AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff
TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - October 20, 2002
SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, October 20, 2002
TEXT:
The practical measures series continues this week with a discussion of terrorism incident response from the point of view of the people in the middle of four types of incident: bombs; kidnapping and hostage crises; shootings; and the special case of weapons of mass destruction. The article concludes with general guidelines that apply to all of these. Next week the series will wrap up with tips on how to hit terrorism at its roots.
CONTENTS:
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:
1. World
2. Africa
3. Americas
4. Asia Pacific
5. Europe
6. Middle East
7. South Asia
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
9. Finance
10 Human Rights
11. Law and Legal Issues
12. Narco-terrorism
13. Transportation
14. Weapons of Mass Destruction
15. Recently Published
FEATURE ARTICLE:
Terrorism Crisis Response
A bombing in Bali, Indonesia has left nearly 200 dead from 20 different countries. The largest number of victims was Balinese, followed by Australians.
Discussions on Iraq have moved to the United Nations where the main area of dispute now rests with whether or not automatic intervention is acceptable, should Iraq contravene UN rules. A list of recommended articles can be found in the Recently Published section.
The international movement to combat HIV infection is gathering momentum through two new tactics designed to leverage other anti-globalization movements. First, in the fight against restrictive intellectual property rules and second with directed actions towards large international corporations. This week, for example, a court ruling in Thailand found that the local state drug agency could begin production of specific doses of didanosine. In Africa and Atlanta, campaigners are targeting Coca-Cola to provide greater access to AIDS drugs for its African employees.
Meanwhile, the threat posed by HIV infection increases. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, on a visit to China, reminded his hosts of the coming AIDS epidemic. By the end of the decade, China could have more than 10 million cases unless urgent actions are taken.
2. Africa
In addition to the famines in southern Africa and the Horn, it appears there are crop failures in Western Sahel. The World Food Program has said that the scale of the problem and lack of donor contributions are making it almost impossible to deal with the expanding drought.
The International Monetary Fund reports over $900 million siphoned off through corruption from the Angolan government, demonstrating little progress in governance and financial controls. The government denies the charges.
In Democratic Republic of Congo, rebel fighting has broken out following earlier troop withdrawals by Rwanda and others. Fighters from the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) and the Mai-Mai (whom Rwanda accuses of being members of the Rwandan Armed Forces [FAR] responsible for the genocide) have battled for control of a major lake port town. While continued rebel violence threatens the peace talks, they are scheduled to resume on October 25.
Ethiopia has denied the charges by the UN of militia threats that have undermined the security of UN peacekeepers.
Fighting in Ivory Coast continued during the week, affecting many of the major cocoa-growing areas both through the violence and as the result of thousands of people fleeing the areas of fighting. By the end of the week, the rebels had agreed a ceasefire to be monitored by French troops, and have been undertaking the difficult task of persuading the troops to end the fighting.
Kenya’s ruling party faces a political crisis following the endorsement of President Daniel arap Moi’s hand-picked successor, Uhuru Kenyatta. Opposition parties and ruling party dissidents are likely to join forces to field their own candidate in the presidential elections scheduled for December.
Nigerians in the oil-rich Bakassi have threatened to secede rather than join Cameroon as ordered by the International Court of Justice last week. However, despite the symbolism of the Bakassi, in economic terms, Nigeria overall has emerged as the winner. See Michael Peel and Antony Goldman’s article “Nigerians see material gain in UN defeat” in the Financial Times, October 17, 2002.
Peace talks in Somalia began with an unexpectedly large turnout. Several key factions had said they would not attend, but in the end the 300 delegates scheduled nearly doubled. Despite the logistical problems, this is an encouraging sign for the success of the talks.
Peace talks began again in the Sudan but are on shaky grounds given continued breeches of the ceasefire.
The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda is accused of another massacre, killing at least 52 civilians by burning them alive or attacking them with machetes and clubs.
Amid alleged seizures of more than 3 tons of grain by Zanu-PF ruling party activists, the World Food Program has suspended food distribution in the Insiza district of Zimbabwe.
3. Americas
Violence, most of it drugs-related, is increasing in Brazil ahead of elections. There has been an attempted prison break, gunfire and grenade attacks, but so far only one death.
Colombian police raided Medellin, the second-largest city in Colombia, in an effort to root out suspected rebels. Dozens have been detained and at least 25 have been killed in the fighting that accompanied the raids and house-to-house searches in the operation. A curfew is in place and additional security measures are under consideration.
Jamaican police are out in force to try to control the violence that is, as it has so often in the past, accompanying the elections. Much of this violence continues to be over economic control of the major coca shipping routes.
In the US, the congressional inquiry into intelligence failures continues. The director of the Central Intelligence Agency has admitted a number of flaws in the organization. He has also acknowledged the strength of the continued terrorist threat, referencing recent attacks in Yemen, Bali and so on.
In a domestic attack, the Department of Defense has authorized the use of military aircraft to gather data for the local police to help them in the investigation of a local sniper. Although there is no indication of the gunman’s motives, the high level of terror generated among the civilian population is cited as the reason for this action.
In the US Congress, the Homeland security and Immigration law revisions have been put off until Congress regroups after the elections. A deal on terrorism insurance is close.
Following last Sunday’s march against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, his supporters rallied on Monday. About a million were in the crowd.
4. Asia Pacific
Southeast Asia is on alert as a series of terrorist attacks have shattered the illusion of stable economies and island paradises as well. The Financial Times of October 15 offered excellent coverage in a feature by Shawn Donnan, Mark Huband and John Burton “Al-Qaeda’s Second Front: ‘These groups are going after big economic targets, whether oil tankers or tourism’”.
Australia has acknowledged that it is not immune to terrorist attacks as shown by their heavy losses in the Balinese bombing. Prime Minister Howard emphasized that such attacks could reach Australia itself, not just its favorite holiday locations. Australia has provided assistance to Indonesia to provide emergency evacuations of some of the injured and assist in the police investigation. Meanwhile, Australia’s immigration policies, strong support for US President Bush, and treatment of its Muslim community have been criticized.
Burma has reopened its border with Thailand. It had been closed when Thailand entered the fray in a battle with ethnic Shan rebels. Burma’s treatment of the Shan women and reports of the rape of more than 600 by Burmese troops are under investigation by the UN. Human Rights Watch has issued a report that Burma has the highest number of child soldiers in the world and it routinely forces children to serve in the army, including combat and forced labor. See “My Gun was as Tall as Me: Child Soldiers in Burma” online at http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/burma/index.htm
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, on a visit to China, reminded his hosts of the coming AIDS epidemic. By the end of the decade, China could have more than 10 million cases unless urgent actions are taken.
Indonesia’s island of Bali is attempting to recover from the massive bombing of October 13. At least two, and possibly three, bombs exploded killing at least 188 and injuring hundreds more, many with serious burns. Many missing are still unaccounted for – the result of the massive fire and structural collapse. The US, UK, Australia and others are providing medical and forensic support. A number of suspects in the attack have been detained. (See Law and Legal Issues below)
President Megawati Sukarnoputri faces a critical juncture. While responding to an act of terrorism, she must balance the memories of the long history of military rule and military abuse in Indonesia even while the government has assumed sweeping new powers under new emergency legislation. Recovery from the attack will also be an economic challenge in a country already facing almost 20 percent unemployment. You can find a selected reading list in the Recently Published section.
Five Japanese who had been kidnapped by North Korea visited Japan fir the first time since their disappearances 25 years ago. Their children were kept behind and they were not able to discuss that fate of others that had been kidnapped.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir has warned they could be attacked and that the whole region was at risk both of terrorist attacks and in turn of negative economic impact, including a reduction of foreign investment. Malaysia has arrested five suspected Islamic militants connected with Jemaah Islamiah and suspected of involvement in the Bali bombing.
North Korea has revealed efforts to develop enriched uranium beyond their existing nuclear program. This has effectively eliminated the existing nuclear agreement and could undermine other efforts for normalization of relationships. See David E. Sanger’s article “North Korea Says It Has A Program On Nuclear Arms” and James Dao’s companion piece “The Pact That the Koreans Flouted” for excellent coverage on this issue in The New York Times, October 17, 2002. This action could delay the delivery of a new reactor from the US to North Korea. US claims that Pakistan assisted North Korea in other development has been denied by Pakistan.
A series of bombings in the Philippines over the last two weeks has continues. This week, two bombs exploded in a shopping area of a southern coastal city killed six and wounding 150. In the third attack within two days, a bomb on a bus in Manila killed three and injured 22. At the end of the week another bomb in a southern city killed one and injured more than 100.
5. Europe
The EU and Israel are in discussions regarding the proposed imposition of duties imported from Jewish settlements in the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank.
Nationalists in Bosnia-Herzegovina have won a majority in the legislatures, but it is hoped they will not undertake the hardline policies that led to war ten years ago. Peacekeepers with S-FOR claim that a Bosnian arms company, Orao Aviation, has provided arms to Iraq in violation of international export controls. A seventh mass grave has been discovered near a village in the northeast.
In Corsica, fourteen bombs directed at banks and homes exploded across the French portion of the island. Although no one has claimed responsibility for these attacks the separatist Corsican National Liberation Front (FLNC) recently admitted to a bombing on the French mainland.
Finnish police investigating the bombing of October 11 say they believe that Petri Gerdt, the chemistry student responsible, got information on how to make the device through the Internet, including a chat room.
Macedonia will have NATO peacekeepers for another seven weeks until the European Union is ready to take over.
Russian Governor Valentin Tsvetkov of Magadan was gunned down in broad daylight by a sniper in Moscow, a few blocks from the Kremlin. This assassination could be business, political, or both. A car bomb exploded outside a McDonald’s restaurant in Moscow, injuring at least seven, but it is believed to be a criminal act.
Serbia’s turnout in presidential elections was below 50 percent and will have to be held again in December. Local and international pressure has been brought to change the law requiring a minimum turnout that was established by former President Slobodan Milosevic.
Ukraine has denied allegations that it sold a radar system to Iraq and is cooperating with UK and US authorities investigating the claim.
Northern Ireland is now under direct rule by Britain and its Stormont parliament has been suspended. It is experiencing continued sectarian violence and internal feuding by loyalist paramilitary groups. British officials have asked that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) disband but Republicans called the suggestion unrealistic. Jailed members of the Real IRA have issued a biting indictment against their leadership and called for the organization to disband.
6. Middle East
Raids in the Gaza Strip by Israel have continued. The Israeli Army has increased the frequency of the raids and the casualties, mainly civilian, are mounting. In the latest incident, at least eight were killed and some 50 injured.
Iraq celebrated the outcome of a referendum that gave a 100 percent vote in favor of keeping Saddam Hussein in office for another seven years.
Israel commemorated the seventh anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was shot by a Jewish right-wing extremist opposed to the Oslo accords. Israeli political cartoonist Yaacov Farkas “Zeev” died in hospital near Tel Aviv at the age of 79.
Kuwait has arrested an unnamed 17-year-old charged with having petrol bombs in his car near an American military installation.
Lebanon has begun to pump water from the Wazzani springs to villages in south Lebanon. Israel has threatened war over any diversion of this water.
In the occupied West Bank, after digging a 6-foot deep trench around Jenin, Israeli troops withdrew to the outskirts of the town. They are also on the edge of Bethlehem but still fully occupy five other main towns. Near Bethlehem, alleged militant Mohammed Abayat was blown to bits by an explosion in a telephone box he was using.
The West Bank has also seen a number of clashes between Jewish settlers and Israeli security forces as the army attempted to dismantle the settlement.
7. South Asia
Afghanistan has received much less aid than anticipated this year, but regional allies Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan have set up a fund to help the rebuilding process. There is concern over the functioning of the national army given the shortage of resources and the insistence of the US Army on providing arms to warlords who agree to help fight al Qaeda elements. Meanwhile, reports of extrajudicial killings are under investigation by the UN.
In Bangladesh, the army has been called in to help fight the rising crime wave. Nearly 40,000 troops arrested nearly 1,300 on the first day of the exercise. Two have died under interrogation.
The Indian state Andhra Pradesh suffered a landmine explosion that killed three policemen. Assam suffered a grenade attack in which three were killed and 15 injured. There was further rioting in Gujarat. Karnataka is sending a representative to negotiate former minister H Nagappa’s release from the bandit, Veerappan.
The governments of both Indian and Pakistan have begun to pull their troops back from the borders.
In Indian-administered Kashmir, currently under federal rule, political wrangling continues after the inconclusive results of state elections that resulted in a defeat of the ruling National Conference and the need to build a governing coalition. Five suspected separatist militants were shot dead in a gun battle with Indian troops.
The new Nepalese Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, has called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict with the Maoist rebels.
Pakistan is also seeking a coalition government after last week’s elections that resulted in an increase in the number of Islamic militant seats but no overall majority. A series of parcel bombs, thought to be the work of Islamic militants, exploded within minutes of each other, injuring at least nine.
Chief negotiator Anton Balasingham of the Tamil Tiger rebels and the Norwegian mediator have arrived to begin the second round of peace talks with the Sri Lankan government. This round is set to go from October 31 through November 3, with further talks in December and January.
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
The US chairman of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Board, Richard Clarke, has taken the draft “National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace” on the road in a series of town meetings designed to elicit feedback on the document. Clarke favors voluntary industry-based standards over national legislation.
Jose Granado and Adriana Venunzio of Colombia were arrested in Massachusetts, US, for installing a skimming device on ATM machines and using it to steal ATM and credit card information from the customers, then make fraudulent purchases. Similar activities have been reported in California, Florida and new York.
9. Finance
Niue and the Marshall Islands joined Russia in being removed from the Financial Action Task Force list of non-cooperative countries in anti-money laundering.
The Council on Foreign Relations in New York has published a report on terrorist financing (http://www.cfr.org/publication.php?id=5080) in which it finds that al Qaeda still has a viable financial network and that Saudi Arabia in particular is allowing funding from charities and individuals to continue.
The US Treasury Department has identified some of al Qaeda’s principal financial backers and is in discussions with Saudi Arabia, where several of the alleged financiers are based, and with banking centers such as Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg to discuss their support in blocking assets. The Treasury has designated the charity Global Relief Foundation as a terrorist organization because it allegedly received funding from al Qaeda associates and contributed material aid.
Excellent coverage of these issues is provided in an article by Edward Alden, “The money trail: how a crackdown on suspect charities is failing to stem the flow of funds to al Qaeda” in the Financial Times, October 18, 2002.
Money transfer agencies, hawalas, in Somalia have been badly affected by accusations they are involved in terrorist financing. Hawala is essential to support Somalia, which has no banking system. The United Nations has launched a program to explain to the Americans how this works and why it is essential to continue and avert a further humanitarian crisis in war-torn Somalia.
10. Human Rights
Canadian Maher Arar was deported from the United States without explanation. Immigration and Naturalization Service authorities allege he was part of a terrorist organization but refuse to provide details of the allegations or where he has been sent, even to the Canadian authorities.
The death penalty itself in on trial in the American state of Illinois, where 142 requests for clemency will be heard following a sweeping overhaul of the state’s capital punishment system.
Twelve Kuwaiti prisoners detained without charge at Guantanamo Bay have launched a legal challenge, backed by the government of Kuwait. They have spent nearly a year in captivity, despite insisting they are charity workers, and are entitled to basic legal rights.
The Mexican Front for Human Rights reports that some 600 soldiers have been detained and tortured at their barracks as part of a drug trafficking investigation.
Brigadier-General Rick Baccus has been removed from his command of Guantanamo Bay under charges that he was more responsive to the prisoners than to their guards.
11. Law and Legal Issues
Radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba’asyir has been arrested in Indonesia in connection with alleged terrorist activities. He collapsed after Friday prayers and is in hospital. It is not known when he can be questioned.
Forty members of the Aryan Brotherhood have been indicted for racketeering in connection with drug trafficking, gambling and extortion in federal and state prison systems.
The government of the autonomous Basque region in Spain is suing Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon over his ban on the Batasuna pro-separatist party.
Ahmed Bilal, deported from Malaysia last week as an alleged member of a terrorist sleeper cell in Portland, Oregon, has pleaded not guilty.
The Saville Inquiry into Bloody Sunday, in which 14 died at the hands of the British Army, has gathered more evidence from soldiers at the time. One man testified that records of communications were directed by a supervisor and were not recorded verbatim. Dramatic testimony from Soldier 027 claimed he witnessed no threat from civilians and that the soldiers had been brutalized by the atmosphere.
Adel Nasir Ahmed Faraj has been arrested for his unsuccessful attempted hijacking of a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight from Sudan.
Mark Bolkerin Gumbahale, suspected member of militant Islamic group Abu Sayyaf, was arrested in the Philippines as he played a video game at an Internet café in Manila. Three of his colleagues were also arrested.
Iraq has granted a general amnesty to prisoners in a gesture of gratitude to the populace for returning a vote of 100 percent support for Saddam Hussein.
Libya is the target of another suit for damages over a plane bombing. In this case, relatives of seven killed on a UTA flight in 1989, are suing Libya for $3 billion.
Imran Mandhai has been convicted in Florida of conspiracy charges for planning a series of bombings. He has been sentenced to almost 12 years in prison.
Carlos Arturo Marulanda, a former Colombian minister in hiding from charges of drugs trafficking, corruption, and forming right-wing death squads, has been extradited from Spain and will be tried in Colombia.
Ian Nisbet, Reza Pankhurst and Maajid Nawaz, all British Muslims, are on trial in Egypt for trying to overthrow the government and allegations of membership in the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir (Islamic Liberation Party). They allege they have been tortured, charged denied by Egyptian authorities.
Sara Jane Olson (formerly Kathleen Soliah), former member of the Symbionese Liberation Army and long-time fugitive, has been sentenced to serve at least five more years for her role in a plan to bomb police cars.
Milan Simic has been convicted of torture and sentenced to five years in prison by the UN war crimes tribunal for Yugoslavia.
12. Narco-terrorism
The Department of Anti-Narcotics Operations in Guatemala has been shut down and its members will be investigates for links to organized crime. This action follows last week’s accusations of drug ties made by US official Otto Reich.
The Mexican Front for Human Rights reports that some 600 soldiers have been detained and tortured at their barracks as part of a drug trafficking investigation. Independent of the possible human rights violations, the army has acknowledged that the degree of involvement in drugs was so significant the unit would be entirely disbanded.
13. Transportation
An attempted hijacking of a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight from Sudan was foiled by a guard.
The US House and Senate have reached agreement for a bill on port security that gives the Coast Guard additional powers and institutes other security measures.
14. Weapons of Mass Destruction
China has begun to issue rules to govern dual-use exports, particularly those related to biological agents.
The US General Accounting Office testified that it would be several years before nuclear screening at border checkpoints would be introduced. Although over 4,000 radiation pagers have been given to border agents, they are not designed to detect materials that could be used in weapons. Only one border point has test equipment in place, as ap pilot project.
15. Recently Published
Alden, Edward “The money trail: how a crackdown on suspect charities is failing to stem the flow of funds to al Qaeda” in the Financial Times, October 18, 2002.
Dao, James “The Pact That the Koreans Flouted” in The New York Times, October 17, 2002.
Donnan, Shawn ,Mark Huband and John Burton. “Al-Qaeda’s Second Front: ‘These groups are going after big economic targets, whether oil tankers or tourism’” in The Financial Times, October 15, 2002
Human Rights Watch. “My Gun was as Tall as Me: Child Soldiers in Burma”, HRW October 2002. Online at http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/burma/index.htm
Massing, Michael. “Challenging the Growth Gurus” in The New York Times, October 19, 2002
Peel, Michael and Antony Goldman. “Nigerians see material gain in UN defeat” in the Financial Times, October 17, 2002.
Sanger, David E. “North Korea Says It Has A Program On Nuclear Arms” in The New York Times, October 17, 2002.
INDONESIA: BALI BOMBING:
Aglionby, John. “From doctors to tourists, all do their bit as hospitals overflow” in The Guardian, October 14, 2002. Online at http://www.guardian.co.uk/Print/0,3858,4523675,00.html
Arnold, Wayne. “Indonesian Finance Chief Warns of Need for More Foreign Aid” in The Wall Street Journal, October 18, 2002
Binkley, Christina, Melanie Trottman and Gabriel Kahn, “Skittish Travelers Cancel Trips After Bali Bombing” in The Wall Street Journal, October 15, 2002
Donnan, Shawn. “Indonesia’s reticent leader” in the Financial Times, October 19, 2002
Foster, Angus. “Indonesia’s militant threat” in BBC News, October 13, 2002. Online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2324093.stm
Mydans, Seth. “Long Lists of the Missing in Bali, And Many Bodies Without Names” in The New York Times, October 15, 2002
IRAQ:
For coverage of statements made in the UN to the Security Council, see the excerpted statements from the New York Times.
Baker, Gerard, “The 1991 Gulf War: ‘We counted 842 tanks destroyed... They got enough out to keep Saddam in power’” in the Financial Times, October 16, 2002
Farley, Maggie. “U.N. Resolutions Frequently Violated” in the Los Angeles Times, October 17, 2002.
Hill, Andrew. “Planning for war’s effects is guesswork, say business chiefs” in the Financial Times, October 14, 2002
Kristoff, Nicholas D., “Saddam, the U.S. Agent” in The New York Times, October 15, 2002
Marcus, Aliza. “German soccer coach unfazed about taking over Iraqi team”. In the Boston Globe, October 16, 2002
Morgan, Tabitha. “Iraq oil contracts ‘to be reviewed’” in BBC News, October 18, 2002. Online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2341441.stm
Peterson, Scott. “Iraqis bracing for war’s aftermath” in The Christian Science Monitor, October 18, 2002
Seib, Gerald F., “So How, Exactly, Would Hussein Exit From Baghdad?” in The Wall Street Hournal, October 16, 2002
van Wel, Alex. “Bali blast affects Iraq debate” in BBC News, October 14, 2002. Online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2328335.stm
Wiltenburg, Mary and James Norton. “Iraq: A strategic look” in The Christian Science Monitor, October 16, 2002. See timeline online at http://www.csmonitor.com/iraqtimeline
Wright, Robin, Tyler Marshall and Edwin Chen. “Compromise on Iraq Is Offered” in the Los Angeles Times, October 17, 2002.
FEATURE ARTICLE: Terrorism Crisis Response
Last week’s issue in our series on practical measures to combat terrorism focused on terrorism threat analysis. It discussed the nature of asymmetric threats and how to adapt to them and we hope provided some indication of the complexity and relative unpredictability of terrorist attacks.
This week we discuss terrorism incident response from the point of view of the people in the middle of an unanticipated event. * We cover four types of incident: bombs; kidnapping and hostage crises; shootings; and the special case of weapons of mass destruction then conclude with general guidelines that apply to all of these.
1. BOMBS
This section discusses bomb threats, suspicious devices, suicide bombers, and explosions.
a. Bomb Threats:
If you have received a written threat, contact the police, preserve the materials, and take note of the circumstances under which it was found.
If the threat is made by phone, try to keep the caller on the phone as long as possible so the call can be traced and record as much of the conversation as you can verbatim. One way to do this is to keep asking detailed questions and stress your desire to save lives. Try to alert another person to call the police and to begin tracing the call while it is taking place.
Critical information includes details of the caller (sex, age, characteristics, background noise), any associated organization, their motives, and the time of the communication. As many details of the bomb as possible are important, including the location of the device, the time of detonation, a description of the device and its contents, including the type of explosive.
In any case, unless there is detailed information that this is not an imminent threat, as soon as the local authorities and responsible crisis management team have been notified, evacuate the premises.
b. Suspicious Devices:
If a suspicious device that could be a bomb is discovered, do not touch it. Instead, call police and fire and evacuate the immediate area. Depending on the degree of the threat, further evacuation may be necessary. The minimum evacuation area around a bomb is 300 meters.
c. Suicide Bombers
Suicide bombers do not display the behavioral warning signs of people who want to kill only themselves. These attacks are often well planned with back-up contingencies and are very difficult to prevent or detect. Possible indications of a suicide bomber may include nervousness and excessive sweating, heavy inappropriate clothing, and trying to get into a crowd where the person doesn’t seem to belong.
If this is suspected, call the authorities and attempt to isolate the individual and move people away as quickly possible to minimize possible targets.
Special note: Suicide bombers may spread infectious agents as their bodies are fragmented during the explosion. Testing for infectious diseases is recommended and prophylactic hepatitis treatment may be advised.
d. Explosions
If an unexpected explosion occurs, your existing fire emergency procedures are usually effective, including the use of an alarm, familiarity with emergency and evacuation procedures, and so on.
Following the experiences in evacuation at the Pentagon and World Trade Centers after the September 11 attacks, some changes have been recommended in emergency procedures and facilities so make sure yours have been updated to reflect this.
There is also a possibility of a “dirty bomb”, one that has been contaminated with nuclear, biological or chemical agents. See Weapons of Mass Destruction, below, for recommendations.
2. KIDNAPPING AND HOSTAGE CRISES
This topic was covered in detail in the Newsletter of October 6, 2002. That article offered this advice to people who have been captured:
“If you are kidnapped, the first few minutes are when things are likely to go wrong, so try to stay calm to minimize the risk of a situation out of control, something both you and the kidnappers want to avoid. In addition,
* Be non-confrontational and respectful. If you are in a group, do not act as the leader.
* Balance accommodating the kidnappers demands with self-control that helps you appear able to take care of yourself, rather than helpless
* Pay attention to the details of your surroundings. This could help gather information that could be used for a later investigation and possible prosecution. (This is unlikely to happen; very few kidnapping cases are ever tracked down.)
* Do not try to escape; it’s a high risk alternative
* If given the opportunity, befriend the kidnappers – it helps to avoid talking about controversial topics like religion and politics
* Be patient. It could take a long time. Be aware of the Stockholm syndrome (identifying with the captors) and combat that with regular mental and physical exercise
* If a rescue attempt is made, get on the ground, cover your head, and stay still”
3. SHOOTINGS
Shootings can take place between individuals or groups, such as in gang violence or hostage taking, or with one or two individuals, as in a sniping incident. In addition to the information provided above about hostage crises, consider this additional information.
In the case of gang or individual violence, call the police and be specific as to the nature and location of the threat or attack. Try to identify the participants, including the leader(s), and document activities as much as possible.
Wherever an attack occurs, try to isolate the attacker while moving people to a secure location. For example, people could clear corridors and open areas into protected spaces such as an office with a locked door, could leave the building to a safe location, or could go inside away from an outdoor or remote attack.
If present when an attack occurs, get on the ground, cover your head, and stay still.
4. WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
Weapons of mass destruction are those biological, chemical, or nuclear agents that can cause massive loss of life and physical destruction. In the case of an active or threatened attack, it is crucial that authorities determine whether any WMD agents have been used in order to determine the correct response.
If any such weapon is suspected, contact emergency services and turn off the air conditioning to minimize the spread of the possible agent.
In the case of a biological agent, contagion and spread of the disease is a significant threat. It is important that casualties are not sent to their physician or a hospital -- perfect areas for rapid spread of infectious agents -- but instead to wait for the determination of the first responders as to the agent and its associated risk.
Biological agents are particularly dangerous because of the difficulty in detecting them and the delay in symptoms and diagnosis that can occur after an incident. Delivery vehicles can range from simple food poisoning to contaminating a bomb.
Chemical agents can also be concealed for delivery, but it is also possible to use an obvious agent that may cause less damage but still be a major threat. A chemical leak or spill can contaminate wide areas for a long time. If you are aware that a chemical agent has been used, call the police, identify the chemical involved and the source of the leak or spill. If people have been effected, describe the physical symptoms and send information about the chemicals with the victims as they are being treated.
In the case of a nuclear threat, radioactivity can be readily detected and action to mitigate its effects can be taken promptly. If there is a major nuclear attack, you should move people to the safest location and monitor the emergency broadcasting system for information. They will tell you what steps to take.
5. IN ALL CASES
Unless you have a separate security service to handle initial responses, your first response is always to call emergency personnel: police, fire, or ambulance, as needed, and to notify the crisis management team.
Preparation is the key to a successful response. Everyone should have a crisis response team and a written crisis response policy and procedures manual, accompanied with regular communication and training.
You may want to use warning codes to communicate the level of immediate threat. These are not sufficient to indicate the actions to follow, however. Since alarms are used to denote fires, it is also appropriate to use them for any emergency evacuation situation. In other cases, moving people to a safe internal location would require a different emergency signal.
Note that safe evacuation depends on the location of the facility and the nature of the threat. A minimum evacuation area for a possible bomb is 300 yards.
It is important to know who was in the building at the time of an attack. Group leaders can usually handle identifying the immediate group with whom they work, but also consider taking measures to identify temporary help and other visitors. Also make sure this information is available is some other location, since you may not be able to retrieve it from your own building.
Prior contact with emergency services is also useful. They should have building blueprints and floor plans in advance of a disaster to help with their response. The crisis management team, facilities management, and other relevant people should also be familiar with how to turn off utilities, formal communication processes and so on.
When people are injured, attending to them is important. Identifying them and providing background information if possible is also very useful.
In the case of a disaster, focus on containing the situation. Only after it is under control should you gather the crisis management team and determine what steps to take next, including external communications.
Any finally, take notes during the crisis and work with the crisis management team to use the information gathered in one incident to make adjustments to existing policies and procedures. Learning from one emergency is a good way to help mitigate the effects of the next.
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