Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
becoming the victim of terrorism or criminal violence. It is a skill you
should seriously consider acquiring. If you have a driver, bodyguard, or
security detail, have them undergo training. If you are relying heavily on
locally hired drivers, their training is critical. This point is made more
clearly in the following analysis.
ANALYSIS OF A CAR ATTACK IN PAKISTAN
Here we analyze a tragic attack that resulted in the murder of five people,
four of whom were Americans. Such incidents should be reviewed to pre-
vent the loss of any more innocent lives, especially when the deaths could
easily have been prevented. The incident occurred in Karachi, Pakistan,
on November 12, 1997. Although we feel uncomfortable Monday morn-
ing quarterbacking this incident while the families of the victims are no
doubt still keenly feeling their terrible loss, we believe that not doing so
and ignoring the practical value of the lessons that can be learned is to
render the victims' deaths meaningless. If another family might be spared
the loss of their father, mother, or child, then the lessons learned from this
tragedy may have some positive meaning.
While we discuss this situation, bear in mind the rules that we have
just described. While we do not have all the facts relative to this attack, it
is clear that the failure to follow basic vehicle security rules 1, 5, and 6
(and quite possibly more) contributed to the murders. On November 12,
1997, at approximately 8:00
A
.
M
., four employees of the Union Texas
Petroleum (UTP) Company were picked up at their hotels by a Pakistani
driver employed by their company. The local driver was operating a blue
four-door Nissan station wagon. Three of the men were staying at the
Hotel Pearl Continental; the fourth was lodging at the Sheraton. As the
vehicle left the hotel area, it was followed by a red Honda Civic with two
or three men inside. Apparently, the Civic had fallen behind the Nissan
in traffic and the driver had to weave in and out of traffic aggressively in
order to catch up. Surprisingly, the driver of the Nissan either did not
notice or was not alarmed by the presence of a red vehicle pursuing them.
Law enforcement and undercover agencies generally do not choose red
vehicles as surveillance vehicles because they are very easy to pick out and
remember. In this case, the red color of the vehicle made no difference.
The driver of the Nissan failed to be mindful of traffic behind them, vio-
lating rule 5, even though the vehicle was brightly colored and was being
