August 9,
2005
Terrorists
May Seek Soft Targets in America
It's a nightmare scenario, and I'm surprised, above all
relieved, that it hasn't materialized like many thought
it would following 9/11. A Middle Eastern man dressed
in baggy Western attire straps explosives underneath his
Gap jacket and strolls into a large indoor shopping mall
in Iowa. It's mid-November, just before the Christmas
shopping season officially kicks off, and the stores are
already packed. By the time mall security notices the
24-year-old man's strange behavior and nervous gestures,
it's too late. Dozens of casualties later, and it's clear
that America has entered into a new and frightening stage
in the war on terror.
Unable to pull off spectacular attacks in places such
as New York City and Washington, D.C., al-Qaeda has decided
to resort to a tactic that may be even more damaging to
the American psyche: hitting small targets in the American
heartland.
Besides the obvious psychological effect, such tactics
would also have an economic impact--at least in the short
term. There has never been a more resilient nation than
the United States. Still, many Americans would undoubtedly
be reluctant to go out to the mall, and some would also
stay away from movie theatres, restaurants, and any other
crowded venues in the event of such an attack.
With this in mind, it was interesting to read a piece
in today's Wall Street Journal detailing government agencies'
belief that "malls, banks, prominent companies, and
tall buildings" are the soft targets most at risk
of terrorist attacks, most likely by suicide bombers.
The U.S. is home to 1,200 indoor malls, according to the
WSJ article. Wisely, the mall industry has turned to the
Israelis for help in plotting a security strategy.
This excerpt from the Journal article explains why:
"Over the years, the Israelis have developed a
sophisticated security system to protect enclosed shopping
centers. The cornerstone of the Israeli strategy is to
deny a bomber entrance to the mall by creating layers
of defenses from paramilitary sentries to watchmen trained
to recognize the behavior patterns of people about to
blow themselves up. To date, there never has been a successful
breach of an Israeli shopping mall by a suicide bomber
despite more than a hundred attempts. The most recent
took place on July 12, when a suicide bomber attempted
to attack the Hasharon Mall in the coastal town of Netanya,
25 miles north of Tel Aviv. Israeli authorities say the
bomber was deterred by the police and security guards
in front of the mall and blew himself up at a crosswalk
near the entrance, killing four passersby and wounding
90. The attack was considered blunted because a detonation
inside the mall would have claimed many more lives."
My admiration for the Israeli people's ability to go
about their daily business in the face of such terrorist
madness is boundless. While I have absolutely no doubt
that Americans would have the same gritty response, I
pray that we never have to find out.
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