The 3
POWER
Series
2810 000144240
US ELITt-aifc Counter-Terroflstlprcei
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HV 6432 .
Ibo
1997
S.
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F.
Tomajczyk
USEUTE Counter-Terrorist Forces
^1 Tomajczyk
'cmofor6oo& %3nf3maiionaI
Dedication Dedicated to
all
the
men and women who
and
live, train,
fight
on the cutting edge
of America's counterterrorism efforts.
You keep us
And
in
free.
memory
of:
Inspector William Francis Degan.Jr U.S. Marshals Service Special Operations
Task Force
Group
One
and
Agent James K. McAllister Federal Bureau of Investigation Hostage Rescue Team
Special
For Joyce 1997 by Motorbooks International Publishers & Wholesalers. 729
On
PO Box
ensure that their attack
First published in
Prospect Avenue,
I,
Osceola, Wl 54020
USA
the frontispiece;
personnel
©S.RTomaiczyk. 1997
living in
exemplifies
simply drove up All rights reserved.
With the exception
of quoting brief passages for the purpose of
20,000 pounds
in
successful,
is
what
targets: that's
The
June, 1996
terrorists look for to
bombing of
Khobar Towers on King Abdul Aziz Air Base
The
this.
defended
Lightly
building
was located
next to
right
a fuel truck and ran off before
ofTNT
Nineteen airmen died.
mam
a
U.S. military
Saudi Arabia
in
road The terrorists
exploded with the force of
it
Department of Defense
U.S.
review no part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written
On
permission from the Publisher
page: A rare photo of Delta Force taken during the December 989 Panama to capture General Manuel Noriega. During the operation. Delta rescued American businessman Kurt Muse, who was being held hostage in Panama's the
title
1
invasion of
Motorbooks
International
is
a certified
trademark, registered with the United States
Patent Office
notorious Modelo prison. The assault team was inserted by piloted by the 160th
The All
information
in this
book
is
data or
who
also disclaim any
liability
incurred
in
connection with the use of
this
On
the back cover, top;
command, they
specific details
recognize that
some words, model names and
designations, for example,
mentioned herein are the property of the trademark holder We use them identification
will
A Huey
industrial
purposes only This
International
mini-helicopters,
is
not an
official
books are also
or sales-promotional use. For
On
available at discounts in bulk quantity for
Publisher's address
U.S.
If
that both
steadyAt a
it
one drops before the
and potentially cause one or both of
off station,
Deportment of Defense
for
publication
details write to Special Sales
thrown
the operators to lose control.
Note
rigged for rappelling insertions
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the front cover;
organized around 12
Motorbooks
MH-6
Army
operators are equally balanced outside the helicopter to keep
other, the helicopter can be
We
U.S.
true and complete to the best of our knowledge.
recommendations are made without any guarantee on the part of the author or
Publisher,
SOAR,
Manager
at the
and clear
SOG man
a building of
several uniforms
in
operators practice two-man entry teams,
who
typically
terronsts.The black outfit worn by
the team's closet.
It is
drills.
SOG
is
use the "snake" formation to assault
SOG
is
just
one of
designed for night operations
(i.e.,
camouflage) as well as to intimidate the "bad guys" so that they don't immediately
respond to the team's threat. By the time they do
react,
it's
too
late.
SFTomojczyk
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
On Tomajayk.
S.
F
U.S. elite counter-terrorist forces
p
cm.
- (Power
/
S.
R Tomajczyk.
A
scene that no one
ISBN 0-7603-0220-0 (pbk
alk.
paper)
forces (Military science) -United States,
Power
HV6432,T65
1997
363.3'2'0973-dc2l
is
in
America wants to
see: the
2.
all
been hoaxes so
real.
This photo
an above-ground test (Operation Castle.
exploding
in
Printed
Hong Kong through World
Special
I.Title.
II.
series (Osceola, Wis)
97-15637
in
far
The Nuclear
the special unit that responds to threats and quickly
determines whether or not they are :
Terrorism-United States-Prevention.
Series:
terrorist threats but, fortunately they have
Emergency Search Team
series)
Includes index.
I.
the bock cover, bottom;
detonation of a nuclear device. Since 1975. there have been numerous nuclear
Print, Ltd.
is
of an
Romeo
II
MT bomb
Event)
in
1954.
LLNL
1
1
CONTENTS Acknowledgments
6
PROLOGUE It's
Not Supposed To Happen Here.
9
...
CHAPTER ONE AWorld Under
Siege
17
CHAPTER TWO Monitoring Terrorists
29
CHAPTER THREE The Covert Commandos: Delta Force And DevGroup
37
CHAPTER FOUR Anywhere, Anytime, Anything: FBI Hostage Rescue Team
CHAPTER The Shadow
Stalkers:
USMS
FIVE
Special Operations
CHAPTER Snuffing
Group
Elite Units
CHAPTER SEVEN Counterterrorism Weapons and Equipment
CHAPTER EIGHT Takedown! Training and Tactics
Index
7
SIX
Out Super Terrorism: NEST and Other
Glossary
49
1
24
128
1
1
99
85
Acknowledgments Researching the United efforts is by no means
a simple task.
nature, counterterrorism
a very quiet
is
is
States'
its
very
endeavor that
I
to the
men and women who
special
world
a
world where
you your
life,
the
a hostage. This U.S.
who can,
me
allowed
world of shooters and
a
life
book
demand
a split-second
for perfection.
mistake can cost
of your buddy, and/or the is
efforts: the
of
men and women
stand at the ready to protect us, as best as they
am
in
the world.
book
a reality: Thomas
Service; William
George
R.
T.
E.
Connor,
in
making
U.S. Marshals
Licatovich, U.S. Marshals Service;
Havens, Deputy Director, U.S. Marshals
Commander, USMS SOG; Walter Commander, USMS SOG-TFI; Wayne Plylar, Task Force Commander, USMS SOGTF3; LCDR Steven L. Pagett, Chief, Navy Antiterrorlst Alert Center; Louis J. Beyer, Navy Antiterrorist Alert Service;
Lou
K.
Task Force
Erni,
Center;
Stagg,
Ronald
W
Benefield,
Naval
Criminal
Service;
Investigative
Tactical Training Unit;
Mark
Lonsdale, Specialized
V.
John Collingwood,
FBI; Daniel
Academy; Robin Montgomery, FBI Critical Incident Response Group; Kurt Crawford, FBI Academy; Tase Bailey, FBI (Ret.); Donald Bassett, Schofield,
FBI
FBI
(Ret.);
Oliver "Buck"
Revell,
FBI
(Ret.);
John
Commander, FBI HRT (Ret.); Richard "Dick" Marcinko, Commander, SEALTeam Six
Simeone. Deputy (Ret.)
now CEO
and
Executive Officer,
CEO
of
SOS Temps; Norm
SEAL Team
Six
(Ret.)
Carley,
and
now
of Applied MarineTechnology lnc.;Tom Dorrety,
Central
Intelligence
Agency;
Harold
Heilsnis,
Department of Defense; Ken Carter, Department of Defense; Col. Johinnie H. Wauchop, ASD (SO/LIC); Sgt.
especially grateful to the following individu-
and agencies for their kind assistance
this
life
dedicated to everyone involved
counterterrorism
from the maniacs I
als
into their
kickers, flash-
taps, live fire drills, personal sac-
sweat, and the constant
rifice, is
—
H&Ks, double
bangs,
in
By
done behind barbed-wire fences and at remote Hence am in great debt
locations around the nation.
It
counterterrorism
Donna
Resource
S.
Burgess, USAF,
Library;
Battalion
NCOIC, Chief
Public Affairs
Ray
Downey,
Special Operations Coordinator,
FDNY; Chief Mike
Shannon, Oklahoma City
Department; Mike
Fire
McGroarty, City of La Habra
Fire
Department;
Jeff
Andrews and John Ventura, Department of Energy; Roxanne Dey, Department of Energy, Nevada Office; Lisa
Gordon-Haggerty, Director, Office of Emergency
Response, Department of Energy; Steve Wampler,
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; William Heimbach,Jr., Los Alamos National Laboratory; Kathy
Kuhlmann
and
Ace
Ethridge,
Sandia
National
Laboratory; Sandy Brown, Department of State;Andy
America; Robbie Barrkman, Robar Companies; Mary
Department of State; Frank Riley and Marina Drancsak, Department of Transportation; First Lt. McKenna, USAF SOC; Major Natalie Perkins, U.S. Army Public Affairs; Lt. Col. Ken McGraw, U.S. Army SOC; Sheila Hein, Dan Jackson,
Scott Smith, Barrett Firearms Manufacturing
and Joy Bisson, U.S. Army EIGSD; Sgt. Kyle Olson, USMC; Major Roseann Sgrignoli, USMC; Major
Johnson, U.S.
Laine. Diplomatic Security Unit,
General "Mike"
Myatt,
USMC, Quantico Marine
USMC
Lt.
Gordon,
Base; Capt. Rick
Woolard,
(Ret.);
Director, U.S. Special Operations
Jim
Fallin,
Wendy
NAVSPECWAR;
Command; LCDR
Goss and Ensign Navy Public Affairs; C.J. Madden Egnor, Navy Office of Information, Lt. Eric
Snyder, U.S.
and Russell D.
Laberge,
Division; Congressman Charles F Bass NH); Jamie Doyle and Neil Levesque, Congressman Bass' Office; Alfred Testa, Jr, Director, Manchester Airport; Lt. Mark Furlone, SWAT Commander, NH State Police; Donald Gates, NH State Police (Ret.); George L. Iverson, Director, NH Office of Emergency Management; Dick Wesnick, Editor, Billings Gazette; Carol Moore, author of Davidian Massacre: Ken Good and staff. Combative Concepts Inc.; John Shaw, Mid-South Institute; Caroline Sizer, Glock Inc.; Ginger Ludke and William Moles, Defense Technology Corporation of E.
Coordinator,
Sgt.
Lise
Sales,
& Koch USA
Michael Sneen and staff,Thor International; Hicks, University of Michigan
Inc.;
International
Simunition; Steve Galloway, Heckler
Inc.;
Gary
Police; Col. Jesse
L.
Tom Kukura, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Amanda Gaylor, Rand Army
(Ret.);
Pat Ravalgi, Federal Emergency Management Agency; Kevin Rowe, SigArms; County of Rockingham Sheriff; Anti-Defamation League; U.S. Secret Service; U.S. Customs Service; U.S. Senate; U.S. House of Representatives; General Accounting Office; and the Gunsite Training Center
Corporation;
News Photo (Rep.,
Senior
Then, of course, there are dozens of individuals
who, by the inherent nature of their their contributions remain
one and
all
jobs, require that
anonymous.
for their assistance.
Through
and the collective efforts of everyone
I
I
salute
them
their efforts
met and spoke
with over the course of two years, Americans
now
have a better understanding of the special system that is
in
place to deal out grief to "Tangos" and "Crows."
Having witnessed some of the training firsthand, can say
is
woe
out America's SF Tomajczyk
to those
elite
who
all
I
foolishly decide to test
counterterrorist forces.
—
.
PROLOGUE It's
Not SupposedTo
Happen Here. "Our sensors
are detecting absolutely
of survivors.
Our cameras show
.
day of the bombing also coincided with the execution
no sounds
of white supremacist Richard
only death."
Either or both
Rescue worker, Dan Schroeder
enforcement "It
was
like
being forced at gunpoint to eat an ele-
phant ...with a
plastic knife
and fork."That's
compared the task
that lay ahead of him as he surveyed the pile of rubble that
had once been the nine-story Alfred
itself:
—
was the wrecked
was 9:05 A.M. on Wednesday, April minutes after a Ryder rental
carrying 4,800 pounds of fuel and
—exploded
The bomb had
allegedly
in
ammonium
front of the building.
been placed by Timothy
McVeigh and an accomplice. This act of terrorism the worst
in
American history
Oklahoma
City.
been routine. He had been reviewing the budget for the
fire
department's rescue unit with
Hanson, when
both
they
exchanged puzzled glances
Compound
in
shell. Thinking
blown
Waco, Texas.
Interestingly, the
up,
heard as
his boss,
the
ceiling
blast.
John
They
dust rained
that a nearby auto
the image of a black sky.
The bombing of the Murrah several children vi^ho
were
building killed 168 people, including
staying at America's Kids, a govern-
ment-operated day care center located on the second floor The
Americans
wreaths and toys
felt
at
caused
the
site
them to spontaneously
of the bombing.
A'like
place
McGroarty
body shop may have
he went outside and was confronted with
He knew
and other
mushroom
then that
firefighters
it
cloud rising into the
wasn't the body shop.
He
scrambled into their vehicles
and raced to the scene. Debris a
in
the road forced Chief Shannon to park
block or so away from the Murrah building.
He
ran
the remaining distance, navigating through concrete
rubble and twisted cars,
grief
by law
to be the motive behind the
officials
For Chief Shannon, the morning of April 19 had
—coincided with the
19 anniversary of the apocalyptic fire at the
Davidian
Arkansas.
believed
the noise reminded Shannon of an exploding artillery
It
nitrate fertilizer
April
Snell in
the plastic utensils were the tools available
1995, just three
truck
Murrah
later
down on them. A former Navy damage controlman,
to the rescuers. 19,
P.
in
Wayne
were
events
build-
Federal Building. The elephant ing
annihilation
how Mike
Shannon. Special Operations Chief of the Oklahoma City (Oklahoma) Fire Department,
.
many
of
them
flipped over
and burning out of control. An 18-year veteran with the
fire
asters
department, he had witnessed numerous in
his
career
—tornadoes,
fires,
floods
dis-
—but
nothing had prepared him for the carnage that greet-
ed him when he
finally
arrived
on scene. 9
^H
^v
To him, the strafed
building
looked as
and bombed by enemy
if
it
fighter
had been
aircraft.
The
explosion had decapitated the face of the Murrah of concrete to collapse
building, causing nine floors
and pancake on each other, squashing people and
equipment
the
in
The
process.
was
air
papers, dust, and smoke, and the ground
with
desks,
file
down onto
was
the street, partially
All of this
filling
8-foot-deep crater created by the
Chief Shannon took
all
littered
and
plants,
not to mention
steel,
corpses and mutilated body parts.
with
filled
cabinets, chairs, potted
crumbled concrete and twisted
office
had rained
the 30-foot-wide,
bomb itself. in. He didn't know
of this
—
what had caused the damage actually that didn't matter all he knew was that he was dealing with a
—
destroyed, unstable building that
So he and another ing
firefighter
still
had people
in
it.
crawled into the build-
through a window and began to survey for dam-
old the day before. Several toddlers ing
their parents.
were
fearful
POVs
federal
15
including
several
the Veterans
the building,
several
hundred workers
blast, plus
most
an
in
the building at the time of the
unknown number of visitors. But perhaps
distressing
aspea
of the
bombing was the
the
fact that
the Murrah building also had a government-operated day care center located
on the second
floor
of the explosion; incredibly small bodies
It
—many —
burned and mutilated beyond recognition ered
in
took the brunt of
them
^were discov-
the rubble by emergency responders.The photo-
graph of 3 -year-old firefighter Chris Fields cradling the I
limp
body of Baylee Almon
in his
arms became the sym-
bol of the tragedy worldwide. Baylee had turned
one year
effectively decapitated the front of
the building,
jams
traffic
were
vehicles. Volunteers, ranging
flying glass
and debris; one man was pierced
also
commonplace. The
As can be seen by the spray-painted warning was
a dangerous task.
Mike McGroarty
in
the
wave from the
blast
explosion was responsible for ruptured eardrums,
and fractured
eyeballs, internal organs,
ribs.
By 10:30 A.M. emergency responders and volunteers had
removed
building.
old Daina Bradley,
who
under a
Murrah
pile
of
known
but three
all
from the crumpled
cement
One
lay
survivors
the basement
in
She had been
at the
building to get a Social Security card for her four-
month-old son, Gabreon. Bleeding and foot of
live
of them was 20-year-
trapped
girders.
frigid
water, she
was lodged
in
laying in
a
about a
space so small
— —had
that the rescuers could barely reach her Rebar steel reinforcing bars
her
tightly pinned.
head and her
the
used to strengthen concrete
Her
right leg
left
arm was trapped behind her
was crushed under
concrete. When doctors
finally
a huge slab of
managed to squeeze
in,
her blood pressure was dropping and she was going into
As they
deliberated about
how
to
remove her
from the rubble, the walls suddenly trembled, threaten-
on them. Everyone rushed
Rescuers had to search for victims inch-by-inch through the pile.
near-
in
100 places. Punctured lungs and slashed throats
Daina behind begging them
left, it
wounded. Most of
critically
those injured were riddled with lacerations caused by
ing to collapse
lov/er
stations,
nearby warehouse,
a
in
set up to assess the severity of injuries and to
and caused the floors to collapse and pancake on each other
debris
officers, offered the
occur Triage
wouldn't
get help for the most
shock.
The explosion
owned
including four surgical units
defense department
DEA, BATF,and Secret Service also had offices all located on the ninth floor There were
offices.The in
agencies,
HUD, and
privately
designated for in-bound and out-bound vehicles, so that
were
some
—
use of their cars as ambulances. Specific routes were
what had caused such devastation. The Murrah building, which was built Administration,
of another disaster happening. first
from nurses to off-duty police
ly
1974, housed
searching for
lot,
They were scooped up by strangers who
hour, more than 600 injured people were taken from the site to area hospitals. Many were sent by ambulance, but some 400 were transported by what emergency responders refer to as
the
In
age and survivors. They would speculate later about
in
were found wander-
around the underground parking
returned 20 minutes
word spread
later,
that another
out, leaving
not to leave her They
only to flee once again
bomb
when
had been found.
II
A ed
rare, inside steel,
look at what the rescuers were confronted with: twist-
concrete rubble, and debris. Fluorescent paint helped point
out structural concerns to rescuers, as well as showed the locations of bodies trapped
in
the wreckage.
An arrow above
the plywood
sheet points at the location of one such victim. Alike t
In
only
the end, the rescue workers decided that the
way to
save Daina's
was to cut
life
off a
portion of
her right leg that was crushed beneath the concrete slab.
An
amputation
kit
was
called for. Dr.
Andy
Sullivan,
chief of pediatric orthopedics at Children's Hospital,
was the only surgeon space to reach
small
her. Laying
enough to crawl
into the
on top of Daina, he gave her
a shot of anesthesia and then proceeded to cut off her leg
below the knee using
several scalpels, because the
space was too small for surgical saws.
The procedure
took about 10 minutes. When he was done, tied a
her
firefighters
harness around Daina's upper body and pulled
free. Later on,
they learned that Daina had lost her
mother, her three-year-old daughter, Peachlyn, and her four-month-old son, Gabreon,
in
the explosion.
i-
Using jackhammers. rescuers dug slowly in
buckets, as can be seen
them
in
downward through the
solve this terrorism case.
A/like
As rescue operations continued
into the afternoon
would be found. The bomb had done
its
work
exceptionally well. Yet firefighters and rescue personnel persisted
in
probing the rubble,inch-by-inch,for signs of life.
Around its
10 o'clock that evening, everyone's spir-
soared when
a
beneath the debris. old
girl
who was
voice was heard calling out from It
was Brandy
trapped
in
Liggons, a 15-year-
a section of the building
known
as
directly
beneath where the second and third floors of
"The Cave." This dangerous area was
the building had collapsed, creating a small hollow.
For rescuers to reach
on hands and
bellies,
1
6 days hoping to find survivors. Most debris was hauled out
McGroorty
and early evening, hope began to fade that any more survivors
rubble for
the right hand side. The FBI then went through the buckets looking for the tiniest of clues that could help
this area,
with
they had to crawl
someone
else
in
pushing
them
in
from behind.
It
was
place for claustrophobics.
It
not
definitely
a
good
took them three hours
to pry Brandy from this concrete coffin.
As Chief Shannon described it later, every rescue worker was engaged in a "very serious game of pickup sticks."
Between the
penalty of a mistake easily
ers
shifting building
—
regardless of
and
live
wires, the
how minor
have been death for a rescue worker As
worked to
free Brandy,
from Muskogee, comforted her the while
—
sitting
sat beside telling
on
a
Dr her
—could firefight-
Rick Nelson, a surgeon
He
held her hand and
her that she would survive
corpse of someone
who
—
all
had not.
By the time the Urban Search and Rescue teams
(USAR) arrived on
site,
all
the
known
survivors
were
13
—
Searching for mi
vi.ui
j
ukc
naving to crawl
caiVi
to flee for their
gone. The
lives as
City
Fire
hundreds of
done an admirable
live
job.
Now
volunteers, had
came the nightmare
of
which
though Brandy had been found.
unlikely even
Rescuers pawed through the debris with trackhoes, hydraulic
lifts,
and cranes, hoping to
find voids in the
rubble that might hold survivors. They even far as to
went so
use listening devices, ground radar, thermal
sensors, fiber-optic
cameras and
dogs to detect victims. But
all
specially
trained
they found were
corpses and mutilated body parts. Concerned about the emotional
would
have
and mental impact that
on
wires, twisted rebar
the
firefighters,
On
Department, with
local
finding and recovering any remaining people,
seemed
a cave explorer into tiny voids
and crannies created by the rubble. Not a great
and
site
this
crisis
supervisors
ensured that everyone underwent "defusing"
—coun-
FridayApril 2
Perry,
Oklahoma
less
rescuers had
the FBI announced the arrest of
—
just
60 miles north of Oklahoma
with Black Talon "cop
killer" bullets.
City.
earlier by police
than 90 minutes after the explosion a
—
for driving
handgun loaded
Before the FBI
finally
tracked him down, McVeigh was within a half-hour of being set free after
Months
later,
Nichols,
would be
The news
first
he and
making a $500 bond hearing.
his
former-Army buddy, Terry
indicted for
murder and
conspiracy.
of McVeigh's arrest by the FBI bolstered the
rescuers somewhat, but the horror of the reality they were confronting squelched their enthusiasm.
The search
left
,
without a license plate and possessing
gloves, buckets,
immediately after they
1
McVeigh had been picked up two days
the scene to help
14
More than once
bombing suspect Timothy McVeigh. For 48 hours they had followed a trail of obscure clues to a jail house in
them deal with the stress. Later, group debriefings were held with mental health professionals.
seling
shifting debris.
concrete rubble threatened to collapse on them. Mike McGwarty
Oklahoma
assistance from
like
Danger was everywhere:
place for those with claustrophobia.
demand. Fatigue
lasted for
1
6 miserable days. Leather
and shovels were the tools set
in
as
rescuers put
in
in
high
20-hour
The longer people remained more they began to look at It as days.
struction
at the scene, the if
were
It
Loaders plowed debris into
site:
The
cranes hoisted buckets of rubble.
a con-
painted around body parts and the letters
"DB"
(i.e.,
dead body) spray painted next to corpses. Rescuers
odor of
The nightmare was
and
piles
rotting flesh by wearing
and placing Vicks Vapor-Rub on their upper
masks lip
or
Murrah building and detonated.
on the 30th
depart the
Oklahoma
City Fire
ing was not a major were killed making
ers
who
recalls
spent nearly
City did not lose idents
who
had died
many people Oklahoma
—but
homeless and without food.
left
to
40 square
miles.
By comparison, the
Oklahoma
City
bombing occupied
only 7,000 square feet
Department
quarter of a block.
two
.
.
about a
.
As Chief Mike Shannon points terrorism
out,
firefight-
hours
six
In
earthquakes routinely wreck havoc over
California,
day leaving
Oklahoma
dig-
what
Her
the explosion.
in
tragedy
a
it
power, water, or sewage, and res-
its
were not
arm of a woman
ging for the severed
over
event. Certainly,
—
behind to wrap up the dirty work. Chief Shannon
itself.
By disaster standards, the Murrah building bomb-
sucking on peppermint candy.
The USAR teams began
finally
took eight
It
seconds for the building to collapse onto
only reminders
of the gory task at hand were the orange circles
dealt with the
of the
And he
was.
it
what made the
is
City incident bigger than
husband wanted to bury her whole,
is
convinced that
bombing
a similar terrorist
will
hap-
pen again
in
as well as to retrieve heirloom rings
Shannon
says that FBI
from her hand. Removing
thwarted several copy-cat bombings
— —
the concrete rubble was
spoonful
dense
by the
dirt
the
firefighters
labored
the United States.
agents have
since that horrible April day, including
attempts within Oklahoma City
at
who were
their task until they finally recovered
by wackos
the limb. "You would have thought
that lightning can strike twice.
way
Shannon. "In the rescue
beamed,"
they
we were
effort,
had
loved ones."
came
to
4,
the search after
halt
a
35
finally 1
gut-
wrenching hours. The death stood
at
1
68.
of terrorism
It
in
was the worst U.
S.
toll
Rescuers used everything available to them to
thermal
sensors, ground
they found were corpses.
U.S.
all
krmY
it
terrorism.
much
"As
went wrong
buried from sight a
were
strategically placed in the skeleton
at
1
and
sanitize
prints
—and
bomb on one
it.
the
then They'll
at
you
from
learning
to
and shattering the innocence
we're
as
about what went guarantee
act
Oklahoma City was literally few weeks later, when 50 pounds
of explosives
radar micro-
phones, and even specially trained dogs. But
and sense of security that each American once had.
The catastrophe
call
buried survivors, including fiber optic cam-
eras,
history, break-
ing the hearts of millions
why they
the scary part, but that's
find
On May
in
day can wear black at night. That's
spending
lost their
begin-
he warns. "Terrorists are
our midst. The farmer during the
bringing a sense of
who
peace to those
ning,"
few days of the
last
most of our time
said
itself
trying to prove
"Oklahoma City was the
they had found a pot of gold, from
the
In fact,
it,
park
wear
that
there
what
City,
terrorists
I'll
are
as well, as to
what
time. They'll
steal
— remove
it
learning
and
Oklahoma
do the next truck
right
all
and
disguises and
their
use
a
finger-
remote
won't ask any-
for directions.
"There's lots of things
they'll
do
better."
15
5:^sXj«c^-:I'
CHAPTER ONE
AWorld Under
"The purpose of terror
one and terrorize
"Kill
to terrorize."
is
a thousand."
V.
is
chological
weapon. Terrorism creates
goal-directed violence.
fear,
It
A good
general
so that over time, a specific
example of terrorism
violence was the bombing of the
on February
26,
1,200-pound
12:18 P.M.
as goal-directed
World Trade Center
Ryder
cargo
explosive
garage beneath the
in
rental van
had
and
its
underground
the
World Trade Center complex. At
on that snowy afternoon, the homemade
exploded, rocking the
I
10-story building's foun-
dation and ripping open a 200-foot by
1
00-foot crater
the basement. The blast and the subsequent
and
cli-
political,
1993. Islamic fundamentalists
strategically parl
in
also a psy-
is
a
or ideological goal can be achieved.
social,
bomb
Lenin
SunTzu
Terrorism
mate of
I.
6 people and injured
fire killed
more
smoke
than 1,000.
Thousands of people were terrorized as they fled to safety from the building's highest floors. As ugly as this
The boniDing arrival
car
modern explosive easily
bomb
is
terrorist's like
perhaps the most arsenal.
It
is
C-4 or Semtex on
seen.The
bomb
or by remote control.
influential
weapon
in
me
v'voiiQ
learn that this
incident
was
iidoe ^eniei soil.
m i77j
actually the
caused by the explosion, The ladder to the enormity of
signaled the
Later on, investigators would first
shot of a
in
this disaster
is
war
the crater
the background provides
FD NYC
the
relatively
simple to place an
a vehicle
where
it
oi
of terrorism on U.S.
declared on the United States.The darl< central area
a scale
The
Siege
cannot be
can be rigged to explode by a timer device U.S.
krmf
17
it was not as horrible as the terrorists had hoped for: They had intended for the World Trade Center building to topple over and knock down near-
event was,
by skyscrapers
They had inside
in
a domino-like
manner.
the building, as evidenced by Judge
"Death
is
Duffy's
the sentencing of the terrorists;
what you
really
sought to cause. You had
Senator Alfonse
U.S.
Boutros
D'Amato, and
U.N.
and
Boutros-Ghali,
of
scheming to blow up the Holland and Lincoln tunnels, as
New York
well as other
also planned to poison people trapped
comments during
Mubarak,
Secretary-General
City landmarks.
Another example of terrorism as goal-directed violence was the nerve gas attack on a Tokyo subway station
on March
day religious cult
Members
20, 1995.
Aum
dooms-
of the
Shinrikyo used the tips of their
sodium cyanide
umbrellas to pierce containers of Sarin that had been
the bomb.
placed aboard three
laying around, and I'm sure it was in Thank God the sodium cyanide burned instead of vaporizing. If the sodium cyanide had vaporized, it is clear what would have happened is [that] the cyanide gas would have been sucked into the north tower and everybody in the north tower would have been killed." What many Americans still do not realize was that this bombing was the opening shot of a Holy War against
the United States.
It
was
a plot to frighten the so-called
"Great Satan" into changing
Some 22 ed
its
—
Middle East
were
Islamic fundamentalists
policies.
eventually arrest-
—and brought
worldwide manhunt
after a
to
trial
where they were accused of not only bombing the Trade Center, but also of plotting to
kill
Egyptian leader Hosni
commuter
sengers, causing
them to
Within min-
trains.
utes, a deadly cloud of Sarin gas settled
over the pas-
clutch at their throats and
collapse to the ground, vomiting.
The
attack
12
left
people dead and more than 5,500 injured, including 2 Americans.
On May they
5, cult
placed
restroom plastic
members
simple
a
tried again. This time
binary
at Shinjuku Station.
one
bags,
It
the
in
powdered sodium
with
filled
weapon
consisted of two
cyanide and the other containing diluted sulfuric
When
acid.
ablaze.
discovered by police, the bags were
Had they broken open,
a
chemical reaction
would have occurred producing enough cyanide gas to
10,000 people.
kill
Investigations
these acts
—
plus
evil things.
wanted to
initiate a
United States. Bill
The
17
both
— were
just rehearsals for
Shoko Asahara, war between Japan and the to assassinate President
other heads of state with
nerve gas when they visited the Japanese
ment
November
in
of
killed
cult's leader,
He planned
Clinton and
that
incident that
earlier
seven and injured 500
more
disclosed
later
an
parlia-
1995. Eventually, during the
course of the war, Asahara expected to assume control of the Japanese government. tion,
The
terrorists
Center had
who
evil
detonated the
bomb
1
1
0-story tow-
ers to topple over into the other and cause a domino-like disaster
sodium cyanide
at the scene.
If
this
deadly
chemical had vaporized and been sucked up into the building's ventilation system,
18
prepara-
ernment and the
military to help manipulate the
circumstances to
his
beneath the World Trade
aspirationsThey wanted one of the
Investigators also found
In
he had placed cult members within the gov-
thousands of people would have died. FD
NYC
Had world
—
it
as
favor
not been for diligent police work, the
you read
been embroiled
in
this
—very
war And
direct result of terrorism
—
it
easily
could
would have been
have as a
goal-directed violence.
Propaganda of the Dead Although historians say that terrorism has been a
problem for rorism
is
ages, today's statistics indicate that ter-
more widespread and
weapon than
at any
acceptable
as
a
other time. Terror tactics are
being used by individuals as a shortcut to shake the
confidence
public's
in
their
government and to
dis-
place the rule of the majority by the edicts of a select few. Terrorism
is
not only cheap
mite are enough to to accomplish what
For instance,
bombing
in
Beirut,
been
in
but
which
it
is
often able
killed
237
was
U.S. Marines,
undermine the United
the Middle East.
in
Lebanon
sticks of dyna-
a
modern conventional war cannot. the October 23, 1983, terrorist
able to immediately foreign policy
— few —
initiate fear
States'
The Marines had
as part of a multinational peace-
keeping force that had been deployed to support the central
government, after
Lebanese
Palestinians had
hundreds
been massacred by Christian
of
militia-
men. The multinational force withdrew from Lebanon in
the spring of
I
984, just
The message sent by the
months
after the
terrorist's truck
bombing.
bomb
been heard, loud and clear by policy makers.
had It
is
war with tanks and jet fighters could have achieved the same outcome. With the advent of the Beirut bombing, the delivery truck was ushered in as perhaps the most influential weapon of the doubtful that a
twentieth century.
Profile of a Terrorist So killing
who
are these people
who seem to enjoy own personal gain? the person who ter-
innocent people for their
Depending on your viewpoint, rorizes passengers on a Boeing 707
—
—threatening to
blow them to kingdom come could be labeled as a freedom fighter trying to bring attention to his cause. Others, however, would bluntly in
call
him
a terrorist or,
law enforcement parlance, a "tango" or "crow."
A logical
reason for
in
this
their late-teens to late-20s. is
martyr-bound terronsi drove a truck
guards into the Marine Barracks
look at past cases reveals that most terrorists
are young, usually
A
A
that the terrorist lifestyle of
hide-and-seek requires the vigor, daring, and fitness
detonated the bomb. The huge explosion
mangled the rethink
its
building. This incident
involvement
the terrorists wanted.
in
U.S.
bomb
compound
frantically
area
killed
in
past
Beirut and
237 Marines and
caused the United States to
the Middle East, which
is
exactly
what
Deportment of Defense
19
most often associated with youth.
young
Also, the
tend to be defiant and impressionable and, thus, are
more
likely
respond
to
to
from
call-to-arms
a
One
who
of the Palestinians
ship Achille Lauro in
hijacked the cruise
1985 was only 17 years
old.
Oan,
the leader of the terrorist group that stormed the Iranian
Kansi,
embassy
London
in
who opened
fire
in
with
was
1980,
his
AK-47
27. Mir
assault
Aimal
rifle
on
was 28 at the McVeigh was 27 Timothy Domestic-terrorist time. City in Oklahoma exploded in bomb when the truck militant who was Yousef, Ahmed a 1995. And Ramzi in two days, planes bomb 12 accused of planning to people leaving the
CIA
building
in
1993,
was only 28-years-old when he was arrested. Yousef was also accused of masterminding the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center In ly
addition to being young, terrorists are basical-
lonely,
believe
they
that
feel
morally superior to others and
violence
is
or middle-class
Ramirez Sanches rious terrorist
activists than are older adults.
in
is
number come from For instance, Mich
families.
Carlos The
(a.k.a.
who
his early 20s,
lawyerThis
began
his
Jackal), the
the son of a prosperous Marxist
is
not to suggest, however, that the tactics
Anyone can be
aren't.
noto-
25-year reign of terror
ordenThey
of terror are confined to a specific social
a terrorist, regardless of their
because
social standing. That's
is
it
ideology that
is
responsible for crafting the mind of a terrorist.
The Training Grounds often unwittingly serve as the
Ironically, colleges
mental training grounds for would-be terrorists. Here, in hallowed
halls
and lecture rooms, students' impression-
able minds are activists
and
exposed to extremist messages from and peers.
In
the United States, these
teachings are protected by the First
When has
a student decides to difficulty
little
from some of
visiting speakers, as well as
their professors
support the
to
justified
a surprising
Cause. Additionally, affluent
making
Amendment.
support
he
a cause,
Most arms that
contact.
initial
extremist groups operate public relations
disseminate information to gain public support for
movement. These propagandists
their
blood, filtering out those
who
have
ing the group's political indoctrination.
groups fear the
undergo
a
possibility
Over learn in
how
the law.
new
accept-
Because these
of infiltrators, recruits
probationary period
given tasks that test their
attract
difficulty
in
which they are
commitment.
time, as they prove themselves, the recruits
to undermine society while remaining withStill later,
they
rorism and be trained
may in
learn about disruptive ter-
the use of explosives and
weapons. There are numerous training camps around the world, including the United States, that impart combat
to extremists.
skills
A
glance through military and
gun magazines usually reveals several advertisements for such facilities. The most serious training camps, Drive-by shootings are a popular way of terrorizing the public
and getting
rid
ofVIPs.This tactic, which
cycle or by a passing vehicle,
is
done on motor-
often
common
Central America, and parts of Europe.
20
is
U.S.
in
the Middle East.
Army
however, are located
in
sional terrorist training Iran
—
traps,
the Middle East. There, profes-
—sponsored by
Libya, Syria,
includes suicide assaults, aircraft hijacking,
and
guerrilla
warfare
tactics.
and
booby
frighten,
kill,
and destroy
—
it's
core of every-
at the
seem to share whether they are
thing they do. Interestingly, terrorists
common located
goals with each other,
Baghdad,
in
Iraq,
or
Bagdad, Arizona.
Examples include •
Seize political
•
Win
gaining •
(e.g.,
•
astounding.
A
visit
available to aspiring terrorists
to the library or a
mail order catalog can result
in
vised explosive devices, silent
killing
and more. Much of
this
flip
is
truly
through the pages of a
combat
techniques, is
novi/
making
the Internet, where anyone can have access to
it
its
government's
a
citizens.
Obtain recognition for the group's cause. Harass, weaken, or embarrass the government,
or law enforcement.
Prevent legislation from being enacted.
•
Extract revenge.
•
Effect a lution,
tactics,
its
•
books and manuals on impro-
information
free prisoners).
to protect
military,
The amount of information
•
a regime.
concession through coercive bar-
Demoralize society by showing inability
•
power and/or overthrow
a specific
change
government
in
via civil war,
revo-
or war between nations.
Influence policy decision making.
way onto
24 hours a day
Such aspirations encourage like-minded individu-
with just a few keystrokes. SF Tomafzyk als
to band together. These groups operate either
alone or under the control of a government.
For non-students and the proverbial loners,
who
Department
The
on more than
of State maintains profiles
are inspired to action either by the deeds of others
50 key terrorist groups
or out of personal frustration with the way things are
are sponsored by various nations. These groups tend
in
society, training takes the
uals.
There
is
form of books and man-
an abundance of published information
available for the asking. With a it
card, a
telephone and a cred-
would-be terrorist can acquire detailed
manuals on improvised explosive devices, sniping, hand-to-hand combat, and
silent killing
other books on the market teach
how
methods. to
sons, effect deadly ambushes, and create a tity
and successfully evade law enforcement. It
is
is
just
one price of
many
of which
be well-organized, highly trained, and strongly
financed.
They possess tremendous resources
weapons, supplies, openly, especially
safe
in
houses), and operate
areas of the world
(e.g.,
fairly
where the
public supports their efforts.
Correspondingly, within the borders of the United States, the FBI keeps an eye
groups and visible
militias.
groups
(e.g..
The
on hundreds of extremist
larger,
more
established and
Posse Comitatus, Christian Patriots
is
Defense League, Aryan Nations) are similar to their
living
International peers, but they possess fewer resources
truly mind-boggling that such information
so easily obtainable. Yet, that in
Still
make poinew iden-
to
internationally,
an open society.
and operate much more clandestinely.
And then
there are a multitude of smaller groups
Agents of Change
monitored by
As implied earlier, terrorists are agents of change. They use violence and fear to achieve an objective. It is that goal that drives them to threaten.
limited resources, are highly mobile, and are nearly invisible
local
law enforcement that have very
to the U.S. public. Examples
include the
Hillsborough Troop of Dragoons, National Socialist
21
commit
terrorism and then quickly
a specific act of
disband. This approach
being used by
is
Often, these
extremists.
responsibility for their bloody acts. FBI,
is
it
likely
Center bombing. defendants
in
According to the
that this type of decentralized organi-
model was used
zational
some Moslem do not claim
terrorists
in
1993 World Trade
the
would explain why so many the Sheik Abdul Rahman terrorism case so,
If
it
had different countries of origin. It
common
is
for terrorists to help each other
out by sharing weapons, money, supplies, expertise, and
cooperation
safe havens. This
is
aroused by the
simple desire to survive. As a group moves from place to place to evade police and maintain operational
security
loses
it
group then Seven
sticks
of TNT with a mercury-switch detonator create a
low-tech terrorist
weapon
that
groups
easy to hide just about any-
is
policies.
It
can do tremendous
damage and
on others for
help.
neo-Nazi group The
influence national
Order, which wrecked havoc
SF Tomojczyk
in
the western United
States during the 1980s, routinely donated stole to fellow extremists, including
Front, National
Liberation
Order
New
Force, and
Strike
Regardless of the size of terrorist groups, they
dozen or so members
some
organizations,
it is
for security reasons.
common
into two functional ones when they reach six members. Those with military experience will recog-
nize this tactic
from insurgency
how many
Regardless of are kept
activities of
down
in
cells.
people make up a
That way
unit,
a cell
is
taken
by law enforcement, the entire organization
members
blindly
On carry
a
day-to-day basis, the
out their assignments
ordered, often not understanding
how
is
cell
as
their actions
scheme of things. For example, a could be ordered to blow up a bridge, not know-
into the larger
cell
ing that
it
There
will is
serve as a distraction for a bank heist.
another,
new way
organizing themselves.
22
if
in
which terrorists are
Groups now
The United States: Between the Deep Blue Sea
hire guerrillas to
Devil and
the
The United
Why?
First,
serves
its
it is
States
3.5
is
vulnerable to terrorism.
an open, democratic society that pre-
citizens' liberties
movement. Second,
some
training.
the dark about the locations and
other
not compromised.
fit
it
and the National Alliance.
Among
practice to divide a
cell
cells
money
Aryan Nations
Legion.
nearly always organize themselves into small cells of a
The
Extremist
the United States often assist one another
in
fashion. For instance, the
in this
where. Yet
to be self-sufficient.
ability
its
relies
it
is
and allows freedom of
a large nation.
Encompassing
million square miles of urban
areas, the United States
is
and
rural
simply too porous to be
adequately policed. Third, Americans don't believe that terrorism can happen to them. Hence, they
not take the precautions they should. And is
last,
do
there
an abundance of unprotected targets for terrorists
to choose from: railway stations, airports, electric
power
plants,
government
dams, communication
facilities,
tunnels,
buildings.
Looking at the electric power industry alone, companies,
power gen-
there are 3,500
utility
erating
and 365,000 miles of overhead elec-
facilities,
tric lines
I
1,000
of 66,000 volts or more. They are
all
sitting
The United attacks
States
on them.
If
is
vulnerable to terrorism. For example,
the right areas are blown up,
tion lines longer than any of us could imagine. US.
ducks for a terrorist terrorists
on
bombs could
A
easily
A
assault.
several
coordinated attack by
substations
using
knock out power
in
homemade
a large region.
more than
Three major
4.5 million barrels of
pipelines supply
petroleum each day
for domestic use: Capline, Colonial, and Trans-Alaska.
easy targets for sabotage by terrorists since
All are
the
pipes
are
located
remote areas of the tected.
In fact,
tions)
is
above-ground, run through
nation, and are largely unpro-
government
physical security at
investigations reveal that
most key
oil
shortage, resulting
in
outrageous gas prices and gas
facilities (e.g.,
pump
these
sta-
critical
locations,
it
could take
six
sta-
inadequate. Should saboteurs destroy one of
months or
longer for repairs to be made.
Don't think
it
can
happen? Think again.
1977, the Trans-Alaska pipeline v^as
this.
quick look at the U.S. pipeline system reveals
a similar vulnerability.
of our nation's pipelines are above ground, which facilitates terrorist
Army
General Accounting Office study confirms
A
many
could cause a long-term
it
oil was shutdown was required, since the
saboteurs. Fortunately, no
had not been penetrated by the teurs, however, learned
1978, they
bombed
bombed lost
In
by
and no
pipeline wall
blast.
The sabo-
from their mistakes.
In
the pipeline again. This time
About 15,000 barrels of oil was shut down for 21 hours. That was small potatoes compared to the damage that could have been done by a group of the explosion worked:
were
spilled,
and the
line
terrorists intent on laying waste.
23
Lightly
defended
sonnel
living in
targets: That's
what
road. The terrorists simply drove up
men
died. U.S.
how do
Surprisingly,
would
in
in
is
successful.
Saudi Arabia exemplifies
a fuel truck and ran off before
it
this.
The June 1996 bombing of
The
building
was located
exploded with the force of 20,000 pounds
U.S. military per-
right
next to a main
ofTNT
Nineteen
air-
Deportment of Defense
Eeenie, Meenie, Miney, So
terrorists look for to ensure their attack
Khobar Towers on King Abdul Aziz Air Base
it's
Moe
tangos go about selecting a target?
more complex than most of us make hasty or arbiFrom the testimony of terrorists,
believe. Terrorists don't
trary decisions.
law enforcement officials have learned that target selection
is
done with
care. First, terrorists find
politically suitable targets.
They
government, organization, or believe
is
punished.
that
they
an adversary and, hence, deserves to be
Once
these "guilty" targets have been
then determine which one
identified, the terrorists is
select a company,
person
the most vulnerable
—they
don't want to
fail. In
Their research efforts may include casing the
obtaining blueprints, taking photographs, and monitoring security.
In
some
instances, they
1978, a domestic extremist group pioned to Doard and steal
site,
may even
the
USS Trepang and then
unnamed
city unless
fire
its
nuclear missiles against an
they were paid a huge ransom. Fortunately
the FBI thwarted the plot.
A humorous
aside:
The Trepong
is
an
take a job with the targeted company, just to have
attack submarine, not a ballistic-missile submarine. The terrorists
access to inside information.
obviously weren't too swift. US. Navy
24
Of
the factors terrorists
all
selecting a target,
must be
target
one
lightly
at
others:
all
both
sites
Federal Building
was nonexistent.
In
1993, the FBI arrested several followers of Sheik
Omar Abdel Rahman who were plotting to wage a Holy War against the United States. These individuhad planned to blow up tunnels, bridges, build-
als
and landmarks
ings,
one thing
targets had ly
New York in
All of
these
common: They were
light-
City.
their bullets
you are
their cause,
in
fair
game
for
and bombs.
why terrorism
Journalists are another reason
is
bloodier. Reporters routinely cover the horror of
mutilated body parts, and terrorists know it. In fact, most terrorist groups orchestrate their attacks to draw the attention of the media. By targeting people instead of buildings or planes, they not only guaran-
more important-
tee coverage by the press but also, ly,
intensify the public's fearThis
two-prong approach
nearly ensures that terrorists will achieve their goals.
As cold
defended.
When it,
in
them
helping
defended. This explains the
World Trade Center and Murrah bombings. Security
when The
consider
over
prevails
as
it
may sound, the slaughtered
victims
mean
feel like
absolutely nothing to them. The message behind their
although their attacks tend to coincide with times
violent actions are directed at the people watching,
when
do
terrorists strike?
security
Anytime they
low and/or when the greatest
is
not the targets.
bloodshed can be attained. Terrorists also like to
do
deeds on
their dirty
A New Type
of the death of a terror group martyr.
19 has great significance to extremists.
States, April
On
April
19,
Revolutionary British 19,
think of terrorists, they picture
a menacing-looking foreigner with a
up around
Because Americans never see
War
go about their
began when Minutemen battled
troops at Lexington and Concord.
1985, FBI agents raided the fortified
known
as the
On
April
compound
CSA.
On April
of 1
are not
bandanna pulled
and carrying a machine gun.
face
his
1775, the opening salvos of America's
the extremist group 1
the United
In
of Terrorist
When Americans
important anniversary dates, such as the anniversary
this caricature as
they
daily lives, they believe that terrorists
their midst. Unfortunately, they couldn't
in
be
more wrong. Foreign terrorists are operating on U.S.
9,
For
soil.
993, the siege with Branch Davidians at Waco ended
example, Abu Nidal, which the State Department
On
considers to be the world's most dangerous terror-
with flames and the death of 82 cult members. April
19,
1995, white
Snell
was executed
was
also
when
for
supremacist Richard
Wayne
murder And
April
19,
Oklahoma
City
bombing
the
1995,
occurred.
ist
the
don't
A
seem to
reason for
in
Blood
of
become much bloodier Terrorists
think twice about inflicting casualties.
this
is
that physical security at high-risk
its
command
activists,
Israel for
And
group
turn their aggressions against soft targets, namely,
Arizona,
people. To today's terrorists, there
is
no such thing
The expression
"If
as
you're not
part of the solution, you're part of the problem," aptly
describes the terrorist mind-set. Thus,
if
you are not
in
Missouri
Jews and blow up
Washington, D.C.
HAMAS,
located
both from
in
Arlington, "Virginia.
Illinois,
an its
Two
were arrested
in
attempting to restructure the organization.
Al-Fuqra, a Black Muslim sect, has been operat-
ing in the
targets has improved, thereby forcing terrorists to
an innocent bystander.
in
arrested kill
extremist organization, supposedly has
political
Terrorism has
Embassy
Israeli
Islamic
Wading Knee-Deep
members
group, had three
and Wisconsin for plotting to
United States for more than 15 years. The
has
been
linked
Colorado,
to
terrorist
Pennsylvania,
violence
the
in
Pacific
Northwest, and Toronto, Canada. Supplementing these terrorists of anarchist. They are society,
and
who
citizens
who
is
a domestic breed
are disgruntled with
have bonded together to commiserate
25
and take action. They are your friendly neighbors by day
year 2000. Extremists claim that these two powerful
and covert commandos
nightThey are your bankers,
groups
barbers,
Henry
managers,
store
and
patriotic,
would
like
firefighters,
come
fermers.They
at
police
officers,
across as being friendly, committed,
not to mention opinionated.
make
to
of us
All
new
their acquaintance. Yet, this
breed is violently dangerous when cornered. This movement is known as extremism. For each social, political,
and economic concern that
world
is
For example, Aryan Nations, the Ku Klux Klan,
and George Bush and taxes
in
Bill
Clinton, King
— have
been responsible for wars
New World
their effort to establish a
Order To thwart
endeavor, extremists have orga-
this
nized into groups devoted to radical decentralization.
One
such group. Posse Comitatus, believes that
the locus of government should be at the county level
and that the county cial
sheriff
should be the highest
they have to recognize and respond
years with
to.
problems on blacks If
Mud
(a.k.a.
People), Jews, and
only the whites could reestablish their
natural superiority, they argue, everything would be made better again. Some have gone so far as to estab-
point system for
killing
encourage the cleansing of the l980s,The
minorities,
society.
in
an effort to
During
its
reign
in
offered Aryan Warriors a sixth
Order
extreme, the American
other
return the training
power back
and equipping
to its
"we the people." This group is members to resist invasion,
oppression, and tyranny. William Pierce, a supporter of
the
militia's beliefs,
which outlines
wrote
a
book
called
a scenario for taking
ernmencThe book
has served as a
The Turner
over the
handbook
of a point for a dead Jew. Assassinating the President
of the United States, however, was worth a
are
the other hand, organizations
like
full
point.
Militia
Organization intends to take over the United States and
ous extremist groups, including The Order
On
offi-
Members
over taxes and weapons.
officials
At the
and the National Socialists blame the United States'
lish a
reported to include
are
of this group have had several conflicts through the
in.
minorities.
members
Kissinger, David Rockefeller,
Carl Gustav of Sweden, Peter Jennings, James Baker,
exists,
there is an organized group of Americans opposed to it and willing to resort to violence to change the system. These groups blame others for the mess that the
—whose
many
similarities
Diaries,
U.S. gov-
for
numer-
In fiact,
there
between the Oklahoma City bomb-
the African
People's Party and the junta of Militant Organizations,
demand
receive self-determination and
that blacks
independent nationhood. They firmly believe that the United States has an unspoken policy to enslave, conquer, and eliminate
non-white people.
all
proclaim that the virus that causes
by the United States
On
in
an effort to
Some even
AIDS was created kill
blacks.
the economic ticket, extremists target the
Federal Reserve system, the tax system, and welfare.
These
individuals feel that the
ulatory, that they are
that the Federal Reserve international financiers
government
is
too reg-
not required to pay taxes, and is
who
controlled by powerful profit at
each American's
expense. Many of them also believe that two
groups
—the
Trilateralists
and
Bilderbergers
secretly orchestrating the formation of a
ernment to which 26
all
elite
—
are
world gov-
nations will be subservient by the
7he Turner Diaries
is
extremist groups. The "patriots" ties,
wige
a
war
a popular read
book
details
how
among anti-government small
bands of so-called
against the federal government,
kill
minon-
and establish themselves as the nation's governing body SF
Tomajczyk
the country and are hoarding supplies and weapons.
They are ready to
pull
the trigger at a moment's
whom
notice against people
they consider to be
The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm Lord (CSA) was one such group. In 976, CSA
built a
1
fortified
compound on 224-acres coming
ipation of the
to the FBI
1985
a
in
Tribulation.
raid.
pound, the FBI made
Upon
Missouri
in
evil.
of the
in antic-
They surrendered com-
searching the
a chilling discovery: a laborato-
ry that manufactured cyanide.
CSA
had been produc-
ing this deadly chemical with the intent of poisoning
unnamed
the water supply of an
city.
com-
Today, dozens of extremist groups have
pounds
hidden
over
all
instance, the Christian Patriots
232-acre
compound
United
the
has
a
Pocahontas County, West For
1
8 years, the
States, killing
Unabomber wrecked havoc around the United homemade bombs sent
three and injuring 23 with
through the mail to people
and technology. by the FBI
In
in his
in
who
had
1
0-by- 2-foot 1
seven of the
U.S. Federal
to
ties
airlines, universities,
996, Theodore Kaczynski was arrested
1
remote
eventually charged
Unabomber
April
1
Montana
cabin.
He was
known compound
foreign
and the bombing incident detailed
in
The Turner
Diaries.
For example, both bombings were of federal buildings,
happened
just after 9:00 A.M.,
carrying about 4,600 fuel oil
and
pounds
ammonium
and involved truck bombs of explosives
nitrate fertilizer
made from
Coincidence?
The Compound Dwellers And then you
who
and that they
will
As part
of
has
compounds
my
research for this book,
I
overthrow the so-called
to survive
corre-
was amazed by
their determination to
I
in
New York.
survivalists.
"New
Armageddon. They have
concealed themselves throughout the United States
and are stockpiling food, water, and supplies to
them
for months. Many,
in fact,
are better
last
armed than
our law enforcement agencies. (One correspondent his group has formed units that would shame Ranger and SEAL teams.) Their arsenals, which
boasted that
include assault
and grenades.
fight
Al-Fuqra
sponded with several
coming to an end
have to
1,000-
located on the
are strategically buried inside waterproof containers,
is
the forces of
evil
dur-
Armageddon. (Trust me, you will hear more about them as we approach the year 2000.) In preparation, they have established compounds in remote areas of ing
and
compound in And the largest
the United States, the
in is
terrorists.
have the so-called "survivalists,"
are convinced that the world
346-acre Virginia.
Colorado, South Carolina, California, and
World Order" and ing
Illinois
in
white supremacist group
Osage River in Missouri. The concept of entrenchment is not lost on
acre "Schell City,"
6 bombings linked to the
Bureau of Imestigation
a
located near Licking, Missouri, as
Virginia. Similarly, the
National Alliance
For
Defense League has
well as paramilitary training facilities
West
States.
rifles,
machine guns, automatic
many have
Additionally,
pistols
night-vision
devices, anti-personnel mines and chemical warfare
equipment
at their disposal.
When
the time comes,
they won't think twice about putting these tools of
war
to use
— no matter who's
in
their way.
27
t^ip^'
m^^:
CHAPTER TWO Monitoring Terrorists
". .
.
Remember, we only have to be
lucky always."lrish Republican
lucky once. You will have to be
Army 1984 statement
after a failed
assassination attempt of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
The and
best defense against terrorism that's
where
intelligence
comes
government agencies involved
in
is
advance warning,
into play.There are 25
defeating terrorism
in
the
United States. Many of these agencies play an important role
in
the intelligence web, quietly monitoring the where-
abouts of
known or suspeaed
world. Through
and
infiltration
terrorists
around the
high-tech
surveillance
methods, they discover what plans terrorist groups have
and then work with other agencies to
foil
them.
were assigned
"lead agency" status
against terrorism. The FBI interdicting,
and
United States.
It
is
in
the fight
responsible for preventing,
investigating terrorist activities in the
is
know
it.
In
way
November
to get the world's attention, and 1
996, three terrorists took control
off the coast of
Grand Comore when
people aboard, including the three the Federal Aviation Administration rorist incidents that
occur aboard
it
in
terrorists. In is
the Indian
ran out of
Ocean
fuel, killing
1
25
the United States,
responsible for handling ter-
aircraft.
SFTomojczyk
also has the authority to arrest those
whose deadly actions involve Americans, regardless of where the act occurs. Meanwhile, the Department of State
Plane hijackings are a great terrorists
of an Ethiopian Airlines 767. The plane crashed
During the Reagan Administration, three federal agencies
a
responsible for incidents that take place outside
the United States. units,
It
orchestrates the use of military
such as Delta Force and DevGroup,
in
countert-
errorist actions overseas. It's
impossible to prevent every act of terronsm from occurnng,
but there are things that can be done to reduce the basic ing
method
is
risk.
One
The
third
player
to keep an eye out for explosives, such as check-
aboard
aircraft in flight.
allowed
Center
in
the underside of a vehicle
w'\\h a
to pass through a security area.
U.S.
mirror before
Army
it is
is
the
Federal
Aviation
Administration (FAA), which handles acts of terrorism
Atlantic City,
The FAA
New
also has a Technical
Jersey, that develops sys-
tems and devices to prevent aviation-related
hijacking
29
Key Assets Used
in the Fight
Against Terrorists
ANTITERRORIST ALERT CENTER The Navy's Antiterrorist Alert Center
is
hidden behind a locked, reinforced door on the fourth
The
floor of a nondescript brick building, overlooking the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. To
enter you need to have the right security clearance,
Once
ID card.
inside,
country experts
you are confronted by a
who keep
the right codes, and possess the right
Investigative Service,
ATAC
is
Yard
far
make attractive targets to temonsts.The Navy also has conventional and some temonsts would love to get their hands on.The center was established
All
comers of the
nuclear
ATAC
Hizballah's
produces a
in
Barracks
imagery and so on."NCIS has
In
special agents at
drug
interdiction, criminal activities
the event of an impending attack, or
Report) to
all
visit;
will
escort you out. Sf Tomajczyk
that
December 983 1
the numerous armed stop you and politely
in
officers in
Greece and Central America.
Beirut
summary of terrorist activity around the world, and periodically conducts in-depth analysis on a country, termay impact Navy personnel.The center collects intelligence from field agents, intercepted signals, photographs, every major naval
of the Antiterronst Alert Center "Collecting intelligence on terronst counter-intelligence,
in
pected guards
daily
nonst group, or trend that satellite
Manne
bloody attack on the
Washington Navy
Washington, D.C. Don't
globe.
weapons
response to a number of terrorist acts directed against the Navy, including the murders of naval
marked
in
Alert
this brick
even think about paying an unex-
the Navy has hundreds of ships and thousands of personnel dispersed to the
also
Antiterrorist
hidden inside
responsible for providing warn-
of potential terrorist attacks that threaten Navy personnel or assets worldwide. At any given time,
That year
is
building at the
and
track of terrorist threats around the world.
Operated by the Naval Cnminal ings
know
bustling office of intelligence officers, analysists,
Navy's
Center
affected naval
commands
if
.
.
.
installation
activities
is
around the world," says
just
one aspect of
anything that potentially could be a threat to
a terrorist act occurs that has consequence,
LCDR
their jobs.
ATAC
Steven
They
L
Pagett Chief
are also involved
Department of the Navy
can send out an alert
in
assets."
(a.k.a.
Spot
within 25 minutes.
Commanders of naval amphibious readiness groups and battle groups are briefed by ATAC intelligence officers about potential may encounter before they set sail.They are then updated as conditions warrant and as the group of warships moves from one theater to another (e.g., sailing from the Pacific Ocean into the Indian Ocean). Terrorist threats change from region
terrorist threats they
to region.
ATAC was
the
first
Marine Corps personnel
Agency Coast Guard,
24-hour antiterrorism watch
who work
State
12-hour
shifts,
Department and the
in
the U.S. intelligence community. The actual watch
around the
U.S. Special
clock. Today, the CIA,
Intelligence
is
stood by Navy and
Agency National
Security
Command supplement ATAC's efforts with their own other only ATAC is dedicated to protecting naval assets.
Operations
hour command centers. Although they share information with each
Defense
24-
31
One is
other computer database worth mentioning
the Treasury Enforcement Communications System
(TECSII). This system contains descriptions and pass-
port information about people picions
who
have aroused sus-
on the part of Customs or INS agents when
they presented themselves at a port of entry. TECSII
enforcement databases
linked to law
50
in all
is
states.
INTERPOUThe World's Watchman On
a
day-to-day basis, there are several agencies
that stand quiet
vigil in
defense against acts of terror-
ism. Perhaps the largest
tered tion
in
of
the International Criminal
is
(INTERPOL), which
Police Organization
INTERPOL
Cloud, France.
St.
headquar-
is
is
an associa-
142 countries that share information with
each other and provide mutual assistance crimes.
international
member
Each
deterring
in
nation
has
a
National Central Bureau that serves as the liaison
The
Center
Counterterrorist
CIA's
Headquarters
in
is
located
CIA
at
Langiey.Virginia.The center constantly monitors
the whereabouts of knovi^n and suspected terrorists around the world. Other sections at the CIA are also involved
errorism
activities,
such as
in
countert-
infiltrating foreign terrorist
groups to
learn of their future plans. U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
between that country's law enforcement agencies and
INTERPOL
network. The U.S. bureau
known
as
ism information, including criminal records check, sus-
the United States National Central Bureau (USNCB).
pect descriptions, license and auto checks, addresses,
the
It is
a separate
Justice.
The
is
agency within the U.S. Department of
chief
USNCB
of the
reports
to
the
Associate Attorney General. All
and passport
ples of the
thousands of cases the
USNCB
Only two
criteria
USNCB
First,
must be met
in
USNCB
order for the
INTERPOL member
and second, the request must investigation,
even
if it
Messages come to the
FAX, computer radio system.
link,
must meet
USNCB
by
on
country;
•
a priority rating according to
its
urgency
is
•
the years, the
U.S.
Border Patrol requested a criminal
An
USNCB
has provided
law
his-
who was apprehended
bomb.
unidentified country requested information in
the United States that
and the use of
explosives and firearms. International cooperation also resulted
in
in
1984. Swiss police arrested a Lebanese
the disin
Rome
man
at the
covery of a plot to blow up the U.S. Embassy
enforcement agencies worldwide with counterterror-
32
The information was
offers training in guerrilla warfare
All terrorist-
"critical urgent."
Over
alert advising of information
hijacking.
about a school located
assigned
related messages are assigned a priority level of'urgent"
or
The
carrying a
telephone,
INTERPOL
received, each
planned
tory check on a person
six criteria.
or the international
As messages are
a
received from airline sources.
specific criminal
mail,
PLO
the hijacking of the Achille
Lauro.
relate to an international
does not involve a
in
•The FAA sent out an
incident or provide details of a crime. By contrast, requests
for non-terrorist information
exam-
has been
that foreign authorities hold the
terrorists involved
the request must be from a legitimate
law enforcement agency or
just four
USNCB
•The Department of Justice requested through the
are
to respond to a request for counterterrorist
information:
data.
involved with:
requests for information from the
screened to ensure that the request complies with certain criteria.
Here are
fingerprints,
Zurich airport after finding 2 pounds of explosives
in his
SF
Tomqayk
AIRPORT SECURITY Compared
to the rest of the world, airline security
in
the United States
is
lax.
Of
the 600 commerical service airports
United States, most use antiquated X-ray machines, few interrogate passengers about themselves and/or their
none have scanners that can detect
nearly
people out.This careless atmosphere
"Once people
Once you
plastic explosives. In fact,
often
worse
it's
airport
a small
more important to may have only one
airports don't even have fences around
them to keep
which worries many aviation experts.
beef up security at smaller airports around the United States than larger ones. security person and very
little
equipment. They may not even X-ray your bag.
pass through, you're never checked again. You're behind the security network. You're free to
or wherever without any further checking. This
More maddening In
some
small airports,
in
the
and
get through security, they're behind the security network nationwide," says Fred Testa, director of the Manchester
Airport. "For this reason,
For example,
is
in
itinerary,
is
where
fly
to Chicago, Los Angeles,
terrorists can easily enter the system."
than this lackadaisical approach to security
is
the fact that the government
knows the
airports aren't safe.
recent security checks, undercover agents from the FAA's Inspector General's offlce were able to gain entry to secure areas
of selected airports 40 to 75 percent of the time. In fact,
one agent even managed to
slip
an unarmed hand grenade through
a
metal detector.
Another roadblock not be
fully
aware of
receive the warning.
it.
In
in
security
know
an effort to boost airline
all
possibilities,
safety.
compartments and cabins of
One
a terrorist act
—
is
imminent and the government knows
including the airport director
— has
it,
an airport may
a security clearance to
which stretches security to the
limit.
Not
a very effective
way to
save
lives.
government
cult to detect. In fact, they can flight
it."
all
planes flying
show
a
photo
in
new
security measures
in
1
996. This included such efforts
and out of the United States, tougher scrutiny of
ID. Efforts
are also underway to design a
is
trying to get plastic explosive "sniffers"
be molded to look
103 over Lockerbie.
The
— are receiving these detectors
like
everyday items.
highest risk airports
first.
Keep your
— the
It
in
19 so-called
luggage,
vital
systems.
each airport. Plastic explosives are very
was such
fingers crossed that the
all
bomb-proof luggage com-
design features "blow-out" panels, which direct a bomb's blast away from passengers and the plane's
Additionally, the
Am
if
at the airport
President Clinton implemented
screening of mail, and passengers having to
partment.
LAX
one
to see better information sharing." says Testa. "Perhaps giving key airport personnel a security clearance so they can
as inspecting baggage
Pan
often no
what's going on and can respond quickly to In
more
the fact that even
these cases, the airport may be told that "something's going to happen." Because the specifics are not given,
the airport then has to prepare for "I'd like
is
Why? Because
a devise
—
a
modified radio
"Category X" airports
machines are passed out
like
fast
—
diffi-
that blew up
JFK. Dulles, and
enough. By their
nature, terrorists are opportunists.
33
THE DOGS OF Dogs play a
major role
Service, Park
depend on the
in
WAR
the fight against terrorism. The Secret Service.
Police, the
military,
Customs
Dogs can detect an odor
and numerous law enforcement agencies
dog's keen sense of smell to find
bombs hidden
by terrorists and
igwer than
other wackos.
The
them
U.S. Secret Service (USSS),
taries, has
the largest canine
bomb
which protects the President and other
detection unit
in
the nation. Established
in
digni-
^
ideal
at
con-
LOOOto lOO.OOOtimes
centrations
to
humans. This sniff
by terrorists
makes
out bombs hid-
US hmy
1975,
Canine Explosives Detection Teams search structures, vehicles, and individuals for is comprised of about 30 dog/handler teams, which spend 80 percent of their time doing German Shepherd Dogs and detection work and 20 percent performing patrol duties. The USSS gets its dogs from a breeder in the Netherlands. Belgian Malinois Training, which lasts 20 to 26 weeks, is done at the Secret Service's Canine Training Facility in Beltsville, Maryland. Here, the dogs learn how to deal with obstacles (e.g., ladders, windows, catwalks) and how to chase down 3 types of explosives, including RDX and Semtex. Unlike drug-detecting dogs, a suspect. They also are taught to find
various threats. The unit
—
—
1
which are trained to bite or scratch a suspect package, USSS dogs are taught to sit when they find a potential explosive. The last thing you want a dog to do is bite and shake a bomb. At the end of training, the dogs and their handlers join the canine patrol corps. But this does not mean that formal instruction has come to an end. Every dog returns to the Beltsville facility each week for a full day refresher course. This recertification effort is much tougher than that of other agencies. It is justified, however, since the consequences of a Secret Service dog failing in the field are much more dire. A dog's ability to detect an explosive is determined by temperature, humidity, air currents and eddies, and so on. The handler plays a key role in working the dog in a search pattern that takes advantage of air movements and in
reading changes
in
the dog's behavior that
may
signal a possible detection.
A
dog
is
never punished for a
false alert.
Overall, the Secret Service's dogs detect hidden plastic explosives 75 percent of the time or better Although that figure is not as good as 100 percent, it is still much better than never finding them. It's important to note that the canines are not the sole means used by the Secret Service to find explosives. They are just one tool of an overall
34
bomb
detection effort.
Rome
and an address
notified,
and they arrest-
possession, as well as a ticket to there. Authorities
in Italy
were
ed seven Lebanese students Jihad.
During the
who
arrests, the police
had
ties
tine
arm
of the CIA, uses
trained spies to collect for-
its
conduct covert operations. More
eign intelligence and
often than not, this requires
to Islamic
found a detailed map
a terrorist group
infiltrating
Directorate
Meanwhile, the
overseas.
&
Science
of
video enhance-
of the U.S. Embassy with notes and arrows identifying
Technology develops technologies
guard positions, security cameras, and barriers. The
ment, laser communications, and
entrance to a garage located under the Marine barracks
used to collect information about terrorist activities.They
which lead the police to believe that
are also responsible for processing and analyzing signals
was
also labeled,
the terrorists intended a suicide truck bombing.
intelligence
and
usable by other
The CIA's Role USNCB
the
Counterterrorism Center (CTC)
on the
thy sentinel. Located
the
CIA
CTC
building
aside,
CIAs
the
to
intelligence
make
it
such as those assigned to the
Since the center's creation,
numerous terrorism
another notewor-
is
^2,000,000
travels,
in
1987
it
in
track
FBI
hijacked a Royal Jordanian airliner at
Beirut International Airport and then
around the world, 24 hours a
day When a terrorist
has been involved
example,
down Fawaz Lebanese terrorist who had
the
Younis, a
Langley, Virginia,
in
it
cases. For
helped
sixth floor
monitors the whereabouts of
terrorists
analysts,
that can be
satellites)
Directorate of Intelligence.
INTERPOL and
of the
photographic
CIA
(e.g.,
blown
the center
it
up
after releasing passengers,
to
whom were Americans. The CTC was also involved in coor-
either refuse entry to the terrorist or,
dinating the United States' investigation
alerts ule.
if
he
each country on permits
This
is
wanted
The
CTC
the
two
sched-
countries
is
arrives.
staffed by
more than MIRAIMUKANSI
200 CIA employees.
In
of
of the
for a crime, have him
when he
arrested
his travel
1
988 midair bombing of Pan
103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which
killed
259 passengers and crew mem-
bers. The center
addition, there
are a dozen or so people assigned to
that Libyan
the center from other federal agencies,
in
including
the
Defense and
Agency The
FBI,
the
center,
which
is
intelligence
in
1986 by CIA Director William Casey.
He wanted
to bring together each of
terrorism
and coordinate the CIA's
efforts with
other agencies.
bring
Department of lion for
to
terrorists
justice,
service to the center's overall countert-
errorism
effort.
For
example,
Aimal
two
the
Directorate of Operations, the clandes-
CIA
$2
State offers up to
worked with law enforcement
the
directed against the Allies.
mil-
recorded some
information leading to the arrest
Kansi, a Pakistani v^'ho
civilians
building
is
of Mir
murdered
and wounded three others
with an AK-47 as they
Each directorate provides a unique
of
myriad of terrorist actions that were To
of a wanted militant.This poster
the CIA's four directorates to address
air attack
agencies around the world to thwart a
and
hostage negotiators, was established
1986
retaliation for the
CTC
essentially
officers,
officials
able to determine
ordered the bombing
And, during the 1991 Gulf War, the
Security
an aggregate of psychiatrists, explosives
experts,
was
Tripoli by U.S. military forces.
Department of National
Am
flight
on January
work
left
25,
1
993.
at
the
He was
more
1
The Center
20 terrorist acts and
than 100 terrorist threats
in
the
months immediately following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. The terrorist group known as responsible
for
17 5
November was of
terrorist
15
Coalition
targets
arrested overseas and brought back to
attacks
against
the United States by the FBI's Hostage
Greece
alone, including the assassina-
Rescue Team
tion of a U.S.
in
June
1
997. SF Jomajczyk
Army
in
sergeant.
35
^JPr
CHAPTER THREE
The Covert Commandos: Delta Force And DevGroup "Terrorists don't operate by any rules."
Dick Marcinko— Founder, SEAL Team Six
been written about Delta Force
Entire bool
and SEAL Team
Six.
these units so that
Hence, this book only highlights more information about impor-
domestic
tant-but-little-known
counterterrorist
teams can be featured.
As mentioned is
overseas.
It
an act of terrorism occurs
orchestrates the military
they are deployed the President,
Department
previously, the State
when
the. lead agency
—
who
is
CT
forces once
consultation and approval of
in
the commander-in-chief of the
United States' armed forces. Within the establishment
itself,
these
elite units
by the Joint Special Operations
which,
in
turn,
Operations
is
a
component
are controlled
Command
in
Delta's 30-day selection process
(JSOC)
of the U.S. Special
Command (USSOCOM). JSOC
quartered at PopeAFB,
military
is
head-
grueling,
v^^ith
cise to
SEALs storm the bridge of
hone
only about a 1-
a ship during a training exer-
their maritime assault tactics.
When
doing such a
takedown, SEALs constantly move toward the bridge so that they can take control of the of a
SEAL
SEALs
in
Anyone who
ship.
"train" in a corridor
is
literally
gets
run over
in
The
the way last
two
the train stop to handcuff and secure the person, and
then catch up with the others.
North Carolina.
is
Assault!
U.S.
Navy
By law, military forces cannot be used domestic incidents unless the President issues
in
a
to 3-percent pass rate. Candidates endure painful confidence courses,
1
8-mile speed marclies, and a host of other nasty tasks
intended to break them mentally physically and emotionally
Those who pass
selection
undergo
five
months of intense
training at "Wally World," Delta's training facility U.S.
Army
CT
However, after the Sarin gas attacks in Japan, in 1995, and with the evergrowing threat of Super Terrorism, pressure has increased to permit the military to respond to directive permitting
it.
37
—
chemical and biological terrorist attacks on U.S.
Advocates point out that the military already
soil.
has the proper training and equipment for such missions. Only time will
tell
if
legislation will pass
through Congress. Following
a quick look at the military's elite
is
counterterrorism forces.
U.S. Army 1st Special Forces Operational
Detachment-Delta Popularly
known
as Delta
Force and
Applications Group, this
elite unit
less
often as
or
Combat
was the
brainchild
Combat Development Branch
the
of Col. Charles Beckwith, a Special Forces officer
who
had once served with the British SAS
Beckwith
1960s. States gical
needed
team to
a
in
the
was convinced that the United fight terrorists,
conduct sur-
behind-the-lines operations, gather intelligence,
and provide unconventional options to low-intensity
^
Carter
the
Fortunately,
situations.
conflict
Administration saw a need for this as well; terrorists
were having
An ists Its
a field day
seemed
around the world
at the time.
force specially trained to defeat terror-
elite U.S.
ideal.
Delta Force was activated
in
1977.
"coming-out" exercise was conducted at a remote
27-acre
North Carolina, where the group had
site in
to simultaneously assault a building and an aircraft
and rescue the hostages. The just
aircraft
takedown, done
before midnight, took Delta only 30 seconds. As
for the building. Delta blew the doors off their hinges
and cleared each room within seven seconds. The exercise
The
went
flawlessly.
first
Delta operators were selected mainly
Delta was operational.
from Army Special Forces 7 of the
30
who took
(a.k.a.
part
Green
in
the
Berets). first
Only
selection
course were kept. The second selection process
which broadened es of the
Army
its
search to include other branch-
—wasn't
much
better: only 5 of 60
Becoming a Delta Force operator requires a tremendous amount of training, including helicopter insertion techniques. Here, soldiers practice rappelling
38
from a Black Hawk helicopter
U.S.
Army
/
made
it.
By the third course, 4 out of 70 made it.The 1
high attrition rate attests to the strenuous nature of Delta's selection course,
Today's
which persists to
this day.
endure a 30-day selection
candidates
process that features
confidence courses,
18-mile
bulletproof vest, placed
around
Service agents
navigation
wilderness
through rugged tracts of
exercise
Camp
at
Dawson
(West
Virginia),
Uwharrie National Forest (North Carolina), or
AFB (Nevada)
in
Nellis
20 hours, and a 4-hour-long interro-
gation by a board of Delta veterans. Only the
of the crop are invited to
go
1
stay.
Those
9 weeks of intense basic training
counterterrorist
that are under-
where they
learn
such as close-quarters battle,
skills,
and seizure techniques, rappelling, lock-
infiltration
picking, covert intelligence gathering,
parachuting,
HALO/HAHO
hostage-rescue
aircraft
explosive breaching methods.
hand-to-hand combat tics,
cream
assaults,
They are
and
also taught
small boat insertion tac-
skills,
explosive ordnance disposal, high-speed driving
techniques, and high-tech surveillance methods.
Room tion
in a
clearing
drills
shooting house
are
done using
(a.k.a.
live
of Horrors) cluttered with furniture and
real
pasted to them. Each
terrorists
mannequin
shooting house
is
room
of the
designed to present a different
hostage situation for the operators to overcome aircraft, night fighting).
The
(e.g.,
trainees practice assaults
training
is
vision
dangerous
When George
and movement restrictions. The
—accidents do happen.
He was
in
—
bullet
a
ricocheting
him. Delta insisted that they gical
fragment
—could
One kill
were trained to do
sur-
No
one
shooting under stress and pressure.
would get
the
invited to sit as a hostage,
but the Secret Service had serious reservations. errant
The Secret Service still wasn't conwanted to do it. So they reached a compromise: They dressed the vice president in a hurt.
vinced, but Bush
side
jail.
The Stockade, a
nine acre site that
was
known as "The of some operators
Ranch," because of the propensity
cowboy boots and chew tobacco. Delta
had a special compound on Mott Lake at
Ft.
unit later built a multi-million dollar Special
Training
facility
(SOT), which
Operations
often referred to as
is
"Wally World" after the theme park mentioned
Chevy Chase movie.
also
Bragg.The
(This facility
in
a
also called "Fiesta
is
its stucco siding.) The SOT features numerous indoor and outdoor weapons ranges (including the Range 19 complex of sniping, combat pis-
Cantina" after
tol
CQB gunfighting
and
borne
insertions, an
Once
ranges), training areas for heli-
here that the
It is
& Intelligence Center, new operators train.
Operations
the five-month indoctrination course
is
completed, the trainees are assigned to a Delta
squadron and team.
men
troops of 16 ure
itself
A
squadron
into 8-, 4-, or
the mission.
In
is
comprised of four
each. Each troop
some
is
able to config-
2-man teams depending upon
instances, the
teams are orga-
nized by specialty, such as mountaineering or highaltitude parachuting.
Contrary to popular
belief,
of today's 800 or so
Delta Force members, there are female operators.
Females are assigned to an intelligence detachment
Bush was vice president, he want-
ed to witness Delta Force do a takedown shooting house.
two armed Secret of him. Somewhat
expanded, was affectionately
to wear
wearing different types of gear so that they become
accustomed to
Bragg
Ft.
later
ammuni-
terrorists/hostages. The targets often have pictures of
on either
bulletproof shield
clear
Delta Force was originally headquartered at the old
and more.
Haunted House, House
a
positioned
amused, Delta operators carried out their assault demonstration without incident.
speed marches carrying a 55-pound pack, a 40-mile land
and
him,
known
as the
"Funny Platoon." They serve as
gence operatives,
infiltrating
gets for the assault forces. Four
through Delta Force training left
after their
intelli-
countries to recon tar-
in
women made
it
the early 1980s, but
male counterparts hounded them out.
An attempt was made again in 990; five women ified and are now serving in the Funny Platoon. 1
qual-
Delta's counterterrorism skills are kept sharp by
regular
cross-training
forces, including SAS,
exercises
with
other
CT
GSG-9, and GIGN.
39
have. The prisoners, hearing rumors that Delta Force was coming in after them, quickly surrendered. Who says
cons don't have brains? Since Delta's inception,
its
missions,
been kept
many
has been successful
it
of which
For example,
quiet.
wounded
political
stormed the
aircraft
captured the
A
photo of Delta Force, taken during the December 1989
rare
invasion of Pananfia to capture General Manuel Noriega. During
being held hostage
prison. The assault
piloted by the
1
in
Panama's notoripus Modelo
team was inserted by MH-6
60th
SOAR.
mini-helicopters,
hmy
U.S.
the morning of March 3
and
killed
1
Delta
,
four terrorists and
Their assault was approved by
fifth.
President Ronald Reagan just hours before he himself
was shot by John In
the operation, Delta rescued American businessman Kurt Muse,
who was
the release of 85
was flown out to resolve
prisoners. Delta
On
dealing with the
in
who were demanding
the incident.
and
shot and
The Thai government
during the hijacking.
asked the United States for help terrorists,
1981, an
five terrorists
An American was
Bangkok.
in
March
in
Indonesian airliner was hijacked by
forced to land
in
—understandably—have
Hinkley.
August 1984,
a
Venezuelan
DC-9 was
hijacked
way to the island of Curacao. The terrorists demanded $5 million for the safe release of the 79 hostages. The government in the by two terrorists on
its
Netherlands Antilles requested assistance from the Delta Force has also had a long and close relationship with the FBI's Hostage Rescue It
was the
In
FBI that gave Delta
return, years later, Delta shared
tradescraft secrets with the HRT, after lished like
1982. Since then, the
in
1
987, Delta
the President to
it
become
been
in
in
in
Atlanta.
a
domestic
at the
The HRT was deployed
a similar crisis at
the Oakdale prison
and was unable to break away to address
cri-
federal
at the in
time
Louisiana this
new
incident. According to Oliver "Buck" Revella former assistant director at the FBI, Delta was on the scene
within six tance.
It
hours of the
was the
first
FBI's initial
time that
in a civilian capacity. Delta
had
the
breaching
assis-
had been used
was needed because they
capability
experience that FBI and local
40
request for
JSOC and
counter-sniper
SWAT
In
December
killed
both terrorists,
unharmed.
1984, Delta
assist in a hijacking.This
time
was
it
was
again deployed to a Kuwaiti airliner
that had been hijacked by four terrorists
was granted permission by involved
Force stormed the aircraft and freeing the hostages
was estab-
units have
which prisoners were rioting
prison
to
two
blood brothers helping each other out. In fact, in
sis
Team (HRT).
SWAT training. its CT skills and
its first
United States, which sent a small team from Delta. Together with a Venezuelan commando unit. Delta
teams
didn't
believed
to
be
Americans were craft
affiliated
killed
with
Islamic
during the hijacking.
was flown to Tehran where the jails.
The
air-
terrorists
release of comrades-in-arms held
demanded the Kuwaiti
who were Two
Jihad.
in
Delta Force flew to Masirah Island to
prepare for an assault. For
political reasons,
they had
to wait for the plane to leave Iran to initiate their
takedown. But
it
never happened: Iranian
stormed the plane and captured the Although Delta is essentially a forms it
a host of
provided
other mission
security
at
the
commandos
terrorists.
CT
profiles.
1984
unit,
it
per-
For example,
Los Angeles
Olympics, the Statue of Liberty Centennial celebra-
tion
behind
SAS went
Iraqi lines
to hunt
down
SS-I
SCUD
launchers so they could be destroyed by
The team
missile
air strikes.
also regularly furnishes protective details
for high-ranking military officers and diplomats, espe-
who
those
cially
serve
in
America, where violence
the Middle East or Central is
commonplace.
To respond quickly to incidents East,
in
crisis
from
Ft.
Although
tire
on
in a
Regiment
Special
(a.ka. Nightstalkers)
the Air Force's Special Tactics
1
Operations Aviation
and "Green Berets," and
6th Special Operations
Wing and 720th
Group. The Nightstalkers and 16th
(e.g.,
Force
(especially
provide Delta with transportation into harms way
MH-6
Little
Bird,
SOW via
the
MC-I30H
from
6 helicopters. These "Linle Birds," which are reportedly
its
way
secreted away
in Virginia,
are used for undercover trans-
portation; they have fake civilian markings.
around. During the 1991 Gulf War, special operations forces
remote area of the desert to practice
Navy SEAL Teams
DevGroup), the Army's 160th
shooting houses are no longer considered to De state-oi-tne-art, tney ao
is
with
Combat Talon, MH-53J Pave Low). Supplementing this is Delta's own mini air force of a dozen or so AH-6 and MH-
Bragg.
nothing else
house
flying
counterterrorist missions. Delta
closely
in
the Middle
early intelligence
scene to the rest of Delta,
works
use of special aircraft
Delta maintains a small forward-deployed unit
Germany. This team provides the
On many
1986, and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. During
in
the 1991 Gulf War, Delta Force and the
CT
and
CQB tactics.
U.S.
(e.g.,
Amy
come
in
handy when you need to practice and
Delta Force, DevGroup, "Green Berets") built this
tire
—
:
member
i-iii-ie a
of DevGroup. you
basic training course held in say,
you don't gotta
Training (STT). U.S.
like
Coronado,
you
it,
have to
first
become
a
just gotta
do
it.
All
new SEALs
remote area of
on
Ft.
a mission,
Bragg,
or the Air Force's
980 before heading to
mentioned
mon
the
Eglin
choreography.
not unusual for
it is
Iran
on
AFB
In fact,
Peary
(Florida) to prac-
they
at
built a
Camp
model
Peary
their rescue mission.
the next few chapters,
in
Camp
CIA's
compound
of the Tehran embassy 1
this
is
fairly
in
As
com-
practice throughout the counterterrorist arena.
U.S.
Navy SEALs and DevGroup
Formerly known as SEAL Team
Six,
this
unit
SEAL Team Six commander Richard Marcinko published the book Rogue Warrior, in 1992, about his military experiences. The Navy felt
changed
that
the
its
name
after
book, an
international
bestseller
that
revealed the inner workings of this unit, brought too
42
drills
on a
raw,
stormy day But
as
they
SEAL Tactical
Navy
Prior to deploying
(Virginia),
perform small boat
receive counterterrorism training following BUD/S, during
Delta Force to build mock-ups of their target at a
tice their assault
SEAL. And that means having to survive BUD/S, an arduous 16-\Neek
California. In this photo, candidates
much
attention to
SEAL Team
spotlight, naval special warfare cials
Six.
To get out of the
(NAVSPECWAR)
gave the team an innocuous sounding
Development Group, or DevGroup buried
it
in
offi-
title
for short
—and
the organizational charts. This allowed the
Navy's public
affairs staff
to honestly
tell
the public
SEAL Team Six did not exist. And yet it does. This so-called "public secret" is known by just about everyone in the military and law enforcement community. DevGroup is the old SEAL Team Six, with essentially the same mission and that
responsibilities.
SEAL Team months after the in
Iran.
Six
was established
failed
in
1980, just
attempt to free U.S. hostages
Dick Marcinko,
who was
assigned
to the
Pentagon at the time, working on a follow-up rescue plan, added a nonexistent SEAL element to the joint
task force plan. The plan
was eventually approved and
Marcinko received permission to create SEAL Team ghost
Six, his
carried out
unit.
Although the rescue plan was never
—the hostages were
took the
Reagan
oath
became operational
released as Ronald
President
as
January 1981.
in
— the
Its
team
certification
mission involved recovering a stolen nuclear device
from
terrorists.
performed
SEAL
Six sent
high-altitude,
a
jump from an
aircraft at night,
the objective: Vieques
Puerto
Rico.
56 operators
and glided 10 miles to seven
Island,
Needless to
They
in.
high-opening parachute
say,
the
miles
east
was
assault
of a
tremendous success.
SEAL Team
Six (a.k.a.
The Mob)
established
Combat Training Center
(Virginia).
its
Dam Neck facilities
It's
the forward compartment. This
in
SEAL Delivery
Vehicle (SDV)
is
propelled at six knots by an electric motor and features an on-
board breathing/intercom system.
It
can be transported world-
Dry Deck
million pistol/rifle range with an attached helicopter
Sturgeon- and Ethan Allen-class submarines.
The
unit,
which
administratively
is
Group Two, but
attached to Naval Special Warfare
the rear
and navigator
include a $4 million indoor pool complex, and a $3.1
pad.
in
pilot
wide by surface ships or
landing
a target. The 21-
combat sw/immers
compartment, while being operated by a
headquarters and training complex at the Fleet
The Mark VIII transports SEALs undewaterto foot-long mini-sub holds four
in
oped to use SDVs to do
a
Achi/le Louro in 1985. U.S.
Novy
Shelters atop modified
A
plan
was devel-
sneak attack on the passenger
liner
from JSOC, made a commitment to deploy within four hours notice to anywhere receives
in
directives
its
the world. The team's operators
ing
SEAL Teams. They
sions
and
rig
Those of you who
I
sometimes referred to
have seen Star Wars
in
5,
as"Jedi."
know
why.
SEAL Teams receive counterterrorism. (Some, like SEAL Teams
should be noted that
training
and
mis-
takedowns. The operators are so highly
trained, that they are
It
exist-
CT
the maritime arena, such as ship boardings
in
oil
come from
train exclusively for
all
regularly use paintball guns for close-quar-
combat exercises.) This training allows forwarddeployed SEAL platoons to respond to a terrorist incident and either resolve it or manage it until
ters
DevGroup Like
arrives.
all
CT
elite
forces,
DevGroup does
tremendous amount of shooting and ing. Its
operators climb
parachute
in
AFB
Mid-South
in
the Gulf of Mexico,
CQB
Florida, Institute
drills in a
all
over
remote corner of
and do combat shooting at the in
A
Huey
rigged for rappelling insertions.
Note
that both opera-
tors are equally balanced outside the helicopter to keep
Arizona, chase and board ships
the world, conduct Eglln
oil rigs in
a
specialized train-
Mississippi.
The team
also
At
a
command, they
one drops before the tion,
will
it
steady.
drop simultaneously to the ground.
other, the helicopter can
be thrown
If
off sta-
and potentially cause one or both of the operators to lose
control. U.S.
Deportment of Defense
43
cross-trains with the SAS, SBS,
GSG-9, and
GIGN
on
DevGroup
a fairly regular basis.
And,
trains with the FBI's
Hostage Rescue Team, sharing
like
Delta Force,
knowledge with them about maritime
underwater reconnaissance techniques. Actually, the relationship between SEAL the FBI was begun even before the In
HRT was
its
and
assaults
and
Six
formed.
the early 1980s, Norwegian cruise lines was con-
cerned about maritime terrorism. FBI and invited
one
on
Norwegian
the
of
It
contacted the
to stage a rescue training exercise
it
could "play" aboard the ship as
it
was
in
SEAL Team
Six
which
ships,
Jacksonville for a refitting.The FBI and
sailed to Miami.
So
a scenario was developed: FBI terrorists would take
control of the ship and take the crew hostage and
SEAL Team
who A
no
sight
etly
terrorist
wants to see;
A
fire
team of four SEALs
emerges from the water armed with MPS submachine
SEALs and DevGroup provided maritime games held
in
security at the
qui-
guns,
Olympic
Los Angeles and Atlanta. They ensured that
Olympic venue water bodies were booby-trapped by
terrorists.
safe for competition,
They provided
and not
a
mander
was appointed
of the HRT,
as the lead ter-
He was in the ship's bridge watching the radar when the assault occurred in the middle of the scope he knew both sides of the sceEven though night. nario (he had to, to prevent accidents from happen-
he was
ing), in
would do an assault. John Simeone, later would become deputy com-
rorist.
similar services dur-
1996 Republican National Convention
ing the
Six
few years
San Diego. SITU
shocked by the speed and violence
still
of the takedown.
"Not
until
the
last
minute did you
hear
really
were downwind of the avoid detection. They water over the to flying low ship, off the assault second, dropped the last flared up at them," he
said. The
helicopters
teams and were gone. Simultaneously,
came
raiding
craft
alongside the ship and operators climbed aboard ladders and
caving
using
extendible
painter
poles.
Within seconds, the entire ship was under attack.
SEAL
Six hit hard
one
stration,
operations In
The
Fast Attack Vehicle
is
"shoot and scoot" missions. .50 caliber
The
2,
mph, agility
1
It
00-pound FAV
is
it
a perfect prairie.
pair of
and
is
for
armed with
7.62-mm machine
a
guns.
capable of driving cross-country at 80
as well as traversing sand
makes
DevGroup
Jelta and
seats three
machine gun and/or a
the desert or
44
,
berms more than 6
CT weapon
STTU
for
feet high.
open environments,
by
fast. It was an impressive demonSimeone would remember for future
and
when he would be with
the HRT.
985, the cruise ship Achilk Lauro was hijacked
1
four
Front.
to
that
terrorists
SEAL Team
Sicily
dence,
a
to be
in
in
from the Palestine
Six
Liberation
and Delta Force were deployed
case an assault was needed. By coinci-
SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) team happened
Its
the
Med on
a training exercise, just a
few
like
hours away from the
ship.
SDVs
are mini-submarines
CQB
SEALs
practice doing
for the
SEALs to maneuver themselves and theirvi'eapons.A determined
is
not taken. For
room
in
and room-clearing
this reason,
that manner.
CT
drills in
a makeshift shooting house. Hallways are dangerous since there terrorist can
wipe out an entire
forces sometimes resort to blowing holes through the walls
(a.k.a.
assault
team
in
is
limited space
a hallway
if
care
mouseholes) and moving room to
STTU
SEALs underwater. A plan was drawn up in which this particular SDV team would approach the Achille Lauro and either drop off
forces
an assault team of four SEALs or foul the
recognizing that Six had the better equipment and
that covertly transport
ship's
screws with chains so that the ship could not get underway.
It
seemed
like a
good
plan,
but the terror-
night, using raiding craft
arrived
at
training for a maritime assault.
over, the Italian units
while Six
left
members
of
Another would
quietly
plan
took
its
place:
board and assault the
SEAL Team Achille
Six
Lauro at
Once
would take
elite
it
CT
act as backup,
the assault was
over, taking credit
by the proverbial back door And so, SEAL Team Six gathered aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo jima in preparation
69-year-old Leon Klinghoffer, an American
underwater assault was dropped.
Italian
—GIS and COMSUBIN —would
passenger, and forced the ship to head for Egypt. The
ists killed
with silenced engines once
Port Said, Egypt. The
for the takedown. Unfortunately, the Egyptian gov-
ernment negotiated with the
terrorists, offering
them 45
^
^-.j?T-;- "^^Pf^i^-f.^-
-rfgrfll
'
"^^^^f^V^
''•
•'i'i^^SSif
K.-'
_•
TT
..J^.
.•'.*
Aerial ballet, the
SEAL
A
way.
SEALs from the water during if
helicopter
this
Squadrons, two
part
is
Seahawk helicopter plucks two
a training exercise.
of the
Light
NAVSPECWAR
elite
It is
Attack
units
enlisted
Helicopter
two eight-man
(Red Wolves,
Firehawks) that support SEALs on missions. Also, note the tubu-
Dry Deck
lar-shaped
holds SDVs.
on the rear of the submarine;
Shelter
men
DevGroup
pairs.
these
DevGroup ship and
its
if
they would release the
at the
The
terrorists accepted the
ly
out of Egypt passengers.
terms, thereby
—
unwittingly
—
SEALTeam
halting
Six's
A
platoon
is
made up
of
squads. The squads themselves, which
Teams of team having two swim
are color coded, are organized into Fire
around safe passage
each. (Note:
four men, with each
it
Navy
U.S.
Team: platoons comprised of two officers and 14
not known
fire
likes
organize
to
teams.)
fire
has been involved
Like in
Olympic Games over the
assaults
its
Delta
Force,
providing security years.
They
typical-
focus on maritime issues, such as the lakes used
for
water events
like
canoeing. At the 1984 Games,
assault plans with just hours to spare.
they were responsible for securing the port area
The terrorists boarded a 737 (which also had four members of Egypt's elite military CT unit Force
Los Angeles. DevGroup performed similar duties at
777 aboard), and headed forTunis, which refused the plane permission to land. They then headed for Libya,
which also
said
"no" to the
terrorists.
plane turned and headed for Athens,
it
As the
was
inter-
the 1996 Republican Convention
team,
is
It
Sigonella,
Sicily.
SEAL Team
Six
greeted the plane and terrorists with submachine guns. Six, forces,
in
turn,
was surrounded by
who demanded
SEALTeam Force 777
Meanwhile, inside the plane.
Six refused.
commandos
said they
der to anyone, American or that very
nearly
Italian military
custody of the terrorists.
ended
in
in
counterterrorism. In
He
has
late-summer
visit
was not
Atlanta and play the role of a terrorist.
a difficult role for
him to assume, since he
had spent years anticipating terrorists' moves. His efforts
showed law enforcement agencies responsible Games where to improve their
for security at the
contingency plans.
would not surren-
Italian. It
a
involved
own company, SOS Temps.
months before the Olympic games, he was
1995,
NATO
in
still
started his
hired to
base
San Diego.
Dick Marcinko, founder and plank owner of the
cepted by four U.S. F-I4s and forced to land at the air
in
in
was
a standoff
bloodbath had not
George Schultz ordered the SEALs to stand down and allow the Italians to have the terrorists. He had received assurances from the Italian government that the terrorists would stand Secretary of State
for murder.
trial
Unfortunately,
Rome
allowed the accused mas-
termind, Abu Abbas, to leave the country since he had an Iraqi diplomatic passport. including another
who 1
99
fled Italy )
1
Today, in
He and
four others (not
of the terrorist group
while on approved release from
remain at
involved
member
jail
in
has about 300 people and
is
large.
DevGroup
developing
new hostage rescue
tech-
niques
and counterterrorist assault options. The
unit
organized along the
is
lines of a typical
SEAL
Operators practice getting
known
into an assault formation
as "the Train," "the Snake,"
formation allows the team to (or
in this
and "the Congo
move
case a ship) and clear
commonly
Line."
Such
a
quickly through a building
rooms of terrorists.
U.S.
Navy
47
48
CHAPTER FOUR
Anywhere, Anytime, Anything: FBI Hostage Rescue Team "We're not soldiers or commandos. We're liave
been trained and tasked
aren't used until
In
the
all
exhausted."— Former
one October
of
dents of Albuquerque,
New
the danger they were
in.
nuclear
bomb
detonate
it
in
night,
lives.
We
HRT Member
dozing
resi-
Mexico, never realized
Terrorists
had placed
arrival,
its
members
quickly
established
Operations Center and began to collect
a
the city and were threatening to
their
if
and foremost FBI agents wtio
the specialized mission of saving
witli
orfier alternatives are
wee hours
first
demands were not met; they had
a Tactical
intelligence.
The main body of the HRT followed along just hours later in C-130 Hercules aircraft, the cargo bays bulging with vehicles and special equipment. In
the ensuing three days, as negotiations took
place, investigators had rorists' hiding place.
managed to locate the
Nuclear Emergency Search Team (NEST)
Energy's
gamma
taken hostages to prove their point. At the ungodly
had found the nuclear device using
hour of 2 A.M., armed
tors slung from the underside of a helicopter
moving
assault
position. Nationwide, officials
into
their fingers, hoping that
a
mushroom
a host of federal
action.
off.
If
not,
over the desert.
threat from the terror-
initial
HRT
its
tire
open
shooting house to take
ing a training exercise. The in
the doorway. Notice
before the smoke has settled.
m
as
a
Upon
its
door with explo-
down
little
room It's
how
—
all
points
not unusual for a
as 5 to
assault
Now
and defuse
teams
October
night
—even
room to be
7 seconds. John Simeone
in a
building
in
found themselves — on — creeping among cactus and
this
warm scorpi-
ons toward the terrorists' stronghold.
From previous surveillance efforts, the operators knew where all the booby traps were located, as well as who the terrorists were and what they were armed with. They even had a good idea of what the building looked like inside. replica of the terrorists'
quickly the operators
covering
Albuquerque.
ray detec-
The downtown it was time to take down the terthe bomb. Which is why HRT
squirreled away
"terrorists" dur-
team uses linear-shaped charges to cut
have fanned out across the
cleared of tangos
the Hostage Rescue
to Albuquerque.
operators, having blown
enter the
"mouseholes"
way
unit,
bomb was rorists
and state agencies had leapt into
counterterrorist
Team (HRT), was on
sives,
rise
crossed
Within an hour, an advance team from the
FBI's elite
Assault!
could be pulled
it
cloud would
After receiving the ists,
teams were quietly
ter-
Furthermore, the Department of
In
fact,
they had built a
hideaway out
in
the desert
where they practiced the assault choreography that they would perform tonight. The assault teams got into position, their Heckler
& Koch MPS submachine
guns at the ready. Miles away,
49
—
—
at the site of the nuclear
bomb, a
SWATTeam was
local
preparing to do the same thing. Because the terrorists
had the
ability
to remotely detonate the bomb, both
targets had to be hit simultaneously To prevent the ter-
from reaching the nuclear bomb's
rorists' radio signal
computerized trigger and detonating
it,
the
HRT was
ready to flood the terrorists' hideaway with
"drown" out any emanations.
electronic signals to
The
teams
assault
—
both locations
at
their watches, keeping an eye it
moved
arrived,
the
own
its
—
checked on the second hand as
HRT
it
broke loose. Using explosive charges,
hell
breached the stronghold
in
two
places
as they did so.
The
and concussion from
light
the grenades stunned the terrorists. Within seconds, the building was
filled
with the sound of PFFT! PFFT!
PFFT! as suppressed submachine guns spit their of lead.
Then
.
start to finish,
.
.
silence.
All
the hostages
importantly, the nuclear
Albuquerque and
It
books
the
its
bomb
macho
and,
in
awe. Too bad
bomb
All
alive.
the
More
had not detonated.
—one
importantly,
it
didn't exist.
volunteers.
And
had been
still
The
terrorists
remote area of Kirtland AFB, ous onlookers. Yet
for the record
one that had the officials
visited Delta
The and hostages were
itself
safely
this exercise
took place
away from
—which took
in
a
curi-
place
in
October 1983 under the codename "Equus Red" was perhaps the most important drill that the HRT would ever do. For it showed skeptics within the FBI's bureaucracy that the
were indeed
at a
skills
much
possessed by the
higher level than a
team, and that the unit was ready to tional.
at
operational.
Force at
It
wasn't
training facility at
its
Ft.
his
it
he
until
Bragg,
that
mind. After witnessing a demonstra-
Webster reviewed the equipment used by the team. Noticing that there were no tion by Delta Force,
handcuffs, he inquired about
responded
grimly,
"We
A
it.
Delta operator
put two rounds
in
their fore-
head. The dead don't need handcuffs."
Webster then
realized that the United States
needed
a
between
SWAT teams and
highly
trained
to
unit
bridge
the military's
gap
the
CT forces. A
unit that could execute high-risk operations in law
Delta Force couldn't do that, since
SWAT
it
was forbidden
under Posse Comitatus from becoming involved matters unless
civilian
And SWAT teams
tive.
simply didn't have the exper-
handle in-extremis situations. Hence, on
—
October day in 1983 in the deserts of Mexico the HRT was brought into the world.
—
For Donald Bassett, of a "Super
SWAT
Special
who
who
Team"
and for many others
this
New
had conceived the idea
nearly a decade earlier
at the FBI Training Division
and
Operations and Research Section (SOARS)
had supported that vision
come
in
received a Presidential direc-
it
true. But for
commander,
it
—
it
was
a
dream
John Simeone, the HRT's deputy
marked only the beginning of what had in the next several months. The
to be accomplished
1984
Summer Olympics and
the U.S. Presidential
Campaign were quickly approaching. Both events
were
ideal targets for terrorists.
become opera-
Creation of
become
HRT
The Hostage Rescue Team
Equus Red. the team received
FBI Director William Webster's blessings to
50
HRT
After Delta Force reviewers signed off on the
HRT's performance
militaristic flavor
North Carolina, two years prior to Equus Red
nodding
just a field exercise.
the takedown
was too
an approach to law enforcement and that
had an unpleasant
tise to
more
it
rescue, and the apprehension of dangerous criminals.
were
heads of Delta Force and senior FBI
Hostage
the
enforcement, such as domestic terrorism, hostage
380,000 residents were
assault
since Webster had
was over From
living.
was an impressive
—
assault
in itself,
establishing
hail
had taken only 30 seconds.
it
tangos were dead.
among
The
about
Rescue Team. He was concerned that
simultaneously tossing flash-bang grenades into the
rooms
reluctant
he changed
to the appointed hour and minute. When
all
This action was ironic
been
is
premiere counterterrorist force l-l
of domestic terrorism.
the United States'
—the
The need
proverbial 9for a unit like
gos on U.S.
At that time, the
soil.
FBI only had
SWAT
teams, which were trained for high-risk arrests, not
hostage rescue or counterterrorism.
had already conceded that
dent occurred ists
(i.e.,
if
the FBI
In fact,
a Level 3 terrorist inci-
an event involving several terror-
and multiple hostages), they would turn
over to
it
Delta Force after getting Presidential authority to do so. Once the tangos were taken care of, the incident would be handed back to the FBI for recovery and
post-incident investigation.
The
FBI agreed to "play" with Delta Force. So,
over Mother's Day weekend
1978, they visited
in
Nevada Test
Site. The named Joshua Junction, tested all components of the FBI's crisis management machine. The scenario went something like this: A
Jackass Flats, located at the
three-day exercise, code
group of Middle East terrorists had taken over an
underground nuclear weapons several hostages
in
and had taken
site
the process. They were making
various demands, including safe passage back to their country.
The
FBI
managed to negotiate some of the
hostages free before
finally
turning the situation over
to Delta Force. Delta arranged for
two buses
to take
the terrorists and hostages out to a waiting plane.
When
the
first
group boarded the
aircraft.
Delta did
an assault on the plane from prepositioned locations. terrorists,
who
had stayed behind at the underground bunker
until
They then convinced the remaining The HRT's
first
leaders:
John Simeone. deputy during one of their
The HRT
Danny Coulson. commander
commander
visits
to learn
in
front of
and
SAS headquarters
more about CT
regularly trains with other elite
(right),
training tactics.
CT teams
the
Britain's
SAS, France's GIGN, and Germany's
plane.
Along the way. Delta Force did
that
some
grabbed
HRT was
recognized
in
the late- 970s as terror1
ism around the globe increased. Another concern was that crime in the United States was changing: It was becoming more violent, with criminals reaching for automatic In in
1
weapons
instead of .38s.
them exercise. Delta wanted to practice work-
978, Delta Force invited the FBI to join
a training
ing with the FBI, in case they ever
had to handle tan-
guys"
a
field
fact,
the
one female hostage "good
at the
showed those from the
what the
FBI had to
of counterterrorism. People
Tase Bailey and John Simeone
was not equipped to handle This point was driven at the
real-
trying to rescue her.
Joshua Junction
the
In
exhibited
gun and started shooting
who were
Training Division in
hostages
the
of
Stockholm Syndrome. the
at the plane, to take the sec-
mobile assault on the bus. The training was so
istic
GSG-9. John Simeone
group arrived
ond bus to the
from around a
the world, including
first
all
FBI's
do to be
a player
Don
Bassett,
like
realized that the FBI
a serious terrorist incidenL
home even further two years
1980 Winter Olympics
in
Lake
Placid,
later,
New York. 51
Prior to the
commencement
Games,
of these
the FBI ran a major exercise and discovered, to their
efforts
consternation, that they were not prepared to handle
There were three
terrorists.
tection. The FBI
was given
required pro-
sites that
responsibility for two. the
State Police, one. Although the FBI had pulled togeth-
er
some
of
its
SWAT
teams to deal with terrorists
at
the Olympics, the teams did not have the necessary training to
respond successfully to such an incident.
Furthermore, the leadership was not experienced at
managing
a
terrorism
crisis.
One
witness to
was Jim McKenzie, who was the deputy
all
this
assistant
In
to
Ft.
that
that the
SWAT teams switched H&K MPSs.
FBI's
9-mm handguns
using
to
and
1982, the tactical
Bragg and attended
component a
SOARS went
of
week-long training course
was conducted by Delta Force
at their
stockade
The Ranch). There, they performed close-quarters battle (CQB) techniques, room clear-
facility
(a.k.a.
ing tactics, explosive entries
cues. The
things that FBI
They FBI
its
SWAT
live-fire
skills
enforcement
law
hostage res-
learning and doing
teams had never done before.
saw how these
quickly in
and
men from SOARS were
could benefit the
efforts.
When
they
director of the FBI's Training Division at the time.
returned to Quantico, they brought along a video of
When
them doing explosive breaches and interior live-fire CQB and showed it to McKenzie. Like them, McKenzie understood the value of having this capability. So he gave them two weeks to put together a presentation that outlined what would eventually become the Hostage Rescue Team. The men quickly
he was eventually promoted to assistant direc-
tor of that Division, he gave people the impetus to
explore creating
Don
Bassett's
SWAT Team."
"Super
The 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was approaching, and McKenzie wanted the FBI to be better prepared than
it
had been at Lake
A group training at
of agents
Placid.
who conducted
tactical
Quantico was moved over to
a
Special Operations and Research Section
SWAT
new
(SOARS).
Negotiators and psychologists were added to group. Together, they were tasked with finding
ways to enhance the individual
FBI's
SWAT
unit:
capabilities.
this
new
such as explosives and breaching
tactics.
one of the
Don
tional structure, training requirements,
to be attained. Their presentation
Each person existing elite
worked with
and
skill
levels
was given to
assis-
tant directors, section chiefs and, eventually, to FBI
Director William Webster
"Our
Each
was given an area of expertise to research,
also served as a liaison to
got to work. Their plan detailed the team's organiza-
frankly,
that
some
thought
we were
was
presentation
initial
skeptically by
received
very
of the Bureau officials who, quite
we were
absolutely out of our minds,
nuts," says Tase Bailey.
the SAS and Royal Marine Commandos; BobTaubert worked with SEAL Team Six; and John Simeone worked with GIGN. Nearly everyone was involved
It was indeed a belligerent meeting, with the management constantly interrupting the presenters with negative comments. In fact, one supervisor reportedly slammed his hand down on the table, adamantly declaring that no way in hell would there
with Delta Force; Joshua Junction had established a
ever be a blankety-blank Super
counterterrorism teams:
GSG-9 and
the
Israeli
warm bond between As part of
Bassett
teams;Tase Bailey worked with
the FBI and Delta.
their liaison duties, the
Fortunately,
men
attend-
ed training exercises held by their assigned
CT
They brought their observations and newfound knowledge back to Quantico, where they shared it with others in SOARS. In addition to doing this, they also evaluated equipment that might be of use to the FBI. It was from SOARS' unit.
52
one
FBI
SWAT Team.
official
did understand the
value of having a law enforcement counterterrorist
team: John Hotis, reviewing the
in
the Office of Legal Council. After
SOARS
video of them training at Delta,
he spoke with Webster and convinced him to give the idea serious consideration. Thus,Webster and a host of
other FBI
officials
took
a trip to Ft. Bragg,
watched Delta Force and SEAL Team
Six
where they
do
their stuff.
Oliver "Buck" Revell, a former Marine
charge
in
Division
—
the
of
Criminal
FBI's
who was
Investigative
—under which the counterterrorism
section
tactical expertise,
judgment. ists
who
It
but with the FBI's bridled shooting
was not
a bloodbath:
was concerned by what he saw. Delta Force and SEAL Team Six used maximum force and seemed to
them were
have no understanding of the criminal process. Revell
Hostage Rescue Team.
fell
felt
more
the FBI needed a
his
handcuff question bothered him.
When Webster SOARS to put
asked
returned to headquarters, he
together a demonstration using
the Washington Metro Field Office that he could see situation
would
how
their
SWAT Team
so
approach to a hostage
from the
differ
arrested.)
killed.
And
(Those
who
didn't, lived
and were
so he supported the creation of the
restrained version of the
So did Webster; the answer to
military's units.
Only those terror-
brandished weapons with the intent of using
military's. Inserting
by
helicopter, they rappelled to the ground, assaulted a
Webster saw the were using Delta Force's
building and rescued the hostages.
difference immediately.They
The
First
Team
The first commander of the Hostage Rescue Team was Danny Coulson. (Subsequent commanders were David "Woody" Johnson, Richard Rogers, and Roger Nisley.) Coulson was selected because he was a good street agent, possessed a law degree, and had tactical experience as a SWAT Team member in New York. FBI officials knew that he would keep the HRT focused on the law enforcement role (i.e., minimum use of force), which greatly pleased
Coulson's deputy In
March
1982,
regimen that a
Revell.
—with
Coulson and Simeone
—
SOARS began planning the training HRT members would undergo.They put
assistance from
together
Buck
commander was John Simeone.
milestone chart, knowing they wanted to
begin training as a ational by the
team
in
January 1983 and be oper-
end of that yearThey determined when
the selection would occur and what types of
weapons
and equipment would be acquired and by when. As for the training program itself, they sought input from SAS, visits
to
GIGN,
GSG-9, and GIGN. (On one of their the commander told them that his
mission was "to save
HRT's motto.) Of
all
lives."
It
was adopted
as the
the teams they visited,
it
was
Delta Force that influenced them the most. Coulson
and
Simeone spent
several
weeks
at
the
Ranch.
During the day they trained with Delta operators, and
wrote down critical lesson plans that for law enforcement roles.This became the foundation of the HRT's training program. In one early session, former Delta Force commander Col. Charlie Beckwith sat down with Coulson and at night, they
HRT's
which
logo,
Vi^as
Webster and other top having their
own
once known FBI officials
identity.
as the
"no-go
frowned on
logo," since
individual FBI units
However, the logo persisted, and
is
still
used.The HRT's slogan To Save Lives—which was borrowed from a
comment made by the commander
by the Latin words "Servare rescue personnel, are
known
as
who
are
Vitas."
known
of
The
GIGN—
is
represented
Eagle stands for hostage
were modified
Simeone
"He
for a four-hour heart-to-heart discussion.
gave us valuable insight as to what
universally as "eagles."Terrorists
"crows" and "tangos." SFTomojczyk
ed to do as a team, what
we
we
should train for,
need-
what
53
our ethos and philosophy should be, and particularly a lot
how you
about
select your
men
in
the selection
process," says Simeone.
The very first selection was held in June 1982. Three groups of 30 candidates each spent a week undergoing evaluation. Candidates endured of firearms shooting tests and
a variety
were seen by
a psy-
who appraised their emotional and mental state. The HRT sought candidates who were in good chologist,
physical
shape, possessed
how
handle stressful
to
mature judgment, knew situations,
excellent shooting and tactical
who
and
had
skills.
"You've got to be careful of the people you get in
here,"
says Tase
Bailey,
who
with the
assisted
screening process. "You don't want hot dogs that are just looking for an
opportunity to get into a shoot-
You want people
out.
mature decisions and All
candidates
who are going who can handle
wore
to
make good,
a lot
a shirt with a
of stress."
number and
was intended to keep the candidates somewhat anonymous. During the selec-
alphabet letter on
it.
A "shoot/no snoot drill in the HRTs tire house conducted in the 1980s. HRT operators go from room to room searching for ter'
rorists:
armed
This
tion process, trainers, instructors,
and psychologists
wrote down
their
placed
the candidates' folders for review by
hostiles are shot; friendlies are freed. Often, live
hostages (who are tied up) are placed rorist targets.
a
in
The operators must enter
shoot the terrorists without
striking
room along a
with ter-
room and
the hostages.This
is
quickly
the clos-
STTU
est thing to a real-world operation.
comments and observations about the candidates on index cards. These cards were into
Coulson, Simeone, and a Bureau psychiatrist. Selection tested people's judgment, physical ability,
marksmanship, and
ability
to
work
as
a
team.
Candidates ran the Marine Corps' obstacle course next door
until
they were exhausted, and then were
taken to a
firing
range where they were expected to
The HRT needed people who would not overreact, who would stay cool under stress, who would be resourceful, and who had disciplined patience. They wanted In
risk takers,
not
risk seekers.
the end, 50 of the 90 applicants were selected
shoot accurately.The candidates were also tested on
one removed herself from consideration. Of those 50 team members, 35 were
For instance, they were shown
tapped to be full-time operators; the remaining 15
law enforcement
skills.
a film of a terrorist incident late at night
and then
what they had seen. What were the demands? What were the surroundings? What kind of weapons were present? How many terrorists were there and what did they ordered to write
look
a report detailing
like?
The purpose under stress
in
a
of this training
was to put people
team framework and see how they
would work together to accomplish 54
a
common
goal.
to be on the Hostage Rescue Team, including
woman, who
were to be
later voluntarily
alternates
then returned to
who
trained with the HRT, but
field offices. This
ered both Coulson and Simeone,
Bureau that they needed
all
arrangement both-
who
50 to be
convinced the
full-time.
"Why train a bunch of guys and then send them home?" asks Simeone incredulously. "The idea of putting a dedicated group of people together was that they
would
train
That's so important.
It's
together and like a
good
work together
football team. You
can put
I
on the
all-stars
I
field,
but unless they've
trained together a great deal of time, they won't
know
instinctively
how
each other operates."
were converted to full-time players. Coulson and Simeone established two assault teams a Blue Team and a Gold Team. They were supported by two six-man sniper teams. So the
15
—
The Tire House and the Ranch the months following the selection process,
In
HRT
the
itself
with acquiring equipment so
that they could shoot,
move and communicate. They
busied
also built themselves a tire shooting
they could do bility. It
was
live fire training,
built in a field
ters out at the FBI
house so that
with 360-degree capa-
near the HRT's headquar-
Academy
in Quantico. At that was considered to be Delta Force had one. SEAL
time, the tire shooting house ideal for
CQB
training.
Team Six had one. The HRT's one-story, open-roofed shooting house was comprised of old tires stacked to about lO-feet high and filled with sand. The walls were twotires wide to trap bullets fired inside the house. The
HRT
used the
cues. ing
room
A
clearing tactics, and live-fire hostage res-
viewing stand was built adjacent to the shoot-
house so that assaults could be videotaped for
analysis.
The stand
also gave instructors and visiting
dignitaries a safe place to
The
watch the
was
house
shooting
HRT
finally
session. During the
began
month
by
its
first
official
of January
training
1983, every-
were honed to a cerFt. Bragg for a month
Delta Force.
According to John
of training with
skills
Simeone, the kindness extended to
HRT
by Delta
was overwhelming. "They opened their doors to us," he says. "The only thing that they didn't stop was their
operator training and any mission training they
had to do.
All
also trained situations.
members from the HRT practice their protective security in Washington, D.C.on the mall. The VIP is Buck Revell (gray
skills
who was
suit),
the assistant director of the
The
FBI.
Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security provided the with
its first
training session
devote their
State
HRT
on how to protect VIPs. John Simeone
other training stopped so they could
their equipment, their facility to
site,
during
us
train
those
responded with "Your
we
flag
is
When HRT
weeks."
four
attempted to thank Delta for
its
our
generosity. Delta
flag.
Why
shouldn't
help you?"
While
completed
they went off to
one's shooting and tactical tain level. Then
It is
dangerous
Here,
action.
Thanksgiving 1982, and once the holiday season was over, the
terrorists.
potentially
in
house to practice explosive entries
tire
(they maintained a stockpile of doors for this purpose),
The HRT does more than take down to provide protection to VIPs
at the Ranch, the
HRT
practiced assault
how room entries, how to sweep buildings and search rooms, how to shoot on the move, how to use sniper/observer teams, and how to plan misoptions (stronghold,
aircraft, mobile), as well as
to do dynamic
sions. Delta also taught the
uation
and
the
select
HRT how to
analyze a
most appropriate
sit-
assault
option, taking into account the pros and cons.
The
HRT
and
learned
how
to
do
this quickly, correctly,
under pressure. By the time the Hostage Rescue Team returned to Quantico, they were light-years ahead of where they
had been
just
weeks
earlier
The team's
tradecraft and
55
2
CQB this
if
drills.
you shot, you also
chair next to a target
To maintain
a razor's edge.
HRT members
the
hostage rescue
live-fire
that
were honed to
skills
level,
did daily exercises and
The
thumb was
rule of
you
sat. In this case,
sat
a
in
the shooting house.The assault
in
team entered the room not knowing where you and the target(s) were located. Their mission was to search
and shoot without
hitting
the closest thing to real
you
the process. This was
in
as the
life
HRT
could get.
was obviously dangerous, and the operators accepted that. Spouses, however, were a different story.When Buck Revell's wife, Sharon, found out that It
he had sat as a hostage, she
the ceiling. According
hit
to Buck, she called Coulson and lectured him.
"How
could you allow him to do that?" she yelled. "He's a grandpa. Don't you ever do anything
One
did
of the
—and
live
hostages
in
—was
total
were brought
to stand
assault a
who watched
room and
into the
off.
Within seconds, the
this
instructed
and not move around. Then the
still
were turned
HRT room
darkness while wear-
ing night vision goggles. Visitors
exercise
that again."
like
impressive presentations
continues to do
still
and rescue
more
lights
visitors could
hear the distinctive PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! sound of suppressed MPSs
firing
around them. They saw nothing.
it started, it was over. When came on, the room was empty.The hostages were gone and the terrorist targets were destroyed. The awe the visitors fell was magnified further when they were told to look at each other's back. There they found a small red marker It had been placed
Then the
just as quickly as
lights
HRT
there by
operators during the assault to prove
that they had been close
experience
The HRT's McAllister
from the
left
casualty
sole
fell
to
his
a helicopter.
Huey
at the
tion. Fast-roping
occurred
how
56
when James
K.
the operators intentionally leave
a vital
CT
technique because
have done fast-roping compare
STTU
1985.
time, so as to keep the helicopter
operators to be on the ground
pole.
in
death dunng a fast-rope training exercise
Notice
same is
enough to touch them. The
people with goose bumps.
in just a it
it
on
few seconds.Those
to sliding
sta-
allows 8 to
down
1
who
a firefighter's
Practice Makes Perfect Once the Hostage Rescue Team became operational in
October
1983,
For example,
ing.
NAVSPECWAR of the SEALs
were
out
—to
it
focused on specialized train-
dozen or so operators
a
in
Coronado, California
underwater procedures that
learn
applicable to HRT's mission
underwater
navigation).
visited
—home
(e.g.,
The HRT
reconnaissance,
learned helicopter
insertion techniques by training with the Army's 160th Special
Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), an
unit that
flies
elite
Delta Force into harm's way.The unit also
did a lot of nighttime training, recognizing that
would take place
many
of
in
the
morning.The Marine Corps taught them small unit
tac-
their future assaults
early
maKe
tics and night maneuvering techniques.
The HRT even went down to Camp Peary (a.k.a. The Farm) a 9,275-acre CIA facility located near
—
Williamsburg, Virginia ing.
—
for counterterrorism
how
triage
hand combat, chemical agents, terrorist psychology, high-tech surveillance methods, sniping/counter-snip-
communications, and more. Whatever
tactics
and
techniques they learned from their training, they
brought them back to Quantico where the lessons were shared with others. As for CQB training, Coulson and Simeone decided to make things more realistic. On advice from SEAL Team Six commander Dick Marcinko, they introduced wax bullets and bursting blood bags. The
wax The
bullets
were used
so-called "sniper's
first
team-versus-team
tower" represents HRT's
located at Quantico, served as the
headquarters.
It
also afforded operators a place to
been replaced by a
larger,
state-of-the-art,
The ambulance
multimillion
training. U.S. Federal
is
The tower has
more secure headquarters dollar
shooting
sniper range are being built just behind the
photo.
earliest begin-
is
practice climbing and rappelling techniques.
new
drills in
which
nings. This building,
team's
in
since
building.
A
house and
tower shown
in
this
for any accidents that occur during
Bureau of Investigation
and medical treatment
duties. In
niM iniiuuueeu uioou ua^b
in
some
HRT
lu ni
terronsts. By adding
in
med-
operators had to consider
addition to their law enforcement
keeping with the HRT's motto. To Save
receive extensive training
Over time, HRT operators went off to learn more about air assault tactics, rappelling, hand-to-
ing,
realistic,
issues to the training regimen,
train-
to breach barricades and run roadblocks.
more
while another keeps a close eye on ical
There, they took "smash and bang" courses on
training
shooting house dnils early on. Here, an operator nurses a leg injury
Lives,
all
operators
emergency medicine. John Simeone
the shooting house or
stung
like hell,
in field
use cover and concealment to.
The days
howls of pain and Hell,
it.
The injuries
Now
tell-tale welts.
everyone knew
bursting blood bags
more
bullets
If
"I
shot you!"
there were only
you got shot, you
it.
were used to simulate
HRT member
during assault exercises. Every
received
The
they were supposed
like
of firing blanks and hearing
and "Did not!" were over
knew
exercises.
and immediately caused everyone to
than 80 hours of medical training.
"If
a
hostage gets injured and dies from trauma wounds," says
Simeone, "you've
lost,
even
With these blood guy" could burst
it
if
you get
all
the bad guys."
hostage or "good
bags, a
during an assault, simulating a
wound. This meant that
assault
team members now
had to deal with triage and medical treatment, addition to
its
in
primary mission of finding and taking
out terrorists.
Day by morphosed
Hostage Rescue Team meta-
day, the
into a highly trained and highly capable force.
They cross-trained with
other teams around the world, including GSG-9,
GIGN, and SAS, and modified fit
meeting
cials
counterterrorist
learned to
A
the
tactics
on 747s, 727s, DC-9s,
the
this point,
middle of
ings in the
its
the
CSA was
FBI
and
CSA
entrenched
HRT
offi-
to negotiate four build-
in
armed compound, surrounded by about
200 law enforcement ofTicialsThe CSA. which was preparing for
Armegeddon by manufacturing weapons, its
they
etc., in
woods of Zarepath-Horeb.
leaders of the extremist group
At
a surrender
peacefully. In
the law enforcement arena. They prac-
ticed doing assaults
in
meet with
eventually gave
up
subsequent search of the compound, the FBI
dis-
covered gallons of cyanide that were to have been poured by the
CSA
into the
water supply of an unnamed
city
US. federal
bureau of Investigation
Dallas and Atlanta, as well as at Dulles Airport.They
took down cruise forms
and
ships, trains, buses,
oil
plat-
over the United States. They even got per-
all
mission to practice assaults on the Metro subway
system
Washington, D.C., during
in
essence, the
anytime
It
.
.
.
HRT
off
hours.
In
trained to be deployed anywhere,
and to take down anything.
along Bull Shoals Lake.
for short. The disliked
Jews
CSA was and
Armageddon. To
The Triple A's." Any where. Anytime. Anything." was a daunting task, but they were up to the
The group was known a
was preparing for
and
blacks,
end,
this
they
produced
so that they could be fired as an Ingram
MAC
fully
automatic machine
submachine gun they
Stronghold Assault
Alan Berg by the violent neo-Nazi group,The
In fact,
modified was used
lived
in
a fortified
A
neo-Nazi-like group of 200
compound known
as
Zarepath-
Horeb. This compound occupied 224 acres of land
58
hand
grenades and silencers, as well as customized weapons
guns.
mountains of Arkansas.
CSA
polygamous community that
challenge.
The first major deployment of the Hostage Rescue Team occurred in April 1985, in the Ozark
as the
Covenant, the Sword and the Arm of the Lord, or
in
the
10
murder
of radio personality
To prepare for Armageddon and
money
in
the process, the
CSA
created a
Order some boot camp
raise
compound and solicited people to attend "End Time Overcomer Survival Training School."
within the
the
These people were taught urban warfare techniques.
—
survival
CQB
skills,
popular aspect of
Perhaps the most
tactics, etc.
course was Silhouette
this
gunfighting city that featured several
where cardboard
jumped up
targets
walked by with their guns held
come as no some of the
should
It
this attracted
mock as
City, a
buildings
trainees
at the ready.
surprise that a place
like
dregs of society.
On April 5. 22-year-old David Tate was stopped by Missouri State Trooper Jimmie Linegar on a rou1
tine traffic check.Tate
was
a
neo-Nazi
ed on a federal firearms charge.
He
who was
want-
also had a histo-
Aryan Nations and The Order CSA compound, hoping to find refuge. As Linegar and another state trooper Allen Mines approached Tate's van, Tate rolled out ry of being involved
in
Tate was heading for the
—
and sprayed them with a submachine gun,
killing
Linegar instantly and wounding Mines. Tate then fled
woods and
into the
disappeared.
A
massive manhunt
was launched. For
Bloodhounds were
eluded the police and
FBI.
called in to help with the search,
were helicopters equipped with infrared sensors that could detect body heat. Eventually, Tate was capas
tured
in a city
then, the FBI
the
off the coast of
Cyprus to discuss a drug
headed for
at the
guns
.
.
.
The
Waco
who oversaw of
the
look
this
FBI's
"These people were
Recoilless
rifles,
like a picnic,"
says
one
the
in
compound got
against the
teams
arrest of
first
quickly
occupying
Investigative
into real heavy stuff.
control of the operation, and then brought as several FBI
more than 200
the
CSA
MRT
outer
the
hiding
assault
was made
SWAT
in
in
the Mostage
teams.
law enforcement personnel
descended on Zarepath-Horeb. An outer and inner perimeter were quickly established around the com-
SWAT A
and
buildings.
to surrender.The res-
four buildings
in
Negotiations between the FBI and the with
HRT Commander Danny Coulson
the
in
unprecedented leaders.
The
effort
CSA
SWAT
CSA
of talking directly with
discussions
went on
for
two
days, during
HRT
and
teams maintained surveillance over the com-
pound. Anyone
who
Horeb was turned they
felt
tried to
back.
believe that security n't. If
began,
making the
which time sniper/observer teams from the
it."
FBI negotiated with the other agencies to be
Rescue Team, as well
for the
who were now
An
out.
stronghold, with
out
safely
center of the compound, refused.
operation as the assisCriminal
grenades, mines, .50-caliber machine
you name
In all,
which turned out
pound. The outer perimeter kept the press
"That place made
Division.
a yacht
of harm's way; the inner perimeter ensured that no
that Tate had been
idents,
director
Two
985.
1
a terrorist overseas by the FBI. U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation
demand went out
Revell,
deal,
to be a well-conceived ploy The event marked the
the training or equipment to assault the compound.
Buck
in
was arrested by the HRT when he went to
warrants for Problem was, none of these agencies had
tant
Lebanese terrorist Fawaz Younis reads
after hijacking a Royal Jordanian jet
knew
compound as well, fugitives that Marshals Service, BATF and other agencies had were
self-assured,
demands
park just north of Branson, Missouri. By
Zarepath-Moreb. They suspected that several other fugitives
his
years later he
days, Tate
six
Cocky and
was
that escape
soned, they might
sneak out from Zarepath-
The tight
.
.
CSA
wanted the
FBI .
even though
was impossible, the
become demoralized and
it
to
was-
FBI rea-
give up.
59
The CSA surrendered 48 As the FBI carefully went through the buildings in the compound, they were horrified to discover barrels filled with cyanide. The
The HRT Goes Abroad
CSA
Shiite
The
ploy worked.
hours after the
assault.
the
was part of the comrades had the plane fly to Tunis, so that he could deliver a message to a meeting of the Arab League. When the plane was
in the compound. Had down Zarepath-Horeb, who
not taken
knows how many thousands
of people
Beirut,
would have
Coor that the
HRT to
quickly
suspended
60
in
HRT
blew open dunng
rts
sweep through the building.Team members were
the
air
his
where he blew
it
up after
first
releasing the
for the
1
99
in Talladega, Alabama. Explosive breaching charges sliced through the
gloves and forearm pads
He and
managed to escape, but, two years later, an informant Drug Enforcement Administration fingered
drinking a glass of water
:,,...;.=;
militia.
passengers (which included three Americans). Younis
died by taking a shower, brushing their teeth, or
A close loc, „;
Amal
refused landing rights, he had the plane return to
gallons of the poison FBI
of FawazYounis hijacked a Royal Jordanian jet
at Beirut International Airport. Younis
been manufacturing cyanide with the intent of poisoning the water supply of an unnamed city. A single drop of cyanide can kill an adult; there had
were
June 1985, a Lebanese used-car dealer by the
In
name
worn by the operator on the
following an explosion; you don't
nght.
in
1
nighttime assault
steel,
the
and the
room
HRT members
on the Alpha Unit
blast vi^ave
at the Federal Correctional Institution
stunned any nearby convicts long enough for the
containing the nine hostages within 30 seconds.
also
wear goggles to protect
want to shoot the wrong person.
U.S.
their eyesight
from
federal Bureau of Investigation
Note the Nomex all
the dust that
is
Younis
in
Lebanon. The information was relayed to
the CIA, FBI, and the Department of State.
These agencies
down and
sat
Group took custody ofYounis upon
plotted ways to
lure Younis out of Lebanon and into a neutral area where he could be arrested by the FBI, which now had legal authority to go after terrorists anywhere in the world, if an American was involved in the incident. Knowing that Younis had a passion for drug trafficking,
tory The U.S. Marshals Service's Special Operations
they decided to coax him with a drug deal.
Breaking
Talladega,
Mediterranean Sea exactly international waters.
he was greeted by deck. (Yes, they
aboard,
his
1
2.
1
When Younis
festive
FBI agents.)
in
lounging on the As he clambered
quickly dissolved as
spirit
—
women
bikini clad
were
miles offshore
arrived at the yacht,
HRT
Buck
command
Revell,
ship
who
USS
had been waiting aboard the
Butte
resolve
20 miles away, came to the
two hours
his role in
the hijacking within the
after his arrest.
first
For the next three days, as
the Butte steamed to rendezvous with the aircraft carrier
USS
Buck
Saratoga,
Revell
and the
HRT
debriefed Younis about terrorist groups and activities in
the Middle East.They treated him with kid gloves,
because they wanted time period, the
HRT
his
cooperation. During this
cue efforts attempted
by
his
terrorist
comrades
longest nonstop
flight
from an
aircraft carrier in his-
Federal
Alabama,
in
on Alpha
successful assault
Correctional
August
Institution
1991. By
in
time,
this
he had a good idea of what had transpired.
injured during the takeover,
Many
day.)
was released on the first were scheduled to be
of these inmates
deported back to Cuba the next day and they building
In
didn't
The Alpha Unit was an individual prison one of five in the correctional complex.
go.
—
—
The inmates had control response to
of the entire unit.
this uprising,
the Hostage Rescue
Team, Bureau of Prison Special Response Teams, and
SWAT
FBI
Knoxville
teams from Birmingham, Atlanta, and were dispatched to Talladega. They immedi-
ately established perimeters
around Alpha Unit and
began collecting intelligence so that an emergency assault could be enacted
if
the inmates started to
kill
the hostages.
Negotiations were that the inmates
but the condition
initiated,
would not be deported to Cuba was
non-negotiable.
On
USS Butte met up with the USS Saratoga, and Younis was flown to Andrews AFB just outside of Washington, DC. At the time, it was the
the
The chaos began on the morning of August 21, when 121 Cuban inmates armed with homemade weapons took over the Alpha Unit, taking 10 hostages in the process. (One hostage, who had been
would be thwarted. Ultimately, the
was the HRT's
at
HRT
provided security over Younis
to ensure that he would not escape and that any res-
heard
Simeone was no longer with the FBI or HRT, but being a plank owner and former deputy commander of the
yacht and escorted Younis back to the ship. Younis
confessed to
I
without anyone getting injured."
it
"It"
want to
operators placed him under arrest.
dance around the room when
what happened on the radio," said John Simeone."lt was the classic thing we trained for Sneak in, and
that a change had taken placeiThe meeting
held aboard a yacht off the coast, since the dealer
is
the
at
to Prison
in
did a
"I
Unit
was wanted by Cyprus police. Younis bought the story and was taken out to the yacht. The catch? The yacht had been leased by the HRT and it was now bobbing up-and-down in the
He
his arrival.
sentence
30-year
a
Leavenworth federal penitentiary.
Through sources, they got word to him about the deal. A meeting was arranged in Cyprus for September 13, 1987. When he arrived, he was told would be
serving
currently
the second day, acting U.S. Attorney General
William Barr named the FBI as the lead agency for any
tactical resolution
HRT
to the
to conduct any rescue
Given
this responsibility,
the
crisis, if
it
HRT
and instructed the
became brought
necessary. in
former
61
A
scene that
literally
made many HRT operators
cry
in
despair:
the cremation of the people they were trying to save. As infrared
photos and mim-microphones deliberately set their
within a 2-minute period.
CS powder resulted
It
is
contributed to the
the deaths of
in
later proved,
complex on
fire,
not
known
fire's
the Branch Davidians
igniting
three separate
the presence of the
if
spread. Regardless, the
more than 70
and children. (Autopies showed that
people, including 19
fires
fires
women
had apparently been
shot by their comrades.) Nine people survived the conflagration,
woman who tried to enter the burning of escaping. An alert HRT operator raced in and
including a
instead
her
He
U.S.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
later received an
award of heroism for
building
rescued
his selfless efforts.
Waco
and the Branch Davidians. Most people
understand what happened there
HRT
blame the
bumbled
when
raid
gious sect with possession of fight,
four
ATF
FBI to take
agents and
over the
General Janet Reno
was the HRT
HRT
uses
that
illegal
actuality the
ATF reli-
made
weapons.
Senior FBI
mistakes
in
uninhabitable.
and on for
six
killed,
officials
forcing the
and Attorney
handling the
but
crisis,
The
and
into the buildings
vehicles repeated this effort off
hours, giving the Davidians plenty of time and
opportunity to surrender
In
fact,
FBI
negotiators encouraged
surrender by repeating a message over loudspeakers that read
team members to
assist
them with
assault and sup-
port aspects of the mission. Intelligence gathering
was stepped
up, the
determined, inmate
building's
and
internal
hostage
was were
layout
profiles
was formulated, and dress were performed until everyone knew the
part: "... Exit the
compound now and
toward the
Red Cross
.
.
.This
by
IS
large
not an
this point
it
it
on the
vehicles (not tanks)
CS powder
19 to inject
make them
a surprise fire-
In
as the scapegoat. In this photo, the
unarmed tracked-recovery
morning of April
In
Davidians were
five
situation.
ended up
it
incorrectly
tried to charge the
for the Davidians' deaths.
February 28
its
do not
truly
some
1993, and
in
assault."
was
flag
.
.
walk
.We do not want anyone
hurt
Notice the water source
a cesspool of garbage and
breeding ground for disease.
U.S.
in
.
follow instructions
in
.
.
the rear
human
left;
waste, a
Federal bureau of Investigation
acquired, an entry plan rehearsals assault
choreography by heart.
On were
in
an assault to rescue the hostages.
August 29, it was clear that the hostages imminent danger The inmates refused to
negotiate and, being frustrated and angry, had select-
ed the a
62
first
hostage to be
killed. They
getting their way. Attorney General Barr authorized
wanted to send
message to the world that they were serious about
At 3:40 A.M. on August takedown of the Alpha
30, the
HRT
initiated its
Unit. Explosive charges
were
used to breach the prison doors and create entry
ways for the assault teams. They began by blowing
open the main
central
door The force
of the blast
—
ripped open the steel-bar door and scattered cement
down
rubble
the length of the hallway.This explosion
was immediately followed by detonated
at the
HRT
building.
a
second charge that
right front portion
of the brick
stormed
operators
the
building
through both breaches even as the smoke and debris
was
still
flying.
They made
objectives, using
room
way
to pre-assigned
who came
to
stun
and
them with swords, and clubs. Team members were in the
force aside those inmates spears,
their
flash-bang grenades
at
In the month movements were a
napped
The hostages were
evacuated out of the Alpha Unit to
retrieved a
herded the
SWAT
the parking lot of a store. But
kidnap a family of six
in
the effort backfired
when
the teenage son ran
off,
everyone to Homing's presence. The Park
alerting
Rangers gave chase, dodging Homing's buckshot.
The
went on for miles. Then, all of a sudslammed on the brakes, leaped out of and escaped on foot into the park. The tactic pursuit
den, Horning
the
safety.
HRT
Meanwhile, the rest of the
quickly
and forced them to Grand Canyon. Along the way, he shotgun that had been stashed away After
the
spending the night at the park, Horning attempted to
containing the nine hostages within 30 seconds
of entering the building.
escape. Homing's
his
a couple near Flagstaff
to
drive
following
mystery. Then on June 25, he kid-
car,
worked: He got away.
In
the
rangers found a note
car,
teams
and cassette tape that outlined
his
plans to kidnap
entered the building and secured the upper tiers of
people and hold them hostage.
In
return for their
back
inmates
the
cell
the
cells,
their
into
blocks.
With
cells.
FBI
down
the inmates locked
all
in
Bureau of Prison Special Response Teams
entered Alpha Unit and
—going from
to
cell
On tion
who were present, the leader Cuban inmates was knocked over backward by
According to those
the breaching charges. Fear (or the blast wave) caused
him to defecate
got to him seconds
Cuban accent
pants.
in his
later, all
When
HRT
an
he could say
—
all
a thick
—was,"Wha happeeeened?"
three to their advantage
in
this
HRT
had
takedown,
saving the lives of nine hostages and restoring order
to the prison complex. To
this day, a sharp,
handmade
sword captured from an Alpha Unit inmate hangs the
HRT commander's
early
morning
office, as a
in
reminder of that
million, his
freedom, and the
wagon and attempted
to
car and fled back into the wilderness.
reconnaissance
specialist,
he
felt
A former Army
confident that he
could disappear into the Grand Canyon and evade the police.
By
And
so he crept off into the parched land
snakes, lizards, and scorpions thrived.
this time,
Team. The
hundreds of law enforcement agents
in
the case, including the Hostage Rescue
HRT
had been chasing Horning with dog
were involved
teams for several days now.
Initially,
they had tried using
infrared sensors aboard aircraft to find Horning, but the
—even
hot desert radiated so much heat
hours after a person passed
Ray
Horning escaped from the Arizona State Prison
in
Florence. Horning had been serving four consecutive life sentences for aggravated assault, robbery, and kidnapping.
membering
He was a man in
also accused of killing
and
dis-
Stockton, California, after being
surprised while committing a robbery.
Park
Rangers had set up roadblocks. Horning ditched the
at night
human
dogs were much better: They could smell
Deserts, Spiders, and Snakes On May 12, 1992, 33-year-old Daniel
stole a sta-
but the
flee,
they couldn't discern a rock from a
assault.
He
June 29, Horning reappeared.
where only
Speed. Surprise. Violence of action. The
used
operator in
he wanted $1
release of his convict brother from prison.
cell
began restraining and removing the inmates.
of the
lives,
the bloodhounds
in full
miles at a time, up and suit of
by.
that
The
scent for
HRT operators
body armor
down
a
—
being.
ran with
for five to seven
the rocky canyons
in
pur-
Horning. When the dogs wearied, a helicopter
picked them up and replaced them with a fresh team. The hunt was constant, day and night. Over the course of 10 days, the rain, driving
HRT
covered 80 miles
in
the desert ter-
an exhausted Horning ahead of them.
63
On
July 4,
Horning surfaced
captured two English
women.
again. This
get through police roadblocks, he tied tree and
left
them behind.
time he
After using them to
In his
them
to a
effort to escape, he
attracted the attention of a State Trooper,
who
A
Profile of the
Some
commitment
selection of agents
officer
considered pursuing Horning, but
it
was
for him at sunrise. However, around 10 P.M., a resi-
cises
the
Sheriff
responded to the
After searching the area with bloodhounds, they
to high quality training standards and
who
are dedicated to saving
its
lives.
The two-week selection process continues to tremendous amount of emotional, mental, and physical stress on the candidates. Most of the exer-
drinking from his garden hose.
The HRT and County
1982.
many
place a
dent called the police saying that a strange man was
call.
in
things have remained the same, such as the unit's
the car and ran off into the canyons near Sedona.
The
has had a rich and
established
things have changed over the years, but
chased after him. Once again. Horning bailed out of
growing dark. The police and FBI decided to search
HRTToday
The Hostage Rescue Team successful history since it was
performed during selection
HRT
parallel actual cases
has been involved with. For example, from
the Horning incident, the
"dog run" exercise
HRT
has incorporated a
which candidates follow
in
a
found Horning hiding under the deck of a house.
tracker across rough terrain and waterways for a
After a few hours negotiation, he was arrested and
number
of miles. (Yes,
charged with attempted murder, armed robbery, and
marches
are. but
kidnapping.
These open-ended runs not only
Two HRT essential
quickly
a
helicopters
elements
The HRT
crisis. U.S.
64
in
fly
low and
any
assault,
fast
/
know how many
promised
HRT
I
miles the
wouldn't reveal
it.)
stress a candidate
over a lake to drop off an assault element during a training exercise. Since speed and surprise are
the operators cling to the outside of the helicopter
has pre-positioned
I
many of
Federal bureau of Investigation
its
—
riding the skids
— so that they can deploy more
helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft around the nation to speed up
its
response time to
HRT
seven years with
to
five
another position within the
minimum commitment
year
FBI.
before
leaving
(There
is
for
a three-
to the team.)
Snipers receive training from both the FBI and
Of the two, the eight-week much more advanced. It focuses on concealment and covert movement, sniper
the U.S. Marine Corps.
USMC
course
things like
hide
is
and
construction
how
and
The HRT for riots
recently adopted a modified U.S. Marine
and dangerous incidents winere there
tection for
its
operators, such as the
1
Corps LAV-25
is little
or no pro-
996 Montana Freemen
sit-
can
HRT
operators and their equipment
inside the cargo area, three to a side. They enter the vehi-
fit
cle via a door-like
hatch
in
turbocharged engine propels the vehicle along road.
The 2
ing at 6
-foot-long
1
mph
in
A
the rear of the vehicle.
LAV
at
six-cylinder,
60 mph on the
mov-
also amphibious, capable of
is
shallow water
U.S.
federal Bureou of Imestigation
how
snipers are trained out to 1,000 yards. This gives
the snipers confidence the
HRT
Is
factored
race during selection.
in
It's
for a person's size, sex or
a pass
or
fail
environment.
candidate either does or does not do the job.
That's
all
that matters.
Over the
years, three
have tried out for the team, but none have
women
made
it.
Those who make the team now go through a 14week New Operators Training Course (NOTC). It is here that they learn CQB skills, assault and room clearing tactics, insertion tactics,
methods, night patrolling
and live-hostage rescue techniques.
pass, they are either sent along for
more
If
they
specialized
training (e.g., sniper school) or assigned to an
HRT
candidates are placed on a one-year's pro-
Team.
All
bation.
The majority of
ations, should
in
their mid- to late-
30s.
Many
half
have had prior military experience. They serve
are married and have children. Less than
their
and
skills,
it
75 yards,
is
also gives
it
in
rural situ-
be necessary.
Congress authorized the HRT to strength from 50 to 100 operators. The
1996,
In
increase
its
addition of these
men and women
will
HRT Waco
allow the
to respond to protracted large crises, like the
Davidian and Montana Freemen sieges, or to several smaller events that occur simultaneously. for the tire shooting house,
had
to
antiquated.
learned a tactic
reprogram
was torn down The walls two
it
— —were not authentic enough.
deemed too
wide and rounded
tires
himself for
in
the tire house
the
8-inch-thick
straight walls found in the real world. Replacing the
house
tire
is
a
new $6
million Tactical
Firearm
Training House. This state-of-the-art concrete is
facility
nearly six times larger than the tire house and fea-
tures moveable walls, stairwells for various training
tower for
exercises, a helipad, and a five-story pelling
ups
and climbing
will
and
drills. Vehicles
aircraft
rap-
mock-
be able to be placed inside the building
where takedowns can be done
in
private. Lighting
conditions can be changed, and closed-circuit cameras
(including
infrared)
be
will
in
place
to
film
assaults for later analysis.
While
today's operators have eight
years of FBI experience and are
in
the capability to do takedowns
An operator who
far they're going.
Nothing
A
knows
any environment for days on
HRT
As but also mentally, since he never
techniques.
Although the average sniper shot
after being physically,
in
sniping
to be expert observers
end.
uation. The eight-wheeled, light-assault vehicle can withstand hits
from 7.62-mm ammo. Six
to survive
urban
how
Snipers are also trained
HRT Maze
is
this
using a
(a.k.a.
new
building
is
being constructed, the
temporary shooting house, known
Hack's House).
It is
a
1
as
The
2-room structure
that
has rubber-matted steel walls to absorb the frangible bul-
65
a
used by the
lets
HRT
for assault training. The
rooms
are
with paper and steel targets. Mannequins and furni-
filled
ture are often used to add authenticity to the exercises.
The
course of
a
HRT
done by the
training
and continuous as
it
was
in its
is
still
as intense
founding days.
Over
the
month, operators may receive specialized
training in linear assaults
planes, trains, buses),
(e.g.,
with the
HRT
from
bility
equipped with FLIR (Forward Looking
off to
were used
for
in
the
1
996 Montana Freemen stand-
purposes.
planning
tactical
Petersen
in
addition to their day-to-day firearms shoot-
ing
and assault
the
HRT members
training.
Preparedness
and carry out their mission
was exemplified
This
is
what allows
to deploy day or night to a in
any weather condition.
1996 when the
in
crisis
HRT was
sent
Leroy
and
were chosen by
began. They
like
environment within
a
12-hour period, changing
equipment along the way.
SWAT
the HRT, Unit.
The HRT falls under the Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG), which is tasked with using assets to resolve hostage-takings and sieges. units that
divisions: Special Investigations
fall
into
two
It
is
distinct
scope breaching, training, and
for
a
particular
Two
assault
Undercover Safeguard
training cycle
Unit;
Investigative
Support
Management Unit; and Aviation & Special Operations Unit. The latter two play important roles hostage situations.
Management Unit (CMU)
prised of negotiators and
command
post
is
comThe
staff.
negotiators have years of experience, and often speak several languages.
SOARS, which,
The
as
CMU
was formerly known as mentioned earlier, fathered the
Hostage Rescue Team.
is
referred to as a "Blue
—each
other team
is
on the duty
its
a
—
of which lasts
cycle, preparing for instant
deployment. They may do protective site
surveys, or even
details,
conduct
undergo specialized
training
during their two-week cycle. By using this Blue/Gold
concept,
half the
HRT
is
always ready to respond to
an emergency. interesting
Helicopter
This includes the Nightstalker aircraft that are deployed
team with
66
as
Team" and
different cycles
and a duty cycle
An
Special
such
The HRT's
two weeks. During the training cycle, one team focuses on core counterterrorism skills such as CQB drills, room clearing, and breaching. Meanwhile, the
Tactical
&
intelligence.
"Gold Team." These teams are on
Operations Unit provides
Aviation
responsible
teams and two sniper teams each
fixed-wing aircraft that are used for surveillance efforts.
The
is
four sniper teams, under another
and Tactical Support.
Unit; Crisis
is
operation,
of
four assault teams are under one supervisor;
comprise what
Crisis
Support branch
commander, deputy commander, and
Under the Special Investigations branch, there are five units: Abducted Children & Serial Killers Unit;
The
Tactical
Training Unit, and Special Detail
The latter protects the U.S. Attorney The Hostage Rescue Team itself is com-
prised of a
in
on the West Coast to speed
future crises.
seven supervisors. Each supervisor
comprised of several
siege
FBI Director Freeh for this
General.
Who's Who
its
in
Under the CIRG's
Michigan for another mission. The team went from a
their
Daniel
although there has been talk of deploying one of these
up response times
arctic-
—
mission to minimize the risk of a potential shoot-ouL
sophisticated aircraft out
degree
—
the
leaders
before
The HRT also ran all the tactical operations during the siege.) The Nightstalkers are based in Washington, DC,
and were then immediately redeployed to upstate icy -35
(Yes,
militia's
Schweitzer
to San Juan, Puerto Rico to conduct a high-risk arrest,
balmy 95 degree paradise to an
HRT HRT was at
provide aerial photographs of the area to the
Montana. They arrested the
is
are
aircraft
Infrared), high
speed video, and high resolution cameras. Nightstalker aircraft
photography, trauma medical care, and other This
night vision capa-
These turbo-prop
air
breaching, reconnaissance, night patrolling, rappelling, skills.
them
crises to give
in
the
aircraft
arena
within
the
Program, which for transportation
HRT
is
the
provides
the
and
tactical
Practice its
makes
perfect,
counterterrorist
and the
skills
HRT
practices every day to
honed. Here, two
HRT
tice
doing an insertion via helicopter, shooting at targets
the
way
elite
in.
The MD-S30
forces worldwide,
"Little Bird"
due to
its
helicopter
keep
operators prac-
is
small size, speed
(left)
on
popular with
and
agility U.S.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
insertions. The gle-
HRT now
and twin-engine
ing the small, fast,
HRT
and
has
aircraft agile
more
MD-530
has prepositioned several of
tions
than a dozen sin-
and helicopters, includ"Little Bird."
its
The
aircraft at loca-
around the United States to ensure quick
response times when a
crisis arises.
The HRT
Dialing 9-1-1 As the United
USAF
the
Hostage
States'
premier counterterrorist
Rescue Team
hostage situations and sieges as they ticipates in
major public events, such
and Presidential Conventions,
in
is
deployed
arise.
It
as the
to
also par-
Olympics
these events, they
for deployments. This
"wheels up" within four hours and on crisis.
force,
has an arrangement with the U.S. Air Force to use
aircraft
The Air Force provides C-130
shown
here, C-I4I
HRT's palletized
gear.
allows the its
team to be
way to the scene of a
Hercules, C-5 Galaxy and,
StarLifter cargo aircraft to transport the
Ford Explorers, armored vehicles, and
copters. The C-I4I can carry up to 89,000
pounds of cargo.
heliU.S.
Departmer)t of Defense
67
held passengers hostage aboard a plane at the airport.
It
was the
first
exercise ever to be held by fed-
poison gas
eral authorities involving the release of a
at a public event.
HRT
While the Olympic Games were underway, the and CIRG were on-call to immediately respond
An operations center
to any incident.
located at the
FBI Atlanta Field Office orchestrated their deploy-
ment and response.
to respond.
A
seen and precious
rarely
gift
end oftheirtourof duty:an engraved it.The ring
is
purchased by the
to the departing team operators,
it's
men
member
HRT openuuii di tne ring with the HRT logo on
given to
in
the unit and
at a going
is
presented
away party For many
one of the most emotional moments
For years they have trained with the unit day
in
in
their
lives.
and day
more
and
lives.
U.S.
Federal
its
the United
in
team are the
serious than they can handle, they
56
field offices
SWAT
team
SWAT in
in
thwarting acts of terrorism, as well
as
During the 1996 Olympic
HRT
visited
mapped them
all
Games
out, and put
and,
the in
Atlanta, the
45 venues and 38 training
sites,
them on computer.
terrorist had taken athletes hostage, the
HRT
If
a
could
each
City, Chicago,
field offices
such
and Los Angeles. These
nine teams have received special training from the
HRT
responding to any incidents that occur.
at
teams of about 30 agents
the larger
and possess enhanced equipment.
duty to rectify the terrorist situation assist
is
on the
call
nationwide. Supplementing this
each that are located
New York
first
they determine that the situation
are nine enhanced
out,
Bureau of lr)vestigation
If
SWAT
FBI for assistance. The FBI has a
of
as sweating and sacrificing themselves to save
happens
a terrorist incident
If
States, the local police
if
they
HRT In
can't, to
if
It
is
their
they can
take charge of the scene until
arrives.
large crises, such
as
Oklahoma
the
bombing and the Montana Freemen has a special
command
post within
City
siege, the FBI
its
Washington,
D.C. headquarters that directs operations
until
attacks against the nuclear reactor at the Georgia
Buck Revell in 1983, prior to the 1984 Olympic Games, the Strategic Information Operations Center is a secure suite of rooms staffed around the clock during major investigations. It has a conference room, galley and a command area that is filled with television monitors, fax machines, computers,
Institute of Technology.They
secure telephones, and a secure videoconferenc-
have pulled up the blueprint and photos of the building
and
specific
room on
created an assault plan.
the computer and quickly The team also prepared
dozens of response options
more obvious ings,
in
anticipation of the
terrorist attacks, including car
hostage-takings
in
the
Olympic
bomb-
village,
and
rehearsed these assaults
the
situation
prior to the
Games, to iron out all the wrinkles. In one exercise, "Olympic Charlie," they and other
ing system.
agencies had to deal simultaneously with a hijacking
all
at the airport
and a chemical gas attack
Atlanta. The terrorists had driven a van
nerve gas through the
city
downtown withVX
and crashed into a tanker
carrying gasoline while other
68
in
filled
members
of the group
When
is
remedied. Established
attempting to remedy a
other methods before
calling
crisis,
by
the FBI uses
on the Hostage
Rescue Team. Many unenlightened Americans do not because the HRT exists, it does must be used, especially if the FBI does not have to use it. As Buck Revell points out,
understand that not mean that
just
it
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Hostage Rescue Team Training Facility (Not Inclusive
Future Shooting
& Not To Scale) Protective
Berm
House Complex & Sniper Range
RR Storage
Old Sniper
Car
Tower
The Maze
Storage Building
Vehicles
Firing
Firing
Range
Range
\
CHAPTER
The Shadow
FIVE
Stalkers:
Group
Special Operations SEAL Team "In the
normal course, we're not
—Lou
Stagg,
visible."
in
Commander, SOG
cies
Alexandria
is
a small city located
Red
State. Split by the
Creole
rounding Alexandria
swamps, and
dominated
is
critters of
River, the region sur-
all
by
shapes, colors,
among
to believe that hidden
difficult
pine
marshes and scrub forests
is
and
all
the steamy
the headquarters and
training grounds of the U.S. Marshals Service's
the Special Operations
go about their work
—down —deputy marshals
elite unit,
local residents
Alexandria just a few miles
a dirt road that leads to a 40-acre com-
away plex
Group (SOG). As in
It's
are
firing
Colt
running obstacle courses, practicing
and learning breaching techniques
in
SMGs
at targets,
dynamic
entries,
a classroom envi-
ronment. Who would have guessed?
The
Special
Operations Group
oldest tactical team
in
been established
1971
in
the federal
—
serious
SOG
operator. The 9
figuration of an butt. The
minute.
It
SMG fires
M- 6 1
rifle,
has a cyclic
mm
is
the United States'
government, having
SMG
HRT were
was used to respond to
it
even a thought
was
estab-
first
emergen-
national
disturbances, such
civil
as
SOG's
first
major deployment occurred
in
February
when members of the militant American Indian Movement seized the hamlet of Wounded Knee, on the 1973,
Pine Ridge Sioux Reservation
awareness of American
in
Indians'
South Dakota to civil
rights.
The
of 800 to
rigid 1
telescoping
,000 rounds per
20- or 32-shot magazines. SF Tomajczyk
raise
Special
Operations Group was activated and more than 100
armed Deputy Marshals descended
at
Wounded
Knee,
along with dozens of FBI special agents and Bureau of Indian Affairs police officers. days, the
hills
were
littered
Both sides dug
the negotiation process began to drag on.
the captors
finally
interest, lasted
and federal
Within
7
The
his
officials,
firefights
between the
with thousands of rounds
fired. Two Indians were killed and U.S. Grimm was paralyzed when a rifle bullet
spine;
the
great
distance
between
entrenched parties prevented any further
Although many
siege,
days before
1
surrendered to authorities. Nearly
every night of the siege featured Indians
in.
with bunkers and trenches as
Marshal
severed
handled by a dead-
but with a short and
the
Cities Naval Air Station just outside Minneapolis.
Lloyd
uses the basic body and con-
firing rate
FBI's
which piqued the world's
years before Delta Force,
a Colt
SOG
and to counter
being
"FREEZEl'The business end of
and the
seizure ofAlcatraz Island and the occupation of theTwin
trees,
sizes.
Six
the back of someone's mind. When
lished,
the heart of the
in
USMS
SOG members felt they could
the
two
casualties.
retake the
hamlet within hours by using armored personnel
carri-
71
these purported tangos, so that their comrades don't
us Marshals Sen'ice Special Operations Group
attempt to free them. Recent notables under SOG's
Training Facility
Lcidcnhip
(Oklahoma City
watchful eye included Timothy McVeigh
Reaction
Omar Abdel-Rahman (New York City bombing conspiracy), Ramzi Ahmed Yousef (Philippine bombing), Sheik
Main FthnE Range
bombing and World Trade Center bombing),
Airlines
and Theodore Kaczynski (Unabomber). see SOG's mission
"I
als,"
in
high threat terrorist type
George "Ray" Havens, deputy director of the
says
move
Marshals Service. "If we've got to
people
in
Missouri,
housed,
the Sheik and the
World Trade Center case from Springfield, to Kansas City where they're going to be the
that's a
mission for a specially trained, specially
equipped law enforcement group. That's a ers and tactical assault techniques, the unit
down Wounded
by the U.S. Attorney General to take
Knee. Instead, they were ordered to contain the tion
who
and ensure that those
were
May The away
participated
arrested. Ultimately, a settlement
in
Special
were gathered
Indians
in
Operations Group's
managing
civil
end of the
It
SOG
is
has
moved
avy^y
how
disturbances and has learned
bottom of some unnamed And,
someone makes
if
official,
SOG
jumps
in
lake
on the
wearing cement boots.
a threat against a federal judicial
to protect
them
as well.
For example, during the biggest terrorism
—
U.S. history
nine others
in
which Sheik
were convicted,
trial
Omar Abdel-Rahman in
October
1
in
and
995, of con-
from
element
deployed to serve high-risk warrants, transdigni-
and federal witnesses, provide security at federal
courts, and apprehend dangerous fugitives
ows).
mission."
to van-
port high-profile and dangerous prisoners, protect taries
SOG
also responsible for protecting the people
has constantly evolved
quish the horrors of an ever-changing criminal
Today,
in
serious involvement.
time,SOGs mission
to match the needs of the times.
the siege
is
that testify against terrorists so they don't end up
and hauled
up, arrested,
first
situa-
was reached
buses, thus marking the successful
Since that
SOG
was forbidden
tri-
U.S.
The
latter
role
Operations Group Stalkers." Fugitives
is
is
the
reason
known by some
from the law
(a.k.a.
why
the
as the
typically
shad-
Special
"Shadow
disappear into
the deep shadows of our society to thwart apprehension.
Although
team
like
the
it
important role In
is
HRT in
not
a
dedicated counterterrorist
or Delta Force,
SOG
does
any given week, the U.S. Marshals Service
ble for
either killed or threatened to
72
responsi-
is
Some of who have
about 23,000 unsentenced prisoners.
these are alleged terrorists and extremists
Special
play an
the United States' war on terrorists.
Operations Group
is
kill
innocent people. The
responsible for guarding
SOG
operators practice two-man entry C"
around assault
SOG
1
2-man teams that
typically
and clear a building of
IS
just
one of
iCG
;
:"gi" ;ej
terrorists. The black outfit
several uniforms
designed for night operations
:
use the "snake" formation to
(i.e.,
in
wom
the team's closet
It
by is
camouflage) as well as to intim-
idate the "bad guys" so that they don't immediately
the team's threat. By the time they react,
it's
too
late.
respond to Sf Tomojczyk
—
Holy War against the United States
spiring to v^age a
members
of
SOG
protected the judges and U.S. attor-
neys from possible attacks of retribution.The arrest and
subsequent conviction of the Sheik, a well-known ic,
who was
group accused of deadly terrorist acts
more
than just a few people
machine gun massacre of court the question.
Which
observers stationed
nine-month
assault
team waiting
action at the foolish
was not out of
officials
SOG
A
or a suicide
had plain-clothed
as well as a heavily
trial,
first signs
room
a
in
enough to
itself
over the building complex dur-
all
ing the
why
is
Egypt, angered
in
the Middle East.
in
bombing attempt of the court room
been
cler-
the spiritual leader of a militant Muslim
armed
ready to spring into
of an attack.
If
try anything, he
somebody had
would have been
arrested within seconds. Similarly,
SOG
Center bombing
was present
trial,
the
at
which took place
War"
the above-mentioned "Holy
in
World Trade 1
terrorist
defendants were found guilty of the horrific claimed six
ing that
994, prior to
1
trial.
Four
993 bomb-
and injured more than 1,000
lives
They were each sentenced to 240 years of
people.
imprisonment without the
possibility of parole.
ensured the safety of the witnesses and during the
trial,
as well as
SOG
judicial officials
thwarted any possible rescue
efforts to free the defendants.
SOG
was once
Courts. This time,
Women
comprise about
1
percent of SOG's
undergo and endure the exact same
Note the
terparts.
way
by the
is
SOG
They
strength.
training as their
male coun-
patch on this operator's shoulder (who,
an admirable marksman). The silhouette of the
United States shows that
SOG
is
a
national team, the four
regions identify the original organizational response structure
(which
is
gests that
no longer used), the red-white-and-blue
SOG
refers to the original six-hour response time that
to
(it's
lightning sug-
reacts patriotically and quickly to a
crisis,
SOG
the VI
adhered
faster now), the stars identify the original location of
Headquarters and
its
who was on
after
a
patches for collectors to acquire.
can get them. SF hmajczyk
Not even USMS
planes
48 hours,
in
(Yousef tested
his
He was
killing
idea
Philippine Airlines flight killing a
staff
trial.
captured FBI.
in
Pakistan
Upon
his
trial and found guilty for a related terrorist act in which he and two others conspired to blow up 12
to
year-old Special
in
4,000 innocent Americans. by 1
placing
994. The
a bomb on a bomb exploded,
passenger and injuring 10 others.) Needless
say, Yousef
and the others were found guilty.The 28-
the
difficult
the U.S. District
in
Ahmed Yousef, the
extradition to the United States, Yousef was put on
and
dates— 1789 and 1971— refer to the formation of the U.S. Marshals Service and SOG, respectively This is one of the most
shadow
for Ramzi
worldwide manhunt by the
SOG
training facilities (which have changed),
was
mastermind of the World Trade Center bomb-
alleged ing,
it
again a
militant
was now being guarded by the
Operations Group, while the World Trade
Center bombing
trial
was
in
session.
73
A Close The
Look At
SOG
gency and they don't have time for
Operations Group
Special
presently orga-
is
nized around four Teams, each of which
12-person teams. (Prior to
smaller
organized around threeTask Forces.)
upward of
comprised of
is
All
SOG
teams
is
team has moment's
a dedicated, full-time unit like the FBI's
Hostage Rescue Team. Deputy Marshals that have been
SOG
accepted into
serve
district
in
throughout the nation, remaining on for
SOG
missions.This
no need or desire
is
is
not to
work and
mented out
USMS
in
concept to create Louisiana that
will
every day to support the agency's mis-
the
in
a
Headquarters
Havens envisions
sion.
24 hours a day
call
for a dedicated unit. In fact,
SOG
train
offices
field
however, that there
say,
Deputy Director Ray Havens has such a team at
and
field
core team being comple-
this
by former
necessary. For example,
SOG
if
Michigan for an operation,
members, when
were to be deployed to
could
it
team members from nearby
SOG
pull
in
perimeter security, serve on entry teams, and so on.
SOG
Current
team to
They understand the need
together
train
unit integrity and,
the time,
all
more
in
order to
for a
establish
importantly, to ensure
that
prepared to dance the intricate choreogra-
everyone
is
phy of an
assault.
SOG
team
is
Airborne
call.
This
is
Division
on standby
way the Army's 82nd operates. The team remains on
similar to the
standby notice for about three weeks.
If
there
is
no
deployment, they rotate to "in the hole" status while the other three teams assume higher If
SOG
Tactical
Camp if
is
Center
—SOG's
levels of readiness.
members gather
headquarters
Once
their shooting
at theTactical Center, the skills
.
if
it's
ready to go at a
aircraft.
could be Stagg,
team
is
comprised of 12 members,
more or
depending on the mis-
less
commander
the
may have
of
the
Special
a
might need to send
some down
more people so
that operators get
time. Similarly, an assault
team may be
situation that requires the use of four snipers to
plement
its
normal crew.
how many SOG
tates
team
to be deployed for longer than a week, so you
special skills
a
in
com-
the end, the situation dic-
In
operators are deployed and what
and equipment are provided.
So You Wanna Be a "Shadow Stalker?" Becoming a member of SOG no picnic. Only to
.
that
percent of
15
all
process, which includes a series of interviews and 27
days of hellish training at theTactical Center class,
accepted for
training,
and only 20
alone attest to the
elite
a recent
finished. Those statis-
nature of the Special
Operations Group. Qualified
SOG.The physical tors.
A
Deputy Marshals are welcome to apply to
initial
skills,
selection criterion
mental
ability,
is
based on a deputy's
background, and other
numerical scoring system
is
used to make a
faclist
of possible candidates, from which several are invited to
the Center for one-on-one interviews.
SOG
for mature, stable, and well-rounded candidates
is,
capable of retaining perishable
an emer-
In
200 Deputy Marshals applied for SOG, 59 were
trainable, possess high
operators
1
applicants survive the selection
at
and practice their assault mis-
sion before going wheels-up. However,
74
.
it
palletized,
can be flown out by military or U.S.
mander to match the deploying team with the expect-
visit
at the
— located
Beauregard near Alexandria, Louisiana
time allows.
hone
deployed, team
It
ed operating environment. As Stagg points out,
notice for deployment, with the other three teams
being on
situa-
Operations Group, works closely with the team com-
tics
At any given time, one
notice.
Lou
sion.
equipment
basic
its
basic assault
although
and go
can be on location within a few hours. The
Marshals Service
A
crisis site
Depending on the
is
operators support Havens' vision
for a full-time team.
SOG
tion,
skills.
former
six
to assist with
field offices
and
their experience
10 percent are
women. Most team members are in their 30s and many are married, some with children. Interestingly, none of the
on
this practice session,
operators travel directly to the
SOG was tolled, SOG has
1996,
100 operators, of which
SOG
skill
levels in certain areas, skills.
a
former Navy SEAL or
just
are
and are
Individualists, glory
hounds, and hot doggers need not apply
expect special treatment
looks
who
Similarly,
don't
because you happen to be
SWAT
team member.
"No one
walks through the door," says Lou Stagg,
pointing at the front of the Tactical Center"! don't care
what you were before you got equal to everybody
in
here. You're starting off
those ranks."
Stagg admits that people from units around the
world have indeed trained with SOG. Some have suc-
ceeded and others have Stagg."Some people
go through
it
failed. "It's
a
mind-set," says
can't adapt to it.They don't
again. They don't
want to
want to have to go back
to the fundamentals."
After the one-on-one interviews, promising candidates must validate any instance,
skills
they claim to have. For
they say they can shoot a score of 90 per-
if
cent, they have to prove
from a
certification
it
and there. Shooting
right then
District Office
SOG. So braggarts beware. Once the final candidates
is
not accepted by
have been seleaed, they
undergo a 27-day Qualification Course at the Center.
27 days of immersion
essentially
It's
unadulterated stress. The course
ebb
emotions and
a candidate's
everything
done
is
you never walk
in
designed to peak and
is
about
physical abilities.Just
a military-like
again. Instead,
Tactical
into pure,
manner As
a candidate,
you march and move
in for-
The rope
climb that seems to never end.
It
just
is
one
station
in
mation.You are under constant pressure, 24 hours a day to
the 12-station Rose Garden obstacle course at SOG's 40-acre
accomplish tasks while paying attention to the smallest of
training facility
details. You
and competitive, with two operators racing against each other
have to shoot and perform and maintain
nonstop.The
pline
and
is
training itself lasts
with
filled
physical
1
disci-
5 to 17 hours a day
exercise, obstacle
courses,
in
Louisiana. The 100-yard course
and the clock to
finish
Commander Wayne
using his feet to lock
firearms training, given
field
no guarantee
you're lucky
The
if
exercises,
and assault
that you'll get a
stress
and fatigue are used by
What
is
How
SOG
a
retreat and
Do
tant questions that
clearly
one of
its
tac-
an individualist? These are impor-
must be answered.
even-keeled, and well-disciplined unit.
members
SOG It
is
a tight,
cannot allow
to lose control while on a mission.
To do so could jeopardize not only the success of the mission but also,
more
50 seconds. Task Force Three
demonstrates good climbing technique
on to the rope so that he can
himself upward. The Rose
easily
reach
Garden requires about
80 percent upper-body strength to complete
you hold
you remain a team player or do you
become
pull
stressful
it.
SF Tomojczyk
instructors
well can
your breaking point? Can you think
decisions?
above and
1
both
day
and function well under stress? Can you make good tical
are
night's sleep. In feet,
you get 60 minutes of shut-eye
to get a glimpse into your soul.
up?
full
tactics. You
within
Plylar
is
importantly, someone's
life.
BUD/S course
Unlike the Navy's famous
SEALs,
ing
SOG
training. Instead, ple.
As
they are placed Into squads of 10 peo-
attrition takes
signed or
for aspir-
candidates are not paired up during
merged
into
its toll,
a candidate
another squad.
may be
Internally,
reas-
some
people may naturally pair up because of similar back-
grounds but
in
(e.g.,
two people with
Special Forces training),
the end, the entire squad
is
responsible for
performance. Everyone quickly learns to be er,
trying to pull others to their level of
a
team
its
play-
ability.
75
There are
ways
essentially three
for a candidate to
leave the training cycle. First, a candidate can volunteer
to
which
leave,
immediately granted. Second, an
is
injured candidate can
to finish the training.
fail
If
guarantee of acceptance.
And
last,
remove
a candidate
teria of
what they are looking
nothing
is
put into
recorded attempt.
want
they
if
for.
no
instructors can cri-
a candidate leaves,
If
personnel jacket, and nothing
his
The reason
is
he doesn't meet the
feel
headquarters
at
SOG
hap-
this
pens, he can reapply for the next session, but there
about
for this
SOG
twofold:
is
is
unsuccessful
his
doesn't
a candidate's failure to haunt him for the rest of his
career as a Deputy Marshal, and
SOG
doesn't want to
scare off future candidates from applying.
A Trip Through
the Rose Garden
Most of the candidate
Army
reservation that
is
in
the middle of a
covered with pine
hidden away from public view,
SOG
where
a U.S. Air
Force concept,
interpersonal dynamics of unit
tactical solving skills
members. Operators are given
is
used for entry
warehouse with moveable a vehicle assault course,
drills,
and a log cabin that
is
used for classroom training sessions.
1
Much
of this
facility
was
moved
built
by
SOG members
across a water barrier without touching the red areas (or the
years since they
water). There are
ing ranges, assembled the log cabin, and
5 stations
in
the LRC, each with a unique
problem to be addressed and overcome.
In
the end, team
mem-
bers tend to follow the advice of the most persistent and out-
They
One
that are striving to achieve
and to show their the
unit,
skills,
start off as a
class,
point
is
where
it
railroad cars serve
of the
more is
unpleasant tasks
SOG
candidates
the obstacle course, which
is
located
Rose Garden
100 yards long and has
as individuals,
it
become
a
in
team
typical for the training to
individuals reporting
into a squad.
takes."
two
own,
they're not going to lose
what
built fir-
constructed berms.
Known
so as to ensure their position
it
over the
983.They
adjacent to the rifle/sniper range.
in,
then
it
By the end of the
the candidates against the staff."They get to the
regardless of
76
group of
metamorphoses
it's
their
1
"You have people
but at the same time, you see
effort" Stagg says that
slowly
on
in
shed for equipment
have to endure Stagg.
to Louisiana,
also did a lot of improvising:
as a storage
spoken leaden not necessarily the strongest person. Sf hmofzyk
Observes Commander
a helicopter
an obstacle course,
city,
and
minutes to solve a problem, such as the one shown here: getting
1
Here,
training
is
walls that
team leaders can see the
3,000-acre
forests.
firing ranges,
mock
a leadership reaction course, a
The Leadership Reaction Course,
1
SOG's •W-acre
is
complex, which features several sniper/rappelling platform, a
away
training takes place miles
from the Tactical Center, out
one more person,
II,
this
O-course
is
12 stations that are guaranteed to
body burn with exhaustion. Keith
commander,
says that
is
deliberate.
sarcastically as
make your upper Erni, a
SOG
team
"The course was
designed to require that you use about 80 percent of
your upper body strength. Most people are weak area,
and
this
Strength and
is
a
good way to improve
good technique are necessary
to overcome the Rose Garden."
in
that
their strength.
ingredients
Candidates run the course
each
pairs against
in
other and against the clocl<.The course includes elevat-
ed logs to jump and climb over, 7-foot-high walls to scramble over, and a thick hanging rope to climb to the top
of,
and a
25 feet above.
If
you can do the
half minutes, you're
however, are fortunate to complete
minutes on the
is
course
three to
in
it
the
five
that
SOG
candidates go
Leadership Reaction Course (LRC).
Based on an Air Force concept and design, the
LRC
is
a
problems that groups of candidates must solve
series of in
two
in
first try.
Drowned Rats A unique training exercise through
full
doing great Most candidates,
At SOG's
10 minutes, using limited resources.
complex, the
LRC
is
made up
training
many
of about 12 stations,
of which have water barriers, steel tubing, and concrete
one
walls. In
ammo
heavy
scenario, candidates are told to
box
—and
themselves
and then across
high wall
a
1
—
move
a
over an 8-foot-
5-foot-wide water barrier.
Strung across the pool of water are
five
loosely slung
SOG's primary
firing
range with
five
shooting distances.
It
is
designed so that vehicles can be dnven out on the pavement, allowing operators to practice
movement and cover
drills.
The
range can also be modified to include building facades, pop-up
and spinning in
targets, etc. Low-light shooting drills are
the evenings, with strobe
make "shoot/no shoot"
drills
The tower
is
the middle
in
lights
more
conducted
being occasionally used to difficult
for the operators.
where the range master controls
tar-
gets and the shooting tempo. 5F Tomajczyk
chains. The candidates are to accomplish this task with-
out touching either the water or anything painted red.
Of
course, just about everything
painted red, the
is
chains are extremely wobbly, and anything that you
could possibly use to your advantage
so that you
is
greased
down
slip.
cross a 25-foot-wide pool of water using just
boards
How
good are
members mean the
—
that together
measure
two
a total of 10 feet. In the
do people work together?
well
follow the strongest person. By strongest, individual
another scenario, the candidates are ordered to
In
How
their tactical solving skills? In the end, the unit
who
necessarily the
is
cises during their
out the
stand on them, and there are six people
in
Needless to say candidates get soaked
falling
ered head-to-foot
in
in
a
drowned
slime. (Did
the water barriers are
water
like
filled
I
rat
into the
and are cov-
forget to mention that
with
stale,
algae-ridden
the summer?)
The purpose
of the
Preparation for Deployment
When
in
action.
Who
is
end
after
the Qualification Course
27
didates out of an original 60 or so
comes to an
finally
days, there are typically only still
about
1
can-
standing. After
these survivors are assigned to a particular
SOG
team,
they return to their District Office and resume their
LRC
is
to give
SOG
team com-
manders the opportunity to witness the dynamics of unit
normal training sessions held through-
year.
the exercise.
water that they're not supposed to touch. By the end of the day, everyone looks
physically
The lessons learned from the Leadership Reaction Course are so valuable that SOG Teams do LRC exer-
can be used. Problem
only one person at a time can
the loudest and most persistent, not
most strong
middle of the pool are three vertical concrete posts that is,
I
a leader?
Who
a
builds consensus?
normal law enforcement train with their
training session,
new team which
is
duties. until
the
held at a
They don't meet or unit's
next scheduled
minimum
of every six
77
months. When
SOG
Team
arrives,
it
members
all
of that particular
Center
to the Tactical
travel
Camp
at
Beauregard. Then, for the next three weeks, they hone
and assault
their shooting
This
SOG Teams
train only twice a year,
Individuals train
And fit
their
if
skills.
not to suggest, however, that members of
is
on
because they don't.
a regular basis at their District Office.
SOG Team
from the mission
is
deployed, they not only bene-
itself,
but also from any training time
they are able to take advantage of while out
Keep
in
SMG
on
mind that
training
the
in
field.
not restricted to shooting a
is
a firing range. Training also delves into
many
other topics, such as breaching techniques, rappelling,
room entry tactics, first aid, and more. The foundation of many of these can be taught through manuals and audiovisual tools.
During tenure with the Special Operations
Group, there
always something to learn.
is
When SOG members teams
Camp
at
get together with their
Beauregard, the
first
few days are spent
on the weapons range, shooting 9-mm Colt Smith
& Wesson
Mod
.45 caliber
SMGs
and
645 (or .357 magnum)
handguns at targets from various distances.The instructors start the training off slowly, so that
team members
SOG
Realistic-looking targets used by
Operators are trained to
ranges.
on the
and accuracy, and to shoot only hostile targets
weapon
dishing a
second
only a
split
to
their
fire
hostage's
in a
threatening manner). This
is
is
on
vital
and
(i.e..
those bran-
whether or not
a mission,
where
consistent operators are
right
in firing
shows
how
just
a
SOG
determined by the competence of the
operator The target on the
rifle
means they have
after seeing a target to decide
weapon. Such control
life
pistol
between speed
find a balance
accurate and
weapons; The center has
their
been chewed away Indoor shooting can be done using a FATS simulator,
which
is
found inside a nearby
building,
SFJomofzyk
can cement relationships with each other, as well as build self-confidence
That
all
their shooting abilities.
in
tice vehicle
changes, however, with time. Perhaps the
when
the team
first
indication
light
shooting exercise. The
is
SOG
is
summoned
for a low-
operators arrive at the
main weapons range after the sun has set.Then, under a strobe
light's
distracting flashes, the
Shadow
Stalkers
have to shoot (or not shoot) at targets that spin around at
them on the
firing
the doorways and
range.The targets are hidden inside
windows
operator has to decide
—
not to shoot as he moves
of a building facade.
in a split
down
instant
the
firing line.
get
is
of a criminal wielding a gun, he shoots.
get
is
a
mother holding
stressful it
any
drill,
and the
a baby,
An
—whether or
he restrains
If
If
it
takes five to six
(it
provides the use of
its
via
exercise
Army Hawk and Huey helibattle drills (a mock town
Black
copters), and close-quarters facilitates this). field
armed oper-
properly), helicopter insertions (the
in
They may
do
also
a
two- to three-day
which they are Inserted into the woods
helicopter and then have to stealthily
make
their
way
to a target miles away, conduct reconnaissance, and then
do
a
takedown
in
the middle of the night, using night
vision goggles, tear gas,
SMGs, and
flashbangs.
SOG
often
the tar-
three stories
his fire.
It's
a
make
SOG
wide variety of exercises
and classroom instructions. For example, they may prac-
tall,
features movable figured to
house
For the remainder of their training session,
78
takedowns
uses a warehouse for this particular exercise. Standing
easier.
a
do
the tar-
flashing strobe light doesn't
team members experience
ators to
is
the nondescript, gray-painted building
plywood
walls inside that can be con-
match any type of structure.
In fact,
the ware-
often used during real operations to mimic the
blueprint design of the actual target, so that an
team can do dress rehearsal on the mission.
SOG
assaults before deploying
The day
I
warehouse,
visited the
to represent an apartment building.
members had
Once
SOG Team
door with explo-
they moved swiftly through the small, rooms toward their objective, shoot-
inside,
furniture-strewn
ing hostile targets with precision fire along the way.
heavily
in
I
was
told that
SOG
practices similar assaults
varying lighting conditions, as well as
ments,
(The
pocked targets and mannequins attested to the
accuracy.)
in
which CS or
CN
tear gas
is
SOG
was configured
assaulted the building from the outside,
gaining entrance by breaching a rear sives.
it
Earlier,
in
gas environ-
dispersed, thus
target
in
bit of time on where they move toward a
operators also spend quite a
the Pistol Stress Course,
pairs using parked vehicles, fences,
and mail-
boxes as cover As they approach the hollow buildings that
makeup the course, they
practice covering each
other while shooting at hostile targets and reloading.
During
this,
all
—
or blue
instructors
out which targets
yell
—
red
Shadow Stalkers should shoot at. The Course also serves as a decent-but-basic
the
Pistol Stress
outdoor
facility in
practice
moving
which a six-member assault force can in
"Snake" formation to an objective
forcing the assault
and then rehearse various room entry techniques, such
realistic,
as the
telling
team to wear gas masks. To be more instructors often move walls around without
change from their blueprints over the years, as occupants add a closet here, close off a wall there, and
doorways to meet
surprises teach an assault
how
move
their personal needs. These type of
team how to be
flexible
and
Buttonhook and Crisscross.
Supplementing
the team. This reflects the fact that buildings
"Glass House"
In
the
are exercises
world,
real
known
SOG
as
doesn't
always have time to build a scale model of the building they'll
be
assaulting, so they
ods to practice often used
to quickly modify their takedown strategy.
this training
drills.
in
their
have to rely on other meth-
choreography The Glass House
these circumstances.
It
is
consists of putting
tape on the floor or ground to represent the walls (albeit nonexistent) that
make up the rooms and corridors of Then the assault team rehearses its
the target building.
entry technique, using the tape as a guideline.
For
SOG visits its Urban mock-up of a small town. It is few miles away from SOG's main firing
more
Center, which located a
realistic training, is
a
range, behind a barbed-wired security fence. When
was
first
be comprised of several blocks types of commercial buildings
cery store,
homes
for
due to the
Two
operators demonstrate
Pistol Stress
ing
how
a building entry
Course. They have been
toward the
target, while covering
and reloading their
9-mm
Colts.
stealthily
is
and
done on the fluidly
mov-
each other, shooting targets
The course
features fences,
mail boxes). Each
gates, passageways,
and obstacles
building structure
color coded; a range master dictates which
one the operators
is
will assault, as
gets (red or blue) will be shot
at.
(e.g. cars,
well as which color-coded tar-
SFTomojczyk
it
designed, the Urban Center was intended to
city hall,
SOG
filled
(e.g.,
with different
post
office,
power company) and
to practice
its
lack of funds, only
assaults on.
gro-
residential
However,
one block of structures
was actually built.The Urban Center is ideal for urban combat and close-quarters battle training. For example, a SOG team can fast rope from a UH-I or UH60 helicopter into the town, and quickly deploy to the objective
where they
establish sniper/observer
teams and begin conducting reconnaissance. When an assault plan is finalized, the team then breaches the building
(with
or without the use of explosives),
sends any tango on a
visit
to God, and rescues the
79
hostages. Such training
invaluable
is
in
preparing
SOG
for the real thing. unlikely that the Special
It is
ever
finish building its
Operations Group
Urban Center There
ment among Department of Justice idate
training
"Duplication
Havens.
"If
in
is
think
avoid
and another gets
don't
I
cost effective." Havens points out that finishing isn't really
use Hogan's Alley at the FBI so-called "Training City"
Department
in
necessary, since
Academy
at
in
SOG
Virginia,
can
or the
Metro Dade
the
He does
Florida.
drawback to using these other
Police
admit, however, that a
facilities
being able to
is
into the schedule.
teams to
its
terterrorist
Group
Six,
its
other
provide the use of their
budget,
elite
teams around the world (and vice facilities
facilities,
beneficial to the I
SOG
from someone
is
else
the training
be
team, given the constraints of budget
designed for one military purpose, skills
will, in fact,
want to spend my time with
would be good to know (but are not
able) to the civilian law
available to units,
enforcement
role,
of those
really applic-
or
is
it
better
undergo the
which are so available
for
training
exercises,
cult to
send teams
respond to shifts,
crises.
it is diffi-
be able to
still
People may be working different
difficult
to
pull
a task that
supersedes
may
training. Thus,
enough operators together
it
for extend-
ed time periods.
One
interesting aspect of
SOG
is
that
it
often pro-
vides tactical training to foreign law enforcement units
under an
MoU from
the Department of State.The walls
of the Tactical Center are adorned with plaques thank-
SOG
has imparted advanced tactical
for
its
training efforts.
Over the skills
years,
to the
SOG
Greek
National Police, Bolivian National Police, Poland's Anti-
individual agency?"
Budgetary concerns and training appropriateness
is
and
law
civilian
they may be serving collateral duties, or they
be involved with is
off for training
ing
another matter that
weapon without
cross-training. Unlike military
and mirrors the mission you have been assigned by your
eration
crouched so that he
large that a handful of operators are
to seek out another training source that better serves
aside,
is
a spring to fire his
enforcement teams are generally so small that
a unit that's
when some
like
SEAL
environment." However, he does point out that you
and time. "Do
Cipe-^aior laeaiiy using
getting out of his shooting platform position. SF Jomojczyk
Stagg. "I can't identify any unit that
certain that the training
protection, and he
move up and down
always there." says
in
ballistic
me
cii/, /•;Vi
positioned behind the car's engine block,
is
coun-
military units only
or expose themselves to someone else
make
which provides
He
can
members.
reluctant to try to learn something
have to
iuus mocK
ai
some
they do not directly
"The opportunities are always
Commander Lou
shooioui
versa). In
of Delta Force,
GIGN,GSG-9,and SAS.The
SOG
in
is
sporadically sends
train at the facilities of
the past, this included the
Team
A
the car for coven
Depending on how much money the Special Operations
train
Ray
complex.
a training
has (traditionally) occurred, and
it
the Urban Center
of
duplication.
ludicrous," says
is
get a training building, another agency gets
I
how
it's
work
agencies to consol-
to
as
law enforcement
a bigger building,
This
so
assets,
will
move-
a
is
SOG
must take
into consid-
whether or not there are enough personnel
Terrorist Squad, Philippine Naval Intelligence, and the
Jordanian Public Security Police. Closer to home,
SOG
has also helped train the U.S. Border Patrol, INS, and
BATF
Entry Control Teams. Most of these training ses-
sions last four at
40-acre
its
SOG
weeks and are conducted by
staff
house, the assault teams go through Glass House
Not enough a
facility.
can be said for just
team rehearse every minute
how
important
detail of
its
drills.
it is
that
entry chore-
ography. Lives are at stake.
Going Wheels-Up When a crisis arises somewhere
SOG
States and for
is
While the United
in
needed to respond to
deployment comes either
directly
it,
the order
from the
U.S.
Attorney General through a request to the Director of
this
more
going on, one or
is
conference rooms at
SOG
of the available
Headquarters
an operations center to coordinate
room
team's deployment. Nearly every
turned into
is
aspects of the
all
of the building
loaded with telephone jacks, which allow
is
command
the Marshals Service, or from the Director/Deputy
posts to be quickly established and expanded as need-
Director of Marshals Service after receiving a request
ed. Simultaneously palletized
from
unmarked vans to be placed aboard
a
District
Office.
Either
Operations Group cannot deploy
way, until
it
the
Special
has received
written permission from the headquarters directorate
Once
staff.
the marching orders are given,
SOG
alerts
the on-call team, which assembles at the Tactical Center
An advance team
is
and weapons
aircraft,
MPSs, sniper
(e.g.,
equipment
9-mm
loaded into
is
from SOG's basement arsenal are
rifles)
is
ready to go wheels-up.
Adjacent to the Tactical Center
is
a large Army heli-
main body to begin conducting intelligence and prepare
port that berths numerous UH-I Iroquois and
everything for the team's
Kiowa Warrior
Meanwhile, the Shadow Stalkers hone their shootranges and rehearse entry proce-
ing skills
on the
dures
the warehouse, which
in
firing
is
quickly configured to
match the blueprint of the building they ing.
If
there
is
will
be assault-
not enough time to reconfigure the ware-
H&K
Colt SMGs,
checked and made ready for use.Within hours, the team
immediately sent out ahead of the
arrival.
USMS
or
military
in
its
(On some
unarmed Kiowa Warriors
has used sions;
helicopters.
OH-58
occasions,
SOG
for scouting mis-
forward-looking infrared sensors are invaluable
tracking fugitives at night.) This grass-field heliport can
SOG
be used by
to expeditiously deploy by helicopter
where larger aircraft are loaded and more private departure or arrival is
to a nearby airport waiting to go.
a
If
needed,
SOG
Center
as a mini
can use the back parking lot of the Tactical
fencing, the lot
is
heliport. Encircled
big
enough for
a
by barbed-wire
UH-60
Black
Hawk
Over the years, this paved lot has seen visits from many elite units, including the Army's 60th SOAR. to land
in.
1
Inside the
Red October
Depending on the nature of the responding
What
SOG ammo
the well-dressed
pounds of weapons, tactical vest, radio,
SF Tomajczyk
Nomex
to,
command
post
Olympics,
SOG
available to
operator
is
magazines,
the deployed team
it:
at
the
scene.
had two Mobile
crisis
that
may need Prior
to
the
Command
a 75-foot-long tractor trailer
SOG
is
a mobile
1996
Centers
known
as
wearing these days: 30 ballistic
Kevlar helmet,
gloves, bulletproof vest,
and tear
gas.
"Red October"
(a.k.a.
known
November" (a.k.a. Little Red). The Red its name from author Tom Clancy
as "Blue
Big Red)
and a 35-foot-long van
October, which got after he
walked through the vehicle and noticed
red interior
lights,
is
technologically the
all
the
most advanced
81
November's communications lar lite
capabilities include cellu-
secure telephones.VHF STU TV link, UHFA^HF air-to-ground radio,
phones,
equipment
III
(e.g.,
radio, satel-
surveillance
closed circuit television), TV monitors,
system, VCRs, and
computers.
Externally, the vehicle has electrical outlets
and hookups
navigation
satellite
for additional telephones and satellite communications.
The van can communicate with commercial with any law enforcement agency Unlike the Red October, Blue
ported by C-5 and C-17
on
in
November
aircraft,
aircraft
and
the United States.
can be trans-
which allows
it
to be
within hours.
site
Both the Red October and Blue November were
The Red October was
present at the 1996 Olympics.
Nerve centers
for
October
Red
crises:
November, high-tech mobile command equipped with conference rooms,
posts.
Blue
If
located
mobile
you look closely you
double width. Also, note the security monitor atop the Blue In
1
by the USMS,
996, the Red
who
found
October was handed over to FEMA too expensive to operate,
Marshals Service and
the world.
It
stands is
1
3
feet,
6 inches
tall,
expandable to 22 feet
width using a hydraulic system.
awesome
its
capabilities,
Inside, the vehicle fea-
receive stations
room
TVs that can worldwide. The Red October also has a outfitted with
an expeditious
in
it
The Future The
in
tures a security area, conference room, communications crisis
for
the
Olympics concluded, the Red October was handed In
the vehicle's gargantu-
an size and weight simply proved to be too
weighs 85,000 pounds and
room, and a
areas
during the Games. After the
over to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
deploy
in
SOG
they served as
U.S.
Marshals Service
vehicle
downtown Atlanta. Together, command posts and staging
in
spite of it
Dobbins AFB, and the Blue November was
at
and
can see that a portion of the Red October's trailer expands to
November
based
They are both
galleys, v^/eapons lockers,
communication centers.
state-of-the-art
and
(left)
of the
manner during
a
difficult
to
crisis.
SOG
future of the Special Operations
Group
is
and foremost, the current administration at
bright. First
USMS Headquarters is trying to more tightiy define how the unit will be employed, so that is not inapproit
priately
used.
To
this
end
Deputy Director Ray
is
kitchenette that can prepare a five-course meal for 30
Havens' vision for a stand-alone, dedicated team that
to 40 people for up to a month. The vehicle
can train full-time
that
it
takes
cannot be
two
even by military
aircraft.
It
qualified drivers with special licenses to drive
Red October to gallon).
airlifted,
so large
is
a crisis location (at four miles to the
Every penny of the more than $1 million dollars
that has been sunk into the
Red October came from
The Blue November Service
in
1
arrived
at
the
Marshals
994. This smaller vehicle has a communica-
tions center, conference area, galley, and a secured lock-
er
82
for
weapons and other
sensitive
items.
Blue
support of the agency's key mis-
SOG now
has adequate training
as well as state-of-the-art
"We
I
in
Havens prove
and firepower,
can set a briefcase on a table and communicate
anywhere involved
facilities
communications equipment.
some communications equipment now
have
where
seized drug asset money, not taxpayer's dollars.
in
The administration is also trying to increase the amount of resources to support SOG. For example. sions.
in
the world," boasts Havens. is
also a participant
in
a task force that
is
declassifying military technology that could
beneficial for the Special
Operations Group. This
—
—
includes less-than-lethal technologies that could be used
to apprehend
someone without
seriously injuring or
him.
killing
Perhaps the only obstacle confronting the U.S.
which was shattered
Ruby
as
now
in
Ridge.
is
its
public relations image,
August 1992, at
A
a
remote place
team of deputy marshals was
convinced themselves that the Special
Operations Group
comprised of trigger-happy
is
commandos. This
tary
Marshals Service right
known
pie have also
truth. Less than half the team's
members
have military
experience and, more importantly, they are selected for
SOG
because they do show restraint and
specifically
clear-headedness
"The
sent out into the mountainous region of northern
in
stressful situations.
facts are,
when those
guys went there (to
was no way, shape, or form
Idaho to conduct surveillance of white supremacist
Weaver's
Randall
Weaver in preparation of serving an arrest warThe marshals unexpectedly ran into armed 1424-yearyear-old Samuel Weaver and a family friend near the Weaver cabin. Sam and old Kevin Harris
there's
rant.
went there to do anything other than conduct an
—
—
Deputy
cabin), there
not one
scintilla
—
er operation.They
were not planning to
fight that
arrest that man,"
Havens.
says
know who
brief fire-
first
began when
that
a
in
shot.
our people did
Havens
very
if
Randall
stances.
Weaver had
simply
points out,
gone to court other
likely
policy
now
IS
had
famous
star of the U.S. Marstials Service.
days of Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp (of
still
is
paying the price.
In
some Operations Group is the minds of
to blame for the tragedy, even though the surveillance
mission of Randy Weaver was not an
SOG
mission. (Yes,
Degan happened to be the commander of Task Force at the time, but he was the only SOG person at Ruby I
He
marshals
1
789 and
ments that
OK
Corral fame). SF Tomajczyk
made
in
had been invited to accompany the other their surveillance
efforts.) These same peo-
best to
advocate for the
denouncing
it.
After
all,
unit,
SOG
since 1971
But
uninformed Americans, the Special
Ridge.
has been around since
them
the tragedy at Ruby Ridge did happen, and the Marshals Service
It
perhaps most often associated by the public with the "Wild West," during the
no previous record.
force
rules-of-
standard."
erally
criminal
and
all
the successful deployTtie
he
we
Considering
gotten
sentence, since
and
engagement that are
never
either probation or a small
it,
deadly
Justice
like
would have happened, and Weaver would have
We've learned
have a Department of
citizen
incident
this
—
very,
circum-
difficult
lessons from
as orig-
requested
inally
any
the
know
just
do under some
the deputy marshals.
Ray
I
don't
"I
fired
the best job they could
Sam's dog sniffed out
As
intelli-
gence mission and make observations for an undercov-
William Degan were killed
that they ever
of evidence
Marshal
U.S.
mili-
couldn't be further from the
—
hundreds perhaps
instead
has
—
lit-
of it's
of blindly
the Special Operations
Group
does a tremendous amount of good for the United States. They protect
our courts and federal witnesses
from acts of terrorism, and they hunt down and arrest dangerous
fugitives.
Granted,
in
a free society,
you can
never protect every building and every person from
harm, but the highly trained and versatile Shadow Stalkers certainly
try.
83
\
.^^^'
'<^
CHAPTER
Out Super Terrorism:
Snuffing
NEST "It's
and Other
only a matter of time before the United States
will
that
be forced to
Elite
Forces Journal International October 1995
1975, the threat of nuclear terrorism almost
An
reality.
individual threatened to
paid $200,000.
along
To prove
some diagrams
of
became
blow up the
Boston with an improvised nuclear device
if
city
of
he was not
was serious, he sent weapon to federal officials.
that he his
much concern. At the time, the United States had no way to respond to such a threat So arrangements quickly were made to pay Their seeming authenticity gave them
the ransom, but the extortionist never picked
the
bomb
where
is
a
it
hoax or
did
it
truly exist?
real,
officials
which
awake to the
bombs to the more likely
of terrorists using nuclear
achieve their goals. This also extended to in
was
if it
terrorists detonate a
much
"normal"
bomb
There are vast quantities of nuclear weapons and material v^/orld
grubby paws on.
from the Cold War that
In
1991, the terrorist group Islamic Jihad offered
to buy a nuclear
weapon from
research center.
1993. Iraq offered the
In
terrorists can get their
for a warhead. Fortunately
Deportment of Defense
Russia's
none of these
Arzamas- 6 nuclear
same
in
radiation poisoning, and
1
And so
Known
"Nuclear Ninjas," Energy's Office of
bomb
at the
would have died from
downtown Manhattan would
as "America's
this unit
Team (NEST)
Atomic A-Team" and
part of the
is
still
to.)
the Nuclear Emergency Search
created.
weapons
as a radiation
993, the effects would have been
be too contaminated to return
was
known
is
disastrous. Thousands of residents
Department of
Emergency Response. NEST
is
tasked
with finding and disarming nuclear devices, as well as providing technical support to the FBI,
which has
cases involving nuclear threats.The unit
is
jurisdiction
comprised of
more
than 750 volunteer scientists, engineers, and techni-
cians
from the
national laboratories
Sandia) and other agencies.
located at the
Beware
of the
Los Alamos,
(e.g.,
Key components of NEST are
Nevada Operations
and at Andrews AFB
around the
easier to acquire than
terrorists used this type of
World Trade Center
in
real possibility
scenario
Was
today?
This incident slapped federal
very
And
up.
it
is
grade uranium.This type of device
bomb. (Had In
Units
laced with radioactive material like "hot" medical
is
waste, which
grapple with the specter of nuclear, biological, or chemical terrorism."
—Armed
SIX
Office, Nellis AFB (NV),
just outside of
the nation's capitol.
Boogey Man!
Nuclear terrorism
is
small nuclear device,
all
not farfetched. To build a a terrorist
needs
is
two
1
facility
$2
billion
efforts succeeded. U.S.
things:
information
building information
underscored
in
the
and is
nuclear
material.
readily available,
early
1980s
by
a
Bomb
which was Princeton
85
KEEPING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
OUT OFTHE UNITED
STATES
The U.S. Customs Service stops terrorist tools from entering the United States, and prevents technology and weapons from being sent to hostile nations. To achieve
who
6,000 inspectors
check people and cargo
at
more
Investigations,
which has 2,400
special agents,
customs has
than 300 ports of entry, including inter-
national airports, seaports, and land borders. Supplementing this effort
officers,
this,
marine enforcement
officers,
along with 323 pilots and 300 intelligence analysts. Together, they
customs' Office of
is
and
work
capability to
a belt like a beeper,
is
so sensitive that
it
examine baggage and bulk cargo,
on people. The
latter device,
who
sounds an alert on people
which fastens
have had radiation
therapy for cancer. In
the
war
C/B
agents, the
Customs Service
is
exploring the use of chemical agent
monitors (CAM) and back-scatter X-ray devices.
Customs
has been successful
in its
antiterrorism efforts.
In
1992,
it
thwarted the purchase
weapons and weapons-grade uranium that was being sent to Iraq. And in June 1994, three New York residents were arrested for trying to ship nuclear-grade zirconium to Iraq (via Italy). U.S. Customs special agents seized S tons of the zirconium in a warehouse in the New
of tactical nuclear
York metropolitan
86
threats
area.
fortunately,
but,
been hoaxes so
all
fan
The Nuclear Emergency Search
Team
is
the
special
unit
that
responds to threats and quickly determines whether or not they are real.This
bomb
against
1975,
the
sensor-loaded vans that patrol borders, portal radiation detectors to check vehicles and container cargo, and radiation pagers to detect radiation
the United
of a nuclear device. Since
they have
equipment with radiation detection
in
there have been numerous nuclear terrorist
at plugging
For example, customs agents use high-tech sensors to locate nuclear materials. They have
on
scene that no one
States wants to see: the detonation
air interdiction
terrorist pipeline.
fixed X-ray
A
photo
ground
test
Romeo
Event)
MT
is
of an
in
an
above-
(Operation
Castle,
exploding
in
1954.
II
LLNL
University student
bomb
who
designed
a
briefcase size
using public documents. This openness
is
fur-
ther complicated by the thousands of unemployed Russian nuclear scientists, to
many
of
whom
are willing
provide their knowledge of nuclear weapons
design to the highest bidder
As to get
hands on 18 pounds of 94-percent pluto-
nium-239 (about the
pounds of steal
it
amateur only needs
for nuclear material, an his
size
of a grapefruit)
highly enriched uranium.
or buy
it
on the black-market.
He
or 55
can either
In
1
than 687 pounds of nuclear material was
ed by police from traffickers worldwide.
994,
more
confiscat-
And
that's
only what they managed to catch. Plutonium
elements
—which can
not highly radioactive
few tenths of
a
be
— come
in
disks that weigh a
pound and resemble hockey pucks.
They are easy to conceal the door with.
in
Theft of nuclear material
pocket and walk out
a
Soviet
is
increasing, especially
rods were cut off from a
fuel
In
1993,
two
assembly at the
Chernobyl nuclear plant and disappeared. This,
in
pounds of uranium
reactor
naval
—was
seized
—
from
fuel
a
More
Kiev.
in
Czech made arrangements to acquire pounds of uranium a month from a Russian supplier for a client. The supplier promised they could give him 88 pounds of uranium immediately, and up to a ton in the long term. These are just three incidents of recently, a
I
dozens reported not alone.
in
the past few years, and Russia
a
demonstrates
Africa. This
I
is
1994, 130 barrels of enriched uranium
In
waste was stolen from
storage that
facility
theft
South
in
can
happen
wherever nuclear materials are found. In
the United States, security
is
much
tighter For
example, the Department of Energy employs
some
4,500 guards to watch over nuclear weapons and
facili-
ties
under
its
control.
Many
of these guards are former
military (e.g.. Delta Force, SEALs, sites are
since the collapse of the Soviet Union. fuel
security. In 1995, 13
fuel
safely held, since they are
had high
spite of the fact that the reactor building
Green
protected by two continuous
Berets). Storage
lines
of intrusion
detection sensors, as well as by imaging systems
perimeter fencing,
lighting
(e.g.,
detectors), buttress
closed-circuit TV, radar, infrared
and clear zones. Additionally,
huge concrete "King Tut" blocks are placed bulk storage buildings; a forklift
is
in
front of
needed to remove
them. Tamper-proof magnetic switches and other intrusion detection devices are placed
dows
of the
facility. If
on
all
doors and win-
anyone attempts to break
sensors notify a security control center, which
24 hours a
When
is
in,
the
staffed
day.
nuclear warheads are transported, they
are stored inside fireproof, coffin-like supercontainers that have security features to protect rorist attacks. These containers,
them from
which can survive
terhits
from 7.62-mm armor-piercing ammo, are transported by either a special vehicle (a.k.a. Safe Secure Transport Vehicle) or an
Various
armored nuclear weapons cargo
train.
sometimes, the
U.S.
military
units
(and,
Marshals Service's Missile Escort Unit) provide armed
guard over the warheads, as they are
moved around
the United States.
A
rare look at NEST's shoulder patch. Sf
hmajczyk
87
As you can
see,
it
would be
difficult for terrorists
to get their hands on nuclear material States,
which
why
is
the United
in
tells
the FBI that the terrorists
they focus their efforts elsewhere.
If
a threat
for assistance
The Threat Assessment Process Since
mobilized
1975,
NEST
itself
to
Fortunately,
has evaluated
won't change with the next phone
When
cer,
10 threats and
respond to about 30 of them.
have been hoaxes. But
all
I
who
is
to say that
the FBI receives a nuclear threat,
along the information
passes
it
DoE Threat Assessment
has to
it
NEST
and
deemed
is
credible, the FBI asks the
from NEST. Alerted by an
immediately assembles
equipment.
detection
its
Much
laboratories can be
be wheels-up sis
in
high-tech search
In fact,
is
capability for
already
entire mini-
wheeled aboard aircraft.The
airlift
DoE
on-call duty offi-
of this
prepackaged for quick deployment.
Force provides
call?
may not know what they
are doing, since they are plagiarizing from a public source.
U.S. Air
NEST.The team can
four to 24 hours, depending on the
and the type of equipment that must be
cri-
sent.
Teams (NN-62).These teams, which are scattered around the country, are linguists,
made up
the data and determine
or not
of scientists,
and psychologists.
a critical
if
At
weapons
least three
the threat
is
valid
and whether
mass can be achieved. They also decide
whether the person has the resolve to use the it is
the end, the answer they
real. In
itive
experts,
teams review
give
weapon
must be
if
a defin-
Stamping Out Nuclear
Fires
The first crucial task for NEST is to find the bomb. They divide the target city into a search grid and then use
aircraft, helicopters,
using
gamma
and vans to explore the area
ray sensors
sensitive devices detect
and neutron sensors. These
minute changes
in
natural radi-
"yes" or "no." "Maybes" are not allowed. All of the
teams must independently reach the same conclusion. In
September 1995,
was
for example, the FBI
told
was in weapon was supposedly metropolitan New York area. The FBI
that a Middle Eastern group
possession of a
Russian nuclear device. This located
the
in
passed the technical information over to the assessment teams, which determined the threat to be a hoax. earlier instance, however, site
case
to determine
if
NEST
had
the device was nuclear
—which occurred
in
1991
in
Sparks,
NEST
used
—
special
its
in
determined that the device was harmless.
DoE
an
equipment to look
with. They
and
jimiLiiiiE'lllIffl
out what they were dealing
box and
As part
^issiiyi
a casino
inside the
figure
an
that
In
Nevada
extortionist had chained a device to a pole restaurant.
In
to actually visit the
of the threat assessment process, the FBI
run the terrorist's blackmail letter and any other
available data (e.g., diagrams,
messages) through a com-
NEST
["las
two components; those who search
device and those
puter at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory that
compares
this
information with
known
cles, scientific ists "lifted"
extortion
a
including
newspaper
reports, and even spy novels.
If
phrase from a book and used
letter,
the computer
will
quickly
arti-
the terrorit
their
in
know
it
This
disarm
it.
for the nuclear
Here two searchers check out a
stadium dunng an exercise. The briefcases they carry are actual-
published doculy
ments about nuclear weapons,
who
gamma
ray detectors that sense the presence of a nuclear
bomb. When
radiation
is
detected, an alarm
is
sounded
in
a small
earphone worn by the searchers. The detecting equipment can also as
be carried
inside innocent-looking
not to alarm the
public.
backpacks and coolers, so
Department of EnergylNOO
A
close look at the "guts" of a
briefcase.
gamma
ray detector posing as a
Department of Energ^lNOO
Scientists
onto
trom the Remote Sensing Lab overlay radiation patterns
aerial
photographs and maps. The overlays show the
ent concentrations of radiation
in
differ-
the search area(s), and can indi-
cate the presence of hidden nuclear material
(e.g.,
uranium, pluto-
nium) or a nuclear bomb. The radiation readings are taken by craft, vans,
To
find a
hidden nuclear device.
NEST
uses fixea-Aing aircraft
A
laboratory on wheels, ready to be placed aboard a plane and
and helicopters that are equipped with radiation detectors to
flown anywhere
quickly scan a suspected area, flying at low altitudes.
a "hot
lab,
equipped vans
lab.
spot" reading
is
given, search
narrow down the search
shows skids.
a
MBB 05C 1
The
seats
make room
for
in
until
AFB
in
the
helicopter with a
specially
bomb is found. This photo gamma pod strapped to its
the helicopter's cabin have been removed to
computers and other measuring equipment.
aerial surveillance aircraft are
at Nellis
teams and
If
housed
at
the
air-
and/or search teams. Deportment ofEnerg/INOO
in
the world.
generator video This photo
technician and
is
lab,
NEST
has
of the photo
lab,
lab,
tion-sensitive films.
and a mechanical
which comfortably seats one
provides that person with
needed to develop and enlarge
cargo pods; photo
five
communications
aerial
all
the equipment
photographs and radia-
Department of £nergy/NOO
All
Remote Sensing Lab
Nevada. Deportment ofEnerg^lNOO
89
ation that might suggest the
location
Supplementing
NEST
this
effort are
carry radiation detection equipment crystal detectors) hidden inside es.
Armed
(e.g.,
who
sodium iodide
backpacks and briefcas-
with these sensors, they walk the streets
searching for the bomb. They
wear
civilian
clothes to
avoid panicking the public or alerting the terrorists to
As they
their presence.
Once
of the bomb.
volunteers
search, they listen for an alert
by the
FBI's
sive
is
from
fired
touches.
A
in
submachine guns and/or a high-adhe-
fire
weapon
multiple shots of the
pensed. Department of Energy
terrorists.
The
resin foam,
a special squirt gun.
legs,
he
will
Sprayed at a terrorist's
stick to himself
and anything he
The backpack-mounted gun can
fire
multiple
shots of the foam to 35 feet.
their ear.
1992, this less-than-lethal
der-slung gun can
the
If
Hostage Rescue Team. Depending on the
high-tech gun designed to "slime" nuclear terrorists and protect the United States' nuclear arsenal.
Laboratories
90
located, things get tense.
which was developed by Sandia National Laboratories,
broadcast from the sensing device to a wireless earin
is
foam to take out the
arms or
phone hidden
bomb
situation, they use
message that radiation has been detected. The message is
the
weapon is guarded, the terrorists first have to be removed from the equation. This task is accomplished
fires
foam to 35
SWATTeams and
the
a super glue-like feet, The
FBI's
HRT
foam
Developed by Sandia National
at terronsts, immediately disabling
non-toxic foam
have access to
is
them. The 20-pound, shoul-
stored under pressure and expands 35-50 times
this
new weapon. Department
of Energy/Sondio
when
Natmal
dis-
Labs
Once
the terrorists are out of the picture, a special
component of NEST enters the scene: the dismantling team. They have to disarm the bomb without making any mistakes or setting off any booby traps. Needless to say. it's not a task for the jinery or weak hearted. They often work with the Army's 52nd Ordnance Group (Ft. Gillem, Georgia)
disabling the device, especially
in
weapon or a device. The 52nd
sive
if it
is
sophisticated improvised explo-
a military
has detachments
all
over the
United States, which hastens the response time.
Robotic equipment at the
is
often used to take a
bomb. These remote-controlled
outfitted with video cameras, cutting devices
EOD
ulator arms. Scientists and
first
look
vehicles can be
and manip-
personnel miles away
can safely evaluate the device and figure out
how
to dis-
most nuclear bombs require conventional explosives to start a chain reaction, NEST focuses on the trigger mechanism. Sometimes a carefully placed
arm
Since
it.
problem.
bullet can resolve the
or
30-mm cannon
aimed
is
bomb
detonator. Then the
these instances, a
In
at a specific point
on the
enclosed within a 50-foot
is
diameter tent that stands 35-feet
tall.
This tent
filled
is
a conventional explosion.
thing
is
In
NEST
ready, the
situations
rifle
volunteers dress
foam barrier Once
in
is
bullet
a
to use a robot.
safes:,
NEST
a six-wheeled vehicle that
is
'.:
_,
uses a robot
known
as
ATOM—
equipped with a manipulator arm
and stereo video cameras attached to
pan/tilt platforms.
The
cameras transmit their images back to NEST weapon designers so they can determine
may
every-
Sandia
a
how
to disarm the bomb. This photo
reconnaissance robot, SARGE, being developed by
new
National
Laboratories.
Department of Energy/Sondia
fired. is
not appropriate,
protective gear and enter the
inside,
is
Notional Labs
or cannon
where
When
bomb
shows
with a dense foam, which traps any radiation that
be released by
rifle
Sometimes the best (and
they carefully disarm the
—to make
pressurized water and finely ground garnet high-precision cuts
in
any material without causing heat
nuclear devise by hand. Before fiddling with anything,
or sparks. Such tools are used to cut into the fuselage
they often pour liquid nitrogen on the trigger mecha-
of an aircraft or the trailer of a truck to retrieve the
nism to freeze
its
electronics.
It's
safer that
way
nuclear material.
ARG Responding to a "Broken Arrow" If
is
there
involved
crash), the
is
in
a radiation release,
an accident
(e.g.,
Department of
Group (ARG)
or
if
train derailment, airplane
Energy's Accident
Response
NESTARG
is
comprised of volunteers from the national laboratories. This team, which is
trained
in
is
ready to respond within two hours,
can deploy
Alamos national laboratories. One such lab, known as "Hot Spot," includes two trucks with portable instruments and two trailers containing a sophisticated radiation-counting laboratory.
It
carries sur-
vey instruments for alpha, beta, gamma, and neutron radiation.
Another mobile
lab,
"Ranger,"
is
a
van
evalu-
holding ground contamination survey systems that
and reducing radioactive hazards. They
provide isodose plots indicating what's contaminat-
weapons recovery operations and
ating, collecting
it
to the scene from Lawrence Livermore and Los
a nuclear device
called to the scene. Like
is
has several mobile labs that
use so-called "water knives"
—
in
a liquid abrasive jet of
ed and by
how much. A
third lab
is
"Rascal."
It
ana-
91
.
and adjacent areas for the
lyzes air at the scene
presence of different types of radiation. Since
World War
II,
there have been 32 "Broken
Arrow" incidents (i.e., an accident involving a nuclear weapon) that ARG has responded to. The last major accident occurred in 1980 when a Titan ICBM exploded inside a missile
Every two years,
ARG
participates ability
at the Naval
in
a full-scale
to respond to a drill
Weapons
took place Station
Yorktown.Virginia.The scenario revolved around a ian
plane that had crashed into a loading
tained
nuclear weapons.
several
eight days
To
and involved
assist
ransom was not
million
from spent nuclear
1
The
pier,
two The
civil-
in
1
lasted
exercise
In
Department of Energy has a Radiation Emergency Assistance Center and Training Site (REAC/TS) located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. A response team can be deployed in an emergency, to assist in nuclear incidents. These teams are typically a physician, nurse, health physicist, cyto-
geneticist and radiobiologist.They are trained to perradiological triage,
decontaminate
word
bomb
nuclear
a military source.
field
exercises. This infre-
criticism lately
from Congress.
was held
Derringer," which
was "Mirage Gold," which was held
million to
some
16,
1994.
,200 players
1
implement, the scenario went
New Orleans
that an informant
was being held hostage by the
Middle Eastern terrorist group Patriots for National Unity
(PNU)
safehouse near the airport. The FBI
at a
responded by staking out the building with
SWAT team, while However,
was
in
it
deciding
quickly
became
danger, so the
3:30 A.M. killed. In
HRT
how
its
regional
to resolve the incident
clear that the hostage's
The hostage was
freed and the six terrorists
the subsequent search of the building and inter-
views with the hostage, the FBI learned that the intended to detonate a nuclear
Oak Ridge, which has a one-of-a-kind emergency room for treating nuclear injuries. REAC/TS also
in
maintains a
list
United States
to find and disarm the terrorists.
Command
of health professionals throughout the
were located
who
Warehouse Complex
are trained for radiation emer-
gencies. These people can be called
upon
in a crisis
to
bomb
in
New
Federal agencies descended on the city
can be transported to the Methodist Medical Center
life
assaulted the building around
people, assess radiation injuries, and determine the patients
like
FBI Field Office received
extent of radiation poisoning. Seriously
ill
if
weapon was made
Orleans during the week of October
and cost $8
nine
which terror-
975, there have only been
Mirage Gold, which involved
the following.The
,600 people.
from 1
was "Mighty
986. The second
New
which con-
exercise
first
in
NEST and
in
homemade
multi-agency
full-fledged,
996),
paid.This
fuel stolen
quency has come under
in
with casualties of a nuclear accident or
form medical and
$3
1
a scenario
in
threatened to detonate a
ists
a
in
explosion, the
comprised of
were run prior to the 1996 Olympic
drills
"Mirrored Image" (March
Since NEST's creation
"Broken Arrow" event.The most recent
September 1995,
In
other agencies participated
silo.
exercise to test the military's
in
Several
Games.
in
bomb,
PNU
Orleans.
in
an effort
as well as to capture the
posts of the participating agencies
various buildings at the in
Brown and Root
Gretna, Louisiana.The exercise
ran around the clock, 24 hours a day, until
1
:38 A.M.,
provide medical support.
October 2
Training for Disaster
Using helicopters, vans, and street walkers, they began
1
NEST was Preparing for nuclear terrorism
NEST
is
a
constant
effort.
and other federal agencies routinely conduct
training exercises
whose scenarios anticipate the hormay one day inflict. For example, in
rors that terrorists
"Compass Rose,"
federal agencies tested to see
if
a
nuclear warhead could be stolen from a transport vehicle.
92
The
exercise
was held
in
San Diego.
their search tial
areas,
in
deployed to locate the nuclear bomb(s).
earnest checking out buildings, residen-
and even the Superdome. Meanwhile, the FBI
hunted for members of the PNU. Through tion, the FBI
of the
PNU
its
was able to determine the various around
New
of the terrorist leader,
with four hostages.
investiga-
locations
Orleans, including the location
who was
aboard a leased boat
On
the morning of October
detected the presence of a nuclear
Chase Naval Air
Station.
was located
It
the end of one of the runways.
aboard the terrorist
was
prearranged time, the terrorist leader ordered
the Bell
henchmen
shed
at
guarded by
also
the site
1
in
9,
the terrorists at the Naval
a
van and went to another
As soon as they left the airport, NEST and the 52nd Ordnance Group converged on the shed where the nuclear weapon was located. They began their analysis of the device, using photographs and Xsafehouse.
out
rays to figure
On October
how
rier,
to safely disarm
bomb
in
structure.
It
uled to
As
the
for the terrorist leader, he
was taken down
on the boat. The four people being held hostage were subsequently set free, and New Orleans still stands today, unharmed.
Since Mirage Gold, the
number
conskills
if
foam bar-
with
it
was schedgo
didn't
of field
drills
not put to use. The next major exercise on
a protective
bomb
of Energy it
the scale of a Mirage Gold
bomb through the worked. The bomb was
Department
ducts each year, acknowledging the fact that
has increased the
to encap-
disarmed less than 30 minutes before detonate. When
and were
did,
arrested along the way.
dull
it.
and fire a disabling shot at the
wooden
out what happened. They
find
his
safehouse to return to the airport
was made
20, a decision
sulate the shed and
shed's
and
at the
by DevGroup, which conducted a maritime assault
leader's boat.
At noon on October left
It
inside a
sensors
Another nuclear device was found
three terrorists.
Air Station
NEST bomb at
18,
is
scheduled for 1998,
being
exercises
similar
held
every fours
years thereafter.
The Making
of a Witches'
Brew
Chemical and biological weapons are referred
off at the
atom bomb because they are made and cause widespread death. Their use
to as the poor man's easily
by terrorist groups frightens
since
officials, especially
the United States does not currently have a NESTlike
team
place to track
In
down and disarm
these
The emergency response mechanism now consists of a hodgepodge of different fed-
types of devices.
eral agencies it's
and military
units. Officials
know
that
only a matter of time before "bugs and gas" are
used
the United States. Most C/B weapons can be
in
made
in
a
basement following Betty Crocker-like
recipes and using store-bought materials.
Over the
years there have been several incidents of terrorists
threatening to use witches' brew:
•
In
1
992, a neo-Nazi skinhead group planned to
children
Dense foam
is
used to contain radiation
device's conventional explosives
in
case a nuclear
go off This foam
a 50-foot diameter tent. Volunteers
from
NEST
52nd Ordnance Group enter the foam w/earing
is
contained
special suits
after having successfully
disarmed a nuclear
during a training exercise. Department of EnergylLANL
kill
center using
•
On
Easter
Oklahoma
weekend
in
1995, just days after the
City bombing, a group threatened to
and
disarm the bomb. This photo shows the volunteers emerging
from the foam
a Dallas Jewish day care
cyanide.
in
and the Army's
in
bomb
release Sarin nerve gas at Disneyland
The
FBI
in
California.
and other agencies responded to the threat,
which eventually was determined to be a hoax.
93
•
December
In
and
995, Thomas Lavy, an
1
was arrested
survivalist,
Army
—along with Army HRT— raided the Arkansas farm he was
agents
veteran
30 federal
after
biological warfare
U.S.
experts and a small deployment from the
They found
I
30 grams of
which was enough to
ricin
FBI's
staying at
on the premises,
30,000 people.
kill
The Bugs Are Coming! Biological
warfare
tularemia, Q-fever) are
agents
weapons because they can The Accident Ke^pOloc vjiuup dents, which are
remains on constant
alert,
icaLb to
i^r^r\^j/
commonly known
Weapons
September
1
creating the
Station
995 exercise.
A
in
located on a pier at
is
Yorktown,
civilian
emergency There are
ARG
photo shows the
working on a military nuclear weapon that Naval
dCCI-
ready to respond within two hours
plus flight time to the crisis site. This
the
iiuCical
as "Broken Arrows.'The team
Virginia,
during
plane crashed into the five
ARG
elements
in
a
pier,
the
These agents are
that
you are under attack
In
than chemical
will
never
days afterward
until
like flies.
over a
and then disappear.
would,
It
in fact,
know when
be easy
release a biological agent
city,
scenarios
like
this,
it
has been
determined that 100 pounds of anthrax spores released
upwind of
medium-size
a
city
Moines, Iowa, would disable or
United States, which are comprised of volunteers from the
Department of Energy and the
fly
so you
invisible,
people start dropping
anthrax, plague,
huge population cen-
affect
ters.
for a terrorist to
(e.g.,
more dangerous
of 500,000 half
kill
Des
like
the population.
The doomsday cultAum Shinrikyo understood
Deportment
national laboratories.
the stealthy and deadly nature of biological agents.
of Ener^lSandta National Labs
numerous
They conducted
experiments
using
anthrax and botulism, and even devised miniature
October 995, four members of the anti-government Minnesota Patriots Council were convicted
anthrax dispensers that
of planning to use ricin.a deadly toxin, to
capability, the cult sent a
• In
al
1
poisonous substances known. inhalation
is
ricin
It
can
kill
or ingestion. The extremists,
on hand to
November
kill
is
a
one of the most
about spreading the "government
flu,"
through
who
1,400 people.
member
which to disburse being used 984. Two
members
the organism that causes bubonic plague.
EPA number and
pany's state certification to teria
from
a
biomedical
illegally
supply
com-
obtain the baclab
Untreated bubonic plague has a case
about 50 to 60 percent.
his
for
$240.
fatality rate
of
sect also pur-
case of a biological agent in
Oregon,
in
of a sect produced and disbursed
the bacteria that causes Salmonellosis, an intestinal dis-
local election.
Harris used a fraudulent
The
the United States occurred
in
ease,
of Versimo
biological warfare
biological agents.
The only documented
plead guilty to possessing three
vials
its
team of 40 to Zaire to
chased two radio-controlled drone aircraft from
1
1995, Larry Harris, an alleged
inside attache cases. In
fit
an effort to enhance
acquire the deadly Ebola virus.
joked
had enough
in
of the white supremacist group Aryan Nations,
pest/s,
94
feder-
agents and government vi/orkers. Ricin, which
derivative of the castor bean,
• In
kill
1992,
in
restaurants
Don't
let this
logical terrorism.
state health
in
order to
sole case cause you to dismiss biolabs,
departments, and university laboratories
isms can be stolen or in
outcome of a ill.
There are hundreds of research
nationwide that have "bugs"
grown
affect the
Some 715 people became
a person's
in
their facilities.The organ-
legally/illegally
bathroom
lab.
purchased, and then After chemical war-
warfare
fare, biological
is
the easiest type of terrorism
ical
wackos to pursue.
for
know
Officials
management so they can treat casualties. On the team members learn how to operate
technical side,
which
why
they are pushing
chemical detection equipment, X-ray systems, gas chro-
so hard to create a national C/B response team similar
matograph/mass spectrometers, and portable isotopic
to
NEST.They are
this,
is
also conducting on-going exercises to
prepare existing responders for a biological attack. April 1997, for instance,
FEMA
command
in
post
drill
held
sponsored
"III
neutron spectroscopic devices. Additionally, those specialize in
In
Wind," a
Washington, D.C., that
bomb
how
disposal are taught
who
to disarm
C/B weapons. According to
test-
ed the United States' response to a
Lt.
Col.
Timothy Madere, the TEU's
commander, each TEU
battalion
chemical agents.
member receives $60,000 worth of training when they first arrive at the
Technical Escort Unit
annual training thereafter This train-
and
terrorist attack involving anthrax
and about $20,000 worth of
unit,
If
federal
and
local agencies are
ing
unable to prevent a C/B attack from
end up
at the
is
important because
members must stay current on improvised weapon designs, as well as know how to use new
happening, requests for military help will
regimen
the team
Army's Technical
Escort Unit (TEU).This one-of-a-kind
equipment. Examples of the
team stands ready to be sent worldwide on short notice to detect, con-
include state-of-the-art fluorescence
tain, limit
techniques that can identify biologi-
the damage from, and clean
up after an attack has occurred.
latter
cal agents,
and instruments created
by Los Alamos scientists that can
It is
also equipped to neutralize and dis-
identify
pose of toxic chemicals, munitions,
chemical device without opening
and
The team works with the
other hazardous
fact,
it
was the TEU
warheads
In
that cleaned up
the hundreds of World cal
materials.
War
unearthed
Washington, D.C., suburb
in
chemi-
I
1991.
The TEU is headquartered Aberdeen Proving Grounds
Dugway The unit is
Proving
Ground
(Utah).
comprised of 150 personnel: 19
offi-
cers,
63 enlisted and 68 civilians.They
have
all
attended an intensive course
to identify chemical agents,
how
how
to dispose of chemical agents. also receive training
safety, as well as in first aid
national logical
States does not currently have a
team to respond to chemical and
acts
government
officials,
biological Vi'eapon
radiation
and med-
him to
steal
it
in
a
and
it
should,
It is
far eas-
to concoct a chemical or in
Crocker-like
then release
bio-
Aum
and other agen-
TEU
helped
munitions
GulfWar, and 1994 during
its
it
assist-
investi-
his
basement
"how/-to"
subway
—
Shinrikyo sarin gas attack
The TEU
is
on-call
24 hours a
two response capabilities. The
day.
It
maintains
separate first
manuals
station than
the
— and
it is
Chemical/Biological Response Team,
which consists of 10
for
serve as the
"first
specialists that
responders" of
workable bomb. The United States needs to
C/B
do something about
within four hours. The second
and now. We're run-
ning out of time, SFTomajczyk
is
follow/ing
uranium and build a sophisticated,
this,
in
Tokyo.
of terrorism. That fact frightens
ier for a terrorist
Betty
They
in
it.
gation of a possible U.S. link to the
The United
to
use decontamination equipment, and
in
ed the FBI
in
Arsenal (Arkansas) and
FBI
chemical
Iraq's
after the 1991 at
Maryland, with detachments at Pine Bluff
destroy
of any
regularly trains and
For example, the
cies.
a
in
composition
the
incidents. They can
Alert Team, which
be airborne
serves
is
as
the
the
95
The "Fox"
NBC
a six-wheeled, amphibious
IS
In
the event of a nuclear or C/B terrorist attack,
contamination.
In
the event of a chemical or biological attack,
accurate.
The Fox
over-pressurized to protect
is
advance team for any follow-on
TEU
its
crew.
It
it
in
could be deployed to test the
of the incident
TEU
can muster
off hours)
and can be
event of an emergency, the
and
mph
soil
to determine the extent of
and has a range of about 500
were declared "dead" by nize they
were
referees after
EMTs
more
timely and
miles. U.S.
failing
Army
to recog-
a contaminated zone.
in
Treatment of patients begins
the agents present, renders any explosive
30 minutes (one hour during
air
can identify the agent thereby making medical treatment
devices safe, and assists with small area decontamination. In the
it
can travel at up to 65
response team(s).
The Alert Team conducts reconnaissance site, identifies
Army and
(nuclear, biological, chemical) reconnaissance vehicle currently in use with the U.S.
Marine Corps.
giving victims of
at the scene, with
nerve agent poisoning shots of
Atropine and Pralidoxime chloride, antidotes forTabun
and
Sarin.
Before patients can be taken to a hospital,
they are decontaminated so that they don't pose a
airborne within four hours.
threat to the waiting nurses and doctors. This entails
&
Caring for the Slimed Let's face
it:
Dying
removing
know
By the time you
that terrorists
have launched a chemical or biological attack,
it'll
be too
Most nerve gases are colorless and odorless, and the "bugs" of germ warfare are invisible. So when a terlate.
rorist attack occurs,
of casualties? In
EMTs
who
site
as they
will
become
New York
dent
in
at a
subway
City
station.
in
casualties themselves. This
April
I
I,
1995, training
inci-
which nerve gas was released
More
than
100
first
responders
Army
has a Chemical
the event of a biological attack, hospitals would it.
was pointed out during an
DS2
chemical casualty care training. In
before taking care of the injured,
in
Casualty Site Team that can be deployed to provide on-
emergency rooms
first,
them
accomplished by trained
tective gear. In large disasters, the
have to be alert enough to put on their pro-
equipment
is
first-responders and military personnel wearing pro-
take the brunt of
otherwise they
96
take care of the thousands
will
question.
their clothing and scrubbing
the event of a chemical attack, firefighters and will
tective
Good
all
or a bleach solution. Decon
Patients are going to run to local
become
ill,
not knowing that
they have been exposed to a germ warfare agent Fortunately,
most
diseases are reportable to state health
departments which,
in
turn, share their data with the
Centers for Disease Control
When
&
Prevention
in
Atlanta.
they see the appearance of an unusual disease
anthrax) or a sudden and marked increase
(e.g.,
common go
tles
disease
off.
(e.g.,
in
So-called "disease detectives" immediately
begin their investigation to figure out
what
going on
is
and try to stop any further spread of the disease.
may
disease
surface
(e.g.,
ebola). In these cases, the
has an Aeromedical Isolation
Team
(AIT) that
can be deployed. Comprised of physicians, nurses, medical assistants, and
technicians, the
lab
trained to care for and transport people
AIT
who
is
are
will
be trained to
public health
Metro
Strike
Washington,
Teams" that
management and
major metropolitan areas around
at
will
be able to respond within 30 to 90
Team
of 30
DC. It and
members
other teams
will
will
be based
in
be comprised of
team commander, a medical direaon physicians, pre-hos-
is
a
ill
pital
care providers, and logisticians.To ensure that an
two people
where they can be treated without disease spread to others. The
Strike
minutes with their equipment and medical supplies. The first
units called Vickers isolators to transport patients to lab,
"Metro
the medical
consequences of C/B incidents.These teams,
the United States,
is
quarantine
assist in
be based
will
with an infectious agent. They use special isolation
a
problem, the U.S. Public Health Service
this
trying to create 18 so-called
which
Occasionally, a very deadly and highly contagious
Army
To address
a
salmonellosis), the bells and whis-
always available for deployment, each position assigned to
it
means there
This
will
will
MST have
be an
aggregate roster of 60 team members.
of having the
fear
Vickers isolators resemble Plexiglas torpedo tubes.
The patient lies inside and the entire unit is carried by AIT members. The tube is under constant negative
Sending
the Marines
in
Supplementing the Metro Strike Teams' efforts the military arena
is
the
in
350-member Marine Corps
pressure so that the organism can't escape into the
Chemical/Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF),
surrounding environment.
which
The AIT
can be deployed worldwide on
1
2-hours
headquartered
is
The
Carolina.
unit
was
the team can
the United States'
ability
transport only two patients at any given time, due to the
attacks, such as the
one
At
notice using Air Force aircraft.
limited
number
of trained personnel and available equip-
ment. However, the quarantine taken can accommodate Level
3,
this time,
1
lab
where
patients are
6 patients at Biocontainment
and four at Biocontainment Level
Noah's ark,AIT
will
move people two-by-two
4.
So
like
Metro Strike Teams In
some
one of the United
States'
medical assistance from
60 volunteer Disaster
Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT), which are locat-
ed
at key cities around the nation
Diego, Seattle).
Of
these, 21
are
(e.g.,
Boston, San
Level
I
teams,
meaning they can mobilize within six hours with supplies and equipment for 72 hours of operation.
However,
DMAT
is
not equipped with chemical war-
fare protective gear.
contaminated area.
Department threats,
Hence, they cannot enter
a
North
Lejeune,
1995 to improve
to respond to C/B terrorist
involving the
facilities
Tokyo subway
around the world. They
decontaminate areas, treat
sys-
casualties,
identify
and bol-
ster local hospitals' treatment capabilities.
can request assistance from the
Civilian authorities
CBIRF for
incidents occurring at
al political
arenas.
efforts at the
either a chemical or biological attack, local
hospitals can expect
in
tem. CBIRF responds to incidents at Navy and State
to the lab
using their high-tech cocoons.
Camp
at
established
a
new
1
In
Olympic events or nation-
was part of the
fact the unit
996 Olympics. At
piece of equipment
this event,
known
as the
device, which looks like a pair of sunglasses,
a medical officer's gas mask. glasses sends images of
Humvee.
Medicam.This is
worn
outside
A small camera fastened to the
what the
back to a medical person
security
the unit tested
on-site doCTor
sitting in a specially
is
seeing
equipped
A microphone and headset allow the two to con-
verse, and a small screen inside the glasses permits the onsite
doCTor to see
patient.
By using
who
satellite
he
is
talking to as
cussion can be broadcast worldwide, letting assist in
he treats a
technology, the piCTure and dis-
C/B experts
the diagnosis and treatment of victims.
97
98
CHAPTER SEVEN
Counterterrorism
Weapons and Equipment down
"Counterterrorism forces have to be properly equipped to take
before they can cut hostages' throats or detonate a bomb. Going laughable .22 or .38 will simply not evil
do the
trick, regardless
in
terrorists
The
how
of
most
today,
eagles pack either
you may look."—Anonymous
9-mm
(for high capacity)
knockdown power) handguns. Hostage Rescue Team uses a highly mod-
or .45/.357 caliber
with a
FBI's
(for
semi-automatic, single-action .45
ified,
ACP
that
is
cus-
Counterterrorism experts learned an important lesson
tom-built by Les Baer on a Para-Ordnance frame. The
when GSG-9 assaulted a Lufthansa 737 at Mogadishu Airport. The commandos forced entry
9-inch-long
ambidextrous
through the plane's emergency exit doors and began
mer, half-cock
1977
in
down terrorists. In the cockpit, terrorist leader Mahmud took several hits from the point man who was
taking
using
.38
his
Mahmud was
S&W still
Model
36. Although wounded,
able to fight back.
He
tossed two
grenades at the commandos, which fortunately rolled
under the seats before detonating. Becoming desper-
man grabbed an MPS submachine gun and hosed Mahmud down with a quick burst.
ate, the point
What
this incident
they needed
shot revolver offered. a
weapon
taught
CT
units was,
a larger magazine capacity than
that
first,
what
And second, they needed
was capable of "one
shot,
one
that
a six-
to use
kill."
So,
safety, 1
3
weapon safety.
features
Commander-style exposed ham-
hammer
notch, a high-ride beavertail grip
and a double-column magazine that holds 12 to
rounds of Federal's powerful 230-grain Hyda-Shok
hollow-point bullets. also quite accurate:
It's
It
terrorist think
about surrendering. The vi/eapon plays multiple
roles in counterterrorism,
gas
into
a
make even a dedicated
from breaching doors to
building. This
photo shows
Remington 870 defensive shotgun that enforcement agencies. Robert
A.
Barrkman
is
a
inserting tear
Robar-modified
widely used by law
weapon
that
is
groupings no larger than 2
As mentioned
earlier,
the U.S. Marshals Special
Operations Group uses the Smith
& Wesson
.45
and
.357 handguns. Like the FBI, they, too, prefer Hydra-
Shok
bullets,
Among Model 92F
but with a 185-grain load instead. the
pistol
pistol holds 15
military's is
elite
units,
the
Beretta
widely used. The semi-automatic
rounds of
9-mm
Parabellum ammuni-
SEALs abandoned the 92F
rienced problems with shotgun's drop-dead reputation can
an impressive
fires
inches at 25 yards.
tion. The
The
frame-mounted
a
it,
the
after they
expe-
most notable being
astrophic slide failure. (A popular saying heard
in
cat-
the
NAVSPECWAR
community was "You ain't a SEAL 'til you've eaten Italian steel.") They turned, instead, to using Sig Sauers, Heckler
Colt MI9I
Is.
They
&
Kochs, and even the old
also reportedly use a so-called
99
The
.45
ACP
custom
built
by Les Baer for exclusive use by the
Hostage Rescue Team. Standard
FBI's
Hydra-Shok hollow-point
bullet
ammo
from Federal.
is
U.S.
a
230-grain
Federal Bureou
The new Koch.
on the
kid
block: the
use with the
in
IS
It
Command.
Operations
detachable suppressor
of Investigation
silence
tile
This
&
Ruger
as a
pistol
is
USP
is
U.S. fitted
instances
Special
with
a
where
Koch USA
dog has to be dealt with
caliber
from Heckler &
of the
for those
ideal
truly golden. Heckler
is
ACP
.45 units
particular
is
It
USP
elite
suppressed .22
quietly, a
used.
It is
jokingly referred to
"Hush Puppy." Today,
issues the
the
reduction system,
1
.45
Command
Operations
Special
U.S.
H&K USP
ACR It features
a special recoil
2-round metal magazine, an over-
sized trigger guard for use with gloves, and
it
has a
modamong Delta Force operators, are said to be the Special Ops .45 ACP custom-built by Wilson, and the 9-mm H&K USP9 with detachable sound suppressor and a laser aiming ule.
I
Other
U.J.
Smith
i
idibiidis
& Wesson
Group
Service Special Operations
.45
and .357 handguns, with
1
uses the
85-grain Hydra-
Marines'
as a
back up;
Sigs
combat
are using a
pistol. This stainless steel
sidearm features rubber-coated safety, high-profile
brand
FAST and MEU(SOC)
modified MI9I lAI .45 caliber
Shok ammo. Operators, however are permited to carry another pistol
handguns, at least
5-round polymer magazine.
The The
favorite
sights,
grips,
an ambidextrous
and an extra-wide grip
and Clocks are popular SFTomojczyk safety for increased controllability (which aids
follow-up second
"sub aqua" version of the Clock handgun, which designed to be fired underwater. The
mer frame plus when
carrying out a
100
—
a definite
mission near magnetic
where
armorers
a terrorist
or hos-
at the Rifle Team
Clock
mm,
1
7 are popular
In fact,
lO-round capacity)
Service, and
DEA
is
is
Sig
in
a fast
hand-built
Equipment shop
For backup handguns, the
pistol's poly-
has a low magnetic signature
mines. And, for situations
is
Each pistol
shot).
in
by
Quantico.
Sauer P228 and
the compact Sig P228 (9-
used by the FBI.ATF Secret
for special duty and
concealment
Its
larger brother, the
P226
is
the primary handgun of the
SAS, FBI (excluding the HRT), and Navy SEALs. The
P226 has
mm
a
15-round detachable box magazine for 9-
Parabellum ammunition; 12 rounds for .357 SIG.
Many operators enjoy
the Giock
which
fea-
tures a tough polymer frame. When this handgun
first
appeared, people laughed at that Mattel
design, saying
plastic
its
7,
1
must have subcontracted the
job. Unlike
other pistols on the market that are double-action/single-action, there
the
is
no difference
in
trigger pull
between
and subsequent shots. This consistency
first
aids in
operated by pressing a switch custom tol grip). The
MP5N
fitted
(it is
to the pis-
takes 30-round magazines.
The FBI HRT has opted for the more powerful lO-mm MPS/ 10 SMG that features semi-automatic, two-round burst and
fully
automatic
any range, the projectile fired from
firing
this
modes. At
weapon
has
nearly twice the muzzle energy of a comparable 9-
mm,
S&W
.40
or .45
ACP
operation of the MP5/I0
cartridge. identical
is
Although the to the
9-mm
MPSs, several improvements have been incorporated into the
accurate shooting.
can be affixed to the forward handguard
flashlight
a bolt catch device
weapon's design, including
that holds the bolt group rearward after the magazine
Submachine Guns (SMG) SMGs With
squeeze of the
a
is
are the workhorse of counterterrorism. finger, a terrorist
vinced to stop what he's doing
machine gun's compact
.
.
.
can be con-
permanentlyThe sub-
size, large
magazine capacity,
and impressive firepower (not to mention
all
the good-
SMG, like a flashlight or made it beloved by assault
can be affixed to an
ies that
laser aiming device) have
empty. This alerts the operator to the fact that a
new magazine needs want to happen a
tango, pull
"CLICK"
of an
is
the
to be loaded. (The last thing you
have an eagle point the
empty
gy" sound suppressor
MPS/
1
0.
gun.) fits
A
unique "wet technolo-
By adding 5 cc of water to
suppressor, the SMG's report
is
3 to S decibels. This suppressor can also
al
of water without damage, making
USMS
and GIGN. Even the
Group
mm racy
has
Colt
in its
in
arsenal to
it
be fired
ideal for
full
maritime
operations.
GSG-
Operations
complement the
9-
they normally use. The weapon's accu-
what makes
is
required sive
MP5s
SMGs
Special
this stainless steel
lowered an addition-
The undeniable champion of submachine guns is Heckler & Koch.The H&K MPS series of SMGs is the chosen weapon of most of the world's elite counterterrorist forces, including Delta Force, Navy SEALs, FBI HRT, Secret Service Counter-Assault Team, SAS,
at
the threaded barrel of the
teams around the world.
9,
weapon
and hear the distinctive
trigger,
it
ideal for
the precision shooting
a hostage rescue operation,
firepower (800 to 900 rpm) lends
and itself
its
impres-
to quickly
a room, which is why the MPS (most notably MPSK) is referred to as a "room broom." The Navy SEALs and Marine Corps FAST units
sweeping the
currently use the
9-mm MP5N
with a "Navy" trigger
group, which features semi-automatic or ic firing
modes.
It
has a
maximum
fully
automat-
effective range of
1
00
meters and shoots 800 rpm. With the retractable butt stock collapsed, the barrel
is
MP5N
is
threaded to accept
a
only 19.3 inches long.The
sound suppressor
A
mini
The impressive and
hard-hitting
lO-mm MPS/ 10 submachine gun
currently used by the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team.
The weapon
features a 2-round burst trigger group and has a cyclic firing rate
of 800 rpm. The lightweight and corrosion resistant synthetic
magazine holds 30 rounds. Heckler
& Koch USA
101
When
concealment
was designed
necessary, elite forces turn
is
9-mm MP5K submachine
to the connpact
specifically for
CT
units.
MP5K
mate close-quarters weapon, the about 4 pounds and
weapon
is
less
than
gun, which
Perhaps the
ulti-
weighs only
3 inches long.
1
The
has a distinctive vertical foregrip, features
or 30-round magazines, and can be configured to
two- or three-round bursts, or
single rounds,
matic.
Its
uses
be
it
when
easily
makes
small size
and security
it
which
details,
ideal for is
why
5-
fire
auto-
full
covert operations
the Secret Service
protecting the President.The
concealed under a jacket or
partment of a can
I
in
weapon can com-
the glove
can also be hidden and fired from
It
inside a specially built briefcase.
Many CT its
-,
fo:
_,-. ::,=
:--.-iim
not require the use of subsonic tion.
MP5SD
The MP5SD has
9-mm
SOG
U.S. Marshals Service
well as by
DEA
ammo
Think twice the next time you see someone with a briefcase! could be hiding the compact
weapon's trigger as
is
(a.k.a. its
when
Room Broom) small size
left).
is
a favorite
Ingram
MAC
The
Uzi
and
GIGN.The
is
102
air
10,
and
CT
9-mm
&
In fact,
the
MP5K
because
Koch USA
9-mm
Colt assault rifle/SMG. Israeli
Secret Service also enjoys
during
units
units include the
popular with Navy SEALs,
and firepower thin
among many CT
CT Teams, it
small size
Uzis seemingly appeared out of 1981
assassination
SMG
used by the
is
primary weapon, as
go
after narco-terror-
task forces that
body and configuration of rigid
telescoping
20- or 32-round magazines, and has a cyclic
It
The
Service uses this con-
and firepower (900 rpm). HecWer
Other SMGs used by Uzi.
The Secret
protecting the President and otherVIPs.The
sound reduc-
800 rpm. STTU
but with a short and
rifle,
fires
firing rate
gun.
The
conveniently located on the briefcase handle,
the safety (button top
figuration
of
is
9-mm MP5K submachine
It
".o
one does
as their
ists.The Colt uses the basic
the M-16
Colt
;.e
^.r.
this
for effective
a cyclic firing rate of
President Reagan. The
butt.
submachine
sound suppressor Unlike many SMGs,
integral
attempt of
of 800 to
tiny
for the .45
Ingram
ACP
and
1
,000 rpm.
MAC
10,
9-mm
Parabellum,
high rate-of-fire. Firing at
zine
is
depleted
1
about
in
accuracy, however,
is
which can be chambered is
known
for
1.6
another
seconds. thing. Its
The weapon's performance
beyond point-blank
is
so poor that many
"phone booth
In
other words, you have to be
gun."
the same booth as the target to guarantee a of
this,
the
MAC
10
is
its
,090 rpm, a 30-round maga-
still
call
it
hit. In
the in
spite
found with Navy SEALs.
Army Special Forces, and some federal agencies. An unusual SMG is the 9-mm Spectre M-4 made by SITES SpA in Italy Developed specifically for coun-
6
terterrorism units,
machine gun
the only "double-action" sub-
is
it
existence.
in
The M-4
is
designed to be
carried safely and brought into action instantly without requiring any safeties to be released or any cocking
That makes
levers to be pulled.
Measuring
assaults.
CQB
ideal for
it
3.7 inches long with
1
its
and
stock col-
50-round magazines
lapsed, the Spectre fires 30- or
(another unique feature), and has a cyclic
firing rate
of
about 850 rpm.
Machine Guns Machine guns are generally used only by national counterterrorist teams
and the
weapon
FBI's
like
Delta Force, DevGroup,
Hostage Rescue Team.
It
is
an ideal
to go up against a paramilitary group that's hid-
compound and
ing in a fortified
is
equipped with heavy
CT
operations by
fire
against tangos
armaments. Machine guns support
volume of area
delivering a large
H&K
H&K
21,
These are
all
in
use with
mm,
half mile
or
so.
Machine Gun.
firing rate
of 500-
effective range
H&K
21
and M-60
1980 Iran rescue mission to secure
their escape route. The
SEALs presently use
down
M-60 when conducting
version of the
patrol missions.
ume rifle
fire
can In
out to
Before their mission was abort-
ed. Delta Force intended to use the
during the April
units include the
Light
have a cyclic
800 rpm, and generally have an about a
CT
M-60E3
2 IE, and
7,62
It is
on targets
a stripped-
inland
used to deliver accurate, high-volat ranges
beyond what the M-
1
hit.
the
5.56-mm
as this
7.62-mm H&K 2
IE,
provide
CT
fire
against terrorists. Such
armed
heavily
weapons
category, several machine guns are
appropriate for counterterrorism operations, including the H&K 23E and the M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon. The 16.3-pound M-249 has an effective range of 2.600 to 3,250 feet and fires 750 rpm. The weapon is so light-
weight that a gunner can
fire
it
accurately from the
hip.
Shotguns There are few weapons that capture immediate respect more
a person's
quickly than a shotgun.
knock-down power of the shotgun
is
The
matched by
its
units
are ideal for assaults against
paramilitary groups holed up
pounds. HecWer
&
fortified
in
and/or destroy an entire Point a shotgun at
weapon SMGs, there use
in
room
is
someone, and they
still
a time
in half
with a single round.
has been shunned by
this
com-
Koch USA
hyped reputation for being able to cut a person
from great distances. Machine guns
Machine guns, such
with tremendous firepower by delivenng a large volume of area
freeze.
some
in
Although favor of
and place for the shotgun's
counterterrorism. For example, the shotgun
ideal for
breaching locked doors
Lock round), projecting tear gas
(rifled slug
is
or Shok-
(ferret round), dis-
tracting terrorists (starflash rounds), concealing opera-
tions flare
(smoke rounds),
injuring
or
shotgun
is
killing
an area
Some
them (rubber
also ideal for laying
shooter can ing
signaling (14,000
candlepower
rounds), and disabling people without seriously
fire five
in
rounds
projectile rounds). The
down firepower:A
in
about
a
skilled
second, blanket-
a lead cloud.
of the favorite
shotguns used for
CT
1
2-gauge, semi-automatic
operations include the
H&K
Mossberg 500. Ithaca 37, H&K Benelli M-I2I, Remington 870, Franchi Model 12 SPAS, and the Robar customized 870. These weapons can have telescopic sights added to them to improve
MI/M3 Super
90,
their long-range accuracy (up to 100 yards), and they
can use magazine extension tubes to increase their
firepower capability up to
a total of
8 to 12 rounds.
103
The
FBI uses a customized
Remington 870 with
a 3-
inch chamber, a 14-inch barrel with a modified choke, a
composite stock,
Trijicon front sites,
and several
other features. The Secret Service also uses a cus-
tomized Remington 870.
When
concealment
sawed-off shotgun.
needed, eagles use the
is
short length allows
It's
it
to be hid-
den under a topcoat, as well as to be used
in
tight
spaces, such as aboard ships. Unfortunately, there are
drawbacks to using
several
a
sawed-off shotgun.
has reduced accuracy. Second, zine capacity. Third,
And
flash.
last,
if
his
hand
it
has greater recoil and muzzle
it
the shotgun does not have a hand stop
near the front grip or
blow
First,
has a reduced maga-
it
off
he's
if
pump not
handle, the shooter can
careful.
One
snoi,
one
rorist incidents
Kiii.Tne sniper pia/s a vital roie
Assault Rifles assault
SR-90 has been largely replaced by the
rifle
SMG, simply because
of the
desired
counterterrorism. pass
likely
However, assault
If
a rifle
through
building
and a
is
its
a
area
large
target,
hit
it
in
someone.
when
giving a
CT
extracting
hostages from a terrorist occupied structure. Assault rifles
are also ideal for perimeter security and counter-
ambush operations. Furthermore, they to cover large
open areas
like
lend themselves
airports, maritime ports,
and stadiums. Assault
mm) mm) rifles
53,
rifles
come
in
two
A/M-
(5.56
1
4,
mm)
and the
rifles
include
these assault
rifles
about 330 yards,
14.
fire
its
one
The
topped with
a
I
Ox Leopold scope. STfU
who
bullpup design.
kill.
hundreds of yards away with
snipers,
a single bullet.To
this kind of accuracy, snipers rely
that
rifle
motto of
That's the
is
on
achieve
a high-precision
designed specifically for sniping. The most
popular caliber
NATO/.308
rifle
used for sniping
Winchester
Winchester Magnum
Most sniper
rifles
the
7.62-mm
the
.300
often preferred for longer
is
range operations due to
is
(although
its
greater velocity and ener-
are customized to ensure their
make
accuracy. For example, care
that the barrel's internal dimensions are uniform, that
the
rifling
twist
that rifles
certain
is
free-floating,
cleanly. Additionally,
and
these
are equipped with sturdy bipods to create a
Most of
Leupold Ultra
5-,
taken to
maximized for the intended caliber
the trigger breaks
non-vibrating
600 to 1,000 rpm, and have
is
is
and bullet weight, that the barrel
AUG
have an effective range out to
20- and 30-round box magazines.
one
shot,
take pride at being able to drop a tango from
(7.62
FA MAS, Colt
the futuristic-looking Steyr
(Army Universal Gun) with
is
forces.
(7.62
H&K G3 series. Light assault the H&K 93, H&K 33, H&K
M-I6AI/A2, Ruger Mini
Commando, and
104
calibers: .308
used by counterterrorism teams include the FN1
CT
Winchester or .300 Winchester
.308
in
rifle is
used by
Rifles
One
gy).
and .223 (5.56 mm). Heavy assault
FAL, M-
Sniper
will
time and place for
For example, they are useful
domination over
unit
round misses
the shotgun, there
like
rifles.
the
available
rifles
is
the typical close-quarters environment of
in
IS
Magnum, This
ter-
long range and exces-
rifle's
penetration. Neither of these characteristics
sive
remea/ing
with a single bullet to the brain or heart. The Robar SR-90 of several state-of-the-art sniper
The
in
by dropping a terrorist hundreds of yards away
platform,
M3 Ox I
powerful
scopes
(e.g.,
sniper scope, Hensoldt 10x40
telescopic sight), and adjustable butt stocks, cheek pads, and trigger shoes that can be adapted to individual sniper firing the
weapon.
fit
the
Sniper
rifles
come
ing,
or semi-
as either bolt action
automatic. The bolt action
shoot-
ideal for precision
is
with the semi-automatic serving as backup
where
port. In counterterrorism, however,
(with a 5- or 20-round magazine)
rifle
vehicles,
usually
caliber
CT forces
include
action)
CT
rifle.
elite
comprise
M-24, M-40AI, FR-F2,Vaime Mk-2, McMillan M-86SR,
including
PSG-
,
1
and
H&K MSG90.The M-40A
Corps designed weapon is
on
built
used as the foundation of the
rifles.
yards.
is
Remington 700 that
a
SWAT/HRT
FBI's
sniper
rifle
shoots groups of a quarter inch
The Secret Service
builds
at
200
rifles
though
and Robar SR-90 stocks, using the Vari-X
III
Tactical 3.5-
power sniper scope from Leupold. The scope's low power settings are useful in urban situations where 10
wide field-of-view
is
SWAT
in
wide use
teams and domestic security
agencies.
The Secret edly uses
Service's Counter-Sniper
theVaime Mk2 7.62-mm
teams. Unlike other sniper
rifle,
as
Team
counterterrorist units. When 1
NATO
round, the
firing a
weapon. The zine,
rifle fires
and has an
rifle
in
1
also
use
as a
almost no
is
in its
FBI's
Hostage Rescue Team has the
arsenal for special applications.
.50
a
caliber
rifle
is
no
double
carefully designed
a
picnic, baffle,
even
muzzle
brake system absorbs most of the recoil so that reportedly
feels
like
firing
a
12-gauge
However, one former Marine sniper who
—
including
when asked about
SEAL
snipers
it
shotgun.
now
— laughed
the weapon's supposedly less-
than-awesome kick. "Bullshit," he said adamantly. "Spend a day shooting this baby and you'll feel like you've been
in a
car wreck."
recoil
suppressed .22
about 200 meters.
the
McMillan
M-86SR
a
Leupold Ml
Ultra
I
Ox
&
Koch's PSG-
1
and MSG90, along
other state-of-the-art weapon systems. The
MSG90
the Gulf
in
being reported at 1,093
kills
both the .308 and .300 Winchester
Magnum, equipped with
with
semi-automatic
for
rifle
scope. They and Delta Force are also reportedly using Heckler
I
0-round detachable box maga-
effective range of
Navy SEALS sniper
a
30-pound M-82A
from Barrett also saw action
subsonic 7.62-mm
Mk2 produces
and makes about as much noise
units that
Command,
Mk2 was
the Vaime
rifles,
report-
(single shot, bolt
do some SEAL
designed from the outset as a silenced sniper
X 5
rifle
trains elite units
often needed.
Both the Robar SR-60 and SR-90 are with numerous
5-foot-long,
Firing
FBI also builds sniper
rifles
Operations
Special
U.S.
2,400 meters.The
the Remington 700, as well.
The
sniper
meters and an armored personnel carrier being disabled at
on the McMillan A2
rifles
cal.
War, with anti-personnel
M-82AI
sniper
tangos at
snipers have turned to the powerful .50
the
.50 caliber
from
its
and
Navy SEALs and the Army's Delta Force.
The
Marine
a
topped with either a Leupold or Unertl
is
It
scope. The
I
killing
were deployed to the Gulf for use by
the Robar SR-60, Robar SR-90, Remington 700, M-21,
H&K
barrel,
its
1.
During the 1991 Gulf War, more than 200
McMillan M-88 .50
among
rifles
than the PSG-
long ranges or disabling equipment such as aircraft and
is
the preferred choice.
Popular sniper
less
Since sniping occasionally requires
sup-
fire
rapid fol-
low-up shots are often necessary, the semi-automatic sniper
has a harmonic stabilizer at the end of
weighs 3 pounds
similar to the
PSG-
1
except that
it
has a
shorter barrel, features a more streamlined design,
When
you
really
one, nothing this Barrett
out
aircraft
(e.g.,
I
have to reach out and seriously touch some-
comes
close to the .50 caliber sniper
M-82AI.The powerful and
.50
cal. is ideal
vehicles, as well as terrorists at
rifle,
such as
for knocking
very long ranges
mile or further). Borrett Firearms Mfg.
105
Special
Weapons & Equipment
Baton rounds represent a
hostages
less-than-lethal Vi/ay to con-
requires not only highly trained and dedicated people,
vince terrorists to surren-
Assaulting
and
terrorists
rescuing
but also special equipment. For instance, flash-bang
grenades
flashcrashes) are used to temporarily
(a.k.a.
deafen, blind, and
der The round five
react.
a terrorist so that an
room
SAS, typically produce a sound
and a
nating.
on the
It's
before he can
level of
of 2.4 million candela
light level
175 deci-
when
deto-
mind-blowing experience for the terrorists
a
Gas, such as
CS and CN,
is
also useful
in
distract-
Counterterrorist units use either 37/38-
gas guns or
12-gauge shotguns to launch ferret
rounds
filled
rorists.
Defense Technology of America has designed
with tear gas into a structure housing ter-
futuristic-looking
gas gun, the
37/38-mm L8
a
Multi-
Launcher, which can unload six rounds of tear gas from Its
rotary magazine
in
three seconds.
If
you're an
cionado of Arnold Schwarzenegger, you saw this
weapon
use
live
occasions, you simply don't want to
ammo.
ground nuclear always wise. rely
afi-
a replica of
the movie Terminator 2:Judgment Day.
in
On some
In
Firing
missile
an
SMG
silo,
circumstances
for
inside
an under-
example.
like
this,
Is
not
operators
on less-than-lethal technology. Such devices
are intended to put you out of action, but not necessarily
kill
you.
with
feet.
Examples
of
less-than-lethal
Wooden
baton
rounds are also available to
CT if
forces, but they can
kill
directly fired at a person,
since the batons are heavier
and
foam
receiving end.
ing terrorists.
mm
enter a
Such grenades, which were developed by the
British
bels
safely
filled
an effective range of about
overwhelm
100
team can
assault
is
foam batons that have
less
flexible
rubber
Technology
than
Defense
of" Americo
nition can
be used on the
and Assembly
unit's
forces use
weapons locker
BlackTalon.Hydra-Shok.and Glaser
you'll likely find
rounds.
CT
battlefield,
CT
whatever they wane Visit a
Of these, the
Glaser Safety Slug has an amazing
Delay kill
Fuze Block
tango
rate. Hit a
in
the arm,
90 percent of the time the
The Glaser
leg,
a hollow point bullet
is
or pinkie toe, and
shock
resulting
I
When
liquid Teflon.
Block
let disintegrates
a Rubber Grenade Body
below the
surface, releasing the shot
cone-shaped paaern that destroys
Another "drop dead" round
_
It's
Powder
When
fired,
down anyone
its
like
a flying hole saw. This
grenades are not usually used by
CS
operators
if
this,
these
A
tear gas
ters shooting
hostages are
as the terrorists, because the hostages could
'seriously injured.
has
CT
Because of
nastier relative of the sting grenade exists:
mixed
in
with
the
rubber
balls.
it
Defense
Technology of America
gas mixed
with the rubber balls.This makes for a
in
drills
in
be
real
—
especially in
round
(.38, .357,
hollow bullet
9
mm), which has
bullet hits,
and leaves behind a
splotch of paint. This helps
telltale
confirm that a person has indeed been
grenade
use cover during
that
sonic apparatus emits certain frequencies that cause
headaches, nausea, ing.
It
comes
in
irritation, sweating,
and even vomit-
various sizes, including a battery-sized
device that can be covertly placed inside a terrorist's hideout. Within hours,
he'll
be too sick and distracted
strikes that
it
Unlike the military, which must abide by
kit,
Convention protocols that dictate what type of ammu-
open
and by which has enough
their heads
fired
from
training.
down and
pistols, rifles
and
recoil. With a
the round can also be fired from shot-
guns. The bullets are tactically accurate up to about 25
which
feet,
is
ideal for
CQB
drills
that take place
in
shooting houses. Simunition also manufactures a so-called "vanishing
the Greenshield round. Technically
ammo
bullet that disintegrates into dust
Geneva
hit
FX round
submachine guns, producing near-normal conversion
shatters
adds realism to the
frangible bullet, Greenshield
Ammunition
it
firefights.
The FX round can be
bullet,"
to fight effectively.
it
Operators quickly learn to keep
interesting less-than-lethal
wave device
FX
the
with a water-soluble red or blue
filled
when
weapon is a sound makes people become violently ill.The
is
a plastic, pre-scored
marking powder When the
sting
with active agent.
close-quar-
on Simunition products. The most popular
the red or blue team. The
filled
into a terrorist
deadly energy.
—
side,
An
its
means
the counterterrorism world relies
weapon that makes everyone in a room miserable when it detonates. Assault teams must be masked before entering a room that has been painted by a sting nasty
way
its
quickly, releasing
within 50 feet after det-
balls.
Law Grabber. tip.
For training purposes 180 rubber
onation with their
the
toothed
and then expands Sting grenades can bring
is
the bullet spins at 45,000 rpm, with
that the bullet rapidly "drills"
room
in
and bone.
flesh
a jacketed hollow point bullet that has a
toothed point acting
the same
in
target, the bul-
its
This causes instant incapacitation.
—
Flash
the bullet strikes
him.
kill
suspended
projectiles (# 2 chilled lead shot) that are Delay
will
with 330 mini-
filled
ricochet or splashback. .38,9
mm, and
5.56
The
mm.The
is
a
known
on impact, with no
lead-free bullets FBI's
as a
copper-polymer
come
in
Hostage RescueTeam
107
One
secret of counterterronsm
about any type of
ammo
array of boattailed bullets
of a .50
cal.
drills.
(left
training
The hollow
to
it's
not the
right): Sierra
wear protective
rounds are
bullet shatters
get, releasing a bright red
1
68
weapon you use
grain,
Lapua
1
ideal for close-quarters
open when
or blue marking
face and throat gear
using Simunition. SF Tomajczyk
108
that
STTU
The Simunition FX battle
is
that counts,
it's
the ammunition.
they want, from expanding hollow-points to Teflon and chilled-shot
when
striking a tar-
powder Operators practicing assaults
85, Sierra
1
90, Sierra 220, ,50
filled cal.
And CT
forces have access to just
Glaser rounds. This photo shows an
750
grain,
spent .50
cal.,
and
steel
core
ammunition to achieve certain
ized
when
shooting through an
dows, a non-jacketed round
tasks.
For instance,
aircraft's thick,
cockpit win-
used to prevent bullet
is
frag-
mentation and injury to nearby hostages. Armor-piercing
and frangible
doors.The
vehicles,
heavy equipment,
bullets are ideal for starting fires,
slugs are perfect for blasting
of specialized
availability
mind-boggling. You
And All
down
used to take
bullets are
and aircraft Incendiaiy
name
it,
ammo
open locked
CT
to
they've probably got
units
is
it
the Rest
Dressing up for a takedown
CT operator wears Nomex
the mission:
is
an art unto
itself.Today's
30 to 50 pounds of gear depending on balaclava
and gloves, Nomex
coveralls,
shin pads, assault boots, Kevlar ballistic helmet, Bolle tactical goggles,
load-bearing tactical vest (which holds
magazines, flashlight, radio gear and a ster with pistol and
first aid kit),
ammo, throat microphones, flash-bang
grenades and thigh pouch, submachine gun with chemical spray gas mask,
or
cuffs
flex
infrared),
cuffs,
ammo
thigh hol-
knife,
chemical
sling,
OC
90,000-volt stun gun, hand-
light
sticks
(visible
light
or
and Kevlar bulletproof vest with an optional
"chicken plate."
Most
tactical vests
are designed to handle
interchangeable sets of pouches and holders, so that the vest can be customized for a particular mission. In
Operators routinely wear 30 to 50 pounds of equipment when conducting an
which
is
why they must be
condition. These operators are wearing
ical
gles,
kit,
guns
in
superb phys-
Nomex
tions.
hoods, gog-
flame-retardant overalls, bulletproof vests, and multi-pocket
tactical vests,
aid
assault,
mace,
in
which are etc.
Note
typically filled with
that both
men
a cross-draw position. This
prefer to
wear their handguns, extra
grenade or two
in
thigh holsters.
is
ammo
magazines,
ammo
field include:
ing ram,
most operators
clips,
and a flashbang
SITU
in
various situa-
The more commonplace items sent out
first
are carrying their handunusual:
addition to this basic outfitting, counterterrorism
forces also use specialized equipment
jamb spreader, bolt
cutters), explosives (shaped
charge, C-4, detonator cord, ribbon cutting charge), mirrors, metal detectors, night vision goggles
grenades (smoke, stinger ladders,
(Gen
style), ballistic shields,
sound suppressors, glass punches,
diving gear, binoculars, surveillance
The
in
metal walls of this
inch-thick rubber
mat
its
shooting house, The Maze.
facility
are covered with a
half-
that allows the bullet to pene-
trate before crumbling into dust.
Because of the unpredictable nature of counterterrorism,
CT
forces often have to resort to using special-
III),
fiber optic
communica-
equipment, sniper gear (drag bag, mat, spotting
scope, ghillie
more.
Gen
rappelling gear,
devices), chemical agent detectors, satellite
tions
II,
extendible
equipment (cameras,
microphones, borescopes, recording devices, uses frangible bullets
into the
breaching equipment (hooligan tool, batter-
One
suit), laser
designators, lock picking guns, and
unique item
is
a small electronic device that
can open nearly every brand of garage door.
It is
used to
achieve covert, non-forcible entries.
109
no
CHAPTER EIGHT
Takedown! Training and Tactics "Any action taken
against terrorists
forceful,
must be
swift,
and aggressive."
—Anonymous
Speed. Surprise. Violence of action. These three concepts are at the heart of counterterrorism. Every
team
elite
when assaulting And do it in
strives to achieve these
terrorists. Hit
them
hard. Hit
them
fast.
such a way that the tangos are shocked and unable to
respond
effectively.
To acquire ly
this capability,
CT
forces constant-
practice takedowns, doing various entry tactics
CQB
techniques. They practice in shooting abandoned buildings, on trains, aboard ships, and in planes. They do it during the day, in the afternoon, and under the cover of darkness. They do it in the deserts and in the mountains, as well as in rural towns and in huge cities. And they do It in all weather conditions: rain, fog, snow,
and
houses,
sleet,
in
and oppressive heat.
take
down
Note the use of the
with magnesium particles explode.
bang back
at
fires, To
As
drill.
is
commonplace,
two entry
ways,
men. to protect their
shields by the point
the blast wave and debris. STTU
are designed to temporarily blind and
deafen hostiles into submission. Here, two stun grenades
devices to start
house during a training
allowing the teams to simultaneously enter at different points.
men from BLAM! Stun grenades
a
explosive breaching charges have been set at
It
is
not unusual for such
prevent a terrorist from throwing a
flash-
the assault team, the grenade usually has a very
short fuse, no longer than
1
,5
seconds. STTU
American
filled
their ing
own
counterterrorist
complex
at
its
HRT
each has
Quantico; Delta Force has
Operations Training center at has
teams
training facilities:The FBI
training
complex
at
Ft.
Bragg;
Dam
its
its
have train-
Special
DevGroup
Neck; and the
III
SOG
Marshal Services' in
Louisiana.
has
its
40-acre Tactical Center
These complexes are
made up
typically
of firing ranges, indoor shooting houses, situation
rooms, rappelling towers, sniper ranges,
linear targets
mock urban town
centers, and
buses, planes),
(e.g.,
obstacle courses. They are hidden from the public so that assault tactics cannot be witnessed, and so that
any sudden preparations a unit makes to deploy on a mission do not
response
is
tip off
the terrorists that an organized
underway. By
rorism must be cloaked
A
very nature, counterter-
its
secrecy.
in
less publicized training facility,
which
is
home
two quasi counterterrorist units, is the James J. Rowley Training Center in Beltsville, Maryland. The two units in question are the Secret Service's Counter Assault Team (CAT) and Counter Sniper Team (CST).They are deployed with the President to of
CT cult
forces routinely train
to
quickly
Concepts,
Inc., is
elite units in
one of
low-light conditions,
in
identify
hostiles
from
it
is
diffi-
Combative
several private organizations that trains
low-light shooting tactics. Here, a
demonstrates one way to shoot and scoot using the modified crossed wrist
a larger-than-normal
where
friendlies.
flashlight.
in
method with an
CCI
instructor
the dark. He's assault
rifle
and
SFTomojczyk
protect him from assassination attempts.
which
draws
its
members from
The CST,
Uniformed
the
Branch, works with the President's advance team to
motor-
identify potential sniper hiding spots along a
cade route or
in
a particular area
or
building,
and
then keeps an eye on them to eliminate any sniper
may
that
CAT
appear.
is
responsible for thwarting
and reacting to armed assaults made against the President.
They
fight
the assailants while the Secret
Service's close protection detail rushes the President
out of harm's way. This
unit,
which was created
after
the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan, routinely
sits in
a
room or
vehicle within seconds of
armed and decked-out in their assault gear.The leader carries two radios: one that connects the President,
him with the
tactical
team, and the other to talk with
the President's protection All
each other's No,
it's
not a Star Trek laser gun, though
belongs to the twenty-first century that
is
widely used by
combat shooting photo)
affixes
Tomojczyk
112
drills.
CT The
to the tube
It's
it
does look
like
in
magazine (absent
in
(e.g.,
CT forces
cross-train at
well as at other
complexes
GSG-9, GIGN, SAS) and those
it
gun
forces to practice close-quarters paintball
facilities, as
around the world
actually a paintball
detail.
of the United States'
the
front of the Red-dot sight. SF
that are privately
many as
owned. With regard to the latter, from such organizations
units receive training
Combative Concepts,
Training
Unit,
Thunder
Inc.,
Specialized
Ranch,
Tactical
Gunsite,
Thor
International, and the Mid-South Institute. These facil-
South
I
provided
has
DevGroup,
SOAR, and
60th
training
to
FBI HRT, Secret Service a host of
other
Delta
CAT,
Force,
USMS SOG,
elite units including
the British SAS.
CT
Military
exercises
in
For example,
Campbell
forces often conduct joint training
major urban areas of the United in
June
995, units from
— reportedly
SOAR — descended sites to
1
conduct
Ft.
States.
Bragg and
Delta Force and the
Ft.
160th
on four Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
a nighttime rescue operation using
night vision goggles.
Nine helicopters
OH-6A
(six
Cayuse and three MH-60 Black Hawks) flew over Pittsburgh and inserted
to their objectives. The sive Live-fire
hostage rescue
to the real thing. Volunteers
and placed ture,
to
rescue the hostage.
room engaging If
it.
If
direction of his assault team.
bat shooting
aimed quick
i;
c.V!
^e:
tied
up
forces enter the struc-
terrorist targets,
and then
will
be shooting
in
charges to gain access to the buildings
in
explo-
which
the hostages and terrorists were housed. Although the
drill
went smoothly,
who were
it
not aware that
going on. Several,
in fact,
attack. Similar drills have
alarmed many residents a
was was under
training exercise
thought the
city
been conducted elsewhere
the
STTU
training
in
advanced assault
entry methods, close-quarters com-
(e.g., kill,
CT
he does, he
commonly provide
tactics, high-risk
case, a
a
an assaulter bypasses a target, he cannot
turn around and engage
ities
(in this
inside a shooting house.
move room
C" jwoman) are
are the closes:
drills
commandos, who fast-roped
commandos then used
rapid
double
aimed
fire,
point shooting,
tap, multiple target indexing),
barricade takedowns, low-light shooting techniques, explosive breaching, and sniping.
The Shooting
Mid-South is
of
Institute
Self-Defense
perhaps the best-known and most innov-
ative shooting school
in
the United States. Located at
Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, and founded by worldclass
shooter John
ranges and
One
Shaw, the
facility
features
two shooting houses on 40 acres
22
of land.
of the shooting houses (6,000 square feet) has
28 rooms that
2-, 4-
and 6-man assault teams can run
through, while shooting at moving hostile targets with
live fire.
Mid-South also has
a military
approved for parachute operations,
drop zone
as well as an adja-
cent 2,500-foot runway that can be used for borne-related tactics. Since
its
inception
in
1
air-
982, Mid-
Live-fire dnils are
an important way to keep one's shooting
honed. Here, an operator armed with a
H&K MP5SD
using effective cover (a truck trailer) to shoot at targets.
unusual for
rounds
a
members of some
elite
CT
skills
practices It is
not
forces to shoot 2,500
week. SITU
113
around the country, including the Chicago suburbs of
Lemont and Homer
Simultaneously, sniper-observers teams are deployed to contain the situation and begin collecting
Building
Takedowns
Counterterrorlst teams spend ticing building assaults,
tions
involve
a
of time prac-
a lot
because most hostage
some
of
building
sort.
include Princess Gate (l980),Talladega
(1
situa-
Examples
99
1),
Waco
Montana Freeman 996), and the takeover of the Japanese Embassy in Peru (1996). Social, political, and religious terrorists are the most difficult to deal with because of their commitment. When they barri(
I
993),
(
cade themselves inside
1
a building,
the probability of a
prolonged incident increases and the
becomes very
When
risk to
hostages
takeover occurs, an inner and
a building
outer perimeter quickly
is
relayed by radio to a tactical
is
identifying
ities,
other
marks of hostages and terrorists, and Often, they photograph the ter-
vital factors.
rorists so that the assault
teams are able to quickly
and correctly identify them during the takedown.
To make certain that everyone receives the same "picture" of
what
is
happening, the building
coded and numbered. For
is
color
instance, the sides of the
building are labeled by color
(e.g.,
black for the rear, green for the
white for the front, left,
and red for the
and the windows are numbered from top to
right),
high.
intelli-
command centerThe snipers take note of the number of terrorists, weapon types, booby traps, terrorist activ-
gence, which
bottom, floor-by-floor This way,
if
a sniper
reports
established around the
building by police. This creates a safety zone, as well as
controls public and media access to the area.
Sniper-observer teams are rorlst assault
terrorists, reporting their
mand center This planning
ordered,
their it
is
vital
to the success of any counterter-
Remaining well hidden, they maintain watch on the
vital
observations back to the tactical com-
information
is
used by the assault team
takedown choreography
the sniper
who
When
protects the assault
terrorists with a single shot to the brain or heart.
114
the
assault
in is
team and drops SFJomojCzyk
Plan, plan, plan. That's
the key to
all
takedowns. Team members
must know what they're up against and how they intend to
move
inside the structure.
fice for
planning an
— often done on
ping real
thing
hostage
Quick sketches, such
as this one, suf-
emergency assault but more a portable
computer— is
detailed
map-
preferred for the
Data from sniper-observers about terronst and
activities are
used to update the maps. STTU
tify
possible entry points.
Once the breaching areas may be used to blow
are determined, explosives
open doors and/or create holes
in
the external walls.
keeping with the "Speed. Surprise. Violence of
In
Action" motto, assault teams nearly always use some sort of distraction tactic to confuse the terrorists
before
just
the takedown. For example,
Initiating
flash-bang grenades can be tossed into
one area of
the building (away from the entry point),
wooden
baton rounds or tear gas canisters can be
fired at
windows on
certain levels, or a helicopter can buzz
the building to get terrorists to area. is
Sometimes, however,
CT
adequate enough:
during the
wee hours
move
just the
to a particular
cover of darkness
forces enjoy doing assaults
of the morning
when
terrorists
are groggy Regardless, entry teams usually hit the building
two
places simultaneously.
at the highest level
downward,
(e.g.,
in
One team
typically starts
roof) and
works
clearing each floor of tangos as
way
its it
goes.
This tactic assures that terrorists don't sneak up
behind them. the building
the assault
If
is
often cut
is
off,
done
at night,
power to
mem-
so that the team
bers can wear night vision goggles. Using infrared chemlights, they can clearly see
where they are going
and what they are doing, while the terrorists fumble
around
Whoa this.
there, buddy. You definitely don't
An
explosive sheet
to blow
it
open
is
The
blast will likely
throw
cally
move
STTU
White 7-7" everyone knows
that a terrorist
has been sighted at the front of the building
seventh floor at the seventh
Such information
is
recorded
window from at the tactical
center; over time, the terrorists' routine
To
is
on the
the
left.
command
established.
gain access to a building taken over by ter-
rorists, assault
teams
first
blueprints of the building.
one who
is
in
monly known Train."
"Tango,
the dark, panicking. Again, this gives the
Since speed
being carefully applied to a steel door
for an assault team.
debris up to 50 feet away.
want to get too close to
in
team the upper hand
assault
get their hands on the
They
also talk with
intimate with the structure
some-
(e.g., sanitari-
an, architect) to discern the internal layout
and Iden-
move
stairwell.
member
the situation.
a straight line formation that
"Congo
Line,"
In
Is
It is
mem-
also dan-
constricted areas such as a hallway
A terrorist can
pop out and
kill
every team
with a machine gun burst. Because of
formation changes
com-
and "The
formation allows the team
this
quickly through a building.
gerous, especially
or
In
of the essence, assault teams typi-
as the "Snake,"
Although
bers to
is
—
It
this,
—
widens and spreads out
the
as
It
moves through open rooms. Also, the team members make sure that they are as unpredictable as possible
when moving room
to
room
In
a building.
For example, they avoid being rhythmical
movements, they enter rooms
In
their
at different heights.
115
Hi there, mind
Whenever
if
we drop
in?
Rappelling
possible, assaults are
often the easiest and quicl
is
done by working from the top of the
and they change their approach direction so that the terrorists aren't able to figure out
some rooms, two men
will
enter;
where they
In
are. In
others, four
And
Sometimes the men will enter simultaneously using the buttonhook entry, or one at a time using the crisscross or X entry tech-
means to reach
building
hallways
nique.
On
occasion, a
room needs
by a "high/low" combination, kneels with his
SMG,
in
only to be cleared
which one operator
while the other stands directly
over him. Each man can quickly check
and
safely
shooting
half the
room
engage any terrorists without fear of
his
partner
(If
the kneeling
man
stands up
up and out of the way.)
Mouseholes are another way predictability.
If
can blast small holes ing
in
team to avoid
the internal walls of the build-
and move from room to room. This not only
shocks the terrorists,
116
for a
who
typically are guarding the
in
floor
some
areas of the building.
STTU
importantly,
means
it
that the
to,
not what
more men
assaults a
it
an entry team of four or
room, the
third
tional protective ists
wants
man
in
the Snake often wears addi-
body armor This
can usually react and start
is
because terror-
firing their
the assault team by the time the third
weapons
man
hits
at
the
doorway. Hence the third man can only hope that either the flash-bangs stun the terrorists long for the
first
two team members
enough
to drop them, or that
the terrorists have terrible aim.
When tine
Using shaped charges, the assault team
more
first
the building's layout dictates.
suddenly, his head safely pushes the standing man's
SMG
but,
the
team follows the path
assault
others, six or more.
still
terrorists hiding
down toward
clearing a
operators follow.
room, there First,
is
a specific
they dominate the
rou-
room
by moving to positions that allow them to over-
whelm
the terrorists with interlocking fields-of-fire.
Second, they eliminate the threat as quickly as possible.
Third, they control the situation and secure
personnel with either handcuffs or plastic
all
tie-ties.
ua^^ Explosive caulk was used to cut a "mousehole"
door Mouseholes, which are often used
own
in
this
wooden
inside walls, allow an
in
assault
team to
relying
on hallways that might be booby trapped. Assault team
pick their
members wear goggles
path through a building instead of
to protect their eyes from the
debris that results from the
smoke and
door charge's detonation. SITU
Fourth, they search the dead to ensure that they are
dead and no longer pose
thump"
is
done to see
if
a threat.
Often an "eye
there
any deep pain
response
in
an
unconscious
search the
room
to determine
potential threats to the team.
is
person. if
Fifth,
they
there are any other
And
last,
they evacu-
ate the hostages and prisoners.
The reason Two CCI clearing a
instructors demonstrate the high/low stack
room. The
pair will simultaneously pivot
method of
outward to
their right to clear the far corner directly to their left inside the
dooway As
they do
inside of the entire they'll
so, their
room.
If
weapons
will
sweep across the
any terrorists are waiting
be quickly taken down. SFTomojCzyk
inside,
for handcuffing everyone
is
because
an assault team doesn't have the time to sort out
hostages from terrorists playing "sheep." That task left
to follow-on teams.
mission
is
The
is
assault teams' primary
to swiftly eliminate the immediate threat
before hostages are
killed.
And
that typically entails a
"double-tap" to a terrorist's head.
117
A
key aspect of counterterrorism
Chokes and killing
is
strangles are
not permitted.
breathing,
If
the choke
is
to dominate the situation. hostiles
when
choke prevents the
assailant
from
A
whereas a strangle cuts
brain. In this photo, a
teer
is
two ways to subdue
choke hold
is
off the
blood flow to the
being practiced on a volun-
held 30 to 90 seconds, the person
Note the operator maintaining
unconscious.
weapon, so that
if it
is
no one
fired
will
go
of the
control
The easy way at night to
team has to keep
assault fuel,
Use
to assault an aircraft:
a luggage
conveyor
run up and open the main hatch. When doing in
mind that the
plane's weight
luggage, and passengers can cause the door's height
above
attempt to open the
the ground to change. Often a team
will
hatch only to discover that they
the conveyor or ladder
blocking
it
shut.
can't;
al
at
remote areas of airports using sever-
different types of aircraft.They study the aircraft
The second most common takedov/n scenario involves what is known as a linear target: buses,
airport operations so they can plan assaults based
planes, and trains (including subways).
an
ed space to move around
in
is
STTU
do takedowns
narrow and very
the
from
be hurt, SITU
will
Linear Assaults
targets are
belt
this,
All of
these
confining, offering limit-
and almost no protective
various contingencies. For example, they learn aircraft's blind
and
on where
spots are so they can approach the
without being seen. They learn the location of
craft
hatches and what warning
on the control panel
lights
cover for the assault team. (A terrorist, for example,
in
is
opened. And they
can shoot an operator at the rear of an airplane from
learn
where the "soft spots" on the
fuselage are locat-
the cockpit doorway.) These targets are also
ed,
case an explosive entry
to sneak up on, since passenger
windows
difficult
A
train has
two
to four
linear
emergency
assaults
two doors;
a bus.
two doors and perhaps
one. The average plane has exits.
For
all
of these reasons,
are innately dangerous and
require
The United
118
States'
CT
forces practice assaulting
types of linear targets. With regard to
In
a
typical
sniper-observers
Those on the Papa
3,"
left
lit
up
if
a
hatch
aircraft,
they
needed.
hijacking
terrorist
are
is
placed
of an
around
the
aircraft. I,
and so on, while those positioned on the
right side are labeled "Sierra 2, Sierra 4,"
Each sniper-observer has
I
aircraft,
side are typically labeled "Papa
a
and so on.
specific portion
plane that they are responsible
special skills to accomplish successfully.
all
in
usually run
the length of the vehicle. Furthermore, they offer few natural entry points.
the cockpit are
for.
of the
For instance. Papa
and Sierra 2 both watch the plane's cockpit area.
Papa 5 and Sierra 6 usually are assigned the wing
—
A
close look at a bus takedown. Several assault
where they can shoot
dows
team members
attack the doors while others use step ladders to get to
at terrorists. Linear targets, like this bus, are difficult
all
height
the win-
allow the terrorists (and sympathetic hostages) to see you coming. SITU
area. Papa 3
and Sierra 4 keep an eye on the space
between the wing and
cockpit. Each sniper-observer
relays information to the
command
post about what
As the usually
where
assault team(s)
When
moves
into
a natural blind spot exists
the assault
used to surgically
is
in
in
snipers pro-
instances, snipers are used to disable
caliber
.50
M-82 .50— is
it
—
them to stun the
terrorists
—they
the snipers are often
its
easy for passengers to be
manner, as
many terrorists as possible that are visible in windows and open doorways. They use non-jacketed bulso that nearby hostages are not injured by frag-
off.
— such
In
these
as
the
As the operators storm the plane in several places same time often tossing flash-bangs ahead of
at the
duckThe
a synchronized
rifle
ideal.
to
is
from taking
sniper
spotted.
case the team
initiated,
kill,
—the
some the
cases,
position
approaching from the rear of the aircraft
vide cover for them, just
In
the aircraft, to prevent
Barrett
the terrorists are doing.
lets,
window
to assault. There are few natural entry points and
ists
yell at
the passengers
quarters are so cramped inside a plane that
panic and spray their
plane;
many
some
cases, snipers will
hit
by bullets as the terror-
SMGs down
planes are only about
third of the aircraft to
fire
into the
encourage passengers
get down.This
and/or fuselage.
and also serves as diversionary
done
the length of the
5 feet wide inside.
be ordered to
mentation as the bullet passes through the window
is
1
(In
upper
inside to
at the very beginning of an assault, fire.)
119
Yo, ho,
deck.
ho and
CT
a bottle of rum.
How 'bout some
lead instead?
Two
operators practice boarding a ship and taking
forces must be prepared to respond to terrorist incidents
If all
onds or
goes so,
well, the assault
with the
last
is
in
over within 30 sec-
gunfight usually being held
in
the cockpit where the terrorist leader has barricad-
ed himself.
Yet,
notably
First,
num-
the huge size of a passenger ship
requires a large terrorist assault team to take control of
the
vessel
and
then
guard
the
hundreds
logistics
in
the
first
place can be a difficult
problem. Second, once terrorists are aboard,
no easy way for them to escape if they change their mind. They're surrounded not only by
there
is
water, but also by military and police forces.
And
is too large to defend against a determined assault done by counterterrorist forces.
third, a ship
120
DevGroup
—
States'
teams
elite
train for ship assaults.
and boats, and blueprints of the
ship exists visit
on the
— most One
of
vessel's lay-
—
and often they
do
—the
CT
If
a sister
team
will
insertion
technique and
Because of the lack of cover at
sea, assaults are
it
to
practice
their
assault tactic.
of
hostages that are taken. Getting that many terrorists
aboard the ship
United
the
out are acquired from the ship's owners.
Ship hijackings are relatively rare, and for a
ber of reasons.
terrorists
the first things done before doing a takedown is to collect intelligence. The ship is shadowed by satellites, aircraft,
Ship Takedowns
down
any environment, including the maritime arena. STfU
usually
done
under
the
cover
of
darkness.
Helicopters carrying sniper teams and assault teams
low above the ocean and approach from the
ship's
stern. Helicopters carrying the snipers arrive
first,
fly
positioning themselves on either
side of the ship at a
45- to 60-degree angle to the assault team that
ropes onto
fast-
the stern. This prevents sniper bullets
from ricocheting
into friendly forces. (Assault
team
members
also
wear
terrorists.)
The
do not mistake them for
snipers take out any hostiles while
providing intelligence data
booby
weapon
traps,
chem
either glint tape or infrared
sticks so that the snipers
(e.g.,
terrorist locations,
types, clear routes) via radio to
shaped corridors (one-man dors
(two-man
(three
man
external
copters as part of a takedown. Instead, they rely on craft
raiding
with
silenced
engines
to
quietly
approach the ship from astern and then climb other instances, the assault team uses
aboard.
In
SCUBA
or mini-subs to stealthily approach
earlier chapter, this tactic
SEALs to resolve the In
these
of
all
extendible
the
poles
how
the ship, once they
an
was considered by Navy
hit
assault
teams
use
and/or caving ladders
with hooks to climb the ship's Regardless of
in
Achille Lauro hijacking in 1985.
cases,
painter's
a ship
As covered
either at night or during daylight.
hull.
the operators get aboard
the deck, they
"Train" formation, quickly clearing
move
a
in
rooms and cor-
ridors of terrorists and hostages as they head for
the
ship's
nique
—
in
bridge.
The two-man clearance techa room and
which two operators enter
and right staying 18 inches
split left
off the wall
—
is
assault), internal stairs
stairs
Once heli-
assault),
(four
man
T-shaped corricorridors
cross-shaped (one
assault),
man
assault),
and the
ship's
bridge (four- to six-man assault).
the assault team.
Sometimes, assault teams do not use
assault),
the assault of the ship's bridge
is
com-
pleted, follow-on forces land aboard the ship to deal with the hostages and any
wounded
personnel.
Meanwhile, the bowels of the ship are cleared of
communications room, engicompartment, and steering room are
terrorists. The vessel's
neering
guarded after being cleared so that straggler
is
not able to
somehow
a lone terrorist
circle
back and do
any damage. When the internal clearance
and
all
the detainees are accounted
for,
is
finished
the assault
team extracts. The amount of time required to take down a passenger ship depends on several things, including the size of the ship, the number of terrorists aboard the vessel, and the determination of the terrorists to fight
the
CT forces. Regardless
of whether
minutes or 10 hours, the result
will likely
it
takes
1
always be
the same: the demise of the terrorists. The motto of
counterterrorism, "Speed. Surprise. Violence action" ensures
of
it.
most commonly used by small size of the
assault teams due to the compartments. The operators run
about three-quarters of the way down the wall, shooting any armed terrorists they encounter in their sphere of influence. Prisoners are secured to
the ship; each
gear to
fully
operator
typically
carries
enough
secure six prisoners.
Large compartments, such as the mess hall and crew lounge, are cleared by four men instead of just two. While the four operators clear the room, the
breacher and point man continue
down
the passage-
way to the next room. Here, the point man maintains security and the breacher prepares for entry.
the four assault team
room
is
members
When
catch up to them, the
breached. This fleet-footed choreography
continues room-to-room, deck-to-deck. The assault
formation
itself
changes as the team encounters
L-
CT
forces routinely secure hostages and prisoners with hand-
cuffs or, in this case, tie-ties.
Made of nylon-reinforced
plastic,
the
unbelievably strong tie-ties have to be cut off to be removed. SF
Jomojczyk
121
Where
Elite
CT Forces
Train in America (Not Inclusive)
Trujning I'm
Coronado NAB Combaiive Concepts
Inc
Thor Intemalional
Davis-Month an Ah"B
Training for Tomorrow The United States is now
at an
important cross-
roads. Terrorism has stained
our
that stain growing larger
the future are quite good.
There
is
in
soil
and the chances of
among among our own citizens. now more willing then ever
an undercurrent of dissension not only
o
extremists overseas, but also
People want change and are
Figure 8-2
to resort to violence to force their ideas of change into reality.
As long
as this continues,
highly trained, special elite
we
will
have a need for
teams to resolve
The
criss-cross entry pcnnits an assault [earn to
quickJy enter a
room from
shellered positions.
crises, in
extremis situations, and terrorist actions. Fortunately, units like Delta Force and
stand
ready
to
emergencies
Hostage Rescue Team
is
abroad, and
DevGroup the
FBI's
poised to resolve incidents here
HRT has begun to be more proactive in The HRT and the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) recendy established open
at
home.
its
In fact,
approach.
Figure H-3
The huttonhook entry allows iwo assault team members to Mmultaneously enter a room providing, ol course, that
122
the
doorway
is
wide enough.
o
Papa
of negotiations. The potential for escalation of this situ-
Sierra 2
1
ation into a bloody war-like crisis involving other militias
sympathetic to McLaren was effectively defused. This kind of communication/negotiation process likely
to
become more
heavily used in the future.
law enforcement agencies are, capabilities in this arena.
in fact,
is
Many
expanding their
However, when
talk
is
cheap
and the wackos of the world resort to body counts and bombs, ing that
we
can
America's
all
take a deep sigh of relief
elite
hand.These highly trained and Papa
and
Sierra 8
'i
for
women
willingly
walk into
one reason:To save
know-
counterterrorist forces are at specially life
equipped men
and death situations
lives.
Figure 8-1 thai would typically be positioned McDonnell Douglas DC-IO. three-engined transport.
Smper-observer learn locations around
a
Firing positions can be
plane that assault
is
team
moved
to teinforce a particular area of the
heavily usexl by terrorists or
®®®®
be used by the
thl is to
to gain entry.
communication with many
and extremist groups
militias
throughout the country so they can lower tensions before things get out of hand and result
in
bloodshed.
This tactic proved to be invaluable during the April
1997 standoff
in
Fort Davis, Texas,
Texas leader Richard McLaren and
in
which Republic of
his
followers refused
to surrender after a warrant had been served for
McLaren's arrest. in
court
in
papers he
HRT
He was wanted
a dispute over
filed in
name
the
CIRG were
bogus
for failure to appear liens
and other
illegal
of the Republic ofTexas.The
communication with key
militia
leaders around the United States throughout the
crisis,
and
relaying
messages
in
in
Figure 8-4
an attempt to defuse the situation
as well as reassuring the militias that the
HRT was
not
gearing up to respond. McLaren surrendered peacefully
to local law enforcement
officials after a
tense
fairly standard four-man entry. After the breachcr (B) forces open the door, the lead "Snake" or "Train" crosses the room to opposite comer, taking control of most of the room. The second man in buttonhooks through the door^^ay and heads for the comer. The third man follous the leader; the last man in the stack, the second man. Room clearing can be done m as little as seven seconds. The hoes represent sectors-of-fire for each operator. In small rooms, only two men are used
This figure shows a
week
man
in the
123
GLOSSARY ARG: Accident Response Group,
a
DoE
volunteer
responds to nuclear accidents. See also
unit that
NEST. ATA: Anti-Terrorist Assistance, a program operated by the State Department to train foreign law enforcement agencies in counterterrorism techniques. The U.S. Marshals Service
the tactical
training at
SOG
Tactical
its
in
CBDCOM:
Center.
Located
in
Washington, D.C., and operated by the Navy, the center monitors terrorist activities worldwide Bang: Slang for a flash-bang grenade.
Force, a Marine
Chicken
sives.
A
Black Talon:
weapons
inci-
Broken Arrow.
lethal,
ments into claw-like shards upon impact. Blow and Go: Phrase used by CT units in reference to dynamic entries: you blow the explosive charges and immediately enter the building through the breach or hole.
is
much more
a nuclear accident.
It
serious than a Bent Spear See also
Dull Sword.
BUD/S: Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training. A 26-week basic training course at Coronado,
SEAL candidates must endure order to be considered for the SEAL
California, that
and pass
in
all
teams.
CAM:
inside
unit.
the ceramic or steel disk
bulletproof vest.
a
positioned over the heart,
The is
plate,
designed
to withstand hits from high-caliber bullets.
CIRG:
Response Group.
Critical Incident
A compo-
Team and
negotiators to
crises.
CR: Designation for trate a gas mask
CN
a tear gas filter
tear gas.
CR
agent that can pene-
that normally will stop is
CS
used against terrorists
equipped with gas masks.
CST:
for a terrorist. See also Tango.
U.S. Secret Service's
Counter-Sniper Team.
CTC: Counterterrorism Center
Staffed and operat-
ed by the CIA, the center monitors the where-
abouts and actions of terrorists worldwide.
DevGroup: Development Group, the new name for SEAL Team Six. DoD: Department of Defense. DoE: Department of Energy. DoS: Department of State, a federal agency that deals with terrorism involving Americans outside the continental United States.
Double
Tap:
Two aimed
shots fired
in
rapid succes-
sion at a terrorist to ensure that he does not
pose any further threat. See also Mozambique.
Chemical Agent Monitor,
chemical
warfare
soman.
is
It
downwind
agents,
typically set
a
device that detects
such
as
sarin
Canary; Slang for a hostage.
and
up along a perimeter,
of a potential gas release to
an attack.
124
is
Crow: Slang
hollow-point bullet that frag-
Broken Arrow: Codename for
fits
which
and for a nuclear
Corps
Plate: Slang for
the Hostage Rescue
these three controlled items, as well as explo-
Codename
units
nent of the FBI that oversees the deployment of
BATE: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, a federal agency that controls the movement of
dent. See also
Defense
Biological
Army command whose
an
respond to chemical and biological incidents. CBIRF: Chemical/Biological Incident Response
and sends out alerts of impending attacks.
Bent Spear:
&
Chemical
Command,
that
Anti-Terrorist Alert
Counter-Assault Team.
U.S. Secret Service's
C/B: Chemical/Biological.
provides
Center
Louisiana.
ATAC:
CAT:
warn of
Dry Hole: An empty room or Dull Sword:
nuclear
Codename
structure.
for a situation
weapon malfunctions or
could result
in
is
in
which
a
damaged, and
detonation or radioactive conta-
mination. See also Bent Spear
Eagle: Slang for a
good guy
counterterrorism
(i.e.,
EOC: Emergency Operations Center EPIC:
Paso Intelligence Center Operated by the
El
DEA, EPIC
movement Numerous federal
tracks and interdicts the
of drugs, aliens, and weapons.
agencies participate at EPIC, including the FBI,
Secret Service, and
Customs
is
a
federal
responsible for terrorist incidents
that occur aboard U.S. aircraft.
Corps unit. FBG: Flash-bang grenade. Also referred to
as "bangs"
A
mm)
finned plastic capsule (12 gauge, 37
that contains tear gas.
end that
front
is
The
scored;
ferret has a blunt
open on
bursts
it
impact, releasing the gas. Ferrets can penetrate 3/4-inch Frags:
plywood barriers
at 100 feet.
Fragmentation grenades.
Frangible
Ammo: A
into dust
copper-polymer
when
it
bullet that turns
ammo
no the shooter
strikes a target, resulting in
ricochet or fragments flying back at Frangible
is
ways, furniture, etc. Glass house
used by
CT
units for
CQB
mock
a scale
unit.
HAHO:
a
A
on the ground. Parachutists jump feet, deploy their chutes, and quietly drift to the predetermined landing site 25 to 50 miles away downwind from where they hostile forces
out at 20,000+
initially
HALO;
jumped out of the
High Altitude,
insertion technique
plane.
Low Opening. A in
time you spend floating is
when you
are
HALO
down most
in
minimizes the
your parachute,
from enemy
at risk
fire.
Among GIGN's
HRT; Hostage Rescue Team, an
res-
in
Djibouti by four terrorists
and the assault of an Air France hijacked
by Algerian
February 1976,
in
jetliner that
terrorists
in
was
December
Glaser Round; A high-velocity, prefragmented projectile
produced
bullet.
in
a soft point,
round-nose
style
Nearly 100 percent of available energy
is
elite
in
the head.
FBI unit that
responds to terrorist and similar high-risk
inci-
dents.
Hydra-Shok: Lethal hollow-point ammunition manufactured by Federal Cartridge
CT
1994.
falls
to about 2,000 feet above the ground before
Head Job: Slang term meaning to be shot HEU: Highly Enriched Uranium.
accomplishments were the
parachute
which the parachutist
Nationale, France's elite counterterrorist unit.
cue of a school bus of children that was hijacked
parachute
insertion technique used to thwart detection by
observation and
Gendarmerie
coun-
hijacked
killed.
High Altitude, High Opening.
which
la
elite
GSG-9 retook
Lufthansa 737 with 91 persons aboard that had been hijacked by terrorists in October 1977. The assault occurred at Mogadishu Airport; no
intelligence for the team.
d'Intervention de
done
are
structure of the target.
detachment, which conducts recon and collects
GIGN: Groupe
drills
GSG-9; Grenzchutzgruppe-9, Germany's
deploying his parachute.
drills.
Funny Platoon: Nickname for Delta Force's all-female
the
an assault team doesn't have time to build
hostages were
and "flashcrashes."
massive
mm
the floor to indicate the location of walls, door-
terterrorist
FAST: Fleet Antiterrorist Security Team, a Marine
Ferret:
in
same stopping power as a .44 magnum. Glass House Drill: An exercise in which an assault team practices assaulting a target using tape on
when
Service.
FAA: Federal Aviation Administration, agency that
transferred to the target, resulting
trauma. The Glaser round gives a 9
operator).
forces use Hydra-Shok
FBI's
HRT
Company. Many
ammo,
including the
and the U.S. Marshals Service's SOG.
IND: Improvised Nuclear Device nuclear bomb).
(i.e.,
a
homemade
125
INS: Immigration
&
Naturalization Service, a federal
agency that prevents the uals into the
entry of individ-
illegal
United States.
Jedi: Nickname for members of DevGroup, after the movie Star Wars. JSOC: Joint Special Operations Command. A compo-
Command
nent of the U.S. Special Operations
headquartered
employment
SOAR. Nickname
Kicker:
who
is
Pope AFB that oversees the DevGroup, SFOD-D, and 160th
at
of
Bird:
assault
team
responsible for kicking open a closed
Nickname
AH-6 or MH-6
for an
copter used by the
MEU/SOC: Marine Operations equipped
HRT
and military
Expeditionary
A
Capable.
CT
heli-
forces
Unit
unit
— Special
trained
that
and
conducts
unconventional warfare and hostage recovery.
called a Scoville
is
containers used by
15 million
is
CT
with 2 million SHU.
Heat Unit SHU. Spray
units have 5 percent
OC
round-shaped
explosives.
CT
move room
to
teams use mouseholes to
assault
room
in a
building to avoid hall-
ways (which are often booby-trapped or covered by weapons
fire),
as well as to surprise tan-
as well as induces choking,
Operator: General term for
a
member
of an assault
Mozambique: Slang for of a terrorist and that the tango
is
firing
two
bullets to the chest
one to the head. This ensures
permanently out of the picture.
See also Double Tap. National
America's
Command Authority.The military
top-level of
chain-of-command, which
consists of the President and the Secretary of
Defense.
Parrot: Slang for a person
who
has not yet been
ARC.
guy Hence, he
is
an unknown. Plink:
A
single discriminating shot, usually a bullet to
the head.
Ranch: See Wally World. gun, such as the
for a
compact submachine
H&K MP5K.
SAS: Special Air Service, Great Britain's premier
CT
world attention in 980 when it recaptured Princess Gate from terrorists who had taken over the Iranian embassy in London unit that gained
I
(Operation Nimrod).
Nickname
Physical:
for the thorough
medical physical given to candidates applying to
Delta Force.
SEAL: Sea/Air/Land, one component of the Navy's
Command
Special
Warfare
special
operations.
stands for "Sleep,
that
is
tasked with
The acronym also Eat And Live it up!"
Semtex:A Czechoslovakian is
NEST: Nuclear Emergency Search Team, a DoE unit that locates nuclear devices and weapons. See
comman-
der
Scuba/HALO
gos.
OC
causes immediate and
coughing, and nausea.
Room Broom: Nickname small,
breach made into walls and/or doorways with
jokingly
plastique explosive that
popular with terrorists.
SFOD-D:
Special Forces Operational
Delta, which
is
more
popularly
Detachment-
known
as Delta
Force.
Shadow
Night Stalkers: See TF- 60. 1
Non-Lethal Weapons (Less Than
Lethal):
Weapons
designed to injure, stun, distract, confuse,
126
measure
(SHU). Pure capsaicin
identified as a friendly or a bad
specially
Corps
Marine
Mob: Nickname for DevGroup. Mousehole: Nickname for a
also
unit of
team, as opposed to a supervisor or
for assaults and covert insertions.
NCA:
based on the capsaicin content of oleoresin. The
temporary blindness,
someone on an
for
door Little
rather than kill a human being. NVG: Night Vision Goggle. OC: Oleoresin Capsicum, an inflammatory tear gas made from red peppers. The hotness of OC is
etc..
Stalkers:
Nickname
for the
USMS
Special
Operations Group. It comes from the fact that the unit hunts dangerous fugitives (a.k.a. shad-
ows), as well as waits
in
the shadows of federal
courthouses during high-profile cases to thwart
Takedown: An
Shoot and Scoot: A phrase that aptly describes how an assault team clears a building or structure; They find the bad guys, shoot 'em, and then quickly move on to the next room or area. Shooter: Nickname for the
members
team who are responsible
of an assault
for shooting hostiles.
See also Kicker
Nickname is
for a
used to clear
Special
six-man assault formation
2) In the U.S.
I)
In
the FBI,
SOG
Marshals Service,
SOG
is
an elite
unit that deploys to high-risk situations, such as
escorting terrorists to and from federal courts.
SRT: Special Reaction Team. ly
In
the military, a special-
trained unit that reacts to and resolves special
threats, such as terrorist acts and hostage tak-
Organized under
ing.
a
squad concept, the ideal
comprised of nine members. Stockholm Syndrome: When hostages begin to empathize with their captors and turn against
SRT
is
their rescuers.
occurred
in
Named
after a 1973 incident that
Stockholm, Sweden,
in
which two
suspects held four clerks hostage for 131 hours
aborted robbery. When an assault team attempted to release them, the hostages shieldafter an
ed the suspects with their bodies. later
SWAT:
One
hostage
married one of the suspects.
Special
Weapons and
Tactics, a unit that
is
trained and equipped to handle special, high-risk incidents
TF- 60: Task Force 160, which 1
160th
after the mili-
Ft.
is
known
also
(e.g.,
barricaded
suspects,
snipers,
armed encounters). Most law enforcement agencies and military bases have
SWAT
teams.
in
an elite
It is
Army
as the
Regiment
Operations Aviation
Special
(160th SOAR). of
unit based
Campbell, Kentucky, that engages
in
out
covert
operations and ferries Delta Force and other
operations
SOAR
units
around. The
160th
nicknamed "Night Stalkers" because it does most of its work at night. Tie-Tie (Flex Cuffs): A lightweight and flexible 22inch-long plastic band that is used to handcuff is
someone's wrists or
legs. The keyless tie-tie
can only be removed by cutting
is
Trick: To
it
so it
off with a
or a pair of clippers.
knife
a building.
Operations Group.
responsible for covert intelligence gathering.
is
named
the letter "T" (Tango)
strong (tensile strength of 370 pounds) that
agent.
that
SOG:
a target.
the phonetic alphabet. See also Crow.
special
SIOC: Strategic Information Operations Center, a specially equipped suite from which the FBI directs major investigations (e.g., World Trade Center bombing, Montana Freemen siege). Slime: Slang term meaning to be gassed with a chemSnake:
on
tary's designation for
terrorist attacks.
ical
assault
Tango: Slang for a terrorist. So
modify and/or customize a weapon.
A
Uncle Fester:
person
how
mation on
to
USCS: United States
who
publishes/shares infor-
make chemical weapons. Customs Service, a federal
agency that prevents the
illegal
entry of sub-
stances, weapons, etc.
USMS: United
States Marshals Service
USSOCOM:
United
Command. A 1987 and
Tampa,
mand
States
unified
headquartered
Florida.
It
Special
command at
Operations established
in
AFB
in
MacDill
com-
has overall operational
of military special operations forces. See
alsoJSOC. USSS: United States Secret Service. Wally World: Nickname for Delta Force's new, multimillion dollar, special
ty at
Ft.
operations training
facili-
Bragg. (The original Delta Force
HQ
was located at Ft. Bragg's old stockade and was known as "The Ranch" because of the propensity of some operators to chew tobacco and wear
When Delta moved to name came along with it.) (WPs): Nickname for a
cowboy
boots.
facilities,
the
Willy
Peter
its
new
White
Phosphorus incendiary grenade.
127
11
2
1
1
3
,
NDEX Atodent Response Group (ARG). 9 Air Force
1
1
,
92. 94
6lh Special Operations Wing, 4
Air Force 720th Speoal Tactics
Gnoup
4
Colt
Marshals5er^/ice,U.S„59,7l-83,87
FN-FAL 104
Al-Fuqfa.25.27
McVeigh,Timothy
American Milto Organization. 26
Mid-South
Antiterronst Aiert Center
(ATAQ,
of Self-Defense Shooting, IIZ
Institute
Army Aeromedical Isolation Team (AIT). 97 Amny Oiemical Casualty Site Team, 96 Amiy 160th Speed Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR),
Natonal
41,57.81.113
Nichols, Terry 14
Amiy 52nd Ordnance Group. 91,93 Amty Technical Escort Unit (TEU), 95. 96
Nonega. Manuel. 30
Aryan Nations. 2
1,
Socialist
(NAVSPECWAR), 42, 43, 57, 99
Nav>'SEAU37,4M787
RugerMini 14,104
6Z 8
1
Sanches,
SAS
100
30-3Z
Oinstian Patnots Defense League, 2
1
,
,
1
44, 5
27
Snell,
Coulson,Danny.5l,53,54,5657,59
Special Operations
Response GnDup (CIRG),
66 68.122
86
Agency (DIA), 3
Richard Wayne,
Disaster Medical Assistance Teams
DoE Threat Assessment Teams FBI Critical Incident FBI
60,
Hostage Rescue Team (HRT),
1
1
49-69,
35, 44, 40,
,
122, 123
90 92,
88 92, 93,
GIGN
Q5
Green
1
,
58, 80,
1
1
,
1
02,
1
1
4 1, 87 101,
1
12
1
.
Geof^ "Ray" 72. 74, 80. 8Z 83
Homing, Daniel Ray
63.
13,
International
Cnminal Fblice Organization (INTERPOL). 3ft 32
Islamic Jihad.
35 85
Joint Special
Operations
Kaczynski.Theo(Jore, 27.
37. 40.
I
H&KUSP.45ACPI00
Winchester
H&KUSP9(9mm),
100
Special
105
gun,
.300. 104
106,
107
Baton rounds, 106
100
.45 caliber pistol,
Magnum
Weapons 8 Equipment
99
Bean bag rounds. 106 Flash-bang grenades (liashcrashes). 106
101
L8Multi-launcher;l06
SauerP22aiOO
Rubber
SIG.357, 101
Sound vrave
,
36),
Ops
43
18-120
H&K
1
ACPI 00 1
- 07 1
MAC
Iftl02
MP5/IO(IOmm),
101
BlackTalon, 107
Glaser 107
Spectre
Gneenshield. 107
Uzi (9
Manne Corps
SimunitionFXI07l08 Assault
MPS. 101
Ingram
MP5K(9mm). 102 MP5N(9mm). 101
Hydra-Shok. 107
Chemical/Biologial Incident Response Force
Teargas,l06
Submachine Guns (SMG), 101-103
99
,45
(specific types),
72
106
device, 107
Cott assault nfle (9 mm). 101,102
(Model
Wilson Special
bullets,
Stinggrenade, 106, 107
Sig5auers,99
Weapons
105
.5ft
VaimeMk-2(7.6Z-mm), 105
Lav^
128
M-86SR
Robar SR-9a 105
OO
Marcinko,Dick.4Z47,57
(CB1RF),97
105
McMillan
Robar SR-60. 105
100, 101
Kansi.MirAimal,2a35 1
105
M^AI.
McMillan M-88
99
pistol,
Ammunition, 107-109
Command (|SOQ.
mm)/.308 Winchester 104
Remington 700. 105
Clock handgun,
S&W ,38
Immigralon and Naturalization Service (INS). 3Z 80
UnearAssaults.
M-24
15
99-101
S&W.45.99
64
(7,62
H&KMSG9ftl05
55
37,
S&W .357 handguns, 99
HAMAS, 25 Hs/em.
NATO
SigP228. 100
GSG-9 (GerTTany),39.44.5l,52,58,80,99,
104,105
SniperRifles.
Rugerpistol(.22), 100
45
Berets,
100
OZ
MI9I 1,99
P226
66 69
(France), 39, 44, 5
(Italy).
1
M-2I.I05
MPS submachine
32 33
of International Temonst Events (FfTE). 30
Freeh. Louis.
37,
72
Model 92F
MI9IIAI
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 29.
.
H8.K99 85,
100,101,104
File
27,
Glakl7,
100
99.100.101,103,107,111,113,122,123 FBI. 3- 5, 2 22. 24, 27, 29. 30, 35, 49-69, 1
Colt
Response Gnoup (CIRG),
1
103, 104
H&KPSG-I.I05
25. 3
(general),
Berttta
(NN-62), 88
103
Robar customized 87ft 103
ACP.45,99, 100
120 122
(DMAT), 97
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA),
MI/M3 Super 9a
74-76, 80
Department
Weapons
103, 111,1 13,
Ithaca 34, 103
13
FR-F2, 105
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR),
DevGroup.29,4M7,93,
1
13
Department of Justice, 3Z 83 80
H&KBenelliM-l2l,l03
IZ
Operations Group (SOG),6l,7l-83,99, 101,
Unabomber
,
1
Operatons Command, US, (USSOCOM). 3
1
machine gun, 103
Light
Shotguns, 103, 104
1
12
Special
IIZ
1
FranchiModell2SPAS, 103 1
Special
Department of Energy 85-97
1
2,
Remington 870
State
6
1
25
9,
Stagg, Lou.
29, 30.
1
1
and Resean* Section (SOARS), 50, 5Z 53, 66
105,111.113,122
,
52 58, 06
MossbergSOO, 103
Delta Force. 29, 37-42. 5(^53. 55, 57, 80, 87, 100. 101. 103.
1
,
lOZ 104
Secret Service. U.S. (USSS), 34, 100,
COMSUBIN{yy),45
Department of State, 2
1
Secret Senflce Counter-Assault Team (CAT). 101.
61
Simeone.john.50-55.57.61
Intelligence
M-245 Squad automatic weapon. 103
42-47, 52, 53, 55, 80
Six,
CIA CountertemDnsm Center (CTQ, 35
Defense
H&K2IEI03 H&K23EI03
68
Secret Service Counter Sniper Team (CST), 105,
& Prevenloa 96, 97
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),
,
M-60E3 4
(United Kingdom), 39,
SEAL Team
Bureau of Prison Special Response Team, 61. 63
Centers for Disease Contnol
Universal Gun), 104
H&K2I,I03
Raminsz, 20
llich
(Amny
Machine Guns, 103
Manne Commandos, 52
Royal
Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco. and Firearms (ATF), 59,
AUG
Steyr
Revell. Oliver "Buck." 40, 53, 55, 56, 59, 61
Branch Davidian. 25, 62
Service. 32. 34.
M-IA/M-14, 104
101, 102, 105, 121
Reagan,Ronald40, I0ZII2
53
104
H&KG3senes, 104 M-I6AI/AZ 104
22
.
1
PosseComtotus.21,2650
22 26 59, 94
Beckwith, Col. Charles, 38.
Customs
H&K 93,
bberation Fnant 2
Naval Special Warfare
104
33,
H&K53, 104
13
1
Nuclear Emergency Search Team fNESTl. 49. 85-97
AumShinnkyo, 18.94,95
Critical Incident
H&K
14,2072
9,
104
FA MAS, 104
Natonal Security Agency 31,35
3
Commando,
Manne Corps FAST 101 Manne Corps, 57, 65
Grabber 107
Rifles,
104
M4
(9
mm). 102
mm). 102
WebsterWilliam.5ft52 Younis,Fawaz.35,59-6l
Yousef Ramzi Ahmed. 2ft
7Z 73
DATE DUE APfi
]
SEP
2 4
"^'
m
m
5 2003
I
WJ
ti43^
.Tii^
Ton^ajc^yj,,
igy^
Stephen
F.
St
D3158
S ELITE ounter-Terrorist Forces f.
