Boston Tragedy Indicative of 'New Reality' of Terror Attacks

Anatomy of a Bomb

The explosives detonated in Boston on Monday are believed to be small shrapnel bombs, and the nature and extent of reported injuries provide vital clues as to their makeup. Most of the reported injuries were to the lower extremities, particularly below the knees, except in the case of children.

"This suggests there were likely ball bearings, nail heads, nail points, glass, and shards of metal wrapped around the explosive devices," Roman explains. "Small wristwatch timers could have been used, but this type of bomb can be detonated remotely via a cell phone. So I expect that authorities will look at cell tower activity around the time of the explosions, although a trained individual would know to use a disposable phone."

According to Roman, it would be virtually impossible to take a shrapnel bomb on a plane or into a government building in our post-Sept. 11 world of body scanners and metal detectors. However, an individual could place the small device—virtually undetected—at an outdoor event or in other high-traffic areas with little or no security, such as a local shopping mall or a festival.

A Disturbing Progression

Small explosive devices have long been used to carry out attacks in some of the world's most dangerous corners but are a relatively recent development in the United States.

"In the U.S., we have seen emotionally disturbed individuals using sophisticated semi-automatic weapons to kill innocent people," Roman says. "The next logical progression is planting small homemade bombs at large gatherings."

Roman believes the timing of yesterday's explosions was intentional and designed to cause widespread injury.

"Generally with these types of attacks, terrorists want to accomplish two things: maximize casualties and maximize media coverage," he says. "The first bomb went off around the 4-hour mark or so, at which point there were a great number of participants passing the finish line, but far less in terms of national and local media onsite. So it seems they were aiming for maximum injuries, knowing the Boston Marathon would garner substantial media coverage nonetheless."

The casualties could have been far greater, Roman explains, were it not for the swift actions of medical professionals and savvy planning by event organizers.

"The fatality rate was drastically reduced by virtue of a medial triage area, which is always present at national marathon events," he says. "In Boston, internists and emergency medical technicians, including paramedics and triage nurses were ready to act. The triage nurses are specially trained and equipped with IVs, tourniquets and other life-saving resources. The tourniquets were especially useful, as many victims were bleeding profusely, perhaps from major arteries in the legs. In those cases, death can come in as little as 2 minutes without immediate medical attention." 

Counterterrorism Costs

Still, there are lessons to be learned and a strong case for additional funding to thwart deadly attacks in the future.

"We can never guarantee 100-percent prevention," Roman says. "But it is possible to minimize risks, depending on a city's budget and manpower."  

One city that has successfully bolstered its counterterrorism resources following unspeakable tragedy at the hands of terrorists is New York City. By Roman's estimates, the city employs close to 38,000 police officers and has "London-like" surveillance for every single block. Sophisticated analytic software and greater counterintelligence bandwidth provide law enforcement with the capability to scan a license plate in an instant and place task forces where they are most needed.

"New York City has its own paramilitary consisting of police units with automatic weapons, snipers and practically a fleet of helicopters," Roman says. "Comparatively, Boston has 5,000 police officers and was not previously considered to be at high risk for terrorist activity."

"I applaud the Boston police," he adds. "So far they have done an extremely credible job, given the resources and the fact that Boston is a complex city, one with sections dating back to the colonial period. There are small winding streets and then modern large areas like Copley Square, where malls and hotels attract heavy traffic."

Boston has a strong case for investing in greater counterintelligence resources and, according to Roman, its risk-avoidance strategies may look a lot different in the future. The city could take a cue from New York City and remove garbage receptacles lining the streets, or—as Roman told the New York Times yesterday—seal manhole covers during large events.