How to spot a suicide bomber
The Israeli police are to issue a guide to civilians on how to detect suicide bombers.
Readers of the booklet – which will appear on Friday – will be urged to watch out for anyone who seems out of place or is wearing a jacket or coat in warm weather, possibly hiding a bomb, said Avi Zelba, spokesman of the police community service.
Grounds for suspicion include people behaving nervously, avoiding police and soldiers, sweating profusely, mumbling to themselves or wearing clothes with bulges, the guide says.
Car bombs can be identified if their front and back license plates look forged or don’t match, or if one end is weighted down due to explosives in the trunk.
Hundreds of Israelis have been killed by Palestinian suicide bombers in the past two years, and police say alerting the public can help prevent casualties.
The book’s publication comes after internal debate within the police on whether it could cause terrorists to change their methods. In the end, however, it was decided that the benefits outweigh the potential risks.
The booklet urges readers to inform the police immediately at the slightest suspicion, and to keep the suspect in sight while maintaining a safe distance from him.
Many of the suicide bombers disguised themselves to avoid arousing suspicion. Some had their hair died blond to make them look like Israelis of European extraction. Others have dressed in Israeli army fatigues or wore a skull cap in the manner of a religious Jew.
The guide will be available to the public at police stations and will be delivered to elementary schools, Zelba said.
