Issue 305 Soft Targets 2 April 2, 2014

We discussed safety abroad yesterday, but really fell short on the whole idea of what is a soft target. So I felt an issue dedicated to such information would be prudent. Let's get started.

Soft target: A soft target is a non-military or governmental target. It is a place where a large number of people usually gather and have no means of fighting back. In short it is a civilian target and is designed to maximize emotional impact as much as the physical damage. Reason being is so as to force pressure on the government and the society being attacked into capitulating to the attackers demands.

Airports: We are all very familiar with this as a target for terrorists thanks to the 9/11 terror attack on the United States. An airport is a soft target and the idea of turning a plane into a cruise missile was appealing to the terrorists. But this is not the only method of targeting an airport. In fact, a person bringing a bomb into the area before boarding, or even as one enters the airport can cause significant physical and psychological impact.

Bridges: Collapsing a bridge at the height of rush hour is another appealing soft target. It not only has the costs of human life but can severally hurt an economy. Major bridges are hot beds for truck traffic and workers getting too and from work. Thus, major economic damage can be incurred as a result as well. As such, our government and police take great pains to inspect bridges for bombs. However, what about a person in a van full of explosives? At rush hour in bumper to bumper traffic a van exploding can stop traffic completely. The bridge will be damaged, and those injured will not be able to be saved as the ambulance will be delayed due to the severe traffic from rush hour and the chaos of people fleeing for safety. Thankfully, law enforcement seeks to prevent this by monitoring people who buy "potential bomb materials in quantity.

Bus Depot: Similar to an airport, a bus depot is a place where a large number of buses and people gather together. As such bombing this or a bus on a crowded city street is also a potential threat.

Trains: Trains are another dangerous target of opportunity. Passenger trains being derailed (not including explosives) can be catastrophic. Think of it, a couple of terrorists can cause two trains to collide with each other by manually overriding the switches. If that same train was filled with noxious chemicals then entire towns and cities would have to be potentially evacuated (similar to those chemical spills down south and out west in the United States that can contaminate drinking water). Then there is the subway. In 1995, the Tokyo subway system was attacked by a religious cult called Aum Shinrikyo. They used home made sarin nerve gas to flood the subway system with toxic fumes. While not weapons grade, it was enough to kill and maim a good number of people. Similar can happen in New York's subway system as well.

Public events: Stadiums for football, Basket ball, and other sports events are targets. Music halls, plays, movie theaters, and other places where we can expect large number of crowds to see a major attraction are targets. Theme parks and political rallies are also major targets. These all have that one thing in common, large turnout of people, in small crowded spaces which amount to chaos in an attack. Even a few people with a few guns can wreak major havoc as well as no matter where they shoot they are guaranteed to hit someone.

Schools: This one is probably the most feared and with obvious reasons. Schools are where we place our children to learn and be safe while we are away at work. That sense of security is precious to us all, but yet it can easily be violated. We have already seen what a nut job can do to a school up in the State of Connecticut, so what’s to stop a terrorist from doing the same?

Conclusion: There is no such thing as a truly safe place for any of us. All the places we gather are subject to attack. Office buildings are vulnerable as well as that is another significant gathering point for mass numbers of people. Time Square is a tourist trap which attracts massive numbers of people (especially on New Years). So what is all this to you outside of making you want to live in a cave for the rest of your life? Simple, do not let them win. Continue to live your life to the fullest without fear of these terrorist scum. If you see something odd, then tell an authority. If you or a group see something and police cannot get there in time, react like they did when the shoe bomber tried to blow up a plain. Pounce upon the rascal and wrestle them to the ground. Basically, I am telling you to live and to fight to live when necessary. That is my two cents on this issue, and I hope you find this useful.