The Counter Terrorist Magazine - August/September 2012 by Solomon

T o u l o u s e K i l l e r • G r u p o T i g r e • H i z b U t- Tah r i r • R e l e n t l e s s P u r s u i t

Journal for Law Enforcement, Intelligence & Special Operations Professionals

Counter The

August/September 2012

Volume 5 • Number 4

The U.S. Citizen, the Second Amendment, and the U.N. Small Arms Treaty

An SSI Publication ®

August/September 2012 USA/CANADA $5.99

www.thecounterterroristmag.com The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 1

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Counter

The Journal for Law Enforcement, Intelligence & Special Operations Professionals August/September 2012 Volume 5 โ ข Number 4

COVER story: The U.S. Citizen, the Second Amendment, 32 and the U.N. Small Arms Treaty

contents

By Ross Riggs

FEATURES: Firsthand: 8 Grupo TIGRE Paranรก Raid

By Kevan Gillies

Case Study: Spree Killer in Toulouse, France By Richard Marquise

HIZB UT-TAHRIR CONVENES IN ILLINOIS 48 By John Andrews RELENTLESS PURSUIT: A NEGLECTED COIN 58 PRINCIPLE?

By Eeben Barlow

departments: 6

From the Editor

Afghanistan the Beautiful

46 Book Review The Eleven: Saudi Guantรกnamo Veterans Returning to

the Fight

69 Innovative Products

RM M203PI, Propper A-Tacs BDU, Sesolinc Mobile Reinforced Data Facility

72 Training Review Mobile Device Seizure and Investigations Cover: To come

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 5

Counter The

From The Editor:

Afghanistan the Beautiful

“A

By Chris Graham

Volume 5 • Number 4

merican troops have made use of the most advanced technology money could buy and performed as they were trained. They have endured...while tolerating...” After the September 11 attacks in 2001, President Bush authorized a brilliantly agile campaign by CIA officers and Special Forces soldiers leading Afghan proxies in bold, aggressive combat operations against al Qaeda and the Taliban with devastating close-air-support. After some dramatic and well-publicized successes, “Big Army,” the same organization that seemed hesitant to participate at the outset, jumped in with both feet. Fast forward a decade to the present, and the U.S. government has sacrificed the lives of thousands of young Americans and hundreds of billions of dollars to… to what? Decimating and deterring the network that made war against the United States culminating in the 9/11 attacks seems to be a side job. U.S. policy in Afghanistan today seems to be motivated by the idea of bringing governance to ungoverned regions in order to prevent the rise of future terrorist groups; not a bad idea unless one is aware of the fact that attempting to bring governance to all uncontrolled regions of the earth is a sufficiently large task to bankrupt any nation participating. And make no mistake, many nations deliberately hinder these efforts at every opportunity and it is unclear how many locals want this intrusion. An additional trifling detail is: What form of government should be installed? Should they be given a heavy-handed socialist “worker’s paradise?” Should they be given the mob rule of democracy? Should they be given a representative republic like the United States? In the case of Afghanistan, coalition troops find themselves propping up a corrupt Islamic regime. Those of us who have spent time in the field in Afghanistan find claims of supporting the democratic aspirations of noble Afghans to be tragically humorous. My recollection of Afghanistan is a land where individual liberty, tolerance of others, and honesty are often considered ridiculous. I remember a land (regardless of which tribal region) where a perceived insult to the Koran could result in mob riots and killings but where rampant pedophilia and bestiality merit nothing more than a shrug of shoulders. American troops have performed as they were trained, enduring an inhospitable environment, facing countless challenges, and tolerating the ridiculous orders of seniors to practice celibacy and abstain from alcohol for every day of each deployment. Aside from the previous, they have done well carrying out their orders. Unfortunately, they have been ordered to carry out a never-ending series of costly, inefficient operations without significant benefit. At this point, “victory” in Afghanistan is ill-defined, and the highly publicized schedule for withdrawal of U.S. forces virtually precludes the possibility of achieving a real ”victory” even if conducted piecemeal over decades. If our politicians and generals are permitted to celebrate their “successes” without being forced to confront their failure of leadership, we can expect the same processes to be repeated. It appears that our political commitment is not great enough to achieve victory; it is merely sufficient to justify participation and guarantees great expense and unsavory results for years to come. I would suggest that if a politician doesn't have sufficient support at the outset of a campaign to honestly and clearly state his objectives and his commitment to victory, nothing less, then he does not have sufficient support to wage war. If we permit these “leaders” to indulge in a never-ending round of self-congratulations without facing our strengths and our weaknesses, our accomplishments and our failures, with sobriety rather than spin, we will not adapt sufficiently to achieve victory in future conflicts.

Semper Fidelis, Chris Graham Editor, The Counter Terrorist 6 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

Journal for Law Enforcement, Intelligence & Special Operations Professionals

August/September 2012 Editor Chris Graham Director of Operations Sol Bradman Director of Advertizing Carmen Arnaes Director of Production Kelli Richardson Contributing Editors Eeben Barlow Jennifer Hesterman Richard Marquise Tom Nypaver Steve Young Graphic Design Morrison Creative Company Copy Editor Laura Town Office Manager Lily Valdes Publisher: Security Solutions International 13155 SW 134th St. • STE 204 Miami, Florida 33186

ISSN 1941-8639 The Counter Terrorist Magazine, Journal for Law Enforcement, Intelligence & Special Operations Professionals is published by Security Solutions International LLC, as a service to the nation’s First Responders and Homeland Security Professionals with the aim of deepening understanding of issues related to Terrorism. No part of the publication can be reproduced without permission from the publisher. The opinions expressed herein are the opinions of the authors represented and not necessarily the opinions of the publisher. Please direct all Editorial correspondence related to the magazine to: Security Solutions International SSI, 13155 SW 134th Street, Suite 204, Miami, Florida. 33186 or info@thecounterterroristmag.com The subscription price for 6 issues is $34.99 and the price of the magazine is $5.99. (1-866-573-3999) Fax: 1-786-573-2090. For article reprints, e-prints, posters and plaques please contact: PARS International Corp. Web: www.magreprints.com/quickquote.asp Email: reprints@parsintl.com Phone: 212-221-9595 • Fax: 212-221-9195 Please visit the magazine web site where you can also contact the editorial staff:

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Firsthand:

By Kevan Gillies

Counter The

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General purpose police officers make an arrest.

Crime in Brazil is a unique situation. Large cities such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Recife, and Curitiba (capital of the southern state of Paraná) are flooded with favelas (shanty towns) where drug lords rule by fear.

rime is dominated by highly structured criminal organizations such as Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC)—First Command of the Capital. Many of these groups are commanded from the prisons in São Paulo and have “chapters” or “branches” throughout the country. Comando Vermelho (CV)—Red Command- originated in Rio de Janeiro and is organized similarly to PCC. The majority of individual criminals are affiliated with and pay dues to one organization or the other. Activities practiced by these criminal organizations include

bank robberies, armored vehicle robberies, kidnappings, and drug dealing. In the northwestern region of Brazil, there have been many incidents where heavily armed gangs take small towns hostage, neutralizing the small police force, and robbing banks, supermarkets, and businesses. These violent and brutal criminal organizations are famous for executing rival gang members by beheading and dismemberment.

Grupo TIGRE Tático Integrado de Grupos de Repressão Especial (TIGRE, the Integrated Tactical Groups of Special

The unit is responsible for investigating all cases of kidnappings and hostage rescue operations in the state of Paraná (near the triple frontier of Brasil, Paraguay and Argentina) and handles an average of seven hostage situations/ kidnappings per year.

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Suppression) was created in 1989. The unit is responsible for investigating all cases of kidnappings and hostage rescue operations in the state of Paraná (near the triple frontier of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina) and handles an average of seven hostage situations/kidnappings per year. TIGRE also has the additional responsibility of providing tactical support for other units on high risk warrants. The group includes twenty-six operators and two delgados (commanding officers). The unit is credited with a 100% success rate in its twenty-three-year history and has been designated the state’s counter-terrorism team in preparation for the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.

Operation Mercury In late November of 2011, I found myself sitting amongst over four hundred-strong law enforcement officers from three distinct police forces (the Federal, Military and Civil Police) being briefed on what would turn out to be one of the most significant inter-departmental operations ever conducted in the southern states of Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Porto Alegre: Operation Mercury. COT (Comando de Operações Táticas – Tactical Operations Command), the Federal Police Tactical Unit, had flown down from Brasilia to assist in fulfilling fifty-three warrants in the three states. I was sitting in the ranks of TIGRE, the Civil Police Counter Terrorism and Hostage Rescue Team called in to take down one of the higher-risk targets. The gang we were about to take out of action had been involved in kidnappings,

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Grupo TIGRE. Photo courtesy of Carlos Frigerio. drug dealing, assaults on armored cars, and bank robberies using explosives to open ATMs (the latest fad amongst Brazilian organized crime). We were taking down an entire gang in one shot. They were a well trained and organized group of hard core criminals. A month earlier they had lost a member and killed two police officers in Paraguay during an attempt to take them down by the National Police Force. Less than a week prior to our operation, they had exchanged fire with the ParanĂĄ State Highway Patrol, using covering fire and bounding drills to retreat. They were armed with AR-15s and conducted transition drills to Glock 9 mm pistols with thirty-round magazines.

The whole investigation had originated from a receipt for phone credits found in an abandoned vehicle used in a robbery. It took a total of two years of investigations to collect enough evidence and intelligence to bring in the whole gang. At 06:00 (local) the fiftythree warrants would be executed simultaneously.

O6:00 Assaulters in the FUP At 05:45 we dropped off the rear perimeter and containment team. At 06:00 sharp we were stacked in our FUP (forming up position). We had rehearsed our movements back at TIGREÂ´s Operational Base

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Grupo TIGRE. Photo courtesy of Carlos Frigerio.

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and were fired up and ready to go. On number 15â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signal we moved out. A team of three provided cover on the front and second floor whilst swiftly taking care of the padlock and opening the gate. I slid in behind my cover men numbers 15 and 18 with my linear fire hose charge already in my hands. As usual our intelligence was not the best we could wish for, and I only knew we had two outside doors, probably wooden, and did not know where exactly they would lead. We had decided to take the left door, which appeared to be an entrance to a downstairs living room. 15 and I scraped between the wall and a Volkswagon car, and I slapped the charge on the door. In what must have been fractions of a second, I could see that it was

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Rio de Janeiro - the Armed Forces (CFN) occupy the Complex of the German, in Rio de Janeiro, to ensure safety during the municipal elections. Photo: Wilson Dias/ABr a heavy wooden door opening in and felt confident that the charge (made up of 15 gram det cord) would handle it easily. As I started flaking out the shock tube and retreating around hard cover, I felt the line go taught, I looked back and found it had tangled and was starting to pull the charge off the door. I managed to make it around the corner as my two cover men exited the gate. I decided to fire the charge from where I was and let it rip. The shock wave reflecting off the garage wall was manageable.

16 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

Before I could finish reeling in the shock tube, the team had passed me and I heard the calls of ”clear, clear, coming out.” Still under the cover of number 18, I accessed my second linear hose charge and started peeling off the Breacher´s Tape and placing the charge. Same type of door, only this time opening out. I grabbed 18 by his vest´s drag handle and pulled him back a couple of meters closer to the wall whilst accessing the pen-flare firing device. A quick look around to make sure none of the team was

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Grupo TIGRE explosive wall breach. Photo courtesy of Carlos Frigerio.

The image of the flash going down the plastic shock tube, the door banging off the jamb and falling backwards, let’s just say it was a beautiful sight.

exposed to the charge (if you can see the charge, the charge can see you), and I pulled back the firing pin. The image of the flash going down the plastic shock tube, the door banging off the jamb and falling backwards, let’s just say it was a beautiful sight. Numbers 18 and 15 headed up the stairs to the living quarters. Soon after I heard the command of “Dominado.” It turned out the ground floor was being turned into a small clothes shop and was completely empty except for a few shelves, hangers, and construction materials. Mission accomplished: two explosive breaches and warrant executed with two perpetrators in custody. We seized two .40 caliber pistols, credit cards, and cash. Our part in the operation was over. Operation Mercury was a success and fifty of fifty-three warrants were fulfilled. Only one team was fired

18 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

upon. Zero casualties were taken, and their perp was in custody.

Lessons learned 1) Success comes from long hours dedicated to realistic tactical training. 2) Good Intelligence is worth gold. 3) Rehearsals are critical to any successful operation. 4) A team must have multiple points and methods of entry. 5) Explosive Breaching is an essential tool for any tactical team. 6) A clear mission statement and rules of engagement are essential.

•

About the Author Mr. Gillies is a British expatriate resident of Brazil. He is Director of the Tactical Explosive Entry School Brazil (www.teesbrazil.com.br) and serves as a tactical trainer, consultant and explosive breacher for Grupo TIGRE.

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Case Study:

Spree Killer in Toulouse, France By Richard Marquise

Aftermath of the 2012 shootings, flags of Capitole de Toulouse are not flying. Photo: PierreSelim

Counter The

20 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

On March 11, 2012, the 8th anniversary of the Madrid train bombings, a lone gunman killed a French paratrooper near the southwestern French city of Toulouse. This seemingly isolated attack drew little attention. Four days later, two more off-duty French soldiers were killed, and another was wounded thirty miles from Toulouse in what appeared to be a “drive-by” shooting at a bank ATM.

nvestigators began to connect the two attacks. On video later accessed by police, the gunman shouted, “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great,” as he drove away. While police were working to identify the shooter in each of these attacks, it would take a third, more heinous crime before he would be fully identified. Four days after the second attack, on the morning of March 19 a lone gunman on a motorcycle drove up to a Jewish school in Toulouse and began firing at anyone he saw. Before he was through, a rabbi and two of his children, aged six and three, were dead. Another child was gravely wounded. Media reports indicated that the shooter then chased eight-year-old Miriam Monsonego, fatally shooting her in the head at point-blank range.1 Although the gunman initially escaped, French investigators linked the three attacks to twentythree-year-old Mohamed Merah. Merah, a French citizen of Algerian descent, had come to the attention of French police as a teenager. He had been

involved in a series of criminal activities and had a string of convictions for petty crimes.2 Merah had also spent over a year in prison for theft and upon release was rejected for service in the French Foreign Legion. He traveled to the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Media reports provide conflicting information: some reported it was in 20083 and others said 20104. He trained at militant camps in Waziristan. He attempted to forge ties with al Qaeda; however, except for his own statements, it is not clear if he succeeded. It was also alleged he may have fought with the Taliban. However, he was apprehended by a military patrol in Afghanistan in 2010 and deported to France. Merah may have been placed on the United States “Do Not Fly” list because of his capture in Afghanistan.5 After Merah returned to France, interviewers attempted to determine why he had been in Afghanistan. Merah told French personnel in November 2011 he

Mohamed Merah. © Sémhur / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Unfortunately, it took three attacks and seven deaths before French authorities were able to link them together and to Merah.

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 21

Despite the information already in possession of French authorities that included Merah’s travel to Afghanistan, his actions with regard to the French teenager, and his mother’s IP address linked to the first murdered soldier, it took six days to link the shootings to Merah.

had been there as a tourist and produced photographs to support his claim.6 After the attacks, it was alleged that the mother of a fifteen-year-old boy twice complained to police about Merah. She stated that Merah had forced her son to watch al Qaeda videos of women being shot in the head and men being strangled to death. He apparently had also made her son listen to songs that she said were calls to “go to war.”7 There was also a report that a Spanish intelligence service had told the French government that Merah had attended a “meeting of Salafists in Catalonia in 2007.”8 Unfortunately, it took three attacks and seven deaths before French authorities were able to link them together and to Merah. It is believed that he videoed his attacks to upload to the internet. It had only been eight days from the time

of the first to the final attack, but anyone who has lived through a similar series of attacks knows that each day that passes without a solution can terrorize a community. Recall the Washington D.C. sniper case in 2002 when it took police twenty-two days and ten deaths in the Washington D.C. area before two men were conclusively linked to those attacks and others around the United States. Investigation of the first attack revealed the soldier had placed an ad attempting to sell a motorcycle. One response had come from a computer having an IP (Internet Protocol) address located in Merah’s mothers’ home. Unfortunately, there were also five-hundred-seventy-six other IP addresses that were linked to the dead paratrooper. Each had to be investigated. After the second attack, French police as well as domestic security agency,

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DISCLAIMER: This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 2006-GD-T6-K001 administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/FEMA, Training and Exercises Integration Secretariat. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

For more information please visit www.preventivestrategies.net or www.ruraltraining.org 22 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

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A news camera in the center of Toulouse after the shootings. Photo: PierreSelim

Direction Centrale du Renseignement Interieur (DCRI), created a list of suspects that included Merah. Despite the information already in possession of French authorities that included Merah’s travel to Afghanistan, his actions with regard to the French teenager, and his mother’s IP address linked to the first murdered soldier, it took six days to link the shootings to Merah. Police also found evidence of conversations between Merah and the first victim based on an examination of the soldier’s cell phone. A motorcycle dealer had notified the police that a customer had come into his shop and asked how to deactivate the electronic locator chip installed on a motorcycle. Deactivation of the device would ostensibly allow the driver not to be tracked when on the motorcycle. That customer had been Merah’s brother, Abdelkader, who would later be arrested in connection with the

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The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 23

Facade of the apartment of Mohammed Merah, in Toulouse, shortly after the battle with French authorities. Photo: Casablanca1950

Merah was tracked to his residence, and after a thirty-two hour standoff, he was killed in a blaze of gunfire.

attacks. Abdelkader Merah also admitted being present when his brother stole the motorcycle that he used in his attacks. This information, once collated, allowed police to focus exclusively on Merah, yet he was able to conduct his most heinous attacks on March 19, when he killed four people, including the children.9 Merah was tracked to his residence, and after a thirty-two hour standoff, he was killed in a blaze of gunfire. Before he died, Merah spoke with negotiators and others. He told them about his travels to Pakistan and Afghanistan, claimed to be a “jihadist,” and said he belonged to al Qaeda. He said he wanted to avenge Palestinian children and take revenge on the French Army because of its foreign interventions. He initially said he did not intend to conduct a suicide mission and wanted to live, but shortly before the standoff ended, he said he wanted to “die as a mujahedeen.”10

24 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

After Merah was killed, many in France began to question whether or not authorities could have done more to prevent these attacks. In spite of Merah having been apprehended in Afghanistan, allegedly placed on the U.S. “Do Not Fly” list, and having been reported for his attempts to “recruit” the teen, many believed that Merah had been ignored by French law enforcement and the DCRI. However, the French Defense Minister responded ,“I don’t think so, unless we want to turn France into a police state.”11 Merah’s case is similar to that of a number of young individuals who have either carried out attacks or have been arrested in the United States as a result of their having become radicalized. Some believe that Merah may have been radicalized in prison.12 It is worth asking, “Could it happen here? Would a lone gunman attempt to kill soldiers, young children, or other

civilians?” Most of the terrorist attacks of the past few years have been directed at military or other government targets. Military and law-enforcement personnel are easily identifiable, often because of their uniforms. Other than the shooting of middleschool student Iran Brown during the D.C. sniper attacks in 2002, terrorists and other criminals have generally not targeted schools or schoolchildren in the United States. In fact, a review of some of the documents taken from Osama bin Laden’s home in Abbottabad, Pakistan, indicates that bin Laden himself may have rejected such an attack. The documents outline bin Laden’s thoughts about “tatarrus,” which are the special circumstances where it is permissible under Islamic law for a military commander to attack enemy territory even if the attack will result in the death of non–combatants, including Muslim

women or children. However, bin Laden expressed concern that many “jihadi groups” may have expanded the application of this practice from rare cases and the exception to the norm.13 The report did not contain his thoughts about the 2004 attack at Beslan, Russia, where at least one-hundred-eighty-six children were killed. There have been successful terrorist attacks in the United States in the past several years. Umar Abdulmutallab and Faisal Shahzad, the Christmas Day and Times Square bombers, respectively, Nidal Hasan at Ft. Hood, and Carlos Bledsoe’s murderous attack at a military recruiting station in Little Rock demonstrate there is work to be done to keep our communities safe. While these attacks represent our failures, many others have been prevented. American law enforcement has interdicted about fifty terrorist events in the past three years.

American law enforcement has interdicted about fifty terrorist events in the past three years.

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This includes a number of individuals who have attempted to provide material support to or attempted to join a terrorist group overseas as well as conduct attacks domestically. While much of the media focus has been on individuals like Merah who are considered international terrorists by ideology, there have been successful and

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prevented attacks by domestic terrorists whose motivation is fueled by events taking place solely in the United States. On May 1, 2012, a group of anarchists wanting to “send a message to corporations and the United States government” by blowing up a major bridge near Cleveland, Ohio, were arrested.14 Significant terrorist plots were stopped in New York, Illinois, North Carolina, and Texas in 2009. The last defendant in a plot described as the most operational since 9/11 was convicted on May 1, 2012. In that case, three former high-school classmates had conspired to conduct suicide attacks on the New York City subway system on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Other interdicted plots involved both explosives and weapons attacks. More attacks were prevented in 2010 in Virginia, Maryland, Oregon, Michigan, and Alaska. Other individuals were arrested as they attempted to travel abroad to join terrorist groups or while they were providing funds to support them. During 2010, terrorism investigators found a number of individuals who traveled (or wanted to travel) to Somalia in order to join al Shabaab. Two young men from New Jersey were recorded saying, “We’ll start doing killing here, if I can’t do it over there (Somalia).”15 In 2011, numerous plots, both domestic and international, were disrupted in the United States including Texas, Washington, and the Washington, D. C. area. Jason Abdo, a young U.A. (unauthorized absence) soldier from Fort Campbell, KY, was arrested in Texas as he planned to attack soldiers at Ft. Hood. He was charged with attempting to attack a restaurant that soldiers from Ft. Hood frequented. In his possession were explosives components as well as an article from the al Qaeda online publication, “Inspire,” entitled “Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom.”16

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In early 2011, a young Saudi student studying at South Plains College in Lubbock, Texas, was arrested as he collected components to make a bomb. Khalid Aldawsari has been charged with attempting to use weapons of mass destruction in carrying out a terrorist attack. At the time of his arrest, he had purchased lab equipment and a trigger as well as two of the three chemicals required to make an explosive device. He had also done research on possible targets in the United States.17 In 2012, several attacks have already been prevented. In addition to the preempted attack in Ohio described above, another young man was arrested as he walked toward the U.S. Capitol wearing a suicide vest and carrying an inoperable weapon provided by the FBI. He had also been recorded discussing possible attacks on U.S. soldiers in the Washington D.C. area. The above are examples of plots that have been interdicted in the United States in the past three years. There are any number of young (and old), rich and poor, disaffected and not individuals who for a variety of reasons want to strike Americans no matter the cost—to the victims or to themselves. After Merah’s murderous attacks, a moderator of an online al Qaeda forum, Abu Sa’d al-Amili, wrote, “The hero of the battle of Toulouse will be an example and a role model for whomever is behind him among the Muslim youth in the West, especially those who have not joined up with Mujahid groups.” He wrote further that the actions (such as Merah’s) will make them heroes for Islam. Al-Amili wrote that many of the youth (in the west) have no social value, no jobs, or faith, but due to the “wide margins of liberty in the West,” they will be prevented from becoming downtrodden like the Arabs living under tyrannical

Map of the school, and access map of Merah’s residence. Source: Open Street Map

rule in their home countries. Al-Amili ends his online essay by stating that Western-born Muslims are rejecting local governmental attempts to promote non-violent forms of Islam, and ultimately the goal will be to produce an “al Qaeda in Western dress with blue eyes and with a totally Western appearance.”18 Most people believe the killing of any child is reprehensible. Unfortunately, some like al-Amili only see a “jihadist” doing his part to attack the west. The military, its personnel, and facilities will continue to be targets of terrorists in the United States, and attacks such as that perpetrated by Merah would be an effective way to carry them out. Whether or not children will be a target, we only have to look at the D.C. snipers and at Merah to realize the continued likelihood of this type attack. The responsibility to identify those who may wish to harm us, our institutions, or our children rests with individual citizens. Communities working with local law enforcement have the ability to identify those who may represent a risk to them. In turn, local law enforcement working in partnership with the Joint Terrorism Task Forces and Fusion Centers around the United States have been effective in preventing a number of terrorist attacks. These relationships are the key to preventing attacks such as those perpetrated in Toulouse. It will be our local institutions—family, community, and local law enforcement working in conjunction with federal and international partners who constitute our defense network. It will be up to them to identify the Mohamed Merahs in their communities.

•

Location map of Montauban and Toulouse, France. In pink, the area covored by the Scarlet Vigipirate level. Author: Eric Gaba – Wikimedia Commons user: Sting The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 29

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

It will be our local institutions— family, community, and local law enforcement working in conjunction with federal and international partners who constitute our defense network.

Mr. Marquise is the Director of the Department of Justice’s, Bureau of Justice Assistance State and Local Antiterrorism Training (SLATT) program. He is a retired FBI senior executive who led the investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 and is the author of Scotbom: Evidence and the Lockerbie Investigation.

End Notes Fiona Govan, “Toulouse shooting: little girl cornered in school and shot in head,” The Telegraph, 03 March 2012, (04 April 2012), http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ news/worldnews/europe/france/9154350/ Toulouse-shooting-little-girl-cornered-inschool-and-shot-in-head.html. 2 Sarah Dilorenzo and Johanna Decourse, “French Shooting Suspect Dead as Toulouse Siege Comes to Violent End,” The Guardian, 03 March 2012, (10 April 2012), http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/ blog/2012/mar/22/france-shooting-toulouse-police-suspects-jewish-school-raid. 3 Duncan Gardham, “British links to Toulouse Terrorist,” The Telegraph, 22 March 2012, (10 April 2012), http:// www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/ europe/france/9163544/British-links-toToulouse-terrorist.html. 4 Rob Crilly, “Toulouse Shooting: 80 French Nationals Training with Pakistani Taliban,” The Telegraph, 21 March 2012, (10 April 2012), http://www. telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ france/9158336/Toulouse-shooting-80French-nationals-training-with-PakistanTaliban.html. 5 Stefan Simons, “A Serial Killer Under Observation,” Spiegal Online International, 22 March 2012, (10 April 2012), http://www.spiegel.de/international/ europe/secret-services-had-monitoredfrench-serial-killer-a-823200.html. 6 Ibid. 1

30 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

Rapheal Ahren, “Woman Went to Police about Merah’s Radicalization Two Years Ago,” The Times of Israel , 21 March 2012, (10 April 2012), http://www. timesofisrael.com/shooting-suspect-saidto-like-talking-about-cars-bikes-girls-andsport/. 8 Simons, “A Serial Killer Under Observation.” 9 Ibid. 10 Laura Smith-Spark, “Who is French Shooting Suspect Mohammed Merah?,”CNN.com, 22 March 2012, (10 April 2012), http://articles.cnn. com/2012-03-21/world/world_europe_ france-shooting-suspect-profile_1_qaedapakistan-s-waziristan-afghanistan?_ s=PM:EUROPE. 11 Simons, “A Serial Killer Under Observation.” 12 Elaine Ganley, “France Looks at Radicalization in Prisons,” Salon, 10 April 2012, (09 April 2012), http://www.salon. com/2012/04/09/france_takes_new_ look_at_radicalization_in_prisons. 13 Don Rassler, Gabriel KoehlerDerrick, Liam Collins, Muhammad al-Obaidi, Nelly Lahoud, “Letters from Abbottabad: bin Ladin Sidelined?,” Countering Terrorism Center at West Point, 5/3/12, http://www.ctc.usma.edu/ posts/letters-from-abbottabad-bin-ladinsidelined. 14 United Statesv. Douglas L. Wright, 1:!2-mj-03073-gw (6th Cir. 2012). 15 United States v. Mohamed Alessa, 10mj-8109 (3rd Cir. 2010); United States v. Carlos E. Almonte, 10-cr-594 (3rd Cir. 2010). 16 United States v. Naser Jason Abdo, w-11-cr-182 (5th Cir. 2011). 17 United States v. Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, 11-mag-2617 (5th Cir. 2011). 18 “Jihadi’s New Toulouse Inspiration,” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, 18 April 2012, (22 April 2012), http://www. investigativeproject.org/3540/ipt-exclusive-jihadis-new-toulouse-inspiration. 7

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The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 31

The U.S. Citizen, the Second Amendment, and the U.N. Small Arms Treaty

Counter The

32 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

New Orleans Police officer at a crime scene, Central City, New Orleans. Photo: Derek Bridges

By Ross Riggs

Despite the well-known motto “to protect and serve,” police officers cannot prevent crime from being initiated. A crime is reported or observed and they respond to it, after the fact, and try to limit damage. But prevent crime?

nly in the big scheme of things, such as with a highly visible patrol presence, a substantial percentage of convictions, and strict sentencing is crime “prevented” by deterring irrational actors, most of whom would not have done anything illegal in the first place. When crime happens in your neighborhood, in your family, on your front porch, there is only one person responsible for stopping that criminal before he commits the crime he intends to commit. Many criminals attempt crimes regardless of how many patrol cars are out or how high the risk of jail time might be. The only person who can be

responsible for any individual’s safety is that individual. So from where does the misleading phrase, “Protect and Serve” originate? From 1950 to 1966, Chief William Parker led the Los Angeles Police Department through an amazing period of re-birth. Chief Parker was one of the first to believe that cops could be trained, equipped, led, and respected as “professionals.”1 In the early 1960s, Chief Parker enlisted the help of then Inspector Daryl Gates. Together they created the country’s first SWAT team, began developing the concept of field training officers, and increased basic and in-service training standards, to name

An unrealistic expectation has been created as to what the police in any community can do.

Constitution of the United States Photo: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 33

Department Motto - To Protect and to Serve, along with the Los Angeles city seal is located on both front doors of every black & white LAPD patrol vehicle. - Jeff Costlow 2004. Photo: Skyfox11 but a few innovations. Officer Joseph Dorobek2 created the motto “Protect and Serve” for the LAPD Training Academy in 1955. The motto was adopted by the Los Angeles City Council as the department motto in 1963 and has graced the patrol cars of that agency ever since. Through good times and bad, “Protect and Serve” was the bottom line for what law enforcement was all about. But with that motto have come some unintended consequences. An unrealistic expectation has been created as to what the police in any community can do. The stress a

community experiences when police incompetence is perceived when really bad things happen is exponentially greater on the police themselves. They are individually and collectively frustrated. Cops receive pressure from seniors and peers, are lampooned by the media, and are sometimes even hated by the members of the public they have sworn to protect. It has been said, "We did not become the men that we are because we were soldiers or cops, but became soldiers and cops because of the men we are."3 This quote explains the mindset of most cops, and also why such inability to

34 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

make the desired difference is so painful. The criminal always gets the first move and once the first move is played, the responder can only react to what the criminal has already done. Even when the police try to anticipate the next move of a criminal, such as a serial killer, they have to first respond to the crimes already committed. The resulting friction plays out in increased distrust of the police by the public, and of officers denigrating the citizens they joined the force to serve. In as much as most crime is not perpetrated by a criminal in the lobby of police headquarters at shift change,

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However, if every individual took responsibility to stop criminals before they committed an act against them, criminals would not be so brazen.

the vast majority of crime in the United States and elsewhere will not be prevented. This premise, of course, recognizes that society cannot quantify how much crime has been prevented since it never occurred. However, based on available crime statistics, it is reasonable to conclude that the vast majority of crimes that are committed are not preventable by local police. If that is true, why do police agencies and their communities continue to hold on to that paradigm? Why are billions of dollars poured into such a losing proposition? Finally, why is the inevitable fulfillment of the obvious outcome allowed to create such stress? There is only one person in all the world who can be responsible for preventing crime, and that person is the

individual to whom the crime is about to happen. The phrase “victim of crime” has been used universally when perhaps a more constructive perspective is “victim of their own refusal (or inability) to take the action necessary to stop the criminal from completing their crime.” The term inability is appropriate because there are individuals who are incapable of acting in their own best interests, whether they are unborn babies, infants, or the infirm. Some others, too, could not have foreseen the situation in which they found themselves, nor in any way could they have avoided the event. If they did whatever they had to do to remain alive, they are winners, not victims. If they did all that they could possibly do to survive but did not, they are heroes. Individuals, must, however,

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understand their responsibility to avoid becoming a “victim” of crime and realize their own capability to prevent crime. The first rule of risk mitigation is to “avoid the risk.”4 The numbers of options for preventing a criminal act are too numerous to catalog here. Suffice it to say, the responsibility does not lie with the local gendarme, a father, a brother, or even the generous soul performing Neighborhood Watch down the street. It can, and must, only reside with the individual. In the spring of 2012 a small church in Spartanburg, South Carolina, was the scene of an attempted mass shooting incident.5 When the congregants saw a man with a gun approaching the church, they took action. First, they barred the door. When the shooter broke through the door, the congregants jumped him

and disarmed him, holding him for police. The pastor’s grandson, according to some of the reports, was licensed to carry a concealed firearm and used his weapon to hold the subject for police. They made a choice to be responsible for their own safety. Americans have traditionally stood up for themselves. Admiral Yamamoto’s not wanting to accept the risk of an invasion by his Japanese Imperial Fleet on America’s West Coast following Pearl Harbor is well known. According to legend, he reasoned that there would be a “rifle behind every blade of grass.” 6 However, if every individual took responsibility to stop criminals before they committed an act against them, criminals would not be so brazen. If there were the probability of a rifle in the hands of a well-trained patriot awaiting

38 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

the would-be criminal, crime rates would plummet. The significance of “lone wolf ” terrorists would be negligible. The infiltration of America’s city streets by gangs, many now affiliated with Mexican drug cartels, have brought Mexico’s drug war into U.S. homes. Initially it was border towns that were at risk. Many political leaders turned their heads, and now it is well beyond the border and the violence of drug cartels is visible in daily newspapers across the U.S. There is no current plan that is consistently applied across the law enforcement field to combat this incursion. The case study, Los Zetas Cartel: Ambush in Houston, articulated the problem very clearly. “Our population (CONUS) is insufficiently informed of the threat, and will be caught unprepared in the crossfire in

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their neighborhoods.”7 Citizens who are insufficiently informed are not able to effectively avoid risk. “Crime prevention” in the U.S. must focus on not only encouraging citizens to avoid risk, but also on more accurately communicating the risks to the public so they can avoid or ameliorate a risk when possible, and confront the risk when that is their only option. The public cannot adequately prepare to protect themselves by becoming better informed of the risks, learning strategies on how to avoid, ameliorate and confront risks, and teach these methods to their families if, at the same time, they must tolerate attempts to undermine the Second

Amendment. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is on record as stating in 1995 that he wanted to “brainwash people into thinking about guns in a vastly different way.”8 Currently, health insurance companies require physicians to ask, in their screening process, if patients keep any guns in their homes, regardless of the reason for the doctor visit. They also require the insured to grant access to all medical records by the insurance company at any time. Now, if medical insurance were provided by a government entity administered by an individual lacking commitment to the Constitution, one can imagine the potential for abuse. As another concern, Secretary of State

The law abiding citizen would be left dependent solely on the police to protect him and his family and that is clearly not a reasonable option.

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 39

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, met Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Stephen Smith, Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, New York State on September 21, 2009. Photo: State Dept Image by Michael Gross Hillary Clinton reportedly announced that President Obama would seek to pass through Congress approval of the United Nations Small Arms Treaty.9 The phrase â&#x20AC;&#x153;the devil is in the detailsâ&#x20AC;? may fit here. The summary document posted by the U.N. on the issue of a small arms treaty and proliferation of guns leading to violence has the respectable stated goal of stopping international illegal trade. Among others, the text of the U.N. Circle 343 on Reader Service Card

40 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

Small Arms Treaty Summary contains these details: (55) The World Report on Violence Against Children indicated that violence in the community could take on frightening proportions where weapons were in wide circulation. The report recommended that States develop a comprehensive prevention policy to reduce demand for and access to weapons as a key action to reduce environmental factors that contribute to

Official portrait of United States Attorney General Eric Holder. Photo: United States Department of Justice violence against children in the community. (56) Just as there is no single cause to armed violence, there is no single solution. Armed violence reduction programmes must take a wide range of risk and resilience factors into account and involve all stakeholders. The current efforts to reduce and contain armed violence are generally carried out by military and policing institutions, public health and education agencies [emphasis added] or civil society organizations that focus on conflict prevention, peacebuilding, transitional justice, and community development10 This is but one excerpt of the summary of the U.N. agreement but additional treaty passages reveal the desire to require every weapon everywhere and, when possible, all ammunition to be traceable by governments. U.N. personnel have publicly expressed indifference to individual gun ownership and self-defense needs. It is easy to see the potential for damage to the Constitution by being overly cooperative with various U.N. initiatives. “Resilience” is a word that recently

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U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is on record as stating in 1995 that he wanted to “brainwash people into thinking about guns in a vastly different way.” achieved buzzword status at some U.S. “think tanks.” In recognition of the potential for chaos to be created by acts of terrorism, spill-over narco insurgency, financial breakdown, and other disasters, citizen resilience has re-emerged as a point of interest. One must ask: Does a naïve understanding of police “protection” improve or degrade individual resilience? Does inhibiting individual’s desire and ability to defend themselves and their property improve or degrade citizen resilience? Of course, if the point is crime reduction and risk amelioration, limiting access to small arms will only adversely affect law-abiding citizens. Criminals, by definition, are willing to break the law and will obviously still use guns. Just as the 18th Amendment did not stop drinking, even an amendment to reverse the Second Amendment would not prevent criminals from obtaining guns. The law abiding citizen would be left dependent solely on the police to protect him and his family and that is clearly not a reasonable option.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Riggs retired Louisville, Ohio Chief of Police, a 38-year law enforcement veteran and a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He is the president of Security Consulting Investigations, LLC (www.securityconsulting.us). His blogs are available at: www.homelandsecuritynet.com/ HSN/?s=PoliceBlotter and he is working on his first book: To Protect and Serve (projected 2013 release).

2012, http://www.lapdonline.org/ history_of_the_lapd/content_basic_ view/. 3 Ross L. Riggs, “Truth, Justice, and the American Way,” Magazine of the FBI National Academy Associates, June 21, 2011, http://issuu.com/fbi_ nationalacademyassociate/docs/fbi_marapr2012_flipbk. 4 Ross L. Riggs. In Times of Crisis: A Plan for Creating Contingency Management Teams for Missionary Sending Churches and Agencies. Library of Congress TXu1-687-474, April 28, 2009. 5 Derek Dellinger and Casey Vaughn, “Churchgoers Subdue Gunman at Spartanburg Church,” accessed March 25, 2012, http://www.foxcarolina.com/ story/17251517/churchgoers-subduegunman-at-spartanburg-church. 6 http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Isoroku_

Yamamoto accessed June 11, 2012 7 Jennifer Hesterman, “Los Zetas Cartel Ambush in Houston,” The CounterTerrorist, April-May 2012, 26. 8 “Eric Holder ‘Brainwash People’ About Guns,” YouTube, (18 March 2012), accessed May 27, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=0nM0asnCXD0.http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=0nM0asnCXD0. 9 Rand Paul, “Stop the U.N. Gun Ban,” National Association for Gun Rights, accessed June 1, 2012, www.nagr.org/ UN_lp_survey2.aspx. 10 Ban Ki-moon, “Small Arms: Report of the Secretary-General,” United Nations Security Council, (05 April 2011), accessed April 2, 2012, http:// www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc. asp?symbol=S/2011/255.

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End Notes Alisa Sarah Kramer, “William H. Parker and the thin blue line: Politics, public relations and policing in postwar Los Angeles,” American University 2007. 2 “History of the LAPD,” Los Angeles Police Department, accessed June 11, 1

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Terrorist ~ August/September 2012Service 45 Card Circle 136 on Reader

Book Review

The Eleven: Saudi Guantánamo Veterans Returning to the Fight By Evan F. Kohlmann

everal years ago in Iraq, I wit- nessed multiple mass prisoner releases. I felt confident that I would never see a study commissioned to determine

Reviewed by: Chris Graham

the number of American troops killed in Iraq by terrorists who had already been in custody and ‘ released. ‘ For a‘ number of reasons, accurate information on the

subject of terrorist recidivism is difficult to obtain. The Eleven: Saudi Guantánamo Veterans Returning to the Fight, by Evan F. Kohlmann (www.nefafoundation.org) is a

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (Dec. 31, 2009) A Soldier stands guard in a tower at Camp Delta at Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay. Photo: U.S. Army by Spc. Cody Black/Released. 46 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

uniquely valuable work on the subject. The previous presidential election brought the handling of terrorist prisoners to the forefront as one candidate promised to close the US military prison in Guantánamo Bay Cuba (Gitmo). Once elected, President Obama issued several executive orders on the subject of doing so, and then reversed himself in practice by keeping the facility open to this day. Despite the prison’s being kept open, about 600 prisoners have been released.1 The Eleven profiles some of those prisoners. The title of the work comes from the fact that, at the time of publication, eleven alleged terrorists wanted by the Saudi Arabian government were known to have been held at Gitmo and released to Saudi Arabia. Obviously, it would be likely that the total number of recidivist terrorists from Gitmo would be higher than could be proven. The first man profiled is Saeed Ali Jabir al-Kathim al-Shehri. Al-Shehri traveled to Iran and served as an "al Qaeda facilitator . . . For youth traveling to Afghanistan." Al-Shehri admitted to later traveling to Afghanistan before being wounded and taken into custody. Kohlmann states, "On November 9, 2007, Saeed al-Shehri was quietly transferred by the US government from his cell in Guantanamo Bay to a locally-run detention facility in Saudi Arabia. Less than a year later, Al -Shehri managed to escape the grip of Saudi security forces and fled with other high-profile Saudi al Qaeda operatives to neighboring Yemen. Al-Shehri later turned up in a video using the title, “Secretary General of the Al Qaeda organization Saudi Arabia." Yusuf Muhammad Mubarak al-Jebairy al-Shehri had travelled to Syria and Iran

before entering Afghanistan and working with the Taliban. US officials believe he trained at al Qaeda's infamous al Farouq terrorist camp near Kandahar, Afghanistan. (This same camp produced at least seven of the 9/11 hijackers.) He was captured in Afghanistan and sent to Gitmo. Kohlmann states that his case file said, “the detainee stated he considers all Americans his enemy. The Detainee has decided that he hates all Americans because they attack his religion, Islam. Since Americans are the detainee’s enemy he will continue to fight them until he dies." Yusuf Al Shehri was nonetheless released by the US military from detention on November 9, 2007, to the Saudis. In a quote repeated throughout this document, Kohlmann states, "it is not known when, how or why Shehri was able to escape his Saudi captors." Jabir Bin Ali Bin Jubran al-Faify claimed he was "influenced to join jihad after studying various verses in the Koran dealing with jihad." Al-Faify was a drug user and “saw jihad as an opportunity to make things right.” It is believed that he attended the al Farouq camp. He was picked up in Pakistan after fleeing Tora Bora, Afghanistan, in 2002. The military review board said, "the detainee stated that he now thinks what he did was mistake." Al-Faify was released to Saudi Arabia in 2006 and subsequently escaped. Kohlmann states, "it is not known when, how or why al-Faify was able to escape his Saudi captors." Attacking guards, expressing joining the jihad to die, and hatred for “Americans and all non-believers” was reported from other Gitmo releasees. Some were released after the review panel unanimously decided that the subject “continues to be a threat.” Kohlmann concludes,

"there is also one other final lesson to be learned from the [Administrative Review Board] ARB panel reviews of the eleven Guantánamo veterans currently sought by Saudi authorities: the danger of blindly taking anyone at their word that they are not, in fact, enemy combatants. Arguably, the most dangerous of the eleven Saudi Gitmo veterans currently on the run—Saeed Al Shehri and Mohammed Al-Harbi were cooperative, non-confrontational, and even charming during their interactions with ARB panel members in Guantanamo Bay.” The NEFA foundation posted a Director of National Intelligence document called “Summary of the Reengagement of Detainees Formerly held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba” (2012).2 This document confirms that released prisoners are returning to jihad, albeit at a reportedly improving rate, to this day. Terrorist recidivism is a complex issue. Kohlmann’s The Eleven: Saudi Guantánamo Veterans Returning to the Fight provides much information relevant to the challenges we face with today’s series of inconsistent systems for terrorist interdiction, apprehension, detention, and release.

•

End Notes “Summary of the Reengagement of Detainees Formerly Held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,” Director of National Intelligence, accessed June 2, 2012, www. nefafoundation.org 2 Ibid. 1

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 47

HIZB UT-TAHRIR CONVENES IN ILLINOIS By John Andrews

Counter The

Hizb ut-Tahrir is working for the establishment of an islamic state ("Ummah") lead by one true leader ("khilafah"/caliph).

48 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT), or the Islamic Party of Liberation, is a little-known organization that has successfully merged orthodox Islamist ideology with Leninist strategy and techniques.

t was founded in 1952 by Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabhani al Falestini. It is a political party based on Islam. Islam in this context is not only a religion, but an all encompassing ideology and way of life that has an answer for all man’s problems, whether economic, cultural, social, or political. HuT holds that one can only truly live as a Muslim if he lives under a government controlled by Muslims. Followers believe that only under such a system can human nature thrive and experience tranquility.1 The official website of Hizb ut-Tahrir states, “Another condition of Jihad is that the ruler must be Muslim, be he righteous or dissolute (Fajir); the term Fajir does not include the Kafir (infidel) because the Kafir cannot be Emir over the Muslim and the Muslim is not obliged to obey

him.” It also states, “Allah (swt) says: ‘And never will Allah grant to the unbelievers a way over the believers.’” [4-141]2 HuT members hold that all other forms of government contradict human nature and bring nothing but misery to mankind. This is especially true of democracy, which states that sovereignty belongs to the people and not to Allah. The goal of this organization, as spelled out in its website, is “seizing the reins of power through the Ummah [muslim community] in order to implement the ideology in a comprehensive manner, because it is forbidden to seize partial power. Hence, the arrival at the ruling must be total and the implementation of Islam must be comprehensive.”3 According to an-Nabhani, such a government would be led by a Caliph,

There are approximately 10,000 hard core members operating in over 40 countries with a significant presence in London.

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 49

Sheikh Issam Amira (an islamic scholar) talking in a conference organized by Hizb ut-Tahrir in Ramallah. who is a substitute for Mohammed, a political, as well as religious, leader. He would declare jihad and wage war against all non-believers and would not recognize existing national, tribal, or clan differences. The Caliph would be appointed by a group of prominent men and remain a Caliph as long as he followed Islamic law. He would not be accountable to the people.4 HuT states that they intend to achieve the Caliphate by way of a three-pronged approach: 1) Establish a vanguard of loyal cell members. These members would undergo

50 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

a two-year period of study supervised by a party member. After their indoctrination is complete, they would become a cell member along with five to eight other members. Only the commander of the cell knows the next level of the leadership. 2) Convince the Ummah to adopt the ideology of the party and follow the established vanguard. They will do this by attacking the West as colonial powers that control the intellectual, political, economic, and military apparatus of the Islamic countries through the corrupt regimes of the current Muslim leaders who â&#x20AC;&#x153;do not follow the rules of Islam.â&#x20AC;?

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The organization appears to have two philosophies depending upon their audience. A spokesman for the group, Mohammad Malkawi, stated to reporters present at the conference in Oak Lawn, Illinois, that Hizb ut-Tahrir condemns terrorism and has never indulged in recruiting jihadists.

3) The party (through the Ummah and led by the vanguard) would seize the reins of power and establish the Caliphate. They state that they then intend to appoint an emir or military leader, who would declare jihad against all non-believers, expel all Western citizens and shred all diplomatic agreements with Western governments. HuT’s website states, “The Emir is a military leader who leads the Muslims in Jihad against the Infidels. The Imam is but a shield behind which one fights and protects himself.” It goes on to say: “Jihad is obligatory upon you with every Emir, be it righteous or dissolute. The actions and the sayings of the Messenger of Allah demonstrate that the Muslims must appoint an Emir from amongst them and it is this Emir who organises the matter of Jihad. The reality of Jihad is that Allah (swt) has decreed it upon the Muslims as whole while they had an Emir; thus Jihad is a collective duty and with the Emir. This

means that it is imperative for the Ummah to appoint an Emir”.5 There are approximately 10,000 hard core members operating in over 40 countries with a significant presence in London. Their sources of financing are largely unknown.6 HuT is, however, active in the United States. They have recently been conducting open forums in the U.S. including in the Chicago area. On July 19, 2009, approximately 500 people attended a conference sponsored by the Hizb utTahrir captioned, “The Fall of Capitalism and the Rise of Islam,” in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Another conference sponsored by Hizb ut-Tahrir scheduled for June 17, 2012 captioned, “Khilafah Conference 2012; Liberation by Revelation” to be held in Rolling Meadows, Illinois.7 The organization appears to have two philosophies depending upon their audience. A spokesman for the group,

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The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 53

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, upon capture. Photo: U.S. forces

Mohammad Malkawi, stated to reporters present at the conference in Oak Lawn, Illinois, that Hizb ut-Tahrir condemns terrorism and has never indulged in recruiting jihadists. He stated, “We do not train them for violence or for jihad. Our objective is to create an Islamic state of Khalifah in the Muslim world.” However, intelligence sources have indicated that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the master mind of 9/11, and abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the former leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, are both alumni members.8 Compare what Malkawi says to the U.S. press with what Muhammad Ibrahim, member of the advisory council of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Lebanon, stated: “Some people tried to interpret jihad to mean nothing more than self-defense. Thus, the Muslims abandoned the pinnacle of their glory, and relinquished their

responsibility toward the world, as a result of their ideological weakness and their lack of understanding of the laws of the Shari’a of the Prophet Muhammad. In principle, Jihad is an offensive Jihad, which was instated in order to spread Islam throughout the world.”9 Salah Al-Din Adhadhda, member of the press bureau of Hizb al-Tahrir, stated, “the Jihad of a nation over 1.5 billion strong has been reduced to the killing of an American in Iraq, a Briton in Afghanistan, a Jew in Palestine, or a Russian in Chechnya. . . . true celebration should only occur with the conquest of the capitals of the world by the message of Islam…”10 Hizb ut-Tahrir has been recruiting members in the U.S. by utilizing new media to market its ideology, such as hip hop fashion boutiques and bands along with online social networks and chat

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Four motorcycles of Copenhagen Police Department during an demonstration by Hizb ut-Tahrir in Copenhagen the intersection Nørre Farimagsgade/Frederiksborggade is blocked. rooms. They have also been recruiting well educated professionals who are influential in their communities, such as doctors, lawyers, business owners, and university professors.11 Hizb ut-Tarhrir’s website has a separate section devoted to Jihad and the establishment of a caliphate to rule over all, Muslim and non-Muslim. Allah (swt) says: “Fight against those who believe not In Allah, nor in the Last day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and his Messenger and those who accept not the Deen of Truth from among the people of the book, until they pay the

Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.”[9-29] and states: “O ye who believe! Fight the unbelievers who gird you about, and let them find firmness in you: and know that Allah is with those who fear Him.” [9-123] – “So fight against the friends of Satan: feeble indeed is the cunning.”12 Islamic supremacists tell us their goals. It is not only in the Islamic countries that some want to re-establish their Caliphate, but in all the capitals of the world. We only have to pay attention and listen to them–not what they tell the U.S. media but what they tell their own followers.

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 55

Additionally, we must recognize that, as important as preventing and deterring individual acts of terrorism is, defeating the objectives of islamists is far more important than defeating any single attack. As tragic as the possible loss of life from another suicide bomber or active shooter might be, what would that mean to the future of the country? On the other hand, if this ideology is not exposed and resisted, what will that mean for the practice of individual liberty around the world and at home?

•

About the Author Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Photo: unknown

Mr. Andrews is a retired FBI Special Agent with 23 years of experience, including 20 years investigating international and domestic terrorist organizations. Since retiring, he has served as a consultant and recently finished a year-long contract with the FBI in the Counter Terrorism Division. He is currently developing an intelligence program for Florida State University.

End Notes Ariel Cohen, “Hizb ut-Tahrir: An Emerging Threat to U.S Interest in Central Asia,” The Heritage Foundation: Leadership for America, accessed June 5, 2012, http://www.heritage.org/research/ reports/2003/05/hizb-ut-tahrir-anemerging-threat-to-us-interests-in-centralasia. 2 “About Us,” Hizb ut Tahrir, accessed June 5, 2012, http://english.hizbuttahrir. org/index.php/about-us. 3 Ibid. 4 Ariel Cohen, “Hizb ut-Tahrir: An Emerging Threat to U.S Interest in Central Asia,” The Heritage Foundation: Leadership for America, accessed June 5, 2012, http://www. heritage.org/research/reports/2003/05/ 1

56 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

hizb-ut-tahrir-an-emerging-threat-tous-interests-in-central-asia. 5 Hizb ut Tahrir website, accessed June 5, 1012, http://english.hizbuttahrir.org. 6 Ariel Cohen, “Hizb ut-Tahrir: An Emerging Threat to U.S Interest in Central Asia,” The Heritage Foundation: Leadership for America, accessed June 5, 2012, http://www.heritage.org/research/ reports/2003/05/hizb-ut-tahrir-anemerging-threat-to-us-interests-in-centralasia.. 7 “Revolution: Liberation by Revelation,” Muslims Marching Toward Victory flyer. 8 “Protesters Gather outside Islamic Conference near Chicago,” Fox News, July 20, 2009, http://www.foxnews.com/ story/0,2933,533880,00.html. 9 MEMRI, August 12, 2009, www. memri.org. 10 Ibid. 11 Madeleine Gruen, “Hizb-ut-Tahrir's Activities in the United States,” Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor 5, no. 16 (August 16, 2007), http://www. jamestown.org/programs/gta/single/?tx_ ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=4377&tx_ ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=182&no_ cache=1. 12 Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem, “The Necessity of Political Thought in the Life of the Muslims,” Hizb ut Tahrir website, accessed June 5, 2012, http://english. hizbuttahrir.org http/index.php/culture/ thoughts/181-the-necessity-of-politicalthought-in-the-life-of-the-muslims.

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The author leading a pursuit team. Photo courtesy Eeben Barlow.

RELENTLESS PURSUIT: A NEGLECTED COIN PRINCIPLE? Counter The

58 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

An insurgency is, in essence, a political conflict that manifests itself with a host of grievances expressed by the populace in the form of non-violent and violent demonstrations and protests. By Eeben Barlow

eft unchecked, these actions can result in an escalation of violence, attacks on government installations and ultimately an armed insurgency where the aggrieved mobilize the populace to take up arms. Their goal is to force the government to take heed of their dissatisfaction and govern â&#x20AC;&#x153;for the people,â&#x20AC;? and ultimately to depose of the government and install their own government. Identifying the potential for an insurgency and an armed insurrection is the function of the intelligence services. They ought to utilize all sources and agents at their disposal to gain insight into the planning and organization of any

planned insurgency. It is this intelligence that poses a threat to the national interests (NI) of the government and that ought to guide national policy. As the threat is internal against NI, the function of countering the potential of a real or perceived insurgency lies with law enforcement agencies. Acting on intelligence, the law enforcement agencies must identify and neutralize the pending uprising. These actions can take the form of crowd control, riot control, and eventually even armed actions against the insurgents. The failure of government to take heed of the intelligence product and address the grievances of the populace,

Once the insurgency reaches its tipping point, the armed forces are tasked to take control and counter the armed insurgency.

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 59

U.S. Marines make a comm. shot. as well as the failure of the law enforcement agencies to take appropriate pre-emptive actions, will result in the insurgency gaining momentum. As the insurgency develops, armed forces may be used to act in support of law enforcement agencies. The insurgents will, in turn, seek to galvanize national and international support. Additionally, the insurgents will seek to gain financial

60 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

support to sustain their movement as well as purchase weapons, ammunition, and other equipment to continue their “armed struggle.” Once the insurgency reaches its tipping point, the armed forces are tasked to take control and counter the armed insurgency. This mission, however, indicates a failure at the political level, and thus the armed forces find themselves in a war that is neither of their own doing nor their choosing. In developing a counter insurgency (COIN) strategy and the subsequent COIN campaign, the most important aims are to: • Deny the insurgent freedom and space in which to maneuver • Regain the lost confidence of the populace • Create a safe environment for the populace to live and work without fear • Negate the insurgent’s principles for an insurgency • Deny the insurgent access to funding Many military forces seem to have found themselves in a mental quandary as far as counter insurgency (COIN) operations are concerned. New terms and buzzwords are created to explain an age-old phenomenon and papers are written trying to intellectualize the insurgent and his ideals. This has given rise to a host of different arguments on the conduct of COIN operations. Indeed, books are written explaining in detail how insurgencies start and the different approaches that should be adopted in countering the insurgent forces. Whereas understanding and debate ought to be welcomed, it appears as though we may have forgotten that we ought to win a war before we try to intellectualize it. However, there are three basic approaches to modern counter insurgency1:

For more information, visit: http://ntoa.org/site/tactical-conference/

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A map showing the insurgent forcesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; progress (in red) as well as blocking forces ahead (in blue). This pursuit took place over a distance of more than 700 km. Photo: EB

Weapons hidden in a WWII baby carriage. Photo: Shpritz

1. Enemy-centric approach:

2. Population-centric approach:

This approach views COIN as an extension of conventional warfare and therefore centres primarily on defeating the insurgent. The belief is that the enemy must be located and destroyed and, in so doing, the problem will be solved. The enemy is viewed as an organized enemy that follows typical tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) related to movement. Within this approach, numerous strategies can be formulated to achieve the aim.

This approach views COIN as an attempt to mobilize the population and gain support to act against the government. In essence, the population becomes the water the fish must swim in. Remove the water and the fish cannot survive. This requires securing the population, realigning their loyalty towards the government, and denying the insurgent access to the population. This is considered by many to be the foundation of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;hearts-and-mindsâ&#x20AC;? policy.

62 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

Iranian Girls Gift Their Money boxes as symbolic for supplying logistic Iranian Forces. Photo: sajed.ir

3. Fund-centric approach: This approach views the driving force of the insurgency as a need to gain and use financial assets and benefits. In the early stages of the insurgency, the movement requires financial assets with which to purchase weapons, ammunition, and equipment, as well as to sustain the movement. To achieve this, the movement may form foreign alliances or even resort to crime to fund their activities.

Whereas no two insurgencies are identical in nature, all insurgencies contain elements of all three approaches. To counteract the insurgent on a wide front, a planned, coordinated and controlled integration of political, civilian, law enforcement and military counter-actions needs to be applied. These counter-actions must be cognizant of the political, security, economic, social, tribal, religious, and cultural environments in which they will be implemented.

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 63

The use of helicopters to deploy substitute troops after a few hours of pursuit enhances the principle of relentless pursuit.

U.S. Marines insert via fast-rope. 64 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

These three approaches give rise to a trinity of gravity in COIN operations as opposed to a single centre of gravity as expounded by Clausewitz. It is a critical factor in neutralizing and destroying an insurgent force. If two of these pillars of the trinity are collapsed, the insurgency will collapse. The population-centric approach is and will remain a function of good governance. The fund-centric approach is and will remain an intelligence and law enforcement matter. The enemycentric approach involves the soldier on the ground. In most instances, he wants to find, fix, and destroy the enemy, and he has scant interest in the two remaining approaches. Fighting an apparently elusive enemy during COIN operations can be very frustrating for the man in the field, especially when he is expected to conduct population-centric operations on behalf of a failed government. Indeed, had the government competently governed, the intelligence agencies gathered the requisite intelligence, and the law enforcement agencies exercised the law in a manner regarded as legitimate by the population, the insurgency could, in all likelihood, have been nipped in the bud. As with all military operations, strategies are devised, operational plans made, and deployments then take place— according to the numerous principles that have over time been proven to be relevant. COIN is no exception, as it, too—as an action aimed at defeating an enemy—has both strategic and tactical principles that have, over time, manifested themselves to be relevant to the type of campaign that is being planned and fought. As with conventional operations, soldiers engaged in COIN operations

operate according to tactics, techniques and procedures. The TTPs are, in turn, derived from the principles of COIN as well as from the lessons learned that are particular to the campaign being fought. This does, however, not reduce the frustration of the soldier in the field. The frustration is increased when it appears that the insurgent has the initiative—which indeed he has at times—as he can choose his place, time, and method of attack. These attacks are usually of short duration but are aimed at killing, wounding, disrupting, demoralizing or delaying their opponents. The insurgents also aim to get maximum publicity for their actions and their cause. Civilian casualties are both a means to an end and a method of intimidation aimed at forcing support or demonstrating the weakness of the government. When the insurgent believes he has the initiative, he becomes bolder and more daring. When we believe that he has the initiative, it places us in a reactive state-of-mind, thus reaffirming and strengthening the insurgent’s belief in his position. Wresting the initiative from the insurgent is not as easy as it sounds, but it is not impossible. We need to place the enemy in a position of continual disadvantage and then exploit it with speed, aggression, and targeted firepower. The tactical principles of COIN, correctly applied to the terrain in which the campaign takes place, enable us to do this, but one principle that appears to receive little attention is “relentless pursuit.” Relentless pursuit implies the enemy is pursued with speed and aggression, without stopping, pushing him past the limits of his endurance while continually substituting the men doing the pursuit

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The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012 65

Pursuit must continue after dark and through the night. Equipment such as night vision goggles and illumination flares must be used to the optimal. with fresh troops. This forces the enemy into a state of exhaustion as he has no time to eat, rest or sleep. It also degrades his morale, leads to panic, and subsequently leads him to make mistakes. When the enemy is tired and hungry, he becomes weak and slow in his movements, disorientated, and prone to making poor decisions. It is these mistakes we need to identify and exploit to aggressively seize the initiative. Therefore, every possibility must be exploited to hunt down the insurgents and either force a surrender or destroy them. To effectively close with and destroy the enemy, the training and organisation of the units conducting the campaign need to be reassessed. Combat tracker teams supported by correctly trained and lightly equipped troops must be deployed and conduct an aggressive pursuit policy. To enable the pursuit forces to maintain their speed on the insurgent’s tracks, fresh teams must be leap-

frogged ahead of the teams on the tracks and relieve them. A good guideline is to deploy a pursuit team for four to five hours before relieving it with a fresh team. The pursuit teams must have the ability to operate by both day and night in order to give the insurgents no respite. Once contact has been made with the insurgent force, aggressive focussed application of fire, and manoeuvre must be applied. In applying relentless pursuit, the ability to track humans is an essential prerequisite. Good visual trackers can tell the age of a track as well as indicate if the enemy is carrying heavy loads, how fast he is moving, the types of weapons he has (this is identified when locating enemy resting places), what he is eating, what counter-tracking measures he is taking, and so forth. Good trackers are also able to identify disturbances in the soil or tripwires indicating a possible landmine or IED as well as indications of an ambush ahead of the pursuit force. Supporting the combat trackers are troops that are lightly equipped but wellarmed and ready to conduct immediate offensive actions when required. The size of these teams will depend on the size of the insurgent force being pursued, as well as its past actions. The use of helicopters to deploy substitute troops after a few hours of pursuit enhances the principle of relentless pursuit. Tired troops can be replaced with fresh troops to maintain momentum and keep pressure on the

66 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

enemy. Once the trackers have analyzed the age of the tracks to within an hour or less, it is possible to determine the distance the insurgents are ahead of the pursuit force. Helicopters can then be used to deploy troops into blocking positions, as well as deliver troops onto tactically advantageous ground. Alternatively, troops can be deployed to seal off villages and temporarily prevent their use by the insurgents. The use of dummy-drops using helicopters can be executed to the flanks of the moving insurgent forces to channel them into a specific area. The dummy-drops must be sufficiently realistic for the enemy to believe that troops are indeed being inserted to their flanks. These dummy-drops must be close enough for the enemy to either hear or even observe them but far enough away to prevent the enemy from using small arms on the helicopter. Implementing relentless pursuit requires, amongst others, that troops: • Can eat while on the move • Can track an enemy at speed • Are able to leap-frog ahead of the enemy by means of helicopters or vehicles • Have outstanding communications • Are aggressive • Are adept at night operations • Must “outgun” the enemy with superior skill and weaponry • Have a rapid reaction force on standby Troops need to be conditioned to eat

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while on the move. During relentless pursuit, troops cannot stop to prepare meals, as this will give the enemy time to make his escape. Apart from their weapons and ammunition, dry rations and water are all these troops need to carry with them, especially since they will only be moving for a few hours before being relieved by fresh troops. Good communication is essential to ensure that pursuit forces do not engage in so-called friendly-fire incidents. Communication is also essential to enable calling for air support, fresh troops, or the quick reaction force. By frequently reporting the pursuit forces’ coordinates, operations officers will be able to plot and even predict the enemy’s intended direction of movement. Troops need to develop their aggression level to such a point that the enemy fears

them. Aggressive pursuit is aimed at initiating and maintaining contact with the enemy. This aspect is closely allied to the principle of aggressive, focused application of force. Pursuit must continue after dark and through the night. Equipment such as night vision goggles and illumination flares must be used to the optimal. Battlefield illumination, when closing with the enemy, is useful in slowing an enemy’s progress or forcing him to show himself prematurely. The enemy must be engaged at maximum range, terrain depending, to force him to deploy tactically. Long distance engagements may not cause enemy casualties but it will slow his progress and allow friendly forces to begin offensive tactical maneuvers. Weapons such as the 20mm personal assault

weapon (PAW), 60mm patrol mortars, man portable rockets, and so forth can force the enemy to slow his progress and take cover, thus slowing his escape. When the enemy scatters (bombshells), at least one set of tracks should be taken to ensure a successful pursuit, as it is likely that even a minimally skilled enemy will regroup at an emergency rally point. A quick reaction force, equipped to enter the fire-fight immediately on arriving on the ground, must be kept on standby. This force can comprise resting pursuit force men who have been replaced with fresh troops and are available for immediate air-lift. To apply relentless pursuit, the troops need to be fit, mentally alert, and ready to immediately take offensive action. Failure to apply the principle of relentless pursuit will continue to give the enemy options and advantages, often at our own peril.

•

About the Author Mr. Barlow is a former special operations officer and intelligence officer of the South African Defence Force. He was the founder of the private military company, Executive Outcomes, author of the book Executive Outcomes and www. eebenbarlowsmilitaryandsecurityblog. blogspot.com. He is currently writing a book on the conduct of land-based operations in Africa.

End Notes An extract from the author’s upcoming book on land forces operations in Africa. 2 This approach was developed by the author in Angola to bleed an insurgency into bankruptcy. 3 An extract from the author’s upcoming book on land forces operations in Africa. 1

68 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

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Training Review

Mobile Device Seizure and Investigations

n a bright Iraqi day, I surveyed the bodies of some insurgents. We had responded as a quickreaction force to assist Iraqi soldiers who had been ambushed in the village of Udaim. The Iraqi soldiers had been overrun, and most of the survivors had been executed before we arrived. The highintensity combat of the day had waned as any remaining live insurgents fled. The insurgent at my feet was wearing commercially produced body armor with steel plates that had successfully defeated two 5.56 x 45 mm hits to the chest. I was admiring the headshot that had taken him out when the silly upbeat ringtone of a cell phone startled me. It was ringing in the grass a few feet away. Several callers attempted to get through over the next few minutes. The surviving insurgents seemed to be attempting to rally. Our HUMINT team bagged the phone and retained it for exploitation. We never received any information from that phone, but I continue to hope that it was pushed forward to another operational unit for action. Cell phones and mobile communication devices are a universal part of modern life. Soldiers and police officers who do not know how to handle these items to support the maximum acquisition of information, evidence, and intelligence are detrimental to operations. Unfortunately, they are not uncommon. In order to improve these skills in the law-enforcement world, Epyx Forensics offers several blocks of mobile training. I recently had the opportunity to attend their Mobile Device Seizure and Investigations Course. Detective Pete McGovern, a digital forensics investigator

By Chris Graham

Apple iPhone (left) vs HTC Hero (right). Photo: Marius Røstad/Mobilen.no

from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office and a State Department Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program instructor, served as our lead instructor. On the first day of training, we introduced ourselves to each other and received a lecture on modern manufacturers and operating systems. We talked about wireless network generation, GSM, and CDMA networks. We were given definitions for digital evidence and digital forensics. We discussed considerations, locations where this information might be collected, and common and uncommon evidence to collect. In the afternoon, we were lectured on legal authority, plain view doctrine, and exigent circumstances relevant to communication devices. We talked about physical evidence possibilities such as fingerprints and DNA. We were given a sample report to use for documenting

72 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2012

the device and discussed suspect interviews designed to establish an individual’s relationship to a device. We were encouraged to leave devices that are “off” when seized “off” unless exigent circumstances required urgent exploitation. We talked about collecting devices that were “on” and the preference to keep them “on” to prevent engaging passcodes or encryption that might be difficult to defeat and considerations for inhibiting subjects from remotely dumping data or changing information that might undermine evidentiary value. We talked about the benefits of seizing supporting accessories and the need to be able to provide power to keep the device on. Day two included discussion of the use of cell phones for tracking and eavesdropping and watching some supporting videos. We carried out a practical-application exercise plotting location informa-

tion from available cell tower and switch information. Students were provided a chart depicting data-retention periods for cellular providers, some investigation checklists, useful website addresses, and resource guides. We discussed what to submit to forensic examiners, forensic tools such as Cellebrite, and logical and physical forensic images. We conducted a practical exercise involving a murder scenario with a cell phone recovered from the crime scene. On the final day of training, we took a written exam, and we individually took practical skills tests. I put on surgical gloves to preserve physical evidence, and I was provided a cell phone that was turned “off”. I chose to leave it “off” and submit it to a forensic examiner. I also obtained a smartphone that was turned “on.” I put it in airplane mode, turned Bluetooth off, logged relevant data that was visible without opening anything additional, plugged

in a power cord (students were provided tool bags with common power cords), and placed the device in an anti-static bag, a faraday bag, and an evidence bag. I filled out a seizure report and submitted it with the device. Cell phones, tablets, and other electronic communication devices are universally popular. Valuable information, evidence, and intelligence can be gained from these devices. Knowledge of what devices your subject is using and how they are using them is useful. The Epyx Forensics Mobile Device Seizure and Investigations Course provides insight into the scope and limitations of information that can be acquired from electronic communication devices and trains individuals to seize devices while maximizing the preservation of useful data and evidence. EPYX Forensics provides digital forensic services and customized training for law enforcement, government, and private

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