Assess the threat - Risk Management

There has been a lot of news about the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the increase in security at the airports. In order to understand more about the new security measure, feel free to visit their website at www.tsa.gov. The reason the TSA has been a huge topic of discussion is due to the concerns of assaults against human dignity. Examples:

TSA pat downs screaming toddler: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfmoms/detail?entry_id=77140

Cancer survivor embarrassed: http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2010/11/cancer_survivor_embarrassed_to.html

TSA Agent exposed woman's breasts: http://governmentagainstthepeople.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/lawsuit-tsa-agents-exposed-woman%E2%80%99s-breasts-and-laughed/

Americans by a 2-to-1 margin support the use of naked image full-body x-ray scanners in airport security lines, but fewer than half back aggressive new pat-down procedures, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll. Opposition to both rises among those who fly with any frequency. Who is training these people in security? What I say is. "assess the threat." With the legal ramifications of profiling, an official has to be careful not to single any one person out, however, if you can visually see that there is no physical object between their clothes and their skin, you do not need to rub that area.

Sometimes, a "show of force", which is being used by the TSA to thwart any possible terrorist activity, is put in place where there is a pattern of terrorist activity. In China, there is additional security in place to prevent sick people from getting off a plane and bringing their illness into China. That's brilliant. Do it. However, how many terrorist attacks have their been in America?

1993
Feb. 26, New York City: bomb exploded in basement garage of World Trade Center, killing 6 and injuring at least 1,040 others. In 1995, militant Islamist Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman and 9 others were convicted of conspiracy charges, and in 1998, Ramzi Yousef, believed to have been the mastermind, was convicted of the bombing. Al-Qaeda involvement is suspected.

1995
April 19, Oklahoma City: car bomb exploded outside federal office building, collapsing wall and floors. 168 people were killed, including 19 children and 1 person who died in rescue effort. Over 220 buildings sustained damage. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols later convicted in the antigovernment plot to avenge the Branch Davidian standoff in Waco, Tex., exactly 2 years earlier.

2001
Sept. 11, New York City, Arlington, Va., and Shanksville, Pa.: hijackers crashed 2 commercial jets into twin towers of World Trade Center; 2 more hijacked jets were crashed into the Pentagon and a field in rural Pa. Total dead and missing numbered 2,9921: 2,749 in New York City, 184 at the Pentagon, 40 in Pa., and 19 hijackers. Islamic al-Qaeda terrorist group blamed.

2009
June 1, Little Rock, Arkansas: Abdulhakim Muhammed, a Muslim convert from Memphis, Tennessee, is charged with shooting two soldiers outside a military recruiting center. One is killed and the other is wounded. In a January 2010 letter to the judge hearing his case, Muhammed asked to change his plea from not guilty to guilty, claimed ties to al-Qaeda, and called the shooting a jihadi attack "to fight those who wage war on Islam and Muslims."

Dec. 25: A Nigerian man on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit attempted to ignite an explosive device hidden in his underwear. The explosive device that failed to detonate was a mixture of powder and liquid that did not alert security personnel in the airport. The alleged bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, told officials later that he was directed by the terrorist group Al Qaeda. The suspect was already on the government's watch list when he attempted the bombing; his father, a respected Nigerian banker, had told the U.S. government that he was worried about his son's increased extremism.

2010
May 2, New York City: After discovering a bomb in a smoking vehicle parked in Times Square, authorities arrest Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani who recently became a naturalized U.S. citizen, and charge him with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and several other federal charges. American officials later announce that the Pakistani Taliban likely played a role in the bomb plot, including training Shahzad.

So, in 20 years, there have been 6 acts of terrorism on U.S. soil, only 2 of which involved an airplane. It is estimated that 3 million people board a plane in the United States for a domestic or international flight every single day. The odds of a terrorist incident in the last decade are 1 in 10,408,947. By contrast, the odds of being struck by lightning are about 1 in 500,000. You could board 20 flights per year and still be less likely to be the subject of an attempted terrorist attack than to be struck by lightning. So, why is it that we are ramping up our security?

During my enlistment with the Army, I was often a part of a security detail at a base camp in Bosnia. The war ended in 1995 and I was there, on and off, from August of 1997 to February of 2005. I never once patted down anyone. I would look in the civilians' bags, have them take off coats and hats, and visually inspect them for objects they may be hiding under their clothes. Bosnia was and is seen as a spring board for Mujihadeen fighters in Central Europe. I worked on military bases that housed occupation forces augmented to the United Nations and NATO. Why wouldn't I pat them down to look for bombs or weapons? Because, as far as I know, there had never been an attack against a military base since the occupation. The threat, although possible, was not foreseeable. This included the year following the attacks on September 11th.

However, this is not about the TSA. This is about you and I and making a quick threat assessment. When dealing with people, you want to be sure that you are situationally aware at all times. Let's begin with meeting someone. When first meeting someone, arrange to meet in a public place. Drive separately. Compare it to dating. Most dating horror stories begin with "he picked me up at my house." Why would you want a complete stranger to not only know where you live, but have you reliant on them for a ride home if the party goes South? Particularly, in a business meeting, be sure to meet them somewhere public and safe.

Also, arrive there early so that you can assess the location. Determine where the exits are, how many people are there, what kind of people are there, and so on.

Read the person you are with and determine if this is someone that you really want to meet again, whether it be for business or pleasure. Assume the risk. If they start dancing the skeletons out of the closet, run and hide. Most people may subdue their vices but can quickly backslide into them as well. Listen for references to drugs, alcohol, prostitution, gambling, infidelity, abuse (physical or mental), etc. This is what I am talking about with accessing the threat.

We train that it takes about 5 meetings to determine a person's mannerisms; 1. a habitual gesture or way of speaking or behaving; an idiosyncrasy. 2. A gesture or expression that becomes abnormal through exaggeration or repetition. This will give you more than enough time to determine if this person is someone you want to be in bed with, figuratively speaking.

Taking the time to create a mental "risk assessment" of a person you are getting to know, will save you time, money, and heartache on the back-end. Sometimes, people are really good about hiding their problems. It is good to introduce your new friend or business partner to others to get a third or fourth opinion. Sometimes we are blinded by love or opportunity and don't see the signs for ourselves. I'm not saying buy peoples' opinions, but take a mental note of what others are saying. We do it all the time.

So why the mention of the TSA?

We personally have challenges with measuring the real threat. TSA and other organizations use more security than there is an actual threat. We, on the other hand, open ourselves up for attack because we do not practice threat assessment. Take time to look at each person individually. Determine if the person is a real threat. If you see that they ARE hiding something, pat them down (ask them about it). If you find something you don't like, then don't let them inside. Don't make it humiliating for the other person, just pull them to the side (out of view of the others), address the issue and move on to the next person. This can be done in no time if done correctly.