HOUSTON ASIS CHAPTER MINUTES

JANUARY 29, 2003

The Chapter held a luncheon meeting at the Renaissance Hotel. Chairman Mike Crocker CPP presided. Seventy-two members and guests attended.

Opening Pledge: Mike Crocker

Opening Prayer: Mark Steinfort

Committee Activities:

C.P.P.: Karim Vellani CPP invited those interested to participate in the Chapter Review program which will begin in April. Last year, seven members who participated passed the CPP Exam. Please refer to the web page for more information.

Treasurer’s Report: Bob Cascino presented the report and copies were distributed. To date, we have 124 paid members of the local Chapter. Please see the web site for details of the benefits for local registration.

Golf Tournament: Bob Cascino announced the annual tournament will be held May 12 at the Willowcreek Golf Course. They can accommodate 140 players and we have 11 teams already committed. To see details about Willowcreek, look for the link on our web site.

WEB: Mike Crocker thanked our current sponsors of the web site and encouraged others to support its operation. Please contact Mike if you can help.

Downtown P.I.P: A flyer was distributed announcing a new date and time for the Positive Interaction Program for the Downtown area. They will now meet every third Wednesday of the month at 1 P.M. The next meeting is February 19 at 500 Dallas, One Allen Center.

Law Enforcement Recognition Award: Presented by Mike Mallon and Mike Mason CPP.

Our awardee, HPD Officer Michael W. Iwasyk, was introduced by Sgt. C. Jones, special operations, Lake Patrol Unit for Lake Houston. Officer Iwasyk has been on the department for nine years, the last six assigned to the Lake Patrol Unit. He is a Marine Safety Enforcement Officer and is highly trained in rescue techniques.

On June 26, 2002, at approximately 1:40 a.m., Officer Iwasyk was at home when he heard a noise outside. Since his house and property border the San Jacinto River, he ran to the window, looked out into the darkness and saw a person struggling in the water. Officer Iwasyk called emergency personnel and went for his water safety gear. Grabbing a flashlight and flotation devices, he raced out the door. Standing on the platform overlooking the water, the officer could see that the victim was now several yards down stream and caught in the swift current. He first attempted to direct the man to the shore by calling to him and using his flashlight. Officer Iwasyk then threw the flotation device to him, but the man was fatigued and disoriented that he had no strength to take hold of it. Putting on his lifejacket, Officer Iwasyk entered the water and swam toward the man who was now slipping beneath the surface. He reached the victim, took hold of him and swam back to the platform. In all, Officer Iwasyk swam more than 175 yards, over half of which was against a swift current with a victim in tow. After the officer pulled the man onto the platform and hoisted him up a twelve-foot embankment, he assisted HFD personnel in reviving the victim.

A person who attempts to save someone from drowning puts his own life in jeopardy because the victim has the ability to drown his rescuer. Officer Iwasyk exhibited extreme determination, strength and endurance under adverse conditions.

The Chapter awarded Officer Iwasyk a plaque in recognition of his exceptional dedication and performance.

Speaker: Dr. Richard J. Stoll, Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean of Social Sciences; Department of Political Science, Rice University

Topic: Where are we in the war on terrorism?

Dr. Stoll received his undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester and his doctorate from the University of Michigan. He came to Rice in 1979. His research interests are in the study of international conflict, American national security policy and the use of computer simulation. He has published five books and a number of articles and book chapters. During his time at Rice, he has won nine teaching awards.

Terrorism: creating alarm through coercion. The ultimate goal is to create fear in an effort to elicit change rather than just physical damage. It is a weapon used by weak groups or countries as a method of exerting their will. Terrorist groups are like gangs. It is difficult to take the initiative against a group you cannot infiltrate. Therefore victims tend to be reactive rather than proactive.

What is the difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter? First, you must consider under what circumstances do you take up arms outside of legitimate policing groups (police, government, military, etc). Also, is the way they are doing it legitimate? If the government systematically mistreats its own people, then the people may have the right to rise up, as long as they conduct themselves as a regular army. They must not deliberately target civilians who are not bystanders to an action.

The best protection is detection and arrest. Intelligence is critical and these efforts are not publicized. The United States is an obvious target as the most powerful country. Targeting us is very “impressive”. Dr. Stoll feels that the root cause, not the sole cause, of terrorism is the failure to achieve a peace settlement between Israel and the Arabs. We can influence, but not force, cooperative efforts. So the perception is that because it isn’t happening, we really don’t want it. Religion is not an issue in the narrow sense. Some believe it is a “duty” to actively resist, but not “required” as extremists believe.

We cannot “win” alone, it requires global effort. All countries must condemn terrorist acts, pursue known terrorists and not support their activities. For example: Afghanistan could have turned over Al-Qaeda; Pakistan can allow access to launch an attack; Switzerland can report large cash transactions. An estimated 20,000 trainees passed through Al-Qaeda’s camps at its height. Approximately one-third are reported killed or captured. The remaining terrorists are located in more than sixty countries. $112 million has been seized, but at least $30 million is still accessible and receiving new donations.

Have we been successful in the “war on terrorism” at all? We have succeeded in disrupting training and it will be difficult to re-establish those camps. We have eliminated some of the top leaders and heightened concern for remaining leaders to coordinate their efforts as they worry about self-preservation. We have made it harder to do a large-scale event. However, the latter encourages more attacks on a smaller scale from those of lower authority or power.

How can we prevent it? Intelligence is the key. It is impossible to stop a suicide or any other type of mission without knowledge. If we let everyone know what we do know, we run the risk of revealing the source of information and then it could be cut off. There are also real-time constraints. There is often a 4-6 hour window from the time you know a specific target before you can execute a plan. One of the biggest challenges if Saddam leaves power is to help Iraq achieve a stable government. The government could become easily fragmented as other countries rush to protect their own interests. It will require international military support to maintain calm.

After a question and answer period, Dr. Stoll was awarded a plaque in appreciation of his presentation.

The next Houston Chapter meeting is February 26. Please refer to the web page at www.asishouston.org for further details.