FBI JOINS CITY LAW GROUPS TO FIGHT TERRORISM IN U.S.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000504030011-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 20, 2012
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: December 6, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504030011-1
ON PAua
WASHINGTON TIMES
6 December 1985
FBI joins city law groups
fight terrorism in
to U.S.
By John McCaslin
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
NEW YORK - Tfie FBI, concerned that
international terrorism will reach American
shores in 1986, has begun forming anti-
terrorist task forces with law enforcement
authorities in several major cities that are
likely terrorist targets.
"On the negative fide, our biggest concern
now that 1985 ends;... is that international
terrorism will soon breach our shores," said
FBI deputy assistant director 'Ibm Sheer,
whose New York office investigates up to 50
percent of all domestic terrorist activity.
Despite successes in fighting domestic ter-
rorism, Mr. Sheer said specially trained task
forces made up of FBI agents and police offi-
cers are being created or are now ready for
operation in Washington, New York, Newark,
Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles to counter
the growing threat.
Mr. Sheer said he was unable to talk about
evidence t e bureau has gat ered on interna-
tional terrorists who might be preparing to
attack U.S. targets, but he did confirm on-
going into information gath-
ered through intelligence c anne s.
"I can only say to you that t e FBI ... is
attempting to keep the intelligence system on
an international level as current as we possi-
bly can and to react to potential threats as
soon as we learn about them;' he said.
"I can assure you that the intelligence sys-
tem is at work hours a s seven days a
week to keep terrorists from owing up t e
United Nations, or whatever example you
want to use," he said.
Mr. Sheer's remarks came during a news
conference about international terrorist inci-
dents during 1985, the prospects for in-
creased terrorism in 1986, and the most vul-
nerable targets worldwide. The conference
was sponsored by the Anti-Defamation
League of B'nai B'rith.
Terrorist expert Yonah Alexander, a senior
research member of the Center for Strategic
and International Studies at Georgetown Uni-
\ersity and director of the Institute for Stud-
ies in International Terrorism at the State
University of New York, predicted that 1985
will go down in history as possibly "the
bloodiest year" ever - "the so-called `Year of
the Terrorist' '.
However, he cautioned, 1986 could prove
worse, especially in the United States.
"It is very clear that the United States is the
No. 1 target world wide," he said, pointing to
Americans singled out to die in recent over-
seas terrorist attacks.
The failure of the international community
to label terrorism as a criminal act and as a
form of "low-intensity warfare" has only en-
couraged the terrorists of the past 15 years,
he said.
Figures cited by Mr. Alexander showed
there wire 293 incidents of terrorism re-
corded worldwide in 1970. From January
though September 1985, some 2,265 incidents
of terrorism were reported that resulted in
the deaths of more than 4,900 innocd ! b-"
ple.
"So we see an increase, and the year isn't
even over yet:' Mr. Alexander said.
"As for 1986;' he said, "We are not prophets.
But we believe there will be two trends.
"First, continuity. Bombing will remain the
most popular weapon, along with hijackings
and assassinations.
"Second, perhaps the escalation into more
dramatic events - new targets and new vul-
nerabilities ... such as maritime sabotage;'
he said.
In the long term, Mr. Alexander said there
is tremendous concern of "mass-destruction"
weoponry.
"Nuclear terrorism might be just around
the corner, perhaps chemical or biological;'
he said.
The hot spots for terrorist activity in the
coming year, Mr. Alexander said, are Central
America, followed by Western Europe, the
Middle East, and then Africa, especially
South Africa.
The official charged with public safety for
the Port Authority of New York and New Jer-
sey, Edward J. O'Sullivan, said the three ma-
jor airports in his jurisdiction - Kennedy, La
Guardia, and Newark, N.J., - have developed
contingency plans in consort with the FBI,
Federal Aviation Administration and other
agencies, in case of a terrorist incident.
"Bombing or sabotage of airport facilties
is of particular concern to us;' he said.
"We realize that despite all of our best ef-
forts, the potential exists for a terrorist in-
cident succeeding at one of our airports, " he
said.
"The challenge, therefore, is to mimimize
the impact of that act," Mr. O'Sullivan said.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504030011-1