ABSTRACT
Terrorist attacks generally fall into three broad categories: assassination; seizure (e.g., highjacking); and explosive destruction of a major asset, usually accompanied by substantial loss of life. The 1990s Mafialinked assassinations in Sicily indicate the difficulties of protecting moreor-less private individuals against well-equipped and determined terrorists; this is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. Seizures or
highjackings of embassies, commercial aircraft, cruise ships, etc. have and should continue to decline if existing and emerging countermeasures are implemented in conjunction with sound physical security practices. (In fact, the increase in attempts to destroy commercial aircraft during the past few years may be due to the improvements in anti-seizure technologies and practices.)
Explosive destruction can be accomplished externally or internally. Examples of external attacks include the use of shoulder fired surfaceto-air missiles or mines laid on or under railroad tracks. This threat will not be addressed. Examples of internal attacks include all manner of improvised explosive devices smuggled onto commercial aircraft, into government buildings, etc. This paper will focus on technological developments in the area of internal explosive destruction. This is the area in which the greatest research and development efforts have been focused in recent years. The US Federal Aviation Administration, a world leader in this area, has spent well over $100 million on explosive detection R&D during the past decade, and the pace has been increasing. Furthermore, this is the area in which terrorists may have the greatest opportunities for circumventing the emerging counter-terrorist technologies.
