Terrorism Review — February 1998

Title: Terrorism Review — February 1998

Author: CIA

Topics: CIA, ideology, sabotage, terrorism

Date: February 1998

Source: Freedom of Information Collection. <cia.gov/readingroom/document/0005329269>

Notes: This text is archived here due to this entry: “A group calling itself the Revolutionary Subversive Faction-Commando Unabomber claimed responsibility for the attack stating that their actions were in support of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski.”

Middle East

Lebanon

Plans To Prosecute Shaykh for Marine Barracks Bombing

The Terrorism Diary for March and April 1998

Chronology of International Terrorism

Summary of Indigenous Terrorism — January 1998

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Middle East

Lebanon

Plans To Prosecute Shaykh for Marine Barracks Bombing

Lebanon’s highest court announced during the first week in February that it intends to try ousted former Hizballah leader Tufayli for the deaths of two Lebanese soldiers — killed in a recent shootout with Tufayli followers — as well as for crimes he committed during the civil war, including the bombing of the US Marine Corps barracks in 1983:

A month after the shootout, Tufayli remains at large. [REDACTED] Tufayli and several hundred supporters are hiding in the mountains near the border with Syria. The Lebanese Armed Forces have deployed to the area but have not moved to capture Tufayli because of political concerns. [REDACTED]

Despite Lebanon’s initiatives, a variety of reporting suggests that Tufayli never will stand trial for his crimes but rather may be granted asylum in Syria or Iran. Hizballah and other elements in Lebanon cannot afford to make a martyr out of Tufayli by killing him or publicly bringing him to trial and are looking for a face-saving way to remove him from the scene [REDACTED]

Before his confrontation with the Army began, Tufayli faxed a statement to local newspapers threatening to reveal information detailing who was responsible for “events of the past.” [REDACTED]

Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri probably believes trying Tufayli for his past crimes, such as the Marine barracks bombing, will demonstrate to the United States that he is following through on bilateral security arrangements, including prosecuting those who committed crimes against US citizens during the war:

Hizballah, Iran, Syria, and many Lebanese officials are likely to support quietly Former Haballah leader removing Tufayli from Lebanon because he could implicate them in a variety of illegal activities, including terrorist operations against US citizens. Tufayli’s disappearance will help eliminate overt criticism of Hizballah and strengthen the group’s influence in the Lebanese Government [REDACTED]

The Terrorism Diary for March and April 1998

Below is a compendium of March and April dates of known or conceivable significance to terrorists around the world. Our inclusion of a date or event should not by itself be construed to suggest that we expect or anticipate a commemorative terrorist event.

2 March 1956	Morocco. Independence Day (termination of Treaty of Fez).
2 March 1977	Libya. Establishment of Jamahiriyah (Masses’ State).
3 March 1878	Bulgaria. Independence Day.
3 March 1961*	Morocco. Accession of King Hassan to throne.
4 March 1982	Colombia, United States. Effective date of extradition treaty aimed at narcotics traffickers.
6 March 1957	Ghana. Independence Day.
6 March 1975	Kurdish Region. Algerian accord between Iran and Iraq abandoning support for the Kurds.
10 March 1979	Kurdish Region. Death of Kurdish leader Mulla Mustafa Barzani.
11 March 1966	Indonesia. President Sukarno turns over power to Suharto.
12 March 1880	Turkey. Birthday of Ataturk.
12 March 1968	Gabon. National Day.
12 March 1968	Mauritius. Independence Day.
13 March 1979	Grenada. Coup d’etat by Maurice Bishop (National Day).
14 March 1975	Japan. Chukaku-ha (Nucleus Faction) Secretary General Honda assassinated by rival radical groups.
16 March 1921	Armenians. Signing of Soviet-Turkish border treaty that ended Armenian hopes of establishing an independent state.
17 March	Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day (National Day).
20 March 1956	Tunisia. Independence Day.

20 March 1995	Japan. Aum Shinrikyo sarin gas attack on Tokyo subways.
21 March	Turkey. Kurdish New Year.
22 March 1945	Arab World. Founding of Arab League (original members: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Syria).
23 March 1956	Pakistan. Pakistan Day (founding of Islamic republic).
23 March	Sri Lanka. Poya Day holiday.
25 March 1821	Greece. Greek Revolution Memorial Day (celebrating beginning of independence from Turkey).
25 March 1975	Saudi Arabia. Assassination of King Faisal and accession of King Khalid.
26 March 1970	Libya. UK Evacuation Day (day British forces turned over bases and departed).
26 March 1971	Bangladesh. Independence Day.
26 March 1978	Egypt, Israel. Peace agreement ratified.
28 March	Palestinians. National Day.
29 March 1992	Basque Region. Leadership of Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) apprehended in Bidart, France.
30 March 1974	Turkey. Death of terrorist Mahir Cayan, member of Turkish People’s Liberation Party.
30 March 1976	Palestinians. Day of the Homeland.
April	Armenians. April is dedicated by Armenian groups to the memory of the massacre of Armenians by Turks during World War I.
1 April 1979	Iran. Islamic Republic Day.
4 April 1947	Syria. Founding of Ba’th Party.
4 April 1979	Pakistan. Ex-President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto executed; the terrorist group Al-Zulfikar, founded by his two sons, is named after him.
7 April 1916	Ireland. Beginning of insurrection that led to independence.
8 April 1947	Iraq. Founding of ruling Ba‘th Party.
11 April 1968	Palestinians. Founding of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC).

13 April 1975	Lebanon. Phalange militiamen attack bus, triggering Lebanese civil war.
14–15 April 1986	Libya. US aircraft bomb Tripoli and Banghazi in retaliation for Libyan involvement in anti-US terrorism.
19 April 1980	Peru. The Sendero Luminoso Declaration of War.
22 April 1997	Peru. Death of MRTA leader Nestor Cerpa Cartolini during the hostage rescue mission at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence.
24 April 1915	Armenians. National Day of Sorrow. Commemorates Turkish massacre.
28 April 1937	Iraq. Birthday of Saddam Husayn.
29 April 1986	India. Sikh militants declare independent republic of Khalistan at Golden Temple in Amritsar; militants expelled from temple next day.

Chronology of International Terrorism

The following incidents were determined to meet the criteria for international terrorism by the Intelligence Community’s Incident Review Panel since publication of the previous issue of the Terrorism Review. These incidents are the basis for the State Department’s Patterns of Global Terrorism, published annually as the US Government’s official record of international terrorism. [REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

Asia

7 January

Cambodia: Police found a hand grenade in a bottle filled with gasoline near the residence of Hanoi’s military attache and the Vietnamese Association office. The Khmer Rouge (KR) is suspected.

Eurasia

4 January	Macedonia: A bomb exploded under a government vehicle in Prilep, damaging five vehicles and shattering windows of surrounding buildings. The Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) claimed responsibility.
	Macedonia: A bomb detonated in front of a private garage located between a local government building and an apartment building in Kumanovo. The blast destroyed the garage and shattered the windows of nearby apartments and those on the second-floor government building. The Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) claimed responsibility
8 January	Russia: A Swedish couple working as Christian missionaries was kidnapped as they walked to their apartment building in Makhachkal, Dagestan (an area bordering Chechnya). An anonymous caller claiming to represent the Dagestani kidnappers stated the couple was in good health and had been moved to Chechnya.
20 January	Russia: Authorities safely defused a bomb attached to the underside of a vehicle belonging to an Armenian Embassy employee in Moscow

Europe

23 January	Greece: Unknown assailants setfire to an Armenian Embassy vehicle in Athens, causing extensive damage. Authorities blamed the attack on anarchists protesting the 13 January 1998 arrest of the suspected member of the Fighting Guerrilla Formation (MAS).
26 January	Greece: Two improvised explosive devices detonated at the Thessaloniki offices of Hewlett-Packard, causing minor damage but no injuries. Police deactivated a third device that failed to detonate. A group calling itself the Revolutionary Subversive Faction-Commando Unabomber claimed responsibility for the attack stating that their actions were in support of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski.

Latin America

4 January	Colombia: Unidentified guerrillas bombed the CanoJJjfion-Covenas oil pipeline in Colombia, causing 7,000 barrels of oil to spill.
7 January	Colombia: Rebels bombed a section of the Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipeline in Colombia, causing an undetermined amount of damage. The army blames the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels for the attack.
16 January	Colombia: An unidentified guerrilla group dynamited the Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipeline in Bojaba, causing a 4,000-barrel oil spill that spread into the area’s water supply and contaminated the La Gritona stream

Middle East

2 January	Iraq: Unknown assailants fired two rocket-propelled grenades at the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, causing minor damage. The UN building houses the Humanitarian Coordinator and the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM), which oversees the dismantling of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. Press reported that Saddam Hussein’s younger son Qusayy planned and ordered the attack to intimidate UN weapons inspectors.
5 January	Yemen: Two tribesmen kidnapped three South Korean citizens in Sanaa. The hostages are the wife and daughter of the First Secretary of the Korean Embassy and an automobile dealer.
14 January	*Israel: At the Israel-Lebanon border crossing near Metulla, a boobytrapped video cassette exploded, injuring three Israelis and three Lebanese, including the man who carried it. Amal* claimed responsibility, stating that the intended target was a senior Israeli intelligence officer.

Summary of Indigenous Terrorism — January 1998

The incidents and situations listed below are not a detailed accounting of all terrorist incidents, but rather provide an overview of selected indigenous terrorism worldwide.

Asia

India	On 9 January, in New Delhi, a bomb hidden under a food cart exploded on a busy street near police headquarters, injuring at least 50 persons. Police suspect Sikh separatists are responsible)
	On 10 January, in Chennai, a bomb detonated across from the visa entrance of the US Consulate, injuring four persons and damaging three floors of the building. Police found a leaflet at the scene from the Islamic Defense Force (IDF) claiming the explosion was in protest of the government’s opposition to Islamic candidates in the upcoming elections.
	On 25 January, in Gandarbal, in Kashmir, heavily armed, masked assailants killed 23 Hindus, set fire to some of their houses, and burned a Hindu temple.
Pakistan	On 23 January a bomb planted on a motorcycle exploded during an anti-Israel rally in Karachi, injuring two persons and damaging several shops, cars, motorcycles and a church.
Sri Lanka	On 25 January, in Kandy, suicide bombers drove an explosive-laden truck through the gates of the most sacred Buddhist shrine, the Temple of the Tooth, killing approximately 16 persons, injuring 23 others, and causing extensive damage to the exterior of the shrine and other buildings. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are suspected. The government banned the LTTE and moved the main 50^th Independence Day celebrations on 4 February from Kandy to Colombo. Prince Charles and other foreign dignitaries were expected to attend.

Europe

Spain	Arsonists set fire to a furniture store owned by a Popular Party councillor in Erandio on 7 January, causing extensive damage. Members or sympathizers of the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) organization are suspected.
	On 9 January a Popular Party councillor was killed when an explosive device detonated under his car in Zarauz. Authorities suspect ETA involvement.
	A letter bomb exploded at a military housing complex in Vitoria on 10 January, injuring two women and a small child) the device was intended for a Spanish army officer but detonated prematurely injuring the victims with flying debris. The ETA is probably responsible.
	Police defused an explosive device found outside a San Sebastian social security office on 15 January. An anonymous caller to a local government agency alerted police to the bomb’s location. The ETA is suspected.)
	On 25 January an improvised incendiary device detonated at the door of a Basque policeman in Azneitia, causing minor damage. ETA members or sympathizers are suspected.
Türkiye	On 5 January, in Istanbul, suspected Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members threw a fragmentation bomb at a lottery office, causing extensive damage.
United Kingdom	[REDACTED] On 11 January unidentified gunmen shot and killed the husband of a niece of Gerry Adams outside the Belfast nightclub where he worked as a doorman. The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) claimed responsibility stating the act was in retaliation for the 27 December 1997 slaying of their leader at the Maze prison. In Belfast between 19 and 23 January, a series of tit-for-tat shootings between nationalist and loyalist paramilitary organizations has left three persons dead and three others injured. The first victim, a Catholic taxi driver, was shot and killed as he sat in his vehicle on 19 January. Nationalist gunmen retaliated the same day by killing a Protestant carpet shop owner. Loyalists renewed their campaign in the ensuing days by killing or injuring four Catholic men. No one has claimed responsibility from the nationalist side, but both the Ulster Defense Association (UDA) and the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) claimed credit for some of the attacks against Catholics. Neither group specified with which attacks they were involved.

Latin America

Colombia

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas fired on a DC-3 plane in Miraflores on 3 January, injuring two passengers.

National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels kidnapped the mayor of San Pablo on 7 January. He was held by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas and released on 15 February with a warning that municipal officials and councilmen must resign.

Popular Liberation Army (EPL) guerrillas set up two roadblocks in Santander on 10 January, killing two drivers, injuring two others, and torching four trucks and a bus.

Peru

In a failed attempt by Sendero Luminoso (SL) rebels to fire two rockets at a national police school in Puente Piedra on 5 January, the rockets went off prematurely. The frustrated attackers fled, leaving behind leaflets bearing SL slogans praising the group’s jailed leader. Authorities found four similar rockets and a steel mortar, which the bomb squad defused.

Middle East

Algeria	On 11 January, in Sidi Hammed, between 50 and 75 Islamic extremists killed nearly 400 civilians and wounded 70 others. The massacre began when a bomb exploded inside a cafe, killing and injuring many of the men gathered there. The assailants then broke down the doors of homes, attacking the people with hatchets, knives, and guns. Some of the victims were doused with flammable liquid and set on fire. Survivors reported that many of the terrorists wore long beards and Afghan tunics, and some were known to the villagers as members of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA).
West Bank	On 1 January, near the Aley Zahav settlement, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a car, wounding an Israeli woman who died several days later. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), or Fatah, may be responsible
Yemen	On 20 January, in Sanaa, a bomb detonated inside a car near a tourist hotel in the heart of Al-Tahrir square.