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target.
1984 After intelligence agencies detect the suspicious movement of light planes
and helicopters in Iran, Syria and Lebanon, the Pentagon, fearing kamikaze-
type attacks, ships Stinger missiles to US Navy ships in the region.
1984 Interpol reports that an Iranian suicide squad was planning to fly an
explosive-laden small airplane into the US embassy in Cyprus. Anti-aircraft
weapons were installed on the embassy s roof.
1984 The CIA reportedly warns the Reagan administration of a kamikaze-style
attack against a US target in the Middle East.
1985 During negotiations, a Lebanese hijacker threatens to crash the plane into
the presidential palace in Beirut.
1985 The media in Cyprus report an  unconfirmed rumor that Kamikaze-style
attacks are planned for US and Israeli embassies.
1985 Following the Abu Nidal shooting sprees at Vienna and Rome airports, the
Austrian government reported that the terrorists intended to hijack an El Al
airliner and crash it into Tel Aviv.
1986 The hijackers of Pan American World Airways flight 73 in Karachi
confessed that they had plans to blow up the aircraft over an Israeli city,
following the completion of the demanded prisoner exchange.
1986 Columnists in the US report the training of kamikaze pilots in Iran to hit
US targets.
1986 One of the 21 Libyan students being deported from the UK is found to be a
pilot trainee who vowed to carry out a kamikaze raid on US installations.
1988 Brazilian police spokesman announces that during a recent hijacking, the
hijacker planned to crash the plane into a building in Brasilia.
continued
40 Terrorist tactics and technologies
Table 2.1 Continued
Year Incident summary
1989 Washington Post reports that it had received  credible warnings that
Iranian-trained kamikaze terrorists may be planning to dive an explosives-
rigged plane into the White House.
1990 Hamburg police report that  the Palestinian Liberation Front of Abu Abbas
is preparing an attack with light aircraft.
1994 A heavily intoxicated and drugged suicidal individual crashes a stolen
single-engine Cessna 150 onto the South Lawn at the rear of the West Wing
of the White House.
1994 After four Algerian Islamic extremists disguised as maintenance men hijack
an Air France Airbus 300 jumbo jet on the ground, the authorities received
two anonymous tips indicating that the hijackers planned to blow up the
plane over Paris. The suicide story was supported by the hijackers demand
to fill the gas tanks of the plane with far more than was needed for the
Marseille Paris flight. Authorities also found 20 sticks of dynamite in the
plane.
1995 Philippine police announce that Ramzi Yousef had planned to crash dive a
bomb-laden plane into the headquarters of the United States Central
Intelligence Agency in Langley, Virginia. The CIA attack was to be carried
out by Saeed Akhman, a Yousef associate.
1998 The Turkish government detains 23 militant Muslims who planned to crash
an explosives-laden plane into the Ankara mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk, the founder of the state. The suicide attack was planned for the
75th anniversary of the republic.
1999 Mas Selamat Kastari plans to hijack an Aeroflot flight from Bangkok and to
crash it into the terminal tower at Changi airport in Singapore.
2001 Three hijacked airliners crash into both World Trade Center towers and the
Pentagon, a fourth crashes in Pennsylvania after the passenger confronted
the terrorists.
alternative approach has been the placement of the explosive under the water
line by frogmen, as in the 1981 bombing of a Spanish Navy destroyer by the
ETA,108 or the 1980 bombing of a Libyan gunboat anchored in Genoa by the
Maltese Liberation Front.109 Another relatively frequent form of attacking
ships has been the use of underwater mines, popular with groups such as the
Islamic Jihad and the LTTE. The final and the most destructive form of sea-
borne bombings has been sea suicide bombings. Pioneered and perfected by
the LTTE in Sri Lanka, this tactic has gained notoriety after the 2000
bombing of the USS Cole off the coast of Yemen, in which two AQ-linked
terrorists in a specially customized fiberglass boat full of lightweight C4
explosives rammed into the side of the ship killing 17 soldiers and causing
Terrorist tactics and technologies 41
over $240 million dollars worth of damage. Two years later, the PIJ became
the third organization to use the tactic when two suicide bombers detonated
an explosive placed in their fishing boat after pulling alongside an Israeli
patrol boat in Gaza, injuring four soldiers.110
It has already been mentioned that bombings are by far the most fre-
quently used terrorist tactic. In order to pinpoint why that is the case, one
must first look at several distinct advantages of bombings over other forms of
attack. First, whether detonated by a long fuse, a timer or remote control, the
very nature of explosives enables the perpetrators to carry out an attack
without actually being present at the site for detonation. This naturally
makes bombings a relatively safe tactic with regards to the threat of capture,
but also makes for a comparatively easy kill when contrasted with shooting or
knifing attacks. In essence, since the perpetrator does not have to be present
at the site during the time of the explosion, it becomes psychologically easier
to kill, because the perpetrator does not need to witness the potentially trau-
matizing deaths of the victims. Second, explosives have a terrific fear-
inducing component, not just by the level of sheer destruction but also due to
the imposing sound effect associated with a blast. In this sense, the explosion
can also be seen as a symbolic act representative of the channeling of the per-
petrators internal rage. Probably for this reason, some psychologists have
equated the preceding tension followed by a dramatic release of energy in the
explosion to the physical and psychological processes accompanying an
orgasm.111 Another attractive characteristic of an explosive device is the capa-
bility of causing dramatic damage without necessarily producing casualties,
which for a long time had been the objective of some groups. The Corsican
FLNC, for instance, had always taken great pride in going out of its way in
order to eliminate the risk of casualties during its bombing campaigns, while
other groups have used prior notifications via warning phone calls for the
same purpose. The final advantage of bombings is their cost-effectiveness and
the fact that many powerful explosive mixtures can be assembled with very
little previous knowledge out of ordinary household products. As a result, for
almost anyone who wants to cause destruction while avoiding the risk of
being captured, bombings provide the ideal tactic.
Suicide bombings
Suicide bombings have been separated into a distinct category, mainly
because they have in recent years become the ultimate terrorist tactic. Since
its commencement some 25 years ago, the phenomenon has spread around
the world at an unprecedented pace  at the time of writing in 2005, there
have been over 700 suicide bombings carried out by at least 30 organi-
zations in 31 different countries (see Table 2.2). Another reason why suicide
bombings deserve special attention is the fact that they represent one of the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]