The Bishop: The Next Stage in the Threat Cycle

Austin, TX, March 13, 2007 – Stratfor released a report this week outlining a possible shift in tactics of The Bishop. The Bishop has been on Stratfor’s radar since October 2005, when he first demanded targeted financial firms to take action in moving specific stocks to a certain price. Since then, his behavior has shifted several times, from written threats to incomplete explosive devices. Stratfor believes that it is time for yet another shift, as public awareness of the threat in the mailrooms of financial institutions blunts the effectiveness of tactics used to date.

As Stratfor previously stated, the next stage in the threat will involve live rather than incomplete bombs. The odds are high that The Bishop will turn his attention toward specific financial services executives or employees where they are more vulnerable: at their homes.

Stratfor explains: “The reason for this is that the ability to threaten executives or employees of targeted companies away from the office, whether at their homes, their children’s schools, places of worship or elsewhere, makes the threat much more personal and likely to be taken seriously.”

Recommendations:

• Review or establish mail-handling procedures and emergency action plans at the workplace
• Carefully scrutinize personal mail delivered to the home
• Establish safety protocols or emergency action plans for families with small children
• Take steps to protect personal information available in the public realm

Contact:
Media requesting a copy of the report, more information on these procedures, or an interview with the author, Fred Burton, may contact Stratfor at pr@stratfor.com (512) 744-4309.

About Stratfor:
Stratfor is the world’s largest private geopolitical and public policy intelligence firm providing corporations, governments, and individuals with intelligence and analysis to anticipate the political, economic, and security issues vital to their interests. Armed with powerful intelligence-gathering capabilities and working in close collaboration with Stratfor’s experienced team of professionals, our clients are better able to protect their assets, diminish risk, and increase opportunities to compete in the global market.