Which is the first step in the terrorist attack planning cycle?

• A. Deployment
• B. Tactical Level Planning
• C. Target Selection
• D. Final Surveillance

Answer: (C)

The first step is identifying the target. When the attacker pins down what they want to affect, it sets the objective and scope for everything that follows. Knowing the target guides what resources are required, what level of risk is acceptable, and what kind of planning and timing will be needed. Once a target is chosen, the attacker can move on to gathering information about it (surveillance), figuring out how to carry out the plan (tactical level planning), and coordinating movement to execute (deployment). Final surveillance is a later step done right before the act to confirm conditions. So, selecting the target comes first because it defines the purpose and bounds for all subsequent steps.