What air crash investigations teach us about dealing with terrorism

IN the past few weeks, the Islamic State’s reach has spread far beyond the Middle East and into the heartlands of Western democracies. Sensing that their constituencies were stricken with horror and shock, the leaders of these states have felt compelled to beat the drums of war against terrorism, vowing to eradicate such threats within their own borders and expand their efforts in Syria — a region that, until now, many had sworn to stay out of. So what happened? Or perhaps more to the point, what didn’t?

Stratfor analysts have repeatedly explained how difficult it can be to find foolproof measures to prevent terrorist attacks against soft targets, even for the most sophisticated intelligence and police organizations in the world. It comes as no surprise, then, that some deeds like the Paris and San Bernardino attacks slip by undetected every so often.