TERRORISM REVIEW

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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
0005329270
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RIPPUB
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U
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40
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June 24, 2015
Document Release Date: 
August 1, 2011
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Case Number: 
F-2008-00992
Publication Date: 
January 1, 1998
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National Security Unauthorized Disclosure Information Subject to Criminal Sanctions Dissemination Controi NOFORN (tvF) Not releasable to foreign nationals Abbreviations PROPIN (aR) Caution-proprietary information involved ORCON (oc) pissemination and extraction of information controlled by originator Terrorism Review i Secret DI T 98-001 January 1998 Highlights 21 Sec t The Terrorism Diar for February and March 1988 ~ 25 Chronolo of International Terrorism ~ 29 This Review is published monthly by the DCI Counterterrorist Center. Comments and queries are welcome and may be directed to Information available as of 20 January 1998 was used in this Review. }S~ret Sec3+~ iv i suet DI T 98-001 January 1998 ? Se+c t - S ret 2 Se et 4 Se et 5 Set~et DI TR 8-001 January 1998 Ss et Sec t 6 7 Sec t Suet 8 r ' Sec t 9 Se et Sec 11 Seclc~t 13 Sec t DI TR 8-001 January 1998 Sec t 14 15 Se et Se ?et 17 Se et DI T 8-001 January 1998 ' Sec t Sec t 18 Sec Highlights 21 5e~ret DI T 98-001 January 1998 ' Se ret S ret 22 The Terrorism Diary for February and March 1998 I February 1979 1 February X984 3 February 1963 4 February 1948 4 February I979 7 February 1997 8 February I963 I4 February 1979 I9 February X980 22 February 1969 25 February I991 26 February 1993 2 March 1956 2 March 1977 3 March X878 3 March I96I 4 March I982 Below is a compendium of February and March dates of known or conceivable sig- nificance to terrorists around the world. Our inclusion of a date or event should not be construed to suggest that we expect or anticipate a commemorative terrorist event. ~~ Iran. Return of Ayatollah Khomeini to Iran from exile in Paris. India. Kashmir separatist leader Maqbool Butt executed. Iraq. Anniversary of Bath Revolution. Sri Lanka. Independence Day. Iran. Revolution Day. Quds Day or Jerusalem Day. Muslims protest Israeli occupation of Jerusalem. (Quds Day is commemorated on the last Frlday of Ramadan, which ends on 8 February 1997.) Iraq. Revolution Day. Iran. Attack on LTS Embassy in Tehran; the Embassy was briefly occupied and the Ambassador briefly held. Egypt, Israel. Exchange of ambassadors. Palestinians. Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine founded. Iraq. Beginning of the ground war in Desert Storm. United States. World Trade Center bombing in New York City. Morocco. Independence Day (termination of Treaty of Fez). Libya. Establishment of Jamahiriyah (Masses' State). Bulgaria. Independence Day. Morocco. Accession of King Hassan to throne. Colombia, United States. Effective date of extradition treaty aimed at narcotics traffickers. 25 Sec t DI TR 8-001 January 998 6 March 1957 Ghana. Independence Day. 6 March 1975 Kurdish Region. Algerian accord between Iran and Iraq abandoning support for the Kurds. IO March 1979 Kurdish Region. Death of Kurdish leader 1Vlulla Mustafa Barzani. 11 March 1966 Indonesia. President Sukarno turns over power to Suharto. 12 March 1968 Gabon. National Day. l2 March 1880 Turkey. Birthday of Ataturk. I2 March 1968 Mauritius. Independence Day. 13 March 1979 Grenada. Coup d'etat by Maurice Bishop (National Day). I4 March I975 Japan. Chukaku-Ha (Nucleus Faction) Secretary General Honda assassinated by rival radical groups. I6 March 192I Armenians. Signing of Soviet-Turkish border treaty that ended Armenian hopes of establishing an independent state. I7 March Ireland. St. Patrick's Day (National Day). 20 March 1956 Tunisia. Independence Day. 20 March I98I Colombia. Death of M-19 terrorist Carmenza Londono (La Chiqui). 2I March Turkey. Kurdish New Year. 22 March I945 Arab World. Founding of Arab League (original members: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Syria). 23 March I956 Pakistan. Pakistan Day (founding of Islamic republic). 25 March 1921 Greece. Greek Revolution Memorial Day (celebrating beginning of independence from Turkey). 25 March I975 Saudi Arabia. Assassination of King Faisal and accession of King Khalid. 26 March I970 Libya. UK Evacuation Day (day British forces turned over bases and departed). 26 March 197I Bangladesh. Independence Day. 26 March 1978 Egypt, Israel. Peace agreement ratified. Se et 28 March Palestinians. National Day. 30 March 1974 Turkey. Death of terrorist Mahir Gayan, member of 1~arkish People's Liberation Party. 30 March 1976 Palestinians. Day of the Homeland. S ret Chronology of International Terrorisn~l The following incidents were determined to meet the criteria for international terrorism by the Intelligence Community's IncidentReview Panel since publication of the previous issue of the Terrorism Review. These incidents are the basis for the State Department's Patterns of Global Terrorism, published annually as the US Government's official record of international terrorism) DI ?1Q 98-001 January 1998 31 October Uganda: Unknown assailants hurled two handgrenades into a tourist hostel in Kampala, injuring a Briton, a South African and an unidentified foreign tourist. 21 November Somalia: Approximately 20 unidentified gunmen kidnapped five United Nations and European Aid workers in the Elayo village in Somaliland. The kidnappers released the hostages-a Briton, a Canadian, two Kenyans, and an Indian-on 24 November.) l3 December Nigeria: On the Nigerian coast, angry employees and villagers kidnapped a US citizen, an Australian, two British oil workers, and at least nine Nigerian staff members of Western Geophysical, a US-owned oil exploration company. The kidnappers released the hostages on 17 and 18 December.~~ l2 November Pakistan: In Karachi two unidentified gunmen shot to death forir US-citizen auditors from Union Texas Petroleum and their Paltistani driver. The Islami Ingilabi Council claimed responsibility in a call to the US Consulate. Another group, the Aimal Secr ed responsibility in a letter sent to Pakistani news a ers. suspect the Harakat ul-Ansar is behind I8 November Philippines: Two suspected former members of the Moro National Liberation Front kidnapped a Belgian Roman Catholic priest in Ozamis. The kidnappers released the priest on 19 November~~ 23 December Pakistan: Unidentified assailants opened fire on the teachers' residential com- pound of the Karachi American School, wounding a Frontier Constabulary guard. The compound, located one block from the school compound, is home to nine US-citizen and six Canadian teachers IS November Tajikistan: The brother and friends of jailed militantBahrom Sodirov kidnapped- . a French couple in Dushanbe in hopes of gaining his release. On 29 November the kidnappers released one of the hostages. A second hostage later died from wounds sustained when Tajik authorities stormed the building) 25 November Bosnia-Herzegovina: A grenade exploded under a parked European Community Monitoring Mission vehicle in Trebinje. I7 December Chechnya: Fifteen armed assailants kidnapped five Polish citizens working far the Catholic charity Caritas Poland. On 5 Janua authorities reported a $3 million ransom demand had been made Se ret 30 Sec~tet ZO December Bosnia-Herzegovina: A lone attacker threw a handgrenade over the perimeter fence of a Dr~teh Stabilization Force compound near Vitez, injuring two Dutch soldiers.) Europe Croatia: Authorities sa el defused a time bomb found inside a McDonald's restaurant in Rijeka. Greece: An improvised incendiary device ignited outside the German Archaeo- logical Institute in Athens, causing minor damage. The Anti-Sovereignty Struggle claimed responsibility for the attack stating the act commemorated the 20th anni- versary of the suicide of Red Army Faction members in German prisons. 12 November Greece: Unknown assailants set fire to two vehicles belonging to a Brazilian diplomat and the Italian Embassy in Athens, causin minor damage. The Arsonists with Conscience claimed responsibility. 17 November Ireland: Authorities defused a bomb found inside a shopping center in Dundalk, a few miles from the Ireland-Northern 1'reland border. Authorities located the device after receiving a series of warnin calls from a person using a recognized Loyalist Volunteer Force codeword.~ 10 December I7-I8 December 25 December Latin America Turkey: Authorities defused a time bomb found inside a gas cylinder about tv be refilled at a Turkish facility adjoining the international ATAS oil refinery in Mersin. The ATAS refinery is a joint venture of the Royal Dutch Shell group, Mobil Oil, $ritish Petroleum, and Turkey's Marmara Petrol. Austria: An unidentified assailant threw a Molotov cocktail at a Turkish shop in Vienna. The device failed to ignite. The following day the assailant returned acid hurled a second device at the store, causing extensive damage. The store's owner stated that members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party had threatened to burn his business unless he made a financial contribution to their organization.) Greece: Arsonists set fire to a Philippine Embassy van in Athens, causing major damage. The Arsonists with Conscience claimed responsibility II November Argentina: In Cordoba authorities defused an explosive device found at the hotel door of the British Ambassador The incident may be related to the sovereignt dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands. Urca. Argentina: Authorities defused an explosive device found at a British school in 11 November Colombia: Unknown assailants kidnapped a German industrialist in Cundi- namarca. La Gloria, disrupting service via the pipeline until 10 December. Colombia: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebels kidnapped a Mexican and a Colombian engineer from a hydroelectric pla nson municipality. The rebels also stole dynamite and two vehicles Colombia: National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas blew up several sticks of dynamite along the Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipeline in Arar~ca, causing an oil spill and temporarily suspending pumping operations. ~~ 5 December Colombia: ELN guerrillas bombed the Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipeline near Colombia: Suspected ELN rebels bombed the Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipeline, causing an undetermined amount of damage. ~~ 9 December Colombia: Suspected ELN guerrillas bombed the Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipe- line near El Carmen, Norte de Santander.~~ 13 December 17 December 18 December 24 December Hydro. Sendero Luminoso propaganda was found at the blast site. Colombia: Suspected leftist guerrillas dynamited the Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipeline near Saravena, causing a 1,000-barrel-oil spill and suspending pumping.~~ Colombia: In Arauita mr~nicipality, ELN rebels dynamited the Cano Limon- Covenas oil i eline, spilling 9,000 barrels of oil and suspending prcmping operations. Colombia: ELN rebels kidnapped four Colombian Coca Cola employees at a roadblock in Norte de Santander. The rebels were seeking both individual ransoms and a payoff from Coca Cola to prevent further kidnappings operations. Colombia: Suspected leftist guerrillas dynamited the Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipeline near Saravena, spilling 7,000 barrels of oil and suspending primping 29 December Peru: A car bomb exploded near an electric company in Lima, causing damage. The facility is co-owned by Chile's Chilquinta International and Canada's Ontario 30 December Colombia: A bomb exploded at the front door of a McDonald's restaurant in Cali, cousin minor damage. The explosion occurred when the restaurant was closed Egypt: Al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya (IG) gunmen shot and killed 58 tourists and four Egyptians and wounded 26 others at the Hatshepsut Temple in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor. Thirty-four Swiss, eight Japanese, five Germans, four Britons, one French, one Colombian, a dual national BulgarianBriton, and four unidentified are among the dead. Twelve Swiss, two Japanese, two Germans, one French, and nine Egyptians are among the wounded. The IG militants left a leaflet at the scene calling for the rele e~man AbdeI Rahman, the IG spiritual leader imprisoned in the United States Israel: Unknown gr~nmen slant and killed a Hungarian Yeshiva student and wounded an Israeli student in the Old City of Jerusalem.~~ Yemen: Yemeni tribesmen kidnapped a US citizen, two Italians, and two unspeci- fied westerners near Aden to protest the eviction of a tribal member from his home. T nappers released the five hostages on 27 November without incident 3 December Algeria: Unidentified assailants shot and killed a guard in front of the Maurita- nian Embassy. The Armed Islamic Group (GIA) may have killed the guard in an effort to intimidate Algerians employed by foreign embassies~~ 10 December Algeria: Unidentified assailants shot and killed an AI Brian policeman guarding the Mexican Embassy. The GIA may be responsible. Summary of Indigenous Terrorism-December 1997 The incidents and situations listed below are not a detailed accounting of all domestic terrorist incidents, but rather provide an overview of selected indigenous terrorism worldwide.) Burma On 4 December, Karen National Union rebels detonated a mine on the Rangoon- Japan Europe Spain Mandalay route near Bago, derailing a passenger train and injuring four persons. A previously unknown group called the Islamic Defense Force claimed responsi- bility for explosions on three passenger trains in Tamil Nadu and Kerala on 6 December, killing at least 10 persons and injuring 70 others~~ Chukaku-Ha is suspected On 15 December a timed incendiary device exploded at the Narita home of a Ministry of Transport official, causing fire damage to the garage and car. The wounding 28 others. On 9 December suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerrillas threw a grenade into, a public market in Batticaioa, killing four persons and On 1 December explosives carried by a suspected LTTE suicide bomber detonated in a taxi in Batticaloa, killing the driver and the suicide bomber~~ An explosive device detonated at the offices of the Greek Development Minister in Athens on 10 December, injuring a police officer and causin extensive damage. The Fighting Guerrilla Formation claimed responsibility. (ETA) is suspected A bomb exploded outside a bank in San Sebastian on 2 December, injuring three police officers and causing minor damage. The Basque Fatherland and Liberty Gunmen shot and wounded a city councilor's bodyguard on 5 December as he patrolled the grounds outside the politician's residence in San Sebastian. The ETA claimed responsibility.~~ Turkey Unidentified assailants threw a pipe bomb at a Greek Orthodox church in Istanbul on 3 December, injuring a priest and causing major damage sons and injuring 13 others. The Kurdistan Workers' Party is suspected. On 15 December a landmine exploded under a minibus in Mardin, killin lg 2 per_ DI TR ~-001 January 1998 Sec United Kingdom Gunmen shot and killed a Catholic man in Belfast on 5 December. Authorities suspect the Loyalist Volunteer Force.~~ ~ '~` Sec t Peru National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels bombed two power pylons near Tona municipality on 4 December causing power outages in Arauca, Bocaya, and Norte de Santander Departments Ecopetrol's offices in Sanbana De Torres on 4 December. Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARO) guerrillas attempted to take over road connecting the two villages. Three hundred FARC and ELN guerrillas attacked the villages of Guaca and Mogotes on 11 December, killing eight persons, wounding several others and kid- napping the mayor, his father and several local residents. The rebels hurled handgrenades and fired automatic weaDOns during the attack and blew up the main On 15 December 250 FARO guerrillas armed- with grenades, firearms, missiles, and firebombs attacked the town of Mesetas, killing two civilians and wounding three police officers: The rebels also attacked several buildings and stole office equipment~~ On 4 December suspected Sendero Luminoso rebels bombed an electrical pylon in EI A ustino district, destroying it. Propaganda leaflets were scattered around the site Algeria In Rais on 4 December a bomb hidden in a crate of oranges on a farm exploded, killing two persons and injuring a third~~ On 8 December a car bomb exploded outside an apartment building in Arzew, killing a civilian and wounding 14 others. The Armed Islamic Group (GIA) may be responsible.~~ A bomb exploded at a school in Blida on 9 December, killing four persons and wounding 11 others. The GIA may be responsible On 14 December in Cheraga, an eastern suburb of Algiers, an armed group slit the throats of 14 civilians and kidnapped five women. The bodies of four of the women were found on 16 December. The GIA is probably responsible