http://www.suarezinternational.com/terrorism.html
COUNTER TERRORISM FOR EVERYMAN
There has been a good amount of discussion in certain circles about the Al Qaeda training video captured from the enemy. As well, we have read through the complete copy of the Al Qaeda Training Manual captured in Britain. (The complete version, not the abridged version published by the authorities).
The scenes seen on the video show what appear to be public streets, business buildings, and golf courses. These are clearly intended to simulate settings in Western nations as such locales are rarely seen in the Middle East. Couple that with the fact that the terrorists role playing both "hostage" and "terrorist" on the video are using English phrases, and it becomes quite clear that these people are training for operations on American soil. The tactics discussed in the Al Qaeda Manual are in agreement with this.
On the video the terrorists are shown planning and training to execute kidnappings, assassinations, and capturing entire sites. They approach from various points hiding their weapons and act in unison. They exhibit extreme violence upon contact and shoot anyone who offers resistance. Likewise, they seem to look for those who may offer any resistance and preemptively shoot them.
From the initial point of first contact to final search and secure, the hostage role players could be heard begging not to be killed in English. I think we can be assured of three things: They are planning these events for the USA. The terrorists themselves probably speak excellent English. Finally, that their plans for you are to kill you.
Points of note are that all scenarios were done live-fire. That is that even scenarios involving live role players were done live fire often with the "tango" firing at targets immediately next to a live role-player.
Weapons handling was different than we are accustomed to here in the USA, but do not think them as bad shots or bad weapon handlers. For their mission, they showed very good weapon-handling and shooting skills. Engagement distances were rarely outside of the Close Range Gunfighting interval.
Though intelligence agencies have long known that Al Qaeda has WMDs and would love to use them on US soil, the much easier path for them to take is to implant sleepers on our soil and coordinate a number of small scale attacks using stolen small arms and terror tactics as seen on the tape. Stealing a bunch of rifles would be far easer than sneaking a nuke into the country.
A point of fact is that mass shootings have already taken place here in the USA.
January 25, 1993, a Pakistani named Kansi, parked his pickup truck near CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, during the morning rush hour, picked up an AK-47 (that he had acquired outside of legal channels...so much for gun laws) and began methodically shooting into cars at a stoplight. Two people were killed and three wounded before he got back into his truck and left the scene unhindered. He fired 11 bullets into five cars. He flew to Pakistan the next day.
July 4, 2002 an Egyptian drove to the Los Angeles Airport, walked up to the El Al counter and began shooting people. He was eventually killed by Israeli security, but not before he shot several people. The L.A. City officials were quick to appear on the national news and assure all those who were planning to vacation in Southern California that summer that this was not a terrorist event, but rather an isolated incident. I'm not sure if anyone believed them.
September - October 2002 the Washington area was held in terror by two men who randomly shot Americans from concealed positions. The two men, later were shown, very briefly, to have strong ties to US militant Islamic groups.
May 2004 US Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Direct Robert Mueller elaborated on reports that al Qaeda terrorists are present in the United States preparing for a large-scale attack.
Israeli intelligence group DEBKA informs that several sleeper cells are also known to have infiltrated the United States in ship's containers in 2003 and 2004. Some of these containers were spotted at US ports with signs of occupation by men with weapons and explosives who were never caught. They may have been decoys to distract attention from landings of large parties of armed terrorists on American shores, whom intelligence sources believe headed undetected for safe houses inland to await orders to strike.
One important thing all concerned citizens must be aware of is that the plan in effect for the authorities is to hold and contain any such an event. These Columbine-School Tactics do not include rescuing any hostages. The officials are more concerned about the risk of a WMD being involved. Compared to preventing the detonation of a nuke or the spread of bio-hazards, the rescue of hostages is way down on their list of priorities. The order of the day to first responders - contain the area and wait for back-up from Federal authorities. The first responders ordered to wait and contain, as well as prevent anyone else from taking action. I personally would disobey such an order if the bad guys were killing people, but I suspect there would be few who would disobey.
The only immediate response would come if initial classification of the event was of an Active Shooter Situation. This is a scenario very similar to a terrorist incident, characterized by the Columbine-style school shooting where one or two shooters attack a group of unarmed people in a contained area..
The Law Enforcement response in these similar events is to deploy and attack the shooters. The problem is in Active Shooter events (whether by terrorists of by indigenous criminals) the killing takes place within 15 to 20 minutes. That fact alone, almost makes the first responders irrelevant. Unless there is a fully armed SWAT unit having a lunch break across the street, their response will take time. Look at the North Hollywood Shooting years ago. Had the two bank robbers been terrorists instead of robbers trying to get away, would the responding units have done anything different? Time is something you do not have in such an event. Moreover, if the event had been orchestrated by terrorists rather than by a common criminal, first responders would have to deal with the terrorist's security element before they even got into the building to rescue hostages.
A crucial point for citizens is the recognition of a terrorist event as opposed to a random criminal act. The tactics used to survive one of these events must be based on the objectives of the bad guy. The goal of a terrorist is far different than that of a criminal.
The criminal wishes to commit his crime and get away. In short, he doesn't generally want to die in the act. If we manage to obtain a tactical advantage against a criminal and challenge him at gunpoint, he is likely to either surrender or flee. Think of it as a business proposition of sorts. We point a weapon and offer to trade his life, which we now hold in our hands, for his compliance. Implicit in this "deal" is the idea that the criminal wants to live. If the adversary does not value what we offer, (i.e. his life), the entire negotiation is a complete waste of time. Such is the case with the Islamic Terrorist. He has been brain-washed to think that his death will get him all manner of perks in the after-life.
He actually wants to die. That is a key point.
We want to live and survive the event with all those innocents we are responsible for. After studying the matter, watching the tape, and reading their writings, its clear that there is only one way to obtain what we must have. He (the Terrorist) wants to die, and we want him to stop what he's doing. This brings up a whole new strategy for the negotiations. We kill him. Think of it as a "win-win" situation.
This is a different paradigm for American cops and armed citizens who are trained and often conditioned to verbally challenge the adversary (suspect) and give him a chance to surrender. They are told that if they shoot prematurely they will be torn asunder by the sharks of the legal system. Gun writers repeatedly brow beat them about law suits and case laws. In some normal situations that may be an arguable point. In a terrorist event if you do not act you will die, either at the outset of the event or later in televised ritual murder. Your choices are limited. Kill or die. Period.
After viewing their tactics, and running several dozen live force on force simulations, we see some interesting dynamics and trends. All scenarios eventually end up with dead hostages. Some gun-people scoff at civilian counter terrorist training, thinking such tactics are “wishful thinking�. I would point out three things to them: One - The only difference between the September 11th planes was that passengers on Flight 93 chose to act. I suspect that had the acted sooner, they may have saved the plane. Two – Unless you act, your life is in the hands of the terrorists and we know their plans are for you, you will most definitely be killed. Three – Rescue by the authorities is a pie-in-the-sky feel good notion that will be of little help when your throat gets slashed. Bottom line - You have nothing to lose.
In my opinion, the best time to counter-attack is at the initiation of their assault. It must be instantaneous, savage, and overwhelmingly violent. Your goal is not the same as if they were common criminals. Your goal is killing them. Once they have the opportunity to consolidate their forces and establish their security it will be extremely difficult for you to do anything at all. If you appear to be a possible problem, they will simply kill you outright as an example and to cow the others. Same will happen if you are found with a weapon. They will segregate the women and children and threaten to commit atrocities against them if you do not go along with their orders. These may be your children they use as bargaining chips against you. Can you picture the scene - "Do not struggle when we cut your throat infidel or we will do the same to your children in the next room".
The best solution is to not find yourself as a captive in the first place. Present an immediate, savage, and violent counter attack. Use what you have. If you are in a Free State where you can carry a pistol, have it with you and don't be afraid to use it. Forget center of mass shots. We want to turn off the computer not necessarily "incapacitate" them.
Go for head shots. "Stopping" them is irrelevant, your goal is different.
If you do not have a pistol with you at least have a knife or something you can use as a stabbing implement. Even in the most restrictive places you can still have a pocketful of Bick pens of sharp pencils. Learn how to stab an attacker to the ground using these and other improvised weapons. Once you have done this grab his weapon and go kill his terrorist friends before they can respond to you. Or grab a fallen good guy's weapon. How many of you readers out there know how to get an AK-47 into operation? The only solution is to out violence them. Take the initiative away from them and never give it back. Become fiercer than the fierce! What have you to lose?
Things to learn include both aggressive, selective gunfire at close range for close proximity events, as well as precise surgical shooting at extended distance in the event the event occurs in the open. This is the same type of situational training presented to officials tasked with active shooter response and to church security teams. The different skill sets of aggressive shooting on the attack, and stationary shooting at distance must both be understood and available on demand. Its not enough to be a point shooter up close and a sighted shooter at distance. A person training for such an event must be able to do both.
Additional topics of importance are quick kill techniques with a knife or other improvised stabbing tools for the times when you do not have a pistol. This is a far cry from the sniping snap cuts of the defang the snake concept popularized by some knife systems. Remember this, if you cut off the snake's head you have also in effect defanged him. Even empty hand skills designed not for pain compliance or control, but rather to inflict death or severe injury as fast as possible are important to know. The terrorist has his goal, so should you. He wants to die, so let's train to send him on the magic carpet ride.
This way when the terrorist decides to put one their evil plans into effect, he may very easily face an armed angry American eager and hungry for his destruction.
