Coping with Terrorism/Expert Profile

Expertise

Terrorism, political violence and asymmetric warfare; terrorist weapons, tactics and targeting; terrorist IEDs and bombing tactics; critical infrastructure protection; water system security; transportation security, especially aviation and rail security; the application of security technology as part of a comprehensive protective strategy. I also maintain a small library and archive on these issues so I can suggest books and other reference works to those who are interested in these subjects.

Experience in the area

I've been studying terrorism and working in the anti-terrorism field since the late 1980's. I've been involved in a range of projects including threat, vulnerability and risk assessments; security planning; security policy and procedure development; emergency response procedure development; crisis management planning; open-source research on terrorism and related issues; training program development; exercise design and evaluation. I've provided these services to airports; airlines; rail terminals; ports; utilities; schools; law enforcement agencies; fire departments; federal, state and local governments; and corporations.

What do you like about this subject?

The area of terrorism studies is a diverse, multi-disciplinary field. There is an almost endless supply of interesting research topics to explore for the curious.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

As a life-long learner, I hope to continue my studies in this fascinating field.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

The first hijacking of a commercial aircraft happened in 1933. The Pan Am seaplane was hijacked from Cuba to Miami by Orestes Ferrera, the Cuban Interior Minister, who was fleeing for his life after the 1933 revolution.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

Almost everything!