The public should be aware of threat indicators related to the preparation and delivery of terrorist weapons.
Terrorist groups acquire vehicles for bomb attacks by theft or rental. As such people who work for vehicle rental companies should be aware of anyone renting a utility van or truck that appears vague or suspicious about its purpose.
Landlords and citizens should also be aware of unusual activities around apartments or rental properties. For instance, an apartment tenant may notice unusual petroleum or acidic smells coming from a neighbor’s apartment. These are both examples of the types of subtle indicators that ordinary citizens may observe.
Government facilities/offices that may be targeted by terrorists should also be aware of special threat indicators.
In addition to activities associated with intelligence collection, items such as the theft of employee identity cards, access key cards, or vehicle stickers should be promptly investigated.
Terrorists frequently steal or forge these types of identity items to gain access to protected facilities. The unusual disappearance or murder of a facility employee is another potential threat indicator.
There are a number of documented cases where terrorists have kidnapped or killed facility employees for their credentials or clothing uniforms.
In many cases terrorists have even taken families hostage to coerce a member of the family (usually a facility employee) to deliver a bomb by proxy.
Police and Suspicious Activity
Police officers should be aware of abandoned objects in public places and vehicles parked in no-parking zones.
Police are warned to be aware of trucks or vans with fresh rust around the base or the bumper (a potential indicator of a bomb employing ammonia or urea nitrate explosives).
