ABSTRACT
Bombings, or what are referred to today as improvised explosive devices (IEDs), are nothing new. Traditional bombs have been, and will likely continue to be, the leading weapon of terrorists and extremists alike. Much talk and law enforcement focus today has centered on chemical, biological, and nuclear attacks. Modes of transportation have been either the target of terrorist attacks or used to facilitate attacks for over a century. Although people seem fearful, almost paranoid, over chemical, biological, and radiological threats, bombs in the form of IEDs are the most common. Finding an IED in a transit attack is a much more likely scenario than finding anything else. In the modern era of terrorism, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) can be construed as leading the way in attacks against surface transportation. Modes of transportation pose difficulties for law enforcement personnel dealing with terrorism. Virtually everyone in the world uses, or is likely to use, a mode of motorized transportation.
