Editing Counterterrorism (section)

=== Target hardening ===
Whatever the target of terrorists, there are multiple ways of hardening the targets to prevent the terrorists from hitting their mark, or reducing the damage of attacks. One method is to place [[hostile vehicle mitigation]] to enforce protective standoff distance outside tall or politically sensitive buildings to prevent [[car bomb]]ings. Another way to reduce the impact of attacks is to design buildings for rapid evacuation.<ref>{{cite journal
 | author = Ronchi, E.
 | title = Disaster management: Design buildings for rapid evacuation
 | year = 2015
 | journal = Nature
 | volume = 528
 | issue = 7582
 | pages = 333
 | doi=10.1038/528333b
 | pmid=26672544
| bibcode = 2015Natur.528..333R
 | doi-access = free
 }}</ref>

Aircraft cockpits are kept locked during flights and have reinforced doors, which only the pilots in the cabin are capable of opening. UK [[railway stations]] removed their garbage bins in response to the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|Provisional IRA]] threat, as convenient locations for depositing bombs. Scottish stations removed theirs after the [[7 July 2005 London Bombings]] as a precautionary measure. The [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority]] purchased bomb-resistant barriers after the September 11 attacks.

[[File:Operation Guardian of the Walls, May 2021. XVIII.jpeg|thumb|Israeli [[Iron Dome]] active protection system, capable of intercepting airborne rockets and artillery shells]]

Due to frequent shelling of Israel's cities, towns, and settlements by [[artillery rocket]]s from the [[Gaza Strip]] (mainly by [[Hamas]], but also by other Palestinian factions) and [[Lebanon]] (mainly by [[Hezbollah]]), Israel has developed several defensive measures against artillery, rockets, and missiles. These include building a [[bomb shelter]] in every building and school, but also deploying [[active protection system]]s such as the [[Arrow (missile family)|Arrow ABM]], [[Iron Dome]] and [[David's Sling]], which intercept the incoming threat in the air. [[Iron Dome]] has successfully intercepted hundreds of [[Qassam rocket]]s and [[BM-21 Grad|Grad rockets]] fired by Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.<ref>{{cite news|title=How Israel Developed Such A Shockingly Effective Rocket Defense System|author=Robert Johnson|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/how-israel-developed-the-iron-dome-2012-11?op=1#ixzz2Cme6aQn5|work=Business Insider|date=19 November 2012|access-date=20 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=IDF's 'David's Sling' missile system used to shoot down rocket barrage |url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-742641 |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |date=May 10, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>

A more sophisticated target-hardening approach must consider industrial and other critical industrial infrastructure that could be attacked. Terrorists do not need to import chemical weapons if they can cause a major industrial accident such as the [[Bhopal disaster]] or the [[Halifax Explosion]]. Industrial chemicals in manufacturing, shipping, and storage thus require greater protection, and some efforts are in progress.<ref>{{cite news
 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64224-2005Jan10.html
 | title = D.C. Wants Rail Hazmats Banned: S.C. Wreck Renews Fears for Capital
 | author = Weiss, Eric M.
 | date = January 11, 2005
 | page = B01
 | newspaper=The Washington Post
}}</ref>

Equipping likely targets with containers of pig lard has been used to discourage attacks by suicide bombers. The technique was apparently used on a limited scale by British authorities in the 1940s. The approach stems from the idea that Muslims perpetrating the attack would not want to be "soiled" by the lard in the moment before dying.<ref>{{cite news
 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3484277.stm
 | title = Suicide bombing 'pig fat threat
 | date = February 13, 2004
 | access-date=January 2, 2010
 | publisher =BBC News}}</ref> The idea has been suggested more recently as a deterrent to suicide bombings in Israel.<ref>{{cite journal
 | url = http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/57793
 | title = Swine: Secret Weapon Against Islamic Terror?
 | date = December 9, 2007
 | journal = ArutzSheva
}}</ref> However, the actual effectiveness of this tactic is likely limited. A sympathetic Islamic scholar could issue a [[fatwa]] proclaiming that a suicide bomber would not be polluted by the swine products.