NCJ Number
63625
Date Published
1979
Length
110 pages
Annotation
THIS ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT AND FUTURE TERRORIST RISKS IN WESTERN EUROPE ANALYZES TERRORIST ACTIVITY FROM 1970 THROUGH 1978, TACTICS USED, ACTIVE TERRORIST GROUPS, AND COMPARISONS WITH TERRORISM ELSEWHERE.
Abstract
THE ASSESSMENT IS BASED ON STATISTICAL INFORMATION IN THE RISKS INTERNATIONAL DATA BASE, WHICH CONTAINS INFORMATION ON SIGNIFICANT TERRORIST ACTIONS IN ALL NONCOMMUNIST COUNTRIES. GOVERNMENT, POLICE, AND PRESS REPORTS WERE USED TO COMPILE THE DATA. TERRORISM WAS DEFINED AS THREATENED OR ACTUAL USE OF FORCE AND VIOLENCE TO ATTAIN A POLITICAL GOAL THROUGH FEAR, COERCION, OR INTIMIDATION. TERRORIST ACTIONS ANALYZED INCLUDED KIDNAPPING, HIJACKING, ASSASSINATION, MAIMINGS, ATTACKS AGAINST FACILITIES, AND BOMBINGS. EUROPE LEADS ALL OTHER WORLD REGIONS IN TERRORIST ACTIVITY, WITH 2,607 SIGNIFICANT INCIDENTS FROM 1970 THROUGH 1978. OVER 70 PERCENT OCCURRED IN THE LAST 3 YEARS. ITALY, SPAIN, GERMANY, AND FRANCE ACCOUNTED FOR 81 PERCENT OF ALL ACTIONS WHILE SPAIN AND ITALY ALONE ACCOUNTED FOR 60 PERCENT. PORTUGAL, THE NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM, SWITZERLAND, AUSTRIA, AND GREECE HAVE HAD RELATIVELY FEW INCIDENTS, IN PART BECAUSE SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN USED AS HAVENS BY TERRORISTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. TERRORIST INCIDENTS HAVE INCLUDED 1,761 BOMBINGS, 383 FACILITY ATTACKS, 290 ASSASSINATIONS, 83 KIDNAPPINGS, 70 LEG SHOOTINGS, AND 20 HIJACKINGS. TARGETS AND TACTICS HAVE VARIED FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY. DURING 1979, SPAIN AND ITALY ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE CONTINUING SERIOUS TERRORIST PROBLEMS. IN SPAIN, THE BASQUE FATHERLAND AND LIBERTY MOVEMENT (ETA) POSES A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY. IN ITALY, TERRORIST ORGANIZAIONS, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY UNDERGOING A RETRENCHMENT PERIOD, ARE EXPECTED TO RESUME OPERATIONS, ESPECIALLY AGAINST BUSINESSES. TABLES, ANALYSES OF RISKS AND TERRORIST GROUPS IN EACH COUNTRY, AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. FOR SIMILAR ANALYSES OF OTHER REGIONS, SEE NCJ-63626-63628. (CFW)