Following the widespread media coverage of our recent report on the hostile use of civilian drones by non-state actors, our findings are beginning to spur political debate. On 13 January, Paul Flynn MP wrote to the Department of Energy and Climate Change to ask it to review security at nuclear power stations in light of our report. Then on the 19 January, the House of Lords debated the issues raised in our report. The debate was reported on by The Sun, and our report continues to be covered widely by the tech and defence industry press in particular.
Tag: Chris Abbott
UK actions against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria: Intelligence briefing #2
On 2 December, the UK parliament voted in favour of authorising airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria. The RAF has since targeted well heads within the Omar oil field in Syria and undertaken multiple missions around Raqqa. A key issue in the build-up to the vote was the risk posed to innocent civilians in the areas of Iraq and Syria targeted by the RAF. Claims by the government and Ministry of Defence that there is no evidence of civilian casualties from UK military action against Islamic State do not stand up to scrutiny.
Hostile drones: Supplementary risk assessment
This briefing is provided as a supplement to the Open Briefing/Remote Control Project report Hostile drones: The hostile use of drones by non-state actors against civilian targets. Our findings are based on a risk assessment involving 270 individual likelihood/impact judgements taking into account the type of threat group, the type of unmanned vehicle, the theatre, the nature of the threat and the target.
Hostile drones: The hostile use of drones by non-state actors against British targets
In this groundbreaking report for the Remote Control project, Open Briefing has analysed over 200 commercially-available drones and assessed known drone use by non-state groups, including terrorist organisations, insurgent groups, organised crime groups, corporations and activists. The report sets out a series of recommendations to mitigate the threat from the hostile use of drones, including specific regulatory, passive and active countermeasures.
Transnational organised crime monthly briefing: Islamic State’s income from transnational organised crime
Islamic State is the richest terrorist group in the world, with an estimated annual turnover of between $2 billion and $3 billion. The groups control over substantial territory allows it to generate considerable amounts of money from organised crime, including the smuggling of oil and antiquities and taxing those smuggling drugs and people, as well the through levying taxes and fines on the populations of the areas it controls.
Transnational organised crime special briefing: People smuggling and the Syrian refugee crisis
Approximately 12 million Syrians have fled their homes as a result of the civil war in their country. Nearly eight million are internally displaced within Syria, and more than four million have sought refuge in nearby countries. Many are making the perilous journey to Europe in search of a better life, and over 500,000 Syrians have applied for asylum in EU countries. Not all who attempt the journey to Europe survive it. There were 4,800 known drownings of people attempting to cross the Mediterranean between October 2013 and April 2015 alone. These tragedies are being facilitated by the organised crime groups that peddle their lucrative trade in smuggling human beings.
Securing change: Recommendations for the British government regarding remote-control warfare
The United States has led the way in developing a new way of conceptualising and executing war. With the rise of austerity in Europe, other Western states have adopted part or all of this ‘remote-control warfare’ approach. However, the assessment of recent trends contained in this report makes it increasingly clear that remote-control warfare has its limits. As such, this report makes 31 specific recommendations to the British government.
Remote-control warfare briefing #10, March 2015: Regional powers contemplating deploying special forces against Islamic State, proliferation of drones leads to calls for international regulation, UK surveillance laws need overhaul
Monthly briefing from the Open Briefing intelligence unit on developments in remote-control warfare. This month: Key countries in Middle East and North Africa contemplating special operations forces deployments against Islamic State; proliferation of drones leads to calls for international regulation; UK surveillance laws need overhaul according to parliamentary committee; and more.
