Discussion Boards on Terrorism

A Military Assessement of the Al Qaeda Training Tapes

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• Use of standard military small unit tactics with Multiple elements. (Assault, Security, and Support elements)
  
  
• Coordination with sub-elements via hand-held FM radios.
  
  
• Use of pick-up trucks by the assault element to conduct raids/ assassinations (shooters concealed in the bed of the truck).
  
  
• Use of motorcycles by the security element (as well as in the historical role as a shooting platform for drive by shootings/assassinations).
  
  
• Use of explosives upon withdrawal from the objective.
  
  
• Use of vehicle horn (signal withdrawal / initiation of explosives).
  
  
• Detailed planning and rehearsal of all actions.
  
  
• Exercise of prisoner handling procedures, from initial contact, to search and control, to the execution of the prisoners. Role players could be heard begging not to be killed (in ENGLISH). Terrorists practiced commands in ENGLISH also.
  
  
• Multiple man room entries. Typically one or two, 2-man teams that assumed a back to back position near the center of the room.
  
  
• Distraction devices used prior to room entry. Fuse lit devices (improvised?)
  
  
• Multiple breach points into structures and into individual rooms.
  
  
• All scenarios were practiced live-fire, including those that involved role players. Paper targets and role players were interspersed in the same scenarios. (The terrorists showed good muzzle awareness and control.) The weapons handling was NOT haphazard. All terrorists operatives carried and fired their weapons using the same techniques. Some specific weapons handling idiosyncrasies are:
  • Handguns were carried in the high ready.
  • Long guns (AK variants) were carried and fired rotated 90 degrees (ejection port up)

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Discussion Boards on Terrorism