Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
concerned about the presence of an unfamiliar vehicle in the neighbor-
hood. For our purposes in enhancing security, this type of interaction is
exactly the type of behavior we want to encourage. Talk to your neighbors.
If you are living in an area with other Americans or foreign nationals, you
might discuss taking the responsibility to watch out for each other. It is a
good practice that can be a valuable asset.
Another benefit of having a relationship with your neighbors is being
able to look out for each other's property while you are not home. Many
people living abroad make long trips back home to be with family. Alert
and conscientious neighbors can keep an eye on things until you return.
They can (and should) be asked to pick up and collect your mail while
you are away. A big pile of mail in your box or at your door can attract
unwanted visitors.
AVOID PREDICTABLE PATTERNS
In later chapters, we discuss the importance of varying your routine while
traveling to and from work. Potential attackers like predictable targets. If
they know where you are at a given time during the day, you will become
a very attractive target for them. While driving, you must learn to travel
on different roads between the office and your residence. However, you
must extend this procedure even to the actions you take while in your own
building. Ilan recounts the murder of an Israeli diplomat some years ago.
This individual lived in a high-rise apartment building not far from the
Israeli embassy in Brussels. He was a creature of habit and would leave the
house and return home at the same time each day. In addition, because
he lived so close, he would leave the office at the same time each day and
return home for lunch. His attackers quickly learned his routine and were
even able to follow him into his building and learn which floor he lived
on. Because his schedule was so predictable, his attackers felt that he was
an easy target for assassination. One assailant simply waited for him on
the floor of his apartment outside the elevator door at the time he was
expected to arrive home for lunch. The diplomat got off the elevator at
the expected time and was shot to death by the waiting assailant. From
the terrorists' standpoint, this was a simple operation, made so by their
target's failure to adhere to one of the most basic security rules: Avoid a
predictable routine. This type of operation would have been far less attrac-
tive to the attackers had their victim varied his routine, perhaps having
