Circuit Magazine #3

SPRING

2009 Quarterly Magazine of The British Bodyguard Association

KIDNAP AND RANSOM Hostage Exploitation and Resistance

SURVEILLANCE FOR THE CPO Anti Surveillance pt. 2

COMMUNICATION Conflict Resolution

LEADERSHIP

How to run a CP team

STARTING OUT Starting out in The Business

Journey to Baghdad

HIGH RISK OPERATIONS Field Report Damian Buckwell “what the bloody hell am I doing here?” pg6

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        

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     

 

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SPRING

2009 www.the-bba.org.uk

3 4 6 10 12

FOREWORD

by Shaun West

BBA NEWS FIELD REPORT What the hell am I doing here?

BODYGUARDING Key points to being a good BG

THE COMBAT ZONE Low Level Threat

CONTENTS

14 18 19 20 24

FOREWORD

KIDNAP & RANSOM Hostage Exploitation and Resistance

WORLDWIDE Security in New Zealand

STARTING OUT Starting out in the business

HIGH RISK OPERATIONS

Journey to Baghdad

LEADERSHIP How to run a CP team

by Shaun

27 29 32 35

SURVEILLANCE FOR THE CPO

Anti Surveillance Part Two

COMMUNICATION Conflict Resolution

CHAPTER SAMPLE Just 2 Seconds

TRADE DIRECTORY

Plus industry news from around the globe

West

Hi Readers I’m excited to be part of the new ownership team of the British Bodyguard Association and to be writing my first foreword in the Circuit Magazine.

I would like to begin by thanking Robin Barratt for a sterling handover and for the good work carried out by himself on behalf of the Association. I sincerely hope you like the new look taken on by the Circuit Magazine for this issue courtesy of Kal Wilkins our new designer, I think you will all agree he has done a damn fine job.

As with all takeovers things take time to change, the BBA Team is currently working extremely hard to develop and make improvements within the new forum and to secure new benefits and discounts for our ever-growing membership base.

It’s great to see members are continuing to join from numerous continents around the world and to hear the different challenges faced by all working within this diverse and ever changing industry.

As always this issue of The Circuit has some great contributions from members including; articles from one of our new members Max Williamson who is fairly new to the industry and is already making waves, security specialist Richard Hewetson talking about Leadership for the CPO, Part Two on Surveillance for the CPO from industry specialist Peter Jenkins, and another great article on Hostage Exploitation and Resistance by Simon Atkinson. On top of all that amongst others, we have an article from Brian Ware talking about Tactical Communications and Conflict Resolution, as well as an article on the key points to being a good BG by Marc Sand in Canada.

All in all it has the makings of another great issue of The Circuit, “The magazine written by the Operators for the Operator!!”

As always we’re looking for any relevant articles and pieces, which will be of interest to BBA members and subscribers of the magazine. If you wish to advertise or feel you would like to contribute to the next issue of The Circuit magazine please contact - admin@the-bba.org.uk.

Till the next issue……..Stay Safe!!

Shaun West British Bodyguard Association

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BBA News NEWS IN BRIEF BBA CV

This is one area where we feel the membership could benefit enormously from some assistance so expect a release shortly.

BBA Chat

BBA Micro-sites

Going hand in hand with our CV Help Service we will also shortly be launching member micro-sites to give you the opportunity to market yourselves more effectively. Although this will be an extra charge it will be extremely cost effective and will come to BBA members at a discounted price over non BBA members. We hope to be releasing more details about this service in the coming months.

Keep your eyes peeled within the BBA website for BBA chat, a new killer feature as requested by the members, the members talked we listened this will be with you very shortly!

BBA Downloads

You can now download all back issues of The Circuit Magazine along with all previous newsletters and various security templates within the new BBA Download Section.

BBA Memberships

There are now three kinds of membership for the BBA, Individual, Business and Corporate memberships. For details of all please email admin@the-bba.org.uk

BBA Technical

A section of the new BBA management comes from the relatively overlooked aspect of the security industry – technical. Our technical director has vast experience in a wide range of technical subjects but cut his teeth helping to develop solutions that many of you will have used on the ground. We will give you insight into aspects of security that have been previously overlooked as well as providing access to a team of technical engineers that can answer any question that members have in any subject with a technical slant.

BBA Feedback

We actively encourage your feedback! What would you like to see, when, how and what do you think of what we are doing now? All we ask is that your comments are constructive! So, if you think that something is poor then please explain why and how you think we may improve it rather than just send an e-mail saying “this is crap”!

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BBA Twitter

T

he BBA now has a twitter link that will help keep the membership informed to what the BBA is up to, sometimes on an hourly basis!

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? We intend to use the Twitter link to inform people about new member benefits such as discounts that we obtain from our strategic partners. We will also let you know about important topics that come up on the forum so that you can then login and check the out the full thread for yourself. We will also follow the members tweets so that we can be up to date on what our membership is doing. To follow the BBA’s tweets simply create yourself a free Twitter account and follow the BBA at: www.twitter.com/theBBA Once you are following the BBA we will be aware of it and will in turn start following you!

Network Meeting:

W

e would like to make all members aware that there is a large security network meeting on 16th April 2009 at the Heathrow Marriott. Tickets are £100.00 a head (£90.00 to BBA Members). Price includes Buffet Breakfast, Lunch and as much coffee and tea as you can drink, there will be lots of guest speakers, employers, kit sellers and many like minded individuals.

This is the perfect opportunity to network, network, network. The BBA will

be in attendance and look forward to meeting members there!

For more info visit www.thesecuritynetwork.co.uk

Global Industry News

TERRORISTS ATTACK CRICKET TEAM

by Shaun

West

On Tuesday 3rd March 2009 security lapses were spectacularly shown as the Sri Lankan cricket team were on their way to play the third day of the second Test against the Pakistani cricket team. This opened eyes around the world to the heightened security threats faced in this country.

“These days in international terrorism Six police officers in the security detail small groups that want to get their agenda and two bystanders were killed in the across to the widest audience are continuwell-orchestrated ambush, which has ally innovating in terms of the target and embarrassed Pakistan and probably how to ensure they get the most publicity excluded it as a host for international with as much embarrassment as poscricket matches. sible for the country involved,” says Will The heavily-armed gunmen, armed Geddes, CEO of International Corporate with AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and Protection. a rocket launcher, sprayed the team’s Geddes says, although it remains unclear bus with bullets, wounding seven of the who is behind the attack, it may already athletes whilst it was on its way to the Gaddafi Stadium for the third day’s play in be viewed as a success by its perpetrators in terms of the global headlines it has the second Test against Pakistan. garnered and the damage it has caused to Six policemen and one civilian were also Pakistan’s reputation. killed in the attack.

Shaun West from the BBA continues.

The Pakistani police struggled to explain “Where do sporting events stand now? In the security lapses that allowed the comour opinion the implications of this are mando-style attack on the team. Chris huge and we are not even talking excluBroad a British umpire complained that promises for heightened protection in this sively about the more high profile events such as World Cups and Olympic games, unstable nation were not honored. even a relatively minor second tier event “We were promised that we would get would attract the media attention desired presidential-style security,” he explained by the terrorists whether they are sucafter returning to Britain. cessful or not.

“In that hour of need,” he said, “our secuTerrorists are well known for seeking rity vanished.” out the “spectacular” as has been proven “OUR SECURITY VANISHED” throughout history, so we should not kid “This highlights the need for professionourselves that this will not happen again. ally trained Close Protection Operators Had professionally trained close protecto travel with sporting stars”, says Shaun tion specialists been travelling with the West from the British Bodyguard Assoteam it would have significantly reduced ciation. Shaun says “It’s not hard to see the threat of attack, as protective security why sporting events make such a temptmeasures would have been put in place. ing target for terrorists as they have the Although of course there is no way that world watching and provides the perfect we can say that the events in Pakistan spectacle for terrorists to carry out their would have been prevented. attacks and gain maximum exposure.”

BODYGUARD ASSISTS IN ASSAULT Hong Kong. A fresh witness has come forward to help an investigation into the assault

on a Sunday Times photographer by the wife and bodyguards of Robert Mugabe, the president of Zimbabwe. The statement said that whilst visiting Hong Kong, Grace Mugabe flew into a rage when she was approached by the photographer and punched him repeatedly in the face while one of her bodyguards held him. In Hong Kong a decision to prosecute is taken by the secretary for justice, who considers whether there is sufficient evidence and whether a prosecution is in the public interest. Lawyers said Mugabe, who left Hong Kong after the attack, may not enjoy diplomatic immunity and could be questioned by police if she returns.

BODYGUARDS KILLED IN CAFE ATTACK Russia. Four people, including a local official and his bodyguards were killed in an attack in Russia’s southern republic of Dagestan, Unidentified assailant opened fire at the café where Kazimbek Akhmedov, head of the administration of Dagestan’s Untsukul district, was hosting a family party on Sunday evening, a local police source was quoted as saying. Two of his bodyguards and one more guest of the café were also killed.

BODYGUARD ASSISTS IN ASSAULT Hong Kong. A fresh witness has come forward to help an investigation into the assault on a Sunday Times photographer by the wife and bodyguards of Robert Mugabe, the president of Zimbabwe. The statement said that whilst visiting Hong Kong, Grace Mugabe flew into a rage when she was approached by the photographer and punched him repeatedly in the face while one of her bodyguards held him. In Hong Kong a decision to prosecute is taken by the secretary for justice, who considers whether there is sufficient evidence and whether a prosecution is in the public interest. Lawyers said Mugabe, who left Hong Kong after the attack, may not enjoy diplomatic immunity and could be questioned by police if she returns. he owns in Mexico. Mexico has overtaken Colombia as the world’s kidnapping capital, with 438 abductions last year. US companies commonly provide bodyguards to employees travelling to Mexico.

BODYGUARDS KILLED IN CAFE ATTACK Russia. Four people, including a local official and his bodyguards were killed in an attack in Russia’s southern republic of Dagestan, Unidentified assailant opened fire at the café where Kazimbek Akhmedov, head of the administration of Dagestan’s Untsukul district, was hosting a family party on Sunday evening, a local police source was quoted as saying. Two of his bodyguards and one more guest of the café were also killed.

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FIELD REPORT

by Damian

Buckwell

“What the bloody hell am I doing here?”

H

ow many times had I asked myself the question ‘what the bloody hell am I doing here?’ God only knows. I will admit though, these days I don’t need to ask that question as much and in the same context as I used to. Going from operations to administration and then onto training over a 12 year period means that I have somewhat of a luxury ride now. Monday to Friday hours, holidays with the kids and only occasional weekend interruptions when courses are on or we are undertaking professional development with our trainers / clients etc.

My venture into the world of close personal protection has been an eventful one; nothing spectacular or heroic, but a learning curve nonetheless. My overall experience in a multitude of security activities over 12 years has led my career path to where it is today. I give lectures, write training materials, design e-learning content and a whole host of training / educational tasks related to delivering training for the purposes of being issued a security licence in New South Wales, Australia.

Twelve years ago you probably wouldn’t have bet two bob on my making it through in one piece, let alone to where I am today.

It all started in 1995 and I had just lost my job. So with what little money I had and what the government gives out (i.e. the dole) I had a little breather in the preparation of my finding a new job and getting back on with my life. I applied for roughly 300 jobs of varying types; delivery driver, office clerk, sales rep, hell I even applied to sell bloody cars! No takers what so bloody ever. Not a single call back. Arseholes don’t even understand common decency.

I decided to try an advert for security of-

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ficer training. I rocked up all keen as mustard ready to be the best I could be (sound familiar anyone?) I was dismayed to find it was paperwork and an exam over two days. Pretty much if you were blind or a complete stargazer you might fail, everyone passed! I had a serious looking certificate that I took to the cop shop and fill out some forms and viola, I am licensed to work in security in Australia!!. Apparently because of the way things used to be done, I had a choice of activities / licence categories I could apply for – Static Guard / Armed Guard, Bodyguard and Bouncer. I figured what the hell, I’ll tick all the boxes.

And that was that. I was licensed after just two days textbook training, no practical, no experience and yet I could legally offer my services to provide the licensed activities listed above ! Luckily for me (and no doubt the rest of the free world) I wasn’t satisfied with just two days theory and began a quest to find mentors in the business to teach me the business and how these activities should really be done.

My search wasn’t always successful, being a rabbit in the headlights and all, I was taken for a ride by some bastards, but overall I met and learnt from some very switchedon people, many whom I am honoured to have met, let alone worked with.

I ended up doing everything a boy could wish for; working with ‘Stars’, doing all sorts of covert stuff, getting mentored by the best of the best and loving it. However, there have been many occasions where I thought I was centre stage in a Frank Spencer movie and managed to still walk away as the ‘herOne big adventure took me to the dizzy heights of stardom and the biggest of them all – Tom Cruise. It was during the filming of Mission Impossible 2 in Sydney that I had one of the funniest ‘cockups’ in my career which actually turned out brilliantly (actually there were several ‘cock-ups’ along the way and not all turned out too brilliantly, come to think of it). I received a call from a guy I knew who told me to get my sorry ass down to Sydney for some high paying work on a movie set doing crowd control. So I grabbed another mate and we ended up working on the peripheral of a shoot in the Rocks precinct.

We were miles away from anything ‘Hollywood’ and an incident happened that

would change that for the rest of the time we worked on the job.

During the filming, Tom and Nicole were apparently splitting up or something, don’t quote me – I ain’t a columnist. Anyway, word came down ‘No Paparazzi’ so, me and my mate were at our assigned posts and we hear the head bodyguard screaming on the radio about a Pap’ photographer with a telephoto lens, taking shots from the hill just above us. The guard assigned there was saying that there was nothing he could do as it was public space.

The head bodyguard was seething. My mate was tall – about 6’7’ or more and we headed up to where this bloke with the camera was. My mate walked in front of the camera, around it, underneath it – it was hilarious. This little photographer would have sure as shit pissed his pants because he took off at a great rate of knots. Victory was ours.

Shortly after that the ‘bosses’ started to migrate towards me and my mate, to see who we were and what our story was. We then started to get the cushier jobs; better hours which meant overtime rates because it was obvious we could do the job effectively and legally. This was most important in the film people’s minds, with publicity and all.

My first cluster happened out the front of a government building they were filming in. They had a movie prop in the form of a sculpture out the front of this pretend bad-guy building. It was fenced off and my job was to look after it. One morning a police security officer (PSO) from the government building came wondering down and wanted to walk past me and have a look at this ‘sculpture’.

‘Excuse me Officer, I can’t allow past this point’ I said.

‘You What ?’ She growled.

‘I am sorry but I cannot allow past this point’ I replied. I have never seen such a shade of purple and red before, and the steam out of the ears was breathtaking.

‘Do you know who I am?’ She screamed.

‘Yes, it says on your patch that you are a police security officer’ I replied without emotion.

Out of nowhere came the Set Manager.

‘What seems to be the problem here?’ She asked sweetly.

By now I was very lucky because in another second I reckon this PSO was probably going to shoot me or eat me whole; one or

“During the filming, Tom and Nicole were apparently splitting up or something”

..continued

FIELD REPORT

the other.

‘I am sorry’ the Set Manager cooed, ‘but he is following very strict instructions.’

The PSO mumbled something or other under her breath as she wandered off, escorted by the Set Manager to the Café cart that had just appeared. This thing was a fucking cake shop on a trolley with everything you could wish for. But we weren’t allowed to touch it as security was not catered for.

Later that night, the feeling of Us vs. Them (us being security and them being the Filmies) was to be broken down after an incident involving myself and a Filmie. Filmies are the people wearing tool bags and carrying gaffer tape running around madly making Hollywood happen, so to speak. In this particular incident, a Filmie was struggling to push a trolley full of stuff up a steep street, and I saw him and gave him a hand. Apparently the guards up until this

point wouldn’t help lift a finger, so this guy was very grateful. He made introductions to the people I needed to know. By now, I was getting to know who’s who as far as the Filmies went: food, water, coffee, toilets, I went straight to the top of each chain and got permission for security to have access rights to catering and the like.

In exchange, we made arrangements for lines of communication to be set up to assist the caterers and the other site suppliers with access issues and deliveries.

By now, I had gone from a guard standing next to a generator five miles from the action, to a ‘get things done guy’ who started to know people. I still got rotated through shitty locations and posts, mainly because none of the others could do the job properly and the job still had to be done.

One night I was standing at a shitty position doing access control. It was cold, exposed, I had been dealing with bloody tourists all day with cameras asking ‘Where Tom Clooooze?’ And I was tired and feeling a tad flat.

Out of the blue the head bodyguard comes down and says to me ‘Tom is driving himself to the set and will be coming through

here shortly. Don’t cause him any grief, just let him through without any fuss or hoo-ha; understand?’

‘Righto, no problem’ I said.

One of the Filmies comes rushing past, has ID badge out. Give him a wave. Couple of lost tourists ask me what’s going on and I tell them to move over the road to the viewing area. Another Filmie comes past.

Give him a wave.

I then notice this guy at the bottom of the hill walking up towards me and he is wearing a baseball cap which is covering his face somewhat. As per au natural, alarm bells start going off in my head because he is exhibiting signs of being some dodgy bastard out to knock something off or steal anything not nailed down. To make matters worse he is sticking to the shadows. Now, taking into effect my briefing just earlier; I am seeing dodgy bastard and he ain’t getting past. This dodgy looking bloke finally makes it up to the checkpoint and starts to try to go past. I ask him where he thinks he’s going and he tells me he’s going onto the film set. I stand in front of him.

‘Excuse me Sir; do you have your Photo ID handy by any chance?’ I asked.

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‘They didn’t give me one’ was his reply.

People will try anything to get into anywhere, so I ain’t buying this guy’s story for a second.

‘Well mate, you’ll have to move over there to the visitors viewing gallery, thanks.’ The guy looks at me as if to make a point, so I have the hands up pointing in the direction of the viewing gallery and am just about to say: ‘what part of the words ‘fuck off over there’ don’t you understand?’ And the guy tilts his face which allows the light to shine on it and fuck me, it’s Tom Cruise. Mega fucking Star, known the world over and here’s me giving him fucking stick and attitude because he doesn’t have a photo ID badge. In my defence, I will say he is considerably shorter in the flesh than his publicity photo eludes.

About twenty minutes later the head bodyguard comes down to my position. ‘Was it you?’ He asked. Considering I am the only fucker at this post I couldn’t lie; ‘Um, Yes, It was me.’ I had visions of receiving my DTUM (Don’t Turn Up Monday) notice. The head bodyguard is pissing himself laughing. Now I am thinking he is some sort of sadistic prick getting his kicks over sacking me.

‘What’s so funny?’ I ask.

‘Well, Tom appreciates the fact that with almost 50 Grand US a day being spent on this film, that security is so tight even he can’t get in without photo ID.’ By now I am waiting for the punch line and it doesn’t seem to be coming.

‘We’ll talk some more tomorrow, but well done.’ Say What? Well done? It turns out that Tom was happy not to be recognised and had a chuckle over it, apparently. That led me from doing the menial jobs to being now being responsible for co-ordinating set lock-downs during filming. I would rush around with two headsets on separate channels and another mike pinned to my jacket lapel on another channel. The two headsets were tuned to security and the Filmies, the lapel one was for my ‘Response Squad’. They would deal with shit as and if it happened during lockdown.

Now I am talking to the film directors (John Woo and co.) and just loving every minute of it. But at the same time I always ensured that the guards got fed, rotated and looked after as best as could be expected on such a job.

Long hours, on your feet; it can be very boring, yet you still must do your job. I got

BLACKWATER’S SERVICES NOT REQUIRED The U.S. State Department says it will no longer require the services of Blackwater Worldwide in Iraq. The security firm was notified that its contract in Iraq would not be renewed when it expires in May ‘09.

Blackwater moved into Iraq on the of Iraqi civilians, which culminated heels of the U.S.-led invasion in order in 2007 when a Blackwater squad to provide security and bodyguards allegedly opened fire on a crowded for American diplomats. It operated street and killed 17 people. A new under a 5-year contract worth $1.2 security agreement between the billion with annual cancellation United States and Iraq gives the Iraqi options.

Blackwater’s mission government authority over private quickly became controversial due to security companies operating in its allegedly heavy-handed treatment territory.

BOMBS INJURE BODYGUARDS A roadside bomb went off near a convoy carrying the deputy minister of higher education in the Karada neighborhood of eastern Baghdad. A woman and child were killed and three of the

some job offers at the end of the film which I was very grateful but declined because of the distance I would need to travel daily to work, but boy did I have fun!

That was one job that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

One final story to put another grin on your dial.

I once did a CPP job for a gay businessman. Now, I don’t really care which side of the bed your slippers are on; just don’t think you can put them under mine! We go to this nightclub. He has money, lots of money. My brief is simple; if he picks someone up, we are to go back to the hotel (ps – I had a separate room!) and I was to make sure what he picked up didn’t roll him for his wallet when he left. Anyway, we are in this nightclub and there is very little smoke around, as most are gay / bi / and are all health freaks of some kind, and Mr. Client decides that he is going to light up his pipe tobacco. The stuff stank, and I smoke! So, he’s in the middle of the dance floor trying to be 20 something in a 50 something

“I don’t really care which side of the bed your slippers are on”

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deputy minister’s bodyguards were wounded. In Basra a colonel in the border police was assassinated and his bodyguard injured when a bomb exploded in his car.

body, and starts puffing and putting this rancid tobacco stench every where. I knew it wasn’t going to end pretty and sure enough this massive cross-dresser walks up to the client and knocks the pipe flying.

The Client grabs me and says ‘What are you going to do about that?’ He stank of alcohol and tobacco.

‘We’re leaving’ I said.

‘Why?’ ‘Because you’ve made a lot of people unhappy, and there is only one of me.’ With that he sheepishly walked outside, hailed a cab and handed me a wad of notes. ‘I won’t need you any further tonight; I am going home to grow up.’ With that, his cab took off and I never saw him again.

I reckon I spent at least the following twenty minutes pissing myself laughing.

Damien is based in Wangi Wangi, New South Wales. He has been a part of the Intercept Team since mid 2004 providing a complete range of training services for the security industry. He is currently studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Security, Terrorism & Counter Terrorism. You can contact Damien via www.intercepttraining.com

BODYGUARDS KILL PEDESTRIAN The police are investigating a fatal accident in which a VIP protection unit car allegedly knocked over and killed a pedestrian. ens of motorists have vented their anger Maqhina Sibiya, 21, was killed instantly in the past year about the VIP unit and the when a Hummer vehicle, driven by bodyblue-light convoys that whisk politicians guards assigned to ANC president Jacob around the country, reportedly with scant Zuma, allegedly hit him. Police had begun regard for the rights of other road users. a culpable homicide investigation. Doz-

BRITISH JOURNALIST KIDNAPPED

BY OWN BODYGUARDS A British journalist kidnapped at gunpoint in December was released unharmed.

Colin Freeman, chief foreign correspondent of the Sunday Telegraph, was seized

by his own bodyguards along with a Spanish photographer after covering outbreaks of piracy in the region. Somali officials said no ransom was paid to secure their release.

MADONNA BEEFS UP SECURITY

Madonna has beefed up her security with two ex-Mossad bodyguards after being targeted by Muslim fanatics seeking revenge for Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

She has also instructed ex-husband Guy Ritchie to increase security for their three children. The threats were recorded on audio as Madonna arrived in Israel to celebrate the Jewish new year with fellow Kabbalah practitioners. “If I meet these whores I will have the honour I repeat, I will have the honour to be the first one to cut the heads off Madonna and Britney Spears if they will keep spreading their satanic culture against Islam,” said Muhammad Abdel-Al, spokesman and senior leader of the Popular Resistance Committees terror organization.

::9

Focus

O

Key Points to Being a Good Bodyguard

riginally receiving the majority of my training in the military, I have been in the security and close protection industry for well over 15 years and, over the years, have taught literally hundreds of trained professionals – law enforcement, military, security professionals, intelligence agents – as well as a great many untrained personnel entering the industry for the first time.

War, the close protection profession underwent an evolution of a kind and celebrities, pop stars, artists and actors all employed an entourage of beefy, mean looking security guards. Bodyguards to the celebrity sector were (and still are) built like brick walls, which are certainly great to hide behind, but with many, intellect was definitely missing. Most people in the protection industry will end up protecting a celebrity at some point, even for just a short period of time, and it can be quickly realised that for many celebrities it is cool to have bodyguards and a trend they feel they have to follow rather than because of any specific threat against them.

Having met a vast range of people and been in many situations I believe there are many things still substandard, missing or lacking in the profession including effective communication, professionalism, a definite lack of leadership skills and professional courtesy, and a comprehensive knowledge of the profession. There is also a distinct lack of specific industry skills and knowledge and basic education, and a definite need for psychological trainings and evaluations, conflict resolution and management, thorough risk assessment ability and general man management skills.

Although this is changing slowly, close protection training in Canada is still significantly behind the training offered in many other countries including the UK. I also believe that good training should also feature a detailed understanding of the liabilities of the close protection agents, a detailed analysis of body language, detailed profiling of possible aggressors as well as the all important capacity to deal with stress and operating in demanding and hostile environments. There is support for soldiers working in Iraq or Afghanistan, but very little support for the private contractor.

There are various reasons behind assignments in the private industry and most security companies run background checks on their client as a matter of course. But if you are tasked as an individual to provide personal protection to someone you should always request a criminal background check on the client and, if necessary, also check with the credit reporting agencies – the last thing you want as a professional close protection officer is to find yourself hired by someone involved in the criminal world.

A decade or so after the Second World

10 : :

A very important factor in an executive protection assignment is the legal contract between the protection company and the executive or his corporation.

This aspect is often missed. No matter if the contract is a one-day assignment or for six months or more, a contract is a very important aspect of an operation as subjects, issues and protocol have to be clearly stated in the contract between you and your client, which could ultimately keep you safe if anything goes wrong. Remember, no one will remember the thousand things over the years in your profession which you have done right, the only thing people will remember is your one and only screw-up.

“

By Marc Sand

Close protection is a great industry, enjoy it!

”

Another very important and often neglected aspect of a protection assignment is that if you need to use aeroplanes, limousines or any other method of transportation you need to assign a liaison officer between contractors, client and yourself. If possible the protection company should organise this, but try not to let the client arrange it as you personally want to make sure there are no last minute delays or fuck-ups and have very little control over things if they are managed by the client.

Approximately sixteen months ago I accompanied a client to Mexico for an eighteen day assignment. Contracts were all signed and sealed six weeks before the assignment commenced; all necessary details were arranged, the retainer cleared and we completed our reconnaissance efficiently and effec-

Focus tively. Everything went to plan until the chartered plane was delayed; the airline overlooked notifying the Chief of Security who handled those matters. If a specific liaison officer had been assigned this would not have happened.

As all of in the industry know, fuck-ups never come alone and on this assignment we started with one, what else was going to go wrong?

We arrived in Mexico at a private airport and initially all went well, the transport was smoothly organised and the local traffic into town was not too much of a killer; however the client suddenly decided to make changes in his travel arrangements again without notifying his Chief of Security. Clients can sometimes be very difficult people to work with! So last minute arrangements had to hastily be made without compromising the executive’s safety and comfort.

Since the assignment was in Mexico City, where I had an office, we could facilitate this change and all our local drivers were trained to the same high standards like our other Canadian, US and European counterparts. However the armoured vehicle we were using came with its own driver - which happens from time to time, as transportation companies, for insurance purposes, occasionally require their own driver.

The driver was checked out and seemed fine and upon arrival at the hotel and the VIP was settled in his secured suite, I returned to the driver who was stationed at his vehicle and made sure the vehicle would not be compromised in any way. I spoke to him briefly and, as I checked over the vehicle, I immediately noticed that the fuel gauge was well below half-way, which could be a major security risk, especially with the additional weight of an armoured vehicle plus driving in a possible hostile environment.

The thought of running out of petrol with a client sent shivers down my spine.

When I asked, he answered that his boss did not give him the money to fuel up before departure! They were now in breach of security protocol which they had signed off six weeks before the assignment.

Now every protection office will ask himself; what else has happened? Has the driver’s integrity been compromised?

Will the VIP and protection team be compromised? Since the local security company was already in breach of con-

tract, we solved the matter by demanding we immediately relieve the driver of his duties and place our driver into the task. Our driver was a native Mexican and knew the streets and routes.

However, not knowing whether we had been compromised, we changed all the prearranged routes, the times for departure and arrival; in fact everything the previous driver was aware off and was able to securely complete the assignment without any further problems.

Fuck-ups never come alone.

Assignments are never the same no matter how many times similar procedures are being implemented, and each time we prepare for an assignment, all through the assignment, and at debriefing afterwards, lessons will always be learnt. It is a never ending process.

One of the main skills a protection agent should possess is communications and conflict resolution. Communication is one of the most important aspects in any security and protection detail.

NATO uses the English language in all their operations worldwide. No matter which country they originate from NATO soldiers across the world use English for all their radio communications because language and communication must be consistent and standard for effective multi-cultural cultural, multinational security operations. If you are tasked to provide international security to a company that does not use English as a standard form of communication, think twice about joining them, misunderstanding can lead to injury and death.

Working close to your client you may not always be recognised as a close protection specialist, you might be introduced as a business associate, business partner or colleague, personal or public relations assistant, which then enables you to conduct covert protection as you will be able to stay close to the VIP, without too much attention. Covert / undercover approach to personal protection can be a very effective form of security.

Some protection assignments are a lot less interesting than others, especially low profile or long-term assignments that require a certain daily routine in functions and duties. However never try to create patterns in your assignment; modify your patrol times, change directions of departure, switch vehicles and how the VIP travels, change your pattern randomly and seconds before

departure, and also advise the VIP / Client to do the same if his schedule and arrangements allow him to do so.

For long-term assignments it is very important to build up a rapport with your client / VIP and anyone else associated with the operation. Effective and good communications will not only assist you with having an easier and less stressful assignment, but also keeps you up-todate on the client’s day to day activities, especially private and social engagements. Etiquette in social situations with your client is a very important tool in the industry; no one will ever be retained if they embarrass the client in any way or at any time. A good protection agent should feel comfortable on the streets of Iraq or at an exclusive event at a foreign Embassy.

The most important aspect of any protection assignment is keep your VIP safe and secure at all times. Remember the VIP’s reputation is also his life and you are hired to protect his life. Don’t ever forget; dead VIP’s will never pay their bills. Each day you and your client returns home without incident or injury is a great day and it means you have conducted yourself in a professional manner. Keep a professional image at all times and try to be extremely diplomatic and tactful in situations involving the VIP, as well diplomatic towards your team-mates, no matter if they work for the same company or contracted out.

There are too many cowboys out there already and you don’t ever want to be known as one. Keep in mind that a good reputation is hard to build, whereas a bad reputation dead easy to achieve.

Close protection is a great industry, enjoy it! ____________ Marc is currently Managing Director of VIP Protection based in Canada and has offices in Mexico, China and France. He studied personal protection, weapons, explosives, law and security and the handling and defusing of high sensitive explosives at the Military Army Academy.

He is a Certified Executive Protection Specialist (CEPS), Certified Anti Terrorism Specialist, (CAS) and an instructor at the Military Academy for close combat, antiterrorism, close protection and weapons.

He also instructs in hostage negotiations.

You can contact Marc at: marc@vip-protection.ca

: : 11

Focus

The Combat Zone

By John

Paul Higgins

As we mentioned in issue two of The Circuit, nuisance people are usually only after one thing; your client’s time. At this lowest level of threat they are generally not posing a physical danger, so the response to this threat must reflect this. Having a security team obviously makes dealing with nuisance people a lot easier - the standard operational procedure is to give all round body cover and walk through, with the nearest CPO dealing with any nuisance and possible threat and there are a number of measures you, as CPOs can employ before you get yourselves into any physical encounter.

The advance (SAP) can achieve so much before you get to this stage, especially if there is good intelligence to back them up and it is generally down to bad practice of the security team when paparazzi scuffle with security personnel and / or their clients. If the venue does not have a cordon implemented for photographers or fans, then the SAP and quickly implement one which can smooth the way for your client.

Remember, nuisance people are mainly only after photos or autographs, that is all. The SAP can speak with photogra-

12 : :

phers; explaining that they can have all the photos they want but from a distance and without members of the security team interfering. This works well on two fronts; 1) they get their photos and 2) you look professional and in control of your environment.

Liaising with the client’s personal assistant for photographs and autographs can also achieve the same outcome for fans, although the personal space around you and your client will obviously be more congested. If the SAP does not liaise with the right people from the very start then arriving at an event or venue can very quickly turn into a nightmare, which will definitely not promote a good image for either you or your client. Also, buy not properly managing and controlling the event, risks become greater, tempers could flare and things could quickly and easily escalate into a physical attack.

Setting up a good rapport with photographers is good working practice and if you frequently work within this environment eventually you will see the same faces peering from behind their lenses. Getting to know them can also be good for intelligence; they usually know what is going on and who is around.

If you work as a the sole BG, the last thing you need is to arrive at a venue and walk into a situation beyond your control. In this case prior planning is crucial and using outside agencies is essential. Using on-site security, door supervisors, police, paramedics, Personal Assistants and press event organizers can all be beneficial and great for intelligence gathering. If you cannot do an advance recce then road maps, floor plans, walking routes, emergency exits and evacuation procedures can all be sourced and used to help in your planning, so even without a recce you can plan for most contingencies so you don’t go in to a situation totally blind.

In the case of beggars loitering in the vicinity, the SAP can always give them some money and ask them to temporarily move, especially if they are in the debus or entry and exit areas. It is a good idea for an BG to keep £5.00 or £10.00 in change to hand out if approached, so they do not encroach on your or your client’s personal space.

Drunks are the most problematic of all the nuisance people and are the most likely, and quickest, to go from just a nuisance to the threat of an actual physical attack.

Your environment will dictate which of the above groups you will encounter during your working day. Nightclubs will attract drunks and photographers, movie premiers will attract fans and photographers, while out walking on the streets you may encounter beggar and harassment. All of them may be attracted to your client at some point.

DETECT > EVADE > ESCAPE > DEFEND > Security awareness procedures are the first steps to take before we get into a CQC situation, either for yourself or for any third part. Without intelligence and the formulation of “actions on drills” any CQC that takes place will not be cohesive or as organized as it could be in a combat situation.

Here are two physical applications we can enforce when dealing with nuisance people that have managed to get too close close to your principle; firstly the use of the voice as a weapon and secondly basic redirection techniques, either of the nuisance person or of your client. It goes without saying that practice of these techniques are essential, whether you are part of a team or an individual working alone.

The voice can be used in a calming manner to deescalating a situation, aggressively to warn against a possible escalation of a situation or to give orders in a combat / contact situation. However this is often easier said than done. With the release of adrenalin the brain, dialing in fight/freeze/ flight mode, will start to close down various body functions, one of them being communication. Dry mouth, voice quiver and stammering are all products of this shut down which can make just talking difficult, never mind giving orders. You could become monosyllabic. Stop, stay,

Focus wait, don’t etc are all clear orders but if you cannot follow them up with clear vocabulary, a vital link in your defense system is missing. To overcome this you need to take yourself out of your comfort zone and put yourself in very uncomfortable situations that will facilitate adrenalin releases. When you feel the onset of this the start talking, even if it is to yourself.

Practice giving orders, asking questions, give detailed descriptions of people around you. The more you get used to this, the better your communication skills will become.

The Shove

Redirection is a tactic employed to effectively move a person from you or your client’s personal space and / or to move your client from another person’s unwanted advances. Methods used can be the shove, the pull and the stop. Balance and timing play a large role in making these methods work both comfortably and successfully, as too hard a shove could not only hurt your principle but see him / her on the pavement! The shove should not be a violent action, but rather like the action of pressing the accelerator pedal of a car. The target areas are the upper arms, the upper half of the chest across the pectorals and the upper back across the shoulder blades. These areas are well above the body’s center of balance making movement easier through 360 degrees. With the shove we have to mirror the image of the person in front of us, by this I mean we use the same arm / hand as that of the other person. This technique relies upon the other person stepping towards your personal space. As he approaches your personal space (i.e. hand shake range) redirect him across and away by shoving on the upper arm area.

Once the initial movement has been made you can then grab his clothing to gain more control over the technique and the person and direct him / her to where you want him / her to go. If you get this technique wrong it will be because you have mistimed the person stepping into your space and the shoving action. When this happens you can quickly adopt the pull, as the person will now probably be static.

The Pull

With the pull we need to start off with a grab and if possible try again to mir-

ror image the person in front of you. It is not ideal to reach across the body - only when the tactical situation on the ground dictates you should. The target area is the upper arm. Grabbing the upper arm, pull the person to and across you, when you feel the body moving and the person takes a step forward to keep his balance, then turn him slightly and turn the whole technique into the shove. Again grabbing his clothing to control him. The same methods can also be used to redirect the VIP away from a nuisance person and are applied in the exact same way.

The Stop

The stop is used as the last of the three techniques and is used when someone has approached fast over a very short distance, or when the tactical situation does not allow you to redirect a person away from you. The target area is the chest and in particular across the pectoral muscles.

The heel of the hand is used and the motion is that of a rugby player handing off a tackle. The arm should be slightly bent and the fingers held stiffly, a short jabbing action is used and generally this is all that is required to stop the forward motion.

This technique is not intended to propel someone backwards.

It is difficult to imply a sense of movement when writing about techniques and so practice is essential. Practice as an individual BG and in two, three and four man teams. Practice in a variety of locations and in as many different situations you can think of. You may have to adapt the techniques to suit your body type and the unique situation you might find yourself in, but that is how it should be!

Stay safe

John Paul Higgins works full time as an EPO for an international businessman and is the Course Director for the EPO Tactical Training School, running hostile environment training for PSD / EPO personnel.

E-Mail: epotacticaltraining@supanet.comTel: +44 (0) 7954 218125 Website: www.epotacticaltraining.co.uk

CONTRACTORS NEED 105 EXTRA BODYGUARDS

Spain. As two more suspected members of the armed Basque separatist group ETA were remanded in custody following an operation against a group accused of giving ETA information on possible targets, security firms have said that killing by ETA has forced an increase in the number of bodyguards used for contractors.

Contractors and officials would need 105 extra bodyguards. Early in Dec. Ignacio Uria Mendizabal, 71, head of the company Altuna y Uria was shot by assailants on near his firm’s offices in Azpeitia in the northern Basque region. He died later at the scene.

Spanish security forces were placed on maximum alert for a revenge attack by ETA following the arrest.

ETA, considered a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States.

HOPE FOR BODYGUARDS RELEASE

UK. The family and friends of the British bodyguards held captive in Iraq since being seized at gunpoint have spoken of their desperate hope the men will be released soon. The Britons - a computer expert and his four bodyguards - were working in Baghdad’s Iraqi Finance Ministry in May last year when they were surprised and surrounded by 40 gunmen disguised as policemen. There could well be a new momentum to negotiations for the men’s release, with a new president in the White House and British troops preparing to go home, grounds for hoping perhaps that one of Britain’s longest running hostage cases will at last be resolved

BODYGUARDS FACE CHARGES

Philippines. The Antipolo police are filing physical injuries charges against the son of Agrarian Reform Secretary and his five bodyguards for beating up two golfers at the Valley Golf and Country Club.

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Har

Hostage Ex and Res

PRESSURES

H

ostages will be subject to a number of pressures during their captivity, these are SELF INDUCED (pressures that are created by the hostage themselves) and SYSTEM INDUCED (pressures that are imposed upon the hostage by their captors).

We will look first at SELF-INDUCED pressures.

Boredom. You may be held alone for extended periods of time. This may be particularly harmful to individuals who thrive on the company of others. You must keep your mind active in ways that you want. Concentrate on positive thoughts.

Do not let your mind focus on your situation or it will start to imagine all sorts of things which will further fuel your sense of isolation and panic. If you like books – think of your favourite book. EVERY SCENE! Perhaps imagine making it into a movie – who are the actors? Cast them in imagined auditions and then direct every single scene. It may take you years and will certainly take your mind from the situation.

Depression and Despair. Failure to maintain mental strength, as we have already described, combined with a failure to prepare in advance of capture may lead to a circumstance where you sink slowly into depression and despair. Depression is not simply being a bit sad, it is a medical condition which has been described as ‘a black curtain of utter despair coming over you’. If you feel this it is normal – but very destructive. If in a group – recognise symptoms in self and others and make efforts to reduce its effect. Failure may lead to self-harm or even suicide.

Need for constant alertness. You will potentially become very ‘jumpy’ – every sound, real or imagined, will cause you to become alert to possible attack. This can become extremely tiring and you must try to relax, no matter how hard this may be.

Whenever the opportunity presents itself, you should try to rest and even sleep to maintain your physical and mental health.

Loneliness. We all occasionally like time to ourselves, but if forced to be alone for years – we risk sinking into depression. We may be lonely, even if we a re surrounded by people, simply because of language and cultural differences. If possible try to communicate in any way possible. This may be with other hostages or with locals - in central and south America, hostages have

14 : :

been held in mountain villages.

Understandably – you will feel fear. Fear of the unknown, death or dying, reprisals or maltreatment. Again, if there is a real risk of this try to take steps that it doesn’t! This will be a positive action. Ultimately, if you are to be hurt, then it will happen - worry about it then. Don’t let your worries about what MAY happen detract from your focus on WHAT IS HAPPENING right now.

You may have feelings of failure. Particularly if you were in charge of the group that was captured. Leaders often feel this, but they must now take command. Maintain leadership and structure if it existed previously; people now need you as never before. What is your new mission? To survive and to get your men back home.

Worries will play on your mind. Can I withstand pain will be one question? If your body has too much pain – it will pass out.

You will worry if you can resist questioning, particularly if you have time-sensitive information. This training now will help you to do that.

You will worry about your colleagues. Are they OK? Are they alive? Fact is they may not be, but what can you do about it?

Probably nothing other than be there for them if and when you meet again.

You will worry about everything! Real or imaginary! Try to stop. Take a moment to relax as you feel the panic build up, concentrate on real issues that are present at the time.

SYSTEM INDUCED pressures are those which your captors will impose upon you to maintain their control.

These may be some or all of…

Dislocation of expectations. You will be continually taken by surprise. They don’t want you to get comfortable or settle into

In the previous issue, we looked hostages will be undergoing as a res we will explore the methods of e hostage takers and the means by

BY SIMON a routine. Kindness and sudden brutality may be mixed together. You may be expecting violence and receive kindness, making you then vulnerable to exploitation. Bottom line here is to try to defeat their efforts by expecting nothing. Take everything as you may find it rather than anticipating events.

We are all used to some discipline at some time in our lives, but what we mean here is the fact that you now have to do what you are told by an 8 year old boy with an AK47 or by a small female with a knife. You may be physically beaten by a group of small children. Accept discipline as a fact of your captivity, but make a sound judgement as to your level of acceptance. Overly weak people will get bullied. Overly strong ones will be beaten into submission. Be passive but not submissive, stand up for yourself, but not to the point where it will get you killed or deny you physical capability.

You will likely be kept on a poor diet. It is possible that this is all the food that they have, eat it if it is offered. Without food, you have no energy to escape, fight, or resist infection. Even if the food looks particularly repulsive, you should eat it, failure to do so may upset your guards – particularly if their diet is the same.

Confinement is simply a means by which your movement is restricted. You will be confined; this may be in a 4x4 cell or within the limits of a village borders. Whatever the case expect retaliation if you are

rd Talk

xploitation sistance

at the psychological strains that sult of their captivity. In this article, exploitation that may be used by y which we can resist their aims.

ATKINSON caught breaking the limits of your confinement. Physical exercise programs for confined spaces are available – try to study them before you deploy. Physical exercise depending upon your calorific intake is important to maintain physical heath and self-discipline.

Enforced Idleness or Co-operation. Combat idleness by keeping yourself occupied mentally or physically if possible. Create a ‘project’ no matter how small or apparently insignificant.

Atmosphere of ruthlessness. In order to maintain control, every small infraction, real or imagined, may be punished with inappropriate level of response. This may be physical beatings, restriction of diets etc. Keep the will to survive and win small victories every single day.

Their aim is to grind you down, to make you submissive, compliant and exploitable.

Certainly let them believe they have been successful, but keep strong inside.

Segregation / Lack of News. This may lead you to imagine all kinds in the absence of real news. Be confident that people know you are missing you and are continually striving to achieve your release Your captors may tell you other things, don’t necessarily believe them.

CONDITIONING

T

he combination of self and system induced pressures is known as CONDITIONING. The hostage takers will

enhance self induced pressures and implement system induced pressures in order to maintain the SHOCK OF CAPTURE and keep you compliant. The aim of CONDITIONING is to weaken your will to resist. This may be to weaken your resolve to resist exploitation, questioning, brainwashing or simply to keep you easy to guard. Ensure you understand WHY this is happening so that you can work to resist their aims, in this way you will Survive with Honour.

We have two recognised types of CONDITIONING – PHYSICAL and MENTAL Some or all of these techniques may be used prior to an attempt at exploitation.

Unless a captive is CONDITIONED it is very difficult to exploit them. We will look at MENTAL conditioning first.

Deprivation of sleep. Studies have been undertaken relating to the effects of sleep deprivation. Essentially, after a period of time, you will do almost anything to get some rest. Your captors will keep you awake using system induced pressures.

They may keep the light on, they may beat you whenever you rest, they may not give you the chance to lie down etc. Whenever you can rest – you MUST. Prisoners may be allowed to sleep after long periods and then woken suddenly to be questioned.

Menachem Begin described his sleep deprivation under KGB captivity as …‘In the head of the interrogated prisoner, a haze begins to form. His spirit is wearied to death, his legs are unsteady, and he has one sole desire: to sleep... Anyone who has experienced this desire knows that not even hunger and thirst are comparable with it.’

Constant Alertness. It is recognised that this becomes wearing on the captive. They become an emotional wreck. This may be achieved through constant door slamming, footsteps, screams from next door; the

captive is always kept in a state of constant anxiety.

Humiliation. This may be physical, mental or sexual (combination of both). Humiliation is an effective technique on those who have previously been in positions of authority. There may come a point where a captive will become compliant in order to stop this.

Isolation. We have already mentioned the effects of long term isolation. Fears will magnify, self induced pressures will be enhanced. Isolated prisoners are often extremely glad to be given an opportunity to comply after long periods of inactivity, in order to avoid being alone again.

Harassment. Constantly being picked upon, constantly being bothered, this may be by captors or even by insects – imagine being exposed to mosquitoes / ants etc and having no ability to swat them away.

PHYSICAL conditioning may incorporate some or all of...

Torture. Note that this is CONDITIONING and not questioning. Information extracted under torture in unreliable. In 1991 RAF pilot John Peters was shot down and held in Iraq. He describes being stripped and burning toilet paper being applied to his bare skin. He describes nobody speaking to him, nobody asking him questions. He wanted to talk to ask them to stop, but nobody would talk to him. He was being CONDITIONED – put into a position where he was willing to be compliant.

Physical Discomfort. Imagine being chained to a radiator in an uncomfortable position.

After minutes it hurts so you move as best you can to ease the discomfort, then imagine being hurt because you moved. This can continue for days, until you will do almost anything to be given a chance to stretch off your muscles.

Deprivation of food, healthcare, water, toilet. All these are means by which the captors will ensure your eventual compliance. In order to obtain a blanket / food / toilet etc you will be expected to behave in a captor-specific manner. Remember, no-one may have even asked you to do anything yet. The aim of this process is to make you WANT to be compliant.

These techniques have been used to maintain your compliance – to maintain Shock of Capture. They use knowledge of self and system induced pressures against you to

: : 15

Har impose Conditioning and weaken your will to resist. Once they have your mental compliance, then you are ripe for exploitation.

Now that the captors believe you to be compliant - the attempt at exploiting you or gaining information will start.

It is rare that a hostage will be killed. Indeed, it is often senseless to do so because a hostage taker loses any or all leverage once the hostage is dead. Incidents where a hostage has been killed have often resulted from poorly handled deadlines. In Iraq, some, but not all, Western hostages have been killed. However, there has been considerable time between captivity and execution, time that can and should be well used. This time can often be extended by careful handling of the situation by both the hostage and the external authorities.

You as a hostage – have a value to your captors.

For the purpose of this article, we will concentrate on people who are Intelligence and Propaganda.

EXPLOITATION

E

xploitation is not necessarily about obtaining information, but simply a process by which the victim can be used to achieve the exploiter’s goals.

Examples may be video confessions, sexual gratification, financial or political gain, perhaps you will be exploited in order to ensure compliance or concession by other prisoners or authorities, or physical / mental abuse. The methods used to exploit you will vary but can all be ‘boiled down’ to one of three types: brainwashing, Interrogation or Indoctrination.

BRAINWASHING

B

rainwashing and Indoctrination are closely linked. Brainwashing uses often non-violent means to obtain compliance and a replacement of your core values with those of your captors – cults and suicide bombers often use similar techniques. Indoctrination may use fear of reprisal or punishment as a method to obtain compliance; military training, workplace rules?

In the late 1950s, psychologist Robert Jay Lifton studied former prisoners of Korean and Chinese war camps. He determined that they’d undergone a multi-step process that began with attacks on the prisoner’s sense of self and ended with what appeared to be a change in beliefs. Lifton ultimately defined a set of steps involved in

16 : :

the brainwashing cases he studied: Assault on identity: You are not who you think you are. This is a systematic attack on a target’s sense of self (NUCLEAR PERSONALITY) and his core belief system. The agent denies everything that makes the target who he is: “You are not a soldier.”

“You are not a man.” “You are not defending freedom.” The target is under constant attack for days, weeks or months, to the point that he becomes exhausted, confused and disoriented. In this state, his beliefs seem less solid.

Guilt: You are bad. While the identity crisis is setting in, the agent is simultaneously creating an overwhelming sense of guilt in the target. He repeatedly and mercilessly attacks the subject for any “sin” the target has committed, large or small. The target begins to feel a general sense of shame, that everything he does is wrong.

Self-betrayal: “Agree with me that you are bad”. Once the subject is disoriented and drowning in guilt, the agent forces him (either with the threat of physical harm or of continuance of the mental attack) to

“

pening to him. At this point, the agent sets up the temptation to convert to another belief system that will save the target from his misery.

Leniency: ‘I can help you’. With the target in a state of crisis, the agent offers some small kindness or reprieve from the abuse.

He may offer the target a drink of water, or take a moment to ask the target what he misses about home. In a state of breakdown resulting from an endless psychological attack, the small kindness seems huge, and the target may experience a sense of relief and gratitude completely out of proportion to the offering, as if the agent has saved his life.

Compulsion to confession: You can help yourself. For the first time in the brainwashing process, the target is faced with the contrast between the guilt and pain of identity assault and the sudden relief of leniency. The target may feel a desire to reciprocate the kindness offered to him, and at this point, the agent may present the possibility of confession as a means to relieving guilt and pain.

Who am I, am I and wha supposed to

denounce his family, friends and peers who share the same “wrong” belief system that he holds. This betrayal of his own beliefs and of people he feels a sense of loyalty to increases the shame and loss of identity the target is already experiencing.

Breaking point: Who am I, where am I and what am I supposed to do? With his identity in crisis, experiencing deep shame and having betrayed what he has always believed in, the target may undergo what in the lay community is referred to as a “nervous breakdown.” When the target reaches his breaking point, his sense of self is pretty much up for grabs, he has no clear understanding of who he is or what is hap-

Channelling of guilt: This is why you’re in pain. After weeks or months of assault, confusion, breakdown and moments of leniency, the target’s guilt has lost all meaning, he’s not sure what he has done wrong, he just knows he is wrong. This creates something of a blank slate that lets the agent fill in the blanks; he can attach that guilt, that sense of “wrongness,” to whatever he wants. The agent attaches the target’s guilt to the belief system the agent is trying to replace. The target comes to believe it is his belief system that is the cause of his shame. The contrast between old and new has been established: The old belief system is associated with psychological (and usually physical) agony; and the

rd Talk new belief system is associated with the possibility of escaping that agony.

Releasing of guilt: It’s not me; it’s my beliefs. The embattled target is relieved to learn there is an external cause of his wrongness, that it is not he himself that is inescapably bad, this means he can escape his wrongness by escaping the wrong belief system. The target has the power to release himself from wrongness by confessing to acts associated with his old belief system. With his full confessions, the target has completed his psychological rejection of his former identity. It is now up to the agent to offer the target a new one.

Progress and harmony: If you want, you can choose good. The agent introduces a new belief system as the path to “good.”

At this stage, the agent stops the abuse, offering the target physical comfort and mental calm in conjunction with the new belief system. The target is made to feel that it is he who must choose between old and new, giving the target the sense that his fate is in his own hands.

where at am I o do?

”

Final confession and rebirth: I choose good.

Contrasting the agony of the old with the peacefulness of the new, the target chooses the new identity, clinging to it like a life preserver. He rejects his old belief system and pledges allegiance to the new one that is going to make his life better. At this final stage, there are often rituals or ceremonies to induct the converted target into his new community. This stage has been described by some brainwashing victims as a feeling of “rebirth.”

INTERROGATION

I

nterrogation is a method by which the questioner can have his information requirements answered. The definition is;

“the systematic extraction of information from selected personnel to obtain accurate and timely information”. It is important that when questioned you attempt to understand WHAT THEY WANT TO KNOW if you are to successfully resist.

the captors to dictate your routine.

Interrogators will use certain tactics in order to fool you into an indiscretion, these may be:

Knowledge. This training has given you some! Knowledge IS power. Draw strength from the fact that you understand what is happening around you.

Show of knowledge. An interrogator may trick you into an indiscretion by appearing to know information already. In fact, he may only know a portion of the story and will be relying upon you to complete the picture.

Change of scene. He may take you to a place that appears nice or different than you expect. Your interrogation may simply feel like a conversation.

Incentives may be offered, to you or others. Food, water, blankets etc in return for your ‘being reasonable’. An interrogator should never use the word ‘co-operate’ as it may cause the captive’s resolve to stiffen.

Prove your identity. May be used if a captive is particularly silent. In order to be able to obtain certain obligations under law you must prove that you are not a spy or a terrorist. This may encourage the hostage to talk, the interrogator will then have a series of talking points that may be used later.

Plea for Help. ‘Help me to help you’, ‘I want to stop all this…but unless I keep my boss happy then I cannot’. Etc Repetition may be used to verify your answers to previous questions. Be careful if you choose to lie as you will likely be caught out in that lie.

Any weakness which you show, any emotion which you demonstrate will be noted and subsequently exploited.

SMALL VICTORIES

W

e will now look at techniques that you can use in order to maintain sound mental health during captivity. Techniques that will allow you to Survive With Honor.

Pride and Loyalty. You must remain loyal to your colleagues. You may have information which may get them harmed if you divulge it, be proud of your country, your cause, your organisation.

Maintain Physical and Mental fitness. Keep as active as possible; you do something to set a routine for yourself rather than allow

Self discipline should be maintained. Even in poor conditions maintain hygiene. Have an area you use for sleeping, one used for eating and one used for ablutions.

Psychological Hook. Keep your mind active. We mentioned your favourite book earlier and turning it, mentally into a movie. Nick Rowe spent years designing a hotel in his own mind, from purchasing the estate to building the design, to even designing the menu for the opening night!

NEVER allow people to see what your Hook is. REMEMBER the effect on Tom Hanks, in Castaway when he lost his ‘football friend’.

A comfort will be destroyed in front of you if your captors realise it offers you succour.

Communication with your captors and other hostages. Even better if you can develop a simple secret code that again gives you a small victory.

Small victories – Do something that the hostage takers are not aware of, no matter how minuscule. Do something that only you can control and win a small victory, EVERY DAY. It is highly likely that you may be asked to make a video. If asked to deliver a message that is bad, then resist if possible, but you may simply be forced to read out a statement. A video is good in some ways as it gives Proof of Life – you can gain strength from knowing that the world now knows you are not MIA, but a hostage.

Times may get particularly harsh in captivity. Try to remain positive; things could get worse. Deny the opportunity for self induced pressures to gain control over you.

The Key to your Survival is maintaining the WILL TO SURVIVE and GET BACK HOME. Simon is a former UK military HUMINT officer and Interrogator. ASIC Ltd provide a global Intelligence/Hostile Environment training and operational service and, as a key author of UK Hostage Survival policy, Simon is an often used consultant on Hostage matters to the National media. Visit the ASIC website www.athenaintelligence.co.uk or call +44 (0)141 314 3983 for further information.

: : 17

The Knowledge

Security in New Zealand Tena Koutou, Tena Koutou, Tena Koutou Katoa (welcome, welcome, welcome to you all).

Y

our high profile principle has decided to come to NZ. The first thing that will hit the close protection officer is the Maori culture. A member of the local Iwi (tribe) will be responsible for explaining to your client the local customs, but the close protection officer will still see threats.

There will be a Haka. It is generally part of the formal powhiri (welcome) ceremony and will be very intense, more in line with Kapa o pango, - with the throat slitting gesture which had caused a few issues in England recently - and not the more familiar Ka Mate as generally demonstrated by the All Blacks at the start of their international matches. A Haka can come in many versions depending upon the local tribe; Ka Mate is not actually a challenge but tells a story and many are Haka Waiata, or a song.

The biggest ‘threat’ during the Haka will come during the wero (challenge) where up to three or four warriors will advance with Taiaha (fighting sticks, though often wrongly referred to as spears). One of them will place a small piece of branch down on the floor as symbol of peace. This is where is things could get tricky (especially if your client has fallen out with the tribal chief!). The highest ranking person of the visiting group will have to pick up the branch while at same time keeping their eyes firmly on the warrior who placed it there. Not to keep looking is a sign that your words are false. In days of old this would have resulted in loss of ones head, but these days the Taiaha will pass just over (or even through) the hair of the offending person.

So you have survived the heart attack that close protection team has been given at the welcoming ceremony of your principle, what next?

No security in New Zealand is armed, unless it is carried out by the police. Also you cannot use any form of physical force or restraint without due legal cause. Security personnel tend to use the law of trespass to implement its force. Trespass allows security

18 : :

By Ken

‘Dusty’ Duncan

(or anyone else for that matter) to remove anyone from a property or premises. When used it gives the operator the right to physically remove, with minimum force, anyone trespassing and to take the personal details of that person ,which only a police office has the normal legal right to do. The trespass law is the most common law used within the security sector.

However, the biggest thing a close protection team will notice in this country is the mindset towards security, which is why many with a military background actually stay out of the industry. Several years ago I worked alongside someone that had gone to Britain to gain his qualifications, and then returned to New Zealand to work. His view of security summarized this general apathy and mindset: “In Britain, when organizing an event, it is generally planned around security and often the police will take their cue from the event security organizer. Whereas in New Zealand they organize everything and then decide how much security will be necessary – it seems that providing any form of security is always the very last topic on the agenda”.

A UK SIA qualification means absolutely nothing to the security industry here, nor does any military, police or special forces background, although that is slowly changing. This may seem a mystery to those security operators that have worked with Kiwis in Iraq or Afghanistan, or through other military contacts where we are generally highly regarded, but it comes back to the mindset of the public and politicians which was highlighted in comments by a former Prime Minister after a group had caused destruction to a number of Mosques in Auckland following the London bombings. She more or less implied that New Zealanders should not worry about any possible repercussions of these destructive events as they (New Zealanders) live in such a safe place.

Even if there is a genuine threat against your client, do not expect the average security

guard to look beyond their own little world - in fact many are told to ignore crime or suspicious activity.

New laws being introduced by the government and new standardized training accredited by the New Zealand Qualification Authority are supposed to improve the industry and to some extent they will, as currently all close protection, door supervisors and events security do not have to be licensed. Police have found many people out on bail working security at bars, nightclubs or events and in one recently reported case, two people with serious criminal records were employed by a large security company contracted to look after the police cells. Under the proposed new laws, everyone working in security will have to be vetted and licensed.

In 2003 I was invited to attend the New Zealand Security Association’s annual conference. At that conference a former Australian Intelligence operator gave a keynote speech and afterwards I met and chatted to him.

We spoke at length about the mindset of the Kiwis regarding security. The Australian said “but how is it you understand where I am coming from, when the rest of the country does not!” New Zealanders simply (and naively) assume it won’t happen here. Most people are generally not aware that besides the Russian Mafia there are the Triads, Australian Mafia links, Japanese and Vietnamese gangs, Colombian drug connections and of course our own organized crime gangs.

There are plenty of possible threats to protect your principle against, but the mindset is “it will never happen to us,” “it will never happen in New Zealand” or “I will never be affected by these crime groups.”

It is not all doom and gloom though. There are a great many excellent operators based here in New Zealand; many former NZ Special Forces, many former NZ army and British police, many operators that have served time in high risk environments including Iraq or Afghanistan and many that have trained in either Britain, South Africa or Israel. We have a highly trained, experienced and extensive workforce – if only we were allowed to do the job and protect the public as they rightfully deserve.

Haere Atu. (One Maori version of goodbye) Red Diamond Security Services Ltd provide the full range of security services throughout New Zealand.

W: www.RedDiamond.co.nz E: security@RedDiamond.co.nz

The Knowledge

STARTING OUT......

BY

MAX WILLIAMSON

After a hard training session, I was having a well earned pint of Guinness with my Jujitsu Instructor. It was over this pint that I learned that his day job was teaching unarmed combat and restraint techniques throughout the UK. “You jammy bugger!” I thought. This was the seed, the niggling idea at the back of my mind, and that was 13 years ago.

I

continued as a student of Ju Jitsu, both as a student and later as an instructor. But it was really about four or five years ago that I started to look at moving into the world of close protection. I thought that with the training that I had had whilst serving with the military, and my current martial arts status, it would stand me in good stead but beyond that I knew very little of what to expect!

At first I was quite apprehensive, but once I arrived late I was greeted by Brian and within a few hours I had met the other guys who were also on my course. We had a few beers around a blazing fire and before long the conversation flowed. The course lasted twenty one days and I found it extremely thorough; I really enjoyed it and my determination to succeed was even greater than before.

So where did I start? With anything, you are only as good as your training, so I started to research over the internet what training was available and what it might cost. Was I employable? What sort of work was out there? What is the pay like?

There is an incredible amount of information on the internet but, as with all these things, I found a lot of it useless and irrelevant. After a considerable number of tedious months trawling through all the information, I had established what I needed to do in order to be at the bare minimum of standard for the industry - the SIA close protection license.

It was a long and tedious wait for my SIA license, and not without incident. I tried approaching potential employers but it soon transpired that they wouldn’t even entertain you without your license number. Not disheartened by this, I set about marketing myself in other ways. I spent many years being self-employed so I knew the importance of being proactive. I formed a company, commissioned someone to design a logo and corporate identity and using these a friend constructed a website for me. I then listed the company and website on every free listing site and directory I could possibly find on the internet. There are dozens of free directory websites which you can register with and get your advertising totally free (so take advantage because often these bring up results of your website on search engines. For anyone starting off, even if you only have a single web page, this is a must. There are also some fantastic forums which regularly post investigative and surveillance work, so get yourself subscribed - a lot of them are free).

I had found several of what I thought were reputable companies offering SIA training but before making a final decision I did some background research on the people running the courses; it is always worth checking credentials, that way you can be sure of what you’re getting.

I eventually choose Argus Europe run

by Brian Tough QGM, a former Special Forces instructor and bodyguard. He had a wealth of experience and I was instantly reassured by his honesty and frankness.

Brian was partnered by Nick McCarthy a former Parachute Regiment soldier, who again had a lot of experience and knowledge which he was keen to share.

I have found that a lot work is at extremely short notice so I had to be prepared to drop everything. I have to admit that I spent every spare minute of my life for over three months tapping the keys on my laptop, but I knew that If I wanted to suc-

ceed in this industry, it would take a great deal of hard work and perseverance.

It is now almost six months since completing my course and getting licensed, and I have managed to get a reasonable amount of work, including mobile surveillance, counter surveillance, close protection and some investigative work. Some of these jobs have been through my website which means it has already paid for itself. Other work has been secured through contacts I have gained since entering the industry, so networking is not be underestimated.

Over the coming year I aim to gain as much and as varied experience as I can. I have already conducted some unarmed combat instruction and this is something which I really want to develop. I had spent a considerable amount of time at the end of 2008 researching different disciplines of martial arts and combat systems with a view to connecting all the best elements which have relevance to the CPO. With a great deal of help from friends and fellow instructors I have put together a combination of techniques which are ideal for our industry. I hope that by the end of 2009 I will have an affiliation with the British Jujitsu Association, which will allow certification and accreditation with my training. So if there are any companies or individuals interested in this type of training please let me know and I will be happy to help!

Komodo Red Security Services Email - max@komodored.com Web - www.komodored.com

: : 19

Hard Talk

JOURNEY TO BAGHDAD AUTHORS NAME WITHHELD

I

have a basic military paramedic background and am a member of 23 SAS squadron. 23 SAS is the Territorial Army reserve unit, also known as Special Air Service (Reserve) (SASR). There are three squadrons in 23 SAS Regiment, ‘A’ Squadron based in Glasgow, ‘B’ Squadron based in Leeds, and ‘C’ Squadron based in Newcastle and Manchester. As I lived just outside of Manchester, I was in ‘C’ Squadron.

Back in 2004 I was fairly new to close protection and had only done a few small contracts as a bodyguard, both in the UK and abroad including Russia, and when I wasn’t working in close protection I normally worked the doors - it helped pay the bills between operations and door work gave me time off as and when I needed it. Also, being a member of 23 SAS I was privileged to have been invited on many of the Regiment’s training courses and being a qualified paramedic I was often asked to instruct which meant I needed time off for this too. That was the beauty of door work – I doubt any other job

20 : :

would have been so accommodating. I love working in the protection industry, it was what I have always wanted to do and it is all I want to do. It is a great industry.

Once the war in Iraq had finished and investment and re-building programmes started, more and more bodyguards I knew applied and were accepted on security contracts protecting foreigners throughout Iraq. I heard stories of three – six month contracts paying upwards of £350 a day. A year or two out there I could pay off my mortgage and be financially stable; I could buy the things

I needed, pay off my car loan, and give my girlfriend a few nice gifts. Plus I would be doing a job I could previously only have dreamt about doing.

There will never be, anywhere else quite like Iraq – there simply will never be any other opportunities for bodyguards anywhere else in the world. Iraq has brought the world of the bodyguard into the spotlight. There are thousands, if not tens of thousands of bodyguards working in Iraq, and almost every major foreign company with contracts in the country employs teams of security personnel to protect its employees and assets. I wanted to work within one of those teams.

I had heard that the Control Risk Group (CRG) was one of the biggest and probably one of the best security companies operating in Iraq at that time. CRG is still a truly interna-

Hard Talk

“

we were all in complete awe and gob-smacked as we arrived in Baghdad

”

tional company with offices in almost every major country around the world. It was true; they didn’t pay as much as some of the other companies, but their structure, equipment, facilities and logistical support seemed much better and for me much more important than a few extra pounds in my weekly wage packet. It was my first real high-risk assignment and I wanted the extra security of an international and well established company behind me.

I had a contact name within the recruitment section at their head office in London and so I sent off my CV. I had heard that CRG received literally hundreds of CVs each and every day and so I followed my CV with a telephone call a week or so later. They told me that they were not currently recruiting and to call back in a month. I persevered and called them a few more times over the following couple of months until, one Friday afternoon, they confirmed that yes, they were recruiting again and I was told to attend a special recruitment day at a hotel near Victoria Train Station the following Tuesday.

I was to be there at 10.00 am. Living in Manchester, I made arrangements to stay with a friend on the outskirts of London that Monday night so I would be fresh for the interview Tuesday. I was allocated a one hour spot, along with hundreds of other hopefuls. The interviews began at 0800 and finwashed at 1900 and there were about 50 applicants being seen each and every hour.

After spending the first 45 minutes filling out application forms and listening to the company history and profile, with details of the contracts it had, I was ushered into a small office where I was interviewed. Most of the applicants didn’t get an interview; they were turned away just on the weakness of their application forms. One of the interviewees asked a few questions about my background and experience, while the other listened and took notes. The interview only lasted about

15 minutes. I was told that I would be contacted within three days.

Those were the slowest three days I think I had ever spent. I waited almost everyday beside my phone, hoping it would ring and praying I was successful. It didn’t ring. On the fourth day I called and was told to be on standby. I was successful and would shortly be going to Iraq. Standby meant 24 to go – they could call me any time and give me 24 hours notice. I didn’t know where to start to get everything organised. They sent me a kit list and I spent a day and a lot of money buying each and every item listed only to realise, once I finally got out to Iraq, that most I would never need.

My girlfriend and family were not at all happy. They didn’t want me to go and tried their hardest to talk me out of it. But firstly I needed the money and secondly it was what I always wanted to do, and no one was going to stop me.

The call finally came the following Friday morning. I was told to be at CRG offices in

that from Brize Norton we would then fly via Hercules to Cyprus, stay the night in Cyprus before flying onto Basrah and at Basrah we would then take the brief flight onto Baghdad International Airport, formerly known as Saddam International Airport. Apparent Saddam contracted the French to help build the airport, at a cost of over 900 million dollars, which Saddam never repaid.

Although each and every one of us were very nervous and scared, we were all in complete awe and gob-smacked as we arrived in Baghdad. We were met by a team of veterans, each fully armed. We were thrown body-armour and given AK-47s and told that if a contact arose on the route out from the airport, to stick together and listen to instruction.

The road from Baghdad airport into Baghdad was then probably one of the most dangerous roads in the world. The route was almost eight miles long and links the Airport to the Green Zone and was sometimes referred to as Route Irish. Passengers from the airport are ferried along the route in armoured bus-

When we were not working we spent our time training – practising our emergency drills time and time again and every variation possible.

London Saturday morning where I would sign the contracts and complete the final paperwork before being taken by minibus to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about 50 miles west of London. Brize Norton was the largest air base of the RAF. I was told

es called Rhino Runners, because they look a bit like big, grey rhinoceroses. A great many bodyguards, journalists, businessmen and military personnel had lost their lives along that route and I was praying I wouldn’t lose mine on my first day in Iraq. Along with the

: : 21

Hard Talk

“

There was nothing left of the driver apart from a piece of leg and a bit of torso

”

rest of the team, I snapped madly at everything I saw with my new digital camera – it was surreal looking around me; burnt out cars, bullet ridden buildings, smoke swirling into the air – I had seen it on the news but could never imagine that one day I would be experiencing it for real.

Before we were allowed onto the team every new recruit for CRG had to undertake an intensive assessment. This comprised driving skills, weapons handling and knowledge and para-medicine. You had to pass all three to be allowed onto a team, otherwise you would be sent straight home. There was no compromise and many new recruits were sent home after the first or second day as they failed one or more of the modules. The only rare exception was if you had a particular skill and then occasionally – and only occasionally – could you fail one if you excelled at the other two. But this was rare.

I passed all three and was accepted onto my first team. My wages were £280.00 per day, paid directly into my UK bank account, six weeks on, three weeks off. Amongst its many contracts, CRG was tasked to protect dignitaries from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Our job was to escort FCO personnel around Iraq – visiting schools, hospitals, government buildings, charities, organisations etc. We would almost always use three car convoys.

When we were not working we spent our time training – practising our emergency drills time and time again and every variation possible. I enjoyed driving and seemed particularly good at it and so more and more I was tasked to drive the principle vehicle. The good thing about CRG was that almost all the vehicles they use were armoured, whereas many other security companies only had armoured vehicles for the client – the BG team had to put up with soft-skins.

22 : :

We were soon to realise the importance of armoured vehicles as we had out first live contact about two weeks after I arrived.

We were on our way back to the Green Zone – the heavily guarded safe area of central Baghdad where the UK and US Embassies and most foreigners were based. The Green Zone, also known as the Emerald City, was completely surrounded by concrete blast walls, T-shape walls (originally developed by the Israelis for the West Bank) and barbed wire, with access through just a handful of entry points controlled by a garrison of American troops. The Green Zone was approximately four miles square and was originally the home to the villas of the corrupt government officials and a number of the palaces of Saddam Hussein. Eventually well over five thousand officials as well as almost all of the civil contractors settled in the area.

Our convoy came under fire as we were making our way back. The client’s vehicle, which I was driving, was targeted. A number of rounds went into the side of the vehicle, as the sound of the first shot hit the car the client cowered on the floor while I slammed onto the accelerator. A round had gone into the radiator and we had to evacuate the vehicle about six km further up the road and just before the temperature gauge went off the scale. We locked and left the bullet ridden vehicle and evacuated the client into one of the convoy cars.

The client’s vehicle, which I was driving, was targeted

When we came back to retrieve the vehicle it was evident that someone had tried to break to window – probably to steal the HF radio, without any luck. It would have been easier for them to have broken the lock rather than to have tried to pickaxe the window.

All operations were meticulously planned.

After about eight months in the country I knew it as well as anyone, but still things change dramatically and quickly and there was always the unexpected. Iraq was the bodyguards dream job, but can also be his / her last ever assignment. Many bodyguards have died in the field.

The Iraqis learned very quickly and were getting more and more sophisticated. When I first went out IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device) were easily spotted and generally very crude, but now everything and anything was utilised. An example of this was a dead dog by the side of the road. It had been there for a couple of days; no one took any notice and ignored it. However, one day a convoy passed it as usual and it exploded. The Iraqis gutted it one night and packed it full of explosives. Another time a box that again was left and ignored for a few days was suddenly filled with explosives and detonated.

Tunnels were always a problem as you never knew who or what was waiting for you the other end. Whenever a BG convoy was just about to enter a tunnel, the local Iraqi vehicles behind would suddenly slow right down

Hard Talk – giving as much distance between them and the convoy as possible, just in case.

CRG did lose one of their BGs while I was out there. He wasn’t on my team but we all knew him well. They were in a two car convoy with the principle when they either went over a landmine or someone had slipped an IED under the front vehicle as it slowed at a junction. The front vehicle exploded throwing the team leader through the front window. The left side of his face and his left arm and shoulders were on fire. The rear vehicle pulled alongside to evacuate the principle.

When the 2ic (second in command) looked into the rear of the principles car he saw the principle engulfed in flames, waving his arms frantically and screaming. The 2ic didn’t know whether to put him out of his misery with a single bullet to the head, but he stopped screaming and died. There was nothing left of the driver apart from a piece of leg and bit of torso. Texts and emails of the incident flew around the British BG community. Some new recruits either waiting in Jordan for their onward flight to Iraq, or not yet left the UK, turned around and went home. Most of us were in Iraq for the money, and many of us, like our colleagues who died, had families, children, girlfriends and wives.

To many the job simply wasn’t worth it.

Most BGs working for CRG now arrive on scheduled flights via Jordan. Iraqi Airways and Royal Jordanian Airways were some of the first airlines to operate regular international flights and it was quite surreal sitting on a flight going into Baghdad and being served sandwiches and coffee by a pretty looking air-hostess. The ‘hosties’ are also there for the money, it was said they earn hundreds of hundreds of pounds per flight.

Take off and landing from Baghdad was not for the faint-hearted. Tactical landings using a ‘corkscrew manoeuvre’ to avoid coming into range of small arms fire and ground missiles make you hold the seat tight and hope for the best. The take off was short and the climb steep and dramatic, directly over the airport – the objective was to get as high as possible as quickly as possible, and the reverse was the same for landing, except it was even scarier.

Whilst in Iraq I was offered a few contracts with other security companies but from my experience CRG was still one of the best.

They charge a lot to their clients, but the equipment they supplied was excellent. We are alive today because of the money CRG spend – many teams in non armoured vehi-

cles are now dead because the contractor refused to invest. Some bodyguard companies seem to loose more personnel than others and the American companies seem to lose more than most. Blackwater, probably once one of the biggest BG employers in Iraq, seem to lose personnel every week.

We heard that one of their teams were found hanging from a bridge. Custer Battles

was another US firm that seemed to loose many of its personnel (the BG community in Iraq nickname the company ‘cluster fucks’ as they really did seem to fuck up big time and all the time).

it was surreal looking around me; burnt out cars, bullet ridden buildings, smoke swirling into the air

Contracts were on-going and continuous until you resigned. You are staggered with your team, on and off at the same time, rest and recreation at the same time so you really

form a great and close working relationship with your other team members. Some companies didn’t do this; they chop and change teams and you never know who you might be working with from one contract to another, but CRG did their best to keep you in the same teams until your resignation.

I am now back permanently in the UK. The trouble is.....what is there to do now after the excitement of working as a BG in Iraq?

many teams in non armoured vehicles are now dead because the contractor refused to invest

: : 23

T

he most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born - that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born. Indeed, leaders are not born; greatness is not instilled upon them nor is leadership bestowed by any title or position.

The first section of this article will explore and define exactly what leadership really is in the context of varying parameters paying specific attention to the specialist area of Close Protection. The second section will compare and contrast the ‘functional’, ‘situational’, and ‘contingency’ models of leadership within the Close Protection industry and will show that in a CP and military environment leadership is different but not dissimilar to that required of mainstream security organisations. Finally, based on the points discussed, the essay will analyse what strategies and behaviours are appropriate in a particular situation and why.

“Leadership is the process of persuasion and example by which an individual (or leadership team) induces a group to take action that is in accord with the leader’s purpose, or the shared purposes of all”, (John W Gardner, http://www.leadership. buffalo.edu/tips1.shtml). Many definitions exist for ‘leadership’, evidently, some five and a half million web addresses can be found on the internet alone. With the exception of one, all definitions researched included or implied and emphasised the words ‘persuade’, ‘influence’ or ‘induce’.

The one that did not was that defined by the Ministry of Defence (UK), (British Defence Doctrine (2nd Edition 2001)); “Military leadership is the projection of personality and character to get subordinates to do what is required of them and to engender within them the confidence that breeds initiative and the acceptance of risk and responsibility”. Here, it can be seen then that it is one’s strength of character that instils one’s leadership combined with, but not solely with, what one says to persuade or influence. The fact that a subordinate must comply with an order in military circles is irrelevant. As mentioned previously, the ability to issue commands or orders does not naturally confer leadership upon the leader concerned, nor is it a component of leadership in itself. “Commanders are not lead-

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Hard Talk

Close Protection

LEADERSHIP DEFINED FOR CLOSE PROTECTION TEAM LEADERS

BY Richard Hewetson Richard Hewetson has over 20 years of significant military, government and commercial Close Protection, Surveillance and security experience. He has served in both the Parachute Regiment and Royal Military Police Close Protection Unit and has personally provided Close Protection in military and civilian arenas to British Ambassadors and UK Special Envoy’s, (for and on behalf of the British Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office), members of the British and Saudi Royal families, Members of Parliament, personal bodyguard to two General Officers Commanding British Forces in Northern Ireland, A-list celebrities, CEO’s, owners of world’s leading companies and some of the most powerful and influential business leaders in the world today. Experienced in all matters concerning the protection of persons specifically at risk and the physical security of major corporations, governmental and military buildings, compounds and private estates, he has led and conducted Close Protection operations in 38 countries across five continents and is widely recognised as being the subject matter expert at the very top of his profession. ers until their position has been approved in the hearts and minds of those they command”, (Cdr. William F. Wood, The Importance of Vision at Command Level).

The successful leader is an individual who understands him or herself, the organisation, the environment in which they operate and the people that they are privileged to lead. This stems from a certain level of maturity and experience in life and in the area of operation concerned. As would be expected, most of the people who have carried out close protection operations throughout history have come from either the military or police, although more commonly from the former in the present day.

Many famous military units actually started out as, or at some time served, as the bodyguard of the ruler centuries ago but frequently played important parts in battle as well, and it is because of this close tie and similarities in operating methods and individuals’ character that leadership styles between the two remain so similar.

The concept of providing close protection has become complex indeed. The challenge of protecting the principle in today’s environment involves complex elements

not present in prior years. What remains unchanged is the fact that the would be assassin/ kidnapper/ terrorist etc, chooses the time, the place and the conditions in which to strike the principle. In providing close protection there will always be the human instinct.

The only way to succeed is to have a team solid in foundation of training and expertise, so if the time arrives to react, it will be an automatic response and the reaction of the team will be jelled and yet fluid – every team member will know what every team member is doing; formed in a rigidly hierarchical manner yet fluidly flexible. In order to understand leadership in this context it is important to understand the typical individual who operates in this specialist area. Every member of a professional protection team, whether it be for a Prime Minister or President, a Military General or a CEO, is extremely well trained. Prior to being a member of the team the individual would undoubtedly have a strong military or police background, more often than not have served in some form of elite military or

Hard Talk

Close Protection anti-terrorist/ firearms unit, in itself having completed rigorous selection procedures . They would have undergone stringent physical, medical and mental examinations and in some areas, psychometric testing and evaluation. Every member is of a well balanced character, motivated, pro-active, diligent, dependable, reliable and resourceful. They would be able to operate as an individual as well as in a tight knit team. They would also invariably, be of a mature age. This, as one might understandably assume, could provide as the ideal team to lead. After all, leadership across the board is affected by the characters and personalities of the subordinates and their level of professional competence. However, although the Team Leader is not so much concerned with the team ‘getting the job done’, it requires a strong character to hold the reigns and manage the team. This is much based primarily on Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard’s ‘Situational Model’ with which we shall later refer and discuss.

Leadership within the context of management of civilian organisations in the commercial sector has been the subject of much research and study. Many different styles of leadership are apparent but it is important not to lock ourselves into any type of behaviour but to realise that every situation calls for a different approach or behaviour to be taken. The ‘Functional’ model approach, also known as the ‘Action Centred Leadership’ model, designed

by John Adair, a lecturer in military history at the Military Academy, Sandhurst in the 1960s and early 1970s, believes leaders should be aware of both the group and each individual need, and should harmonise them in the service of the common task. This led to Adair formulating the “three-circles model”. The 3 circles are; Achieving the task – in other words, realising defined goals and objectives; Supporting and meeting the needs of individuals and building and maintaining the team ensuring co-operation, continuity and effectiveness. Each of the 3 circles ‘overlap’.

That being, each part must always be in relation to the other two. If there is a lack of co-operation within a team – a failure of team maintenance on the part of the leader - then clearly performance in the task area will be impaired and the satisfaction and motivation levels of individuals

reduced. The leader may concentrate on one particular part and when another part is seen to be failing, moves on to that part, and so on until the correct balance of operating levels is achieved.

Fred E Fiedlers ‘Contingency Model’ of leadership assumes that group performance depends on leadership style, described in terms of task motivation and relationship motivation. Situational favourableness, determined by three factors; Leader-member relations - degree to which a leader is accepted and supported by the group members, Task Structure extent to which the task is structured and defined, with clear goals and procedures and Position Power - the ability of a leader to control subordinates through reward and punishment. High levels of these three factors give the most favourable situation, low levels, the least favourable.

Relationship-motivated leaders are most effective in moderately favourable situations. Task-motivated leaders are most effective at either end of the scale. Fiedler suggests that it may be easier for leaders to change their situation to achieve effectiveness, rather than change their leadership style. He also developed the Least Preferred Co-Worker (LPC) scale to measure behaviour or a leader’s dominant style, (task or person oriented). He stated in 1967 that effective leaders need to choose appropriate leadership style based on the favourableness of situations. He suggested that it would be more promising to teach an individual to recognize the conditions under which he or she can perform best and modify the situation to suit his/her leadership style. As one can clearly see, this model is not favoured especially in business due to its lack of flexibility in leadership and time consumed in employment of that individual.

Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey are internationally renowned for their ‘Situational Leadership Model’. The model is popular as it is simple to use and widely applicable.

The situational leadership model outlines four different leadership styles that can be adopted depending on the situation or task and four development levels of the ‘follower’, varying from D1 – D4. D1 illustrating the competence and commitment of the follower as low, through to D4 where both are high. The leader assesses the development level of the “follower”

with regard to completing a specific task.

The leader assesses the follower’s level of competence and commitment in that situation and correctly matches their leadership style with the development level of the follower. In simple terms, a situational leader is one who can adopt different leadership styles depending on the situation. The Situational Leadership Model has been used by the military services for years in leader training and development as it addresses the needs of military leaders. Predictors of successful combat leadership include having first-level leadership experience, time in the unit, unit relationships, job knowledge, and the security of knowing the right thing to do.

All these lead to the confidence required to perform well under threatening conditions. Social support is more important for successful and effective leadership at lower levels than at higher ones. As a social specialist, a leader’s main function is preserving good personal relations within the group, maintaining morale, and keeping the group intact. In a military environment, the functions of a successful social specialist prevent mutiny and reduce such symptoms of low morale such as absenteeism and desertion. Leaders may not recognise situations where different leadership styles are more appropriate or may not have the skills necessary to apply the appropriate behaviours where delegation or a more directive style is more effective. The key factor underlying the model is the ability of the leader to adjust styles to meet the subordinates’ maturity demands.

So why is the ‘Situational Model’ more applicable and practical within the area of Close Protection than perhaps other areas of the security industry and commercial world? By virtue of the name it implies, the situation is constantly changing. As opposed to a large corporation where the day to day running of the show seldom moves outside its normal working parameters, those persons employed by a private client for example may find themselves working in London one day and in a hostile, high risk environment the next.

The work rate and levels of stress induced on those individuals would also increase.

Here, we can see again the role not too dissimilar to that of a military soldier.

Morale of a CP team can certainly become

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Hard Talk Close Protection the major factor if a protection operation involving a difficult client is to remain successful. When the itinerary is always changing at the list minute, long periods of boredom with team members sat in vehicles outside business meetings, the lack of toilet, the lack of food combined with a client that does not appear to appreciate the efforts of the team can all affect one’s work rate. Complacency with a disregard for the client and operation can also occur in the extreme. The ‘Situational model’ of leadership would therefore provide the necessary direction to instil motivation and support, for without a high level of leadership in these situations may jeopardise the overall security of the contract with the client itself. A constant task and relationship motivated leader is required.

If either is failing and is not acted upon with swiftness and decisiveness then the ultimate price could even be that of the client’s life. As one can clearly see, Fiedler’s ‘Contingency model’ does not have any place in an environment such as this. How can one possibly change the situation to suit the leader? Leaders who are not able to work with strong characters from a military background will not be able to work in such an environment. One could state that the nature of the occupation has a natural process of selection or elimination. The ‘Functional model’ in which 3 inter-dependant areas the leader must operate demands that increased attention be provided to the required area of concern. Although this may sound totally logical, the British academic John Adair explains the process in a manner that would involve the other two areas being at a detriment to the one receiving most attention. Attention to all areas by the team leader in close protection needs to be constant. An on-going threat assessment is conducted, relationships with the client, the client’s family and staff is monitored and the constant ‘view’ of the next occurrence is attained.

tion or military conflict but leadership as a whole, would be that of a leader of men in battle. In high risk countries where a client travels with a protection team possibilities exists for a ‘contact’ situation, whether specifically targeted or reasons associated to the client’s origin or wealth. In the heat of battle when one’s life is in imminent danger, those around you will look for guidance, support and encouragement.

They look to you for commands from the example you have shown them. They have trust in you and are loyal to that trust – self preservation is not a thought on their minds. The leader must have the essence of command and control, to be able to ensure the protection of their client and yet also remains concerned for the team.

Leadership and the reasons why men follow within this context is often difficult to comprehend. “Leadership remains the most baffling of arts . . as long as we do not know exactly what makes men get up out of a hole in the ground and go forward in the face of death at a word from another man, then leadership will remain one of the highest and most elusive of qualities. It will remain an art”. (James L. Stokesbury) I have worked with many Team Leaders in the past during my time in CP and it is a sad fact that it is those with a poor style of leadership and character that remain firmly in one’s mind. Those individuals with a personal ‘mission’ and what they can get out of a situation with a phoney concern for the team’s welfare. As a result and in every case, the team’s morale and work rate was low, subsequently and detrimentally affecting the operation as a whole – either increasing individuals’ rotation on the team or even in one case, the loss of the contract itself. This article has highlighted what leadership within the CP world entails when one excludes the rank and file structure of the Military or Police teams, an area that is important but seldom elaborated. It must be remembered that above all else, if you are a TL, your personality and character combined with extensive operational experience defines true leadership within the area of Close Protection.

Leadership “ remains the most

”

baffling of arts

The most extreme and intense situation to illustrate leadership, not just solely demonstrated in the area of close protec-

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DEMAND FOR BODYGUARDS SURGE

Greece. Last week’s kidnapping of Pericles Panagopoulos, one of the most prominent shipping tycoons since Aristotle Onassis, has added to the climate of insecurity in Greece. The magnate, who was seized as he was being driven to work and is now being held for a reported ransom of £36m, is the third high-profile abduction in the country since June. The kidnappings have sparked a huge surge in demand for bodyguards by Greece’s wealthy elite with the children of the super-rich also being assigned protection when they go to school.

BODYGUARD JAILED FOR SPEEDING

A Liverpool man has set the record for the fastest breach of a driving ban after speeding from court in his Vauxhall Astra which he parked outside. Peter Latham, 25, was captured on CCTV getting back behind the wheel just two minutes after being handed a 12-month ban for two separate driving offences. within moments of receiving a fine and a ban at Liverpool Community Justice Centre, Latham was filmed walking to the court car park with his notice still in hand before driving home. Having been handed a copy of the footage, officers arrested the 25-year-old at his Bootle home for driving while disqualified and without insurance. Latham, who claimed to work as a close protection officer in Iraq, was jailed for 10 weeks for what second judge Ian Lomax described as: ‘blatant and tantamount to contempt.’

TALIBAN KILL 20 BODYGUARDS

Afghanistan. Taliban insurgents killed 20 Afghan bodyguards in an ambush in one of the single worst raids in months in the country where foreign forces suffered their highest combat death toll in 2008 in the war. The target of the attack was Mullah Salaam, the district chief of Musa Qala in Helmand province, who was once a member of the ousted Taliban. Salaam survived the attack.

The Knowledge Anti-Surveillance

Part Two In part two of this article on anti-surveillance 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 will conduct anti-surveillance measures or drills in order to detect surveillance

BY PETER JENKINS Remember that anti-surveillance is defined as the actions that a person would take or do, in order to detect if surveillance is present.

The person is aiming to draw the surveillance in by generating two things; multiple sightings and unnatural behaviour.

As with our foot anti-surveillance drills, when mobile in a vehicle, these drills can also be covert and subtle or overt where it obvious to the followers what you are doing.

Again, a number of drills have to be carried out in order to identify surveillance. Just looking behind you does not identify surveillance – it identifies those who are behind you.

A larger team is more difficult to detect whilst someone on their own conducting surveillance would be a fairly simple affair.

Anti-surveillance can also be planned or unplanned. Planned, you may have recce’d an anti-surveillance route whilst working abroad or even in your home area. This may be a route that you take on occasions which comprises of a number of choke points or places that subtle drills can be carried out such as; changing direction, having a reason to stop, changing lanes in traffic etc. If it is unplanned, it is something that you would do ‘off the cuff’ when you get spooked or suspect that surveillance is present and just have to use your surroundings to carry out covert drills.

Mobile Anti-surveillance Drills (Drilling) • Whenever you first set off, note if anyone pulls out immediately behind you, this is amateurish and very unprofessional (which tells you the level of sophistication of the surveillance team). Make note of the vehicle behind you as you encounter the first or second junction/turning after departure.

• As you depart, continue on your original direction for a short distance and then make a turn to see if that same car is still present. If it is, it may be a coincidence so you now have to create a third drill in order to confirm or deny that it is surveillance.

• Stop suddenly. If this is done quickly at the side of the road it would appear to be a very overt drill and obvious to what you were doing. If you were to indicate, park up in a space outside a shop and then enter, you are giving the impression of having a natural reason for stopping.

However, you are noting the vehicle that overshoots and drives past you (unless he suddenly pulls in somewhere behind you).

You are looking for specific signs; the driver looking at you, he may be talking to himself, there may be a small antenna on the back of the vehicle, he may look back as he passes.

Once passed, he may turn off at the next side road and an amateur is likely to do this quite aggressively as he rushes to ‘re-plot’.

Don’t forget to also keep an eye on what is going on to your rear. You may note others vehicles peeling of the main road or manoeuvring to park up.

• As you depart, continue on your original direction for a distance and then do a ‘U’ turn taking you back past the spot you have just left, looking at the other vehicles as they pass you to observe the body language of the oncoming drivers.

Ensure that you travel some distance first otherwise you will not ‘break the box’ and will not draw the surveillance.

• Drive around a roundabout several times to throw watchers into chaos. This is a very aggressive drill and will immediately alert the team to your drilling.

• Jump a red light to see if you are followed across, again this is a very unsophisticated drill. At a junction or crossroads, indicate to turn but then move off in a different direction. If the cars behind you cancel their indicators and follow, you will have some indication of possible surveillance.

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The Knowledge • Frequently alter your speed by slowing down then speeding up, note if following cars overtake you or keep to the same speed and mirror your actions. This can be an oblivious drill but if you use slow moving traffic on a dual carriageway to deliberately slow you down you can be more subtle about it.

• Stopping immediately after taking a left hand turn may cause two of the cars to overshoot but again this is quite deliberate. To give a reason for stopping, pretend to look at a map or be on a mobile phone.

• If held in traffic, closely examine the car and person behind you, look for signs of talking into a radio or watch for the driver that ‘creeps up’ behind you.

• Drive on a motorway changing speed frequently from high to slow. Come off at an exit and then rejoin the carriageway.

• Pretend to break down on a motorway to see if anyone stops behind you. They shouldn’t but an amateur would. A more professional team will continue to the next junction and wait there.

• Drive into more rural areas using narrow lanes whilst observing the vehicles behind you. Driving at a slow pace is really difficult for the surveillance team.

• There are other drills such as lane hopping (suddenly changing lanes), driving into dead ends, which will likely force a surveillance operator on foot.

• You may also want to make a direct challenge someone you suspect as surveillance. ‘Are you following me you bastard?’ can really put off a surveillance. The guy will now have to pull off from the team and it is likely that as a consequence, the whole team would also have to lift off.

If you really want to put them off, take a photograph!

If challenged indirectly, ‘Excuse me, can you tell me the time’ (or ask for directions), this will spook the operator and get him concerned, he will want to get out of the way afterwards. His response and body language should tell you a lot and if you ask him the time, you may get a glance at his G-Shock watch, compass or a covert earpiece.

If a target drives around a roundabout twice, he may not be drilling (he missed his exit). If he then suddenly hops from one lane to another, he still might not be drilling (he is trying to find his way) but if he carried out a third manoeuvre alarms bells should start ringing to the fact that he has now

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carried out three drills which is more than a coincidence. A sophisticated person will carry out the drills over a period of time or distance, making them difficult to detect, whereas an unprofessional will do them one after another and are easily identified.

Be aware of the lost driver. If a target starts to carry out these odd drills in his home town there is a chance that he is drilling as he should know his way about. Whereas if he were miles away in an unfamiliar area, those manoeuvres would possibly indicate that he is lost so be careful.

When will a person carry out drilling?

So when will a person carry out anti-surveillance manoeuvres or drilling? They can’t keep it up 24/7 otherwise they will never get anything done or never have a life. Remember that a security professional (on the good side) will carry out a form of drilling just as much as a target of surveillance (on the bad side) would. Especially a close protection officer after picking up his Principal.

Drilling will occur at various times and remember it can be planned or unplanned. A person will drill:• When the Target first appears For instance, he leaves the house looking up and down the street for anything suspicious, gets into his car and drives away looking for anyone else moving off at the same time or puling out behind him (unprofessional surveillance). After which, he may circle the block or carry out any of the drills mentioned above. A professional surveillance team should pick up on this activity the first or second time he is watched and so would widen their surveillance ‘box’ or cordon on any subsequent surveillance.

A professional security operator or close protection officer would continue to drill for some distance from the home address so that the surveillance team ( if there is one) break the ‘box’ and are into the follow and thus more easier to identify.

• Prior to any activity A criminal may carry out some form of drilling prior to carrying out any activity. A close protection officer may also carry out some subtle drilling just prior to delivering his Principal at his destination.

• After illegal activity Savvy criminals will do this drilling after an illegal activity just as much as prior to it. A criminal may be happy that he is not under

surveillance prior to the act but he may have picked up a surveillance at the activity site.

An intelligence officer will also carry out anti-surveillance prior to and after a meeting if he does not have counter surveillance deployed.

• When returning to his haven Prior to returning to home, office or wherever, a person may also carry out some form of drilling in the event they have picked up surveillance. Drivers of security vehicles or those that work in banks should do this as part of their daily routine on their way home.

• When the Target suspects surveillance It is likely that criminals will drill at the times mentioned above. However, depending on their awareness level, they will also start to drill when they have been spooked or when they suspect surveillance is present. This will occur if they notice ‘unnatural behaviour’ or have ‘multiple sightings’ of the same person / car. Keep it in mind that there are other people in the world than just the surveillance team. It may be a case that the Target has been spooked by someone totally unconnected with the surveillance.

Don’t lift off!

As we have just mentioned, a target will drill just prior to an activity so therefore a surveillance team should detect the drilling at an early stage, this drilling is what we call a ‘switch on’. Basically, you have to ‘switch on’ because something is about to happen.

Inexperienced investigators do not realise this, they notice drilling, thinking that they will be spotted and so ‘lift off ’ when they should really be doing the opposite. Switch on, because shit is about to happen and they need to keep control but with caution.

This article by Peter Jenkins is taken from his new forthcoming surveillance training manual.

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

The Knowledge

......Tactical Communications And Conflict Resolution Tactics For Security Operatives Working In High-Risk Environments........

By

Brian Ware

Brian is a former police officer, Home Office qualified Unarmed Defensive Tactics Instructor and Head of HM Govt. Departmental Security Unit. Brian is now Chief Executive of the Protector Network which currently run courses in Police Unarmed Defensive Tactics (UDT) and Defence And Restraint Technique (DART) system for more information on these and other courses e-mail: info@protectornetwork.com or visit www.protectornetwork.com

T

he security industry in the UK has moved on, with individuals being licensed and mandatory training required most aspects of security can now boast a professional bias. It has become understood and accepted that security operatives face, often on a daily basis, excessive forms of assault; from verbal aggression to violent and often planned physical attacks. In such situations the only preparation and appropriate way to combat and reduce such behaviour is by adequate training.

The Conflict Management training and its SAFER model required to obtain the SIA licence but falls short in dealing with potentially aggressive situations. The official given

Communication

definition for communication (sic) is: ”Communication is the process where; The sender encodes the message and sends it. The receiver decodes the message and the receiver checks understanding and the sender gives a feedback, both have a responsibility to check the right message has been received” and belongs in the archives of the pre-plain English era. It does little to instil confidence or any practical assistance in handling a potentially dangerous situation.

While Conflict Management is an essential part of dealing with aggressors; it is by far from all we need to know, much needed is a practical physical capability to defend against an attack, with elements of control and restraint. Also, and often overlooked is the crucial part tactical communications has to play in the whole process of conflict management and justifying our actions in bringing a situation back under control.

TACTICAL COMMUNICATIONS

What is Tactical Communications?

• A process by which security operatives ensure an advantage by actively engaging in the communication process.

Communication is made up of 3 components • Words spoken (7%) • Vocal tone, volume and intonation (38%) • Non-verbal communication (55%)

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The Knowledge If you are receiving conflicting signals between the suspects’ spoken word and body language – believe the body language.

Eye Contact Is a subject often and deliberately overlooked due to the mistaken sensitivity that it can racially offend, what such decisions fail to understand is that the understanding of peoples’ eye contact is not based on race, but is a culturally evolved phenomenon.

The following groups will maintain eye contact for these approximate times; European = 45% Afro Caribbean = 30% Chinese / Asians = 15% Not difficult to understand, when considered in historical times, anyone looking a Samurai directly in the eye, was liable to be lawfully beheaded by the Samurai for being disrespectful. Hence, it became cultural behaviour to avoid ‘eye contact’ - not because a person had something to hide or was guilty of an offence! These customs have lived on over the centuries, and should be noted, as that and not necessarily as a signal of someone’s wrongful intent.

• Head drops forward to protect the throat • Eyebrows lower to protect the eyes • Hands raise above the waist • Shoulders tense • Stance changes • Target acquisition glances • Body lowers At this point there is no option to use tactical communications to de-escalate the situation and your options are those of physical intervention; • Move to establish control (outside the fighting arc, if possible) • Use loud positive verbal commands • Establish a defensive stance and consider another Use of Force Option (use of restraints or calling for assistance)

Conflict Resolution Model

Recognising anger and potential violence We are able to recognise anger and potential violence by understanding the following: When feeling anger people will show one or more of the following Warning Signs; • Direct prolonged eye contact • Abrupt stopping or starting of nervous behaviour • Ground kicking • Breathing rate accelerates • Subject stands tall • Large body movements • Facial colour darkens • Head goes back • Aggression is directed The best way of dealing when confronted by this behaviour is by; • Distancing • Attempt to use tactical communications to bring about a reduction in hostility • Establish a proper stance and prepare to use a Use of Force Option When circumstances have progressed to the stage where a person is going to resort to violence, they will display one or more of the following Danger Signs; • Fists clenching and unclenching • Facial colour pales • Lips tighten over teeth

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General Communication Skills can be summarised by the 5 step plan; ASK

What is wrong / what are you doing

EXPLAIN

You cannot do that because……

OPTIONS

If you continue, you will have to leave

CONFIRM

Do you understand what I have told you

ACTION

If there is no compliance, physical intervention will be required

The Knowledge CONFLICT RESOLUTION MODEL The Conflict Resolution Model offers guidance and support in determining what level of force is appropriate in a given set of operational circumstances. It helps provide sound justification for the actions taken.

The ‘profiled offender behaviour’ demands the ‘reasonable operative response’ which is affected by the ‘impact factors’.

The Conflict Resolution Model covers the three interactive areas :- a) Profiled Offender Behaviour b) Reasonable Operative Responses c) Impact Factors These can be broken down accordingly: PROFILED OFFENDER BEHAVIOUR • Compliance Offender offers no resistance Complies with operatives request • Verbal Resistance and Gestures Offender refuses verbally to comply Exhibits body language indicating non-compliance • Passive Resistance Offender sits/stands still and will not move • Active Resistance Offender pulls away or pushes operative with no deliberate attempt to strike or injure • Aggressive Resistance Offender fights with operative – kicking/punching wrestling, biting etc.

• Serious or Aggravated Resistance Any assault where there exists the possibility of great bodily harm or death Includes the production of a weapon by offender REASONABLE SECURITY RESPONSE OPTIONS An operative can enter at any reasonable response level. In reporting and justifying use of force they must show that they had either attempted to lower levels but they were ineffective OR considered lower levels but believed they would have been ineffective or inappropriate under the circumstances.

• Operatives Presence Includes method of approach Uniform or plain clothes / pronouncement of office • Tactical Communications Can be verbal or non-verbal (i.e. uniform presence) • Primary Control Skills Use of empty hand skills Use of restraint techniques • Secondary Control Techniques

Handcuffs if available and legal • Defensive Tactics Blocks / Strikes / Takedowns With empty hands, followed by control techniques • Deadly Force Any action which may cause serious bodily injury or death

IMPACT FACTORS The operatives’ choice in the use of force option is based on their perception of all the circumstances, in addition to the profiled offender behaviour there are impact factors which may influence the operatives’ response which include but are not limited to: • Sex – age – size • Relative strength • Skill level • Exhaustion or injury • Numbers • Special knowledge • Alcohol or drugs • Mental derangement • Weapons • Imminent danger • Being in a position of disadvantage and the operatives perception of the subjects willingness to resist Before entering into any physical intervention, a security operative should satisfy themselves that their: • Actions are lawful?

• Actions are necessary?

• Actions are proportionate?

• Actions are in pursuit of a justifiable aim?

The Unarmed Defensive Tactics system now taught to police is by far the best to date, inasmuch that not only does it teach easily learnt techniques with a low injury potential, they offer a realistic alternative for police officers and security operatives alike to attempt lower levels of control with the ability to escalate accordingly to achieve compliance where necessary, in addition to the physical aspect of the training it provides a comprehensive Conflict Resolution Model.

By understanding the skills contained in the Conflict Resolution Model and using Tactical Communications in conjunction with approved lawful Defence and Restraint techniques, Security Operatives are able to justify their actions when required in a Court of Law.

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Readers Writes Close Protection

Mind

A section taken from the beginning of Chapter Three of the best selling book Just 2 Seconds by Gavin de Becker, Tom Taylor and Jeff Marquart

E

ssential Lesson of this Chapter: All attacks happen at the same time: Now. If you intend to meet the attack, you must be there mentally, not just physically. Readiness exists only when both mind and body are prepared.

Walking into the campaign event with the Governor and his wife, you overhear snippets of their intense conversation.

It seems he’s forgotten something; no, she’s forgotten it. She’s sorry, she needs it, left it behind, on the sink, in the suite, nobody’s fault. The Governor turns to you and says, “Hey, do me a favour: During dinner, ask somebody to get Elaine’s makeup case from the suite. Just be sure somebody grabs it and gets it to the car before we go. Thanks.”

An innocent-seeming request, but the Governor has just given you a mental virus. Because of this bug, everything in the Now will become a distraction from Operation Makeup Case. More importantly, Operation Makeup Case will become a distraction from the Now. You imagine pulling up to the airport in two hours and realizing you forgot the makeup case. You imagine the Governor judging your entire worth on the basis of this one oversight, saying, or at least thinking, “The guy can’t even remember the simplest thing!”

All the while, as you stand near the elevated platform where the Governor and his wife are sitting down to pretend they’re having dinner, your mind is fighting with itself— and losing: “Isn’t that the same guy who made the big disturbance at that rally, the guy who wouldn’t let go of the Governor’s arm?

Keep an eye on him. Hard to imagine he’s got the money to buy a ticket for this reception. Does it look like he’s here alone, or with someone? Makeup case, makeup case, makeup case. He seems to be keeping his distance; he’s joining people at that table. Good time to radio somebody to call the front desk. No, better not rely

32 : :

on anyone with the hotel; I’ll send one of our guys up to the suite. He’ll have to get a key. That is the same guy, something about the Governor invading his privacy via computer. I knew we’d see him again.

Who can I spare to go to the suite? I’d hate to take Steve off the car. What if we have to leave early? I’ll ask Anne. No, she may think I chose her because she’s a woman.

He’s up from his table... headed this way?

No, toward the back, maybe the bathroom or something. Makeup case, makeup case. My wife carries her makeup in her purse; she doesn’t need a whole case.

It sounds so professional: makeup case. I guess being the Governor’s wife is a sort of a profession. He’s coming this way. No, it’s not the same guy — unless he’s gained weight. OK, Steve goes to the suite, hands me the car keys as he passes by so I can drive if it comes to that. Anne can stay on post. Steve can take the makeup case right to the car. I could ask one of the staffers, but the last time I asked Bradford for something, he said, ‘Hey I’m doing my job — I’m here to meet people.’ Well, I’m here to meet people too, the kind of people who can cause serious problems, the kind Bradford wouldn’t want to handle.

Where did that guy disappear to? Makeup case, makeup case. Where’s that guy? Oh shit, that’s him grabbing the Governor’s shoulder right now. I wish I’d...”

“I wish I’d...” are three words you never want in a protection story.

Since peripheral assignments like this derail our focus, one solution is to handle them immediately, and then get back to the Now as soon as possible, But even after the makeup case is handled, that hardly solves the other 60,000 distractions a day we create on our own.

You see, your mind, like everyone else’s, doesn’t care what it’s chewing on — as long as it’s chewing. The mind doesn’t need the Governor to distract you. Threat case or makeup case, it’s all the same. The mind is built to pose and answer ques-

Just 2 Seconds ISBN: 978-0-615-21447-4 Available at www.just2seconds.org www.gavindebecker.com tions, to tell and re-tell stories, to explain things, to figure them out, to divide them, to put them in categories, to turn them over, to compare them, to grind everything down to its smallest particle, to attach each experience to a memory, to draw some conclusion, to treat irrelevant, unconnected facts as if they are great clues, and then use the manufactured clues to solve mysteries, as if they are great mysteries. The undisciplined mind is a constant assembly line that painstakingly produces thousands of useless gadgets every hour, and only rarely puts together something of value.

Come to Your Senses When a protector is lost in thought he is literally lost to the present moment. To be there in space is one thing, but to be there in time is the main thing. To be present means to be pre-sent, to already be there

Readers Writes Close Protection

when it happens. Since the nature of the mind is to wander, it must somehow be coaxed into the current moment, tamed specifically for protective work.

The big question, perhaps the biggest question in protection, perhaps the biggest challenge in any important endeavour is How to stay in the present moment.

The answers: Commitment, physical readiness, conditioning of the mind, and practice at seeing each new event as really new. This will all require freedom from craving.

Few things remove a person from the present moment as completely as craving.

Imagine a smoker on a protective assignment, three hours since his last cigarette. The space between every relevant perception is quickly filled by the urge to have a cigarette. All day, he is riding the addiction roller coaster, chugging his way up the steep track toward satisfaction, thinking of little but reaching the top, perhaps getting a cigarette and then rolling downward into the next valley, a valley in which he’ll predictably slow to a chug as he climbs up the next steep track. Craving, imagining, planning, anticipating, attaining, satisfaction, and then a brief moment of freedom from craving — till the cycle starts again, and then again.

A note from Gavin de Becker: Some readers might already be aware that our firm deploys a nicotine-free workforce. That doesn’t mean simply no smoking at work.

It means no smoking or other tobacco use at any time. Every employee in our firm is nicotine-free, 24 hours a day, and we have random urinalysis to ensure it.

Years ago when I made that decision there was some controversy. I took a fair amount of criticism: Was I trying to control the off-duty lives of our protectors? Did my firm have the legal right to disqualify applicants who used tobacco? Etc. We learned that some military sniper units had made the same decision about nicotine use because (among other reasons) snipers might be positioned at concealed locations for hours and must be careful not to reveal their location through lighting a match, for example. And even with the stakes involved, do you know what many addicted smokers do when in concealed sniper positions for hours? They light the match. Of

course. They have no choice. A highly stressful situation is hardly the ideal circumstance to quit a powerful addiction. And if they resist the cravings, what happens to precision and accuracy after a few hours without nicotine? Let’s just say it’s not improved: hands shaking, blurred vision, inability to concentrate, looking for any opportunity to take a break and get a cigarette — all things that distance the smoker from our goal of being present.

So when I was facing this decision I thought: Can I really look at our clients — who trust us to protect their safety and to protect their children — and say: “We are completely committed to your safety, except for this one thing: We assign people who are either withdrawing from or dosing themselves with a consciousness-changing chemical, hour-by-hour, all day, every day — and they’ll often be thinking of ways to fulfill their cravings rather than thinking of being in the right place at the right time.”

When people asked if I was trying to control the off-duty lives of our associates, I replied Yes — and not just trying. I was ensuring it through testing. There are many policies and requirements that influence the offduty behavior of professionals: You can’t smoke pot or have a few beers an hour before work. A pilot can’t arrive at work drunk or exhausted and expect everyone to accept the off-duty choices that left him in that condition. You cant pass our Physical Fitness and Readiness test each year unless you dedicate some of your off-hours time to exercise. Professional readiness requires a full commitment, period.

Imagine you owned a race car. You certainly wouldn’t let someone pour anything in the fuel tank that would detract from peak engine performance. Now carry that thought to a biological example: Imagine you own a champion racehorse. You wouldn’t give it nicotine.

I’ve been told we’re the only protection operation on earth that maintains a nicotinefree workforce — I don’t know, but I hope it’s not true.

People crave ingestibles other than nicotine, of course. Depending upon a protector’s habits, addictions, metabolism, nutrition, and peace of mind, he might crave sugar, coffee, chocolate, or even

food itself. It’s obvious that to do their best work protectors must be in excellent physical condition, so obvious that it’s taken for granted in these pages that serious protectors will be in excellent physical condition. However, a person can appear to be in excellent physical condition, and yet still be slave to cravings. The concepts we’re about to explore might well be the most important in protective work, and they require the willingness to condition the mind through practice.

Among other things, this means avoiding the trampoline-like effect of cravings.

Sugar is the prime example of something that provides a bounce, a brief moment that feels like flight, then the rapid and weighty descent to the canvas, and then what feels like low energy, followed by the belief that sugar is needed again to keep going. We said what feels like low energy because, in fact, you have all the energy you need, Snickers bar or no Snickers bar.

What will help most people to have ready access to their energy is a lifestyle and dietary change involving several smaller meals (as opposed to two or three big ones), and choosing snack foods that metabolize more slowly than sugar. This is made quite difficult by the fact that nearly every snack that’s conveniently available is a form of sugar.

You feel hungry and want to grab something in a hurry. At most populated places throughout the world you can find — usually within a hundred yards of where you’re standing — someone selling some form of sugar. Think about this: Walk a hundred yards in any direction, into any hotel, gas station, convenience store, pharmacy, even health food store — and you’re likely to find a wide selection of small doses of sugar, offered in a variety of forms, textures, and flavours, with varying levels of deceit in the packaging. You’ll also find cigarettes and caffeine just as easily, 24-hours a day, and virtually always within a hundred yards. Why? Because millions of people are addicted to these chemicals. For the purposes of protective work, addiction is defined as any habit that leads to craving. Craving is any strong or uncontrollable desire, any persistent tug on your attention that can be stopped only through feeding it, and even then the

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Readers Writes Close Protection cessation is temporary.

Nicotine, sugar, and caffeine are three popular products people crave — but what the body actually seeks is nutrition.

Accordingly, all intelligent logistical plans by security professionals will include opportunities to eat, and access to foods that don’t inspire cravings. On this planet, that just about certainly means protective teams will have to bring along some of their own food: otherwise the only thing you’ll be able to find quickly will be sugar.

Lest we sound preachy, we certainly don’t pretend to have mastered the nutritional plan that perfectly matches the realities of protective assignments We’re always working to crack this nut, so to speak (and speaking of nuts, they are part of the solution because they are metabolized more slowly than sugar) This isn’t a book about nutrition, of course, and all we’re intending here is to give you the goal: to be free of craving, because it undermines (you could say under-minds) a protector’s ability to be present for the mission.

If we go one level deeper into the subject of craving, we see that craving is not actually linked to hunger at all. As one quickly learns when fasting, even if for just 24 hours, the craving for food that we initially think will worsen to the unbearable point actually passes entirely after a while.

During a fast, you might think, “I have to eat right away,” and then you see that 3, 5,10,15 hours later you still haven’t eaten and yet you’re just fine. This shows that craving is in the mind, not the stomach; craving and hunger are much different things. The experience of fasting for 24 hours is a profoundly valuable one for protectors because once you know that you can go ten or fifteen hours without

even a snack, waiting an hour or two till the next break becomes far easier. Above all, you know your body is fine and that the challenge is in the mind only. (There is a body issue in fasting, however: Drink plenty of water.).

So, we’ve seen that craving is in the mind and not the body, and we’ve seen that craving is destructive to effective protection because it takes the protector out of the present moment. From here, we can go still one level deeper and see that more than just keeping you from being present in the moment, craving is a symptom, a signal that you are already not present.

You’d never crave a Snickers bar while in a free fall sky dive, or while scuba-diving with sharks, or immediately after hearing what you think is a gunshot. Being fully present in the moment and craving never go together. Thus, at the instant you become aware of a craving, you’re simultaneous being made aware that you are not fully present. If you use craving in this way (instead of allowing it to use you), craving is a superb and reliable reminder to wake up and come back to the present. And the instant you are fully engaged in the present, the craving stops!

Assuming freedom from craving, or wise use of craving, the following concepts can now be applied: In the TAD exercise, a protector is told that an attack will come within 30 seconds, making pure and complete focus somewhat easy. But in actual protective assignments, each of us must keep our mind at bay for hours and hours. To keep something “at bay,” means to keep it protected from the sea, to keep it anchored.

What’s tugging on that anchor? The same

thing that tugs on all anchors: The constant moving of the water. The mind is a surging ocean of thought-waves, most of them irrelevant to the mission at hand.

Unless we give the mind a specific task, such as Design That Building, or Total Up That Column of Numbers, or Find Those Car Keys, we’re usually treading water in a sea of constant distractions.

With the mind at bay, your attention can move from Now to Now, releasing each moment almost instantaneously so that the next can be perceived. In protective work (and in life), the rewards come when each past moment is allowed to expire gracefully, without resistance, so the current moment can live fully. Remaining in the Now means, in effect, that you lose your mind and come to your senses. Then you can perceive what is going on around you. Our thoughts sometimes become scattered all over the mental field, and to direct them toward a single goal, we must collect them. The protector’s mission needs to be constantly remembered, re-collected, in the most literal meaning of the word.

In order to avoid problems like Operation Makeup Case, our firm seeks to remove logistical responsibilities from those assigned to close protective coverage when possible. Contrary to a practice applied by some in the field, we do not automatically assign the Detail Leader to close protection, because we want our close protectors free of the need to deal with logistics and planning We want them actively looking into each fraction of a second to see what it contains — and we don’t want them thinking too much about the future.

I fact, we don’t want them thinking too much at all.

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. A two-time Presidential Appointee at the U.S. Department of Justice, he is currently a Senior Fellow at UCLA’s School of Public Policy. Mr. de Becker designed the MOSAIC systems used to screen threats to Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, CIA officials, Members of Congress, and the Governors of twelve states. He has appeared many times on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, the Today Show, 60 Minutes, and in TIME and Newsweek. His bestselling books on violence are published in 14 languages.

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. Author of two previous books on protection, he is now Special Projects Advisor with Gavin de Becker & Associates.

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. Mr. Marquart has managed protective assignments in more than 40 countries, and currently oversees more than a half million man-hours of protection each year. A sought-after speaker and trainer, he is the author of many articles and white papers on protective security.

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: : 35

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BBA Member. www.petervazquezsecurity.com ___________________________ Primus Group 8, Earlswood Road, Llanishen, Cardiff, CF14 5GH Tel: + 44 (0) 29 20757578 Conflict Management, Workplace Violence, Management & Development, PhysicalIntervention, HSE First Aid Training, Security Consultancy. BBA Member. www.primusgroup.co.uk ___________________________ Protector Network 156 Queens Road, London, SE15 2HP Tel: +44 (0)759 434 9911 The Protector Network provides worldwide operational and training solutions.

Closely bound with the International Bodyguard Association and ILETA we are able to provide global coverage through our professionally qualified affiliates. Free membership for BBA members. BBA Member. www.protectornetwork.com ___________________________ PSD Training 29 Harley Street, London, W1G 9QR Tel: + 44 (0) 845 056 399 With world class, City & Guilds 7303 & 7302 certified instructors, European dedicated City & Guilds accredited training venue and Firearms Training Centres, PSD Training has been delivering specialist security training courses for PSD operators and Close Protection Officers working on Close Protection & High Risk PSD contracts since 2004. www.psdtraining.com ___________________________ Raven Special Projects Heston, Middlesex, TW5 9JG Bespoke Security Services including Close Protection, Risk Analysis and Maritime Security. BBA Member. www.ravenspecialprojects.com ___________________________ Red Diamond Security PO Box 775, Christchurch , 8140, NEW ZEALAND

CLASSIFIED Tel: + 021 0227 0093 Providing professional proactive security ranging from basic security guarding through to Close Protection (Bodyguard/ PSD) in Iraq. BBA Member. www.reddiamond.co.nz ___________________________ Regal Security Training Unit 22 B, Wolverhampton Business Airport, Stourbridge, DY7 5DY Tel: + 44 (0) 777 5026 69 We specialise in a range of professionally conducted close protection, security and firearms training courses, operated by experienced close protection operators. www.regalsecuritytraining.com ___________________________ Saint Security Consultants Pte Ltd 20 Kramat Lane, #03-04 United House, 228733, SINGAPORE Tel: + 65 67373104 Licenced by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Singapore Police Force, Saint Security Consultants Pte Ltd was incorporated by former Police officers from various departments and specialist professionals with decades of expertise in Criminal and Commercial Investigation, Intelligence Operations as well as Security Planning and Management. BBA Member. www.saint-security.com ___________________________ Secret Guard Digevej 8 A, Esbjerg V, 6710, DENMARK Tel: + 45 702 2953 Secret Guard is a professional security company which specializes in personal protection, event security, investigation, electronic security and security for hotels and Embassies. BBA Member. www.secretguard.dk ___________________________ Security Contractor 8 Pitman House, Moorfields Road, Bath, BA2 2HS Tel: + 44 (0) 7968 48476 A dedicated on-line and mail order shop for Security-Contractors, Private Military Companies and professionals involved in Close Protection and Homeland Security. BBA Member. www.security-contractor.co.uk ___________________________ Self Protection Services Wingate, Durham, TS28 5LQ Tel: + 44 (0) 1429 836040 Self Protection Services was formed to help fill the void in the North East of England for realistic self defence tuition and to supply close protection and event security services. BBA Member. www.selfprotectionservices.net ___________________________ Sexton Executive Security 10332 Main Street #181, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA Telephone : + 1 703 293 6262 Providing a wide range of executive security services to corporate and private clients alike.

Based in the Washington D.C. Metro area with a global reach and an established presence in the U.A.E. to service clients and interests in the Middle East.

Overseas Executive Protection training course and Yacht Protector’s course held in Dubai several times throughout the year. BBA Member. www.sextonsecurity.com ___________________________ Shaun West Security Consultant London, England Telephone : +44 (0) 7830 109 601 SIA licensed CPO. Ronin SA trained. Providing security for both corporate and hostile Environments. BBA Member. www.shaunwest.co.uk ___________________________ Sting Protection Germiston, Guateng, SOUTH AFRICA Telephone : + 27 82 791 0119 Our highly trained staff will assure that you receive piece of mind, and that you and your valuables are safe and secure during your visit to South Africa. BBA Member. www.sting-protection.co.za ___________________________ Sun Security Personnel Suite 7/Level 1, 564 Princes Highway, Rockdale, NSW 2216, AUSTRALIA Telephone : + 1300 736 795 Founded in 1992 with a vision to provide a professional and outstanding level of security service to our clients worldwide. BBA Member. www.sunsecurityñcom.au ___________________________ Tony Scotti’s Vehicle Dynamics Institute 1162 St. Georges Ave, Suite 277 , Avenel, NJ 07001, USA Tel: + 1 732 738 5221 The first name in advanced driver training, offering our highly acclaimed Protective/Evasive Driving Programs. Designed specificallyfor today’s executive chauffeurs, executive protection professionals and others who are responsible for providing safe and secure transportation services. BBA Member. www.vehicledynamics.net ___________________________ Viking Security 185 Langworthy Rd, Salford, Manchester, M6 5PW Tel: + 44 (0) 161 745 880 Our aim is to provide first class security solutions. By using the skills of our dedicated team of professionals, we will ensure the very best service and support is offered to all our clients. BBA Member. www.vikingsecurity.co.uk ___________________________ VIP Bodyguard Ltd Ungvár str. 16, Budapest, 1194, HUNGARY Tel: + 36 70 317 8677 Offering close protection service and training in Hungray. Focusing on: Close Protection Services, “Child Protection” Service, Executive Security Service, Bodygaurd Training, Firearm and selfdefence Training. BBA Member. www.vipbodyguard.hu ___________________________ VIPA Tactical Training P O Box 353, Roweltown, Cumbria, CA1 9DP

Circuit The

This edition of The Circuit was brought to you by: -

SPRING

2009

Quarterly Magazine of The British Bodyguard Association

KIDNAP AND RANSOM Hostage Exploitation and Resistance

SURVEILLANCE FOR THE CPO Anti Surveillance pt. 2

COMMUNICATION Conflict Resolution

LEADERSHIP

How to run a CP team

STARTING OUT Starting out in The Business

Journey to Baghdad

HIGH RISK OPERATIONS Field Report Damian Buckwell “what the bloody hell am I doing here?” pg6

Design and Layout: Kal Wilkins Editorial written by various authors to whom we extend our thanks.

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

W: www.The-BBA.org.uk : : E: Info@The-BBA.org.uk Tel: 0845 3102 413 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.

Tel: + 44 (0) 7954 218125 A specialist training academy dealing with four specific areas of combat: VIPA Civilian Self Protection Program, VIPA Close Protection Combat System, VIPA Police Defence Tactics and VIPA Military Close Quarter Combat. BBA Member. www.VIPAtacticaltraining.com ___________________________ Watchman Protective Services Inc 1306 Fairlakes Pl, Mitchellville, MD 20721, USA Tel: + 1 866 608 8000 We provide executive protection and security guard services with unarmed and armed security officers and mobile patrol services to industrial and manufacturing facilities, commercial properties, local and federal governments, residential communities and retail establishments.

BBA Member. www.watchmanprotective.com

___________________________ Wild Geese Martial Arts Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6, EIRE Tel: + 353 87 672 6090 We run a courses designed to be more than just self defence. You will learn some of the secrets and techniques used by the world’s top Bodyguards to keep you and your principle safe from attack. BBA Member. www.wildgeesema.com

To place a classified advertisement telephone our sales team on: 0845 3102 413

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