In the past thirty-five years, counter-terrorist units have been
deployed to deal with airplane, ship, train, and bus hijackings. They
have rescued hostages in various types of buildings and have dealt with
barricaded bank robbers, prison rioters, and assorted dangerous
criminals. Thousands have been rescued and millions have been safer
because terrorists were aware that elite antiterrorist units were poised
to take action should they take hostages.
Following the September 11th attack on the World Trade Centre, the
mission of many anti-terrorist units has expanded. Some units now track
terrorists to their lairs in other countries and strike them there.
Despite the significant and growing role of these units, little is known
about the way they operate. The selection, training, structure and
principles of maintaining such units, together with basic theories of
asymmetric warfare are the subject of Thompson's latest work.
In a practical, step-by-step guide he analyses the necessary
organization of such elite teams, the arming and equipping of units, and
methods for a variety of missions from hostage rescue and high-level
dignitary protection to securing foreign embassies and counter-WMD
strikes.
Open the pages of this book and enter the world of the counter-terrorist
operator.
