Truckers could be defense in terrorist attack

Heather Rawlyk

Thursday, Oct. 7, 2004 | 8:43 a.m.

In a ballroom at the Las Vegas Hilton Wednesday afternoon, former Delta Force commander Jeff Beatty instructed dozens of truck drivers to close their eyes and picture a tractor-trailer filled with explosives.

He then told the group to imagine the truck parked next to a Las Vegas hotel.

"Now imagine it blowing up," he said. "Think about the spectacular image in the mind of the terrorist, about the mass casualties. Think about how we need to prevent this. Think of it as your duty as an American."

The grim scenario was part of a two-hour anti-terrorism training course under an initiative called Highway Watch -- a national program led by the American Trucking Associations and federal Department of Homeland Security that teaches highway transportation professionals and trucking industry workers to help spot national security and safety threats.

The goal of the training course is to teach truck drivers, toll booth operators and other transportation professionals how to watch out for suspicious activity and spot a potential terrorist attack before it happens, according to Beatty, a former CIA and FBI agent and spokesman for Total Security Solutions Inc.

"It's a fact al-Qaida has chosen vehicles as weapons of choice for mass casualties," he said. "It could be anything from a small taxi to a tractor-trailer. Historically, this is the most deadly means of attack, and it's something we need to look out for."

Beatty explained that terrorists target places that, if attacked, would provide "spectacular images." He said truck drivers should be on a higher alert for anything suspicious when driving through these areas.

"If you're at a place that could be a target and you see someone surveying the area or taking photographs and acting unusual about it, then that's when you'd call and report," he said. "Anything unusual, whether it be a parked, occupied vehicle in front of a building for a long time or someone that's obviously somewhere they don't belong."

Drivers should also look out for situations such as one company's truck pulling another company's trailer.

"That just never happens," he said. "That means someone who isn't supposed to has that truck."

Truck drivers who happen upon something suspicious can call the Highway Watch Call Center, which will in turn pass the information on to the appropriate organization, according to John Willard, spokesman for American Trucking Associations.

In a highly suspicious situation, truck drivers are told to call 911 and then follow by phoning the call center, he said.

Beatty emphasized that while looking for potential terrorist activity, transportation professionals should "not fall into stereotypes."

"Don't focus on people by how they appear," he said. "Focus on their activity. Al-Qaida is making sure they use people who don't fit the stereotype right now, and if we're focused on that stereotype, we'll miss out on what's really happening.

"You stereotype, you lose. You look beyond that and you may just stop the next terrorist attack from ever happening."

So far 29 states, including Nevada, are taking part in the Highway Watch program, which originated in 1998 as a simple highway safety program and in 2002 added its anti-terrorism course, Willard said.

The Department of Homeland Security announced in September a $21 million grant, available in March, for the American Trucking Associations Highway Watch program.

"Because of the grant we're expecting every state to be involved in the program by March 2005," Willard said. "The program is free and voluntary, and we're expecting a lot of transportation professionals to take part across the country.

"There is such a history of truck bombs used as weapons of terrorism, and right now it's very critical to engage the drivers and people in the transportation industry in being aware of their surroundings. Everyone needs to do their part in preventing a terrorist attack from happening, and that's what we're teaching."

Roadway transportation sector professionals are welcome to join Highway Watch by calling the national toll free number at (866) 821-3444. For more information visit the Web site highwaywatch.com.