The Counter Terrorist Magazine August / September 2017

C C F O R W O M E N , I S I S , S WAT T R A I N E D C A D E T S , F I R E A R M S TA R G E T P R O D U C T R E V I E W

Journal for Law Enforcement, Intelligence & Special Operations Professionals

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

VOLUME 10 • NUMBER 4

LESSONS FROM A MARKED MAN

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Counter CONTENTS

The Journal for Law Enforcement, Intelligence & Special Operations Professionals

8

26

34

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

VOLUME 10 • NUMBER 4

COVER STORY:

18

LESSONS FROM A MARKED MAN

by Kasi Inders

FEATURES:

8

ISIS: YET ANOTHER OFFSPRING OF JIHADI SALAFISM

by Zakir Gul, Ph.D.

26

A PROGRESSIVE APPROACH TO BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT CERTIFICATION WITH TODAY’S EMERGING THREATS IN MIND

by Jim Weiss, Mark Prince, and Mickey Davis

34

COMBAT AND CONCUSSIONS: IT’S ALL ABOUT OUR BRAINS AND PROTECTING THEM

by Mark Kitrick

38

CONCEALED CARRY FOR WOMEN

by Nick Perna

DEPARTMENTS: 06

From the Editor

44

Innovative Products

48

Training Review

How to Make the Best Use of Your Weapon-Mounted Light The Tactical Law Enforcement Target, Barret’s Model 98B, Phantom Warrior MTTM Multitask Flashlight, SSI PVB Counter Ambush Response with Miami-Dade School of Justice

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Pixabay

38

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 5

How to Make the Best Use of Your Weapon-Mounted Light by Garret Machine

A

Journal for Law Enforcement, Intelligence & Special Operations Professionals

VOLUME 10 • NUMBER 4

weapon mounted light (WML) is an invaluable tool both during the daytime

and the nighttime. When I served in a direct action unit, about 70% of our operations were done at night. When we had a daytime operation, we were enthusiastic because it usually meant we would get some violent resistance from the peripheral.

When our presence was known, we invited negative attention. Flashbangs work in well-lit environments and so do bright lights. We all know that bad things happen at night. With that in mind, we need to be proficient in no light and low light high-stress situations. Stress being the operative word.

Oftentimes we would use night vision, but oftentimes we would not. In some cases, night vision was used on the approach and while moving in silence through a structure.

Sound and light discipline is always your friend… Once our presence was known or “no light” became “low light,” we went white light on, goggles up. This takes training and practice.

In any scenario in which a small arm is deployed, a high lumen weapon-mounted light would assist the user. Day or night, the light will distract, disorient, and blind the adversary on the receiving end. All of that and the ability to discern between unknowns and adversaries.

In both force-on-force and dry fire training scenarios, you can test this out. In daylight outside and in a lit structure you can point a (200 lumen minimum) light at a training partner from ten meters and closer and immediately see the advantages to you, the user.

If it has a strobe feature, even better. Too often, those who have weapon mounted lights do not train with them: they shoot during the daytime and never turn on the light and shoot simultaneously. I just ran a low light course for officers who all have WML and even at night they resisted using them while shooting. Why? Because it takes practice, it’s hard to do as well as when one is not using the light, and it’s new for most. It must be used both day and night. You must be equally proficient with the light switch being activated and not.

Do not search a structure at night with the light constantly on—this identifies your position. Turn the light on, identify, make a decision, shoot/don’t shoot, light off, move, repeat. Every single time you use the light at night or in a low light structure, move. It’s the same exact concept when firing from a point of cover: do not represent yourself at your last know location. The light is like a form of concealment… use it as such. When changing magazines or correcting a weapon malfunction, you move and the light should go off automatically. This goes for both rifle and pistol. You must train to pressure the light switch on as part of your normal grip—this is the time when dry drills are key.

Bottom line: • Always use the light when confronted with an immediate and potentially hostile adversary.

• Always use the light when firing if your position is known and in close proximity.

• Always turn it off when not using it to identify, search/scan, or fire.

• Every time it goes off, move, even if only 12” over.

• More lumens are better then less.

Garret Machine Editor, The Counter Terrorist 6 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

Counter The

FROM THE EDITOR:

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 Editor Garret Machine Director of Operations Carmen Arnaes Director of Advertizing Sol Bradman Administrative Jennifer Junatas Contributing Editors Mickey Davis Zaker Gul, Ph.D. Kasi Inders Mark Kitrick Nick Perna Mark Prince Jim Weiss Graphic Design Morrison Creative Company Copy Editor Laura Town

Advertising Sales Sol Bradman bradman@homelandsecurityssi.com 305-302-2790 Publisher: Security Solutions International 13155 SW 134th St. • STE 103 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 103, Miami, Florida.

33186 or info@thecounterterroristmag.com The subscription price for 6 eZine issues of the magazine is $19.99. (1-866-573-3999) Fax: 1-786-573-2090.

For article reprints, e-prints, posters and plaques please contact: Security Solutions International at villegas@homelandsecurityssi.com or call 786-573-3999 Please visit the magazine web site where you can also contact the editorial staff:

www.thecounterterrroristmag.com © 2017 Security Solutions International

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by Zakir Gul, Ph.D.

ISIS: YET ANOTHER OFFSPRING OF JIHADI SALAFISM

Ideological grafitti in Fallujah. Photo: Mahmood Hosseini 8 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

Strategic problems, including terrorism, require strategic approaches and strategic solutions. In terms of combatting terrorism, a tactical approach is not enough when the groups and individuals committing terrorist acts have a strong ideological basis for what they do. The ideologies are too abstract to be fought with military force, high-powered weapons, and tanks.

T

errorist groups such ISIS, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Boko Haram, and al-Shabaab are more than physical entities and instead have a keen ideological focus. Guns and tanks and firepower will not eradicate such groups. They simply will be displaced or adopt a different strategy to remain viable. Any perceived solution to the problem by means of weaponry will be short-term at best and most likely not solve the problem at all. As an analogy, consider a bruise on a finger when the body is beset by cancer. Focusing

medical intervention only on the finger will not save the whole body.

Even if one cleans and treats the finger, the cancer easily could spread to other parts of the body. The bruise is only a symptom of the problem—not the root cause. To diagnose the problem and respond to it correctly, one must focus on the true cause of the problem.

ISIS has lost many of its critical territories1 along with vast oil revenues that helped the group survive and thrive. In addition, some governments that once had supported

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 9

or allied2 themselves with ISIS have cut their ties to the organization. The response from ISIS has been to increase the number of suicide bombings.3 Terrorist organizations typically do so for two reasons. First, it is an indicator that the terrorist organization is stronger than perceived and is showing its strength to the world. Second, the organization is weakening and resorts to suicide bombings because few options remain. With ISIS, the increase in suicide bombings indicates that the organization is facing defeat.

These and some other indications show that ISIS terrorists will be removed from the region, sooner or later, one way or another. Almost every group or country in the region is allied directly or indirectly to rout ISIS. However, the Salafi jihadist ideology will remain.

ISIS has more international/foreign fighters4 than any other terrorist organization. Imagine for a moment that after the defeat of ISIS in the Middle East, most of the foreign fighters escape to their home countries and become representatives of ISIS.

In a best-case scenario, all of them are hunted down immediately by authorities in their home countries before becoming involved in a terrorist attack. Will terrorism now be eradicated? The answer is “no� because ISIS is not the root but the outcome of the problem, and just another reflection of the same radical, violent version of Salafi ideology that fuels the existence of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Boko Haram, and al-Shabaab.

Yesterday, this parent ideology

Iraqi citizens attempt to salvage what is left of their store after the detonation of a Suicide Vehicle Bourne Improvised Explosive Device on April 20, 2007 that damaged a market area that killed local Iraqi civilians near Forward Operating Base Riviera. Photo by Cpl Neill A. Sevelius.

10 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

Scenes from the Baquba suicide bombing. Photo: Al Jazeera.

appeared under a different name and in a different place. Today, it goes by another name and, quite likely, tomorrow it will arise with another face and identity. The counterterrorism strategy, therefore, should not be limited to a focus on ISIS only. In other words, as long as the poisonous wine is passed from one person to another in different bottles and in different contexts, the wine will continue poisoning those who drink it. For a real and significant solution to terrorism, the jihadi Salafist ideology must be targeted. As long as the jihadi Salafism ideology survives and continues to justify violence, hate, and intolerance, the problem will never be truly solved.

The violent ideology needs to be removed. It is not enough to target and hunt down terrorist individuals and

groups one by one.

It should be noted, however, that there are different Salafi groups and that most of them are against violence and hatred. Jihadi Salafism5 is the only type of Salafism with violence at its core. This small portion should not be confused with and generalized to intellectual and political Salafism,6 both of which are not violent.

A second major dimension to the issue of defeating terrorism focuses on people or groups capable of solving the big problem. External7 (such as American and Russian security forces) intervention can solve only a small portion of the larger problem because the targets are individuals. When one looks at the external interventions in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, the situation is even worse.

Many people in those countries have wished the harsh regimes overthrown dictators had remained given that now the norm is chaos fostered by various groups as a result of non-state or weakstate conditions. After a certain point, however, an internal intervention must be launched for a long-term solution.

First and foremost, Muslims should stop blaming8 others; rather, they should find solutions to the cancer in the Muslim body. In other words, the Muslim world should start with selfcriticism, honestly and openly seeing its mistakes, and then taking action responsibly, seriously, collaboratively, and cooperatively to craft a long-term solution. The Muslim world should focus on this problem and try to solve it within a mainstream framework created by the true and modern way of

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 11

It is not helpful or even correct to say that people who allegedly are exploited to commit terrorism are innocent.

looking, reading, and interpreting the religion’s sources.

Suppose for a moment that the Muslim world is correct when it says that some intelligence agencies or states support terrorist organizations.

That these entities would do so is understandable and expected because each state has its own interests.

Sometimes such proxy wars are used to reach specific goals, which also is quite normal. Blaming only some states for engaging in and fostering terrorism does not absolve Muslims of their responsibility to fight and defeat terrorism. It is not helpful or even correct to say that people who allegedly are exploited to commit terrorism are innocent. Such an approach will not solve the problem of terrorism. Every

time the 9/11 terrorism9 attack is the topic of my class on either terrorism or intelligence, several conspiracy arguments are offered by my students both in Turkey and the United States.

I then ask the same question: Who were in the planes on September 11, 2001? I tell my students the passengers included terrorists mainly from mainly Saudi Arabia (15), but also a few from Egypt (1), Lebanon (1), and United Arab Emirates (2), who had pledged to another jihadi Salafist group—alQaeda.

One way to fight such violence-based jihadi ideology is to reveal the realities of what these groups do and enlighten the blind believers who believe the lies they are told—that causing harm, ruining civilizations, and killing

IDF, Police and ISA forces intercepted a terrorist on his way to commit a suicide bombing in Rosh Ha’Ayin. He was sent by the Tanzim branch in Nablus. In addition, the two terrorist operatives aiding him were caught. Under investigation, they helped forces locate an 8 kg explosive belt. Photo: Israel Defense Forces 12 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) is a loose group of militants that was formed in Maiduguri, Nigeria to help oust Boko Haram Islamist fighters from their city. The group possesses basic weapons and has female members. Photo: VOA innocent people and themselves are acceptable practices. Every mainstream, moderate, and true Muslim member should be aware that God strictly forbids his adherents from committing suicide. But that is precisely what ISIS

and ISIS-like terrorist organizations do.

They commit suicide.10 Even worse, they kill people indiscriminately11 in the absence of war. Again, God says that if anyone kills a person, it would be as if that person killed the

whole people (humanity) and that if anyone saves a life, it would be as if that person saved the life of the whole people (Koran 5:32). Again, terrorists who exploit religion use that as motivation to murder, torture, and burn people, along with many other indiscriminate inhumane acts. Even in wars, one cannot harm people who have surrendered, nor do the same to innocent, children, women, animals, and plants. But the terrorists pay no heed. Instead, they force the captured to convert Islam or be killed. The terrorists should instead heed the words of the very companion and successor of Mohammed, Abu Bakr, who made this announcement before the troops were sent to the territory of Byzantine (Roman) Empire: Stop, O people, that I may give you ten rules for your guidance in the battlefield.

Do not commit treachery or deviate from

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 13

An ISIL fighter captured by the Iraqi Army and Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces of Iraq) fighting against the Islamic State in Saladin Governorate. Photo: Ahmad Shamlo Fard the right path. You must not mutilate dead bodies. Neither kill a child, nor a woman, nor an aged man. Bring no harm to the trees, nor burn them with fire, especially those which are fruitful.

Slay not any of the enemy’s flock, save for your food. You are likely to pass by people who have devoted their lives to monastic services; leave them alone.12 What do the terrorists do? They kill innocents, execute barbarically, burn,13 behead,14 torture,15 mutilate,16 rape women, sell and use organs, and destroy and loot antiquities.17 Again, illiterate or blind believers are told— and they accept without questioning— that everything they do illegitimately, illegally, and inhumanely is done in

the name of God! With mainstream enlightenment, awareness programs, and education, this orthodox bigotry and religious-illiteracy can be removed.

Even though the terrorism inspired and nourished by jihadi Salafism needs a strategic approach just like any kind of counterterrorism approach, every single person and state has responsibility in terms of exacerbating or ameliorating the situation. The Muslim world should no longer deny and ignore this potentially violence-tolerant ideology if it wants to stop the small but violent jihadi Salafism group that pretends to represent a religion of 1.6 billion18 people. And yet, people should avoid provoking weak personalities with arguments based

14 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

on hate,19 humiliation, alienation, and discrimination. To do so only helps the terrorist organizations to justify20 their cause more easily in terms of manipulation, recruitment, radicalization and the execution of terrorist attacks. Every Muslim needs to take responsibility for defeating terrorism, but responsibly.

REFERENCES Ap, Tiffany. (2016). Al-Shabaab recruit video with Trump excerpt: U.S. is racist, anti-Muslim. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/ world/europe/dutch-anti-islam-geertwilders-trial-hate-speech-a7465021. html 1

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The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 15

Cockburn, Harry. (2016).

Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders found guilty in hate speech trial. Retrieved from http://www. independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ dutch-anti-islam-geert-wilders-trialhate-speech-a7465021.html 3 Crowe, David M. (2013). War Crimes and Genocide in History, and the Evolution of Responsive International Law, in Crow, David (Editor), Crimes of State Past and Present: Government-Sponsored Atrocities and International Responses.

Hoboken: Tylor and Francis. p. 6.

4 Desilver, Drew & Masci, David.

(2017). World’s Muslim population more widespread than you might think. Retrieved from http://www. pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/31/ worlds-muslim-population-morewidespread-than-you-might-think/ 5 FoxNews. (2016). Gruesome ISIS video shows Turkish soldiers burned alive. Retrieved from http://www. foxnews.com/world/2016/12/23/ gruesome-isis-video-shows-turkishsoldiers-burned-alive.html 6 FoxNews. (2016). Russian warplanes reportedly bombed US base in Syria. Retrieved from http://www. foxnews.com/world/2016/07/22/ russian-warplanes-reportedly-bombedus-base-in-syria.html 7 GlobalSecurity.org.( 2017). Salafi Islam. Retrieved from http://www. globalsecurity.org/military/intro/islamsalafi.htm 8 Kirk, Ashley. (2016). Iraq and Syria: How many foreign fighters are fighting for Isil? Retrieved from http://www. telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/29/iraqand-syria-how-many-foreign-fightersare-fighting-for-isil/ 9 McCann, Daryl. (2015). Blaming the West for Islamic State is just arrogant. Retrieved from http://www. abc.net.au/news/2015-09-14/mccannblaming-the-west-for-islamic-state-is2

arrogant-and-wrong/6772986 10 McCoy, Terrence. (2014).

ISIS, beheadings and the success of horrifying violence. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/ news/morning-mix/wp/2014/06/13/ isis-beheadings-and-the-successof-horrifying-violence/?utm_ term=.3ccb93a7ef65 11 NYPost. (2014). The brutal torture ISIS hostages endured before their execution. Retrieved from http:// nypost.com/2014/10/26/the-brutaltorture-isis-hostages-suffered-beforetheir-execution/ 12 Olidart, Jacob. (2016). Salafism: ideas, recent history, politics. Retrieved from https://www.washingtoninstitute. org/uploads/Documents/other/ Salafism-Olidort-2.pdf 13 Osborne, Simon. (2017). ISIS releases sick new video showing suicide bombers in WHEELCHAIRS loaded with explosives. Retrieved from http://www.express.co.uk/news/ world/750786/Islamic-State-ISISvideo-disabled-suicide-bomberswheelchairs-Mosul-explosionexecutions 14 Perez, Chris. (2017). Isis is using suicide attacks more than ever. Retrieved from http://nypost. com/2017/02/28/isis-is-using-suicideattacks-more-than-ever/ 15 Pestano, Andrew V. (2016). U.N.: ‘Barbaric’ Islamic State indiscriminately killing civilians amid Mosul fight.

Retrieved from http://www.upi.com/ Top_News/World-News/2016/10/26/ UN-Barbaric-Islamic-Stateindiscriminately-killing-civilians-amidMosul-fight/3571477478334/ 16 Pringle, Heather. (2014). ISIS Cashing in on Looted Antiquities to Fuel Iraq Insurgency. Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/ news/2014/06/140626-isis-insurgentssyria-iraq-looting-antiquitiesarchaeology/

16 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

Times of India. (2015).

ISIS mutilated body of famed Syrian archeologist his son says.

Retrieved from http://timesofindia. indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/ ISIS-mutilated-body-of-famedSyrian-archaeologist-his-son-says/ articleshow/48644099.cms 18 Tisdall, Simon. (2016). Turkey paying a price for Erdoğan’s willful blindness to Isis threat. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/ world/2016/jun/29/turkey-pays-priceerdogan-blindness-to-isis-threat 19 Torpey, Paul; Guiterez, & Scruton.

(2017). The Battle for Mousul in Maps. Retrieved from https://www. theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/04/ battle-for-mosul-maps-visual-guidefighting-iraq-isis 20 U.S. Report. (2004). The 9/11 Commission Report. Retrieved from https://9-11commission.gov/ report/911Report.pdf 17

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Zakir Gul is an Associate Professor at the State University of New York (SUNY). His areas of expertise are terrorism, cyber-terrorism, transnational crime, and policing issues.

Zakir Gul, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Criminal Justice State University of New York (SUNY) Redcay Hall 140 101 Broad Street Plattsburgh, NY 12901 Phone: 518-564-3332 Fax: 518-564-3333

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The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 17

18 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

LESSONS FROM A MARKED MAN

by Kasi Inders

Imagine an alternate life, a life not anything like the one you live today. You are a businessman who works in one of the most profitable and well-known industrial factories in Bogota, Colombia. You live a normal 9 to 5 life with your wife and two children in Bogota. In 1990 it’s a volatile time period politically. The FARC is operating at close to 30,000 strong, and their primary business is kidnapping and ransoming.

A

t 33 years old, life is good. You

work hard but earn well. You live a nice life and are educated and liked by your community. However, there is much more going on then you realize. You’re a mark—your every move is watched from afar, and after you have been one of several marked men over the last few years, now your ticket is up.

This was the reality for Kasi (Pronounced Casy). I have know him for years, and he has been very generous with me and everyone who is close to him, a man who has been humbled by life and never will take for granted his personal freedom. It was 7:54 am on an April morning, a day like any other, when he pulled into the parking lot of his factory. It was him and his father in

the car. It was not an armored car, the only armed guard was at the entrance to the parking area, and worst of all, this was Kasi’s routine every day. He tells me his biggest regret is not varying his routines and switching up his schedule, vehicles, and entry points. They knew exactly where and when to strike.

Kasi and his father park and his

Colombians march against FARC. Photo: equinoXio The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 19

father exits the car. Just then, seven men exit two cars with weapons drawn.

And just like that, his life is never the same. He drives for hours, switching cars multiple times and all the while being held between two men in the back seat of the car with his head down.

Finally, he is brought to a garage where he is positively identified by FARC leadership who then transport him to a police checkpoint to exit the city and

head out to the mountains of Armero, Colombia. He is told on the approach to the checkpoint that if he tips them off or if it goes down, he will be shot first. A woman accompanies them and embraces him to sell the cops at the checkpoint.

Kasi suspects that the police may have been on the take.

He then dismounts the vehicle and walks for two days into the mountain region and through the depths of the

Bert Koenders, minister of foreign affairs for the Netherlands, visited a FARC demilitarized zone in an unknown location in Colombia, in March 2017. Photo: Ricardo Torres, Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken

20 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

Photo: Boris Arenas forest. They make it to a camp and establish a base there. It is as if the camp has been set up or used in the recent past. They have tents, hammocks, and a food preparation area. The camp has two entrances and there are booby traps in the various brush on the edge of camp. This was not only to prevent escape but also to warn them of people who may be close by. There was a military encampment not far off in the distance, as he could hear the helicopters overhead. The female from the car, about 25 years old, two men, and two local peasants from the mountainside all reside at the camp for the next month.

In the meantime, the police were not involved in his search or rescue, and his absence was only known to those who were close to the family. No government was brought into the negotiations or

resolution. This was largely because any hostage rescue outside the city was generally not attempted and most of these incidents where not resolved in the city. The FARC owned the jungle and incidents like these were common. It was known that it was in the best interest of the kidnapper and the hostage for the ransom to be paid, and the hostage to make it out alive. Otherwise there is no asset and no money. However, that is not always the case.

After the first month in captivity, the encampment was stumbled upon by local people who lived on the mountainside, and so the group had to move. They started to walk. Kasi walked for 36 hours through the jungle without food or water—he said it was the most miserable he had ever been. Finally, they made it to another site that was more

FARC insurgents.Photo: Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS.)

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 21

Millions of Colombians marching for the freedom of the people kidnapped by the FARC and the ELN. Photo: Marco Suรกrez primitive then the first. His captors were armed with heavy machine guns and antiaircraft weapons. They maintained a strict guard schedule and when not guarding, they were preparing food.

They made their bedding from tarps and tree lashings and lived there for three more months. He was never bound or tied, never beaten or abused. He ate rice and beans and drank water from the

river. He was threatened that if he tried to escape he would be shackled to a tree and it would be bad for his family. He lived with them in peace for the rest of the time, uninterrupted.

Kasi learned from his captors that he was targeted for three reasons. First, it was financially motivated and he was specifically targeted because he came from a family business capable of making

22 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

payment. Second, it was political, having a father who was well connected with the federal prosecutor and the current president of Colombia. When Kasi was a student in university he studied engineering, for his undergraduate and other classmates later turned out to be sympathetic to the FARC. His ex-girlfriend from his college years had a brother who later rose up the ranks in

All things being equal, had he been a hard target, that alone could have saved him this experience and he believes may have prevented it all together.

the FARC to be the deputy commander.

Meaning he had been on their radar for over ten years. Finally, it was because he was an easy target. They said they had a 45 minute window to do the whole operation, from staging the kidnapping to identification to movement. It was clear to him that having a weapon against seven men would not have worked. The single armed guard was also

useless. The one piece of hardware that could have helped him would have been an armored car, then they could have held out or escaped. Resistance would have led to the mission being aborted.

All things being equal, had he been a hard target, that alone could have saved him this experience and he believes may have prevented it all together. The team communicated with his family through The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 23

intermediaries. The chain was long, and Kasi was unsure how much of the actual ransom made it out to the kidnappers after it passed through so many hands.

The kidnapping team had to show proof of life; they did this through Kasi answering questions that only he could know the answer to. After a kidnapping, word gets out and there can be fakers

claiming responsibility to extort money from the situation. This information was passed to the family through magazines, which were hand delivered. Finally, one day they told him he was going home.

After four months they gave him clean clothes, a haircut, shave, and then he left the forest. Overnight they drove in a car for five hours to Bogota and then

stalled another six hours until daybreak.

They left him in a restaurant with some cash for a meal. It was over, and life in Colombia continued as such.

Now, close to twenty years later, he lives in North America, insulated and relived knowing that his adult children can live with the luxury of safety and security.

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24 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

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by Jim Weiss, Mark Prince, and Mickey Davis

A PROGRESSIVE APPROACH TO BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT CERTIFICATION WITH TODAY’S EMERGING THREATS IN MIND

Police Officers assigned to the Atlantic City Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team clear an indoor urban area during low light tactical training at the New Jersey National Guard’s Joint Training and Training. Photo: Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht 26 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

Aggressive 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 (or CC&C).

This resulted in many deaths.

D

ue 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.

Looking back to the last century, it was during the turbulent 1960s and 1970s that SWAT teams were formed, first in the LAPD. The overwhelming majority of these are part-time teams that need time to organize and respond to life-threatening crisis situations. For a prime example of how part timers may fare in a high stakes situation, one need look no further then the unfortunate events at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, FL, in late 2016. A large number of smaller city, town, village, and township police departments do not even have

tactical 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. For example, the Miami-Dade SWAT is the only full time team in South Florida. However, several other smaller municipal departments maintain part time teams for low risk local operations. To keep matters in perspective: in North America, 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.

Taxpayers expect (rightfully so) all agencies to be able to do their jobs in critical incidents‌ period. In other countries, the SWAT team is on a federal level and a full time professional position only. France has the GIGN, the Germans have

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 27

the GSG9 and Israel has the YAMAM. The primary mission of a SWAT team is hostage rescue, so why would the highest risk, no-fail mission be tasked to part timers? Logic would dictate that a dedicated, full time and professional team would have that responsibility.

In the case of Ohio, agencies having a full-time 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. Similarly, federal tactical teams have the immediate and on-call use of helicopters for operational use, like the

FBI HRT. 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. They are blood motivated and willing to die.

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 vests, AR-15 platform rifles, and other specialized equipment.

Better, SWAT-qualified responders within the ranks of the street patrol

28 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

officers and deputies responding to an event enhance the tactical resolution capabilities of those first responders.

The number one thing they bring to the situation is experience, which makes for a more confidant officer and a more decisively aggressive handling of an actively deadly adversary.

THE NEED FOR SWAT CAPABLE FIRST RESPONDERS Is there a need for all, or at least as many as possible, law enforcement officers to be tactically capable?

Some law enforcement trainers and administrators think so.

Is it doable? Most states have their own standard training commissions: Georgia has POST, Florida has FDLE,

MDC SWAT School, Miami, Florida

etc. These state-level organizations develop training curriculums that credentialed police academies/training centers must teach as far as mandatory topics and hours.

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 oversees changes and additions to the 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 complacency. Interestingly, SWAT is not a curriculum regulated by state agencies but by the individual police departments. This is the case in Florida but not in all states.

In Ohio, many state-certified police academies exist in technical colleges and within some community colleges. Can a generation of counter terrorism law enforcement officers (realistically, these are SWAT capable officers), through effective and cost-saving training, be

developed through a technical college?

With the right leadership, absolutely.

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 Associate’s degree. Previously, once a student completed the 700 hours plus basic

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 29

Florida Guard Counter Drug Training SWAT. Photo: Public Affairs Office police academy training, he or she could begin 240 hours of real counter terrorism training to become tactically proficient. 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, including 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), 3 minute water tread, and shallow diving for evidence/ordnance recovery. These are just the minimum requirements; the training requires much, much more.

Pistol Qualification – A comparative example is the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy Semi-Auto Pistol Qualification Course, required for a student to pass to complete his 700 hour-plus academy course. This consists

30 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

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 handguns and AR-15 rifles.

Special Operations Capable students are trained how to carry concealed without being recognized, and to fight with a handgun while in plain clothes or low visibility 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

Counter The

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 31

Marion County SWAT Team members check passengers on a bus during training.

Photo: Oregon Department of Transportation

“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 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 counter terrorism 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 flashbang 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/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 AR-15 (SR-25) 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

32 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

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 boltaction 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 – 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.

Scopes – 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.

OVERVIEW The outcome of the Law Enforcement Special Operations Capable program is that a graduate can perform as a basic operator with a special operations/SWAT

unit if so needed or so desired.

Since the majority of cops work in agencies of twenty full-time officers or fewer, most agencies rely heavily on parttimers, 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.

The noble profession of American law enforcement and the communities they swear to protect and serve deserve nothing less.

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.

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 wellknown 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. He has also trained in Great Britain with the late Peter Robins, the curator of the Fairbairn system known as “Defendu.”

Mark was recruited by Central Ohio Technical College, where he now works full time in the Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Technologies developing and teaching specialized programming, and also teaches in the police academies. Mark still works with Hocking College’s Police Science technology in the combative skills areas, and is still a Wilderness Survival Skills instructor in the National Ranger Training Institute. He is a certified and active (Ohio) deputy sheriff.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Lieut. Jim Weiss (Retired) is a former Army light infantryman, school-trained Army combat engineer, a former schooltrained (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 The Counter Terrorist.

Mickey (Michele) Davis is an awardwinning, California-based writer and

Police SWAT team members and instructors practice using single, burst and automatic fire. Photo: HalBrown The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 33

COMBAT AND CONCUSSIONS: IT’S ALL ABOUT OUR BRAINS AND PROTECTING THEM Anyone who engages in contact sports, combat arms, or martial arts should know they could sustain a wide panoply of injuries. Perhaps the most feared injury, and certainly a very serious and sometimes deadly risk, is suffering a concussion.

by Mark Kitrick

34 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

H

ow is a concussion defined

today? In essence, a concussion is a traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the United States, one occurs every fifteen seconds. More specifically, a concussion is a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, typically caused by either a direct blow to the head or an indirect blow to the body, e.g. whiplash. One very common situation is the brain rapidly moving from one side (contre) to the other (contrecoup) inside the skull. Another typical scenario is a rotational concussion, where the brain twists quickly inside, thereby tearing or shearing brain matter. Delicate neural pathways become damaged.1, 2 Symptoms can be mild and go

away in days to weeks with little to no treatment. Or the complaint can be severe and cause a person to suffer long-term damage, such as dementia, coma, or death. Repetitive exposures in activities like explosive breaching, martial arts, or being hit with IEDs can lead to major brain trauma, i.e. longterm cognitive changes. In fact, the more concussions one sustains, the greater probability of long-term brain damage.3 Consider, for instance, professional football players or boxers who suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive degenerative disease caused by repetitive head injuries. Because of their brain damage, they are recipients of the class action settlement with the National Football

All photos: Pixabay The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 35

League. The same holds true for soldiers with multiple exposures due to sustained time in theater and even training.

In the last few years, scientists and physicians have evolved significantly in their understanding and treatment of concussions, primarily due to advanced technological scanning and imaging, brain autopsies, treating veterans injured from explosives, and specific scientific studies focusing on brain injuries.4 Not long ago, doctors diagnosed a concussion only if the skull was fractured (broken), or if someone was knocked unconscious.5 What do experts now consider common concussion symptoms? They are wide ranging and one or more complaints can occur immediately or over time: loss of consciousness, headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, being dazed, confusion, emotional disturbances, visual problems with light, vomiting, seizures, behavioral alterations, sleepiness, amnesia, depression, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), pupil size differences, slurred speech, forgetfulness, moving slowly, and clumsiness. Concussion experts are now realizing that there may be as many as six (6) types: anxiety/mood;

cervical; post-traumatic migraine; ocular dysfunction; vestibular; and cognitive.6, 7 Concussions are expensive. First, ten to twelve percent of ER visits involve concussions. Second, there are the treatment costs. Third, consider the intangible costs that a soldier or even a sports participant has not being functionally normal, not being able to work, worrying about and dealing with multiple symptoms, as well as the deleterious effects on loved ones.

Fourth, delays are costly as it’s not easy to diagnose, whether because someone denies the injury or does not treat it immediately, or because with these typically functional injuries, brain damage is not seen or found on regular X-Rays and other usual scans.

Fortunately, science has advanced brain-imaging technology. Tests such as the fNCI (functional neurocognitive imaging), which uses six cognitive views to look at over 60 brain regions, can now “see� brain damage.8 The most common cause of concussions for soldiers are from blasts. In children and young adults, leading causes are football (highest for men), ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer (the highest cause for women), and

36 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

wrestling. Interestingly, women suffer more concussions (given the same circumstance) than men.9 Scientists do not know why. Because scientists know that the brains and bodies of those under 26 years old are still developing, concussions for those in this age range are more dangerous. And if any one sustains another concussion before the first one resolves, this additional impact substantially increases the risk of longterm damage. Notably, the sports that cause concussions in children ages five to eighteen years are bicycling, football, basketball, playground activities, and soccer.10 The Weill Cornell Medicine Brain & Spine Center has an excellent card anyone can download that helps one ascertain whether a participant has sustained a concussion.11 There is a medical debate on how to treat concussions. As experts study our complex brains and become more sophisticated, mainstream medical thinking has moved away from the typical rest and do nothing strategy.

Instead, experts are encouraging sports patients to actively treat soon after the concussion.12 New protocols encompass prompt education, visual and ocular or vestibular therapy,

cognitive rehabilitation, psychological support, nutrition and sleep guidance, neuromuscular therapy, and a host of other modalities.13, 14 As a side note, concussion doctors advise patients to wear sunglasses inside and out, and to drink more water than usual because they have found that the brain gets dehydrated when injured.

Ultimately, when one engages in any activity, protecting one’s brain should be the highest priority. Conduct inherently dangerous activities in the safest possible manner, i.e. when wearing ear, eye, and head protection. If you, a loved one, or a friend exhibit concussion symptoms, get to the emergency room or see the primary physician—do not let denial be the response. If symptoms do not go away fairly quickly, consult with a concussion clinic expert or neurologist.

Be proactive. No one takes better care of you than you, so always advocate for your own health, and specifically, do all you can to protect your brain.

REFERENCES Sports Concussion Institute.

(2017). Retrieved from http:// concussiontreatment.com/; Nationwide Children’s (2017). Concussions in sports. Retrieved from http://www. nationwidechildrens.org/concussions-insports 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015). Brain injury basics.

Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ headsup/basics/index.html 3 Brainline.org. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.brainline.org/ 4 U.S. News Health. (2017). Retrieved from http://health.usnews.com/ 5 McKee, A.C., & M.E. Robinson.

(2014). Military-related traumatic brain injury and neurodegeneration. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ 1

pubmed/24924675 6 National Safety Council. (2017).

Retrieved from http://www.nsc.org/ pages/home.aspx 7 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). TBI: Get the facts.

Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html 8 Outside. (2015). The new science of concussion recovery. Retrieved from https://www.outsideonline. com/1928476/new-science-concussionrecovery 9 FiveThirtyEight. (2017) Retrieved from https://fivethirtyeight.com/ 10 Brain Injury Research Institute.

(2017). Retrieved from http://www. protectthebrain.org/ 11 Concussions on the Field.

(2014). Retrieved from http:// weillcornellbrainandspine.org/sites/ default/files/resources/wallet-cardconcussion.pdf 12 Bloom, M. Concussions in the Workplace & Vestibular Rehabilitation.

(2017). Retrieved from https://www. rims.org/Session%20Handouts/ RIMS%2016/CLM019/CLM019%20 Concussion.pdf 13 NFHS Learning Center. (2017).

Retrieved from https://nfhslearn.com/ 14 Cognitive FX. (2017).

Cognitive FX Neurorehabilitation Clinic. Retrieved from http://www. cognitivefxusa.com/us/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mark Kitrick is a nationally recognized civil trial lawyer who for 36 years has been litigating and helping those who are seriously injured or the families of those killed by negligent or intentional conduct. He has numerous local, state, and national awards and is ranked as the best of the best by his peers and opponents alike, among others.

He also specializes in brain injuries and attack-premises liability litigation, representing the victims.

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 37

CONCEALED CARRY FOR WOMEN

by Nick Perna

Photographs by John Cowart

38 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

The percentage of women in law enforcement is hovering around 15 percent, according to the National Center for Women & Policing.

According to a 2011 Gallup poll, the percentage of women who report household gun ownership is 43%. So it’s safe to say that women make up a significant segment of the firearm wielding population.

T

he industries that provide firearms related equipment have made great strides in recent years in regard to providing items like holsters to women. This wasn’t always the case. Gone are the days of women having to use gear that was originally designed for men.

This is especially true when it comes to carrying a concealed firearm.

There are two main areas of concern regarding the unique challenges of providing concealed handgun carriers to women.

1. Designing holsters to fit women’s body types. Like men, women come in all shapes and sizes. That being said, they are obviously built differently. Generally women are also smaller in stature then men, making it harder to carry a concealed handgun.

2. Integrating holsters with women’s wardrobes and accessories. An item like a wallet holster probably isn’t going to work for a woman since most don’t carry one.

The following options are available to women for carrying a concealed handgun.

OUTSIDE THE WAISTBAND (OWB) HOLSTERS PROS These types of holsters generally offer the best tactical carrying option.

They most closely resemble, in design and function, duty holsters.

CONS The outside the waistband holster doesn’t necessarily work with a woman’s hipline. Since women tend to be curvier, this can cause the holster to extend out further than desired. This results

Whatever you decide, it’s important to carry whenever possible. We don’t get to pick the time or place where a lifethreatening situation may occur, but we do get to choose if we are armed and how to deal with it.

The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 39

in “printing,” or the undesired effect of being able to see the outline of the handgun under a cover garment.

INSIDE THE WAISTBAND (IWB) HOLSTERS

Using an ankle rig requires some extra training to successfully draw the weapon in an emergency situation.

PROS One of the best options for women when trying to conceal a handgun. They conform better to a woman’s contours. It is less likely to see the “print” from a small or medium frame handgun when worn properly. This can be a real concern for women with a thin build.

CONS They can be a bit uncomfortable at first. The grip of the handgun can cause irritation to the sides of the abdomen as well as the pelvis.

Appendix carry, carrying it toward the front of the waist, is an option that can alleviate this.

For both men and women, your IWB rig needs to stay in your waistband when drawing it. I’ve owned a few IWB holsters that didn’t do a good job of this. This causes the holster to ride up when you are seated, which means gun and holster aren’t secured to a belt. The clips that hold the holster into place need to lock on the belt in some fashion to prevent this from happening.

ANKLE RIGS PROS Ankle rigs are great because the ankle is one of the last places a person generally looks when trying to tell if a woman is armed, especially if they aren’t familiar with alternative carry techniques.

Using an ankle rig requires some extra training to successfully draw the weapon in an emergency situation. It basically requires the user to get on a knee to access it when drawing from a standing position or raising the ankle to the hand and meet halfway.

This actually provides a unique advantage when dealing with an armed

40 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

Ankle draw firing position used when accessing a handgun from an ankle rig kneeling. suspect because it briefly takes the user out of the suspect’s line of sight and fire.

Obviously, this needs to be done quickly and without errors, thus the need for practice.

CONS Unfortunately they don’t work with a lot of women’s clothes. It is an obvious no-go in a skirt and wouldn’t work in tapered pants. It also isn’t as fast as a belt mounted rig.

PURSE HOLSTERS PROS A purse provides a great concealment option. Like the ankle holster, it is not a place where someone (other than a police officer) expects to find a gun. A large purse opens up options about what type of gun to carry, such as a large frame gun. It also provides room for extra magazines, pepper spray, law enforcement identification, and so on.

This option should only be used with purses specifically designed to carry handguns, with built-in holsters located in separate pouches. It should never be carried in the main compartment without

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The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 41

a holster or even in a holster isn’t attached to the purse by being sewn on or affixed with Velcro.

CONS The only real issue is that the purse isn’t attached to your body the way all other types of holsters are. This means it can be separated from its owner, either by just placing it down somewhere or if taken by force. Women should train in purse weapons retention if they choose this option.

SHOULDER HOLSTERS PROS Sometimes used by women who are pregnant since it doesn’t require hanging the pistol on a belt, which can be uncomfortable.

CONS People (not just women) either love them or hate them. Some of the disadvantages are they don’t conceal very well, often leaving an outline on the back where the straps crisscross and large bulge under the jacket or cover coat. Shoulder holsters require a high degree of practice to maintain safe proficiency. This due to the fact that, during the drawing process, the handgun is covering 180 degrees before it is on target.

BELLY BANDS PROS The belly band is as good if not better than inside the pants holsters in terms of concealment. They leave little or no print. They are made of elastic Velcro or cloth and generally have room for a medium frame handgun and an extra magazine.

CONS It can be difficult to quickly draw a handgun from a belly band.

Depending on what clothing is worn, you may have to untuck your shirt to get to it. Most use a Velcro retention band to hold the gun in place, which requires two hands to access it.

BRA HOLSTERS These holsters attach to the front of a bra and are designed to carry small frame handguns. These items would appear to have limited tactical value and, like the shoulder holster, have the potential to cause injury to the user when drawing them.

CONCLUSION Whatever you decide, it’s important to carry whenever possible. We don’t

42 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

get to pick the time or place where a life-threatening situation may occur, but we do get to choose if we are armed and how to deal with it. Regardless of what carry method you opt for, it’s important to practice and maintain proficiency with that technique.

Note: Much of the information in this article came from the author’s wife Jacqui, a fourteen-year veteran of law enforcement and a firm believer in concealed carry. She is also the woman pictured in articles associated with this article.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nick Perna is a Sergeant with the Redwood City Police Department in Northern California. He has spent much of his career as a gang and narcotics investigator. He served a member of a Multi-Jurisdictional SWAT Team as an entry team member, sniper and Team Leader. He previously served as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has a Master’s degree from the University of San Francisco.

He has written articles published in The Counter Terrorist in the previous issues.

He has also written for Police One, Havok Journal, Breach Bang Clear, SWAT, Soldier of Fortune and others.

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The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 43

Innovative Products THE TACTICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TARGET

BARRETT’S MODEL 98B

· Polymer cheek piece is height adjustable from either side · Polymer bolt guide acts as a dust cover and provides smooth bolt cycling · Fully adjustable match grade trigger · 18” (45.72 cm) 20 MOA rail · Mil-spec Type 2, Class 3 hardcoat anodized, cerakote finished · Match-grade barrel available in multiple lengths · 10-round polymer magazine · Ambidextrous magazine release is accessible while maintaining firing grip · Accepts standard M4/M16 pistol grips · Rear M1913 rail for monopod installation · Highly effective sorbathane recoil pad

Client: BARR AD: SK Job Number: BARR0114 Job Name: Model 98B Print Counter Terrorist Mag (APril/May) Date Produced: 03/20/2017 Publication: COUNTER TERRORIST Live Area: 7.25” X 10” Trim: 8.375” X 10.875” Bleed: 8.625” x 11.125” Color: 4C

Over the last few years, I have had the privilege of training over 2,000 people in counter terrorism tactics and small arms. I have not done it alone. I have worked with some of the most experienced men in the business from the SOF community. I always ask the range to supply the target stands and backers for the classes. In almost every case, they provide or sell USPSA or IPSC cardboard target backers. Typically, these are about $1. And I buy at least twenty at a time.

After a few drills, the targets need replacing and, well, you get the idea. So I tried purchasing targets from local gun shops, as the outdoor ranges and parks we typically use don’t always have them. Local shops are not always available and Wal-Mart’s selection is limited. So I decided to buy targets in bulk online and bring them with me to all the training seminars. I purchased hundreds of dollars in targets to last me the year: qualification targets, bull’s eyes for zeroing rifles, shapes and numbers for various drills, silhouettes that various law enforcement agencies use, and, of course, situational targets depicting various adversaries and friendlies alike for target discrimination.

Fast-forward to the Tactical Law Enforcement Target. It’s 8.5x14 inches and printed on heavy stock legal paper. It can easily fit in the laptop compartment of a backpack, it’s sold in reams of 100, and is inexpensive. On one side you can zero COMES TO a rifle with ½” grid, and on that same side it has a bull’s eye featuring anWHEN 8”ITring PRECISION LONG-RANGE SHOOTING, NOTHING that directly lines up with an IDPA 8” circle when aligning the top of the target ELSE COMPARES. with the “shoulders” of the IDPA backer. So replacing the most shot-up portion From the very beginning, the Barrett name has been of the target ends up saving me time and money. synonymous with both The other side has dotted lines on the top of the target that enable the userand performance. precision It started with the advent to center the “A” zone box for easy alignment on an IPSC/USPSA backer of theand legendary 50 Cal and continues to live on today provide the anatomical organs of the heart, lungs, and major arteries. itinside every firearm that carries our mark. The Model Simply put, this is a versatile piece of equipment I now use for diagnosing 98B takes aim at this proud of performance and shooters in my classes, zeroing rifles, and providing an anatomic target fortradition students precision. to shoot at. It is easy and simple to overlay on the center mass of a full-sized target.

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• Polymer cheek piece is height adjustable from either side • Polymer bolt guide acts as a dust cover and provides smooth bolt cycling • Fully adjustable match grade trigger • 18" (45.72 cm) 20 MOA rail • Mil-spec Type 2, Class 3 hardcoat anodized, cerakote finished • Match-grade barrel available in multiple lengths • 10-round polymer magazine • Ambidextrous magazine release is accessible while maintaining firing grip • Accepts standard M4/M16 pistol grips • Rear M1913 rail for monopod installation • Highly effective sorbathane recoil pad • Available calibers:

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To learn more about how Barrett continues to go the distance for long-range shooting, visit BARRETT.NET/FIREARMS/MODEL98B 44 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

The Model 98B rifle’s upper

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Innovative Products

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This AA battery unit employs all solid state bulbs and has two intensity levels on the primary forward flashlight mode—this saves both your night eyes and your power consumption as you only use the light you need. The high intensity shoots 100 lumens out in a powerful blast to let you see EVERYTHING. But what is truly unique about this light is the side light feature. We make the only flashlight with an integrated side strobe/steady—this keeps you and your team safe in crowds as you will easily locate each other by sight instead of providing locations verbally— just hold up your light and announce your presence. The side lights are available in Amber/White, Red/Blue, or Red/White. The light can mount on your belt for easy access. This is the light that will be on every department’s “required equipment” list. phantomlights.com

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The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 47

TRAINING REVIEW

Counter Ambush Response with Miami-Dade School of Justice

by Editorial Staff

D

isturbing data from the

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund shows ambush attacks on law enforcement officers (LEOs) increased by 167 percent this year, tying 2014 as the deadliest year for ambush-style killings of LEOs. The report further states that 115 officers have been killed in the line of duty in 2016, a fifteen percent increase over 2015.

Counter Ambush Response (CAR) is an advanced combat course for seasoned in-service officers. However, the skill set is absolutely necessary for all law enforcement officers. LEOs from all over South Florida were eligible to come, and the course had about eighteen students and three instructor staff.

The premise the class is that LEOs are getting ambushed while in their patrol cars. There are several different scenarios where this could play out. However, the response skills are universal. Respond to violence and force with overwhelming violence and force—that is the only way to survive such an encounter. Shoot, move, and communicate.

The conditions that the course scenarios are built upon are that (1) All criteria for deadly force have been met, and (2) The vehicle cannot be used as a means of escape or a weapon.

WHAT DO STUDENTS LEARN? • General combat concepts for counter terror warfare and urban combat.

• How to shoot from the driver or

passenger side of the vehicle.

• Ballistics of rounds through vehicle windshield glass.

• Shooting from various points of cover from the vehicle, like the engine block, wheel wells, etc.

• Team bounding and cover fire drills are run to enable officers to lay down directed fire while other officers bound to better their position.

• Teams work with up to four officers in a bounding overwatch.

By the end of the training day, officers will have experienced moving over the interior of a patrol car to egress while team members draw fire away from them. Finally, officers learn how to ultimately bound away from their ambushed position. All participants achieved a higher level of safety and confidence with regard to weapons handling, combat marksmanship, use of

48 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

cover, movement, communication, and above all a heightened level of situational awareness.

At our particular course we shot from 4 pm to 11 pm and had an intense rainstorm that drenched the participants and made for an even higher-stress environment. Officers were quickly able to test their gear and equipment and how it works in the close quarters of the vehicle. For example, thigh rigs did not work well while seated in the car. If you are a South Florida LEO and interested in this class, there is another one being offered October 12th, 2017 at MiamiDade. It is free for all Region 14 officers and highly recommended.

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The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017 49

ADVERTISER INDEX

Counter The

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

VOLUME 10 • NUMBER 4

Journal for Law Enforcement, Intelligence & Special Operations Professionals To request detailed product information, visit our website http://thecounterterroristmag.com/readerservicecard.php or scan this code. Select the appropriate Reader Service Number (RSN) on the web-form and submit your contact information. Individual advertiser’s websites are also provided below for your convenience.”

Page

Ad/Company • website and/or email............................................................................................... RSN Number

4

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American Public University • www.amuonline.com/counter-terrorist............................................................... 25

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50 The Counter Terrorist ~ August/September 2017

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The Portable Vehicle Barrier comes with several customized configurations: • You can put wheels on it so that it acts as a swing barrier and easily opens a road • You can toughen the line by adding anchoring cables or place the PVB’s in one single row or even three rows to stop anything • Additional safety features can be added PVBs can be folded down quickly –moved and stored with ease – the PVB is reusable and durable.

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