How can you protect yourself against a suicide bomber who’s about to blow himself up and take the maximum number of innocent bystanders with him? You may think identifying such a criminal and taking action before he kills is impossible, but there are telltale signs that students of reality-based personal people as possible.

Targets include buses, malls, sporting events, religious establishments, government buildings, restaurants, national monuments and police checkpoints. They often conduct surveillance before they strike, and that’s when they’re most vulnerable to discovery. If you’re in a high-risk area and see someone who appears to be abnormally interested in security, the lay of the land or time schedules, a red flag should go up in your mind. That’s especially true if you see him photographing or videotaping more than just points of interest or if he takes notes after looking around or watching employees.

Regardless of how well the bomber has been prepared psychologically, the stress of the impending act of selfsacrifice is difficult for him to conceal completely. As he approaches the target, he will be under pressure—to succeed, to resist the urge to chicken out and to control the euphoria he might feel with respect to the divine reward he thinks he’s about to receive. Signs of that stress can include profuse sweating, rapid eye movement, nodding instead of answering questions verbally, tightly gripping a bag or other item, shallow breathing, clenched jaw muscles, red ears, rosy cheeks and fervent praying. Many rely on drugs to get them through the ordeal and will have a glazed look in their eyes. Some may opt not to go through with it—at which time their cell might use a remote control to detonate the device.

Another mission of suicide bombers is to conceal the explosive. If they opt to wear it, they usually don a "bomb belt" or a vest with multiple pockets in which the explosive material is placed. Nuts, bolts or nails are then packed around the explosives, and wires are used to connect all the parts. To keep the outline of the components from showing, they usually wear oversized clothing—which can serve as a visual indicator, especially when worn during warmer months. When terrorists decide to carry their bombs rather than wear them, they may conceal them in purses, backpacks, briefcases, packages, baby bundles or even fake oxygen tanks. In Israel, devices have been found in hollowed-out books, fire extinguishers, video boxes and even toys. The main thing to look for is the way the person treats the thing he’s carrying. Does he appear to be guarding it? Is he ensuring people don’t bump into it? Is he keeping one hand in it? Is he clenching the straps or rubbing it in a nervous manner?

When I was a rookie, my fieldtraining officer told me I would detect criminals better by looking for minor things that were out of place, and the same principle holds true for detecting suicide bombers. For example, Palestinian terrorists have been known to put on perfume before a mission in preparation for entering paradise. While the smell of perfume or cologne on a person isn’t cause for alarm, if he’s also nervous or wearing a bulky jacket, it could mean a suicide bomber has just been identified.

Once a bomber is in place, the minimum distance you want to be away from ground zero is 1,000 feet, or about one city block. If you’re in a restaurant or similar building the whole establishment can be the kill zone. Visiting a national monument can make it a bit easier to keep your distance, but it’s not always practical. Therefore, you should try to stay away from the center of groups and, if possible, behind a counter, pillar or some other barrier that will deflect the blast. On a public bus, the safest place to sit is in the back. Most suicide bombers blow themselves up in the center of the vehicle, or they detonate the device prematurely in the front if they fear they’ve been compromised. There’s no safe spot on a plane. Therefore, you might want to ask to be positioned in an aisle seat in the middle of the aircraft so you can make it to the back or front quickly if someone’s about to do something stupid and your assistance is required. If you’re in a large building that explodes, you could end up being buried under rubble. Therefore, it’s good to have three tools with you at all times: a pocketknife for cutting away debris or pounding on solid objects to alert rescuers to your location, a small flashlight to illuminate your immediate environment or signal for help, and a pocket mask or handkerchief to cover your face when dust or fumes are present.

About the author: Jim Wagner is a police and military defensive-tactics instructor and a civilian reality-based personal-protection trainer. For more information, visit http://www.jimwagnertraining.com.