TERRORISM REVIEW

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CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2
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RIPPUB
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S
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28
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December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
September 10, 2010
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2
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Publication Date: 
April 12, 1984
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REPORT
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Directorate of Intelligence Review MASTER, FILE COPY 00 NOT GIVE OUT ? OR HARK ON Terrorism GI TR 84-008 12 April 1984 Copy 4 8 7 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Secret Review 1 Perspective-Prospects for the Spread of International Terrorism to the United States in 1984 Iparretarak: The French Basque Threat Chronology Comments and queries regarding this publication may be directed to the Deputy Chief Instabi ity and Insurgency Center, Office of Global Issues 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Secret Review Prospects for the Spread of International Terrorism to the United States in 1984 abroad and increased terrorism in the United States. We do not necessarily expect to see a rise in international terrorist incidents in the United States just because terrorism abroad has been garnering front-page attention: ? Despite the common public perception that the threat of terrorist attacks in the United States is increasing, we have no information that any foreign terrorist groups are planning a terrorist offensive in this country this year. ? The number of terrorist incidents committed by foreign groups in the United States has been consistently low in the past, and domestic terrorist incidents from all sources actually declined in number from 1982 to 1983. ? Although terrorist attacks have increasingly gained extensive publicity from the US media, there has never been a correlation between increased terrorism publicity benefits probably equal to those of attacks in the United States. appeared easier to carry out, promised less fear of retribution, and offered Various considerations help explain the absence of a high incidence of foreign terrorist attacks in the United States over the past several years. Terrorist groups and patron states which would have had the greatest capabilities and motives to operate here have found more accessible US targets abroad, or have been preoccupied with internal struggles. Additionally, we have seen indications that many foreign groups-especially those on the left-have tended to view the United States as a difficult environment in which to operate. These groups may have a perception that US security and intelligence agencies are highly efficient, entry and exit for foreigners not the simple operations they are in most of Western Europe and certain parts of the Middle East, and punishment surer and harsher. Consequently, we suspect that most terrorist groups have concluded that attacks against US interests abroad were the most cost-effective kind of operations. They None of this, of course, precludes the possibility that 1984 might be different. 25X1 Potential support networks for some terrorist groups are in place in the United States, and the motivations of certain terrorists to commit attacks-such as opposition to US foreign policy or hatred of particular ethnic groups in residence here-remains strong. Moreover, at least three factors could contribute to an increased level of threat in this country: ? The occurrence of well-publicized international events, such as the upcoming Olympics in Los Angeles, where various groups might be tempted either to air their grievances with the world watching or to use the occasion to embarrass the United States. 1 Secret GI TR 84-008 12 April 1984 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Secret Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 ? Any international activity of the United States which was perceived as an immediate threat by certain regimes, especially those of Khomeini and Qadhafi, with the opportunity for violent response abroad limited by the absence of vulnerable, high-profile US targets. ? The occurrence of more spectacular terrorist incidents abroad that might inspire self-styled radicals, especially ones already resident here, to imitate such acts in If serious attacks do occur this year in the United States, they are most likely to come either from groups supported by Iran, Libya, or Cuba or from ethno- nationalist groups-the Armenians, Palestinians, or Croatians. State supported terrorists would be most likely to target US persons and facilities per se, while ethno-nationalist groups would focus on their traditional enemies within this country. All of these groups have demonstrated the capability for staging violent attacks abroad. And all, to a greater or lesser degree, have in place support networks in the United States or Canada composed of individuals with whom they share common ethnic, religious, and political characteristics and who are potentially available as passive supporters if not active coconspirators or surrogates. In the absence of specific intelligence to the contrary, however, we reiterate that the threat of terrorist attacks in this country is a potential one. Other types of terrorist organizations-for example, most European groups, whose orientation is often anarchistic, and Latin American, Asian, and African insurgencies which use terrorist tactics-are less likely to attempt to operate in the United States. In the past, these groups have avoided operating out of their traditional environments, and have not attempted to establish support networks in this country to facilitate operations here. Furthermore, the anti-US attitude of many of these groups has usually been expressed in the context of a hatred for "US imperialism" within their own countries, which has been used to justify attacks on US interests abroad. An attempt by one of these groups to stage an attack in the United States would require both a major change in tactics and in ideology. Secret 2 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Key Indicators Portugal: 25 April May Mean Violence. New attempts by the Portuguese Communist Party to mobilize its membership to bring down the government suggests that 25 April-the anniversary of the Portuguese Revolution-may be a day of violence in Portugal. On 13 March the Central Committee of the PCP issued a "manifesto" urging all "democrats" and "patriots" to define their positions and actively participate in demonstrations on 25 April and on May Day. Meanwhile, the Popular Forces of the 25th of April (FP-25) has been escalating its campaign against the government and could perpetrate an attack on that date in order to obtain publicity. Significant Developments Libya: Anti-Qadhar Opposition Active Inside Libya. In the last six weeks, two and possibly three attacks have occurred against government targets inside Libya. In late February, senior Libyan official Sayid Qadaf al-Dam was seriously injured when a bomb went off in his car. On 20 March a munitions storage facility was destroyed, with extensive military and civilian casualties. In late March a building at the Al Kufra barracks was also probably bombed. There is evidence that these attacks have been conducted by well-organized Qadhafi dissidents; this is the first indication of such activity inside Libya. While Libya has turned to terrorism on a sporadic basis since Qadhafi came to power, continuing dissident attacks inside Libya could provoke Qadhafi into launching more attacks against his major perceived enemies: Libyan exiles residing in Western Europe or the United States; moderate Arab states like Egypt and Jordan; Israel; and the United States. Highlights Italy: Libyan Threat to US Diplomats. Italian authorities informed the US Embassy in Rome on 3 April that reliable sources have warned that Libya has hired elements of the Sicilian underworld to attack the US Ambassador or the US Consul General in Palermo. The gunmen reportedly were to receive $600,000 for the deed. Colonel Qadhafi reportedly holds the United States responsible for the assassination of the chief Libyan diplomat in Rome on 21 January, even though anti-Qadhafi Libyan exiles have claimed credit for that event. We believe the threat to the Consul General is the more credible of the two, given the heavy security surrounding top US officials in Rome and Qadhafi's recent rhetoric against the installation of cruise missiles in Comiso, Sicily. Security for the Consul General has been enhanced substantially as a result of this reported threat. 25X1 3 Secret GI TR 84-008 12 April 1984 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 France: US Consul General Shot. On 26 March US Consul General Robert Homme was shot by a man riding a motorbike as he left his residence in Strasbourg. The Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Faction (LARF) claimed credit for the attack in a typed letter sent to the Agence France Press in Paris. The letter accused Homme of working for the CIA. French authorities, who believe the LARF claim to be authentic, have concluded, based on ballistic tests, that the weapon used in this attack is the same type of weapon used to kill the UAE Ambassador in Paris on 8 February. That assassination was claimed by the Arab Revolutionary Brigades. The LARF has previously claimed credit for the assassinations of MFO Director General Hunt in Rome on 15 February 1984, Israeli diplomat Yaacov Barsimantov in Paris on 3 April 1982, and Lieutenant Colonel Ray in Paris on 18 January 1982, as well as the attempted assassination of two other US officials in Paris in 1981-82. West Germany: Bank Robbery. West German security officials believe that the tactics used in committing a bank robbery in Wuerzburg indicate that the Red Army Faction was responsible. This group has traditionally used funds obtained from bank robberies to finance its terrorist attacks. The group has been inactive since 1982 as a result of the government's successful counterterrorist operations. Greece: Assassination Attempt Against US Army Sergeant. The leftist Greek "Revolutionary Organization 17 November" claimed responsibility for the 3 April assassination attempt in Athens against US M. Sgt. Robert Judd, assigned to the Joint US Military Assistance Group in Greece (JUSMAGG). According to recent press reports, Greek police have concluded that the pistol used in the attack was the same one used in the murders of the CIA station chief in 1975, three Greek police officers in 1976 and 1980, and another US officer assigned to JUSMAGG in November 1983-all claimed by 17 November. In its recent communique, the organization threatened additional attacks against members of the "military force of occupation," whether they be "higher, middle, or lower level personnel." The shooting of Judd was the most recent of several terrorist actions to occur in Greece over the last several weeks-including an attempt by a Palestinian to assassinate the Israeli chief of mission and the murder of the British First Secretary for Cultural Affairs claimed by the so-called Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Honduras: Cinchoneros Resurface. Terrorists carried out five coordinated bomb attacks in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula on 26 March that resulted in one death and moderate property damage. Targets included the Supreme Court building in Tegucigalpa, a military school, installations of the security forces, and the Salvadoran Consulate in San Pedro Sula. The Cinchoneros reportedly claimed responsibility for the attacks in a taped message received by a local radio station, and a Cinchonero flag was found on the fence of the Consulate. This is the first major operation reported to have been carried out by the group since their seizure of the Chamber of Commerce building in San Pedro Sula in September 1982. Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Italy: Seven Recommended To Stand Trial in Papal Assassination Attempt Case. An Italian state prosecutor has recommended that Mehmet Ali Agca-serving a life sentence for shooting the Pope in May 1981-and six others be tried on charges of conspiring to kill the Pope. According to press accounts, Investigating Magistrate Ilario Martella is due to decide within a month, and judicial sources reportedly said he was likely to follow the recommendation of the prosecutor. The six persons-identified by Agca as coconspirators-are Sergey Antonov, a Bulgarian held in Rome since late 1982 on suspicion of conspiring to kill John Paul II, two other Bulgarians, and three Turks. Colombia: Government Approves Cease-Fire Agreement. On 1 April President Belisario Betancur approved a cease-fire agreement concluded by the Colombian Peace Commission and the country's largest guerrilla organization, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The 10-point plan calls for the FARC to renounce all terrorist activities in return for a political pardon and government promises to enact various reform measures. The cease-fire is to go into effect on 28 May followed by a one-year trial period during which the guerrillas will be allowed to organize politically. Although both the administration and the FARC will garner positive publicity from the agreement, the FARC may use the cease-fire as a period to rebuild and reorganize. Colombia: M-19 Guerrillas Create New Front. The 4 April attack on a Colombian town by 19th of April (M-19) guerrillas led by Rosemberg Pabon Pabon probably reflects the creation of a previously announced western front. M-19 bulletins left at the scene announced that the movement rejects the peace agreement recently signed between the Colombian Peace Commission and the FARC, the country's largest insurgent organization. Pabon led the M-19 group that took over the Dominican Republic Embassy in 1980 and had been underground since his release from prison under the amnesty in late 1983 Iraq: Talks With Kurds Break Down. Press reports indicate Baghdad's 25X1 negotiations with Kurdish dissidents broke down following the execution of 16 Kurds by firing squad on 12 March in the Kurdish town of As-Sulaymaniyah. Eleven of the victims were members of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) who had previously surrendered. The PUK radio station said the action would be met with "new hostilities." We believe an increase in activity by this group is likely, and attacks could be timed to coincide with the opening of Iran's long- awaited offensive in its war with Iraq.25X1 France: Corsican Group Targets French Mainland. In Marseilles, the Corsican National Liberation Front (FLNC) claimed credit for a bomb attack which caused extensive damage to a police station. We believe this is the first time in several years that the Corsican group has claimed responsibility for an attack on the French mainland Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Greece: Assassination of British Diplomat. British diplomat Kenneth Whitty and a Greek employee of the British Council were both killed when an assassin fired shots into the diplomat's car as it slowed down at an Athens intersection. The unknown "Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Muslims" claimed responsibility in a typewritten statement sent to a news agency in Beirut. The attack was in retaliation for "British attempts to spread colonialism." The name may be a cover for one of the following: the Abu Nidal group, which targeted British interests in Amman, Jordan, a few days earlier; Islamic extremists, who have been sending threat letters worldwide directed against Western targets; or the Libyans, who may have carried out the attack in retaliation for Britain's arrest of a number of Libyans involved in a recent spate of bombings in London. We also cannot rule out the possibility that the attack may have been the work of Greek Secret 6 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Libya: Terrorist Focus on Central Africa Colonel Qadhafi has begun to conduct terrorist attacks in central Africa against France and the nations supporting it in Chad. We believe the campaign probably will continue and believe that US interests could be future targets. Since the beginning of 1984, there have been 10 known incidents in Chad, Zaire, Central African Republic, and Congo in which Libyan agents or local insurgents backed directly by Libya have been implicated. In addition, a French airliner flying from the west African nation of Upper Volta to Paris received a bomb threat. These terrorist attacks are particularly ominous because many are bombings, apparently intended to injure French personnel and local civilians in the targeted nations. Tripoli has demonstrated that it intends to persist in this campaign by creating a clandestine network for funneling agents and explosives into central Africa.F- The campaign began on 11 January when a bomb blast from a suitcase offloaded from a Soviet airliner destroyed the baggage room at the Kinshasa Airport. The plane had made stops at Tripoli and Lagos, Nigeria, e believe the bomb was being sent somewhere else in central Africa and exploded prematurely. Since then, three more bombs have ex loded in public places in the Zairian capital C inshasa is across the Zaire River from the Congolese capital of Brazzaville, where many Zairian dissidents Moreover, the National Movement of the Congo- Lumumba (MNC-L) claimed credit for the bombings, and several of its members have received training in Algeria Niger Libya Central African Republic Equat Guinea Sao Tome and Principe o AilEniic Ocean Egypt ~' Republic, a number of Libyan agents were arrested in February while preparing bombing attacks, and on 10 March heavy loss of life was narrowly averted in 25X1 25X1 Chad when two bombs destroyed a French airliner 25X1 that had just landed at the N'Djamena Airport after a 25X1 flight from Brazzaville via Bangui. Two Libyans were seen leaving the flight before it left Bangui for Chad. Secret G! TR 84-008 12 April 1984 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 The Chadian Catalyst Colonel Qadhafi undoubtedly had high hopes that his military intervention in Chad in July 1983 would prevent the defeat of Goukouni Weddeye's insurgents and pave the way for the installation of a pro-Libyan regime in N'Djamena. The French counterinter- vention, backed by Zaire and the Central African Republic, prevented a victory by the anti-Habre insurgents under Goukouni. When the expansion of Libyan influence through conventional military means was blocked and diplomatic efforts in the OAU failed to help Libya, Tripoli, we believe, decided to exploit its ties with dissidents in central Africa and with the People's Republic of the Congo to conduct covert terrorist operations to undermine the French 3, Libya position. Libya has supported dissidents throughout Sub- Saharan Africa since the mid-1970s, but its diffuse and limited provision of money, arms, and training failed to unseat a single pro-Western regime. After August 1983, we believe Tripoli decided to refocus its efforts on countries relevant to its interests in Chad and the Sudan. signed an agreement to provide military assistance to the regime of Congolese President Sassou- Nguesso. We believe the deal allowed Tripoli to increase the number of Libyan military and intelligence personnel in the Congo. In fact, the US Embassy in Brazzaville observed significant increases in Libyan personnel beginning in November 1983. We believe the Congo has become the coordinating center for Tripoli's terrorist activity in central Africa. ? In mid-November 1983, Libya began trying to recruit dissident Zairians in Brazzaville for explosives training in Libya. 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 We believe Libya has four specific objectives for its terrorist campaign, which began after these preparations for operational activity: ? Most importantly, Tripoli wants to highlight the vulnerability of French interests in the area in order to pressure Paris to withdraw its forces from Chad or to seek an accommodation on terms amenable to Tripoli. Five incidents in three nations have been directed against the French since January. ? A related purpose is to weaken the Habre regime and its French-supported military position in Chad. The threats against dissidents in Brazzaville willing to negotiate a settlement with N'Djamena was an attempt to prevent an agreement that would broaden Habre's base of support and enhance his image as the legitimate leader of Chad. regime by bringing it under public attack for its support of the French, the former colonial power. believes Qadhafi hopes to destabilize the Kolingba ? In Central African Republic, the US Embassy in 1983. ? Libyan-backed attacks in Zaire probably are in retaliation against President Mobutu for his military support for the French in Chad and for his decision to establish diplomatic relations with Israel Libya's increased activity in central Africa at this time also serves larger foreign policy goals beyond Qadhafi's ambitions in Chad. The colonel is seeking to reinvigorate the revolutionary fervor of his nation, which he believes has stagnated. Qadhafi sees himself and his state as the agents of vast historical forces that will ultimately transform the world. The destabilization of Western oriented regimes and the elimination of the "last vestiges of colonialism" are part of that process. On a more pragmatic level, Qadhafi would like African states to pay greater heed to Libyan positions at international and regional meetings. In the case of the Central African Republic, a new or weakened regime might enable Libya to open a new front through which to channel support to anti-Nimieri insurgents in southern Sudan. Attacks against Zaire punish an African state with diplomatic and military ties with Israel and strike a blow for the larger Arab struggle. Dangers Ahead We believe Libya will continue to support terrorist attacks in central Africa using Libyan agents and local insurgents until Colonel Qadhafi believes his enemies have become more accommodating or unless Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 - the costs to Libya of sponsoring terrorist action become prohibitive. Training of more potential terrorists is currently under way in Libya. Secret 10 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Secret Iparretarak: The French Basque Threat Cooperation between Spain and France aimed at curtailing the terrorist activities of Spanish Basques who reside in France could cause the French Basque group Iparretarak (Those of the North) to become increasingly violent. In fact, Iparretarak-the French equivalent of the Spanish Basque separatist group Fatherland and Liberty (ETA)-has over the past several years demonstrated both a willingness and a capability to use terrorism in support of its political goals. A nationalist, cultural organization when founded in the 1970s, Iparretarak became a clandestine organization in 1980. Its small membership-a militant core of around 30 with some seven of those currently imprisoned-and the lack of support for its violent tactics from within the French Basque community have not kept Iparretarak from pressing ahead with "armed struggle" in an effort to advance its goals of independence from France and creation of a unified socialist Basque state. Over the last few years Iparretarak has been accused of committing some 50 terrorist attacks; the group has acknowledged responsibility for several of these. The group was accused of killing two French Security officers during 1979-80. In 1981, they murdered two policemen and committed a bank robbery. The group went underground in 1982, and, when it reemerged the following year, launched an antitourism campaign in which it bombed and burned tourist facilities on the Basque coast. The group claimed that the promotion of tourism had adverse effects on the economic development of the Basque region. Following French security crackdowns in January 1984 and the related arrests of French Basque militants, Iparretarak declared publicly an "intensification of the armed struggle against the French Government." Iparretarak demonstrated its willingness to step up its level of violence and to inflict large numbers of casualties when it attempted on 18 February to derail a crowded Paris-to-Madrid passenger train. The forceful attacks against ETA (including six assassinations) by the shadowy group calling itself the Group for Antiterrorism Liberation (GAL) almost certainly encouraged French officials to crack down on ETA as well. In the past, ETA has discouraged Iparretarak from terrorist activity in order to preserve the French Basque region as a refuge for ETA. The recent security crackdown, however, may have united Spanish and French Basque separatists in a determination to strike at French targets. Hunger strikes by French Basque sympathizers protesting the government and police measures have led to Basque rallies and may have provoked terrorist attacks by Iparretarak. In the longer run, government firmness and a lack of support from within the Basque community will make the separatists' battle an uphill struggle. They may, therefore, decide they have no alternative but to step up their terrorist activities, hoping that higher visibility acts will bring them the attention they believe their cause needs. Secret GI TR 84-008 12 April 1984 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Iq Next 7 Page(s) In Document Denied Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Statistical Overview Terrorist Incidents by Type, 1984 a Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1984 1983 Total Total 60 41 47 148 551 Armed attack 18 14 13 45 71 Arson 6 2 0 8 48 Hijacking b 0 2 0 2 46 c Kidnaping 2 7 3 12 41 Other 11 5 1 17 41 Terrorist Incidents by Region, 1984 a Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1984 1983 Total North America 0 1 0 1 27 Latin America 9 6 2 17 132 Western Europe 20 13 19 52 185 USSR/Eastern Europe 1 0 1 2 9 Sub-Saharan Africa 8 3 1 12 28 Mideast and North Africa 16 17 24 57 125 Asia/other 6 1 0 7 45 Terrorist Incidents by Category of Victim or Installation Attacked, 1984 a Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1984 1983 Total Total 60 41 47 148 551 Diplomatic 11 9 14 34 218 Military 6 3 1 10 96 Other government 9 3 8 20 50 a Figures for the most recent months are subject to change as additonal data are received. b Only terrorist-related hijackings will be reported in 1984. c Terrorist and nonterrorist hijacking are included. Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 International Terrorist Incidents and Attacks, 1983-84 International Terrorist Incidents Number of Incidents ? 1983 10 1984 J1LUVfi--M International Terrorist Incidents Involving US Number of Incidents Deaths and Injuries Due to International Attacks Number of Victims Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Chronology This chronology includes significant events, incidents, and trends in international terrorism. It provides commentary on their background, importance, and wider implications. It does not treat events listed in previous editions of the chronology unless new information has been received. 7 March 1984 Italy: NAR Member Captured Police in Rome captured a suspected member of the rightwin Armed Revolution- ary Nuclei (NAR) wanted in connection with a bank robbery Italy: Arrests of Terrorists In Milan police arrested a suspected member of Prima Linea wanted for terrorist acts in the Lombardy region in 1979 and a Red Brigades suspect wanted for forgery and receipt of stolen goods. Police also confiscated forged passports and plans for the escape of an imprisoned member of the Red Brigades. 18 March 1984 Gaza: Aborted Bombing of Suspected US Building Unknown persons planted a glass jar filled with kerosene in the office of the Community Development Foundation in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip. The simple bomb failed to go off when its timer did not work. Graffiti scrawled on the walls of the office indicated the attackers thought the facility was American.F_ Mid-March 1984 Italy: Red Brigades Member Arrested In La Spezia a woman was arrested and charged with attempting to reorganize the Red Brigades. According to local press, police found propaganda of the militant wing of the BR and a photocopy machine on property owned by the arrestee. She had been arrested for BR activities in November 1983 but was released for lack of evidence.) 25X1 20 March 1984 Italy: Arrest of Red Brigades Terrorist in Genoa The first arrest of a member of the Red Brigades in Genoa in two years took place on 20 March. A young civil servant was apprehended and charged with participat- ing in BR activities.) 25X1 22 March 1984 Lebanon: British Council Building Bombed The British Council building in West Beirut was damaged by a bomb thrown from a passing car. There were no casualties. The British Council is a worldwide network of cultural centers run by the British Government. No one claimed credit for the attack.) 25X1 25 Secret GI TR 84-008 12 April 1984 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 23 March 1984 Italy: Discovery of Red Brigades Cache Italian police in Rome discovered a Red Brigades hideout complete with weapons, explosives, and notebooks containing the names of possible terrorist targets. According to Italian press reports, investigators will run ballistic tests on the weapons to determine if they were used in an assault on a Rome University professor and in the murder in February of the US chief of the Sinai peacekeeping force, Leamon Hunt.n 24 March 1984 West Bank: Moderate Palestinians Attacked The car and home of the former Arab mayor of Ram Allah were firebombed by unknown assailants. Several shots also were fired at the home of another local Arab known to have cooperated with Israel. F7 26 March 1984 France: US Consul General Shot US Consul General Robert Homme was shot near his residence by a man on a mo- torbike. The Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Faction (LARF) claimed credit, accusing Homme of working for the CIA. F7 Spain: Premature Explosion Injures Youths In Bilbao two youths were critically injured when a bomb explosion in their car de- stroyed the automobile and set fire to two others. Another bomb exploded in a city shop shortly afterward without causing casualties. Iraq: Attack on British Consulate An Iraqi national was wounded when a parcel bomb he was planting exploded inside the British Consulate. At the time of the blast, a number of Iraqi students were in the building taking English lessons. Earlier in the day, Iraqi security arrested a man reportedly trying to drive his car into the British Embassy in Baghdad. We do not believe he was planning a terrorist attack because no bomb or weapons were found in the car. F-1 Indonesia: Swiss Pilot Kidnaped A Swiss pilot for a missionary air service was abducted and his two Indonesian passengers killed by guerrillas of the Free Papua Movement.) Honduras: Coordinated Bombings The Cinchoneros claimed responsibility for five bomb attacks in San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa that were targeted against Salvadoran interests and Honduran Government installations. One person was killed, and moderate property damage resulted. 7_1 Chile: Terrorists Attack Subway Lines Bombs exploded at four locations on the Santiago subway system, temporarily suspending rail traffic but causing no injuries. The Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front claimed responsibility for the incidents which preceded the March "days of national protest."F--] Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Secret Israel: Bombs Dismantled Two bombs were dismantled shortly before they were to explode outside Jerusa- lem's train station and a bus terminal, preventing potentially serious casualties. Palestinian terrorists were the likely culprits.n New Zealand: Explosion in Trade Union Building A building which houses many New Zealand trade unions sustained heavy damage when a bomb exploded, killing one person and injuring several others. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.n Lebanon: Gunmen Wound French Attache Gunmen shot and critically wounded a French cultural attache in West Beirut as he was walking to work. Witnesses said the shots were fired from a car by three men using silenced pistols. No one has claimed credit for the attack.) Zaire: Two Bombings in Kinshasa The Voice of Zaire and the post office building were bombed by an unidentified group. In all, two people were killed and six injured. While the Congolese National Movement-Lumumba (MNC-L) claimed responsibility, it later retracted its claim. The MNC-L and another group which claimed responsibility, Parti Socialist Zairois, may not have the capability for such an attack. F7 28 March 1984 Lebanon: American University Bombing A small bomb damaged a classroom at the American University of Beirut early in the morning. No one was injured, and no group has claimed responsibility.= Lebanon: "Islamic Jihad" Strikes Again 25X1 Two large bombs exploded outside Druze-owned property in West Beirut. A statement issued in the name of Islamic Jihad claimed credit for the attacks. We believe the Druze are being attacked because their militia forces in Beirut are attempting to prevent armed groups and individuals from roaming freely. In particular, Druze forces clamped down in late March on the activities in Beirut of the small Sunni Murabitoun (Sentinels) Militia which had failed to respect the call for a cease-fire. 0 25X1 Lebanon: French Officer Killed A French lieutenant was killed when unknown assailants shot at him from an automobile. Radical Shias are the most likely culprits in what was the final casualty inflicted on France's MNF contingent.) Cuba-United States: US Aircraft Hijacked to Cuba Delta Flight 357 en route from New Orleans to Dallas with 19 passengers and sev- en crew members aboard was hijacked to Havana by a male passenger with a Spanish accent. He threatened to ignite a bottle of fluid with a cigarette lighter unless he was taken to Cuba. Cuban officials arrested him at Jose Marti International Airport.) Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Tunisia: Assassination Threat A female caller to the US Embassy in Tunis stated that what happened to the American consul in Strasbourg, France, would happen within a week, presumably to an American diplomat in Tunis. The American consul in Strasbourg was shot on 26 March by the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Faction (LARF). While LARF has not operated outside of France, Embassy personnel have been advised of the potential threat.F___1 Belgium: Sentencing of ETA Militants An Antwerp court convicted four ETA separatists on charges that included smuggling weapons and maintaining illegal residence in Belgium. ETA has threatened attacks against Belgians if these prisoners are convicted. Defense lawyers plan to appeal. F__-] Yugoslavia: Arrests of Albanian Nationalists In Kosovo Province security officers arrested 12 members of an illegal group of Al- banian nationalists and irredentists wanted for planting nine explosive devices in Pristina between October 1982 and March 1984. The explosions caused consider- able damage, according to Yugoslav press reports. 28-29 March 1984 Chile: Terrorist Bombings in Santiago Terrorists bombed a number of lampposts and powerlines in Santiago, blacking out several neighborhoods. One of the bombs seriously injured a child. No group claimed responsibility for the incidents which took place during the March "days of national protest."I 29 March 1984 Spain: Violence Continues In the Basque town of Elorrio, suspected members of ETA killed a policeman -a - parently in retaliation for the deaths of four ETA members on 22 March. Chile: MIR Attacks Police Precinct House Six terrorists attacked a national police precinct house in a poor Santiago neighborhood. One terrorist and three policemen were wounded in the attack. One terrorist, later identified as a member of the Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR), was allegedly killed by his companions after he was unable to flee because of wounds suffered during the attack. The incident marked the third time the Pudahuel precinct house had been attacked.F__1 South Lebanon: Terrorist Killed A man driving a car laden with weapons and explosives was killed by Israeli forces south of the Az Zahrani River when he failed to stop at a checkpoint. His group affiliation is unknown.) Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Secret 30 March 1984 Italy: Armored Truck Robbery Near Rome five masked men held up an armored truck and escaped with over $50,000. According to West European press reports, police believe terrorists were involved in the attack because the perpetrators were equipped with guns from NATO stocks. The guns were reportedly similar to weapons stolen from military installations several years ago by Red Brigades members.n Italy: Sentences Reduced for Police Who Freed Dozier The Venice Court of Appeals reduced the sentences of four Italian policemen convicted of using physical violence to obtain information from a Red Brigades suspect during the investigation of the Dozier kidnaping. Convictions for assault were upheld, but more serious charges were dropped for lack of evidence. The court granted a conditional suspension of the sentences. While the policemen will not serve prison sentences, they cannot return to duty until the sentence term expires.n Chile: Attempted Bombing of Swedish Embassy Unidentified persons threw two sticks of dynamite, which did not explode, against the Swedish Embassy in Santiago. The incident was probably conducted by a rightwing group in response to newspaper reports that the Swedish Government has for several years been sending money to leftwing opposition groups in Chile. F_ Chile: Terrorists Attack Police Bus A bus carrying 25 national policemen in Santiago was badly damaged by a remote-controlled shrapnel bomb. One policeman was killed; eleven policemen and four bystanders were injured. The Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front claimed responsibility for the attack. The incident marked the first time such a device has been used in bombing incidents in Chile.l Late March 1984 Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines: Islamic Jihad Threat Letters Diplomatic missions that have been targets of Islamic Jihad threat letters in recent weeks include the American Consulate General in Casablanca; the USIS offices and American Consulate General in Lahore; the British Council in Karachi; the French Embassy as well as the US Ambassador and the US Consul General in Is- lamabad; and the French, Italian, and British Embassies in Manila. F_~ 31 March 1984 El Salvador: Rightist Political Figure Murdered Gunmen shot and killed a former vice president of the Salvadoran Central Elections Council who owed his appointment to Roberto D'Aubuisson's ultraright- est Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA). To date no group has claimed responsibility.) 25X1 Israel: Rocket Attack Against Kibbutz Two Katyusha rockets exploded in southern Lebanon just north of the Israeli border. The attack apparently was intended to hit Kibbutz Misgav'Am in the Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Galilee panhandle of Israel. No casualties occurred, and no group claimed responsibility, but Palestinian terrorists are the most likely perpetrators. Rocket attacks into northern Israel occurred occasionally prior to the 1982 Israeli invasion, and Tel Aviv is becoming increasingly concerned over deteriorating security in southern Lebanon. F-1 Colombia: Cease-Fire Agreement Approved President Betancur approved a cease-fire agreement concluded by the Colombian Peace Commission with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The 10-point plan calls for the FARC to abandon all terrorist activity in return for amnesty and government enactment of various political and economic reform measures. The cease-fire is to go into effect on 28 May followed by a one-year trial period during which the FARC will be allowed to organize politically. Chile: Terrorists Black Out Half of Country Approximately nine simultaneous bombings against the electric power network caused a blackout that affected more than 50 percent of Chile. The Manuel Rodriguez Revolutionary Front claimed responsibility for the attacks in a phone call to the press and stated that the group has no links with any of the violent left- wing groups operating in the country. The incident marked the most serious and successful sabotage to date of the Chilean electrical system.) Corsica: Rash of Bombings After more than a month of calm, another wave of bombings-targeting those connected with mainland France-shook the island of Corsica. The 21 bombs caused considerable damage to vacation bungalows, apartments, cars, banks, and offices but no injuries. No group claimed responsibility, but we suspect the National Front for the Liberation of Corsica (FLNC) is responsible.) Cyprus: Bomb Threats to Embassies Police in Nicosia received telephoned bomb threats to the Syrian and Libyan Embassies and implemented emergency security measures. A search by explosives experts revealed nothing.F--] Spain: Policeman Slain In a bar in Bilbao, two suspected ETA militants shot and killed a policeman and wounded the owner) Israel: Terrorist Attack on Jerusalem Street Three terrorists, who have been apprehended, fired weapons and threw grenades at passers-by on a Jerusalem street wounding at least 48 people. The attack, which was claimed by the DFLP, is the third serious incident in Jerusalem in the past four months. The DFLP also claimed responsibility for the 4 March grenade attack on a West Bank bus in Jerusalem which injured 21 people. The DFLP pres- ently claims to be holding an Israeli Druze soldier who has been missing in Lebanon for the past year. The group may seek to swap him for its captured members.F--] Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Secret 3 April 1984 Guatemala: Guerrillas Launch Attack in Guatemala City The Organization of People in Arms (ORPA) claimed responsibility for four large explosions that occurred near the official residence of Guatemalan Chief of State Oscar Mejia and the US Embassy. ORPA is believed to have used 60-mm mortars in this attack.F-1 Philippines: Bomb Threat An unknown male caller reported a bomb in the office of the chief at the Joint US Military Assistance Group in Manila. A search of the building proved negative, and no group has claimed responsibility for the call.) France: Church Bombing Injures One A bomb explosion in the Church of Scientology in Paris caused severe burns to a man entering the church. The church and surrounding buildings were extensively damaged. No group has claimed responsibilityF_~ Egypt: Trial of Muslim Fundamentalists Begins A juvenile court began trying 39 young Muslims for taking part in a plot to overthrow the government. Egyptian authorities claim the youths, all under 18, had arms and explosives to assassinate senior government and military officials in the days following Sadat's assassination. Some 280 adult fundamentalists have . already been convicted on similar charges, and a trial of another 170 still is going on.F I South Africa: Car Bombing in Durban Three people were killed, more than 15 injured, and property damage was extensive in a car bombing in South Africa. The African National Congress (ANC), which was responsible for the car bombing in May 1983 in Pretoria, is probably also responsible for this incident. The ANC may be attempting to prove that it was not weakened by the nonaggression pact recently signed by Mozam- bique and South Africa.) West Germany: Turkish Leftists Sentenced In Cologne 10 members of the banned radical leftwing Turkish terrorist group Revolutionary Left (Dev Sol) received prison sentences of four and a half years for occupying the Turkish Consulate in Cologne and holding 60 people hostage for 15 hours in November 1982. The verdict brought to an end a turbulent, three-month trial during which there was a bomb attack on the Consulate, a death threat to the judge, and numerous clashes between police and spectators.) Greece: Assassination Attempt Against US Army Sergeant A US Army sergeant assigned to the Joint US Military Assistance Group in Greece (JUSMAGG) was the victim of an assassination attempt. The "Revolution- ary Organization 17 November"-which claimed responsibility for the assassina- tion of another JUSMAGG officer last fall-took credit for the attack.) Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Austria: Neo-Nazis Receive Sentences In Vienna the longest court case against neo-Nazis in more than a decade ended with eight Austrians and one West German-Ekkehard Weil-receiving jail sentences. All of the defendants were convicted of neo-Nazi activities, and several were convicted of instigating explosive attacks on Jewish shops and homes in Salzburg and Vienna.n Lebanon: Another Anti-Druze Attack A bomb exploded at the entrance to a Druze building in Beirut in the early evening. Two Druze civilians were injured.) Lebanon: First Threat to French Cease-Fire Observers Two of the 40 French "Casque Blanc" observers had AK-47 rifles shoved in their chests by two members of the Lebanese Communist Party (PCL). The attackers shouted at them to leave Lebanon. France is very concerned about the vulnerabili- ty to terrorist attack of its small Beirut Observer Force and might withdraw it if serious attacks occur.) Japan: Explosions Related to New Airport The Kansai Revolutionary Defense Army simultaneously exploded incendiary devices at two offices in central Osaka involved in planning for the new Kansai In- ternational Airport project. The attacks came as a surprise, as no organized opposition to the new airport had been encountered.) Colombia: M-19 Column Takes Over Town A column of 100 19th of April Movement (M-19) guerrillas, led by Rosemberg Pabon took over the town of Corinto, bombing the police inspector's office and am- bushing police patrols. Bulletins left at the scene announced the movement's rejection of the peace agreement signed between the Peace Commission and the FARC.F__1 Martinique: More Bombings Three apparently coordinated bomb attacks in the early morning hours destroyed a garage and a police vehicle, heavily damaged another patrol vehicle, and caused minor damage to a supermarket. Police believe the Alliance Revolutionaire Caraibe is responsible and that the lack of casualties was lucky, as the destroyed police vehicle was scheduled for use in a routine patrol only minutes after the bomb detonated. 6 April 1984 Spain: Bar Bombing In Bilbao a bomb planted by suspected ETA terrorists caused extensive damage to a bar but no casualties.) Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 France: Bombing of Employment Office In Issy Les Moulineaux a previously unknown group calling itself the Interior Front claimed responsibility for a bomb attack which injured three and destroyed the front of an employment office.) Spain: GRAPO Members Sentenced A Spanish court in Madrid sentenced a member of the leftist urban group, October First Anti-Fascist Resistance Group (GRAPO) to 27 years in prison for the murder in 1980 of a civil guard. Two other GRAPO members received sentences of 12 and six years, respectively, for explosive attacks.) 7 April 19>?4 Spain: Shooting of Policeman In Galicia a policeman was shot and critically injured by two suspected ETA guerrillas.) Spain: Bomb Attacks Against Cars In Vigo, bomb attacks against parked vehicles and an automobile showroom- possibly the work of GRAPO terrorists-burned several cars.) Chile: Miristas Given Political Asylum Bowing to pressure from the Vatican, the Chilean Government granted safe conduct to Ecuador for four members of the Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR) accused of involvement in the 1983 murder of a Santiago military governor. The four Miristas had surrendered their weapons and taken refuge at the Vatican diplomatic mission in Santiago on 16 January. Two of the Miristas.have been granted political asylum in Ecuador for 60 days; the other two will be flown to per- manent asylum in Belgium.) 8 April 1984 Chile: French Embassy Officer PNG'd for Aiding MIR French Vice Consul Yvonne Legrand was declared persona non grata by the Chilean Foreign Ministry after reports in a French newspaper identified her as having provided false documents and visas to enter France to members of the Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR) terrorist organization. F7 Northern Ireland: IRA Shooting In Belfast, members of the Belfast Brigade-a splinter group of the Irish Republican Army-shot and critically wounded a judge whose duties include dealings with terrorist cases; his daughter was killed in the attack.1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2 Secret Secret Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/05: CIA-RDP85-01095R000100010002-2