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Terrorism on American Soil—Are You Prepared?

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September was National Preparedness Month; so by now, we should all have supplies ready for any natural disaster that could happen. However, recent events suggest the biggest threat on the horizon may not be natural at all. Instead, it is much more sinister and perhaps more deadly. It strikes with little—if any—warning and anyone, anywhere around the globe, may be the victim of its wrath. We need to prepare for something much more horrifying than Mother Nature. Are you prepared for the fallout from a terrorist attack?

Terrorist attacks

Much of the world stood aghast as the recent terror attacks in Paris France unfolded. The world’s intelligence agencies have been saying for months that ISIS did not have the capability to project its power. Other attacks were lone-wolf inspired. There was also President Obama’s extremely off-base analysis that ISIS is a JV team, which makes you wonder how secure we really are and how serious the country is taking the threat. As recently as the week before the attack in Paris, the President was again downplaying the threat. Will he ever learn?

The Paris attacks proved they were all wrong. ISIS, ISIL, or whatever you want to call it, is real and it is coming. You cannot contain that type of threat. You either wipe it out, or it hurts you. The bad news is that our forces are not going to be unleashed anytime soon. The current Administration is more than content to leave ISIS to its successor or another country. Meanwhile, the United States has already accepted thousands of ‘refugees’ from Syria.

Do you believe it is too late to ‘close the barn doors’ here at home and prevent an attack?

The 9/11 Memorial in New York

Our intelligence methods and sources are being degraded as the terrorists get more sophisticated. For instance, there is a little thing called the “darknet.” The darknet is an Internet system of networking that uses specific protocols and encrypting. Primarily used for illegal peer-to-peer file sharing, it has been adopted for use by sophisticated terror organizations. The servers and communication lines are often hosted in unfriendly countries such as Russia, making it much more difficult for U.S. intelligence sources to penetrate. The are also encrypted communications and instant message services the U.S. does not have backdoor access to monitor.

In the past, following military doctrine, the U.S. looked to disrupt any one of the critical three Cs—Command, Control, Communications. Eliminate any one of the three, and the enemy will be seriously degraded. In the past, this strategy reduced the Al Qaeda threat significantly. However, newer technology and less cooperation from friendly nations have made this more of a challenge—if not outright impossible in today’s environment.

Likely Attacks

Terrorist with a fake bomb in a training scenario

We all wish there was a crystal ball to foresee the threat. There isn’t one; however, we can put together a few pieces of information to make predictions. We know the terrorists like significant dates or events. The Twin Towers came down on 9/11, the London Bombings were on 7/7—killing 52 and injuring over 700—and the Mumbai bombing on 7/11. The Paris attacks were on Friday the 13th. All of these numbers are significant. Looking back, we know the significance of Friday the 13th. On October (Friday) 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France, with the assistance of Pope Clement V, ordered all Knights Templar arrested. The act was considered by many to be a war on religion. The arrest warrant began, “Dieu n’est pas content, nous avons des ennemis de la foi dans le Royaume.” (“God is not pleased. We have enemies of the faith in the kingdom.”)

Is that a stretch? It is hard to say. And it is always easier to try to make a connection after the fact than predict the future. Even if it gives us a day, it would not give us a location. What we do know, however, is that ISIS will strike again, and if not ISIS, then another terror group. You need to be prepared.

Make a Plan

While large coordinated attacks are of major concern, smaller lone wolf-style attacks are more likely to affect each of us. Adequately preparing for these types of attacks can help minimize the impact. What would you add to the list in preparation against the imminent threat of a terrorist attack?

  • Firearms and ammo, match their firepower with the AK-47, AR-15 or12-gauge shotgun
  • Dust or gas masks, plastic sheeting and duct tape, to help filter and seal-out contaminated air
  • Hammer, nails and wood to board up windows
  • Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
  • Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
  • Solar or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • First Aid Kit
  • Emergency two-way communications
  • Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
  • Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
  • Can opener for food
  • Local maps
  • Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

I know Donald Trump said it, perhaps others did as well, but this would have been much harder in the U.S. Unlike France, we have a Second Amendment and an armed citizenry is a great defense.

Get proficient with your firearms and carry for your own personal protection.

Conclusion

If successfully attempted or carried out, do you think an attack would be a small-scale local event like the Boston Marathon bombings or something larger such as an attack on the electrical grid or water supplies? What supplies or preparations do you think are necessary for an active shooter situation or mass casualty?

Add your suggestions and ideas and lists in the comment section and we will compile and publish them for the entire community.

Click here for more articles on preparedness and survival.

SLRule

Growing up in Pennsylvania’s game-rich Allegany region, Dave Dolbee was introduced to whitetail hunting at a young age. At age 19 he bought his first bow while serving in the U.S. Navy, and began bowhunting after returning from Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Dave was a sponsored Pro Staff Shooter for several top archery companies during the 1990s and an Olympic hopeful holding up to 16 archery records at one point. During Dave’s writing career, he has written for several smaller publications as well as many major content providers such as Guns & Ammo, Shooting Times, Outdoor Life, Petersen’s Hunting, Rifle Shooter, Petersen’s Bowhunting, Bowhunter, Game & Fish magazines, Handguns, F.O.P Fraternal Order of Police, Archery Business, SHOT Business, OutdoorRoadmap.com, TheGearExpert.com and others. Dave is currently a staff writer for Cheaper Than Dirt!

Article by Dave Dolbee

 

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