Circuit Magazine #2

Circuit The

The official magazine of the British Bodyguard Association

Training the Iraqi Police High Risk PSD Training Letter from Iraq The Psychology of Capture Marine Training for the CPO And Much More...

Number Two Autumn 2008

Circuit The

The official magazine of the British Bodyguard Association

This issue BBA NEWS INTERNATIONAL NEWS Close Protection News

FIELD REPORT

Training The Iraqi Police

KIDNAP & RANSOM

The Psychology of Capture

TRAINING

What is high risk PSD training

FIELD REPORT

The Wheel of Misfortune

CHAPTER SAMPLE

Introduction We hope you enjoyed the first issue of The Circuit. Although the official magazine of the British Bodyguard Association, we are pulling in subscribers from all over the world and from many companies, associations and organisations, not just BBA members. Deciding to go on-line was good for The Circuit as it lowered subscription costs and made the magazine more easily accessible to more people worldwide, however we have had a lot of people telling us that they would still prefer to spend a little extra and have a hard-copy magazine. Even with internet technology, people still seem to prefer ink and paper sitting in front of them rather than reading text on a computer screen. So, after this second issue, if the demand is still there we are going to both publish on-line as well as hard copy, to satisfy both the requirements of our readership. People can then either download and read while in the field on operation, and enjoy ‘papers and pages’ in comfort when they get back home. Details will be on our website shortly.

In This Issue we have some more truly great and industry respected contributors including the renowned driver and vehicle training instructor Tony Scotti, who talks about The Kill Zone, and David Mirza, who runs the Security Training Academy in Israel, who discusses the respect - or lack off - Close Protection Officers have out in the field. We are also pleased to welcome Chris Gibson who will be contributing regular articles on medic and first aid training for the CPO, and Peter Jenkins who will be discussing surveillance and surveillance detection. We also have our regular contributors; Simon Atkinson discusses The Psychology of Capture and John Higgins continues his look at CQC for the CPO. On top of all of that, we have other great articles including an interesting piece on training the Iraqi police, and Alex Powell shares his experiences as a contractor out in the field in Iraq.

If you feel you would like to contribute to the next issue of the magazine, please do contact us and we look forward to welcoming you onto our editorial team.

Letter from Iraq

NEW TECHNOLOGY Designer Protection

TRAINING

Marine Training for Close Protection

ANALYSIS

The Modern Samurai

FIELD REPORT

CQC for Close Protection

10 KEY POINTS

On finding the right training course

TRAINING

First Aid for Close Protection

TRAINING

The Kill Zone

FIELD REPORT

Surveillance for the CPO

REVIEWS

Books on the industry

STORIES FROM THE FIELD Left for Dead

Stay Safe Robin Barratt – EDITOR

DISCLAIMER

While every care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is both accurate and up-to-date, The Circuit accepts no liability in any part for loss or damage incurred by reliance on information contained in this magazine through omissions, errors, howsoever caused.

© COPYRIGHT

Copyright remains with the authors and contributors at all times. No part of this publication can be copied or reproduced in any way whatsoever without permission from the publisher AND the author / contributor.

The Circuit is compiled, edited and published quarterly by: The British Bodyguard Association.

7 Binfield Rd, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG42 2AW. Website: www.The-BBA.org.uk Email: BritishBodyguardAssociation@yahoo.com Editorial and advertising sales: + 44 (0) 7932 637738 Editor: Robin Barratt Design: Sarah Douglas & Ryan Moyce Illustrations: Ryan Moyce

Circuit The Circuit The

The official magazine of the British Bodyguard Association

BBA NEWS Autumn 08

NEW OFFICE ADDRESS & TEL NUMBER

further details contact the BBA.

From the 1st September our new address will be: 37 we Binfield Rd, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG42 2AW. Until have a new land-line, please use our mobile: + 44 (0) 7932 637738. The BBA staff are out of the if country quite a bit during October and November so call please ly urgent ne you need to speak to someo Spain + 34 688 667 257. Note: being abroad will not affect memberships, they will still normally be processed within 48 hours and the forum will still be

s.

Joining the BBA is simple and takes about 2 minute form tion applica on-line the in fill e, websit our to go Just and then click the relevant BUY NOW button. We will match the two and contact you within 48 hours. Please note: if you are using someone else’s Paypal or credit !! card make sure you send us an email to that effect We accept all major credit cards on-line. Any trained bodyguard, anywhere in the world can join the BBA.

updated as usual.

BBA INTERNATIONAL COURSE ACCREDITATION FOR CP AND RELATED TRAINING PROVIDERS. The British Bodyguard Association is now able to provide BBA course accreditation for international providers of close protection and related training including: l

First Aid and Medic Training

l

Vehicle and Driver Training

l

Weapons Training CQC, Unarmed Combat and Self-defence training

JOINING THE BBA

THE CIRCUIT ADVERTISING BBA Members now get a 20% discount on advertising in The Circuit magazine: l

1/4 Page – normal price £50.00 –

l

1/2 Page – normal price £90.00 -

l

Full page – normal price £150.00 -

BBA members price £40.00 BBA members price £78.00 BBA members price £120.00

And NO VAT !! PLUS book and pay for three and get the fourth FREE !!

DO YOU HAVE A STORY ?

d will have to assign me copyright, but I will put a detaile profile / company profile at the end of your contribution which will be excellent marketing and publicity for you or your company. If you are interested in contributing please contact me as soon as possible.

RobinBarratt@yahoo.com

JOBS THREADS ON THE BBA FORUM As previously mentioned, in order to continue to with maintain and develop a good working relationship ns if positio ised advert for apply only please contractors and you have the requested and relevant qualifications bad a p develo but nothing gain will You nce. experie reputation if you blindly send CVs to each and every stop position advertised, plus contractors will eventually sending us their vacancies as their HR departments simply do not have the time to read through CVs that are not appropriate to advertised vacancies.

NETWORK MEETING – LONDON, READING, BIRMINHAM AND MANCHESTER We will be holding three more network meetings in ber, London, Reading and Birmingham in early Decem you and a fourth in Manchester just after Christmas. If a bit plan can we so early r registe please attend wish to more effectively for numbers and location of venue.

Just let us have your name and the city and we will then contact you regarding dates and venues nearer the time.

ed As you may already know, earlier this year I publish A a book called Bouncers and Bodyguards – Tales from which 026) 45963 97818 (ISBN World t Twiligh contained a collection of diverse and unique stories l Conflict Management / from people working on the door and within the close two h tion althoug Protec And l Celebrity and Special Event executive protection arena. completely different industry environments, the book le l K&R, Hostage Negotiation was well received here in the UK, and is now availab and US the in The Baltics. We are pleased to announce the on-line and shops book from order to l Explosives and IED www. at appointment of our Baltic Chapter Director Bob utors contrib Canada. You can view the Honiball. E-mail: TheBaltics@the-bba.org.uk BouncersAndBodyguards.com The publishers have l Risk Assessment , second a for al propos a asked me to put together of Eire. We are pleased to announce the appointment unsurprisingly called Bouncers and Bodyguards 2, l Maritime and Aircraft Protection : E-mail r.

Directo r our new Eire Chapte More Tales from A Twilight World, for publication 2009.

Eire@the-bba.org.uk l Witness Protection Stories will have be around 5000 words minimum (no the to c specifi ing someth maximum) and be about Canada. We are pleased to announce the appointment d l Investigations and Intelligence gathering industry, either a unique story about how you entere of our new Canadian Chapter Director. E-mail: about working within a specific sector / or y, industr the and Canada@the-bba.org.uk Many countries have their own authorised training country / environment, or a specific interesting itation accred BBA of accreditation system, the objective operation etc. We will, of course, respect any Poland. We are pleased to announce the appointment rd of is to implement a new recognised GLOBAL standa etc. Contributions will have to be ntiality confide of our new Polish Chapter Director. E-mail: training, on top of any national accreditation training end of 2008 in order for me to edit the Poland@the-bba.org.uk the by ted comple providers may already have. International accreditation final draft for submission early 2009. If you feel you ary we for a variety of training within the industry is necess If you feel you would like to work with the BBA then don’t have the time or would find it difficult to write of ition recogn easier tes facilita and d and neede for more Country Chapter Directors to For UK based contributors I can spend a looking ing, are someth up international standards for global recruitment, multipromote the BBA within their country. couple of hours with you interviewing you and write team and international operations. International BBA , with your final approval before myself story your and Course Accreditation is prestigious and esteemed submission. I am afraid I can’t pay for contribution, who rs provide training ised recogn to given be will only been previously published, and you . For they must not have are able to provide comprehensive proof of training

l

l Surveillance and Surveillance Detection

COUNTRY CHAPTERS

The Circuit

NEWS PSD CONTRACTOR AWARDED SILVER MEDAL

AUGUST - ArmorGroup, one of the leading international provider of protective security services, announced that Terry Goodman, one of its group company employees, has been awarded the Royal Human e Society’s Silver Medal, the highest honour the Society can bestow .

Terry was granted the honour, which is awarded to those who have put themselves in extreme personal danger, for his rescue of a wound ed colleague in Iraq while under sustained insurgent fire and while he was seriously injured himself. Terry (31), a former British Army soldier from Essex, was a vehicle commander in a three vehicle ArmorGroup protective security detail (PSD) team operating in southern Iraq at the time of the incident in June 2007 .The colleague he rescued was Darryl Lowery, a former Australian soldier, who was the commander of one of the other vehicles in the team. The team was returning from a mission near Basrah when a roadside IED detonated against the left hand side of the Darryl’s vehicle, causing it to be immobilised. Darryl was badly injured in the attack, with multiple shrapnel wounds to both legs and his right foot, while his Iraqi driver was killed. The team immediately came under sustained and heavy small arms fire and Terry’s vehicle was also struck by three Rocket Propelled Grenades from the side of the road.

THE VIOLENCE OF BODYGUARDS

AUGUST – Filipino Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) Chairman Antonio Villar Jr’s bodyguards were involved in at least two unlawful incident s in August. Members of his security detail were accused of assaulting a businessman who spent a week in hospital for bruises and a temporary loss of memory. The assault took place in a five-star Makati hotel where businessman Simon Paz apparently insisted on using a restroom where Villar and a companion were having a conversation. In another incident a member of the PASG security team pointed a gun at a parking attendant employed by a local restaurant. The bodyguard claimed he was parking in a vacant space when the employee shooed him off in favour of a restaurant customer. The employment of bodyguards, security details or private armies is a pervasive practice in the country. Politicians use them to subdue enemies or to buy protection.

Bureaucrats travel with muscles to project their power and influence. In the regions business barons and local executives compete with each other on the size of their ‘armies’. The Philippine National Police places the service of some of its experienced men for the protection of bureaucrats and politicians.

Autumn 08

SECURITY FIRMS SHUN GLITTER’S REQUESTS

AUGUST –Gary Glitter, the convicted child molester and music has-been, was rebuffed in his efforts to find a UK based bodyguard firm willing to protect him. Glitter, who was convicted of a variety of sexual offences against under-age girls in Vietnam, was deported back to the U.K. despite several attempts on his part to avoiding returning. Glitter was seeking a bodyguard firm who would provide him with four bodyguards but initially there were no takers. It is not known which company eventually provided Glitter with his security

FOUR AFGHAN BODYGUARDS DIE IN ATTACK

SEPT - Gunmen in the southern city of Kandahar targeting an Afghan provincial council chief Mohammad Hashim, killed four of his bodyguards.

Afghanistan has seen record levels of violence in 2008. More than 4,600 people this year - mostly militants have been killed in insurgency-fuelled violence according to an Associated Press count based on figures from Western and Afghan officials.

1.5MILLION SECURITY BLITZ PROTECTED MACCA IN ISRAEL

SEPT – Due to death threats, an astonishing £1.5million security cordon was thrown around Macca when he played in Israel. Sir Paul McCarthy, 66, was watched over by up to 5,000 police and intelligence agents after Islamic fanatics threatened a suicide bomb attack against his gig in a Tel Aviv park.

The Circuit

BRITAIN’S TOP MUSLIM POLICE OFFICER HIRES BODYGUARDS

MBEKI BODYGUARD MURDER UNSOLVED

er Tarique Ghaffur has hired AUGUST – Britain’s top Muslim offic g threatened by fellow police followin personal bodyguards after feeling ir.

Bla Ian Sir er sion mis inst Police Com his racial discrimination case aga was ffur Gha que Tari missioner Metropolitan Police Assistant Com gs, with abusive language and is thin r othe t ngs amo “getting emails, ey to citor. “He has had to borrow mon fearing for his safety” said his soli ing add , personal security,” he said fund the case and now pay for his s racist case, were also getting ffur’ Gha that other officers, supporting s n police. The hiring of bodyguard targeted by London’s Metropolita s ain’ Brit told n nso er Sir Paul Stephe comes after Deputy Commission a ut abo nts eme stat making public most senior Asian officer to “stop ri job we are paid to do.” Mireshanda the with on get private dispute and ffur al complaint. In a statement Gha said he was now preparing a form cerned for my personal safety and confirmed he was “extremely con and supporters.” those close to me including family

g SEPT – Police are still investigatin of der possible motives for the mur s, one of Thabo Mbeki’s bodyguard re befo s day e who was shot just thre . lled reca was nt the former preside Captain Francois Ramashile, who had served Mbeki for 13 years, was gunned down on September 17 while sleeping. Ramashile, 52, served Mbeki throughout his two re. terms in the Presidency and befo e thre and wife He leaves behind his t. eigh and 14 children aged 21,

NEW CLOSE PROTECTION SECTION FOR BSIA

stry Association has created a new AUGUST - The British Security Indu ies that supply close protection section of membership for compan l, BSIA Technical and Membership services in the UK. Alex Carmichae se protection has become a key Services Director, comments: “Clo ent in nt years due to extensive investm sector within our industry in rece of tion duc intro the as l ds as wel training and professional standar in the creation of a new British lved invo ady alre is A licensing. BSI of our existing security guarding Standard for the sector as some tection services. We now wish to members also undertake close pro into membership so that they too attract close protection companies s that BSIA has with government, can benefit from the key relationship ard, ies and the regulator. Going forw the Police, standards-forming bod as act and lism iona fess pro increase we will continue to drive standards, .” ship ber mem of s tion sec r for our othe the voice of the sector as we do of the panies applying for membership As with other BSIA sections, com are they that e e to demonstrat Close Protection Section will hav ng standards, whilst also proving oldi uph to and lity committed to qua are financially stable. Companies they have adequate insurance and the BSIA Membership Team on interested in joining should contact @bsia.co.uk 0845 3893889 or email membership

BODYGUARDS WOUNDED

BY OWN WEAPONS

ushed party in Southern Sudan was amb SEPT - A local official of the ruling the d through Lakes State, currently in and killed by gunmen as he travelle the on fired rs cke atta paign. The midst of a forcible disarmament cam Three bodyguards and four civilians t. spo the on vehicle, killing the official nded, one bodyguard reportedly died in the entourage were severely wou e part of the SPLA Division that had later in hospital. The attackers wer . from local residents and businesses previously looted money and arms the from n ng the looting raid were take Most of the guns they collected duri ial post holders. bodyguards of constitutional and offic

The Circuit

DYNAMOS CHAIRMAN BEEFS UP SECURITY

SEPT – Harare Dynamos’ club d chairman, Partson Moyo has hire who n, ten bodyguards. The chairma trol is involved in a battle over the con urity sec of the club, has beefed up his s and the smartly dressed bodyguard wing accompany him at all matches follo also threats over his life. Security has es been beefed at the club’s offic l following an invasion after the riva s’ amo rebel faction stormed the Dyn offices while the Chairman and team ons were away in Egypt for a Champi League assignment.

MORGAN TSVANGIRAI ALLOCATED BODYGUARDS

ate SEPT – The Prime Minister-design irai of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvang and his two deputies, have been allocated state bodyguards and u drivers. Sources in the ruling Zan e PF party revealed that the thre leaders, despite the delay in the formation of Cabinet, are already receiving State protection and are t being driven around in governmen vehicles.“State protection was offered on the day the powersharing deal was signed and the principals are already receiving ‘Prime Ministerial treatment’ . ing Although there are delays in nam k bac g the Cabinet, there is no goin m see ers at the moment and the lead be to all agree that a deal will finalized soon. ”

SUICIDE BOMBER ATTACKS INGUSHETIA MINISTER

car bomber blew himself up in SEPT – Nazran, Russia: A suicide shetia in an apparent attempt to Russia’s southern republic of Ingu e ee bystanders and a motorist wer kill the region’s Interior Minister. Thr r iste Min up his Lada saloon as Interior wounded when the bomber blew ed our arm r s pulled alongside in thei Mussa Medov and his bodyguard r ards were not hurt, although thei ygu Mercedes. Medov and his bod left was er crat e a two-metre wid vehicle was severely damaged and e now to determine the comparativ t righ cult diffi in the road surface.”It’s ms gra kilo two than less no ain it was force of the explosion, but I’m cert . an investigator at the blast site said l,” eria mat ve losi (4.409 lbs) of exp republic in a turbulent North Ingushetia is a poor, chiefly Muslim ggling to contain an stru is Caucasus region where Moscow ularly kill officials in ambushes reg who insurgency by Islamist militants and bomb attacks.

BODYGUARDS WOUND A LEBANESE CITIZEN

SEPT – Bodyguards of ex-minister a Wiam Wahab shot and wounded The rut.

Bei in en Lebanese citiz r citizen was wounded in the shoulde l pita hos aa Bek the to itted and adm for treatment and has lodged a complaint with the general prosecutor’s office against Wahab accusing him of attempted murder.

Allegedly Wahab’s motorcade was speeding along the main highway when bodyguards opened fire at Qassem’s vehicle.

GUNMAN KILLED COMMISSIONER AND HIS BODYGUARD

, commissioner of Afgoi district in SEPT - Mohamed Omar Mudethe ard were killed by gunman after southern Somalia, and a bodygu and the assailants. “We heard gunfire between his bodyguards we saw the commissioner and additional gunfire and we came out ground” a resident said. The one of his bodyguards dead on the n covered in blood from bullets neighbour said Mr Mudey had bee a a string of attacks on officials, in riddled his body. It is the latest in ence viol after years of conflict. Recent country plagued by lawlessness sefire pact signed by the in Somalia has come despite a cea groups, some factions rejected t government and opposition Islamis e d almost constant civil conflict sinc the deal. Somalia has experience and 1, re’s regime in January 199 the collapse of Mohamed Siad Bar country this year alone as the thousands of people have fled the . security situation has deteriorated

REAL MADRID ASSIGN BODYGUARDS TO GUTI i d two bodyguards to midfielder Gut SEPT – Real Madrid have assigne ged safety after he received alle following major concerns for Guti’s e Munoz. The incident created a threats from former pro boxer Jorg centre and also saw a security minor car accident at Real’s training y was arrested but was released toda guard allegedly assaulted. Munoz are supplying video evidence from custody. Real management nish courts in order to seek a and also copies of emails to the Spa restraining order against Munoz.

CAR ACCIDENT KILLS TWO BODYGUARDS

of SEPT – A car carrying the governor off ded skid ince prov an the eastern Afgh a into ged plun and way a mountain high his of two and river killing him on bodyguards. Hazrat Din Nur, 40, was the n whe ul Kab from his way back accident occurred. Two people were also injured.

BODYGUARDS RESCUE ELDERLY MAN SEPT – The life of an elderly man who fell in Bilbao estuary has been saved by the prompt actions of two bodyguards escorting Basque socialist leader, Patxi López. After being pulled from the water by the a bodyguards the man was taken to d. vere reco r local hospital and late

TERESA TO HIRE BODYGUARDS FOR FAMILY ber of

OCT - Kuala Lumpur: Mem parliament Teresa Kok is not taking any chances with her personal and family’s safety after a recent Molotov has cocktail attack aimed at them, and ect hired extra bodyguards to prot n herself and her family. “I have bee t is Tha ty. advised to look after my safe why I am now in the midst of interviewing some potential security providers,” she said. She also said in CCTV cameras had been installed ck. her family home after the atta

The Circuit

BODYGUARDS MISTAKENLY KILLED BY NATO TROOPS

e r along with his two bodyguards wer SEPT – An Afghan district governo n. ista han Afg tralian troops in southern mistakenly killed by NATO-led Aus ed rict in Uruzgan province, was call dist ra Barekzai, governor of the Cho d frien the e aus provincial capital, bec to a friend’s house in Trin Kot, the

by Taliban militants, said the ded oun surr believed his house was ded tually the man’s house was surroun province’s deputy police chief. “Ac e, ther ved arri men his and i Khan

by Australian forces, and when Roz he Taliban and opened fire at them,” for them took mis es the foreign forc r othe yguards were killed and two said. Barekzai and two of his bod der ai, who was a mujahedin comman bodyguards were wounded. Barekz as ed serv also es in the 1980s, had during the war against Soviet forc of the Taliban regime in late 2001. fall the r provincial police chief afte Assistance Force (ISAF) said from The NATO-led International Security e incident in which their forces wer Kabul that it was investigating an are ps troo an trali e. About 1,000 Aus involved in a fire-fight in the provinc e forc F ISA ng stro 00are part of 53,0 stationed in Uruzgan. The soldiers id Ham nt side Pre han countries. Afg deployed to Afghanistan from 40 g of Barekzai, his office said. killin the by ed Karzai was sadden

BRITNEY’S BODYGUARDS ASSAULTED PAPARAZZI

OCT - One of Britney Spears’ bodyguards has been accused of assaulting a female paparazzi in New rt York. Carmen Valdes filed a police repo ard ygu bod d ame claiming the unn era, bruised her and tried to break her cam the ot sho to ing mpt atte while she was pop star in the city. She also claims r Spears’ vehicle almost ran her ove ne. as it sped away from the sce

SUICIDE ATTACKS IN PAKISTAN SURPASS IRAQ

TWO BODYGUARDS ARRESTED AND DETAINED

e Vice President Prof. John Mills wer SEPT –Two bodyguards of former ce in Cape Coast following a arrested and detained by the poli Kufuor’s security detail. misunderstanding with President the part of a large number of dignitaries at President Kufuor and Prof. Mills were f Pro n whe that said ess witn . An eye annual Oguaa Fetu Afahye festival ge han fs and people of the area to exc Mills arrived at a durbar of the chie nt fs, and proceeded to greet Preside greetings with the traditional chie stay to s asked Mills’ bodyguard Kufuor, President Kufuor’s security ch the scuffle ensued after Mills’ whi g win behind a certain radius, follo where their ‘boss’ went. According men insisted it was their duty to go anding led to the arrest by police to the eyewitness, the misunderst were later released from police officers at the function. The two men the Mills campaign team. custody following interventions by

SUDAN EXPELS TWO BRITISH GUARDS ards from the EMBASSY BOmenDY t has expelled two bodygu

OCT - Sudanese govern r they injured Sudanese security British Embassy in Khartoum afte sion in Sudan headquarters. personal working in the U.N. Mis se ish embassy vehicle, hit the Sudane The security officers, driving a Brit rs. park it inside the UNMIS headquarte workers while they manoeuvring to ion vers this ct reje se but the Sudane The British say it was an incident sted because the bodyguards had insi them hurt saying they intentionally lt dea ia med y part place. The pro-ruling to park their vehicle in a reserved IS UNM The er. e against the colonial pow with this altercation as a national issu concluded that “the Embassy driver and said it had investigated the incident with the wrong when refusing to comply and close protection officer were in ” to them by UNMIS security officers. parking instructions that were provided

The Circuit

OCT - According to Pakistan’s es intelligence agency, the Inter-Servic in cks Intelligence (ISI), suicide atta and Pakistan have now overtaken Iraq and ies ualt cas of Afghanistan in terms of sign any w sho this trend does not e. eas incr to ly like is ed abating - inde the for ng noti th wor One element that executive protection community is suicide bombers in Pakistan are and increasingly targeting key officials bers bom ide government leaders. Suic g have been very effective in targetin s ntrie cou n Asia th key leaders in Sou ka.

Lan Sri and a Indi n, such as Pakista e However the fact that these attacks hav uld sho Asia th Sou in n bee primarily not be dismissed as not a threat ics elsewhere. Terrorist trends and tact ts rgen insu by proliferate. Tactics used n see n bee in Iraq have already elsewhere particularly improvised uits. explosive devices, and firing circ the date vali to e tinu con ts As terroris key ing inat ass ass of ss ene effectiv leaders by suicide bombers, the of acceptance of this tactic as a means r othe in s son targeting protected per . well as e eas countries will certainly incr

BOMB KILLS CLERIC AND INJURES BODYGUARDS

OCT - A member of parliament from r’s anti-American cleric Moqtada al Sad s ard ygu bod his and d bloc was kille an wounded by a bomb in Baghdad, in ald attack that some feared may her a wave of assassinations before i provincial elections. Saleh al-Ugail nds wou of l pita died in a Baghdad hos car he suffered when a blast struck his tern eas of rict dist a in the Habibiy n Baghdad. U.S. Ambassador Rya eral Gen der man com ary milit and Crocker g. killin Ray Odierno condemned Ugaili’s ck. atta the Ugaili’s bodyguards survived

BODYGUARD ARRESTED FOR EXTORTION

for Msunduzi Deputy Mayor Mervyn OCT - A South African bodyguard and charged with kidnapping and Dirks is one of the two men arrested tre to be related to drug-dealing at city cen extortion. Both charges are believed wn “kno sted along with a friend who is a night-clubs. The bodyguard was arre d, who is not employed by the drug dealer.” The bodyguard’s frien the unlawful possession of a municipality, was also charged with carried by authorised municipal municipal firearm which can only be r duties. It is alleged that the employees while carrying out thei hed a drug dealer from Durban to sell bodyguard and his friend approac and allegedly abducted by the two men drugs on their behalf. He was then will Haswell said the municipality assaulted. Municipal manager Rob take their course, after which allow the police investigations to ituted. Dirks’s bodyguard is not the disciplinary measures could be inst ’s . One of Mayor Zanele Hlatshwayo first to be embroiled in controversy al icip 2006 for allegedly driving a mun bodyguards was arrested in August vehicle while drunk.

THE DEMAND FOR BODYGUARDS IS HIGHER THAN EVER

POLITICIANS USE TEENAGERS AS BODYGUARDS

s of OCT - Children between the age s ard ygu 12 and 14 act as armed bod ao, dan Min in for government politicians th southern Philippines, a Muslim you of one nd arou t wen “I leader revealed. the provinces in central Mindanao , recently to look for a mosque to pray , and then I saw these armed children are mostly 12 to 14 years old, who ial working for a local government offic n give g bein of as bodyguards. Instead g bein are kids e proper education, thes ing hold of ead Inst exposed to danger. pens and books, they are holding can high-powered pistols and rifles. How iers sold the or ce poli the ch they mat uld who are trained in combat? They sho y.” earl die ld be saved otherwise they wou

GROWING DEMAND FOR FEMALE BODYGUARDS IN BRITAIN

OCT - Demand for female bodyguards is growing all the time. Prince William with and Kate Middleton have been seen any y stud a female bodyguard, and photograph of a rock star leaving a restaurant, or an oligarch arriving at his football stadium, and the neatly dressed woman in the background you assume is a secretary or mistress is, in fact, far te more likely to have a black belt in kara ntial pote for ds and be scanning the crow the assassins. Earlier this year the role of n whe ed light high female bodyguard was sian Rus old earAnna Loginova, a 29-y who protected billionaire clients in Moscow, was killed when her own pe vehicle was car-jacked. ‘The stereoty suit, a in man e of a bodyguard as a hug is wearing an earpiece and dark glasses, ra Lau says s,’ day totally inaccurate these an Webb, a 34-year-old female who runs that n, agency, Global Protectio st specialises in female bodyguards. ‘Mo g innin e-w the e priz a hav ired ards insp of the book that male and female bodygu OCT - Roberto Saviano, the author g almost two years ndin spe r afte Italy ing leav same skills, but what a female has – was he movie announced that a Mafi an polit – is Nea the at r s aim in particula which more and more clients require under close protection. His book take s ster Mob up. king grew wor ’re iano you Sav les, where an ability to blend in. If based at Casal di Principe, outside Nap he has been the and him e inat ass ass to ned with children, for example, a female can plan k he denounced in the boo in s ces suc way runa a ame e his book bec take them to the park or pick them up target of repeated death threats sinc e. hom a t wan I life. a t wan on copies. “I from school and no one’s sure if she’s Italy, where it has sold more than 1 milli and op ksh boo a to go beer in public, the nanny or the mother, whereas a man I want to fall in love. I want to drink a a for go to t wan “I . said iano k cover,” Sav – however fantastic he may be – will choose a book after browsing the bac and fear out with her and see my mot always stand out. We can sit in a walk, enjoy the sun, walk in the rain he said e, iano Sav e.” sak ’s rs old for fuck restaurant and look as if we belong ther without frightening her. I’m only 28 yea ary think milit ple para Peo t. en sev clien n by a team of or go shopping with a was under round-the-clock protectio his protectors, not one to e itud grat his ed ress we’re a friend, not a heavy. It’s much exp He . carabinieri bodyguards . dline dea ing chill learning of the more discreet.’ of whom had applied for a transfer on

es and high-profile businessmen OCT - “With more wealthy celebriti is targets, the demand for bodyguards becoming kidnap or assassination be t mus ards in 2006 mean all bodygu higher than ever. Laws introduced hority (SIA), so standards are Aut licensed by the Security Industry Colsey said “The work of a close maintained” Primus director Sean ed, but by the SIA insisting every protection officer (CPO) is often vari ns people can feel safe in the CPO is to hold a valid licence, it mea dard trained to a consistently high stan knowledge their CPOs have been y in pan com are excited to be the first and are fit to do the job in hand. We can les Wa if re looking forward to see Wales to run these courses and we’ s.” Primus works with trainers all of ines produce the best CPOs in the bus to ection. The eight trainees spent up whom have experience of close prot hing reac re retical assessments befo four weeks taking part in on-line theo includes 14 hours’ work a day. Mr ch the two-week practical course whi good quality people in Cardiff and Colsey said: “We know there are r there is rising demand here for thei South Wales who can be CPOs and ays alw are e Wales in 2010 and ther services. The Ryder Cup comes to certs taking place at the Millennium con high-profile sporting events and es.”

Stadium featuring stars and celebriti

TWO YEARS PROTECTION FOR AUTHOR

The Circuit

Training the Police Force in Iraq, An Numinayah.

By Håkan (The Hawk) Nilsson

Last autumn 2007, almost a year ago, I was preparing for my trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where I was about to hold a training course for a multinational company. The security manager of the company showed me an email in which a former Australian SAS had just turned down a job offer to train the Iraqi Police Force.

When I saw the email I was immediately interested and asked him for more information – apparently the Australian said he couldn’t leave the contract he was on in Asia but he was happy to forward the contact to me if I accepted the offer. I was thrilled with the opportunity and, with my past several years as instructor and with experiences in The Middle East, I thought this was my chance in getting into the Iraq theatre.

BLP International was the contracting company, and they had had a presence in Iraq for almost 5 years. They needed more instructors so I sent my confirmation of interest via email and the very same day, I was contacted by BLP HR department wanting to know about my previous police background, training and of course experiences with teaching and training people from the Middle East. Within just 2 hours of internet correspondence, it was on and I sent the rest of the requested data.

There were several deployment dates available and I could choose which ever one suited my personal circumstances. Since I already had a

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The official magazine of the British Bodyguard Association

written contract in Saudi Arabia, I would have to honour that before I deployed to Iraq, so it was scheduled that I could travel directly from Bahrain to Dubai after my assignment in Riyadh.

On arrival at Dubai airport, I was met by a BLP employee and a few other contractors who were also flying out with me to Baghdad. We travelled to the hotel where we all had to sign the contracts once again, and were fully briefed about the job.

After the formalities and a good night’s rest, we rendezvoused back at Terminal 2 at Dubai airport. Terminal 1 is for the ‘nice’ places in the world, Terminal 2 for the shitty places !!

We had to wait forever as planes don’t fly until fully booked. Normally I don’t like to fly at all, but since it’s a must for international work I have to cope with it. The flight itself was normal but the landing was very different from what I have ever previously experienced.

When we started to descend we dived heavily in a constant circle – a safety precaution due to previous attacks targeting aircraft.

While on the ground I was initially very surprised about the low-profile security.

This is Iraq and I was some how expecting to see a huge amount of security but I didn’t; just a few security guards with AK 47s guarding the Arrival Hall where we had to apply for our visas and show our passports and paperwork. We all then went to main exit point at the main terminal and after some waiting around, a short dark-skinned guy with long black hair and English accent welcomed us to Iraq. He worked for another PMC company and was responsible for our escort.

With all our bags and kit, it was quite a long walk to where the armoured vehicles were lined up and waiting. For me the sight of these vehicle was impressive; two old South African Rivas, with gun towers and machine guns.

Probably renovated and fixed up just for Iraq!

At the vehicles we were all issued with our protective gear; helmets, body armour and a Glock 19 each. The first night we stayed in Baghdad, and early the following morning we joined a convoy deep into the Red Zone.

An Numaniyah is a city approximately 3-4 hours drive south west from Baghdad. The burnt and destroyed vehicles and burn marks on the road en-route said it all; this was insurgent territory and we were passing straight through it. The convoy was an real experience for me; other vehicles on the road were either forced of the road or shot at so we could pass through as quickly and as safely as possible.

The Police Academy outside An Numaniyah was a former army base where Saddam´s Generals had once lived. The Palaces were now just stone skeletons; the city’s occupants

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had stolen everything, even the asphalt on the roads outside! The Academy had 2000 students training to become Police Officers, and their training was extremely intensive – consisting of twelve weeks intense training followed by twelve weeks guarding a checkpoint.

With the risks in Iraq and the insurgents targeting the Iraqi Police Force, it’s likely to be the most dangerous cop work in the world! A great many Iraqi police officers get killed in attacks and many quit there jobs due to terror acts against there friends and families.

The training Academy was a huge facility at least 1 km wide and maybe 5 km in deep. We were protected by local nationals and the site had around 30 US Soldiers and some 5000 Iraqi soldiers also deployed there. Our staff was approximately 80. The instructors were all kind of nationalities including Australians, British, New Zealanders, South Africans, Danish and myself, the only Swede. All the instructors had a variety of different skills and backgrounds, including military and police, and were all very confident in their roles and all was outstanding as professionals.

After our welcoming we were immediately issued equipment including a uniform, our weapons and a room. We had to carry our pistol at all times, even in class room, since we didn’t fully trust the police students - many of them had criminal backgrounds, or didn’t have proper ID. After just one day of rest we started to train the police students and was quickly introduced to the intensive training program.

BLP followed a well worked out training plan where the students had both theory and practical training. I was introduced to the translator and my first class was the juvenile law system, and I had 150 class participants.

The class rooms were all in stone houses with plastic outdoor chairs and tables. All the windows were blacked out due to the threat level and previous rocket attacks. The smell in the classroom from the cadets was unbelievable, and almost made me throw up. It’s very different from our Western world and, compared to what we are used to, hygiene on the majority of the Iraqis was extremely poor.

I manage to follow the course plan and really enjoyed teaching, even though sometimes it was very difficult to tell them what is expected from a Policeman and what is ‘lawful’ defence. They just don’t think or act as we all would expect or believe. During the first 2 weeks I was training the cadets in juvenile law, lawful defence, police tactics and first aid.

Example - I had a scenario concerning juvenile offenders - A 14 year old boy had a fight with his father and runs out of the house. He steals his father’s old pick-up and takes off on a rampage driving spree. After a while the boy comes to a police checkpoint and the police tell him to get out 12

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of the vehicle. The boy is very afraid, he had heard that police often shoot people for no reason and so he doesn’t dare to leave the vehicle.

I ask the class of cadets what would they do?

“We shoot him” an student screams out. “No” I said! “You try to get into the vehicle and arrest him” Arh, they said, nodding to each other. Then I tell them that the boy jumps out of the vehicle and starts running off, what do you now ? “We shoot him” they all cry !!!Sadly this is the standards of the police force in Iraq, it’s not even close to western standards.

BLP was also very interested in the progress of the instructors and what our own individual skills were, and under intense evaluation of my past training and experiences I started to train with an Australian ex Army Special Forces guy who was very professional and had a strong knowledge of high risk entry and room searches. We learned from each other, adapted our skills and experience and made a very good program for our cadets. From then on we only trained cadets in how to cordon buildings, high risk entrance with double point entry, extractions, 8-man room search team formations, high-risk scenarios, search and secure stairway in apartment houses etc. Some days we had a good class and a strong team leader, other days were not so good and we had to train them all over again!

One evening while I sat in my room talking with a friend via internet, I heard a radio call that two Iraqi national police instructors were apparently nearly dead and had been carried to the sick bay.

The western medic, who worked with us on site, was excellent but he must have had problems with two people coming in at once, so I called the medic and offered my assistance. No problems, this happens every day was the answer, so I went back to my friend on the internet. A couple of minutes later I heard another call over the radio; one more almost dead. So I rushed to assist.

When I got there I saw two cadets carrying an Iraqi police instructor. I immediately asked what had happened? The first two had an infection in their throat. “What!” I said. “Yep, they will be all right with antibiotics” replied the medic. “And the third police instructor? What wrong with him?” I said. “Absolutely nothing, he is just sympathetically sick with the others.” replied the medic. “What?!?!” After that evening I saw a very different Iraqi Police Force, especially the Iraqi national police instructors. Everyday they had so called “near death experiences” which was maybe diarrhoea or as worst a nostril or throat infection.

We started work everyday at 06.45 and had training either in the class rooms or practical exercises in the surrounding area. After lunch we had training again to around 16.00 and occasionally training for night operations as well.

The days were pretty much the same; different classes, some good and some, of course, bad.

Mostly things ran pretty smoothly but occasionally something major would happen and one

afternoon we almost had a riot and were forced to act as guards in the cadet facilities as there was a concern for their, and our, safety. A few of the cadet’s rooms were sat on fire but thankfully there were no casualties. But most days it was just happy faces and a willingness to learn.

Just before Christmas the cadets were allowed a ten-day brake. The security process of getting over 2000 people out of the facility took almost 2 days. But the security control coming back was even more intense and took 3 days as everyone had to be searched and have their baggage checked before entering the different areas of the compound, as previously a suicide bomber exploded himself on a similar return from a vacation.

Overall I found that the Iraqis very friendly and they really loved a good joke. A lot of the cadets, as well as a few police generals, had relatives in Sweden so they were also very interested in my country and I soon got my nickname The Hawk, since Håkan wasn’t so easy to pronouns. I also have to say that this contract and the friends I made in Iraq were the best times I have ever had; I was part of a fantastic team, and extremely professional company that worked out in the best possible way from day one. During this period a lot of things had happened, good and bad, but the team and the company were the greatest I have seen within my experience. Sadly the company no longer exists; the PMC Company SABRE bought it.

When my leave was due I didn’t know if there was a renewal so I went home unsure of what the future holds. Today the Police Academy is still operational but it is now the Iraqis themselves that train the cadets, alongside an American company that supervises the progress.

Nevertheless, all of us enjoyed our time in An Numaniyah.

Stay Safe

by Richard Tomkins

projectile, which are planted on and along roads, that have made the biggest mark in the war, accounting for most U.S. military deaths.

Shiite extremists remaining in Baghdad have added a relatively new weapon to their arsenal in the fight against U.S. forces, one with more destructive power than most of the usual improvised explosive devices planted along city thoroughfares - the improvised rocket-assisted mortar.

The IRAM is technologically crude, its aiming is inaccurate, and the number of times it has been used by Shiite extremists against U.S. forces in the Baghdad area have been few, but its potential for death and destruction is so great that soldiers on many combat operations posts around the capital now conduct patrols daily to specifically try to disrupt any attempt to manoeuvre the devices into launching position and fire them.

“In the right place, at the right time, it can be very lethal,” said Lt. Col. John Digiambattista, operations officer for the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. “Our biggest challenge is to keep it out of an area where it can do the most damage. “It’s mobile, it’s concealable.

Those two things make it very dangerous.”

Since the start of the insurgency in Iraq following the deposing of Saddam Hussein by U.S. forces in 2003, it has been the improvised explosive device and its cousin the explosively formed

The IRAM is different in how it’s used. In essence, it’s a flying IED. It consists of a canister - either a propane tank or cylinder - packed with explosives attached to a rocket tube (body) and powered by a 107mm rocket motor. Each IRAM carries more than 100 pounds of high explosive.

In contrast, a conventional 107mm rocket carries only 3 pounds. The device is placed on rocket rails, which can be angled for distance, and fired at its target by a timing device, military officers said. The rails are placed on the back of a lowsided flat-bed cargo truck, usually a Bongo, which is ever-present in Baghdad. The truck is parked and angled toward the target, and the devices (usually four or more in succession) are launched using delayed timers. Aiming is directional, a sort of line-of-sight lob over the cab of the truck or over the side. Distance is about 300 to 500 meters, according to Maj. Geoff Greene, executive officer of the 1st (combined Arms) Battalion of the 68 Armor Regiment.

In June, Greene and the men at Combat Outpost Callahan in the Sha’ab district of north-east Baghdad narrowly escaped an IRAM attack. The truck had been parked and angled several hundred meters away in a residential neighbourhood, but one of the IRAMs apparently malfunctioned and exploded before launch, causing at least four others on the truck to explode as well. The result, was 16 civilian deaths, 29 civilian injuries and damage to 15 homes.

public affairs officer who was at the U.S.-Iraqi base then. “They launched acetylene-like canisters from them and then took off.” Five canisters came over the back wall of the JSS, he said. Four detonated. One literally blew in the wall on the south west side of the station’s main building where U.S. forces had located their tactical operations centre. Another blew in the wall of a billeting area where, if it had occurred at night, soldiers would have been sleeping. One canister that came over the wall failed to explode. Three others were found in the vehicle after the attack.

In all, there have been less than a dozen stymied or successful IRAM attacks since January, but no one remains complacent about them. An invisible cordon now exists around U.S. outposts, which are patrolled constantly. Troops also regularly search industrial areas and metal shops where the devices could be fabricated. “If we find a large amount of tubes threaded at one end, wheels to position the tubes to position the rockets, combined with a Bongo truck or other large truck, those are the characteristics of finding an IRAM,” Greene said. “To find them all together is either a coincidence or people are building an IRAM. Right now we assess the distance at 500 meters.

At first we estimated it at 300 meters, but they have gotten better at it. I suspect the enemy will improve upon them even more.”

In July, one soldier and one Iraqi interpreter were wounded at Joint Security Station Ur in northeastern Baghdad by an IRAM attack.

In late April, during the height of fighting in and around Sadr City between coalition forces and Shiite extremists of anti-American cleric Moqtada Sadr, more than a half-dozen IRAMs were fired at the main coalition outpost in the area. “We had some bad guys draw up in a truck behind the JSS (Sadr City) with (rocket) launching rails on the back of it,” said Maj. Mike Humphreys, a brigade

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What is High Risk Training?

By Keith Roberts In a ‘nutshell’ it is training tha t could literally make the diffe of your team or someone tha rence between life and dea t you have been ‘tasked’ to th; either yours, a member protect. The reality is that you training provider can make cannot be trained to respon such a claim, (if they do, wal d to every situation, and no k away). High risk environme have been hazardous for ope nts have always existed; are rators for many years, but as of the Middle East and Afri recently Iraq and Afghanista of environment. ca n have been the main focu s for those looking for work in this type The training for this type of work should be carried out in such a way that reactions trainers, we are often asked to extreme situations become why someone in the armed second nature or ‘instinctive forces and with combat exp individual in this line of wor ’. As erience should bother with k you do not have the luxu this type of training. Well, as ries of things like QRF, WIM you are involved in a major a private IKs or Air Support; you and your team ‘drama’ - and most of them are out there, on your own in Iraq and Afghanistan are resources you have with you . If pretty major - then you sim at that particular time, and ply get yourselves out usin this can be a real culture sho almost be a wake up call and g whatever ck, especially to former ser can make operators carefu vice personnel. The training lly consider their options and can motivation.

There are many opinions abo ut the level of training require d and how it should be tau stood the ‘acid’ test in a con ght and, in my opinion, if drill tact, then there is a reason s have been tested ‘live’ and able belief that they work! So emphasis placed on practic have high-risk training should be al scenarios, rather than ‘dea programmed accordingly, with th by power point’. the As a high-risk training com pany, We also actively enc ourage students to think ‘out difficult – they have been trai side of the box’ which form ned in one way for years and er military people can som struggle to consider alterna risk PSD courses are actually etimes find tives. It is true; non-military far easier to train as they hav or police types who come on e no preconceptions and no speak, and on most occasio high learned ‘bad habits.’ Non-mi ns do really well. It is then litary have ‘clean sheets’, so up to them to actively seek training course. This brings to work, helped by the experie me onto another frequently nce and knowledge gained asked question; can someon conflict zone? Truthfully it wou from their e with no previous military ld be very difficult. Howeve or police experience get work r there are exceptions to eve both Iraq and Afghanistan in a ry rule and there are curren who have never done any tly a number of guys deploye military or police service. d to One of the problems with high -risk training is keeping up to date with current situatio training reflects this. It is imp ns in the operational zones erative that training provide and ensuring that the provisi rs maintain a rotation of inst - who can then bring fresh on of ructors who are operationa ideas and input to the course l actually doing the job on the pro grammes and evaluate the be constantly adapted to me ground training accordingly. This me et the ever changing situatio ans that training and tactics n in the deployment theatre students up to the level of can s, which as any good operato Team Leader is also very imp r will tell you, is crucial. Tra ortant and rotating the stud the simulated live operations ining ents through the TL position is an excellent start; student throughout training and dur s should be expected to plan ground. The tactics used by ing all of and execute missions as mu insurgents are then factore ch as they would do on the d in with ambushes and atta reality, (except no one gets cks on the convoys and, tho injured or dies on a training ugh simulated, come pretty course!). All high-risk training equipment, including body close to should be carried out wearing armour, Kevlar helmets and full individual protection car ryin g wea students. Other courses can pon s wei ghin g aro und 20kgs which adds an elem be bolted onto the basic cou ent of stress and realism for rse and can include continu H&K G3 and various pistols the ation training involving usin in countries where the laws g live weapons, including AK, on firearms and weapons training high-risk training should inco M4 are more relaxed than the rporate extensive weapons UK. All handling.

Keith Roberts is an instruc tor for PSD Training. He is a former member of the British Army, following service with the Parachute Regime nt; he transferred into the Royal Military Police. Sel ected to attend the SAS CP course at Hereford and subsequently deployed to Nor thern Ireland, he then attende d first RMP run CP course. Following secondme nts to the UKFCO went on to become an Instructor at the RMP CP wing at Longm oor After leaving the Army he has carried out a number of deployments to ‘high risk ’ areas as a TL, he is feature d in one of the most viewed films of an insurgent attack against a PSD Team in Mo sul Iraq. This complex atta initiated by a VCIED (Vehicl ck, e Carried Improvised Explosi ve Device) and followed by a gun attack involving at leas t 8 insurgents has been see n all over the World. As KR says “It must have been the biggest Ford Excursion eve r made judging from the amount of guys who were supposed to have been in it!” www.psdtraining.com

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www.athenaintelligence.co.uk in partnership with www.globaldefenceconsultancy.co.uk 1 The Circuit

THE WHEEL OF MISFORTUNE!

Firstly, for the record, I would like to remain anonymous in the writing of this article for obvious reasons, as I am about to disclose some information about the security of one of the world’s most iconic tourist attractions called The London Eye, which attracts millions of visitors world wide, and generates enough money to keep those fat cats at the top in ‘the cream’ for the rest of their lives!!

As everyone will know, the location is slap-bang in the middle of London, neighbouring other potential terrorist targets such as Parliament and the M15 building. The site is very vulnerable and open, with the structure at a height of 135 metres and 32 capsules carrying up to 25 people at a time for the duration of 30 minutes. On a busy day the Eye can take over 20,000 passengers and is also a popular destination for a multitude of Hollywood stars and celebrities, not to mention the thousands of tourists that stroll around within the vicinity, visiting other places of interest along the South bank.

The in-house security at the Eye is, to put it bluntly, inefficient and inadequate, and in my opinion more emphasis is placed on making large quantities of money than the protection of its guests and visitors.

Lets start with the security management; the main players in making the security decisions that should in truth protect everyone. There are five security managers at the Eye, with the head of security apparently coming from SO13. He comes across as a very amiable guy, nice suit, smiles a lot. Tapping away at his desktop all day, appearing to be busy, and circulating all those nice little e-mails around the company each and every day. All very good but sadly it seems to the people on the ground that security doesn’t seem to be high on his list!! The rest of the ‘security’ management, some of which have had no security experience or background themselves, seem to have no concern in improving the security either.

There are six CCTV and control room operators, some of which also have none or very little experience, some with heavy foreign accents, and generally a poor grasp of the English language. The consequences could be awful in an emergency situation!!

The security officers are a varied mix of young, foreign, and many untrained staff, most are very inexperienced within the security industry and are constantly pressured into pushing people through the search area, with no time even to scratch their nose, never mind doing careful body and luggage searches.

Metal detectors are used, which keep breaking down, and when they do staff are told just to pretend they are working until they can be fixed or replaced…looks good for the guests I suppose is their way of thinking?

The staff that check the capsules with mirrors when the capsules are emptied of guests have had no security training, not even any basic explosive awareness instruction, as indeed is the same of the security staff. Some have done an SIA Door Supervisors course; a few the SIA CCTV course.

The job is very customer facing, and due to the high volumes of visitors that come onto the Eye. Even though thousands of items a year are actually confiscated from guests. Including an array of knives, stab proof vests are not worn by security; the company don’t see it as important! Money can be spent on more valued things until a guard gets stabbed or killed, and then the media will, I suppose, have a field day!

When a guest comes onto the search area of the Eye, they are asked whether they are carrying anything sharp? Surprisingly quite a few guests think it clever to say that they are carrying a gun, or carrying a bomb! More often than not the way the security management like this incident to be dealt with by giving the guest a little telling off, before letting them to continue with their journey. At worst, if they don’t say sorry, they might be told to leave and a refund of the ticket would be given to the guest!

I’m sure that every security professional reading this article will agree that, to do a job effectively which then reflects on the professionalism of a security team, security equipment should be second to none.

At the London Eye this is the opposite – using the correct and properly working security kit is very low on their priority list. Poor, cheap uniforms are issued with some security staff waiting months and months for the right kit. Radios keep breaking down and are poorly maintained. Many staff do not wear or are not provided with earpieces, so in effect communication is poor due to the noise level, and discreet radio conversations can be overheard by anyone!

I have just highlighted several security problems at The London Eye, and I think you will agree when it comes to keeping people safe, money really isn’t everything!

The writer is a former employer of The London Eye and wishes to highlight these issues as a warning to the public using these facilities.

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By Alex Powe

r e t t Le q a r I from

It was mid December. Christmas decorations sparkled annoyingly in every shop window and on every street corner. Stupid looking Santas stood in shopping malls and on high streets ringing their irritating bells demanding money for some good cause or other, probably pocketing half of it themselves and spending the rest in the pub at the end of their shift. People raced around frantically looking morose and stressed, worried that they wouldn’t do all their shopping on time or that the gift they bought their uncle’s cousin’s first nephew’s fucking sister wasn’t expensive enough. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas, really. I love waking up Christmas morning next to my gorgeous wife and presenting her with a gift I have tried – although admittedly not always successfully – to think carefully about buying. I love the Christmas morning shag and a hearty English breakfast – although not always in that order. And I do love vegging out in front of the TV after an excessive Christmas dinner, trying unsuccessfully to keep my eyes open but never quite managing it. I just hate all the crap that goes with Christmas and the obscene commerciality of it all. It drives me mad and every Christmas since leaving the Legion I have vowed to escape to somewhere better, sunnier and infinitely more exciting.

But I didn’t really expect to be going to bloody Iraq again!

After my first stint in the hell-hole of the universe I was told many times, by many people that one tour will never be enough. Like a virus, the bug of war wiggles its wretched way into the soul of a true soldier and embeds itself for all eternity, or at least until the nagging wife really does pack her bags and leaves. Even then I have met many soldiers who have been through marriages and failed relationships just to get back onto the front line, listening to the sweet sound of bullets whizzing by your head and the thud and mayhem of the mortar shell. After the first spell in the ‘sandpit’ I half-heartily said I wouldn’t be going back, one tour, one

experience was enough but I think deep inside I knew I would. Just one more trip and it would help with the bills and go towards a nice car, it might even pay a bit of the mortgage off as well.

I am a former French Foreign Legion soldier or a Legionnaire as we are usually more affectionately called. For some reason I didn’t fancy joining the British Army and joined the Legion in 1992 when I was just 18 years old – young, incredibly foolish and most definitely off my tiny trolley. One evening, while getting high on grass and drunk on cheap Tesco larger, I had watched a fascinating documentary on the National Geographic Channel about the French Foreign Legion and decided there and then that a Legionnaire’s life was definitely the life for me.

Surprisingly I thought the same the very next day after a blinding hangover and clearing up my vomit stained carpet. And the day after I still wanted to join, and as days turned into weeks and weeks into months I made my plans to escape this mindless teenage world of grass, cheap beer and puke and do something constructive with my life. And one day I just woke up, packed my bags and headed to Marseilles.

After the initial basic training and tests I then trained to be a medic, as that almost guaranteed a posting to some god-forsaken hell-hole where the action really was. Somalia was just kicking off at that time and I knew they wanted as many medics as they could muster, so I was first in the queue. If you finish high in the rankings you get to choose which regiment you go to, and if you finish low you go wherever you are sent! I finished 12th out of 65, which I was surprised with. I chose to go to the 13th DBLE (Demi- Brigade de la Legion Etrangere) based in Djibouti on the Somalia border. It was a fucking crazy hell-hole. I was in Djibouti for just three weeks before we were sent into Somalia and I ended up doing two tours there altogether – out of my two years in Djibouti I spent nearly 18 months in Somalia. There were bad bits, of course, and war

had a huge impact on me mentally as I witnessed a lot of really bad things when I was still very young.

Africa was, and still is, fucked – life there is worth shit. Also, at that age, having to learn a foreign language and being away from family and friends was also sometimes very hard and losing friends in accidents or incidents also had a profound affect on me. .

As well as the action there were a few other reasons I chose Djibouti – the sunshine and the higher wages! I served five years in the Legion altogether, and, ten years later, still have immense pride on what I have achieved personally and what the Legion achieved as a unit. We did some good work in Somalia, we delivered tons of food, managed a massive vaccination campaign and escorted and secured a large number of medical convoys throughout the region and into some of the worst places in the world.

I certainly missed the Legion when I left. Five years was enough, but for a few years after I left, I pined to see some action again and was chomping at the bit to feel the adrenalin and smell the smell of war. It is an experience unlike no other, gruesome yet compulsive, exhausting yet exhilarating, exciting yet fucking scary.

I first decided I wanted to go to Iraq when the war ended and reconstructing of the country began, I knew then that private security would be big business as many of the major security providers were already in discussions with both the British and American governments with regards to tendering for security contracts. Most of the biggest private security companies are run by high-ranking exmilitary officers who had all the contacts to be able to secure the ripest contracts and discreet nods were already being given to the likes of Olive, CRG, Armorgroup etc. I had just started Close Protection training and had attended a three-day introduction course. From there I went to Iceland for three-weeks

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of intensive training and then back to Iceland once more on an instructor’s course.

It was while on the initial three day course that I decided to qualify and go to Iraq. I was given a list of contractors and a friend called Craig Hales, who was also on the course, heard that a company called Hart Security had just secured a major contract plus they were a lot smaller than the other major players setting up in Iraq and therefore probably a lot better to work for. Hart was a fairly new company, originally founded in 1999 by Richard Westbury who before, was the Chief Executive of Defence Systems, so they seemed to have a good commercial manager. I sent off my application and was called down to London a week later for an interview. I thought the interview went well, and the fact I was a Legionnaire seemed to help, 95 per cent of their staff, they said, were ex military or ex Special Forces.

I was expecting to hear back from them pretty quickly, but days turned into weeks and then a month and then six weeks and then suddenly, early one morning and almost exactly six weeks after my initial interview, the telephone rang. It was just past nine am, I had had a late night and was still half asleep and initially thought about letting it ring, but curiosity took hold and I sleepily picked up the receiver. Did I still want a job? Fuck yes, I almost shouted, and was told to be at Heathrow airport in 48 hours. The first contract was for 10 weeks.

After returning home I decided to go out one more time as Hart had called – they had one of the most important, and probably the most dangerous contracts in post-war Iraq and would I be interested?

Another Fuck yes!

Again I was given 48 hours notice, and had to pick up my tickets to Kuwait from the Emirates Desk. I have to say my wife was not pleased, it was Christmas after all and a time for family and friends and log fires and jingle bells , and not of scrambling frantically through the sand being chased by a deranged fanatical Iraqi believing their God would welcome him with open arms if he blew the arms and legs off a British non-believer. Of course Iraq was not really like that – we never once scrambled through the sand.

After collecting my tickets, checking in and making my way through customs I met up with a few other guys also on their way out into the field – it was good not to sit alone thinking of the missus waiting for me back at home and the heat and dust and shit to come. Like me, most of the guys had been out before so we had a lot to talk about.

Just before we boarded I called my wife. She didn’t answer, maybe she was on the toilet or doing her hair or maybe she just didn’t want to answer, but I left a short, cheerful message telling her I love her and that I would be back soon and please don’t worry, everything will be fine – as if that would make a difference – but for me this was much better than actually speaking to her, I was never any good at saying goodbyes.

After what seemed a fairly quick six hour flight we arrived and we were met at the other side by a Hart representative holding up a big placard that 22

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said Hart. Once we had all gathered together and checked off his list we were ushered to a waiting minibus. Leaving the airport terminal and chilly England into the searing, oppressive heat of the Middle East is a complete shock. It is hard to imagine a wall of heat, but that is exactly what it is like, like being slammed up against an invisible brick. Immediately you start to sweat. I was used to the feeling as had already been out to Iraq, plus living and working in hot climes with the Legion, but for the newcomers it was a visible shock.

Thankfully the mini bus was air-conditioned and we drove through the centre to a rented safe house where we were to spend the night before going into Iraq the following morning. Also, most of us hadn’t yet signed a contract for this trip as recruitment was rushed and numbers needed for the job were high – nor did we know anything about the job, we just all knew it was going to be fucking dangerous.

I signed a nine week contract, visas and permits were sorted, insurance forms signed, waiver forms signed, and the rest of the administration associated with sending westerners into a war zone were hastily completed.

While this was all being sorted buy the guy that had picked us up from the airport and a couple of his administrative assistants, we were allowed to go into town for an evening stroll and a bit of shopping. I spent most of the money I had that evening, just in case something happened to me and I ended up coming home in a body-bag and coffin.

That night was restless, it was hard to sleep as thoughts crept back from my previous tour, remembering the few contacts situations, the first round slamming into the side of our vehicle, the adrenalin rush as we reversed our vehicles out of the contact zone and sprayed the building where we thought the contact had come from. Was I really going back . . . damn right I was!

The next day we were taken in a convoy to the Iraqi border where we passed quickly through a Kuwaiti check point then on to an American check point. The Americans seemed to take forever to check our documents and papers. They were a great bunch of lads – the Americans on that point – but were as paranoid as fuck, even though no Iraqis yet have blown themselves up on the Iraq / Kuwait border. I bet the guys were as happy as could be when they were told they would be on that post as opposed to working the streets in the centre of Baghdad.

After passing both check points we were in Iraq and were met by two more Hart close protection teams.

We were each handed an AK-47 and two magazines, which we all hastily checked over. The nerves of the previous evening had all but disappeared and, with the AK in my hand I felt back at home. My wife always said that I had a stupid grin on my face whenever I had my weapon

in my hand, and I knew what she meant, it felt good. Weapons are compulsive and addictive, and absolutely necessary in a place like Iraq, as a westerner without a weapon you simply would not survive.

Once we had checked and signed for our weapons we were driven to the Hart compound inside Basrah airport complex, where the British Forces were based. Basrah airport is the second largest airport in Iraq and located south of the city of Basrah. On my first tour Hart originally based themselves and operated from at a large villa in the city itself, but due to the elevated risk, coupled with the amount of times they were getting mortared, they wisely decided it was a lot more logical, and infinitely safer, to mover into the airport complex and nearer to the British Army.

We had a few minutes to arrange ourselves and settle into our dorms when we were all then mustered to the courtyard. There was over 90 personnel altogether, 20 or so in the team that had just come in from Kuwait with me and others that had arrived over the previous 48 hours. We were the last of the batch which was why we were mustered so quickly after we arrived, apparently everyone was waiting for the last batch of fresh meat from the UK. Because of an extremely important high risk contract Hart had just won, they embarked on a massive recruitment drive, signing up almost anyone with a security or related background. Included in many of the applications were lots of doormen from the UK. I have worked the clubs and pubs myself on and off for many years, so I know the job well and I can

usually spot a doorman a mile away and standing outside in the searing 40 degree heat it was easy to spot the nightclub bouncers amongst the many soldiers and ex-forces. I remembered fondly the story Robin once told me during that three-day course I attended. He worked in Bosnia during the conflict and secured a contract to pick up the mercenaries from Zargeb airport and take them to near the front line to the Hrvatska Vojska (Croatian Army) camp, where they would be put through their paces before being sent into action. They were not really mercenaries as they didn’t get paid – the Croatian Army always fervently maintained they never employed mercenaries during that particular conflict – but were unpaid volunteers, but there were many foreign unpaid volunteers from all over the UK. Robin told me that those full of bravado, boasting and bragging and doing their best to look hard would literally shit themselves at the first sound of the mortar shell or the first live round whizzing past their ears. They would literally crap their pants and it seemed to me that a few of the guys that did look very much like nightclub doormen standing amongst the rest of us might have been doing the same thing.

The Project Manager Sam stood on a small podium in front of us all and told us that some of the team would be working in Basrah, while the rest would be sent to central Baghdad on an extremely high-risk operation. At this point and before we had been allocated our assignment, to my utter amazement about six of the guys that looked as though their pants were a lot stickier than they had been a few minutes previously, put up their hands and said they had changed there minds and felt they didn’t have

what it took to go to Baghdad, and could they stay in Basrah . . . .please. What a bunch of utter cunts.

The rest of the team almost collapsed with laughter.

Sam screamed at them, telling them to fuck off and within the hour they were back on the bus towards the border where they were left to make their own way back home. There was no room for people who didn’t have the bottle for the job and for the life of me I could not understand how some cunt could come so far and then lose there bottle at the last minute; surely they knew what they were here for? It is virtual bravado, being a big man in a small pond back home somehow makes some people believe they could be a big man in a fucking huge pond somewhere else but the reality is very different.

They are only brave in their small insignificant world of their own nightclub door, anywhere else they are cowards and cunts. The sad fact is that I have heard that some of those wankers that were sent home actually went on to tell other people that they served in Iraq in private security!

Sam explained to the rest us that weren’t packing our bags and changing our trousers back in the dorm, that the job in Baghdad was far more dangerous than any other job the company had taken on, and only those who were completely right for the assignment would be asked to go. As he said I smiled to myself as I thought that the cunts that didn’t want to go in the first place probably would not have been chosen anyway.

Sam asked for volunteers and I was probably the first to put my hand up. I couldn’t wait – I didn’t come all the way to Iraq not to see some real action and not to get involved in something risky and

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dangerous. There were only a handful of us that had been with Hart before and as Sam counted the hands he recognised me from my last tour.

‘This is your second time out with Hart, isn’t it?’ he asked.

‘Yes sir’ I replied casually in army mode. He told me as this was my second time with the company I didn’t have to go on that particular mission, there were other less dangerous jobs he could assign me to.

‘But I want this job sir’ came my swift reply. He nodded his acceptance and the job was mine.

Because, having been in the French Foreign Legion, I was bi-lingual I was put into a half English / half French a team where astonishingly there were even a couple of guys that I had served with in the Legion a few years ago.

The next day we were split into two groups consisting of four or five teams each. The first group were to drive up to Baghdad in convoy with all our equipment, baggage etc while the rest of us were sent to Baghdad by helicopter. I really didn’t fancy going all that way in convoy, it was a long, arduous and uncomfortable journey and was therefore really pleased when my name was called for the team going up by helicopter.

We regrouped at Baghdad airport that same evening and were given the exact details of the task. I must be honest that it did come as a bit of a shock once I realised just how high profile the job was.

Each team consisted of eight ‘‘internationals’’ – which was us – and 16 ‘‘nationals’’ which were Iraqi guards / security teams who were employed by Hart.

The vehicles for the assignment were to be totally standard local cars with local plates; no armour or markings or anything out of the ordinary. At first I was horrified but it proved to be a stroke of good thinking as throughout the assignment we could travel freely around the town and on the motorways without anyone giving us so much as a second glance, unlike the American security companies such as Blackwater, who were using huge white Ford Pickups that stood out a mile and made wonderfully massive targets. Typical Americans, we thought as we heard of another white pickup coming under fire, whereas we never once had someone even look our way, let alone fire a gun at us.

We were given a location of a warehouse in the centre of the city where each team would be holed up. Our job was to drive from the warehouse to the airport, two to three times a day and every time we arrived at the airport we would form up a new convoy with six to seven 40ft trailers containing portable voting stations, ballot boxes and all necessary equipment and materials for setting up polling stations for the new government elections that were soon to be held. We were then to escort the convoys back to the warehouses for secure storage until the elections were ready to be held.

With the political mayhem and social turmoil the country of Iraq was in, these convoys made bigger and much more important targets than the American soldiers patrolling the streets.

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The Circuit

The official magazine of the British Bodyguard Association

We were taken in convoy to the warehouse. To our complete horror, the warehouse were not only in the middle of Baghdad but were in constant daily use – they were used for storing wheat, sugar, oil and other foodstuffs with trucks and lorries coming and going, delivering and collecting, all day, every day. In any one day, we were told that there could be anything up to 200 trucks and possibly up to 1000 workers coming and going. It was a complete and utter fucking nightmare.

Half the international CP team would go backwards and forwards to the airport with all of the Iraqi the nationals leaving just four of us guarding the warehouse and equipment until the team returned. We had control of about 1/3 of the warehouse; the rest of the premises were in constant daily use.

As we settled in and surveyed our temporary new home, the Americans turned up with a two or three heavy trailers containing a concrete blocks and numerous giant sandbags in order to try and form some kind of last line of defence should we come under heavy and sustained attack.

The team spent about a week going backwards and forwards to the airport escorting convoys of ballot boxes and polling stations and once all the materials and equipment had been collected, we spent a further week just sitting looking after them before the Iraqi national guard turned up with the election committee officials to organise, separate and despatch the stuff out to construct and create polling stations around the country for the national elections.

After the designated couple of days of elections, all the votes were then brought back to us at the warehouse for us to guard until then were ready to take them back to the airport for counting. Things heated up for us once we had the votes in our dirty, grubby little hands. We all felt like we were protecting Fort Knox and then some, we had the future of the country under our noses, and it seemed everyone throughout Iraq knew – especially the fanatics and extremists.

As we patrolled the dim exterior of the warehouse, outside was like bonfire night on steroids, with an almost constant sound of gunfire. The nights were worse; the bastard Iraqis just would not let us get a minute’s sleep as the heavens was filled with the thuds and tremors of

an almost constant barrage of mortar shells which felt as though they were being aimed directly at our tired little heads.

Life in the warehouse was complete shit. It was a big unit divided into three sections; my team had the third section furthest from the main gate. Because the warehouse was in daily use, we had to quickly build a makeshift defence barrier between us and the rest of the yard as it had lorries coming and going, loading and unloading, and hundreds of fucking workers walking around who were supposed to be controlled and guarded by the local Iraqi guards based on the main gate – but these Iraqi guards were about as useful as a chocolate coffee mug. We also had to man the corridor area leading to our part of the warehouse and make sure no one wandered, accidentally or otherwise, into to our area. We were instructed to shoot anyone who even remotely looked like a threat – the consequences of destroying even a small part of the material we were guarding were immensely grave, both politically and socially. To loose votes from the first so called Iraqi democratic voting system could bring the civil war in Iraq to even greater heights.

The depot was about 200ft by 75ft and had previously been used to store sugar. There was sugar all over the floor and during the night in the pitch black between the volleys of mortars and the near constant sound of gunfire, the only noises you

could hear – apart from the occasional snores of the Team Leader – was the steady scurrying of rats below our beds. We needed the warehouse to be in blackout all night as we didn’t want to highlight our positions within the unit.

The first night we made makeshift beds by laying a couple of wooden pallets together on the floor with our sleeping bags on top. After that first uncomfortable night trying to kip on a wooden pallet with gunfire and mortars and fat rats scuttling all around us, we were supplied with some slightly more comfortable US camp-beds.

Our Kitchen area was in the same room and was a simple gas stove balanced on a pile of pallets, our dining table was a piece of wood on . . . guess what?...yep, a fucking pile of pallets. I am sure that I even shagged a pallet in my dream one night.

The only thing we couldn’t do with pallets was eat them, and so at the start of our assignment we were given a few boxes of U.S army rations which kept us going, and now and then, when the US Army were passing on patrol, they popped in with an occasional warm lunch. But this wasn’t that often as it was not that safe for the US Army to patrol in our area.

We passed our time by sitting on the roof of the warehouse counting the clouds of smoke from explosions around the city or by seeing if we could identify where shooting was coming from. We also tried sleeping and played a lot of chess. There were a couple of strong characters in the team, me, of course, and a couple of Bosnians who spoke very little English, so that was fun, especially as I thrashed them time and time again at chess. There were also couple of French ex-soldiers which was good for me as I spoke French very well and could have one or two decent conversations at least during the assignment.

We sat down with the drivers and team and explained how we were going to set up the convoy back to the airport, with the votes tightly protected by our vehicles and weapons.

While in driving formation on the motorways I was in the rear car, my main task was to make sure no one overtook or got in between the convoy and I literally swept the area constantly from side to side all the way to the airport, making sure no one got too close.

A few times vehicles did get too close, either not really knowing who or what we were, or just trying their luck, and I leaned precariously out of the window, aiming my AK at them, showing them we were armed and dangerous and to back off. I waved my hand in an up and down motion to show them to slow down, if they were stupid enough to ignore me I fired a couple of rounds into the ground in front of them to show them we meant business. Thankfully everyone in Baghdad is now so used to a high profile military and private security presence and when someone points a weapon at them or their vehicles, they know precisely what to do . . . .and they back off!

At the end of that particular job most of the guys were sent home but a few including me, were kept back to help out on another job – to guard the new court- house building which was under construction for the trial of Saddam Hussain. Our job was to control the entrance, patrol the perimeter and check vehicles and personnel coming in and going out and making sure no one took any photos or ‘‘souvenirs’ or blew themselves up . . . !

Extract from Bouncers and Bodyguards, Tales from a Twilight World

That is another story for another day.

ISBN: 978-1-84596-302-6

by Robin Barratt Available from all good bookshops and on-line at www.the-bba.org.uk/ bookshop.htm

After days of sleepless, nervous nights, instruction came for us to escort all the votes back to the relative safety of the airport where they would be guarded by military and counted.

The trucks for the votes were escorted to us at the warehouse by another CP team and we guarded them with our weapons at the ready as they were being loaded with the containers of votes we had guarded with our lives. The Iraqi fork lift drivers were completely useless and kept bashing into the boxes we had carefully protected and so, losing my patience, I kicked him off the forklift and loaded many of the crates myself. I felt like shooting him but that might have been a little extreme.

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Marine Training

By John Sexton Executive Protection is not just about wealthy ‘seniors’ looking for a protective detail to ensure their safety from their residence to the boardroom and back. Today’s principal is just as likely to be a young, energetic individual—of either sex—who has made their fortunes in the stock market, a dot.com venture, or in entertainment.

Just as the demographics have changed, so have the venues.

One notable difference is that in recent years we have seen protective details move from the relative security of a high-end hotel to the private yacht, either for use as a secondary residence or as focal point of a vacation. These highly valuable yachts as open and vulnerable as are the inhabitants. Take a walk along a marina or dockside anywhere in the world and you can pass right by these floating mansions and observe those on board.

Interestingly, most appear devoid of identifiable security.

High net-worth individuals are aware that their lifestyle and wealth makes them vulnerable targets. While there are many agents available worldwide to protect Principals travelling by vehicles and on private jets, how many of these agents are trained or comfortable working around multi-million dollar yachts?

It is a well known fact, that unless a protective agent is working full time for a high net-worth family or on a corporate detail, marine work can be sporadic.

Those who rise to the top of their profession will experience less downtime but the question then becomes; how long does this process take? It is a slow process and rightfully so. It will take clients and peers alike some time to trust an agent. This building of trust and reputation is a natural process and cannot be rushed or hurried, much like the ageing of a fine wine. The question then becomes; what do agents do in the meantime?

They find work of course. For these agents, the secret to both interim and long term success will be to keep their nose to the grind stone, continuously learning their craft and building their professional reputation. One of the ways that agents can keep on bettering themselves and rise above the competition, is continual training. This does not necessarily mean that they should go on month long courses every year, but they should find areas where they may be lacking in certain skills and hone these skills.

Advanced training courses can include; threat assessment/ threat mitigation, surveillance/counter-surveillance, terrorism awareness, maritime/aviation protection courses and tactical/advanced firearms. With the large number of high net-worth individual yacht owners, a course aimed at meeting the demands and specific needs of providing security in this maritime environment would be most beneficial. Personal Protection Specialists (UK- CPOs) should be able to assess and prevent potential threats in every environment, and to respond if required.

This type of training would not only be applicable throughout the United States (especially in Southern Florida/California, the Hamptons, etc.), but also around the world. There would appear to be a growing need in ports such as; Dubai, Singapore, the Bahamas, the Seychelles, the Virgin Islands, South of France, Spain, etc. Protection Agents who are advised by their Principal at the last minute that he or she wants to spend the weekend on the water, either on a yacht or at a seaside villa, will be faced with certain physical and logistical problems and will need access to training that would assist them in providing a safety ring around a vessel, dock or waterside residence.

The ideal training course would not only teach nonseafaring students the “bow from the stern”, they would also need to know the differences between a marinerelated advance and the more traditional “terra-firma” advance. Other considerations would be; responsibility for other guests on the yacht, laws pertaining to international waters, access to vessel weapons and what should be done to ensure that the crew are competent to use these weapons. Also training should include handling a multitude of marine related situations for instance: what happens when the captain wants a certain berth which offers ease of docking, but would overly expose the principal? For example, the end berth usually requires the inherent long trek to the limo along a narrow, poorly-lit dock.

Students would need to be instructed on how to repel boarders—from the well-meaning, but intoxicated fan who wants an autograph, to the methodical terrorist bent on kidnap or execution. How to thwart assaults from various avenues of approach, both above and below the waterline?

How does one search the interior and exterior of a vessel, should it be checked under water?

The next time a lucrative assignment is advertised and it requires “prior boating knowledge”, ask yourself; what must you do to prepare for that position so that you possess the unique skills to seize upon the opportunity”.

John Sexton is President of Sexton Executive Security, Inc., (www.sextonsecurity.com) and Director of Training for their international training academy (certified by the Dept. of Criminal Justice Services). They specialize in executive protection and investigative assignments and training. He may be reached at; president@sextonsecurity.com.

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A few hundred years ago in the western world there were those who chose to serve in the protection of their employers and they were called “Musketeers”. In the Far East they were known and called “Samurai”. No matter what they were called, all knew the definition of their profession and their duties, to keep their Principal safe and secure wherever their employers went. Many romantic stories and legends were told about these unique individuals and in most of these stories they were described as the ‘Bravest of Warriors’, ‘Heroes’ or ‘Supermen’.

This profession created a positive mystery around those who chose to specialize and live by the rules of the field. It is one of the oldest professions in the world. This sector gave to the entire society few norms of behaviour that gained high respect and honour from their communities. In the 21st century those who deal with the protection of their employers are called Bodyguards, Close Protection Operative, VIP/Executive Protection Specialist, and recently because of their deployment in Iraq or Afghanistan areas that became the most known dangerous areas for VIPs (not necessary heads of state) these Protection operatives are called PSD Operators, Personal Security Detail/Detachment. These specially trained and highly skilled personnel are hired to protect individuals or the personnel of organizations that operate in high-risk environments like Iraq and Afghanistan. Those who created this sector highly skilled and specialized service were government officials that had a need to protect its high-value personnel in hostile environments.

Today due to the high demand and need to privatize certain functions of government to the civilian workforce, this specialized field of protections services has become one of the fastest growing sectors for recruiting law enforcement, special forces and other military personnel.

Many uninformed organizations hire personnel to perform

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these services in hostile environments without understanding the very, very, special need for training of these individuals prior to actually arriving in areas of operations such as Iraq. Law enforcement and some military (even Special Forces) personnel are not properly trained to operate in environments such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Because of the increasing demand for such special operatives, the organizations hired personnel that were ill-trained for such activities.

The personnel who were sent to do these special jobs were send by organizations who saw the need for such personnel to add as a force multiplier for the protections of their assets in hostile organizations. These special personnel provide a great service to their countries by protecting the interest in far away countries. Governments send them there for their convenience and cost effectiveness. But we don’t want to officially acknowledge our desperate need for them. They fight alongside and in most cases protect military personnel in these hostile zones. So why do we not support them, respect their efforts, their great contribution to our society by providing a service to our countries that no one else will take responsibility to do. Instead of supporting them we call them “Soldiers of Fortune or Mercenaries” and any other lousy name that we can think of without stopping to realize that they did not create the conflict, they are only there to help. Our elected officials are the people who started the conflict. Do we dislike them now because they are paid better than us? Perform everyday in environments that we only see in our worst nightmares by showing us how cowardly we really are by not helping your country? Or because we do not want to cope with very real knowledge that they get the job done even when the military can’t. Do we fear the trauma that many of them suffer just as military personnel do? Why do we fear them so? We place them in the a category that will calm our own fears without realizing

that they have helped with that calming effect yet they still have nightmares and fears as well after they return from the violent abyss that we sent them to. Should we be ready for the new version of the nice American movie; “Born on the 4th July?”

This analysis was carried out by Mirza David, Founder and Executive Director of the International Security Academy - Israel, which operates practical training centres for improving and enhancing the mental and physical functions of Protection Management and Personnel worldwide. www.SecurityAcademy.org.il

Anti Sur veillance – Part One

By Peter Jenkins This article deals with the aspects of Anti Surveillance, an often misunderstood practice that is frequently confused with Counter Surveillance. Either way, Anti Surveillance and Counter Surveillance are two different types of surveillance detection.

Firstly let us define the difference between the two disciplines.

Anti-Surveillance Anti-Surveillance are the actions or manoeuvres that a person carries out in order to: l

Confirm that he is under surveillance and by whom

l

and then possibly take appropriate action

Anti-surveillance manoeuvres will be the actions of a person (a target of surveillance or yourself) who suspects that he is being followed in order to expose the team and confirm that he is being followed, by drawing the team into a position where they can be identified.

Counter Surveillance Counter Surveillance is defined as the actions

that a third party (person or team) carries out in order to: l

Identify any presence of a surveillance team

l

Identify the make-up of the surveillance team to gather intelligence about them.

In a nutshell, anti surveillance is what we would do ourselves in order to detect if surveillance is present, and counter surveillance is when we bring in someone else to detect it for us.

As we have defined, anti-surveillance is described as the actions or manoeuvres that a person carries out in order to get a react ion, and therefore confirm that he is under surveillance and then to possibly evade and lose the surveillance team.

A surveillance operator will always be conscious of having multiple sightings with the target or acting unnaturally in their presence, otherwise he risks being compromised. Therefore in ant i surveillance we want to turn that on its head and attempt to create multiple sightings and look out for unnatural behaviour in those around us and expose them as surveillance.

Who carries out Anti Surveillance?

Many people think that anti surveillance something that a target of surveillance carries out when he thinks he is being followed. Although technically correct, it is also a discipline that a

professional security operator would carry out in order to identify if he was subjected to surveillance. For example, we run training courses all over the world and often carry unusual technical equipment in our flight bags, which may attract the attention of the authorities in some countries. Therefore, after arrival at our hotel, we may carry out some anti surveillance measures as we familiarise with the area. After an hour or so I may go for a walk around the town or city and carry out subtle anti surveillance drills (as described below).

I may also plan the route that I will walk the following morning to the training venue to include ‘surveillance hazards’ or choke points. Without becoming paranoid, a simple and effective anti surveillance routine can be put into your day to day activity without thinking about it.

To keep things simple, I have listed certain ’drills’ that a person would carry out themselves in order to detect surveillance Anti-surveillance measures can be carried out Covertly or Overtly, on foot , by vehicle, public transport and also combined.

Covertly, where you carry out very subtle drills in order to identify their presence without them realising the fact. Or overtly where you let them know that you are looking, waving at possible surveillance or carrying out quick U turns in the street.

On Foot Being followed on foot, would mean that the

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and levels and suddenly stop upon entering to look at the information board. Look out for unnatural behaviour as someone follows you in and then suddenly realizes that you are right there in front of them. Then use the escalators to your advantage, a very overt drill is to go up an escalator and come straight back down the other side.

followers would be reasonably close to you, also on foot, so the risk of them being noticed is much greater so this can be used to an advantage. A person being followed could carry out the following anti-surveillance measures in order to create multiple sightings or unnatural behaviour.

ANTI-SURVEILLANCE MEASURES Therefore a number of drills have to be carried out to identify surveillance. Just looking behind you does not identify surveillance – it identifies those who are behind you. However, if you see those same people later on, especially in a different place and you have seen them at least three times then alarm bells should start ringing.

l

Challenge anyone suspected of following you.

Ask them for directions or the time, and note their react ion, if you notice a professional style watch (G Shock etc) this should also add to your suspicions.

l

Walk through narrow walkways. If the team are not familiar with the area they will most likely send someone down there.

l

A new favourite is to scan the area for Bluetooth devices with your mobile phone. On a recent training exercise when I was the target, I got on a train and scanned the area noting who was in the vicinity as certain names/phones came up. Later on I did the same whilst in an art gallery and identified the same name. The same name was also present on the rail platform on my return journey an hour later thus effectively creating ‘multiple sightings’.

Anti Surveillance Drills (Drilling) l

l

l

l

Frequently look directly behind you. Now this can be over t or covert; overt if it is obvious that you are looking back which will spook the surveillance team, or you can be quite covert about it. Covertly, I would cross the road but listen and wait for a stream of traffic to pass first. This gives me the opportunity to look back several times without it being obvious to what I am doing. To be even more covert, I would cross the road at a pelican crossing but pretend to have pressed the button when I haven’t. This now gives me a reason to stand at the side of the road and look back and forth several times and for quite a while because the green man isn’t going to change in a hurry.

Drop a piece of paper and see whether it is picked up and examined. A surveillance team will be wary of this but if you provide some juicy bait such as an ATM receipt (or pretend it is), they will attempt to recover it.

Enter a telephone box and use it to observe your surroundings from. When you leave, keep a close eye on it in the event a surveillance operator is ‘clearing’ the box for any information.

Enter a shop, large store or mall. Politely hold the door open for those behind you giving a chance to look back or use the doors reflections.

l

Frequently turn about and change direction, though this quite overt. If you change direction, have a reason for doing so, hopefully this will create multiple sightings of the same person if they are not carrying out regular ‘handovers’.

l

Walk into areas where there is little pedestrian activity such as a quiet housing estate or multi storey car park.

l

Use large department stores with many exits

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In addition to force multiple sightings within a surveillance, we must also combine it with looking out for unnatural behaviour such as: l

Peeping around corners, over stands and through doors or windows

l

Mirroring - you cross the road, they cross the road

l

Fixated on the target, staring at you and not noticing what is going on around them

l

Being Isolated and standing out without any cover

l

Talking to themselves on the radio

l

Having a vacant expression whilst they try to hear radio transmissions or continually touch their earpiece

l

Fidgeting or acting in a shifty manner

l

Deliberately avoiding eye contact or reacting when face to face

An unprofessional team is easily spotted and very easily caught out because they act unnaturally and they do not carry out the correct procedures which prevent multiple sightings.

An experienced surveillance team is more likely to carry out tactics to ensure that they are not spotted, and if they suspect that they are being drawn into a compromise, they are more likely to ‘lift off’ from the surveillance and let the target run rather than continue and confirm suspicions.

In Part Two, we shall look at anti surveillance measures carried out when mobile in a vehicle or on public transport. We shall also look at the various times that a target or person carries out certain anti surveillance drills and what can be done about it.

Peter Jenkins ISS Training Ltd Riverside Cottages, Nidd Walk, Pateley Bridge, Harrogate, HG3 5NA United Kingdom Tel: +44 1423 712265 Email: Info@intelsecurity.co.uk www.intelsecurity.co.uk No part of this document may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into machine language, without written permission of the publisher.

The right of Peter Jenkins to be identified as the author of the work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

By John Paul Higgins

The Circuit 1

10 Key Points On Finding The Best Training Courses Finding the right training course is a really important first step in your career in close protection. Train with the right company and you could find work straight away, train with the wrong company and you could waste thousands of pounds and never get any work. Also, your initial close protection training should be just the first step of your training portfolio – further and on-going training is a must on the road to a really great career.

1.

Choose a course relevant to your career path (see the other BBA download on finding work). For example, if you do not intend to work outside of the UK, then initially investing in a training course offering extensive firearms training will be a waste of money - British employers will not need to know that you can field-strip an AK47 under constant mortar bombardment! If you want to work at events and concerts then specific training pertaining to this sector will be far more beneficial choose the relevant training course only after you have decided on your career path, you can always upgrade your training to suit a new environment at a later date.

2.

In my opinion, it is better to be a master of one trade than a ‘jack of all trades’. Once you have decided on your career path and your particular speciality, invest in further, on-going training specific to that field. If you have limited operational experience then train, train and train.

I always refer back to a good friend who, over the course of two years, invested well over £10k on training. He eventually got a job paying £1000 a week plus accommodation, expenses etc and stayed in that job for two years. His initial investment was paid back in just over two months.

Do the maths!

3.

Make sure the training company has the right accreditations and endorsements. If you intend to work in the UK directly for a UK contractor then you will need to attend an accredited SIA course. Even if you think you initially intend to find a position directly with a client (when you currently do not need an SIA licence) that contract might not last, and therefore you might still need SIA accreditation and a license at a later date, so don’t waste money on a course that is not recognised or accredited, even if it might be a lot cheaper. Spending a little extra now might be of benefit in the future.

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4.

Ask the CP community via the forums and networking about various training courses and training providers. There are many good training providers out there but is their training recognised and accepted both within the close protection community and by the major contractors?

It is no good training with XYZ in so-and-so small town in the middle of no-where, even if they are SIA accredited, if none of the major contractors and employers know of, or are familiar with the company.

Call major employers such as Controlled Risks, Hart, ArmorGroup, Minimal Risks, The Olive Group, Genric, Kroll, Drum, Aegis, Ake etc and ask which close protection training providers they most recognise and who, in their opinion, is it worth training with. Many will, of course, tell you to train with them as many offer their own close protection training courses!

5.

If a contractor runs its own training courses, then ask what are the chances of working with them after the course? Of course this depends entirely on your capabilities so no one can give you a guarantee of work, but if you pass with flying colours will you get work with them?

6.

Check out the instructors; are they experienced, what is their background?

There is a big, big difference between those instructing from a text book and those instructing from actual experience on operations out in the field. Make sure your instructors have realworld experience; learning from someone with little or no field experience can be dangerous.

7.

Make sure your instructors are suitably qualified to instruct. In the UK, all instructors need to have an SIA recognised teaching qualification. There are a number of qualifications accepted by the SIA and full details can be seen on the SIA website. Some training providers have a number of instructors, but only one or two have the approved teaching qualifications. Do not sign up for a course where the instructors are unqualified.

8.

It is a legal requirement to give everyone a cooling off period once a deposit is paid / contract signed, so make sure you go and see the training school and meet the directors and instructors within seven days of placing your deposit or signing up on a course. You would not buy and pay for a car without seeing it first, so don’t do it with your training. If you are at all unhappy, or the

instructors are not accredited and cannot be verified, then ask for your deposit back and find somewhere else to train. Taking a day off and loosing £50 in petrol is much better than wasting £2k and four weeks of your time on a course you are unhappy with and will ultimately get you nowhere.

9.

Get yourself physically and mentally prepared for the course. Sadly, fitness and self-defence are not requirements for an SIA course, but ask yourself whether you would employ someone overweight, unfit and unable to defend themselves or, more importantly, their principle? Hundreds, if not thousands of people obtain their SIA licence in close protection without one shred of self-defence training! I have personally witnessed an extremely overweight person who could hardly manage to climb the stairs to the classroom, come out at the end of the course with a pass!

Of course he would probably not get work anyway, but don’t be like him, train hard, learn self-defence and get in shape!

10.

Lastly, beware of a few unscrupulous people in the industry. I have heard of companies taking 50% deposit on a course that is half the price of a normal course, only to disappear a few days before the course is due to start. Beware of on-line training, and correspondence courses – all worthless in this industry. Stick to what you know and to referrals and recommendations from others in the industry. © Robin Barratt The British Bodyguard Association

FIRST AID FOR CLOSE PROTECTION

By Chris Gibson MASI

The pace of life on the Close Protection circuit is ever increasing, as are the demands placed on CPOs, who always need to remain one step ahead of the their clients to ensure even the shortest operation runs smoothly. CPOs meet these demands and those of increasing competition for employment by developing themselves. We attend seminars, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) updates and courses to gain new skills and refresh old ones.

The essential and desired skills of the modern CPO might include; close quarter combat (CQC), enhanced driving skills, surveillance, languages, security management, adult education tutor courses and even child care.

But where does first aid feature? Why do we need it? And to what level? Is First Aid at Work sufficient for UK employment? How about hostile and remote environments? This article considers first aid for CPOs, as opposed to CP for health care professionals.

Why First Aid? CPOs are thinkers, planners and problems solvers and are generally expected to pull rabbits from hats at short notice and we regularly do. We are employed to ensure not only the safety and security of the client but also their health and well being, to allow them to conduct their lives and business as normally as possible. Having a sound knowledge of basic first aid and the confidence to employ it, enables CPOs to intervene and assist in the following circumstances; : Medical incident (Ongoing illness) : Trauma incident (Traffic accident) : Major incident (Terrorist attack) : Medical emergency (Heart attack/drowning/ choking) : Minor injuries (Blisters, strains, cuts, stings) The ability to preserve the life, prevent a condition becoming worse and promote recovery, is worth its weight in gold, whether these skills are administered to the client, their spouse, children, friends or business partners. Many people pay lip service to basic first aid but if you travel enough with a client, whether it be in London, Athens or Baghdad, sooner or later you may need to treat; concussion, blisters, angina attacks, episodes of hypoglycaemia, jelly fish stings, heat injuries, cuts and scrapes, fractured ribs, sunburn and occasionally major trauma from traffic accidents or gunshot wounds.

Individual First Aid Training The current baseline qualifications for CPOs to obtain a UK Security Industry Authority (SIA) license to practice are the Health and Safety Executive First Aid at Work course or the Edexcel First Person on the Scene (FPOS) Intermediate Award. Both are excellent courses, covering; basic scene safety, the aims of first aid, the primary and secondary surveys,

common injuries and illnesses and how to recognise and treat them. The content of these courses has been open to discussion for some time and remains a hot topic. Are they sufficient for our role? In a word, yes. Both courses cover the general medical emergencies which CPOs are likely to come across, irrespective of their theatre of operations. Whilst the basic syllabus is generic, each course should be tailored and delivered at the appropriate level and for the right work place.

The courses are primarily for the UK, where an ambulance should be on the scene within 10 minutes. That’s not to say that it is not an effective level of training for hostile environments, after all, the best treatment for a casualty who has received a serious penetrating injury (gunshot or blast wound) is to stop major bleeding, manage the airway, prevent hypothermia and call for help, all of which are covered on the basic courses. The key is that the courses must be delivered effectively and ideally by a trainer who knows the industry and the nature of the injuries and illnesses that may be encountered. The trainer can afford more emphasis on heat illness for teams heading to the Middle East or hypothermia and hypoglycaemia for teams supporting clients who enjoy mountain pursuits in the UK.

Ongoing Development Although the basic courses are adequate, they are exactly that, the basic bench mark. The questions many CPOs ask post qualification are; ‘where do I go next? What courses are available? What additional training do I really need and is it accredited?’

Often the decision to take up further training will be based on cost and duration. But which course? First ask the questions, what do I hope to achieve? And, am I ready to progress? (I.e. if you can’t remember the difference between adult and baby CPR or the

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signs and symptoms of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, then perhaps a refresher course is required before attending an advancement course).

If your client has a known heart condition, then perhaps opt for an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) course. Deploying to Iraq, then perhaps consider a Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS) course or even a short oxygen administration module. CPOs looking after the boss’s children or employed in an RST role, where they have regular exposure to them, may opt for a paediatric emergency first aid course or a Pre-hospital Paediatric Life Support (PHPLS) course.

Adding modules one at a time is a great way to develop your CV and achieve your aim, without overwhelming yourself with extra knowledge, most of which will be forgotten if not consolidated.

Remote & Hostile Environments If you intend to work outside of the comfort zone, where ambulances aren’t available and medical evacuation cannot be guaranteed, CPOs may consider attending a commercial tactical medical, EMT or remote area course. Neither of these will make you an overnight medic but a good in depth course should include and discuss; anatomy and physiology, the critical issues concerning the Tactical Combat Casualty Care protocols (TCCC), patient assessment, airway management, vital signs monitoring, medical gases, spinal management, and caring for a casualty inside and outside of the platinum 10 minutes. CPOs should choose a course based on its content, the quality of training aids, the opportunity to get ‘hands on’ to consolidate core skills and the background of the trainers, as opposed to the title or duration.

Standardisation In an ideal world we all work in harmony, train the same, think the same and react the same. This ensures the whole industry works in unison, making it a safer, more professional environment.

The basic courses are designed to aid this, following set objectives. The system works beyond that with paediatric first aid and AED protocols but the gap widens and ideas vary when in the mid range courses, with agencies operating under differing national and local protocols, whether it be the military, health care trusts or individual company policy.

For the CPO, this can be daunting when seeking enhanced knowledge, only to receive contradictory

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views and regulations. Don’t fight this. The medical world develops and lives are saved through research and trialling new ideas. However, it can be frustrating to attend an incident as a first aider, when a passing doctor and nurse turn up, followed by the fire and rescue crews and an ambulance and everyone has different (not necessarily wrong) ideas about what and how things should be done.

Next Issue The next issue will look closer at the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) protocols and the latest life saving equipment available to the CPO.

Consolidation of Skills

Chris Gibson is the director of Global Tactical Medical. He has worked as a CPO at the highest level within the British Army and for British and US Diplomats. He is a qualified EMT and consolidated his medical training and clinical skills working in the Emergency Department of the Baghdad Combat Support Hospital (CSH) and with ambulance crews in London and Latin America.Chris, in conjunction with police, military and civilian medics, has written a book, entitled ‘Tactical Medical Care – from injury to extraction’. The book, due to be published in December, is packed with real world experiences of what really works to save lives. Global Tactical Medical offer a comprehensive Tactical Medical Care course, which includes; the HSE First Aid at Work certificate (tailored for the CP environment), oxygen administration, airway management and an introduction to enhanced skills for the remote and hostile environment.

First aid needs to be instinctive in order to recognise and treat problems safely and promptly.

W. www.globaltacmed.com

The US National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) provider course is recognised in over 30 countries and was designed to alleviate the problem. The course introduces a common protocol for all pre-hospital eventualities, from scene safety to patient handling, airway management and fluid resuscitation. Again, the course is not an overnight paramedic ticket but merely streamlines the process within the individuals’ level of training, so that everyone is talking the same language at the side of the road. After all, our goal remains the same, to preserve life.

Attending a basic course is sufficient but should be backed up by continuous refresher training, ideally annually but at least every 3 years. Many individual CPOs and larger teams conduct frequent refresher training to prevent skill fade setting in. Intermediate skills and interventions will only become natural and therefore safe, if they have been practised for real, under the supervision of a qualified professional.

Consolidating clinical skills so the CPO can be classed as current and competent is extremely difficult to achieve unless working for the NHS, the military or a voluntary organisation, such as St John Ambulance.

Options to consolidate skills and build up a sound portfolio of evidence may include; joining the Territorial Army (Royal Army Medical Corps), volunteering with St John Ambulance or the Red Cross, or post training, try to get an attachment to a military field hospital. You are unlikely to gain work experience with an NHS trust hospital unless you are a qualified Ambulance Technician or are registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC). In the current climate, many organisations would appreciate an extra pair of hands and any voluntary work and development would certainly enhance your CV and employment opportunities, let alone the clients’ perception of your attitude and ability to care for them and their family.

E. admin@globaltacmed.com

The Kill

Zone

By Toni Scotti

There is a space, called the Kill Zone where your adversary will try to trap you and your vehicles – and you have to get out of it! It all comes down to ‘how much time do I have and how close are they (distance)?’ and although the bad guys have set up the Kill Zone, you, as a driver, can control the time and distance - the measurements of the Kill Zone are directly related to the speed of the vehicle when the incident occurs.

A vehicle ambush is a time / distance relationship.

As we drive, we measure time and distance by using the car’s speedometer. This is simplistic, but if your speedometer indicates you are moving at the rate of 75 mph (121 kph) that means that in one hour (time) you will go 75 miles (121 Kilometers) (distance) However, the speedometer is not the best reference to talk about Kill Zones. Most of us think in units of miles per hour or kilometers per hour, but an ambush takes place in a matter of feet (or meters) and seconds. It’s important to understand what those ‘seconds’ mean and how to use them to your advantage. This has to be a subject and a scenario covered in any training driver training program you attend.

We need to rethink our frame of reference when we talk about a vehicle attack. If you are traveling 75 mph you are traveling 110 feet per second (fps), or 34 meters per second (mps). To convert miles per hour to feet per second, multiply the miles per hour figure by 1.47, or to make it a bit easier 1.5. To convert kph to mps multiply by .28. As an example if you are driving 80 mph you travel 117.6 fps – 80 mph is equal to 128.8 kph - you are moving at the rate of 36.5 mps.

Let’s put this to use. You’re driving down the road.

Your mind wanders; you are thinking about that gourmet meal that awaits you after you return from this run. You divert your attention away from the road for three seconds. For the hell of it count to three – not a long time. If you were going 70 mph you just traveled 315 feet without watching the road or, worse yet, looking for bad guys. It goes without saying; you must be alert at all times.

of research on driver reaction time, the “average” driver needs 2.5 seconds from the time they see the problem to the time they react to the problem. If you are moving at 70 mph and it takes 2.5 seconds for the driver to react, the vehicle will move approximately 257 feet before any of the vehicles controls are moved. Far be it from me to disagree with the scientist, but over 33 years of teaching highrisk driving tells me that with practice and good visual techniques that number can be lowered to 1 to 1.5 seconds. In fact anything that gives you as little as a half of a second can be the difference between surviving and not surviving. At 70 mph half of a second gives you about 50 feet of extra space!

The first thing you want to take away from this is that you don’t want to be in a vehicle sitting next to the average driver. Ensure that the person holding on to the wheel has had some driver training that was a ‘standalone’ training program that lasted more than a day, did not have 25 students and four cars, and it would be nice if their driving skill was actually measured! And as far as training is concerned here is some other bad news - driving fast on a race track in a sedan has nothing to do with driving a heavily loaded armored SUV in high risk environment.

That the quicker you can see the problem the more distance you have to work with. Recent studies have shown that the difference between being ready for an attack and being surprised by the attack is .8 seconds. At 70 mph that is 84 feet or 25 meters. If you are not alert there is very little you can do to survive the problem. Anything that causes delay in perception of the problem will add to your chances of a failure. Everyone in the team needs to know what to do, understand what their responsibilities are, and carry them out quickly and efficiently.

Assign each team member an area of responsibility.

Toni Scotti runs the world famous Scotti School of Driving

Let’s put this fps thing to another use. According to the scientists who have done an enormous amount

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The Circuit

By Geoffrey Padgham ISBN: 1 0 0 1 0 Available from www.etnow.com Geoffrey Padgham is a former full-career Metropolitan Police Inspector from New Scotland Yard with 27 years experience of close protection.

For 22 of those years he specialised in operations and senior management duties with the Royalty Protection Department at Buckingham Palace. From 1982 to 1999 he was the Personal Protection Officer to His Royal Highness The Duke of York (Prince Andrew). Latterly Geoff was one of the team leaders for all Royalty Close Protection Officers and had direct responsibility for all protection training. In the private security industry Geoff became a Security Consultant specialising in CP training design and delivery. In 2004 the Security Industry Authority (SIA) started consultation to develop the National Occupational Standards and a qualification for the licensing of private close protection personnel. As a subject expert, he joined the official consultation group, and with others developed the final specification for core competency training and qualifications on which SIA CP licensing is based. In 2005 he became a member of the Protective Security Management Foundation Degree Steering Committee of Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College and an Executive Director of Anubis Associates Limited, a private security company. Geoff’s vast CP experience combined with training design and delivery in both the police and private sector, placed him in a unique position to write this educational book.

Whilst without doubt Geoff is extremely knowledgeable and hugely experienced and running one of the most highly regarded security training companies in the UK, I actually found this book rather disappointing. At just 130 pages, less 8 pages at the end detailing other books from the same publisher, and the first 20 pages telling us about the author, the illustrator and all the people the author wishes to thank, the body of the book is a little over 100 pages, with many pages containing half-page rather stupid illustrations. It is interesting, but contains nothing you would find in other infinitely more detailed publications. Also, the cover portrays the ‘Hollywood’ celebrity world, yet the writer has has absolutely nothing to do with this style of protection – perhaps a guise to entice buyers? In my opinion definitely not worth the money.

Not recommended - Robin Barratt

Just 2 Seconds

By Gavin de Becker, Thomas Taylor, Jeff Marquart ISBN: 0 1 21 Currently only available at Amazon.com or via their website www.just2seconds.org Written by: Gavin de Becker Gavin de Becker is the founder of a 200-person firm that provides consultation, protective services, and logistical support to many of the world’s most prominent figures in media, politics, and culture.

Thomas Taylor worked on protection teams for four governors while with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. In 1989, he was selected to be Commander of the Governor’s Security Division, a position he held until 1997. He served two terms as president of the National Governor’s Security Association (NGSA). Mr. Taylor has worked senior positions in protective operations for the Pope, Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, and every U.S. President since Gerald Ford.

Book Reviews

Close Protection – The Softer Skills

Jeff Marquart is Executive Vice-President of Gavin de Becker and Associates, directing all service divisions of the firm. For the past 15 years he has developed protective security strategies and supervised security operations for many of the world’s most famous people, including four of the five Americans considered most at-risk in 2007.

“A profound work of practical scholarship — offers no less than a sure opportunity to interdict horrible violence at its source.”

James Ellroy, Bestselling Author LA Confidential & The Black Dahlia “The definitive reference for protectors, authoritative and thorough, riveting and powerful.”

Col Dave Grossman, Author On Combat & On Killing “Examines the previously inviolate rules of protection, then subjects them to rigorous analysis. Will leave protection professionals evaluating everything they know or thought they knew.”

Vincent O’Neill, Chief Security Operations International Monetary Fund - U.S. Secret Service (1983-2003) “The gold standard for protectors — fascinating and important.”

Michael Carrington, United States Marshal (1994 - 2002) At over 650 pages, this is a masterful piece of work and should be read by everyone in the industry, whomever and where ever they are. Not only does it analysis in depth the art of protection, the compendium of incidences is astounding and one of the most comprehensive ever published. If you read nothing else on the industry, read this, you will not be disappointed.

Highly Recommended - Robin Barratt

The Circuit

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

“ IT

Leftfor

was a cold winter night in the middle of 1990´s and I was working with cash in transit for the security company Securitas in Sweden. We were emptying the local bank boxes on the outskirts of Gothenburg when the van broke down; all evening we had been having problems with it. We called our supervisor based in central Gothenburg - who was not at all happy about driving out on this cold winter’s evening – and after about an hour, and with the help from the supervisor, we manage to eventually start the vehicle. It was decided that all the cash would be removed to the supervisor’s operational vehicle and I would drive the faulty one. It was about 1am and we were on our way back to Gothenburg. I was driving the faulty vehicle and my colleague and supervisor were some hundred meters in front of me. All of a sudden the lead vehicle called me on the radio asked if I had seen a person on the ground in the middle of the road (between the left and right

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”

by Håkan Nilsson

Dead

lane). I told them I hadn’t seen anything. But they were both certain they saw someone and asked me to stop and see what it was. I stopped the vehicle and started to reverse slowly and was scanning the mirrors for any movement. After about a hundred meters I saw a person on his knees holding his hand over his throat. I stopped the vehicle, opened the door and could immediately see that this was a scary and real situation. Between his fingers blood was pumping out quite heavily and his face was very pale. He tried to scream but only a mumble came out. With my medical training as combat medic in the Swedish army and 2 years in medical school I just know this was for real. I grabbed the radio and shouted for my colleagues to call the police and ambulance services as a man was down and shot to his throat, with heavy artery bleeding. I knew he had been shot and I was afraid that the shooter might still be there, but I also knew that if I didn’t do anything his life was gone. As I reached him he fell to the ground. I grabbed him and dragged him over to the side of the road and tried to grab the bleeding wound with my hands. I hoped that with my thumb and index finger I could squeeze and make pressure but it was impossible because of all the bleeding. I couldn’t get a grip and slipped constantly. I forced my index finger inside the hole as far as I could reach and then squeezed again, finally the bleeding stopped. As I was focusing on pressure on his throat and neck I noticed his mouth was full of

blood and there was a big open wound in his cheek. I turned his head and opened his mouth and saw that the wounds from the bullet had also caused wounds to his tongue and cheek. There was also pieces of teeth everywhere and I tried to get them out to help him breath better. I started to talk to him, he managed to tell me he was also shot in the chest and back and thought he was going to die. I opened his jacket and shirt and saw a small hole and air was leaking from his lungs.

By this time my colleagues had called the police and were reversing towards me to see if they could help. The supervisor rushed up to me and I noticed he was on the phone with our 112 alarm service. My other colleague, a 60 year old male guard, was running around in circles gagging. I asked the supervisor for the first aid kit, as I couldn’t to let go of my constant pressure over the wound in his throat. My supervisor grabbed the small first aid from the vehicle and started to bandage the chest wound, as well as trying to cover the big open wound in his cheek. I couldn’t check the would in his back. The casualty was a normal looking man in his mid 40´s. He started to tell me it was people in a silver colored Ford Grenada who shot him. He wanted to smoke but I told him it was impossible with the wounds and the state he was in.

In the distance I could hear many sirens which was very comforting for me since I felt I needed help and couldn’t do anymore for him.

My supervisor was still on the phone describing the events as well as trying to manage my colleague who was still chocking.

I very was happy when I saw the first police car approaching and two policemen jumping out and rushing over, shouting that the ambulance was on its way. I told them I can’t let go of his throat since I hold his artery inside his neck and that I didn’t know who the victim was. In total eight police vehicles arrived and finally the ambulance. When the ambulance personnel took over and saw all the blood I had on my face and hands they said I might have contracted hepatitis from the patient. My stomach churned and I felt sick.

By saving this mans life, I might have destroyed my own. I was devastated; I actually thought my life as I had known it, was over. I managed to get some alcohol from the ambulance drivers and cleaned myself up.

We gave our contact details to the police, and took off – we had to finish our tasks of transport money to the final destination.

Later I cleaned myself up little and also got a clean shirt.

When I finally got home later that morning I took a long shower and fell straight to sleep. A short while later I was woken by a phone call, it was the Director of Securitas demanding that I go straight to the office.

As me and my colleagues were sitting in the office waiting for my meeting, I phoned the doctor who had operated on the man all night.

He told me that it was only because of my training and quick reactions that his life was saved. I was happy that my skills helped saved his life. I also asked him about the possibility of infection. In a relaxed voice he said he didn’t think there was ever any possibility of getting an infection because of what happened, but as a precaution I should get checked out anyway. For the two months it took to get my results I was very nervous anyway.

and his efforts and dedication helped save a person’s life. Excellent, he said. In the corner of my eye I saw our local director quickly collecting our resignation letters and stuffing them in a draw. We all got a small first aid kit from the company as a gift, and heard the Head Director laugh as we left.

The person survived four shots by 22 caliber and eventually fully recovered. The person doing the shooting was also prosecuted. I was called to the court as a witness. The Judge asked the survivor if he wanted to say thank you to me for saving my life.His answer to the Judge a short and cold distinguished NO!

When waiting at the office we all thought we were going to get sacked. On the Director’s desk I saw our resignation letters spread out and I felt disgusted. In the corridor it was suddenly a disturbance and the air smelled of cigar smoke. Suddenly the doors open and a huge man walked into the room. He was the Head Director of Securitas in Stockholm and had traveled to Gothenburg to meet us. Great, I thought, getting sacked by the highest director...excellent!

“Here is my hand guys, please shake hands with me”.he boomed. Our expression suddenly changed, we didn’t know what to believe but we all shook his hands anyway.

He said he was extremely proud; this was the best advertisement his department had ever had! The first three people on the scene were all from Securitas, and one person had special skills in advance first aid The Circuit

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The V.I.P.A System, only one of a few dedicated close protection combat systems in the world today.

Open to CPOs, Military and Law Enforcement personnel only.

For more info or a course brochure contact: The Course Director, EPO-PSD Tactical E-mail: epo-psdtactical@live.co.uk or epotacticaltraining@supanet.com Tel: +44 (0) 7954 218125 Website: www.epo-psdtactical.com TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONALS - TRAINED BY PROFESSIONALS

A tourist visiting Baghdad.....

A tourist visiting Baghdad walked into a pet shop and was looking at the animals on display. While he was there, an Expat walked in and said to the shopkeeper, ‘I’ll take a CP monkey please.’

The shopkeeper nodded, went over to the cage at the side of the shop and took out a monkey. He fits it with a collar and leash, handed it to the customer saying, ‘That’ll be £ 5,000.’ The Expat paid and walked out with his monkey.

Startled, the tourist went over to the shopkeeper and said ‘That was a very expensive monkey. Most of them are only a few hundred pounds.

Why did it cost so much?’ The shopkeeper answered, ‘Ah, that monkey is a qualified CP operator, it can write an S.I.R., and is certified in protective driving all the bells and whistles - well worth the money.’

The tourist looked at the monkey in another cage. ‘That ones even more expensive! £ 10,000! What does it do?’ Oh, that one’s a PSD training monkey, it can instruct other monkeys in Basic Firearms Skills, Counter terrorism Training, Physical Training, Small Unit Tactics and vehicle maintenance, and even type. All the really useful stuff,’ said the shopkeeper.

The tourist turned and saw another monkey, with the price tag of £ 15,000. ‘That one must be even better? What does it do?’ That one is a PMC monkey, he is required to know everything about anything, be there yesterday, and then duplicate the information 12 times before anyone is happy he has it right, relay the same information to 20 different departments, write reports about everything that the old monkeys can’t see anymore, be in 5 different places at once, get yelled at by everyone who passes by, and takes the blame for everything all the other monkeys do wrong.’

The tourist looked around for a little longer and saw a fourth monkey in a cage of its own. The price tag around its neck read £50,000. He gasped to the shopkeeper, ‘That one costs more than all the others put together! What on earth does it do?’ The shopkeeper replied, ‘Well, it talks a lot, gets drunk a lot and poses a lot but I haven’t actually seen it do anything yet, but it says it’s from Hereford’

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Reach Close Protection Operatives and Security Consultants worldwide by advertising your courses, products and services in The Circuit. Out four times a year and sent via PDF to over 1500 of people, The Circuit is the only quarterly on-line magazine in the world dedicated exclusively to the world of close protection.

1/4 Page – Only £50.00 1/2 Page – Only £90.00 Full page – Only £150.00

The

Circuit

The official magazine of the British Bodyguard Association

BBA Members now get a 20% discount PLUS book and pay for three and get the fourth FREE !!

BBA Website Banner Advertising The BBA is a membership only association; it is impartial and does not provide any training or security services. The BBA has hundreds of members worldwide, it is growing rapidly, reputed and recognised, and the website has hundreds of unique hits each and every day. We are now able to offer a limited number of website adverts whereby your company / advert is in the right hand column of every page of the BBA website (including all the directory and magazine pages). Website advertisers also get a FREE listing in the Suppliers Directory.

Price: £195.00 - 1 year

On-line Suppliers Directory Listing To advertise in our on-line Bodyguard Suppliers Directory costs just £50.00 a year for non-BBA members (free for BBA members) This is less than £1 a week! Listing includes your logo, description of your products or services, your contact details and website link.

For more details of advertising with us and to reserve your space, contact us now: www.The-BBA.org.uk BritishBodyguardAssociation@yahoo.com

The BRITISH BODYGUARD ASSOCIATION aims to unite and support trained bodyguards, both in the UK and abroad, via its membership and information programme.

“Persuing Excellence Through Inteligence”

MEMBERSHIP

Annual individual membership to the BBA includes: l

A personalised membership card

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Weekly updates on job and contract opportunities worldwide

FREE Registration on our contractors and suppliers on-line database

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Extensive networking

If required, personal one-to-one assistance with your CV and CP job applications

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Practical and useful contacts in the industry

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Special offers on services and products

A monthly newsletter

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Use of our logo on your letterheads and website (terms and conditions apply)

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Membership is open to any trained Bodyguard worldwide.

Note: We have had a great many enquiries from non-SIA licensed British operatives asking whether they can still join The BBA. We are not associated or affiliated to the Security Industry Authority and although licenses are now compulsory within certain sectors of Close Protection in the UK, we appreciate there are many, many British bodyguards operating legally both inside and outside the UK without an SIA license. ANY trained Bodyguard, anywhere in the world is more than welcome to join the BBA as long as they can prove to us - if requested - some form of recognized CP or related training.

Individual Membership fee: ONLY £17.50 for the first YEAR and thereafter £22.50 per year.

Please enroll me as a member for: 1 year @ £17.50 FIRST Name:

2 years @ £40.00

3 years @ £62.50

LAST Name:

Address:

Post Code: E-mail Address: Mobile:

Country: Tel: Web Site:

Detail your qualifications / training (please note – we may ask for evidence):

Please make UK cheques payable to I Zabrodskaya (BBA) and post to: THE BBA, 37 Binfield Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG42 2AW, GREAT BRITAIN. Please note: due to high bank charges we cannot accept foreign cheques.

Or pay online at www.Paypal.co.uk crediting BritishBodyguardAssociation@yahoo.com. We accept all major credit cards at Paypal. If paying online please clearly state your address which we will match to your application. We also accept Western Union, BACS and Bankers Transfer. For further details on membership and payment options please call us on +44 (0)7932 637738 or e-mail us at BritishBodyguardAssociation@yahoo.com

www.The-BBA.org.uk