Interview with General Ioannis Galatas

07.20.2016

After a very appreciated lecture carried out at the second level International CBRNe Master Course, an interview was carried out to Gen. Ioannis Galatas by the Greek Army.

Here you can read the questions posed to our Guest.

1. Comprehensive approach for the training of CBRNe advisors

An advisor is a person with deep and hands-on knowledge of the subject matter. He/she must follow with is going on regarding global terrorism and new emerging threats and be able to identify shifts in the modus operandi of the enemy. It is advised to have his/her own team of experts that will go further deep into the CBRN threats in order the “team” to arrive in reliable conclusions and provide pre-emptive recommendations on countering these specific threats. Quite often advisors can substitute planners and if this is the case, personal operational experience is both mandatory and extremely helpful to design effective and applicable responses taken into account what the people affected will actually do instead on planning on ideal utopias.
 

2. The capabilities required to manage an event of mass gathering as Olympic Games

The capabilities required to manage mega sports events (i.e. Olympic Games) are derived from the above job description of a CBRN advisor. An effective CBRN defense is based on intelligence sharing (at national and international levels) and orthologistic training of the stakeholders involved in emergency response. The basic advantage of terrorists is the element of surprise and once an attack is set into motion is not possible to stop it. On the other hand the consequences of an asymmetric attack can be effectively managed only if the response plan is based on continuous training and constant acclimatization of the equipment and thorough study of the steps included in the counter plan. There will never be enough capabilities and resources to counter these threats mainly because by nature they are invisible, airborne and lethal aiming to cause the disruption of the social web and spread fear and panic. In that respect the involvement of the populace in the overall planning is of huge importance since without them no plan is applicable or effective. An additional element is the overall mentality and security culture of those in charge. The unexpected always happens and therefore it is at least dangerous to believe that nothing will happen in our shift!

3. The importance of the Master Courses in the International CBRNe scenario

CBRNe Master Courses provide a unique opportunity to dig into the new threats and combine theory with practice leading to experts with a good knowledge of what modern societies are currently facing. If one knows what exactly the new threats represent, one can properly introduce solutions and provide guidelines and counter-measures to national authorities responsible for the overall civil defense. It is also an excellent opportunity to combine academia with field operations and perform research that is focused on existing specific gaps thus improving defenses in a more comprehensive and holistic manner. The international training curriculum employed provides interesting insights on how different actors deal with related problems and this interactivity leads to better understanding of the core problems of CBRNe terrorism. If Master Courses’ graduates are placed in key position within the command chain then there is hope that our defenses against insane terrorism will be greatly enhanced in favor of our societies.