Protect Yourself Against Terrorism

188 Pages·2002·5.445 MB·English

by  Tony Lesce, Lesce Tony

PROTECT
YOURSELF AGAINST
TERRORISM

Protect
Yourself Against
Terrorism

Protect
Yourself Against
Terrorism
by Tony Lesce
Loompanics Unlimited
Port Townsend, Washington
Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any
responsibility for the use or misuse of information contained in
this book. It is sold for entertainment purposes only. Be warned!
Protect Yourself Against Terrorism
© 2002 by Tony Lesce
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or stored
in any form whatsoever without the prior written consent of the
publisher. Reviews may quote brief passages without the written
consent of the publisher as long as proper credit is given.
Published by:
Loompanics Unlimited
PO Box 1197
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Loompanics Unlimited is a division of Loompanics Enterprises, Inc.
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.loompanics.com
Cover by Craig Howell
ISBN 1-55950-225-8
Library of Congress Card Catalog Number 2002100651
Contents
Introduction.1
Part I:
Living With Terrorism
Chapter 1
A Future Scenario.9
Chapter 2
Terrorists in Fiction.19
Chapter 3
Terrorism: The New Era.25
Chapter 4
Terrorist Weapons.31
Chapter 5
How Terrorists Operate.43
Part II:
Protecting Yourself
Chapter 6
Can Government Protect You?.59
Chapter 7
Private Security.83
Chapter 8
Stack the Odds in Your Favor.87
Chapter 9
Active Protection.131
Chapter 10
A Last Word.167
Sources.171
Introduction
1
Introduction
During the fall of 2001, terrorism became the big¬
gest story in the media and the number one issue on
the national agenda. The September 11 attacks on the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon took the
American people and the government by surprise, and
the number of people killed exceeded the Pearl Harbor
death toll. These were well-executed attacks that pro¬
duced a trail of consequences for this country.
Some likened the attacks to Pearl Harbor, but truly
they were quite different. The terrorists did this on
the cheap, using commandeered equipment, while the
Japanese had to pay for their aircraft carriers and
warplanes. The Japanese strike used high-tech
equipment of the day, while the terrorists used small
knives and boxcutters to take over the airliners. The
Japanese attack was mainly against military targets,
U.S. Navy ships and Army airfields. By contrast, the
terrorists killed mostly civilians.
The Japanese attack was against the United States
of America generally, while the September 11 terror¬
ists attacked two targets (the World Trade Center
towers) where there was likely to be a concentration
Protect Yourself Against Terrorism
2
of Jews. Although the media played down this aspect
of the attacks, the World Trade Center is in New York
City, which has a large Jewish population. The ter¬
rorists were Islamic, and public statements by many
Islamic leaders over the years have shown their ani¬
mosity towards Jews, Israelis, and those who support
them.
The aftermath was also quite different. Pearl Har¬
bor resulted in a declaration of war by Congress, and
the American armed forces had a clear and well-de¬
fined enemy to strike. The United States decisively
defeated the Empire of Japan after almost four years
of land and naval battles. The terrorists, on the other
hand, remain shadowy, and Congress has not de¬
clared war against them despite President Bush’s
statement that the United States is at war. Terrorist
leaders have stated that they plan to retaliate with
further attacks against Americans, and there is every
reason to believe they mean it. Unlike World War II,
which ended less than four years after Pearl Harbor,
this shadow struggle is likely to continue for many
years, with no clear end.
Pearl Harbor stimulated the American economy,
which produced prodigious quantities of goods for the
war effort. The terrorist attack struck a declining
economy already heading for recession, and the effect
was like being kicked down the stairs. There was an
immediate effect in the aftermath of the wrecking of
the World Trade Center with commandeered airlin¬
ers. Within hours, all commercial and private aircraft
were grounded by the Federal Aviation Administra¬
tion (FAA), and airlines suffered severe financial