Workshop on “A One Man Terror Organization”

A workshop was held at the Swedish EOD and Demining Centre, SWEDEC, which mainly focused on the threat level against own personnel within the Swedish Armed Forces and with focus on the First-Responders.

A crowded lecture theatre during the SWEDEC workshop with participants from the Swedish Armed Forces and also from the Police, Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), the Emergency Services and the health care. Photo: Maria Claesson / Försvarsmakten
During the first part of the workshop the lecturer shared his own experiences.
During the first part of the workshop the lecturer shared his own experiences. Photo: Maria Claesson / Försvarsmakten
Personnel from The Swedísh Police crowded with personnel from MSB and Swedish Rescue team and Swedish Armed Forces.
Personnel from The Swedísh Police crowded with personnel from MSB and Swedish Rescue team and Swedish Armed Forces. Photo: Maria Claesson / Försvarsmakten
Vivid group discussions took place among the workshop participants during the breaks.
Vivid group discussions took place among the workshop participants during the breaks. Photo: Maria Claesson / Försvarsmakten
During the first part of the workshop the lecturer shared his own experiences. Photo: Maria Claesson / Försvarsmakten
Personnel from The Swedísh Police crowded with personnel from MSB and Swedish Rescue team and Swedish Armed Forces. Photo: Maria Claesson / Försvarsmakten
Vivid group discussions took place among the workshop participants during the breaks. Photo: Maria Claesson / Försvarsmakten
A one day workshop has been held at SWEDEC dealing with the differences in the threat against own operational personnel from organized crime and terrorism versus the threat from “lone wolves”.

Participants

The workshop was mainly designed f the First-Responders and Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) but also personnel from the Swedish Armed Forces participated.

About 45 representatives from the First-Responders and MSB and about ten people from the Swedish Armed Forces participated.

Understanding of the threat level

The background to the workshop was different events in the Nordic countries the last couple of years. To mention a few cases; the one in Gothenburg with the suicide bomber on a tram, the one in Stockholm last year with a suicide bomber on a street and finally the attack in Oslo with a car bomb against a building followed by a “mass murder” using firearm. 

All these occurrences have shown the need of a broader understanding of the threat level when bombs and mass damages are used for terror attacks.

The lone wolf

The implementation of the lecture was executed by Branwynn AB which has both deep and broad experience of C-IED, mainly in the Middle East and Northern America. One of the main focuses was the profile of “the lone wolf” and the need of cooperation during operations dealing with mass damages and where the information about “the lone wolf’s” ability and intention are unknown. A number of events from Israel and USA were used as examples.

“I will try to inspire the audience on how they can think around the subject a one man terror organization”, said the lecturer at the start of the day.

Development

The day was concluded with the decision to continue the work in each corresponding First-Responders under the coordination of MSB.