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Tricks and tips of deception, trickery and survival
Update:Â Diablo Magazine | The Setup
At some time in the early morning yesterday, under cover of darkness, a team of U.S. Special Forces soldiers and CIA operators executed a raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, with the goal of eliminating notorious al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The mission was a success; U.S. President Barack Obama announced last night that bin Laden was killed in a firefight between U.S. forces and Taliban fighters. The 54 year old bin Laden had managed to evade capture for nearly 10 years while gracing the top of the FBI’s most wanted terrorist list with a $25 million reward for information leading to his capture, but was finally brought to justice yesterday at the hands of those U.S. forces. The following links provide an in-depth look at the operation itself, the months of careful intelligence gathering, planning, and preparation that made it possible, and the aftermath.
These images were released in a DoD news briefing today, containing satellite imagery and an illustration of Osama’s compound.
Politico provides a detailed description of the raid.
Wired investigates the combat forensics techniques used to identify bin Laden and other terrorists.
Armed Forces Press Service news report on the operation.
A collection of photos concerning bin Laden’s death.
Official White House blog post on the event.
A number of Gizmodo posts that explore the news stories, technology, special forces groups, and equipment behind the operation.
More information is sure to unfold within the coming days, so stay tuned and keep your eyes on these and other news sources.
Bonuses:
Action movies often depict heroes nonchalantly walking away from tremendous explosions. While it might make for good entertainment, the truth is that you most likely wouldn’t be in any condition to walk away from a Hollywood-size explosion. Io9 looks at how explosions work, and why they can be so deadly. They also offer a tip for surviving smaller explosions: RUN . Don’t bother with trying to hit the deck or take cover, just get out of there as fast as possible. Since the force of the explosion decreases exponentially with distance travelled, every bit of distance you can put between yourself and the blast increases your chance of survival. Just make sure you’ve tied your shoelaces properly; trip now and you’re, quite literally, toast.
So How Does One Survive An Explosion?
Generally, one doesn’t. At least not any movie explosion. Films that show people using missiles or using dynamite as a ‘diversion’ or a way to propel themselves or their vehicles or their chairs (Looking at you, Long Kiss Goodnight.) are doing the equivalent of running someone over with a car as a way of patting them on the back. Military-grade explosives unleash millions of pounds per square inch of pressure. Anything near it is getting destroyed.
For more modest explosives, the best defense is distance. Since force is applied over area, it decreases by the square of the distance it travels. Run like hell. A good hundred meter dash will put you in the safe range of one kilogram of TNT. A thousand meters will keep you safe from a thousand kilograms of it. Keep moving directly away from the explosive and keep doing it as far as you can. If you can run while covering your head – especially your ears – you’ll decrease incidental injuries but don’t let anyone distract you from distance. Just get away.
How big an explosion could you realistically survive?
Continue reading “88 Tricks and Tools of James Bond: Part 3 [How to Be Bond]”
Need to destroy a document in a pinch? With just water and a plastic bag, a document can quickly and easily be reduced to a wet, droopy, unreadable pile of muck. While it’s messy and a bit impractical, it works, and is great if you find yourself in a situation where you don’t have access to any better alternatives. [Editor’s side note: while shredding and burning documents can leave readable traces, this method creates virtual unreadable remains.]
Need a document disposed of, but not shredder? Do your best to rip up the papers, put them in a plastic bag and fill it with just a little bit of water. Slosh, roll, squeeze and or crumble the paper into a big, sloppy mess. When you’re finished, you should be left with a waterlogged ball of incomprehensible pulp!
Dispose of Sensitive Documents with a Ziploc Bag and Some Water