TERRORISM REVIEW

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 15455977
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 44
• Document Creation Date: February 27, 2023
• Document Release Date: February 24, 2023
• Case Number: F-2014-00485
• Publication Date: April 8, 1985

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Directorate of
Intelligence
Terrorism Review
8 April 1985
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GI TR 85-007
8 April 1985
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Terrorism Review
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8 April 1985
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Focus�The Western Hostages in Lebanon:
Latest Developments and Implications NR
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Highlights
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The Pre-Bonn-Summit Counterterrorism Experts Meetings NR
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Wild, Wild West Beirut
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The African National Congress in DisarraY NR
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The Terrorism Diary for May
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Chronology of Terrorism, 1985
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This review is published every other week by the Directorate of Intelligence.
Appropriate articles produced by other elements of the CIA as well as by other
agencies of the US Intelligence Community will be considered for publication.
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Terrorism Review
8 April 1985
Focus The Western Hostages in Lebanon:
Latest Developments and Implications
The series of kidnapings and disappearances of Westerners in Lebanon continued
during the last week of March. In all, anonymous callers ostensibly representing
five groups have claimed involvement in the nine kidnapings since 14 March; in
some cases the claims have overlapped. Other recent developments, however,
including the release of four of the hostages, have enabled us to begin sorting out
the various groups and their motives.
LARF Enters the Fray
On 24 March, Gilles Sidney Peyrolles, the director of the French Cultural Center
in Tripoli, disappeared. On 25 March, in a statement delivered to a Western news
agency in Beirut, the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Faction (LARF) claimed it
had kidnaped Peyrolles and demanded that, in exchange for his safe return,
France release from prison Abd al-Qadr Saadi.
LARF is believed to be a relatively small group of fanatical Lebanese Christian
Marxists, most from northern Lebanon. LARF has claimed credit and is believed
to have been responsible for the assassination or attempted assassination of several
US and Israeli officials in France and Italy during the last couple of years. Last
October, French police arrested suspected LARF leader Georges Ibrahim
Abdallah in Lyon on charges of possession of false passports and association with
criminals. At the time of his arrest, Abdallah was traveling under the name of Abd
al-Qadr Saadi.
Last year, Italian police arrested suspected LARF operatives Abdallah
Muhammad al-Mansouri in Trieste in August (for smuggling explosives and
planning to engage in terrorism) and Josephine Abdu at the Rome airport in
December (for belonging to a terrorist group and conspiring with al-Mansouri). In
its communique the group also demanded the release of these two comrades and
threatened that otherwise, "our future retaliation will be more severe and will
bring catastrophe to inhabitants of Paris and Rome."
On 2 April, Peyrolles was back in Beirut, a free man
Publicly, Peyrolles said he had been abducted from his office and
taken first to a town northeast of Tripoli. His captors identified themselves as
members of LARF and told Peyrolles that they regarded the United States and
Israel as their enemies, not France, and that the reason they had kidnaped him was
only to get Abdallah (whom they called Saadi) released from prison.
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ROSM Strikes Again
On 25 March, Alec Collett, a British journalist with the UN Relief and Works
Agency (UNRWA), was kidnaped in Khaldah, south of Beirut. Collett was
traveling with an Austrian citizen in a clearly marked UN staff car when gunmen
abducted him. The Austrian was not detained. On 28 March, in a statement
delivered to the Reuter news agency in Beirut, the Revolutionary Organization of
Socialist Muslims (ROSM) claimed responsibility for kidnaping Collett. ROSM
asserted it had found "some documents related to spying missions in the service of
Mossad [the Israeli intelligence service] and American intelligence" on Collett,
and that his work with the United Nations was "only a coverup for his spying
activities." ROSM also warned that it would "continue to chase and strike at
whoever has a link with British imperialists wherever he may be until our
organization's demands for the liberation of all Muslim freedom fighters from
British imperialist jails are met."
We know very little about ROSM, other than that so far it has limited its attacks
to British targets. Last year, ROSM claimed responsibility for the killing of
British diplomats Kenneth Whitty (shot to death in Athens in March) and Percy
Norris (shot to death in Bombay in November). We speculate,
that ROSM may be a covername for the Abu Nidal
Group because members of that group are serving long prison terms in Britain for
the attempted assassination of Shlomo Argov, the Israeli Ambassador to Britain,
in June 1982. The evidence overall, however, is insufficient to make a firm
judgment on who is behind ROSM. Whatever group is involved is clearly a
capable terrorist organization. The kidnaping of Collett was quick and efficient,
and the terrorists have taken advantage of the anarchic Lebanese environment to
keep their prisoner hidden. Given that the British Government has no intention of
meeting its demands, ROSM will be heard from again.
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Anomalous Incidents
On 28 March, Jean-Claude Duvent and Robert Valnassian, two French teachers,
were abducted in West Beirut but released two hours later. The gunmen who had
captured them reportedly said they thought they had kidnaped citizens of another,
unspecified nationality.
On 1 April, the body of Jesuit priest Nicolas Kluiters was found near a village
north of Baalabakk in the Bekaa Valley. Father Kluiters had disappeared on 14
March in the Bekaa Valley; his car had been found several days later containing a
note saying "Vengeance Party." Kluiters apparently had been strangled to death
soon after he disappeared. This probably was not a politically motivated attack.
Jesuit colleagues said he had been carrying a lot of money when he disappeared, so
his killing may have been a criminal act. Another possibility is that he strayed into
a sensitive area controlled by one of the Lebanese militias, and local security
personnel overreacted to his presence.
The Khaybar Brigades'
On 26 March, an anonymous caller to a foreign news agency in Beirut claimed
that the "Khaybar Brigades�Lebanese Branch," a previously unknown group, was
holding five Westerners who had been kidnaped in West Beirut�French
diplomats Marcel Fontaine and Marcel Carton, Carton's daughter Danielle Perez
(a secretary at the French Embassy), British scientist Geoffrey Nash, and British
businessman Brian Levick�but that it would soon release Perez, Nash, and
Levick. Nash had been kidnaped on 14 March and Levick on 15 March; Fontaine
had been kidnaped on 22 March, as had Carton and Perez (in a separate incident).
Anonymous callers had previously claimed responsiblity for all five kidnapings in
the name of Islamic Jihad.
Nash was released on 27 March, Levick on 30 March, and Perez on 31 March.
Nash described his captors as "simple Shia" angry over the mistreatment of Shias
by other Lebanese groups and Israel; he said his captors initially accused him of
being an American diplomat. He had been held in three different places, probably
in Beirut's southern suburbs. Nash was released on the condition that he deliver to
the French Embassy a document containing the demands of the Khaybar
Brigades. He was warned that, if the demands were not publicized, the group
would execute the two French hostages�presumably Fontaine and Carton.
Levick had also been mistaken for an American by his captors. During several
rather brutal interrogation sessions the kidnapers�obviously amateurs�accused
Levick of being an American spy or of having connections with Mossad. From
Levick's description, his captors were unsophisticated but fanatic Muslims. He was
held in two locations, probably in the Beirut area, and indicated that other captives
were being held at the second location. Upon his release, Levick was told to say he
had been held by the Khaybar Brigades.
' The name Khaybar Brigades apparently comes from a battle in the seventh century A.D. in which
followers of the Prophet Muhammad triumphed over a Jewish tribe that refused to accept
Muhammad's leadership. Khaybar is an oasis near Medina, Saudi Arabia, where the Jewish tribe had
lived. Guerrillas launching attacks against Israeli troops in southern Lebanon have called themselves
"Martyrs of Khaybar" in memory of this event.
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Similarly, Perez described her captors as "devoutly religious." She and her father
were held together in the Beirut area, but she did not see any other hostages at the
same location. Perez was questioned primarily about the personnel at the French
Embassy, and she believes that she was released when the kidnapers realized she
did not hold an important or sensitive position.
Based on the information provided by Nash, Levick, and Perez, it appears most
likely that the Khaybar Brigades is one of the numerous quasi-independent Shia
fundamentalist gangs that prowl the streets of West Beirut. The group seems to be
distinct from the Hizballah, which usually takes credit for its actions in the name
of Islamic Jihad. Similarly, the Khaybar Brigades probably has no connection to
ROSM, or it would not have released its British captives
Who Has the Hostages Now?
It seems reasonable to conclude that radical Shias, as opposed to any of the
numerous other confessional factions operating in Lebanon, are holding the two
French diplomats, along with AP correspondent Terry Anderson, who was
abducted in West Beirut on 16 March. But which Shias?
One plausible theory is that one or more of the newest hostages are now in the
hands of the Hizballah, even though they may have been kidnaped by the Khaybar
Brigades or�in the case of Anderson�some other independent Shia street gang.
Under this theory, Nash and Levick were abducted because they were mistaken
for Americans and released once it was determined they were British. Perhaps
Perez was released because direct attacks against women are a violation of Islamic
principles. The valuable prisoners, however, were turned over to the Hizballah,
perhaps in return for a material reward. There is some evidence to support this
theory for example, the telephone calls claiming credit for these kidnapings in
the name of Islamic Jihad. The callers asserted that the kidnapings were part of
continuing operations against the United States and its agents, and against
"French imperialism." This is the typical Hizballah modus operandi.
Alternatively, the Khaybar Brigades may still be holding Carton and Fontaine,
and (since the Khaybar Brigades never claimed to have him) some other
independent gang of radical Shias may be holding Anderson. Lending some
support to this thesis is that fact that on 31 March prominent Hizballah cleric
Shaykh Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah publicly condemned the kidnaping of
foreigners in Beirut, adding that such acts serve Israel and its agents. The Shaykh
said that the presence of foreign diplomats and journalists in Beirut is useful even
if, as he put it, there are some spies among them. He asserted that unity, rather
than kidnaping, is the way to fight these spies, and alleged that he is trying to
secure the release of the kidnaped Westerners.
Fadlallah maintains close links with Iranian officials in Lebanon and leads a
significant portion of the pro-Hizballah movement. He is almost certainly involved
with the Hizballah elements which have long been holding the four American
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hostages, along with a Saudi hostage, in the Bekaa Valley, so his speech reeks of
sanctimony. Nevertheless, in this case it is conceivable he was telling the truth. An
article attributed to a Hizballah source that recently appeared in a local
newspaper suggested that the more organized radical Shias intended to begin
focusing their activities on Israel and southern Lebanon. If the Hizballah was not
involved, then it is most likely that renegade Shias are holding the hostages. And,
if Fadlallah meant what he said about trying to get them released, the renegades
may be forced to give some or all of them up in the coming weeks.
We are disinclined to believe Fadlallah. We think it more likely that, whoever
kidnaped them, the Hizballah has the hostages now and has no intention of
releasing any of them any time soon. At this point, however, the only firm
conclusion that can be drawn from these recent incidents is that no Westerner is
safe in anarchic Lebanon.
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Kidnapings of Westerners in Lebanon, 1984-85 a
(As of 10 April 1985)
Victim
Date and Place Kidnaped
Claimant Group
Fate
Frank Regier, US professor
10 February 1984, West Beirut None
Rescued 15 April 1984 by
Amal from an apartment con-
trolled by Hizballah
Christian Joubert, French
architect
15 February 1984, West Beirut None
Jeremy Levin, US journalist 7 March 1984, West Beirut
Islamic Jihad
William Buckley, US diplomat 16 March 1984, West Beirut Islamic Jihad
Rescued 15 April 1984 by
Amal from an apartment con-
trolled by Hizballah
Escaped 14 February 1985
Probably held by Hizballah
Rev. Benjamin Weir, US 8 May 1984, West Beirut
minister
Islamic Jihad
Probably held by Hizballah
Pedro Aristegui, Spanish 10 October 1984, West Beirut None; Musa Sadr Brigade
Ambassador probably responsible
Released soon after abduction
John Cronin, US student 17 November 1984, West
Beirut
Peter Kilburn, US librarian 30 November 1984, West
Beirut
None; group responsible
unknown
Islamic Jihad
Rev. Lawrence Jenco, US priest 8 January 1985, West Beirut Islamic Jihad
Released 21 November after
sustaining several beatings
Probably held by Hizballah
Probably held by Hizballah
Geoffrey Nash, UK scientist 14 March 1985, West Beirut
Islamic Jihad, Khaybar
Brigades
Released 27 March by Khaybar
Brigades
Rev. Nicolas Kluiters, Dutch
priest
Last seen 14 March 1985,
Bekaa Valley
"Vengeance Party"
Died of strangulation. Body
found 2 April north of
Baalabakk
Brian Levick, UK businessman 15 March 1985, West Beirut
Islamic Jihad, Khaybar
Brigades
Released 30 March 1985 by
Khaybar Brigades after per-
suading captors he is British
Terry Anderson, US journalist
Marcel Fontaine, French
diplomat
16 March 1985, West Beirut Islamic Jihad
22 March 1985, West Beirut
Islamic Jihad, Khaybar
Brigades
Possibly held by Hizballah
Reportedly held by radical
Shias
Marcel Carton, French
diplomat
22 March 1985, West Beirut
Islamic Jihad, Khaybar
Brigades
Danielle Perez, French secre- 22 March 1985, West Beirut Islamic Jihad, Khaybar
tary at Embassy Brigades
Reportedly held by radical
Shias
Released 31 March by Khaybar
Brigades
Alec Collett, UK journalist 26 March 1985, Khaldah
with UNRWA
Revolutionary Organization of Probably held by ROSM
Socialist Muslims (ROSM)
Gilles Peyrolles, French 24 March 1985, Tripoli
diplomat
Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Rescued (released?) 2 April
Faction (LARF)
Jean Claude Duvent, French 28 March 1985, West Beirut None
teacher
Released soon after abduction,
when found to be French
Robert Valnassian, French 28 March 1985, West Beirut
teacher
None
Released soon after abduction,
when found to be French
a During the same period, scores of Lebanese and several citizens of
other Middle Eastern countries were also kidnaped in Lebanon.
Although not a Westerner, one in particular seems to fit the pattern
described above. Husayn Farrash, a Saudi diplomat, was kidnaped
in West Beirut on 17 January 1984. Islamic Jihad claimed
responsibility. Like most of the missing Americans, he is probably
being held by Hizballah.
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Highlights
Alert Items
Cyprus
Portugal
Lebanon
US Embassy Being Cased by Iranian Agent?
On 19 March, Gita Nassirian, an Iranian woman suspected of casing the US
Embassy in Athens during December, visited the Consular Section of the US
Embassy in Nicosia using a false name. Her behavior while acting (or posing) as an
interpreter for another Iranian applying for a US visa aroused the consular
officer's suspicions and led to consultations with other members of the staff,
whence it transpired that Nassirian may have made as many as six visits to the US
Embassy in Nicosia in recent months. It is not known if she is affiliated with any
terrorist group.
Possible Terrorist Threat to Scientific Conference Participants
About 150 Americans and 25 Israelis are expected to attend the world conference
of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies to be held 20-27 April in
Albufeira. Although no Iranians are scheduled to attend, the Iranian Embassy has
made telephone calls to conference sponsors requesting a list of participants.
Interpreting this curiosity as possibly reflecting a terrorist threat, Portuguese
authorities are enhancing their counterterrorist precautions.
Explicit Hizballah Threat to Americans
An Arab magazine recently published an article from a "source close to
Hizballah" in which the extremist Shia group threatened US personnel in
Lebanon anew. It was a more explicit threat than most from that quarter, which
have hitherto been issued in the name of "Islamic Jihad," to provide the Hizballah
a modicum of plausible denial. Referring to the bombing on 8 March that killed at
least 80 persons in Beirut, the article said that retribution might occur outside
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Ireland
Italy
Beirut. The article reiterated that the "Islamic Resistance" would not accept the
presence of "any American" on Lebanese territory for any reason, including
"economic aid or social services," and warned the United States to withdraw the
"small number of American personnel" who remain in the US Embassy.
Key Indicators
Provisional IRA Murders Alleged Police Informer
On 23 March, the body of John Corcoran, the 45-year-old father of eight children,
was found in a farmer's field outside Cork after a long search. Corcoran had
disappeared on 19 March. Examination of the body revealed he had been tortured
and then murdered with a single shot to the head. In a communique issued in
Belfast, the Provisional IRA claimed responsibility for the murder, alleging that
Corcoran had been an informer of the Irish Special Branch for more than seven
years. Asserting that the Irish police have now adopted the same tactics of
"intimidation and blackmail" used by the Royal Uster Constabulary (RUC) to
recruit informers, the Provisional IRA offered other alleged police informers an
undefined "14-day amnesty," after which, the implication was clear, more such
informers would be killed in Ireland.
Red Brigades Return to Action
The assassination of Rome University Professor Enzo Tarantelli on 27 March
appears to mark the return of the Red Brigades (BR) to active operations after at
least a year's hiatus. The choice of Tarantelli, an eminent labor economist involved
with the Christian-Democratic-oriented Confederation of Italian Labor (CISL)
and an active participant in recent discussions on the politically sensitive topic of
revising cost-of-living wage adjustments, indicates that the Red Brigades may
continue to target primarily domestic rather than US or NATO targets. In the BR
document left at the murder scene (Strategic Resolution 20), the group emphasized
its intention to attack what it sees as a government-industrialist coalition to
suppress workers' rights.
Some Italian officials believe that the BR inactivity was due in part to squabbling
between factions representing the activist "first position" (generally the younger
generation) and the somewhat more ideological "second position" (generally the
older generation), which resulted in the expulsion of the latter, smaller faction last
October and subsequent efforts to consolidate the victory and reabsorb those
expelled members now willing to go along with the majority. These officials think
the Tarantelli attack may indicate that internal disarray no longer impedes
terrorist action and that, consequently, more such BR attacks are likely soon.
Moreover, defiant adherents of the second position�criticized in Resolution 20
may feel compelled to conduct attacks of their own in an effort to demonstrate
their operational credibility and militance in protecting workers' rights.
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Colombia
Ecuador
Peru
Urban Violence Recurring in Colombia
On the night of 27 March, seemingly related terrorist acts were conducted in the
cities of Cali, Medellin, Popayan, and Bucaramanga. The most serious incidents
occurred near Cali, a city about 300 kilometers southwest of Bogota, where the
19th of April Movement (M-19) is strong. There, attacks against a national police
station and a local councilman's home resulted in the death of one policeman.
There is some speculation that these attacks were conducted jointly by elements of
M-19 and the Ricardo Franco Front.
AVC Becoming Increasingly Active and Violent
� On 12 March, AVC terrorists raided a Quito police arsenal and stole
approximately 700 weapons, mostly used revolvers and carbines, along with some
50,000 rounds of assorted ammunition. What the small urban group intends to
do with so many weapons is unknown.
� On 27 March, AVC members stormed into a Quito radio station, locked the
employees in a bathroom, and aired a message denouncing the government.
� The same day, two AVC bombs exploded at noon in Guayaquil�one in a central
market area injured a small child; the other near a radio station resulted in no
injuries.
Previous AVC operations had been limited to Quito and had been designed to
avoid causing indiscriminate casualties. The bombings in Guayaquil may have
been conducted by a different element of the group, possibly looking for a new
means of calling attention to its cause. The injuring of innocent bystanders by
exploding bombs in crowded areas, however, is likely to repulse an Ecuadorean
populace unused to such indiscriminate acts of terrorist violence.
Tupac Amaru Back in Business
With the national election scheduled for 14 April, the Revolutionary Movement
Tupac Amaru (MRTA) has resurfaced in Lima after several months of inactivity
in the wake of the arrests of several of its members last fall:
� On 18 March, the group staged three operations in the Lima area: bombings at
the private residences of the Labor Minister and of the brother of the
Agricultural Minister, as well as the temporary occupation of a local Lima radio
station, whence the group broadcast a revolutionary "communique." The
bombings caused only minor damage.
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� On 20 March, Tupac Amaru firebombed three Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets.'
One was destroyed; the other two suffered minor damage.
� On 28 March, Tupac Amaru dynamited six separate offices of the Lima area
water company and one site of the local electric company.
Philippines
� On 30 March, Tupac Amaru "expropriated" more than 40 weapons from two
commercial gun shops, one in downtown Lima and the other in the Lima
suburbs.
In these latest incidents the group continued to demonstrate characteristically
careful planning and disciplined execution along with an intent to avoid causing
indiscriminate casualties. As usual, the Communist-dominated newspaper El
Diario described the MRTA actions in great detail and with ill-concealed
approval, suggesting that the group may somehow be linked to the Peruvian
Communist Party. An MRTA communique published in El Diaro on 31 March
called on "democratic, progressive, and patriotic sectors" to close ranks against the
IMF, support a moratorium on foreign debt, demand a minimum wage increase,
and freedom for "social and political prisoners." 1 Kentucky Fried Chicken
franchises are the leading US fast-food enterprise in Peru.
Peace Corps Volunteers Targeted in Mindanao
On 2 April in Marbel, an attempt to kill one or more Peace Corps volunteers by
booby-trapping a Peace Corps vehicle with a grenade failed when the device
malfunctioned. Peace Corps personnel had not previously been targets of lethal
attacks in the Philippines. Such tactics would mark a major policy shift on the part of
either of the two insurgent groups active in the region�the Communist New People's
Army (NPA) and the Muslim Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
Unaffiliated individuals or members of either group acting without orders could
have mounted the attack (grenades are fairly readily available in Mindanao),
perhaps motivated by a recent local press article alleging a Peace Corps connection
to the CIA. In response to the attack, and pending a determination of whether
there is a continuing threat, the US Embassy has removed almost all of the
personnel, both American and Filipino, associated with the Peace Corps training
program in the province.
India� Tamil Weapons Shipments Impounded
Sri Lanka In an apparent effort to exert tighter control over Sri Lankan Tamil insurgents
operating from Indian territory, Indian customs officials in Madras have
impounded three shipments of weapons and communications equipment intended
for the guerrillas, All three shipments had
been arranged independently with foreign suppliers without the prior knowledge of
the Indian Government. Prime Minister Gandhi has reportedly established a
policy that Indian customs will only clear shipments of weapons for the Tamil
insurgents if they have been approved in advance by the government.
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' Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises are the leading US fast-food enterprise in Peru.
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Significant Developments
Bulgaria
Western Europe
Lebanon
Libya
Two Passenger Trains Bombed
On 9 March, a bomb went off on a train near Bunovo, about 60 kilometers from
Sofia. The government has admitted that seven persons were killed and nine
injured, but the US Embassy has information indicating the toll was much higher.
On the same day, another bomb went off on
a train in Sliven, causing some deaths and injuries. The government has not
admitted the second bombing occurred. As was the case with the unsolved
bombings last summer of the train station in Plovdiv and the airport at Varna,
ethnic Turks angry over the government's assimilation policies are suspected.
Jordan Under Siege by "BSO"
On 21 March, the Jordanian Airlines offices in Athens, Rome, and Nicosia were
the targets of grenade attacks that injured five persons. On 3 April, a Palestinian
was arrested by Rome police after the US-made light antitank rocket he fired
narrowly missed the Jordanian Embassy offices on the fifth floor of an office
building. On 4 April, a rocket fired at a Jordanian airliner as it was taking off
from Athens airport punctured the fuselage but did not explode. In telephone calls
to press agencies, an anonymous spokesman claimed responsibility for the
incidents in the name of the "Black September Organization" (BSO).
The name Black September commemorates the month in 1970 when Jordanian
forces drove the Palestinian fedayeen out of Jordan. The original BSO, a covert
element of Fatah that mounted a number of notorious terrorist operations in the
early 1970s, has been defunct for more than a decade, however. Instead, Syrian-
backed Palestinian radicals probably were responsible for these attacks. Use of the
name BSO probably is intended both to provide cover and to heighten the publicity
attending their attacks.
Jews Being Kidnaped, Too
Six Jewish Lebanese citizens, including Isaac Sasson, the leader of Lebanon's
Jewish community, which numbers fewer than 100 persons, were kidnaped
between 28 March and 2 April. Last July a Jewish businessman was abducted and
killed; another Lebanese Jew has been missing since last August. No group has
claimed responsibility for any of the abductions.
Alleged Assassination Attempt Against Qadhafi Fails
For the first time in two years, there was serious unrest in the Libyan military last
month. a group of 30 soldiers in Banghazi planned in
early March to fly an armed plane to Tripoli and bomb the Palace of Congress
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Chile
India
Indonesia
when Qadhafi was present. The plot reportedly failed because one of the
conspirators talked. Dozens of arrests have been made; one report states that as
many as 80 members of the military have been executed.
The Right Strikes Back
On 30 March, the bodies of three men who had been kidnaped on 28 and 29
March were found nearly decapitated outside Santiago. Four other men who had
been kidnaped on 28 March were released on 30 March, after allegedly having
been interrogated and tortured by their unidentified captors. All but one of the
victims were members of a Communist-dominated teachers' union; the other was a
Communist sociologist connected with a Catholic Church welfare and human
rights organization.
The kidnapings and killings were clearly the work of rightwing elements�most
probably members of the intelligence services�although solid evidence is lacking.
They probably were reacting to recent terrorist bombings by two leftwing
extremist groups, the Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR) and the Manuel
Rodriguez Patriotic Front (FPMR). A large demonstration protesting the
kidnapings and murders so disrupted the traditional Palm Sunday mass being said
by the Archbishop of Santiago that the mass had to be discontinued. A
government investigation of the crimes is under way but not likely to uncover the
culprits.
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Meanwhile, on 29 March, carabineros reportedly killed two brothers, allegedly
members of the MIR, after a street shootout in which one carabinero was
wounded. The next day, a woman also associated with the MIR was killed when
she shot at carabineros raiding her apartment, suspected of being a MIR
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Soviet Diplomat Murdered
The victim, economics officer Valentin Khitrichenko, was shot while stopped at a
New Delhi intersection in his car. The two attackers�described as Asian in
appearance fired from and fled on a motorbike. Although the unknown
"Ukrainian Nationalist Front" claimed credit for the attack, elements of the
Afghan or Iranian communities are more likely to have been responsible. If so, this
attack may be followed by others.
Muslim Extremists Suspected in Bus Bombing
On 16 March in East Java, three of seven bombs hidden in a bus detonated while
the bus was en route to the port where it was to board a ferry bound for Bali.
Timers found on the remaining four devices indicate the bombs were meant to
explode either while the bus was aboard the ferry or after it had arrived in Bali.
Police believe that at least two men aboard the bus were carrying the devices; one
of them was killed in the explosions, but the other is in custody.
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The police have tentatively concluded that Islamic fundamentalists were
responsible for the incident because the surviving terrorist is reportedly a member
of such a group, and the recovered bombs are similar to devices used in two
previous bombings in which Islamic fundamentalists were implicated. The Hindu
island of Bali is a target of fundamentalist Muslim hostility on several grounds, not
least of which is the allegedly licentious environment there.
15 Secret
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The Pre-Bonn-Summit
Counterterrorism Experts Meetings
This year's meeting of the Summit Seven's group of
counterterrorism experts was held in Bonn on 7-8
March. The French Government declined to send a
delegation, however, and the Italian Government sent
only an observer. Under the circumstances, it was not
surprising that the group proved unable to reach any
consensus on specific counterterrorism recommen-
dations to be considered at the Bonn Summit itself
on 2-4 May.'
The experts attending decided only to forward to their
governments the meeting's minutes, consisting of a
summary analysis of terrorism and some suggestions
as to practical ways to increase counterterrorism
cooperation among the seven countries.2 The minutes
cite, in particular, the continuing threat posed by
West European terrorist groups involved in recent
attacks and the growth in state-supported terrorism as
reasons for enhanced cooperation. The minutes also
"offer language" for a summit statement on
terrorism, which encourages countries to intensify
cooperative antiterrorist measures.
President
Mitterrand made the decision not to send a French
delegation to the preparatory meeting. Although the
move apparently was a surprise to the other
participants, the reported reasons behind it reflect no
real change in French views on expanded multilateral
cooperation against terrorism. Paris asserts that such
exchanges contribute little to progress against
terrorism because of their high level of generality and
prefers to deal bilaterally on counterterrorism
' The countries that participate in the annual economic summit are
Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United
States, and West Germany. The European Community also sends a
representative.
At several previous summits, the issuance by the counterterrorism
experts of a draft declaration helped smooth the way for
agreements such as the 1978 Bonn Declaration on aircraft
hijacking and the 1980 Venice Declaration on the protection of
diplomats
17
matters. Moreover, the government believes, and has
said before, that the summit should focus on
economics and avoid institutionalizing working groups
on diverse topics, which tends to detract from the
informal tone of the leaders' exchanges.
Civil Aviation Experts Meeting
In a related session on 12-13 March, Summit Seven
authorities on civil aviation security (including
representatives from France and Italy) reached a
consensus that sanctions against Ariana Afghan
Airlines should be lifted, provided Kabul makes a
conciliatory gesture. The aviation security group,
whose work also contributes to counterterrorism
discussions at the summit, will prepare a summary of
conclusions from the session on aspects of a new
interpretation of the seven-year-old Bonn Declaration.
Most of the Summit Seven governments would like to
drop the Ariana sanctions the only ones ever
imposed under the terms of the declaration�but
believe that Kabul should make a public commitment
to respect the Hague and Montreal Conventions,
which govern air piracy.
Even if the Afghans will not consent to such a move,
we believe a majority of the Summit Seven countries
will push to drop the sanctions because of their
ineffectiveness in changing the Soviet posture in
Afghanistan and Kabul's longstanding threat to deny
overflight rights to the airlines of countries that
adhere to the sanctions. The French repeatedly
stressed the importance of making clear that the
lifting of sanctions does not signal any weakening of
the seven governments' opposition to Soviet actions in
Afghanistan. If the recommendation is approved, the
sanctions probably will be lifted early in 1986.
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Wild, Wild West Beirut
The continuing civil war in Lebanon has transformed
West Beirut�once a major commercial, intellectual,
and tourist center of the Arab world�into a lawless
militarized zone contested by confessional and
ideological factions. Turf battles, terrorism, rampant
street crime, and the lack of central authority have
made the city extremely dangerous for both local
residents and foreigners. The Lebanese Government
probably will be unable to reassert control over
Muslim West Beirut for the foreseeable future. The
area is gradually becoming a stronghold of the radical
Shia Hizballah movement and could eventually
become the center for Shia fundamentalist activism in
Lebanon.
The decline of West Beirut began with the heavy
influx of Palestinian fighters during the early 1970s.
The guerrillas and the large Palestinian refugee
population took over large sections of the city and
transformed them into a de facto PLO capital. The
civil war of 1975-76 devastated the city, but much of
the damage was repaired during the years following
the war.
The Legacy of the Israeli Invasion
After spending much of the summer of 1982 shelling
West Beirut, the Israeli Army finally entered the city
in September. The combination of artillery barrages
and street fighting left many sections of the city in
ruins. Most of the PLO fighters were forced to leave,
but elements of Muslim, Druze, and Christian militias
remained in force in various neighborhoods.
West Beirut was fairly stable for the next year,
although factional militias were arming themselves
with weapons from PLO caches throughout the city.
In particular, the Shia Amal militia, which controlled
Beirut's sprawling southern suburbs, was preparing to
expand its territory. Amal's base of support in the city
had swelled as a result of the influx of thousands of
Shias from the south fleeing the Israeli-Palestinian
war.
19
Many sections of West Beirut have been transformed into rubble.
West Beirut again erupted in street fighting in August
1983, after the Lebanese Army attempted to move
against the Amal militia. Five days of fighting and
heavy shelling left the majority Shia population in the
southern part of the city angry and bitter. The Shias
resented the fact that Lebanon's Christian and Druze
communities had established "cantons" north of
Beirut and in the Shuf, respectively, while the Shias
had been left without their own piece of the
geographical pie. Tensions in West Beirut continued
to mount between September 1983 and February
1984 as relations between the Druze/ Muslim
coalition and the Lebanese Government/Christian
coalition deteriorated.
The decisive battle for West Beirut occurred during
the first two weeks of February 1984. Amal�aided
by units of the Druze Progressive Socialist Party
militia�succeeded in driving the Lebanese Army into
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Christian East Beirut. Smaller militias also
participated in the battle, including Palestinian
groups, the Sunni Murabitun, the pro-Syrian Social
Nationalist Party, elements of the Lebanese
Communist Party, and the Communist Action
Organization, and radical Shias belonging to the
fundamentalist Hizballah movement. Following the
takeover of West Beirut, these groups began to stake
individual claims to particular neighborhoods.
During the past year, unrest and lawlessness increased
steadily in West Beirut to a point approaching chaos.
Random violence has become as great a threat as
politically motivated attacks. The implementation of
the latest security plan, which assigned the job of
policing the city to the predominantly Muslim
Lebanese Internal Security Force and the Lebanese
Army 6th Brigade, has failed to establish any central
authority in the city.
Turf Battles
West Beirut today is a patchwork of turfs loosely
controlled by confessional and ideological factions.
The Shia Amal, Druze PSP, and Sunni Murabitun
militias operate in neighborhoods in which their
respective confessional communities are predominant.
Smaller, more extremist groups are continually
challenging the authority of the major militias.
44 distinct
organizations are competing in West Beirut.
Amal's turf is the largest of any group in the city, but
Amal leader, Nabih Barn, exercises only nominal
control over most of this territory. Radical Shia and
other extremist elements operate freely throughout
the Shia areas of West Beirut and have heavily
infiltrated the Amal movement itself.
Shia fundamentalist elements associated with the
Hizballah have grown particularly strong in many
parts of the city.
the Hizballah operates at least 16 paramilitary
garrisons and arms depots in West Beirut. The US
Embassy in Beirut reports that the Hizballah and
other extremist groups are rapidly gaining ground
while the moderate militias are losing control.
Secret
*N411k.
Hundreds of women protest the kidnaping of their husbands, sons,
and brothers.
Checkpoints, the traditional Lebanese symbols of a
faction's territorial claims, appear and disappear
almost at random from day to day throughout the
city. Travel from one section of West Beirut to
another inevitably involves passing through several
permanent and temporary factional checkpoints�
which often become flashpoints for armed conflict.
Violent turf battles, often sparked by only minor
incidents, have become commonplace in West Beirut.
Amal and the Murabitun, for example, engaged in a
pitched battle for two days in late January after an
Amal member ran a Murabitun checkpoint. Amal has
also fought over turf with the Druze and with
elements of the Hizballah.
The Lebanese civil war more often takes the form of
urban guerrilla warfare than of conventional warfare.
The combat among the confessional groups in West
Beirut often manifests itself as anonymous car
bombings, assassinations, and kidnapings. Nearly all
of the major factions target individual members of
other groups for terrorist-style violence. Each of the
major militias, for example, is believed to be holding
several hundred hostages from other confessional
groups.
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A Hobbesian Society
Violence has become a way of life in West Beirut. The
daily turf battles between militias are compounded by
a growing crime wave that has flourished in the
anarchic environment. Both regular militiamen and
unaffiliated armed gunmen roam the streets of the
city, behaving more like street thugs than
representatives of legitimate movements.
Journalists in West Beirut report that armed bands in
virtually every neighborhood force local residents and
merchants to pay protection money. Those who refuse
to pay are targeted for bombings or kidnapings
directed against their families.
Robbery and vandalism have become increasingly
common. Hizballah gunmen in particular have
become notorious for harassing women in Western
dress and raiding bars and restaurants that serve
liquor. Most citizens of West Beirut carry arms
whenever they leave their homes; even so, they no
longer dare leave their homes at night.
The US Embassy recently described life in West
Beirut as Hobbesian�a struggle for dominance in
which there are no rules and the strong extremists
have the advantage over the weaker moderates.' It
hasbecome as brutal a place to live for bystanders as
for combatants. Nothing is exempt from the violence.
Hospitals and schools are victimized nearly as often as
government and commercial establishments. Innocent
civilians are kidnaped as frequently as militia
members.
The street violence in West Beirut is augmented by
the danger from artillery duels in the mountains,
which periodically spill over into the city. Even within
West Beirut, the use in turf battles of car bombs,
mortars, and the ever-popular rocket-propelled
grenades heightens the risk of accidental casualties
among noncombatants
Foreigners Beware
West Beirut has earned the reputation of being the
most dangerous city in the world for foreigners,
' "No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all,
continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man,
solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
Hobbes
Leviathan
21
West Beirut child displays her collection of rocket fragments.
especially Americans and Europeans. Violence
against Westerners in recent years has included:
� Car bombings at the former US Embassy and the
US and French Multinational Force (MN F)
headquarters, claiming over 300 lives.
� Frequent incidents of sniping against MN F troops
throughout the city in 1983.
� The kidnaping of a former president of the
American University in Beirut and assassination of
his successor.
� A series of kidnapings of US citizens since the
beginning of 1984, including an Embassy officer,
several journalists, and two Christian clergymen.
� The shooting of several members of the French
observer force.
� The kidnaping of the Swiss Charge and of three
French diplomats, and numerous public threats
made against other European and American
diplomats.
� The kidnapings of two British civilians.
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The increasingly bold Hizballah, which espouses
Iran's fundamentalist ideology, poses the greatest
threat to Westerners. Other groups, however, share
the radical Shias' hostility toward the United States,
including several Palestinian extremist groups and
Lebanon's two Communist militias, all of which
maintain a significant presence in West Beirut.
Outlook
The Lebanese Government probably will be unable to
reassert its authority in West Beirut in the near
future. The Lebanese Army generally splits along
confessional lines when confronted with tense
interfactional situations. Moreover, most Christian
units of the Army, which shelled Muslim
neighborhoods repeatedly last year, would not dare
enter West Beirut.
Official government forces remaining in West Beirut
will be incapable of enforcing security. The Internal
Security Forces and the Lebanese Army's
predominantly Muslim 6th Brigade, which stayed in
West Beirut after the battle for the city last February,
generally take orders from Shia leader Barn.
Turf battles between militias and the overall climate
of lawlessness in the city will continue. An entire
generation has grown up accustomed to violence in
West Beirut. Many of the young street militiamen
know no other way of life; fighting has become their
profession.
The extremists almost certainly will continue to gain
at the expense of the moderates. Militancy,
particularly in the Shia community, is likely to spread
as the political and economic crisis drags on.
Moderate Muslim leaders probably will remain afraid
to denounce the radicals. The recent example of
former Prime Minister Saib Salam, a Sunni whose
house was bombed after he criticized the extremists,
will discourage others from speaking out.
Secret
The strength of the Hizballah fundamentalists in
West Beirut is likely to grow. The chaotic security
situation and depressed economic conditions, which
have left many young men alienated and out of work,
boost the appeal of fundamentalism and swell the
ranks of potential Hizballah recruits. West Beirut is
gradually becoming a radical Shia stronghold and
could eventually become the center for
fundamentalist Shia activism in Lebanon.
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The African National
Congress in Disarray
The African National Congress (ANC), the major
South African insurgent group, has been struggling
since the Mozambicans expelled its military personnel
a year ago. The group is suffering from deteriorating
relations with some black African states in southern
Africa and from internal divisions. A symptom of the
group's plight has been the dramatic decline in ANC
attacks: only two small bombings since last
September. The ANC's military campaign is likely to
continue to sputter as a result of Pretoria's success in
pressing nearby states to clamp down on the group.
Regional Woes
South Africa's drive toward detente with its neighbors
has led to growing restrictions on ANC military
activities in southern Africa. The Frontline States
lack the security resources to eradicate ANC military
activity within their borders, but the ANC is
constrained by the political costs of breaking rules
imposed by its nervous hosts. For example, we believe
the ANC has the capability to conduct some
clandestine operations out of Mozambique, but this
would risk the closure of the group's political office in
Maputo and the end of Mozambican support at
Frontline State and OAU meetings.
Angola. We believe the ANC's future in Angola, and
possibly the survival of its military wing, hinges on the
progress of the Namibian peace talks. The group has
several thousand members in Angola, most of them in
camps undergoing military training by Cuban and
Soviet Bloc instructors. South Africa already has
broached the subject of Angolan support to the ANC
during the Namibian talks, according to US Embassy
reports. The ANC undoubtedly is concerned that a
breakthrough in the talks may lead to an eventual
South African�Angolan nonaggression pact.
Botswana. Following concerted pressure from
Pretoria, last month Botswana ordered the expulsion
23
of all ANC military personnel, according to press and
US Embassy reports. After the Mozambican�South
African nonaggression pact�the Nkomati Accord�
was signed last year, Pretoria began to press for a
similar treaty with Botswana, which has eschewed
any formal agreement with the white minority
regime. At the same time, the ANC presence in
Botswana was growing as guerrillas worked to
improve their infrastructure and establish new routes
for infiltrating South Africa. Botswana subsequently
became concerned about the threat of South African
attacks against the ANC buildup. The bombing of an
ANC residence in Gaborone early last month�
probably the work of South African agents�and the
South African warning that its forces would not stop
at the border when pursuing fleeing guerrillas
undoubtedly influenced or reinforced Botswana's
decision to crack down on the ANC.
Even before the recent crackdown, the ANC had been
largely unsuccessful in efforts to infiltrate South
Africa from Botswana. The border between the two
states is long, but the terrain is not favorable for ANC
infiltrations, primarily because it provides little cover.
The South Africans have been successful recently in
intercepting ANC guerrillas shortly after they have
entered the country from Botswana. Last month, the
South African Foreign Minister informed Gaborone
that seven ANC incursions from Botswana had been
detected since September 1984, according to press
reports.
Lesotho. The recent thaw in relations between
Lesotho and South Africa does not augur well for the
ANC. South African strong-arm tactics in recent
years have forced the Jonathan government to
abandon its preferred policy of turning a blind eye
toward the ANC and to adopt instead a somewhat
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more active circumscription of the group's operations
in Lesotho. The manner in which Maseru deals with
the murder last month of a Lesotho soldier by an
ANC member will be a barometer of Lesotho's
relations with the group, according to the US
Embassy.
The South Africans, who we believe are not satisfied
with the Lesotho Government's efforts, want Maseru
to sign a security pact. If the intensity of South
African pressure increases, Lesotho is likely to follow
Botswana's example by cracking down on the ANC in
the hope of satisfying Pretoria and avoiding a formal
agreement.
Mozambique. ANC Acting President Tambo has
admitted publicly that Maputo's efforts to abide by
the Nkomati Accord have dealt the ANC a
devastating blow. The group previously used
Mozambican territory to prepare and stage the vast
majority of its attacks against South Africa. Shortly
after the accord was signed, Mozambican security
forces conducted raids on ANC facilities, forcing the
group's personnel to relocate in neighboring states.
The accord has prompted a great deal of personal
animosity between President Machel and Tambo, who
were once very close, according to US Embassy
reporting.
Swaziland. Relations between Swaziland and the
ANC have deteriorated steadily, following a security
agreement between Mbabane and Pretoria in 1982:
� Last year, security personnel engaged in several gun
battles with ANC guerrillas who poured into
Swaziland following the crackdown in
Mozambique, according to press reports.
� Last December, an ANC member assassinated a
Swazi police official suspected of collaborating with
the South Africans against his group, according to
press reports.
� In January, several armed ANC guerrillas stormed
a jail in Mbabane and released three members of
their group who were being held on weapons and
immigration charges, according to press reports.
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A Swazi Foreign Ministry officer told the US
Embassy that a meeting of Swazi and ANC officials
this month to discuss their troubled relations did not
go well. He described the ANC attitude at the
meeting as "completely unacceptable." He added that
no further talks would be held until the group publicly
retracts statements alleging the Swazis have handed
over ANC personnel to South Africa.
Tanzania. Since the signing of the Nkomati Accord,
Tanzania has increased its support to the ANC, but
this has not offset the loss of the use of Mozambican
territory. Tanzania's location offers the ANC slightly
more protection from South African retaliatory
strikes, but the distance guerrillas have to travel to
reach South Africa makes it less attractive as a
staging area for attacks.
Chinese military advisers in
Tanzania recently refused to provide instruction to
the ANC, claiming it is not part of their contract with
Dar es Salaam. As a result, Tanzania has been
seeking instructors from its own Army to train ANC
recruits in guerrilla warfare and sabotage, but
instructors already assigned have failed to report to
the camp. The program is designed to accommodate
50 ANC trainees, but only 34 have arrived, and they
are suffering from a lack of adequate housing and an
acute shortage of water and electrical power.
Zimbabwe. Pretoria has refrained from pressing
Harare for a security pact and has even praised
Zimbabwe publicly in recent months for acting
quickly on intelligence provided to it by South Africa.
Harare has continued to monitor the ANC closely in
Zimbabwe, arrest its armed personnel, and seek out
and confiscate weapons cached by the group.
Zimbabwean officials, in our view, are well aware
that South Africa would not hesitate to take harsh
action in response to any shift in Harare's treatment
of the ANC that facilitates the group's military
campaign.
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Southern Africa
S. Africa
Walvis
Bay
South
Atlantic
Ocean
704894 4-85
Saidanha
Cape
Town
di
Tanzania
Beire
*MAPUTO
Richard's
Bay
urban
'East London
Boundary repreeentation is
not necessarily authoritative
DAR ES SALAAM
Lake
Nyasa
�Musa
Nacalae
Mozambique
Indian
Ocean
Frontline States
0 "Kilometers
0 500 Miles
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Despite Harare's vigilance, ANC military personnel
do use Zimbabwean territory to a limited extent.
Zimbabwean security officials claim that ANC
operatives maintain an informal but close working
relationship with the opposition Zimbabwe African
People's Union (ZAPU) and members of its former
military wing,
NatSecAct to escape detection
when transiting Zimbabwe, ANC guerrillas often
pose as former ZAPU military personnel.
(b)(3) NatSecAct
Internal Restiveness
Dissension within the ANC has been growing,
especially among guerrillas at camps in Angola and
Tanzania.
(b)(1)
(b)(3) NatSecAct
younger
ANC members are increasingly critical of the current
leadership, especially over the low level of ANC
activity. Many of these younger members fled South
Africa following the widespread riots there in 1976 in
the hope of gaining military training and striking
back at Pretoria. The growing regional constraints on
the ANC's military wing have left most of its
personnel stranded in camps far from South Africa's
borders; resultant disgruntlement has led to a series of
mutinies in recent years.(b)(3,
)NatSecAct
Prospects for talks between the ANC and Pretoria
have been widely publicized in recent months,
undoubtedly contributing to splits in the ranks of the
organization.' The ANC has a large contingent of
young, militant black nationalists who, in our view,
would be strongly opposed to opening any channel of
communication with Pretoria at this time. Some who
also are members of the outlawed South African
Communist Party judge, probably correctly, that they
would not be included in any government amnesty
offer to the ANC in the foreseeable future.
Nevertheless, the ANC leadership has indicated
publicly that it would consider opening a dialogue
with Pretoria if the government takes certain good-
faith measures, such as the unconditional release of
imprisoned ANC President Nelson kinnriein
(b)(3) NatSecAct
' We believe this was the primary objective of some South African
Government sponsors of the plan, which involved using a South
African academic and journalist to put out feelers to the ANC
suggesting the possibility of negotiations.L(b)
(J) NatSecAct
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The recent cancellation of a scheduled ANC congress
demonstrates the present degree of discord within the
group, even among its political leaders. Last month,
ANC Secretary General Nzo said that the ANC(b)(1)
virtually incapable of meeting as a cohesive
organization, (b)(3) NatSecAct
Nzo added that the group aborted plans for general
elections at a congress because the divisive haggling
over candidates threatened to weaken the ANC even
further.
Outlook
South Africa has long sought economic and security
accords with neighboring states to strengthen its
regional hegemony and break out of its diplomatic
isolation. Since Botswana's decision to expel the
guerrillas, Pretoria publicly has backed away from its
demands for a nonaggression pact. Despite such
assurances, Pretoria is likely to resume pressing
Gaborone and other neighboring governments to sign
formal bilateral agreements, especially if these
governments prove unable or unwilling to control the
ANC. South African covert operations against ANC
targets are likely to continue even while Pretoria
moves forward on the diplomatic front with its policy
of regional detente.
ANC officials have indicated publicly that they
believe a collapse of the Nkomati Accord is imminent.
Even if relations between Pretoria and Maputo
continue to falter,' we believe Mozambique is not
likely to permit large numbers of ANC military
personnel to return, because this would virtually
guarantee a resumption of South African cross-border
strikes into Mozambique.
Consequently, the ANC probably will not be able to
rebound from its setbacks last year and mount an
effective military campaign any time soon. The 73-
year-old ANC, however, has survived against tough
odds in the past and is likely to continue to cause
problems for Pretoria in the years ahead. While the
ANC's activities probably will remain at a low level
Mozambican insurgent attacks have continued at a high level
despite the accord, leading to accusations by officials in Maputo
that Pretoria is still supplying the insurgents.
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Nelson Mandela
because of the growing regional constraints, the
group's military wing will still be capable of carrying
out some headline-grabbing bombings.
A change in the status of imprisoned ANC President
Nelson Mandela might alter these prospects
considerably. If Mandela were to be released
unconditionally�something we believe is unlikely but
possible�his overwhelming popularity among South
African nonwhites would assure him a major role in
domestic black politics. If he were to leave the country
and actively resume his position as head of the ANC,
many young blacks would follow him to fight under
his leadership.
A reinvigorated ANC with Mandela at the helm
might even cause a shift in attitudes among leaders of
neighboring black states. They currently are following
a policy of cautious detente with Pretoria, but their
hatred of apartheid could overcome fear of South
African retribution if they believed the ANC's
military campaign had a reasonable chance of
success.
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Early May
1 May
1 May 1980
2 May 1953
2 May 1982
5 May 1941
5 May 1945
5 May 1954
5 May 1955
5 May 1981
The Terrorism Diary
for May
Below is a compendium of May dates of known or conceivable significance to
terrorists around the world. Our inclusion of a date or event should not by itself
be construed to suggest that we expect or anticipate a commemorative terrorist
event.
El Salvador. The first week of May contains several dates of importance to
leftwing or rightwing elements; consequently, political violence tends to peak
during that period.
Socialist world. May Day.
Peru. Destruction of electoral material in Chuschi, Cangallo Province, marks
beginning of armed struggle by Sendero Luminoso. Anniversary is commemorated
throughout May.
Jordan. King Hussein assumes constitutional power.
Argentina, United Kingdom. Argentine cruiser Belgrano sunk by British naval
forces in Falklands war.
Ethiopia. Liberation Day.
Netherlands. Liberation Day.
Paraguay. Coup led by Gen. Alfredo Stroessner Mattiauda overthrows elected
government of President Federico Chavez.
West Germany. The Federal Republic becomes member of NATO.
Northern Ireland. Death of imprisoned Provisional IRA member Bobby Sands in
hunger strike.
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8 May 1945 Czechoslovakia. Liberation Day.
East Germany, West Germany. Capitulation of Third Reich. Celebrated in East
Germany as Liberation Day.
8 May 1979
9 May 1881
9 May 1945
9 May 1976
10 May
11 May 1983
11 May 1984
13 May 1981
14 May 1811
14 May 1948
15 May 1948
El Salvador. Police fire into crowd of demonstrators on steps of San Salvador
cathedral, killing at least 25. Demonstration was in solidarity with leftwing
activists who had occupied the French and Costa Rican Embassies on 4 May.
Romania. Independence Day.
Albania, Poland, Soviet Union, Yugoslavia. Victory Day.
West Germany. Suicide in prison of Ulrike Meinhof, founding member of Red
Army Faction (RAF).
Jordan. Arab Resistance Day.
Chile. Anti-Pinochet protests put down forcefully by government.
Chile. Wave of bombings against government targets.
Vatican. Attempt on life of Pope John Paul II by Mehmet Ali Agca.
Paraguay. Independence Day.
Israel. Declaration of independence. Celebrated as Republic Day.
Middle East. Beginning of first Arab-Israeli war.
Palestinians. End of UN Mandate. Celebrated as Palestine Day. The 15 May
Organization, founded in 1979 from remnant of PFLP Special Operations Group,
takes its name from this event.
17 May 1814 Norway. Constitution Day (independence day).
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18 May 1980 South Korea. Civilian uprising in Kwangju against military rule. Usually marked
by student demonstrations.
18 May 1981 Northern Ireland. Death of imprisoned Provisional IRA member Raymond
McCreesh from a hunger strike.
19 May 1890 Vietnam. Birth of Ho Chi Minh.
19 May 1895 Cuba. Death of Jose Marti.
20 May 1927 Saudi Arabia. Independence Day.
20 May 1972 Cameroon. Declaration of republic.
20 May 1973 Western Sahara. Polisario begins armed struggle.
21 May 1985 Muslim world. Ramadan (month of fasting) begins.
22 May 1972 Sri Lanka. Republic Day.
23 May 1949 West Germany. Proclamation of federal republic.
23 May 1951 China, Tibet. China asserts sovereignty over Tibet.
25 May 1810 Argentina. Beginning of revolution against Spain.
25 May 1892 Yugoslavia. Birth of Josip Broz Tito.
25 May 1923 Jordan. Independence Day.
25 May 1946 Jordan. Constitutional monarchy established.
25 May 1963 Africa. Establishment of Organization of African Unity (OAU). Celebrated
variously as African Freedom Day, Day of Africa.
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25 May 1965
25 May 1967
25 May 1969
26 May 1966
27 May 1985
28 May 1983
30 May 1919
30 May 1961
30 May 1967
30 May 1972
30 May 1981
31 May 1910
31 May 1961
Colombia. Founding of Communist Party of Colombia/Marxist-Leninist
(PCC/ML), the now defunct parent organization of the insurgent/terrorist group
People's Liberation Army (EPL).
Bermuda. Constitution adopted. Celebrated as Bermuda Day.
Sudan. The "May Revolution" (coup by General Nimeiri and Revolutionary
Council).
Guyana. Independence Day.
Buddhist world. Birthday of Gautama Buddha.
France, French Caribbean. Formation of Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance
(ARC) announced by 17 bombings.
Afghanistan. Independence from Great Britain achieved.
Dominican Republic. Assassination of Gen. Raphael Trujillo. Celebrated as
Liberty Day.
Nigeria. Declaration of Independence by Biafra.
Israel. Massacre at Lod Airport by members of Japanese Red Army.
Bangladesh. Assassination of Ziaur Rahman.
South Africa. British colonies merged to form commonwealth. Celebrated as
Union Day.
South Africa. Proclamation of republic.
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Chronology of Terrorism-1985
26 February
9 March
12 March
14 March
14-15 March
15 March
Below are described noteworthy foreign and international terrorist events and
counterterrorism developments that have occurred or come to light since our last
issue. Events and developments that have already been described elsewhere in this
publication are not included.
Iran: Terrorists killed in Tehran. According to press reports that did not identify
the terrorists, one was killed in Tehran when a hand grenade he was holding blew
up and a second was killed by Islamic Revolutionary Guards. Both men reportedly
carried several hand grenades, Kalashnikov-type assault rifles, other small arms,
and cyanide tablets.
France: Two Iranians believed plotting terrorist operations expelled. French
authorities also issued an expulsion order for a third Iranian believed to have
already left the country for Turkey. The three were allegedly planning to
assassinate an Iranian exile leader in France.
South Africa: White couple killed in western Transvaal. AK-47 cartridges were
found on a truck on the farm of the South African victims. A getaway vehicle was
discovered near the Botswana border. South African authorities believe the three
black gunmen were members of the ANC.
West Bank: Bomb explodes inside Jewish settlement of Emanuel. No group has
claimed responsibility for planting the small charge that exploded near a
restaurant. It was the first bombing attack inside a West Bank Jewish settlement
we have recorded.
Sri Lanka: Three prominent Tamil businessmen kidnaped for ransom by Tamil
insurgents, later released. A member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) asserted the businessmen had donated money to the government's
National Defense Fund. In protest, Tamil merchants in Jaffna closed their shops
for two days and flew black flags demanding the release of their associates. On 24
March, they were released unharmed in Jaffna.
Iran: Suicide bomb attack on President Khamenei. A man with a bomb strapped
to his body detonated it at a Tehran mosque during a prayer service led by
Khamenei. The regime blames the opposition Mujahedin-e Khalq for the attack.
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15-17 March
Mid-March
16 March
16-17 March
Chile: Two Mormon churches bombed by unknown assailants. The explosions
caused minor damage to the exteriors of churches in Pudahuel and Nunoa. Last
year, five Mormon churches in Chile were bombed during the period March-May.
Spain: Unusually sophisticated firing device found in raid on ETA sgfehouse. The
device incorporates an antidisturbance feature that would make it extremely
dangerous for anyone to tamper with a bomb to which it was attached. Such
weapons have not previously been encountered in Western Europe.
Chile: Exiled leaders of MIR to visit Libya seeking aid and advice.
the terrorist group Movement of the Revolutionary
Lett wants to establish a unified armed force drawn from several indigenous
leftwing groups. Most of the group's members trained in Cuba and elsewhere are
expected to return this year.
Colombia: Two Ecuadoreans carrying explosive material arrested at border. Also
in their possession were found floor plans of various embassies in Bogota and
documentation from several Colombian military units.
Sudan: Priest reportedly killed by SPLA. The government says the rebels
attacked a church but fled after some of their number were killed in a firefight
with the military.
India: Trial of 379 Sikhs begins in Jodhpur. The Sikhs face charges of terrorism
for acts committed prior to the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by
government troops in June 1984. The trial, being held in camera, is expected to
take several months.
Lebanon: Amal gunmen kidnap Libyan diplomat in West Beirut. The Libyan was
reportedly released in Damascus on 28 March after Libya appealed to Syria for
help.
Angola: Hotel in Huambo bombed by UNITA. UNITA claimed credit for killing
75 persons, including Bulgarian and Cuban technical experts, but the government
acknowledges fewer casualties. It also says the incident was perpetrated by thieves
who had hoped to loot the hotel but were arrested at the scene instead.
the bomb may have been intended not for the hotel but for the
building next door, which houses Soviet advisers.
Lebanon: Hizballah leader Fadlallah's house attacked by unknown assailants in
Beirut. Rockets and automatic weapons fire were directed at the building.
Fadlallah evidently was not hurt, but his wife was wounded.
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17 March
18 March
19 March
20 March
21 March
Saudi Arabia: North Yemeni guest worker shot to death in skyjacking attempt.
Threatening to explode a grenade, the man had tried to divert to Tehran a Saudi
Boeing 737 passenger airliner bound from Jidda to Kuwait. After the pilot insisted
on landing in Dhahran to refuel, the skyjacker permitted the passengers to
disembark. When he refused to surrender, members of the Saudi special forces
rushed the plane and killed him.
Italy: Tamil separatists charged with narcotics smuggling. The Rome
prosecutor's office has announced that at least part of the money raised in the
operation went to finance Tamil guerrilla groups in Sri Lanka.
Singapore: Bomb extensively damages building housing Israeli, Canadian
Embassies. No one claimed credit for the attack, which caused no casualties. It
was the first deliberate bombing in Singapore in more than 10 years.
Western Sahara: Polisario attacks Spanish trawler. At least one man was
seriously injured when the anchored ship was fired on by attackers in two rubber
boats using recoilless rifles and heavy machineguns.
Thailand: Two opposition politicians' houses attacked with grenades in Bangkok.
The explosions caused minor damage to the homes of the Thai Nation Party
leaders but no casualties. No one has claimed responsibility, but police speculate
the attacks were timed to influence the opening of Parliament in April.
Israel: Police dismantle small bomb in Tel Aviv shopping district. No group
claimed responsibility for setting the bomb.
Switzerland: Aluminum plant in Martigny severely damaged by bombs. The
"Valais Group against Hydro-Rhone," (a hydroelectric project) claimed
responsibility for the attack, the most serious in recent Swiss history. The plant
will be out of operation for at least six months.
West Germany: Two impostors wearing French army uniforms fail in attempts to
enter French military munitions depot near Emmendingen. On their first attempt,
the two men claimed to be an inspection team but were refused entry. Later the
same day they approached the depot again but departed when guards arrived. The
license plate number of their car proved to be bogus.
22 March Spain: Building housing bank and employment office in Bilbao bombed, probably
by ETA. There was damage to the building but no injuries.
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22-23 March
23 March
24 March
Late March
25 March
South Africa: Hand grenade attacks in Soweto damage government building and
mayor's house but cause no injuries. The incidents occurred a day after police fired
into a marching crowd, killing at least 19 blacks and wounding many others. The
march was held to mark the anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre in which 69
blacks were killed
Portugal: FP-25 assassinates industrialist at International Trade Fair. In a well-
planned attack, 10 members of FP-25 shot Alexandre Souto because of his alleged
responsibility for the death of a worker a year ago. Is
Portugal: FP-25 prisoner sprung from Lisbon jail. Two suspected members of
FP-25 held prison guards at gunpoint while Maria Suzete Goncalves scaled a 15-
meter prison wall and escaped.
Costa Rica: Floor plans of US Ambassador's residence uncovered in raid on leftist
New Republic Movement sgfehouse. Local authorities are investigating the
possible involvement of two recently dismissed residence guards.
El Salvador: Unknown gunmen kill retired General Medrano, former head of
National Guard and founder of disbanded rightwing vigilante group. The
National Democratic Organization (ORDEN), allegedly used by the government
to harass and murder suspected leftists, was outlawed by the Salvadoran
Government in 1979.
Italy: Police kill two suspected terrorists and capture two others following gun
battle in Alessandria. An anonymous telephone caller claimed the terrorists
belonged to the neo-Fascist group Armed Revolutionary Nuclei.
West Germany: Security officials in Kaiserslautern recover stolen vehicle
apparently rigged by terrorists. They believe the vehicle was to be used by the Red
Army Faction in a terrorist operation, perhaps in Kaiserslautern or nearby
Ramstein Airbase. The region contains the largest concentration of US military
personnel in Europe.
Chile: Boobytrap bomb planted by MIR kills two security agents. They were
dismantling equipment in a hotel room that had been used by the Movement of the
Revolutionary Left to broadcast a communique that had interrupted a prime-time
television transmission of the Academy Awards.
Government office in Caprivi Strip bombed. The explosion, which occurred during
office hours, injured three people in addition to causing heavy damage to the
building. No_group claimed credit for the attack, but SWAPO was probably
responsible.
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26 March
27 March
28 March
France: Two Spanish Basques and several bystanders wounded in gun and grenade
attack on bar in St. Jean de Luz. Damage to the premises was also substantial.
The Anti-Terrorist Liberation Group (GAL) is believed responsible.
Greece: US consular officer's car torched while parked in front of her home in
Athens. No group has claimed credit for this act, a common way Greek extremists
register disapproval
Netherlands: Police defuse letter bomb delivered to Bulgarian travel office in
Amsterdam. A new group calling itself the Pan-Turkish Organization claimed
credit and said more bombs would follow.
Spain: Two ETA members torch cosmetics company in lbarra. Apparently, the
motive was the company's links to French interests. The fire destroyed the
building.
France: Basque refugee survives shooting in Ciboure bar. The Anti-Terrorist
Liberation Group (GAL) claimed responsibility.
Taiwan: Intelligence chief indicted in murder of Chinese-American journalist.
Adm. Wang Hsi-ling and two subordinates were indicted in Taipei by the military
prosecutor in charge of the case.
Northern Ireland: Command-detonated bomb kills British soldier in Belfast. The
bomb was planted in a storage building near a school playground and detonated as
an army patrol walked by. The Provisional IRA claimed responsibility.
Iraq: Car bomb explosions in Tikrit, Saddam Husayn's hometown, kill 36, injure
many more. One vehicle bomb reportedly exploded outside a Women's Federation
office and the other near the town's Labor Federation office. No one has claimed
credit for the attacks, but Iranian-backed agents are the likely culprits.
Syrian armed with knife and explosives briefly hijacks Lufthansa jet bound for
Athens. He demanded to be flown to Libya, but the plane landed in Istanbul. All
passengers and crew were released unharmed and the skyjacker�who made no
other demands�was arrested.
West Bank: Bicycle bomb disarmed near Jerusalem. The half-kilogram bomb
attached to a bicycle outside a bank in Talpiot was found by police. No group has
claimed responsibility for planting the bomb.
West Bank: Two bombs found in Ramallah schools. One was disarmed and one
was exploded by police. No group claimed responsibility.
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29 March
France: Bomb explodes inside Paris cinema during Jewish film festival, injuring
18 people. The blast occurred during the showing of a film about Adolph
Eichmann. Callers representing three groups, including Islamic Jihad, claimed
responsibility, but none of the claims has been verified.
France: Gunman fires six shots into crowded bar in Bayonne, killing one,
wounding three. Patrons of the bar pursued and captured the gunman, who is
believed to be an agent of the Anti-Terrorist Liberation Group (GAL).
30 March France: Basque journalist killed in St. Jean de Luz. The Anti-Terrorist
Liberation Group (GAL) is believed responsible.
31 March Spain: French car showroom damaged by bomb in San Sebastian. Basque
separatists, protesting attacks on their comrades in France, are suspected.
Spain: French registered car burned, Renault and Peugeot showrooms attacked in
Bilbao. The Spanish Basque separatist group ETA claimed the attacks were in
retaliation for the 30 March killing by GAL of a Basque journalist in St. Jean de
Luz, France.
Guatemala: Retired general and grandson assassinated in Guatemala City by
unknown assailants. Gen. Manuel Francisco Sosa Avila and members of his
family were ambushed as they were driving in a residential section of the city. The
general was a brother-in-law of ex-President Jose Efrain Rios Montt
West Bank: Israeli occupation official assassinated by unidentified assailant.
Zalman Abulnik, a local government official who resided in the Jewish settlement
of Hahadasha, was shot in the head with a 9-mm pistol. The murder closely
resembles that of an IDF reservist two months ago. The DFLP claimed
responsibility, although only after news of the murder was broadcast over the
radio.
1 April Italy: Bomb damages Syrian Arab Airlines office in Rome. Three persons were
injured slightly in the explosion. The bomb was left at the entrance to the closed
office. No group has claimed responsibility.
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Lebanon: Skyjacking ends quickly, quietly. A Lebanese passenger claiming to
have a pistol tried to commandeer an aircraft leaving Beirut bound for Jidda and
demanded money for the "Lebanese National Resistance Movement." He
surrendered to authorities when the plane made its scheduled landing in Jidda. He
admitted he mostly wanted publicity for the Lebanese guerrillas fighting the
Israelis in southern Lebanon.
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2 April West Germany: Two RAF leaders received multiple life sentences. Christian Klar
and Brigitte Mohnhaupt were convicted of involvement in the 1977 murders of
Federal Prosecutor Siegfried Buback, Dresdner Bank Chief Juergen Ponto, and
Employer's Association head Hanns-Martin Schleyer, along with six bodyguards,
as well as the attem tin 1981 to assassinate USAREUR Commanding Gen.
Frederick Kroesen.
Libyan businessman shot and killed in Nicosia by unidentified Arab. Cypriot
police think the victim may have been an informant for the Libyan People's
Bureau, although other government authorities reportedly believe he was an
opponent of the Qadhafi regime. No group claimed responsibility.
3 April Spain: French car showroom in Pamplona damaged by bomb. No injuries were
reported. The attack came in the wake of four days of protests against the 30
March murder in France of a Spanish Basque journalist.
Northern Ireland: Remote-detonated car bomb kills policeman and civilian guard
outside main courthouse in Newry. Six other policemen and three civilians were
wounded. The Provisional IRA claimed credit.
4 April France: Bombs damage two buildings but cause no injuries in Bayonne. No one
claimed responsibility.
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