NCJ Number
103341
Date Published
1986
Length
14 pages
Annotation
A review of trends in left-wing, right-wing, and state-supported terrorism in West Germany and Italy finds that state-supported terrorism poses the greatest threat in the near future.
Abstract
While the targets of terrorists in Western Europe have expanded to include airports, refineries, pubs, schools, and trains, both Germany and Italy have dealt serious setbacks to terrorist organizations in their countries and incidents have been declining. Embassies and potential kidnapping victims are better protected, the governments have been more efficient in collecting intelligence, and public support of terrorist groups has been dwindling. In Germany, the Red Army Faction has tried to inflict new waves of violence between 1977 and 1984. Its repeated failures have resulted in a loss of sympathizers. Further, its ideological shortcomings have contributed to its rejection by the stronger and more numerous revolutionary cells. While right-wing, neo-Nazi violent actions saw an increase during the early 1980's, these groups are small and their influence and public appeal is limited. In Italy, as in Germany, both left- and right-wing terrorism are in the process of declining.