Fear Less: Real Truth About Risk, Safety, and Security in a Time of Terrorism 0316085960, 2001097790

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REAL TRUTH ABOUT ,

SAFETY, AND SECURITY

A TIME OF

TERRORISM

GAVIN DE BECKER #1 Bestselling Author of The Gift of

Fear

— SELF-HELP/CURRENT AFFAIRS

FPT

$19.95 $27.95

)

in

Canada

YOU CAN BE SAFER AND FEEL SAFER. mean

don't

I

made

fraudulent feeling

a

possible by

denial, or paid for with precautions that try to trick

your defense system while doing nothing about actual danger.

mean

I

a true,

informed feeling of safety that

comes from understanding

violence, risk, intuition,

—

and security."

fear,

Gavin de Becker

Gavin de Becker's landmark book, The Gift of Fear, showed

how

millions of readers

to better protect

violence and unwarranted fear. Now,

in

themselves from

Fear Less, de Becker

answers the questions many Americans have been asking since September 11: •

Can

air travel

•What •

•

is

be safe?

the risk of biological or chemical attack?

Can the government detect and prevent

How can we

future terrorist acts?

best talk to our children about what has hap-

pened and what might happen?

•What can we do •What

to reduce fear

specific steps

1-

and worry?

can we take

to

reduce terrorism?

• What are terrorists likely to do next? • Most simply,

is

DO

O o 0) 1— o o D 3 TJ zz* c CO

everything going to be

all

right?

De Becker says, "Just as your imagination has placed you

> O »\

in

frightening situations,

in

empowering

to play,

it

is

now time

to place yourself

situations, time to see that you have a role

and contrary

to so

many TV news

o> stories,

it

isn't

just victim-in-waiting."

Fear Less offers specific recommendations that can

enhance our national security and our individual safety and help put fear understands

risk

into perspective.

rules,

is

it

in

the world

and safety better than Gavin de Becker.

At a time of uncertainty, terrorism,

suring,

Nobody

and

a

whole new set

hard to imagine a more important, more reas-

and more necessary book than Fear Less.

01021945

of

cr

o r~ cr Q)

Digitized by the Internet Archive -

in

2012

f

http://archive.org/details/fearlessrealtrutOOdebe

FEAR LESS

ALSO BY GAVIN DE BECKER The

Gift of Fear

Protecting the Gift

FEAR LESS Real Truth About Risk, Safety, and Security in a

Time

of Terrorism

GAVIN DE BECKER

MB Little,

BOSTON

Brown and Company NEW YORK

LONDON

Copyright

All rights reserved.

any form or by

No

© 2002 by Gavin de Becker part of this

book may be reproduced

in

any electronic or mechanical means, including

information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing

from the publisher, except by quote brief passages in

First

For information on

a reviewer

a review.

Edition

AOL Time Warner Book Group's

publishing program,

visit

www.ipubHsh.com.

ISBN 0-316-08596-0

LCCN 2001097790 10

who may

987654321 Q-MART

Designed by Stratford Publishing Services

Printed in the United States of America

BR BR

HV6432 D44 2002

online

This book

is

dedicated to the source

of courage within each of us

—

no matter

each reader defines that source.

how

CONTENTS

1

The

2

Changed

3

Your Natural Survival System

4

Being an Anti-Terrorist:

Illusion

of Powerlessness

Forever, Forever the

The Messengers of 5

3

Same

23

36

53

Intuition

Being an Anti-Terrorist:

The

Architecture of Conspiracy

Not

Now

89

6

Apocalypse

7

Safer than Driving to the Airport

8

No News

9

The Newsspeak of Fear

at

71

—

Still

119 142

Eleven

vii

159

FEAR LESS 10

Far

From

the Limits of

Compassion

Acknowledgments

199

The Advisory Board Appendix A:

Web

for Fear Less

203

Sites for

209

Up-to-Date Information

Appendix B: Talking

About Terrorism

176

to Children

(by Paul

Appendix C: Essay on

Mones)

217

How 9/11

Affected People of Different Ages (by Chris Matthews)

223

Appendix D: Gavin de Becker and Associates

227

FEAR LESS

THE ILLUSION OF

POWERLESSNESS

Soon,

all the planning would pay

odd double

in the Florida cell cans, but

reminded

would come

life

had

to an end.

off and this

A few people

actually enjoyed living as

Ameri-

during refresher training in Europe, they were that the

they believed

United

States

was against everything

in.

The most committed among them found Americans objectionable, but

the hating plished

it

would be worth

when news

reached

home

what was always believed

to

all

the waiting and

that they

all

had accom-

be impossible: striking

America hard from within. Theirs was an enormous undertaking, far bigger than the sleeping giant

would ever have

dreamed, but the mission statement was simple: Start with several

shocking blows

new ways

at

for a long while.

once, and then deliver grief in

FEAR LESS

Every

proved

day, their training

to blend in, conceal

your

its

value:

Know how

identity, learn the culture, read

American newspapers, study the transportation system. Stay focused, and It

what you do

will

change everything.

did change everything, though the top people in the

operation would not live to see

These

facts

have

it

become famous

2001, but the story you just read operation, one

you

happen.

is

about another

never heard

likely

September

since

of,

one

11,

terrorist

that

was

dis-

covered and completely neutralized by the FBI.

At

first,

were hesitant to believe the

federal officials

sheer ambition of the plot, but

undertook one of America's secrecy.

linked

were spread

all

they learned

largest

At times during the

cells

as

case,

more they

manhunts —

in total

members of

several

around the country, and FBI

agents were fighting the calendar to stop the violence that

was scheduled to begin on the Fourth of July. Only three

weeks before

was uncovered, though

A

of the terror plan

that date, the full extent it

almost wasn't.

young woman named

Farrar Teeple was taking an

evening walk along the wide, empty beach near her

home on New

York's

Long

Island.

Some motion

father's

in the

dunes caught her eye, and although the light was low, she could make out a group of men. Were they burying something in the sand? She strained to see.

turned abruptly cold for Farrar

when

The the

cool night

men

stopped what they were doing, stood up stared

toward

her.

did she. For a

They

moment

did not speak or she tested the

that they didn't see her, but she

had

air

suddenly

straight,

move and

and

neither

welcome thought

to let

it

go when one

THE ILLUSION OF POWERLESSNESS

of the

men

broke from the group without a word to the

others and walked times,

in her direction.

stiffly

He waved

few

a

beckoning her toward him, but instead she backed

up, then turned

and ran quickly home. Panting

she

as

entered the house, she told her father what she'd seen,

thinking he would that at

the police. Instead, he reassured her

call

nobody doing anything

her and that

it

would have waved

suspicious

was nothing to bother the police about.

Reluctantly, she accepted her father's judgment, but her

knew something was

intuition ition

was very

very wrong, and her intu-

right.

Another person on the beach (an

American hero you've never heard

decisively

on

in the briny

his intuition. air,

thought closer

it

he

made him

He

John Cullen

of), acted

men

drew him down the

that Farrar

had seen.

might be something burning, but

felt

certain

curious,

it

and

was the smell of his curiosity led

nearby Coast Guard

more

smelled something unusual

a strong smell that

beach toward those same

at a

that night,

station.

as

he got

diesel fuel.

him

He

That

to call officials

The next morning, FBI

agents searching the beach found

what those

silent

men

had hurriedly buried in the sand: boxes containing explosives,

guns, ammunition, timers, shortwave radios, fuses

disguised as pen-and-pencil sulfuric acid. It

was

sets,

and devices

clear the terrorists

back for those things

later,

but

that carried

planned to come

as federal

agents knelt

on

the beach anxiously taking notes, the ruthless conspirators

were already on

a train

where they intended

bound

for

New

York

City. That's

to carry out the instructions they'd

been given: Detonate bombs in Jewish-owned department

FEAR LESS stores, place

bombs on

bridges from

Queens

to the Bronx,

and cause terror and panic in any way you can. FBI

and

investigators unraveled the plan completely,

even solved the mystery of that smell of

caused by something nearly unimaginable given that 1942: the submarine that had traveled from Nazi to deposit those

dropped

men on

was

Germany

Ponte Verde Beach,

terrorists at

Within weeks, the FBI had conducted

Florida.)

it

the beach. (Another Nazi sub had

second team of

a

was

diesel. It

a series

of secret raids, eventually arresting 192 people in several cities.

They had prevented

state-sponsored terrorism at

most frightening, given the

Some might assume

state that

rorist operations,

Nazi

is

terrorist plan

ways from current

or that the world was a

place then. Neither assumption I'll

did the sponsoring.

that the foiled

in the 1940s differs in fundamental

its

ter-

more innocent

accurate.

share the diabolical details of this thwarted terrorist

operation

— and

others

—

in later chapters, but for

now it

can remind us that violent plots against America are not

new and

that

even suicidal ones are not fated to succeed in

every case.

many people superhuman, when they were

After the terrible events of September 11,

mistook our enemies for

merely antihuman. Occasionally

effective, to

be

sure,

but

our enemies are not powerful or ubiquitous. Those words

more It is

accurately describe us;

we just

sobering to acknowledge that

possible targets, but

attack

all

it is

forgot that for a while.

we cannot

also true that

protect

all

our enemies cannot

possible targets. Conspiratorial behavior, scurry-

ing in darkness, hiding behind

false identification,

pre-

— THE ILLUSION OF POWERLESSNESS

tending, relying

of

gies

battle for

In that sense,

more

ing

it

though,

sense,

upon

people

who

them

flatters

it is

a war, a

cleverness

—

surprise

these are the only strate-

do

never, ever

actual battle.

to call this a war. In another

war

won through

be

to

and intuition than our enemies.

Take, for example, the instructors at the Pan national Flight

deploy-

Academy

in Eagan, Minnesota.

who

Middle Eastern student

he wanted

said

Am Inter-

They had

a

to learn to fly

a jet but didn't want to learn about landing or taking off skills

most aspiring

Because

a

motivated to master.

pilots are highly

couple of people listened to their intuition and

FBI in August of 2001

called the

(a

month

before our

imaginations were so painfully expanded) and because the ,

FBI took Zacarias Moussaoui into custody, we

way

to find out the hard

mind.

It's

fair to

assume

exactly

now

away from doing something

that

what

it

didn't have

was he had in

he was just

a

few weeks

terrible.

That's a frightening thought, but just

one of many

fright-

ening thoughts you've had to host, so of course you've fear

about terrorism.

witness

window of As

I've

television,

it

could you not? if

Nobody

could

through the small

and not react with shock and

fear.

reminded many victims of violence many times,

your defense system

when

How

what you witnessed, even

felt

perceives

is

designed to send the fear signal

enormous danger

— and your

defense

system had never before assessed anything quite like what

happened on September

11, or what's

been happening

The

is

since.

Should you there

is

no

feel fear?

should about fear.

question

Of

irrelevant, for

course you will feel fear

FEAR LESS

when

there

reason

is

or not. Fear

to, like it

as fast as

is

the jets, as hard as the buildings, as thick as the smoke, as

undeniable

as

the rubble, and far

more powerful than

hate and anger that brought

them

them

your

all

Fear

apart right in front of is,

and

give yourself

is

together and tore

eyes.

supposed to be. Start there, accept

some of the same compassion you've September

ingly extended to others since

you had

Yes,

all

it

the

it,

and

so will-

1 1

better than many, but yours was

profound personal experience of violence, and

it

still

a

would

not be compassionate to expect anyone, including you, to have put events instantly into perspective. to

compare

see

it

it

to,

in context.

and you couldn't get

Even context

itself

You had nothing enough away

far

to

was changed. Life could

not be woven together that Tuesday with the same thread

you had used on Monday. That alone can be enlightening the

— but not

is

frightening, and

we've

until after

fully felt

fear.

We

gave

lots

of attention to what

we saw on

but something was going on inside each of us

human

brain, nature's

all

as well.

The

most miraculous accomplishment,

never more effective than

Then,

television,

when

its

host

may be

internal resources are marshaled:

is

at risk.

experience,

imagination, industriousness, intellect, creativity,

memory.

The

orders to

brilliant soldiers

guard the

of intuition are given

nobody goes

exits;

off duty until

answers to questions posed by every

What

does

right?

Are we

this

event

all

mean

to safety?

going to be

strict

all

right?

cell in

Am

I

you

get the

your body:

going to be

all

THE ILLUSION OF POWERLESSNESS

Of

course you imagined a thousand terrors;

where terrorism

really

that's

happens: in the imagination.

You

placed yourself in those planes and in those buildings

and imagined everything you could. You walked yourself If

you

your dreams.

And

dreams, they are in your

cells

through previously inconceivable emergencies.

do

didn't

even

if

it

consciously,

you don't

you did

recall the

nonetheless. For a while, the

in

it

sound of an airplane over-

head transported you to undesired destinations in the

memory, and even

the image of an airplane in an adver-

tisement or the sight of one against a distant sky awakened

unwelcome Skulking

ghosts.

among

you could

the frightening outcomes

conjure was one you'd never even considered: the weaponizing of jetliners. afraid

What do you do with

of flying can choose to

sible for

people to avoid

all

might be targeted. Terror

from the sky touches terror that rises

that?

places

that rains

as delicate a

from the deep;

While those it isn't

pos-

on the ground

that

stay off planes,

down

unpredictably

minds

place in our

to the psyche, jets

as

become

giant man-eating sharks racing toward us with sinister

determination.

You could

of your mind, but

all

try ordering these intruders out

the exits were closed. Terror got in,

but none got out. It is

mitted

also

profoundly disturbing to have a rageful, com-

enemy

that

you cannot

warring upon us would seem

see advancing. a

A

nation

luxury by comparison

because a nation has a fixed place on the planet Earth, terrain

and geography

we

can know, resources

we

can

FEAR LESS

evaluate.

And

a nation

—

unlike suicidal individuals

something to lose. In our present situation, traditional victory

is

rest.

So we

are challenged to find safety

our

lay

has

decisive or

be no

possible. In this war, there will

upon which we can

captured beachhead

no

—

fears to

and peace of mind

in other ways. Yet, peace

of mind seems

difficult

occupying the national dialogue:

cock-

viruses, chemicals,

anthrax spores, decontamination teams, water

pit doors,

supplies,

given what's been

FBI warnings, vaccinations, explosive

devices,

subways, fighter jets, gas masks, box cutters. Just try to build a

and

rials

world that

collapses

it

under

feels safe

its

own

you're reluctant to turn

when

still

fear

is

Next

ence.

off

Next

Next

up, another expert in

it's

harder

TV

hour of every

some

else's

terrible sci-

up, another nightmare.

place events and information into so

the

your sur-

from someone

In order to get back to day-to-day

But

— and

nearly every

up, another terrible thing

imagination.

vital to

sprayed at you like tear gas from every

newsroom on every channel day.

them

When

weight.

thoughts you'd normally banish seem vival,

with these mate-

many

you've had to

some vague framework.

questions linger just beneath consciousness,

and so many answers you affirmation.

life,

Who

is

right

settled

—

on

tentatively call out for

the reassuring public official

on the news or the alarming public

official in

the segment

that follows? It's

too hard to be on duty without a break.

new risk. damn hard.

to

keep up with every

all

the time.

It's

too

10

It's

It's

too hard

too hard to be anxious

THE ILLUSION OF POWERLESSNESS

It's

stressful to live like this,

and

it is

band and

to seek resolution. Stretch a rubber

when you

back

let

go

— but never

tension change things. This

Change always today

unwarranted

fear than

television

outcome

— but

I

we

it

bad:

it

ations,

just

controlled by

less

used to be.

news business may not welcome think you do.

may be

—

You

don't

want panic or

you do want truth

so

that

— what-

you can organize

all

that's

rest.

your imagination has placed you in frightening

now

it is

is.

and one we have

happened and what you've learned, and get some

Just as

snaps

the way. Stress and

good or

becoming

terror or needless worry, but

ever that truth

all

carries opportunities,

the possibility of

is

The

isn't

natural for tension

situ-

time to place yourself in empowering

uations, time to see that

you have

sit-

and

a role to play,

many TV news stories, it isn't just victimSomeone else may decide if you will be a tar-

contrary to so in-waiting. get

— but you decide whether or not you The

solution to

worry

is

address our fear fully so that fear deserves to safe, I

sible

for

and to don't

by

it

action,

will

and

will stop

be

a victim.

is

time to

it

nagging

us.

Your

be answered, and you have the right to be

feel safe.

mean

a

fraudulent feeling of safety

denial, or a feeling

promised by

made pos-

a politician or paid

with precautions that try to trick your defense system

while doing nothing about actual danger.

informed feeling of

safety that

mean

a true,

comes from understanding

violence, risk, intuition, fear, and security.

11

I

Being

safe

and

FEAR LESS

and

feeling safe are the destinations of this book,

committed

you get

to helping

there.

Then

I

am

you'll help

others get there too, for in the words of Nelson Mandela,

"As we

own

from our

are liberated

our presence

fear,

automatically liberates others."

Being liberated from won't tell

tell

you

you not

who

has

fears

is

a lofty goal.

To

to worry.

I

worked deep

am

not

a therapist.

am someone

I

in the stuff of violence

every day for nearly three decades.

My

seventy associates and

some of

I

help answer

stakes questions that individuals

madman

a

media figure opens

powder, or things

We

more

and nations

the highestface.

We

are

and

are called

when

finds threats, or blood, or

disturbing than any of those.

interview assassins in prisons, advise the family of a

slain foreign president, ers.

fear

shoots a group of federal employ-

a letter

far

and

consulting firm's

work one morning, and we

ees arriving to

I

nothing to be concerned about, or

there's

called in after a

get there

We

death threats from would-be

clients

arrest stalk-

terrorists,

angry employees, and aspiring

stalkers,

killers,

The

assess

and track down and

we

advise include presidents

mass

assassins.

(of countries

and corporations), governors, mayors, police departments,

movie

stars, athletes,

and religious

leaders.

We

developed

computer-assisted threat-assessment system called that

is

MOSAIC

used to screen threats to justices of the U.S. Su-

preme Court,

as

well

as

MOSAIC

systems used by state

police agencies protecting the governors of eleven

We

a

designed a

MOSAIC

used to

assess threats to

advised

on

system

that's part

states.

of the process

members of Congress, and we've

the security of federal

12

facilities,

from the White

THE ILLUSION OF POWERLESSNESS

gates to the

first

building you see as you drive into

headquarters.

We

help clients evaluate

House

CIA

hazard, prevent violence,

Because

and manage

fear.

have protected people against

I

IRA bombs

London, Middle

Eastern extremists in Israel,

actions in Africa,

and because of

am

called an expert. Indeed,

lessons,

but

my basic

can be an expert

of a

in

terrorist

have learned that

is

many

you too

understanding violent behavior and

assessing risk. Like every creature

when you

I

premise in these pages

at

and

my sustained look at vio-

I

lence,

reduce

risk,

are in the presence

on

earth,

you can know

of danger. You have the

gift

guardian that stands ready to warn

brilliant internal

you of hazards and guide you through

risky situations

—

when accurately informed. where I come in. For more than a year before

a

system that works best That's

of September 11,

terrorist acts

about fear and risk in our these topics, and

our current

With

I'd

been working on

society. It

though much of

situation,

it

that

on

relevant to

is

canceled, postponed, and set aside

I

complete

this

book

as

as

a consultant,

as if

you walked

quickly

with questions about violence, prediction, risk, denial, to say; other times

much. Above see

third

was not due for many months.

to

I

book

book

the fear and the reality reaching the level of national

emergency,

rarely

my

was to be

a

the

it,

all, I

directly

tell

the

I

and

whole

into

my

I

am

could

writing

office today

security, safety, precaution,

fear.

Sometimes

I'll

have a

lot

might suggest you quit thinking so

commit

and

as possible.

all I

fully,

truth

to

on

tell

you the absolute truth

topics about

— and

truth.

13

rarely

as

which people

want the whole

FEAR LESS

For

a

long while, Americans had an illusion of com-

plete safety tered.

We

from foreign enemies

have replaced

with another

it

been

shat-

illusion: that

too

it

choices

I

antidotes and

trips,

stockpiling food and staying at

survival gear,

understand, but

it's

as if

home

many Americans

preparing to be victims. America has bought into a belief that there

terrorism.

the average citizen can

when

acts,

false

do about

think, can detect

in fact

it

is

—

are

and

regular citizens

can do these things in ways that government on

its

cannot.

Although to

is little

Only government, many

prevent terrorist

who own

of

shattered.

Gas masks and canceled family

all

it's

powerlessness — and

complete vulnerability and

must be

— and

be

a

casualties

few Americans

act as if they are preparing

of war, the truth

they are fully qualified

is

You

to be part of the antiterrorism effort.

don't have to

do hand-to-hand combat to defeat people whose success depends entirely upon not being found out. Before the courageous FBI

before the

raid,

news conference, there sees

arrest,

a regular

when making

the

risk

long before the

American

something that seems suspicious,

and has the character to ish

is

citizen

who

listens to intuition,

being wrong or seeming fool-

call to authorities.

Conspiratorial planning and preparation do not often

occur in the view of FBI agents. They occur most often in

the

view of regular

enforcement

officer

on

citizens,

and for every law-

the front lines, there can be a

hun-

dred citizens providing observations and information

14

—

.

THE ILLUSION OF POWERLESSNESS

if

they understand enough about the planning and the

pre-incident indicators of terrorism.

For example,

at a flight

the Middle East paid a lot of jet simulator

enough It

money

to use a commercial-

even though they had logged nowhere near

training hours to actually fly

was not

a joyride, for they

commercial

were stern faced

focused most of their time on steering. rageous

now

Atta and

men from

school in Florida, two

nobody

that

Marwan

the Florida flight

It

called officials

aircraft.

they

as

might seem outabout

Mohamed

Al-Shehhi, but in fairness, the folks

school were

among

at

thousands of Ameri-

who had literally thousands of encounters with the men who committed the mass murders of September 1 1 cans

What prising,

are terrorists likely to

in

and then something surprising

you and other Americans

many

sur-

and then something mundane, then something

predictable, it is,

do next? Something

cases, you'll

Heroism today

will

Whatever

be able to handle

be able to stop

is

again.

learning about

it

and

it,

from happening.

how

terrorism works.

That's part of your contribution to the nation and to yourself.

To do

this well,

our courage will have to be placed

ahead of our denial.

With

denial, the details

float silently

overboard

by us

may enjoy

for the best predictions

and though the

the comfortable belief that he

in his stateroom, there

dream. Americans

we need

like life preservers,

is

soon

now know

a price to

pay for

the price, and

it is

man

is still

his day-

too high.

Though I won't flinch from reality, this book is not a compendium of every risk you might face. You've gotten

15

FEAR LESS

enough of ipate in

you

melodrama.

I

safety

and

too practical to partic-

far

is

won't try to

talk

I'll

look

honor

at

both

this truth:

sides

Our

Americans have strong

feelings

fear.

of some government decihave been

political leaders

be faced with stunningly

will

enhanced

for yourself:

and freedom from unwarranted

I'll

you out of anything

someone might think you should

want only what you want

While sions,

I

or into anything

feel

feel.

my work

and

that,

difficult choices. All

about

security, civil liber-

war, and a thousand other ideological issues that

ties,

divide us, but for

versy If time,

feel a

I

tell

I'll

says strikes

purposes here, there

so. If

something

as just silly, I'll tell

a

no contro-

is

popular security precaution

you

me

my

waste of

a

is

government

you

so. If,

in

official

my

view,

there are things the airline industry could easily be doing to

enhance

safety, I'll tell

you

frightening

ally I

want merely

you

for their

to provide

aware of and to share

my

so. If

I

see people intention-

own

profit,

some

tools

I'll tell

you

so.

you might not be

experience to help you answer

these questions:

Can Can

air travel

be

safe?

the government detect and prevent future

terrorist acts?

Why didn't the FBI

stop the 9/11 hijackers?

What

can the nation do to reduce risk?

How

can

has

What

we

best talk to our children about

what

happened and what might happen? can individuals do to reduce fear and worry?

16

THE ILLUSION OF POWERLESSNESS

What

can individuals do to reduce terrorism in

America?

What

are terrorists likely to

Most

simply,

everything going to be

can answer that

I

"all

is

is

no, everything

and

culture,

all

Some

violence and

all

all

violence has always

others.

right?

not going to be

is

because everything has never been

The energy of

all

question right now: If you define

last

meaning freedom from

right" as

the answer

do next?

risk,

right,

all

right.

moved through our

experience

it

as a light

but

unpleasant breeze, easy to tolerate. Others are destroyed

by

it,

as if

by

untouched. Violence that,

it is

a part

But nobody

a hurricane. is

of our

to the top recently,

species. It

is

around us and

in history,

in us.

have climbed until

we'd come to believe that no predator or enemy

We

are

now

ready to

at that differently.

Start

by

recalling that violence

permanent and regular new. In

this sense,

feature of

our world

is

is

salad bars at ten restaurants in

hundred

casualties.

In 1986 a heavily

a force

mankind

exactly as

For example, in 1984 members of

eight

we

it is

of the world food chain, so to speak, and

posed any danger of consequence. look

is

of America, and more than

a part

As the most powerful people

— nobody —

it

of nature,

— and

it is

a

not

always was.

a cult

contaminated

Oregon. There were nearly

Did you even know about

armed couple with

a

bomb

this?

took 150

students and adults hostage at an elementary school in

Wyoming. They

shot one teacher in the back as he tried

17

FEAR LESS

They demanded $300

to flee.

dents, but the plan

when the bomb accidentally woman. The man then shot himself

fell

exploded, killing the to death in front

million to release the stu-

apart

of the children, seventy-four of

were seriously injured by the

Did you even hear about

this

blast

whom

of the gasoline bomb.

horrendous incident?

In 1995 police investigators aborted a massive plot to

blow up twelve jetliners plane into

CIA

as

headquarters, and assassinate the pope.

you even hear about

On

a recent

believed

At the

know

it

time,

it

— but

terrorist event, astonishing

didn't

possible?

Christmas Eve, powerful bombs went off

in ten different cities.

You

it

Did

plan before Septem-

this diabolical

Would you have

ber 11?

they crossed the Pacific, crash a

it

was an unprecedented did not astonish you.

was going on because

happened

it

in

Indonesia. So,

everything going to be

is

Never was. Never

is.

Never

Are you going to be of that

tain

as

all

all

right?

Of

course not.

will be.

right? Yes,

one can be of anything

you

are.

I

am

that involves

as cer-

human

beings.

could say that no building you are in will be hit by a

I

plane,

no plane you

on

are

be hijacked, and no bio-

will

logical or chemical attack will affect you.

overwhelmingly high that

are

system

So

is

hardly willing to take

let's

look briefly

at just

I

am

correct,

one of the

way

it's

I

the odds

your defense

my word for it so

cerns Americans: commercial air travel. stantial certainty that the

Though

easily.

risks that

con-

believe with sub-

hijacking of commercial jets the

been done in the

past

18

is

just that: a thing of the

THE ILLUSION OF POWERLESSNESS

past. It

is

For forty

over.

gained the cooper-

years, hijackers

ation and compliance of passengers through the promise

of

safety or the threat

will

of harm. Neither of those promises

work anymore.

Regular

most

citizens

now

element of security on

effective

and

constitute the lowest-tech

the

airliners. All

meticulous searches, National Guardsmen, X-ray machines, questions at ticket counters, metal detectors, double check-

ing of IDs, and confiscating of nail clippers don't equal the effectiveness

of

a

few passengers willing

to act decisively

when someone tries to gain unauthorized access to the cockpit. The murderers of 9/11 likely did not know they had committed the hijackings that's

what happened

history's

most

as

to

end

But

hijackings.

all

Americans viewed and re-viewed

effective training

video

— produced by

the

terrorists themselves.

There can be comfort in knowing able part

of an

effective security

that

system

you

as

are a cap-

opposed to

a

halfhearted participant in something that's always been a bit

of

upon

a

sham. You can invest confidence

yourself

driver's seat

—

but

just as you're at ease a bit

anxious

when

when

relying

you're in the

when somebody

else

is

at

the wheel. All

governments on earth want you to believe that only

they can protect you, but our government

is

us,

and just

as

we need its help, it needs ours. In short, working together is now the only reasonable way. In chapter 7, I'll explore air security in much more detail, providing some information that may astound you. But for now, I want only to make the point that when accurately informed and not 19

FEAR LESS

Amer-

deprived of the opportunity for responsibility, each

ican can participate in national security with brilliant

That happened on United Airlines Flight 93

effectiveness.

when the passengers decisively took the plane away from men who would use it for mass murder. By sad circumAmericans on Flight 93 got

stance, the

mation

We

but you'll have yours in plenty of time.

late,

have been through

in the next chapter,

many enormous

offer

I'll

ing what we've survived and I'll

share

some of what and

ings of fear

show how

their accurate infor-

to

its

tell

perspective by discuss-

how we

did

In chapter 3,

it.

our natural defense system.

the difference between true

we want

vival signal

and

learned about the inner work-

I've

role in

some

tragedies,

because

it

5,

fear, a sur-

sounds an alarm in the

presence of danger, and unwarranted impostor. In chapters 4 and

I'll

I'll

a destructive

fear,

explore the architecture

of criminal conspiracy and provide

specific

ways that you

and other Americans can see pre-incident indicators early

enough

to

make

a difference.

Chapter 6 will load your intuition with practical information about biological and chemical terrorism, risk assessment,

will focus

on

creates uncertainty

by

and threat assessment. Chapter 7

the key parts of airline security.

The

nature of terrorism

changing

its

expression.

and other Americans taking

all

that

it

Whatever happens, however, you

will

you learn and

is

be better able to handle

crafting a

yourself and your family. That goal

world that is

it

feels safe for

complicated by

primary delivery system: television news. Often

it's

fear's

hard to

find the not-so-alarming information that's obscured

20

by

by

THE ILLUSION OF POWERLESSNESS the oh-so-alarming presentation. Chief

we now need to

to stay focused

on what matters

the difference between a

tell

portant

armored

better

mind

newsroom

In chapters 8 and 9,

fact.

clear so

you can

Sometimes

news

against

tactics

feel safer

a violent act

among

I'll

is

act

the

the ability

and an im-

present ways to be

and to help keep your

and be

safer.

so frightening that

is

skills

we

call

the perpetrator a monster, but as you'll see in chapter 10, is

this there

what we So,

we much

that

is

you

can gain the most useful insight.

On

to learn, including

putting our

map

the

to live

for this journey:

—

We'll

present situation into the context

we've experienced in the at its best

we'll look at

study

how

with

learn.

here's

works

—

his similarity to

by finding our shared humanness

and me —

it

and

start

by

of things

Then I'll discuss how fear worst. With that foundation,

past.

at its

what you can do about terrorism and then

some of

the specific hazards we're facing today.

share ideas about

how

to get information

I'll

without being

scared half to death in the process, and finally we'll look at

some stay

truths about

human

beings

with me — through both ones —

suring

I

who

act violently. If

you

the hard truths and the reas-

feel certain you'll

be better prepared for

the times ahead of us.

You and sight,

I

can be sources of reasoned information, in-

comfort, and courage.

The more of us

there are, the

And though we may not be able to stop all terrorwe can stop a lot of the terror. So let's go further into

better. ism,

the relevant topics than one can do in a sound bite, go into

them without alarming

bulletins

21

and scary graphics, go

FEAR LESS into

them without hype or politics, go

enough

to

come out

Then you can have: that

can influence your

your

country, that

going to be

all

them just deeply

the other side.

see if

you can

into

you reach the same conclusions

find your

own

life

in these times, that

safety, that

you can manage

right.

22

I

you

you can help protect fear,

and

that

you

are

CHANGED

FOREVER,

FOREVER THE SAME Vitality

shows not only in the

but in the

ability to persist,

ability to start over.

—

F.

Scott Fitzgerald

of 9/11 were of mythic The events many more lives lost, so

lost for a

scale: so

time to

many

grief, the

utter destruction, the starkness of fierce hatred, the vulnerability

of the government

protecting military wasn't to believe

was proven

— even

safe.

false all

Much

the supposedly that

an

airline captain

skill is special,

want

is

day: that air-

and permanent,

always in charge of his plane, a pilot's

the perpetrators of attention-capturing acts

to survive

and experience

their notoriety.

Since that day we've had to beliefs,

we had chosen

on the same

ports are secure, great buildings are strong

all-

let

go of plenty of old

so that in addition to everything else,

we

have

experienced the death of denial. Denial

is

the psychological defense

consciously deploy to

on September

make

mechanism we un-

unpleasant truths go away, but

11 those defenses were breached, leaving

23

FEAR LESS

overwhelmed by

millions of people

feelings. It was, right

from the

yourself that each incident was

would

The

pass.

terrifying ideas

start, difficult

and

to persuade

danger

isolated, or that the

usual search for answers was stalled; the

trauma was so profound that your mind would not accept a

simple solution.

The

by the identifying of like

Osama

story couldn't be

a villain,

wrapped up merely

even a media-age supervillain

bin Laden. Firing missiles could not right the

what happened, and was con-

sheer upside-down-ness of

tinuing to happen.

My

goal in this chapter

to

is

show

even

that

when we

thought things were right side up, there were plenty of dangers

we had

successfully compartmentalized.

We

are

challenged to do that again now. To compartmentalize

not to deny;

it is

look right

it,

at

to

acknowledge the

and place

it,

literally,

reality

is

of something,

in a mental

compart-

ment, in a kind of quarantine, separated from our momentin such a way that we can manage The theory here is to change what we can change and accept what we cannot change. Violence is one of those things we cannot change; it is always present. What differs

to-moment thinking life.

is

the expression of violence, but violence itself has re-

mained

a constant

That may be first,

a

throughout

but in the truth

lies relief

We

more

live in a

who

at

anxiously

violence.

There

nation with

its

violence epidemic, remember? In the past two years

alone,

were

for those

there will be

nothing to wonder about.

own

history.

saddening or discouraging thought

wonder about whether is

human

more Americans died from gunshot wounds than killed

during the entire Vietnam

24

War

—

ten times

CHANGED FOREVER, FOREVER number who died

the

the

at

THE

SAME

World Trade Center. Many

people in other countries believe ours to be the most frightening place to

and some

startling contrasts

sup-

of Japan, the number of young

men

live,

port their view.

For example, in

all

shot to death in a year

New

York City

is

equal to the

number

weekend. By

in a single busy

tomorrow, four hundred Americans will

more than

ing injury, and

with ber

a

1 1

jet full

gun.

When

we were

jets

suffer a shoot-

on Septem-

crashed

jumbo month, month in

deeply shaken, but imagine that a

of passengers crashed every single

and month out. The number of people

killed

wouldn't

still

number of American women murdered by

equal the their

time

this

thousand will face a criminal

a

jumbo

four

killed in

husbands and boyfriends each

comforting,

I

know, but

None

year.

of that

is

does provide some frame of

it

reference.

Just as violence has

we keep

a space in

that frighten us, If

we

are

been

a constant, so has fear.

September

and

that space

or gas-tank 11,

we

as if

our collective mind reserved for things

not fearing terrorism,

killer bees,

It's

fires,

must be kept occupied. it's

mad cow

or dangerous

feared enemies within:

the vengeful co-worker, the local serial

disease, or

Before

tires.

AIDS,

killer,

asbestos,

the

home

invasion robber, the rampaging high school student.

A USA

Today poll about what Americans feared re-

vealed a catalog of catastrophes right off the

20 percent of Americans reported crash; 18 percent

violence.

These

were

afraid

fears collided

a fear

of being

news:

of being in an a victim

on September

25

TV

1 1

,

air

of mass

and though

FEAR LESS

I

know

would be higher

the percentages

my point is

today,

that these fears are not new.

After worrying for so long about dreaded outcomes that never

come, when

can confirm our worst

thing happens,

a truly terrible

Each frightening

fears.

kindles the sense of insecurity and joins

frightening things in our

memory. Because

to other traumas, the latest risk

is

disaster re-

the other

all it

it

gets attached

always perceived

as

the

greatest risk.

But It

is it

the greatest risk?

may be that most of us are in no more danger today we were on September 10, 2001 but we are focus-

—

than

ing on different dangers now.

with the old familiar

risks,

experts

We

had found ways

to live

Amerwhose song

often by denying them.

choir

icans are, after

all,

could be

"Things Like That Don't Happen in This

titled

at denial, a

Neighborhood." Certainly denial can be seductive, but side effect.

by saying violence

For

all

it isn't is

all

the peace of

so,

the

the

fall

more

mind

they take

it

has an insidious

deniers think they get

when

unsettling. Denial

faced with a

is

new

save-now-

pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long

run the denying person knows the truth

on some

and

ety.

level,

it

causes a constant low-grade anxi-

Millions of people

now had among

who

the thin protective bubble popped, and they are

those

who

feel

most vulnerable

pose a continuation of denial

but

I

repressed that anxiety have

—

for

it

today.

I

do not pro-

never serves safety

do propose compartmentalization of those

—

risks that

appear frequently in our imaginations and only occasion-

26

CHANGED FOREVER, FOREVER ally in

our

See the

reality.

quarantine the

SAME

THE

that

one person's old

another persons absolute

Londoners

terror.

looks you in the eye, aims a handgun

how

rare

that's

it,

anyway,

and

familiar risk can

your

you don't get out of the

if

how most

it is,

at

visiting

be

Los

"You mean he

Angeles ask in disbelief about carjacking:

you

can,

rest.

Understand

he'll kill

we

address those

risks,

and

face,

And we

car?"

says

say

times they just take the car and

how it happened to a friend and she's fine, and we add offhandedly, we're insured. Then we visit

London and ask, "You mean you go out for a night on the town knowing full well that an IRA bomb could go off at

And

any moment?"

they

tell

us that recent

bombs

been very powerful anyway, and even with the ones, the

not the

Do on

main

risk

is

haven't

really big

the broken glass flying around and

blast itself.

you know what

a passenger

Israelis

bus bound

do

after a

for Tel Aviv?

bomb

explodes

The next morning,

people line up to get on the bus to Tel Aviv. That's

a state-

ment of courage they choose

be

rorized

— and

yet there are risks

would make those same people rate

you

a refusal to

Given

it is

hesitate.

For example, the is

five times

in Israel.

happened, however, most Americans do

all that's

feel less safe

ter-

take for granted that

of firearm deaths in the United States

higher than

safer

make,

to

than they did growing up. But

let's

look

at that

world of our youth:

For most of datory seat

us,

belts,

early detection

it

was

a

world without

air

bags or

man-

before the decrease in smoking, before

of cancer, before

27

CAT

scan, ultrasound,

FEAR LESS organ transplant, amniocentesis, and coronary bypass surgery, before

911 systems showed police and paramedics

your

You remember

address.

those oh-so-safe

angry world powers planned nuclear

up

at six years old, listening intently for

the

drills.

whistle of an incoming missile sent by a powerful

who

hated us

Still,

fears lives

—

ah, those

many Americans

were the

safe days.

past,

longing to get back the

— they were used

the risks

might be helpful

enemy

understandably compare their

of today to an idealized

— and

when

and school-

Sure, balled

children practiced regular air-raid

under the desk

sixties,

attack,

we

to recall that

to.

For them,

didn't feel

it

that safe

all

before 9/11.

We were searched for weapons before boarding a plane, visiting city hall,

going to court, seeing

taping, attending a speech

ing

some high

schools.

Government

buildings were already

we

wrestled through so-

tamperproof packaging to get

What

men who

other

quorum

got our attention by frightening in

American

history, save those

wrote our Constitution, could claim our day-to-day the

couple of aspirin.

a

was triggered by the deeds of fewer than ten

All of this

dangerous

show

by the President, and even enter-

surrounded by barricades, and called

a television

list, let's

lives?

recall that

Now,

we

as

as

much

who

impact on

we add Mohamed

Atta to

have already prevailed in the face

of other huge, paradigm-shifting events:

Puerto Rican

us.

terrorists burst into

shot five elected officials in 1954.

28

Congress and

CHANGED FOREVER, FOREVER The

THE

SAME

President was shot and killed in 1963, and

within minutes, just about every person on the planet Earth first

knew about

example of

how

a

it.

It

was the media

age's

trauma can be simulta-

neously shared by billions of people. In 1962 the United States detected nuclear missiles

in

Cuba and went

Union, and real.

all

toe-to-toe with the Soviet

Millions of families stockpiled food,

makeshift

became

the fears of the atomic age

bomb

dug and

shelters in their backyards,

waited for nuclear war. In 1968

two loved

leaders

dential front-runner rights legend

were

assassinated, presi-

Robert Kennedy and

civil

Martin Luther King, Jr. King's mur-

der sparked riots that led millions of Americans to

doubt whether the violence could be con-

tained by police.

In 1969 followers of Charles

Manson committed

two separate multiple murders in upscale Los Angeles neighborhoods, torturing and killing several

well-known people on the same

brutal

night.

The

murder spree exposed an anti-establishment

cult that

conjured fear in the public and changed

America from

a place

homes unlocked

where people

to the place

it is

left their

today.

In 1978 followers of cult leader Jim Jones shot

and

killed U.S.

congressman Leo Ryan and four

congressional staff members. Jim Jones then

presided over a mass suicide in

29

which more than

FEAR LESS

by consuming

nine hundred people died together

cyanide.

In 1979 an accident occurred at the Three Mile

power

Island nuclear

tion of

all

plant, resulting in

an evacua-

The

people within a five-mile radius.

plant remains closed to this day

Someone put

lethal

poison in bottles of Tylenol,

leading to seven deaths and causing Americans to

doubt that the products in

their

homes were

safe.

This single event has changed virtually every bottle

and jar we touch.

In 1986 the space shuttle Challenger blew

up

before our eyes, leading to a period of shared

mourning and

sadness,

and

a loss

of

faith in

our

long-established technological leadership.

In the early eighties, a lethal disease arrived in

our

new communicable

social consciousness:

Aside from killing 30 million people,

it

AIDS.

changed

dating habits and sexual behavior and led to

acceptance and

lots

some

of rejection of alternative

lifestyles.

Two hundred forty-one when a terrorist drove a the U.S.

marines were killed massive truck

Marine headquarters

bomb

into

in Beirut.

In 1986 the world experienced

its

worst nuclear

accident, at Chernobyl: 135,000 people

were

evacuated from a twenty-square-mile area (hundreds of villages remain this day), helicopters

abandoned or buried

dumped

30

five

to

thousand tons

.

CHANGED FOREVER, FOREVER

THE

of clay to smother the burning reactor

SAME

— and

still

thousands of people died and hundreds of thousands experienced health consequences.

A terrorist bomb blew up an American jetliner over Lockerbie, Scotland. All 259 people

board were

killed, as

on

were eleven on the ground.

The World Trade Center was bombed by Middle Eastern terrorists

who

left a

in the

underground parking

killed,

more than

One hundred more than

a terrorist's

dent

—

lot.

bomb

Six people were

thousand injured.

sixty-seven people were killed and

five

building in

a

massive truck

hundred injured when the

federal

Oklahoma City was destroyed by bomb (a homegrown terrorist inci-

the type for

which we seem

to have

greater tolerance)

A fifteen-year-old Oregon boy murdered his parents,

then went to school and shot twenty-four

people.

Two fire

boys,

alarm

one just eleven years at their Jonesboro,

old, pulled the

Arkansas, school and

shot fourteen people as they exited the building.

Two

students placed thirty

bombs

in

Columbine High School, then shot students and

one

teacher.

and around

thirty-five

Each boy then com-

mitted suicide. This story dominated the attention of the nation for months, even

though there

have been more than one hundred incidents of multiple-victim shootings

31

at

schools since 1970.

FEAR LESS

How that

did

we

happened

unconnected after the

get through

to us? In cases

these frightening things

all

where the was

to anything, the fear

incidents appeared brief.

nine-hundred-person suicide by followers of

Jim Jones, we concluded accurately

leader

For example,

isolated incident

— incomprehensible and

no continuing relevance nobyl, the

that

it

was an

bizarre,

to our safety. In the case of

awesome event was

little felt

in

cult

but of

Cher-

America because

the Soviet Union's iron curtain limited the flow of news.

With AIDS, by what

we

is

far the biggest killer

on

educated people, and

we undertook

do enough

the presence of

AIDS

The way we took is

clear

it's

behaviors),

improve underor not

we

happen

we

is

have acknowledged

in our lives. in the explosion

similar in several

the events of 9/11. things

we changed

research, public education, or patient care

to discussion, but

Challenger

to

list,

own

Whether

standing and treatment of the disease.

open

the

within our grasp to change (our

We

ways to our experience of

saw both of these shocking

all

— many of

of the space shuttle

us at the instant they occurred.

Just as buildings are expected always to stand, the space shuttle

was expected always to

mission was perceived cause

it

as

fly

— and

even more

safe

the Challenger

than others be-

carried grammar-school teacher Christa McAuliffe,

a civilian selected

many

by

NASA

to travel into space.

We

had

many spacecraft lifted on giant clouds of white smoke, that when something appeared to go differently with the Challenger, when the smoke changed, when the plume of fire seemed a bit too intense, we assumed we must be interpreting it incorrectly.

seen so

launches before, so

32

CHANGED FOREVER, FOREVER But,

as

with 9/11, millions of people had

what we had just seemed

and

seen,

that

a horrible real-

we

ization at the exact same instant: that

mean what

really did

it

had seen

really

it

mean.

to

You can lenger

SAME

THE

when

ask anyone about their feelings

the Chal-

exploded, and what they describe will resonate with

you. That's also true for the events of 9/11.

Even though we

all

saw the

shuttle disaster,

it

didn't

spark the same fear as the events of 9/11 for several rea-

our measure of acceptable

sons: First,

space travel; nauts

knew

ration

and

were seen third,

it's

different for

is

and the

it

Second, the tragedy was seen

it.

a contained event,

as

astro-

an aber-

whereas the events of 9/11

as the start of something

new and

terrible.

And

only a few died on the space shuttle, while thou-

sands died at the

many people whole

World Trade Center. Tragedies be wiped out. The

village sends

one

a risky trip across the desert to search for water;

they don't

hunter

that kill

together stimulate an atavistic fear that the

village will

man on

on.

risk

dangerous — we know

is

all

An

go.

killed

by

woman

aging

a large animal,

or

okay

But when something threatens

to

man

—

okay; a

dies,

the village goes

wipe

us

all

out, the

internal guards that protect the integrity of genetic lines

go on high

There

alert.

are other types

spond without already

fear,

been able

to compartmentalize.

rorist act overseas in

in the

which Americans

mind according

we rewe have

of occurrences to which

and those usually involve

risks

For example, a

are killed gets filed

to the seemingly harsh logic

sonal survival: Terrorist Act,

ter-

of per-

Middle Eastern Perpetrators,

33

FEAR LESS Victims

Knew

Happens Often, Not

the Risks,

to

Me, Easy

to Avoid.

Today, instead of

danger everywhere), risks into

it

and

we

fears universal

(seeing

have the opportunity to place

manageable boxes, just

When you on

making our

we

as

have done before.

put something in a box, you can keep your eye

connected to

stay

it,

but you can't do that with

overwhelm your whole world.

things that

To maintain to create in

of

a sense

our mind

we

safety,

a distance

—

each have the a protective

zone be-

tween ourselves and whatever horrifying incident ens us. is

We

haven't

done

that yet

easier if

ceive each

same violence

is

I'll

terrorists

if

Strangler, will

we

catch and stop one

killer,

terrible things

much as because we

that

is

is

Muslim so.

or Night Stalker,

will replace him, too.

next: a Hillside Strangler,

suggest

people

we

a

we

that

Somebody

terfeel

extremist,

With

end when we catch the one person. And

Somebody

I

And

will replace him.

Son of Sam

do

scare us as

from the Middle East do. This

somebody

will

always underneath.

from time to time, yet they don't

even

It

explore in coming chapters, the

For example, American-bred

that

which changes.

it

we think of violence as violence, and not pernew costume it wears as if concealing some-

thing entirely new. As

rorists

threat-

with terrorism because

so hard to compartmentalize that

be

ability

Boston think

is

not

will

come

Unabomber, Timothy McVeigh.

you not think of perpetrators of violence are

with, just one

it

so.

imminently about

more criminal

to eradicate, almost

to catch.

There

is

as

done

no inocula-

tion against violence. People will continue to plan acts of

34

CHANGED FOREVER, FOREVER extraordinary violence, and to really tion

we must

it,

much

the

work toward preven-

are not interlopers

who somehow

in.

many

Before 9/11, too

SAME

accept that these people are included in the

"we" of humanity and sneaked

THE

felt that

they didn't need to learn

about violence because the police would handle

government would handle

it.

But now, with the

death of denial,

we know

belongs to us

We have some learning to

ration of

all.

that violence touches us

new compartments

into

do,

all

and

some prepa-

which we can place our

anxieties.

In the meantime, during the adjustment period, to be

prepared for something, you must predict general sense.

To

predict something,

it,

at least in

you must believe

the it is

The more likely we believe an outcome is, prepared we tend to make ourselves. So, even if

at least possible.

the better it's

sad to think of violence as a constant, acceptance of

reality

is

the safest

From From

always the highest ground

— because from

there

you can

you can

find

— and

see what's coming.

there,

you can

there,

you can hear the messengers of

evaluate risks and organize defenses.

powerful and effective force

at

survival system.

35

intuition, the

the center of your natural

YOUR NATURAL SURVIVAL SYSTEM Our

computers,

our machines are not enough.

We have to

Technology our

tools,

rely

on our

is

not going to save

intuition,

us.

our true being.

— Joseph Campbell

In

times like these, some may

feel vulnerable

and

without defenses, but nature's investment in each of

us

is

far

too great for such an oversight.

ishing defense

because

The

it

system,

brilliant

operates, in fact,

aston-

beyond imagination

—

beyond imagination.

brain built for protecting us was field-tested for

millions of years in the wild.

I

contrast with the logic brain so logic brain

is

thinking about

could be.

call it

The

how

reality,

the wild brain, in

many people

plodding and unoriginal.

judgment, slow to accept

it

You have an

It is

revere.

The

burdened with

and spends valuable energy

things ought to be, used to be, or

logic brain has strict boundaries

and laws

wants to obey, but the wild brain obeys nothing, con-

forms to nothing, answers to nobody, and will do whatever

it

takes.

36

YOUR NATURAL SURVIVAL SYSTEM

The wild brain as illogical as

unfettered by emotion or politics, and

is

may sometimes seem,

the wild brain

it is,

the natural order of things, completely logical.

doesn't give a

damn what we

logic. In

think. Freed

from the

bonds of judgment, married only to perception, us to observations and insight all is

we

later

intuition, the force that links

just

by using

doesn't care to convince us of anything fact, it

It

in

marvel

at.

carries

it

Driving

it

us to the natural world

and to our nature.

The

word

root of the

and

to protect,"

that

is

what

other force

on

coming

In

of

aspects

of

chapters,

terrorist

posed to

The

more

effec-

effectively than

any

some very

discuss

I'll

specific

planning that regular citizens might if

recognized, can be acted upon.

recognition will happen intuitively

as

op-

of the

dis-

logically.

intuitive

system works best

when

of worry and anxiety — and

tractions is

this

— more

earth.

encounter, and which,

Much

means "to guard,

can do for us

it

than government, in fact

tively

come

intuition, tuere,

more

fear works.

my book

likely to

These

The

occur

issues are

Gift of Fear,

if

you

free

that blessed out-

fully

understand

how

explored in greater detail in

but for now,

let's

look

at a

few of

the concepts that can help reduce anxiety about danger. It

may be hard

because

it is

to accept the

usually looked

beings with contempt.

importance of intuition,

upon by

It is

us thoughtful Western as

emotional,

Some husbands

chide their

often described

unreasonable, or inexplicable.

wives about "feminine intuition" and don't take

37

it

seriously.

FEAR LESS If intuition

made

is

used by a

woman to

or a concern she can't

and write

eyes

grounded, explainable,

go

let

when

even

At

it's

just the

when

even

logic,

tells

—

the that

most Americans

fact,

intuition,

as if

the

intuition

is

most

basic,

amazing or supernatural.

it

a simple story as if

roommate,

college

people act

prefer logic

wrong, and deny

it's

moment when our

knew when

lutely

roll their

right.

people tend to consider

woman

men

unemotional thought process

ends in a supportable conclusion. In

worship

some choice she

those

of,

They much

off.

it

explain

it

were

phone rang

calling after

predictions of

all

lous, they rarely are. In this case,

mystical: "I abso-

that

it

would be

these years."

who

is

A

calling are

my

Though miracu-

her old roommate was

reminded of her by reports of the explosion of the space a miracle that

both

women happened to

shuttle. Is

it

the same

news event along with

watch

a billion others? Is

it

a

miracle that their strongest association with space travel

was the angry belief they shared in college

would never be

astronauts?

And a woman

that

women

astronaut died in

the space shuttle explosion that morning, and the

women

thought of each other, even

Men, of Theirs

is

course, have their

more

just a feeling.

process

most

viscerally

For both

named

computer

the

version of intuition.

"gut feeling," but

it isn't

intuition sparks a

in the natural order than the

calculation.

plex cognitive process and, It is

a

after a decade.

men and women,

more extraordinary

fantastic

own

two

at

It is

knowing without knowing why;

38

our most com-

the same time, the simplest. it is

making the

YOUR NATURAL SURVIVAL SYSTEM journey from

A

to

Z without

stopping

at

any other

letter

we

can't

along the way.

Because society has trained us to believe that

we don't know the answers, that officials and professionals know what's best, we have come to believe that we will find certainty outside ourselves. We won't, of course, but we can find the illusion of cerprotect ourselves, that

what we're willing

tainty, particularly if that's

When

the airline employee dismisses our concerns about

odd behavior of

the

flight,

to settle for.

three passengers waiting to board a

our hesitation may be the only thing that stands

between us and

a false feeling

stands there for a reason,

son with

of

That hesitation

certainty.

and we won't always find the rea-

logic.

Whenever we

anything unusual,

perceive

there's

a

question our natural defense system always asks automatically: Is

there danger here? In

author Diane the

sight. All the brain's

their point tants, all

for

says,

whole peninsula of our

new

We

Ackerman

of view,

all

the students,

the

all

A Natural History of the Senses, "When we

senses

see an object,

wakes up to appraise the

shopkeepers consider civil servants, all

the farmers,

all

it

from

the accoun-

the mechanics."

could add the soldiers and guards to Ackerman 's it

occur,

is

they

who

evaluate the context in

list,

things

the appropriateness and significance of literally

everything

we

perceive.

they can identify

it)

They

discard the irrelevant

(when

and value the meaningful. They rec-

ognize the survival signals

know

which

we

are signals.

39

don't even (consciously)

FEAR LESS

many messengers

Intuition has

be explored in chapter is

fear.

and

Nothing the

that's

in

way

3),

life

but the clearest and most urgent

gets attention as reliably as fear

the system

does some miraculous things

is

it

action with a dose of adrenaline.

gets It

perceive that

we

are

our bodies ready for

up the

heats

running or fighting, and

a chemical called Cortisol that

—

designed to work. Fear

when we

in the presence of danger. First,

in our muscles for

of which will

(several

it

lactic acid

even gives us

makes our blood

clot

more

quickly in case we're cut in a fight. It's

gets

an amazing system designed to be

you

problem

is

a brief signal that

and move on. The

to listen, address the risk,

that these chemicals are toxic,

and in America,

even more so since the tragic events of 9/11,

lots

of people

are living in fear.

Our imaginations

can be the

fertile soil in

which worry

and anxiety grow from seeds to weeds, but when an imagined outcome

is

a sure thing,

we

we assume

are in conflict

with what Proust called an inexorable law: "Only that

which

absent can be imagined." In other words, what

is

you imagine cannot be happening now, for

if it

were, you

in

your presence right

would perceive

very fact that you fear something

is

it.

Similarly, the

solid evidence that

it is

not happening in your presence right now. Fear us

summons powerful

what might come

next that

we

pening now.

fear

A

predictive resources that

next.

It is

that

— what might happen, not what

literal

example helps demonstrate

you stand near the edge of getting too close. If

a

you stand

40

high

tell

which might come

cliff,

is

this:

you might

right at the edge,

hap-

As

fear

you no

YOUR NATURAL SURVIVAL SYSTEM

now fear falling. To

longer fear getting too close, you way,

this all the

you now

you

if

you no longer

fall,

When

fear landing.

carry

fear falling

—

compared with landing,

falling isn't so bad.

This reminds

ful. It

of

a friend

who

used to be afraid of

of turbulence. After the four simultaneous

flying because

hijackings,

me

now makes me gratemuch worse things."

he told me, "Turbulence

reminds

me

that there are

many

People use the word fear to describe so

not

that are

fear, so

feelings

define our terms:

I'll

FEAR True

fear

is

a signal in the

always based

presence of danger.

upon something we

perceive,

It is

some-

thing in our environment or our circumstance.

Unwarranted

fear

is

always based

upon our mem-

ory or our imagination.

Imagine, for example, that you are about to board a

when you

flight

are suddenly overtaken

uncertainty about the

dread

about ranted

is

pilot's ability to fly

airlines hiring fear.

inexperienced

If the fear

is

urgent, and

fully

it's

not

it's

it

is

unwar-

the real thing. True fear

easily quieted. If

alone, whatever questions

and

pilots,

based upon seeing the pilot

the messenger that intuition sends

you

the plane. If the

based on a news story you saw three weeks ago

stumble out of the airport bar, is

with dread and

credibly.

41

it

when

the situation

you want

it

is

to leave

poses must be answered

FEAR LESS

The

challenge in dealing with the anxiety caused by

terrorist acts

tainty

a

is

come

that answers are hard to

is

key component of terrorism;

we

by.

Uncer-

are left to

won-

der what might happen next, to what degree, and where.

The

of predictability predictably causes anxiety,

lack

which, unlike true

fear, is

always caused by uncertainty.

ANXIETY Anxiety have

caused, ultimately, by predictions in

is

confidence. Imagine that you are anxious be-

little

cause of signs that

you might be

oddly toward you, and your boss to

you

are getting a

to

be

reluctant to

is

promotion.

When

you

certainty,

you

you don't have anxiety about being

fired,

such

act

commit

also

mean

are certain a pre-

correct, certain, for example, that

might have anxiety about the things you

are about fired.

can't predict

You with

the ramifications of losing the job.

as

Predictions in

you

Co-workers

fired: is

any assignment. But these signs could

you

diction

which you

which you have high confidence

free

to respond, prepare, adjust, accept, feel sadness, or

whatever

is

needed. Accordingly, anxiety

is

do

reduced by

improving the quality of your predictions. Higher quality predictions increase certainty, and certainty anxiety.

worth doing, because the word

It's

word

worry,

that

just

is

is

the antidote to

anxiety, like the

stems from a root that means "to choke," and

what

it

does to

us.

42

YOUR NATURAL SURVIVAL SYSTEM

WORRY Worry and

is

it is

from the

see lava

—

worry because

fear,

worry

many variations, but

is

If

you look out the

don't worry,

a choice.

Most

making

you run. often, people

some secondary reward. There

provides

it

is

not authentic,

it

local volcano slowly

way toward your house, you Unlike true

are

manufacture

not part of our defense system.

window and its

we

the fear

here are a few of the most popular

reasons people worry:

Worry

we

is

a

way

to avoid change;

when we

worry,

don't do anything about the matter.

Excessive worry helps

some people

deal with

matters they cannot influence. Powerlessness

one of the hardest things

comes that.

a

point with risk where

Worry

that there's feels like

You've

to admit,

we

is

and there have to do just

helps fight off that dreadful feeling

nothing

we

likely

are

we

can do, because worrying

doing something.

known someone who worried

so

much

that people stopped telling that person any-

thing.

"Don't worry your mother" or "I'm wor-

ried half to death" are phrases that serve worriers

by offering protection from too much

Worry can be

a cloying

way

reality.

to have connection

with others, the idea being that to worry about

someone shows people will

tell

love.

As many worried-about

you, worry

is

a

poor

love or for taking loving action.

43

substitute for

FEAR LESS

Worry

a

is

way

to rehearse dreaded

outcomes so he

that if they occur, the worrier believes

more

prepared.

Of course,

it

will

doesn't work.

be

Worry

simply gives people some of the very same con-

sequences they'd get

occurred

if

the dreaded

— while doing nothing

outcome

constructive to

prevent anything bad from happening. Worrying is

not the same

as

planning;

not an effective

it is

security precaution.

Worry

is

come and

a choice,

but true fear

the time or to persistently

tion;

no

is

needed. Thus, the person

actually it

making himself

In Emotional is

Intelligence,

a sort

if a

signal left for

who

less safe.

constructive action, and action

feel

But

is

will

person it's

chooses to worry

Worry delays

it

it

when

chew on unwarranted

the opposite because

is

worrying

involuntary;

get your attention if necessary.

feels fear constantly, there

really

is

is

fears

all is

not a precau-

and discourages

the antidote to worry.

Daniel Goleman concludes that

of "magical amulet" that some people

wards off danger. They believe that worrying about

something will stop

it

from happening.

notes that most of what people probability of occurring, because

about those things

we

that very often the

mere

something

When terrorism,

is

also correctly

worry about has

we

fact that

a predictor that

you

it isn't

distract yourself

a

low

tend to take action

feel are likely to occur.

are

This means

worrying about

likely to

you worry yourself into an you

He

happen.

artificial fear

from what

is

about

actually hap-

pening in favor of what you imagine might happen. Since

44

YOUR NATURAL SURVIVAL SYSTEM the

human

imagination

of

a litany

powerful, you can conjure quite

is

possibilities.

Anytime you

ask yourself the

question "Could this happen?" the answer will be yes

—

because anything could happen, but there are better questions, Is

such

as

"Will

worry an

what we choose

good

"What am now?" Worry may well be

is

right

happening?"

to ask yourself,

I

it

can

worry about, how-

to

usually easier to look at than

is

palatable issue. For this reason, a

rying

this

roundabout way,

intuitive signal? In a

be. That's because

ever bad,

happen?" or "h

this

some

exercise

other, less

when wor-

choosing not to see

distracting

you from

something important. For example, someone might worry about unseen

(What

terrorists

will they

Do

oper-

nearby? Are they engaged in something das-

atives live

same time choosing not

tardly right now?), while at the register that she's seen

power

do next?

someone videotaping

to

the nuclear

plant several days in a row.

Worry, wariness, anxiety, and concern pose, but they are not fear. nal in the presence

confused with to understand

So any time

of danger, then

fear. It

may

it

all

have a pur-

a feeling isn't a sigreally shouldn't

be

well be something worth trying

and manage, but

it is

not likely to be directly

relevant to your present safety.

Worry tion that

IS

IT

will

is

not help you answer the fundamental ques-

on everyone's mind

right

now:

SAFE?

Since September 11,

many people have

questions: "Are terrorists

more 45

asked

me many

likely to strike in the

day

FEAR LESS or

at

night?"

safe at

"My

husband works

work?" "There

school; should

we

is

theme park?"

to visit a

a

transfer

power

at a

Muslim mosque near

him somewhere

"Is

safe to fly?"

it

"We had

game; do you think the stadium

target?" "I

was planning to go to Boston for

we

is

is

my

else?" "Is

to the ball

together, but

plant;

he

son's

it

safe

tickets

a terrorist

a family get-

heard about a threat to Boston; should

I

cancel?"

Some might

say questions like these cannot

be answered,

but every one can be answered and will be answered

though not always with great

certainty.

In order to determine whether or not something

we need means

shared definition of what

a

free

from

all risk,

then there

modern

A

life

all

no

is

be

to

it is

going to work you are exposed to contagious diseases, and

able means,

traffic,

and

just your truth. If

mercial

tell

flight,

street crime,

you

like to base decisions

right

go to

now

a ball

that

game,

fact,

major theme parks are about are

more

likely to

you base

what accept-

no objective truth about

is

you

of unac-

"free

is

different for different people

that's

You

there.) If

safe. If safety

the stress-related illnesses that

definition of safe

different times. There

can

safe,

incubates so efficiently.

more workable

I

is

safe activity. Just

ceptable risk," though one must then define

then

—

it is

risk; there

on

theme

as safe as

com-

park. (In

you can

get.

be injured driving there than being

decisions solely

on

statistics,

it's

tour the United Nations building while Yasir Arafat ing a speech, or to travel to Israel

most people determine

is

statistics,

safe to take a

visit a

at

their

— but

own level

46

that's

safe to is

not

of acceptable

giv-

how risk.

YOUR NATURAL SURVIVAL SYSTEM Americans have always had strange ways of evaluating

We

risk.

tend to give our

full

attention to risks that are failure

on

while ignoring those

we

beyond our control (earthquakes, mechanical airplanes, nuclear-plant disasters)

charge of (car accidents, disease from smoking,

feel in

poor

harm

we

even though the

diet), us.

latter are far

While we knowingly volunteer

object to those imposed

on

by

us

erate familiar risks over strange ones.

American jet

rarely,

The

some

for

others.

likely to

We

risks,

will tol-

hijacking of an

Athens looms larger in our concern than

in

who

the husband

more

kills his

wife, even

though one happens

and the other happens every day (twelve times

a day,

in fact).

There

many Americans who wouldn't

are

travel to see

the Pyramids for fear of being killed in Egypt, so they stay

home

Sometimes,

on

where

in Detroit

the

Mir

we

that danger

is

twenty times

greater.

can be absurdly risk-averse: After a

space station,

I

saw

TV

a

news expose pro-

claiming the space program unsafe for the astronauts.

mean fuel

sitting

on

unsafe?

is

Risk assessment of

life.

are so

is

Who'd

part of

them

high that

we

at

25,000

have thought?

life,

just as risk itself

commanders measure

Military

before sending

You

the tip of a missile that's filled with rocket

and being blasted out of the atmosphere

miles an hour

fire

into combat.

is

part

the risk to troops

Sometimes the

are willing to accept great risk

stakes

—

as

with the space program or the brave decision making that allowed U.S. soldiers to land on the beaches

on any

D

day.

risk at

Other all,

as

times,

we

at

Normandy

are unwilling to accept hardly

with the safety of our one-year-old

47

child.

FEAR LESS

As our

The

kids grow, however,

way

tricycle gives

to the motorcycle.

we

them

let

take greater risks:

which

to the bicycle,

The

playdate

way

gives

becomes the

sleepover,

which becomes the camp, which becomes the camping

Our room for

definition of acceptable risk expands to

trip.

life

what

define

— and

know

danger, for if

A

to start

central

system

in

is

you

if

you perceived danger

well.

Now

hood and

—

us.

Doesn't

— consciously or

I

intu-

it.

of our perception in the

way beyond

For example,

in the

if

satellite

the reach of that

you

room where you

start

where you

are sitting

—

all is

extend in your imagination to the neighbor-

it's

more

keep widening the

where

Florida,

are.

book, you are not in

in your reading to assess

age has been extended

now

Remake

and major challenge to our natural defense

which might hurt are right

where you

right

are reading this

that the reach

is

today:

your immediate environment.

moment,

right this

— you'd pause

itively

what we must do

constitutes acceptable risk, in order to

room for life. The place Look around already

that's

make

difficult to

know

circle, you'll

all is

well. If

you

eventually get to Lantana,

a business received

feel so safe

that

anthrax in the mail.

anymore. Keep going, and you'll reach

Milan, where there was an awful plane crash. Keep going

and you'll reach Saudi Arabia and the shopping mall where a terrorist

In the

the

bomb

killed

satellite age,

calamities

in

our

calamities in everyone's

index of

fears to

two Americans.

you

see,

own life.

we

lives

don't experience just

— we

experience the

So Americans have

draw upon.

48

a far larger

YOUR NATURAL SURVIVAL SYSTEM Unwarranted size

fear will decrease

when you

reduce the

of the area in which you search for danger. Unwar-

ranted fear will decrease further if you don't search for

danger

at all,

your attention

An

but trust that intuition will

need

if

More on that later. way we evaluate risk and

fear ties

world of terrorism: In the 1960s there was

has the greatest psychological impact ers tested reactions to incest,

murder.

It

words such

on people. Researchas spider,

was the word shark

greatest fear response (and this survey

Why

or movie Jaws).

do

sharks,

a

word

study done that sought to determine which single

rape,

get

be.

example of the

easily to the

come and

snake, death,

that elicited the

was before the book

which human beings

come in contact with so rarely, frighten us so profoundly? The seeming randomness of their strike is part of it, the lack of warning, the fact that such a large creature can

approach

silently

sionately.

To the

and separate body from soul so

we are without and for human beings

shark,

more than meat, is

a type

of death

all

by

As with the shark of warning

we

some

not

but just

the loss of identity

of

terroristic violence

terrorists

view us without

as victims.

Though

be

safe

from sharks can be spoken in

Don't go in the ocean. So perfect

overwhelming majority of people

a precaution, frolic in

we

fear

identity;

there

single strategy for avoiding terrorism, everything

to

no

seeming randomness and lack

attack,

most. Like sharks,

know

are

itself.

are the attributes

as individuals

identity,

dispas-

is

no

you need

five

words:

and yet the

the waves, hav-

ing determined the odds of a shark attack are acceptably

low and

trusting that if they receive a signal

49

of danger

FEAR LESS they'll

heed

it.

They have chosen

— and

of sharks

reality

remain in

a state

of

it

of remaining in

can lead to panic, and panic

dangerous than the outcome long-distance ocean

we

swimmers

mountain or the water Panic, the great

rather than

life

fear.

Among many problems that

to compartmentalize the

go on with

to

that kills

enemy of

Rock

will tell it is

climbers and

you

it

isn't

in

most

might happen,

It

fears. It

instances,

you

do something about

it.

be

to

the

panic.

sure,

as

can be reduced

through embracing the knowledge that what you not happening.

is

more

can be perceived

survival,

an unmanageable kaleidoscope of

of fear

itself is usually

dread.

—

a state

and

fear

that's

is

why,

get the signal in plenty of time to

From

can actually be perceived

as

point of view, true fear

this

good news;

since

has plenty

life

we

of hazards that come upon us without warning,

could

fear with, "Thank God for a signal I can act on." The wise words of FDR "The only thing we have to

welcome fear

is

fear itself"

might be amended by nature: "There

nothing to fear unless and until you

Just as

some people

are others

actually

by the

how

are quick to predict the worst, there

are reluctant to accept that they

false belief that if

we

pening. all

feel fear."

be in the presence of danger. This

invite or cause

that if

have

who

is

it

we acknowledge

to happen,

don't acknowledge

it,

might

often caused

risk

we some-

and the opposite belief

we

Only human beings can look

prevent

it

from hap-

directly at something,

the information they need to

50

is

make an

accurate

.

YOUR NATURAL SURVIVAL SYSTEM momentarily make the accurate

prediction, perhaps even

and then say

prediction,

choice about

To be of true

But you have

of unwarranted fear and yet

still

there are three goals to strive for.

easy to reach, but I've found

2.

When you When you

3.

If

1

isn't so.

it

a

that.

freer

fear,

that

it

to

get the gift

They

be worth trying:

or any intuitive signal,

feel fear

don't feel

fear,

aren't

listen.

don't manufacture

it.

you find yourself creating worry, explore and

discover why.

Explore every intuitive

When

petitively.

ask yourself:

fear,

signal,

Am

I

but briefly and not re-

some worry or uncertain

faced with

responding to something in

my

my imagination? Is this feelperceive in my circumstance, my memory? Is the fear that a

environment, or something in ing based on something or merely something in

I

terrorist will crash a plane into the

Super Bowl based on

the sight of a plane circling erratically over the stadium?

Or

is

based on the alarming words of that "security

it

expert"

saw on the news

I

more than

We events

all

we

a

a

movie

I

saw

have the choice today to turn the frightening shared into something

freer

of unwarranted

life

than

we had

looked right

new and

and, believe

fear,

before September

at a truth

ever imagined, and is

morning? Or

decade ago?

life

ence

this

we

more

1 1

.

constructive: a

it

or not, a safer

Together,

terrible than

we

have

most of us had

have prevailed, and in

this

experi-

the opportunity to look at fear itself differently.

51

FEAR LESS

When

you honor

intuitive signals

and evaluate them

without denial (believing that either the favorable or the unfavorable outcome

is

possible),

even in these troubled times.

you

will

come

you can

actually relax,

You need not be

to trust that you'll

be notified

wary, for if there

is

something worthy of your attention. Fear will gain credibility

because

it

won't be applied wastefully.

accept the survival signal

as a

When

you

welcome message and quickly

evaluate your environment or situation, fear stops in an instant. fear.

Thus,

trusting intuition

is

the exact opposite of living in

In fact, the role of fear in your

mind and body come quiet

to

know

that

wind chime, and have no need

52

life

you

lessens as

your

will listen to the

for blaring sirens.

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST The Messengers of

Recall

the story

about the Nazi FBI.

The

at

Intuition

the opening of the

terrorist conspiracy foiled

book

by the

nation was motivated to act quickly, and six of

the conspirators were tried and sentenced to death within

weeks.

A day after sentencing,

ended what was,

all

were electrocuted, and so

for sixty years, America's worst-ever ter-

rorist plot.

Because John Cullen listened to tory also

is

much

different

from what

helped that the Nazi

his intuition, it

our

might have been.

terrorists violated several rules

effective conspiracy:

Don't

Be

let

sure

the operation get too big.

nobody knows

all

the players.

Discourage unneeded communication between the

his-

cells.

53

It

of

FEAR LESS

Don't

tell

need

Keep

it

Work

members anything they

don't absolutely

know.

to

simple.

only with pure devotees.

Don't draw attention.

Be

patient.

Mohamed

Atta and his associates broke fewer of these

rules.

When

one compares the Nazi

mainland America with current

main

difference

terrorist plan against

terrorist operations, the

the sophistication and availability of

is

technology. Otherwise, there are

many

instructive similari-

to learn from.

ties

Though we were

at

war

in 1942,

most mainland Amer-

icans experienced the conflict in a distant way: primarily

through newsreels and journalistic reports. Similarly, even

though we have been for

many

tant to

war with Middle Eastern

years now, until

September

1 1

that

terrorists

war was

dis-

most Americans. The World Trade Center bomb-

ing in 1993, the destructive

bomb

that killed

on the USS

on U.S. servicemen

241 Marines

able to ignore until

Much

attack

bombings of our embassies

zania, lethal attacks

one

at

—

September

all

this

in

Cole, the

Kenya and Tan-

overseas, including

and more we were

1 1

like today's terrorists, the

Nazi

terrorists

a decisive, dramatic event (scheduled for the July), to

be followed by

a

hugely

planned

Fourth of

long campaign of terror aimed

at

alarming the population and destabilizing the economy. Just as the

9/11 conspirators plotted something diaboli-

54

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE MESSENGERS OF INTUITION the Nazi plan had dark and cruel components.

cal,

the items they brought into

made

explosives

mixed

America by submarine were

would explode when shoveled

Much rorists

Chunks were

to look like coal.

with the coal loaded onto

in

like the adversaries

were

Among

trains,

be

to

chunks that

into the engines.

we now

face, the

Nazi

ter-

backed by millions of dollars in cash and

fanatics

resources and a network of support.

Much

like

Mohamed

Atta and his associates, the Nazi terrorists beheld a vulnerable, sleeping giant.

But

today, that giant

objectives in this

book

without remaining

is

is

my

not sleeping, and one of

ways to remain awake

to offer

afraid.

THE NATURE OF SUSPICION you no doubt heard the

In the aftermath of September

1 1

many

officials to

urgings of government

suspicious to

authorities.

know precisely how

Most

report anything

people, however,

become

John Cullen

s

father

would

had the

all

part of the national security

but only Cullen stayed the course and acted Teeple

don't

to define suspicious.

Farrar Teeple, her father, and

opportunity to

,

—

effectively.

surely have acted differently

had he

recognized what was right in front of him.

We see.

deny because we're

In his

book The Day

James Burke points out that the eye. Reality else the signals

is

we

built to see the Universe

"It

is

get from the eye

to

Changed, historian

the brain

in the brain before

55

what we want

it is

which

sees,

not

experienced, or

would make no

sense."

FEAR LESS This truth underscores the value of having the pieces of the terroristic violence puzzle in our heads before

— and

them

chapter

this

committed

is

we need many

to identifying

of those pieces.

Though FBI

agents

may

recognize suspicious behaviors

associated with conspiratorial violence, they are almost

never

m

a position to see

who

zens

are

those behaviors.

watching the play

as it

regular citi-

It is

unfolds,

coming

m

contact with the characters, seeing pieces of the plot.

Accordingly the most

effective

terroristic conspiracies

is

way

and prevent

to detect

you and

for

me

to

be part of an

"All Eyes" approach to security.

As

I

explored

m

depth

m

Tlie Gift of Fear,

one of the

most valuable elements of predicting and preventing violence

my

is

the pre-mcident indicator, or PIN, as

it's

called in

firm. Pre-incident indicators occur prior to a final act

of violence. As an example,

let's

look

at

the

form of

ter-

rorism formerly most effective in America (often but not always committed by Americans): assassination. Imagine

someone planning

governor

to assassinate a

Pre-incident indicators could include the ing on stage with a

be very useful

The

gun

(as it

— but

provides

birth of the assassin

is

that

little

also a

is

at a

assassin's

too recent a

on the map of

jump-

PIN

to

time for intervention).

PIN, but

it is

too dated to

be valuable. Even though both of these events are intersections

speech.

critical

this particular prediction,

one

hopes to be somewhere between the two, between the earliest detectable factor

before the final

act.

and those

that

occur an instant

Useful PINs for assassination might

56

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE MESSENGERS OF INTUITION include

the

assassins

weapon, keeping

developing a plan, purchasing a

a diary,

observing the governor in public,

following him, trying to learn the governor's schedule, asking questions about his entry and exit points from a building, telling relatives "something big

is

coming,"

Preventing such attacks (which happens

etc.

many

times

every year in America) requires understanding the process

of

form of

this

begin

when

violence.

gun

the

is

Does an

assassination attempt

fired at the target, or

when

the

gun

is drawn, or when it is carried secretly toward the stage, or when it is loaded, or when it is purchased, or when assassination is first thought of? We tend to focus, too much on

the end of incidents, and not diction

moves from

enough on the an

a science to

art

process. Pre-

when you

realize

that pre- incident indicators are actually part of the incident.

There

are always

PINs prior

are not always recognized

In

London,

as a result

to violence,

by those

who

though they

see them.

of so many bombings by

mem-

bers of the IPJV and others, residents are sensitive to PINs:

An

unattended suitcase leaning up against a building,

non-guest seen frequently in the lobby of a hotel,

men

of

climbing out from under a car belonging to a local

politician

—

these things will quickly generate reports to

law enforcement or security personnel. So America. tions

a pair

a

—

isfying,

If

you

at least

make

intuit

it

can be in

something questionable, ask ques-

of yourself

— and

if

the answers are unsat-

a report to the police, the fire department,

facility security,

building management, or the FBI.

Since the willingness of regular citizens to report things

57

FEAR LESS they perceive

as

suspicious will be a decisive element in

detecting terrorist planning and logistics,

with the story of

On

a

young

let's start

there,

New Yorker named Andrew.

the day his willingness was tested, he boarded the

Lexington number 6 subway

headed toward the Wall

at

around 8:00 a.m. and

Street district for

work. The car

was packed with people, but one commuter stood out.

To Andrew, the man looked the streets for

some

like he'd

been

younger than one expected

a

— within

acceptable range of craziness one gets used to

He

was wearing what looked

and clean

shoes, white shirt

and

tattered jeans.

Andrew's attention.

It

like

— an odd match

the

the sub-

brand-new

tennis

for his torn sweat-

was the bulky canvas bag the

in

He

wasn't his appearance that held

It

had placed on the floor between

which he held firmly

on

on and

fit

homeless person to be.

appeared agitated, maybe even a bit crazy

way.

living

though he was more

time,

his feet,

man

the strap of

both hands. The bag had been

methodically covered with white surgical tape, leaving only

its

selves

two wooden handles exposed. The handles them-

were

interesting, firmly attached

with thick chain,

The man would single word written

improvised to carry something heavy. have earned

less

scrutiny but for a

boldly in dark blue marker across both sides of the stark

white bag. The word was

Andrew was not saw

a

BOMB.

the only person

few other passengers

shrugs about the

man and

roll

his

who

their eyes or

him

this.

He

exchange

unusual fashion statement.

But nobody seemed too alarmed. People the man, looked

noticed

sat

down

next to

over, and went back to reading their

58

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE MESSENGERS OF INTUITION papers.

They got

off at their stops, and

new people

got on,

looked him over, and opened up their papers.

Andrew got off the subway at Fulton Street, and so did that man. The pull of gravity kept the bag from swinging as he walked. It is heavy, Andrew thought as he watched the man labor his way up the stairs toward the street. Andrew turned left at the top of the stairs; the man and his precious bag went right and disappeared into the morning crowd.

Walking

to his office,

considered calling the

concluded that since nobody

police, but

maybe he

alarmed,

Andrew

else

seemed

shouldn't be either. That

been the end of the

except that sitting

story,

to be

would have at his

desk

Andrew heard an enormous explosion. Co-workers rushed to the windows trying to see what

two hours

later,

was going on. After

a while,

unable to figure out what had

happened, somebody got the idea to turn on the

Soon enough they heard the words "We program

television.

interrupt this

..."

Andrew focused

intently

on the video footage of

people running away from what looked like a war zone.

Some were

the surrounding buildings were blasted

Windows in all out. Smoke was

everywhere. Ambulances and police cars

sat in

bloodied, several were crying.

parking spaces

all

over the

street.

The newsreader

mates placed the number of injured have been a large bomb."

work with

When

that

at

said esti-

150, "so

it

must

Bomb. Andrew had ridden

to

word.

he told

they thought

improvised

a

couple of co-workers what he'd seen,

at first

he was kidding. Maybe he shouldn't

59

FEAR LESS report tion.

it,

he thought; the police might have the same reac-

Then he persuaded

way must have

The

people.

himself that someone on the sub-

already

made

the report, if not

many

police were probably besieged by reports

about that man. Still,

he decided to make the

call,

busy signal time and again, he was of the detectives working on the

some

The

details

you could use.

"No,

officer interrupted:

about that man, but we've solved that

case:

if

I

"I'm sure plenty of

man on

thought

was about I

reach one

I

the subway

might have

thirty years

—

haven't heard anything

doesn't matter anyway, because

case."

Already solved?

know

it

He

reaching a

after

finally able to

people have already told you about the

with the bag marked bomb, but

and

Andrew was

the mysterious

impressed. Wanting to

man had been

involved in the

explosion, he asked if the officer could share

some

details

of the crime. "Sure. tee ice

turned out to be an explosion of a Mister Sof-

It

cream truck,

cer chuckled.

a freak accident.

"But thanks

No bomb." The

offi-

for calling."

Even though the explosion near Andrew's

office

had

turned out to be innocent, one might have hoped for

man on the subway clinging to a canvas bag marked bomb. One might have hoped that at least a few of the thousands of people who encountered a man carrying a bag marked bomb would have called the

more

police curiosity about a

police.

be

But

this

happened

in 1978.

Today the story would

different.

When Andrew

even momentarily thought that the

60

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE MESSENGERS OF INTUITION

man on

the subway might be linked to the huge explosion

he heard, he could

feel ridiculous

— but

in fact,

have been more ridiculous to think anything

odd bag contained just

one

caller like

a

bomb,

a

else.

would

it

Had

that

seemingly tiny detail from

Andrew might have

attached to other

fragments of evidence and led police to the prevention of

more bombings. Thus, the seen either vant or is

as

as a

humorous

an admirable

distraction for a

act.

call

could be

busy

civil ser-

In our lives today, such a report

admirable either way. If

you have an

you

can't fully explain

effective, professional

hear about

it

counter one

and

who

Imagine three

something you've

intuitive feeling that

observed might be relevant to a crime if

phone

exact same

why you

(past

feel

or future), even

what you

feel,

any

law-enforcement officer will want to

will

welcome your

does not,

men

his

report. If

you en-

or her supervisor likely will.

rent the apartment upstairs and are

always looking through binoculars at the nearby federal building. is

It

could be nothing, but you

the point at

see

This

which many observers assume they need

more evidence

the reality: That logue, not the

feel suspicious.

in support of their suspicion.

may be

whole

play.

all

you get

The

—

But

just a line

here's

of dia-

nature of conspiracy

the elements of planning and logistics

to

is

that

happen out of view

of each other. You see one element.

Nobody shows up at the electronics store and asks for the bomb department, but you might encounter someone who asks for several bomb components in a row (timer, mercury switch, wire, be enough, because

if

battery, etc.).

you wait

61

Your suspicion has

to put

to

what you've seen

FEAR LESS together with

some

decisive fact

— such

same day —

town on the

ing explosives across

the opportunity intuition

you'll miss

you about.

telling

is

man buy-

the

as

You don't have to build the entire criminal conspiracy case. You need only honor what you feel, observe what you can, document information, and make the call. Suspicion has gotten a bad name for some reason; people feel guilty about it. But when you feel suspicious, it's

not something unkind that you're doing to someone;

it's

not something you choose

You

that chooses you.

and suspicion,

arises,

intuition. Suspicion

—

suspicion

don't feel guilty

like curiosity, is

when

just a

is

something

is

curiosity

messenger of

added

curiosity with the

intuitive

instruction to keep watching. In fact, the root of the suspicion

If ard,

—

— means

suspicere

you make

you have

a report

lost

and

"to watch."

it

turns out there was

no haz-

new

distinc-

nothing and you've added

tion to your intuition, so that

it

to

be

less

it

work

is

is

always learning,

occasionally send a signal that turns out

than urgent, everything

has meaning.

the

may

When

already

you

done

it

communicates

get an intuitive signal,

— your conscious job

for the

meaning and, even

believe

it

if

you don't

you

most of to search

initially find

your time;

it is

it,

to

always in response to

something, and always has your best interest

this

is

to

might be there nonetheless. Unlike worry, intu-

ition will not waste

If

a

might not sound the alarm

again in the same situation. Intuition

and though

word

you make

context

a report,

— and

nition of wrong:

at heart.

you cannot be wrong. In

in this time

—

I'd

propose a

You can be wrong only 62

if

fact, in

new

defi-

you deny your

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE MESSENGERS OF INTUITION intuition

and don't put

a higher value

on

safety than

you

put on pride.

THE MESSENGERS OF INTUITION Intuition

might send any of

attention,

and because they

is

good

to

know

highest order

several messengers to get differ

is fear.

according to urgency,

The

the ranking.

The next

your

level

intuitive signal is

it

of the

apprehension, then

suspicion, then hesitation, doubt, gut feelings, hunches,

and

curiosity.

There

are also

nagging

feelings, persistent

thoughts, physical sensations, wonder, and -anxiety. Generally

speaking, these are

less

urgent.

THE MESSENGERS OF INTUITION Nagging

feelings

Persistent thoughts

Humor Wonder Anxiety Curiosity

Hunches

Gut

feelings

Doubt Hesitation

Suspicion

Apprehension Fear

63

FEAR LESS

You may be

surprised to see

humor

as

a

of

signal

intuition.

In one story that offers an excellent example,

information was there like a great unharvested crop

dry in the sun.

The

Taylor and others

receptionist

at

age, they

looked

it

left

to

Bob

that day, so

the California Forestry Association

sorted through the mail.

it.

was off

the

all

When

they came

upon

the pack-

over and chatted about what to do with

was addressed to the former president of the associa-

It

and they debated whether to

tion,

When

just forward

to him.

Gilbert Murray, the current president, arrived, they

brought him in on their discussion. Murray

open

it

said,

"Let's

it."

Taylor got up and cracked a joke: "I'm going back to

my

office before the

hall to his desk,

mous that

bomb

goes

but before he

off."

He

walked

down

the

down, he heard the enor-

sat

explosion that killed his boss. Because of intuition,

bomb

didn't kill

Bob

Taylor.

All the information he

needed was there and dismissed

by the others, but not before

Taylor's intuition sent a signal

to everyone in the clearest language: "I'm going back to

my

office before the

Humor,

bomb

goes

particularly dark

off."

humor,

communicate concern without the afterward, and without overtly this

type of remark evolve?

mind Were that the

to search

the case,

package addressed

more and

all

for

a

common way

risk of feeling

showing

One

files

is

fear.

to

silly

But how does

doesn't consciously direct

something funny to

say.

Bob Taylor might have looked at this to a man who didn't work there any-

cleverly said, "It's probably a fruitcake that's

64

been

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE MESSENGERS OF INTUITION lost in the

mail since Christmas," or any of thousands of

comments. Or he could have made no comment with

this

all.

But

type of humor, an idea comes into consciousness

seems so outlandish

that, in context,

And

at

why

that's precisely

that the idea

mation was

came

The

funny.

it's

as to

be ridiculous.

point

into consciousness because

is,

though,

the infor-

all

there.

That package sent by the Unabomber to the California Forestry Association was very heavy. tape,

had too

much

It

was covered with

and aroused enough

postage,

people speculated on whether

that several

it

interest

might be

a

bomb. They had noted the Oakland firm named on the return address

— had they

have found

to

A

it

be

few weeks

fictitious. Still,

a

he opened

package

it,

it

was opened.

advertising executive

earlier,

Mosser received such Just before

called directory assistance, they'd

at his

at

Mosser had asked

good

bomb,' and

(also sent

Dan

still

open

if it

would have

she was

it.

by the Unabomber).

That's

one

want

many

times

'This looks like a

for the psychologists to

to call the police

and be

turns out to be nothing."

The Unabomber three targets hurt

if

moment later he He was killed when he

comment,

a

answer. Perhaps they don't

embarrassed

wife

Mihalko: "I've heard

would make

that people

his

(a

question, but a

ignored the answer he'd sought.

Postal inspector

home.

the house. She said she was not.

expecting a parcel

opened the package

New Jersey

something made him curious

messenger of intuition), and he asked

a

Thomas

by

himself his

mocked some of

the twenty-

bombs: "If you had any brains you

realized that there are a lot

65

of people out there

FEAR LESS

who

resent the

way techno-nerds

you

like

changing

are

you wouldn't have been dumb enough

the world and

open an unexpected package from an unknown People with advanced degrees they

aren't as

smart

as

to

source.

they think

are."

In fairness to the victims discussed above, mail

bombs

and were not the type of hazard one was nor-

are very rare

mally concerned about, but the point

were concerned enough

is

that these victims

comment on

to

it.

Though

you've likely never had reason to think about mail bombs,

now on

they are

now

the

menu of

terroristic options

— and

part of your intuition.

Intuition

knowing without knowing why, knowing

is

when you can't see the evidence. Denial is choosing not to know something even when the evidence is obvious. It's easy to see which of these two human abilities is even

more

likely to protect us

during challenging times.

But what about ordinary times? Here's story of an intuitive signal that tried to glary:

"As

which

for

I

was dozing off

some reason

was loud, and like,

but

I

I

heard

I

really scared

warn him of a bur-

it.

downstairs

a noise

me.

don't even recall exactly

absolutely couldn't shake

McKenna's

Bill

So

It

wasn't that

what I

it

a

all

right.

I

quick walk around and then went back to bed.

Half an hour

later,

know how

woke me;

breathing.

I

it

I

heard it

turned on the

sound so quiet

I still

don't

was the sound of someone

else's

a

light,

standing in the middle of the

under

sounded

got out of bed

and went downstairs to be sure everything was

made

it

his

arm."

66

that

and there was

room with our

this burglar

CD

player

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE MESSENGERS OF INTUITION mission on his walk downstairs was "to be sure

If Bill's

everything was completely. signal

—

all

though,

If,

he put

right," as

then he succeeded

was to answer the survival

it

to accept the gift

it,

of

fear

— he

When

failed.

he

heard that noise downstairs, had he consciously linked the fear

he

to

felt

its

possible dangerous

had already done

intuition

goal of finding nothing. feel fear,

know

I

there

Had he

is

some

—

as his

might have conducted

with the goal of finding

his search

I

— he

outcomes

risk as

opposed

thought, in

reason, so

effect,

what

is

he could have brought into consciousness what

to the

"Since

it?"

then

his intu-

knew and what he remembered and later told me: The living-room light had been on when he got home, the cat had somehow gotten outside and was waitition already

ing on the porch, an unusual old car was parked near his driveway,

its

engine clinking

as it

cooled.

Even more common than burglary fear

When

the doors

causes her to feel fear. Since she

be the

late

hour, his

the

size,

is

a

not usually

way he looks

of attacks in the neighborhood, an ago —

it

She suppresses this

The

doesn't matter why.

How does she respond to guy by

fear doesn't

it,

article

point

at her,

may

it

the rate

she read a year

is,

she feels

"I'm not going to

door close in

go away, she

afraid,

fear.

nature's strongest survival signal?

telling herself:

letting the

just occasional

woman waiting for an open she sees a man inside who

of another person. Imagine

elevator.

is

tells

his face."

insult

When

herself not to be so

silly,

the

and

she gets into the elevator.

Now, which

is

sillier:

elevator, or getting into a

waiting a

moment

for the next

soundproof steel chamber with

67

a

FEAR LESS stranger she

is

afraid of?

The same

question

any of us faced with something that fleeting

we

now

feel,

moment, might be worth exploring

applies to

even for

a

further or

reporting to law enforcement.

from danger, denial protects

Just as intuition protects us

us

from something,

serves to

too:

unwelcome information. Denial

eHminate the discomfort of accepting

we'd rather not acknowledge. There are times tection

is

valuable for emotional survival, but

useful for physical survival

— and

these days,

realities

this

it is

prorarely

down-

it's

right destructive to the safety of the nation. Like intuition,

denial sends signals

these cues at life's

work

you can recognize. you can

in yourself,

most powerful questions: "What

When

you detect

stop and ask

am

I

one of

choosing not

to see here?"

THE SIGNALS OF DENIAL Rationalization Justification

Minimization

Excuse-making Refusal

Recall that scenario in which three

ment

upstairs

and spend

all

men

rent the apart-

their time looking

through

binoculars at the nearby federal building.

You could acknowledge circumstance, or you could

the

tell

68

suspiciousness

of that

yourself, "They're proba-

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE MESSENGERS OF INTUITION bly architecture students" (rationalization); "Hey, they're

allowed to do what they want, they're not hurting any-

body"

"They're just looking,

(justification);

mization);

"It's

not

my

responsibility to

(mini-

that's all"

watch everybody"

(excuse-making); "I'm not going to be the kind of person

who's suspicious of everyone"

We

(refusal).

only minimize that which looms large, and the fact

we make an excuse for one of our choices is often a sign that we perceive something wrong with that choice. Can you imagine an animal reacting to an intuitive sigthat

nal the

way some people

No

instead of attention?

come with

fear

and debate

do, with disdain

animal in the wild suddenly over-

would spend any of

mental energy

its

probably nothing." Too often

we

chide our-

thinking,

"It's

selves for

even momentarily giving validity to the feeling

someone's unusual behavior might be

that

sinister.

Instead

of being grateful for having a powerful internal resource, instead of entertaining the possibility that our actually

we

be working for us and not just playing

tricks

on

us,

rush to ridicule the impulse. We, in contrast to every

other creature in nature, choose not to explore

choose to ignore

we

minds might

—

survival signals.

— and even

The mental energy

use searching for the innocent explanation to every-

thing can today be

more

constructively applied to our

shared national security.

Some

people

situation. "I don't

piciously,"

want

one man

listen to intuition,

trust

much

as

as refuse to

to

said to

accept our present

be looking

me

at

recently. Actually, if

that will not happen.

people so often that

we 69

everyone sus-

We

you

intuitively

barely even notice

it.

The

FEAR LESS salesperson, the

new

neighbor, the friend of a friend, the

secretary at the tax accountant's office, the

the car, the couple next to us at the

automatically assessed each of them, that

was

guy

movie

felt

no

we

rarely

even bother to do

react only to the unusual.

little

the corner of one eye,

we

zine in our hand. all

The

and

so simple, in

is

consciously.

on

to us

of our attention

see that

point

is

he

that

is

we

We

the plane

until,

out of

reading the magaintuitively evaluate

the time, quite attentively, but they get our con-

scious attention only edit out

Since

it

The man next

for five hours garners

we

— we

that.

fact, that

but

theater

hesitation,

Assessing the routine behavior of people

people

who towed

the

when

most of

there

is

a reason.

We

it all,

it.

overwhelming

majority

of

encounter are not behaving suspiciously, that

our intuition correctly concludes virtually Accordingly, on those rare occasions cious about someone,

see

it's

all

people is

we what

of the time.

when we

worth asking ourselves

70

just

are suspi-

why

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: The Architecture of Conspiracy The

security of our nation

and industries requires

the participation of government, business, our

and other nations of the world having

citizens,

similar values as

our own.

— Sir John A. MacDonald (1867)

We've discussed several of might override an

intuitive signal: the

about being embarrassed by making to

the reasons people

a report that turns

be unimportant, reluctance to honor one's

ition,

and

refusal to accept that the nation

extremists. There's a final reason

PIN

concern

is

own

at

out

intu-

war with

someone might ignore

a

they feel could be relevant to terrorism: People are

understandably reluctant to acknowledge that they might

be in the presence of

a

person

who

could commit some

terrible violence.

And yet

so

many Americans have had

spect that they prolific

and

mass

to admit in retro-

were in the presence of our

killers.

his associates

Despite the fact that

moved around

nation's

Mohamed

most Atta

often and intentionally

avoided mingling with Americans, they were surprisingly well

remembered by

a diverse

71

group of people.

FEAR LESS

For example, Robert Solberg lived in an apartment

complex where two of the 9/11

He

Al-Midhar) rented an apartment.

saw the

men

speaking on

said they never

didn't

seem

had the

Often people

will say

now, but

I

And yet

know

in their heads now, so was

given

a

should have

on downstairs and

My

detail.

made

in that apartment

it

then."

then.

it

What

they

if it

mean

is

significance

not that Robert Solberg

is

a police report,

complex

detail, "I

Of course,

do they recognize the point

"But

he did notice.

about some particular

didn't

that only in retrospect

of

lights

to have a regular phone," Solberg recalls.

they weren't that noticeable."

is

and other neighbors

phones. "Everybody around their apart-

ment

realize this

(Alhazmi and

often carrying briefcases and

frequently,

cell

terrorists

but rather that people

registered things they observed.

That happens only when the mind perceives that something

is

worth placing into

Much and

retrievable

memory.

of what people remember about

his associates

Mohamed Atta

could have value to your intuition.

For example, they almost always moved around in pairs

and they had

to transport their

little

luggage, often using plastic bags

few belongings. At one apartment, on

the ground floor they had

no

furniture.

Often they did

not have telephone service and relied upon Perhaps most observable: They were obviously did not have jobs. (All

busy,

cell

had money, and yet

of these same PINs could

apply to other types of conspiratorial criminals

Ed as

Murray,

two of the

games

who

lived in the

terrorists,

late at night.

He

phones.

as well.)

same apartment building

saw them playing flight-simulator noted

72

how

busy they were: "Any-

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSPIRACY

time you saw them, they were on their

cell

phones."

Another neighbor, Nancy Coker, saw them getting into limousines on several different nights, even though they

had

of their own. "In

a car

"you notice

much of

is

persuade an observer to conclude

about to become murderers? No, but

enough

tions, a discussion

when

this

men were it

said,

stuff like that."

Would any of that these

neighborhood," she

this

more ques-

to stimulate curiosity,

with other neighbors, and perhaps

when

these steps don't quiet intuition,

increases instead of abates

—

—

suspicion

a police report.

Although the soon-to-be hijackers unhesitatingly paid thousands of dollars for lessons while training Flight School, they leased a

keeper It's

just

at

room

Huffman

home of a book-

the school for just seventeen dollars a night.

clear that

some of the 9/11

by virtue of being foreigners

lish well,

in the

at

and

hijackers

who

that's natural. It is also

today scrutinize Middle Eastern

drew attention

did not speak

natural that

men

Eng-

Americans

in ways they

might

not have prior to September 11. That will be true for a while, and then

it

will pass because we'll

experiences with Middle Eastern visitors link to terrorism. to ignore a

board a

Still,

group of young,

flight

and

sit

it

fit

may be

have enough

whom we

first class,

may be what draws your

what

will

nor entirely irrelevant

most inform your

men who

people won't

someone, and in the context of terrorism,

entirely relevant

don't

politically correct

Middle Eastern

wordlessly in

ignore them. Ethnicity to

while

all

attention

it is

neither

— but behavior

is

intuition.

For example, about two weeks before September 11,

73

FEAR LESS

Marwan Al-Shehhi and

man checked

another

into the

Panther Motel in Deerfield Beach, Florida. They paid

$500 in advance.

One

of the owners of the motel,

Richard Surma, noticed

that the

men

go to the

didn't

nearby beach. His wife, Diane, noticed that they used a towel to cover a picture on the wall in their room, a picture of a

woman whose

dress

exposed one shoulder.

on September

After they checked out

knife was found in their room,

found in the and

karate

jujitsu,

FAA

air-traffic jets,

now

These items assume

did not have for Richard

a

and

several things

fifty

dark meaning to us that they

been in Florida and had taken the connections,

books on

training textbooks.

then, and yet he kept

When

he and

heard Peter Jennings report that some of the

all

were

maps, information on

Surma back

the items he found in their trash.

made

box-cutter

trash they left behind: illustrated

Boeing passenger

flying

and

9, a

his

terrorists

flight lessons,

and the Surmas

wife

had

intuition

the

called

police.

What

if there's

nothing suspicious about any of the

encounters people might have with future terrorist conspirators?

Well, sometimes there

isn't

much

but some of the time there will be, and

one person from one encounter that gets

some that

suspicious

that's it

might be

who makes one

—

just

report

law enforcement to knock on one door to ask

questions. sheriff's

And

it

might be the right door. Imagine

investigators

they'd received, and

had followed up on reports

knocked on the door

74

at

Eric Harris's

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSPIRACY

house in the days prior to

High School. Imagine

mass shooting

his

that they'd asked,

at

Columbine

"Mind

if

we look

around?" That question might have led to the discovery of

some of

weapons and bombs.

the

Atta and his comrades were trying to live by the terrorist

handbook

well: like

that

"When

them, dress

couldn't pull

had served many of

their predecessors

you have

you're in the outer world, like

them, behave

like

to act

them." But they just

it off.

For example, more than one librarian around the country reported later

on members of the 9/11 conspiracy used

public library computers in the weeks before the crime

—

presumably for e-mail and research. In Delray Beach,

Hensman said three of make sure she couldn't

Florida, librarian Kathleen

monitored her to

hijackers

what they were doing

She

online.

time, "What's their problem?

them;

why

I

are they looking at

the see

said to a colleague at the

don't have a problem with

me?" She remembers

this

because their behavior stood out.

When lead us to

observe signals

behaviors draw our attention,

wonder

may

—

that's intuition

make

What you all, for many

speaking.

turn out to be no problem

from intuition

us curious,

at

merely requests that you keep

are

perceiving to see if there's anything there worth being

more

concerned about. That's precisely what Kathleen Hensman

was doing when the

secretive visitors

to ensure she couldn't observe

Library staff see strangers isn't strangers;

the issue

is

doubled

their efforts

what they were up

all

the time, so the issue here

strangeness.

75

to.

FEAR LESS

The

reliable

that has

proved most consistently

bomb, perhaps because

the

is

tant criteria fear.

weapon

terrorist

of

meets two impor-

it

and provocation of

terror: destructiveness

To apply some of what we've explored thus

look

at

an imaginary case study: Three

to build, deliver,

and detonate

To accomplish

that,

a series

men

far, let's

have decided

of large bombs.

they need technical

skill

or infor-

mation, money, explosives components, a triggering mechanism, a private place to assemble the deadly device, a

from the car into the assembly area while

to get items

remaining out of view, a way to secure the location it's

when

not attended (they can't afford a burglary attempt in

which someone

sees

what they

delivering their devices, a

way

First

of

all,

assassins

anyone has to do

is

is

a

myth

be willing to trade

far

more

Of course

not.

America when he "all

his life for the Presis

glib,

but entirely

not only can be prevented but

often than

is

successful.

true for other forms of terrorism.

nents are found and confiscated at a

in

and so on.

could not be stopped because

fact, assassination

prevented

same

vehicle,

Kennedy's oft-quoted opinion

ident's."

wrong. In

completed bombs

are they fated to succeed?

John Kennedy promoted remarked that

are doing), a truck for

to get

from the assembly location to the

is

way

(as

And

the

Bomb compo-

happened not long ago

Philadelphia train station), informants

come

forward,

police surveillance pays off and leads to arrests, intelligence analysts see patterns that lead to intervention, the National

Security

Agency overhears

a conversation

76

and uses the

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSPIRACY

information to

when

foil

an assassination attempt

happened

U.S. intelligence intercepted information about a

plot to retary

kill

former President George Bush and former Sec-

of State James Baker during their

and

shortly after they left office), sives

(as

Kuwait

visit to

explo-

terrorists building

have accidents that end plots permanently.

Indeed, people aspiring to bold, dramatic acts have

some advantages over

more

factors

working

their victims, but there are

against them. Literally thousands

opportunities exist for

them

opportunity

them

example,

both

is

exists for

to

and

of

and only one slender

fail,

to succeed. Assassination, for

not the type of crime

literally

many

figuratively,

an

a

person can practice

assassin has

one shot

— at

success.

Conspirators

who want

to

be able to commit more

than one act have the extra complication of needing to

accomplish Let's

make

all this

that the case

detonate bombs.

buy has

to

without being subsequently traceable.

Now,

men planning to and much of what they

with the three

the truck

be obtained in an unconventional way.

on the day of placement, bombs must be secrecy,

cameras

Finally,

delivered in total

out of the view of potential witnesses and video

— not

to

mention security personnel and

police.

While any of us might observe some element of plot

this

and then report useful information to law enforce-

ment, people working in particular industries are more likely to get that opportunity.

For example, cluding icals,

is

a business that sells

farming supplies, in-

ammonium nitrate fertilizer and agricultural chemone of the places

likely to

77

encounter someone

FEAR LESS

bomb. (Ammo-

trying to obtain materials for building a

nium

nitrate

is

and

to injure

what Timothy McVeigh used hundreds of people

kill

so effectively

Oklahoma

the

at

City federal building.)

Though

only

a

few readers of

this

book

will

be in

the farming-supplies business, this example contains useful

information about the thought processes that lead to

suspicion.

A

proprietor of such a business

he knows the farms, the

in his area well;

So

when

a

the farmers

soil,

the crops.

arrives to purchase

ammonium

might be any number of things

that trigger

new customer

nitrate, there

knows

intuition:

a

customer's resistance to consider any other

product lack of familiarity with farming (can't

knowl-

edgeably answer questions about acreage, crops, soil

composition,

etc.)

a desire to take the

product right away, with no

interest in delivery

payment

in cash

impatient, nervous, uncommunicative behavior

An

encounter with someone

like this

proprietor to begin mentally noting the

could stimulate visitor's

a

appear-

ance, descriptive information about his vehicle, and other features

of the situation.

encounter might questions.

How

Is

the

customer alone? The

also stimulate the proprietor to ask

more

long has he been in farming? Where's

78

his

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSPIRACY property?

Is

he willing to be on the

firm's mailing

list?

If

suspicion survives this process, the proprietor could retain

any paper or items the

visitor

other evidentiary use) and instance the

touched call

(for fingerprints

and

the authorities (in this

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms,

at

1-800-800-3855, twenty-four hours a day).

Most of

us assume that our

own

businesses

would not

encounter conspiratorial criminals, but plots can

likely

touch many people. For example, our hypothetical ers

would

place

also

need

a

remote

rental property

somewhere,

where they can work and be absolutely

nobody could

see

what

they're

doing

—

bomba

certain that

would

so this

bring them into contact with Realtors, property owners,

managers, nearby residents, other tenants. Their need for

would bring them

furniture it.

Like any tenant, they'd need the

which would and an if

to businesses that sell or rent

require

identity.

some paperwork,

They may

the property

is

utilities

a

turned on,

payment method,

already have cellular phones, but

remote, they might need regular phone

service as well.

Why

don't they just steal everything they need?

could, and

some

terrorist organizations in the

world have

subgroups with no mission other than to rob banks as a

way

to get cash.

hood of getting strike

more than

tion

all its

may

save

But

They

—

just

theft greatly increases the likeli-

caught, and our group wants to be able to

once. Further, a theft

own — and

money, but

it

uses

becomes an opera-

up the resources of planning.

can cost

It

invisibility.

Solely for the purposes of stimulating your thinking

and with no expectation of producing

79

a

comprehensive

FEAR LESS

list,

here are a few of the service and product providers

that

our team of aspiring

serial

bombers or other

terrorists

might encounter, along with some of the reasons why:

Property ownership, management, and representation Rentals

at

remote locations, warehouses, storage

buildings, small industrial facilities

Fertilizer

manufacturing and/ or

Ingredients for

sale

bombs

Library Research information, access to the Internet

Electronics stores and catalogs Wire, timers, switches, mini-batteries,

Shack has been the

store

etc.

(Radio

of choice for many

clandestine device makers.)

Banking Credit cards for purchases through the mail or over the Internet

Department of Motor Vehicles Identification, false identification

Hall of Records, Passport Office Identification, false identification

80

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSPIRACY

Utilities Electricity, gas,

Car

sales

phone

service

or rental

Vehicles

Truck

sales

or rental

Learning about trucks, choosing one, obtaining one

Pool supply and chemical

sales

Chlorine

Private airports Access to small

aircraft,

or adjacent major airports

Air-conditioning repair

Knowledge about

ventilation systems, access to

particular sites

Security systems

Knowledge about

security systems, information

on

specific protected sites

Security services

Guard uniforms,

credentials, access to records

Transportation Tanker trucks, trucks already containing dangerous material

81

FEAR LESS

Hardware

store

Tools

Hobby

shops and catalogs

Radio remote-control equipment

Mail and express carriers (UPS, FedEx) Sending hazardous packages, explosive devices,

Gun

store,

etc.

gun shows

Weapons, gunpowder, weapons components

Fireworks sales Black powder, explosives materials

Construction, commercial storage, military bases,

mining operations

Explosives

Bookstores Research

Conspiracy helps us see more clearly that violence is

a process

— and

committed by nations.

that's

true regardless of

whether

it's

individuals, teams, organizations, or even

Though news

reports often say about an act of

American-style terrorism, such

an assassination or

a

multiple shooting, that the perpetrator "just snapped,"

it

as

never, ever happens.

There

is

a process

as

observable, and often as pre-

82

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSPIRACY

water coming to

dictable, as

a boil.

Though

reports are

quick to give some expression of violence a name, such

something an

calling

act

of "school violence,"

it is

as

really

every type of violence, committed by every type of perpetrator,

with many types of motives.

might be

a revenge killing,

when

a

A

school shooting

who

student

feels

humiliated or emasculated proves that he cannot be taken lightly. It

might be relationship violence, when

shoots his ex-girlfriend.

young man who

the

her classroom.

primed

to

It

It

might be date

refuses to let

might be rage

go

a student

when

stalking,

attacks his victim in

killing,

when

do something big and bad chooses

to

a student

do

it

at his

school.

Fortunately, violence of any kind offers tive

many

predic-

opportunities, and there are almost always several

people in a position to observe the warning

signs.

know that obvious warnings are frequently ignored, we also know that it doesn't have to be that way. To

pull

all

We but

the information in this chapter together, I'm

offering several examples below.

You might

or might not

encounter these specific behaviors, but they are the kind of observations often relevant to conspiratorial crimes.

The concepts

will

remain forever in your intuition, just

because you read them once.

As you

arrive at

work one morning, two men

their late forties ask

you how they might

the roof of a nearby warehouse.

in

get onto

When you

ask

why, they explain that they want to take photographs of planes taking off and landing

83

at

the

FEAR LESS adjacent airport.

They

say

it's

for "a school

project."

man at the mall hurry away after putting down a heavy-looking suitcase. A new neighbor arrives home late one night wearing a police umform and you don't recall

You

see a

—

being

his

a cop.

You work

at a

One

rifles.

how

to

matic.

gun

of them asks

modify the

To make

hundred-dollar

form

to

You work

rifle

and two foreign nationals

lots

of questions about

so that

it's

auto-

fully

their purchase, they put bills,

but

when you

give

storm out of the

out, they

fill

down

five

them

a

store,

com-

you have too much paperwork.

plaining that

a

store

times asking about high-powered

visit several

in the City Hall records

room. You get

voice mail asking that you fax the caller copies

of the building's architectural plans. Later, another

man

calls

him

advise

When you

and makes the same request. that an

m-person request

is

necessary,

he hangs up.

You work

the late shift at a

night you get a

himself to

as a

do.

He

him

' ;

One

He

wants to speak

an important case" and asks that

a pass for

him

at

the gate,

which you

never shows up and you don't hear from

You decide to call someone entered using

again.

see if

plant.

from someone identifying

police investigator.

you about

you arrange

call

power

arranged.

The answer

the security gate to

the pass

you

turns out to be yes.

84

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSPIRACY In the

last

two examples, there

is

evidence likely to be

of value: the fax number given by the

the vehicle that entered using the pass I've

asking for

maybe even videotape)

building plans, and the record (or

of

first caller

you arranged.

presented a lot of information and examples in

chapter. Retaining the specifics in

your

not im-

do most of the work.

portant, because your intuition will

Ultimately,

memory is

this

no matter how well you do your

part in

lis-

tening to an intuition about suspicious behavior, you'll

need

to have faith that the police will

decide where to invest your

some of it even

in yourself.

when

can.

you

and you must

invest

to act

also

and government

an

calling

hope you

I

wonder

if

officer's

"The FBI and

make

hope

supervisor if

law-enforcement agencies

a difference. After

CIA

the

I

can.

are able to react to information

public in ways that

dicators before

insisting that a police

he seems reluctant to pursue?

necessary?

You might

ask,

you imagine

Can you imagine it's

But you

inconvenient, unpopular, or downright

it's

officer take a report

feel

theirs.

That may mean being willing

rude. For example, can

you

faith,

do

all,

from the

some would

got plenty of pre-incident in-

September eleventh, and

didn't they

fail

miserably?"

The ticularly

short answer

is

no, they didn't

given the factors

address the role of the detail later on,

at

fail

miserably, par-

play before September 11.

FBI and the

I'll

intelligence agencies in

but for now, be assured that a slight sus-

picion, a curiosity, a lingering thought, or a nagging feel-

ing that you convert into further scrutiny can

every day does

make

— an

enormous

85

make

— and

difference to our

FEAR LESS

safety.

Certainly there are improvements to be

made

in law

enforcement and intelligence, and many are under way

One

of the most

more of

effective

in

is

your hands, however, and

as

us participate, our collective anti-terrorist deter-

mination becomes

a surveillance

system with a hundred

million unique views of America.

"ANYONE MIGHT

A

BE

TERRORIST"

"TERRORISTS ARE EVERYWHERE"

"REMAIN ALERT AT ALL TIMES" "THE

DANGER

News

reports

be

to all,

ALL

IS

AROUND

and government

"extra alert" or vigilant.

for

I

believe that

informed,

it

is

US"

officials

am

I

when your

have encouraged us

not suggesting

defense system

Alertly looking around while thinking,

jump out from behind hiding in that

properly

is

on duty whether or not you

this at

are alert.

"Someone could

hedge; maybe there's someone

that

perception of what

car," replaces

is

actually

happening with imaginings of what could happen. This limiting.

focus I

it's

on

We are far more open to all signals when we don't the expectation of specific signals.

do not propose

that

you look

for terrorists. First of

not true that "anybody might be a

daughter's is

not a

is

drama teacher

terrorist;

is

not a

terrorist;

your tax accountant

is

terrorist."

all,

Your

your best friend not a

terrorist.

Second, the concept that "they" are everywhere not only is

inaccurate but quickly loses credibility. Imagine being

told,

"The way

for a

bag of diamonds." For

to get rich

is this:

every place you go, look

a time,

86

your brain would look

BEING AN ANTI-TERRORIST: THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSPIRACY for the diamonds,

would

stop.

and then, never having found them,

Rather than looking for

— you could more

are rare

tunities. In the

curiosity

constructively look for oppor-

context of terrorism, rather than looking

for obvious terrorists

own

— who

are rare

and suspicion, which

The warning

to

"remain

— be open

alert!"

operate in America

— but

more

it

may

That's because

not possible to remain

of alertness beyond

a short

the start of their

at

out — but

less

difficult for terrorists to

have the opposite

the highest

at

They looked

new assignments — on

so every day.

effect.

period of time. Consider

the people guarding the airports.

keen

your

presumably said

is

it

it's

to

are not so rare.

toward the goal of making

level

it

diamonds — which

Now

you

sharp and the look-

them

see

chatting,

laughing, leaning against things, etc. That's because the much-anticipated terrorist attack

time (intentionally), and

takes

its

once

felt

after a

while things you

were suspicious prove time and again to be nor-

mal, then routine, then even boring. Alertness it is

is

one of

nature's

in response to something,

fades, so

possible

temporary triggered

and when

that

does the alertness. To maintain

—

Secret

skill,

artificially is

not

a natural ability.

do

And

it

it is

don't need in order to accomplish the specific

dation

I

offer:

Get back

to

normal

life,

deny

your intuition more, and be willing to make places If

something

Service agents and people from

firm's Protective Security Division have to

an acquired

it

states;

my

— but

it is

a skill

you

recommenless,

honor

a report if life

something relevant to terrorism in your view.

you and enough others agree with and embrace

87

this

FEAR LESS

recommendation, all

it

will

make

forms of crime and violence

also

ours a nation safer from

— not

homicide, femicide, drug dealing, burglary, robbery,

domestic violence, child abuse, and so iors that cause us pain

This

just terrorism, but

is

a process

America tember

safer

I

many

other behav-

and erode the quality of our

believe has started and has already

today for most citizens than

10.

88

it

lives.

made

was on Sep-

NOW

APOCALYPSE NOT What we're becoming the eye

talking about

familiar

— not

as a

with

way

is

getting to

fear,

looking

know

it

fear,

right in

to solve problems, but as a

complete undoing of old ways of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting

and thinking.

— Pema Chodron Shambhala Author, When Things Fall Apart

What's the bottom line?" people often ask me. "Will

terrorists

detonate a nuclear

bomb? Spread

smallpox? Release nerve gas? What's the worst-case scenario?

You have probably known someone who experienced a trauma,

There

we

is

then

also

seen that person reliving the tragedy.

later

such a thing

as pre-living a tragedy.

Exactly

benefit from letting go of the past, millions of

as

Ameri-

cans will benefit from letting go of the worst-case future.

Someone proposes

a so-called worst-case scenario (as if

there could be any objective tute the worst case),

so

much on

view of what would consti-

and then the scenario

television that

it

comes

to

seem

gets discussed like

it's

about

to happen.

A

worst-case scenario

is

a

theoretical

sequence of

events intentionally devised to be as bad as possible, the

89

FEAR LESS

word

scenario

coming from

scene in a play or

scene, as in a

movie. Worst-case scenarios are creative exercises, not predictions of likely events. If

we'd be doing

to explore,

we had that,

have only the imagination to

examples of the

realities

but in most instances,

chew

on.

Remember,

we

these

things enter the stream of discussion specifically because

they are not

end of

likely, specifically

possibility,

and

because they are

at

the far

because they have not

specifically

ever happened.

These things if terrorists

Then

sile?"

some

with someone saying, "Geez, what

start

got hold of an intercontinental

TV

news

mis-

ballistic

personalities interview experts in

loosely related field, a scary graphic

is

developed

(say,

mushroom cloud emerging from the top of a local playground), then they hound a government official with the a

question "But

isn't it

possible that

of an intercontinental unlikely that

is,

someone could and he

ballistic missile?"

but acknowledges that

it is

within the realm of physics and imagination)

get hold

how

says

possible

— and

(i.e.,

we're

off and running.

The human mind pounces on it

this sort

of thing because

can seem relevant to survival. We're hard- wired to enter-

tain every

turn

it

mous

thought of danger

that's

from every

put in front of

over, to

look

a lethal

danger might be and the

at it

might harm, the more fascinating cinated by something,

it

has to be

The more enormore people it

angle.

it is.

But

made

be

fas-

accessible to

our

for us to

minds. For example, Earth coming out of spinning off into a collision with Jupiter

90

us, to

is

its

orbit

and

too hard for us

NOW

APOCALYPSE NOT

our minds around, but the idea of someone using a

to get

bomb has been made of so much discussion.

makeshift nuclear

simply because

Though

to appear plausible

TV news carries theoretical discussions of doom

further than other media, magazines and newspapers

and they love

their part. Journalists are writers, stories, so

we

get detailed accounts of precisely

rible a terrible

outcome could

hook, and you're the Print

may seem

but the truth invest in

is

how

ter-

be. Editors love a dramatic

with

it.

to give credibility to worst-case scenarios, that only

you decide what

how

to build a nuclear

Have you

to the Internet.

credibility to

tale.

You've probably heard that anyone can

on

creative

fish they're trying to catch

any given doomsday

mation about

do

easily get infor-

bomb by just logging

tried 'just logging

on

to the

Internet" and getting those simple step-by-step instruc-

Do you know how to build a nuclear bomb? WhenI hear about how easy it I am reminded of an old

tions?

ever

is,

routine from the brilliant humorist, author, and filmmaker

Steve Martin: secret

of

He would

how one

pay absolutely no

promise to

could earn

audience the

a million dollars

taxes. "First," he'd say as if this

easy part, "earn a million dollars."

To

nuclear-bomb construction sound

as

Christmas

tell his

lights,

I'd say,

"First, get

all

those

simple

as

and yet

were the

who make putting up

some plutonium or

highly enriched uranium."

Someday some person or group may indeed detonate small nuclear device It

will

harm some

somewhere on

people.

It

will

91

earth.

It

will

a

be awful.

be recovered from. After

FEAR LESS

we

accept that

it

could happen,

every day between

now and

constructive to spend

is it

then trying to experience the

event in our minds?

The

future

longer than the

is

past,

on the foundation of

future occurs

the past,

happen than has happened. This means

we

thing

if

you include

truly intelligent worst-case scenario,

far

they are

will

that nearly every-

far-off times. In a

one would theorize

some young Americans bent on grand mischief

more dangerous than

and

more

can imagine has some likelihood of happening

sometime, particularly

that

and because the

brilliant,

some

foreign terrorists. are reckless,

and we must assume

suicidal;

knowledge being accumulated available to

young people

agers are capable of

are homicidal

that the extraordinary

be misused.

mounting ferocious

have the motivation to do so tragedies like

some

—

Columbine. What

are here,

our society and made

in

will

They

are

as

we

Many

attacks

teen-

and many

have learned from

a thirty-year-old

would

find discouragingly difficult to accomplish, an eighteen-

year-old will keep trying.

What

a thirty-year-old

might

find too reckless or dangerous, an eighteen-year-old might find intriguing. I

make

this

point to bring some perspective during a

when Americans

time

Middle Eastern

have focused almost entirely on

terrorists.

through the mail

after

When

9/11,

anthrax spores were sent

we were

the crime was linked to the attack

fascinated to

on

the

know if

World Trade

Center. This raises one of the most salient questions about risk:

Does motive matter?

more

It's

understandable that people are

afraid if anthrax spores are sent

92

by Middle Eastern

APOCALYPSE NOT

far

more American-bred

this

kind of thing. Exces-

even though there are

terrorists,

attention-seekers sive fascination

who

might do

with motive and with the origins of

can cloud our ability to

make an

what

how

is

really likely

actually occur.

NOW

and

Whether

Easterner, the best

sent

risk

effective assessment

of

to respond to events that

by an American or

management of

Middle

a

the anthrax cases re-

mains the same.

There

are

people whose jobs require some degree of

worst-case thinking.

I

am one

of them. Whole teams of

threat-assessment practitioners in

my

firm spend their

time developing contingency plans and responses to cover a variety

of unfavorable outcomes. For example, making

arrangements for

a controversial public figure to give a

speech

about an emotionally charged

issue

at a rally

those possibilities that are most

An

many

for contingency plans about

calls

things that could happen, but

we put more

political

kinds of

effort into

likely.

assassin in the audience, at the vehicle-arrival area,

or along the foot route from the car to the holding room; a sniper in the distance; a

before the event; ure;

our

even list

bomb

someone

a pie attack

—

that

was placed

a

week

trying to strike the public fig-

all

these things and

more

are

on

during the days of planning leading up to such an

appearance.

I

do not oppose contingency planning.

oppose time wasting, however, and in

and in your

life,

everything

away from something

else.

we

my

firm, in

I

do

my life,

give energy to takes energy

Accordingly,

we

are wisest to

put our resources where they'll be most likely to return

some

benefit.

93

FEAR LESS

You

already live your

according to that equation,

life

deciding where to put your protective resources

Though

for example.

intruders could land a helicopter

your roof and core through the that entry via the front

door

got a lock that requires a key

your credit cards with

is

ceiling,

more

taking your purse

likely

— and you've

A criminal could photograph and then painstak-

a telephoto lens

more

is

likely

your

reflect

likely hazards. Is the U.S.

you're not likely to need that list

in

you watch

so list

in

it

care-

your home, the assessment of

family's

that

Probably not, and

list?

phone number. You

have

also

your head of things you want to avoid or prevent.

You

base the

and

intuition.

on experience,

list

The

list

has limits

logic,

—

new

because

Conversely, worst-case scenarios have ever the imagination can travel, your there.

someone

Department of Energy Nuclear

Emergency Search Team on

a

—

an emergency phone

names and numbers

on

you've decided

ingly duplicate them, but you've determined that

fully If there's

home,

at

But the

trip

is

voluntary

it

no

information,

has

mind can

Wher-

take

you

— even when TV news

producers are urging you to go, you don't have

Three

to.

limits.

terrible possibilities in particular have

to.

dominated

the national dialogue: chemical, biological, and nuclear attacks. is

Normally,

it's

fair to

discussing something,

equation

shows

is

warped

— who

a bit

assume that

it's

when everybody

likely to happen, but that

by people on

television

news

will discuss anything.

In 1997, then-Secretary of Defense William

appeared on an

ABC News

94

show and held up

Cohen a five-

APOCALYPSE NOT

pound bag of

NOW

sugar, threatening that "This

anthrax could be spread over a city

Washington.

of that

city. If

interrupt Mr. said,

It

"One

would

—

let's

say the size

of

destroy at least half the population

you had even more amounts

Cohen

amount of

for a

moment and

small particle of anthrax

—

" Let

me

he

also

recall that

would produce death

within five days." With that kind of inaccurate ad-feartising, its

no

surprise that every scenario

we

used to hear

about anthrax involved the death of hundreds of thousands or even "millions, millions," as

when

Cohen was

intoning

interviewer Cokie Roberts actually said to him,

"Would you put eral instructive

that

bag down,

examples of

please."

how

We

have had sev-

worst-case scenarios

fail

to follow the creative scripts people write. For example,

since the dread

begun by Cohen's bag-of-sugar

threat,

we've actually experienced some biological attacks

been

they've

far different

— and

from the scenarios we were

offered.

Before 2001, did you ever hear a scenario about anthrax that

went

like this?

Somebody will put anthrax spores in letters and send them around several East Coast cities. Fewer than one hundred people

will

be exposed to the bacteria, and

about thirty will get sick and be successfully treated.

few

will die.

There

will

A

be absolutely no impact on the

health of 280 million other Americans, though the events will cause sadness

and

fear

around the nation. In

the size of Washington, D.C., fewer people will die

anthrax than from bites and bee

95

stings.

a city

from

FEAR LESS So, anthrax has

nobody

alive to

gone from

even write

a

a

mass

news

pened, to something serious but

not saying there

months

more

is

no

would

story about

leave

what hap-

far less apocalyptic.

I

am

potential for escalation, but in the

September

after

like the

killer that

1 1

,

the reality of anthrax looked

paragraph above and

less like

the popular

scenarios.

In addition to sinister use of biological pathogens,

chemical attacks have also actually happened, and the out-

comes of those undertakings were what we'd been led

to expect. Here's

the most famous case:

A Japanese

what happened

sect called

rikyo undertook a chemical attack in the

— an

system

because

it is

ideal

Aum

few of those

group's

who

experienced any

few hours, and only

Were

fatalities

easily. Still,

attack, less

percent of the people in the subway were injured,

a

Shin-

enclosed, has limited ventilation, and has tens

with nearly perfect conditions for the

died.

in

Tokyo subway

maximum

environment for

of thousands of people unable to get away

within

from

also far different

1

effects

even

than 10 all

but a

were better

percent of those injured

the perpetrators just incompetent? Hardly; the

membership included highly

trained bioscientists

and chemists. Were they underfunded? Hardly; they had millions of dollars to spend.

Were they rushed? Not

at all;

they had lots of time for research and preparation. Did

they

to

fail?

Utterly.

In what way did they fail? Well, first of all, they failed harm and kill lots of people. Second, they failed to shut

down

the Japanese government.

96

And

mostly, they failed to

NOW

APOCALYPSE NOT

make pen

that's

going to hap-

a lot.

To be

my point here is not that bad things don't am deeply involved in managing bad things

clear,

happen — that

match imagination, and

reality

I

happen

ing to

Rather,

my

—

point

Once

imaginations to our

must choose

We manage,

surprisingly, as

happens,

a terrible thing

even

noth-

when

so as long as they

long it

as

they don't

moves from our inter-

something about which

to

and immediate

real

there's

moves from being an

reality; it

problem

esting possible

not that

you can worry about.

— and they remain

drama and, perhaps

happen.

is

there's plenty

that the popular worst-case scenarios

is

are just that: popular offer

My point

the time.

all

worry about

solutions.

We

we

respond.

faced with tidal waves and nature's

stunning time bombs: volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

These

are clear

understandably,

and powerful dangers; of course, though

we

are

more

afraid

of the danger that

is

conscious, the danger that emerges from the malicious intent

So

we

face today.

let's

explore

some of

occupy our attention so

the malicious possibilities that

that

we

can place them into the

appropriate mental compartments.

Once compartmental-

ized, the information will

be

available if

not blind us to the

of

life

rest

when

opposed to inviting these outcomes we'll

look

at

them from

they actually are

—

to

needed and

not needed. As

be houseguests,

a distance: because that's

at a distance.

97

will

where

FEAR LESS Chemical weapons are toxic substances, normally in gas or liquid form, that

beings.

They

someone

act

seeks to get onto or into

human

immediately on physiological systems to

cause debilitation or death. Biological

weapons are bacteria and viruses that are inten-

human hosts. (This was previously Once inside, they propagate and

tionally introduced into

called

"germ

warfare.")

cause disease. There

always a period of time, called an

is

incubation period, between the time of

when

disease

symptoms

first

exposure and

appear.

These hazards together can be abbreviated

as

"biochem."

In recent times you have no doubt gained an unusual

education about biochem agents by assembling fragments

of information from reporters,

whose I

to be a comprehensive trea-

about biochem weapons,

accurate foundation onto

new

information.

might seem scientist

Dr.

and

tials as

a

I

do want

to provide an

which you can continue

help,

to

sought out two experts

I

like polar opposites:

an internationally

Zilinskas

issues, selected

who

known

is

a consultant to

because of

his

my

firm on

impeccable creden-

United Nations weapons inspector and senior

entist at the

Monterey

add

a retired soldier.

Raymond

biochem

To

and talking heads

from dubious to impressive. While

expertise ranges

do not intend what follows

tise

scientists,

Center for Nonproliferation Research

Institute

at

sci-

the

of International Studies.

Sergeant First Class

Red Thomas

is

a retired

weapons,

munitions, and training expert from the U.S. Army. Since he

was seven years

old,

Red has

had, as he puts

for learning about anything that goes bang,

98

it,

"a penchant

boom, or

pop."

NOW

APOCALYPSE NOT

much

Dr. Zilinskas, tired of seeing so

on

the

TV

misinformation

news, offers sober thinking, keen

and exceptional communication understand the actual

risks

explains his contribution

knew were afraid." Though Dr. Zilinskas

to help his country

during these times.

more

on the news, and

these ninnies

skills

is

intellect,

Red Thomas

simply: "I was watching I

hurt for

all

the people

I

in the business of considering

worst-case scenarios, he points out that "these are worri-

some

times, but let us not overestimate the hazard. For the

average

by

American

citizen, the probability

a bioterrorist attack

is

Red Thomas

Zilinskas nor

vanishingly low-.'

believes

we

of devastating attacks often portrayed in in

which

of being affected

tens of thousands of people are

Neither Dr.

will see the kinds

TV

news

stories,

harmed or

killed.

CHEMICAL ATTACKS Red Thomas

recalls a

one reported

that

60 Minutes segment in which some-

one drop of nerve

sand people: "Well, he didn't

tell

gas could kill a thou-

you the thousand dead

people per drop was theoretical. Drill sergeants exaggerate

how terrible this stuff is to keep the recruits awake in class. I know this because I was a drill sergeant, too. Forget everything you've ever seen on

about

this stuff;

it

was

Though media chemical agents

as

appears to be the

all

TV,

in the movies, or read in a novel

a lie."

and

reports

politicians

characterize

"weapons of mass destruction,"

wrong

The only weapons of bombs (with nuclear bombs

category.

mass destruction on earth are

99

this

FEAR LESS

Red Thomas

being the most dangerous).

made

chemical weapons are not

made

they are

"When you risk. That's

sit

and

through

you and

risk; soldiers

and

it,

As he

terror.

you almost always

the difference between

can leave the area and the put and

for mass destruction

for "area denial"

leave the area,

points out that

that's

why

—

says,

leave the

a soldier:

may have

they need

You

to stay all

that

spiny gear."

made

Dr. Zilinskas has

would have

to

clear

many

that

difficulties

be overcome before someone could

inflict

mass casualties with chemicals. Adds Red: "This stuff

won't work

when

and wind spreads this stuff

They

also

enough ing, too

it's

freezing,

it

doesn't

too thin too

it

on you, or

get

you

fast.

last

when

it's

hot,

They've got to get

to inhale

it,

for

it

to work.

have to get the concentration of chemicals high

wound someone. Too

to kill or

much and

that kills a lot

it's

wasted.

of people

is

A

little

and

it's

noth-

chemical-weapons attack

incredibly hard to

do even with

military-grade agents and equipment."

Although nerve agents may sound

Red brings

the truth

You have nerve (like

Raid)

is

body skin,

signals

function.

but

it

home:

agents in your house; plain old

a

killer

are cholinesterase inhibitors that

mess

your nervous system uses to make your It

can

works best

harm you if

if

you get

it

on your

they can get you to inhale

person doesn't die in the area, he's

bug

nerve agent. All nerve agents work the

same way: They

up the

like science fiction,

first

probably going to

If a

minute and can leave the

live.

100

it.

NOW

APOCALYPSE NOT The

military's treatment response for

nerve agents

all

atropine and pralidoxime chloride [usually called

is

one of these does anything

chloride] Neither .

nerve agent; what they do

keep

to

agent

is

person

a

used up.

is

send the body into overdrive

alive for five

The

2-pam

to cure the

minutes

best protection

is

—

after that the

fresh air

and

stay-

ing calm.

The symptoms

for nerve-agent contamination include

everything you'd imagine: sudden headache,

runny nose, excessive

or drooling, difficulty breath-

saliva

stomach cramps. (There can

ing, tightness in chest, nausea, also

be an odor of

hay,

dimmed vision,

green corn, something

or

fruity,

camphor.) In the unlikely event you ever experience these

symptoms self,

in public,

Red Thomas

suggests

"Did anything out of the ordinary

you

just

ask your-

happen?

A

loud pop? Did someone spray something on the crowd?

Are other people getting Again,

yes,

is

too?"

highly unlikely, but if the answer to these

it's

questions

sick,

then remaining calm

is

key,

leads to faster breathing and, accordingly,

because panic

more

inhalation

of poison. Next, leave the area immediately; get outside. Fresh

air

is

Thomas

calls

liquid

actually

is

wisest:

Get

the "right-now antidote." If

it

on you, your

drops.

you

get

— and

away and

lessen

Red Thomas moves

the practical:

get

away from

it

thick is

"Remember, people

the

off with

it.

your exposure, the

this fear

101

some

natural inclination

off you, blotting or scraping

something disposable If

Red

your best immediate treatment, what

risk

from the paralyzing

trying to hurt

to

you with

FEAR LESS nerve agents have to do

all

the work; they have to get the

concentration up and keep

you have it

to

do

quit getting

is

up

it

it

for several minutes. All

on you and

by putting space between you and the

quit breathing

attack."

Another category of chemical weapons

is

called

blood

agents (cyanide or arsine that affect the blood's ability to

The

provide oxygen).

would

sons

likely

scenario for attack using these poi-

be the same

symptoms include blue rapid breathing.

amyl

The

military's

As with nerve

The

recommended treatment

agents, the treatment

to keep your body working for are used up.

nerve agents.

blue under the fingernails,

lips,

As with nerve

nitrite.

as for

five

agents,

minutes

till

immediate

is

is

just

the toxins fresh air

is

important.

BIOLOGICAL ATTACKS Bacillus anthracis,

logical

have

causes anthrax, currently the bio-

pathogen causing the greatest concern, cannot be

spread in dry.

which

many

ways.

Merely touching a cut

on your

The it

anthrax spore

dormant and

does not give you anthrax. If you

finger,

and you touch anthrax

you might come down with the or you might not.

is

The same

is

skin

form of anthrax

true of the

of anthrax infection: in the digestive

spores,

—

two other kinds

tract, usually

gotten

from eating infected meat or otherwise ingesting many spores, or in the lungs,

which victims

inhaling anthrax spores that type, anthrax

is

become

get

from deeply

airborne.

Whatever

not contagious person to person

102

— and

NOW

APOCALYPSE NOT

many people who

are

exposed don't ever develop the

disease.

Dr. Zilinskas advises that terrorists trying to

of people with airborne pathogens are tively little success

likely to

harm

lots

have rela-

because of the technical difficulty in

formulating pathogens and toxins for wide-range airborne dispersal.

dispersal

would be

It

mechanisms

difficult

to develop

and

successfully,

and operate ensure

difficult to

proper meteorological conditions for effective

dispersal.

Air temperature, ground temperature, humidity, sunlight, precipitation,

and terrain perse

wind

all

biochem

speed, and obstacles such as buildings

influence the success of any- effort to disagents.

Adds Red Thomas: "Saddam Hussein spent twenty and millions of

years right

—

so

dollars,

and he couldn't get

you can imagine how hard

rorists.

The more you know about

realize

how

hard

Even without

it is

it

would be

this stuff,

the

it

for ter-

more you

to use."

directly affecting large

numbers of people,

anthrax and other biological agents cause great

fear,

lead-

ing observers to forget that naturally occurring infectious diseases are far

human real

—

history. Says Dr. Zilinskas:

as

proved throughout

"In comparison to the

and enormous hazard of naturally occurring infectious

diseases, the

most a

more dangerous

problem of deliberately caused

insignificant." In other words,

handful of people

who

while

are intent

disease

we worry

is

al-

about

on doing something

destructive with biological pathogens, literally billions of

bacteria are

working

to get into

103

your body and cause

FEAR LESS trouble.

During the period

week from times

as

which one person died each

anthrax, recognize that about four

many people

few of us bother

You may

hundred

died from flu-related ailments, and

to even get a flu shot.

also

have been concerned about terrorist

where food

attacks

in

is

contaminated, and indeed, such

"Much

attacks have occurred. Dr. Zilinskas notes:

like

what has taken place

in the past, these attacks are likely to

harm people ranging

in

number from

a

few

not thousands." (As mentioned in chapter salad bars

hundreds

to

1,

ten restaurant

and one supermarket were contaminated by

members of

the Rajneeshee cult in

There were 751 people

You have

Oregon

1984.

in

affected. All recovered fully.)

heard worst-case scenarios about

likely also

bubonic and pneumonic plague. Bubonic plague

communicable from human is

communicable, but

monly

to

it

plague can be treated with

all

available antibiotics.

not

You may it

is

also

com-

have heard spec-

deadly

if

untreated,

can be treated with an antitoxin.

And

finally, there's

rible virus that

exists in just at a

smallpox,

two

is

is

caused by a ter-

possible, the smallpox virus officially

places

on

Russian research

earth: at a U.S. research facility

facility.

cine for smallpox, and the U.S.

doses and millions

more

Dr. Zilinskas and biological

which

was declared eradicated worldwide in 1980.

Though anything and

is

human; pneumonic plague

ulation about botulinum toxin;

but

—

weapon

I

There

is

an effective vac-

government has millions of

are currently

being produced.

agree that smallpox

is

an unattractive

for a terrorist organization

104

with

politi-

APOCALYPSE NOT

NOW

organization

cal goals, particularly if the

state-sponsored

is

(and governments are the most likely institutions to be able to get the smallpox virus).

reason a government

is

continue discouraging the terroristic use of small-

likely to

pox:

The

The more

likely the

successfully the virus

same virus

will

make

its

is

spread, the

way back

more

to the spon-

soring country. In other words, were Iraq to sponsor

spreading smallpox be), if

many people

becomes

become

unlikely and difficult as that

(as

in a target country

were infected,

near certainty that people in

a

No

infected as well.

—

trator succeeds, the

Iraq

it

would

nation on earth would be

better able to deal with the public-health

the United States

may

emergency than

so to the precise degree that a perpe-

sponsoring nation

loses.

Accordingly, unless an individual or group has apocalyptic

visions (the destruction

and Middle Eastern

of everything and everyone

terrorists

have not been apocalyptic),

spreading highly infectious diseases virtually every political

Though it's chem weapons viruses

and

—

is

counterproductive to

aim one could imagine.

we shall always be vulnerable to biowe are vulnerable to naturally occurring

clear (as

bacteria), several

important steps have been

taken in the past few years. For example, the U.S. armed forces have organized to survey attack sites dures.

Many

state

and trained rapid-response teams

and

and

initiate

decontamination proce-

local agencies have received federal

funding for equipment and training and have participated in exercises that help anticipate and prepare for

our needs in

a

biochem emergency.

105

That's

meeting

why hundreds

FEAR LESS

of agencies have the protective clothing, other specialized equipment, and training you saw picious powders and hoaxes

all

as

they responded to sus-

over America.

I

don't

mean

to say that every possibility has been fully anticipated or

prepared

because

for,

not the

that's

the weeks following 9/11 useful

case.

However, during

new knowledge

anthrax was evolving right before our eyes. already

know

Appendix

You probably

about treatment plans and symptoms,

a lot

and more information (See

about

is

available to

you

develops.

as it

A.)

Also, consider that our

government agencies have

lots

of experience in responding to incidents of accidental chemical and biological contamination. Reassuringly, the response to a chemical gas attack

would not be unlike

the

procedures currently used for responding to an overturned railroad tank car full

of contaminants. Several outbreaks of

Legionnaire's disease cessfully

(a

biological hazard) have

handled by authorities around the nation.

Dr. Zilinskas advises that first

been suc-

when

an outbreak of disease

know whether Thus, the

the outbreak was intentional or natural.

initial

disease outbreak If

public health and medical response to a the same, whatever

is

government

officials

its

origin.

detect a chemical or biological

attack, they will likely issue specific civil-defense

through the media. In most cases

be

at

you

is

detected, officials are not immediately in a position to

the actual

site

—

unless

all

you happen

of the chemical or biological agents

are likely to have time to take the

applies to

warnings

biochem

one precaution

to

—

that

hazards: avoiding areas near the con-

tamination.

106

NOW

APOCALYPSE NOT

NONMILITARY NUCLEAR ATTACK

A

would be low-yield;

nuclear device used by terrorists

would cities.

not, contrary to our worst imaginings, level

would

Effects

much

(not that

likely

different

be limited to

who

within the affected area

and

a half-mile circle

done,

it's

at

done. People

it's

through the heat,

live

the

blast,

burst of radiation are likely to continue living

initial

for as long as they

Thomas women,

whole

from the area of damage

World Trade Center). But when

it

would have

in any event.

"Radiation will not create

says,

As Red

fifty-foot-tall

giant ants, or grasshoppers the size of tanks."

There

are

many

kinds of radiation, but three are most

relevant to our topic: alpha, beta,

and gamma. The others

you have

Red Thomas

lived

"You need tion.

to

with for

years.

worry about what

is

explains:

called ionizing radia-

the same as people getting radiation treatments for

It's

cancer, only a bigger area gets radiated.

you don't have you can do

to just

sit

there and take

The good news it,

and

is

there's lots

rather than panic. First, your skin will stop

alpha particles and a page of a newspaper or your clothing will stop beta particles; you've just got to try to avoid

inhaling dust

that's

ting these things are the kill

contaminated with atoms that are emit-

and

you'll

be generally

most dangerous, but

it

safe."

Gamma

also takes a lot

rays

of them to

people.

Overall preparation for any terrorist attack that result in

major damage

is

the same as one

take for a big storm or earthquake.

prepared?

107

would

would wisely

How has Red

Thomas

FEAR LESS If

you want

a gas

mask,

fine,

go get one.

and I'm not getting one, and bother with one,

How's

either.

told

I

I

know

this stuff

my mom

not to

that for confidence?

We

have a week's worth of cash, several days' worth of

canned goods, and plenty of soap and water. These

conceive of a nation

terrorists can't

this

big with

many resources. Biochem and small nuclear weapons are made to cause panic and terror and to demoralize. The government is going nuts over this stuff because they this

have to protect every inch of America. You've only got to protect yourself, and by doing that,

CREDIBLE THREATS,

WARNING

you help the country.

SIGNS,

AND KANGAROOS Since

we

are the editors

are invested

with

of which scenarios get in and which

credibility,

sources of information. tion to hundreds of tral

Intelligence

by drawing on

important to evaluate our

explained

I

government

Agency

a

it's

a

this

during

a presenta-

threat assessors at the

Cen-

my

point

few years ago, making

very rare safety hazard: kangaroo attacks.

I

told the audience that about twenty people a year are killed

by the normally friendly animals and display a specific set

1.

They

give

that kangaroos always

of indicators before they

what appears

to be a

attack:

wide and genial

smile (but they are actually baring their teeth) 2.

They check

their

pouches compulsively

times to be sure they have

no young with them

(they never attack while carrying young)

108

several

.

APOCALYPSE NOT

They look behind them

3.

immediately

after

they

NOW

(since they always retreat

kill)

After these three signals, they lunge, brutally their victim,

and then gallop

smile, the

signs,

off.

members

asked two audience

I

back the warning

and both

up and repeat

to stand

flawlessly described the

checking of the pouch for young, and the look-

ing back for an escape route. In (and

pummel

now you)

Your brain

is

will

everyone in that room

fact,

remember those warning

signs for

wired to value such information, and

are ever face-to-face

with

a

kangaroo, be

it

if

life.

you

tomorrow or

decades from now, those three pre-incident indicators will

be in your head.

The problem, I told the audience at the CIA, is that I made up those signals. I did it to demonstrate the risk of inaccurate information.

kangaroo behavior

know

actually

I

nothing about

(so forget the three signals if

—

you can

or stay away from hostile kangaroos). In our

roo

facts

lives,

we

are constantly

masquerading

give credence to

is

up

as

bombarded with kanga-

knowledge, but what

warned about new major

to occur within days. ers

will

to us.

For example, in the months following 9/11, often

we

spoke of "credible

of terrorism predicted

acts

Government

officials

and newsread-

threats," a phrase often

with high likelihood, but

let's

we were

break

it

down:

A

confused threat

is

a

statement of an intention to do harm, period. Credible

means

plausible,

and

it

can sometimes

109

mean

believable. In

FEAR LESS the context of the world since 9/11, any threat spoken by extremists

believable.

is

and newsreaders often use the word

Politicians

interchangeable with hazard. Threats and hazards

as if it is

two

are

different things.

Hazard means

injured or harmed. (The root of the

from

a dice

A

game.)

a credible threat, if

telling us

threat

when

presses. Accordingly,

of

threat

he

a

chance of being

word

comes

actually

something someone ex-

is

the U.S. attorney general speaks

is

using his terms correctly, he

is

about something someone has expressed.

Threats are generally spoken specifically to cause fear

my intent right now, am going to kill you.

and

anxiety. That's not

don

my

saying

this:

I

so please par-

There, you have just received a death threat. credible person

of violence, so just received

well

is

who it's

is

I

am

capable and well versed in the ways

a credible threat, too. This threat

vastly

a

more

direct, clear,

documented than most of the

you

demonstrable, and

terrorist threats

you've

heard about. Press conferences that

the next tainty.

warn of

terrorist strikes

two days" understandably cause

lots

"within

of uncer-

For example, the governor of California announced

landmark bridges in California

a "credible threat" against

and warned that the attacks would take place between

November

1

and November

9.

do they base these schedules? that

some

ninth, say,

I'll

terrorist said,

get over

it,

and

"If I

I

Upon what Is

in the world

the underlying premise

haven't

done

this

by the

wouldn't dream of doing

the fourteenth. So your risk

and the ninth."

no

is

just

it

between the

on, first

APOCALYPSE NOT

NOW

In any event, after the governors "credible threat" had

caused concern to Californians for described

A cials

lot

FBI

days, the

isn't it?

of the warnings we've received from public

might

same

"not credible." Incredible,

as

it

few

a

as

effect.

offi-

well be threats themselves, for they have the

The row of

serious

men

behind the podium

and the choice of alarming words often obscure underlying information that presentations

is

tantamount to having your doctor

thumbs through your "Your

I

with the other.

test results are in,

my

and in

call

He

pass, out,

these

you

as

he

levels a

he

says:

opinion, you're going

fine."

am

mean to

charts

and just before you

serious look at you,

be

The drama of

you down, and put one hand on your shoulder

in, sit

to

pretty thin.

is

well, but

Rudy

be

it

Giuliani. Since only

ous bridges. This

is

no

Rudy

extra National

threats

really

others

is,

Guardsmen

at vari-

precaution in response to

a

some

we

have assessed. As you've seen in

threats

have been successfully acted

and speculation

recent weeks,

who announce

they advised the public along these

if

"You may notice

threats

officials

sometimes seems that everybody wants

could help us more lines:

most

certain that

upon, and we'll do our part to ensure that these

threats

remain in that category. We'll take special care protecting

you

the bridges, and if please

make

see anything that concerns you,

a report."

Ideally, a press

conference about threats to the Golden

Gate Bridge would be held on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Alarming words extremist or by our

— whether

own public 111

spoken by some angry

officials

—

cause people to

FEAR LESS react

by going into

speaking.

Though

a defensive posture, psychologically

the words themselves can't put us at any

actual risk, uncertainty about risk causes alarm,

causes a problem: raise the

When we

very drawbridge

cross in order to

make

which

stunned or distracted,

are

— perception —

that

we

we must

successful predictions.

In the past thirty years, I've read, heard, and seen the world's

most

creative,

well-performed

gruesome,

react calmly, because

when

information mindfully and

For example,

phone

call

a

distasteful, effective,

learned that

threats. I've

in alarm

start

doing

we it

and

important to

it's

stop evaluating

physically.

death threat communicated in a letter or

cannot possibly pose any immediate hazard, but

the recipient might nonetheless start getting physically

ready for danger with the increased breathing and heartbeat to support

all

These responses

the fear-response chemicals and systems.

are valuable

when

facing present danger,

but for assessing future hazard, staying calm produces better results.

A way to do this

question

you

"Am

I

in

is

to consciously ask

immediate danger?" Your body wants

to get this question out of the way,

you'll

be

free to

Though

and answer the

and once you do,

keep perceiving what's going on.

thoughts of harming you

are also inevitable.

Many

may be

terrible,

they

people around the world (and

even in America) hate America, some enough to actually

harm

us, others

to threaten

when we

are

enough

to

want

to

harm

us,

many enough

harm, and many others enough to be glad

harmed. Until 9/11 most people in the world

had never seen Americans the world community.

as

Our

human,

vulnerable, or part of

aloofness and our success bred

112

APOCALYPSE NOT envy.

It

has

particularly difficult for

is

and accept

believe

been

NOW

lots

Americans

that people hate us so fiercely,

of denial about

to

and there

Amer-

Individual

this truth.

fully

icans can feel that they are just going about their lives,

but that in

been

has

itself

— without your doing another

fuel for aggression.

aggression causes so

It's

reasons,

all

harming

understandable that

fear because

came out of nowhere.

as if it

It

these thoughts about

seems to

it

—

this

many

but whatever the

didn't,

harming us

are themselves

us.

Thoughts

are

sion of thought

time

much

thing

that's

the

not the problem, of course; the expres-

is

what causes us

whole

reduce unwarranted

anxiety,

and most of the

Understanding

idea.

this will

help

fear.

That someone would intrude on our peace of mind, that they

would speak words

so difficult to take back, that

they would exploit our fear of flying, that they would care so

little

about

that they

us, that

would stoop

they would raise the stakes so high, so

low

—

all

of

this

alarms us, and

by design. Threatening words are dispatched strict orders:

Cause anxiety

prisingly, their

deployment

like soldiers

that cannot

isn't entirely

under

be ignored. Sur-

bad news.

It's

bad,

of course, that someone threatens violence, but the threat

means

that at least for

now

lence and decided against

now

for that

the speaker has considered vio-

it.

The

threat

means

that at least

the speaker favors words that alarm over actions

harm.

For an instrument of communication used so quently, the threat

is

little

fre-

understood, until you think

113

FEAR LESS

about

who

it.

The

parent

who

threatens punishment, the lawyer

threatens unspecified "further action," the head of

state

who

mass

killing, the child

threatens war, the terrorist group that threatens

are using

who

make

threatens to

words with the exact same

a scene

intent:

—

all

cause

to

uncertainty.

Though you wouldn't know

it

by the reaction they

frequently earn, threats are rarely spoken from a position

of power. Whatever power

threats have

the fear instilled in the victim, for fear

the threatener.

whether Thus,

will

it

it is

How

one responds

is

is

the currency of

to a threat determines

be a valuable instrument or

the listener and not the speaker

— who

the terrorists

decides

derived from

mere words.

— we and not

how powerful a threat will be.

In most instances of terrorist threat, the threat terrorist event. It

those

who

is

the end in

is

the

Speaking generally,

itself.

threaten do not act, and those

who

act

do not

threaten.

What

often happens, however,

previous terrorist

act,

is

that a threat refers to a

thus attaching to the current threat

the potency of the past tragedy. For example, after the

bombing of threat about

original act

the

Oklahoma City

blowing up

federal building,

any

a federal building conjured the

and caused great

anxiety.

Hundreds of

federal

buildings were modified in response to an incident that

happens, in

effect,

once every 230

want Timothy McVeigh

to

years.

be among

influential architects, but that's

Nobody would

this nation's

one of the

results

most

of over-

reaction.

A

shooting from the sidewalk and

114

we add

bulletproof

APOCALYPSE NOT

bomb

NOW

we add X-ray machines and explosives-sniffing dogs. Then a bomb outside the building and we add vehicle barricades. Then a shooting from across the highway as happened to CIA windows. Then

a

and

in the lobby

—

employees

they arrived

as

what do we

work one morning

at

around

do, add a fence

— and

the buildings?

all

much

precautions aren't reducing risk so

Some

moving

as

it

around.

The

point to

might do next

terrorists

ism surprises

which act,

remember when we think about what

us.

It's

is

this:

By

its

very nature, terror-

true that there are sometimes trends in

several people or groups

mimic

a particular

but the overall history of terrorism

Terrorists try to

do unpredictable

is

things.

that

it

The

kind of

changes. terrorist's

imagination begins where the security expert's imagination (and budget) ends. Precautions that are reactionary,

such (as

concrete barriers around every federal building

as

opposed to those

up costing

that are clearly special targets),

us a lot, without

making much

end

difference to

terrorism.

Our with

social

world

credibility

on our

relies

investing

while discounting others.

they really will tow the car

if

to look for a parking space

we leave

it

some

Our

threats

belief that

here encourages us

unencumbered by

that particu-

The disbelief that our joking spouse will really we are late to dinner allows us to stay in the mar-

lar threat. kill

us if

riage.

And

to-day

lives

terrorists

power

finally,

we

are better able to

go about our day-

with the knowledge that most of the time,

with the power to

act, act,

to act threaten.

115

and those without the

FEAR LESS

Something often missing from worst-case scenarios sideration

of

Although

it is

emergency,

best-case

management

difficult to fully

it's

and

is

con-

response.

prepare for every kind of

clear that the U.S.

government has extraor-

dinary disaster-response capability. Throughout your

life,

you have seen our government respond with remarkable to

effectiveness

unusual and unpredictable occurrences

(earthquakes, floods, hurricanes,

fires,

bombings, work-

place-violence incidents, outbreaks of disease, and even attacks

with jetliners). Those of us present during the Los

Angeles earthquake, a devastating natural the rapid resumption of

law enforcement, and

all

utilities,

recall

disaster,

the effectiveness of

a faster return to

normal

life

than

other nations facing the same challenges could likely imagine.

The

state

resources of our federal government, and those of

and

tory. If

local agencies, far outdistance

we

any in world

his-

have learned anything from the emergencies

have experienced in our strong, resilient,

lives, it is that

we

our infrastructure

is

and capable.

For example, following the attacks on the World Trade

New

Center, federal

York

City, the state

of

New

government brought together resources

what most scenarios would have included. ground zero attack, all

York, and the

I

at

the

World Trade Center

beyond

far

When

I

toured

days after the

was impressed to see emergency responders from

over the nation.

firefighters

I

saw police

officers

from Miami, medical

116

from Sacramento,

officials

from Detroit,

.

NOW

APOCALYPSE NOT and police

cars

and ambulances from other faraway

cities.

I

saw personnel from every government agency one can think

of.

I

even saw

private resources

firefighters

from Canada. Public and

worked together

including the preparation of

in astonishing ways,

thousand meals a day

thirty

served around the clock to emergency workers (under the

named David

heroic direction of a restaurateur

Boulet,

who, along with an army of dedicated volunteers, made mission in

his

life

Having been crises

to feed

emergency workers)

closely involved in

throughout

my career,

many emergencies and

reassures

it

me

to see the flex-

and industriousness of Americans (both in and out

ibility

of government), particularly

when

things occur that

either could not or did not precisely predict. In fact,

our far

ability to

more

to respond

is

quite certain.

earth experiences

States that

is

some

is

an uncertain science, of

government and our people

Remember, when any country gigantic disaster,

most often looked

it is

to for help

the United

— because

we're the country in the best position to provide

all

feel

some uncertainty

are uncertain times

things about

—

it.

these days, and indeed these

Even

like all times.

which we can be

certain:

that life doesn't give us anything that's

find

respond to the unpredicted calamities to be

course, but the ability of our

We

I

we

impressive than our ability to plan for the pre-

dictable ones. Prediction itself

on

it

we

We

can't

so,

there are

can be certain handle

— and

been proved by our management of every challenge

117

FEAR LESS

we

have faced together

as a

nation.

And we

that terrorist threats are not guarantees fact, are usually

to

iti

place of action.

go about our daily

that derive so

much

lives;

These

can be certain

of action and, in

certainties allow us

you remember, the

of their variety and

uncertainty.

118

daily lives

vitality

from

SAFER THAN DRIVING

— STILL

TO THE AIRPORT

September 30, 2001

As

I

write

this,

I

am

sitting

on

from Los Angeles bound

for

toward the cockpit of

767

this

a

United Airlines

New is

a play I've

seen a hundred times, for

imagined

this

many

York

like

times I've played over in

those four nights.

I

my

— and

Looking

being on the

that's

view since September

of the crew and passengers

City.

flight

how

11.

set

of

often I've

That's

how

head the experience the hijackers

obsessed over the tiny

details,

— on

not to

be morbid but rather to be enlightened, to learn whatever

I

could from bringing

and predatory crime to I

am

waited Just as

knowledge of violence

this precise

space and situation.

imagining the opportunity Atta must have

for: I

my

am

the fastest and easiest

way

into the cockpit.

doing now, and from the same vantage point,

119

FEAR LESS he watched the takeoff,

flight attendants.

one of them would enter the cockpit

the pilots wanted

some

minute or

after a

he and

He knew that soon after

his

so,

coffee or a snack. Atta

would open

the door

comrades could

easily

find the

unready

intruders, to

be ordered to

would have been would be

brutally

But

In the main cabin, another of Atta's

bark instructions, then

sengers

moved

would do

all

all

threats,

right,

a

pilots

until

their seats.

men would

be

bomb. He would

then promises that every-

then threats again. As the pas-

into seats at the back of the plane, they

they could to avoid upsetting the hijackers.

Soon, they would hear

a heavily

accented but reassuring

announcement over the loudspeaker: "Stay

We

the

instead, the

and wordlessly attacked

and then pulled from

holding up a device he claimed was

would be

would have

somewhere, and the

fly

willing to comply.

fully incapacitated,

pilots

some exchange of words with

every reason to expect

thing

Then,

flight atten-

They would

and unable to defend themselves. The

pilots

again.

push the

that

pilots strapped in their seats, absolutely

dant aside and enter the cockpit.

stunned

to see if

knew

in

your

seats.

are returning to the airport." Like the pilots before

them, the passengers would have every reason to assume they would be

all

for the passengers

right if they just cooperated

on

Flight 93,

— except

who knew better.

In spite of the grimness of the subject, the exploration into airline security

me

feeling far

begun on

at

United

more hopeful than when

any time in the

past.

Right now,

take a commercial flight than

I

flight has left

started.

I

found

from hijacking than they've

that passengers today are safer

been

that

it is

20

today,

it is

safer to

to take a shower, safer to

SAFER THAN DRIVING TO THE AIRPORT — STILL fly across

the country than to drive to work, safer to ride

on an American

hound

many

I

just feel

pers

is

Grey-

a

remain unconvinced about

travelers

security and

We

on

Even today

bus.

Yet

Airlines jumbo jet than to ride

believe that's because

it,

we

know

just

not the answer.

it

is

airline

unconvincing.

that confiscating nail clip-

We just know

that having lots

armed men around the passenger-screening point the core of the issue.

We

see air security debated

cians, regulatory agencies, the airlines,

mechanics,

safe.

it

Most of

hard to imagine, but pages that

who

and lobbyists for

make

air travel

that

believe you'll find in the

coming

much I

actually

much may be

the issues you've

matter so

really don't

politi-

aren't represented are the passengers,

the passengers

is

by

flight attendants, air-traffic controllers.

The only people who and yet

bril-

X-ray machines but does not address

liantly protects the

pilots,

of

been

— and

told matter so I

know

so.

it's

Some of what

may at first seem discouraging, but please stay with me. The destination in sight if we do just a few easy things is that we shall all have far more peace of mind about commercial air you're about to read

—

—

travel.

That in turn

will help the

major

will help others airlines,

and

resume

flying,

that will help us

all.

which In this

chapter, I'm writing mostly about anti-hijacking strategies,

but also about the ways America responds to security challenges,

and

also

can justifiably

about you and

feel

when

me

— and

the comfort

flying commercially.

121

we

FEAR LESS

Though

there are thousands of security precautions, they

into

all fit

two broad

categories:

Category One: Those implemented to reduce

Category Two: Those implemented

risk

to reduce

anxiety

Both

types of precaution are important and both have

meaning, but they are not the same. Unfortunately, it

comes

to security, the

implement procedures

when

American way has often been

that are

more

to

relevant to assuaging

public anxiety than they are to reducing risk. After the

shootings

at

Columbine,

licized that cameras

had been

a perfect

example of

(designed

more

since

a

around the nation pub-

officials

high schools

installed in

Category

Two

security response

to reduce anxiety than risk), particularly

Columbine had plenty of cameras, cameras

do nothing book,

I

—

to prevent the shootings.

Were

that could

this a

longer

could share dozens of times that Category

security precautions

Two

were implemented and announced,

dozens of times that the responses to fear-provoking incidents were

more about

getting us to shut

rying than about really addressing

up and stop wor-

risk.

There's one particularly instructive example right now:

After 9/11, buses had

become

to flying for thousands

of jittery

of

sorts for the

About national

the comforting alternative travelers

Greyhound company. But

three

weeks

after the

named Damir Igric was

122

9/11

—

it

a resurrection

didn't last long.

attacks, a

a passenger

on

a

Croatian

Greyhound

SAFER THAN DRIVING TO THE AIRPORT bus traveling from Chicago to Orlando.

STILL

He made two

of the bus to ask people to trade

to the front

him. Both refused. Soon

after, Igric

seats

trips

with

walked to the front of

the bus for the third time and, without hesitation, slashed

box

the driver's throat with a

of the

and steered the bus off the highway.

seat,

six others died,

and

thirty

out

cutter, pulled the driver

were

Igric

and

injured.

Within two weeks, another Greyhound passenger ran to the front of the bus and attacked the driver. This time,

passengers quickly intervened and subdued the man, and

nobody was Just

hurt.

one day

later,

another Greyhound passenger

still

attacked a driver. Again, passengers solved the problem

immediately, grappling with the stop the bus

man

so the driver could

This attacker reportedly ranted about

safely.

hijacking and threatened to

flip

the bus, but a

Greyhound

spokesperson mindful of troubling publicity suggested that the

man be

characterized as "an unruly passenger" and not

a hijacker.

Within days of

this

military explosive called

locker

at a

C-4 was found

Greyhound bus

So, over the span tives at

frightening incident, a powerful

of just

in a public storage

station in Philadelphia. a

few

days, beleaguered

Greyhound found themselves

execu-

facing a major loss of

public confidence, and something had to be done.

What was

the

main

mented and announced

security procedure they impleto curtail hijacking

their drivers? "Passengers will

in the seats immediately

attacks

no longer be allowed

behind the

123

and

driver."

to

on sit

FEAR LESS Prohibiting use of the front seats does not improve security for bus passengers in any

(there 'd also

September

in

I

feel

sympathy

But

classic

Category

at

been two serious accidents

their proposal to

Two

keep the front

just before

attacked

Greyhound

none of the

drivers after

sitting in the front seats

anyway, and

some of

who

the passengers

seats

Even

security procedure.

the cases reminds us that

men who

in

which many were injured and two were

killed).

look

at all.

Greyhound company, which had an awful time

for the

2001

way

far

empty

is

a

a cursory first

three

9/11 had been

more important,

saved the second and third

buses were able to do so precisely because they were sitting in those seats!

Within two weeks of implementing the the front seats,

still

restriction

about

another Greyhound passenger attacked

the driver. This time, there was

nobody near enough

to

intervene, and the attacker successfully caused the bus to flip over,

Why

injuring thirty people.

did

Greyhound implement

a

nonsense security

procedure that actually increased risk? Because the kind of

Category

Two

response they announced usually works in

America, by which

"Oh, uh-huh,

I

mean

that the public

seems to

say,

they've taken steps, looks good," and then

goes back to sleep. Let's It

not do that with

may seem

the people care about so tively,

airline security.

unlikely that an issue the

but take a look

much

at this

government and

wouldn't be resolved effec-

passage from a

article:

124

New

York Times

SAFER THAN DRIVING TO THE AIRPORT — STILL

The head of

the Federal Aviation Administration an-

nounced today

agency would soon propose

that his

rule requiring airlines to place a bulletproof shield

them.

pilots to protect

.

.

.

a

around

Until now, the airlines in this

country have followed the wishes of hijackers to provide

maximum The

assurances that

hurt.

goes on to say that Tuesday's incident

article

"seemed

no one would be

to put a

new

on the problem."

face

Yes, Tuesdays incident being a suicide mission did in-

deed put

a

new

face

on the problem, but

about Tuesday, September 11.

one

in 1970,

An

that also

It

a

Tuesday way back

stunned the nation's

Eastern Airlines passenger

a flight attendant that

was

the article wasn't

air travelers.

named John Devivo

he wanted to speak with the captain.

Passengers saw the flight attendant walk the aisle

and admit him to the cockpit

why

see

she did

told

man up

— though they

the

didn't

it.

Captain Robert Wilbur and co-pilot James

Inside,

Hartley were busy on final approach to Logan Airport.

They turned and got the answer: The man was aiming a gun at them. Captain Wilbur advised the flight attendant, "It's

okay,

go

tell

the passengers everything

Devivo ordered the and

"just fly

till

Though wounded,

and used fired

by

gunman

it

to shoot

fired

all

right."

jetliner out to sea

the plane runs out of gas."

pilots hesitated, the

Hartley.

head the

pilots to

is

When

the

one shot into co-pilot

Hartley wrestled the gun away

Devivo twice. Several shots had been

this point, at least

one

bullet

even passing through

the cockpit door back into the passenger cabin.

125

FEAR LESS

The jet dipped

He

trol.

a bit,

but Captain Wilbur regained con-

looked over to see Devivo slumped on the

and Captain Hartley slumped in

izing the terrible realization that Hartley

him, Wilbur continued to

fly

he came to another

controls,

was shot in both arms.

self

the jet.

was dying next to

As he operated the

He him-

terrible realization: Still

floor,

Compartmental-

his seat.

another terrible realiza-

The assailant was regaining consciousness and coming toward him again. Wilbur used the gun to strike the assail-

tion:

down, and quickly landed the

ant back

plane.

This incident of tragedy and heroism spawned media reports, questions like

many we saw

about aviation after

security,

and occurrences

man was

9/11. For example, one

taken off a plane after a flight attendant overheard

how

ing

easy

it

would be

to kill a pilot.

On

him

say-

questioning

man was a member of ConHe acknowledged how "understandably uptight

him, police learned that the gress.

people are and the feeling of helplessness they have." In short, we've been here before, but in 1970, officials

had never seen

why

that's

posal to

left

and maybe

they didn't follow through on their

make

own

pro-

cockpits entry-resistant. Actually that was

the second time the

then

a suicidal hijacking,

FAA

recommendation was proposed and

unimplemented.

Let's

not have a

third.

we can't have a third, because we had it in 1974 man named Samuel Byck, armed with a handgun

Actually,

when and at

a

a gasoline

bomb, shot

his

way onto

a

Delta Airlines jet

the Baltimore airport, intending to crash the plane into

the

White House (sound

familiar?).

He

killed a security

guard and shot the pilot and co-pilot before police shot him.

126

SAFER THAN DRIVING TO THE AIRPORT — STILL

We

can't

have a fourth, either, because in 1986, a pas-

named David Burke stormed

senger

jetliner over

San Diego and shot both

the plane into the ground, and

And we

into the cockpit of a

have a

can't

all

pilots.

forty-three

He

crashed

on board

died.

because in 1994, a Federal

fifth,

named Auburn Calloway attacked the with two hammers. Though sustaining several seri-

Express employee pilots

ous injuries, the co-pilot and

engineer were able to

flight

get Calloway out of the cockpit, allowing the pilot to land

the plane. Calloway's plan had been to

kill

the pilots and

crash the plane.

We

can't

have a

plan strikingly similar to 9/11,

known

ror squad

because

sixth, either,

the

as

members of

Armed

Tower

fly it into

The

hijackers

were

killed

just

it

was on the

for refueling.

Having ignored the

and tenth

The

lessons

of

all

these suicide hijack-

FAA and the rest of us witnessed a seventh,

ings, the

ninth,

the Eif-

by French com-

mandos who stormed the plane when ground

a fanatical ter-

and detonate explosives on board

in Paris

before impact.

1994, in a

Group took over

Islamic

an Air France jetliner. Their plan was to fel

later in

—

all

on the same

eighth,

day.

process of preventing hijacking requires, in

my

opinion, a small adjustment in thinking because even the

name most people rity

—

is

—

part of the problem. Forget for a

airport security, this

use to define the issue

and think about

may seem no

distinction at

airport secu-

moment

airline security.

all,

but

it is

about

To some

the critical dis-

tinction.

Although many precautions have relevance

127

to

our

safety

FEAR LESS

when

you

flying, all the cases

the four

just read about, including

you saw with your own

eyes,

make

clear that the

mission in front of us can be stated in three sentences:

The key

precaution in airline security

the ground.

It is

is

in the

is

The

passengers and cabin crews will do the

suggest that for a

moment we

weapons screening, baggage watch and

flight.

rest.

aside

set

searches, profiling,

talk

ID

of

cards,

lists,

fences, tarmac access, doubling the training

salaries

of screeners, and making them federal em-

ployees.

I

suggest

cacophony of

we do something

problems in

Above posals

very rare amidst the

special-interest propaganda:

thing at a time. Let's fully explore the

able

not on

throughout every

religiously kept closed

that

I

air,

an effective entry-resistant cockpit door

security

airline

most

Focus on one

serious, resolv-

— and

resolve

them.

we don't accept any security profrom Category Two when Category One precauall, let's

be certain

tions are actually less expensive

KEEP THE COCKPIT

and more

effective.

DOORS CLOSED

AND LOCKED I

have flown both United Airlines and American Airlines

since 9/11,

and based on

that admittedly limited sample,

found American Airlines personnel ful

to

be

far

more watch-

about protecting the cockpit. (I'm not assuming what

saw on United

United Airlines

is

the

flight

norm, but soon

after

128

it is

what

9/11,

I

I

I

saw.)

wrote:

On

I

that

SAFER THAN DRIVING TO THE AIRPORT -STILL

When

I

boarded,

door open

as

was disappointed to see the cockpit

I

the passengers walked to their

since we've lifted off, those of us

door

pit

are

comforted that

it's

But the comfort does not

dant got

The door

left

is

but

can see the cock-

closed and locked.

last

long. Just this

opened wide

the cockpit door was carried in.

who

seats,

moment

as a tray

of food was

open while the

flight atten-

some other item from

the galley. This

ring while one male passenger

is

is

occur-

standing in the area

waiting for another male passenger to leave the bath-

room. In other words, two vicinity

men

immediately in the

are

of the open cockpit. Strengthening of cockpit

doors has been discussed in every newspaper and on

show

every news

in the country. If

improve the locks, to

isn't it

worthwhile to

it's

worthwhile to use them, and

keep the doors closed and locked whenever possible?

At

least

during these times with so

apple,

hour

some

warn-

cookies, and a thermos of coffee for the five-

flight to

Are we

New York

really serious

have been before, and

— and keep

the door closed?

about aviation security?

if

even

pilots

and

We never

flight attendants

not worried enough to keep that door shut, the pub-

He probably won't retain

The and

terrorist

could not each pilot bring along a tuna sandwich, an

ings,

are

many

flight attendant just is

now in,

will to stay serious

about

this.

opened the cockpit door again

standing in the open doorway, having a jokey

exchange with the joined

its

both

pilots.

now

Another

flight attendant just

standing in the open doorway with

their backs to the passengers.

Taxicabs in

New

York City provide more entry

resis-

tance and bullet resistance for drivers than jetliners pro-

vide for pilots.

And

a

New

York

129

taxi driver carrying

two

FEAR LESS night wouldn't open up the bullet-

male passengers

late at

resistant divider

every few miles.

operators in most

have better protection than do

cities also

even today, even

One

Subway

after

improvements

airline pilots

to the cockpit doors.

of the things that currently happens on

that after a while, flight attendants

—

become

flights

is

and

familiar

comfortable with passengers, and their guard goes way

down. They

are in a service business; they are

cious police detectives.

flight attendants

remarkably professional

alike are

tions

What

— and

that's

now. From the

at

airlines'

pilots

following regularight

point of view, since keeping the is

and not

no

a structural change,

— and

and

what they need from government

cockpit doors closed and locked

soever

is

not suspi-

it

has

procedural change

a

financial cost

what-

limitless potential for benefit.

PASSENGER SCREENING One

could make the argument that since passengers are

screened less to

shift

more

carefully since 9/11,

be concerned about.

It

crew members have

may be

natural to

the responsibility to a screener at an airport

behind

a

security

want

you

thousand miles ago, but the responsibility for

is

right

where you

are: in

the

to

left

air

air.

Passenger screening will always have limited effectiveness. It

is,

at best, a

deterrent to

some people who might

otherwise carry a firearm on board. But with a billion screenings every year, there are going to be failures.

One

recent federal report found that seven out of twenty airportsecurity employees failed basic

130

competency

tests.

As you

SAFER THAN DRIVING TO THE AIRPORTread on,

some to

you may wonder about the government

senior

officials as

blame the hourly employees If flight attendants

of America's success

and

at

basic

competence of

— but

well

the airport,

pilots take

STILL

it's

easier

suppose.

I

any comfort because

at confiscating nail clippers

from pas-

sengers, they have plenty of reasons to think again. For ex-

ample, on October 23, 2001, during the so-called high alert at airports, a

man

mercial flight at the

The

carried a loaded

New

Orleans airport

was

was

— by

a

com-

accident.

incident pointed out again that the system

a classic

Category

isn't

chosen was more discouraging.

perfect, but the solution It

gun onto

Two

response:

A

security

worker

fired.

Remember by accident carry a

that this passenger carried a

weapon through

Well,

gun on board

— and then imagine some concerted

no need

the screening point.

to imagine.

A

few weeks

after

screener detected that a passenger was carrying

They were

effort to

two

9/11, a knives.

confiscated and the passenger was allowed to

continue up to the boarding gate.

The problem: He was

carrying seven other knives, a can of tear gas, and a stun

gun. Officials were

egory

Two

fast to

announce an even stronger Cat-

response than just firing a security worker:

This time, they fired several. Presumably, the problem.

somebody thought

And yet

four days

that

later, a

would help

solve

passenger in Florida

got on board an international flight even though he was carrying

.

.

.

knives and a stun gun.

Incidents of passengers carrying

weapons through the

screening process have been happening nonstop for thirty

131

FEAR LESS years,

one get through with

a

gun?"

We

ulous about the expectation that

You can make leather chairs

their salaries,

it

would never happen.

you can provide high-back

and frequent massages, you can

X-ray machines with members still

should be more incred-

the existing workers into federal employees,

you can double

will

"How could some-

and yet people ask incredulously,

regularly have

human

error in this job that

complicated and hypnotically boring

Many

don't.

The

the

is

both

the same time.

at

weapons

believe that X-ray machines flag

some way. They

staff

of Congress — and you

process relies entirely

on

in

visual

inspection of a one-dimensional view of the contents of

carry-on bags.

Some machines

have

system called E-scan

a

that color-codes different elements so that

metal from organic materials such

A

leather.

such

a

easier to tell

it's

as fabric

and paper and

handgun might or might not be positioned

way

that a perfect profile

of the shape

might or might not be It isn't

possible for

and eventually

fully

Of

we

clear,

will

we

we want

sinister

intent

weapons screening of reliance

upon

it.

It is

we

to be disappointed.

all

effective at de-

carried by people

had the guns) but

(forgot they

airline passengers, a

fire to

expect superhuman

(were not hijackers).

both

on.

tolerate laziness or negli-

weapons screening has been

who had poor memories

it

perfectly,

run out of people we can

tecting thousands of firearms, almost

had no

— and on and

assembled

course not. But should

powers? Not unless

To be

objects;

X-ray screeners to do the job

soothe our anxieties. Should

gence?

visible. It

is

might or might not be blocked by other metal

in

Category

132

but

I

I

support

oppose blind

One and Category

SAFER THAN DRIVING TO THE AIRPORT — STILL

Two

precaution, implemented decades ago to stop anxiety

about flying and to stop hijacking. anxiety.

It

did not stop hijacking. In

associated with airline hijacking in

we

since

instituted

did for a time stop

fact, all

of the deaths

America have occurred

weapons screening.

not where our safety salvation

Do

It

So,

it's

clear that's

lies.

the searches, of course.

Do them as well as possible,

but recognize that the true solutions are elsewhere. Put plainly,

possible to

it's

and make

improve one door on each

aircraft

it is

not possible to get any-

where near perfection with one

billion passenger screen-

it

nearly perfect;

ings a year.

There's another aspect of old thinking we'll benefit

from at

go

letting

of:

The

current screening system

detecting firearms, and to a lesser and

bombs.

bombs

We

We

learned

on September

are not required

must honor the

equipment

reality that

is

aimed

less reliable extent,

11 that firearms and

for successful hijackers.

anyone can board

a flight

made of wood, carbon, bone, fiberglass, and on and on. None of the detection sys-

carrying a knife plastic, resin,

tems currently in use can address any of these materials,

and anyway, the weapons themselves don't even matter that

much.

The main weapons of the 9/11 nation, ruthlessness,

would not

Once

likely

hijackers

were determi-

and small cutting instruments

have been detected through screening.

in the cockpit, persons of sinister intent could lock

the door and incapacitate the pilots with or without ons.

that

There

are so

many examples of dangerous

person could do that one

is

weap-

things a

limited only by the imagination.

133

FEAR LESS Caustic liquid in the eyes, even liquor that

enough

board, could be

even for

a short time.

is

to render pilots unable to

That can mean

on

served

fly,

if

a perfect terrorist

success because the airliner can be taken out of stable flight

by tampering with the major training I

ing,

and

skill

mentioned

—

that

some

controls. Flying takes

crashing takes

none

at all.

some of this chapter would be

disturb-

but here's the good news about the passenger-screening

problem:

not that big

It's

a

problem.

Why?

Because

if

you

have appropriately fabricated and secured doors, and you

keep them closed throughout the so

much what

BATHROOM

a passenger carries

flight, it

doesn't matter

on board.

USE BY PILOTS

In the future, aircraft

may be modified

or built to have

bathrooms within the cockpit space, though the majority won't have that enhancement for

come. In the meantime, some this

procedure for bathroom

many

have implemented

A

pilot calls a flight

trips:

who

pit

of passengers. The pilot looks through

to

free

confirm that

years to

airlines

attendant, is

vast

determines that the area around the cock-

it's

safe

before opening the door.

a

viewer

The

flight

attendant enters and the pilot exits at the same time. The pilot does not

have a key for re-entry.

from the bathroom, the

nobody

the viewer that

and they trade This works cockpit door

When

flight attendant else

is

the pilot returns

confirms through

around, opens the door

—

positions. fairly is

well because

locked, there

134

is

it

means

that

when

never anybody

the

outside

SAFER THAN DRIVING TO THE AIRPORT — STILL

with a

key.

The only way someone can

admitted by someone

A sive

who

better access system

get in

by being

is

already inside.

is

would be

to install an inexpen-

concealed camera and microphone so the pilots can

remotely view and monitor sounds in the area around the

(Some

cockpit.

satisfied that

airlines

it is

safe to

have done

do

so,

this voluntarily)

the pilot

who

When

remains in the

cockpit would be able to unlock the door remotely to

readmit the pilot

who

has

left

to use the bathroom.

STOP IN-FLIGHT MEAL SERVICE FOR PILOTS In-flight

meal service for

aviation requirement.

flight

crews

Assuming

is

a luxury,

that cockpit doors are

properly improved, meal service poses the stantial advantage to hijackers risk to the rest

The

not an

— and

single

most sub-

the single greatest security

of us.

solution can be stated simply:

Stock the cockpit with pre-flight meals and drinks to re-

duce the number of times the

These meals can be made ous.

As

a

pilots

fancy, creative,

longer-term solution,

tray pass-through slot in the

must open the door.

airlines

even luxuri-

could develop a

door or elsewhere in the wall

of the cockpit.

You might wonder what is

opened

way

for

meal

difference

service, since

it

number of openings 135

makes

has to be

for trips to the bathroom. Well,

the sheer

it

first

of

if

the door

opened any-

all,

there's just

associated with food and

FEAR LESS beverage service. Between taking the meal orders, delivering the

trays,

picking up the

trays, snacks, dessert, coffee,

grapes and cheese, there's an average of fifteen unnecessary

One jetliner pilot recently attendants who are best liked are the

openings per five-hour

flight.

told

me, "The

ones

who come in and offer you

flight

coffee early in the flight

and keep the food coming the whole Second, unlike bathroom predictable times. Third,

bathroom

trip,

the pilot

when is

trip."

meals occur

trips,

—

the door

is

at fairly

opened

for a

standing and facing the door-

way, a far better position to detect and repel an intruder.

Any

struggle or challenge that occurs right at the

cannot

last

address

it.

door

long, because cabin crew and passengers will

But

if

an intruder succeeds

at

getting in quickly

during meal service, and locks the door behind him, then the improved locks actually

work

against air safety

— by

defeating the in-flight security system that most effectively protects airliners against hijacking: the passengers.

WHAT YOU CAN DO There I

are

many

and

aspects of airport

have not explored in

airline security that

this chapter, either

handled effectively or because they are

and improved by government. What enhancements and procedural matters missing from the public dialogue.

I

I

because they are

still

being studied

have presented are

that have

been mostly

have focused upon en-

hancements you personally can influence through nicating with

government and, perhaps most

136

commu-

effectively,

.

SAFER THAN DRIVING TO THE AIRPORT — STILL

through your patronage of

airlines that

You

the philosophies we've explored.

your

and so

travel dollars,

expert, or pilot has

been

far,

able to

to curtail

will get

it

closely adopt

vote, in effect,

with

security expert, aviation

tell

me

a single

good reason

meal service into cockpits. The

to continue flight-attendant first airline

no

most

my patronage,

to

be

sure.

Military jets scrambled to fly alongside passenger planes,

National Guard personnel

on the ground, and

the airports, lengthy searches

at

the dialogue in

all

all

the congressional

hearings will not add up to the effectiveness of the eight simple improvements suggested in the letter proposed below. I

you

invite

to send

FAA, your

airlines. (If

and e-mail addresses

I

your congressional representatives,

senators,

and the major

Dear Mr.

to the President, with copies to the

it

you use

are provided at

e-mail, the letter text

my firm's Web

President:

appreciate that

you

are

working hard

American public comfortable about

know you and

are exploring several

airline security.

cautions that safest

1

when

I

want

would be

to help get the

flying again,

and

with you those pre-

particularly relevant to

my feeling

flying commercially:

bullet-resistant, to replace the

were undertaken

temporary

fixes that

in 2001.

locking systems that

make

entry-resistant, to replace the

were undertaken in 2001.

137

I

enhancements to airport

to share

Fabricate and install cockpit doors that are truly

2. Install

site.)

the doors truly

temporary

fixes that

FEAR LESS system that allows

3. Install a

officials

on

the ground to

monitor the sounds in the cockpit in the event there is

of radio contact with the

loss

course, etc. (This technology

4.

pilots,

or a plane off

familiar to millions

is

drivers

who

Have

video and audio system that allows pilots to

a

of

have On-Star and comparable services.)

observe and listen to the area outside the cockpit.

Equipment 5.

Have

6.

Make

cost:

$1,500

a remotely operable access system that pilots can

use from within the cockpit.

Equipment

cost:

$2,000

the issue of cockpit security part of the pre-

flight safety instructions,

with words to the

"protection of the cockpit door

is

a

effect that

duty of both

crew and passengers." 7.

Prohibit in-flight meal service if

8.

Require

it

requires opening

the cockpit door.

locked

pilots to

at all

Mr. President,

keep cockpit doors closed and

times there are passengers

if

you accomplish

gers (along with the cabin crews

by

air

marshals) will

do the

on board.

these things,

we

passen-

and occasionally helped

rest.

Sincerely,

THE

MOST

Everyone

RELIABLE SECURITY SYSTEM

who

has ever planned or undertaken a hijacking

knew

that controlling the passengers

today,

whatever hijackers

say,

incidents

a top priority.

But

whatever they do, passengers

will not willingly participate. This

Greyhound bus

was

when 138

was proved during the

passengers immediately

SAFER THAN DRIVING TO THE AIRPORT -

and powerfully subdued attackers safety at risk. It

hijackings.

less

month

than a

after the

9/11

A man yelling about crashing the plane into

the

Tower bashed through the door and entered the

Sears

The

cockpit.

do much a posse

because

of passengers

literally

on the man's

who

didn't have to

heels there

Not

at

all. I

interviewed

intervened even though he thought

He

the cockpit intruder and those chasing him.)

"The

at

were charging the cockpit. (He saw

that several people

clearly:

was

who subdued him immediately.

the passengers hesitant?

one, Bill Neff,

— but

pushed him back

pilot

else

Were

first

placed everyone's

was proved again on an American Airlines

heading to Chicago

flight

who

STILL

put

it

rules have changed."

Well, most of the rules have changed, but there's a few to

left

change

will get the

Just

a

still,

and once

they're done, the passengers

main thing we need from the

few seconds of cockpit entry

FAA

right

resistance

now:

during

which we can respond. There

are those

marshal, but

rather leave responding to an air

don't find the air marshal

I

quite the solution

President

who'd

it is

that air marshals will

be on every

were

was just

likely to

but

it

happen. Given that

mercial flights each day, an require creating agencies. can't

one of the

Even were

a plan

we

air

flight.

a plan

implying

Many Americans

— and one

that's

have thirty thousand

not

com-

marshal on every flight would

nation's largest

that the best use

quickly.

And

to

be more

effective than the

even

139

if

it

law-enforcement

of our resources,

happen

isn't likely

be

to

held out to be.

Bush quickly responded with

relieved,

program

it

could, an air marshal

combined

will

and

FEAR LESS intervention of regular passengers. Further, passengers

may

on board, and

thus

incorrectly assume that an air marshal hesitate to

act if

floated to soothe fear, this

is

many

needed. Like

security proposals

one might make things

slightly

less safe.

As

said in the first chapter, hijackings

I

we

of the type

have experienced over the past forty years are over. That

form of terrorism

has

been defeated by the lowest-tech

security system: the passengers' acceptance of reality and responsibility.

I'm sure you embrace the argument that

fifty

or a hun-

dred passengers can easily subdue one or two people trying to get into the cockpit.

But what

if

you've never seen

yourself in the role of physically taking

on another per-

The good news is you of recruits on board every

There

son?

don't have

about

air

is

a frequent flyer

who

my friend

security after 9/11. She

now

.

She pays attention to anything

ition (as

you

likely

and yet

municating in some way, people

under

their coats, people

people

who

assesses all the pas-

(as

you

likely

do

is

as

that triggers her intu-

who

who seem to be comwho are adjusting items

who seem uncommonly anxious,

are suspicious in

explain, etc. Carrie

afraid

would). For example: two people

aren't traveling together

a

Carrie does.

was understandably

sengers she sees prior to boarding well)

are plenty

and you might make

flight,

different contribution to safety, like

Carrie

to.

ways that you

can't

even

not shy about making a report to

air-

line personnel.

But

Carrie's biggest contribution to air safety

selects athletic

and capable-looking passengers

140

is

that she

who

are

SAFER THAN DRIVING TO THE AIRPORT- STILL waiting in the boarding lounge and introduces herself, asking,

"Are you

a Let's Roll-er?"

who would intervene

meaning, are you someone

in the event of an

She has found that people

happy to

are

suring. Carrie's fear of hijackers

time she boards, she has tive protectors

strategy,

who

a

is

onboard problem? talk

and

are reas-

gone, because by the

squadron of convivial but effec-

have met one another, talked about

and pledged themselves to

a highly unlikely but

very serious mission. There's something wonderful about

new

friends can

already flying

be so

more

reliable.

safely

knowing

that brand-

Fly happily, because

than

141

at

any time in your

you life.

are

8

NO NEWS And

Five

AT ELEVEN

Other Ways to Be

Armored Against

On all

the anthrax stories. For once, he was not reporting

only on the tell

October 12, 2001, NBC Nightly News Tom Brokaw found himself in the middle

Friday,

anchor

of

Terror

travails

America. His

of others

— he had

own assistant,

a

Erin O'Connor, had appar-

ently contracted an anthrax skin infection

very unpleasant, and no doubt

and her

family,

a sad

—

nonlethal, but

experience for her

and for Brokaw.

Brokaw devoted

percentage of the telecast to

a large

what had happened, and almost

5 percent of the

talking about his feelings in the matter. situation

personal story to

He

program

noted that the

had forced him to move studios and

yond

my ability

How

could

to express this

it

it

was

it's

be-

that

"so unfair and so outrageous and so maddening,

in socially acceptable terms."

happen? Where in the world could

someone have found anthrax? And even

142

if a

person

knew

NO NEWS

AT ELEVEN

how could he get it? And even if a person obtained it, how could he deliver it? Good questions. Good enough that NBC had been giv-

where

was,

it

ing Americans detailed answers on these subjects for

some

The very same day of Brokaw's calamity, one NBC News story offered this: "As many as five hundred labs in time.

the United States store samples of anthrax and other bio-

but not foolproof."

logical agents. Access

is

went on

name of an easy-to-fmd

organization

members

in sixty-one

"that

to provide the

lists

countries

The

restricted,

four hundred seventy-two

where

labs store anthrax

story quoted an expert

to obtain anthrax because able to see if

not finished, as to

how a

another I

it

said theft

nobody would

someone took

it

from the

was

a

agents."

good way

"necessarily be

laboratory."

Still

included three quite excellent suggestions

"dedicated individual" could get anthrax, while

NBC News story provided four more great ideas.

am not repeating the

choice that

now

might

who

and other deadly

It

tips for

acquiring anthrax here, a

Erin O'Connor — and maybe even Brokaw — agree with.

(I'll

come back

to the issue of dis-

closing dangerously detailed information at the

end of

this

chapter.)

On

the day Erin's infection was confirmed, the

News Web image of

a

site

man

NBC

opened with the guaranteed-to-frighten in a gas mask,

and

a story called

Concerns Spread Across U.S." Some of the cern no doubt resulted from these

NBC

"Anthrax

nation's

News

con-

reports:

"Anthrax, Never out of Reach," "Preparing for Terror,"

"Anthrax Vaccine Limitations," "Anthrax Alarm," "Mankind's

Weapons of Terror,"

"Hospitals Ill-Prepared."

143

FEAR LESS

American

In case there was one resilient

wasn't yet scared nearly to death,

"Two hundred pounds

torted warning:

Washington, D.C., could

word

released implies

cage and go

NBC

broadcast this disreleased

upwind

three million people."

kill

when

the truth

that

is

the ground and most of the supposed victims

to

Maybe

if all

The its

fall

to

would be

3 million people volunteered

go out and scoop the spores into

their

mouths, NBC's

ambitious estimates could be accomplished that,

in

most of the

imaginary two hundred pounds of anthrax would

indoors anyway.

who

something clawing to get out of

people,

kill

left

— but

absent

the exaggerated report amounts to nothing more than

an advertisement to extremists and madmen, and electronic terrorism for the rest of us.

NBC ran some strikes back.

anthrax stories under the logo America

The more

appropriate logo

America strikes America, because

when our own It

seems to

when

it tells

now, not

when

that broadcast

news

is

of greatest service

what has happened and what it

makes up

pen or could happen Those

on

what's going

TV news terrorizes us.

me

us

that's

would have been

stories are

in

stories

is

happening

about what might hap-

some awful version of

the future.

not predictions assembled with some

sci-

ence: they are the electronic equivalent of jumping out of

the bushes in the dark and startling us.

Without making judgments about that the

news business

stated mission

is

a business.

this, let's It

of informing the public against

more compelling mission of competing with same

business.

The

rush to be

first

144

acknowledge

seeks to balance its

its

sometimes

others in the

appears to have eclipsed

NO NEWS

You can

the rush to be accurate. clean

up

it

AT ELEVEN

always speculate

now and

Language, images, and graphics are care-

later.

chosen toward the goal of getting around our natural

fully

editing

by making each story seem urgent or

One

new.

result

is

that

many

viewers are

left

significant or

swimming

pictures of fear rather than with a balanced perspective

the situation as

it

in

on

stands.

when Tom Brokaw was interviewed on News show after his assistant contracted the

For example, another

NBC

treatable skin infection,

he

said he'd

and in just the kind of sound

be taking

antibiotics,

from

bite you'd expect

seasoned newsreader, he described his experience ultimate nightmare." That doesn't leave for the kinds of things

does

us,

as

"the

hyperbole

he warns will happen to the

rest

of

it?

When letter

much

a

was

the

to

tied

replied, "I think that

speculate."

show

asked on the Today

That

is

it

9/11

he

terrorist

the tainted

felt

attacks,

Brokaw

would not be appropriate of me

the only time

TV news reluctant to

if

speculate,

I

to

ever heard anyone in

and Brokaw went

further:

"We just have to stay focused on what we know and not what we don't know." If you start tugging on that thread, the

whole

ing

on what

and

is

of

not

their producers

tools sip,

fabric

of their

TV

news

known

will unravel, because focus-

is

precisely

what newsreaders

do most of the time, applying the

trade: speculation, supposition,

projection,

rumor, gos-

and conjecture.

Having anthrax spores blown into our imaginations,

we would,

predictably,

vaccination, and the

know about treatment and News anchors had the answers,

want

NBC

to

145

FEAR LESS presented for

maximum anxiety: The vaccine,

not highly

"is

who

and there were

effective,

were vaccinated

that subsequently

a

they reported,

number of people

developed anthrax."

They

also

try

capable of producing the vaccine." Antibiotics work,

is

warned

"Only one laboratory

that,

coun-

in the

of course, but Brokaw reminded us of what he called "an acute shortage of Cipro." Actually, we'd have an acute short-

age only if

we had mass

shortage of water

if

contamination, just

it all

dried up

— but

we'd have a

as

these things are

not happening.

Having squeezed anthrax

for

all

fear value,

its

they

switched to other biological scourges, describing in detail

how

each could attack our bodies.

two plagues

the

them

"history's

seem

a

most feared contagious

good time

not, in fact, at

Finally,

they resurrected

— pneumonic and bubonic — and

all

to

tell

called

That would

diseases."

viewers that bubonic plague

contagious

is

human- to-human. They might

have explained that plague was "history's most feared"

also

disease because during

much of

history there were

no

antibiotics.

The

network's on-air medical expert, Dr.

Bob

Arnot,

was, interestingly, the most subdued (and least broadcast; his

comments were removed from

their

Web

site in

favor

of another medical expert). Dr. Arnot described anthrax skin infection as "not that big a deal in terms of an It's

it

usually recognized

is

.

.

.

it's

easily treated

with

not spread from one person to another,

illness.

antibiotics, it

is

not a

major public-health concern." Despite

this,

NBC employees were understandably con-

cerned and afraid

when

they learned that someone within

146

NO NEWS

AT ELEVEN

company had contracted an anthrax

the

NBC own

executives reacted quickly to soothe the fears of

An

employees.

internal

memo

people quickly assured employees

this

from the two top was

Contrary to the rapid spread that

warned

many

us of so

"We

wrote:

its

"NOT the same

been reported on the news."

respiratory anthrax that has

tives

skin infection.

NBC

News

has

times, the calming corporate execu-

have no reason to believe that

this partic-

ular incident has spread

beyond

They added: "She

no danger, and she should recover

is

in

this individual

employee."

and completely."

fully

NBC

While

News was

telling the public that a letter

mailed on September 25 definitely contained anthrax, the cooler-headed executives reassured employees that the

let-

had been tested by the Department of Health, the

ter

Centers for Disease Control, and the FBI, and added that "all

these tests

another

letter,

The confusing

who

executives

alarm of the deal with

But

came back found

negative."

did

later,

exercise

TV

news

—

of

these businessmen so calm? Hadn't they a strain

of anthrax "so

everyone on earth"? stuff,

key infrastructure

lethal,

If

you

you wouldn't even need

NBC

story: "air

installations, oil

and power

targets suggested in

bases, ports,

ters."

of us have to

it.

how were

facilities,

instructive for these

just like the rest

could get your hands on that list

anthrax.

were forced to deal with the ever-changing

just eight gallons could kill

the

turned out that

test positive for

was hopefully

NBC's warning about

seen

It

another

desalination plants, and civilian population cen-

You could

just kill

everybody on

147

earth, like they

FEAR LESS said.

(Given Brokaw's understandable outrage about his

own

experience, imagine

everybody on

killed

Seriously,

respected ica

is

Tom

someone

he'd be if

earth.)

Dan and

(and Peter and

every other

TV newsperson), know that terrorism in AmerI

new

to you, too,

and you

But you can make

ings.

how mad

a

are

still

getting your bear-

huge difference

here:

Encourage

your employers and your peers to stop providing information in a

and

is

way

that

is

itself hurtful to

the general public

helpful to our dangerous enemies.

excellent interview with Director of

Ridge, you

said,

"We've had

icans going to have a lifetime

a

good

Tom,

Homeland

life.

in

—

your

Security

Are young Amer-

of fear?"

You can do more than just pose

the question.

You can

help change the answer.

While

I

have focused on

CBS News

is

Club, with

its

also a

NBC

member of

own poor

to

make

several points,

the Frequent Frighteners

record, including the admonition

that Iraq has "approximately three times the

anthrax]

needed

amount

human populaNo word from CBS News on how

to kill the entire current

tion by inhalation."

such inhalation could be accomplished, though their site

does have a clever interactive diagram of the

body with the

Web

human

instruction to "Click the spots to find out

how inhaled anthrax spores can kill." The CBS News Web site offers stories under the heading experience this story.

want

[of

to experience

it?

about anthrax

Why would we

In stark contrast to their

148

silly

Web

NO NEWS

AT ELEVEN

comment made by Dan Rather

after

an employee

in his office tested positive for anthrax.

Very

much

site is a

he

credit,

Our

said,

biggest

"Our biggest problem

problem

is

today

is

to his

not anthrax.

fear."

Proving Rather's point

Fox News, where

is

I

recently

saw an interview with an expert on "nuclear terrorism" (an interesting expertise, considering there's never

of nuclear terrorism).

act

suppose, so correspondent E. D. viable

way

enough,

I

proposed

a

just wasn't scary

It

Donahey

for terrorists to get

first

around the

obtaining nuclear material, and then

said,

difficulty of

"I'm not giving

anyone any ideas they don't already have in minds, but what Square?" Fox

That

is

if

been an

their sick

they blew up a nuclear device in Times

calls itself

"The network America

trusts"

news.

Certainly Fox has the most anxiety-producing style of

on wings of melo-

the major networks. Their stories soar

drama, with montages that look

like action films,

pounding

bass drums, panicky musical scores, striking visual effects,

and urgent-seeming sound

from correspondent

cues,

to correspondent.

At the other end of the spectrum that, in

tive

my opinion,

approach to

game on been

their

CNN,

a day, they

have

takes the

Web few

less

site.

Often,

reasons.

is

ABC,

the network

most reasoned and construc-

news — and not

for a

viewers are flashed

as

a single interactive

my

death

personal choice has

Being on twenty-four hours

time pressure,

urgency into every minute, and

less less

need

to

impose

false

direct competition

during hours that other major channels are broadcasting entertainment.

149

FEAR LESS National news

is

frightening enough, but there's nearly

TV

forty hours a day of local

major

city

— and

news produced

where the

that's

in every

fear tactics are field-

tested.

If

you detect some

people

who

them, just

disdain

read the news;

you probably

as

I

do.

on

my

like

part,

it isn't

for the

and respect many of

(Brokaw himself has made

some compassionate contributions when out from behind

— through

that desk

choices

his writing.)

made by people who produce

word you hear spoken every color

—

all

is

choices.

disdain

the

up with

is

sensation

for the

another choice, every image,

Combine

the words, the graph-

what you end

information hidden behind sensation

is

is

TV news. Every

the logos, the music, the urgency, and

ics,

— and

the

fear.

Having dedicated its

My

natural place,

my

it's

life

to helping people put fear in

hard to watch the country be so

undone by unnecessary

anxiety. Further, the folks

who

put

on the news can do such an

excellent job, as they did

September 11 and the days

that followed.

on

Those events

defied exaggeration. All the newsreader had to do was get

out of the way and

need

to

let

us see the images.

be spiced up ("a

tidal

The

wave of dust

stories didn't .

.

.").

News-

readers directly and plainly shared the information they

had, because those tragedies were, for once,

the

enough

just

way they were.

Now

that

we

thinkable, our able

— and

opening.

have lived through the previously un-

minds

television

They

are

more open

to the

unfathom-

news has rushed through

feed our hunger to anticipate what's

150

that

com-

NO NEWS

AT ELEVEN

ing next with worst-case scenarios and dark predictions for the future, as if those outcomes were logical next steps.

Many

are not logical next steps. Seeing detail

detail,

watching sober experts validate the wildest of con-

jectures,

heaped upon

viewing footage of locations and hearing step-by-

step descriptions

of

how

play out, the audience

our worst

is

each doomsday outcome might

than

fears a step further

With such

with vivid pictures that take

left

we had likely

imagined.

strong imagery filling our minds, the qualifying

words ("might,"

"allegedly,"

"unconfirmed," "possibly,"

"could," "potentially," "conceivably") drop from our consciousness, leaving only the sense that danger

where around

us.

Since there can't be a video of what

they

show

isn't

were no survivors in

us an interview with a psychologist

about "their

happened

happening,

us the terrifying footage of a similar incident

five years ago. If there

show

every-

is

final

moments."

If

nothing

a tragedy, they

who like

in the history of the planet, they

animated version, such

speculates

has ever

it

show

the story days after the

as

us an

last

Los

Angeles earthquake: "Next up, what would have happened if a tidal

wave had been caused by the earthquake!," and an

animated depiction of blue washing over downtown Los Angeles

swear to God).

(I

Even before the various anthrax

incidents and reports

(fewer incidents than reports, of course), 30 percent of

Americans feared foreign with that

news

on

fear,

viruses.

by the way.

I

met

actually

151

met

a

woman

her, predictably, in a

The station was doing new disease virtually certain

studio.

a lethal

I

a

special

to kill us

TV

segment all

before

FEAR LESS the end of sweeps week: the flesh-eating disease. Lack-

ing anyone

who

actually suffered

news producer brought have I

was introduced to her in the hallway

interview,

it

this before

we

talked for a

crossed

shaking

and neither

TV

of

it

as

it,

and

One

person in

The appearance of

a

a

watched her

me it,

common

tem-

a distant location

con-

name so vivid horror story come to life.

Someone

lodged in our minds,

I

didn't catch

I

will you. This story followed a

news:

she headed to

she could have told

didn't have

tracted a horrific disease. that

feared she might

moment. As

my mind that my hand.

But no matter, she

plate

woman who

in a

it.

the studio, and

all

from the malady, the

woman who

gave

it

a

thought she might have

contracted the disease allowed the local station to replay

who really did have it, along with warnings from the experts who commented on it. And while the woman met was never the footage of the unfortunate individual

I

afflicted,

the enduring thought burned into the

memories

of audience members was that flesh-eating bacteria have come

to

your neighborhood!

Whenever

I

think about the flesh-eating disease,

the words of the television

"A

than

all

told

me:

worry never hurt anybody."

little

But

news producer who

hear

I

in fact, anxiety kills

more Americans each

the foreign viruses, electromagnetic

crashes,

fields,

and blown-up buildings put together

year

airplane

— through

high blood pressure, addiction, heart disease, hypertension, depression, and

With

all

all

the other stress-related ailments.

the risk and danger they bark at us, the

152

news

NO NEWS

AT ELEVEN

should simply open each evenings show by saying: "Wel-

come made those

Channel Two News; we're surprised you

to the it

through another

who

day. Here's

what happened

didn't."

Think of the times your mind just wouldn't

on something,

own bed

of

just couldn't stop tossing

stop

that exact

same energy given

wired to propel every it

fear,

chewing

and turning in

its

couldn't find peace. Recall your

nails, just

worst times in the mind and understand that the is

to

itself far

and nurtured

TV news

a billion dollars in resources,

and

near, inspired to dwell

as it spins

around the world

on

until

reaches terminal velocity.

The news media stimulated

mind

the rest of us If

that

a giant mind, a giant unquiet, over-

won't

let itself rest

— and won't

let

rest.

you had

has treated

is

a friend

you —

who

treated

calling every

you the way

TV

news

twenty minutes barking

—

new emergency drama you'd change your number. But when a national news anchor does it with his weighty intonations, we actually volunteer. It's a vast game about a

of telephone, an unleashed gossip

dam Hussein

said that

he

cousin dated an Afghan tal

where Richard Gere

knew

a

Muslim

He

details

at

whose

the hospi-

..."

arrives in the afternoon full

grisly

extremist

woman who worked

In millions of homes, the newscaster

pictures.

heard that Sad-

virus: "I

is

of frightening

a guest

tales

who

and gory

stays through dinner, enthusiastically adding

that

make

the kids wince,

153

and

he's

still

FEAR LESS

around

bedtime to

at

showing the

he's

slides

of

his

awful vacation, you slump to

only to find in the morning that he

sleep,

While

recite a scary story or two.

is

still

there,

eager and fast-talking, following you around the kitchen,

warning you about the dangers of for the fact that occasionally

important, you'd throw

ally

he

says

this

coffee. If

something

it

weren't

that's

actu-

guest from Hell out your

house.

Now, mind,

for a

moment imagine

nightmare could be

this

peaceful thought brings

and

safer life in the

me

easily

switched

unquiet

off.

That

to five guidelines for a happier

age of terrorism.

TERROR-FREE GUIDELINE Turn off the

that, unlike the

#1

sensational, uninspirational, uneducational,

privacy-meddling, death-peddling, celebrity-snooping, heli-

copter-swooping, flesh-eating, rumor-repeating, minicamtoting, fear-promoting If

tion, shall

we

turn

which

we

it

is

live?

off,

not

And

TV news.

then we can face the important queshow we might die, but rather, How

that

is

up

same suggestion

(This

children. See to talk to

Appendix

B

to us.

applies even

more

so to your

how

for other guidelines about

your children about terrorism.)

TERROR-FREE GUIDELINE #2 Keep the you

will

TV

—

news

off at least long

enough

that you're not missing anything,

154

to see

and

—

that

as

you

NO NEWS

AT ELEVEN

more courageous, more connected

are feeling happier,

the people you've chosen to have in your surprisingly, better

life,

to

and, perhaps

informed.

TERROR-FREE GUIDELINE #3 Get your information in

Read.

print.

Read Time magazine,

Stay informed by reading. U.S. If

News

you

&

World Report, or Newsweek, or the newspaper.

feel there's

an emergency (and you make that deci-

sion yourself as opposed to being told by reader), put

of the

or

on

story.

some news-

CNN or even the local news for one

You won't

miss a thing

—

unless

telling

you miss

feeling anxious.

Why reading so much healthier than watching the news? When you read something, you decide how scary is

or alarming or calming

it

will be.

You

get the information,

Your

but you decide what

it

will

intuition can consider

it

without the distraction of an ele-

vated heart

down

rate. If

you

like to

your

soul.

really

want

to see the buildings

you

don't,

you don't have

again, okay, but if

When

look

you read what someone has

written,

fall

to.

you get

the benefit of that person's having had a second to take a breath, a

chattering

chase

you

that driver

or just ror yet.

moment all

TV

to think.

news

personalities are

the time, they're watching the same freeway

are,

they don't

who

know

any better than you

won't pull over for police

someone who

hasn't

a

madman

looked in the rearview mir-

But unlike you, they have

asking the pilot of

is

if

Chopper

to

keep

talking,

keep

Six if he thinks the driver

155

FEAR LESS could have links to suspected terrorist mastermind

Osama

bin Laden.

when you watch

Unlike

the

TV

what someone has written, you don't out, ter

you don't have

when you

news, see

read

what they edited

to see the thoughts they thought bet-

of and rejected. You don't have to absorb what will be

TV

outdated just a minute from now,

when

the

reader reporting

on the overturned

oil rig

on the freeway

wishes he hadn't

said,

India, disaster

"This

is

news-

reminiscent of the Bhopal,

where thousands died from

a

chemical leak."

TERROR-FREE GUIDELINE #4 Get information

—

don't let information get you.

If you're interested in

the Internet, read about site,

ask a smart friend

reader

something, do research. Check

it,

go to

— but

a library,

don't let

look

some

you what's important. Be willing

tell

gossip of "developing stories"

and wait

at a

TV

of suggested resources. This

firm's

Web

list is

news-

to miss the

for the perspective

and caution of the newsmagazines. (See Appendix list

Web

also

A for a

provided on

my

site.)

TERROR-FREE GUIDELINE #5 Talk to people in your

TV

news

chummy

imitates

banter,

life

about world and local events.

human interaction, when in fact it is

interaction. Television connects illusion that

you

are

you

to

right

preventing

to the

human

nothing except the

connected to something.

156

down

By

contrast,

NO NEWS you can be connected co-workers; talk with

AT ELEVEN

your

to

friends, family, neighbors,

them about

emotions out, get your feelings

events,

cog in

to being a

feeds

upon your

Finally,

ceived and planned, a security

TV

tion the

needs to do

and

national security and the news:

I

want

of violence

acts

to speak for a

are

moment

con-

strictly

point of view about the kind of informa-

news provides too much

of.

To harm Amer-

little

work

intelligence

today.

A TV news story

the Arizona firm that has the nation's largest

profiles

sample of anthrax. Here

is

the

name of

the company, here

the outside of their building, and here are the

ers talking away, giving a

Nobody Pick a

guy air.

opposed

an enemy abroad or an enemy within the country

ica,

is

life, as

anxiety.

Knowing something of how from

your

a for-profit business that nurtures

word about

a

get clarity and per-

felt,

spective; in short, bring real life into

and thus get your

who

We

in

America

target,

two own-

tour of the inside of their

facility.

will shut up.

and here

are

its

inner workings, here's the

runs the place, here's a diagram, here

it is

from the

provide our appreciative enemies with things they

could never afford to get on their own,

Hoover Dam,

for example.

We

like aerial

photos of

don't give just the

list

of

we provide the intelligence information about each one ("How Utilities Are Beefing Up Security"). News reports advised us that the letter containing

targets,

anthrax that was sent to

no return

address.

The

Brokaw on September 16 had criminal paid attention, and by

157

FEAR LESS

October

9,

the letter he sent to Senator Daschle did have a

return address. After offering leads to hundreds of places where

men

could find anthrax, the

TV

news then

only one lab that could produce the place for Americans right

madwas

said there

vaccine —

now — and they

a critical

identified the

place and broadcast images of the actual building!

Many is

a free

intelligent folks will

Do we

really

want

befall us?

frightening

it is

want

to

know?

know every And do we want to

outcome

have experienced if

the argument that this

country and that Americans want to know. But

what do we could

make

it

chew on each

If a thing hasn't

we

not happening now, do

to then

where we might

to the point

happening?

frightening thing that

really

want

well

as

happened,

to live each

nightmare within our collective imaginations?

Maybe

the answer to these questions used to be yes, but

somewhere there

is

in

our shared experience of

terrible things,

an opportunity for Americans to reconsider our

old role in the news business. Terrorists seek publicity, the rest

of us seek shelter from uncertainty.

each unlikely risk risk

we

react to,

of being governed by

tyranny,

and every day we

the freedom

we

we

fear.

take

it,

We know

that for

on another fear

we move

earliest

fought several other wars to defend.

158

and the

Unwarranted

bow to

fought our

stories,

media seek

war

risk:

is its

the

own

further from

to

get

— and

THE NEWSSPEAK OF FEAR Television has

its

good

side

and

its

bad

side.

The good side is, it makes dictatorship impossible. The bad side is, it makes democracy unbearable.

— Shimon Peres

It

would

be interesting were applied

in Advertising

the standards of Truth

to television

news

TV

news writers would be required

to

phrases and words that convey accurate information

opposed to the phrases and words they use I

want

to help

that

may

(or

more

TV

news,

may

it

all

been watching so

would be understandable is

sensationalism. Occasionally, the

inherent in

way

something indicates that

on

it.

Accordingly,

we

are

some of is

the

delivered

ability to

laugh

beginning to gain per-

some of what 159

to overlook

TV news

can be downright funny, and, indeed, the

spective

today.

not) be part of a story.

the sheer ridiculousness that

at

as

easily find the valuable infor-

Given the disturbing reasons we've

much

use

—

you break the code of alarming news-

speak so that you can

mation

they

as

are to television commercials. In that unlikely

sometimes situation,

if

follows

is

funny,

FEAR LESS

and

have

I

very clear purpose in offering

a

it:

I

want

to

help change your experience of television news, to help

you

watch

actually

tools

you can use

it

differently

to ensure that

I

want

to provide

when you watch

some

TV news,

only actual information gets through.

Though

this glossary

is

not offered

some examples of words and

here are

as

comprehensive,

phrases

I

think you'll

quickly recognize.

"POSSIBLE" As

"Next

in,

between Saddam Hussein

up, possible links

and tooth decay"

The word one hopes

"possible" doesn't really have the specificity

for in journalism, given that

it

is

completely

when applied to anything anyone can possibly imagine. "A possible outbreak of. ." means there has been no outbreak. "A possible connection between memory accurate

.

loss

and the

air

you breathe

..."

means there

is

no con-

firmed connection. "Officials are

worried about possible attacks against

means there have been no such

." .

.

attacks.

Anytime you hear the word

possible,

it's

probably not

happening right now.

LINKS

"Next Charles

town

up,

possible

Manson and

links

between convicted murderer

yesterday's traffic

area."

160

jams in the down-

THE NEWSSPEAK OF FEAR

Are these two things linked? Absolutely, your

on

criteria

enough. Everything

is

you loosen

if

linked by

its

presence

the same planet with everything else at the same

ment

in time

— but only

a

mo-

very few links are instructive or

meaningful.

Links are a great news trick, because you can

tie a re-

mote, unconfirmed, or even unimportant story to something

that's really

bin Laden"

is all

pushing buttons. "Next up, possible links to

you have

to say to get attention these days.

Almost always when you hear the word confirmed

link,

there

is

no

link.

"OUR NATION'S" "Our "Our

nations water supplies,"

"Our

nations roadways,"

nation's shipping ports."

Phrases like these are used to imply a story.

be

"A new

a threat to

some

large scale to

our nation's water supplies" won't

threat to

our nation's anything.

Our

nation

mous. Nothing, not even nuclear bombs, poses to

all

When

of any system in our society

at

is

enor-

a threat

the same time.

they say "our nation's" anything, they are usually

trying to give grand significance to something that doesn't

have grand significance. they

A

said,

"A new

threat to

Doc

story about old

reservoir just isn't

could:

An

"Next

We

new

as

Klopp County's water

Ames's truck leaking

gonna

up, a

might not perk up

scare

up enough

threat to

much

if

supply."

oil into

the

But

this

ratings.

our nation's water supply.

alarming incident that experts say could happen any-

where!"

161

FEAR LESS

"SHOCKING NEW "Shocking Well, if

new

first

when we come

details

of

they are so

DETAILS" back."

the details are not likely to be new, and

all,

critical,

why

are

we

waiting

commercial, and anyway, what does shocking point? Unless the

and

my

pulls

after the

till

mean

at this

news anchor reaches through the screen

hair,

I

don't imagine he could shock me.

They've ruined another word for themselves.

AUDITORS, OBSERVERS, ANALYSTS, INSPECTORS,

LOOPHOLES "Auditors

cite

loopholes in security

to write reports identifying deficien-

Have you ever heard of

auditors didn't find

a

one-line audit report?

one damn thing

"We've wasted

six

months on

this inspection,

who

be

said,

because the

bloomin' perfect. Whoever's running

is

"The

that could possibly

improved." Did you ever hear of an inspector

place

libraries."

going to find something. Auditors are people

who've been hired cies.

our nation's

you have an audit or an inspec-

That's right, anytime tion, you're

at

this

show

sure thought of everything."

The

implication projected in a story about a security

loophole

is

loophole

— but

that

someone that

is

will

come

crashing through the

not necessarily

so.

They

(and the terrorists) about the loophole because ening, not because

it's

enlightening.

162

tell

it is

you

fright-

THE

"IN

NEWSSPEAK OF FEAR

A CAREFULLY WORDED STATEMENT"

"In a carefully worded statement, the President said Is this

distinct

from those statements

that

.

world leaders just

have the kids throw together? "Carefully worded"

used to imply that something

." .

is

often

being hidden.

is

"SERIOUS" be

"Officials consider the threat to

tinguish this threat

from the

serious."

threats they laugh

lunch? Taking something seriously does not is

great or imminent.

It

just

Is

means

that to dis-

about over

mean

officials are

the risk

doing what

anyone would do.

no chances when

"Officials here are taking

to school safety." Sort of.

More

likely,

it

comes

they're taking

no

chances that reporters will broadcast a report accusing

them of taking

chances.

"OFFICIALS ARE CLOSELY MONITORING" This implies that something

is

imminent, and worthy of

being closely monitored. "Closely monitoring" "Officials are that

on the lookout

something bad

is

for

surely

.

.

."

is

like

Both phrases suggest

coming,

as if officials

are

standing outside looking around with binoculars.

"COULD," "PERHAPS," "POTENTIAL," "MIGHT"

"NASA reports as

big

as

a

that a large piece

freighter

— could 163

of space junk

— perhaps

enter Earth's atmosphere

FEAR LESS

sometime tonight over North America. Experts warn it

that

could potentially slam into the earth."

What

are

or right?

left

we

do with

to

They

don't

Move

this report?

a little to the

of course, that every night,

say,

thousands of pieces of space junk enter Earth's atmosphere

and completely burn up before ever hitting the ground, or that

no person on earth

a piece

sand by the time tially

hit

Or

of space junk.

freighter before entry, it

has ever

it

I

killed

by

that if something's as big as a

might end up

as

small as a grain of

ground — but

reaches the

your house,

been struck and

it

could poten-

suppose.

"AN ALARMING PERCENTAGE" "Fifteen percent of Americans are at risk of being seriously

injured in car accidents

Whenever you

on our

nation's

highways

this year."

see a percentage cited, reverse

it

and

think about the other share in the equation. For example,

from the story above you can conclude Americans

are not at risk

that

85 percent of

of being seriously injured in car

accidents this year. Sort of

good news,

all

things consid-

ered. Also, phrases such as "a sizable percentage" or

"an

alarming percentage" can be applied to just about any percentage.

Get the

sizable or

"AS

actual

if

it's

alarming to you.

MANY

AS"

"Experts warn that in

number, and then you decide

as

many

as

twenty-five thousand people

America may be carrying the deadly gene

164

.

.

."

or "As

THE NEWSSPEAK OF FEAR

many

twenty

as

may be

states

susceptible to radiation-

leakage disasters."

"As many

number

"IN

as"

means somewhere between zero and the

given.

A DEVELOPING STORY"

A phrase

used

when

they don't really have the story yet.

FORMER EMPLOYEES "But one former employee

new

shocking

What was too truth?

doomed- refinery

does he reveal? That they fired ethical, or

Or

that

reveals

he knew fire,

all

along? Anyway, he wasn't there

is

he the best source of informa-

so

interviewed one

refinery in three

him because he

because they didn't want to hear the

tion? Truth in advertising

"We

the

information."

the night of the

say,

at

months

would

—

require the reporter to

man who his

hasn't

been

to the

opinion next."

LANGUAGE FROM ONE STORY BEING USED IN ANOTHER As certain words and phrases become symbolic or evocative

from one type of

the days after

story,

9/111 saw

they

storm making "a direct hit" on as if

the hurricane were aiming.

because

it

show up

in another. In

a TV news report about a tropical a tiny coastal

(And the word

implies vulnerability. Storms that

165

community, tiny

make

is

used

direct

FEAR LESS

hits

on

A story

tiny places are frightening bullies.)

experienced extreme turbulence

flight that

about

a

headlined

is

TERROR IN THE SKY.

"DEADLY" As

word

in the popular "deadly virus." This

imply that everyone truth

is

that very

who

a

It's

from the

fatal for

"Next

quite a bit shy of "deadly"

To put

20 percent of the

man

as

scary? Yes,

tion that

suspected).

weeks

when someone

many people and

all

United

as a

frightening thing.

the

anthrax in 2001.

as

more

States

Is

anthrax

so because of the implica-

where anthrax was found or

But you wouldn't

"New

details

tails

maybe, but not

TV

news,

time that

nega-

wasn't everywhere. Reports were everywhere.

It

report.

delivery:

tests

9/11, even a negative

after

the same report repeated seventy-five times

A

stricken

was everywhere (colored maps showing the

it

places in the

same

is

this into perspective, flu-related disorders killed

5,000 times

And

virus. If a really

up, a local

for a "deadly" virus was presented

still

the

highly survivable virus."

tive for anthrax, yet in the test

used to

when

then truth in advertising would

it,

require language such as

with

die

up being

contract

is

gets the virus perishes,

few people

serious virus ends

people

who

they'll

emerge

new

—

far

know

that

is still

in that anthrax case."

more

likely

be the same "new"

the

by the excited

De-

when you watch

details for the tenth

day.

storm

is

described

as

new

infor-

heading up the

coast."

deadly: "We'll have

mation on that deadly hurricane

166

that's

THE NEWSSPEAK OF FEAR

A

word

hurricane qualifies for the

when someone,

deadly

somewhere, on the hurricanes round-the-hemisphere jour-

ney

dies as a result

hurricane

of the storm. That does not mean the people

tries to kill all

the implication

—

that

something dangerous

You'll note that the people

tion far different

boat

at

"IN

die are usually in a situa-

from yours: They

above sea

on

are

A LAST-MINUTE DEVELOPMENT A SURPRISE DEVELOPMENT

time.

Or

they didn't

didn't get a

warn you about

interesting, since there are only

awful outcomes involving

warned

a small fishing at

home

level.

These usually mean they

is

who

that's

coming.

is

night off the coast of Peru, and you're

1,200 feet

"IN

encounters, but

it

human

it

." .

.

news crew yet,

which

two or three

there in actually

possible

beings that they haven't

us about yet.

"DISTURBING QUESTIONS" As

in "Disturbing questions have

safety

of our nation's

.

.

."

been

raised about the

Yes, the questions are disturbing.

They're disturbing everyone. Please stop raising them.

NEW STUDY REVEALS WARNS "EXPERTS FEAR "A

.

." .

."

.

.

Yes, reports

." .

.

NEW REPORT "EXPERTS WORRY

"A

and experts do seem to warn,

a lot.

167

fear,

." .

.

and worry

FEAR LESS

"EXPERTS SAY

IT'S

JUST

A MATTER OF

TIME

m

BEFORE

.

.

.

They

sure do.

"BUT

NEW YORKERS

FEEL

." .

.

Global conclusions drawn from man-on-the-street inter-

views represent

literally

nothing.

"New Yorkers feel terrified" move on"

—

it all

or

You can

edit a story into

"New Yorkers are ready to

depends upon which of the

five inter-

views you cut into the piece broadcast.

Here

two quotes brought back by one

are

NBC

News

crew:

you change your

"I think if

life,

Captain Frank Carver. "So the more routine, the better off

At

Pat's

cedes she's

we

kids in school.

apprehensive.

You

don't

we

continue our daily

all are."

Country Bakery still

they're winning," says

nearby,

Joann Charters con-

"It's a really

know

what's

scary feeling with

gonna happen,"

says

Charters.

To say:

accurately

summarize these quotes you'd have

"Some people

feel

one way and some people

feel

to

an-

other way. Back to you, Tricia."

Joann Charters

citing that

know

what's

scary:

because you don't

it's

gonna happen"

is

know

scary because

right on. That's

what's going to

not because you do know, not because danger

toward you, but because

TV

news

irrelevant.

it is

is

why

it's

happen — advancing

not.

stories like this are

You

"you don't

filler,

background,

static,

don't need a reporter and a video crew to

168

THE

NEWSSPEAK OF FEAR

bring you man-in- the-street opinions. There are

your

street

talk to

you can

get opinions from.

your friends and

Or you

men on

could just

family.

WARNING SIGNS Any

of warning signs implies great

list

risk.

I

recall a rash

of reports about carjacking in Los Angeles, and

warning

this list

of

signs:

Armed

stranger approaches car;

Taps on closed window;

Looks around

suspiciously.

And then they

offered the checklist of precautions, given

by an "expert on that?)

The

carjacking."

(Is

there a college course

on

checklist:

Keep doors locked; Don't

let strangers into

your

car;

Drive away.

This

OUT

IN

is

tantamount

to:

next

up,

criminals

who

hide

YOUR PURSE AND ROB YOU WHEN YOU GET HOME!

Warning

signs:

Purse

feels extra

Strange noises

heavy;

coming from

169

purse.

FEAR LESS

"OFFICIALS ADMIT" "Officials admit that the incident could have developed

into a full-fledged riot." In this context, admit

when

a reporter asked, "If police

scene,

and

hundred other

if a

developed into a

that

had never reached the

factors

had

an extraordinarily unlikely way,

in

means

full-scale riot?" Yes,

fallen into place

couldn't this have it

could have

— an

admission.

EXPERTS It

may seem you

but

that's far

edited, they

Would you

are getting expert advice

on the news,

The moment an

words

from

so.

might let

as

TV

a

expert's

are

well have been put in a blender.

news crew mediate your

doctor's

advice? Imagine being challenged by a difficult illness and

finding that your doctor's compassionate and complete thirty-minute presentation had been edited

down to

twenty-

three seconds. That's

what the

edited, mediated,

local

news brings you: expert opinion

and minimized by nonexperts

questions designed to

elicit

"Yes, yes, Dr. Stevens, but if rible,

wouldn't

who

ask

the most alarming responses. it

did

happen,

it

would be

ter-

it?"

NAMES, MONIKERS

When

the

criminal

news media

(e.g.,

assign a

nickname

to a

wanted

the Night Stalker, the Hillside Strangler) or

170

THE NEWSSPEAK OF FEAR

to a disease (Legionnaire's or flesh-eating diseases),

indicative of a hoped-for series of reports.

of crime (follow-home robberies), a trend

When not

is

it's

far

it

is

a type

behind.

For example, freeway shootings and "road rage" led to all

these headlines: aggressive drivers

FREE-FOR-ALLS,

ROAD RAGE: DRIVEN TO DESTRUCTION, HIGH-

WAY VIOLENCE SPREADING Next comes enough the

—

AN EPIDEMIC.

LIKE

"Officials

— you've got

House Subcommittee on Surface

somebody

(in this case,

and soon

concerned,"

are

with road rage

as

turn freeways into

committee

hearings before

Transportation, and

staff

member Jeff Nelli-

gan) calling the issue "a national disaster." Presumably, Mr.

Nelligan would tone that

found

I

a

down

new meaning for

of us having

TOLD YOU SO

An NBC News task force

story quotes a

on weapons of mass

not been interested."

someone on

a task force

about weapons? that if

force have

How

The intended

"We've been

destruction:

some

surprise there

listened, this at

could

some

all

college task

different? This

is

like

we had

an earth-

quake happening and earthquake experts saying,

warned you."

Yes,

quake sometime.

If

you

that

have been

to prevent anthrax scares? If

what would be

—

implication of these stories

could discussions

been used

a university

about weapons would be talking

someone had just

prevented.

listened,

there

Is

member of

and people in general have

talking about this for years,

is

a bit today, all

the words "national disaster."

did;

you

said there 'd

only we'd listened.

171

"We

be an earth-

FEAR LESS

DISASTER UNREADINESS

TV

In reporting these stories,

They

the

department

fire

X magnitude.

of

upping the

magnitude

disaster

they can handle a disas-

if

If the response

Here's an example from thirty hospitals in four states

them

lose.

ask hospitals or public-health officials or the utility

company or ter

newspeople cannot

is

yes,

they just keep

until the response

NBC

is

no.

News: "A survey of

and Washington, D.C., found

ill-equipped to handle a widespread biological dis-

aster."

A

guaranteed fear-inducer,

it

pokes right

at

our in-

security. First off, just asking the question implies that a

"widespread disaster" survey

is

coming, and

"new

part of a

the question itself

is

it's

even better

if

the

study," because that implies that

well founded.

is

Either way, the basic premise of the story hospitals currently able to handle

500

is

patients an

true: If

hour get

5,000 patients in some terrible hour, they will be unprepared.

The

standard of care will drop.

surprising about that?

cans assume there

an extra 5,000

is

fully

Do TV

some

Is

there something

newswriters think Ameri-

extra

team of 200 doctors and

equipped hospital beds waiting in their

community somewhere just out of

sight?

Indeed, hospitals are unprepared for what they have

never had to be prepared. Being able to deal with what predictably

comes down the pike and putting your resources

where they

An

are

most

likely to

be needed

emergency room would have

to trade

is

good planning.

some

daily-used

resource to be ready for mass casualties that don't appear to

be coming. Yes,

as

the world changes and events change,

172

THE NEWSSPEAK OF FEAR

so does preparation

— but expecting

be

hospitals to

fully

prepared, for example, to treat thousands of inhalation

anthrax casualties in thirty years

One

when

would

been just

there's

constitute

a

few

lethal cases

bad planning.

can make an "unprepared" story about anything

—

America's police are unprepared for a "widespread crime disaster";

our supermarkets are unprepared for

spread food shortage."

face

cial's

and ask

if he's

microphone

a

"wide-

how you

depends upon

word "widespread." Put

the

on

It all

a

define

some

in

offi-

adequately prepared for an attack

the harbor by Godzilla, and you've got an unreadiness

story.

"WILL NEVER BE

FORGOTTEN"

"Being stuck in the elevator for

six days

Betty Hamilton will never forget." This ure of

how

serious an incident

imagine she was going to forget an elevator for

THE

six days,

but

it?

an experience

used

as a

meas-

was, but did anyone "I think

can't quite

I

was stuck in

remember."

WRAP-UP

Pay attention to the very rarely

open last

I

it

is

is

last line

summaries but rather for

more

reports.

news

reports.

are designed to

Most

bite at the fear apple,

tainty

in

They

are

keep the story

often, the closing line takes a

one

and worry. "Many here

ever be safe," "Fear continues

final effort to

are left its

add uncer-

wondering

tight grip

on

if it will

this tiny

community," "Whether more will die remains to be seen."

173

FEAR LESS In the world of

TV

news, frightening stories never end.

We never hear the words "And that's that."

Let's

put a few of these newsroom strategies together into

and see

a story

news

report,

I'll

my

pened

to

injured

when

how

looks.

it

basis for

draw on something

assistant.

a

As the

dog

mock TV

our

that actually hap-

her wrist was

Earlier this year,

bit her.

THE TEASER "Next

The bone-crushing power of

up, dogbites!

Experts warn that even friendly dogs can

without provocation.

And they're

ernment study estimates

as

bite,

everywhere.

many

three

as

dogs.

sometimes

A new gov-

hundred dogs

per square mile, with the numbers climbing each year.

How many

backyards in your neighborhood are hiding a

deadly menace? We'll

we come

tell

you what experts

say

— when

back."

THE STORY

"A shocking little

bite

from the dog everyone described

angel leaves one area

Dog-jaw

much

experts say that even a small

as five

the rate at

before

woman

dog can produce

hundred pounds of biting

which dogs breed,

more people

it's

174

force,

A former

as

and given

just a matter

are placed at risk.

with the Department of Health

as a

nursing her wounds.

of time

employee

says hospitals are

unpre-

THE

NEWSSPEAK OF FEAR

pared for a major increase in dogbites, and closely

monitoring

threat to

this situation that

officials are

could pose

a

deadly

our nation's neighborhoods. Disturbing questions

have been raised about loopholes in the licensing system,

and observers point out

who

bite can receive

and be released into neighborhoods."

licenses

WRAP

THE

that dogs

UP

many local residents are living in fear: 'You never know when somebody is walking their dog no

"It's

right

surprise that

behind you. We're

scared.' Officials say links

between

the recent dogbite and one that occurred in the tiny

town

of Ames, Iowa, have not been confirmed, but either way, a

it's

nightmare few will ever forget.

And one

that

many

fear will

not be over in the morning."

Coming

to understand these popular phrases

and

strategies,

and being able to see around them, has made

me

appreciate

those

news

Since

many newspeople

stand out as If lots

reports that are direct, clear,

all

the

you watch

more

TV

of your own.

sionally enjoyable part that in itself will

use these tricks, those special

and

who do

not

valuable.

news, you're probably going to spot

of sensationalizing

start a list

and informative.

tactics I've missed,

If finding

and maybe even

them becomes an occa-

of your news-viewing experience,

be great news.

175

10

FROM THE LIMITS OF COMPASSION

FAR

Me Me Me Me

my brother; my brother against my family; and my family against my tribe; and my tribe against the world. against

and

— African proverb COMES UNINVITED WHEN CHANGE many —

people

want things back the way they used

I

as it

on 9/11

it's

not surprising that to be.

things to be better than they used to be.

don't.

I I

we

mind. Just

as

when and

get

rest.

And

awake

real rest requires

re-

peace of

with our bodies, our minds are most healthy

this cycle

rest,

some

want

believe that

requires us to stay awake. Ironically, remaining quires that

did

is

completed each and every day: peace

stimulation and action, peace and rest again.

For us to

rest well,

everything that torments us about

what happened must be placed

in

within our minds or hearts. In

this

some compartment chapter,

I

want

to

explore our confidence and lack of confidence in law-

enforcement agencies, and discuss what

we

expect from government. But

a question that

first,

176

there

is

can

fairly

FROM

FAR

deeply troubles

still

would do such so

THE LIMITS OF

many Americans: What kind of people

thing to us, and

a

why do

they hate us

much? Even the question

violence

enhance

to

actual safety)

lence

instructive, for

it calls

my

is

a puzzle.

is

the perpe-

many

think of

mystery, sometimes the greatest contribution

as a

make

can

is

"people" and not "monsters." Since

trators

I

COMPASSION

so often that

I

their feeling

refusal to call

it

of

safety (and their

a mystery. Rather, vio-

have seen the pieces of

I

may

recognize

puzzle

this

them sooner than some

my main job now is just to get them on the Only by understanding those who intensely frighten

people do, but table.

us

do they cease being the omnipotent,

alien

monsters of

our nightmares.

Often tors

of

we

use the

word inhuman

terrible acts, but

they are not

inhuman

I

to describe perpetra-

know many

— they

such people, and

are precisely

human. Their

violent acts were merciless and inhumane, to be sure, but

not inhuman.

When

a

bank robber shoots

a security guard,

understand why; but with something resist

9/11,

the concept of a shared humanness. That's because us

and them leaves

is

far

more comfortable. But

"them" with power over

them monsters. As every fying,

overwhelming,

possible to defeat. that

like

we all many

— and

at

To

the characterization

us, particularly if

we

call

child knows, monsters are terri-

relentless, merciless, call a

and nearly im-

man a monster is

to give

him

all

the same time to stop understanding him.

Scientists, after

all,

do not observe

177

a bird that destroys

its

FEAR LESS

own

eggs and

"Well, that never happens; this

say,

monster." Rather, they correctly conclude that

is

just a

if this

bird

some

rea-

Though anthropologists have long focused on the tinctions among people, it is recognizing the sameness

dis-

did

it,

others also might and that there must be

some

son,

cause,

allows us to lence.

some

most

predictability.

effectively

understand and prevent vio-

Accepting someone's humanness does not mean

excusing his behavior, of course. This lesson starkest

lent

when you spend

the ones

couldn't have

probably

is

time with the world's most vio-

and dangerous people, the ones you might

sters,

several times

—

to learn.

explored more fully in to share the

mon-

call

who committed acts you might think you imagined. Many of them are locked up at

Atascadero State Hospital in California, where

them

that

words of

Some of

TTze Gift of Fear,

a

woman who

I

visited

the lessons are

but for

works

at

now I want Atascadero.

After a pet that the patients had cared for died, she wrote to

me As

about what she observed:

I

many

sat in

my

watching the

office

guilty of brutal crimes,

most

patients,

all

felons,

lost in a variety

of

addictions (you choose), mental illness (pick one), and

regarded

as

the

bottom of the

of compassion,

humanity most these

a bit

men

are exactly

society

less

saw a glimmer

is

men

lack (and in

true that the majority of

where they belong;

to unleash

would be unthinkable, but we cannot

disregard their humanness, because if

we become

I

of emotion, and the glimpse of

that society believes these

situations, they do). It

them on

barrel,

human

in the process.

178

we

do,

I

believe,

FAR

FROM

THE LIMITS OF

Brutal acts have within

them

COMPASSION power

the

to take us to

the limits of our compassion; being victimized can lead to

our wishing to victimize others. Those sad

not

results are

written in stone, however, and the tragedies of Septem-

ber

seem

11

who

many Americans

For example, even while fighting

place. istan,

to have brought

we

a

and

people caught in the its

enough

wonder

—

When

crossfire.

and accidentally

target

family must

if

in spite

kills

Americans

are monsters.

of something wonderful in

When I

I

us.

visited

to Austria for a

ground zero

at

the

if it

is

in

World Trade Center,

who

visit.

had

lost a

That was the

official

we were humanized as subject to

was arrang-

parent in the tragedy first

time

heard of foreign aid for American children.

rest

And

is

people.

ing to bring children

seen us

—

for such accidents

learned that an Austrian government

ized,

That we

of what happened to us on 9/1 1

itself a sign all

bomb

an Afghan child, her

government accountable

in

services to help

an American

to hold our

it is

Afghan-

of the United States and

citizens

Canada have donated money, time, and

us,

in

our enemies. The military has provided food

to the starving,

care

war

have carefully considered the suffering of people

are not

misses

to a different

I

had ever

When victim-

world that had never

to a

the same pains and traumas

really as

the

of the international community. Truly vulnerable and

hurt for the

first

time,

we

received compassion from other

countries, perhaps also for the

the worst of

human

what people can

first

time.

As often happens,

behavior brought forth the best of

be.

Are we destined to forever experience such extremes of

179

FEAR LESS cruelty and kindness? In

correspondences,

one of

most remarkable

history's

and Sigmund Freud

Albert Einstein

asked the same question, and their answer letter

and

is

yes. Einstein's

concluded that "man has in him the need to hate

destroy."

adding that

In his reply, Freud agreed "unreservedly,"

human

egories: "those

which seek

instincts

which seek

to destroy

nomenon of we could call

could be divided into two cat-

and

to preserve

and

kill."

He

unite,

and those

wrote that the phe-

from these two

(which

life

evolves

love

and fear) acting together and against each

instincts

other.

A Native American parable expresses the truth about us in simpler terms: "Inside of evil

and one good. The

time.

Which dog

evil

wins?

by the

there are

I

dogs,

fight

all

feed the most."

which dog we

shall

modern humans

fact that

two

dog and good dog

The one

individual decision about plicated

me

feed

is

are the

one the

Our com-

dazed

survivors of a continuous, five-million-year habit of lethal aggression.

Though we

live in

we we

space-age times,

have stone-age minds. In addition to the qualities

be proud

of,

we

are competitive

and domineering

— Americans

and

territorial

still

can

and greedy

and Middle Easterners

And we are violent. There are people who insist this so, who insist they could never harm anyone, but they

alike. isn't

invariably add a telling caveat: "Unless, of course, a person tried to

harm my

stab, shoot,

child."

Then

that peaceful soul

bludgeon — whatever

it

might take

her child. So the resource of violence that changes

is

our view of the justification.

180

is

would

to protect

in everyone. All

FROM

FAR

THE LIMITS OF

At the end of the a

hundred people

way

as

day, the

Both

This idea

American bomber who

in Iraq decides to use violence the

the Palestinian

in Israel.

COMPASSION

feel

bomber who

kills a

so.

readers, but a true

standing of violence requires that

we

politics,

even the seductive concepts of right and wrong

and see

straight to the center

see every battle

—

of our humanness.

at least for a

moment

— from

of the enemy warship, because each person has perspective, his

how much

ter

under-

not make value judg-

ments. True understanding requires us to see past past

same

hundred people

completely justified in doing

may bother some

kills

own it

to act

on

fication

may

differ

the deck his

own

own justification, no matfrom ours. And that brings us this to us.

Atta and the other 9/11 hijackers were able

their personal hatred

from the usual

belief, religious belief.

the most

must

reality, his

back to the question of what kind of people did

Mohamed

We

—

common

but they never

and

desires

by

stealing justi-

suspects: ideology, justice, political

Throughout

history, these

have been

reasons offered to explain violence

really

In recent months

do explain

we

—

it.

have taken the enormous power

of our collective pain and fear and have given

it

to a

new

bogeyman: the Muslim fundamentalist, the Middle Eastern

terrorist.

Oh, some

will say,

more dangerous than anyone

we

else,

are evil, they are far

they are an adversary

have never seen before, they are diabolical,

unstoppable. Sure, killer, all,

"They

we

have our

but these Middle Eastern

they intended to die."

181

own American

as

brilliant,

brand of

terrorists are fanatics. After

FEAR LESS

who

So did the two boys

shot thirty-six people at

Columbine High School before comrnitting Could

it

be that the same kinds of motivation that lead

to horrific acts

by alienated Americans

by extremists from the Middle East? Yes,

he was

true that

religious, yes,

Mohamed

which he couldn't important.

wanted an wanted

suicide.

he was

motivate acts

also

Of course. political,

Atta wanted attention.

He wanted identity. He

to feel

it is

Not

in

He wanted

but in death.

take,

but

to feel rich, just like the

life,

be

to

dominant and male.

and some of

also

He

his co-conspirators

Americans and Saudis

they hated.

They

strip clubs.

Ideology and religion are usually a distant sec-

ond

deep desire to right one's personal experience

of

to the

hired limousines, drank alcohol,

Atta objected to a $48

manager asked feelings

if

he was short of

bill at a restaurant,

the

cash. Atta's reply reveals

of insignificance that existed long before he em-

braced someone

else's

ideology.

money," he boasted. "I'm an

"No,

I

airline pilot."

have plenty of

As he displayed

he may have

fifty-

and hundred-dollar

for a

moment, but never important enough

pointed father

who

'doctor' in front of

bills,

told him, "I

felt

important

to the disap-

need to hear the word

your name," the father

who

thought

son had earned a master's degree in engineering

he hadn't, the father raised "like a girl"

by

to

injustice.

When

his

went

telling family

who

complained that

and referred to Atta and

members,

Little surprise that this

"I

have three

his

his

when

son was

two

sisters

girls."

boy remained awkward with

182

FROM

FAR

women

whole

his

COMPASSION

THE LIMITS OF

life.

Little surprise that the

man who

had few or no intimate relationships on earth was drawn heroism would bring him the

to the promise that his

women

of beautiful

affections

Mohamed

in heaven. Emasculated

Atta sought to assert his unasserted maleness

through taking on the world's greatest power. Insignificant

Mohamed Atta became The same

search for significance

the fastest

is

Henry Abbott aration

way

part of the motiva-

like

kill,

to get identity.

because vio-

Murderer Jack

describes the "involuntary pride and exhil-

convicts feel

all

and foot us for a

is

all.

some young gang members who

tion for

lence

significant after

when

they are chained up hand

The world has focused on somebody capable of threatening

dangerous animals.

moment.

We

are

the world."

man who needed to feel capable of When the Unabomber was still at large, each time a new bomb exploded, he was called diabolical, brilliant, unstoppable. He was outsmarting everyRecall another

threatening the world.

one,

and

it

we

seemed all felt

— law enforcement could not

powerless.

When he was finally identified, pictured Ted Kaczynski

He

"genius."

was so

on

both Time and Newsweek

their covers using the

praised, perhaps, because

under the radar for so long; but under the

radar.

frightening.

He

Once was

he was smelly and kill

and

find him,

maim

revealed,

a pathetic

lonely,

that's

word

he flew

where he

lived:

Ted Kaczynzki was hardly

man who

and except for

lived in a shack; his willingness to

people by remote control, he was not

183

FEAR LESS important to anyone. parcels,

He

assembled bombs, put them in

and mailed them; the Postal Service delivered them,

people opened them; some exploded, some

some

killed their targets,

didn't.

some

didn't;

don't agree that this took

I

genius.

Genius Pain

is

not behind the

of September

acts

1 1

,

either.

Cultural pain, historical pain. Certainly, religious

is.

ideology, politics, and fanaticism are part of 9/11, and certainly the attacks like

were

more conventional

draw attention

of war. They were not

acts

some cause or

to

plight.

September

the choice to pursue destruction that was an

But

it

tense,

unhappy, judgmental,

everyone

am

I

own

humanness.

said,

"When

Atta

may hold it

may be

Carl Jung it

list

of mass

can be understood.

too early for most of us to think about

Mohamed

Atta

Nobody

is.

is

not beyond the limits

Being compassionate

is

—

we do for Atta he is out of this equasomething we do in our own interest because

not something

humanizing another person standing.

on an awful

He

not unique.

of our compassion.

is

as

his

not made conscious,

is

the top position

is

forgiveness, even

tion. It

he hid from

as fate."

but he

Though

us. Just as

know? Because

I

an inner situation

appears outside

killers,

do

itself.

from himself, from

certain he hid

How

end in

was

I

was to

to himself than he else,

1 1

am certain that angry, intolerant Mohamed Atta was

was also about personal pain.

no kinder

designed to

terroristic expressions,

When

it

required whether

comes

we want

is

the only route to real under-

to an

enemy, understanding

is

to forgive him, befriend him,

or defeat him.

184

FROM

FAR

The

COMPASSION

question of what kind of people would do hate-

ful things to us is

THE LIMITS OF

begs another question:

Who

is

us?

And who

them?

We're a nation that has had

we

good

so

it

nearly forgot there could be adversity

for so long that

on

a

grand

scale.

We worry about having enough money in the bank; many people around the world have no such worries, for they have no

money and no

We

ous worries.

banks.

hate us for our luxuri-

think about getting our kids through

school with good grades. parts

They

Many

parents in conflict- torn

of the Middle East think about getting their kids

through childhood

alive.

Our money

in the bank, our

medical technology, our insurance, our well-maintained roads,

our always-available police, our powerful military

that doesn't

push us around

—

these are things

mand. Resources we could not imagine luxuries that

living

we

de-

without are

most people on earth could not imagine

liv-

ing with.

Why would

anyone hate us? Millions of people in the

Middle East have spent

their lives

with the things

rienced for just a few minutes: smoke, rubble, instability, uncertainty,

building often has it

down during

And

on

it

even has our

flag

on

dust,

mangled metal a

bombed-out

As bombs rained

it.

the Gulf War, Americans a

video on the evening news,

we

went

to the mall

few minutes of

interesting

barely experienced the

deaths of tens of thousands of people.

more

fire,

expe-

something written in English;

and out to dinner. Other than

Iraq lost

the

might find when playing in

a child in Iraq

sometimes

explosions.

we

By most

estimates,

sons and brothers and fathers in twelve

185

FEAR LESS

weeks than we is

lost in

Vietnam

in twelve years,

country with one-tenth our population.

a

from our experience

suffering

in

and Iraq

We

are

still

Vietnam; people are

still

work through The their pain and bitterness. people of Iraq are no less wounded or bitter, maybe more so, since they experienced writing books and songs and movies to

by

a humiliating defeat

a nation that barely

even paid

most often children

who make

attention.

In the Middle East,

up

casualty

lists.

it is

At the

start

of our war and subsequent

boycott against Iraq, a few hundred children younger than five

were

killed each

month by

and diarrheal

nutrition,

now more

respiratory infections, mal-

illnesses.

than five thousand

The shameful number

is

per month. In Sarajevo,

almost one child in four has been wounded.

A UNICEF

survey found that

more than

half of the children in Bosnia

have been shot

by

and 66 percent have been in

situation

at

snipers,

where they thought they were about

to die.

a

Over

the past decade, about 2 million children have been killed in

armed

that

conflicts

number have been

have been cuts

around the world, more than double

and

disabled,

and more than 12 million

made homeless — while we worried about

interest rates,

and

who

tax

might win an Academy

Award.

We have

(myself included) been out of touch with most

of the people on our small planet. Other people's wars are often

little

more than geography

None of what I am ideology, or politics. tributes

enormously

I

sharing

know to

is

lessons to Americans.

about right or wrong, or

very well that America con-

millions of people around the

186

.

FAR world, and

FROM

am proud

I

COMPASSION

THE LIMITS OF

much of what we

of

do. In point-

ing out both sides of our international reputation,

one purpose:

just

to answer the question of

hated by so many. Einstein force. It I

want

have

I

why we

are

"Peace cannot be kept by

said,

can only be achieved by understanding." Like you,

to understand.

America has

its

own

troubles,

of course,

many of them

very serious, but even on our worst days, most of our

young people were not tember

of being killed

afraid

people can get

us,

have

demon-

people can get used to great prosperity

as well.

used to great

and

strife,

Americans came

our

as

easier times

to believe that if

we

could just surround

upon

ourselves with the right walls and moats, just rely

government, just spend security

would be

money on

ensured.

But

the right things, our

all

we

can get are brief

periods of freedom from insecurity. True security

only in the heart.

remember

that

hardened by

lives in

From time

as

you long

hearts

which

safety

as

we

all

do,

is

a distant

dream

— and

part of their suffering.

men

work out

their personal

will plan acts

of enormous

will try to

A

few

of

us.

violence. Nearly

all

of them will

Today, they are even

more

it,

found

around the world have been

rest

are

for

is

to time in our future, desperate, envious,

angry, hate-filled

on the

When

many

they see America

pain

Sep-

until

1 1

As our hardest times have shown

strated,

—

more

fail, as

likely to

likely to recognize

they usually have.

fail,

because

them before they

have the makings of a precaution

that,

if

act.

now we

We

applied early

enough, has the power to make friends of people

187

also

who

FEAR LESS

might otherwise have become caution

is

terrible enemies.

pre-

compassion.

There's another population that sion: public officials.

struggling with

it

it is

our compas-

a totally

official disappoints

seems

government. That concept

—

entitled to

new world, new expectations, new rules.

risks,

elevated expectations,

school days

is

They, too, are in

new

The moment some

we

our outrageously

forget that

isn't just

a

we

cliche

are the

from our

the truth. Today's senior official

is

yes-

campaign manager. Don't expect superheroes.

terday's

We will feel safer when we government leader

is

abandon the notion

Captain America. As you

many people

terrorism, It's

That

in

government probably

that any

felt fear felt

of

more.

understandable that mayors and governors and federal

were

officials

afraid in

2001

—

afraid

of making mistakes, and afraid of you.

of terrorism,

One

official

afraid

we

ex-

pected perfection from in 2001 was the attorney general,

our top law-enforcement the Justice

John led

to

become one of

That's not the

on

we may

being, a minister's son

him

who

directs

Department and the FBI. But Attorney General

Ashcroft, whatever

human

person

officer, the

background

feel

whose

about

his politics,

is

a

love of gospel music

the best singers in the Senate. that

makes someone an expert

threats or terrorism or security.

He

isn't a

Green Beret

commando who rappels to work each morning; he is a man doing the best he can in a situation unlike any he has ever faced

— and

that will

show from time 188

to time.

FROM

FAR

THE LIMITS OF

COMPASSION

The moment we expect humanness have a chance to

the

is

moment we

and impressed by our lead-

feel surprised

Conversely, our expectations of perfection are merely

ers.

preplanned resentments, and

them,

we

shall

long

we hold on

as

to

continue to be disappointed.

many were

For example, the FBI.

as

They questioned

disappointed in the

the competence of several agen-

Where was

CIA? Where was

cies after

September

the INS?

Why were these hijackers allowed into

1 1

:

try? Isn't the fact that the

CIA and

the

the coun-

9/11 conspirators weren't stopped

an enormous oversight on the part of the FBI?

No, blame

not. That's the short answer.

it is

is

a popular pastime for

assume there

New

Angeles or

TV commentators, let's look

York

is

major bank robbery in Los

a

City.

The

police departments in

these cities have large intelligence divisions.

ever in your

have

let this

didn't they

assigning

with some perspective.

at this issue First,

Though

life

heard anyone

about

"How

Where were

robbery occur?

know

say,

Still,

have you

could the cops

the police?

Why

mean, the robbers bought the

it? I

masks just two days before the robbery, right in downtown. They bought two of the guns they used just ago.

And one

of them has

a police record!

How

a

week

could the

police not have been watching these people?"

Understand is

that the

Los Angeles Police Department

twelve thousand strong, with a jurisdiction covering

about 3 million people. cial agents,

and

many people You have

as

The FBI

a jurisdiction

has twelve thousand spe-

covering a hundred times

as

Los Angeles.

never heard people blaming the police after

189

FEAR LESS a

bank robbery, because our expectations of

more reasonable than our expectations of FBI has been so be

certainly isn't part its

bee's nest

is

it

not part of humanness, and

it

of our criminal-justice system

of investigative

is

The

the FBI.

Americans expect

effective at times that

flawless. Flawlessness

local police

— with

restrictions, civil-liberties issues,

and other challenges one doesn't see in movies and

TV

dramas.

Many major

criminal cases are solved

as

the result of

coincidences and unrelated police inquiries. For example,

though the

lots

of

Son of Sam

ticket.

killer

The Unabomber

ognized

his

work paid

effective investigative

These

later,

got caught because of a parking got caught because a relative rec-

handwriting.

his handwriting.)

off

(It

was the FBI's idea to publish

are cases

where crimes had

already

occurred, but law enforcement's role in stopping crimes before they can occur

Something

really

is

far less

developed.

hard for some people to absorb in

the case of most of the 9/11 hijackers

is

that even

had

they been under surveillance in the days and weeks prior to the hijackings, even

moment

the very

had they been under surveillance

they boarded the

flight,

at

even had they

chanted anti- American slogans the whole way through the airport, arrest

law enforcement might not have had grounds to

them.

The

nature of effective conspiracy

done out of view

struction

is

until the

moment

spiracies, unless a

a plan

is

is

that

its

core con-

— and remains out of view

executed. As with

many con-

key insider becomes an informant and

provides clear, well-supported information, there

190

is

often

FROM

FAR

little

THE LIMITS OF

COMPASSION

reason to assume law enforcement will be able to act

decisively.

Also, there

make

to

between taking police action

a difference

is

a case that sticks

and police action intended

when

to stop a crime. Historically,

by police action in ways tion, there it

was

all

that

crimes were stopped

impeded

successful prosecu-

kinds of public outcry.

We seem to want

both ways: Prevent crime, and get convictions

though the two goals Yes,

some of

or even arrested.

are often at odds.

the 9/11 hijackers had warrants or other

Mohamed

he would

immigration tioned

at

in the

status that

same

he met the

Had he been

officials,

who

it

after

—

he had an

was ques-

determined

be readmitted into the country.

criteria to

arrested

situation. Yes,

was questionable, and

length by immigration

a traf-

Had he been

have been released soon

also

you would be

just as

had

Atta, for example,

warrant for driving without a license.

arrested,

that

— even

grounds for which they could have been detained

legal

fic

solely

on the

traffic

warrant, and had the

questions about his immigration status been pursued again, the result Yes,

would

likely

some of the 9/11

government's watch

United

have been exactly the same.

lists,

were added

information

but they had already entered the

known

we

to the

can identify

available to theorize that

known

to

pieces of

9/11 that

was enough infor-

someone might someday

try to fly a jetliner into a building, but

of what was

many

government prior

a great deal today. Indeed, there

mation

to federal

States at that point.

Indeed, in retrospect,

mean

terrorists

I

have studied

much

to various agencies prior to 9/11,

191

and

FEAR LESS in the world the

have put taken

it

way

tigators.

recall

of the planes from being

States has a system

intentionally limits the

of

all

unreasonable.

is

The United

fact

was then, expecting someone to

it

together and stop

I

it.

am

power of law-enforcement

not judging

For example,

of criminal justice that

as

it

good or

when we

bad, just stating the

think to blame the FBI,

the case of Zacarias Moussaoui, the

arrested after they learned he

inves-

wanted

man

agents

to learn to fly but

not take off or land. Well, agents sought to search

home and conduct

work

other investigative

2001, but they were turned

down

because

it

in

his

August

was believed

there was not sufficient probable cause for a search war-

—

(We Americans care about details like that Much of what we now know about Moussaoui was rant.

a lot.)

devel-

oped because the second time agents submitted the request to

conduct searches,

after

it

was granted.

9/11, and everyone

knew what

Why?

Because

Could they have worked together more

— and we

have prevented

all

was

they knew.

Are there things many agencies could have done

solutely

it

are learning a lot.

better?

effectively?

Could they

Ab-

likely

the 9/11 conspirators from committing

destructive acts? Absolutely not

— not

the

way

the world

was then.

To put

this

most

starkly,

imagine that bin Laden himself

New York Times on September 10 and "Tomorrow my people are going to hijack four com-

had telephoned the said,

mercial jetliners at the exact same time and crash

them

into

both of the World Trade Towers, the Pentagon, and the

White House."

We

still

wouldn't have prevented the events

192

FROM

FAR

from occurring.

Even

ously.

high

so-called

all

alert,

things

were then, we would not have

Arab-looking passengers from boarding

on every that's

be completely assured o£

safety.

am

nation

plane, or

what

it

grounded

flights,

would have taken

and tomorrow than in the

Because now, nothing

beyond our

is

air-

all

past.

to

more

certain that law-enforcement officials can act

effectively today

on

would not have prevented the

it

— and

I

caller seri-

reacted by placing airline screeners

placed federal agents craft in the

COMPASSION

wouldn't have taken such a

The way

hijackings.

prevented

We

we

if

THE LIMITS OF

Why?

collective imagination;

because now, regular citizens and those in various govern-

ment

agencies are starting to provide the kind of informa-

tion to law enforcement that can be pieced together in a

cohesive way; because now, millions

more Americans than

ever before are supporting the prevention of violence,

which means the options of the FBI and other agencies

are

already far greater than they have ever been.

don't advocate that

I

eral

government, and

silenced.

But

I

I

we

give blind support to the fed-

don't believe any dissent should be

do suggest

that a climate

of cooperative

exploration will produce far better results than we'll get

with blame and misplaced outrage. In the days following 9/11,

FAA

I

official:

knives

and

recall a

TV

commentator angrily interviewing an

"How

on board?"

I

in the

world did these hijackers get

thought to myself, "Order the

a flight attendant will

bring you one." At that time,

there were hundreds of knives

way — and fact

from

it's

not

as if

steak,

on board every

flight

government had been hiding

us.

193

anythat

FEAR LESS

With

regard to the

FAA, most of the people who made

decisions that disappoint us today have

agency for as

years.

Blame

been gone from the

doesn't increase safety, and as far

I'm concerned, the current administrators and senior of the

officials

FAA

ber 11, 2001. Let's

with

started

a clean slate

work with them

to

make

on Septemthings better

in future Septembers.

Since I've encouraged greater understanding and passion for our enemies, and for our

want

to extend

some

slack to

TV

the media.

Remember, we have

we're watching

We've different

to the

all

now.

same

TV news;

been through Let's

like lots

of people in

other,

I

we

take a break

day.

all

are

and not go back

counterproductive gotten so used

We've got plenty of enemies around the world about, and if

it all

and many things

different,

we'd

fright-

to see scary stuff only

divisive, attention-seeking,

that

also

I

was outraged

they have to see

a lot,

keep them

on one another

attacks

who

on board. She was probably

ened by what had just happened, just

when

leaders,

news producers and

newsreaders, including the interviewer that knives could get

own

com-

to.

to think

from chewing on one an-

think we'll find cooperation to be the most effec-

tive route to safety.

During

my

career, I've sat across the table

and seen

fear in

the eyes of public figures, in the eyes of assassins, death-

row

inmates, soldiers, rape victims, battered

women, and

police officers. I've discussed fear with a president

194

who

was

FROM

FAR

with another

shot

at,

who

was

killed,

who

was

The

widow of one

who was stabbed at a sportwho grew up surrounded by

fear I've seen has

when unmasked since

with the

hit,

with an athlete

ing event, and with children violence.

COMPASSION

THE LIMITS OF

September

worn

11, we've

seen

all

thousand

but

faces,

yours and mine — and

the same as

it is

a

it

at

some point

in

most

of the people we've encountered.

we

Just as

can find compassion for those

who

and for those

trauma that ized.

we

know what

didn't

still

What we

mind, and

it is

we

hate us

we

serve in government, so, too, can

find compassion for ourselves. fear, just fine that

who

It is

just fine that

we

felt

canceled some plans, just fine that

to

we

how to react to a terrible Our nation has been terror-

do or

seems unreal.

of

lost at the start

this

war was our peace of

time to take back that beachhead.

may be some benefit in consciously feeling our fear for just one more moment, because fear can carry us closer to the truth of who we are. When we are frightened, our options multiply enormously. Ideas we Before

do, there

might never have entertained that willingness to

tunity

—

do things

the privilege

—

to

are suddenly considered. In

differently resides the

change our

might not have in the absence of

fear.

oppor-

ways

we

Anyone who

has

lives in

beaten cancer or heart disease sees the world differently today than a

at

the

moment

the doctor

sat

them down, drew

long breath, and spoke the words that started a

You may know such For our country, lives,

we

all

a person. at

You may be such

the exact

began new ones.

moment we

We

195

are

new

life.

a person.

lost so

many

changed and chang-

FEAR LESS ing

and

still,

with

just as

a person, a nation

more extraordinary or can I

back into

slip

can become

old ways.

its

Now

spoke in chapter 2 about the death of denial.

I

turn to the denial of death. Ernest Becker wrote a Pulitzer

Prize-winning book by that Death lay unopened could

copy of Denial of

a

bedside for two years.

denial of denial of death.

call this

reading that wonderful

my work

my

at

and

title,

book was doubly

me

has always required

to

look

That

You

delayed

I

ironic given that at

the possibility

of death, even the architecture of death. Millions of Amer-

had

icans have

do the same thing since September

to

and many have accepted death and

risk in

1 1

ways they never

had before. This venture

is

the same

full

of

peril

and

media encourage us

camped

accepting

as

to

full

go

of

life,

for

life is risk; life is a

promise. Politicians

war with death,

to

and the

to live en-

thousand precautions, to be ever mindful of

in a

the newest frightening study and the latest life-extending health this

tip,

ever alert to a thousand unlikely risks

makes any difference whatsoever

—

as if all

to death. If death

is

the enemy, here's the most statistically correct answer to our fears:

Drive

carefully, eat a

exercise regularly.

more profound At

core,

But

to

I

think

that the

ral fear,

and there

fear

is

great

power when we

All those

who

ing

are looking for

something

the fear of death.

is

9/11 hijackers acted in

gain that

this truth:

we

emerge from our experience.

unwarranted

ened us

low-fat diet, don't smoke, and

power

dies,

196

fright-

of that natu-

in that ability.

act in spite

try to frighten us

Everybody

spite

It

We,

too,

of our fear of death.

might benefit from

but not everybody

recall-

lives.

FAR

FROM

September

we

used

COMPASSION

our reminder to

1 1 is

and to

as possible,

THE LIMITS OF

with

live

live

—

to live as fully

of one another than

less fear

to.

September 11

we

our reminder that

is

nowhere

are

near the limits of our compassion.

September to fly to

our reminder to go to Disney World,

is

across the country on

go to

sleep

1 1

New

York and help "the

more soundly

September whatever

it is,

a surprise visit to

1 1

in the

comfort of our support.

say

now, whatever

it

wake

to

So much undone,

This passage from a

the dead;

much

so

I

poem

gives

unsaid.

me

some people

me

now,

-

poem that was written by my

didn't express to

the same time, the

it

it is.

death of his father always makes

about things

never sleeps"

can be our annual reminder to do

Oh for a way

after the

city that

loved ones,

feel sadness

in

my

when

hope, for

father

life. I

At

read

sometimes think,

Oh

That happened for many people on September

11,

"Oh

for a

for a

way

way

to

to

wake

such that today

it

wake the

at

any time in our

terrible violence,

the keeping fully

—

if

I

seems Americans are living more con-

sciously than ever before,

than

dead,"

the living!

connected to one another more

history.

We

and the kindness

we

stay awake.

have

it

felt

the sting of

unleashed

is

To do anything

ours for less

than

embrace the stunning opportunity we hold out to

one another would be smoke, opening the

back to

like

waking up

window

to let

sleep.

197

it

to a

out,

room

full

of

and then going

FEAR LESS

Those who hate and

loss

and

fear

us

hope we do just

would be the

ence of terrorism. But thus

lasting results

far

exists,

them.

and to

fly

more

Our triumph

of our experi-

storm clouds where

freely in the clear skies

between

over terror honors the thousands of

who died on September a war we have already won.

people in

then pain

we've made another choice,

a choice to see hazard only in those it

that, for

198

1 1

,

and makes them heroes

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

EVERY are

BOOK INVOLVES SOME STRESS, though few written when everyone is under stress. The six

weeks of writing

made

possible

that started in late

by many friends and

vided encouragement and support

we

all

my

— during

many

book, and

a

time

just as

words while

I

when

you

did.

struggled to

right words. Bill Phillips edited

his teachings are part

I'm grateful to you,

pro-

friend and agent through four books

(so far), always said the right

find so

who

associates

had plenty of things on our minds,

Kathy Robbins,

me

September 2001 were

Bill, for

of everything

my

first

I've written.

clearing your schedule to join

again.

Speaking of clearing schedules, over

Little,

Brown must

and distributed on

that's

what people

all

have done to get a book printed

a schedule that contained just

one

date:

Immediate. Thank you to Michael Pietsch and Geoff

199

FEAR LESS Shandler. There were

have done

this,

two people

and you

are the two.

To Sandi Mendleson: great friend.

don't

I

America who could

in

so smart, so effective,

know how people

and such

a

get books out with-

out you.

To Danelle Morton: Thank you

me

to help

start so fast.

Writing

is

for stopping so

much

and you made

lonely,

it

less so.

To Garry Shandling: Thank you you did and

friendship. Everything

for a great lesson in said landed.

dear friend and frustrating taskmaster,

Thank you Idle,

what amounted

you have no

day you get

for

visited,

idea

Andrew

To

my

Jarecki:

to a mission statement. Eric

how much

energy you gave

and the many other days

am

I

me

the

blessed to

some time with you. Harry Shearer and Judith Owen:

Your wisdom got enough

on

is

left

these pages (though you've probably

for a brief

can hear some joke about

thanked twice in

this

appendix

that).

— and

yes, Harry,

I

Scott Gordon: You'll get

book, but just once in the next,

Ed Begley, Jr: Thanks for the meals you cooked, and the many more you offered. To Olivia: You are inspiring whether I am writing or okay?

not. George:

was you,

I

thought

I

was working the hardest, but

it

my friend. Ron Eastman: to me and my

Lance Richard, Fabian Dominguez, and

You guys friends

really

— and

showed compassion,

that always hits the spot.

Michelle Pfeiffer and Oprah Winfrey: I'm sure you'll quickly recognize which chapters are in

of your encouragement.

200

this

book because

.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To Michael LaFever:

I

in these twenty years that

anymore. friends

work

I

it

my

me,

a lot to

you each

with, thank

many

(and so

Chuck

means

It

many times may not mean much to you

have thanked you so

friend.

To the other

for the extra support

Robert Martin,

extra hours since 9/11):

Cogswell, Jeff Marquart, Ellen Prystajko, Dennis

Caroline

Kirvin,

Matt

Murrey,

Thompson, David

Gabrielle

Slatoff,

Ryan

Falconer, Josh

Martin,

Dessalines,

Raquel Matsubayashi, Paul Wright, Geoff Towle, Heather

Rob

Ragsdale,

Nightengale, and

(and names) are nonpublic.

and

who you

are

makes

all

KMC:

the others

whose jobs

You know who you

a big difference in

are,

my life.

FDNY Captain Gerard John Egan, NYPD Lieu-

For special insight and support: Somerville,

NYPD

Sergeant

tenant Jay Fagan, Stephanie and Peter

Roman Rizzo,

S.,

Cliff Schuyler,

Pryjomko, Bankrobber, Mark Bryan, Heather

Red Thomas, Don Weisberg, Tony Robbins, Ron Iden, Rex Rakow,

Raymond

MacKenzie

B.,

Zilinskas,

Eric Fernald, Steve Lamont, EJ Devokaitis,

Robert

Miller, Jeff Jacobs,

Geena

Davis,

David Boulet, Bruce Wagner,

Dad, Melissa, and Carrie Fisher (because what

are ack-

nowledgments without your name?)

Shaun Cassidy: You gave particularly if

I

me

a lot

more than

the

title,

count the thirty years of best friendship.

And dear Alanis, I invite you to write books or songs about how to best support writers, because you've got that down. Write about how to best support a friend, because you've got that down, too. you, and

I

love

you

so

I

much.

201

live,

I

learn

—

better with

BOARD

THE ADVISORY

FOR FEAR LESS

writing this book, I drew on experience, previous writings, new research, the work of my associates, and exceptional advisors. Our nation is now facing great challenges, so I sought out guidance from great experts. The

IN

members of

the advisory board for this

book gave

their

time and insight to help others. That's the same motivation I've

seen

day.

I

them apply

am grateful to

to the important

each of them,

as

I

work they do every

know readers will be. Gavin de Becker

Thomas

A. Taylor

Lieutenant Taylor was recently

Coordinator for

way

Patrol.

He

all

named

the Anti-Terrorism

operations of the Missouri State High-

was President of the National Governor's

Security Association

(NGSA) 203

for four terms.

During

his

FEAR LESS twenty-nine years with the Patrol, he served in ior positions, including

Commander of

Security Division. Lieutenant Taylor

expert in the

among serve

MOSAIC

is

many

the Governor's the Patrol's top

threat-assessment system.

several leading threat-assessment experts

on an advisory board

to develop the

for Assessment of Public Figure Pursuit

sen-

He

was

chosen to

new MOSAIC

(MAPP).

Charles Cogswell

Chuck Cogswell

served twenty-four years

as a

commis-

sioned officer in the Military Police Corps of the U.S.

Army,

retiring at the rank

of colonel. As the Chief of

and Law Enforcement Division,

Security, Force Protection

he was responsible for the army's

policies

and programs

for threat assessment, counterterrorism, physical security,

and criminal

largest districts in the

Command

He also commanded two of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation

investigation.

(CID).

While deployed on Operation Desert Storm, Chuck performed

critical threat

assessments

on

U.S. forces' vul-

nerability to terrorist attack.

Chuck is Director of Threat Assessment and Management for Gavin de Becker and Associates.

Andrew Andy

Vita

L.

is

Vita the former Assistant Director of the Bureau

of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, where he spent

one

years.

Teams he

created, equipped,

204

thirty-

and directed were

THE ADVISORY

BOARD FOR FEAR

successfully utilized at the sites

of the World Trade Center

bombing, the Oklahoma City and the crash of

Andy

is

LESS

federal building

bombing,

TWA Flight 800.

now Executive Vice

President at

Armor Hold-

ings, Inc.

Dr.

James McGee

Dr. James ical

McGee

is

Incident Response

the Baltimore

Consultant to the FBI's Crit-

a Special

County

Group and Chief Psychologist of

Police Department.

He

directs psy-

chological services programs for both the Maryland and

Delaware State Police.

He

served for nineteen years

Director of Psychology and Forensic Services

at

as

Sheppard

Pratt Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Robert Martin During

his

twenty- eight-year career with the Los Angeles

Police Department,

Robert Martin directed

department s most important

responsibilities.

several

He

of the

served

as

Commanding Officer of specialized detective divisions, including Commanding Officer of Detective Headquarters Division. In

Management is

a

founding

ment

1990, he founded the LAPD's Threat

Unit, the

first

member of the

of

its

kind in the nation.

He

Association of Threat Assess-

Professionals.

Currently vice president of Gavin de Becker and Associates,

Bob was

a lead

developer on the

MOSAIC

system

co-designed by Gavin de Becker and the U.S. Marshals Service,

now

used for evaluating threats to federal judges.

205

FEAR LESS

He

team on the

led the development

assessing domestic-violence situations

MOSAIC used for and the MOSAIC

system used for screening threats to public

officials.

Dave Grossman Lt.

Col.

Ranger,

Dave Grossman, U.S. Army a

West Point psychology

of military science.

He

is

(ret.)

the author of

Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in is

served

professor,

required reading in classes

at

and

On

as

an

Army

a professor

Killing:

The

War and Society, which

West Point, the U.S. Air

Force Academy, and police academies worldwide. Dave served

as

an expert witness and consultant in the case of

United States

v.

Timothy McVeigh. His research was cited by

President Clinton in a national address after the Littleton,

Colorado, school shootings.

Frederick Frederick

S.

S.

Calhoun

Calhoun was the lead researcher and

principal

developer of the threat-assessment process currently used

by the U.S. Marshals Service judicial officials.

and led threat

a

Mr. Calhoun coordinated the curriculum

nationwide training program on contemporary

management

Mr. Calhoun earned cago and the

Risk

ment

for analyzing risks to federal

is

for local law-enforcement agencies. his

Ph.D. from the University of Chi-

the author of eight books, including Defusing

toJudicial Officials:

Process

The Contemporary Threat Manage-

and Hunters and Howlers:

AgainstJudicial

Officials in the

United

206

Threats and Violence

States.

BOARD FOR FEAR

THE ADVISORY

Gordon

Scott

Gordon

Scott

LESS

has

worked

in the criminal-justice system

for nearly twenty-five years, as a police officer tive for eight,

and

he was selected International at

and detec-

a prosecutor for the past sixteen. In 1997,

as a legal

War Crimes

The Hague. He

has

ney of the Year, and

advisor with the United Nations Tribunal, serving in

been honored is

a nationally

issues involving intimate violence.

as

Rwanda and

Prosecuting Attor-

recognized expert in

He

served six terms

as

Chairman of the Domestic Violence Council.

He

a professor

is

Michael Mike

has

D.

of law

at

Southwestern University.

Carrington

been U.S. Marshal

for

Northern Indiana

since his

appointment by President Clinton in 1994.

He versity

was Director of Campus Security

South Bend for

fifteen years,

professor in the School of Public

at

Indiana Uni-

and adjunct

associate

and Environmental

Affairs,

teaching criminal-justice courses.

He ment

is

a

member of

the Association of Threat Assess-

Professionals.

Peter G. Herley

During

his thirty-four-year career in

law enforcement,

Peter Herley served with the Torrance Police Department,

commanding

He

has

been President of

the California Police Chiefs Association

(CPCA), and most

various divisions.

207

FEAR LESS recently, chief

He

fornia.

is

of police in the town of Tiburon, Caliwidely recognized for

programs that improve

relations

his

involvement in

between the police and

communities.

Chief Herley serves on the advisory board of the International Institute of Criminal Justice Leadership at the

University of San Francisco and coordinates courses for

new

of police, taught by the California Commission

chiefs

on Peace

He

Officers Standards and Training

(POST).

president of Herley Consulting, located in San

is

Rafael, California.

Cappy Gagnon Among

many law-enforcement and security positions, Cappy Gagnon was Executive Assistant to the Los Angeles County

his

Sheriff,

Director of Special Programs for the

department, and Assistant Director of the Police Executive Institute

He

is

of the Police Foundation, of Washington, D.C.

currently a coordinator of security and

Special Event Security for the University of

Paul Paul

Manager of

Notre Dame.

Mones Mones

is

an attorney and author.

He

has a nationwide

practice devoted to representing children,

author of

When

a Child Kills.

Mr. Mones conducts

and training throughout the country on child abuse, delinquency,

and he

the

lectures

issues relating to

and family violence.

208

is

Appendix A

WEB

FOR UP-TO-DATE

SITES

INFORMATION

NEWS SOURCES www.eclecticesoterica.com/news.htnnl

News Web

site

with

links to the top twenty-five

pers in the world, local newspapers and in every region internationally,

many of them

Also links to major U.S. news sources such Times,

your

Washington Post,

own

CNN,

etc.

international perspective

newspa-

television stations

as

in English.

the

New

York

Useful for developing

on the news.

www.assignnnenteditor.conn/index.cfnn

Links to national and international news publications,

media for

outlets,

news

well

government organizations, and

in business, entertainment, politics,

as sites that feature

cities.

Web

sites

and media

as

the local concerns of specific large

Specific link to a page designed to gather resources

related to the

9/11

disaster.

209

FEAR LESS www.miis.edu

on

Perspectives

the conflict from academics

who

have inter-

national political, diplomatic and espionage backgrounds,

from the

faculty of the

Monterey

Institute

of International

Studies.

www.janes.com/

manufacturing perspective:

of military actions and

United

States.

from

a

weapons-

strategies, alliances.

Coverage

Articles about the conflict in Afghanistan

tactics

by countries besides the

Weapons analyzed include biochem.

www.alertnet.org

Breaking news from Reuters about war,

aid, disasters.

SECURITY www.firstgov.gov

Central

home

page for

Search by topic to find state

of the

crisis.

all

latest

government

links.

government thinking on the

For example, www.firstgov.gov/featured/

usgresponse offers protection a place to report leads tact

national

and

tips for mail,

clues;

anthrax, bombs;

and an emergency con-

list.

www.whitehouse.gov/homeland Office of

ment

Homeland

activities,

Security. Press releases about govern-

speeches. Straightforward information

emergency preparedness.

210

on

WEB

SITES

FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION

www.usps.gov

Updates on mail, positions

safe

handling of mail, and government

on mail handling.

www.ccnnostwanted.com/nnostwantedterr.htm

Americas most wanted

cyberterrorists,

with pictures.

E-mail or phone (1-866-483-5137).

www2.sbccom.army.mil Military's description

of

its

preparations.

www.epa.gov Water-supply

security, air-quality-monitoring tables,

FAQ,

anthrax.

www.fbi.gov

Information on the hunt for the

terrorists,

most-wanted

photos, rewards for information leading to the capture of

bin Laden, anthrax

cases.

Link to place to leave

To

tips.

report information over the Internet: www.ifccfbi.gov or

phone 1-800-CRIMETV www.ndpo.gov

The

clearinghouse for

state, local,

and federal weapons of

mass destruction information. Training materials and

fact

sheets.

www.stimson.org Private research institute that focuses

and international

on

issues

security. Site offers analysis

of national

of bioterror-

ism: proliferation throughout the world, history,

211

FAQs.

FEAR LESS

www.hhs.gov

Human Services home page: how to get help if affected by

Department of Health and anthrax, Cipro availability, biological terrorism.

www.anser.org Private research institute that publishes

homeland

ment

its

security with articles written

figures

and academics. Journal

Security Journal,

but

is

is

own journal on

by major governcalled

not to be confused with the govern-

ment Office of Homeland

Security. Site also offers links to

academic and private institutions that study

PSYCHOLOGICAL

Homeland

this issue.

STRESS

www.aacap.org/publications/disasterresponse/index.htm

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

on how

to talk to children about 9/11, other disasters,

news watching. www.ces.purdue.edu

Purdue University Extension program discuss terrorism

articles

on how

to

with children.

www.nimh/nih.gov/publicat/violence.cfm

National Institute of Mental Health recommendations on helping children and adolescents cope with violence and disaster.

212

WEB

FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION

SITES

www.helping.apa.org/daily/terrorism.html

General recommendations on psychologically,

warning

signs

how of

terrorism affects us

stress,

how

and

to

cope

with trauma.

AIRLINE SAFETY www.airlinesafety.com

Opinionated forum for discussing policies and to airline safety.

With

issues related

articles, editorials, letters,

and

links.

www.airsafe.com Provides safety data and advice for traveling airplanes, including

reports. Specific

cockpit doors

on

accident-news

articles

articles, tips,

about the

status

and weather

of reinforced

different airlines, airport-security issues,

in-flight transportation

arate section

on passenger

of chemicals, suspicious mail. Sep-

about rumors and misinformation.

www.airsafetyonline.com

Up-to-date news on security breaches, airport

status,

and

recent crashes.

http://www.faa.gov Security regulations, requirements for flying, what carry

you can

on board.

www.ntsb.gov Descriptions of major accidents and recent accident reports. Investigations, statistics, formal results

213

of accident

reports.

FEAR LESS

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS www.cdc.gov/nceh/emergency/prev_em.htm Centers for Disease Control recommendations on disaster preparedness.

www.fema.gov/pte/prep.htm

How to prepare for a variety of disasters. www.noaa.gov National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration infor-

mation on natural satellite

disasters,

storm watch, ozone

layer,

with

imagery.

www.usgs.gov Hurricanes, extreme storms, volcanoes, earthquakes, with links to preparedness

recommendations.

www.esri.com

Hazard awareness. Allows you to make your area or one you may be

RELIEF EFFORTS

Way

of

visiting.

AND DONATIONS

www.uwnyc.org/sepl

United

1

/

New York City donation site:

The September 11th Fund United

Way

of

a hazard

New York City

2 Park Avenue

New York, NY

10016

U.S.A.

l_800-710-8002

214

map of

WEB

SITES

FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION

www.nypfwc.org/

New York

City Police and Fire

Widows' and P.O.

Fund

Children's

Box 3713

Grand Central Station

New York, NY

10163

www.fema.gov Latest

on

relief efforts,

how

to apply for relief or donate

funds.

www.redcross.org Latest

on

relief

preparedness

tips,

money, blood,

efforts first

tissue.

around

the

world,

aid information,

how

Links to other helpful

disaster-

to donate

sites.

www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf International perspective

on humanitarian

relief efforts.

BIO-TERRORISM www.anthrax.osd.mil/

Department of Defense anthrax

site.

www.cdc.gov/ Centers for Disease Control main page: state

latest press releases,

of the nation, information on anthrax and other bio-

logical agents.

wwwbt.cdc.gov

CDC page specific to bio-terrorism. Regularly updated. 215

FEAR LESS www.hopkins-biodefense.org/

Johns Hopkins University Schools of Medicine and Public Health Information for sus statements

Clinicians on Anthrax;

on botulinum

JAMA

consen-

toxin, plague, smallpox, tula-

remia; concise diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines for anthrax, botulism, smallpox

anthrax threat Sept. 11;

letters;

BT

and plague;

how

to handle

preparedness and response post-

FAQ: information

for the general public.

www.fda.gov/

Government information on approved drugs

for various

bioagents.

www.who.int/home-page/ Health

status

of refugees and Afghanistan, world recom-

mendations on vaccinations such about "deliberate infections"

as

smallpox, advisories

— meaning

bio-terrorism.

www.osha.gov/ Mail-handling recommendations, air-quaHty-monitoring information for those working

at

the

World Trade Center

from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

www.bact.wisc.edu/Bact330/lectureanthrax

Anthrax

history, photos, information.

www.ama-assn.org/special/infohome.htm Journal of the American Medical Association search: excellent site

for research

on bio-terrorism,

216

history, vaccines.

Appendix

B

TALKING TO CHILDREN

ABOUT TERRORISM

friend and colleague Paul Mones

My

wise attorney and author

life

to protecting the rights

seminal

book on

his research

who were

and

children

his

and

on how

a

has dedicated his

of children. Paul wrote the

who

kill

(When

a Child Kills). In

law practice, he has met many children

profoundly traumatized. Accordingly, he has an

extraordinary inside look at stress

who

is

fear.

I

how

children react to great

asked Paul to share

some of

his

thoughts

to best approach children's fears about terrorism.

GdeB

Perhaps the single most important factor that determines

how we

as

especially

human those

members of our

beings deal with fear

under

thirteen,

are

is

age. Children,

highly vulnerable

society in this regard because they lack

217

FEAR LESS the intellectual and emotional capacity to process fear in

the ways that adults can. Because children have cant

history

life

upon which

rent events, they are

meaning to

more

to reflect

no

signifi-

and compare cur-

prone to misinterpret the

easily

of those events and have an exaggerated response

them. Vast numbers of adults watching repeated news-

casts

of the Twin Towers collapsing during the

first

few days

following September 11 were seeing something that was clearly traumatic, but a

who

number of very young

saw the same repeated images

children

actually believed that

the attacks were happening over and over again.

As

we

adults

are responsible for helping

And

cope with the aftermath of 9/11. realize that

yourself.

You

child relies

waters.

you cannot help your

upon you

When

their kids

your

set

dads or

know

it

child's

step

first

child unless

you

first

is

to

help

emotional compass. Your

to navigate

moms

the

our children

are

through these rough nervous and anxious,

— immediately. Remember

the warn-

ing you get on an airplane about the oxygen masks: "If

you

are traveling

with

yourself, then assist child's

anchor

—

a

young

your

own

fears

in the times ahead, there are a

are

to help

put the mask on

child." Similarly,

take care of yourself

As you manage your

you can do

child, first

you

are

your

first.

and build new strengths

number of concrete

things

your children. These brief suggestions

aimed primarily

at

helping the most vulnerable chil-

dren, those under thirteen, but they can be applied to

helping teens

as well.

218

TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT TERRORISM

While we cannot nor should we completely

we must

dren from post-9/11 events, information they receive. To

have

said,

don't let

news

vision

this

shield chil-

how much

screen

end,

as

many

TV

young children watch

experts

news. Tele-

to say the least, not kid-friendly. If there

is,

had ever been any question in your mind before September

1 1

,

there should be

TV

no question now:

intended for youthful consumption.

news

is

not

purposefully in-

It is

tended to intellectually and emotionally engage the viewer

on

a level

young children simply have not

Perhaps just

news

is

as

damaging

for children to hear their parents

discuss disturbing

news

events.

Be

careful

other adults in person or on the phone present.

And do

as yet attained.

watching the television

as

and other

adults

what you

say to

when

children are

not assume that they don't hear you

merely because they are in another room. Their ears have tiny radar for the tones voice.

And if you

of agitation or

are sharing

distress in a parent's

your anxiety and

with friends on the phone, they're getting don't actually hear the

words — even

pletely understand the words.

vince

them

agitation.

sions

to

remain calm

It

will

when

So do the best you can

of anxiety and fear for

when

it,

bits

of news

even

if

they

if

they don't

com-

be

difficult to

con-

they see and feel your to reserve

your expres-

they are sleeping or out

of the house. I

am

not advocating keeping your children completely

in the dark. Inevitably children will hear things

from other

adults or friends or directly witness certain events in their lives,

like

armed troops on bridges or

therefore your responsibility to

219

become

in airports.

It

is

a current-events

FEAR LESS

your

translator for

about any news report:

whole

There

child.

First,

are

you

two

things

you know

are likely not getting the

and second, whatever you hear today may

story,

change tomorrow and may change again next week. Witness the information roller coaster surrounding the anthrax

problem.

One

their simplest,

ample:

The

strategy

most

soldiers

is

to reduce the events of the day to

logical

we

common

have fighting for the United States

policemen you see every

are like the

denominator. For ex-

day. Police protect us

who may want to hurt us in America, soldiers when people from other countries may want to

from people protect us

Somebody put some bad stuff in a few letters, and some people who opened them got sick. But you have to remember that there are billions hurt

and

us.

As

for the anthrax scare:

of

billions

them had

very few of

every week, and only a very,

letters sent

that

bad

them. You have

stuff in

nothing to worry about because everybody thing they can to

who

make

is

doing every-

the mail safe and catch the people

put the bad stuff in the mail.

In explaining terrorism to children,

important for children to will protect

know

about

it

all

is

the

much more people who

them from anything bad happening than

it is

know what some terrorist can do to hurt them. Let's be honest: Few of us can fully grasp the nature of the terrorto

ist

threat or

all

the issues of foreign extremists. So stick

with what you know. Children should be told that their protection and safety to

is

the most important thing not only

Mommy and Daddy but to

States

and

all

the people

who

the President of the United

help

220

him run

the country.

TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT TERRORISM In these times one of the best salves for especially

your children,

to

is

of

all

and

us,

go back to what you can

upon: your family's history and that of the United

rely

States. Tell

you

your children that your

mom and dad protected

tough times and that your grandparents protected

in

your parents during similar times. In

fact, if

the children's

grandparents (or for that matter, any elderly person) are

them

available, ask

parents

do

best

is

to

tell

your child the same thing.

protect their children.

It's

What

what you have

been doing since your child was born, and you're not going to stop now. Tell

them about

Tell

your children

their ancestors

or the depression. strength of the past.

Hope

who

stories

of

survived wars, slavery,

about the future

You can

tell

that

is

what

which

means short and

community tragedy.

children

is

stories age-

simple, for

now. Your job will be made

you involve yourself and your children

rible

to

projects that have

One know

easier if

to help

come out of

this ter-

of the most comforting things for that they aren't alone, that they don't

your children deal with

involve

them

in

all

their fear,

it is

as it

is

equally crit-

good You can chose numerous ways

the

that has

been produced

from these

horrific events.

to involve

your children: becoming part of

community

won-

in any of the

have to face the future by themselves. As important

ical to

out

being a wise parent even in easy times, and

especially difficult

derful

stories

a child best understands.

It is difficult it's

usually

the

in

lies

them whatever

of history have inspired you, but just make the appropriate,

resiliency.

a school or

project writing letters to public servants

221

who

FEAR LESS acted and continue to act so heroically in responding to

9/11

(firefighters, police officers, etc.), collecting

refugee or survivor

relief, etc.

together with your child will will bring

money for

Whatever you chose

make your

do

child stronger and

your child the good that can always be found in

difficult times. Just

seeing you prevail so well can be a valu-

able experience that stays

with your child for

a lifetime.

Paul

(Some resources about offered in

to

Appendix

talking to children

A.)

222

Mones

and teens

are

Appendix C

ESSAY

ON HOW

9/11

AFFECTED PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT AGES

Chris nist

Matthews

is

you may know

a writer

best

from

and syndicated columhis

popular television

show, Hardball.

Washington

— For some

tougher on younger people. ties

who

fret

They want

the loudest.

their Cipro.

reason, this anthrax scare

is

the people in their twen-

It's

They wait on

be

tested.

me

to stop

line to

They want people

like

our "denial."

They

are puzzled

by older people's

bodied by the angry defiance of

reactions, as

Tom Brokaw

and

em-

Tom

Daschle. It's

a generational thing,

and

I

have

my suspicions

about

why.

One theory is that we older people have been through worse. Some still hide jars of quarters in the basement for 223

FEAR LESS

of another Great Depression. World War

fear

took

men from

The

early

the classroom and threw

Cold War had

kids

II

them

and Korea into battle.

huddled under our desks

waiting for the big "flash" that meant the beginning of

World War

III

— and

end of the world.

the

Then came Vietnam. That war ber of American

lives

cost ten times the

num-

than the World Trade Center attacks.

Some young men went to Vietnam willingly and courageously. Some were grabbed and found the courage for the fight. Some just sweated it out back home. You think anthrax was bad? You should have seen the draft.

My

second suspicion

is

more

subtle. It has to

do with

When came to Washington thirty years ago last spring,

loss.

I

you could walk

member of

right into the office of any senator or

Congress.

You could go anywhere you wanted

in the Capitol any time of day. tors,

no ID

cards to show, nothing.

Congress was

wanted

There were no metal detec-

as literal as it says in

to pester

some

The same was

politician,

The

right to petition

the Constitution.

You

you went ahead and did

true of the president.

The

it.

no. 33 bus

from Friendship Heights drove right in front of the White

House on ard as

way

the

Nixon got

to Capitol Hill.

When

President Rich-

into trouble, a driver could

honk

his

horn

he passed 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and the occupant up-

stairs

knew

All this

it

is

meant, "Resign!" gone.

Now, checkpoints dot the Capitol plaza where FDR said we have nothing to fear but fear itself. You can't drive a truck

anywhere near the

closed to

traffic

from 15th

Hill.

Pennsylvania Avenue

Street to 17th Street.

224

is

ON HOW

ESSAY

Even the

AFFECTED PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT AGES

9/11

has a perimeter. If anyone leaves their seat

air

during the thirty-minute approach to Reagan National Airport, the plane

Want

to write

came

homa

it.

That anthrax-

Daschle from Trenton virtually shut

the Capitol.

took years for

It

First

directly to Dulles.

your senator? Forget

Tom

tainted letter to

down

may head

the

this

bombing

shutting of the democratic gates. in the Capitol in '71.

Then Okla-

Then September 11 and United Flight 93, the fourth plane that may have been headed for the Capitol, but was brought down by courageous passengers. This thing called terrorism has wormed its way into City.

our collective consciousness. Anthrax spores are in the Senate mail. Little particles of hell are in the Capitol Staffers

now

with nervous systems once wired to the news cycle

wait in line for Cipro.

policy and

do

I

air.

fiscal

The

big questions of foreign

policy have shrunk to the small one:

How

stay alive?

"We

have some planes,"

stay quiet

and

don't try to

We

you'll

make any

be

we

OK — nobody

say.

"Just

move, please

—

stupid moves."

older people refuse to

we've been through worse.

through

hear a hijacker

buy

it.

Maybe

it's

because

Maybe because we've been

better.

Chris Matthews

225

Appendix D

GAVIN DE BECKER AND ASSOCIATES

Gavin

de Becker and Associates

is

a

seventy-member

firm that advises clients on the assessment and

agement of

threats

stalking situations,

man-

of violence, inappropriate pursuit,

workplace violence, biological

attack,

and terrorism. The Threat Assessment and Management Division (TAM) assesses inappropriate, alarming,

cations

or threatening

and develops management plans for dealing with

unwanted pursuers and

safety hazards.

TAM also

sensitive investigations relevant to safety

with

communi-

strategies to

ate pursuit

and

conducts

assists clients

reduce their vulnerability to inappropri-

and to enhance

witness consultation

on

privacy.

TAM provides expert-

cases involving stalking, threats,

and prevention of violence. This division runs the

team

that surveys sites

special

and screens mail for the presence of

biological pathogens.

227

FEAR LESS

The

MOSAIC®

Threat Assessment Systems Division pro-

vides advanced training to law enforcement, prosecutors, state

and federal agencies, corporate executives, and school

administrators

on

threat assessment, case

the prevention of violence. assisted threat-assessment

consistency,

management, and

MOSAIC refers to a computer-

method

and thoroughness.

that helps ensure fairness,

MOSAIC systems designed

for specific assessment applications are available to govern-

ment

agencies, universities, school systems, corporations,

and some other

institutions:

MAPP-MOSAIC

for Assessment of Public

Figure Pursuit

MDV-MOSAIC for Assessment of Domestic Violence Situations •

MAST-MOSAIC

for Assessment

of School

Threats

MAST-U-MOSAIC

for Assessment

of School

Threats in a University Setting

MAT-W-MOSAIC

for Assessment of Threats in

the Workplace -

JUDICIAL-MOSAIC

for Assessment

of Judicial

Threats

The

Protective Security Division

planning and coordination, tive als.

(PSD) provides advance

logistical support,

and protec-

coverage for public figures and other at-risk individuProtective coverage

while

is

traveling, as well as

private residences

provided

at

public appearances,

round-the-clock protection

and corporate

228

offices.

PSD

at

also provides

GAVIN DE BECKER & ASSOCIATES secure transportation using highly trained drivers and specially

equipped armored vehicles.

The

Technical Security Services Division

rity surveys

of residences and

(TSS) conducts secu-

offices,

providing detailed

written recommendations for improvement. plans, coordinates

reviews

with security vendors, and develops in-

stallation specifications for security

Three times

TSS

a year,

enhancements.

Gavin de Becker and Associates

gathers leading experts to conduct advanced training in threat assessment cials,

and management for government

offi-

law-enforcement professionals, university police, and

corporate security personnel. These four-day academies are held at the

UCLA

Conference Center

at

Lake Arrow-

head, California.

For additional information regarding Gavin de Becker

and Associates,

Or

visit:

www.gavindebecker.com.

contact:

Infoline@gavindebecker. com

Gavin de Becker and Associates

11684 Ventura Blvd., #440 Studio City,

Fax: (818)

CA 91604

506-0426

229

Mr. de Becker s share of profits from sale

of

this

capabilities

book go

to

royalties

from the

improving threat-assessment

and to Victory Over Violence,

a charity

that provides direct support to families affected

violence.

Victory Over Violence

15332 Antioch

Street,

Pacific Palisades,

No. 507

CA 90272

www.victoryoverviolence.com

by

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

3 9999 04083 473 9

ingwwi ironc*

Ukm

>*an,MA0ms

JSt6

BAKER & TAYLOR

1

GAVIN DE BECKER

is

widely considered America's lead-

ing expert on predicting

and managing violent behavior.

He advises such clients as the CIA and the

and

Court,

his

U.S.

Supreme

seventy-member firm has protected

from terrorism

in

Israel,

clients

southern Africa, Europe, and

South America. This three-time presidential appointee designed the assessment systems used to screen threats to all federal

and

his

protects

judges and the governors

of eleven states,

work has changed the way the U.S. government its

highest officials. Mr. de Becker

is

a senior fel-

low at UCLA's School of Public Policy and Social Research.

Author photograph by Avery Helm Visit our

Printed

Web

in

site at

the U.S.A.

www.twbookmark.com

— IN

WAR,

IS

there

lay our fears to rest. in

new ways.

sound

to

be no captured beachhead upon which we can

So we are challenged to find safety and peace of mind

go further into the relevant topics than one can do

Let's

go into them without hype or

bite,

enough

will

come

conclusions

go into them just deeply

out the other side. Then you can see

have: that you can find your

I

influence your

can manage

politics,

own

safety, that

if

you reach the same

these times, that you can

you can help protect your country, that you

and that you are going

fear,

life in

in a

to be all right."

—

Gavin de Becker

PRAISE FOR GAVIN DE BECKER'S BESTSELLING THE GIFT OF FEAR "Superb and compelling, bringing perceived danger.

.

.

.

—Ann

This

book

into

focus the complexity of human response to real or

for everyone

is

Wolpert Burgess, Professor of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania

"A how-to book that reads

like a thriller.

. . .

"His blend of empathy, reassurance, and

"Packed

who has ever feared."

tight with clinical insight

Provocative

common

will

— save

lives."

—

empowering."

—Boston

sense wows."

and practical wisdom; a remarkable

de Becker's unique experience. There are ideas

and

. . .

in this

Globe

—Newsweek distillation of

courageous book that can

John Monahan, Professor of Psychology and Legal Medicine,

University of Virginia

Law School, and author

of Predicting Violent

ISBN 0-316-08596-0

51995>

9 780316"085960

Behavior