Dry run (terrorism)
Encyclopedia
A dry run is an act committed by a terrorist organization without carrying out any actual terrorism
in an attempt to determine whether a technique they are planning to use will be successful. The dry run is part of the rehearsal for a terrorist act, and is often the immediate precursor to the attack. It may include attempting to smuggle
weapons or other items to be used in the attack past a security checkpoint to determine whether or not this will be noticed, or monitoring the reactions of security personnel to the actions that would occur during a real attack.
The dry run is considered to be the heart of the planning stages of the terrorist attack. It is the method in which strengths and weaknesses in the plot are exposed to the terrorists, unforeseen obstacles can be detected, and the techniques are refined.. Sometimes, multiple dry runs are conducted in an effort to perfect the ultimate attack.
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
in an attempt to determine whether a technique they are planning to use will be successful. The dry run is part of the rehearsal for a terrorist act, and is often the immediate precursor to the attack. It may include attempting to smuggle
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
weapons or other items to be used in the attack past a security checkpoint to determine whether or not this will be noticed, or monitoring the reactions of security personnel to the actions that would occur during a real attack.
The dry run is considered to be the heart of the planning stages of the terrorist attack. It is the method in which strengths and weaknesses in the plot are exposed to the terrorists, unforeseen obstacles can be detected, and the techniques are refined.. Sometimes, multiple dry runs are conducted in an effort to perfect the ultimate attack.
Suspicious signs
The following are suspicious signs a dry run may be occurring:- Appearing out-of-place
- Sitting in car and observing operations for no apparent reason
- Photography or videotaping with no apparent reason
- Monitoring of a police radio frequency and observing response times to calls
- Mapping out routes to determine timing of traffic flow and lights
- Attempting to learn inside information about the operations of a place
- Abandoning object(s), such as pieces of luggage
Notable dry runs
- In 2004 Northwest Airlines Flight 327Northwest Airlines Flight 327Northwest Airlines Flight 327 was a flight on June 29, 2004 from the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Michigan to the Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California. This event happened aboard N543US, a Boeing 757-200...
a group of Syrian musicians alarmed passengers and crew who brought the incident to national attention as behavior consistent with a dry run. Investigating authorities including the FBI concluded there was no terrorist threat. - In 2006, BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
authorities uncovered a plot in which suspected terrorists were making a dry run in an attempt to make bombs out of peroxide that could be ignited with an electronic device. This led to restrictions internationally on carrying liquids on aircraft.\ - Investigators believe that the YemenYemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
branch of Al Qaida may have been conducting a dry run with shipments they made in 2010 on cargo planes (see 2010 cargo plane bomb plot).