CRA'S TERRORISM AWARENESS TRAINING

PRE-INCIDENT INDICATORS

The capabilities of any group (including al-Qaeda) can be determined by observing and monitoring the key elements of the group. Every group must do certain things in order to exist and prosper as a group. Most of these activities do not take place in secrecy or a vacuum and are observable. Every group has a leader (and leadership) and a reason to be with objectives for which they exist. Every group must have a membership and recruitment efforts which include propaganda. Once members are recruited, they have to be cared for – logistics: paid, housed, transported, and equipped. A terrorist group must obtain explosives, arms, weapons and its membership must be trained with this equipment. The group must select its targets, collect intelligence on target vulnerabilities (surveillance, research) and then develop capabilities to exploit these vulnerabilities – or choose replacement targets that are more vulnerable.

Many of these preparatory activities may be observed by first responders, local law enforcement and members of the targeted community. These are events that are called pre-incident indicators (PIIs). The PIIs reveal a developing threat. Prior to a terrorist attack, PIIs, if recognized as such, by local authorities can be acted upon to disrupt, deflect, deter or stop a terrorist incident.

PIIs become valuable counterterrorism tools when evaluated by a thorough analytic process. They can reveal the presence of members of a terrorist group and identify a recognizable pattern of terrorist group activity. To ensure that the PIIs are recognized and reported the public – residents, business, and community leaders – local law enforcement, and local government – must be made aware of the threat and associated PIIs. In addition to the educational requirement, local government, usually through the local law enforcement agency must have a mechanism established for reporting any suspicious activities. This should be 24/7 hotline at a watch office/operations center. The Center should be staffed with individuals trained to recognize and evaluate PII reporting. They will often have to request additional information to expand the initial reporting, and then disseminate the information to decision makers (local government and police). This mechanism is an intelligence fusion center.