Paper Target
Research Paper On Globalization, Free Essays, Free Research Papers, Essay Help, Essay Services, Research Papers, Term Papers, Term Paper Help, Custom
The most likely form of terrorist attack on U.S. aviation and why
The US aviation and aircraft infrastructure have in the recent past been the targets for attacks by terrorists. Such forms of attacks are carried out by use of bombs, commando style teams, the use of weapons such as missiles or mortars and hijacking of planes to destroy infrastructure and aircrafts. The terrorists have mainly targeted major airports and larger aircrafts in an attempt to maximize the impact of the attack and increase the number of casualties.
Since the 1980s, there has been an increase of incidents that involve the hijacking of aircrafts in the US. This has been due to the ability of terrorists to develop creative ways and means of circumventing the measures of security at airports. The September 11 attack in the US is the most notable incident in the history of the country. The terrorists were successful in hijacking a plane and they used it as a suicide weapon. From this experience the authorities changed the way they view hijacking.
The September 11 attack by Al Qaeda showed how capable they are in carrying out attacks by hijacking an airplane and this also showed that they can be able to use other aviation forms of attack. The Al Qaeda has portrayed their expertise and competence in their bombing methods and in particular the use of improvised explosive devices. Such devices have been hidden in vehicles, in baggage and others by the suicide bomber. An example is the 1995 Bojinka plot that was disrupted; in this incident the bomber assembled the explosive device in-flight. In 2001, a bomber attempted to carry explosives using his shoes aboard a flight that was destined to the US from France. These techniques of attack are an imminent threat to the aviation sector and have forced airport security authorities to improve their passenger screening techniques.
The Al Qaeda has portrayed its potential to exploit and identify loopholes in the security measures in airports when selecting their targets. They frequently attempt to test the security at airports, looking for loopholes that they can exploit and they continuously search for new methods and weapons for terrorist attacks. Small aircraft attacks are normally used by individuals rather the extremist groups as their effect is restricted against major infrastructure. Large aircrafts on the other hand can be hijacked and crashed on major buildings in cities as they have a bigger impact. In respect to this realization, the aviation security measures should focus on ensuring that procedures implemented are not visibly predictable and routine. Most terrorists in hijacking incidents usually have basic flying skills and others have advanced training on flying large aircrafts that they acquire from flight training schools. Such facilities that offer training on flying are in the US and some terrorists have actually been trained here. Terrorists also recruit airport staff and put their members in places where they can access aircraft information in an attempt to get capabilities to carry out an attack.
The use of hijacking as a form of terrorist attacks on aviation has been as a result of the mass casualties involved, symbolism of the attack, economic impact, the generation of imagery by the media, the accessibility and opportunity for attack, and the vulnerability of the target.
Reference:
Christopher, H. (2005): Political violence and terrorism in modern America; a chronology Greenwood Publishing Group.
Merari, A. (1998): Attacks on civil aviation; trends and lessons. Terrorism and political violence. Vol. 3, Pg 9-26. Routledge, Philadelphia.
Schneier, B (2009): is aviation security mostly for show? CNN Opinion. Retrieved on 22 February 2010, from http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/12/29/schneier.air.travel.security.theater/index.html
About the Author
Author is associated with ResearchPapers247.Com which is a global Research Papers and Term Papers Writing Company. If you would like help in Research Papers and Term Paper Help you can visit Custom Essays> and Custom Research Papers> or Term Paper Help>
How to make Paper Targets for 20 cents by SAR