The Evolution of Terrorist Tactics

The gunmen calmly walked through a transit depot heavily armed, carrying assault rifles, hand grenades, satchels of provisions along with a steely commitment to deliver nothing but complete and total carnage. As they approached a restaurant teeming with international travelers and locals, they raised their weapons to their expressionless faces and pulled the triggers. A mass of life evaporated like "whisps of smoke". When the gunfire and screaming stopped, with shell casings slowly and effortlessly rolling across the floor, the only common factor the victims (innocent men, women and children) had was that they were DEAD.

Thus the world watched in horror as 10 terrorists from the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba laid siege to the city of Mumbai, India, a metropolis of over 14 million people, from 26 November through 29 November, 2008. When it was all over, 179 were killed, 308 wounded and property losses were staggering, while a nation was left scared forever.

Murder with a difference

The Mumbai attacks were unique in that it was a stark break away from the typical hit and run tactics employed against a numerically superior force. Throughout history terrorists usually opt for a quick strike, preferably by remote means such as a bombing, affording them the opportunity to get away and fight another day, and therefore continue the struggle. In Iraq and Afghanistan this assault method has been perfected and carried out by either an IED or VBIED with devastating effectiveness. However, Mumbai was different. There was no hit and run, quick get-away or remote detonation of an IED. The Mumbai attacks were bold, assertive, logistically complex and destructive. The attackers openly established themselves within the city and fought a long, protracted, battle that tied up thousands of security forces and captivated the world. The terrorists never had an exit strategy, rather their plan called for the continuation of killing until they were ultimately killed.

After action analysis of the attack would reveal that the assault started days earlier on the high seas when the terrorists overtook a fishing vessel while en-transit from one country to another, killed the crew and made a waterborne insertion into the city. Preparation for the attack (from conception to execution) took about a year, required extensive intelligence gathering and logistical support. The operators, or shooters, were recruited, indoctrinated, trained and equipped much like U.S. Navy SEALS or British SBS troopers instead of low-educated or poorly trained conscripts. This event, start to finish, had the hallmark of a military operation executable by only a very few modern, industrialized, countries in the world. Or was it? Could it be that a highly orchestrated military operation can be carried out by terrorists for more future attacks? Who is responsible for the knowledge transfer? Will this trend continue instead of the usual bombing attacks here and there?

Spread of Knowledge

With the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991 and the general thaw of the Cold War, meant that thousands of military trainers, researchers and hardware providers from around the globe were out of work. In one respect, when the U.S. and Soviet Union were squared off the rest of the world remained in a geopolitical balance. When the Cold War ended, all that changed and a new kind of flux was created which helped further spread terrorism ideology. Combine the increase of extremist views with the proliferation of military technology and knowledge, and the end result are terrorists trained and equipped to the capabilities of special-forces teams.

Col. Dan Dickerson (USA ret.) is a former special forces and intelligence qualified professional soldier who has personally walked through terrorist training camps and made direct observations that cause the rest of us to cringe. The evidence he saw left behind suggests the following:

• Standardized training with emphasis on light weaponry, explosives and small unit tactics.
• Urban warfare training that concentrates on engaging the POLICE with coordinated efforts and not the military as primary targets.
• Deployment of snipers for maximum effect and the tactical use of explosives within urban centers.
• Hand-to-Hand combat, sentry removal, knife fighting and other deadly combatives.
• They have street maps of both American and European cities and must be able to draw them from memory.
• They are taught to shoot from moving vehicles, gather intelligence and use Morse code to communicate.
• Advanced students and those who are European/American are sent for more training in intelligence gathering and surveillance operations, kidnapping and assassination, IEDs and chemical and biological weapons deployment.
• The terrorist camps in Chechnya are teaching their students everything they need to know about nuclear explosions.
• The instructors are usually Russians, North Koreans, Chinese, a lot of Syrians; no Americans as of yet.

In essence, the best warfare know-how of Russia, U.S., and Western Europe is used in addition to others.

Blue Print for the Future

Mumbai, India, had the unfortunate distinction of being the first city to encounter this new strategy of terrorism. Everyone else took notice and now fears persist as to who may be next. An article published by the BBC on Monday, 05/18/09, detailed how vulnerable the island nation of Britain would be to a similar Mumbai style assault. The British Ministry of Defense is tasked with coordinating a plan to secure the nearly 7,000 miles of their shoreline with sparse resources. Governmental concerns there illustrate that the UK response to such an event would be reactive and therefore a target city there would fare no better than their Indian peers. How big is the U.S. target? Look at our vast coastlines and remember that the bulk of our nation’s 300 million+ population is coastal or close to it.

Evolving Police Tactics

Western Policing Ideology, particularly in the U.S., denotes that police officers are civilians who provide services to the public. The police derive their power and how they do their job comes through societal directives. Therefore, officers today around the country are tasked with having to do nearly everything no matter how seemingly ridiculous. The many hats analogy fits well. Tomorrow, however, an additional hat in the form of a helmet will be needed.

This nation has never had to contend with a Mumbai style attack... yet. The closest to that was the North Hollywood California Shootout 11 years ago where two heavily armed crooks shot it out with the LAPD. The two were basically functioning as a two-man Op Cell moving in support of one another. Thousands of rounds were exchanged, many wounded, with cop cars turned into Swiss cheese and that part of the city was paralyzed. Just imagine how bad that shooting, although bad enough, could have been if the number of actors numbered 10 or more?

The point here? The Backbone of Policing, patrol, needs to train and develop capable skill-sets that interdict and defeat a military style threat. Why? Primarily two reasons: First, SWAT is too reactionary and those who pose the militaristic threat will be targeting YOU. Remember, the terrorists are not training to take on the U.S. Army. They are preparing to assault the men and women in blue. Second, whether Western Policing likes it or not, the War On Terror fixates on the homeland and the phrase being on the front lines has changed once again to have a whole new meaning.

The least you need to know for this section:

• The Mumbai, India, attacks marked a new turning point in terrorism strategy.
• Emphasis on hit and run tactics have changed to urban assaults for the purpose of massive casualties and sustained battle.
• The skills level employed by terrorists can rival that of military special-forces.
• Evidence from terrorist training camps show that they are training for attacks that use the best of what Russian, U.S. and other militarily advanced countries can offer, to include CBRNE prospects.
• The local cop will be the target of a terrorist commando attack, and local law enforcement needs to address this growing threat through training and development.