NCJ Number
111531
Date Published
1987
Length
67 pages
Annotation
This study analyzes events in European terrorism (Euroterrorism) to determine if seemingly unrelated events have an operational level and to examine a possible Soviet role in international terrorism.
Abstract
The analysis shows that while there is an operational level, there is no Soviet terrorist conspiracy nor an international terrorist network. Rather, Euroterrorism appears to be a simple marriage of convenience for European terrorist groups. These groups appear to keep their affairs under their own control, and their ideological differences make it unlikely that they will ever agree sufficiently to provide for a centralized planning cell and operational control for any significant amount of time. While the Soviet Union does provide support for terrorist activities, it does not provide central orchestration for terrorist efforts. While it has declared support for so-called national liberation movements, this support has been largely to Marxist guerrilla groups. Soviet support includes direct and indirect support in the form of arms, training, and money, largely flowing through Soviet surrogates and allies such as Libya, East Germany, and Cuba. While there does not seem to be an international terrorist conspiracy, terrorist events appear to be orchestrated and controlled at the national level, usually by one terrorist group that leads and influences terrorist activity within the country. 32 references.