Seizures of Western Diplomatic Facilities: Historical Timelines, 1979-2019
Abstract
When local or international crises occur around the world, American and allied diplomatic facilities are frequent targets of contention and violence. As the most visible symbols of Western governments and their policies, such diplomatic facilities are also common targets of international terrorist organizations. To develop effective response capabilities, it is necessary to know the timelines under which response forces will need to operate. Specifically, a response will be effective only if it occurs before the attack culminates. We conducted a review of attacks on Western diplomatic facilities as part of a larger project that analyzed possible responses to attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities. To assess the parameters of an effective response, we reviewed all historical attacks on Western diplomatic facilities over the past four decades and identified any relevant trends in the timelines of those attacks. We found that the trends confirm the need for a three-tiered planning approach consisting of Early Security Augmentation, Anticipatory Security Augmentation, and In Extremis Response.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1121451
Entities
People
- Adam R. Grissom
- Christopher A. Mouton
- Jacqueline G. Burns
- John P. Godges
Organizations
- RAND Corporation