TERRORISM REVIEW

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05922886
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 28
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: September 25, 2017
• Case Number: F-2016-02688
• Publication Date: March 26, 1987

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Directorate of
Intelligence
MASTER FILE COPY
DO HT ME OUT
CR � MARX GN
NOFODALMI/C CT-
(b)(3)
Terrorism Review
26 March 1987Q
(b)(3)
ThtegeL
DI TR 87-006
26 March 1987
Copy 628
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ORCON (OC)
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controlled by originator
REL...
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FGI
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(b)(3)
All material on this page is
Unclassified.
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NOFORN- TRACT-
(b)(1 )d
(b)(3)
Terrorism Review
26 March 1987
1 (b)(3):us: France�What Will LARF Do Now?
5 Highlights
Counterterrorist Center
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
i(b)(3)rview of Middle Eastern Terrorism in 1986
17 T",-;ng Terrorist Explosives
-(b)(3)
(b)(3)
21 Chronology of Terrorism-1986-87
Counterterrorist Center
(b)(3)
Reverse Blank
This review is published biweekly 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
(b)(3)
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(b)(3)
Terrorism Review
26 March 1987
(b)(3)
Focus France�What Will LARF Do Now?
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
A panel of judges found France's most wanted terrorist, Georges Ibrahim
Abdallah, leader of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Faction (LARF), guilty of
complicity in two murders and one attempted murder of US and Israeli diplomats.
In a surprise move, he was sentenced to life in prison, even after government
prosecutors asked for a 10-year sentence. French public opinion greeted the tough
sentence and guilty verdict on all three counts with approval. Both President
Mitterrand and Prime Minister Chirac have publicly stated Cbi(i)bdallah will not
be pardoned, an act that is now his last legal recourse.
The citizens of Paris braced for retaliatory bombings like those of February,
March, and September of 1986, "conducted by followers of Abdallah seeking his re-
lease. Over 1,000 policemen were brought into Paris during the trial. So far the
group's threats have not materialized, and observers are wondc(bOr much
longer LARF will refrain from terrorist attacks in France.
French security officials see a combination of three reasons for the calm during
March: LARF also was surprised by the trial's outcome and is building a network
for future attacks; the group has been deterred somewhat by the additional
security in Paris; and Syria has been pressuring LARF not to attack French
targets. Each of these factors probably has some validity:
� LARF's current capability to act in Western Europe is uncertain, but the group
probably was just as surprised by the verdict as more seasoned observers and
may, in fact, be weighing its options while at the same time rebuilding its
infrastructure in France.
� Paris is, indeed, better prepared to handle another bombing campaign like those
of last year, but it is by no means certain that the group will conduct another
such campaign�and the current high level of security cannot be sustained
indefinitely.
� Syrian pressure on the group may have figured in the March ca lm and will
become even more important in the coming months (b)(3
Syria�The Key Player
France explored many avenues to halt the
bombings in September 1986, and Syria probably played a key role in restraining
LARF. Damascus controls the area of northern Lebanon where the Abdallah
family and other clans with LARF members are located, and Syrian officials have
told LARF leaders that they would not tolerate further attacks on French soil.
There were none in the six months preceding the trial. Syrian President Assad may
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have been motivated initially by international condemnation of the Syrian role in
well-publicized terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom and West Germany in
1986. Since the fall of 1986, other factors probably have bolstered Syria's stake in
better relations with Paris. Several months of negotiations for badly needed French
wheat apparently resulted in a sizable grain deal in mid-March, and Damascus
may hope that old French-Lebanese ties can be invoked to keep Maronite
Christians from opposing Syrian efforts in B1--('b--j(`3Tt is by no means certain that
Syria can restrain LARF indefinitely.
LARF's family-based structure was a major asset during its operations in Europe
in the early 1980s�most members were from a handful of families in two villages
in northern Lebanon. The resulting security kept the group safe from penetrations.
That strength has become a disadvantage, however, because to augment its ranks
LARF would have to turn to nonfamily members for recruits. The group's reliance
on a network of extended families, and the concentration of their financial and
property holdings in a small area of Lebanon, make LARF a virtual hostage to
Syrian pressure A bdallah family leaders reportedly are chafing under Syrian
restrictions.r(b)(3)
Yet some of the most dangerous members of LARF are not family members and
may to able to operate more freely. Jacqueline Esbir�Georges Abdallah's
girlfriend and the suspected assassin of Israeli diplomat Barsimantov in Paris in
1982�and Salim al-Khuri, Abdallah's key aide in earlier years, are at large and
may be planning some action. They reportedly are currently in Western Europe
and probably were the driving force behind the massive bombing campaigns in
1986 that killed and wounded scores of French citizens (b)(3)
LARF's Next Moves
LARF may believe a presidential amnesty following the May 1988 French election
to be the earliest practical opportunity for Abdallah's release. Because of the
publicity the trial received, it is highly unlikely that he would be pardoned before
then. If the group has been told an eventual pardon may be forthcoming. 4 re-
frain from attacks against French interests for the next 14 months (b)(3)
LARF not want to wait for an uncertain future pardon, the group could turn to
other venues, such as Lebanon, in which to stage attacks. An operation in
France�or elsewhere�could be launched more quickly if the LARF's longtime
Palestinian ally, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine�Special
Command (PFLP-SC), were to provide logistic and weapons support, as it probably
did during the bombings of 1986. In fact, the PFLP-SC may have been responsible
for the 18 March bombing of a restaurant in Djibouti that left 11 persons (four of
them French military personnel) dead. The choice of venue, target, and victims
suggests the group, based in nearby Aden, may have acted on LARF's behalf. We
do not know the extent of Syrian control over the PFLP-SC nr whether Damascus
has attempted to restrain the group as it has LARF. (b)(3)
We believe that LARF probably will seek to exact revenge on French interests, but
cannot rule out a return to anti-US operations. Attacks on US targets are possible,
since the United States played a major role in pressing for Abdallah's trial. Any,
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such attacks, probably would be similar to the assassination of Lt. Col. Charles
Ray in 1982 and the attempt on the life of the US Consul General in Strasbourg in
1984. Before the bombings in 1986, LARF was best known for selective, violent
assassinations, as when it killed the Israeli diplomat
If LARF is still determined to carry out more terrorism on Abdallah's behalf, one
course of action offers a greater chance for success with fewer drawbacks. The
group could try to seize, or buy, French hostages in Lebanon or elsewhere and try
to negotiate a trade or a pardon for Abdallah. Given Paris's publicly acknowledged
policy of hostage negotiations�French hostages have been ;n Lebanon�
LARF may calculate it could force Paris to cut a deal (b)(3)
This tactic of putting pressure on the government without alienating the public
worked once before: in March 1985, LARF members Esbir and Al-Khuri
kidnaped French diplomat Gilles Peyrolles in Beirut and successfully negotiated a
swap for Abdallah. The deal fell through, however, after Peyrolles was released,
perhaps giving LARF an incentive to seize more than one hostage the next time
around. The French Government may already be preparing folich(b)(1 )ario.
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
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Western Europe
France
Italy
Portugal
Highlights
(b)(3)
Significant Developments
(b)(3)
Arms Cache Discovered in Paris
French police have linked an arms cache discovered on 4 March in Paris to the ter-
rorist apparatus led by senior Fatah security official Colonel Hawari. According to
Ziyad Hashash, one of those arrested in connection with the cache, Hawari
introduced him in 1984 in Tunis to his principal operative in Western Europe,
Muhi-al-Din al Jabir aka Mutran. Mutran arranged for Hashash to receive and
store weapons and explosives that were to be used in attacks outside France.
Hashash reportedly received two arms deliveries�in December 1984 and in June
1985. A third delivery was planned but never received, probably because Mutr(b--)(3)
was arrested in July 1985 in Rome for possession of forged documents.
Summit Seven Experts Agree on Bonn Declaration Update
The Summit Seven Experts' Group on Terrorism approved a modest expansion of
the 1978 Bonn Declaration on hijacking at a meeting in Rome on 13 March. The
declaration, which already commits the seven countries to suspend air traffic with
any country that fails to extradite or prosecute suspected hijackers, now will cover
anyone involved in any form of terrorist act against civil aviation. The experts also
accepted a Canadian proposal to extend the declaration to future aviation
conventions. The Italians expressed their desire for a bro.dPr declaration on
terrorism at the Venice economic summit in June. (b)(3)
Stiffening the Bonn Declaration will fulfill a commitment made by the heads of
state at last year's Tokyo economic summit and is a small�but positive�step in
counterterrorist cooperation. Concern for the safety of European hostages, the
revelation of US arms sales to Iran, and the current Italian Government crisis
limit the prospects for a strong new counterterrorist statement at the summit. In
general, the summit countries are likely to resist any additional proposals for
specific measures that would limit their political flexibility. (b)(3)
FP-25 Members on Trial
The outcome of the current trials in Lisbon of members of the leftist terrorist
group Popular Forces of 25 April (FP-25) will affect the group's ability to conduct
future operations. On trial at present are 73 members of FP-25 who were arrested
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in a police roundup in June 1984. Currently about 20 members are at large and us-
ing the name Armed Revoluti-L77,)
- ,action, but they have not carried out any at-
tacks since the fall of 1986. (u)(`-'
FP-25 leaders and key members are being tried by a panel of three judges. The tri-
al must be concluded by 19 June, because Portuguese law forbids holding a
prisoner longer than three years without sentencing. The prosecution has asked for
the maximum 20-year sentence for popular folk hero Otelo Sarvaiva de Carvalho
and 10 other alleged organizers of the terrorist network. Some memhers may
receive stiff sentences, but the case against others is weaker. (b)(3)
Spain
Middle East
Lebanon
Death of Basque Fatherland and Liberty Leader
The accidental death of ETA-M leader Domingo Iturbe Abasolo, known as
"Txomin," on 27 February in Algeria may create a leadership vacuum. Txomin
was expelled from France last summer and sought asylum in Algeria. He
reportedly continued to influence the group, and police estimate that 45,000
Basques marched in Tvomin's funeral procession, evidence of his popularity in the
Basque region. (b)(3)
Txomin's death is likely to exacerbate internal conflicts because he was able to me-
diate between hardline and moderate factions within ETA-M. ETA-M will be
hard pressed to replace Txomin because other would-be leaders are in prison or ex-
ile. No one in ETA-M's current leadership cadre reportedly has the stature and
qualifications to take effective control of the group. In addition, France's policy of
expelling ETA-M members has eroded the group's support base and reduced its
ability to recruit new members (b)(3)
Assassin of French Attache Arrested
Lebanese authorities announced on 27 February that Mohamed Hassan Tulays, a
recently arrested car bomber, had confessed to the assassination of France's
military attache in East Beirut on 18 September 1986. Tulays further admitted his
membership in Hizballah, which he said was responsible for other attacks in
Lebanon, including:
� A car bombing on 21 January 1986 in Furn al-Shabek.
� The assassination attempt on 7 January 1987 against former President Camille
Chamoun.
� A car bombing on 30 January in Al-Zalqah.
� An attempted truck bombing in early February in Al-Dawrah.
� An attempt on 6 February to park a bomb-laden car in Hazmiyah, East Beirut,
that resulted in his arrest.
The Tulays family also may be connected with the kidnaping in mid-February of
Maronite olitician Jean Ubayd, a senior adviser to Lebanese President Gemayel.
(b)(3)
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Latin America
Bolivia/Peru
South/East Asia
Laos
Terrorist Sites Discovered
Bolivian security forces have discovered two possible terrorist training sites that
the police suspect are being used by the Peruvian Sendero Luminoso (SL). The dis-
covery of the camps follows the arrest last month of several SL affiliates in La Paz.
This is the (b)(1)
first substantial report of SL training and operations inside Bolivia and suggests
the group may intend to expand its operations beyond Peru. Sendero Luminoso
may be taking advantage of Bolivia's lightly patrolled borders, largely inaccessible
rural areas, and poorly equipped security forces in order to move supplies and train
new members. Moreover, the camps�bordering one of the group's new operating
areas in Peru�probably were chosen to facilitate cross-border activities.
Bomb Explodes During Soviet Foreign Minister's Visit
On 9 March a bomb exploded outside the Soviet cultural center in Vientiane
during Soviet Foreign Minister Shevardnadze's first official visit to the Laotian
capital. The blast, which apparently was set off by a timing device, shattered
windows and killed one person�possibly the terrorist rigging the bomb�and
injured another. The unusual bombing incident may have been intended to
embarrass Laotian and Soviet officials rather than cause casualties. The perpetra-
(b)(3)are most likely local dissidents or Lao resistance forces staging from Thailand.
Pakistan Massive Truck Bomb Targets Afghan Refugees
(b)(1)
a massive
truck bomb that killed 14 persons and injured more than 70 others when it
detonated in Peshawar on 14 February. We believe the bomb was intended for the
(b)(3)
b)(1)
b)(3)
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offices of one of the main Afghan resistance groups, but it exploded near a primary
school, causing death or injury to many children. The truck bomb was the most le-
thal explosion yet in the KHAD-inspired terror campaign in Peshawar. It touched
off two days of violent rioting directed at the Afghan refugees in the area. There
were renewed calls by local residents for Afghan refugees to be moved from major
Pakistani cities and confined to camps. Soviet and Afghan agents have been
stepping up their terror;Qt rnmpaign to force Islamabad to withdraw support for
the Afghan resistance.(b)(3)
Sri Lanka
Boobytrapped Water Truck Explodes Prematurely
On 14 February a water truck accidentally detonated, while members of the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE)�the largest and most powerful Tamil
insurgent group�were rigging it with 100 kilograms of gelignite. Some 60 persons
died and many others were injured in the explosion, which occurred in a small vil-
lage in northern Sri Lanka. The guerrillas apparently planned to drive the truck
inside a nearby Army camp and then detonate the explosives. The terrorist who
was welding a hole in the truck, however, apparently tapped a high-line transform-
er for power, causing a short that touched off the explosive. Many nearby houses
were destroyed by the blast. Sixteen insurgents died, including at least four
prominent leaders. The LTTE's chief training officer and explosives expert
reportedly was the most senior casualty in the blast. Reacting to a series of massive
protests, including a strike by the residents of Jaffna, LTTE leader Prabhakaran
publicly apologized for the deaths, an unusual action (b)(3)
SeL
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An Overview of
Middle Eastern (b)(3)
Terrorism in 198
The Middle East kept its place as the principal venue
for international terrorist attacks in 1986 and, consis-
tent with recent years, accounted for approximately
half of all incidents worldwide. State-supported ter-
rorists�backed by Libya, Syria, and Iran�reached
unprecedented levels of violence in several dramatic
attacks that occurred mostly in Western Europe. In
Lebanon, the kidnapings of hostages continued un-
abated last year�two Americans were released, but
one was killed and three more kidnaped. Warring
militias�particularly Palestinians and all stripes of
Lebanese Christians and Muslims�waged vicious
internecine battles, and year's end saw the involve-
ment of many Middle Eastern tPrrorist groups in the
war of the camps in Beirut.r(b)(3)
State-Sponsored Terrorism: A Year of Spectacular
Violence
In 1986, Libya and Syria were the major state
sponsors to use terrorism as an instrument of foreign
policy. Terrorists backed or directly guided by those
countries carried out attacks that resulted in unprece-
dented international political and military
repercussions:
� The United States responded to evidence of Libyan
involvement in the bombing of the La Belle disco-
theque in West Berlin in April by launching retalia-
tory airstrikes against Tripoli and Banghazi.
� The United Kingdom broke off diplomatic relations
with Damascus after Syria was implicated in the
attempted bombing of an El Al airliner atHeathrow
Airport after the conviction of Nizar Hindawi, the
terrorist who gave his unwitting girlfriend a bag
packed with explosives to carry on board. Moreover,
London led the effort to urge the European Commu-
nity to impose economic sanctions on Damascus.
� West Germany temporarily recalled its Ambassador
from Damascus after discovering Syrian complicity
in the March bombing of the German�Arab Friend-
ship Union in West Berlii(b)(3)
Reactions by the state sponsors to these measures
varied. In the immediate aftermath of the airstrikes,
Qadhafi responded with a series of terrorist actions,
but Libyan activity slackened somewhat in the last
half of 1986:
� Circumstantial evidence points to Libyan involve-
ment in the shooting of a US Embassy communica-
tor in Khartoum one day after the strike on Tripoli.
� In Ankara authorities apprehended two Libyans on
18 April as they approached the US Officers' Club
to attack it with grenades received from the Libyan
People's Bureau. The Libyans said they had been
instructed to cause the "maximum amount" of US
casualties.
� Libya probably had a role in the shooting in Sanaa,
North Yemen, of another US diplomat on 25 April.
T"(b)(3)ects under arrest include a Libyan.
The level of Libyan terrorist activity, dropped in the
period from the last week in April through mid-July,
but Tripoli resumed terrorist planning in midsummer.
We believe the August attack on the British Air Force
base at Akrotiri, Cyprus, was a Libyan-instigated
operation intended as further retaliation against Brit-
ain for allowing American aircraft based in the
Un"b)(3)A v'ngdom to be used in the airstrikes.
(
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The publicity surrounding the trials of terrorists
involved in Syrian-supported incidents in London and
West Berlin severely embarrassed Damascus. We
suspect that the lack of terrorist activity on the part of
Syrian-supported groups after September was, in part,
attributable to Syria's desire to keep a low profile in
the terroristib)(3)in order to dampen Western
criticism.
Iranian leaders in 1986 remained committed to the
use of international terrorism to achieve specific
foreign policy objectives. Tehran, however, was in-
volved in fewer incidents than in 1985�probably
because Iranian leaders have become more selective in
their use of terrorism as a foreign policy instrument.
Iran continued to provide significant support to the
Lebanese Hizballah organization and to benefit from
its activities, including the holding of Western hos-
tages. Iran also benefited directly from its ability to
threaten to use terrorism, particularly in the Persian
Gulf states. Iranian-backed terrorists carriPd "iit at-
tacks against oil facilities in Kuwait in Jui(01)(3)
Palestinian Terrorism: Fewer Incidents
Palestinian terrorists conducted significantly fewer
attacks in 1986 than in the previous year, contributing
to a falloff in Middle Eastern terrorist spillover into
Western Europe. The abatement of intra-Palestinian
squabbles�perhaps only a temporary development�
appeared to be a "ause of the reduction in
Palestinian terrorisr_(b)(3)
Palestinian terrorists, nevertheless, staged several dra-
matic attacks. In April a bomb exploded aboard
TWA Flight 840 over Athens. killing four Americans.
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
The Abu Nidal Group was less active in 1986 than in
the previous year�probably largely because of its
apparent standdown at Syria's request on anti-Jordan
attacks. The group returned with vengeance in Sep-
tember when it attempted to hijack a Pan Am flight
in Karachi, in which 21 persons were killed. The
operation clearly involved Libyan logistic support.
The Abu Nidal Group probably also conducted the
assault on the Istanbul synagogue the next day, killing
22 Jews. The group continued to receive support from
both Syria and Libya in 1986, although Damascus
tried to improve its image in the West by appearing to
crack down on some of Abu Nidal's publicly known
members in Syria. At year's end, there was no
evidence that Erb�x-37s intended to break its ties to
the group.
The Abu Musa group apparently joined the list of
Palestinian groups that have committed terrorist acts
in Europe. In June a suitcase bomb intended for an El
Al flight from Madrid exploded prematurely at a
check-in counter in the airport, injuring 13 persons.
Police traced the suitcase to a Palestinian who
claimed to be a member of the anti-Arafat Abu Musa
group.
We
believe Abu Musa has carried out at least one other
operation in Western Europe, but the grou- '�
generally operated in the Middle East (b)(3)
In Israel, Middle Eastern terrorists carried out several
notable attacks in 1986. The PLO launched the
bloodiest attack in Jerusalem since 1984 when terror-
ists hurled grenades at Israeli soldiers and their
families near the crowded Western Wall in October,
killing one person and injuring 69 others. Israeli
security officials subsequently arrested three suspects,
who claimed to be members of Islamic Jihad who
were recruited into Fatah. In July, members of the
PFLP and the Syrian-backed Lebanese Syrian Social
Nationalist Party (SSNP) attempted a commando
attack on an Israeli resort town. Fo� *---orists and
two Israeli soldiers were killed. (b)(3)
Lebanon: The Kidnapings Continue
In Lebanon the violence between warring militias
continued throughout the year. In many cases, neither
the perpetrator nor the target could be conclusively
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established. We do not know, for example, the terror-
ists responsible for a series of bombings in July and
August in East and West Beirut in which 76 persons
were killed, nor their exact intended targets. In the
fall, the French contingent of the UN peacekeeping
force in south Lebanon suffered several attacks, and a
French diplomat was assassinated as he entered the
French Embassy in East Beirut. Information received
in early 1987 suggests that Hizballah was responcihiP
for the assassination of the French diploma (b)(3)
Westerners were not the primary victims of the
constant violence in Lebanon, but they remained an
important target, especially for kidnapers. Elements
of Hizballah�using a variety of covernames�proba-
bly were responsible for most of the kidnapings,
although in some cases freelance terrorists may have
taken hostages in order to sell them to the highest
bidder. Four members of a French television crew
were kidnaped in March; three eventually were re-
leased in June and November. Two Americans,
Father Lawrence Jenco and David Jacobsen, were
released in July and November, respectively, but
three more�Frank Reed, Joseph Cicippio, and
Edward Tracy�were kidnaped in the fall. At the end
of the year, we judge that they were still in the
custody of Hizballah, along with Americans kidnaped
as long ago as March 1985. One other American,
Peter Kilburn�along with two British citizens�was
executed following the US airstrikes on Tripoli and
Benghazi. We believe Libya was involved in the
executions(b)(3)
Outlook
Middle Eastern groups proved increasingly willing in
1986 to carry out indiscriminate attacks designed to
cause maximum casualties and gain worldwide pub-
licity. This trend is likely to continue into 1987. Any
lull in terrorism because of the preoccupation of many
Middle Eastern groups and their state sponsors with
the fit-61-`\'(--3--)in Beirut probably will be only tempo-
rary. )
In 1986 it became increasingly difficult to assign
responsibility for specific terrorist acts to a particular
group, especially in the Middle East. The group
affiliation of over half the terrorist incidents that we
attribute to Middle Easterners last year remains
Reverse Blank 11
unknown. We believe the growing use of freelance
terrorists accounts for part of this problem. The
chaotic conditions in Lebanon initially provided the
setting for this development, which also provides state
sponsors the deniability they seek for their terrorist
operations. Lebanon will continue to play a key role in
facilitating contacts among terrorists, and the trend
toward anony(b)(3.)t terrorist incidents is likely to
continue
In our judgment, prospects for the early release of the
hostages are not good. We are virtually certain that
the captors represent Shia extremist elements and
that decisions about their fate will be made by
Hizballah's leaders, in consultation with Iran. Syrian
or Lebanese pressure tn rpl,mse them is unlikely to
sway Hizballah (b)(3)
State sponsors will continue to use terrorism to fur-
ther their own objectives, but they will make serious
efforts to avoid detection
Both Syria and Libya are likely to view the
frequent and continued use of surrogates�particular-
ly radical Palestinians�as a way to prevent their
fingerprints frot(b)(3); discovered at the scenes of
their crimes
(b)(3)
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.--Sfacj,Q
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-Threret-
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----getret,
(
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(b)(3)_
Tracing Terrorist Explosives
Explosives stolen from a quarry in Ecaussines, Bel-
gium, in 1984 appear to have been dispersed widely
throughout Europe, and we expect there will be more
terrorist incidents using these explosives. After a
number of bombings in 1984 and 1985 conducted by
four West European terrorist groups using the explo-
sives, French and West German authorities in 1986
began to find more of the explosives that had been
cached for future use. At least 550 of the 815
kilograms stolen remain unarrrmintiA for and proba-
bly are in terrorists' hands (b)(3)1
The explosives have been used in attacks by the
French group Action Directe (AD), West Germany's
Red Army Faction (RAF), the Belgian Communist
Combatant Cells (CCC), as well as another Belgian
group, the Revolutionary Front for Proletarian Action
(FRAP). This common use represented the strongest
evidence of cooperation among these groups in a
Euroterrorist campaign that reached its peak in late
1984 and early 1985. There were no attacks using the
explosives in 1986, to the best of our knowledge.
The most recent discoveries have been linked to AD
and the RAF. French police found some of the
dynamite during a raid on a farmhouse near Orleans,
France, in which four key leaders of AD were arrested
on 21 February. The discovery in Orleans marked the
first time any of the explosives have been tied directly
to one of the groups since January 1986. That month,
Belgian police uncovered a large quantity of the
explosives during raids on CCC safehouses
police in Duesseldorf, West
Germany, arrested two French Corsicans on 4 March
1987 in possession of 1.5 kilograms of explosives that
may have come from the quarry in Ecaussines. Local
authorities believe the Corsicans intended to sell the
explosives to the RAF, but the dynamite has not yet
been conclusively tied to the quarry theft
French police also found a small quantity of the
dynamite in September 1986 in a cache associated
with a Marxist Iranian group that possibly has ties to
17
the CCC. We do not know how the "Iranian People's
Fedayeen Guerrilla Organization" obtained the 6
kilograms of explosives, but Belgian police found
fingerprints of two of the group's members in the
apartment of a key CCC leader who was arrested in
June 1986. This was the first indication the explosives
stolen in Ecuassine(6)(3)gone to a non-European
terrorist group.
Who Was Responsible?
Police have never made any arrests for the theft, but
there is plentiful circumstantial evidence that mem-
bers of one or more of the terrorist groups that used
the explosives were involved in the theft. Witnesses
reported seeing RAF hardcore member Sigrid Sterne-
beck near the quarry at the time of the attempted
break-in on 1 May. Furthermore, a CCC communi-
que correctly identified the commercial names of the
dynamite and the amount stolen. They went on to
claim "internationalist revolutionaries" stole the ex-
plosives, b(b)'(3);roup did not directly take responsi-
bility.
The timing of the groups' attacks following the theft
and the links among members of the groups also
suggest the break-in was carried out by one or more of
the groups. The RAF, AD, CCC, and FRAP
launched a coordinated campaign against NATO that
ran from August 1984 through December 1985 and
used the explosives stolen from the Belgian quarry in
as many as 18 of their attacks. Before the campaign,
in July 1984, West German authorities had discov-
ered documents indicating that the RAF intended to
embark on a three-pronged-effort, suggesting plan-
ning was well along before the Ecaussines theft.
Although we do not know when the groups began
planning their activities, the complexity, pace, and
duration of their operations suggest they needed a
significant amount of time to prepare, including locat-
ing and acquiring the explosives for the bombings.
(b)(3)
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Accounting for the Explosives
On 4 June 1984, approximately 815 kilograms (kg) of
explosives-75 kg of Tolamite, 45 kg of Dynamite-3,
150 kg of Triamite, and 545 kg of Iremite�were
stolen from a quarry near Ecaussines, Belgium. Two
earlier attempts to break into the explosives storage
area over the preceding four months had been unsuc-
cessful, but police believe that two to five persons
finally used electrical power tools and other equip-
cut through a reinforced armored door.
Since the theft, only about 165 kg of the explosives
have been found intact. This is the amount French,
Belgian, and West German authorities have confis-
cated in safehouses or taken from explosive devices
placed by terrorists but which failed to explode.
Analyses of residue from bombs that exploded during
1984 and 1985 in Belgium indicated some could have
been made from the same type of dyn---"- -tolen
from Ecaussines.
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
Analysis of the residue of
bombs used in some successful attacks by the Red
Army Faction and Action Directe indicated they did
not contain explosives from Ecaussines[(b)(3)
we estimate
t at approximate y � 1 go te exp osives�about
one-third of the haul�have been confiscated from or
used by West European terrorists. We have no evi-
dence that Middle Eastern terrorist groups have used
any of the explosives in their attacks in Western
Europe, including the series of bombings the Leba-
nese Armed Revolutionary Faction carried out dur-
ing September 1986 in Paris (b)(3)
Through links among members of the four groups, a
network existed by which they could have distributed
the explosives. For example, Pierre Carette, one of the
founders of the CCC, reportedly printed some docu-
ments for AD in 1982. Carette also had close ties to
the RAF. He was a member of the Belgian Support
Committee for the RAF prisoners and was suspected
of playing a support role in the RAF's attack in 1979
on US Army Gen. Alexander Haig in Belgium. In
addition, West German police found a map in July
1984 at an RAF safehouse that was marked with the
same points on a NATO pipeline that CCC bombed
the following December. Joint communiques issued
during the Euroterrorist campaign in 1984-85 and
documents seized by French police at an AD safe-
house in February 1986 point to the ties between the
RAF and AD. Our knowledge of FRAP's ties to the
other groups is less detailed. The fingerprints of two
AD leaders were found in a FRAP safehouse in 1985.
On the other hand, the CCC claimed to know nothing
PRAP in a communique issued in April 1985.
We have little information about the explosives con-
fiscated in March 1987 from the Corsicans in Dues-
seldorf, especially whether the dynamite came from
Ecaussines and how the men acquired the explosives.
The two reportedly have long French criminal re-
cords. If the explosives were from the quarry, the
involvement of these men raises the possibility that
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19
3'kre
(b)
(b)
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criminals stole the explosives and transferred them to
the terrorists�not a unique situation. A Swedish
gang reportedly admitted in January 1987 selling
Swedish military munitions they stole in November
1986 to terro-;-1-- c^r operations in Belgium and in
France. (b)(3)
Where Are the Rest of the Explosives?
There is strong evidence the terrorist groups had
custody of a large amount of the stolen explosives,
although we have not been able to determine that the
four organizations had all that was stolen or how
much each group had. In at least two cases, the
explosives appeared outside the groups. On 24 April
1985, a Turkish national was arrested in Paris with
400 grams of the dynamite he claimed was given to
him by a North African in Belgium, but French police
believed he was connected with AD. The Iranians
arrested last September in France with approximately
6 kilograms of the explosives may have obtained the
dynamite from the CCC through Pierre Carette. He
was arrested in December 1985, suggesting the Irani-
ans had already acquired the explosives. We do not
yet know if the Corsicans arrested in West Germany
have access1�than the 1.5 kilograms found in
their car.
The coincidental timing of the arrests of Belgian
terrorists, confiscation of 100 kilograms of the explo-
sives in eight of their safehouses, and the end of the
Euroterrorist bombing campaign suggest the CCC
had the major share of the explosives held by any of
the four West European organizations. It has been
associated with the largest amount of the stolen
explosives that has hen confiscated or used by any of
the four groups. (b)(3)
The RAF and AD may still have some of the
explosives. They made only three bombs�amounting
to 48 kilograms of dynamite�from their share of the
Ecaussines haul, but these were discovered and dis-
armed before they could explode. Residue from their
subsequent bombings indicates they have not used
dynamite from Ecaussines since December 1985. The
discovery of some of the dynamite in the AD safe-
house in February, however, shows the AD still had
some of the explosives. West German police have not
turned up any of the explosives in RAF safehouses
discovered since 1985, but, lil b)�13, the RAF may
((3)
be husbanding its supply
Despite the recent discovery of more of the explosives,
we are no closer to knowing for sure how much is in
terrorist hands. Nevertheless, due to the continuing
appearance of the explosives with terrorists, we esti-
mate that the remaining explosives likely are con-
trolled by terrorist groups, particularly the RAF and
AD. Belgian authorities have not uncovered any more
CCC or FRAP caches since January 1986. Because
we have no indications that members of these defunct
groups in custody have been forthcoming about the
existence of any more caches, we cannot rule out the
possibility that they still have some of the explosives
hidden away. (b)(3)
One ominous prospect is that the dynamite has made
its way beyond the original four users and could
appear in the hands of other radical terrorist groups.
If criminals stole the explosives�a possibility raised
by the arrest of the Corsicans�and did not transfer
the entire 815 kilograms to the CCC, FRAP, RAF,
and AD, the probability increases that more groups
could get the explosives from those anxious to sell
them. Alternatively, if the RAF and AD have all of
the explosives that remain with active terrorist groups,
they may not be ii or or have the means, to share
it with others.
20
(b)(3)
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31 December
Chronology of Terrorism-1986-87
(b)(3)
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. (b)(3)
Chile: Unidentified individuals armed with pistols and submachineguns threaten
employees of the Intergovernmental Committee for Migration in Santiago. No
one was injured in the incident. A telephone call from an unidentified male
claimed refri.:770-:\)bility for the attack on behalf of the "11 September Com-
mandos."rk u)k`-'
Uganda: Handgrenade explodes at a crowded bus stop in Kampala, injuring six
people. Witnesses say that the grenade was thrown from a three-story bu"A'--
across from the bus stop. No claim of responsibility has been made (b)(3)
13 January Namibia: Bomb explodes at a gas station in Gobabis, killing one man. A second
bomb was found nearby and defused. There was no claim of responsibility (b)(3)
14 January
28 January
30 January
Late January
Cyprus: Police at Larnaca airport deport a group of Palestinians trying to enter
the country. Police believe they planned to attack Syrian targets in Nicosia. The
Palestinians were refused permission to telephnne n contact in Cyprus and were
put aboard a plane that left for overseas. (b)(3)
Turkey: Three members of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) involved in a village
raid on 24 January surrender to police. Another two militants were expected to
give themselves up. The security forces arrested 23 persons in connection with the
incident (b)(3)
Turkey: Four Palestinians on trial for the murder in July 1985 of a Jordanian
diplomat end a hunger strike in an Ankara jail after prosecutor's visit. They were
protesting a court decision r�-f,,cing their release. The prosecutor reportedly
promised to help them (b)(3)
Turkey: Istanbul police arrest two university students for suspicious activities and
distribution of leaflets signed by the leftist terrorist group Dev Sol. Several books
and publications containing leftist propaganda also were confiscated jb)(3)
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1 February
3 February
5 February
Early February
7 February
15 February
Mid-February
Israel: Rockets land in field in Galilee. The PLO claimed responsibility.
(b)(3)
Turkey: Martial law court in Erzurum acquits 218 suspects in Dev Vol (Revolu-
tionary Way) and Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) trials. In the Dev Yol trial, 89
suspects were acquitted of charges of belonging to an underground organization
and arranging illegal meetings to promote the ideology of their group. There were
129 suspects acquitted in the PKK trial. (b)(3)
Chile: Bombs damage several pylons of the national high-voltage power network,
causing power outages in Santiago and the coastal towns of lict,-,-7-0--:\yo and Vina
del Mar. No organization has claimed credit for this attack ku)k�)]
Turkey: Military court in Diyarbakir sentences Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK)
founder to eight years in prison. Sakine Polat previously had been tried six times
and given various prison terms; this latest sentence raises her total term of
imprisonment to 59 years. (b)(3)
Turkey: Security forces capture seven members of an illegal organization in
Istanbul. The suspects are alleged members of a Marxist-Leninist rniio. Forged
identity cards and organizational documents also were seized. (b)(3)
Turkey: Suspicious fire destroys San Theater in Istanbul, killing the night
watchman. Fire officials claim a short circuit caused the accident, but the police
suspect arson by Islamic fundamentalists. The thf-.1-,-� �as staging a play that was
harshly criticized by conservative Muslims. (b)(3)
Argentina: Bomb explodes at the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party
committee headquarters in Btp,..^0 Aires. The explosion caused damage to the
building but no casualties (b)(3)
Gaza Strip: Molotov cocktail thrc(b)(3)Tsraeli bus outside police station. No
injuries or damages occurred.
Israel: Car bomb explodes near hospital in Kefar Saba,j^") detonated
prematurely, wounding several suspected terrorists (u)k`-'in)
Turkey: Ankara military court sentences suspected members of the Dev Vol
(Revolutionary Way) Eskisehir branch. Of the 104 suspects, two were sentenced to
death and one to life imprisonment. Another 52 received prison terms ranging
from three to 15 years and 46 were acquitted. (b)(3)
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16 February
18 February
19 February
20 February
21 February
Turkey: Diyarbakir military court sentences Rizgari Organization members. One
defendant received five years at hard labor, another had his sentence increased to
24 years, and five others were acquitted. The court also sentenced a Kurdish
Workers' Party (PKK) militant to 10 years in prison. (b)(3)
Turkey: Authorities discover weapons cache in Ceylanpinar. A total of 147
handguns were buried together with 284 magazines and other ammunition
(b)(3)
Argentina: Bomb explodes outside newspaper agency in Mendoza. Numerous
windows were broltis-wisit there were no casualties. No group has claimed
responsibility 1�1
Turkey: In Eruh, separatist Kurdish Workers Party militants raid the home of the
village religious leader, whose two brothers (kw 3' \zs watchmen. Two civilians
were killed and four others were injured. "'ilk I
West Bank: IDF kills Nablus taxi driver whose cab struck several Israeli soldiers.
Local Palestinians be("b)(3)i accident caused the incident, and charged that the
IDF overreacted
West Bank: Unidentified individual throws molotoi(b)(3)zil at settlement near
Nablus. No damage or injuries were reported
West Bank: Unidentified persons throw molotov cocktails in villaee near Jenin.
The firebombs exploded but caused no damage or injuries. (b)(3)1
Peru: Tupac Amaru (MRTA) took over 12 radio stations in Lima rib')(3)dcast
messages attacking the government. No injuries were reported
Israel: Vandals set fire to entrance to East Jerusalcibbych of Israeli Bank
Hapoalim. No group has claimed responsibility.
b)(3) 'Ca: Molotov cocktail damages parked Israeli vehicle. There were no injuries.
(
Israel: Arson destretb)(e-owned shop. Witnesses claim they saw three Israelis
leave the scene.
Peru: Bomb explodes harmlessly near the Presidential Palace. President Garcia
was bestowing a decoration on Guatemalan President Cerezo at the time of the ex-
_
plosion(b)(3)
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22 February
24 February
25 February
25-26 February
26 February
27 February
Israel: Unknown individual throws smoke (b)(3)it souvenir shop in East
Jerusalem. No damage was reported.
Israel: Grenade thrown in Jerusalem wounds 17 persons, including 12 Israeli
border policemen. Both Fatah's Force 17 and then_r ,, 17,,,)cratic Front for the
Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility. (u)k`5
Zambia: Explosion rips through a Lusaka post office, causing extensive damage
to the building. Nn ininries were reported and no group has claimed responsibility
for the explosion. (b)(3)
Spain: Basques stone Renteria town hall in protest over expulsiciz \L'rance.
There were no injuries or clashes with police in the incident. (u)(�)
Turkey: During arms smuggling trial in Diyarbakir government prosecutor
accuses Libya and Syria of aiding the Kurdish Workers' Party, the Kurdish
Democratic Party, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. The five suspects in the
trial, who are charged with smuggling arms into Turkey from Q--;- cor the
separatists will face 15-to-25 year sentences if convicted (b)(3)
West Germany: Group of 21 Kurds briefly occupy the BBC radio office in
Charlottenburg, protesting the treatment of Kurds in Sweden. In January 1987
several Kurds were detained when Swedish authorities investigated the possibility
' (b)(3) Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) involvement in the Olof Palme killing last year.
West Bank: Israeli extremists vandalize Ar-Rub refugee camp, smashing wind-
shields, and solar panels, and painting threats on Arab houses (b)(3)
Spain: Prime Minister Gonzalez gives speech indicating possible repeal of
antiterrorist legislation. This w7..1A "-nit jail retention time of suspected terrorists
from 10 to five or six days. (b)(3)
Spain: Police defuse 20-pound bomb outside Barcelona synagogue. No group
claimed for planting the device, but police suspect Middle Eastern
terrorists.u)k�)
Spain: France expels three suspected Basque guerrillas, turning them over to
Spanish police in San Sebastian. These new expulsions bring the total number to
39 since July 1986.
(b)(3)
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28 February
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
2 March
Spain: Bomb explodes at Gerona provincial courthouse, causing extensive damage
(b)(3)__ injuries. �
It no The Catalan separatist group Terra Lliure claimed responsibility.
Spain: France expels suspected Basque terrorist to Spain. The suspect, a former
counselor in Pamplona for the radical Herri Batasuna coalition, sheltered Basque
(b)(3)ather1and and Liberty members in the city before fleeing to France six years ago.
Gaza: Homemade bomb slightly damages Israeli bus parked near pi(1; )(3)2tion.
Anonymous caller in Beirut claims credit on behalf of Force 17.
Peru: Four Sendero Luminoso terrorists botch mortar attack against President
Garcia 's residence the mortar exploded in the
terrorists' hands.
West Bank: Nablus observes first anniversary of Palestinian Mayor al-Masri's
assassination. Israel' authorities restricted public gatherings to prevent a possible
outbreak of violence. (b)(3)
3 March West Bank: Israeli bus near Amari refugee camp in Ramallah is target of Molotov
cocktail. Israeli soldiers arrested one Arab youth. (b)(3)
4 March Costa Rica: Unidentified group leaves small bomb in the drivpwav of the private
residence of President Arias. The bomb did not explode (b)(31)
5 March
6 March
7 March
Spain: Terra Lliure detonates bomb at television relay station in Gerona. There
were no injuries, and the extent of damage is unknown (b)(3)
West Bank: Three Israeli settlers attempt arson 7n-,;-,on Muslim religious
school in Hebron. The settlers were arrested (b)(3)
Honduras: Powerful bomb explodes in front of the home of Nicaraguan Democrat-
ic Force (FDN) spokeswoman Adela Icaza. A leftist group claimed responsibility
for the bombing (b)(3)
�Spain: Bomb explodes at town council building in Baracaldo. There were no
injuries. No group claimed responsibility, although the police suspect the Basque
Fatherland and Liberty organization
25
(b)(3)
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Thecr<
9 March
10 March
Spain: Two masked gunmen seriously wound Spanish Army lieutenant as he is
driving to work in Vitoria. No group claimed responsibility for the au-1- "it the
police suspect the Basque Fatherland and Liberty organization. (b)(3)
Spain: Six French-manufactured vehicles set on fire in various parts of Barcelona.
The arson attacks followed the arrival on 7 March of the body of Basque
Fatherland and Liberty organi7.tinn leader Txomin, who was killed in a car crash
in Algeria on 27 February. (b)(3)
Colombia: Members of the National Liberation Army abduct Canadian oil
engineer in Arauca Province. The victim is an employee of the US-owned firm
Occidental Petroleum, and the incident marks the first such kidnaping this year.
(b)(3)
SeKe 26
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-Setret,_
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