SURVIVE A TERRORIST ATTACK: A HOW TO GUIDE (7)

BHOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA – We were sitting in a Florida classroom when I noticed something wrong.

Everyone was in light warm weather clothing except a dark-haired young man covered in a zipped-up and bulging jacket. His eyes were closed. He seemed to be praying quietly, his forehead covered in sweat

Before I could act – scream out, or maybe run – he jumped to his feet, threw over a table and shouted, “Allah Akbar! God is great! Death to Infidels!” In a last cruel moment he opened his jacket exposing a vest of dynamite sticks and pulled on a detonator.

My heart stopped for a moment. There was a shocked silence.

“You are all dead because you’re stupid,” ruled our tough anti-terrorism instructor, Nelson Ricardo.

The former American Special Forces soldier who fought secret guerilla wars from Nicaragua to Afghanistan, explained. “Many of you saw this man in class wearing a buttoned up jacket in Florida heat. But you didn’t say or do anything. Now you are dead.”

The “Suicide Bomber” was our first test in an Anti-Terrorism course taught by a team of former American Special Forces troops, S.W.A.T. (Special Weapons and Tactics) Team instructors and military Intelligence operatives at International Protective Services [I.P.S.] in Hollywood, Florida.

They’ve trained hundreds of police and FBI agents and are now training ordinary people to survive the terrorist attacks everyone agrees are coming to all countries, especially after the Madrid Train Massacre.

“Barked Nelson. “The purpose of this course is to teach you to be aware and prepared. You have to react!”

Through the use of innocent-appearing sleeper cells the enemy is already in place waiting a signal to help pick a target with the most possible casualties.

Walter Philbrick, a SWAT instructor and president of IPS Services told us, “Terrorism has no rules, either fight or die. We are going to teach you how to survive a terrorist attack.”

The first thing is to become more alert. Be aware of your surroundings.

Nelson said that from his experience as a combat veteran he knew, “The terrorists of 9-11 were scared. They knew they were going to die. They were sweating and jumpy. Somebody had to sit beside them on the planes. Those passengers might have been able to save the planes and buildings if they were aware enough to realize something was wrong.”

The First Rule of survival is to see terror coming. We must build up our reflexes from totally unaware to almost instant reaction – what’s called Condition Red.

If a man walks into a restaurant wearing a raincoat when it’s not raining and you see bulges in the coat, get up and walk out. He might be wearing a bomb. You may walk out twenty-five times and on the twenty-sixth BOOM!!”

If someone comes into a restaurant and puts a briefcase down and walks away get your family out first, then make a phone call to alert the restaurant of a possible bomb.”

Don’t just jump up and start yelling ‘BOMB!’ You will cause a panic and everyone will run out. If it’s not a bomb the restaurant owner will lose thousands of dollars and might sue you.

If a terrorist throws a hand grenade down in front of you don’t run. You will be killed by flying shrapnel piercing vital organs or your head. Seek shelter behind a chair or table in the two to four seconds before the grenade goes off.

If there is no cover fall face down with your feet facing the coming explosion. Pull your elbows into your sides to protect vital organs and cover your ears. This will change you from a five or six foot tall standing target into a tiny six inch box on the ground. The blast may miss you entirely or flying shrapnel may hit the soles of your shoes. At worst you can you lose your feet – but you will survive.

Another terrorist tactic spreading to the rest of the world is suicide bombing.

When faced with a suicide bomber you must first determine which type of detonation control he is holding. A Remote Control Detonator looks like the button held by a photographer in a studio. The explosion is caused by pushing the button. You must grab his thumb so he can’t press down.

The ‘Dead Man’s Switch’ is similar to the safety pin on a grenade. If the terrorist is shot or killed or releases his grip the bomb goes off. You must not let him open his hand.

As a last resort if you are behind a suicide bomber and can’t see what type of detonator he is using you must use him as a cushion to save your life and the lives of others.

First grab the hand with the controller. Then kick him with your right leg in the back of his right knee. Then you are going to fall on him as he goes down. The explosion will go off under him. His body will protect yours.

You will probably be thrown fifty feet in the air, break a few ribs and suffer second degree burns – but live. A soldier in Israel stopped a suicide bomber in a café using this technique and survived.