Interview With Brigitte Gabriel

This is a 46-minute interview with Brigitte Gabriel, the author of Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America, who shares her personal experiences of growing up in Lebanon as fundamentalist Muslims gained control of their country and terrorized the population:

Click here to play

And here is a radio interview with Gabriel

As Gabriel wrote: "War has been declared on Christians, Jews, non-Muslims and secularists worldwide by Islamic extremists...simply because we are infidels according to their belief. As Islamic fundamentalism spreads its tentacles worldwide, it is crucial for the people of the Western world to understand the danger, know what to expect, and know what to do about it."

Gabriel's web site is devoted to the cause. Check it out: American Congress For Truth.

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Women More Than Abused In Islamic Theocracies

AHMEDI BEGUM, a 50 year-old woman, was showing two young women a room she was renting out when police rushed in and arrested the two girls and Ahmedi's nephew, who happened to be standing nearby.

That afternoon, Ahmedi went to the police station to see what could be done to release her nephew and the two girls, when the police arrested Ahmedi too, confiscating her jewelry and throwing her into a room.

In a short time, the two girls, naked and bleeding were thrown into the room too. Then police officers raped the girls in front of Ahmedi. She tried to look away, but they forced her to watch.

Ahmedi herself was then stripped and raped by several officers, and then beaten, and worse. At some point she passed out, and when she woke up, she had been charged with illegal fornication.

The country is Pakistan. Islamic law, otherwise known as Shari'a, has been applied more and more vigorously in Pakistan since the country was formed, but it's still not applied as strictly as it is in Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Iran.

Shari'a law says when a woman is raped, she has done something illegal, for which she may be whipped or even stoned to death. This is but one example of the abuses women suffer today in many Islamic states.

Women's lack of freedom and outright abuse is a fundamental feature of Shari'a, which is the system of law many Islamic governments use. Shaykh Ghawhi, a well-known and well-respected (in Islamic universities and throughout the Islamic world) teacher and author of Islamic studies and Islamic law says that according to Shari'a:

1. A woman must only leave her house if she has a real need to do so.
2. Her husband or guardian must authorize her leaving the house.
3. When she is out, she must be completely covered, including her face.
4. When she is out, she must not look left or right but keep her head bowed down as she walks.
5. She must not wear perfume in public.
6. She must never shake a man's hand.
   
7. Even if she is visiting a female friend and is inside her friend's house, she must not uncover herself in case a man is hiding somewhere in the house.

I think criminals under house arrest in the U.S. have more freedom than this!

Women in the Muslim world have been fighting for their rights for a long time. They've won some victories, but they have also lost some freedoms they had once gained, because on the other side of women's push for greater freedom is the religious authority's push for stricter adherence to Shari'a law. Many modern states that use Shari'a law begin to allow some freedoms, but then crack down again, as you can read about here: Fundamentalist Islam Around The World.

Under Islamic law, a woman is forbidden to be a head of state or a judge. She can only inherit half of what a man can inherit. In court, her testimony is only worth half of a man's. She is not allowed to choose where she will live or who she will marry. She is not allowed to marry a non-Muslim or divorce her husband.

Her husband, however, can divorce her with a wave of his hand. And according to Shari'a, he can and should beat her if she disobeys him.

This is beyond abuse. This is legally-sanctioned abuse on a massive scale. Islamic fundamentalists are trying to apply 7th-century law in the 21st century.

And they're not only doing it in Islamic countries, they're trying to impose their laws in the West, and they've been getting away with it because a moral strength of the Western democracies is being exploited by Islamists.

Honor killings are another even more heinous example of legally-sanctioned abuse. The word "abuse" isn't even strong enough. It is legally-sanctioned torture and murder. If a woman "dishonors" her family by falling in love with the wrong man or having an affair, her uncles and brothers are morally obligated to beat her to death. Here's a story of a recent honor killing in London.

The religion of Islam is unique in the world. It is both a personal religion and a political system, and it is part of a Muslim's religious duty to constantly strive toward living in a country that applies Islamic law. They take this seriously. A growing number of Muslims are making a concerted effort to slowly make America and Europe follow Islamic law. Here is how they're doing it.

Islamic fundamentalism is the source of the women's abuse we've been talking about, and it's also the source of most of the terrorism in the world. One way to fight terrorism is to work for women's rights. And one way to work for women's rights is to fight terrorism. The two are linked by Islamic fundamentalism.

Weaken the political power of Islamists and you accomplish both. You can learn more about how to defeat Islamic fundamentalism at CitizenWarrior.com here, at Bruno Wolfgang's site, and at the Infidel Blogger's Alliance. For seven practical actions you can take that will weaken the power of the Islamists, read Halt Terrorism.

Maybe you'd like to do something more specifically about the abuse of women in Islamic countries. Excellent. You can help Amnesty International write letters to put political pressure on Islamic countries so they'll release unfairly imprisoned women. Their letter campaigns have a proven record of success. Here's an example of one of their campaigns.

You can help end the practice of honor killings by participating in the projects of the International Campaign Against Honor Killings.

You can support and promote groups working for women's rights, like the Global Fund For Women, and Madre.

And all these actions will not only help save women from abuse, they will help defeat terrorism around the world.

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Signs That Indicate An Impending Terrorist Attack

BELOW IS AN excellent list, compiled by Somerset County. If you see any of the following suspicious activities, it could indicate the planning of a terrorist attack or other illegal activity. Call 911 to report it, and officers can check it out. If the people are doing something perfectly legal, no harm was done. If they weren't, your action may have helped authorities uncover a terrorist cell or plot.

It has happened before. Observant ordinary citizens have noticed something and alerted authorities, which led to the foiling of a terrorist plot. This is what to look for:

1. Persons or vehicles being observed in the same location on multiple occasions not previously seen in the area.

2. Persons sitting in parked vehicles for an extended period of time for no apparent reason.

3. Persons observed near a place of interest, using or carrying video equipment, still cameras, or other observation devices.

4. Persons showing interest in security positions at important buildings and facilities.

5. Persons observed with maps or blueprints of important facilities or infrastructures.

6. Persons drawing pictures or taking notes of places of interest not normally known to have such activity.

7. Persons not fitting in with surrounding environment, such as wearing improper attire for the area.

8. Persons exhibiting unusual behavior such as staring or quickly looking away from individuals as they enter or leave an area.

9. Persons wearing bulky clothing that may not fit with weather conditions.

10. Persons engaging in behavior that appears to be in preparation for future activity such as “dry runs”.

11. Observation of recently damaged areas not permitted to general public.

12. Observation of abandoned vehicles, or stockpiles of materials in areas near key facilities.

13. Observation of multiple persons working together engaging in surveillance of places of interests.

14. Loitering near restricted or sensitive sites.

15. Rental, delivery or utility vehicles parked in unusual locations, such as fields, vacant warehouses, schools, or other secluded locations.

16. Complaints of unusual fumes, liquids, residue or odors.

If you notice one of these signs of suspicious activity, call 911. Law enforcement agencies are all tied into a network, so your report will be passed on to the FBI and whoever else needs to be notified. All you have to do is call your local 911.

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The al Qaeda Manual

THE FOLLOWING is a translation of a portion of an al Qaeda training manual. The full manual is available here. This was made available by the FBI on their website.

A significant purpose of fundamentalist Muslims is to try to establish Islamic states everywhere in the world until the whole world is Islamic. Organizations like al Qaeda are working hard to do just that.

Part of the strategy is to undermine trust in a government's ability to protect its citizens by committing dramatic acts of terror. But to do this, a terrorist needs to blend in to the foreign society until the appointed hour of destruction. The section below is how a terrorist can go unnoticed while preparing the attack.

This is serious business. The Islamists have an overall strategy for turning America into an Islamic state: The 20-year plan for overthrowing the U.S. government. And they have similar goals in Europe.

Their numbers are growing, and so is their sophistication. And because Islamists exploit a moral principle in western democracies, they are actually gaining ground on what would seem to be an impossible goal.

Since part of a citizen warrior's job is help prevent terrorist attacks by knowing what to look for, it's a good idea to know the tactics terrorists use to fool the unschooled eye.

So here is a chapter of the al Qaeda manual, describing tactics for concealing one's true identity in the land of the infidels (otherwise known as "member safety"):

Chapter Eight: MEMBER SAFETY

Defining member safety:

This is a set of measures taken by members who perform undercover missions in order to prevent the enemies from getting to them.

It is necessary for any party that adopts Jihad work and has many members to subdivide its members into three groups, each of which has its own security measures. The three groups are:

1. The overt member
2. The covert member
3. The commander


Measures that should be taken by the Overt Member:

1. He should not be curious and inquisitive about matters that do not concern him.

2. He should not be chatty and talkative about everything he knows or hears.

3. He should not carry on him the names and addresses of those members he knows. If he has to, he should keep them safe.

4. During times of security concerns and arrest campaigns and especially if his appearance is Islamic, he should reduce his visits to the areas of trouble and remain at home instead.

5. When conversing on the telephone, he should not talk about any information that might be of use to the enemy.

6. When sending letters, he should not mention any information that might be of use to the enemy. When receiving letters, he should burn them immediately after reading them and pour water on them to prevent the enemy from reading them. Further, he should destroy any traces of fire so the enemy would not find out that something was burned.


Measures that should be taken by the Undercover Member:

In addition to the above measures, the member should...

1. Not reveal his true name to the Organization's members who are working with him, nor to the Islamic Call.

2 . Have a general appearance that does not indicate Islamic orientation.

3. Be careful not to mention the brothers’ common expressions or show their behaviors (special praying appearance, “may Allah reward you”, “peace be on you" while arriving and departing, etc.)

4. Avoid visiting famous Islamic places (mosques, libraries, Islamic fairs, etc.)

5. Carry falsified personal documents and know all the information they contain.

6. Have protection preceding his visit to any place while moving about (apartment, province, means of transportation, etc.).

7. Have complete and accurate knowledge of the security status related to those around him in his place of work and residence, so that no danger or harm would catch him unaware.

8. Maintain his family and neighborhood relationships and should not show any changes towards them so that they would not attempt to bring him back (from the Organization) for security reasons.

9. Not resort to utilizing letters and messengers except in an emergency.

10. Not speak loudly.

11. Not get involved in advocating good and denouncing evil in order not to attract attention to himself.

12. Break the daily routine, especially when performing an undercover mission. For example, changing the departure and return routes, arrival and departure times, and the store where he buys his goods.

13. Not causing any trouble in the neighborhood where he lives or at the place of work.

14. Converse on the telephone using special code so that he does not attract attention.

15. Not contacting the overt members except when necessary. Such contacts should be brief.

16. Not fall into the enemy's excitement trap, either through praising or criticizing his Organization.

17. Performing the exercises to detect surveillance whenever a task is to be performed.

18. Not park in no-parking zones and not take photographs where it is forbidden.

19. Closing all that should be closed before departing the place, whether at home or his place of undercover work.

20. Not undergo a sudden change in his daily routine or any relationships that precede his Jihad involvement. For example, there should not be an obvious change in his habits of conversing, movement, presence, or disappearance. Likewise, he should not be hasty to sever his previous relationships.

21. Not meet in places where there are informers, such as coffee shops, and not live in areas close to the residences of important personalities, government establishments, and police stations.

22. Not write down on any media, specially on paper, that could show the traces and words of the pen by rubbing the paper with lead powder.


Measures that should be taken by the Commander:

The commander, whether in overt or covert work, has special importance for the following reasons:

1. The large amount of information he possesses.

2. The difficulty of the command in replacing the commander.

3. Therefore, all previously mentioned security precautions regarding members should be heightened for the commander. Many resources should be reserved for protecting the commanders.

Important Note: Married brothers should observe the following...

1. Not talking with their wives about Jihad work.

2. The members with security risks should not travel with their wives. A wife with an Islamic appearance (veil) attracts attention.

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Halt Terrorism — The Top Seven Things a Citizen Can Do

Much of the work of fighting terrorism is done by governments, security agencies, and the military. But there are practical things an ordinary citizen can do to make a significant difference in defeating terrorism. If you're ready to do your part, here are the top seven ways a citizen can help halt terrorism. Each principle links to an article about it.

1. Be observant and report suspicious activities. First you need to learn what to look for. Then you can use your eyes and ears as you go about your daily activities. If you know what to look for, being observant doesn't mean being paranoid. Most activities are not suspicious. But a few specific kinds of activities are. Follow the link above to find out what those are, and then...be observant.

2. Share DVDs with your friends. This may be the most useful thing you can do. It is such a simple and natural thing to say something like, "I saw a really interesting film last night." And then talk about one of the most interesting or surprising things in the film. When the person you're talking to is interested, you can say, "I own it on DVD. Would you like to borrow it?" This is a great way to get valuable information into the heads of the other members of your country. The ideas in their heads has a significant impact on how successfully we collectively fight terrorism; it determines what policies and which politicians they vote for. Go to the link above for our suggested DVDs to share.

3. Steer conversations to the topic of terrorism. Improve your ability to start casual conversations and gently open those conversations to the topic of terrorism, and improve your ability to do it in a way that prevents others from being turned off by it. Terrorism can be an ugly and scary subject if not approached in the right way. Influencing opinions is a vital task you can do to fight terrorism. Ideas and opinions are the driving force behind world events. You can change someone's opinion about terrorism, but you must first be talking about terrorism. Follow the link above and begin today.

4. Learn more about influencing people. Once you have someone in a conversation, how can you change their opinions? How can you successfully influence them? This is also a skill you can improve with know-how and practice. Skill can win people to a new way of thinking. A lack of skill can entrench them more solidly in their old way of thinking. Skill is all-important, and it can be improved, no matter how good you are already. Follow the link above and get started.

5. When you find a good article online, share it. This is one of the easiest ways to make a difference. If you do it well, you can enhance the impact of what you share. Follow the link for some good tips on how to do it well.

6. Help people see the URL WhatYouCanDoAboutIslam.com. The domain name goes to our master list of things you can do. Add the domain address to your email signature. Print it on business cards and post them on bulletin boards. Get a bumper sticker with the address on it. Not everyone is interested in the topic, but those who are will be curious when they see the URL, and you've just sent them to a good resource. Another one to send people to, which has been especially designed as a gentle introduction to Islam is InquiryIntoIslam.com.

7. Take the pledge and read the Koran. There are many good reasons for doing this. First of all, you will find out for yourself what Islam is about. But also, when you're talking to other people, you'll have an authority others just don't have when it comes to Islam. Anyone can read it. Follow the link above to get a good recommendation for a modern-English version (many versions are written in Old English for some reason, which isn't very easy to read). Take the pledge and do it.

And read about Islam. Become familiar with the subject. Read The Sword of the Prophet and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (two of my favorites). There are many to choose from. Not all books are created equal. When you find a really good one, get it in an audio format and listen to it while you drive. This way you can easily listen to the same material many times. When you share information or perspectives with someone, you have a good opportunity to really illuminate the subject for them. If you have only a vague understanding of something you read only once, you'll find it hard to be lucid or convincing, and you'll fail to persuade. Part of persuasion is knowing what you're talking about. The other part is skill with people.

You want to do something about terrorism. You want to halt the terrorists in their tracks. Excellent! Choose one of the seven ideas above — the one that appeals to you the most — and do it. On behalf of all of us, I thank you for your intention and effort.

In the comments below, I have added other ways a citizen can help halt terrorism, and I will keep adding them as I get new information. I encourage you to add to the list yourself.

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How to Fight Jihadis by Sharing Online Articles Via Email

The use of violence is the jihadis' strength. To fight them, we'll have to use violence ourselves, but that's the military's domain. There is something civilians can do that exploits the orthodox Muslims' weakness and plays to our strength: We can use freedom of speech as a weapon against jihad.

The internet is an especially fine tool for exercising freedom of speech. The internet makes sharing information easier than it has ever been in history. And the spread of information between non-Muslims can help unify and educate the team, and can help clarify what needs to be done.

So when you're on the internet and you find a good article about jihad, one way you can help defeat the third jihad is to share the article with your friends. Simple, right? I have a few suggestions that will make your sharing more effective:

1. Be sparing. We all know someone who sends lots of mass emails of varying quality. And how do you react? You start to devalue that person's emails. So I suggest you only send very good articles, and only once in awhile. Once a week at most.

2. Try to choose articles that will penetrate. In other words, if you have an atheist friend, don't send him an article praising Jesus. It will turn him off, and the information won't penetrate. It might even turn him off to potentially influential articles from you in the future. Think of where your friend stands on the issue, and where you want him to stand, and try to choose articles that persuasively will move him over toward the goal.

3. Don't just send bad news. Most bad news leaves the reader feeling helpless, and we don't need to spread helplessness among our teammates. If you do send bad news, send along with it something your friend can do about it — either another link to an article, or a short paragraph from you.

4. Don't send the whole article. Send a link. Many links are eight inches long, however, and don't work on the other side. Several places online provide a service that makes the link much shorter. Use one. Here's one: Tiny URL.

5. If you do a mass mailing, hide everyone's email address. It's the courteous thing to do (it doesn't expose the addressees' addresses to other people). Put all the addresses in the BCC section and then put your own email address in the main address section. The only address that shows will be yours. Ideally, and to make the email more personalized (and therefore have greater impact) you would not send mass mailings but would write to each person individually. It doesn't take that much longer. You can copy and paste most of your message.

6. Tell them the most interesting part of the article and why you think the article is illuminating. This only needs to be a paragraph or two.

7. Before you send it off, re-read your message and improve it if you can. Small improvements can help give your message greater persuasive force. Small mistakes, overstatements, or clumsy sentences can distract your reader from the message.

Sharing articles via email is easy, but you can make it more effective by taking the time to do it well. This is a valuable opportunity to influence your friends. The cost in money and time is little enough, but the potential opinion-changing, educational impact is very great indeed.

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How to Steer Conversations to the Subjects of Jihad and Sharia

TO INFLUENCE SOMEONE about Islam, you have to talking about Islam. Of course, jihad isn't a normal topic for casual conversations. So if you want to talk about Islam, you're going to have to deliberately bring it up most of the time. But how?

The easiest and most natural way is to mention something you just learned.

But let me backtrack a moment. You should not try to influence anyone until you know what you're talking about. I'm sure you know that already. But what this means is that you're always learning something.

When you're reading (or watching a DVD or listening to an audiobook), be on the lookout for something really unusual or interesting or surprising. Those little nuggets are precious. When you find one, you've got a ticket into a good conversation.

Then it's as easy as, "I was reading a book last night and I learned something really surprising." Of course, the person you're talking to will be curious. You've opened their mind.

Share the nugget. Let them respond. If they have an opinion about it, listen to them thoughtfully. Don't immediately argue with them, even if they say something stupid. That doesn't help the educational process. But if what they say reminds you of something else you've learned that seems fitting and interesting, tell them about it.

I've used this "technique," if we can call it that, hundreds of times, and it works every time. It gets the conversation on the subject of terrorism, and gives us fellow teammates (members of our country) a chance to talk about something important that affects all of us. And it gives me a chance to share vital information.

The most important part of the whole process is to find those nuggets when you're reading, and to remind yourself of it a few times, so you'll remember it.

It's important to remember the details of the nugget. Have you ever heard someone trying to tell a joke, but they can't remember quite how it goes? The joke is spoiled, isn't it? The same principle applies here. The details help make your nugget interesting and persuasive. The lack of details makes it fall flat.

When you've found a good nugget, you'll be talking to several people over the next few days who haven't heard it, and you can tell each one of them about it, and your delivery will improve every time you tell it.

This is a simple way to make a difference. You're already shooting the breeze with people, making small talk. Here's a way to make it count.

One of the most important tasks that needs to be done to defeat terrorism is the education of our teammates. This can best be done in person and face-to-face. Your participation is vital. We need every soldier we can muster. Defeating the third jihad is in large part a war of memes and you are on the front lines.

Look for those interesting and surprising tidbits. Go over them a couple times. Then bring it up with people and let the conversation go where it will.

A good primer on creating interesting conversations is How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: The Secrets of Good Communication, by the master of interesting and meaningful conversations, Larry King.

A good example of a conversation is this one: Modern Revelations About Islamic Revelations.

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How To Stop a Terrorist Attack

THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM a review of Daywalt's new DVD, and it's about something important a citizen can do to help halt terrorism — be observant and know what to look for. You can learn how to recognize the kinds of events that lead up to a terrorist attack, and to report them to the proper authorities. Security professionals cannot be everywhere all the time.

"Your eyes and ears and those of your friends, family, and co-workers," says the narrator, "can be of enormous help in preventing terrorism. You are the only one who knows best what activities do or do not belong in and around your community.

"...your inputs are immediately shared with law enforcement agencies for rapid assessment and investigation, as necessary. As part of your daily routine, being observant and reporting anything out of the ordinary could be the crucial first step in preventing a possible terrorist attack."

How many times have you seen the "heightened alert" sign? Do you know what to do during heightened terrorist threat levels? The DVD lays out for you exactly what you should do: Look for "indicators of terrorism." There are seven things terrorists often do before they launch an attack, and those things can be spotted by a citizen better than a uniformed police officer. Here are the seven indicators of terrorism:

1. Surveillance
2. Elicitation
3. Test of security
4. Acquiring supplies
5. Suspicious persons
6. Dry runs
7. Deploying assets

These are actions terrorists often take before they launch an attack, and they are usually in plain view of regular citizens. If those citizens are paying attention and know what to look for, they can report it to the local police, whose system is now tied into national security agencies.

The DVD explains details of each indicator. For example, the first one is surveillance. Terrorists often scope out a potential target first. Things to be aware of are note-taking, recording or monitoring the routines of the target (say, a nuclear facility or stadium), using cameras, drawing diagrams, drawing on maps, using binoculars, possessing plans or blueprints of the site, etc.

If you see something like this and you've never seen it before in your area, you can report it to your local police. They can then investigate. If the apparently suspicious people are innocent and their activities are for a legitimate purpose, no harm was done by checking them out. But if they had ill intent, the discovery of their activities can lead to the identification of a terrorist group. You've just saved lives.

"If you feel you've observed something suspicious, do not dismiss it," urges Daywalt. "Many criminal and terrorist plots have been averted just because someone was observant enough, and reported what they saw to the authorities."

Here's another good list of what to look for: Signs That Indicate An Impeding Terrorist Attack.

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New DVD on What a Civilian Can Do About Terrorism

I've just finished watching a new instructional DVD called Terrorism - You May Be The Target.The DVD covers three things:

1. How to help prevent terrorist attacks from happening in your area.

2. How to protect your life if you're involved in a terrorist attack.

3. How to prevent being a target yourself.
Here on CW, we are focused on what civilians can do to prevent terrorism, and this DVD is packed with good information on just that subject. "It's up to each of us," the narrator explains, "to play an active role in the fight against terrorism."

We cannot and should not rely on others to protect us. Terrorists are targeting civilians. Israel has been dealing with terrorist attacks on civilians much longer than Americans, and they've learned from hard experience that when citizens pay attention and know what to do, lives can be saved. Terrorist attacks can be thwarted. "With the active participation and involvement of every citizen," says James Daywalt, the author of the DVD, "we have a good chance in successfully fighting terrorism. And you are a vital part in that fight."
The DVD covers everything from simple everyday safety precautions to remote possibilities, like what to do if you are taken hostage by a terrorist.

The DVD is a good overview of the subject of terrorism and is very organized. It has a section on a brief history of terrorism, a section on how terrorist cells are organized, sections on how to protect yourself from different kinds of attacks, such as hijacking, kidnapping, bombing, etc.

There are two things I don't like about the DVD: First, Daywalt goes out of his way to avoid saying anything bad about Islam, which in itself isn't really a bad thing, and many people would probably think it's a good thing, but the Islamic kind is the only terrorism most of us are worried about. The KKK has failed to strike fear into my heart in a long time. The IRA hasn't bothered me in months. But Islamic terrorists are out to kill me and everyone I know, and they're blowing things up right and left all over the world, and they're growing in number. It might be interesting to learn about other terrorist groups, but right now it's not necessary or practical.
The other thing I didn't like is that some of the film clips have poor resolution, partly, I think, because the DVD uses clips from the last 40 years. On the other hand, it has a huge collection of clips showing hijackings and bombings and all kinds of different terrorist-related clips, which makes the film more interesting.

But there was a lot I really liked about the DVD. Its emphasis is on ordinary citizens and what we can do about terrorism. The most important thing is to learn how to recognize the kinds of events that might lead up to a terrorist attack, and to report them to the proper authorities. Security professionals cannot be everywhere all the time.

"Your eyes and ears and those of your friends, family, and co-workers," says the narrator, "can be of enormous help in preventing terrorism. You are the only one who knows best what activities do or do not belong in and around your community.

"...your inputs are immediately shared with law enforcement agencies for rapid assessment and investigation, as necessary. As part of your daily routine, being observant and reporting anything out of the ordinary could be the crucial first step in preventing a possible terrorist attack."

How many times have you seen the "heightened alert" sign? Do you know what to do during heightened terrorist threat levels? The DVD lays out for you exactly what you should do: Look for "indicators of terrorism." There are seven things terrorists often do before they launch an attack, and those things can be spotted by a citizen better than a uniformed police officer. Here are the seven indicators of terrorism:

1. Surveillance
2. Elicitation
3. Test of security
4. Acquiring supplies
5. Suspicious persons
6. Dry runs
7. Deploying assets

These are actions terrorists often take before they launch an attack, and they are usually in plain view of regular citizens. If those citizens are paying attention and know what to look for, they can report it to the local police, whose system is now tied into national security agencies.

The DVD explains details of each indicator. For example, the first one is surveillance. Terrorists often scope out a potential target first. Things to be aware of are note-taking, recording or monitoring the routines of the target (say, a nuclear facility or stadium), using cameras, drawing diagrams, drawing on maps, using binoculars, possessing plans or blueprints of the site, etc.

If you see something like this and you've never seen it before in your area, you can report it to your local police. They can then investigate. If the apparently suspicious people are innocent and their activities are for a legitimate purpose, no harm was done by checking them out. But if they had ill intent, the discovery of their activities can lead to the identification of a terrorist group. You've just saved lives.

"If you feel you've observed something suspicious, do not dismiss it," urges Daywalt. "Many criminal and terrorist plots have been averted just because someone was observant enough, and reported what they saw to the authorities."

The DVD covers lots of different scenarios beyond this, and some of them seem to be remote possibilities, but if you're worried about things like this, it sure doesn't hurt to know what experts would suggest you do in case of a gas attack, for example, or what to do with suspicious mail packages, what to do in case of a bombing outside your building, what to do in an arson attack, what to do if you're attacked with firearms or a grenade, what to do at the initial moments of capture by terrorists, what to do during a rescue to avoid being hurt, and what to expect during a rescue attempt.

Daywalt goes into some practical detail. For example, in the section on what to do if someone throws a grenade in your vicinity, the experts' advice is to throw yourself down on the ground, your head away from the grenade, your feet facing the grenade, with your legs closed tightly and your hands over your head. Grenades explode in an upward cone shape, so you have a good chance of avoiding or minimizing injury by doing this, whereas if you started running and the grenade exploded, you increase your chances of being hit by shrapnel.
I just went to the web site for the DVD and they had this:

For private citizens. It’s absolutely imperative each citizen has a basic knowledge of terrorism and how to recognize and report indicators of terrorist activities; know the basic protective measures against terrorism; and know how to protect themselves in an event terrorist act does occurs. This DVD is an excellent tool and provides viewers with all the basics information each citizen should know and practice here in the US and while traveling on business or pleasure overseas. A must see for every citizen.

For students. As part of educational curriculum in the field of Terrorism and Homeland Defense. Students and faculty will greatly benefit from this DVD as it details such areas as terrorist structure, terrorist organization, terrorist hierarchy, perspectives of terrorism, profile of terrorist, terrorist tactics, history, the five major events/factors that defines modern day terrorism, and much, much more.

For businesses. Both small and large as an Anti-terrorism educational tool. Businesses, just like private citizens, are in a unique position to spot terrorist activities. Such activities may include theft, unusual purchases, elicitation, and myriad of others activities that may indicate terrorist activities. Every business employee should be aware what constitutes a suspicious behavior and emphasizes the importance of reporting terrorist activities to proper authorities. DVD serves as an excellent, Anti-Terrorism awareness/training tool for every type of business. It may be used as an initial Anti-Terrorism training or an annual refresher for every employee.

The DVD is one hour long. It covers basic, fundamental, and practical information you can use to halt terrorism.

At the end of the DVD, a soldier tells his first-hand account of being in a terrorist attack. A bomb went off in a cafe in Bagdhad where he was eating.

Overall, if you're interested in protecting yourself from terrorists and playing a part in helping thwart terrorists' plans, Terrorism - You May Be The Target is a rich resource.

Read more about what to do for each level of Homeland Security Threat Advisory.

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