Is terrorism preventable? The answer, sadly, is no. The drive and motivation of today’s terrorist combined with the almost unlimited target opportunities make terrorism a threat that is unlikely to go away. While terrorist attacks are not preventable, there are actions that can be taken to protect a specific facility, building or organization from a terrorist act.
Terrorist acts are criminal acts, differentiated only by motivation. While all criminal acts are not terrorist acts, all terrorist acts are criminal acts. As with any criminal, we can take steps to make a facility less attractive to a terrorist. Terrorism preparedness requires two actions: taking steps to harden a specific facility from a terrorist act, and taking steps to mitigate an act should it occur.
Terrorism prevention strategy addresses five specific issues. They are the identification of potential targets that will be catastrophic to the community and are likely to be attacked; the reduction of the value of the target to the terrorists; the reduction of the visibility of the targets; the reduction of access to the targets; and the increasing of guardianship of the targets. Target hardening and increased physical security measures reduce the value of the target to the terrorist by lessening the degree of damage that a terrorist can inflict.
There are many things that can be done to harden a target. Good access control makes it more difficult for a terrorist to gain entry to a facility to do harm. Explosion proof trash receptacles make placing a bomb more difficult, and helps to contain a blast if a bomb is placed in one. Good perimeter fencing discourages and physically delays unauthorized access. Closed circuit camera systems serve as a deterrent and provide evidence in the event of a crime.
Access control systems serve to restrict access to only those authorized to be there. Strictly controlling access significantly reduces the criminal risk by making the target less accessible to the criminal or terrorist. The degree of access control is directly related to the value of the target and the presumed threat. Access control can be as simple as a key and a lock (not very secure), or as sophisticated as the use of smart cards tied to biometric readers to positively identify the user prior to allowing access. Biometric systems currently on the market range from fingerprint identification to using the retina (the blood vessel pattern in the back of your eye) and the iris (the colored ring around your pupil) as a means of positively identifying the user. Other systems use the size and shape of your hand, or the pattern of the blood veins in your wrist as an identifier.
Explosion resistance is critical in the protection against terrorist acts. Bombs are a favorite of terrorists, and are frighteningly easy to build and place. Explosion resistance includes the use of security window film such as www.blastgard.com to protect glass, terrorists know that glass and bombs form a lethal combination. In addition, History shows that upwards of 80% of all bomb blast injuries are glass related in nature. Additional steps include the removal of all trash receptacles (a favorite placement of bombers), or the addition of trash receptacles specifically designed to contain a bomb blast.
Perimeter security is a core defensive measure. Simply put, a perimeter system serves to deter an entry, prevent an entry, or if neither of those options is successful, slow down an intruder sufficiently so that the likelihood of getting caught increases. Perimeter options include fencing, walls and barricades. Fencing may be chain link, or if aesthetics are an issue, bent metal or a variety of ornamental metal options. Depending on the risk, barbed wire or razor ribbon may be attached to the top. Realistically speaking, tests show that barbed wire and razor ribbon have very little effect on slowing an intruder’s climb, but the visual effect can be a huge deterrent. Depending on the threat present, there are a variety of vehicle barriers available to prevent cars and trucks from gaining unauthorized access to a facility.
As with other security devices, closed circuit camera systems offer a deterrent. In the event of an incident, recorded video provides a record of what occurred and possibly can be used as evidence in the apprehension and prosecution of the terrorists. The deterrent value is proactive while the prosecution value is a mitigation technique. As technology advances, the quality of closed circuit cameras greatly improves while physical camera size gets smaller. Advances in storage technology mean that more and more video can be stored, allowing for more cameras and a longer “keep” time.
Mitigation techniques include physical security measures, but also the creation of a good crisis management plan and a business continuity plan.
Terrorist targets are not random, yet choices can be influenced and a more attractive target can be chosen over a less attractive target. What makes a target attractive? Target suitability can be influenced by factors including value, inertia (the size and weight of an object), visibility and access. There is information to suggest that the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City was not Timothy McVeigh’s first choice of a target, but it was the closest target to him that met his needs.
While nothing can prevent terrorism, steps can be taken to prevent terrorist attacks. Steps can be taken to harden a facility, lessen the attractiveness of a target and better prepare a facility to deal with an attack.
Jordan Frankel
http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/can-you-be-prepared-for-an-act-of-terrorism-748987.html
Comments
Did you know that Senator Clinton is the only candidate who is best prepared to confront and defeat terrorism?
She has the international pedigree, contacts and credibility to establish and lead an international coalition, the most necessary ingredient to end terrorism, to confront and defeat terrorism and all that it feeds upon, because the solution will have many aspects and phases to it, and will require such leadership and cooperation.
Oh yes… but apparently Obama can walk on water.. at least according to his disciples!
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Yeah, I know, but you can’t tell these Obama groupies anything.
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Yes, I knew that.
I wish more people would actually pay attention to the facts and her experience instead of being swept up in pretty speeches and empty promises.
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Clinton 08
She is not anywhere near what you are saying. Plz, she is an inept female with no respect from anywhere and will never get it. The leaders in the Middle East will not even listen to a woman, and Bill Clinton is an old drunk. So where are you going with this nonsense.
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may be but Hillary is loosing now. Even if she wins 60% of the delegates in all remaining 6 states, and wins 60% of the remaining super delegates endorsements, she can not gain anything close to 2000 score. But Obama with only 40% of the remaining delegates and super delegates can score up to 2034 which is well above needed 2025 score. Do the math. She is out!
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Mcain or Clinton is a legitamite question, but Obama is more likely to support terrorism than he is to confront it
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Really? And just what did she and her husband do after the USS Cole terrorist attack which killed 17 Americans? Or the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 1993 which killed six? These happened on Bill & Hillary’s watch, and they did NOTHING about it.
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Er, how is this a question?
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I think you have her mixed up with Obama. Hillary will be OUT in a few more weeks so it won’t matter what plans she has, except for moving on with her life!
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international pedigree?
Bosnia and the IRA are fine examples huh
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oh yeh much like her husband not getting bin laden when he had his chance…look at the conseqences….of that spineless act…
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You mean she has connection with the World Bankers Union which is in cahoots with the big oil companies and are the real force behind all the conflicts?
Really sometimes I think my boyfriend who is a big conspiracy theorist makes sense. At least more than a lot of the people on here.
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maybe the only democrat prepared
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No, I don’t know that. It’s just YOUR opinion that she is better qualified. I don’t think spending 20 years as the first lady of Arkansas and the US are particularly great as "work experience". It’s not an executive position in an administration!
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I agree with you. She’s a very well educated person when dealing with issues that matter to the American people. She intends on fixing all the gap’s Bush left behind and intends on leading this country to success and glory. Her plans and view’s of America are very well planned out and organized. She is prepared to fight the fight, where as Obama is prepared to talk the talk, which doesn’t impress me at all.
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Senator Clinton is still a candidate?
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Yes. I know that Hillary Clinton is the one candidate who would be a president capable of creating a better USA.
I also know that the Old Boys sold out the Democrats to Obama who is a con artist, actor and he’s smeared Hillary and used the race card in a way, that has never been done before, and hopefully never will be done again.
He’ll return to the Senate when McCain wins, and probably do nothing outstanding, and be replaced by a legitimate Black politician. His role in history will ultimately be stopping Hillary Clinton, who could be the first woman President. What a hero BO is, huh?
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there is a problem with what you are saying. terrorists we are battling do not consider women to be worth anything more than dirt on the bottom their shoe. a dog has more rights than a woman in muslim countries. hillary is a woman, as far as i can tell, so they will not deal with her for any reason.
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EXACTLY!
VOTE HILLARY!
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She will have ZERO credibilty in the middle east because she is a woman. So, how can she defeat terrorism. Her husband comitted many acts of terrorism aginast her and she shrivelled up.
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Too bad she isn’t getting those super-delegates to see it her way.
She only has any of this because she road her husband’s coat tail. Had she not been married to Bill Clinton, she would be Hillary Rodham..the most popular lawyer in Chicago, IL.
What contacts? The ones she made as a First lady?
What credibility? She’s a Sophomore Senator.
What leadership? What experience in international coalitions?
You have not given one ounce of evidence to prove your most eloquently synopsis of terrorism.
All in all, the only thing that woman has done to get where she is at is marry and tolerate her womanizing husband…and that don’t amount to SHIT in my book.
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…me; a woman who made her own way in this world.
I do know that she is the only one out of the circus that I would want in office. "Obama_Usama/Barack Hussein-Saddam Hussein": it’s not difficult to figure this one out.LOL
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l.o.l. shes best prepared, because only her ego, was terrorised by her husband, the big "cheat"!!!! other than that, she has no qualifications what so ever!!
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ROTFLMAO thank you for the joke of the day. I needed that.
Now wake up and smell the coffee-~~~~
she is none of the above, except maybe pedigree, what breed did you say she was?
Bull Dog?
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she’s an idiot. stop smoking Bill’s pipe and actually look at her record.
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You almost have to wonder if the definition of political parties are in the process of changing once again as they do every so often (think during Jefferson’s time and Roosevelt’s) I wonder if she will end up being McCain Vice President–he was the modrate Republican , after all and she has the working class vote…seems like the new Democrats are abunch of elitists and more conservative in many respects than the so caleed Republicans…interesting times we are living in
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Unfortunately, she’s already said she’ll bail on that
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