Lead Editorial
Traditional
Threats:
from Khartoum to Madrid
and from Prague to a flight
near you…
by Philip Baum
W
hilst we worry ourselves about ceasefire that had held for nine months, a excess intoxication result in the individual
methodologies for countering the truck bomb exploded in the car park attempting to enter the flight deck, claiming
latest modus operandi of al-Qaeda attached to Terminal 4 of Madrid’s Barajas that, should the aircrew refuse entry, a bomb
sympathisers, recent events have shown that airport. Once again telephone warnings were will destroy the aircraft. But that’s exactly
terrorists, criminals, asylum seekers and made, in this case three such calls. Details what 32-year old Yevgeny Dagayev is alleged
mentally disturbed individuals continue to were provided as to the vehicle, its colour, to have done on an Aeroflot flight from
target aviation using traditional techniques. location and registration number. The area Moscow to Geneva on 28 December 2006.
The activities and atrocities perpetrated by was evacuated, but two people were still Granted that this was a Level 4 incident and
ethnic separatist terrorist organisations killed in the subsequent detonation of the that Dagayev was ordering the crew to divert
rarely have a significant impact on the device. It is reported that the device to Cairo, one could classify this as an
international media. Generally they do not contained a charge of in excess of 200kg. attempted hijacking; it certainly prompted
target aviation, yet there are notable The two that died were Ecuadorian the crew to effect a full restraint and divert to
exceptions, including the Irish Republican immigrants to Spain; Diego Armando Prague under escort by the Czech Air Force.
Army’s mortar attacks on London Heathrow Estacio, 19, and Carlos Alonso Palate, 35. It Whilst the Aeroflot example is an extreme
in 1994 and, more seriously, the Liberation is believed that they had both fallen asleep in case, on a daily basis airlines are reporting
Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s sabotaging of an Air their cars whilst waiting for family members incidences of disruptive passenger
Lanka jet in 1986 and assault of and had not heard the evacuation order. ETA behaviour and the problem is likely to con-
Bandaranaike airport in 2001. may claim that, as they had given warnings, tinue to grow as more and more generations
Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, better known inter- any deaths were the responsibility of the of ill-disciplined individuals, who flaunt
nationally at the Basque separatist group authorities, yet it was their explosives and traditional societal norms and disrespect
ETA, has been targetting Spain’s major cities their actions that were to blame. Given ETA’s authority figures (including flight attendants),
and tourist resorts since 1959. Hundreds proclivity for using car bombs, the Spanish take to the skies. It is high time that all States
have been killed as a result of their activities authorities will be looking at ways of better take the necessary steps to ensure that
yet, despite their broad range of tactics that safeguarding airport car parks and, despite perpetrators of violent acts on board
have included kidnapping, drive-by shoot- the lack of international media coverage commercial aircraft are prosecuted and that
ings, extortion and city centre bombings, they afforded the incident, other airport operators no individual escape the arm of the law.
too have been reluctant to hit the aviation around the globe should take note as ETA is Should an aircraft divert, the State to which
industry with excessive venom. When they not the only group utilising such tactics. On that aircraft has diverted to must establish
have tried, warnings have been telephoned 26 December 2006 in Peshawar Airport, national laws (as a few have done) to ensure
through to the authorities to ensure severe Pakistan, another car bomb exploded killing that the cause of that flight diversion is
operational disruption with an absence of one person. brought to account. The fact that the incident
casualties, although in 1996 ETA left a bomb The post-Christmas period also presented itself happened outside its borders must not
in Reus airport which injured many tourists. us with an example of the threat posed by be a legal loophole for the perpetrator. A
Twice, in 2001, car bombs were left in airport excessive alcohol consumption and the need long-overdue review of the 1963 Tokyo
car parks in Malaga and Madrid, and again in for aircrew to have the confidence to Convention may help achieve this goal.
Santander in 2003. No injuries. physically intervene. Whilst alcohol is behind Additionally, before we in the “West” allow
On 30 December 2006, following an ETA many a disruptive incident, rarely does ourselves to focus all screening efforts on
2 www.asi-mag.com February 2007 Aviationsecurityinternational
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