The objective of this report is to help you develop an awareness of potential threats.
We definitely do not want to provide any information that may encourage you to take any unnecessary risk once you have developed an awareness of potential threats and have identified a potential threat. In addition, we do not want to provide any information in this report that may be used by any unauthorized persons who have obtained this report thinking they were going to learn how to make a bomb or that we were going to identify counter-measurers for a variety of explosive devices. Our objective is to help you develop an awareness of potential threats so you can move to a safe area, call law enforcement and let them deal with the threat.
We use the word “bomb” in this report to describe any type of explosive device which could include anything from a stick of dynamite to a hand grenade. In addition, we use the word “terrorist” to describe your enemy. If someone sends you a bomb or calls and makes a threat against you, he or she is a terrorist and it doesn’t matter if they are physically located in another country or your next door neighbor. Of course the term bomb can apply to any type of improvised explosive devices (IED) that could include a variety of explosive chemicals from gunpowder in a pipe bomb to RDX (Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine) which was recently used by a woman in Jordan in a failed suicide bomb attack. The internet is full of sites that claim to tell people how to make explosive devices from a variety of components including household chemicals. In the past, the government offered detailed reports on explosives through a variety of government agencies including the ATF. They have since removed that content from their websites in an attempt to avoid being part of the problem rather than part of the solution.
In our speaking engagements, we would typically take a display of dummy improvised explosive devices ranging from sticks of dynamite with mercury switches and timing devices to a soda can cut out to conceal plastic explosives and an igniter as well as a text book that had been hollowed out to conceal either a weapon or explosive device. In our last presentation at a graduate school in Houston, we used a typical demonstration to make a point of our theme which was awareness. We placed a gym bag at the end of the first row in the classroom and of course everyone came in and no one paid attention to unattended bag even though they are constantly hearing on television about being suspicious of unattended bags in airports. Apparently they have been conditioned to believe that this type of threat only exist in airports. We ask one of the students to pass the bag up to the stage and of course once the bag was moved, an alarm went off since we had rigged it with a mercury switch to trigger the alarm when the bag was moved. Once we opened the bag and displayed several sticks of dynamite with wires, batteries, and digital timers, the students were ready to listed to the concept of awareness.
We understand that it is impossible for us to explain every possible scenario that may be developed by your enemy and that is not our intention. Our intention is to assist you in developing a sense of awareness of something that just doesn’t look, feel, or smell right. Fortunately, we as humans have developed a set of early warning systems we are not even aware of. As an example, we know that bank tellers are better prepared to identify counterfeit money than the average person in another profession. This is not because they have years of training in detecting a variety of inks and papers and the various types of printing operations. The reason they are better at spotting counterfeit money is that they touch money constantly every day. They know what real money feels like and since paper is the weak link in the counterfeit process, this is where a lot of counterfeit money is detected by touch.
We have all developed a very sophisticated set of early warning sensors based on past learned experiences that are constantly running in the back of our mind much like a lot of the programs that are running on your computer that you are never aware of. In reality they are just experiences that you have forgotten about based on your past experiences much like the experiences learned by bank tellers in handling money day in and day out 365 days a year.
Our objective is to make you aware of your best defense which is your own learned experiences. If you notice something that just doesn’t look, smell or feel right, this is your learned early warning system telling you something is wrong. Don’t ignore it!
In the following example we are going to give you some warning signs that could be present in a suspicious letter or package. This is a typical example offered by a variety sources but in addition to offering some good advice if handling suspicious envelopes or packages, it assist in accomplishing our objective which is to make you aware of anything that could be a possible threat. The principles and thought process used in the following Letter & Parcel Bomb Guide can be used for any suspicious situations in the office or parking area of your workplace.
Letter & Parcel Bomb Guide
Some mail devices may be recognized by visual inspection. Mail han¬dling personnel should be alert to a number of recognition clues, the most common of which are detailed below.
Place of Origin: Note the postmark. This may be from a country direct¬ing a terrorist campaign or from an area associated with postal bombs. In addition if you have had a telephone threat (see following threat guide) from a specific region this should be noticed. If the arrival of such mail is uncommon and unexpected, it should be treated as suspect.
Senders Writing: Mail should be treated with caution if it features a foreign style of writing, not normally received, on the address. In addition if you have received any earlier written threats with a similar recognizable style of writing or printing, this should be considered. Any type of distinctive shipping label should be considered. If you are used to receiving professional packages with professional shipping labels, be suspicious of handwritten labels.
Excessive Postage: Mail with excessive postage and no return address should be viewed with caution. In addition, the package may contain excessive postage due to the fact that excessively heavy material is enclosed such as a pipe bomb with nails etc., or because the sender wants to assure that the package will not be stopped for any reason. The Post Office requires that packages over 1 pound be delivered to a Post Office and not left in pick-up boxes. This new rule can easily be circumvented by a terrorist and serves as no real deterrent to a terrorist. It has about the same deterrent value as taking away nail clippers at the airports.
Balance: A letter or package should be treated as suspect if it is unbalanced, has loose con¬tents, or is heavier on one side than the other. This may indicate metal objects on one side used a shrapnel with lighter timing and explosive elements on the other side.
Weight: If a package or letter seems excessively heavy for its volume, it should be treated as suspect. A package could be relative light and contain very powerful plastic explosives with sophisticated digital timing and trigger devices however most bombs of this type contain elements that are readily available such as steel pipes and other heavy metals to increase the destructive effects of the device.
Feel: If an envelope has any feeling of springiness at the top, bottom, or sides, but does not bend or flex, be careful, this is a key sign of an explosive device that could contain a simple spring trigger that when the envelope is opened, the spring triggers the connection to the device. Warning- examine mail gently!
Protruding Wires: Mail devices are often loosened or damaged by rough handling. It is possible that a fuse, electrical wire, or connection may become loose and penetrate the wrapping or the envelope. Any such device is unstable and highly dangerous. This sounds like a simple and obvious warning but when people are busy as would be the case in a corporate mail room or thinking about some personal event in their life, they can easily disregard what would appear to be the obvious.
Holes in the Envelope or Wrapping: An explosive mail device that has been handled roughly may show wire or spring holes in its outer wrapping. This could be the result of unprofessional packaging by an individual. This, by itself or in combination with the other clues described, should alert mail handlers to a suspect device.
Grease Marks: Certain types of explosives leave greasy black marks on paper, a good indica¬tion of a suspect device. It can also mean that the explosive device has become old and unstable, making it extremely dangerous. Some types of explosive chemicals leak with age.
Smell: A smell suggestive of almonds or marzipan, or any other strange smell, including shoe polish is an indication of a suspect device. As explained earlier, you should learn to rely on all of your senses to detect anything that appears out of place.
Un-requested Deliveries: Un-requested deliveries, especially packages, should be screened and treated with caution. A book or thick brochure discovered upon opening a delivery should be reported to the security department or examined for any of the above clues. Any mail which raises the slightest suspicion should not be handled. If the package contains a return address with the name of the sender, they can easily be contacted to determine the contents. If it does not, this is another warning sign.
Suspicious Packaging: If an envelope is taped down all around, instead of having a normal opening flap, it may contain a booby trap spring. Such letters should be handled very carefully and treated as suspect. As explained earlier, simple wire springs are lightweight and make effective trigger devices.
Letter Stiffness: Gentle handling can reveal whether an envelope contains folded paper or a device. The presence of stiff cardboard, metal or plastic should alert the handler to a possible suspect device.
Inner Enclosures: If, after opening a letter or package, the mail handler encounters an inner sealed enclosure whether or not it fits any of the above descriptions—the item should be treated as suspect. As explained earlier, these guidelines have been provided by government agencies for years and anyone could clearly develop a parcel bomb to overcome the exterior warning signs mentioned above but at some point the device has to be included in the package and being aware of anything suspicious or out of the ordinary could be a key defense.
The terrorist is counting on human nature to help him get through your defenses. He is counting on you being to busy to pay close attention to what he has done or he is counting on you to thinking about some personal even in your life that distracts you from paying attention to what he is trying to accomplish. You can use your highly developed built in early warning system to detect something that just seems out of place if you pay attention to your own senses of what is just doesn’t seem right.
TELEPHONE THREATS
Telephone Threats are serious because they in themselves cause psychological and emotional distress on the person who receives the call. The objective of the terrorist is to terrorize and disrupt your life. A terrorist threat could be anything from a disgruntled former employee who simply wants to vent some anger with no intention of actually causing a death to a true fanatic who not only wants to kill you, he or she wants you to know it in advance so as to increase both the psychological and physical effects of his or her actions.
One way to minimize the psychological effects of receiving a terrorist threat is to be prepared and anticipate it. They when it comes to treat it as a professional exercise so you can remain calm and use it as an opportunity to collect information about the caller. In addition to remaining calm and being professional in your responses, you deny the caller of one element of his plan which is to cause you to panic and become emotional.
As mentioned earlier, we use the term terrorist to apply to anyone who threatens to cause you or anyone you know physical or emotional harm. A terrorist could be a radical in another country who object to your corporate presence in his country or it could be a former employee of your company who has a grudge against you personally or the company. A terrorist could have a political, financial, ideological, religious, or even personal motive. If you can be professional and collect enough information from the call, the professionals in law enforcement can have a better chance to determine the real motive of the caller and as such aid in a possible apprehension. As an example, if you are kidnapped in a part of the world for financial motives, you have a better chance of being released than if you are kidnapped in another part of the world by a radical extremist who want to make point. Your objective is to remain calm and professional and collect as much information as possible so as to give the authorities an opportunity to establish the real motive.
The following Telephone Threat Report is designed to give you an opportunity to systematically and professionally documents everything about the call so that when the event has ended, you can better be prepared to assist the authorities in their investigation. This is only a suggested format and you may find it helpful to expand upon it to include topics specific to your particular situation. Ideally, you could have this or some other similar form available in your computer so if you receive such a call, you could easily access it with the click of the mouse. Again, the format is not important as long as you have a systematic method of documenting key elements of the call. The caller is not going to expect you to be calm and ask certain questions. You may be surprised at how willing he is to answer some of your questions. A recording device is a valuable tool but the key element is your professional response and interaction with the caller to key questions. Some callers have been so caught off guard that they inadvertently divulged important information that led to their apprehension.
Telephone Threat Report
Describe Exact Wording of the Threat:
Describe The Caller
Date of Call:
Time of Call:
Sex of Caller:
Age of Caller:
Race of Caller:
Nationality of Caller:
Any Other Comments:
Describe Caller's Voice
Calm Angry Excited
Slow Rapid Soft
Loud Laughter Crying
Normal Distinct Slurred
Nasal Stutter Lisp
Raspy Deep Ragged
Clearing Throat Deep Breathing Cracking Voice
Disguised Accent Familiar
Incoherent Irrational Reading Script
If voice is familiar, who did it sound like?
Background Sounds
Street Noises Crockery Voices
PA Systems Music House Noises
Motor Noises Office Machinery Construction Work
Questions To Ask:
When is the bomb going to explode?
Where is it right now?
What does it look like?
What kind of bomb is it?
What will cause it to explode?
Did you place the bomb?
Why?
What is your address?
What is your name?
Where are you calling from?
Is this a prank?
How do I know this is not a prank?
If a Hostage Situation, May I talk to Hostage?
If a Hostage Situation, Is the Hostage all right?
If a hostage situation, What do you want?
Will you call back in 15 Minutes?
How can I contact you if I have trouble meeting your demands?
