U.S. launches bomb portal for global cops

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Law enforcement agencies from 25 countries are to begin sharing information on bombs and other explosives through a new, U.S.-based online portal.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, known as ATF, Wednesday announced the launch of the portal -- a project of the 25-nation International Bomb Data Center Working Group.

"Its objective is to share technical information, especially in the face of critical incidents involving explosives or other means, and planned or actual terrorist attacks," said a statement from the ATF.

The portal "provides its users with a collaboration tool that operates in real time, via the Internet and is capable of translating text within documents," continues the statement. The portal also includes live encrypted chat rooms where officials can discuss and collaborate in English, Spanish, French, German and Dutch, and the ATF said more languages were likely to be added.

The International Bomb Data Center Working Group was formed in mid-2005 by agencies from 12 countries, including the United States. Since then, the group has more than doubled in size and today includes law enforcement bomb data centers from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Columbia, France, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The ATF says the portal has a different function from the databases that it and other agencies use to share information and intelligence on explosives incidents, devices and methods. "The portal is a means to communicate, while the database is a place to store and exchange information."