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Terrorism: the very name is synonymous with fear, hatred, and brutality. Such a
word was foreign to Americans until 1979, when Iranian extremists took control of the
American embassy in Teheran. In the months that followed, the superpower America was
brought to its knees by a fanatical group of students from a Third World nation. The
entire world witnessed our collective helplessness and inability to extricate fellow
Americans from their physical and mental bondage. When President Carter finally ordered a
daring rescue mission, the resultant failure only exacerbated a nation's embarrassment and
sense of hopeless despair. After the brutal terrorist attack made upon Pan Am Flight 103
over Lockerbie, Scotland last year, it was evident that Americans remain easy prey of
terrorist factions. Americans, especially those who work abroad, must learn how to reduce
their vulnerability to terrorist attacks, along with knowing how to reduce their exposure
to risk.
American firms doing business overseas must develop strategies to understand the types of
terrorists that pose threats to their personnel, along with educating employees in
vulnerability reduction methods. According to Carl Swanson, a journalist with Industrial
Management, terrorists may be classified into three groups:
1) Political terrorists, primarily
interested in overthrowing existing
governments, 2) Criminal terrorists,
who attack primarily for money or
objects, and 3) Cause/religious
terrorists, who feel that their cause
justifies their actions. (1)
A globally integrated economy has forced American corporations to expand into foreign markets, which exposes thousands of employees to the threat of international terrorist activities. Terrorists attack corporations because they symbolize nations. Robert Hall, a risk management consultant with Frank B. Hall & Co., states, "A terrorist act has a 87% chance of succeeding and that the terrorists themselves have a 79% chance of escaping punishment." (2)
So, how do Americans living abroad escape the extreme probability of becoming a victim
to a terrorist act? Business executives and employees alike must undertake a thorough risk
assessment, both at the workplace, and within the home. Most terrorism experts advise to
maintain a low-profile, to avoid expensive homes and cars, to vary the daily routine, and
to refrain from anything associated with American life or culture while residing abroad.
There have been several airport terrorist bombings that have occurred over the last few
years, especially in Italy, West Germany, and Greece. However, travel to and from airports
can be perilous, for as Larry Brown, a writer for Security Management observes,
"Special attention should be accorded security while the executive is riding from
place to place in a car, a time of especially high risk." (3) Special risk exists for
business executives who have lived abroad for the longest duration, since terrorists are
afforded the opportunity to monitor daily routines and home security. Gene Masprangelo,
who is a terrorism expert for Business Risk International, provides chilling proof in the
following statement:
There are people constantly looking
for targets. In France a few years
ago, police raided a safe house
and discovered scores of videos of
people leaving their homes and
going to work. The terrorists had
been watching them in the comfort
of their living room. (4)
Companies operating in high-risk locales must convince potential terrorists that their
employees would be difficult targets, which is achieved by a serious commitment to
plant/office security and employee avoidance training programs. In the expert opinion of
Mr. Masprangelo, "You want to create uncertainty about your security. If they
(terrorists) make the decision you are a risk, they will dismiss you and look at someone
who is less security-conscious." (5)
One of the ways of reducing terrorist risk is to identify those times when perils are
more likely to occur. Companies need to exercise extreme caution on or about anniversary
dates that are significant to terrorist organizations. For example, the 17th of November
terrorist faction of Greece each year commemorates its anniversary with some type of
anti-American attack. According to Mr. Masprangelo of Business Risks International,
terrorist activity usually escalates after hunger strikes by imprisoned members, terrorist
court trials or executions, treaty signings, and political elections.
Whenever a terrorist attack fails, risk increases proportionately for future victims.
In many cases, terrorist attacks are merely attempts for international media coverage.
With this in mind, "When terrorists attempt an attack and fail, they often come back
immediately with another equally barbaric act. They can't afford to fail. It's bad for
their image." (6)
Americans abroad need to be especially cognizant of the dangers of airline travel. Such
a peril was tragically evidenced by the unconscionable terrorist murders of the occupants
of Pan Am Flight 103, the majority of whom were American citizens. Travellers should avoid
any display of wealth and not carry any sort of military identification. Avoid first-class
seats for two reasons: 1) Proximity to the cockpit, which is essential to any terrorist
attack, and 2) Terrorists assume that less valuable people travel in the coach section of
the plane. Some leading American firms, such as the defense contractor, General Dynamics,
advise their employees to use foreign carriers for any trans-Atlantic or European travel.
In the event of an actual terrorist attack, Brian Jenkins, a terrorism expert with
Kroll Associates, advises the following risk-reduction procedures:
Resist the instinct to take control.
People tend to do foolish things in
the first few seconds.... They make
foolish attempts to resist or escape.
... Don't do anything to make yourself
stand out.... It's unwise to start up
conversations with captors, but if
they initiate, take advantage to
establish yourself as an ordinary human
being who is not completely dissimilar
to them.... Don't argue or engage in
political discussions or polemics....
There's a natural tendency for hostages
to identify positively with the captor.
Don't fight it.... It's more difficult
for captors to harm someone with whom
they have developed some relationship. (7)
The brutal specter of terrorism can be mitigated if Americans learn to reduce their
vulnerability to risk while in foreign lands. By making thorough risk assessments, along
with recognizing when the threat of terrorist action is greatest, Americans can force
terrorist groups to look elsewhere. Walter Laquer, author of Terrorism, when queried about
the future of terrorist acts, stated, "My comparison is with physics: No one can
predict exactly how small particles will act, only mass movements." (8)
Footnotes
1.
Swanson, Carl L. "The New and Growing Management
Problem of Terrorism." Industrial Management, 29
(May-June 1987): 2,3.
2.
Hofmann, Mark A. "Corporations Often Are Terrorist
Targets." Business Insurance, 22 (02 May 1989):
67-68.
3.
Brown, Larry C. "Let's Be Realistic: How to Provide
the Best Protection for Top Executives Who
Travel." Security Management, 31 (January
1987): 63-65.
4, 5, & 6.
Bell, Alexa. "Terrorists Set Their Sights on
Corporations." Investor's Daily, (29 November
1989): 1,34.
7.
Bell, Alexa. "Experts Advise On What To Do If Caught
In A Terrorist Incident." Investor's Daily, (29
November 1989): p. 1.
8.
Kurtzman, Joel. "Terror Amid Change." New York
Times, (03 December 1989): Section 3, p. 1.
References
Cowan, William. "Office Security: Thwarting The
Terrorist Threat." Administrative Management,
(June 1987): 14-16.
Dahl, Jonathan. "Firms Warn Workers Traveling
Abroad." Wall St. Journal, (10 April 1989): Section B, p. 1.
Follet, Ken. On Wings of Eagles. New York:
Signet, 1983.
Kelly, Robert and Jack Barnathan. "Out on a Limb:
Executives Abroad." Security Management, 32
(November 1988): 117-127.
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