CHRONOLOGY OF ANTI-US TERRORIST ATTACKS FOR IRAN OR IRANIAN SUPPORTED GROUPS (1979-1985)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 24, 2012
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: June 26, 1985
• Content Type: MISC

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/01 : CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7
Chronology of Anti-US Terrorist Attacks by Iran or Iranian
Supported Groups (1979 - 1985)
Year Date Location
1985 14 June- Athens/Algiers/Beirut
present
1985 9 June Beirut
1985 29 May Beirut
1985 28 May Beirut
TWA Flight 847 to Rome
hijacked from Athens to
Beirut by pro-Iranian
radical Shias. Many of
remaining passengers held
hostage by Hizballah
elements in contact with
Iran. 25X1
American University of
Beirut (AUB) Dean of
Agriculture Sutherland
kidnaped outside the
Beirut Airport. Pro-
Iranian radical Shias most
likely conducted the
operation.
Denis Hill, British
professor at American
University of Beirut shot
dead. Islamic Jihad first
claimed credit and then
denied responsibility.
Pro-Iranian radical shias
are still suspected.
David Jacobsen, US
Director of American
University Hospital,
kidnaped. Islamic Jihad
claimed credit.
1985 18 April Beirut Georges Sayegh, Lebanese
citizen and Vice President
of American University of
Beirut, kidnaped and
interrogated about
personnel working at the
university. Radical shias
are suspected.
AP Chief correspondent
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/01 : CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/01 : CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7
1985 22 January Beirut
1985 13 January Beirut
Hizballah.
Believed held by
Terry A. Anderson kidnaped
by radical Shias. Islamic
Jihad claimed credit.
Bomb exploded on street in
front of American
University Hospital.
Radical Shias suspected.
Bomb defused at home of
FSN employee of US
Embassy. Radical Shias
suspected.
1985 8 January Beirut Fr. Lawrence Jenco, US
citizen Director of
Catholic Relief Services
in Beirut, kidnaped.
Islamic Jihad claimed
credit on 11 January.
Believed held by
Hizballah.
1984 4 December Kuwait-Tehran
1984 30 November Beirut
1984 20 September Beirut
beaten.
several passengers
Four pro-Iranian Lebanese
Shias hijack Kuwaiti
Airlines flight from Dubai
to Tehran. They demanded
release of 17 Shia
extremists held in Kuwait
for bombing US, French and
Kuwaiti installations
there. Two US passengers-
-Charles Hegna and Willian
Stanford--murdered and
AUB librarian Peter
Kilburn kidnaped. Islamic
Jihad subsequently claimed
credit. Radical Shias
believed responsible. 25X1
US Embassy Annex partially
destroyed by carbomb. 23
persons--including two
Americans--killed and at
least 60 injured,
including US and UK
Ambassadors. Islamic
Jihad claimed
responsibility, saying the
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/01 : CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/01 : CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7
Lebanese.
attack was in retaliation
for the US veto of a UN
Security Council draft
resolution calling for an
end to Israeli
restrictions on southern
1984 5 June Beirut Bomb exploded in empty
classroom at AUB.
Hizballah elements
believed responsible.
Bomb exploded at Nicely
Hall on AUB campus,
causing some damage.
Radical Shias believed
1984 21 May Beirut Fuse on bomb placed in AUB
library started fire, but
the bomb defused minutes
before it was due to
explode. Radical Shias
believed responsible. 25X1
1984 8 May Beirut Rev. Benjamin Weir
kidnaped near his home.
Islamic Jihad claimed
credit.
1984 28 March Beirut
1984 16 March Beirut
1984 7 March Beirut
responsible.
US Embassy political
officer William Buckley
kidnaped in front of his
home. Held by Hizballah
elements. 25X1
the Bekaa Valley near
Hizaballah facility.
Beirut Director of US
Cable News Network, Jeremy
Levin, kidnaped near his
hotel. Islamic Jihad
claimed credit. On 14
February 1985, Levin
escaped from a building in
the attack.
US Defense Attache, USMC
Colonel Dale Dorman,
wounded in front of his
hotel. Islamic Amal
believed responsible for
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/01 : CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/01 : CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7
1984 1 March Beirut Bomb exploded on AUB
campus. Radical Shias
believed responsible.
1984 10 February Beirut
1984 28 January Beirut
1984 18 January Beirut
AUB Professor Frank Regier
kidnaped and held by
Hizballah elements.
Released on 15 April 1984
after Amal troops stormed
detention site in West
Beirut. 25X1
radical Shias.
Missile fired at USMC
Multinational Force
helicopter, but missed.
Attackers believed to be
claimed credit.
Dr. Malcolm Kerr,
President of AUB, shot to
death outside his
office. Islamic Jihad
1984 8 January Beirut USMC helicopter a landing
work party at the US
Embassy fired upon. One
Marine killed. Radical
Shias, who were known to
be deliberately targeting
MNF members, probably were
the perpetrators.
Bar frequented by US
Marines bombed. Islamic
Jihad claimed credit.
Party of Iraq.
US Embassy compound
damaged by car bomb. Five
killed and 28 wounded--
none were US citizens.
Islamic Jihad claimed
credit. Five other sites,
including the French
Embassy, also bombed.
Authorities arrested 11
persons, all members of
the Iranian directed Dawa
USMC barracks destroyed by
car bomb carrying about
2000 pounds of
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/01 : CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/01 : CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7
explosives. 238 Marines
killed and 70 wounded.
Islamic Jihad claimed
credit. Hussayni Suicide
Commandos believed
responsible.
US Marine supply convoy
bombed. Islamic Jihad
claimed credit.
1983
16 October
Beirut
1983
21 September Beirut
1983
28 July B
eirut
1983
July B
eirut
1983
18 April B
eirut
1983
16 March B
eirut
1982
19 July B
eirut
One US Marine killed and
three wounded in attack
near Lebanese university
Radical Shias believed
responsible.
US Embassy hit by rocket
propelled grenade; one
Embassy driver injured
Radical Shias believed
responsible.
Iranian Revolutionary
Guards believed to have
attacked US MNF troops in
Beirut with rocket
propelled grenades. 25X1
Several rocket-propelled
grenade attacks on US MNF
baracks at Beirut Airport
Islamic Jihad claimed
responsibility.
US Embassy destroyed by
500 pound car bomb. 57
killed, and over 100
wounded. Islamic Jihad
claimed responsibility.
Five US Marines on patrol
wounded by hand grenade.
One month later, Islamic
Jihad claimed it had
staged the attack. F
David Dodge, Acting
President of AUB, kidnaped
on campus. Hizballah
elements were
responsible. Dodge was
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/01 : CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/01 : CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7
1980 10 October Beirut
1980 26 September Beirut
released in November 1983
after bering held for some
time in Iran. 25X1
against Iran.
House of the Dean of the
Engineering School at AUB
rocketed. The Mujahidin
claimed credit for the
attack saying AUB was a
"nest of spies" working
Amal.
US Embassy rocketed,
causing property damage
but no injuries. The
Mujahidin group claimed
responsibility. The
attack probably was
conducted by Islamic
1980 3 June Ft. Bragg, N.C. US Army Colonel who had
1979 15 November Chicago
1979 4 November Tehran
been adviser to Iranian
intelligence prior to
Shah's overthrow wounded
by gunmen in car. Person
with "foreign accent"
called local paper and
threatened to try again.
Small bomb exploded on
American Airlines flight
to Dulles Airport. No
injuries. A telephone
caller in Chicago,
purportedly representing
the Iranian Student
Association, claimed the
attack was to stop the US
from deporting Iranian
students as a way to
pressure Tehran to release
the US Embassy hostages.
Iranian students seized US
Embassy and held the staff
as hostages. Most of the
hostages not released
until 20 January 1981.
Iranian government
officials assumed
responsibility for fate of
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/01 : CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/01 : CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7
hostages. 25X1
1979 15 May Tehran Office of US Defense
attache fired on. 25X1
1979 17 February Tabriz
US Consulate overrun by
crowd, Consul detained for
several hours. 25X1
1979 14 February Tehran
1979 12 February Tehran
1979 9 February Tehran
US Embassy seized by about
200 armed men--three
Iranian attackers were
killed, and one US Marine
wounded during the
attack. Attackers left
Embassy two hours later.
The Marine who was wounded
was later kidnaped by
government from the
hospital where he was
admitted as reprisal for
the deaths of the three
Iranians killed during the
attack, but released the
next day. 25X1
ransacked.
Hilton Hotel occupied by
armed men. All Americans
herded into the basement
while hotel was
January.
UPI office hit with
Molotov cocktails, which
caused little damage and
no injuries. The "Towhid"
group claimed credit,
claiming UPI had
underestimated the number
killed by the Shah's
troops during the massive
demonstrations of 28
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/01 : CIA-RDP09-00438R000605820002-7