FEATURED AUTHOR
HOWARD LINETT

I’m a Yankee, born and bred in Connecticut. I met my wife, a native-born Israeli who was then a sergeant doing reserve duty in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), while spending my junior year of college abroad. Since then, I have lived primarily in Israel, though I have managed to return to the States to earn a master’s and law degrees cum laude. Taking time off to relax is not part of my personality, so while pursuing my higher education I became an NRA-certified rifle, pistol, and personal-protection instructor and started a family. Nowadays I rescue hurt and abused dogs as a volunteer for the Jerusalem chapter of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. I’m the kind of independent thinker who sees no conflict in maintaining membership in the NRA and ACLU simultaneously.

Looking back on the first terrorist attack that affected me personally, 27 years ago, is hardly a nostalgic trip down memory lane. It is a continuous nightmare of death, destruction, and devastation. (And the unfortunate truth is that the situation is no better today. In fact, terrorism is worse than ever, both in Israel and in the rest of the world.)

I had finished my Israeli army basic training and was in a combat engineering explosives and demolition course learning the skills needed to be what the Brits call a “sapper.” Our platoon was home on weekend leave. It was Saturday, the Sabbath—which back then meant there was no public transportation, radio news, or TV; transportation and communication generally came to a standstill. Then the almost unimaginable happened: I received a phone call from my sergeant—“Emergency . . . Report to your pick-up point . . . 90 minutes.” A waiting bus rushed us to our base. We had 20 minutes to change from dress into work uniforms, grab our emergency kits and combat gear, and load the bus. Then the bus broke every speed limit getting my platoon to our destination on Israel’s Mediterranean coast. We were briefed on the way. Earlier that day, terrorists had come ashore in a rubber boat, taken over a private bus, and driven south on the coastal road. Along the way, they strafed everything they came across, killing about 30 people, until they got to a hastily erected police/IDF roadblock, where their attack ended with their deaths.

We set up shop in an abandoned British police station, 30 yards across Israeli’s main north-south highway from the beach where the terrorists had landed. The rubber boat they used was in the station’s front yard. Four brand-new jeeps with mounted .30-caliber machine guns arrived, and for the next two weeks we would patrol up and down the beach in those jeeps, 24/7. Our assignment was typically Israeli, simple and straightforward: “Make contact with any terrorists coming ashore before they can make contact with the civilian population.”

On the third day of our deployment I finally got an opportunity to phone home. No answer. I telephoned my in-laws and learned that my wife was out comforting the parents of a close friend who had been murdered in one of the cars strafed by the terrorists.

As bad as this incident was, in retrospect, those really were “the good old days.” Today, as the father of two young-adult daughters and a grown son; the husband of a Municipality of Jerusalem social worker; a writer specializing in military and law enforcement subjects, especially terrorist attacks; and a member of the Israeli Police’s Jerusalem Civil Guard sniper unit, I would argue that no place on earth has experienced the amount and the savagery of the terrorism that Jerusalem has endured during the past 10 years.

My family lives in northern Jerusalem, virtually surrounded by unfriendly neighbors. We live on the direct route terrorists take from their safe haven and staging ground in Ramallah to downtown Jerusalem. Often they carry out their attacks where the Arab neighborhoods end and the Jewish ones begin. For example, the French Hill Bridge traffic intersection and the area within a five-minute drive of it have been the scene of more than 30 terrorist attacks over the past five years. The only way my family can come and go from our neighborhood is through that intersection. On three, perhaps four, occasions (after a while you simply lose track), attacks have occurred after we drove through the intersection but before we got to our building’s parking lot, a four- to five-minute drive, depending upon traffic.

Three times my family would have been in downtown Jerusalem where and when bombs were detonated but for being stopped by one traffic light or caught in traffic a block or two away. One family member is alive today because a sniper shooting a 50-caliber rifle miscalculated the wind’s influence on the bullet’s flight. My wife was two feet away from a car bomb when its detonator went off but failed to set off the main charge. On one occasion, my daughter’s school bus was next in line to enter the French Hill interchange when a terrorist shot up a bus in the intersection. On another occasion at the same interchange, a homicide/suicide bomber attacked the bus just ahead of hers.

Attacks in and around our home have been so close we have heard—and sometimes felt—the bomb blasts, watched the rising columns of smoke, and ducked for cover at the sound of gunfire. It is not uncommon to hear a police chopper hovering overhead and glance out the window to see traffic gridlocked down on Main Street and over on the highway, confirming that there is a “hot alert” of an impending terror attack and the hunt is on for terrorists in the neighborhood. For a while, I kept my sniper rifle, a loaded magazine of ammunition, binoculars, and ear protection on the dining room table, without objection from my family.

As a sniper, I’ve been on dozens of operations and have been present for hundreds of briefings. As a sniper instructor, I’ve researched, in depth, all types of terrorist tactics, particularly sniper training and attacks. As a victim, I have twice survived terrorists springing roadblock ambushes on me, I’ve had medicine-ball-sized boulders hurled at the moving police vehicle in which I was riding, and I’ve been shot at a couple of times.

As a journalist, I have been at the scene of so many attacks within minutes of bombings or shootings that I no longer bother to take photographs. In fact, since I began writing feature articles for American magazines such as Soldier Of Fortune (SOF) and S.W.A.T. in 1996 as an offshoot of my Israel Police Civil Guard duties, I have been on the scene of almost every terrorist attack or incident in and around Jerusalem in one capacity or another. I’ve taken countless photographs, interviewed survivors, spoken to security personnel, and researched the terrorists’ tactics.

Through it all, I’ve amassed a wealth of experience and knowledge, supplemented by courses I have taken and the constant contact I have maintained with the Israel Police, Border Police, and other parts of the security establishment.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, SOF publisher Col. Robert K. Brown suggested that I write a book based on my experience with terror and submit it to Paladin Press. With the U.S. military conducting operations in Afghanistan and preparing to wage war against Iraq, there was less of a demand for articles about Israel’s war on terrorism in the American press, but Brown felt my insight and experience were well suited to a book. He encouraged me to pass along what I have learned and, in particular, describe the precautions my family and I take to keep ourselves as safe as possible. Living with Terrorism: Survival Lessons from the Streets of Jerusalem is the result.

Sadly, my family’s experience is not limited to defending against bullets, bombs, and blunt and edged weapons. We have also prepared ourselves and our home to withstand an attack from guided missiles armed with warheads containing not only high explosive but also biological and chemical warfare agents. Twice during President Bill Clinton’s second term, his face-offs with Saddam Hussein had us preparing for the worst, only to stand down mere hours before actually beginning to construct our “sealed rooms.” And we actually did construct our sealed rooms, in life-and-death earnestness, just before Gulf War II began.

I am proud to say I have been an Eagle Scout since May 1964. For my family and me, “Be Prepared” is not simply the Boy Scout motto but a way of life. Many people scoffed at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s suggestion that the American public purchase duct tape and plastic following 9/11, but to me such proactive measures are no different from purchasing car or life insurance. One thing is as sure as death and taxes: you must plan and prepare for a crisis prior to its onset, because once it hits the fan, it is simply too late.

Q & A

Paladin: In your book, you emphasize the value of awareness and alertness in spotting and preventing terrorist attacks. Give us some examples of how ordinary Israeli citizens have stopped terror attacks this way.
HL: I do not know why my ultra-orthodox brothers use only suitcases and not backpacks or duffle bags; they just do. So when passersby noticed a young ultra-orthodox male walking down a side street, heading from a totally nonreligious area toward the center of downtown Jerusalem and wearing a large backpack, they alerted nearby Border Policemen, who immediately moved to stop the erroneously outfitted terrorist. On another occasion several neighbors noticed a car that appeared, based on the way it was parked, to have been more abandoned than parked. Upon taking a closer look, the neighborhood residents noticed a large tank of propane gas half-hidden on the floor in the car’s backseat. They alerted the police bomb squad. The squad’s members were able to disarm what turned out to be a large car bomb. It pays to be aware of and alert to things that are out of place or out of the ordinary.

Paladin: It seems as if terrorist suicide bombers eventually find ways to thwart security efforts in Israel. Bombings in public places were once common; now public transportation is increasingly targeted. What are the latest developments in suicide bomber tactics that Americans should be aware of?
HL: All locations in Israel that are frequented by the public are required to have professional, armed security personnel and technological means to detect bombs and weapons. Security’s job is to keep homicide/suicide bombers and bombs from getting inside the location they protect. For example, just last night [February 25], the security personnel at a Tel Aviv night spot prevented such a terrorist murderer from entering. He blew himself up at the club’s entrance. Had he managed to get inside, the death and carnage would have been 10 times worse. The latest terrorist tactic is to arm the homicide/suicide bomber with a handgun (not the case last night) so he or she can shoot the security guard at the location’s entrance and thereby perhaps gain a few moments of free access to the target.

Paladin: A New York City resident sees someone get off the subway and notices that he leaves his backpack behind. What would you suggest doing?
HL: If possible, I would call after the person to alert him to having forgotten the bag. If he acted as if he wanted to get away or deliberately ignored my calls, I would conclude that something was wrong. In this case, I would immediately do whatever I could to contact the police, get the subway stopped, and get the passengers off and a safe distance away. I would rather have the police pissed at me than take a chance on a bomb’s detonating.

Paladin: What is the most important thing you have taught your children about living with terrorism?
HL: My children understand that they need to think for a moment before going somewhere or doing something, to consider whether the potential danger might outweigh the reason for going or doing. They know that the safest course is to avoid danger. If they find themselves in an attack despite these precautions, they know how best to duck, cover, hide, and get away ASAP. They have also been taught that if there is an attack, they must immediately phone one of their parents so that we know all our children are OK and vice versa.

Paladin: Is there some sort of official list of measures the Israeli government suggests every Israeli citizen take to prevent, avoid, or defend against terrorist attacks?
HL: Periodically, there have been public service newspaper and billboard announcements reminding the public to be on the lookout for suspicious objects and warning not to touch them but to call the police immediately. The same message is taught in Israeli schools by members of the bomb squad on periodic visits. On a one-time basis, the police printed a pamphlet of similar instructions. Otherwise, as surprising it may be, the answer is no. There really is nothing other than the admonition in IDF Home Front Command’s instructional pamphlet (included in the Appendix to Living with Terrorism) to keep food and water reserves in one’s home in case of a missile attack. Early in the terrorism that began in September 2000, Israeli newspapers might have run a one-time column written by a “security expert” or former top cop giving advice on how to act if you were caught in an attack. The advice was little if at all different from that contained in U.S. newspapers advising how to cope with the “Beltway Snipers” who plagued the Washington, D.C., area in 2002.

Paladin: What makes you stay in Jerusalem? Have you ever thought about moving your family to someplace safer?
HL: First and foremost, my motivation is based on principle. I have no intention of allowing the terrorists the victory of forcing me to move. My wife was born and bred in Jerusalem. My children have grown up here; they would never countenance such a move. If I leave Jerusalem I can no longer be a member of my Israeli Police Civil Guard sniper unit, and I would no longer be permitted to possess my firearms. For my family, not much could be worse than not only giving up our principles but also our means of self-defense.

Paladin: What do you think will be the next likely form of a terrorist attack on U.S. soil?
HL: I believe random violence, more savage than anything the American public can imagine, is most likely what is in store. Imagine a couple of dozen sniper teams operating around the country, not just sniping but also staging home invasions, for example.

Paladin: Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) are high on the list of many Americans’ fears, yet you don’t see a WMD attack as a likely scenario in the United States. Why not?
HL: Acquiring and employing a WMD is a hassle. You need to obtain it, store it, preserve it, maintain its potency, and ultimately disperse it. The weather and advances in modern medicine can thwart the efforts of even the most diabolical of terrorists. Why go to all the trouble when conventional weapons, firearms, and explosives, are so much easier to obtain and use? Terror is targeted at the mind. In fact, terror may be less effective, less persuasive, if one big attack kills thousands. Such an attack demands war, not negotiations. The terrorists know that, and they are anything but stupid.

Paladin: In terms of mind-set and preparedness, how do Americans stack up against the Israelis?
HL: Unfortunately, as far as being prepared, the vast majority of Americans do not have a clue! We have been blessed with peace on American soil since the Civil War. Most Americans’ closest contact with terrorism is in 10-second TV news clips. It is hard to know what to do when you lack experience. In my book I tried to pass along the benefit of my experience and thinking. On the other hand, I believe the resolve and will of America are greater than Israel’s. Today, Israel negotiates with terrorists. Israelis trade with terrorist organizations, turning over hundreds of their captured, jailed members to them. Americans drop bombs on them from B52s!

Paladin: What do you think it will take for Americans to adopt the mind-set necessary to contend with today’s terrorist threat?
HL: I think it will take two more attacks by terrorists—attacks by teams of homicide/suicide bombers and shooters for which the terrorist group takes credit, proudly and publicly—to bring about the realization that terrorism is real and that terriorists are alive and active on American soil.

Paladin: Do you think the chances for peace in Israel are enhanced by Arafat’s death and the recent Palestinian elections?
HL: I do believe that the prospect for peace was well served by Arafat’s death. But hate-generating religious fanaticism still remains as the major force propelling events in the Middle East and too many other places. The generation of homicide/suicide bombers grown by the Palestinian Authority, by Arafat, under cover of the Oslo Accords, has created a dynamic where too many have too much—their entire self-image, their very essence—invested in being terrorists. They have nothing else, no other identity. They will be around for a long time. Equally disastrous is the fact that they can only justify their own existence by passing along their terrorism to the next generation.

Paladin: How do you view Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons?
HL: I believe it has the potential to trigger the next major Middle East war. Iran is not going to stop. The Europeans are too heavily invested in helping Iran to do anything except chide America for not having its head in the sand. Our Russian friends are not going to forgo supplying Iran with what it needs to make a bomb. Israel is not going to let Iran get to that point. As of now, I see no alternative to Israel’s striking preemptively at Iran’s nuclear capability. Then it will hit the fan big-time.

Paladin: Do you think it’s realistic to believe democracies can flourish in the Middle East?
HL: A cockeyed, corrupt version of democracy will come into being here and there. A Western-style democracy, with equal rights and protections for all, based upon the rule of law rather than a theocracy or monarchy, is a long way off. But I hope Iraq proves me wrong. I think it will come down to education and whether the desire and effort to obtain a better quality of life can replace some of the current religious fervor.

LIVING WITH TERRORISM
Survival Lessons from the Streets of Jerusalem