NCJ Number
63616
Journal
EXECUTIVE RISK ASSESSMENT Volume: 1 Issue: 4 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1979) Pages: 1-6
Date Published
1979
Length
6 pages
Annotation
TERRORIST ATTACKS ON COMMERICAL AND GOVERNMENTAL FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, EXCEPT IN COMMUNIST COUNTRIES, FROM 1970 THROUGH 1978 ARE ANALYZED WITH RESPECT TO SEVERAL FACTORS AND PREDICTED TRENDS.
Abstract
A FACILITY ATTACK IS DEFINED AS AN OPEN ASSAULT BY A TERRORIST COMMANDO UNIT UPON A PHYSICAL INSTALLATION. FROM 1970 THROUGH 1978, THERE WERE 952 FACILITY ATTACKS, OF WHICH 98 PERCENT WERE SUCCESSFUL. ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED BETWEEN 1975 AND 1978. HUMAN LOSSES INCLUDED 1,445 KILLED, 1,045 INJURED, AND 3,009 HOSTAGES TAKEN. ALMOST HALF OF THE INCIDENTS TARGETED BUSINESSES; ABOUT 6 PERCENT TARGETED U.S. BUSINESSES. ATTACK GROUPS MOST OFTEN HAD SIX MEMBERS. TOTAL DAMAGE WAS $141.7 MILLION, OF WHICH 11 PERCENT WAS SUFFERED BY U.S. BUSINESS. AN ADDITIONAL $18.3 MILLION WAS LOST BY ROBBERIES. BUSINESSES WERE COMMON TARGETS FOR BOTH PRACTICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL REASONS. OTHER FACILITIES ATTACKED INCLUDED DIPLOMATIC, GOVERNMENT, POLICE, MILITARY, AND NEWS MEDIA INSTALLATIONS. TACTICS INCLUDED HIT AND RUN OPERATIONS, ESPECIALLY IN SPAIN, LATIN AMERICA, AND THE MIDDLE EAST, AND OCCUPATION OF THE TARGET INSTALLATION. AUTOMATIC WEAPONS, USUALLY SUBMACHINE GUNS, WERE USED IN ABOUT HALF THE INCIDENTS. IN OVER THREE-QUARTERS OF THE INCIDENTS, ALL HOSTAGES WERE RELEASED AND RESCUED; IN 6 PERCENT, ALL THE HOSTAGES WERE KILLED. SOME INCIDENTS HAD DIFFERENT OUTCOMES FOR DIFFERENT HOSTAGES. THE DATA SUGGEST THAT BUSINESS FACILITIES WILL REMAIN PRIORITY TARGETS FOR TERRORISTS. IN THE FIRST 1.5 MONTHS OF 1979, THERE HAVE BEEN 110 FACILITY ATTACKS AGAINST BUSINESSES. DOMESTIC BUSINESSES WILL BE THE PRIMARY TARGETS, ALTHOUGH U.S. CORPORATIONS ARE SECONDARY TARGETS. TABLES AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. FOR SIMILAR ANALYSES OF OTHER TYPES OF TERRORISM, SEE NCJ-63614, 63615, AND 63623. (CFW)