Law Enforcement Tactics In Response To Terrorism

www.drgonzo.org

By Randy Gonzalez

Contents
Chapter 1 - Introduction and Overview Chapter 2 Threat Analysis & Intelligence Gathering Factors Chapter 3 Efforts to Combat Terrorism Chapter 4 Identifying Terrorist Groups Chapter 5 Terrorist Weapons, Targets and Tactics Chapter 6 - Tactical Capabilities of Terrorist Intentions Chapter 7 WMD Bio Weapons Chapter 8 WMD Bio Weapons Continued Chapter 9 WMD Nuclear Weapons______ Chapter 10 WMD Incendiary Devices & Chemicals Chapter 11: Other Types - Chemical Weapons & Explosives Chapter 12: Preventive Countermeasures Page 1 Page 9 _Page 17 _Page 25 _Page 33 Page 41 Page 49 Page 57 Page 65 Page 73 Page 81 Page 100

Chapter 13: Tactical Implications - Field Operations Strategy Page 117 Chapter 14: Further Considerations Threats and Response Measures Page 135
Copyright--2003 Randolph A. Gonzalez All Rights Reserved

1 Chapter1: Introduction and Overview: Throughout the country and around the globe, both the media and the government have various notions and definitions as to what defines the term terrorism. Some have said that terrorism is a form of warfare used by those who cannot afford an army or traditional military action of a nationalistic nature. Or, that it is the poor mans method of fighting an oppressive government. Others have said that terrorism is more economical for those opposing an existing government, and trying to bring about some kind of political change. These are fanciful notions fostered by nave and sympathetic representatives of the media. Terrorism is criminal political violence that intends to destabilize a government, in order to promote a cause. It uses violence through various criminal acts to raise the level of fear among those who may affect governmental decision-making.
Definitions FBI The unlawful use of force against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in the furtherance of political or social objectives. Domestic Terrorism - involving groups or individuals whose terroristic activities are directed at elements of our government or population without foreign direction. International Terrorism - involves groups or individuals whose terrorist activities are foreign-based and/or directed by countries or groups outside the United States or whose activities transcend national boundaries. Department of Justice The use of force or violence, or threatened use of force, against persons or places for the purpose of intimidating, or coercing a government, its citizens, or any segment thereof, for political or social goals. Department of State Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national or clandestine agents usually intended to influence an audience. (1)

2 By whatever definition is chosen, it should be remembered that terrorism is a premeditated act of criminal violence against other people. Such actions endeavor to make the citizens more fearful about their environment and their personal freedom. From grenades to rockets, and poisons to chemicals, terrorists seek to kill and scare people with their power.

Terrorist strategy is based upon the capacity to strike future blows, no matter what. The terrorist goal is not negotiation but capitulation by the government. One often used tactic to obtain this goal is the taking of hostages. In counterterrorism parlance, the government or authority structure is the primary victim. The secondary victim is the hostage. Terrorists take hostages to draw attention to their cause and to confound the authorities. (2)

Proper planning prevents poor performance.

The very nature of terrorism is what makes it a potential potent powerful political weapon. Public conceptions of the mere threat of terrorism raise fear levels beyond the normal range of reason. Today, terrorists are well trained and capable of carrying extreme measures against populations groups through out the world. They are capable of achieving the element of surprise, using innovative tactics, techniques and technology. Terrorism is a form of violence that capitalizes on fear, as well as the magnification of such acts through intense media portrayal. In recent times, significant acts of terrorism have led public officials to seek various ways to confront such threats. Yet, public defense, or homeland security countermeasures, is difficult to construct, given the nature and capabilities of terrorist groups. Snipings, bombings, kidnappings, hijackings, assassinations, hostage taking, extortion, drugs and weapon smuggling present challenges to law enforcement on a global scale. Terrorists are well armed, trained and capable of carrying out destructive acts against a range of targets.

3 From operational planning, to tactical implementation, terrorists possess the command, control, communications and intelligence capabilities to attack with ruthless effectiveness. They can carry out and execute a sustained climate of fear through an ongoing campaign of violence and destruction. Their mission is not complicated and they will associate with drug dealers, organized crime groups, and other sinister organizations to achieve their goals.
Terrorism is premeditated, politically motivated violence oriented effort to advance a philosophical-social-political agenda for profit and power. It is related to organized crime, in that it seeks power, control and profit continuity outside the normal channels of political interaction. Terrorism is organized criminal behavior that employs guerilla warfare tactics, either in it state or nation of residence, or outside such territory with state or nation sponsorship. They are capable of employing a range of weaponry, often more sophisticated than those possessed by local police forces. Acts of terrorism include the use of biological, chemical, radiological, explosive and other weapons to achieve their goals and objectives. In addition, they utilize technology to their advantage, which involves the Internet, computer systems, banking structures and so forth.

The criminals of terrorist organizations train, educate and focus themselves on the desire to advance the power and influence over others. They are a collective threat to human freedom and democracy. They are not, contrary to popular notion, freedom fighters. They are simply criminals with a political agenda. Their tactics involve the unlawful use, as well as the threatened use, of violence and destruction against men, women and children. To the terrorist, everyone is a combatant, as they operate on both foreign and domestic fronts. They may operate within the United States and territories, with or without foreign direction. Many definitions have evolved as to how we should define terrorism. And, since the use of weaponry encompasses a wide range of possibilities, the present day use of terms such as weapons of mass destruction has become more commonplace.

4 To say, one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter distorts the real and sinister picture of terrorism. In the real world, perfect distinctions and definitions often blur in the realty of human cruelty and degradation. The many experts in the field of terrorism have contrived many definitions of terrorism. In many cases, these efforts have led to the difficulty not only in understanding it, but also in combating it as well. Terrorism is criminal behavior and should not be associated with some fanciful notion connected to liberating a country from oppression. It is a brutal form of expression that includes non-combatants as easy target of prey. In the harsh reality of human actions, terrorism remains a deliberate act of aggression and hostility toward others which includes harming the civilian population in general. It is murder and aggravated battery, along with other criminal acts, designed to intimidate and otherwise frighten various population groups for mainly political purposes. Acts of terrorism must be separated from other types of politically motivated activities, such as guerrilla warfare and insurrection. Guerrilla warfare is generally concerned with attacking military targets and political officials in order to bring about a governmental change within a particular country.

In their book, Political Terrorism, Schmidt and Youngman cited 109 definitions of terrorism, which they obtained in a survey of leading academics in the field. From these definitions, the authors isolated the following recurring elements, in order of their statistical appearance in the definitions: violence, force (appeared in 83.5% of the definitions); political (65%); fear, emphasis on terror (51%); threats (47%); psychological effects and anticipated reactions (41.5%); discrepancy between the targets and the victims (37.5%); intentional, planned systematic, organized action (32%); methods of combat, strategy, tactics (30.5%). (3)

The arsenal of terrorists has adapted to the innovations in technology. The current era of weapons of mass destruction (aka WMD) include an array of weaponized instruments of widespread death and injury potential. From poison gas to radioactivity, the lethal nature of terrorism has dramatically escalated in an increasingly smaller global community.

5 From a purely generic and narrow definition, weapons of mass destruction tend encompass any explosive device or other materials that potentially cause widespread death, injury and damage. But, the inclusion of such implements also refers to incendiary and poison gas devices, as well as variety of bio-hazardous agents. Things such as bombs, grenades, missiles, land mines, and so forth fall within this broad category of destructive devices. To this mix of weapons, we can also include various configurations of nuclear weapons, biological and chemical devices that have the potential for significant levels of damage to people and property. For most people in the United States, it is difficult to imagine the possibilities and the potential danger that stems from the use of some type of weapon of mass destruction. The use of destructive devices by terrorists is perplexing and hard to comprehend for many people.

Terrorism Includes 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Unlawful and violent tactics Selected targets of opportunity Maximum use of the media Political motivation Civilian targets Planning and organization

First responders to acts of terrorism are generally local law enforcement officers. The seemingly unpredictable nature of terrorism requires constant vigilance on the part of all law enforcement personnel. The collection and analysis of frontline intelligence is important to the mission of providing public safety and security. Surveillance, intelligence gathering, patrol strategies and associated tactics and techniques must be effectively employed in order to confront terrorist activities. None of this, of course, is easy. But, ongoing training, education and proactive efforts are necessary to the public safety mission.

The terrorist threat around the world represents a serious challenge to law enforcement officials one that many are unprepared to handle. The use of criminal activity to create fear and thus further political goals is a strategy that has been employed for centuries. As early as 400 B.C., Sun Tzu observed, that before launching an all out attack, the master conqueror frustrated his enemys plans and broke up his alliances. He created cleavages between sovereign and minister, superiors and inferiors, commanders and subordinates. His spies and agents were active everywhere, gathering information, sowing dissention and nurturing subversion. The enemy was isolated and demoralized; his will to resist broken. Thus, without battle his army was conquered, his cities taken and his state overthrown. (4)

Terrorism are violent efforts to further the political aims of a particular group. Activities involve unlawful acts that target civilian population areas in the furtherance of such aims. Terrorist tactics, techniques and technology should foster a response by law enforcement that is both proactive and innovative. Since terrorism is criminal activity, countermeasures should include the use of enhanced training methodologies, advanced education, covert operations, tactical and strategic planning, aggressive surveillance, electronic countermeasures, innovative problem solving tactics, multiagency initiatives in planning, training and practical application, as well as other related aspects. Terrorism tends to be adaptive, and the law enforcement response must be well prepared to deal with their tactics.

Emanating from a distorted worldview, terrorism employs whatever criminal activity suits its needs. From blackmail, to intimidation and suicidal bombings, terrorists promote a political agenda of death and destruction. Violence is used as a mechanism of persuasion in the sociopathic world of the terrorist. Targets of opportunity are selected on the basis of propaganda value by use of unprovoked attacks. In most cases, criminal acts or perpetrated with minimum risk to the key terrorist players, and maximum exposure and publicity in the media. The media are often more than willingly to sensationalize to every extend possible the scope and nature of the terrorist incident. Publicity is an important ingredient to the terrorist. And, terrorist incidents will be portrayed in graphic detail with great obsession by various media outlets. Terrorist generally prefer to strike with surprise that is preceded by careful planning and training. The primary weapon is the fear factor. If people are scarred and intimidated, then the terrorist act has been a success. Fear is an essential component of terrorist actions. There is a desire to make the public feel vulnerable and unsafe. Such anxiety on the part of the public puts pressure on law enforcement services to act. Terrorism is an attack on noncombatants in that civilians are targeted. The political and economic goals of terrorism are accomplished through the degree of propaganda that is obtained. Terrorist groups tend to be cohesive, loyal, trained, educated, financed and armed.

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Terrorism encompasses a range of cowardly acts that involve violations of established law. But, controversial or bizarre beliefs and opinions do not necessarily represent a terrorist orientation or inclination. Belief systems vary among people and span the philosophical spectrum in many directions. In the U.S., the Constitution protects freedom of speech. Opinions are one thing actions are another thing. However, we should keep in mind that vigilance is virtue.

Attitudes and forms expression do not normally reflect the potential for terrorist incidents. People can have opinions no matter how strange they are. They can deviate from mainstream belief systems and carry on with a variety of viewpoints. Yet, extreme belief systems should not be ignored and should be part of the information gathering process of effective law enforcement action. When the attitudes and opinions transcend the bridge between thought and action, then attention should be given to that which violates the law.
Terrorist Incident characterizes a situation in which an incident is dangerous, violent and threatens human life in violation of criminal statutes. It suggests that law enforcement has an idea as to who did the act and what the motive was. Suspected Terrorist Incident less certain than the Terrorist Incident, and the identity and motive is not determined at the time of the incident. Terrorism Prevention represents positive law enforcement interdiction when terrorist are identified, known to have committed a violation and arrested before carrying out a Terrorist Incident. This is the result of a comprehensive criminal investigation. (5)