Thanks for fixing the above Ryan... I'd have gotten to it this evening at some point.
Anyway... I just received the following from a good friend. This is a rare treat for forum readers.
Joint Homeland Security Assessment
Office of Intelligence and Analysis
Federal Bureau
of Investigation
Terrorist Use of “Dry Run†Tactic May Be Tip-Off for Imminent Terrorist Attack
29 November 2006
Attention
: Federal Departments and Agencies, State Homeland Security Advisors, State Emergency Managers, State and Local Fusion Centers, Law Enforcement, Tribal Governments, Information Sharingand Analysis Centers, and the Sector Coordinating Councils.
Scope
The purpose of this Joint Homeland Security Assessment is to provide readers with DHS and FBI analysis of terrorist use of dry runs before initiating an attack.
The assessment describes tactics used in previous operations and gives law enforcementpersonnel indicators to detect them. DHS and the FBI currently have no credible
intelligence that terrorist organizations are using these tactics in attack planning against the Homeland.
Key Findings
Terrorists use dry runs during the final stages of operational planning to simulate the actual terrorist act.
Dry runs expose strengths and weaknesses in an attack plan and allow terrorists to adapt their plans to the actual operating environment. Dry runs also help the terrorists to visualize the attack and prepare psychologically in order to suppress any fears they may have going forward.
Law enforcement and homeland security personnel should be aware that every practice run provides an opportunity for officers to detect terrorist operational planning. Increased awareness of suspicious incidents that are similar and bear the marks of operational planning could be a key in detecting the next attack.
Dry Runs Used in Previous Terror Plots
Unlike preoperational surveillance—which can occur months or even years before the attack—a dry run is similar to a dress rehearsal and usually indicates that an
attack is imminent. Terrorists use dry runs to note layout, security procedures, and timing, and to modify their plans accordingly. Dry runs in previous terrorist operations
include:
August 2006 plot to blow up airliners using liquid explosives: Suspected terrorists discussed a dry run in order to test airport security procedures.
7 July 2005 London bombings: The perpetrators rehearsed the attack on 28 June 2005 while on their respective routes in the London subway system. They wore backpacks during the dry run, as they did when they executed the attack. The backpacks allegedly were empty during the dry run.
11 September 2001 attacks: In the months preceding the attacks, several of the hijackers made dry runs on transcontinental flights to observe security procedures. The terrorists, who were trained as pilots, obtained operational information by flying onboard passenger planes similar to the ones they later hijacked.
“Operation Bojinka†plot: In 1994 Ramzi Yousef planned to simultaneously bomb multiple airplanes while they were in transit over the Pacific Ocean. His group conducted two dry runs to test the effectiveness of the explosive devices in simulated environments—one on a Manila movie theater chair similar to an airplane seat and another on the seat of a Philippine Airlines
flight bound for Japan.
Security Indicators
Terrorists may carry out single or multiple dry runs before the execution of a terrorist operation in order to identify flaws and unanticipated problems in an attack plan.
Law enforcement and homeland security officials should be aware that dry runs are opportunities for officers to detect the operation. Evidence left from the Bojinka plot dry
runs could have revealed the plot, the subjects, and their possible tactics. The explosive device that was tested in the movie theater bore similarities—to include similar electronic components—to the device later detonated on the Philippine airplane. The two dry runs were viewed as isolated incidents, however, and were not linked.
Possible Indicators of Dry Runs
Individuals with unusual or prolonged interest in security measures or personnel, entry points and access controls, or perimeter barriers such as fences or walls.
Individuals monitoring police radio frequencies and recording emergency response times.
Individuals exhibiting unusual behavior such as staring or quickly looking away from personnel or vehicles entering or leaving designated facilities or parking areas.
Individuals displaying anxious behaviors such as retracing steps.
Individuals observing security reaction drills or procedures.
Individuals mapping out routes or timing traffic lights and traffic flow.
Individuals questioning security or facility personnel.
Individuals attempting to gain a position near crowded areas.
Individuals wearing disguises to elude detection or gain access to restricted areas. Disguises may include military, medical, firefighter, or police uniforms, a woman claiming to be pregnant, or a man posing as a woman.
