Lead Editorial
If At First You
Don’t Succeed...
try, try, and try again
by Philip Baum
W
hen Ramzi Youssef failed to bring Notably, both in 1995 and in 2006, the place. (Even we had run an article about
down the Twin Towers in February operations were prevented at the planning securing the G8 Summit in the preceding
1993, a decision was made: to try stage; no actual attempt was ever made to months and the entire article focussed on
again, yet using different means. In 2001, infiltrate devices onto aircraft on the day of countermeasures “north of the border”.) The
more than eight years later, al Qaeda the “main event”, albeit a test device had fact that the attack took place the day after
succeeded using commercial airliners as detonated on board a Philippine Airlines London had won the bid to host the 2012
weapons of mass destruction. flight in December 2004. Olympic Games was probably merely
In 1995 Ramzi Youssef failed to realise What is also of significance in the timing of fortuitous for the organising cell as it is highly
Oplan Bojinka and destroy multiple trans- the previous attempts and actual successes unlikely that the event was planned the day
Pacific flights utilising liquid explosive is that recent terror extravaganzas have before and, in respect of pre-planning, Paris
devices. Eleven years later, in 2006, like- been scheduled on days of no or little was the favourite to win the bid.
thinking individuals failed again, but this significance (unless one considers the There are phrases that stick in one’s
time targeting trans-Atlantic aircraft. Multiple numbers “nine eleven” to have symbolic mind that I have heard at industry events
flights destined for, or perhaps departing importance). So, whilst we make and subsequently quoted in previous
from the United States will be targeted in the proclamations about “increased threat” editorials. For example, you may recall my
future; it may be some time off, but it will levels associated with highly publicised referring to Sidney Chau’s message to
already be being planned for and time is not, events or inter-governmental meetings, the screeners in Hong Kong to “maintain a
from their perspective, of the essence. actual evidence would suggest that, if sense of crisis 24/7” – a worthy ideal. I
Al Qaeda’s trademarks are multiple anything, the threat is either diminished as now have a new one to add to the list. At
attacks and undetectable weapons. In 2001 the increased security presence will simply the recent Asia Pacific Aviation Security
they used boxcutters, at the time not persuade the terrorist to attack on a Summit held in Melbourne, Australia,
considered a threat; by 2006 they’d different day or plays a hand in changing the Chameleon’s Amotz Brandes stated, in
returned to the concept of liquid explosives, location of the attack due to resources being questioning the value of the various
but now to be carried and detonated by skewed in one direction. After all, why attack American colour-coded threat levels, that
suicide bombers. when one’s chances of being detected are “there is no such thing as an increased
Reactive, as always, we have implemented at their highest? threat; there is just a threat”. And how
a raft of security measures designed to Take the London bombings of 2005 as an right he is.
counter the modus operandi of the past. example. The timing may have been There is an important public perception
It is perfectly understandable that short- significant inasmuch as the G8 leaders were that aviation is considerably more secure
term remedies to plots, be they failed or gathered in the United Kingdom for a nowadays that it was pre-10th August 2006,
successful, may include the banning or summit. As a result much of the security which was already more secure than it was
limiting of specific items or substances services focus was concentrated on pre-Shoebomber and pre-9/11. It may be
associated with the identified attack Scotland, where the leaders were gathered, such a perception that has brought about
methodology. Indeed it is now unlikely that rather than in London where the attack took attacks against other modes of transpor-
an attempt will be made to target aircraft tation. It is easier by far to target the Madrid
using liquid explosives carried by passengers rail network or London Underground…
through a security checkpoint where LAGs “…does the system But, aviation will long remain the crème de
(liquids, aerosols and gels) are limited; there
is too much of a risk of being caught and an
as a whole actually
la crème of targets due to a successful
attack’s impact around the globe. More
organisation such as al Qaeda doesn’t wish
do what is it
importantly, however, to date, the al Qaeda
to take its chances; it wants guaranteed network has failed to realise its desire to
success once the operation is underway. supposed to do…” destroy multiple airliners carrying significant
2 April 2007 Aviationsecurityinternational
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