PREVIOUS NEWS
Al-Megrahi Sentenced for Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing
1/31/01 – Abdel Baset Ali Mohamed Al-Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence operative, was sentenced to life in prison by a Scottish court following his conviction for the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing. His co-defendant, Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, was found innocent and returned to Libya.
These verdicts represent the climax of 12-year investigation and prosecution by Scottish and American authorities.
Postal Bomb Kills 11 in Sri Lanka
1/27/01 – Eleven people were killed and at least seventy wounded when a powerful parcel bomb exploded inside a post office in the town of Vavuniya. Police have attributed this attack to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE).
Bomb Kills Two Onboard Bus in India
1/26/01 – A device concealed inside a bus in the northern Indian town of Risjhikesh killed a bus driver and conductor. According to reports, there were no passengers aboard the bus at the time of the explosion. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Court House Damaged by Blast in France
1/22/01 – A bomb was detonated outside of a court house in the French town of Annecy, causing extensive damage. No one was reported injured in the attack.
Bomb Targets Greek Parliamentarian
1/21/01 – Vaslis Mihaloliakos, a conservative member of the Greek Parliament, and his brother were injured by a bomb while entering his home in Piraeus. Police stated that the device appears to have been initiated by remote control. No one claimed responsibility for the attack.
Israeli Man Disarms Bomb in Jerusalem
01/04/01 - According reports, a woman in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood observed a pedestrian suspiciously thow a bag into a garbage container. The woman alerted her brother who opened the bag and discovered two mortar shells connected by wires to cellular phone. The man ripped the wires out between the mortar shells and celluler phone before calling the police. The Jerusalem police bomb squad arrived shortly after and removed the disabled device.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Despite the man's apparent success, attempting to disarm a bomb without proper training and equipment is a very foolish act. If the device was constructed differently, his actions could have easily activated the bomb killing himself and anyone else in close proximity. As a rule, NEVER TOUCH, MOVE, or COVER ATTEMPT TO DEACTIVATE A SUSPECT DEVICE!
Blasts Damage Two Churches in Tajikistan
01/02/01 - Two churches in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe were damaged in separate bomb attacks. One bomb destroyed two auxiliary buildings at the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas. The second bomb blew out windows and caused minor damage a Seventh Day Adventist church. No one has claimed credit for these attacks.
Bomb Targets Yemen News Agency
01/02/01 - A small bomb which detonated outside the offices of the Saba news agency resulted in minor damage and one injury. This is the fifth bombing in Aden since the beginning of the New Year.
Bomb Explodes at Charles de Gaulle Airport
01/02/01 - According to reports, a small IED exploded in the doorway of the state unemployment office at France's Charles de Gaulle Airport. The blast blew out the door and windows and caused minor property damage. No one was injured in the attack.
Price Reduced on Bomb Countermeasures Training CD-ROM
01/02/01 - Effective January 1, 2001, we have reduced the standard price of the Bomb Countermeasures for Security Professionals CD-ROM from $299.00 to $199.00 per unit. We hope that the reduced price will increase accessibility of this information to law enforcement agencies and corporate security departments with limited training budgets.
Additionally, all copies of the Bomb Countermeasures for Security Professionals CD-ROM purchased after August 2000 will be eligible for a free upgrade to Version 2.0 (currently in development).
Ten Injured by Bomb Blast in Istanbul
01/01/01 - At least ten people were wounded when a bomb exploded in Istanbul's Taskim Square shortly after the start of the New Year.
Car Bomb Wounds at Least Forty in Israel
01/01/01 - At least forty people were injured by a car bomb detonation in the Israeli coastal city of Netanya.
RECENT ADDITIONS & NEW LINKS
• A Guide for Explosion and Bombing Scene Investigation
U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice
• Significant Incidents of Political Violence Against Americans: 1998
(8.4 MB PDF) DS/DSS/ITA, US State Dept.
• COTS Blast Mitigation Resource Data Base
Blast Mitigation Action Group (maintained by TSWG)
Be sure to visit the Equipment Manufacturer's directory for new listings of manufacturers and distributors.
2001 Seminars and Workshops
4 Day Tactical Training Workshop
March 21-24, 2001
(Princeton, NJ)
A four day training program addressing the issues of Executive Protection, Counterterrorism, and IED Countermeasures. Instructed by Joseph Bannon, Ph.D and Craig Gundry, CPS (author of the Bomb Countermeasures for Security Professionals CD-ROM). Hosted and coordinated by S.T.A.R.T. and Executive Security International (Aspen, CO).
This seminar is open to all security and law enforcement professionals. Call (215) 247-5500 or e-mail the S.T.A.R.T. staff for details: americantacticalfighter@juno.com.
Terrorism Utilizing Weapons of Mass Destruction
March 23-25, 2001 (Hanover Township, PA)
April 27-29, 2001 (Bloomsburg, PA)
June 15-17, 2001 (Reading, PA)
A series of three one-day seminars designed to familiarize emergency responders and law enforcement personnel with issues pertaining to Weapons of Mass Destruction. Topics include large-scale explosive devices and chemical and biological WMD. Instructed by Craig Gundry, CPS and Dr. Harvey J. McGeorge. Hosted by the Pennsylvania Eastern Regional Counterterrorism Task Force.
Registration is restricted to active Pennsylvania emergency responders and police. Click here for more details.
Bomb Countermeasures
August 13-14, 2001 (Clearwater, FL)
A two-day seminar adressing a wide range of bomb security related issues. Instructed by Craig Gundry, CPS. Hosted by S-2 Security and Intelligence Institute.
Contact us for more details: info@bombsecurity.com
Bomb Security Workshop
September 2001 (Nassau, Bahamas)
Due to the excellent response we received from our December program in Nassau, we will be holding another two-day Bomb Security workshop in September 2001. This seminar will be hosted again by Preventative Measures (Nassau, Bahamas). Watch for more details and a confirmed schedule in the near future.
Would you like to sponsor a Bomb Countermeasures or WMD seminar in your city? If so, contact us at: Tel. (727) 897-9600 E-mail: info@bombsecurity.com
If you have news or an article that you would like us to post, E-Mail us at: info@bombsecurity.com
UPCOMING
EVENTS
February 12-16, 2001
ASLET Conference
(Orlando, FL)
May 8-10, 2001
Force Protection Equipment Demonstration III
(Quantico, VA)
June 24-29, 2001
IABTI International TrainingConference
(Albequerque, NM)
Bomb Countermeasures/
WMD Seminar Series
(see bottom of page for more details)
March 21-22, 2001
Bomb Countermeasures
(Princeton, NJ)
Hosted by S.T.A.R.T. and ESI
March 23, 2001
Terrorism Utilizing Weapons of Mass Destruction
(Hanover Township, PA)
Sponsored by PA Eastern Regional Counterterrorism Task Force
April 27, 2001
Terrorism Utilizing Weapons of Mass Destruction
(Bloomsburg, PA)
Sponsored by PA Eastern Regional Counterterrorism Task Force
June 15, 2001
Terrorism Utilizing Weapons of Mass Destruction
(Reading, PA)
Sponsored by PA Eastern Regional Counterterrorism Task Force
August 13-14, 2001
Bomb Countermeasures
(Tampa, FL)
Hosted by S-2 Institute
WHY A BOMB?
In addition to its power as a weapon, bombs offer terrorists a number of advantages over other types of weapons and forms of attack. In a presentation at the Eighth International Conference on Terrorist Devices and Methods, Australian Brigadier Major M. H. MacKenzie-Orr described six reasons why terrorists often prefer bombing over other methods of attack:
a. A spectacular bomb is almost guaranteed to grab world headlines and draw attention to the group or groups claiming responsibility.
b. The bomb is impersonal.
c. It separates the bomber from the scene of his attack.
d. A bomb contains within itself the seeds of destruction of the forensic evidence [a very false assumption] which is normally of great assistance in solving a crime.
e. Components from which bombs can be made are readily available in any reasonably developed country.
f. The construction of a bomb is a relatively simple matter.
On this last point, MacKenzie-Orr elaborates: "From my experience in Northern Ireland, it is quite clear that any self-respecting ten-year-old boy could give you a fairly adequate description and construct an effective simple bomb. Somebody with a degree of technical training can produce a hideously complex IED—one difficult to detect and render safe. These factors combine to make the bomb the most difficult weapon in the terrorist armoury which we have to encounter."
These factors have all contributed to the bomb's status as the number one method of terrorist attack worldwide.