EPISODE 79
The Millennium Bomber: How Professionalism saved the day

Because Luck is not a Tactic. Pre-attack indicators, the radicalization process, and the Swiss Cheese Model.
A terror plot at the turn of the century was thwarted by the professionalism of CBP Agent Diana Dean. For those of us old enough to remember the Y2K drama, you might not have heard of the foiled plot to bomb the Los Angeles International Airport amidst New Year’s celebrations for the year 2000. This Al Qaeda sponsored terrorist attack was halted in its tracks by a squared away Customs and Immigration Agent, who noted Ahmed Ressam’s suspicious behavior and sent him to a secondary inspection. Mike and Jim share their overview and analysis of the event to help you stay vigilant as we approach the 20th anniversary of this success story. We also touch on pre-attack indicators, the radicalization process, and a defense and risk mitigation strategy called “The Swiss Cheese Model.”
The Seattle Times: The Terrorist Within
Swiss Cheese Model (wikipedia)
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Intro music credit Bensound.com
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