Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 10
Countersurveillance
MOST TERRORIST OPERATIONS ARE NOT CONDUCTED at random
or haphazardly. Virtually all terrorist attacks are preceded by a
preoperational stage where intelligence is gathered about the intended
target. Typically, terrorists compile lists of potential targets that they
believe will further their political goals. Potential targets include military
installations, economic centers, civilian population centers, and selected
individuals. Many of their targets are selected for their country of origin,
with citizens of the United States and Israel being the most desirable. The
exact selection procedure itself is unclear. One thing that is clear, however,
is the fact that terrorists do not commit resources to an attack until they
have acquired extensive information relative to the likely success or fail-
ure of a strike — even small-scale operations like an individual assassina-
tion or kidnapping. Basically, they are conducting the terrorist equivalent
of a feasibility study.
The tragic murder of Lawrence Foley, an American diplomat in Amman,
Jordan, on October 27, 2002, provides an unfortunate reminder of this
fact. Mr. Foley was shot to death as he left his home. According to an Asso-
ciated Press wire service report, he had been under surveillance by his
assailants for some time before they struck. The report quoted a Jordan-
ian police official who stated, “The killing appeared to have been carried
out by professionals who had been following Foley for some time to deter-
mine his schedule.” As this crime occurred during the writing of this topic,
we do not have any further information as to this claim. However, certain
things may be reasonably inferred from the event and historical precedent.
Mr. Foley was a career diplomat. He was 60 years old and was a senior
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