Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown's article in The Observer yesterday, managed to use the headline "war on terror", even though, only a few months ago, the consensus seemed to have been, that this phrase is actually counterproductive.
We are about to take the war against terror to a new level
Gordon Brown
The Observer, Sunday 22 March 2009[...]
Tens of thousands of men and women throughout Britain - from security guards to store managers - have now been trained and equipped to deal with an incident and know what to watch for as people go about their daily business in crowded places such as stations, airports, shopping centres and sports grounds.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was also on the publicity spin offensive on Sunday,and she managed to claim that
Thousands getting terror training
Page last updated at 11:41 GMT, Sunday, 22 March 2009[...]
Ms Smith told BBC One's Politics Show: "What we're completely clear about is that if we're going to address the threat from terrorism, we need to do that alongside the 60,000 people that we're now training up to respond to a terrorist threat, in everywhere from our shopping centres to our hotels.
Some of the media are claiming that means that some sort of "Home Guard" style "army" is being recruited and trained, but there does not seem to be any evidence of anything even as remotely well organised or well trained as even the fictional platoon in "Dad's Army" led by Captain Mainwaring in "Walmington-on-Sea".
What does exist is something called Project Argus, which is little different from "what to do in case of fire or flood etc.".training.
Project ARGUS is a National Counter Terrorism Security Office initiative, exploring ways to aid you in preventing, handling and recovering from a terrorist attack.
It achieves this by taking businesses through a simulated terrorist attack. The simulation identifies the measures to take for preventing, handling and recovering from a terrorist attack.
This simulation provides you with a unique opportunity to both learn from and contribute to valuable lessons helping to protect you, your business and your community, whether you are a national chain or a small business.
The event explores your options; what is likely to happen in the event of a terrorist attack; and what your priorities should be. Project Argus highlights the importance of being prepared and having the necessary plans in place to help safeguard your staff, customers and your company assets.
What can you expect?
Project Argus is a free event which takes you through, using a multi-media simulation, a terrorist attack. A series of questions and challenges are put to you, both individually and as a group. You will work in small syndicate groups with other local business representatives and develop your responses to the attack. The whole event including a coffee break will last three hours.
[our emphasis]
We assume that this means that Gordon Brown and Jacqui Smith's claims that "tens of thousands" or "60,000" people who have been, or will have been "trained " ( by some vague unspecified date in the future) really amount to being exposed to no more than three hours (including a coffee break) of multi-media presentation and group discussion.
Even "Dad's Army" was better trained than this !
The Home Office Home Office / ACPO funded unaccountable quango in charge of this, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, does produce some Crowded Places advice brochures, with pretty photographs, supposedly tailored for different sectors where there are crowds of people e.g. Pubs and Clubs, Commercial premises etc.
These all have basically the same content, but the chapter on hostile reconnaissance makes this stupid claim in the brochure aimed at Visitor Attractions i.e. the main tourist attractions:
- people taking pictures - filming - making notes - sketching of the security measures at attractions. Tourists should not necessarily be taken as such and should be treated sensitively, but with caution
{bold emphasis in the original}
The common chapter on hostile reconnaissance:, also mentions Operation Lightning:
hostile reconnaissance
Operation Lightning is a national intelligence gathering operation to record, research,
investigate and analyse:
- suspicious sightings
- suspicious activity
at or near:
- crowded places
or prominent or vulnerable:
- buildings
- structures
- transport infrastructure.
The ability to recognise those engaged in hostile reconnaissance could disrupt an attack and produce important intelligence leads.
That would make life a lot easier for the security forces, but how exactly are civilian members of the public meant to be able to do, what the security forces cannot ?
Primary Role of Reconnaissance
- Obtain a profile of the target location
- Determine the best method of attack
- Determine the optimum time to conduct the attack.
Hostile reconnaissance is used to provide information to operational planners on potential targets during the preparatory and operational phases of terrorist operations.
Reconnaissance operatives may visit potential targets a number of times prior to the attack. Where pro-active security measures are in place, particular attention is paid to any variations in security patterns and the flow of people in and out.
What to look for.
- significant interest being taken in the outside of you visitor attraction
The words "visitor attraction" are changed to, for example, "premises", in the slightly different versions of this brochure.
- including parking areas, delivery gates, doors and entrances
- groups or individuals taking significant interest in the location of CCTV cameras and controlled areas
- people taking pictures - filming - making notes - sketching of the security measures at attractions. Tourists should not necessarily be taken as such and should be treated sensitively, but with caution.
- overt/covert photography, video cameras, possession of photographs, maps, blueprints etc, of critical infrastructures, electricity transformers, gas pipelines, telephone cables etc
- possession of maps, global positioning systems, (GPS), photographic equipment, (cameras, zoom lenses, camcorders). GPS will assist in the positioning and correct guidance of weapons such as mortars and Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs). This should be considered a possibility up to one kilometre from any target
What do you think that Ordnance Survey maps were originally intended designed to do ?
There has never been any use by terrorists of any "GPS guided weapons".
- vehicles parked outside buildings of other facilities, with one or more people remaining in the vehicle, for longer than would be considered usual
- parking, standing or loitering in the same area on numerous occasions with no apparent reasonable explanation
- prolonged static surveillance using operatives disguised as demonstrators, street sweepers,etc or stopping and pretending to have car trouble to test response time for emergency services, car recovery companies, (AA, RAC etc) or local staff
These are exactly the same "suspicious activities" that police and intelligence agency covert surveillance teams use.
- simple observation such as staring or quickly looking away
That must result in a vast number of False Alerts !
"staring" at a Visitor Attraction should not automatically be deemed to be "suspicious".
- activity inconsistent with the nature of the building
- noted pattern or series of false alarms indicating possible testing of security systems and observation of response behaviour and procedures, (bomb threats, leaving hoax devices or packages)
How many "false alarms" should you ignore, before deciding that a "pattern or series" of them is worth calling the police about ?
- the same vehicle and different individuals or the same individuals in a different vehicle returning to a location(s)
- the same or similar individuals returning to carry out the same activity to establish the optimum time to conduct the operation
- unusual activity by contractor's vehicles
- recent damage to perimeter security, breaches in fence lines or walls or the concealment in hides of mortar base plates or assault equipment, i.e. ropes, ladders, food etc. Regular perimeter patrols should be instigated months in advance of a high profile event to ensure this is not happening
- attempts to disguise identity - motorcycle helmets, hoodies etc, or multiple sets of clothing to change appearance
Normal clothing, especially in winter time, is now deemed to be "suspicious" ?
- constant use of different paths, and/or access routes across a site. 'Learning the route' or foot surveillance involving a number of people who seem individual but are working together
How exactly are you meant to magically sniff out that "a number of people who seem individual but are working together" ??
- multiple identification documents - suspicious, counterfeit, altered documents etc.
- non co-operation with police or security personnel
So the angry customer, who has been badly treated or ripped off by the staff, is to be treated as a "terrorist suspect" if he is non-cooperative with "security personnel" ?
What about all the people who have lost confidence in the "police or security personnel", due to their to racism or petty bureaucrat jobsworth attitude ?
- those engaged in reconnaissance will often attempt to enter premises to assess the internal layout and in doing so will alter their appearance and provide cover stories
- in the past reconnaissance operatives have drawn attention to themselves by asking peculiar and in depth questions of employees or others more familiar with the environment
Staff at major tourist attractions, or even those working in shops or pubs etc., get asked all sorts of "peculiar and in depth questions" by innocent members of the public.
Why should curiosity be treated with suspicion ?
- sightings of suspicious activity should be passed immediately to security management for CCTV monitoring and the event recorded for evidential purposes.
Except that most CCTV systems are simply not capable of providing tamperproof evidence that will stand up in court.
Reconnaissance operatives may also seek additional information on:
- width surveys of surrounding streets - exploring the range of tactical options available t deliver the device
- levels of internal and external security - are vehicle/person/bag searches undertaken?
THE ROLE OF THE RECONNAISSANCE TEAM HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY
IMPORTANT TO TERRORIST OPERATIONS.
When were there ever any terrorist attacks without any reconnaissance ?
What evidence is there that this has "become increasingly important" ?
Reconnaissance trips may be undertaken as a rehearsal to involve personnel and equipment that will be used in the actual attack e.g. before the London attacks on 7th July 2005, the bombers staged a trial run nine days before the actual attack.
Neither the reconnaissance, nor the actual terrorist attacks, were picked up as being "suspicious", not by any CCTV surveillance camera operators, nor by the Police, nor by any security guards, nor by any transport staff nor by any other members of the general public etc.
Vague, unspecific "Climate of Fear" appeals to "be vigilant" for "anything suspicious", are doomed to failure, and are actually counterproductive.
Reporting suspicious activity to police that does not require an immediate response, contact the
ANTI-TERRORIST HOTLINE - 0800 789 321
ANY INCIDENT THAT REQUIRES AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE - DIAL 999.
Note that there is no mention that all of the above supposed "hostile reconnaissance" activities, are actually perfectly normal and legal, in the overwhelmingly vast majority of cases.
Where is the training, and the systems of profuse public apology and generous financial compensation, for when the above guidelines result in False Accusations against innocent people ?
Why is "saying sorry" to innocent people, so much harder for the Government to do, than sending other people to be killed in the "War on Terror" ?
This sort of "training" does seem to give a green light for the counterproductive "War on Tourism" and the "War on Photographers" waged by jobsworths and petty bureaucrats on our streets and in public spaces.
> when the above guidelines result in False Accusations against innocent people
... and unlawful arrests.
br -d
The Home Office has now published its updated CONTEST document:
The United Kingdom’s Strategy for Countering International Terrorism
http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-publications/publication-search/general/HO_Contest_strategy.pdf?view=Binary
which mentions Crowded Places and Project Argus on page 107:
Sneakily, there is no indication that this "training" only takes "three hours including a coffee break".
Why do they not make the Project Argus DVD terrorist attack multimedia simulation available online, or distribute it (for free) to the public ?
The Daily Mail has noticed this "3 hours including a coffee break" training
I attended a session in March and found it to be quite disturbing. The techniques used in the scripted 'multimedia presentation' were similar to those used by Derran Brown to manipulate an audience. One part of the presentation showed the presenter going through someone's bag, taking out a purse and looking through the contents of the purse and removing a business card, all while the presenter is speaking about our responsibility to be alert. There was no verbal reference to the theft. I was shocked at the underlying message which that delivers to 60,000 people in key positions in our communities.
Apart from the practical and useful 'what to do in case of an incident' information the underlying message was 'it is your duty to be suspicious of each other, you should feel guilty if you do not'. That message ripples out from these 60,000 respected known people in the hearts of our communities and spreads it's self. This I feel will be deeply damaging to our communities it is not in the least way making us safer; just more fearful and divided.
Someone press the panic button....
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nsightful thoughts here. Are you certain this is the best way to look at it though? My experience is that we should pretty much live and let live because what one person thinks just -- another person simply doesn't. People are going to do what they want to do. In the end, they always do. The most we can yearn for is to highlight a few things here and there that hopefully, allows them to make just a little better informed decision. Otherwise, great post. You're definitely making me think! --Barry