WEEKLY SITUATION REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM 26 APRIL 1978[SANITIZED] - 1978/04/26

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06627674
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: April 26, 1978

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Weekly Situation Report
on
International Terrorism
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Articles:
WEEKLY SITUATION REPORT
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CONTENTS *
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26 April 1978
Argentine Terrorism and the World Cup Soccer Games
(Page 1)
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ARTICLES
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Argentine Terrorism and the World Cup Soccer Games
Leading members of the Argentine Peronist Montonero
Movement (MPM) have stated in press conferences since October
1977 that the Montoneros will not hinder the playing of the
1978 World Cup soccer games in Argentina during June 1978.
They have publicly invited reporters, tourists and players
to Argentina to see the "existing repression", and have
guaranteed that no action will be taken against them by the
political wing of the MPM; however, they also have noted
that they cannot be responsible for the military arm of the
irMPM.
They claim that in Argentina the state is the terrorist
and that the holding of the World'Cup championships will
serve the purposes of the Argentine opposition groups because
foreign journalists covering the games will be able to see
for themselves the true nature of the ruling military junta.
Notwithstanding these public statements, there are
indications that the Montoneros have terrorist operations
planned against the soccer games. A Montonero member captured
in Uruguay during mid-December 1977 told authorities that
the MPM was creating a mechanism to support orerations in
Argentina in June 1978 during the games. He added that the
Montoneros have planned to mount at least two spectacular
terrorist operations in each of the cities in Argentina
where the games will be held. The objective is to attract
world attention to their organization and to demonstrate
that the Montonero movement is not defeated.
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unconfirmed information on
the existence of two special Montonero combat groups in
Argentina consisting of four to fi men each. These men
are considered the best cadre the Mentoneros have in Argen-
tina; they have been trained abroadWand are of high caliber
and extremely dangerous. The government is very anxious to
confirm their existence
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an Argentine who is in charge of
Montonero terrorist operations in
Argentina, was in Brazil to participate
in sessions with several other terrorist organizations to
�lan a "wave of terror" during the games.
reported that the Montoneros have weapons cached
near the Argentine/Brazilian border,to be used in the terrorist
activities. The weapons were reportedly being held for the
arrival in Brazil of several unidentified, high-level inter-
national terrorist activists.
Argentine authorities also believe that the terrorists
may conduct a spectacular operation during the games such as
destroying the color TV broadcasting station, interfering
with satellite communication systems, or something similar.
In response to these indications of Montonero activities,
the government has formed a special brigade within the army
to protect the games. The army has been given responsibility
for controlling subversive activities and adopting the means
to prevent them from occurring during the games.
The Argentine government has assessed the strength of
the Montoneros at about 600 inside and outside the country,
including those serving in support capacities. The government
estimates that there are also several hundred sympathizers
who are inclined to be activists but who have not yet parti-
cipated in Montonero violente.
The Argentine armed forces do not believe that the
Montoneros will engage in activities such as bombing the
stadium while the public is there. The government believes,
instead, that the Montoneros will concentrate on a propaganda
campaign.
In addition to press conferences and covert operational
planning, the Montoneros are planning to initiate an extensive
propaganda campaign during the games. Propaganda methods
will include the distribution of posters depicting the
stadium where the matches are to be ,held surrounded by
barbed wire and the circulation of rumors about the appearance
of corpses and the existence of concentration camps holding
thousands of people.
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There has been no confirmation of the planned violence
or of cooperation between foreign groups to carry out terror-
ist incidents during the soccer games. While on the one
hand the information indicates that the political faction of
the MPM does not intend to carry out terrorist operations,
there is also conflicting information indicating that the
military faction of the MPM may be seriously considering
terrorist operations during the games. It is too early to
determine the real possibility of terrorist operations
against either the Argentine society or visitors to the
soccer games. Based on public statements by MPM represent-
atives and the decrease in large-scale terrorist operations
during the recent months, it is unlikely that the MPM will
carry out a Munich-type terroriS peration, since the
public reaction would cane more oblems than benefit.
pelrET
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