With the advent of firearms, the position of an assassination target was more precarious. Bodyguards were no longer enough to hold back determined killers, who no longer needed to directly engage the leader. William the Silent of the Netherlands was the first leader assassinated by firearms (July 10, 1584).
Gunpowder and other explosives also allowed the use of bombs or even greater concentrations of explosives for deeds requiring a larger touch; for an example, the Gunpowder Plot by Guy Fawkes could have 'assassinated' almost a thousand, had it not been foiled.
Explosives become more common, with grenades and remote-triggered landmines, especially in the Middle East and Balkans; the initial attempt on Archduke Franz Ferdinand's life was with a grenade. The rocket propelled grenade has became a tool given the popularity of armored cars, while Israeli forces have pioneered the use of aircraft-mounted missiles for assassination.
Despite their comparative disadvantages, hard-to-trace handguns are more commonly used thanrifles. Of 74 principal incidents evaluated in a major study about assassination attempts in the US in the second half of the 20th century, 51% were undertaken by a handgun, 30% with a rifle or shotgun, while 15% of the attempts used knives and 8% explosives .
A 2006 case in the UK concerned the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko who was given a lethal dose of radioactive polonium-210, possibly passed to him in aerosol form sprayed directly onto his food. Litvinenko, a former KGB agent, had been granted asylum in the UK in 2000 after citing persecution in Russia. Shortly before his death he issued a statement accusing Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, of involvement in his assassination, which Putin denies to this day.
One of the earliest forms of defense against assassins is the bodyguard, acting as shield for the target, keeping a lookout for all potential attackers; he is supposed to put himself 'in harm's way'. He is also, if possible, to
neutralize an attacker as fast as possible. This function was often executed by the leader's most loyal warriors, and was extremely effective throughout most of early human history, leading to attempts by subterfuge, such as poison.
Examples of bodyguards include the Roman Praetorian Guard or the Ottoman janissaries, although in both of those cases, it should be noted that protectors often became assassins themselves, exploiting their power to make the head of state a virtual hostage. The fidelity of individual bodyguards is an important question as well. Failure to realize divided loyalties leads to assassinations such as that of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, assassinated by two Sikh bodyguards in 1984.
With the advent of gunpowder, ranged assassination became possible. One reaction was to increase the guard, creating what at times might seem a small army trailing every leader; another was to clear large areas whenever a leader was present. As the 20th century dawned, the prevalence of assassins skyrocketed; so did measures to protect against them. Armored limousines were used, as were bulletproof vests.
Access to famous persons, too, became more and more restrictive; visitors would be forced through checks before being granted access to the official in question; it has become almost impossible for a would-be killer to get close enough to the person, especially with the use of metal detectors.
Most modern assassinations have been committed either during a public performance or during transport, both because of weaker security and
security lapses, such as with US President John F. Kennedy and former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, or as part of coups d'état where
security is either overwhelmed or completely removed, such as with Patrice Lumumba and likely Salvador Allende. These last two are to me among the most tragic of 20th Century assassinations.
Methods used for protection include the Popemobile of Pope John Paul II (built following an extremist's attempt at his life). Politicians themselves often resent this need for separation - which has at times caused tragedy when they sent their bodyguards from their side, as President William McKinley did during the public reception at which he was assassinated. Other targets go into seclusion, like writer Salman Rushdie, or use body doubles. Saddam Hussein is known to have used body doubles and so apparently did Fidel Castro.
In the last analysis, countermeasures can only try to be as effective as resources allow. If the assassin is committed beyond reason or without concern for his own for self-preservation, then the task of protecting the leader becomes far more difficult.
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BRIEF SYNOPSES OF AMERICAN ASSASSINATIONS, ATTEMPTS, AND DEATHS LATER IMPLICATED AS ASSASSINATIONS
Abraham Lincoln assassination: Good Friday, April 14, 1865, at 10 p.m. President Lincoln was shot by actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford's Theatre with his wife and two guests.
James A. Garfield assassination: in Washington, D.C., at 9:30 a.m. on July 2, 1881, less than four months after Garfield took office. Charles J. Guiteau was the assassin. Garfield died 11 weeks later, September 19, 1881.
