I just received an interesting press release from London-based XASystems Ltd. regarding a letter they sent to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff regarding some Homeland Security technology that has been ‘trapped’ inside Sandia National Laboratories for several years which XASystems claims “could have played a significant role in preventing the London bombings of July last year, and other planned terrorist attacks such as the recently-foiled transatlantic airline bombing plot.”
Here’s the press release: UK Homeland Security Contractor Asks Chertoff To Release Vital Technology “These products could have played a significant role in preventing the London bombings of July last year, and other planned terrorist attacks such as the recently-foiled transatlantic airline bombing plot.” Albuquerque, NM – This week, Ian Hillier-Brook, Managing Director of London-based and UK government-contracted XASystems Ltd. sent a letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff asking that he take action to free working Homeland Security technology that has been ‘trapped’ inside Sandia National Laboratories for several years. “Please will you attempt to ‘break the logjam’ and allow the production of this life saving technology?” says Hillier-Brook to Chertoff in the letter. “These products could have played a significant role in preventing the London bombings of July last year, and other planned terrorist attacks such as the recently-foiled transatlantic airline bombing plot.” According to Hillier-Brook’s letter, this major Homeland Security technology hang-up was right under Chertoff’s nose during his visit to Sandia National Laboratories earlier this week. “I am alarmed and distressed by the fact that a technology such as this, with direct applications to counteract the national and international security issues and terrorist threats which we as a global community are now facing — including the newly emerging threats of category 5 and 7 chemical explosives — continues to be trapped inside a national laboratory,” said Hillier-Brook. The anti-terrorism technology that Hillier-Brook is referring to is a gas phase analysis technology platform by the name of the MicroChemLab. Prior to 9/11 in 2001, Sandia National Laboratories demonstrated a working prototype of a sensor based on the MicroChemLab technology that can detect trace amounts of toxic chemicals, nerve agents and other explosive materials in the air. Sandia signed an exclusive license agreement with Nanodetex — a Sandia start-up company led by two former Lab employees — to produce the sensor for widespread national and international security applications in mass transit systems and other large, vulnerable public and government locations. Yet, after five years of attempted cooperation on Nanodetex’s behalf, still no sensor — despite the fact that the company’s exclusive license remains in good standing. “I simply do not understand why the commercialization of products which could detect such ‘home-made’ explosives, nerve agents and toxins, and thus potentially eliminate the need for the recent TSA and UK BAA bans on liquids and gels, and solve the current problems with outdated walk-through portal technology, has been so, badly handled by the Sandia Labs and so easily overlooked by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,” says Hillier-Brook. Hillier-Brook’s company XASystems Ltd. works closely with UK government intelligence and security services like MI5, as a supplier of technology products and services. Currently his company has an agreement to be the UK distributor for Nanodetex’s sensors, but after two years, Hillier-Brook hasn’t been able to fulfill his contract due to the “logjam” inside Sandia National Labs – a holdup that has caused his government intelligence and security contacts to become “immensely frustrated” by the situation . “I implore you to look into this matter further,” says Hillier-Brook to Chertoff, “as the safety and well being of our collective citizens on both sides of the Atlantic is at stake.”
