INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM IN 1978

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CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8
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March 1, 1979
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pr]p~??'or Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Assessment Center International Terrorism In 1978 RP 79-10149 March 1979 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 This publication is prepared for the use of US Government officials, and the format, coverage, and content are designed to meet their specific requirements. US Government officials may obtain additional copies of this document directly or through liaison channels from the Central Intelligence Agency. Requesters outside the US Government may obtain subscriptions to CIA publications similar to this one by addressing inquiries to: Document Expediting (DOCEX) Project Exchange and Gift Division Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 20540 or: National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 Requesters outside the US Government not interested in subscription service may purchase specific publications either in paper copy or microform from: Photoduplication Service Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 20540 or: National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 (To expedite service call the NTIS Order Desk (703) 577-4650) Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 ~Vor Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 oreign Assessment Center International Terrorism in 1978 A Research Paper Information as of 14 January 1979 has been used in preparing this report. Comments and queries on this unclassified report are welcomed and may be directed to: Director for Public Affairs Central Intelligence Agency Washington, D.C., 20505 (703) 351-7676 For information on obtaining additional copies, see the inside of front cover. RP 79-10149 March 1979 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Deaths and Injuries Due to International Terrorist Attacks,' 1968-78 R Wounded Total: 5,078 Killed Total: 2,102 Figure 1 1. Casualty figures are particularly susceptible to fluctuations due to inclusion of especially bloody incidents, e.g., exclusion of the 1978 explosion at a Beirut building housing Palestinian guerrilla organizations, which some reports credited to rival terrorists, would subtract 150 deaths from that year's total. Incluiinn of the mass suicide/murder by the Peoples' Temple members in Guyana in November 1978 would add more than 900 deaths. Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 International Terrorism In 1978' Most established patterns of international terrorist behavior in 1977 continued into 1978, including attacks on Western diplomatic and business facilities, an emphasis on simple types of operations, and a preference for striking targets in industrialized democ- racies. Significant changes have included the escala- tion of international terrorism in Central America and setbacks to some European and Palestinian terrorist organizations. The year also ushered in some East European antiterrorist cooperation with the West and the first international antihijacking agreement with potentially effective enforcement measures. Trends Developments relating to international terrorism in 1978 showed several major patterns and trends: ? For the year as a whole, there was an increase in the number of international incidents and their attendant casualties (see figures 1 and 2), matching the levels observed in the latter part of 1977. Much of the increase can be attributed to the export of Middle Eastern conflicts to Western Europe. Israeli oranges were found poisoned in a dozen European cities, while Iraq and Fatah battled each other in European capitals. ? Terrorists continue to prefer operations in the industrialized democracies of Western Europe and North America. More than half of all incidents were recorded in these regions (see table 1, in appendix). ? In Latin America the geographic locus of terrorism shifted. While guerrilla violence has declined in its historic arena-the Southern Cone-it has increased in Central America, most notably in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Kidnapings in San Salvador of Swedish, British, Japanese, and local business executives have severely diminished corporate confi- dence in El Salvador. In Nicaragua, the Sandinista National Liberation Front's takeover of the National Palace in August was that group's greatest success. It 'This paper draws upon a conceptual framework developed in three earlier studies: International and Transnational Terrorism: Diagno- sis and Prognosis (PR 76-10030, April 1976); International Terrorism in 1976 (RP 77-10034U, July 1977); and International Terrorism in 1977 (RP 78-10255U, August 1978). secured the release of imprisoned comrades, obtained $5 million in ransom, and directed enormous interna- tional attention to FSLN activities and to the Nicara- guan political situation. The new round of civil violence that was sparked by the incident presented the Somoza government with its most serious challenge. ? There were more attacks than the previous year, both in relative and absolute terms, on US citizens and property (see table 2). Most of this increase was due to the deteriorating security situation in Iran, in which antiforeign-and especially anti-US-sentiment was translated into scores of firebombings and threats against individuals and facilities. ? Officials and businessmen-especially individuals who are symbols of Western power and wealth-are still the primary targets. Tourists and other private citizens are victimized only incidentally (for example, as passengers on a hijacked airliner). International Terrorist Incidents, Figure 2 1968-78 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Geographic Distribution of Figure 3 International Terrorist Attacks, 1968-78 Total: 3,043 Oceania 19 USSR/Eastern Europe 12 ? Despite the publicity given to occasional sophisticated operations (such as the kidnaping of Italy's Aldo Moro, the reciprocal assassination campaign between Fatah and the Iraqis, and the Sandinista takeover of Nicaragua's legislative chambers), most terrorist at- tacks continue to be simple bombings, arsons, snipings, or threats. ? One innovation in technique and targeting that caused widespread alarm was the poisoning of Israeli oranges in Western Europe. This operation-believed to be the work of Arab terrorists-showed an unusual willingness to relinquish control over the choice of individual targets. The Abadan, Iran, theater fire in which at least 377 persons died-an equally indis- criminate operation-may indicate that at least some groups are becoming less worried about harming potential supporters or innocent bystanders.' Geographic Distribution of International Terrorist Attacks Figure 4 Directed Against US Targets, 1968-78 Total: 1,271 Oceania 3 Fortunes of Major Groups The Italian Red Brigades succeeded in generating international publicity by kidnaping Aldo Moro, Italy's leading political figure. Terrorists also carried out less dramatic attacks against judges, newsmen, police officers, employes of large industries, and middle-level political figures, including attacks on Italian executives of American firms, a target that had generally been spared. Despite press speculation, it is still uncertain whether foreign intelligence services or non-Italian terrorist groups were involved in these actions. Other major groups have been less successful than the Red Brigades. West German radicals, while embar- rassing government officials by conducting a daring prison escape, suffered severe setbacks when various of their members were arrested in Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, and even one in the United States. Whine still a potential threat, these terrorists have not mounted a major international attack since the Schleycr-Lufthansa episode in late 1977. 'The mass murder/suicide of 900 members of the Peoples' Temple in Guyana, while paralleling the fanatic devotion to a cause demonstrated by many terrorist groups, is not considered an act of international terrorism in this study. Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Fatah, generally believed to be the most moderate Palestinian guerrilla group, made headlines because of its feud with Iraq and the Black June organization, headed by Fatah dissident Abu Nidhal. Both sides mounted attacks on each other in capital cities on three continents during the summer. The vendetta's violence decreased from the daily battles in early August, although verbal barrages from both sides continued during the fall. Fatah denounced the Baghdad regime almost daily, while Abu Nidhal, already under a 1974 Fatah death sentence, pledged to assassinate PLO leader Yasir Arafat. Recent public statements seem to indicate an Iraqi-Fatah rapprochement, although Black June's position remains unclear. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine was dealt a setback with the death by natural causes of Wadi Haddad, noted planner and organizer of transnational terrorist operations. Although indi- viduals claiming PFLP membership mounted bloody attacks at Paris's Orly Airport, and on a London street, the future of the Haddad faction remains unclear. The majority of the PFLP, led by George Habash, has not been successful in wooing the Haddad wing back into the fold. Revolutionaries around the world, including terrorists, mourned the assassination of Henri Curiel, leader of a Paris-based support apparatus that funneled money, arms, documents, training, and other services to scores of leftist groups. While his organization will probably continue to function, no successor has emerged with the contacts and charisma Curiel was able to muster. The Japanese Red Army continued to be relatively quiescent. The JRA sent reminders of its exploits to its former hostages, but has not mounted an operation since its September 1977 Japanese Airlines hijacking, during which it freed imprisoned comrades, obtained a $6 million ransom, and embarrassed the Japanese Government. Although authorities feared that the JRA would seize upon local Japanese political issues- such as the Narita Airport controversy-to forge links with domestic radicals, no local operations have occurred. The whereabouts of Carlos-the notorious Venezuelan terrorist who led the PFLP-West German team in the 1975 OPEC raid-remains a mystery. The Ananda Marg-an India-based religious group that first appeared on the international scene in 1977-seems to have been mollified with the release of its spiritual leader, Prabhat R. Sarkar, from an Indian prison. During 1977, activist members of this group conducted attacks against Indian nationals on several continents, but were relatively inactive in 1978. Patron State Support Radical Arab states opposed to a political settlement with Israel have continued to work closely with extremist Palestinian terrorist groups. Iraq's use of Black June as surrogates in battling the moderate Fatah was particularly noteworthy. Libya, often characterized as a major patron of various terrorist groups throughout the world, has recently taken steps towards improving its image in the West. In November Colonel Qadhafi met with the West German Interior Minister to discuss closer cooperation against terrorists. In December the Libyan Interior Minister vowed to arrest and extradite any German terrorists seeking refuge. After having previously used support for national liberation movements as an excuse for footdragging in antiterrorist efforts, East European governments have shown some signs of cooperation in combating terror- ism. The Bulgarians, clearly with Soviet approval, allowed a West German team to arrest Red Army Faction member Till Meyer and his anarchist associ- ates. The Yugoslavs also arrested four West German terrorists, but allowed them to travel to an undisclosed country in retaliation for Bonn's denial of Belgrade's request for the return of several Croatian terrorists. Finally, tourists have noted photographs of terrorists being checked against incoming passengers by East European guards at border checkpoints. Despite these favorable signs, it is not clear whether the Soviet and East European governments will expand their concern. beyond West German radicals and also help to curb Arab terrorist activities. Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Nationality of Victims of International Terrorist Attacks,1 1968-78 Transregional 9 0.3% Oceania ]1o 0.3% Sub-Saharan 31 Africa 3.0% Asia 122 Figure 5 Antiterrorist Countermeasures Businesses continued to search for defensive methods tailored to their own ;reeds. Several multinational corporations preferred to pay off terrorist ransom and publicity demands rather than cooperate in govern- ment-declared "no concessions" policies. Many orga- nizations were formed solely to advise executives on how to cope with political violence. Representatives of other nongovernmenul organizations, including edu- cational institutions and the media, explored ways of cooperating with governmental efforts to combat terrorism. j 4.0% Middle East 99 and 19 7% North Africa . Western 990 Europe L 32.5% North America 1. The percentage of the total number of incidents around the world appears under the total num- ber of incidents involving victims from that region. Percentages sum to more than 100 due to incidents in which victims were from several regions. 1978 proportions are represented by red sections of bars. The development of antiterrorist paramilitary squads may have deterred terrorists from holding groups of hostages for prolonged periods, a type of incident that has been comparatively rare this year. The one instance in which a rescue team was used, however, resulted in dismal failure. An apparent breakdown in communication between Cyprus and Egypt led Cypriot troops to fire on an Egyptian commando contingent that was storming a hijacked airliner at Larnaca Airport. Regional cooperation was especially evident among European countries faced by terrorism. The European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism came into force for 18 of 20 Council of Europe members, with only Ireland and Malta remaining outside the agree- ment. The convention calls for extradition or prosecu- tion of individuals suspected of certain offenses, whatever their motivasion. In October the European Economic Community Justice Ministers announced a supplementary agreement among the Nine that solves some technical legal difficulties of the European Convention. The Nine pledged to consider more far- reaching French proposals to establish a "common judicial zone." Also during the fall, European minis- ters met in Vienna to establish procedures for sharing information on terrorists and to unify antiterrorist training programs. The most notable development in international cooperation to combat terrorism was the antihijacking proposal made at the Bonn economic summit confer- ence in July. The seven participants agreed to cut off air commerce with nations refusing to extradite or prosecute hijackers and/or to return hijacked planes. 578397 3-79 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 This is the first antihijacking agreement that includes an enforcement mechanism. Although many technical legal questions regarding implementation remain to be answered, the international response has been gener- ally favorable. Implications for 1979 Several patterns seen in 1978 are expected to carry over into the new year: ? Regional patterns of victimization and location of operations are likely to remain virtually unchanged. Representatives of affluent countries, particularly government officials and business executives, will remain attractive targets. Western Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East again are likely to be the main trouble spots. American persons and property will continue to be attacked on occasion, although improvements in US official and corporate security should deter many potential attacks. ? Acts of terrorism related to the Palestinian issue will almost certainly continue. Despite recent statements by moderate Palestinian leaders on the possibility of living in peace with Israel if a Palestinian state is created, extremists can be expected to demonstrate their rejecton of a political solution of the Arab-Israeli dispute: Attacks within Israel, at times victimizing nationals of third countries, were undertaken even by the moderates during 1978. ? The vast majority of incidents will continue to involve bombings and incendiary attacks, in part because neither poses great risk to the perpetrators. Although added security precautions at sensitive facilities, a business exodus from unstable areas, and paramilitary rescue squads may deter spectacular confrontational attacks, these measures clearly cannot protect all potential-if less sensitive-targets from simple hit-and-run operations. ? The development and implementation of more effec- tive international countermeasures will continue to be impeded by differing moral perspectives among states, and a natural reluctance on the part of many states to commit themselves to any course of action that might invite retribution-either by terrorist groups or by states sympathetic to the terrorists' cause. Regional cooperation by like-minded governments faced with similar problems, however, is expected to expand. West European successes may set an example for govern- ments in other regions. The coming year is expected to be characterized by some new developments as well. ? Terrorists will try to adapt their tactical repertoire to counter the countermeasures adopted by government and private security services. These adaptations prob- ably will include changes in target selection, improve- ments in terrorist planning and other aspects of tradecraft, and, possibly, an overall increase in techno- logical sophistication (for example, use of more com- pact conventional explosives). ? West German terrorists, having suffered reverses during the past year, are likely to feel greater pressure to remind their domestic and international sympathiz- ers that they remain revolutionary leaders by engaging in operations at home or overseas. Although the oscillations in the overall level of terrorist activity in recent years render predictions hazardous, it is doubtful that there will be many more terrorist incidents in 1979 than in 1978. A cyclical pattern seems to have been established. For the typical terrorist group, a period of considerable activity lasting several weeks or months usually is followed by a lull, as governments adapt to terrorist tactics, group leaders are arrested, problems of logistics or morale arise, and popular sympathy wanes. In time new terrorist recruits may appear, new methods may be developed, and a more favorable political climate may return. Then a new cycle for that group may begin. But as new or revitalized groups arise, others become dormant, and some eventually disappear. Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 International Terrorist Incidents by Category, 1968-78 Letter Bombing Total: 162 Incendiary Bombing Total: 437 Theft, Break-in Total: 76 Armed Attack Total: 162 Sniping Total: 63 Hijacking' Total: 92 Figure 6 other Action2 Total: 76 1. Includes hijacking of modes of transportation for air, sea, or land, but excludes numerous non-terrorist hijackings. 2. Includes occupation of facilities without hostage seizure, shootouts with police, and sabotage. Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Appendix Statistics on International Terrorism This study employs computerized data based solely on unclassified material published during the past decade. While this technique promotes a historical and com- parative perspective, the tallies should be treated with caution. The sharp rise in recorded terrorist incidents over the past decade may reflect not only a real increase in such activity but also more comprehensive and systematic reporting by the press. On the other hand, many incidents probably have not been reported. In addition, there are many significant gaps in our knowledge about specific incidents and groups, and even those terrorist organizations and actions on which there is reliable information do not always fit neatly into the categories that have been created for them. Moreover, the number of incidents under review is so small that inadvertent omissions or erroneous classifi- cation could have a numerically significant impact. In many cases in which the perpetrator is unknown, attribution to terrorists may be misleading. The action may have been undertaken by criminals, psychotics, or revenge-seeking individuals with specific nonpolitical grievances. The criteria used in the present study are unavoidably arbitrary. For the purpose of this enumeration, inter- national terrorism is defined as the threat or use of violence for political purposes when (1) such action is intended to influence the attitude and behavior of a target group wider than its immediate victims, and (2) its ramifications transcend national boundaries (as the result, for example, of the nationality or foreign ties of its perpetrators, its locale, the identity of its institu- tional or human victims, its declared objectives, or the mechanics of its resolution). The statistics exclude terrorist attacks on US and allied personnel and installations during the Indochina conflict. They also exclude the assassinations and cross-border operations associated with the Arab-Israeli conflict, unless those incidents either victimized noncombatant nationals of states outside the principal area of conflict or became the object of international controversy. The figures also exclude bombings, shellings, and incursions by conventional forces. Related but separately targeted actions undertaken by a single terrorist group are counted as individual incidents, even when they were staged on the same day and in close proximity to one another. Terrorist operations that miscarried (as opposed to those that were abandoned or countered during the planning or staging phases) are counted. Geographic Distribution of International Terrorist Incidents 1968-78 Target 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972_ 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 Total* North America 35 7 23 24 18 18 38 51 37 23 19 293 (9.7) Latin America 41 71 113 70 49 80 124 48 105 46 61 808 (26.6) Western Europe 16 31 58 38 112 141 151 109 179 129 166 1,130 (38.1) USSR/Eastern Europe 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 2 0 2 3 12(0.4) Sub-Saharan Africa 0 7 8 4 4 4 9 18 16 20 24 114 (3.7) Middle East and North Africa 18 32 60 52 35 21 47 56 62 48 61 492 (16.1) 10 11 13 14 8 16 171 (5.6) Oceania 0 5 1 2 3 1 1 0 0 3 3 19(0.6) Transregional 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4(0.1) Total 111 166 282 216 269 275 382 297 413 279 353 3,043 * Figures in parentheses are percentages of the total accounted for by each region. Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 International Terrorist Attacks on US Citizens or Property 1968-78, by Category of Target Target 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 Total? US diplomatic officials or property property officials or property 12 17 52 51 22 19 12 12 2 21 22 252 (19.8) US business facilities or executives 6 35 24 40 44 US private citizens 3 7 17 5 12 10 13 27 26 13 21 154 (12.2) Total 51 93 188 153 109 102 139 104 125 84 122 1,270 * Figures in parentheses are percentages of the total accounted for by each category of target. International Terrorist Incidents, 1968-78, by Category of Attack 1977 1978 Total' Kidnaping 1 3 32 17 11 37 25 38 30 22 27 243 (8.0) Barricade-hostage 0 0 5 1 3 8 9 14 4 5 11 60(2.0) Letter bombing 3 4 3 1 92 22 16 3 11 2 5 162 (5.3) Incendiary bombing 12 22 53 30 15 31 37 20 91 57 69 437 (14.4) ------ 36 239 169 176 131 133 1,473 (48.4) Armed att ck 11 13 8 8 9 10 21 11 21 14 36 162 (5 3) a - - . Hijacking 2 3 11 21 9 14 6 8 4 6 8 2 92(3.0) 7 4 46 12 10 18 12 20 48 23 29 199 (6.5) 3 7 22 10 1 0 8 8 5 0 12 76(2.5) Sniping 3 2 7 3 4 3 11 3 9 14 6 9 63(2.1) Other actions 1 3 11 0 4 4 4 1 7 11 20 76(2.5) ' Figures in parentheses are percentages of the total accounted for by each category of attack. 3 Includes hijackings of means of air, sea, or land transport, but excludes numerous nonterrorist hijackings. ' Includes occupation of facilities without hostage seizure, shootouts with police, and sabotage. Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Geographic Distribution of International Terrorist Incidents, 1968-78, by Category of Attack North America Latin America Western Europe USSR/ Eastern Europe Sub- Saharan Africa Middle East/North Africa Asia Oceania Trans- regional Total Kidnaping 2 133 23 0 39 33 11 2 0 243 Barricade-hostage 6 11 23 0 2 15 3 0 0 60 Letter bombing 14 9 78 0 14 6 37 0 4 162 Incendiary bombing 29 69 249 2 4 52 28 4 0 437 Explosive bombing 198 388 575 7 10 237 46 12 0 1,437 Armed attack 2 33 34 1 21 58 13 0 0 162 Hijacking' 5 22 19 0 7 24 15 0 0 92 Assassination 15 56 _ 69 0 15 31 12 1 0 199 Theft, break-in 3 44 13 0 0 14 2 0 0 76 Sniping 11 28 8 1 1 11 3 0 0 63 Other actions 2 8 15 39 1 1 11 1 0 0 76 Total 293 808 1,130 12 114 492 171 19 4 3,043 ' Includes hijackings by means of air, sea, or land transport, but excludes numerous nonterrorist hijackings. 2 Includes occupation of facilities without hostage seizure, shootouts with police, and sabotage. International Terrorist Attacks on US Citizens or Property 1968-78, by Category of Attack 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 Total' Kidnaping 1 2 17 9 2 20 8 20 7 4 5 95 (7.5) Barricade-hostage 0 0 3 0 1 2 2 1 1 3 0 13 (1.0) Letter bombing 2 1 2 0 3 0 1 0 2 1 0 12 (1.0) Incendiary bombing 12 18 40 26 13 19 25 4 36 24 49 266 (20.9) Explosive bombing 30 58 77 93 73 52 90 63 44 35 40 655 (51.5) Armed attack 1 4 3 4 6 6 5 3 8 3 11 54 (4.2) Hijacking 2 0 4 12 3 4 0 0 2 5 4 0 34 (2.8) Assassination 3 2 9 2 2 3 2 7 13 5 6 54 (4.2) Theft, break-in 0 3 15 8 0 0 3 3 1 0 8 41 (3.2) Sniping 2 1 5 2 2 0 3 1 5 4 3 28 (2.2) Other actions 0 0 5 6 3 0 0 0 3 1 1 19 (1.5) Total 51 93 188 153 109 102 139 104 125 84 123 1,271 ' Figures in parentheses are percentages of the total accounted for by each category of attack. 2 Includes hijackings of means of air, sea, or land transport, but excludes numerous nonterrorist hijackings, many of which involved US aircraft. ' Includes occupation of facilities without hostage seizure, shootouts with police, and sabotage. Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Geographic Distribution of International Terrorist Incidents, 1978, by Category of Attack Barricade-hostage Letter bombing Incendiary bombing Explosive bombing 8 Armed attack 0 Hijacking ' 0 Sniping Other-' ' Includes hijackings by means of air, sea, or land transport, but excludes numerous nonterrorist hijackings. I Includes occupation of facilities without hostage seizure, shootouts with police, and sabotage. Geographic Distribution of International Terrorist Attacks On US Citizens or Property, 1968-78, by Category of Attack North Latin Western USSR Sub- America America Europe Eastern Saharan Europe Africa Kidnaping 58 1 0 Barricade-hostage 2 1 0 Letter bombing 2 1 0 Incendiary bombing Explosive bombing 4 Armed attack 3 Hijacking 0 Assassination 2 5 Theft, break-in 0 Sniping Other actions' 2 Total' 474 245 ' Includes hijackings of means of air or land transport, but excludes numerous nonterrorist hijackings many of which involved US aircraft. 2 Includes occupation of facilities without hostage seizure, shootouts with police, and sabotage. ' Figures in parentheses are percentages of the total accounted for by each region. Middle Asia Oceania Total East/Nr+rth Africa 20 353 Middle Asia Oceania Total East: North Afri(a 0 4 0 12 41 21 4 266 16 36 3 655 14 8 0 54 3 10 0 34 14 5 0 54 7 0 0 41 6 3 0 28 8 1 0 19 34 93 7 1,271 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Geographic Distribution of International Terrorist Attacks On US Citizens or Property, 1978, by Category of Attack North America Latin America Western Europe Sub- Saharan Africa Middle East/North Africa Asia Kidnaping 0 2 0 1 0 2 Incendiary bombing I 1 15 0 30 2 Explosive bombing 3 5 23 0 6 3 Armed attack 0 3 4 1 1 - 2 Hijacking' 0 0 0 0 0 0 Assassination 1 2 0 1 2 0 Theft, break-in 0 5 3 0 0 0 Sniping 0 1 2 0 0 0 Other z 0 0 0 0 1 0 Total 5 19 47 3 40 9 Includes hijackings of means of air or land transport, but excludes numerous nonterrorist hijackings many of which involved US aircraft. 3 Includes occupation of facilities without hostage seizure, shootouts with police, and sabotage. Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8 Approved For Release 2003/09/02 : CIA-RDP80T00942A000800060003-8