TERRORISM REVIEW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 28
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 1, 2011
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: September 23, 1985
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Directorate of
Intelligence
Terrorism Review
23 September 1985
Secret?
GI TR 85-019
23 September 1985
Copy 532
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
25X1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01:
Terrorism Review
23 September 1985
CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
2bA
25X1
1
Focus: Prospects for
Terrorist Violence at the United
Nations
5
Highlights
Terrorism Analysis Branch, DI1OGI
9
El Salvador: The Mardoqueo
Cruz Urban Commandos
13
Greek Indigenous Terrorism:
An
Overview
23
Chronology of Terrorism-1985
Terrorism Analysis Branch, DI/OG!
This review is published every other week by the Directorate of Intelligence.
Appropriate articles produced by other elements of the CIA as well as by other
agencies of the US Intelligence Community will be considered for publication.
Comments and queries are welcome and may be directed to the Executive Editor
Secret
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01 : CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
25X1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
Terrorism Review
23 September 1985
Focus Prospects for Terrorist Violence at the United Nations
This year's gathering marking the 40th anniversary of the United Nations could
provide an international stage for terrorist violence. A number of foreign leaders?
including several who could be tempting targets for terrorists?will be attending
this year's opening session, scheduled for 17 September, and the anniversary
celebrations from 14 to 24 October. Several foreign terrorist groups have the
motivation, capability, and opportunity to conduct terrorist operations during the
upcoming sessions.
Terrorist Groups?Motivation and Capability
Almost any disgruntled group that wanted to probably could attempt an attack at
some time during the UN General Assembly. We consider only a few of these
groups likely candidates to attempt such a terrorist attack because of their
opposition to US foreign policy, their hatred of particular ethnic groups that will
be represented at the sessions, or their engagement in intergroup squabbles. These
groups fall into two broad categories: those operating on behalf of state supporters
of terrorism, such as Iran and Libya, and separatist/irredentist groups like the
Armenians and Palestinians.
Some of these groups would have few qualms about carrying out a terrorist
operation in the United States and are unlikely to be deterred by increased
security measures or potential repercussions. Some foreign terrorist groups already
have demonstrated a capability or willingness to carry out terrorist operations in
the United States. The United States' open society, its size, and the ease of
acquiring weapons here make it vulnerable to terrorist operations. The numerous
foreign communities throughout the country, particularly those in major
metropolitan areas like New York City, probably contain a number of people who
sympathize with the goals of these groups and might be willing to provide support.
Likely Targets
Of the foreign leaders attending, we believe Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
is at greatest risk of terrorist attack. We suspect that Sikh terrorists will see his
attendance at the United Nations as an opportunity to attack their number-one
target. Gandhi was the target of an aborted plot during his last visit to the United
States in June. Sikh terrorists have demonstrated their ability to carry out violent
and lethal attacks outside India and could use the large Sikh communities in
Canada and the United States to cover their activities.
Other leading candidates for a terrorist attack include PLO leader Yasir Arafat
and Libyan President Muammar Qadhafi?if they come. Middle East terrorist
groups have not indicated an interest in carrying their intergroup struggles to the
1 Secret
GI TR 85-019
23 September 1985
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
25X1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
United States, but they have demonstrated a willingness to strike at their enemies
in Europe and they could decide to go further afield. Prime Minister Turgut Ozal
of Turkey is also a leading target. Turkish officials in the United States have been
targets of Armenian terrorists before and Armenian terrorists could attempt to
assassinate a member of Turkey's UN delegation. Armenian terrorist activity has
declined over the past year. Internal disputes among the groups may prevent them
from mounting a terrorist operation.
Type of Attack
Should any of these groups decide to stage a terrorist operation, the attack could
take the form of a bombing, an assassination, or the seizure of hostages. We would
expect that any bombing attempt would likely be aimed at attracting publicity
rather than causing deaths or inflicting extensive damage. An assassination
attempt is well within the realm of possibility and would be difficult to prevent; it
would require few resources and less expertise than a bombing or a hostage-taking
operation. The taking of hostages, although sure to garner maximum publicity in a
media capital such as New York, would require experienced personnel, extensive
planning and resources, and tight operational security. We judge that groups
operating outside familiar environs would find these resources particularly difficult
to marshal
3 Secret
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
1..
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
Belgium
France
United Kingdom
Spain
Highlights
Key Indicator
Links Between West European Terrorists
Belgian authorities believe they have proof of connections between the Communist
Combatant Cells (CCC), the French group Action Directe (AD), and the West
German Red Army Faction (RAF). Fingerprints of members of the three groups
were recently discovered in a Brussels apartment used by the CCC. The Belgian
press has also reported that two Sten guns found in the safehouse had been
purchased by an AD leader from a Brussels gun dealer. We have suspected that
ties existed between the three groups since the CCC emerged last October, but this
is the strongest evidence to date of an actual linkage.
Significant Developments
Action Directe Claims Antiapartheid Bombings
The terrorist group claimed to have attacked four French companies in Paris on
5 September because of their alleged business dealings with South Africa. Three
persons were slightly injured, and damage was extensive. The bombings represent
Action Directe's first attacks since the attempted assassination of a French general
officer on 26 June. They also mark the first time the group has attacked targets
with South African connections
POW Status for "Special Category" Prisoners To Be Revoked
The order will affect 149 prisoners?both Protestant and Catholic extremists?
who were convicted before March 1976 when the "special category" status was
abolished. Protests by the inmates are unlikely since most will be eligible for
immediate parole. However, both Protestant extremists and the Provisional IRA
are likely to react with violence.
ETA-M Car Bomb Kills US Citizen, Injures 19 Policemen
The Basque separatist group Fatherland and Liberty?Military Wing (ETA-M)
claimed responsibility for the remote-controlled car bomb attack in Madrid on
9 September. Eighteen Spanish Civil Guardsmen and an American passerby were
injured; the American later died. This was ETA-M's first attack in Madrid since
the 29 July assassination of Vice Admiral Escrigas Estrada. An ETA-M
spokesman stated that the group would continue its attacks if an accord with the
Spanish state was not forthcoming. Its demands include: negotiations with the
Spanish military, withdrawal of security forces from the Basque region of northern
5 Secret
GI TR 85-019
23 September 1985
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
Spain, political amnesty for ETA members, adequate autonomy status, and
recognition of the Basque people's right to self-determination. Madrid is unlikely
to agree to these conditions and probably will increase its counterterrorist efforts
against the group.
Saudi Arabia
Libyan Pilgrims Stage Violent Demonstration
some 8,000 Libyans making the annual pilgrimage
to Mecca staged a violent demonstration late on 1 September near the Grand
Mosque. The Libyans gathered to celebrate Libya's National Day, but then,
possibly by plan, became violent and disorderly, clashing with Saudi security
forces. Several people were injured and Saudi forces arrested about 300 Libyans.
While some of these Libyans possessed small pipe bombs,
there is no indication that any bombs exploded during the demonstration.
This incident is the only reported case of violence during this year's hajj, which
formally ended on 27 August. The 15,000 Iranian pilgrims staged two peaceful
demonstrations?on 11 and 23 August?but otherwise did not provoke violence as
they have done in the past.
Secret
6
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01 : CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
Colombia
El Salvador
Increase in Terrorist Violence
The guerrilla groups M-19 and the Ricardo Franco Front each claimed
responsibility for a wave of attacks on 3 September. The US Embassy, several
bilateral cultural centers, and various US businesses were targeted, along with
several other embassies. In addition, recent rural fighting between leftist guerrillas
and Colombian troops has left more than 30 dead.
The unprecedented level of urban terrorism may indicate a shift in the insurgents'
tactics. The M-19 has suffered a number of setbacks recently, including the death
of a top leader and defeats in combat, and it probably is trying to reassert itself.
Although a third group, the National Liberation Army, has not acknowledged
participation in this latest round of violence it has coo .erated with the Ricardo
Franco Front in the past The M-19, on
the other hand, probably acted unilaterally.
Kidnaped Mayors Give Press Conference
The People's Revolutionary Army (ERP) presented eight of the 17 municipal
officials kidnaped between April and June of this year at a press conference on
2 September. The guerrillas repeated their demand for the release of nine
members of the Farbundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN).
The guerrillas have refused to release any of these prisoners, despite concessions by
the government that included the publication of two guerrilla advertisements, the
cancellation of a protest march in San Miguel, and the press conference. The
kidnapers apparently intend to keep their hostages until the government meets all
their demands.
7 Secret
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
Sri Lanka
Mozambique
Moderate Tamil Political Leaders Murdered
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are suspected in the kidnap-
murders of as many as seven Tamil United Liberation Front leaders on
3 September. Several former Members of Parliament were among the dead. LTTE
officials claimed that it planned no such operations, but said individual members
may have acted autonomously.
The action probably is directed against resumption of Indian-sponsored
negotiations between Sri Lankan Government and Tamil representatives. The
talks are intended to curtail the current cycle of ongoing violence between Tamils
and Sinhalese.
RENAMO Headquarter Falls, Leader Escapes
In Gorongosa, Mozambican Government forces and Zimbabwean paratroops,
supported by Soviet-built bombers and helicopters, captured the headquarters of
the Mozambican National Resistance Movement (RENAMO). Alfonso
D'Lakhama, the RENAMO leader on the scene, escaped. Although a large
quantity of RENAMO material was seized, leaflets welcoming the attacking
forces indicate the operation may have been compromised.
While the loss of the base complex may affect RENAMO's operations
temporarily, it can not be considered to have been eliminated. The Zimbabwean
Government may use the successful assault as an excuse to withdraw its maneuver
forces from Mozambique.
Secret 8
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01 : CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
El Salvador:
The Mardoqueo Cruz
Urban Commandos
The recent kidnaping of Salvadoran President
Duarte's daughter in downtown San Salvador
underscores the trend toward increasing urban
terrorism by the Salvadoran insurgents. One of these
leftist groups, the Mardoqueo Cruz Urban
Commando (CMC) group, which carried out the
deadly attack that took the lives of four off-duty US
Marines and two other US citizens in San Salvador
on 19 June, has become one of the more notorious
urban terrorist groups in El Salvador. The group has
been active for more than two years, and although the
19 June killings were the first against US citizens, the
group's operations have demonstrated increased
sophistication and lethality. During the last 15
months, the CMC has been responsible for a variety
of terrorist incidents, including:
? The ambush and killing of 10 members of a
National Police patrol on 16 April 1985.
? An attack on National Police headquarters in the
capital on 27 March 1985, which killed one person.
? The ambush of a truckload of National Police
troops on 20 February 1985, which resulted in two
killed and 10 wounded.
? The takeover of six radio stations in San Salvador
on 6 February 1985.
? An attack on an army patrol on 23 October 1984
that inflicted several casualties and destroyed an
army vehicle.
? The sabotage of telephone lines in San Salvador on
18 June 1984.
The murder of the six Americans marked a
significant shift in tactics; for the first time, it became
clear that the CMC poses a direct threat to US
citizens and facilities. Communiques issued by the
CMC following the 19 June attack stated that the
group intends to annihilate "US military advisers,
CIA agents, and elements of other nationalities who
are linked to intelligence organizations at the service
of US imperialism," and to "focus international
attention on the insurgency."
9
Despite its dramatic pronouncements, the CMC has
not taken credit for any terrorist attacks since 19
June?perhaps in reaction to the public outrage over
the killings of innocent civilians, and recent arrests
have forced them underground. We do not expect the
group to forgo anti-US operations but rather to try to
refurbish its image by concentrating on US personnel
that it can allege to be "legitimate" military targets?
US military advisers or trainers. The group
apparently hopes to undermine the feeling of security
among US personnel in El Salvador and to weaken
US confidence in President Duarte's ability to deal
effectively with the insurgency.
The PRTC
The CMC, named after Mardoqueo Cruz, a guerrilla
who was killed in June 1983 in a gun battle with
Salvadoran security forces, began its activities in the
San Salvador metropolitan area in early June 1984.'
The group is the urban terrorist component of the
Central American Revolutionary Worker's Party
(PRTC), which has an estimated combat strength of
700 to 850 and is the smallest of the five groups
comprising the Farabundo Marti National Liberation
Front (FMLN).2
The PRTC has the most international orientation of
the FMLN members. Founded in San Jose, Costa
Rica, in 1976, it has established branches in and has
members from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
and Nicaragua, and probably has some Europeans on
its rolls. Although its founders envisioned a united
socialist Central America, most of the roup's activity
is directed at El Salvador.
Secret
GI TR 85-019
23 September 1985
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
I I V I 1 I
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
Organization and Operations of the CMC
The CMC, as a component of the PRTC, officially
falls under the direction of the FMLN. Its operations
in metropolitan San Salvador nominally are
supervised by the Modesto Ramirez Central Front of
the FMLN. In reality, however, the relationship is
weak andJ
the CMC has carried
out a variety of urban terrorist actions that were not
coordinated with the FMLN leadership.
the
CMC is organized in the following manner:
? A high command, made up of four members,
including a representative from each of three other
sections and probably the overall commander.
? Commandos, consisting of three squads of five
members each. They undertake special operations
such as assassinations throughout the metropolitan
area. This group probably provided the individuals
who murdered the US Marines and civilians.
? Guerrillas, consisting of five squads of five members
each who engage in sabotage and propaganda
activities throughout the metropolitan area.
? Supporters, an unknown number of three- to five-
person cells.
The CMC members are based in different areas of the
country, according to the role they play in the
organizaton. Some combatants, for example, are
permanently based in PRTC support camps in the
Guazapa volcano area in central El Salvador,
For any
given operation, the designated squad travels to the
San Salvador metropolitan area where it picks up
cached weapons and explosives. Leadership and
support personnel, on the other hand, remain in the
capital, possibly at the National University, where the
PRTC is known to maintain permanent contact.
Secret 10
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
IL
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
Estimates of the actual strength of the CMC vary
widely:
Most likely, the actual hardcore terrorist cadre of
the CMC is about 30 to 50, with perhaps as many as
25 to 30 additional supporters who maintain
safehouses or work as drivers.
the group's
goals are to create chaos in the country and gradually
build up popular support. The PRTC leaders may
believe that the government will overreact to the
resultant disorder, thus driving people opposed to
military suppression into the PRTC ranks
Other targets
include pilots, US advisers, parked
airplanes and their fuel supply, munitions warehouses,
ships in port, strategic communication centers, and
electrical substations. The group also threatened the
lives of landlords who rent houses and other buildings
to US citizens. Further,
the CMC intended to conduct robberies of
banks and businesses known to have large amounts of
cash readily available, presumably to help finance its
operations.
The PRTC appears to favor more direct action
against US targets, in order to weaken US resolve to
continue aiding the Salvadoran Government and
military. A PRTC General Command statement
cautioned that the 19 June attack on the Americans
"is only the beginning" and declared that the rebels
"will wage war against every Yankee aggressor they
find."
11
CMC Activities Produce Dissension
The FMLN claim of responsibility for
the attack, for example, did not appear for several
days?an unusual delay that probably indicates some
elements were caught by surprise and that there was
disagreement over the attack. Although one of the
FMLN member groups, the People's Revolutionary
Army, actively supported the attack and reportedly
committed members of its own urban terrorist group
to the operation, most of the coalition's members were
clearly ill at ease with the murders. The military wing
of the PCES denounced the attack, possibly because
of the civilian casualties, as did Jorge Villacorta,
spokesman for the FMLN political wing, the
Democratic Revolutionary Front (FDR). Villacorta, in
fact, called the attack an act of terrorism.
What To Expect
The CMC has not engaged in any high-profile
terrorist attacks since the massacre of 19 June,
probably in large measure a reflection of the debate
within the guerrilla movement over the use of terrorist
tactics. Since early spring, various members of the
FMLN's more moderate political wing, the FDR,
have publicly criticized the guerrillas for burning 25X1
town halls, trying to intimidate voters, and finally the 25X1
19 June killings. In addition:
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
? Recent arrests have hampered CMC capabilities. In 25X1
August, three individuals were arrested, one of
whom confessed to the Salvadoran National Guard
that he had participated in the June killings. They
also implicated other CMC members as well?
forcing the group further underground.
? Pressures from foreign supporters have dissuaded
them from further operations.
Secret
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
Nevertheless, we believe CMC attacks against
Salvadoran Government and military personnel?and
possibly against US officials?are likely to resume,
perhaps in the next few months. After a hiatus in
terrorist activity, the government will have relaxed its
security measures and the CMC will have had time to
recover from the August arrests.
The PRTC?because of its small size?needs the
CMC to continue conducting terrorist activities in
order to demonstrate to the rest of the FMLN, as well
as to the Salvadoran public, that its effectiveness as a
fighting force remains undiminished despite the losses
suffered in the rural areas. Because the PRTC
regards US technical and military support as a
critical factor on the battlefield, the guerrillas
probably will justify attacking US military advisers
and trainers?even in urban areas?as operations
against legitimate military targets.
The CMC probably will limit its operations to attacks
against Salvadoran or US officials only when they can
be "justified" as "legitimate" military targets.
Because the insurgents are trying to sway public
opinion, an operation like that of last June?
condemned by a large sector of the population?
probably will not be repeated.
Secret 12
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01 : CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
Greek Indigenous Terrorism:
An Overview
For the past three years, terrorists have found Greece
to be a hospitable environment in which to operate.
Prime Minister Papandreou's ambivalence toward
leftwing extremism, his anti-US and anti-NATO
rhetoric, the easy availability of weapons, and the few
controls Greece places on movement across and within
its borders all contribute to the terrorist problem.
Indigenous Greek terrorist groups target not only
other Greeks, but foreigners as well. We expect that
US property and personnel will be especially at risk as
the debate over the NATO bases in Greece
intensifies.
Leftwing Groups
Revolutionary People's Struggle (ELA). Most of the
recent terrorist activity in Greece originates with the
extreme left. Some of it appears to be connected to the
Revolutionary People's Struggle (ELA), which
recently returned to the street after a hiatus of nearly
two years. Greek officials consider the ELA the major
leftwing threat in the country. The group is believed
to be responsible for some 250 bombings,
firebombings or cases of arson since its inception
around 1974; none of these resulted in deaths or
injuries. The ELA suddenly ceased operations in
August 1983
The ELA returned to the public stage in July 1985
with operations that suggest a more lethal intent than
previous attacks. On 15 July a car bomb, for which
the ELA claimed responsibility, exploded in front of
the Apollon Palace Hotel in Athens. The hotel?used
as a barracks for transient US personnel?had
received an anonymous warning to evacuate minutes
before the explosion. It is not clear whether the call
was an attempt to lure victims from the hotel closer to
the bomb outside, but, if so, it would represent a new
turn in the ELA's tactics.
The ELA apparently intended a similar but larger car
bomb to explode at the Nea Makri Naval
Communications Station near Athens at the same
13
time as the Apollon Hotel attack. Luckily, the driver
was involved in a traffic accident and was forced to
abandon the car.
25X1
25X1
The ELA appears to be a loosely organized umbrella
group under which most of Greece's leftwing terrorist
organizations operate. This apparent overlap, which
may reflect some internal ideological divergence, 25X1
helps to mask responsibility for specific terrorist acts,
confuses authorities, and gives the illusion of greater
strength and popular support for the extreme left.
Originally formed by students to oppose peacefully
the military junta then governing Greece, the group
rejected the legal left after the junta was overthrown
and turned to terrorism in 1975. It retains ties to the
universities.
The ELA's internal structure has remained largely a
mystery, although there appear to be two main ELA
branches?one in Athens and the other in
Thessaloniki. The ELA's ideological underpinnings
are a nebulous blend of egalitarianism, anti-
imperialism, antimilitarism, anti-NATOism and pro-
Communism. Its political goals have focused on
eradicating US military and economic influence in
Greece and promoting violent class conflict as the
means to achieve a new socialist society.
Revolutionary Organization 17 November. The most
dangerous of the suspected ELA subgroups is the
Revolutionary Organization 17 November, which
burst violently onto the scene in December 1975 when
it killed CIA station chief Richard Welch in Athens.
Secret
GI TR 85-019
23 September 1985
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
L ,
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
Since then, 17 November has assassinated at least
nine persons, including two Americans. Among the
group's attacks have been:
? The murder of US Navy Capt. George Tsantes and
his driver on 15 November 1983. According to
Greek ballistics tests, the gunmen used the same
.45-caliber pistol employed in the murder of
Richard Welch in December 1975 and three Greek
police officers between 1976 and 1980.
? The wounding of US Army M. Sgt. Robert Judd in
April 1984?again with the same .45-caliber
handgun used to kill Tsantes and Welch.
? The assassination of Nikos Momferatos, publisher
of a conservative daily newspaper, and his driver in
February 1985. The same pistol reportedly was used
again. In claiming responsibility, 17 November said
Momferatos was executed because he had been a
minister under the military dictatorship and had
also been a "CIA agent."
Public proclamations from 17 November show it to be
a radical Marxist group espousing anti-US, anti-
NATO, and antimilitary sentiments similar to those
of the ELA. A declaration published in July 1984
extolled the effectiveness of executions in bringing
about revolutionary socialism in Greece.
Perhaps 17 November's greatest strength is its
cohesiveness and impermeability; even less is known
about 17 November than about the ELA. In its 10-
year history, no member of 17 November has been
publicly identified or apprehended. As a result, the
degree of overlap in membership, hierarchy, and
operations with the ELA proper, or with any other
group or patron, remains largely unknown. The ability
to consistently avoid capture, however, argues for a
small, tightly knit, highly organized group.
The 17 November Group has used a consistent, safe,
economical, and?except for one near miss?foolproof
modus operandi. The group employs small hit teams
to murder at pointblank range poorly defended,
Secret
symbolically important Greeks and Americans. They
attack their victims at vulnerable points in their daily
routine?usually while in or near their cars or just
outside their homes. Two of the most recent attacks
have featured a pair of terrorists on a stolen
motorcycle shooting the victim through the window of
his car. Although 17 November has used the same
.45-caliber pistol in most of their attacks, the
Momferatos assassins reportedly used a .22-caliber
weapon as well.
The victims are apparently surveilled extensively to
ensure the success not only of the ambush, but also of
the subsequent escape. Following the attack on
Master Sergeant Judd
approximately two to three weeks before the incident,
US military officials reported what they felt to be
incidents of surveillance around their offices. One or
two of the incidents reportedly involved
photographing automobiles used by US military
personnel.
Anti-State Struggle. Another group linked to the
ELA and possibly to 17 November is Anti-State
Struggle, which emerged for the first time in March
1985 when it claimed responsibility for the murder of
George Theofanopoulos, an Athens public prosecutor.
These ties became apparent following a shootout in
Athens in May 1985 in which a member of Anti-State
Struggle was killed. The ELA shortly thereafter
publicly acknowledged that the slain terrorist had
belonged to the organization during the period 1976-
80. Police investigations following the shooting
apparently have turned up little so far.
The striking similarities in style
between the Theofanopoulos assassination and earlier
17 November murders also suggest possible links
14
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01 : CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
Other Groups. At least 10 and perhaps as many as 15
other violent subgroups may be connected to the
ELA. Such groups include:
? The People's Revolutionary Struggle (LEA). This
group appeared at the same time as ELA, claiming
responsibility for firebomb attacks in northern
Greece.
? The Revolutionary People's Struggle June 1978
Group. It claimed responsibility for the murder of a
Greek police inspector in January 1979.
? The Autonomous Resistance (AR). First appearing
in 1981, it claimed responsibility for an attack on
the Soviet Trade Mission in December 1981 in
retaliation for the imposition of martial law in
Poland.
? The Antimilitary Fight Organization. It appeared
in March 1983, when it claimed responsibility for
the assassination of a Greek newspaper publisher.
? The Revolutionary Group of International
Solidarity Kristos Kasimis.' A group using this
name claimed responsibility for an unsuccessful
attempt to bomb the West German Embassy in
Athens in March 1985. It said the attack was in
solidarity with West Germany's Red Army Faction,
France's Action Directe, and Belgium's Communist
Combatant Cells. As many as three groups may
have used Kasimis's name, including two not
affiliated with the ELA.
Is There a Foreign Connection?
The kinds of
operations they conduct?arson, bombings, and
assassinations, undertaken only in Greece with readily
available materials?do not r ? uire outsi e h
This is not to say that contacts with foreign
groups do not exist. Greece's role as a transit point for
many terrorist groups?especially from the Middle
East?and the government's ambivalent attitude
' Leftwing terrorist Kristos Kasimis was killed by police in 1977 as
he was planting a bomb outside a West German firm in Athens.
toward foreign terrorists in Greece offers domestic
terrorists the opportunity to develop foreign contacts.
Greek terrorists may well view themselves as
comrades with leftwing terrorists elsewhere, but the
"links" appear to be only rhetorical. Some ELA
terrorists in the past have voiced their solidarity with
other groups, particularly the West German terrorist
group Red Army Faction (RAF), but there has been
no manifestation of operational cooperation.
Such acts of "solidarity" as have occurred appear to
have been unilateral Greek efforts. For example, ELA
terrorists firebombed the West German firm Siemens
in Athens to protest the extradition of an RAF
terrorist to West Germany in 1976. In April 1981 the
ELA again struck at Siemens in the wake of the death
of an RAF hunger striker. The Revolutionary Group
for International Solidarity Kristos Kasimis claimed
that the attempted bombing of the West German
Embassy in Athens on 2 March 1985 was an act of
solidarity with the RAF, the French terrorist group
Action Directe, and the Belgian group Communist
Combatant Cells. The call for solidarity with
members of the so-called European Front may,
however, have been a one-sided attempt by the
organization to force its inclusion in the Front
through public association, if not through coordinated
operations.
Rightwing Violence
Greece also experiences occasional incidents of
rightwing violence?generally directed against the
government. Most of the groups responsible have
limited their actions to arson and bombings that have
caused material damage but no casualties:
? A series of forest fires was set by a group called the
Blue Archers in 1981 in an attempt to force the
government to release former junta members from
prison.
15
Secret
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
? Two explosions in late April 1984 reportedly were
attributed by Greek police to rightwing extremists
commemorating the military coup of April 1967.
? Most recently, the 21 November group?probably
an extreme rightwing organization?carried out
eight bombings in Athens in late November 1984.
We do not believe that rightwing extremists in Greece
pose a threat to US targets.
Outlook
The terrorist threat to US installations and personnel
in Greece will continue, even without the foreign
terrorist presence there. Indigenous leftwing terrorists
have demonstrated consistently over the last decade
both the desire and the ability to attack Greek and
US targets. The Greek Government has made only
minimal efforts to counter the terrorist threat, and
those have been largely unsuccessful
The recent resurgence of the ELA?perhaps led by a
more vicious, more activist faction?makes continued
violence more likely. Both the ELA and 17 November
have saved their most threatening rhetoric for what
they perceive to be PASOK's softening attitude
toward the NATO (that is, US) presence in Greece.
As the debate over the fate of NATO bases
intensifies, leftwing terrorist groups can be expected
to increase their activities against both Greek and US
targets. Indigenous rightwing terrorists, on the other
hand, appear to present little threat to Americans.
Secret 16
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
25X1
25X1
.I 1. .. . L..1 .L
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
R
Next 3 Page(s) In Document Denied
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
25X6
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
11 August
/2 August
15 August
16 August
17, 18 August
18 August
Chronology of Terrorism-1985
Below are described noteworthy foreign and international events involving
terrorists, or the use of terrorist tactics, which have occurred or come to light
since our last issue. In some cases, the perpetrators and their motivations may not
be known. Events and developments that have already been described elsewhere in
this publication are not included.
Thailand: Bomb explodes outside Israeli Embassy. The 5-kilogram bomb, thrown
from a vehicle, reportedly contained C-4 plastic explosive and may have been
directed at the nearby home of a retired police colonel.
United Kingdom: Iraqi nationals bomb warehouse containing weapons headed for
Iran. UK authorities arrested six persons, including some British citizens, in
connection with the attack. The authorities reportedly are concerned about
possible Iraqi attacks because of the arrests and have issued a threat advisory to
UK interests worldwide.
Israel: Bomb discovered, dismantled near building in Nes Ziyyona. No group has
claimed responsibility for the bomb, but a bag bearing the slogan "Palestine
Liberation Organization" was found at the site.
Lebanon: French photographer released unharmed after 50 days of captivity. The
photographer, an Iranian citizen based in Paris, said his captors were Shias who
accused him of being a spy. He said that he was not taken out of Beirut during his
captivity.
Iran: Bomb explodes in Tehran during presidential election. On 17 August,
authorities defused a car bomb near the Ministry of Agriculture building. The
next day, however, a truck bomb exploded, wounding 30 people.
Turkey: Ex-Iranian security official murdered. Bahruz Shahvirdi?a member of
the National Resistance Front and formerly a major in the Iranian National
Police?was shot to death in his apartment.
23 Secret
GI TR 85-019
23 September 1985
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
, I
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
22 August
24 August
28 August
29 August
Morocco: Polisario destroys West German boat, captures two West Germans. On
releasing the captives later that same day, Polisario representatives warned that
foreigners operating in Western Sahara were in serious danger.
Iran: Iranian executed for attempted hijacking of Iran Air Boeing 707 in
February 1984. He was also found guilty by Tehran's Islamic revolutionary court
of being a member of a Paris-based opposition group and of making weapons and
bombs.
Lebanon: Israeli patrol boat intercepts yacht carrying eight Fatah guerrillas from
Cyprus to Sidon. The Israelis also arrested the US and Australian co-owners of
the yacht, who were on board.
Spain: Catalan separatist group Terra Lliure (Free Land) claims attempted
bombing at government employment office in Barcelona. The bomb was defused
by police.
Colombia: Ricardo Franco Front wounds Colombian Communist Party official in
Bogota. The Central Committee official reportedly was shot in retaliation for the
killing of six members of the dissident Ricardo Franco Front by the FARC?the
military arm of the Colombian Communist Party.
United States: Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations receives parcel bomb
from France. At least one other parcel bomb was mailed from France last month.
A similar bomb exploded at the Iranian Embassy in Bonn on 9 August, wounding
a diplomat.
Colombia: Wounded M-19 members kidnap two physicians in Miranda. Four 19
April Movement guerrillas entered a hospital south of Cali, seized medical
instruments and medicine, and took two physicians hostage.
30 August Peru: Car bomb seriously wounds two in Port of El Callao near Lima. No group
has claimed responsibility.
31 August
Greece: Black September terrorist arrested in Athens near Jordanian Embassy.
Greek police arrested the man after he was found to be carrying an automatic
weapon with a telescopic sight, three magazines of ammunition, a handgrenade,
and a knife. The man stated that he was a member of Black September and had
planned to assassinate the Jordanian Ambassador.
Israel: Naval patrol captures another yacht from Cyprus carrying Fatah "Force
17" squad. The Israelis also detained the Greek and British owners of the yacht.
Secret 24
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01 : CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
1 September
1-3 September
2 September
3 September
Algeria: Bomb damages Libyan Arab Airlines Office in Algiers on Libyan
national day. Algerian authorities reportedly have made some arrests in the case;
no claim has been made.
Iran: Car bomb explodes in Tehran, injuring 12 people. No group claimed
responsibility for the blast?the eighth in Tehran this year.
Angola: UNITA claims sabotage of Luanda power lines. The attack was intended
to disrupt the Nonaligned Movement conference held in Luanda from 2 to 7
September.
West Germany: Bombs explode at computer firms in Dortmund and Hamburg.
The Revolutionary Cells claimed responsibility for both bombings, which caused
no injuries.
Portugal: Cache of weapons and explosives discovered at Marinha Grande, 120
km north of Lisbon. The cache reportedly belongs to the terrorist group FP-25.
Lebanon: Pro-Arafat military leader assassinated by gunman in Sidon. Husayn
al-Haybah, the leader of a Palestinian military unit in southern Lebanon until the
1982 Israeli invasion, was one of four officials whose expulsion had been
demanded by the anti-Arafat Palestinian National Salvation Front.
Morocco: Twenty-six Algerian-trained terrorists arrested in August convicted of
plotting to bomb public buildings. Fourteen people?including nine tried in
absentia?received death sentences, which are unlikely to be carried out. The
remaining 12 were given prison terms ranging from five years to life.
Switzerland: Bomb causes extensive damage to courthouse in Moutier. A
previously unknown group, the "Second Revolutionary Faction of the Belier
Group," claimed responsibility for the bombing and promised future attacks.
Spain: Suspected terrorist killed while placing car bomb in San Sebastian. The
victim, who was not identified, reportedly was a member of the Basque terrorist
group ETA.
Greece: Black September handgrenade attack on Glyfada wounds 19 British
tourists. A caller to an Athens newspaper stated that Black September had carried
out the attack to pressure Greek authorities to release one of its members arrested
near the Jordanian Embassy on 31 August.
25 Secret
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
4 September
5 September
6 September
7 September
Lebanon: Israeli airstrike against PARC bases in the Bekka Valley kills six,
wounds 10. The raid came following the reported Israeli capture of a Palestinian
Arab Revolutionary Committee terrorist squad attempting to infiltrate into Israel
to carry out terrorist attacks.
Northern Ireland: Police training center in Enniskillen hit by mortar shells.
There were no injuries reported. The Provisional IRA claimed responsibility for
the attack.
Lebanon: Explosion at Algerian Embassy in West Beirut damages outside wall,
shatters windows. According to Lebanese Christian radio reports, an anonymous
caller claimed responsibility in the name of Islamic Amal, saying the attack was a
warning to Algiers to stop aiding the Amal militia.
Gaza: Israeli truckdriver stabbed by two Arabs in Gaza city's Palestine Square.
The next day, two Arabs were arrested and have confessed to the attack.
West Bank: Israeli settlers burn home in Hebron, causing extensive damage. The
settlers claimed the homeowner was a released terrorist.
West Germany: Bombs destroy three US Army radar units at Reitsherd. Slogans
sprayed on a launcher revetment suggest the operation was the work of the Red
Army Faction.
West Bank: General Command of Palestinian Revolution Forces claims attack on
Israeli intelligence observation post. The PLO radio reported that several
members of the intelligence service were injured.
West Bank: Bomb explodes prematurely in Jerusalem, wounding bomber. Police
prevented demonstrators from attacking the wounded man while he was receiving
medical treatment. The bombing was the third such attempted attack against Jews
in a week.
Japan: Bombs blast homes of two Narita Airport officials, but cause no injuries.
The airport, located near Tokyo, has been a target of leftwing radicals since
construction commenced.
West Bank: Molotov cocktail thrown at police headquarters in Bethlehem causes
no injuries. The General Command of the Palestinian Revolution Forces took
credit for the attack and claimed that several policemen were injured.
Mozambique: RENAMO releases 27 foreign hostages, including 20 Portuguese
missionaries captured earlier this year. The National Resistance Movement
claims that two Soviet citizens remain in its custody.
Secret 26
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
8 September
India: Sikh extremists assassinate Congress (I) Party Youth Wing leader in New
Delhi. The killing is thought to be another in a series of attempts to disrupt
elections scheduled for 25 September in Punjab.
9 September United Kingdom: Provisional IRA claims responsibility for killing two suspected
police informers in Belfast.
West Germany: Attempt to firebomb US military hospital motor pool in Stuttgart
fails. Three incendiary devices were planted, but only one detonated, and it failed
to ignite. Police believe supporters of the Red Army Faction were most likely
responsible.
Spain: Rightwing group Milicia Catalan (Catalonian Militia) bombs bookstore
in Barcelona. Two persons were wounded.
West Bank: Pipe bomb discovered in Jerusalem neighborhood. Police safely
dismantled the device.
Israel: General Command of Palestinian Revolution Forces claims two operations
in Tel Aviv. The PLO radio reported that one group burned an Israeli Defense
Force vehicle and a second attacked a police post.
10 September Northern Ireland: Armed attack by Irish National Liberation Army near Newry
leaves one dead. The victim reportedly was a police informer.
11 September France: Bombing near judicial police offices in Bayonne causes slight damage.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
27 Secret
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
ll -1 I
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1
Secret
Seicret
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/01: CIA-RDP87T00685R000200230002-1