Question of the Week

2. Question of the Week Which one is the suicide bomber?

3. Answer Sri Lankan suicide bomber �Dhanu,� moments before killing former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi, herself, and 17 others

4. Answer Bomb concealed under her dress, smuggled through security at an election rally Detonated the bomb while bending down to touch Gandhi�s feet

6. It�s working � Israelis are terrified Although this strategy has wrecked their society, Palestinians feel a rising sense of empowerment They feel they finally have a weapon that creates a balance of power with Israel and, in their fantasies at least, can defeat Israel.

7. Desperation and �nothing to live for� compared to �benefits� of conducting a suicide attack Social status and public praise Financial reward to families Rewards of �martyrdom�

8. The Threat Is Spreading During the 1980s: Lebanon Kuwait Sri Lanka

9. The Threat Is Spreading

10. Vice President Cheney: �Inevitable� FBI Director Robert Mueller: �A real possibility� Terrorist groups such as al-Qa�ida could try to mimic Palestinian methods here to cause panic �on the cheap�

11. No real profile Most are 18-23, male, and single. BUT: Can be any race, color, sex Can be older, married people Bombers often alter their appearance to �blend in� Terrorist groups will employ bombers and disguises most likely to defeat security measures�or profiling

12. Suicide bombs can be delivered by multiple means, complicating security measures Vehicle bombs: USMC barracks in Beirut, 1983; Embassy attacks in Africa, 1998 Boat bombs: USS Cole, 2000 Individual-borne bombs: the primary method of attack in Israel since 2000 Terrorists will choose whichever method is most likely to succeed against a particular target

13. A suicide bomber�s success depends on three main elements: Secrecy is essential to plan and conduct the mission Thorough reconnaissance and surveillance is required to choose a target and identify its weakness Extensive rehearsals and �dry runs� are necessary to ensure stealth and speed during the attack Ultimate goal: inflict as many casualties as possible

14. Traditional concepts of security are based on deterring terrorist attacks Assumes the terrorist fears death or capture But, suicide attacks depend on the death of the terrorist The suicide bomber doesn�t care about his/her death, imprisonment or torture at the time of the attack No need for an escape plan, traditionally the most difficult part of a terrorist operation

15. There is no sure method of preventing a determined suicide bomber, but� The surveillance / reconnaissance phase is the best time to spot and thwart attack planning Strong and obvious force protection measures are the best way to deter a suicide attack The terrorist group wants to succeed The suicide bomber does not want to die for nothing If a target is too tough, they will choose another

16. Be alert for indicators Surveillance, particularly focusing on access points Dry runs to identify hazards or security checkpoints Purchase of, or illicit access to, facility blueprints

17. Pamphlet distributed to the public, early Sep 02 Lists basic external, behavioral indicators:

20. Final Thoughts Military bases are on the �A-List� for targeting by terrorists The terrorist�s main goal is to inflict as many casualties as possible, in hopes of causing panic and demonstrating the targeted government�s �weakness� The absence of a �specific, credible threat� doesn�t mean there is no threat

21. Questions?