Preemptive Offensive Cyberwarfare
Israeli-U.S. Cooperation
In Homeland & Counterterrorism
Chinese Economic Espionage In The U.S.
The Global Security Consultant’s Pyramid
SWAT Capable Homeland Security Bookshelf
Spring Issue Vol. 23 No. 1 2017 Printed in the U.S.A. IACSP.COM
IACSP Q&A
With Dick Couch
Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International
Vol. 23, No.1
Vol. 23, No. 1 Spring 2017 IACSP Director of Operations Steven J. Fustero
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Associate Publisher Phil Friedman
Israeli-U.S. Cooperation In Homeland Security And Counterterrorism, by Dr. Joshua Sinai
Senior Editor Nancy Perry Contributing Editors Paul Davis Thomas B. Hunter Joshua Sinai Book Review Editor Jack Plaxe Research Director Gerry Keenan Conference Director John Dew
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Communications Director Craig O. Thompson
The Great Leak Forward: Chinese Economic Espionage In The U.S., by Camille Mouillard & Maxime Proud
Art Director Scott Dube, MAD4ART International Psychological CT Advisors Cherie Castellano, MA, CSW, LPC Counterintelligence Advisor Stanley I. White South America Advisor Edward J. Maggio Homeland Security Advisor Col. David Gavigan
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SITREP, Terrorism Trends & Forecasts
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A Case For (and against), Pre-emptive Offensive Cyberwarfare by David Gewirtz
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The Global Security Consultant’s Pyramid: How To Be In The Top
5% Of Successful Security Consultants,
by Luke Bencie & Jeremiah Fernandez by Camille Mouillard & Maxime Proud
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Israeli-U.S. Cooperation In Homeland Security And Counterterrorism, by Dr. Joshua Sinai
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SWAT Capable, by Jim Weiss, Mark Prince & Mickey Davis
Page 38 Secure Driver--Automotive Technology: Vehicle Trajectory, by Anthony Ricci by Paul Davis
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Tactical Advisor Robert Taubert
Security Driver Advisor Anthony Ricci, ADSI
Cell Phone Forensics Advisor Dr. Eamon P. Doherty IACSP Advisory Board John M. Peterson III John Dew Thomas Patire Cherie Castellano, MA, CSW, LPC Robert E. Thorn Southeast Asia Correspondent Dr. Thomas A. Marks
Page 40 IACSP Q&A With Former Navy SEAL And Author, Dick Couch,
Director of Emergency Ops. Don L. Rondeau
Cyberwarfare Advisor David Gewirtz
Emergency Management Advisor Clark L. Staten
Hazmat Advisor Bob Jaffin
Page 16 The Great Leak Forward: Chinese Economic Espionage In The U.S.,
Personal Security Advisor Thomas J. Patire
IACSP Homeland Security Bookshelf, reviews by Dr. Joshua Sinai
European Correspondent Elisabeth Peruci Middle East Correspondent Ali Koknar CTSERF Research Professor David Gewirtz, M.Ed National Sales Representative Phil Friedman, Advertising Director Tel: 201-224-0588, Fax: 202-315-3459 iacsp@aol.com
THE JOURNAL OF COUNTERTERRORISM & HOMELAND SECURITY INT’L is published by SecureWorldnet, Ltd., PO Box 100688, Arlington, VA 22210, USA, (ISSN#1552-5155) in cooperation with the International Association for Counterterrorism & Security Professionals and Counterterrorism & Security Education and Research Foundation. Copyright © 2017. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The opinions expressed herein are the responsibility of the authors and are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. Editorial correspondence should be addressed to: The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International, PO Box 100688, Arlington, VA 22210, USA, (571) 216-8205, FAX: (202) 315-3459 . Membership $65/year, add $10 for overseas memberships. Postmaster: send address changes to: The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International, PO Box 100688, Arlington, VA 22210, USA. Web site: www.iacsp.com
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SITREP
TERRORISM TRENDS & FORECASTS Global Overview 2017
S
yria’s conflict intensified further, and could take another violent turn as the offensive on Raqqa, the stronghold of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), becomes imminent. In Egypt, ISIS stepped up attacks, particularly against Coptic Christians, and May could see both jihadists and security forces increasingly resort to violence. In South Asia, the Taliban claimed deadly attacks against the military and civilians throughout Afghanistan, killing at least 140 soldiers in reportedly the deadliest Taliban attack on armed forces since 2001, while violence escalated in Kashmir. In Venezuela and Macedonia political tensions continued to mount, while in Paraguay, popular anger sparked by a move to lift a one-term limit on the presidency was defused after President Cartes announced he would no longer seek re-election.
In Syria, an escalation in violence by Syrian and outside actors eroded prospects for a political settlement and, with an offensive on ISIS’s stronghold Raqqa imminent, fighting in May could be worse still. In Egypt, ISIS ramped up attacks particularly against Coptic Christians, prompting the government to declare a state of
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emergency and fighting between security forces and jihadists intensified in the Sinai Peninsula. This worrying escalation could lead to further attacks on churches this summer and the risk that the government, under the state of emergency, employs yet more heavy-handed tactics to suppress dissent. In South Asia, the Taliban claimed a number of attacks against the
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military and civilians throughout Afghanistan. As we have warned, preventing the loss of more territory to insurgents, particularly during the Taliban’s new spring offensive, is an urgent priority which will require, among other steps, robust international assistance and addressing widening internal disagreements and political partisanship that permeate all levels of the security apparatus. Elsewhere in the region, tensions worsened between Indian security forces and Kashmiri separatists and protesters around a by-election in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir’s capital. Meanwhile, in India’s Chhattisgarh state, Maoists ambushed a Central Reserve Police Force patrol on 21 April killing at least 25, reportedly the worst attack on security forces since 2010.
thousands of protesters onto the streets, the government deployed the National Guard and police to disperse them with tear gas, water-cannon and plastic bullets, often fired at close range. Meanwhile, in a positive move, Paraguay’s President Cartes announced he would no longer seek reelection in 2018, defusing tensions in the wake of violent protests in late March against a move to lift a one-term limit on the presidency. Deteriorating Situations • Afghanistan, India (nonKashmir), Kashmir, Macedonia, Venezuela, Syria, Egypt Improving Situations • Paraguay
Source: www.crisisgroup.org
Macedonia’s political standoff turned violent last month as protesters opposed to the formation of a new Social Democrat (SDSM)-led coalition government stormed parliament and attacked MPs after they elected a new ethnic Albanian speaker. Over 100 were injured, including SDSM leader Zoran Zaev as well as other politicians, journalists and police. In a new Commentary on the Western Balkans, Crisis Group has warned that the new majority coalition must be allowed to take office and govern, or Macedonia risks ethnic conflict.
Up to $10 Million Reward Offered for Information on the Leader of the al Nusrah Front
Almost 30 people were killed in Venezuela as security forces and government supporters cracked down on protestors in the capital and elsewhere demanding elections and the dismissal of Supreme Court justices behind a March ruling to assume the National Assembly’s legislative powers. As growing opposition to the government drew hundreds of
The FBI is seeking information on the leadership of the al Nusrah Front (ANF), a foreign terrorist organization, to include information on Muhammad al-Jawlani. Today, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of Muhammad al-Jawlani.
In 2011 al-Jawlani, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, and Abu Muhammad al-Golani, established ANF. In 2013, al-Jawlani, as a leader of ANF, pledged the organization’s allegiance to al Qaeda and its leadership. In 2016, al-Jawlani claimed that the ANF was changing its name to Jabhat Fath Al Sham, or “Conquest of the Levant Front,” which has also been known as Jabhat al-Nusrah, Jabhet alNusra, The Victory Front, and al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant. Individuals with information regarding ANF leadership, to include al-Jawlani, are asked to contact the FBI or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. Individuals also may submit a tip on the FBI’s website by visiting tips.fbi.gov or on the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice website at rewardsforjustice.net. Tips can remain confidential.
ability to plan and execute terrorist attacks in Europe. While local governments continue counterterrorism operations, the Department nevertheless remains concerned about the potential for future terrorist attacks. U.S. citizens should always be alert to the possibility that terrorist sympathizers or self-radicalized extremists may conduct attacks with little or no warning. Extremists continue to focus on tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities as viable targets. In addition, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, high-profile events, educational institutions, airports, and other soft targets remain priority locations for possible attacks. U.S. citizens should exercise additional vigilance in these and similar locations, in particular during the upcoming summer travel season when large crowds may be common. Source: www.state.gov
IACSP News
Summer Travel Alert The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the continued threat of terrorist attacks throughout Europe. This Travel Alert expires on September 1, 2017. Recent, widely-reported incidents in France, Russia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom demonstrate that the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS or Da’esh), al-Qa’ida, and their affiliates have the
Many of our members are not receiving our new monthly CTS Enews (electronic security report) because we either do not have your email address, or you are using a .gov or .mil email address for your membership record. If you would like to receive our CTS Enews, please send me an email with the email address you would like us to use. Also include your current address. Please send the information to my attention to my personal email address: iacsp1@aol.com Until next time, as always, be vigilant and safe. Thank you. Steven J. Fustero, Dir. Of Operations/IACSP
The Case For (and against)
Preemptive Offensive Cyberwarfare
P By David Gewirtz
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ut yourself, for just a moment, into the shoes of a strategic leader. You could be an admiral, a general, a president. You have the awesome responsibility of protecting your citizens, and your war fighters, against an implacable enemy. It could be a nation-state like North Korea, or a terrorist organization like ISIS. The details, for now, don’t matter. What’s important is to realize they’re “the enemy” because they’re going to try hurt you and your people.
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As a command authorit y, you have vast resources at your disposal. You have ships, planes, bombs, missiles, tanks, submarines, and the best-trained ground troops in the world. Each of these falls into the very general category of physical warfare, where, as a Marine friend of mine once put it, “We go in and we break things.” You also have remote war fighting at your disposal. With these tools, you can still break things, but you’re not putting troops in the field at risk. These resources include your deeply insightful intelligence analysts, remote-operated drones, and cyber — a category that loosely encompasses all the elements of computer and network hacking for national security benefit. Let’s talk about the two modes of cyberwarfare for a moment: defense and offense. Although it may not be intuitively obvious, of the two, defense is the most challenging. That’s because we need to defend everything, all the time, without fail. Period. While we do have some stateof-the-art systems, much of our cyber-infrastructure is wildly out of date, vulnerable, and in the digital equivalent of disre-
pair. Windows XP, for example, is still widely used in hospitals, public-sector services, and businesses throughout the world. XP debuted a decade and a half ago. It is the poster child for Windows-based vulnerabilities, since the operating system was not designed to protect against the level of sophisticated attacks possible today. Defense, therefore is a huge challenge. While we haven’t yet experienced vast infrastructure failure due to hack attacks, the huge prevalence of advanced persistent threats (bad guys living inside our networks for extended periods of time) shows just how vulnerable we are. But we’re not alone in our vulnerabilities. Our enemies are just as vulnerable. After all, it’s not like we’ve been lax on the job of maintaining all our computer systems, and the bad guys are doing everything perfectly. Of course they’re not. They’re running old and inadequately protected systems, too. Their networks are a mix of up-to-date defenses and jaw-droppingly poor design decisions. Their systems are also accessed and managed by humans with human sloppiness and frailties. In other words, our enemies are offering themselves up as targets of opportunity to us, just as we are to them. Let’s stipulate, then, for the rest of this article, that we can gain access to, and interrupt, modify, or damage an enemy’s systems. Let’s further stipulate that even if those systems are air-gapped from the Internet, our intelligence agencies can engineer a situation where a USB stick containing malware is plugged into a network that’s otherwise isolated from the Internet. After all, that’s how the Stuxnet virus was inserted into Iran’s
While we do have some stateof-the-art systems, much of our cyber-infrastructure is wildly out of date, vulnerable, and in the digital equivalent of disrepair. Windows XP, for example, is still widely used in hospitals, public-sector services, and businesses throughout the world. XP debuted a decade and a half ago. It is the poster child for Windows-based vulnerabilities, since the operating system was not designed to protect against the level of sophisticated attacks possible today.
centrifuges back around 2010. The purpose of Stuxnet was to destabilize certain Siemens nuclear centrifuges that were being used in Iran to enrich uranium, most likely as fuel for bomb development. By many accounts, Stuxnet succeeded, causing costly and time-consuming damage to Iran’s offensive nuclear program. In Stuxnet, we see an almost perfect case both for and against offensive cyberattacks. On the “for” side of the equation, Stuxnet enabled friendly forces to cause a delay to Iran’s weaponization program without sending in troops (and also with plausible, if questionable, deniability). On the “against” side of the equation, the Stuxnet virus did not self-destruct as expected, and so the source code (essentially the instructions for building and modifying similar software weapons) fell into the hands of hackers, other rogue states, and criminals. This created a situation not unlike selling arms to rebels, where our own armaments are, or will be, eventually used against us. Fundamentally, there are three key benefits to using cyberweapons offensively (and preemptively). First, damage and delays can be caused in a very pinpoint manner, allowing individual weapons systems or research areas to be interrupted with surgical precision. This strategy is of particular interest when it comes to interdicting nuclear weapon development and research. Second, these attacks can occur without collateral damage and without putting our own troops at risk. Third, cyberattacks can be used for the purpose of continuous
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On the “against” side of the equation, the Stuxnet virus did not self-destruct as expected, and so the source code (essentially the instructions for building and modifying similar software weapons) fell into the hands of hackers, other rogue states, and criminals. This created a situation not unlike selling arms to rebels, where our own armaments are, or will be, eventually used against us. and often invisible intelligence gathering, reducing the fog of war without visibility on the part of the enemy. There are, however, also some substantial disadvantages to deploying cyber weapons in the field. We discussed the first, earlier, with the Stuxnet example. The code for these weapons can fall into enemy hands and be used against that. Given the difficulty of defending against a cyberattack, this scenario must be carefully considered by any command authority before giving the go-ahead. The risks to our own side are substantial and potentially devastating. Another problem with cyberattacks is that they’re often unpredictable. Think about it from this point of view. How many of our own systems are mostly documented, but have random nodes that may or may not have been updated over the years? Yeah, the bad guys have the same problem.
So while your attack team might not be able to get into what appears to be an air-gapped network from the outside, once a thumb drive or other mechanism is used to insert malware, that malware may find its way back out of the network. That would then let the malware itself to fall into enemy hands, and cause cascading and undesired failures to elements of infrastructure not specified in the rules of engagement. At its worst case, an attack initiated inside of a supposedly air-gapped network might get loose and impact our own infrastructure elements, even years down the line. That leads to another disadvantage: once let loose, these things live on forever. Take, for example, a worm known as SQL Slammer. SQL Slammer debuted way, way back in 2003, overloading tens of thousands of systems nearly instantly. Even though the vulnerability was long ago patched, SQL Slammer reemerged in 2016, with observable incidents found in
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172 countries. While the impact of such an old worm is unknown, its propagation mechanism is clearly still operational fourteen years later. While there are certain to be more disadvantages to an offensive cyberstrike, the final one I’ll discuss is the “fight fire with fire” scenario. This is the case where an enemy may not have planned a cyberattack, but has fallen victim to one initiated by our side. The enemy will then use our original attack to justify responding in kind. It would be easy for an enemy to assume that if the international community gave tacit “permission” for such an action on one side, responding in kind might not carry with it the level of international outrage such an action may have inspired, were it not in response to an attack by allied forces. So, am I making the case against offensive cyberattack? Yes. And no. Like any war-fighting strategy, there is a time and place for every tactic. Some leaders may feel that because troops aren’t being put into harm’s way that cyberwar is a cheap, easy, and safe offensive strategy. That is clearly not the case. Cyberwar has its place, and should and must be used in certain circumstances. But if you’re going to pull the trigger, be aware of the potential cost, and make sure you get it right. Otherwise, the cybergun you might be staring down, some time in the future, could be of your own making.
About the Author CTSERF Research Professor David Gewirtz, M.Ed. is Director of the U.S. Strategic Perspective Institute, Distinguished Lecturer for CBS Interactive, Cyberwarfare Advisor for the International Association of Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, IT Advisor to the Florida Public Health Association and an instructor at the UC Berkeley extension.
The Global Security Consultant’s Pyramid How To Be In The Top 5% Of Successful Security Consultants
P
By Luke Bencie & Jeremiah Fernandez
roviding security consulting to the commercial sector has become one the fastest growing industries of the past decade. Each week, hundreds of individuals – many of them recently retired from the military, law enforcement, or intelligence community – establish solo-practitioner or boutique security firms. The aim of these newly minted entrepreneurs is to parlay their previous experience into a lucrative practice, one which capitalizes on the ever-proliferating turmoil that seems to be engulfing the planet. As the world becomes “flatter” and the global business environment becomes hyper-connected, wars, strife, terrorism, espionage, and corruption have become part of the everyday business acumen of Fortune 1000 companies. To combat the turmoil which may hinder business operations, consultants have become a standard resource in the security budgets of many leading organizations.
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If you think the problem is being overstated, consider the following statistics: • The FBI estimates that at least $400 billion worth of American intellectual property is stolen each year through economic espionage • Former NSA Director, Mike McConnell testified to Congress that China has hacked every US Fortune 500 company • Cyber security spending by businesses is estimated to reach over $100 billion within the next three years • Physical security spending is expected to reach over $150 billion within the next three years • Counterfeiting of goods costs American businesses roughly $200 billion per year • Many top CEOs, such as Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Larry Ellison spend several million dollars per year on private security • The average Fortune 500 spends around $400 per employee in security training It should come as no surprise that since 9/11, the amount of money spent on securityrelated services has skyrocketed. Similarly, so have the number of consultants who provide these services. The dramatic shift in mindset towards security in the business world has even brought about the creation of a new C-level position, the Chief Security Officer (CSO). No longer are security directors simply retired police officers, looking to supplement their pension checks, by babysitting lowpaid security guards. With today’s multitude of international security threats, CSO’s must now be a combination of intelligence officer, legal advisor, geopolitical analyst,
cyber-geek, crisis manager, trusted leader, and MBA-graduate. For this reason alone, global security consultants are earning a spot at the table by being called upon as subject matter experts, who can supplement any of the CSO’s deficiencies (not ones to miss an opportunity, many of the traditional management consulting firms, including the “Big 3” - Bain, Boston Consulting Group, and McKinsey - are also entering the security space).
No longer are security directors simply retired police officers, looking to supplement their pension checks, by babysitting
The Global Security Consultant’s Pyramid
low-paid security guards.
Even if someone retires from a prestigious career in government service (which is where many security consultants come from), it does not guarantee success in the business world. In fact, the sad reality is that 95% of the individuals who open their own security consultancy will never earn $1 million in annual gross sales, while over half of them will be forced to shut down – or look for outside employment – within twelve months of starting their firms. The reasoning for this is simple – owning your own business is a very difficult proposition (especially if you have overhead such as office space, employees, and/ or vendors).
of international security
To assist first-time global security consultants in building their own successful businesses, Security Management International (SMI) created the Global Security Consultant’s Pyramid. While it obviously takes more than a simple diagram to achieve success in any endeavor, the Global Security Consultant’s Pyramid was created to serve as a blueprint of core principles to help any consultant prosper. To help remember the ten principles, each word begins with the letter “C.”
With today’s multitude threats, CSO’s must now be a combination of intelligence officer, legal advisor, geopolitical analyst, cybergeek, crisis manager, trusted leader, and MBA-graduate.
The basic tenants of the pyramid are as follows:
The Foundation
able to answer the simple question, “Did the client’s condition improve as a result of my services?”
Character – one of
At the base of the pyramid, which should be the bedrock upon which you build your consultancy, you will find the attributes of Character, Competence, Contribution, and Consistency. These are further defined as:
the cornerstones
Character – One of the cornerstones of the consulting pyramid and defined as doing the right thing all the time, even when nobody is around to see it. As it relates to an effective consultant, it is also the person who avoids shortcuts to ensure the job is done right. It’s very easy in the services industry to use boilerplates or some other type of rehashed methodologies or templates. But when a client expects a customized deliverable, which should be unique to that particular situation, the consultant should invest honest efforts to solve that client’s problems, by looking at it with fresh ideas and perspectives.
thing all the time,
of the consulting pyramid and defined as doing the right even when nobody
The Core of the Pyramid At the core of the pyramid are the attributes of Confidence, Communication, and Connection.
is around to see it. As it relates to an effective consultant, it is also the person who avoids shortcuts to ensure the job is done right. It’s very easy in the services industry to use boilerplates or some other type of rehashed methodologies or templates. But when a client expects a customized
Confidence – No client wants to hire a consultant who is unsure of him/herself. Consultants are usually brought in to solve a problem that cannot be fixed from the inside. Therefore, a consultant must project the appearance of someone who knows what to do, and is in control of the situation. Timid consultants do not last long. Communication – Rarely is a consultant dropped into a situation where he/she can solve a problem without continuous input from the client. Therefore, to more effectively and efficiently resolve the client’s condition, two-way communication must be easily accessible. The quickest way to destroy a consulting engagement is through poor communication. Therefore, communication is at the heart of any consulting engagement.
consultant should
Connection – A successful consulting engagement is often determined by the relationship between the client and the consultant. Often the consultant is privy to sensitive, even embarrassing, information about the client and the organization. For this reason, a genuine connection must be established, in order for the consultant to truly become a trusted advisor to the client.
invest honest efforts
The Top of the Pyramid
deliverable, which should be unique to that particular
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Consistency – the other cornerstone of the pyramid. The difference between people who are good at something and people who are great at something, is their ability to do it over-and-over again. Any consultant can get lucky and solve a client problem onetime. The great consultants do it repeatedly and make success a habit.
Competence – Thoroughly understanding the craft of identifying and solving your clients’ toughest problems. Without the proper skills, knowledge, and abilities to perform a consulting engagement, the person can never truly call him/herself a consultant.
situation, the
Contribution – What you do to improve your client’s condition. It is your deliverable. Remember, you are not paid by the client because you have a fancy degree or impressive references - you are compensated for fixing a problem. At the end of a consulting engagement, you should be
problems, by looking
to solve that client’s at it with fresh ideas and perspectives.
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As we move up the pyramid, Creativity and Content are near the top. Creativity – Although there are very few new ideas in the consulting industry, there has been a recent explosion of interest for business consulting principles, which been simply re-packaged or re-branded. Re-
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member, you are not only in the consulting business; you are also (if not more so) in the marketing business. Organizations are always looking for the latest and greatest advice to improve their overall situation. Be the consultant who fills this need by offering creative solutions via an intelligent marketing strategy. Content – If there is one phrase that is necessary to the success of today’s modern global consultant, it is “content is king.” You absolutely must give away high-quality content, about your specific area of expertise, on a consistent basis. Additionally, as people understand that there is an abundance of open-source material already available, you should be providing free, and easily accessible content, right now, in order to establish your claim as a leader in this field. Therefore, when your prospective clients are ready to spend money on a consultant, you are already top-of-mind and have established your bona fides with them. Consider your free content as an on-going job interview. The more you demonstrate your knowledge in the subject matter, the better your chance of the landing the position as paid trusted advisor.
The Apex of the Pyramid At the summit of the pyramid is a consultant’s Competitiveness. Competitiveness – Being a global consultant is tough… and it is not for everyone. Because the barriers to entry into the consulting field and are relatively low, your competitors could number in the thousands. Therefore, if you plan on positioning yourself as a relevant brand name in the industry, you must dedicate yourself to continued self-improvement on a daily basis. Every day that you’re not doing something to build upon your knowledge, your marketing, your client relationships, etc., is a day that you’re allowing your competitors to pass you buy. Take pride in yourself and the consultancy you are trying to build. Maintain a fighting spirit and wake up each morning ready to face your competition head on.
Summary Being a global security consultant is one of the most rewarding professions avail-
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able today. Traveling the world, dispensing advice to both political and business leaders, and earning a comfortable living are just a few of the countless rewards. Many individuals will try their hand at the consulting game. Sadly, most of these people will fail. In this field, perseverance pays. For those dedicated enough to follow the principles outlined in the Global Security Consultant’s Pyramid, he or she could end up in the top 5% of security consultants in the industry.
About the Authors Luke Bencie is the Managing Director of Security Management International. He has traveled to over 130 countries on behalf of the US Government on matters of national security and intelligence. He is the author of the books Among Enemies: Counter-Espionage for the Business Traveler, Global Security Consulting: How to Build a Thriving International Practice, and The Clandestine Consultant” Kings, Sheiks, Warlords, and Dictators. He can be reached at lbencie@smiconsultancy.com Jeremiah Fernandez is a Junior Associate at Security Management International. He can be reached at jfernandez@ smiconsultancy.com
The Great Leak Forward:
Chinese Economic Espionage In The U.S. By Camille Mouillard & Maxime Proud
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n September 2015, Barack Obama and Xi Jinping publicly agreed that the United States and China would not engage in cyber espionage for commercial gain. The agreement came after China’s corporate espionage activities began to be seen as a national security emergency, costing American companies billions of dollars in losses, and millions of jobs every year.
By “espionage for commercial gain”, the 2015 agreement between Obama and Xi was specifically referring to the hacking activities conducted by state and non-state Chinese actors targeting U.S. private companies. The agreement did not seem to encompass more traditional espionage activities, such as intelligence gathering for political and military gains, and other forms of espionage such as HUMINT operations. After the agreement, cyber security experts worldwide have noted a significant decrease in the Chinese cy-
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ber attacks targeting private companies. One might think that Beijing is ready to adopt a less aggressive posture. However, knowledge of Chinese intelligence services and the Chinese government’s global agenda shows that nothing could be farther from the truth.
U.S. As A Prime Target For many years, Beijing has been conducting a relentless campaign of economic espionage targeting the most developed
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When looking at the big picture of China’s development as a modern country, one crucial element is too often dismissed: the importance of Chinese intelligence services in the building of the nation. Chinese intelligence services deeply shaped modern China as a state.
nations, including the United States. In July 2015, NBCNEWS released an exclusive secret NSA map of the country displaying more than 600 red dots, each dot representing a unique corporate, private, or U.S government victim of Chinese cyber espionage since 2010. That means that for five years, China has conducted approximately one successful cyber attack against U.S. interests every three days, raising major concerns in Washington. More recently, in February 2017, hackers allegedly working for the Chinese government breached the National Foreign Trade Council in Washington. NFTC board members include the CEOs of some of the most successful American companies such as Amazon, Exxon Mobil, or IBM. Experts believe this attack on the NFTC network was linked to the trade negotiations between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in April 2017. At the same time, PwC and BAE Systems released a report highlighting the role of a Chinabased threat actor in a global hacking campaign. Called “Operation Cloud Hopper” by PwC and BAE Systems, it was targeting managed IT service providers and their clients in a wide range of countries including the U.K, Japan, India and the United States. Known as APT10, the hackers successfully gained access to an unprecedented amount of intellectual property (IP) and trade secrets. But cyberattacks are not the only way for China to gain access to America’s IP and trade secrets. For decades, the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) or Guojia Anquanbu targeted and recruited Chinese-American in its efforts to infiltrate the highest levels of the American government. On March 28, 2017 the FBI arrested Mrs. Claiborne, a State Depart-
ment employee on the charge of lying to the FBI about her contacts with Chinese intelligence officers. The State Department employee, who held a top security clearance, allegedly received money and other gifts in exchange for information on Sino American relations. Interestingly, the MSS tried to recruit Mrs. Claiborne, even though she was not ethnically Chinese. She was not the first-ever Westerner to be approached or recruited by Beijing, but China’s intelligence services have traditionally been more cautious with non-Chinese agents and assets. As another example of Chinese operations in the U.S, electronic technician Kun Shan Chun, who worked for nearly two decades for the FBI, was charged with espionage on behalf of China last year. This case demonstrates that even loyal employees can be turned. Finally, engineer ‘Allen’ Ho pleaded guilty to espionage in January 2017, making it the first case of nuclear espionage involving China in the United States. Beijing has been very creative in finding new assets: tourists, businessmen, interns, trained operatives, naturalized citizens, etc.. Even though some individuals do the work willfully, others endure pressures and are left with little choice but to comply.
So what makes the United States so attractive for Chinese espionage? One of the obvious answers is the fact that the United States is the first world power. The U.S does not only make things, it creates ideas. As a world leader in almost every aspect of modern technologies and human development, the U.S. is a prime target for a developing country like China. Intellectual property-intensive
industries are a major and vital part of the U.S. economy, representing approximately 40% of the country’s GDP, according to the Intellectual Property and the U.S. Economy 2016 Report Update. The same report shows that 45 million jobs in the country are directly or indirectly linked to IP-intensive industries, accounting for roughly 30% of all employments in America. These industries are critical to maintaining America’s competitive edge in the global economy. In summary, innovation, creativity and efficiency are what make the United States such an attractive target. With all the fingers pointed at Beijing these last few years, one might think that the country will stop spying on American businesses, and “save face”. But the reality is: it probably won’t. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) relies on espionage to survive and achieve its short, medium and long term goals.
Ensuring The Party’s Survival Since the birth of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on the ashes of the civil war between the nationalist of Chiang KaiShek and the communist of Mao Zedong, modernizing the country has always be an imperative for Beijing. When looking at the big picture of China’s development as a modern country, one crucial element is too often dismissed: the importance of Chinese intelligence services in the building of the nation. Chinese intelligence services deeply shaped modern China as a state. As opposed to other countries, China did not create or developed its intelligence and security services decades after its birth, nor did it create them to respond to a peripheral threat. Before the official birth of the PRC, the communists relied
on their intelligence networks to conduct the civil war and eventually seize power. And since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been ruling China since 1949, it has had plenty of time to readjust and improve the country’s intelligence services. As former Canada’s CSIS agent Michel Juneau Katsuya puts it, “Chinese intelligence agencies do not plan in terms of years, but rather generations”. Today, in contrast with other countries and especially Western democracies, China’s priorities are aligned with the priorities
of a very specific group of people that has always ruled the country. So when China as a country gains a significant advantage over foreign nations, the CCP gains a significant advantage over the Chinese people by increasing its legitimacy. The Chinese government draws its strength from its coercive internal security apparatus. The People’s Liberation Army and the Ministers of State Security and Public Safety play an important role in this regard. But strength is not Beijing’s only source of power: a big part of the central government’s legitimacy
is based on its ability to develop the country and to uplift the Chinese people’s standards of life. To do that, the Chinese government relies on economic growth. China is an emerging power that was able to sustain an average economic growth of 10% since Deng Xiaoping’ economic reforms started in 1978. In 2014, China even surpassed the United States in terms of GDP based on purchasing power parity (GPP), becoming the country with the largest GDP in the world. Thanks to its intelligence services, Beijing was able to acquire large amounts of foreign technologies that China could never have
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson shakes hands with China’s President Xi Jinping before their bilateral meeting in Beijing, China, on March 19, 2017. [State Department photo/Public Domain]
China is an emerging power that was able to sustain an average economic growth of 10% since Deng Xiaoping’ economic reforms started in 1978. In 2014, China even surpassed the United States in terms of GDP based on purchasing power parity (GPP), becoming the country with the largest GDP in the world. Thanks to its intelligence services, Beijing was able to acquire large amounts of foreign technologies that China could never have developed and then produced on its own in such a short period of time.
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The country has lifted more people out of poverty than most other countries: its GDP per capita in current prices went from $200 back in 1990 to more than $8000 in 2016. However, the Party’s survival is not the only reason why Chinese espionage won’t stop: ideology is also part of the deal.
Beijing, China
developed and then produced on its own in such a short period of time. By keeping its population economically happy, the CCP maintains itself in power. And the truth is, China has been very successful in changing its population’s living conditions. The country has lifted more people out of poverty than most other countries: its GDP per capita in current prices went from $200 back in 1990 to more than $8000 in 2016. However, the Party’s survival is not the only reason why Chinese espionage won’t stop: ideology is also part of the deal.
Realizing The ‘Chinese Dream’ 2049. If this date doesn’t mean anything to most of us, it does in China. It will mark the 100th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Part of what the current Chinese administration
calls the “Chinese Dream”, or “Zhongguo meng”, is to allow China to become a fully modernized country by 2049. China wants to regain its position in the global world order, the one it had before Western powers meddled in the country’s affairs during and after the Opium Wars back in the 19th Century. In modern Chinese history, this period is called the ‘Century of Humiliation’, or “bainian guochi” in Mandarin. The Century of Humiliation ended in 1949, and China has given itself a hundred years to regain its former power, “rejuvenate the Chinese nation” and achieve its destiny. The Chinese ‘destiny’ is deeply anchored in China’s culture, and should not be underestimated. Nevertheless, modernizing a country the size of China takes more than destiny: it requires planning. Hence the fact that China publishes an overall economic
plan every five years. The current 13th five-year plan (2016-2020) underlines the economic progress made by China, and describes the 12th five-year plan as an “extraordinary time for China’s development”. One of the main objectives of the new five-year plan is to “achieve significant results in innovation-driven development”, which includes the development of startups, technology and science businesses. The following industries are mentioned as key sectors to be developed: “next generation information and communications, new energy, new materials, aeronautics and astronautics, biomedicine, and smart manufacturing […] strategic high technologies in deep sea, deep Earth, deep space, deep blue”. Other industries such as agriculture, healthcare, science, etc. will also be a core interest for China’s future development. In an article published in 2016 in the
Journal of Strategic Security, Emilio Iasello, a prominent strategic cyber intelligence analyst, mentioned that a correlation could be made between the five-year plans development priorities and the U.S industries targeted by Chinese attacks. It would therefore not be surprising to see attacks on such industries in the near future. And interestingly, the word “innovation” was mentioned 165 times in the plan, which gives little doubt about the country’s next economic priority.
What Companies Can Do About It Be aware. Awareness does not mean paranoia, but to recognize the threat and try to act accordingly. In the past, Chinese intelligence services have used institutions such as the Confucius Institutes (CI) to approach corporate leaders. Confucius Institutes are described as non-profit institutions, whose purpose is to promote Chinese language and culture. However, they are not independent from their government and act as an arm of Beijing. Confucius Institutes are located within established universities all around the world, and their employees are vetted by the local Chinese embassy. Many observers and experts have come to describe the CI as “Trojan horses with Chinese characteristics”. The American Association of University Professors, alongside with the Canadian Association of Teachers have raised the red flag back in 2014 and recommended to end American universities’ partnerships with the Institutes, unless the agreements were renegotiated. According to Michel Juneau-Katsuya, former chief of Asia-Pacific for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the Institutes are a form of spy agencies, as CI employees in certain Canadian provinces have tried to get access to government accounts and secrets. They also give the “red carpet treatment” to academics and invite them to conferences in China, in order to make them indebted and use them later to promote China’s agenda. In addition, unsuspecting people from the private sector go to the CI hoping to learn the language and build connections, but some of them will end up being part of a bigger strategy, sometimes unknowingly. Therefore, be aware when you are approached by a CI employee, or if
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your employees have a direct link to one of those Institutes. You may not be the target, but your company and your trade secrets might be.
In the world
Don’t assume it only happens to others. Economic espionage in the U.S cost between $300 - $500 billion per year, depending on the estimates, with a major part being stolen by China. Every sector and company is at risk. As we have demonstrated, Chinese espionage won’t stop any time soon. So it is the responsibility of American companies to protect themselves.
of economic espionage, when an offer is too good to be true, it is. Chinese espionage might use cyberattacks against your company, but also employ physical approaches. As a matter of fact, the majority of intellectual property stolen from U.S companies is conducted through traditional HUMINT operations, rather than hacking, intercepts, or other electronic threats.
Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International
In the world of economic espionage, when an offer is too good to be true, it is. Chinese espionage might use cyberattacks against your company, but also employ physical approaches. As a matter of fact, the majority of intellectual property stolen from U.S companies is conducted through traditional HUMINT operations, rather than hacking, intercepts, or other electronic threats. The FBI recommends first to identify and value your trade secrets and implement a plan to safeguard them. Second, you should secure physical trade secrets, limit their access and provide ongoing security training to employees. Finally, companies should develop an insider threat program and report suspicious incidents to the FBI. Sadly, most companies either are too afraid to report suspicious activities for fear of eroding shareholders’ confidence, or they’re simply too naive to recognize that they’ve been victimized. To ensure steps are taken into protecting their assets, many companies are now reaching out to private security firms - many of which have consultants who are former intelligence officers. “Spy games” are no longer limited to just diplomats and military personnel; the global business environment is the new espionage arena. Corporations must now protect their secrets the same way governments did during the Cold War. As such, business is booming for these intelligence advisory firms. It is then better to invest in your future safety now, than fixing a leak when it’s already too late.
About the Authors Camille Mouillard and Maxime Proud are Junior Associates at Security Management International. They can be reached at cmouillard@smiconsultancy.com and mproud@smiconsultancy.com
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IsraeliUnited States Cooperation
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis meets with Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem, Israel, April 21, 2017. (DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley)
In Homeland Security And Counterterrorism Benefits To The U.S.
I
By Dr. Joshua Sinai
dentifying the spectrum of threats a country needs to be prepared for, prioritizing them based on their potential lethality and likelihood, and then building the capability to counter and defeat them, form the basis for effective homeland security and counterterrorism. The United States and Israel are considered among the world’s top players in these areas because of their high levels of anticipation, preparedness and responses to counter such threats. Israel, a much smaller nation, has demonstrated strong organizational and technological proficiency in these areas due to the need to protect itself from the continuous terrorist and conventional military threats arrayed against it. It has developed unique, innovative, and cutting-edge military, law enforcement and emergency preparedness and response technologies and capabilities to counter them, which are also marketed to its allied countries – especially the United States, its strongest and closest diplomatic and military ally.
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Underpinning the close U.S. – Israel bilateral defense relationship is the concept in U.S. foreign policy, which is defined in U.S. law, to maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge (QME). This commits the U.S. to maintain Israel’s QME in terms of technical, tactical, and other military advantages that would enable it to continuously deter its numerically superior Arab (and Iranian) adversaries. The primary current component in implementing the QME is America’s provision of $38 billion in military assistance over a ten year period. With this latest agreement signed in September 2016, it goes into effect in 2019 (until then Israel receives an estimated $3.1 billion annually from previous aid packages), and includes $5 billion for missile defense, additional F-35 joint strike fighters and other military materiel. An important understanding in this aid package is that it is also intended to stimulate expanded partnerships in the form of joint research and development (R&D) in military technology programs and equipment between Israeli and U.S. defense firms. As a result these and other agreements and partnerships, Israel and the United States maintain close bilateral cooperative relationships in homeland security and counterterrorism. In the U.S., this is manifested at the governmental (federal, state, and local), military, law enforcement and private industry levels. Numerous official government delegations from both countries visit each other annually, including conducting joint training exercises, so both countries’ technological equipment and training practices in these areas are known to each other. This article examines some of Israel’s ‘best in class’ organizational and technological capabilities in homeland security (HLS) and counterterrorism (CT), including cyber security, that either are already being used in the U.S. or, if not, can contribute to further upgrading U.S. capabilities in these areas. This will be done by examining Israeli best practices in nine areas: first, counterterrorism; second, organizational (e.g., how the Israeli Home Front Command and National Emergency Management Agency are organized and operate in an integrated manner); third, the management of first responder emergency medical systems (EMS); fourth, the management of early warning notifications; fifth, border security; sixth, transpor-
tation security; seventh, unmanned aerial vehicles in the form of UAVs – drones; eighth, anti-missile defense systems; and, finally, cyber defense.
As noted by Israeli expert David Khalfa, Israeli CT “is based on defensive modes of action, such as safety barriers and military checkpoints, as well as offensive ones like infiltrations, preventive arrests, and targeted killings.” (2) The cornerstone of this system is the foreign and domestic intelligence apparatus, which operates in concentric circles: in the West Bank, inside the country, at Israel’s borders and beyond them in the Gaza Strip, neighboring Arab countries, other countries around the world where Jewish interests might be threatened.
Counterterrorism Identifying and prioritizing terrorist threats is crucial, which is why so many financial and organizational resources are expended on it in HLS and CT programs. Identifying these threats is part of an overall campaign to counter a terrorist adversary by preempting it in its areas of operation, whether domestic or foreign, through military, law enforcement, and intelligence measures. Israel, which has experienced eight inter-state wars and two intifadas (uprisings) since its establishment in 1948, is a textbook case for practices in how to manage such a “permanent state of insecurity,” with ever-changing and evolving modus operandi by its state and sub-state terrorist adversaries. (1) As noted by Israeli expert David Khalfa, Israeli CT “is based on defensive modes of action, such as safety barriers and military checkpoints, as well as offensive ones like infiltrations, preventive arrests, and targeted killings.” (2) The cornerstone of this system is the foreign and domestic intelligence apparatus, which operates in concentric circles: in the West Bank, inside the country, at Israel’s borders and beyond them in the Gaza Strip, neighboring Arab countries, other countries around the world where Jewish interests might be threatened. In response, Israel’s CT strategy has to continuously anticipate and rapidly respond to not only potential conventional adversary state attacks (such as by Iran’s nuclear program), but also sub-state terrorist attacks that might include suicide bombings, rocket and missile attacks (such as by the Lebanese Hizballah, the Palestinian Hamas, and, most recently, by the Sinai-based Islamic State), to car-ramming and knifing attacks. In a latest development, Israel now also has to anticipate potential attacks by Hamas operatives via their underground tunnels built under the Israel-Gaza border fence. Once an attack takes place in Israel, Israeli military, security (e.g., intelligence), police, and emergency response agencies must react quickly, with the assistance of the civilian population, many of whom also serve in the military reserves, with many authorized
to carry and use weapons in in their civilian lives when such incidents might occur. An important CT component involves monitoring adversaries’ postings in social media networks, which plays an important role in identifying and apprehending potential radicalized terrorists, including their associates, who express themselves on the Internet in Arabic. How can Israel’s CT capability support the United States? First, both countries recognize the importance of being proactive in intelligence sharing, particularly given their common interest in defeating al Qaida/Islamic State and their affiliated groups, and preventing nuclear proliferation in the Middle East region, particularly by Iran. In this sphere, joint exercises and other forms of training against shared
targets are also reportedly held between Israeli and U.S. Special Forces. (3) In a related area, joint training exercises are reportedly held between Israeli and U.S. Israeli and American law enforcement officers in ‘urban warfare’, barricaded active shooter and hostage situations, in promoting citizenry ‘super vigilance’ about potentially suspicious activities in their surroundings, and in using the latest forensic investigation techniques in an incident’s aftermath.
Organizational Once threats, whether man-made (e.g., terrorism) or natural (e.g., hurricanes or earthquakes) are identified and prioritized, it is crucial to allocate appropriate resources to address their associated challenges. As explained by Israeli homeland security expert Meir Elran, “the suggested strategy should strike the right balance between the
robust required investment in the sphere of resistance, namely deterrence, protection, active defense, and mitigation, on one hand, and the sufficient investments in the field of resilience, both in the community sphere and the infrastructure domain.” (4) In Israel, the Home Front Command (HFC), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Israel Police, and emergency medical services (EMS) are the primary emergency response services in managing threats and attacks. The HFC was established in 1992 as a component command of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), under the Ministry of Defense. As a military organization, which employs an estimated 65,000 soldiers (with about 90 percent of them reservists) (5), it is responsible for all aspects of civil defense, population guidance, and large-scale military-type operational responses in
Two Israeli F-35 “Adirs” fly in formation and display the U.S. and Israeli flags after receiving fuel from a Tennessee Air National Guard KC-135, Dec, 6, 2016. The U.S. and Israel have a military relationship built on trust developed through decades of cooperation. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Erik D. Anthony)
The HFC was established in 1992 as a component command of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), under the Ministry of Defense. As a military organization, which employs an estimated 65,000 soldiers (with about 90 percent of them reservists) (5), it is responsible for all aspects of civil defense, population guidance, and large-scale military-type operational responses in emergency situations, with future scenarios regularly exercised throughout the country in the course of a year. 24
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Such a military-centric approach to emergency management may not serve as an appropriate model for the U.S., however. This is because in what would be perceived as Israel’s emergency response counterparts in the U.S. FEMA operates as a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agency, the Defense Department’s Northern Command (NORTHCOM) operates in a supporting capacity to civil authorities in coordinating the U.S. active duty armed forces’ response to natural disasters once requested by the lead civilian federal agency and directed by the President or Secretary of Defense...
emergency situations, with future scenarios regularly exercised throughout the country in the course of a year. It also operates a military school to train its personnel. The NEMA, which is also under the Ministry of Defense, was established in September 2007. Comparable to FEMA, its American counterpart, it operates alongside the HFC to manage civilian response during a state of emergency, a war, or a natural disaster. The Israel Police is a national agency under the Ministry of Public Security, and also plays a role in managing the consequences of an incident, including working with the Security Service (Shin Bet) in thwarting and arresting potential terrorists. Such a military-centric approach to emergency management may not serve as an appropriate model for the U.S., however. This is because in what would be perceived as Israel’s emergency response counterparts in the U.S. FEMA operates as a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agency, the Defense Department’s Northern Command (NORTHCOM) operates in a supporting capacity to civil authorities in coordinating the U.S. active duty armed forces’ response to natural disasters once requested by the lead civilian federal agency and directed by the President or Secretary of Defense, and the units of the National Guard, a reserve military force, are under the dual control of their respective states and the federal government.
Nevertheless, all the U.S. emergency response agencies regularly send their leaders and personnel to train with their counterparts in Israel in emergency responses to disasters, including those involving weapons of mass destruction, and, in the case of military personnel, in working with their civilian counterparts.
Emergency Medical Response When a violent incident occurs, the first few minutes are crucial in saving the lives of victims, especially in stopping the bleeding. Emergency medical services (EMS) (as well as firefighters who are trained para-medics) provide crucial services in life support. An Israeli innovation that is of interest to American counterparts is the service provided by the United Hatzalah (Rescue) (UH), which provides rapid emergency medical response, as it usually is the first to arrive at the scene. In Israel’s emergency medical response hierarchy (which is also linked to the Home Front Command and National Emergency Management Agency), Magen David Adom (MDA) – Israel’s local representative of the International Red Cross – is the country’s primary ambulance, blood-services, and disaster-relief organization. It takes MDA’s personnel a while to arrive at an incident (including in providing regular, non-incident related medical services), and it charges
its patients for its ambulance and first-aid services. United Hatzalah, which consists of an estimated 3,000 emergency medical personnel who drive specially constructed scooters, called “ambucycles”, does not charge for its services. The UH also has the advantage of employing its centralized dispatch center and GPS tracking technology to deploy its volunteer first responders who reside throughout the country to quickly reach the scene of a medical emergency with an optimum level of resources. With “ambucycles” the primary response vehicle used, UH also deploys a limited number of fully equipped all-terrain “ambutractors” and rapid response electric “ambubicycles”. Such a rapid medical response can be 90 seconds in the country’s capital Jerusalem or in Tel Aviv, the largest city, and three minutes throughout the rest of the country. Once MDA’s ambulance personnel arrive at an incident, they are able to take over its emergency medical management. In another related emergency response innovation, the UH has established the world’s first EMS psychotrauma response unit to provide immediate psychological first aid to victims at the scene of traumatic incidents. With UH partnered with international EMS organizations, its rapid response services have generated interest from American counterparts who seek to vastly decrease
their emergency response times. In 2015, a pilot program, named United Rescue, was established in Jersey City, NJ, as the first communitybased emergency response program in the U.S. It is a project of the Jersey City Medical Center. Its volunteer personnel are also equipped with the “ambucycles”. Other U.S. cities are under consideration for this program, as well.
Early Warning Notification Once Israel’s military’s intelligence units detect threats to the country’s security, one of the Home Front Command’s innovations is its automated and localized Personal Alert and National Alert early warning alert distribution systems. It is spread over more than 100 predefined geographic alarm sectors. It utilizes a real time
alert distribution system that automatically activates at the onset of emergency situations, with its alerts disseminated via multiple platforms that are both general in nature and selectively localized to a specific geographic zone to provide ‘intime’ protective response. Moreover, all existing communications channels – such as SMS, smartphones, Internet, radio, and TV — are utilized to deliver notifications required for population preparedness. Such a comprehensive and multi-level system also serves to avoid notification to populations in areas that may not be affected by a crisis. As the country’s population is exercised to anticipate future emergency contingencies, it is also trained in how to respond to alerts in various media sources about crisis situations in their regions. With information management a crucial component of emergency management,
such a comprehensive and multi-level alert notification system is an Israeli best practice that would be of interest to American counterparts, such as FEMA and the National Guard. This was confirmed by Colonel Ariel Blitz, Home Front Command’s commander of Civilian Defense, who had returned to Israel in 2016 after serving for three years as Israel’s liaison to the National Guard Bureau, in Arlington, VA, who said, “We’re continuously improving our [notification alert] platforms and procedures, and this is of interest to our American friends.” (6)
Border Security Israel offers numerous best practices in border security technologies and systems. This includes the construction of effective fencing and its supporting tactical infrastructure, such as sophisticated technolo-
A first responder unit of Magen David Adom in the old city of Jerusalem, 5 Or Ha-Hayim street. The ambucycle is owned and operated by Hatzolah Israel.
With “ambucycles” the primary response vehicle used, UH also deploys a limited number of fully equipped all-terrain “ambutractors” and rapid response electric “ambubicycles”. Such a rapid medical response can be 90 seconds in the country’s capital Jerusalem or in Tel Aviv, the largest city, and three minutes throughout the rest of the country. Once MDA’s ambulance personnel arrive at an incident, they are able to take over its emergency medical management.
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Once Israel’s military’s intelligence units detect threats to the country’s security, one of the Home Front Command’s innovations is its automated and localized Personal Alert and National Alert early warning alert distribution systems. It is spread over more than 100 predefined geographic alarm sectors. It utilizes a real time alert distribution system that automatically activates at the onset of emergency situations, with its alerts disseminated via multiple platforms that are both general in nature and selectively localized to a specific geographic zone to provide ‘in-time’ protective response.
gies and quick response forces in securing borders from terrorists and illegal migrants. Some of these technologies have been put to use in the United States, such as Elta Systems’ ELM-FP2112 family of persistent ground surveillance radars, which are used by Border Patrol agents in the Integrated Fixed Tower (IFT) program to detect and identify items of interest, thereby enabling them to effectively respond to border incursions. In addition, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency’s Mobile Surveillance Capabilities (MSC) trucks are equipped with Elta Systems’ radars. In another area of U.S.-Israel cooperation, CBP had deployed Israeli-manufactured Hermes 450 UAVs for reconnaissance along the U.S. border with Mexico, as part of the Arizona Border Surveillance Technology, but, in accordance with an agreement between the two countries, they were loaners at the time and were returned to Israel. (7) DHS also contracted with Elbit Systems of America, LLC, wholly owned by Elbit Systems Ltd., an Israeli defense firm, to construct integrated, fixed-location surveillance towers for the Arizona-Mexico border that are equipped with radar and cameras to detect human movement. (8) In another important Israeli border security technology, DHS employs Elbit’s TORC2H, an automated, sensor integrated C4ISR system for border security.
In Israel, like the United States, different borders present different challenges. Israel has adapted its security infrastructure to address such challenges. Israel’s border security requirements, for example, vastly differ along its borders with Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank (including separating Jerusalem’s Palestinian neighborhoods from the city’s Jewish inhabitants), Jordan, Egypt (along the Sinai Peninsula), and the Gaza Strip. Of particular relevance to U.S. needs along its southwestern border with Mexico is Israel’s Nitzana Security Fence, which is closest to what the U.S. might require along that border. The Nitzana fence was completed in 2013 along Israel’s border with the Sinai Peninsula, and its height and multi-layered approach are responsible for decreasing the number of illegal migrant crossers (especially by African migrants) by 99 percent, from more than 16,000 in 2011 to less than 20 in 2016. (9) Although Israel’s security fence along its border with the Gaza Strip is considered effective, its Hamas adversary, like the modus operandi of terrorist groups around the world, has continuously sought to exploit new vulnerabilities to enable its operatives to penetrate its strongly defended border with Israel. It has done this by constructing deep tunnels under the fence that it has used for offensive military purposes,
particularly in the course of its July-August 2014 war with Israel. In that war, Hamas used its underground tunnels for various military purposes, such as hiding its arsenal of rockets, munitions, and even fighters underground to make their detection from the air difficult for Israeli aviation – as well as, in the most concerning offensive tactic, to enable its fighters to reach and attack the Israeli settlements along the border. Similar stories abound about Mexican drug cartels reportedly planning to evade the advanced security fence that might be built along the border with Mexico by digging their own underground tunnels. Israel and the United States are reported to be discussing a possible partnership to develop new technologies to detect and destroy such tunneling, although this “remains a difficult technological challenge.” (10)
Transportation Security In transportation security, Israel’s approach to airport and aviation security is considered highly effective. Its approach is based on three objectives: first, prevent attacks on airport grounds; second, prevent attacks against the aircraft; and, finally, prevent attacks inside Israel by arriving passengers. (11) Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport (its primary airport) is considered one of the most secure in the world, with a concentric circles of tight security controls
in place to check all passengers entering the airport, whether through departing or arriving flights the airport’s terminals or through the arriving cars that enter the airport’s grounds. Although not all the layered security technologies and protocols employed at Ben Gurion International Airport can be applied to America’s dozens of large and medium airport hubs, Israeli and American airport and aviation security officials regularly deliberate on latest and most effective technologies and security protocols, video and other types of surveillance systems. Israelideveloped security protocols deployed at U.S. airports since 9/11 include implementing the Israeli suspicious behavioral detection system at Boston’s Logan Airport, as well as the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSAs) Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) program, which uses methods developed by Israeli airport officials. In this program, TSA’s Behavior Detection Officers (BDOs) are trained to detect potentially suspicious behaviors that a person at an airport might exhibit, with illegal activities identified by them leading to thousands of arrests at airports, including for drug smuggling activities. (12) Other security technologies introduced into the U.S. include Israeli originated video surveillance systems, such as by Verint, an American company with operations in Israel, whose technology has been certified by DHS as an anti-terrorism technology. Another Israeli technology is the NICE Situator, a video security and response system created by Israeli-based NICE Systems, which enables security personnel to view real-time, multi-layered information on an intuitive map-based interface system that tracks passengers, cargo, and aircraft, to streamline their security operations and enhance their situational awareness and response capabilities.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
Israel is one of the world’s top technological innovators in developing military and civilian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs – drones). Such innovation has revolutionized the modern battlefield through the force multiplier of enabling militaries to fly unmanned drones on risky missions to
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evaluate the intelligence value of far-away targets, as well as to attack them from the air, from a safe distance from a battlefield without having to expose their ground or aerial human fighters to enemy fire. With the increased use of such military UAVs, since the mid-1980s Israel has thus become the world’s biggest military drone exporter, capturing an estimated more than 60 percent of the global market. The U.S. military is a major recipient of Israel’s UAV exports.
Other security technologies introduced into the U.S. include Israeli originated video surveillance systems, such as by Verint, an American company with operations in Israel, whose technology has been certified by DHS as an anti-terrorism technology. Another Israeli technology is the NICE Situator, a video security and response system created by Israelibased NICE Systems, which enables security personnel to view real-time, multilayered information on an intuitive mapbased interface system...
Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International
Israel’s stockpile of military drones, as listed in the IISS’s 2016 edition of The Military Balance, is composed of three indigenously manufactured intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) squadrons: Hermes 450, the IDF’s main medium-sized attack UAV that can carry laser-guided Hellfire missiles and smaller munitions; Searcher Mk II, a reconnaissance UAV; and two medium-altitude, long endurance ISR UAVs: Heron (Shoval) and Heron TP (Eitan). A miniature ISR Skylark UAV that fits into a soldier’s backpack is also widely used. In a new trend, Israeli defense manufacturers are reported to be developing electronic jamming and other detection systems that can intercept adversary UAVs when they are assessed to pose a threat to public safety.
Rocket and Missile Defense Systems Israel’s Hizballah and Hamas adversaries have assembled a vast arsenal of increasingly sophisticated rockets and missiles, which have been used against Israel in previous wars, including during inter-war years. In response, with U.S. financial assistance, Israel has developed a suite of cutting edge anti-rocket and anti-missile systems. These include the Iron Dome, which can intercept incoming rockets in mid-air, which is considered the world’s first combat-proven counter-rocket system, with a 90 percent (or higher) success rate. (13) A second anti-missile intercept system, the Arrow (in the form of Arrow 2 and Arrow 3), was jointly developed by Israel and the U.S. It is a sophisticated defensive system that can intercept an incoming missile, for instance, the type of missile that Iran might potentially deploy, at high altitudes and at supersonic speeds. A third anti-missile system, David’s Sling, is also a joint IsraelU.S. program. It is a quick reaction defense
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system designed to intercept adversary short- and mediumrange large-caliber rockets and short-range ballistic cruise missiles. It became operational in 2017. In addition to such joint development programs, Israeli and U.S. militaries’ conduct joint bi-annual training exercises in missile defense, such as the biannual five-day Juniper Cobra exercise, in which Israeli and American armed forces practice interoperability tactics to counter the threat from ballistic missile and long-range rocket attacks, including medical scenarios in response to fatalities from such attacks. The first joint exercise was held in 2001. Both Israel and the U.S. understand that just as their adversaries continuously attempt to upgrade their rocket and missile capabilities, they, too, need to “stay one step ahead.”
Cyber Security Cyber security consists of two components: cyber defense and cyber offense. Cyber defense’s ultimate objective is to implement a sophisticated system to block cyber-attacks against a nation’s cyber assets, with a particular focus on protecting critical infrastructure. Israel is a leading pioneer in protecting its cyber assets by approaching it in a comprehensive and holistic organizational and technological manner. (14) Organizationally, it is led by the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD), which includes the Israel National Cyber Bureau (INCB) and the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA). The United States, according to various reports, appreciates the benefits of the Israeli cyber defense organizational model. This was expressed in the December 2016 report by the White House Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity,
which called for a model similar to that of Israel’s, with one agency solely focused on cybersecurity. (15) Such an agency became the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C) within the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), a component within DHS. CS&C’s mission is to assure the security, resiliency, and reliability of America’s cyber and communications infrastructure. Also operating along the Israeli model, the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) functions “as a 24/7 cyber monitoring, incident response, and management center and as a national point of cyber and communications incident integration. (16) In an example of Israeli and U.S. collaboration in cyber defense research and development, in December 2016 the U.S. Congress passed the United States-Israel Advanced Research Partnership Act of 2016 to add “cybersecurity” to a list of cooperative research programs between the two countries to address this continuously evolving threat. (17)
An Hermes 450 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
In addition to such joint development programs, Israeli and U.S. militaries’ conduct joint bi-annual training exercises in missile defense, such as the biannual five-day Juniper Cobra exercise, in which Israeli and American armed forces practice interoperability tactics to counter the threat from ballistic missile and long-range rocket attacks, including medical scenarios in response to fatalities from such attacks. The first joint exercise was held in 2001. 30
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Israel and the U.S. also cooperate in cyber offensive programs, as well. In what is considered to be the biggest cyber warfare operation by a Western country, it is reported that Israel’s Unit 8200 and the American NSA cooperated in developing the Stuxnet cyber “worm”, which targeted the Iranian Natanz nuclear plant’s thousands of centrifuges which were used to enrich uranium and proceeded to decommission an estimated 10 percent of its centrifuges. (18) Thus, it is also in the realm of cybersecurity, with cyber warfare considered a “new type of warfare,” that Israel and the U.S. are collaborating in countering the dangerous threats posed by countries such as Iran. Such cyber warfare programs, therefore, must include espionage and electronic warfare in countering an adversary’s military arsenal, particularly nuclear weapons. In the private sector, Israel has become a major developer of cyber security defensive technologies and systems. In a 2013 estimate, about 200 Israeli companies specialized in cyber-security, accounting for $3 billion worth of anti-hacking exports that year. (19) This led Israeli cybersecurity startups to receive an estimated 25 percent of the world’s venture capital-funding in this sector, with much of this funding coming from American firms. With many Israeli cyber security firms now located in comprehensive cyber-security development complex called CyberSpark (also known as ‘Silicon Wadi’), in the southern city of Beersheva (with the local Ben Gurion University, also specializing in these areas), large American corporations have also set up offices there.
Conclusions Cumulatively, these nine dimensions of cooperation in homeland security and counterterrorism between Israel and the U.S. discussed in this article (with numerous other dimensions also deserving of coverage) are intended to upgrade both countries’ populations against man-made and natural disasters, while maintaining the psychological resilience of their populations to enable them to carry on with their daily lives during times of emergencies involving such threats. The benefits to the U.S. are numerous, as a U.S. Senate Committee report concluded, “As we strive to improve our homeland security, it is clear that much can be learned from Israel’s approach to securing its borders, aviation, and cyber assets.” (20)
Endnotes
In the private sector, Israel has become a major developer of cyber security defensive technologies and systems. In a 2013 estimate, about 200 Israeli companies specialized in cybersecurity, accounting for $3 billion worth of anti-hacking exports that year. (19) This led Israeli cyber-security startups to receive an estimated 25 percent of the world’s venture capital-funding in this sector, with much of this funding coming from American firms.
About the Author Dr. Joshua Sinai is a Senior Analyst in homeland security and counterterrorism studies at Kiernan Group Holdings (KGH) (www.kiernan.co), a consultancy on these issues for the U.S. Government and the private sector, located in Alexandria, VA. He can be reached at: Sinai@kiernan. co. The author would like to acknowledge the support for writing this article provided by Project Interchange, American Jewish Committee, with the proposal for writing this article one of its grant winners.
1. Nathalie Hamou, “How Israel Became a Role Model in Fighting Terrorism,” Real Clear World, August 22, 2016, http://www. realclearworld.com/articles/2016/08/22/how_israel_became_a_ role_model_in_fighting_terrorism_112005.html. 2. Nathalie Hamou, “How Israel Became a Role Model in Fighting Terrorism,” Real Clear World, August 22, 2016, http://www. realclearworld.com/articles/2016/08/22/how_israel_became_a_ role_model_in_fighting_terrorism_112005.html. 3. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/31/opinion/la-oe-blackwillisrael-20111031. 4. Meir Elran, “The Israeli Home Front Command: Missions, Challenges, and Future Prospects,” Military and Strategic Affairs, Vol. 8, No. 1, July 2016, pp. 70-71. 5. Ibid., p. 67. 6. Barbara Opall-Rome, “US National Guard Chief Meets in Israel on Emergency Readiness,” Defense News, November 8, 2016. 7. AIPAC, “America’s Partner Israel: U.S. Israel Homeland Security Cooperation 2013.” 8. AIPAC, “America’s Partner Israel: Homeland Security Cooperation 2016.” 9. “Securing Israel: Lessons Learned From a Nation Under Constant Threat of Attack,” A Majority Staff Report of the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, United States Senate, Senator Ron Johnson, Chairman, February 1, 2017, p. 2. 10. Ibid., p. 9. 11. Ibid., p. 12. 12. AIPAC, “America’s Partner Israel: U.S. Israel Homeland Security Cooperation 2013.” 13. Yaakov Katz and Amir Bohbot, The Weapon Wizards: How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower (New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press, 2017), p. 145. 14. “Securing Israel: Lessons Learned From a Nation Under Constant Threat of Attack,” p. 1. 15. https://www.dhs.gov/office-cybersecurity-and-communications. 16. Ibid. 17. “Securing Israel: Lessons Learned From a Nation Under Constant Threat of Attack,” p. 15. 18. Katz and Bohbot, The Weapon Wizards, p. 199. 19. https://www.israel21c.org/12-israeli-cyber-security-firms-towatch/. 20. “Securing Israel: Lessons Learned From a Nation Under Constant Threat of Attack,” p. 16.
SWAT Capable By Jim Weiss, Mark Prince & Mickey Davis
A
A Central Ohio Technical College Law Enforcement Technology graduate will have fired in excess of 2,500 rounds of handgun, 1,500 rounds of rifle, and several hundred rounds of shotgun while obtaining this degree. In addition to the 700 hours of state certified, peace officer basic training, these students complete over 270 hours of additional training in advanced patrol and special operations.
ggressive criminals committing violent acts and creating massive causalities are on the rise as are active shooter events. In 1999 at Columbine High School, the protocol at the time was contain, control, and call SWAT. This resulted in many deaths. Due to lawsuits, harsh media commentaries targeting the police, and organized anti-police protests in events where the police have been legally correct, executive governmental branches have withdrawn support of proactive policing and enforcing laws in general. The Ferguson and Baltimore anti-police activities are but two jarring examples.
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Looking back to the last century, it was during the turbulent 1960s and 1970s that SWAT teams were formed. The vast majority of these are part-time teams that need time to organize and respond to life threatening, crisis situations. A large number of smaller cities, towns, villages, and townships police departments do not even have SWAT teams. Where possible, they have to rely on others, or have a few of their officers participate in a multi-juridical tactical team or the SWAT team of their county’s sheriff, etc. To keep matters in perspective: SWAT officers are police officers first and foremost. Communities pay law enforcement to protect and serve them regardless of law enforcement’s history, culture or perceptions. Tax payers expect (rightfully so) all agencies to be able to do their jobs in critical incidents…period. In the case of Ohio, agencies having a fulltime SWAT teams are limited to a few, such as the Cleveland Division of Police, Columbus Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. They may be able to respond more quickly and perhaps more effectively than part-time or multiple-jurisdictional teams, but only if they are in the immediate area of the crisis.
turn develop training that certified police academies must teach as far as mandatory topics and hours.
Police have had to revise their approaches, especially those of police first responders. SWAT trainers are now passing their lessons on to police first responders and progressively, it is common for police departments and sheriff’s offices to equip uniform patrol
Timelines of violence are very short and intense in active shooter and terrorist engagements. Time is the enemy; most of these perpetrators want to create massive casualties and have no desire to resign themselves to arrest, nor do they intend to escape.
units with tactical
Police have had to revise their approaches, especially those of police first responders. SWAT trainers are now passing their lessons on to police first responders and progressively, it is common for police departments and sheriff’s offices to equip uniform patrol units with tactical rifles or carbines. Better, SWAT capable responders within the ranks of the street patrol officers and deputies responding to an event enhance the tactical resolution capabilities of those first responders.
ranks of the street
The Need for SWAT Capable First Responders Is there a need for all law enforcement officers to be SWAT capable, or at least as many as possible? Some law enforcement trainers and administrators think so. Is it doable? Most states have their own standard training commissions. These in
rifles or carbines. Better, SWAT capable responders within the patrol officers and deputies responding to an event enhance the tactical resolution capabilities of those first responders.
In Ohio, the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission and the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) oversee such standards. Also, certified freestanding academies operate throughout the state, but are and must be continuously scrutinized by OPOTA field agents to ensure academic standards are complied with. The Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy changes and adds to curriculum. It must be stated that law enforcement entities can and do resist changes to any curriculum add-ons pertaining to the concept of SWAT capable peace officers primarily because of cost, an antiquated mindset, and political correctness. In Ohio, many state certified police academies exist in technical colleges and within some community colleges. Can a generation of counterterrorism law enforcement officers (realistically these are SWAT capable officers) through effective and cost-saving training be developed through a technical college?
Training at Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) One of these technical colleges is Central Ohio Technical College (COTC). This is a state technical college sanctioned to operate through the Ohio Board of Higher Education and is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission. COTC instituted a Special Operations option to its redesigned Law Enforcement Technology associates degree. Previously, once a student completed the 700 hours plus basic police academy training, he or she could begin 240 hours of real counterterrorism training to become SWAT capable. Today the college makes it mandatory for all law enforcement technology students to complete a hybrid of advanced-patrol topics and special operations courses addressing today’s needs. This means academy graduates complete 135 hours in certificate training in advanced patrol as well as 135 hours in special operations for a total of 270 hours. To successfully complete the Law Enforcement Technology AAS degree, students must pass a multitude of rigorous academic and laboratory requirements that are advanced,
specialized, and germane to the demands of the peace officer of today. Law Enforcement Special Operations Capable courses are taught by current and retired, full-time and part-time personnel who have worked in various special operations organizations in the military, federal government, and local law enforcement, and also include experts who focus in special topic areas of the curriculum. All training is current, pertinent, and focused upon the mission of American law enforcement in today’s world.
Physical Requirements As an example today, Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy basic police requirements for a 21-year-old male officer, based upon Cooper Institute standards (50th percentile based, age, and gender norms) would be: 40 sit-ups in one minute, 33 push-ups in one minute, and 1.5 mile run in 11 minutes and 58 seconds. Physical fitness standards for Law Enforcement Special Operations Capable certification for LE Technology students are advanced to 50 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, five dead-hang pull ups, three mile run in 30 minutes, 40-yard prone sprint in eight seconds, 300-yard swim (continuous), 30 minute water tread, and shallow diving for evidence/ordinance recovery. These are just the minimum requirements; the training requires much, much more.
This LE Special Operations Capable Officer student reacts to a deadly threat in a chemical environment training scenario
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Pistol Qualification A comparative example is the Ohio Police Officers Training Academy Semi-Auto Pistol Qualification Course, required for a student to pass to complete his 700 hour-plus academy course. This consists of 25 rounds fired from firing range distances of four to 50 feet, firing time limits per station, daylight firing conditions, holster, loads per magazine, scan and recovering to holster, handling skills, proper tactics, reloading and so forth with a score of 80 points to pass. Like physical fitness, the LE Special Operations Capable course of fire is diverse in that it requires distance marksmanship, unconventional shooting positions, low light, no light, moving and shooting, shooting with ballistic shields in rooms and buildings, Close Quarter Battle, firing from concealed carry, and team or buddy shooting. This training is performed with both semi-auto handgun and AR-15 rifle. Special Operations Capable students are trained how to carry concealed without being recognized, and to fight with a handgun while in plain clothes/undercover operations. Threat targets are primarily heads of silhouettes. Legal and ethical justification for this target is based upon the current research of terrorist threats wearing body armor. The two LE Special Operations Capable certification courses are “Tactical Crisis Resolution,” and “Counterterrorism and Intelligence.” With a total of 135 hours (over three weeks) the student far exceeds training hours and learning outcomes of the state’s basic and advanced
Sniper Familiarization -- Additional rounds are fired during sniper familiarization class using a scoped, bolt-action Remington 700 and a scoped AR15 platform rifle, both in .308 caliber.
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Students are taught mechanical breaching while conducting live-fire, room clearing exercises.
A comparative example is the Ohio Police Officers Training Academy Semi-Auto Pistol Qualification Course, required for a student to pass to complete his 700 hour-plus academy course. This consists of 25 rounds fired from firing range distances of four to 50 feet, firing time limits per station, daylight firing conditions, holster, loads per magazine, scan and recovering to holster, handling skills, proper tactics, reloading and so forth with a score of 80 points to pass. Like physical fitness, the LE Special Operations Capable course of fire is diverse in that it requires distance marksmanship, unconventional shooting positions, low light, no light, moving and shooting, shooting with ballistic shields in rooms and buildings, Close Quarter Battle, firing from concealed carry, and team or buddy shooting.
In regard to LE Special Operations Capable tactical rifle training, every officer is responsible for resolving a critical incident that may involve intelligence gathering, surveillance, covert or dynamic entry, hostage rescue, fugitive apprehension, protective operations, barricaded subject, the servicing of dangerous person warrants, etc.
Survival skills included dragging techniques for the wounded officer down, and applying a tourniquet.
Also taught are the types of wilderness survival skills training many SWAT officers wish they’d had. These include--but are not limited to-rural or woodlands search and rescue, patrol, and movement tactics in rough or “bush” environments. Also included are what to do if things go bad and the officer needs to adapt to the evolving situation. This may include forming up a tight 360 “Fort Apache” fighting position in the brush while hunting a bad guy.
SWAT certification at the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy which totals 80 hours. The shooting skills for pistol and long gun incorporate in excess of 1,000 pistol rounds, and 1,000 rifle rounds shot per student, firing from conventional and non-conventional firing positions and during movement drills. This is after basic peace officer firearms and advanced patrol topics of advanced handgun and patrol rifle certification. A LE Technology graduate will have fired in excess of 2,500 rounds of handgun, 1,500 rounds of rifle, and several hundred rounds of shotgun through the course of this degree. The “Counterterrorism and Intelligence” class focuses upon the mission of federal, military, and local law enforcement in counterterrorism and intelligence gathering, and has laboratory components of covert surveillance.
Room Clearing For room clearing, a strict protocol is taught regarding the conduct of the grenadier. This includes placing/lobbing a real diversionary device/”flashbang” (All LE Special Operations Capable students are distraction device certified) just in front of the mouth of the entrance and not inside the entrance room where the team member can’t see it. This avoids collateral issues, such as lobbing a flash-bang into the meth lab, or having an unknown like a child in the room. Clearing/ building search procedures include breaching and prying door protocols such as which side of the door to force. Several methodologies regarding building/room entry techniques are discussed and taught.
Survival Skills Also taught are the types of training many SWAT officers wish they’d had. These include but are not limited to rural or woodlands search and rescue, patrol, and movement tactics in rough or “bush” environments. Also included are what to do if things go bad and the officer needs to adapt to the evolving situation. These may be taking up a tight 360 “Fort Apache” fighting position in the brush while hunting a bad guy, kneeling and firing from behind cover, dragging techniques for the wounded officer down, applying a tourniquet, and building a shelter to hunker down for a while. This culminates in a long day/
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overnight wilderness survival skills/field tactics immersion laboratory that pushes the students to their limits regarding tactical skills, fatigue, and unit integrity.
Sniper Familiarization Additional rounds are fired during sniper familiarization class using a scoped, bolt-action Remington 700 and a scoped AR15 platform rifle, both in .308 caliber. This class is taught by a recently-retired SWAT sheriff’s deputy sniper who was also an Army sniper. From the sniper, students learn that using a semiautomatic rifle shooting multiple shots is usually quicker than using a bolt action rifle. It takes many hours of shooting and thousands of dry-firings for a sniper to know exactly at what point a rifle actually fires when pressure is applied to the trigger; it is okay to dry fire most modern guns. Bore sighting on both AR 15 and bolt action types of rifles is demonstrated, with students firing them both for familiarization. Semiautomatic rifles tend to be heavier; rifles with floating barrels are more accurate.
Ammunition
Overview The outcome of the Law Enforcement Special Operations Capable program is that a graduate can perform as a basic operator with a spec ops/SWAT unit if so needed or so desired. Since the majority of cops work in agencies of 20 full-time officers or fewer, most agencies rely heavily on part-timers, reservists, and special deputies. Most Ohio agencies do not have even a part time SWAT/SRT unit, so many are attached to multi-jurisdictional units. If all agencies adopted the LE Special Operations Capable program, they would increase their capabilities in such areas as high risk warrant service, search and rescue, surveillance, fugitive apprehension, barricades, and now the rapid resolution of active threats/terrorists. The Central Ohio Technical College LE Technology Special Operations Capable certificate earner will go to work for any agency as the most highly trained and skilled special operations capable professionals in the communities they serve.
It is also important to know which of the three common types of rifle ammunition to use: hollow point is the usual round; fragmenting breaks apart on impact; and ball--also called full metal jacket--is for maximum penetration. A sniper needs to study what each type of round does when it impacts windows, cars, and body armor, etc. In law enforcement as opposed to the military, if you shoot someone you don’t want the round to go any farther. There can’t be any collateral damage because the officer is there to help and protect people.
The noble profession of American law enforcement and the communities they swear to protect and serve deserve nothing less.
Scopes
Mickey (Michele) Davis is an award-winning, California-based writer and author. Her young adult novel, Evangeline Brown and the Cadillac Motel, won the Swiss Prix Chronos for the German translation. Mickey is the wife of a Vietnam War veteran officer and a senior volunteer with her local fire department.
Today the clarity on most modern scopes is good. When buying one, it should be guaranteed for the life of the scope. During the class, elevation and windage are reviewed, as are shooting prone. When shooting less than 100 yards, there isn’t much need to adjust a scope. Usually in law enforcement the target is moving, so a perfectly still shot is rare and the window of opportunity is slim.
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About the Author Lieut. Jim Weiss (Retired) is a former Army light infantryman, school-trained Army combat engineer, a former school-trained (regular Army) Army military policeman, former State of Florida Investigator, and a retired police lieutenant from the Brook Park (OH) Police Department. He has written and co-written hundreds of articles for law enforcement and safety forces magazines, most notably Law and Order. Tactical World, Knives Illustrated, Tactical Response, Police Fleet Manager, Florida Trooper, and Counter Terrorism.
Professor Mark Prince is a former member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s elite Special Response Teams tasked with the detection, apprehension, and neutralization of terrorist threats against the DOE’s assets and personnel. Mark has held instructor certifications in many well known defensive tactic systems, and has also trained in several martial art systems. Mark is one of three people certified by the late Colonel Rex Applegate as instructor trainers in the close quarters combat system of the WWII-era profiled in the nationally recognized book, Kill or Get Killed.
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Protective Driving Executive Awareness Security Driver Bodyguard Seminar Protective Security Operations Threat Detection Nanny Driving & Security Awareness High Risk Driving Firearms Programs Corporate Fleet Driver Training Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) Training
ADSI is an internationally recognized advanced driving school, specializing in training Security Drivers, Executive Protection Teams and hosting many Corporate Fleet Safety Programs. We have the ability to design and implement courses for a wide audience, specializing in Corporate Security, Military and Law Enforcement training.
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5 Franklin Rd. Suite 5 East Greenwich, RI 02818 1-401-294-1600 Office Ext 2 Corporate/Private Security / LE / MIL Ext 3 High Performance 1-401-398-7932 Fax info@1adsi.com
www.1adsi.com
Automotive Technology Vehicle Trajectory By Anthony Ricci
I
n our last article we discussed some of the technology behind headlights, communication and driver assistance. In this third segment we are focusing on the circle of safety outside of the vehicle, and the warnings that keep you where you need to be. These warnings involve systems that may or may not intervene to prevent a crash and/or keep you on the road. Many of these systems are now so advanced that the car begins to drive for you. Let’s discuss a couple of the major systems mentioned in the circle of safety involved in lane choice, surrounding traffic and positioning and what their pros and cons may be. Blind Spot Warning Systems Each manufacturer has a different name for warning the driver that a car is in or about to be in your blind spot. This sensor technology alerts the driver either with a vibration or an audible alert or both, telling the driver not to change lanes. Many manufacturers utilize a small orange or red symbol built
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into the side view mirror that illuminates when an object is in the blind spot of the vehicle. If the driver decides to change lanes or move towards the vehicle in the blind spot the second alert, usually audible, will go off to alert the driver to remain in their lane. Simultaneously an image will display on the cluster in most models warning the driver of the concern at hand.
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What is the concern for a security driver? Many of these warning systems will alert the driver within a “safety net” of space. Meaning that if the driver were to move into the lane there is actually room to spare. Much like the tip for the reverse monitoring systems, measuring the amount of space you actually have is helpful so you know exactly how much space you have to work with if you need to get out of your current situation, fast. Another concern is that when we are first driving a vehicle with this system, the pesky orange triangle catches our eye every single time it illuminates. We are attracted to motion, but once we realize that the motion we are seeing is insignificant, our brain turns off our attention to it. Additionally these systems detect objects such as cars, while a person walking behind the vehicle into the blind spot would still require a good old fashioned head check. Technology is wonderful, but it has it’s downfalls as well.
Lane Departure Warning Lane Departure Warning Systems or LDWs are often a camera mounted in front of the rear view mirror which detects the markings in the road to determine your lane positioning. The camera is constantly eyeing the markings in the road, and when it detects that you are about to drift out of your lane, it will alert the driver. This system has an auto shut off switch when the turn signal is on as this is a deliberate movement on the driver’s behalf. But when the turn signal is off and the driver drifts out of the lines, this is when the system intervenes with a warning. But what if the warning is ignored? In some higher end models of vehicles, the Lane Keep Assist will activate. You may be saying to yourself, what in the world does that do? Well, its title is pretty telling. Lane Keep Assist systems will actually steer the car back into the center of the lane. They can detect when a driver’s hands are no longer on the steering wheel and will start to steer the car to maintain a centered lane position for miles at a time. Some systems will adjust the steering wheel, while others will apply the brake of one of the wheels in order to pivot the car in a different direction. The driver can correct over what the system is performing as these two systems alone are not a true autopilot. A hindrance to this system is its ability to assess roads that are curved. Many would state that these systems work best on straight line roads, though manufacturers tend to disagree. In an emergency situation when you are driving the CEO out of a danger zone and you aren’t using your turn signal is there a chance that this system could hinder your ability by applying a brake that you didn’t anticipate it would? In addition this could startle the driver of the vehicle if they weren’t prepared for the car to act in the way it did. It is vital to go out and practice, put your car in this type of situation and see how it reacts before it happens in real time. As always knowing your exit before your entrance is key in the security driver world and the security world as a whole. Blind Spot Monitoring systems offer you extra time and space while still alerting you of a potential conflict. Knowing just how much time and space you have can be crucial in a situation where you need to escape and evade, or get to your location quickly. Systems that keep your vehicle centered in the lane may prove to be beneficial for your regular driver, but will the effects they place on the vehicle over correct themselves in an emergency situation? Understanding the technology you have in your car is half the battle, the other half is knowing how it will react and when so that you can use it to your benefit out on the job.
About the Author Anthony Ricci is President of ADSI (http://www.1adsi.com)
Photos courtesy of: Opel, Jeep and BMW
IACSP Q&A
With Former Navy SEAL And Author Dick Couch By Paul Davis
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ick Couch is 1967 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He served as a Surface Warfare Officer and a Special Warfare Officer. While a platoon leader with SEAL Team One in 1970, he led one of the only successful POW rescue operations of the Vietnam War. On release from active duty in 1972, he entered the Central Intelligence Agency, where he served as a Maritime Operations Case Officer. He retired from the Naval Reserve in 1997 with the rank of captain and has served as an advisor on military and tactical ethics for the component commands of the US Special Operations Command.
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He began his writing career in 1990 and has authored eleven novels. He is also the author of “Navy SEALs: Their Untold Stories” and “By Honor Bound: Two Navy SEALs, The Medal of Honor and a Story of Extraordinary Courage.” His books and articles have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Christian Science Monitor, and Variety magazine, His co-authored novelization of “Act of Valor,” reached Number Four on the New York Times Best Seller List. Dick Couch enjoys a unique relationship with the US Special Operations Command and its subordinate Army, Navy, and Marine Corps component commands. They have allowed him special access for extended periods of time with their training and operational elements, and to tell their story in print. He has spent five of the last fifteen years embedded with these special operation components, at their domestic locations and their forward operating bases overseas. Dick Couch has served as an analyst for FOX TV, MSNBC TV, and ABC radio during periods of key combat operations
Dick Couch enjoys a unique relationship with the US Special Operations Command and its subordinate Army, Navy, and Marine Corps component commands. They have allowed him special access for extended periods of time with their training and operational elements, and to tell their story in print.
in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has often traveled to the wartime theaters as an embed with American and allied Special Operations Forces. He has lectured at the Air Force Academy, West Point, the Naval Academy, the Naval Special Warfare Center, the JFK Special Forces Center and School, the FBI Academy, the Naval Postgraduate School, The Joint Special Operations University, and The US Marine War College on issues of character development, ethics, moral battlefield conduct, and counterinsurgency. He recently completed a year-long assignment as an adjunct professor of ethics at the Naval Academy. Dick Couch was interviewed by Paul Davis, a contributing editor to the Journal. IACSP: With your experience, what do you make of President’s Trump’s military and intelligence team so far? Couch: I think that’s the strong suit of his administration. I think he has a good secretary of state and national security advisor. The way seems to be cleared for his national security advisor to build the team he needs to do the job he’s been assigned to do. General McMasters knows his business and I think he’ll put together a good team. I also think General Mattis will be very effective as the secretary of defense. I think his CIA director, Mike Pompeo, is a good one too. So I think the president is getting good information, but will the commander-in-chief listen to these advisors? IACSP: President Trump is committed to
increasing military spending and building up the U.S. military, which has lagged behind these last eight years. Do you think a stronger and more robust military is important at this time in our history? Couch: I’m not so much in favor of more money going to the military as a reallocation of resources. I think we’re spending north of 600 billion dollars a year on our military. China is second with around 215 billion and Russia a distance third with around 97 billion. It’s not that we’re not spending money, but in a world with a lot of problems that might deserve our attention, we’ve tried to cover all the bases. And if we are going to cover all the bases, yeah, we need more money. But this is a country that is going into debt as we speak and I’m not so sure that I favor more money spent on the military rather than a reallocation of our resources to meet what truly are our national interests.
Couch: They can, but do the NATO countries really see Afghanistan as that important?
We have extended ourselves into Southwest Asia to the extent that it has burned a ton of dollars with no real political outcomes that are driving in our favor.... ... I’d have to say that we did our best in
IACSP: Anything you would cut?
Afghanistan, but I’m
Couch: We have extended ourselves into Southwest Asia to the extent that it has burned a ton of dollars with no real political outcomes that are driving in our favor. It is not that we don’t need to be in some of these places, it’s just that I question whether our resources are going to help advance what I consider our secondary interests. Most of those are humanitarian. If I was king of the world, I’d have to say that we did our best in Afghanistan, but I’m not sure we can do much more. There are too many of those Taliban guys who want to give their life for a cause that we’re not going to be able to correct unless we spend a huge amount of resources, treasury and blood there.
not sure we can do much more. There are too many of those Taliban guys who want to give their life for a cause that we’re not going to be able to correct unless we spend a huge amount of resources, treasury and blood there.
IACSP: We have already given a good deal of money and American blood in that conflict, so I’d hate to just cut and run. Under the Obama administration we left Iraq and look what happened in our wake. I’d like to see more NATO countries step up and America’s role become advisory and logistical.
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IACSP: I think they see America taking the lead, so why should they? Couch: Yeah, that’s it. Our objectives there are lofty and humanitarian and maybe good for everybody, but I’m not so sure even more resources are going to create a better outcome for that region. IACSP: After all of our efforts, I’d hate to lose Afghanistan by pulling out, much like we did at the end of the Vietnam War. What are your views on the conflict in Syria? Do you think the cruise missile attack was a proper response to the Syrian chemical attack on its own people? Couch: I can’t image Trump doing that without McMasters and Mattis both recommending that course of action. I think that for the missiles expended and that expense and the message it sent, it was probably a pretty good move. As with Afghanistan, I have serious questions with our involvement in that area, but I wouldn’t second guess this one right now. It seems like a reasonable response. IACSP: I read that 59 out 60 cruise missiles hit their target. That’s good shooting. As a Navy veteran, I was proud of those sailors. The Pentagon said we knocked out 20% of the Syrian air force. I think this was a clear message to the world. Couch: They are not cheap, but that’s exactly what they are designed to do. They hit with such precision. IACSP: You’ve been to Iraq and wrote a fine book, “The Sheriff of Ramadi.” Some years have passed, but what do you make of the situation in Iraq? Do you think ISIS will be eventually be defeated there, as we once defeated the insurgents and al-Qaeda? Couch: I said we should write off Afghanistan as we did our best, and it is a tar baby and we should get out of it. I would almost say the same thing for Iraq
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and our involvement in Syria. I think we should stay the course and help the Iraqis recover Mosul, but it is a losing effort for us to stay involved in Iraq. I’m becoming a little bit of dove in my old age. ISIS is not our problem. ISIS or something else, some fringe fundamental Muslim group, will always draw our attention, but there is a very complex mosaic of tribal interest, national interest and big power interest in that region and I see no good outcome of our continuing to be involved there. I would make ISIS Russia’s problem. Russia is being bled white by this. Let Russia, Syria and Iran deal with ISIS. Let them go at it. IACSP: I disagree. The Obama administration made so many serious mistakes there, the most egregious being the withdrawal of our troops. Some experts say there would not even be an ISIS had we not pulled out. I’d like to see our presence in the entire region be mostly special operations forces performing training and guidance, and other forces providing logistics - with air power and cruise missiles as needed. I’m not sure it is untenable, as we did it before with the surge. Couch: I agree with you up to a point in that yes, we missed an opportunity, like the Vietnam Easter Offensive of 1972. American advisors can do an awful lot and stay involved politically to ensure that the Sunni tribal interests were addressed. This may have worked and blunted the rise of ISIS. I opposed what Obama did there. IACSP: What is your reading on the conflict with North Korea? Couch: That is once again where we emerged ourselves in the politics that are a long way from home. North Korea is far more of interest to China, Japan and South Korea than it is to us. We have 27,000 Americans just south of the DMZ in South Korea in a trip wire situation. That’s very troubling. There are an awful lot of things that demand our attention and then there is North Korea. They are trying to take advantage of our in-
I agree with you up to a point in that yes, we missed an opportunity, like the Vietnam Easter Offensive of 1972. American advisors can do an awful lot and stay involved politically to ensure that the Sunni tribal interests were addressed. This may have worked and blunted the rise of ISIS. I opposed what Obama did there.
volvement elsewhere around the world. Never in our history have we taken our military, specifically our special operators, and put them through a decade and a half of continuous combat operations. We are also fighting an enemy that is extraordinarily heinous. These guys are bad, bad people. IACSP: President Trump campaigned on the idea of America first and limited world involvement, but since becoming president his national security team has apparently convinced him that we need to become involved in these worldwide conflicts. You mentioned the American troops in South Korea, but it seems to me that those troops are the reason that North Korea has not invaded the south. The same reason, I would venture to say, that the American troops in West Germany after WWII were the reason that the Soviets never invaded West Germany. If only we had left troops in South Vietnam as well. Do you agree? Couch: I think so, but is this an openended commitment? IACSP: In the Cold War we contained communism against two super powers, so I think if we were able to contain two super powers with nuclear weapons - and fought proxy wars in Vietnam and Korea - we can contain and defeat terrorists and rogue nations. What role do Navy SEALs and other special operators play in these conflicts and what role do you think they should play? Couch: They are being pushed forward as a major force and I don’t think we can have them as a major force. They can be used with air objectives and conventional forces, but I think they will begin to degrade if you continue to deploy them as hard as they have been. It is hard to expand this capability. The model of the Green Berets to work with and empower partner forces and bring them along to take care of their own security is very important. IACSP: Thanks for speaking to us.
IACSP Homeland Security Bookshelf By Dr. Joshua Sinai
This column capsule reviews recent books in the areas of terrorism, counterterrorism (and counter-insurgency), and countering active shooters.
Surviving a Mass Killer Rampage:
T
When Seconds Count, Police Are Still Minutes Away Chris Bird, (San Antonio, TX: Privateer Publications, 2016), 432 pages, $22.95 [Paperback], ISBN: 978-0-98359-019-4.
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his is an excellent and well-informed discussion of the steps involved in effectively responding to an active shooter incident. What makes this account especially interesting is the author’s beginning each chapter with a significant teaching point, such as the use of a gun in self-defense, the rise of the SWAT team response, the need for victims to fight back, the rise of the armed teacher (or other armed staff at a school), the need for immediate medical treatment for those wounded, the ALICE training approach, the surge in the use of concealed firearms, and the need to arm personnel at military installations, and then elaborating on them with highly interesting detailed accounts of how these points were or were not applied in significant incidents. The incidents covered include shootings in schools and colleges (such as the 1966 shooting incident at the University of Texas Tower, Austin, Texas; through Columbine 1999, Virginia Tech, 2007, and Sandy Hook Elementary School, December 2012). Other mass shooting incidents covered the 1991 shooting at Luby’s Cafeteria, Killeen, Texas, New Life Church, Colorado Springs (2007), Pinelake Health and Rehabilitation nursing home, Carthage, North Carolina (2009); the political rally in Tucson, Arizona (2011), the Washington Navy Yard,
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Washington, DC (2013), and the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Charleston, South Carolina (2015). This book is recommended for the numerous insights scattered throughout it, such as his observation that “in many mass killings the real first responders are usually not the law-enforcement officers or the paramedics that follow them, but the ordinary citizens who happen to be on the scene at the time…” (p. 16). The book’s discussion then proceeds to explain how such “ordinary citizens” can be empowered to take the initiative in countering such active killers “who are not well-trained assassins.” (p. 201). The author, a former commissioned officer in the Royal Military Police of the British Army in the 1960s, was a veteran journalist in Canada and San Antonio, Texas. Currently, he is active in several gun associations in Texas, where he served as a former director of the Texas Concealed Handgun Association.
Conducting Counterinsurgency:
Reconstruction Task Force 4 in Afghanistan [Australian Military History Series – 2]
David Connery, David Cran and David Evered, (Newport, NSW, Australia: Army History Unit/ Big Sky Publishing Pty Ltd., 2012), 160 pages, $19.99 [Paperback], ISBN: 978-1-9219-4177-1. This volume utilizes oral history-type interviews with Australian Special Forces officers who had served in Afghanistan to analyze the principles of effective counterinsurgency operations. Specifically, it uses the experience of 18 members of the Australian Reconstruction Task Force 4 (RTF4) which deployed to Afghanistan from April to October 2008 as the basis for its examination of these principles. With counterinsurgency defined in general as political, social, civic, economic, psychological, paramilitary and military operations employed in an integrated manner to defeat an insurgency, the Australian approach, as discussed in this volume, encompasses the ten principles of political primacy and legitimacy, host nation primacy (and strengthening its security forces), reinforcing the rule of law (and host nation legitimacy), support and good governance (including a safe and secure environment), a comprehensive approach, a dominant narrative (that also serves to discredit the insurgent’s narrative), effective intelligence (especially in understanding the insurgent adversary), adaptation (including flexibility in seizing new initiatives), physical and moral isolation of the insurgents, and presence in the local environment - which “reinforces the rule of law and supports the dominant narrative” (pp. 6-7). This volume includes numerous photos of the Australian Special Forces and equipment in Afghanistan, maps, and order of battle diagrams that illustrate the text. The authors are senior oral historians with the Australian Army History Unit.
US Elite Forces: Uniforms,
Equipment & Personal Items: Vietnam 1965-1975 Marti Demiquels, (Corpus Christi, TX: Andrea Press, 2015), pages, $61.00 [Hardcover], ISBN: 978-8-49665-854-7.
This book is a museum collection-quality visual record of the military uniforms, battle gear, weaponry, and personnel memorabilia of the U.S. Special Forces at the time of the Vietnam War. Its immense collection of militaria is illustrated by more than 1,100 original photographs, many of them rare, which are described in the captivating text throughout its 250 full-color and glossy pages. The book is divided into five sections: the historical background and missions of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force units that constituted U.S. Special Forces, including their combat and dress uniforms; their gear (uniforms, hats, berets and helmets, and footwear); weapons (firearms, grenades/ammunition, edged weapons, and demolition charges); equipment (radios, survival, medical gear, specialist equipment; rain & sleeping gear, individual equipment, rucksacks, ammunition carrying equipment, and holsters); and personal memorabilia (personal uniforms and weapons, personal effects, rare photos, and documents). This book is an indispensable visual reference collection for those interested in understanding – or, for those who served in Vietnam, in recollecting – the role of U.S. Special Forces in the Vietnam War. The author is a veteran collector of Vietnam War material and a writer for various journals on these issues.
Countering Terrorism
Martha Crenshaw and Gary LaFree, (Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2017), 272 pages, $32.00 [Paperback], ISBN: 978-0-8157-2764-4. This is an important academic and public policy analysis of the role of the “conceptual and empirical requirements of defining, classifying, explaining, and responding to terrorist attacks” in “crafting effective counterterrorism policy.” (p. 1) This is done by examining the magnitude of current terrorism threats and the state of academic research in analyzing them; the issue of responding to terrorist incidents, which in the United States are rare events, and, therefore, difficult to predict their frequency rate; placing failed and foiled terrorist plots within the overall context of the wider terrorist threat; explaining the nature of terrorist organizations; the dilemmas involved in attributing responsibility for attacks to specific terrorist perpetrators; and formulating metrics to measure the effectiveness of counterterrorism campaigns. There is much to commend in this excellent study. Chapter 3, “The tip of the Iceberg: Accounting for Failed and Foiled Terrorist Plots,” for example, provides a valuable breakdown of terrorists’ plot development as communication of intent, attempt to acquire capability, practice or training, elaboration of actual plan, and final physical implementation – all of which are useful, as the authors explain, for determining “at what stage the plot was foiled or failed, if it was.” (p. 79). In another example, Chapter 6, “Counterterrorism Results: Can Effectiveness Be Evaluated,” provides a comprehensive discussion of the goals and objectives of counterterrorism, which is buttressed by an overview of leading academic formulations of the metrics of effectiveness. This chapter, however, could have been improved by a table or diagram that synthesized these leading conceptual approaches, which would have benefited the public policy community who require tool kits to use in their own work to assess the effectiveness of their counterterrorism programs. In the final chapter, “Moving Forward,” the authors present findings from their earlier chapters, including an insight, from the discipline of criminology, that also applies to the environment of terrorism, that “all crime requires just three elements: motivated offenders, suitable targets, and the absence of capable guardians.” (p. 218).This book is recommended as a primary or secondary textbook for university courses on terrorism and counterterrorism. Crenshaw, a leading academic expert on terrorism, is a Fellow at several institutes at Stanford University, and LaFree is professor criminology and criminal justice and director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland.
The Handbook of the Criminology of Terrorism
Gary LaFree and Joshua D. Freilich (Eds.), [Wiley Handbooks in Criminology and Criminal Justice] (Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell, 2017), 632 pages, $195.00 [Hardcover], ISBN: 978-11189-2395-5. With the study of terrorism situated within the domain of criminology (i.e., terrorism is a form of crime that violates a nation’s laws), this comprehensive handbook brings together leading academic experts in the fields of criminological theories, methods, and research to apply their disciplines to examine the causes of terrorism and the components of effective counterterrorism. The handbook 36 chapters are divided into seven parts. Part I, “Introduction,” presents the editors’ overview on applying the discipline of criminology to the study of terrorism. Part II, “Etiology,” discusses topics such as the causes of radicalization; psychological factors involved in radicalization into terrorism; pre-incident indicators involved in the terrorists planning cycle; and group-level and country-level predictors of terrorism. Part III, “Theories,” covers prominent social and behavioral sciences’ theories to explain the causes of terrorism, such as general strain theory, social learning theory, situational approaches to terrorism, and victimization theories. Part IV, “Research Methods,” discusses the application of various methodologies to examine terrorism, such as social network analysis (SNA), spacial, temporal and multilevel modeling; and using latent class growth (LCG) and interrupted time series (ITS) analyses to estimate terrorism trends. Part V, “Types of Terrorism,” covers the spectrum of terrorism types, such as far-right terrorism in the United States; left-wing terrorism (anarchists and radical environmental groups); assessing aircraft hijackings as a terrorist tactic; the tactic of suicide terrorism; and a
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criminological perspective on the use of the tactic of assassination. Part VI, “Terrorism and Other Types of Crime,” covers criminological-related topics such as organized crime and terrorism; a comparison of terrorism and hate crime; financial crimes associated with far-right and al Qaida type groups; and utilizing the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) to empirically analyze the spread of maritime terrorism. Part VII, “Countering Terrorism,” discusses subjects such as empowering local communities to counter violent extremism; defending against domestic terrorist plots in the United States; ten principles for effective counterterrorism; the impact of policy changes in the aftermath of 9/11 in prosecuting terrorism; legislative efforts to counter eco-terrorism; the role of prisons in radicalization into terrorism; and the utility of cyber criminological research in designing policies and security solutions to counter cyberterrorism. This is a valuable reference resource and a useful textbook with each chapter opening with an introduction, followed by an overview of the state of the literature on the subject, and concluding with a series of observations. The chapters also include extensive notes and a bibliography. Gary LaFree is director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) and a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Maryland. Joshua Freilich is a member of the Criminal Justice Department and the Criminal PhD Program at John Jay College, in New York.
What Went Wrong in Afghanistan?
Understanding Counter-Insurgency Efforts in Tribalized Rural and Muslim Environments
Metin Gurcan, (Solihull, West Midlands, England: Helion & Company Limited, 2016), 132 pages, $35.00 [Paperback], ISBN: 978-1-911096-00-9. This is a well-informed critique by a former Turkish Special Forces officer, with operational experience in Afghanistan, of the Western-led coalition’s counter-insurgency (COIN) campaign in Afghanistan. The author contends that “in hybrid settings like Afghanistan, modern security actors of the world need new designs, preferably asymmetric ones, which zoom closer into the nature of an unfamiliar conflict in order to conceive of a framework for problem solving.” (p. xiii). As he explains, the “dilemma of strategic inputs and tactical outcomes” needs to be addressed in what he terms Afghanistan’s Tribalized Rural Muslim Environments (TRMEs), because traditional COIN strategies “excessively emphasize ‘what to do’ in strategic and operational level planning,” while he recommends that “‘how to do” in tactical level planning is more important to determine the end state of COIN in any TRME.” (p. xvii). Thus, as opposed to the conventional COIN’s doctrine that the “destruction of the enemy” would represent “a clear victory in TRMEs,” he argues that “the support of the populace should be the center of gravity.” (p. xix). This conceptual framework is then applied to explain the nature of TRMEs within Afghanistan’s tribalized, rural and Muslim environment and the conditions of the turmoil in the TRMEs that need to be addressed by COIN forces vis-à-vis their insurgent adversaries at the tactical level. The author is a security analyst and research fellow at the Istanbul Policy Center (IPC), Sabancı University, Turkey.
Benefit-Cost Analyses for Security Policies: Does Increased Safety Have to Reduce Efficiency?
Carol Mansfield and V. Kerry Smith (Eds.), (Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar, 2015), 288 pages, $117.00 [Hardcover], ISBN: 978-1-78471-107-8. In this important volume in homeland security studies, the contributors, who are economists, discuss methodologies to assess the effectiveness of various policies designed to protect a country’s infrastructure and population against terrorist threats (with other non-terrorism threats to the infrastructure, such as those impacting the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], also being discussed). As the editors explain, in such an assessment of effectiveness “an important dimension of the evaluation must begin with a clear definition of what these policies are intended to provide and how they will accomplish these objectives. This specification is important because the means used to enhance security may well diminish other
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‘rights’.” (p. ix). These issues are discussed in the volume’s five parts. Part I, “Introduction and Objectives”, presents an overview of challenges in evaluating homeland security policies and the components of designing a benefit-cost architecture for homeland security policy analysis. Part II, “Security Policies and Reducing Risks,” discusses issues such as lessons from risk assessment, economics, and risk management at EPA; dealing with safety in UK public sector appraisal; and a comparison of key benefit estimation issues for natural hazards and terrorism. Part III, “Adaptation and Economy-Wide Effects,” discusses issues such as contrasting terrorism and natural disaster risk in an urban setting, and estimating the macroeconomic consequence of terrorist attacks. Part IV, “Practical Implementation of Policy Evaluation,” analyzes issues such as applying the methodology of benefit transfers for evaluating homeland security counterterrorism measures, which is explained as “Benefit estimates can be transferred through time or space; the key feature is that study-site values are used to estimate a value for a policy that is different from the original policy objective”(p. 227). The concluding chapter, by the co-editors, “What We Know and What We Need to Learn,” recommends “small” and “large” steps for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to improve the analysis of homeland security policy. These include establishing an Economic Analysis Advisory Committee of outside experts to consult on benefit-cost analysis, as well as for DHS to build an ‘analysis platform’ to provide “an organized set of practices for DHs risk assessments and benefit-cost analyses”(p. 263). This volume is the product of a workshop held in 2010 under the auspices of the DHS-funded CREATE (National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events) at the University of Southern California. Carol Mansfield is Senior Economist at RTI International and V. Kerry Smith is Emeritus Professor at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.
The Afghan War:
Operation Enduring Freedom, 2001-2014
Anthony Tucker-Jones, (Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, Pen & Sword, 2014), 128 pages, $24.95 [Paperback], ISBN: 978-1-78303-020-0. This volume is part of the publisher’s “Modern Warfare” series, which are designed to provide a visual account of defining military conflicts. Following an introductory overview about Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), the chapters discuss how the war was declared, the air war, how Kabul was captured, the battle for Tora Bora, how NATO took charge of the campaign, the fight against the Taliban, countering the Taliban’s IED bombing operations, the nature of the coalition force’s soldiers’ tours of duty, the types of military vehicles that were used in the operations, and the transition of the coalition’s leadership from NATO to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) – although supported by largely United States-led coalition forces. In the Epilogue, the author concludes that “While Operation Enduring Freedom did not get Afghanistan completely back on its feet, it certainly made progress in many areas.” (p. 127). With more than 140 color photos illustrating the text, this volume is recommended as a concise visual documentary of OEF. The author is a prolific British writer on military affairs, armored warfare and terrorism. Several of this column’s reviews were previously published in this reviewer’s “Counterterrorism Bookshelf” review column in the online academic journal “Perspectives on Terrorism,” which was published in April 2017. They are reprinted by permission.
About The Reviewer Dr. Joshua Sinai is a Senior Analyst at Kiernan Group Holdings (KGH) (www.kiernan.co), a homeland security and counterterrorism consulting firm in Alexandria, VA. Dr. Sinai can be reached at: Sinai@kiernan.co.
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