Forget Fear Factor: Download Your New 2007 Counterterrorism Calendar

The National Counterterrorism Center has again released its annual "Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid" daily planner calendar.  It should be useful to CT specialists and jihadists alike, as it:

marks dates according to the Gregorian and Islamic calendars, and contains significant dates in terrorism history as well as dates that terrorists may believe are important when planning “commemoration-style” attacks.

(It can be downloaded here.  Warning to dialup users:  it's around 15 MB.)

Topping the charts again this year, al Qa'ida gets the place of honor in the first week and OBL is the first of the pinups, starting in week #2.  The second post boy slot went to Ali Saed Bin Ali El-Hoorie, architect  of the Khobar Towers bombing.  Since the National Center for Counterterrorism seems to consider him the second most wanted terrorist in the world, the single sentence in the remarks section of his entry seems particularly insightful:

Should be considered armed and dangerous.

You think?

One of my other favorite remarks was for the head of Abu Sayyaf, Khadafi Janjalani.  You really wanted what the psychologists were thinking when they profiled him as "indecisive," yet went on to add, "thought to have elevated opinion of his abilities."   So he's overconfident of himself, but can't make decisions?  Sounds like some shrink is hedging her bets.

This must-have for the CT professional  and Fear Factor fan includes useful charts, such guides as: "Indicators of Suspicious Financial Activity" and "Bomb Threat Stand-Off Distances" for various types of bombs, ranging from your basic pipe model to tractor-trail trucks VBIEDs.  One of my favorites was a decision chart for bombmakers showing what 200 kilos of an (unnamed) explosive could make in pipe bombs, suicide vests, car and truck bombs:

Another helpful chart describes medical symptoms of nerve gas exposure which may include involuntary defecation--just like this calendar.

Comments

[Liberal Journal]

"Involuntary defecation"...I love it!

[Thursday]

"indecisive" and "thought to have elevated opinion of his abilities." are actually quite a common combination: the least competent at an activity are frequently the worst judge of their own abilities at said activity. But they usually suspect their ineptitude - they go through ridiculous contortions to avoid being put to the test.