TERRORIST ATTACKS ON U.S. COMPANIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-295-8-33-0
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: May 10, 2012
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: September 28, 1972
• Content Type: MEMO

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/05/11: LOC-HAK-295-8-33-0
40 a a
SECRET ACTION
September 28, 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR GENERAL HAIG
FROM; TOM LATIMER
SUBJECT: Terrorist Attacks on U. S. Companies
Attached is a memo from HAT{ to the President
responding the the President's request for a
CIA analysis of terrorist bombings in Mexico
against U. S. firms.
RECOMMENDATION
That you sign the attached memo for HAK.
SECRET
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE INSTRUCTIONS
APPLY
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 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/05/11: LOC-HAK-295-8-33-0
W . W ,h"
MEMORANDUM
WASHINGTON
SECRET
SEp 2.91972
MEMORANDUM FOR: THE PRESIDENT
FROM; HENRY A. KISSINGER
SUBJECT: Terrorist Attacks on U. S. Companies
In response to your request of September 18, 1972 regarding the morning
brief item (Tab B) on terrorist attacks against four private U. S. com-
panies in Mexico, CIA has submitted a memorandum (Tab A) assessing
those incidents and others throughout the world.
CIA notes that in most instances the bombings of U. S. firms, like those
in Mexico, are the work of local dissident groups that are essentially
motivated by the internal politics of their own country. The violence
directed at American businesses in various parts of the world is not part
of a campaign against U. S. firms as such, but "rather a result of political
conflict in which these companies are identified with the establishment or
with policies opposed by the dissident groups. In many cases, the violence
is part of the generational phenomenon with disaffected, ultranationalist
youth striking out at the local "establishment" and its ties to "U. S. econom-
ic imperialism" and in other cases, the violence stems from anti-Vietnam
war groups.
Those responsible for the violence have, at most, only loose, occasional
links with terrorist groups elsewhere and do not appear to be involved in
an international conspiracy against American firms.
-- An important exception to the above is the alliance of Arab terrorist
organizations that have conducted operations across national borders in
the Mideast and in Western Europe.
Looking at terrorist incidents area by area, the CIA memorandum notes that:
-- In Mexico, the bombings of U. S. -owned businesses on 14-15 Septem-
ber were the first such incidents in recent memory. There is no evidence
that the explosions were part of any broad plan. On the same night that
the U. S. companies were hit, bombs exploded at the offices of a government
financial institution and at a nearby Mexican-owned clothing store. Because
these incidents came 48 hours before Mexico's Independence Day celebra-
tion, they probably were set off by dissident elements to embarrass
President Echeverria.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/05/11: LOC-HAK-295-8-33-0 ,
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SECRET
-- In Argentina, U. S. businesses have been frequent targets of
terrorist attacks in recent years. The most serious came in June 1969
during Governor Rockefeller's fact-finding trip to Buenos Aires. The
bombings on that occasion were professional and well coordinated and
all involved supermarkets at least partially owned by Rockefeller
financial interests. Since 1969 there have been several incidents
involving U. S. businesses but never on the scale of the supermarket
bombings. In fact, other foreign businesses -- FLAT and certain
British firms -- have suffered as much as U. S. companies.
-- In Venezuela, urban terrorism and rural guerrilla activity re-
sumed in May and June 1972 after a long hiatus. U. S. Government
installations and private U. S. business interests were hit, although
much of the violence was aimed at the Caldera government. U. S. intelli-
gence expect terrorist activities to
increase between now and the Venezuelan Presidential election in
December 1973.
-- 1sewhere in Latin America, attacks against U. S. businesses
have been sporadic and those that have occurred were often related to
political or labor strife in the host country.
-- When bombings or robberies against U. S. firms are carried out
by terrorists, the perpetrators are usually left-wing extremists who have
broken away from more orthodox communist movements.
-- In the Middle East, there is no doubt that fedayeen groups have
carried out coordinated attacks against U. S. business firms and the
likelihood is for increased terrorist actions against both official and
private U. S. interests over the next several months in light of the Arab
guerrilla's belief that the Black September Organization's Munich
operation was a success.
-- In Western Euroj., incidents aimed at U. S. business firms and
at government property apparently are the work of anti-Vietnam war
groups. The unexploded bombs which were found in the Paris offices of
Pan American Airways and Trans World Airlines in May of this year were
linked to anti-war groups as were a series of attacks against U. S. com-
mercial enterprises in Milan on June 3, 1972. Other incidents against
American firms in Spain, West Germany and the Netherlands this year
were also the work of anti-war. demonstrators.
SECRET
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/05/11: LOC-HAK-295-8-33-0
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SECRET
-- In Asia and Africa what little anti-U. S. violence has occurred has
usually been directed at U. S. official installations rather than at U. S.
businesses. The occasional small-scale violence that has been focused
on U. S. companies in some African countries has been spontaneous and
looks more like vandalism than the result of planning by extremist groups.
In sum, except-for the Arab terrorists and anti-war groups, attacks
against U. S. business firms in the rest of the world appear to be random
events, resulting from local dissident activities. There is no available
evidence that extremist groups in Latin America, for example, have
planned to conduct coordinated operations against U.S. businesses. We
can expect to see the fedayeen organizations, however, attempt to expand
their connections with other terrorist groups, especially in the Mideast
and Western Europe. Even so, it is unlikely, in CIA's view, that such
contacts will result in a formal international network of terrorist
organizations.
SECRE
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/05/11 : LOC-HAK-295-8-33-0