If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. • .. -~.• -,- ''''' ....'1 r: .~ ~ .....,J ... J 'IJ'·· . " " ..........~~ ' .... ,...-, 107701- U.S. Departmtnt of JUltlce Nationallnllllute of JUllice 107706 1 This document has been reproduced exactly as received from the .. person or organization originating It. Polnle! of view or opinions stated In this dllcument are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official pOSition or policies of the Natlonallnstllule 01 Justice. \ Permission to reproduce this copyrighted material has been granted by , FBI LaW Enforcem:m.t Bulletin I: to the N~'IIQnal Grlmlnal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). Further reproduOtlon outside of Ihe NCJRS system requires permis­ sion oIlhe copyright owner. I' aitJ • haA .. ~"'. ~ Ocfober 1987, Volume 56, Number 11 fiLl l1e f; L,~~l! ~~#Bglf 1 Terrorism Today 107 7 t:)1 Ci By Oliver B. Revell 167702. Domestic Terrorism In the 1980's ~ By John W. Harris, Jr. '. I C)7 7CJ3 The FBI and Terrorism ~ By Steven L. Pomerantz /6770,( Irish Terrorism Investigations E By J.L. Stone, Jr. ( a 770$ ~. Narco-Terrorism -- By Daniel Boyce .,. .. [28"_ FBI's Expanding Role In International Terrorism Investigations By D.F. Martell m Law Enforcement Bulletin United States Department of Justice Published by the Office of Publlo Affairs th.COil.r: Federal Bureau of Investigation Milt Ahlerlch, Acting Assistant Director This I!lsue of the Bullelln Is a specl.1 report on Washington, DC 2Q535 terrorism. Cover design by John E. Ott. Edltor-Thom:ls J. OC:lkln JOhil E. Otto, ActIng DIrector Assistant Editor-Kathryn E. Sulewski Art Dfrector-John E. Olt The Attorney,General ha8 determined that the The FBI Law enforcement Bulletin pUblication of thl' periodical 18 npce8sary In the Production Manager-Mark A. Zettler (fSSN·OO1405888) I. publf.hed monthly by the transaction of the public buslnilli j required by Reprlnts-Carolyn F. Thompson Federal Bureau of Inveallgallorl, 10th Ind Penn­ law 01 tha Department of JustIce. Use of fundS iylvanla AVe., N.W., Wa.hlngton, DO 205315. for printing this periodical has been approved Second-cl .... postage paid at Wa'hlngton, OC. • by the Director of the Office of Management P03Ima.ter: S.nd addr.n changeD 10 Federal and Budget through June 6, 1988. Bureau of fnveatlgallon, FBI Law Enforc.ment BulieUn, WUhlngton, DC 20535. ISSN 0014-5688 USP~ 383 .. 310 • 107702..,. .. Domestic Terrorism in the 1980's "Symbols, such as double liqhtning bolts and swastikas, which were used by Hitler's Nazi regIme, are often worn by members of the Aryan Nations and other right.. wing neo-Nazl extremist groups." The United Freedom Front ..• the dlviduals responsible for the post-1980 By Armed Forces of the National LIbera­ terrorism were not directly responsible JOHN W. HARRIS, JR., M.A. tion •.. the Armed Resistance Unit •.• for the violence 01 the 1960's and the EPB-Macheteros. These are some 1970's, many can trace either their Intelligence Research Speclal/st of the names that have become synon­ group's beginnings or their own Indivld- Terrorist Research and Analytical ~enter ymous with terrorist activity In the uallnvolvement in a movement to this Federal Bureau of Investtgation United States and Puerto Rico during period. WashIngton, DC the 1980's. These groups are domestic; they are not funded, directed, con­ Perspectives trolled, or supported by foreign sources. At the beginning of the 1980's They, and other groups of similar phi· there was a certain attitude among law losophies and ideologies, are respon­ enforcement about the threat of terror· sible for more than 125 terrorist Incl· Ism In the United States. This was dents and numerous other terrorist­ based upon the most recent activity, or related acts since 1980. Bombings, lack of activity, by the various domestic armed robberies, murders, and arsons terrorist factions. are some of the criminal acts that have The early·to-mld·1970's were been attributed to them. marked by the bombing attacks by such The 1980's followed 2 turbulent leftist groups as the Weathermen or decades when domestic terrorist and Weather Underground Organization extremist political activity In the United and the New World Liberation Front. By States reached levels not previously re­ the end of the decade. however, these corded In American history. The 1960'S, activities had become sporadic at best for example, were dominated by vio­ (six terrorist InCidents In 1978, one In lence generated by racial hatred, cam­ 1979, and none In 1980). Most of those pus unrest, and urban disorders. The responsible for the terrorism from these 1970's were dominated by antiwar and elements were alther In custody or they anti-Imperialist attitudes which resulted had disappeared and their locatlol18 In a wave of terrorist bombings. Many of and activities were unknown. Once re­ the Issues and values that Impacted on garded as a most serious domestic sew these times changed little and once curlty threat, the "white left," because again have become factors In the of a lack of Identifiable terrorist I.lctlVlty, 1980's. Although the majority of the In- _____, ___________~ ______ October19071 IS .'-"?tb t was considered to have all but ceased males and females, who acted in sup­ to exist as a pr')blem by 1980. This port roles. The suspects fled the scene same opinion was held of black and In a van but abandoned It nearby for a right-wing elements, neither of which U·Haul truck. Other suspects accom­ was Known to have been actively en­ panied the robbers In a tan Honda auto­ gaged in terrorist activities during the mobile. latter part of the 1970's and Into 1980. Police stopped the truck near the In contrast, violence-prone, pro­ entrance to the NeW York State Thru­ independence elements of the Puerto way In Nyack, NY, to question the Rican independence movement were driver. Several black males jumped considered the most viable domestic from the back of the truck firing auto­ security threat at the beginning of the matic weapons; two police officers were 1980's. Approximately 100 terrorist Inci­ killed and another was wounded. One dents were attributed to Puerto Rican suspect who had been In the cab of the elements in the United States and U-Haul, a white female, was arrested at Puerto Rico between 1977 and 1979, the scene. Other suspects escaped on and there were 12 such Incidents in foot or In commandeered vehicles. 1980. Also considered a threat, but less The Honda and another car sped so than the Puerto Ricans, were the away from the shooting scene and were Jewish terrorists, who were responsible pursued by police. During the chase, for 16 terrorist Incidents in 1978 and the Honda crashed and its occupants, a one in 1979. black male, a white male, and a white But appearances are not always as female, were arrested. The other car they seem. The fact is that all factions­ was later found abandoned. right and left, black and White-were The Individuals arrested on Octo" very much active during the late 1970's ber 20th were Identified as Kathy and into the 1980's, even though not all Boudin (at Nyack), and Judith Clark, were involved in Identifiable terrorist ac­ David Gilbert, and Samuel Brown (In tivities such as bombings. Left-wing the Honda). Another suspect, Samuel elements, for example, had begun to Smith, was killed In a gun battle with reorganize. Sometimes black and white New York City Police Department of­ extremists worked together committing ficers 3 days later, and a second sus­ robberies. In addition, some right-wing pect, Nathaniel Burns, was arrested. groups that became of Interest to law Several safehouses In the New YorK enforcement during the 1980's were City metropolitan area were searched organized during the late 1970's. as a result of leads generated by these It was not until late 1981, however, arrests. Weapons, bombing compo­ that law enforcement began to refocus nents, radical literature, and other Items Its thinking In domestic terrorism be­ were recovered at some of these. Oth­ cause of one event. On October 20, ers were Implicated In the robbery, in­ 1981, a Brinks Armored Car Service cluding Mutulu Shakur, Marilyn Jean truck was robbed of more than $1.5 mil­ Buck, Donald Weems, Sylvia Baraldlnl, lion at a bank In Nanuet, NY. A Brinks and Susan Rosenberg, amor.g others. guard was killed and another wounded This event changed many opinions during the robbery. Participants In this In the law enforcement community to­ crime Included black males, who actu­ ward leftist ten'orlst activity. It showed ally committed the robbery, and white that many of the radicals from the 6 I FBI Law En/orcomont Bullelin ______________________________ ---------------------------- ~-- -----~------ 73 ('Violence prone pro-independence elen'fJents of the Puerto Rican independence movement were conslrdered the most viable domestic security threat at the beginning of the 1980~s .•.. " 1970's, who had disappeared and were who often view themselves as urban attempted murders of two Massachu­ thought to no longer be involved in the guerrillas, have instituted an tumed setts State policemen In February "movement" were, in fact, still very campaign against the state. Thelse phi­ 1982. The group also reportedly com­ much active. It also showed that black losophies are little different from those mitted armed bank robberies from Con­ and white elements were cooperating. espoused by the leftist groups of the necticut to Virginia to sustain them­ Members or associates of earlier 1960's and 1970's. selves. They lived under a variety of groups, such as the Weather Under­ These radicals have choser, ~ym­ false identities and usually resided in ground, the Biack Liberation Army, and bolic targets for their attacks-mill 1ry rural areas.