suzanne Kelly
Since 9/11, the task of securing the U.S. border has changed significantly. Today, the number one threat that Customs and Border Protection officials worry about is terrorism. That doesn't mean it's the only threat. The continuous problems associated with illegal immigration, human smuggling, drug smuggling and gun running remain the primary focus for border patrol agents.
In an exclusive interview with Security Clearance, Customs and Border Patrol Chief Mike Fisher explains how new technologies honed on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan are being used on the border between the U.S. and Mexico.
See also the up close tour of border patrol security operations.
U.S. troops have fired into Pakistani territory at least four times in the last 10 months in cross-border skirmishes that they say are in response to shelling from inside Pakistan, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports from Forward Operating Base Tillman in Afghanistan.
The revelation in Nick's exclusive report is likely to stoke already tense relations between Pakistan and the United States, which hit a new low after a NATO airstrike last year killed 24 Pakistani soldiers along the volatile border.
Read Nick's story here or watch his report above.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer is en route to the NATO meetings in Brussels, Belgium where he will anchor Situation Room for the next two days. Wolf will interview Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for his show on Wednesday, April 18th at 4pET.
Wolf Blitzer at Andrews Air Force Base
Watch Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer at 4pET for the latest from NATO.
By Adam Levine
A new image of the North Korean launch pad at Tongchang-dong Space Launch Center (see photo above the story) shows what IHS Jane's Defense Weekly analyst Allison Puccioni says is "specific activity" on the pad, as well as at the rocket checkout assembly facility. The March 31 image was provided to CNN by GeoEye.
Read more about North Korea's missile technology
Puccioni compared the new image to a GeoEye image from March 20th and March 28th. She notes the gantry on the umbilical tower has changed directions and more vehicles and objects are seen parked around the launch tower. What are likely fuel containers have been uncovered and stacked behind the fuel system, according to Puccioni. FULL POST
By Adam Levine
A new satellite image has captured increased activity on North Korea's launch pad as the country prepares for its controversial missile launch in mid-April.
The DigitalGlobe image taken on March 28 shows trucks on the Tongch'ang-ni launch pad. Atop the umbilical tower, which sits beside where the assembled rocket will stand, a crane arm that will be used to lift the rocket stages has been swung wide.
While South Korean media are reporting the first stage of the rocket - known as the booster - has been moved to the launch facility, DigitalGlobe Senior Analyst Joseph Bermudez said that is not visible in this image. FULL POST
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