Morning Security Brief: Interagency Collaboration, Community Policing, Aiding Al Qaeda, AT&T Hack, & Hotel at Ground Zero

♦ The Government Accountability Office has once again flayed U.S. national security and homeland security agencies for not enough collaboration and information-sharing, reports The Washington Post. “What has not yet evolved are the mechanisms that agencies use to coordinate national security activities, such as developing overarching strategies to guide planning and execution of missions, or sharing and integrating national security information across agencies," wrote the report's author John H. Pendleton, director of the GAO’s Defense Capabilities and Management unit.. "The absence of effective mechanisms can be a hindrance to achieving national security objectives.”

♦ An uncommon alliance to fight terrorism is trying to get off the ground in Chicago. "In an unusual meeting of the minds, South Asian Muslims, black law enforcement officials and a Jewish Chicago alderman began meeting this week to discuss how to build trust, fight stereotypes and prevent crime around a segment of" the city, the Associated Press reports. Although the effort is embryonic, the strategy is to create mutual bonds of trust between police and Chicago's South Asian community. "This is about everyday people. They weren't being heard," said Robyn Dessaure, a Homeland Security field director who's a member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. "It's the only way to stop terrorism."

♦ A Pakistan-born American man has received 15 years in prison for aiding al Qaeda in Afghanistan. "A Justice Department statement said Syed Hashmi, 30, who pleaded guilty on April 27 to a charge of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to the terror network, received the maximum sentence under law from US District Chief Judge Loretta Preska," reports Agence France Presse. "US Attorney Preet Bharara said that 'Hashmi was held accountable for his conduct, and his sentence makes clear that individuals who provide material will be brought to justice.'" While in London, Hashmi allowed a terrorism suspect to stay at his student apartment and allowed the man to use his cell phone to call other suspects.

♦ Hackers broke into AT&T servers and stole 100,000 e-mail accounts of Apple iPad users, including those of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. "The company said it discovered the breach on Monday and has notified affected customers. It also said the vulnerability that allowed the hackers into its computer network has since been fixed," reports Information Week. Goatse Security claimed responsibility for the attack in an effort to show iPad users that AT&T does not sufficiently protect their personal information well.

♦ The first hotel has opened in Lower Manhattan since 9/11 terrorist attacks. The World Center Hotel is a  "20-story building on Washington Street [that] overlooks the site and what will eventually be the 9/11 Memorial & Museum," according to NY1.com.