Training Day Countdown

Tomorrow begins the next ICON Celebrity & VIP Protection Course and we’re all very proud to say we once   again have a sold out class.   Looking forward to the dynamic mix of seasoned professionals polishing their skills and newcomers just getting started in the industry.

Also very excited to have Dave Marris on board as a Guest Instructor this course.   In the close protection arena his background is one who’s “been there, done that”,  so we’re especially glad to have an active Operator take the time to help out.

Pretty certain the only sleep I get for the next 5 days will occur around the same time the paperboy is making deliveries, and end before he’s done.

Terrorism Dry Run?

Authorities in the Netherlands arrested two U.S. residents who arrived in Amsterdam on a flight from Chicago, after U.S. authorities raised concerns about items they considered suspicious in their luggage.

The two were passengers aboard United Airlines flight 908 on Sunday night and aroused suspicion because of items found in their checked luggage, the Homeland Security department said. “The items were not deemed to be dangerous in and of themselves, and as we share information with our international partners, Dutch authorities were notified of the suspicious items. This matter continues to be under investigation,” the department said.

A law enforcement official said investigators haven’t determined whether the items in the luggage, which included cell phones apparently attached to bottles of liquid, were an attempt at a dry run for a possible plot, or if the items were packed in that manner inadvertently. The men traveled to Chicago on flights from Birmingham, Ala., and Memphis, Tenn., then changed their flights, which prompted further scrutiny, the official said.

– Something was definitely up, and to me this sounds like a “dry run” to test the system.  Items found in one of the individuals checked luggage:

• Cellphone taped to Peto-Bismol Bottle
• Several watches taped togeter
• 3 large knives
• 3 Cellphones taped together

For the full (developing) story click HERE.

** UPDATE:  The men may not be charged as the items may have just been bundled GIFTS for relatives?

Pat Tillman Family at Odds with Military Over Death

With the upcoming release of a movie based on Pat Tillman: the football star who was killed in a friendly-fire incident in the Afghan mountains and the allegations of a massive bureaucratic cover-up, new information is starting to surface regarding his family’s disbelief that the incident occurred the way the army brass reported.

One letter written by Pat’s father and penned to Brigadier General Gary M. Jones (the man spearheading the investigation) as well as the Senate Armed Services Committee (which oversaw Jones’s work) reads:

“You are a General,there is no way a man like you, with your intelligence, education, military, experience, responsibilities (primarily for difficult situations), and rank… believes the conclusions reached in the March 31, 2005 Briefing Book.”

For links to the gripping story, click HERE.

Anna Nicole Smith Bodyguard Grilled

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Defense attorneys in the Anna Nicole Smith drug conspiracy trial attempted to weaken the credibility of a key prosecution witness by questioning him about schemes to profit from his association with the former Playboy model.

Bodyguard Maurice Brighthaupt told Monday of *signing contracts with “Access Hollywood” for a total of $50,000 to provide pictures and interviews after the Playboy model died in 2007 from a drug overdose.

He said Smith had given him a camera memory card with more than 100 photographs.

Among the pictures he provided was one of him in bed with Smith and her newborn baby, Dannielynn, he said, and images of the casket and hearse that carried the body of her son, Daniel, after his death.

Brighthaupt testified last week about drug use by Smith.

The exchange began the second week of testimony in the trial of Smith’s lawyer-boyfriend Howard K. Stern and her doctors Khristine Eroshevich and Sandeep Kapoor. They have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to provide Smith excessive amounts of opiates and sedatives. They have not been charged with her death.

*The defense also sought to quiz Brighthaupt about a scheme detailed in deposition testimony in which he said he and another person planned to sell pictures of the newborn girl for $1 million.

Guess we can stop here as it’s the two underlined parts that caught my attention.  While I don’t know Mr. Brighthaupt personally, some very interesting ethical dilemmas are raised by the defense as they ask the question, “is this just about the money?”  Where does one draw the line (after death?) on client confidentiality?  Is 50 thousand ok to accept but 1 Million a sign of something corrupt?  Or is it an acceptable business practice especially for an agent that may be now out of work due to a separation from his employer, except in this case it’s being played out in the media?

I tell you what, I’ll let you answer.

For the full story click HERE.

Assassination Attempt on Iran’s President?

A conservative Iranian website said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad escaped an assassination attempt after a handmade grenade exploded near his convoy on Wednesday, but Tehran state TV denied the report. Other media reported an explosion in the area but gave conflicting accounts about the cause. Some said it was a firecracker. The website, khabaronline.ir, said the grenade detonated near Ahmadinejad’s convoy as he was on his way to address a crowd in the western Iranian town of Hamedan but did not harm him.

One person was arrested in connection with the attack, the website report said, adding that Ahmadinejad’s car was about 100 yards (meters) from the blast. It also said there was no information whether anyone was injured.

I’m sure the continuing spin on this will be interesting.   For the full story, click HERE.

Bodyguard Training Course

ICON once again presents our  5 day course of practical theory and hands-on training in the world of Celebrity & VIP Protection.  Held September 8-12, 2010 in Minneapolis, MN the course  is an intensive mix of theory, drills and hands-on training.

The last class was sold out and with the new training modules introduced such as force-on-force, the time is perfect to attend as a start to a career in Executive Protection or refresh existing skills.

Click HERE for more details.

“I would like to thank you for the experience throughout the course. I walked away very satisfied. The field training exercise was amazing. Being able to use what I learned in a real life scenario was the best part of the training. The force on force was also great; learning to react to (a hostile) contact was done realistically”.

-Zachary T. Carpenter

Bodyguard Training Calendar

Minneapolis, MN September 8-12th 2010 – Icon Services Corporation present a five-day course of practical theory and hands-on training in the world of Celebrity & VIP Protection. If you are new to the bodyguard industry or a current operator looking to refresh and polish your skills, this course will offer excellent instruction into the professional side of Close Protection work. Taught by industry veteran Elijah Shaw, who in addition to his corporate clients, has traveled the world as the personal bodyguard of international public figures such as musical giant Usher, supermodel Naomi Campbell, and rap megastar 50 Cent, the course will offer real world problems, scenarios, and solutions from instructors that are currently active in the industry.

“Your training is an invaluable tool to your industry. I was very impressed how realistic the training was that you provide. Having been taught by the best, I can honestly state that I learned quite a bit in your class. There is always room for improving ones skill set, and your training definitely added to mine”.

Special Agent Robert E. Jones / US Secret Service

For more information click HERE

Stunt Double

Mexico Government Rents Bodyguards to Workers

Bombing Kills 64 World Cup Fans

Two suicide bombers suspected of being affiliated with Al-Qaida initiated an attack in Uganda that left 64 people dead and over 50 more injured.  The attacked focused on fans gathered to watch the final game of the World Cup at a restaurant and a rugby club.

Uganda’s government spokesman said the first blast occurred at the Ethiopian Village restaurant at 10:55 p.m. Two more blasts happened at the rugby field 20 minutes later, he said.

One American has been killed and 14 others injured in the attack.

For the full tragic story, click HERE.

*The photo above was taken during my recent trip to South Africa where I accompanied a client attending the 2010 World Cup.  Mandela’s Square in Johannesburg is a popular place for spectators who are not going to the actual game, and  illustrates the massive crowds that terrorist consider soft targets.