The multi-billion dollar global football sector has become a vehicle for money laundering and other forms of corruption, requiring an international response.

A report published by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ), a Paris-based intergovernmental body formed to fight money laundering and terrorist financing stated that "there is more than anecdotal evidence indicating that a variety of money flows and or financial transactions may increase the risk of money laundering through football." Money Laundering through the Football Sector published on Wednesday explains the vulnerabilities of the football sector, one of which is that the "sector is complex and characterised by opaque networks of stakeholders and interdependence between the different actors." The large number and range of stakeholders (including managers, intermediaries, sponsors and companies who own players) and the "money flows facilitates the concealment of fraudulent activity, in particular as many of the transactions and the criminal activities are carried out abroad."

The football sector has in addition provided opportunities for other criminal activities such as trafficking in human beings and drugs, according to the FATF. Based on responses to a questionnaire received last October from government and football authorities in 25 countries, more than 20 cases of football-related money laundering were detected, the task force said. The cases ranged from the smuggling of large amounts of cash derived from apparently illegal transactions to more complex operations.

Associated French Press article: Football seen as money-laundering vehicle: study

Tobacco Underground is a project of the Center for Public Integrity's International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Visit the website via the link above to see a project overview, access articles on the link between terror and smuggled tobacco, and browse a wide variety of interactive resources provided by the Center.

"During 2000 and 2001, a team of reporters from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists broke a series of landmark stories exposing how leading tobacco companies worked with criminal networks to smuggle cigarettes around the world. Relying on interviews with insiders and thousands of internal industry documents, the unique team-based in six countries-pieced together how smuggling played a key role in big tobacco's strategy to boost sales and increase market share. Those revelations, and others that followed, helped prompt lawsuits and government inquiries, and led to promises of a global crackdown on the illegal trade in tobacco."

"The illicit trafficking of tobacco is a multibillion-dollar business today, fueling organized crime and corruption, robbing governments of needed tax money, and spurring addiction to a deadly product. So profitable is the trade that tobacco is the world's most widely smuggled legal substance. This booming business now stretches from counterfeiters in China and renegade factories in Russia to Indian reservations in New York and warlords in Pakistan and North Africa."

The summertime travel season has arrived, but that does not mean that Americans can vacation from safety and security precautions. Whether you are traveling across the country, or just planning to barbecue in your own backyard, here are some resources to help you plan for a safe, successful summer.

For many Americans, traveling often involves airplanes. The Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) maintains a useful Air Travel website, which provides information and resources related to airport and air travel security and safety precautions. Traveling abroad? Don't forget to check out the Department of State's International Travel database, where an interactive map of the world provides important consular information that may affect traveler safety and security. If you're traveling domestically, you may be one of thousand of families taking road trips in travel trailers. Be sure to read the Federal Emergency Management Agency's useful report on Summer Safety Tips For Travel Trailer Residents, along with these Top 10 Summer Travel Tips from Edmunds.com.

While planning for personal safety is critical, it is equally important to secure your home while you're traveling. This includes not only conventional security measures, but also being careful about what you post on social networking sites. The risk of break-ins and theft resulting from online over-sharing has been the topic of several recent articles, such as these from The Canadian Press and USA Today.

Even if you're skipping the summer travel rush in favor of backyard cookouts, there are still many safety precautions to consider. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Grillin' and Chillin' website provides several tips for keeping your food safe at barbecues and picnics.

A recent AP news story has indicated that the Obama administration is currently planning to deploy up to 1,500 National Guard volunteers to assist the U.S. military's counter-drug efforts along the U.S.-Mexico border. This comes amidst the ongoing debate about what is the proper role of the U.S. military on U.S. territory.

Many military researchers see deployment of U.S. troops as the only way to slow undocumented immigration, prevent terrorist infiltration, combat transnational drug gangs, and secure the nation. See the following reports:

U.S. Military Use Along the U.S.-Mexico Border

Role of the U.S. Military and Security Along the U.S.-Military Border

Legal Permissibility of Using Federal Troops on the Border

Others seriously question the legality of the deployment of U.S. troops on U.S. soil, citing the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 which prevents the government's use of the U.S. military as a police force. These researchers also warn of the increasing militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border and doubt whether this will reduce undocumented immigration, curtail drug gang activity, or prevent terrorist entry into the United States. See the following report:

Creeping Militarization of the Home Front

Regarding President Obama's plans, deploying National Guard volunteers on U.S. soil does not violate the Posse Comitatus Act since these troops technically belong to the individual state where they serve and are therefore not 'federal troops'. Additionally, other researchers suggest that the Posse Comitatus Act needs modification in light of 21st century security realities. See this report:

Possee Comitatus, the Army, and Homeland Security: What Is the Proper Balance?

For neutral historical perspectives, see the following reports:

U.S. Army on the Mexican Border: A Historical Perspective

Posse Comitatus Act and the U.S. Army

Arctic Climate Change and Security Policy Conference: Final Report and Findings

This final report summarizes the panel discussions from a conference on arctic climate change and security policy sponsored by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Dartmouth College, and the University of the Arctic which was held at Dartmouth College last December.

"The conference brought together an international group of academics, scientists, government officials, and representatives of indigenous peoples for a free-ranging, multi-disciplinary discussion of the significant scientific, economic, political and security, and governance issues facing the Arctic over the next 10-20 years."

The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC) recently released its annual survey-based report entitled 2007 RDPC National Training Needs Assessment: A Focus on Rural Emergency Responders in the Emergency Management and General Government Disciplines. The findings from their surveys are presented, and can help guide future training needs of rural emergency responders. "Respondents were specifically asked to identify the types of homeland security related training they had received within the last 24 months" and "to indicate the training topics that they deemed most important for a person in their position."

2009 World Drug Report

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has just released the 2009 version of its annual drug report. The report is available in an online reader version and the user can convert individual pages or the entire document to pdf format as desired. "The Report shows a downward trend in major drug markets. Opium cultivation in Afghanistan, where 93 per cent of the world's opium is produced, decreased by 19 per cent in 2008. Colombia, which produces half of the world's cocaine, saw a fall of 18 per cent in cultivation and a staggering 28 per cent decline in production compared to 2007. Global coca production, at 845 tons, is at a five-year low, despite some increases in cultivation in Peru and the Bolivia. Cannabis remains the drug that is most widely cultivated and used around the world, although estimates are less precise. Data also show that it is more harmful than commonly believed."

Project Safe Neighborhoods: A National Program to Reduce Gun Crime

The results of this recently released evaluation funded by the National Institute of Justice find a statistically significant decline in violent crime in cities where authorities have implemented the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. The Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice published this work for submission to the National Institute of Justice. "In 2001, the United States Department of Justice developed a major initiative known as Project Safe Neighborhoods. PSN was intended to be a comprehensive national program to reduce gun violence at the local level. It was implemented in all 94 U.S. Attorney districts nationwide to respond to firearms crime problems in each respective district. PSN website

Dr. Carl Winter's Food Safety Music Website

"Welcome to the Food Safety Music Website that features Dr. Carl Winter's hilarious and educational food safety music parodies. With a few clicks you can be on your way learning (and hearing) about food safety through song and video. It's all here for you-27 downloadable songs, Powerpoint slide presentations with accompanying lyrics and clip-art, lyric files, Flash animations, live concert footage, scheduled performances, and media accounts.

Songs address a wide variety of food safety topics and have been developed for diverse audiences including children, health professionals, food service workers, food regulators, and teachers. Styles range from pop, country, rock, rap, Latin, and disco and there's even one song in Spanish. Enjoy the tunes while you and your colleagues and family members laugh and learn about food safety." Enjoy!! See related news story

'Fire Service Intelligence Enterprise': A Unique Program with a Big Impact

The Center for Homeland Defense and Security has today released its latest Viewpoints podcast on the topic of the 'Fire Service Intelligence Enterprise'. "FDNY Deputy Fire Chief Michael Puzziferri discusses how the 'Fire Service Intelligence Enterprise' pilot program he initially proposed and developed with support from DHS has expanded in scope and purpose, serving as a notable model for homeland security intelligence across the nation."