SMITH BRANDON INTERNATIONAL The World Has Changed - Forever No one was prepared for September 11, 2001. No one could have been prepared for the events of that day. Everything that has occurred in the aftermath of the horrific terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, DC, is being improvised. The cataclysm of that date has brought with it a Great Awakening. Now it is time to review, reassess and reconsider. Globalization has come home, but not in the way anyone had imagined. The terrorist attacks were supported by global commerce and a global infrastructure in ways that were never envisioned or intended: telecommunication via pay phone calls nearly impossible to trace; wire transfers of funds through unidentified intermediaries; Internet emails bouncing from continent to continent; air travel to communicate, strategize, practice and deliver the final blows of the attacks. A debate is still to be joined on the balancing of interests that allowed the terrorists to operate so freely - and, ultimately, so successfully. In the marketplace, open access means greater efficiency. It was precisely this openness that supported the terrorists' operations. Closed markets are totally secure, but completely inefficient. Commerce has to find the fine balance on the broad spectrum between a market that is totally efficient (no security / full access to one and all) vs. one that is totally secure (restricted access / absolutely inefficient). Sellers of goods and service providers want to be able to move freely, to assure the broadest possible exposure of their products and services. Buyers have the same interests and motives. Governments and political interests have preferred greater security, generally to channel the flow of commerce and its stream of revenue. The events of 9/11/01 point to a new set of motivations: disruption for the sake of disruption; violence as an expression of dissent from the world order. The unprincipled killing of innocents not for profit or pleasure, but out of sheer, grim, focused determination. We in the United States and all our corporate allies, scattered around the world, need to take off our blinders in terms of how we address the security / efficiency continuum. How open should our marketplace be? We need to look at freedoms we routinely grant, access that can be abused by employees, by clients and customers, and by strangers. We need to look at slowing down, to examine the "What have you done for me this Quarter" approach that overrides all business issues. We need to ensure that enough time is devoted to critical thinking and evaluation of on-going business operations. We are now going through the worst of the post - cataclysm developments: heightened security that causes delays, frayed nerves and a sense of disorder but which doesn't necessarily ensure greater protection from hostile elements. This new order includes the removal of public trash bins; closing of streets and government offices; queuing up for sequential security checks at mass transportation terminals without any additional meaningful searches conducted. A particularly enervating occurrence is the impromptu traffic checkpoint that is thrown up, with no notice, causing extraordinary congestion in major metropolitan areas. These post- cataclysm traffic jams have become a fact of life in New York City and Washington, DC, resulting in even greater frustration and anxiety. Authorities can and will do better than this; it only adds to the panic factor. Among the worst of all: the copycat deviants, inspired by movie, video or actual news events, who try to gain a measure of celebrity, in our celebrity-obsessed world. With no valid thread of motivation - not revenge or ideology or personal gain, with nothing but the glint of opportunity afforded by our free society - these deviants can be caught only through time-consuming investigations. The drain on resources better committed to pursuit of the global terrorist network is obvious. Where do we go from here? We need to review our fundamental, most basic assessment of risk factors. There are two primary issues to be addressed: 1) What do you need to protect? People need to be protected, always. Are plant & equipment critical assets? Are files, intellectual property, or other information sources critical; or can they be left behind? 2) What is the nature of the threat or threats that face you and your specific business operations? With these considerations in mind, i.e. what do you need to protect and from what threat(s), crisis management plans must be reviewed, revised and implemented. Now, post-September 2001, extraordinary events must be factored in. This includes considering the possibility of the elimination of entire tiers of staff and management. The reviewed plan should also provide for giving priority to protecting personnel at all costs, damn the equipment and the files. Each business unit, based on its specific locale, needs to be aware of hostile interests and develop a staged approach to personal safety and security. The international business community has proclaimed the value of international trade, arguing that an expanded global economy will lift the fortunes and living standards of all nations and races. But attempts by multi-lateral institutions to fund development have often had sub-par results and sometimes reaped contempt for their flawed efforts. There are global throngs of hooligans that storm world trade conferences, in opposition to the wave of First World development of the rest of the world. Why? Maybe some of these voices of dissent should be heard by the Corporate World. At the very core of our re-examination of "business as usual" is the need to recognize the inherent value of each individual human life: man, woman and child; whether friend, stranger or philosophical enemy. Dialog is warranted on the senseless killing going on, not just by terrorists, but in conflicts around the world, among people of the same country or region, the same race or color, and often under color of religions espousing the same just and merciful Supreme Being. Is there a role for business rather than leaving it all to Government? From a philosophical and practical perspective, expanded corporate programs can be implemented, from country to country, in support of ethical corporate operations. They will ensure a motivated work force and loyal consumers. Recruitment programs can identify local corporate talent. Training of staff and management can widen the inner circles of corporate staff. Community programs, properly funded and staffed, can provide health services and expanded educational opportunities. Internal anti-corruption programs are critical. They will ensure business operates in an open and efficient manner. Corruption in all its forms is a negative proposition: with no quality control on any payments made, it is inherently inefficient and absolutely lacking in security precautions. As a footnote to the cataclysmic events of September 11, 2001, the terrorist attacks were facilitated by the transfer of illicit funds and by the issuance of false credentials following under-the-table payments to junior government officials. Small corruptions, in the normal course of business, paved the way for unforeseeable disasters. A new sense of global business imperatives needs to be developed. Issues to be addressed include: Careful use of technology for communication - Development of IT operations and email resources, incorporating critical elements of security, including internal and external safeguards. Expansion of telecommuting options and video conferencing capabilities, properly secured. Reasoned crisis management plans, addressing issues known to be fundamental (weather, accidents, political crises, etc.), that also address the previously unthinkable catastrophe of ungodly proportions, violence and repercussions. Consideration of all possible avenues for minimization of exposure, including reduced travel and alternative meeting arrangements. Use of local partners, and consideration of cultural and political sensitivities in establishing and pursuing corporate operations. Integration of business operations into the local community, including staffing and corporate involvement in political and cultural circles. We have entered a New World, with new parameters. But the crux of the new order is not religion, not Islam nor Christianity. It is not about nations or political alliances. There will be other threats: they may come from similarly cunning leaders or other, unanticipated sources. The global business community, from top to bottom, needs to remain alert and continue its vigilance. But the future cannot revolve around reaction to hostile forces. It's time to move forward. It's time to build community through global alliances and mutually supportive global allegiance designed to face the common enemy - and confront future enemies. The global business community provides employment for its workers; and it shelters, feeds and enriches our peoples. It must now provide peace of mind. What was unimaginable is the new reality; and it will help make the world more secure - and less vulnerable - after all. Smith Brandon International conducts international investigations and provides actionable business intelligence and risk avoidance counsel to assist companies in their overseas operations. The firm's principals are grounded in investigative, analytical, and intelligence gathering techniques, drawing on decades of experience in the FBI, State Department, intelligence circles and the private sector. For more information, please call 202-887-9363, or visit our website at http://www.smithbrandon.com/.