Morning Security Brief: Hasan: Jihadi Populist, Border Security, Pilot Licenses, Fraud, & DHS in the Cloud

♦ As Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan faces trial for the alleged murder of 13 people at Fort Hood last November, the Christian Science Monitor describes his rock star status among jihadists. "The Mujahid brother Nidal Hasan has shown us what one righteous Muslim with an assault rifle can do for his religion and brothers in faith, and has reminded us of how much pride and joy a single act of resistance and courage can instill in the hearts of Muslims everywhere," American-born Al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn said in a video released March 7. "The Mujahid brother Nidal Hasan, by the grace of Allah and with a single 30-minute battle, singlehandedly brought the morale of the American military and public to its lowest point in years." Jihadist expert Jarret Brachman tells CSM that "'Hasan proves that you can be Al Qaeda by not even being Al Qaeda' – that's the model they're now promoting," says Mr. Brachman. "He has populist appeal within the jihadi movement. The fact that he's not exceptional … is what makes him so compelling."

♦ Mexican cartels and smuggling organizations are adjusting to stronger fencing erected by the federal government along the Southwest border. According to CBS News, "smugglers are attempting to dodge increased security by tunneling and sailing their way into the U.S. Since 2001, 111 tunnels have been discovered along the southern border, with tunneling activity increasing 65 percent in the past two years." U.S. coastlines are also an easy way to smuggle drugs and other contraband into the United States. "This year a multi-agency team has already made 786 smuggling arrests, up from just 400 last year," CBS News reports.

♦ A Congressman wants to know why the FAA hasn't produced a pilot's license with a photo and the capability to store biometric information 6 years after he helped write the legislation behind the requirement. "It is absolutely astounding that DHS, TSA and FAA could, after six years to implement the act, still achieve such an incredible level of incompetence," wrote Rep. John Mica of Florida, the top Republican member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in a letter to the heads of the Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Aviation Administration. "The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 sought to fill some of the security gaps exposed by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, including verifying the identities of people seeking access to airplanes and airfields," reports NPR.org.

♦ A British counterterrorism officer and his wife have been guilty of ripping off the Metropolitan Police during investigations into the 7/7 bombings, reports the Press Association. "Dc Pooley was working for the Met on the 7/7 investigation, from which many reports have emerged of the bravery of front-line officers and the dedication of those committed to bringing offenders to justice," said Deborah Glass, Independent Police Complaints Commission Commissioner for London."And yet this officer saw it as an opportunity to make a quick profit out of the public purse. Dc Pooley has let down his colleagues and the public he was meant to serve, and has rightly been brought to account for his actions." Click through and see how Detective Constable Daren Pooley did it.

♦ The Department of Homeland Security wants to take to the clouds.  "Department of Homeland Security Chief Information Officer Richard Spires says the agency is planning to get a public cloud provider to host its public-facing websites. Spires made the announcement earlier this month at an event in McLean," reports Federal News Radio. "The agency is also working to set up a new development and test environment on virtualized servers. Spires revealed the agency is developing their private cloud strategy, and working to consolidate 24 data centers into two locations that will be under private management."