hotel bombings • task unit bravo • qods force • community policing Journal for Law Enforcement, Intelligence & Special Operations Professionals The CounterFEBruary/march 2012 volume 5 • number 1 IS THE U.N. ABOVE THE LAW? An SSI ® Publication february/march 2012 www.thecounterterroristmag.com USA/CANADA $5.99 The Counter Terrorist ~ Feburary/March 2012 1 © 2011 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. All rights reserved. Every second matters. When time and safety are critical, military and civilian first responders use Thermo Scientific handheld chemical identification instruments to rapidly identify explosives, precursors, narcotics and other chemical hazards directly at the point of need. With more than 5,000 handheld chemical identification instruments deployed worldwide, we understand what first responders demand of their equipment—and why every second matters. 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Moving science forward Circle 254 on Reader Service Card 2 The Counter Terrorist ~ Feburary/March 2012 The Counter Terrorist ~ Feburary/March 2012 3 Circle 13 on Reader Service Card Circle 340 on Reader Service Card The Counter Terrorist_Lenco_2010.indd 1 1/28/2010 10:50:42 AM 324 4 The Counter Terrorist ~ Feburary/March 2012 CircleCircle 29 onon ReaderReader ServiceService CardCard The Journal for Law Enforcement, Intelligence & Special Operations Professionals feburary/march 2012 Counter volume 5 • number 1 COVER STORY: is the u.n. above the law? 30 By Eeben Barlow FEATURES: 8 First Hand: 8 rosie khan, 60 minutes, and task Unit bravo By Bravo 25 Case Study: 20 amman, Jordan hotel bombings By Luke Bencie and Katie Mikalnik community policing, counterinsurgency, 44 and converging threats 30 By Anthony Abati, Michael P. Downing, and John Zambri qods force: iranian unit tied to u.s. plot 58 By Mark Sexton DEParTMENTS: 6 From the editor 44 No Rest for the Weary 42 Book review Brothers in Arms: How Palestinian Maoists Turned Jihadists 69 Innovative products Energizer Tactical Tango - LE, The BattleSling, HEAT Armor Tactical Truck 72 Training review Tactical Firearms Training Team Pre-Deployment Training 58 cover: A Nepalese soldier providing security for the United Nations watches as pallets of CONTENTS humanitarian aid drop from a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft over Mirebalais, Haiti, Jan. 21, 2010. Photo: Tech. Sgt. James L. Harper, Jr., USAF The Counter Terrorist ~ Feburary/March 2012 5 FROM THE EDITOR: CounterThe No Rest for the Weary by chris graham Journal for Law Enforcement, Intelligence & Special Operations Professionals Volume 5 • Number 1 FEB 2012/mAr 2012 Editor Chris Graham t appears that one or more european nations may enter the accelerated stages of Director of Operations Ifinancial collapse within the next year.1 Deficit government spending policies have Sol bradman Director of Advertizing resulted in nations servicing debt payments with additional debt. It appears that the Carmen Arnaes point has been hit at which it is no longer possible for some nations to support their Director of Production debt legitimately. Kelli richardson As the most poorly positioned debtor nations face crisis first, the possibility exists Contributing Editors eeben barlow that their inertia will adversely influence events in other interdependent debtor nations. Jennifer Hesterman The “free world” is in a uniquely vulnerable position whether national and ideological richard marquise Tom Nypaver adversaries take action to further exploit the situation or not. Steve Young Those of us who have taken the oath to “…support and defend the Constitution Graphic Design of the united States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…” have supported an morrison Creative Company extremely high optempo for the past decade. It would appear that future crime and Copy Editor Laura Town conflict may only accelerate this pace of operations while adding an additional layer of Office Manager moral dilemmas as we come to grips with the most effective ways to protect the lives, lily Valdes liberty, and property of citizens. Publisher: The Counter Terrorist remains committed to bringing you useful information on our Security Solutions International 13155 SW 134th St. • STe 204 adversaries’ tactics and techniques that are frequently unappreciated in conventional miami, Florida 33186 media outlets. When the experience of your duties provides insight that will benefit others, share it here. Do not force our brothers and sisters to relearn what you have ISSN 1941-8639 The Counter Terrorist discovered. Magazine, Journal for Law Enforcement, I look forward to hearing from you. Intelligence & Special Operations Professionals is published by Security Solutions International llC, as a service to the nation’s First responders and Homeland Security Professionals with Semper Fidelis, the aim of deepening understanding of issues related to Terrorism. No part of the publication can be reproduced without permission from the publisher. Chris Graham The opinions expressed herein are the editor, The Counter Terrorist opinions of the authors represented and not necessarily the opinions of the publisher. Please direct all editorial correspondence related to the magazine to: Security *Editor’s note: Vol. 4 No. 6, “Improvised Chemical Dispersal Devices Detonated Solutions International SSI, 13155 SW 134th Street, Suite 204, miami, Florida. Against Civilians” incorrectly stated that Abu musab al Zarqawi led al-Qaeda in Iraq in 33186 or [email protected] 2007 (page 23). Zarqawi was killed on June 7, 2006. Thanks to a vigilant reader (SSG The subscription price for 6 issues is $34.99 and the price of the magazine is $5.99. H, uSASoC) for catching the error that I did not. (1-866-573-3999) Fax: 1-786-573-2090. For article reprints, e-prints, posters and 1 plaques please contact: http://www.stratfor.com/memberships/205285/analysis/20111130-portfolio-imf- PArS International Corp. unable-save-italy accessed Dec 15 2011 Web: www.magreprints.com/quickquote.asp email: [email protected] Phone: 212-221-9595 • Fax: 212-221-9195 Please visit the magazine web site where you can also contact the editorial staff: www.thecounterterrroristmag.com © 2010 Security Solutions International 6 The Counter Terrorist ~ Feburary/March 2012 ELEVATE YOUR TACTICS Patriot3’s all new Liberator HX is a hydraulically operated, single ramp Elevated Tactics System (ETS) that, when installed on your Armored Response Vehicle (ARV), greatly increases the vehicles capability and operator access. Designed to be light weight and fit a variety of vehicles like the Lenco BearCat (G2 and G3) and many other ARV’s. The Liberator can be fitted to existing ARV’s or installed on new vehicles. Capabilities include elevated entry, bus assault, sniper positioning, mass evacuation and more. All while still maintaining existing ARV functions and capabilities. Contact Patriot3 to learn more about how an ETS mounted to your ARV can help with your team’s mission success and increased level of safety. Lenco Bearcat G3 with Liberator HX visit patriot3.com Corporate Headquarters l Fredericksburg, VA Made in the USA 540.891.7353 Circle 301 on Reader Service Card The Counter Terrorist ~ Feburary/March 2012 7 Firsthand: ROSIE KHAN, 60 MINUTES, AND TaSK UNIT BravO by bravo 25 I had just returned from another mission on a blistering Afghan summer night. Twenty-nine teammates and I headed back to our compound to lay our heads down for a few hours. We were abruptly awakened by the task unit chief and informed that we had gotten an intelligence “hit” on a high value target that U.S. forces had been searching for since 2001. CounterThe 8 The Counter Terrorist ~ Feburary/March 2012 long been jointly prosecuting targets he target’s name was rosie of interest in support of Operation Khan. He was a powerful enduring Freedom. A warning order TTaliban commander known for recruit- was issued to our team directing us ing fighters from Pakistan, controlling to conduct a mission in support of funds that supported some Taliban or- capturing this high value target in a ganizations, building IeDs, and train- remote Afghan province. We were ing IeD makers. Khan had American briefed on the situation and, over the blood on his hands. course of the next four hours, our team We headed to the briefing room assessed the tasking and planned how where we were met by the task unit we would be most likely to succeed in commander and about 20 army and carrying out our mission. We presented navy support personnel. Army and this to the task unit commander, and navy special operations forces had appropriate changes were made based A U.S. Navy SEAL team member provides cover for his teammates. Photo: U.S. Navy The Counter Terrorist ~ Feburary/March 2012 9 on our previous experiences with this specific target and knowledge of his past movements. The mission was ap- proved and we were ready to go. unbelievably, we were ordered to bring along a CbS news crew from “60 minutes II”. The chain of command directed us to allow correspondent lara logan and her crew to join us on our helicopters. The addition of the news team, our obligation to dedicate personnel to their protection, and our need for an additional helicopter to transport our non-mission essential guests were demands that we were un- accustomed to. As a result, we moved forward with a sense of unease. Waiting on target indicators to A CH-47 helicopter drops off coalition force members into the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan.