Saudi assassination attempt rattles airline security experts
Leading air travel security expert, Chris Yates,says the attempted assassination during August of Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef, the Saudi Deputy Interior Minister, has sent shock waves throughout the counter-terrorism community globally
Bin Nayef, who has been credited for the largely successful crackdown on militant activity within the Kingdom, was targeted within the security cordon that always surrounds him and whilst meeting Ramadan well wishers at his home in the Red Sea port of Jeddah.
The bombing was the first assassination attempt against a member of the royal family in decades and was also the first significant attack by militants in the Kingdom since 2006.
Bin Nayef suffered only minor injuries in the attempt on his life, responsibility for which was later claimed by remnants of the Saudi branch of al-Qaida now holed up in neighboring Yemen
Shift in tactics
The attempted assassination underscores succinctly the constantly shifting goal posts the counter terrorism community has to contend with, as it fights to stay ahead of the curve in the battle to curb organizations such as al-Qaida and others.
This was emphasized extremely clearly by speakers and delegates attending Counter Terror earlier this year in London. The event brought many of the world's leading experts in the field together with government and industry professionals to debate current trends and share best practice in beating the scourge of international terrorism.
The latest terrorist attack confirms a point made by many delegates at Counter Terror Expo that, despite assurances to the contrary, terrorist organizations like al-Qaida and others remain a serious, nimble, flexible and innovative threat.
Counter Terror Expo will reconvene again in London in April of next year and the attempted assassination of Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef will be a major topic of debate. It is important for a variety of reasons, but most notably the comparative ease with which the suicide bomber penetrated the high level security surrounding the Prince and the method of attack.
The bomber successfully evaded detection with an improvised explosive device concealed in the anal cavity and triggered remotely by text message once the attacker was in position.
Initial reports of the assassination attempt suggested the suicide attacker was waiting in a line outside the Prince's residence when he blew himself up, but a recently obtained audio tape of a telephone conversation between the assassin and his handler in the moments before the attack, shows that he was actually inside the residence and standing next to the Prince. This tape also reveals the exchange of code words and an audible electronic beep, which is believed to indicate receipt of the message that armed the device.
This information is significant since it indicates a shift both in the method of delivery and technological capability of al-Qaida, which seemingly allows its operatives to evade detection by sophisticated screening hardware.
This will have profound consequences in the counter terrorism world globally and will likely define how we go about the delivery of security in areas as diverse as critical infrastructure protection through to the security of high profile individuals for the foreseeable future.
Counter Terror Expo will examine aspects of this case and help to identify both short and long term methods of risk mitigation when it reconvenes in April. The event will also examine recent technological advances on the part of al-Qaida.
Disturbing discovery
Saudi interior ministry raids, carried out following the arrest of a number of highly educated members of an alleged al-Qaida cell, uncovered weapons stockpiles containing large quantities of a remote detonation device never previously seen in arms caches that have been uncovered.
This advanced detonation device utilizes a cellular phone, timer and detonator circuit, but programmed in such a way as to respond only to an activation signal from specific recognized telephone numbers only. This allows al-Qaida the flexibility to plant concealed devices that could be left dormant for many months and which may be activated by a simple telephone call from anywhere in the world.
Sources say that almost four hundred of these remote detonation devices were found amongst a cache of other weapons and ammunition during the raids.
One of these detonation devices was used in the failed assassination attempt against Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef.
Since it is known the suicide bomber originated from the Yemen, it is very evident these new detonation devices are not merely an invention peculiar to the Saudi branch of al-Qaida, but exist in the wild in weapons stockpiles elsewhere in the world.
Counter Terror Expo will examine in detail the known advances in terror group technological capability and attempt to determine what may be just around the corner in the short and medium term.
Potent Threat
This attempt on the life of a prominent figure, combined with the alternative method of delivery and the discovery of new technology enabling advance deployment and remote detonation of improvised explosive devices, shows clearly that al-Qaida remains a potent foe which is still capable of much flexibility and innovation.
Countering the threat this terrorist organization and others of a similar ilk presents to the global community, therefore requires equally flexible an innovative thinking on the part of those tasked with neutering their capability.
Individual counter-terrorism organizations cannot work in isolation since the threat is transnational and inter-regional as well as domestic. Rather a harmonized and concerted effort combined with high levels of intelligence sharing are prerequisites to success.
With the threat we face clearly evolving once again, the stakes have never been higher and the need for a concerted global approach to the issue more evident.
London gathering
Counter Terror Expo, which was formally launched earlier this year, proved to be a valuable tool in fostering this harmonized and concerted effort to address the threat from global terrorism.
Delivering a focused atmosphere in which key counter-terrorism professionals were brought together to debate the issues faced, the event proved to be the crucible for much detailed discussion and sharing of techniques and concepts.
Counter Terror Expo 2010 will build on this success, with multiple conference streams, a wide range of specialist workshops and an extensive product exhibition featuring security solutions from vendors from across the world.
Sponsored by Thales, the event is to be held at the National Hall, Olympia Exhibition Centre, Earls Court, London, 14-15 April 2010.
For further information please contact Nicola Greenaway on + 44 (0) 208 542 9090 or email: ngreenaway@niche-events.com or visit www.counterterrrorexpo.com
