WEST EUROPEAN TERRORISM AND COUNTER­TERRORISM

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West European Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism The Evolving Dynamic

Peter Chalk Research Analyst Brisbane, Australia

First published in Great Britain 1996 by

MACMILLAN PRESS LTD Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

First published in the United States of America 1996 by

ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC., Scholarly and Reference Division, 175 Fifth A venue, New York, N.Y. 10010

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Chalk, Peter. West European terrorism and counter-terrorism : the evolving dynamic I Peter Chalk. p. em. Includes bibliographical references and index.

I. Terrorism-Europe, Western. 2. Terrorism-Government policy­-Europe, Western. 3. Terrorism-Europe, Western-Prevention. 4. Europe, Western-Social conditions. 5. Europe, Western-Politics and government. I. Title. HV6433.E85C43 1996 363.3'2'094---dc20 95-52537

© Peter Chalk I 996

Softcover reprint of the hardcover I st edition 1996 978-0-333-65461-3

All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission.

No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London WI P 9HE.

Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

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ISBN 978-1-349-39702-0 ISBN 978-0-230-37419-5 (eBook)DOI 10.1057/9780230374195

ISBN 978-0-312-12971-2

ISBN 978-0-312-12971-2 (cloth)

Contents

List of Tables List of Abbreviations Preface Abstract

Introduction

The Nature of Contemporary Terrorism

2 The General Rise in Worldwide Terrorist Activity from the Late 1960s

3 The Development of the Terrorist Threat in Western Europe,

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xii XIV

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25

1968-89 45

4 West European Terrorism in the 1990s 65

5 The Liberal Response to Terrorism 91

6 The Development of EC/EU Anti-Terrorist Cooperation, 1970-94 117

7 The Maastricht Third Pillar and Liberal Democratic Acceptability

Conclusion

Appendix: Statistical Tables Notes General Index Index of Terrorist Groups

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173 189 223 231

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List of Tables

AI International Terrorist Incidents by Region, 1968-69 173 A2 Casualties Caused by International Terrorism, 1969-89 173 A3 International and Domestic Worldwide Terrorist

Incidents, 1968-88 174 A4 Relative Frequency Distribution of Worldwide Terrorist

Incidents in Percentages, 1968-87 175 A5 International and Domestic Terrorist Incidents in Europe,

1970-78 175 A6 Domestic Terrorist Incidents in EU NATO Countries,

1980-86 175 A7 International and Domestic Terrorist Incidents in

Western Europe, 1968-88 176 A8 Terrorism in the EC by Country and Incident Type,

1974-85 177 A9 Killing in Northern Ireland, 1969-89 177

AlO Deaths Attributable to Republican and Loyalist Paramilitaries, Northern Ireland, 1969-89 178

All Deaths Attributable to ETA Terrorism, 1968-89 179 Al2 Fatalities from Terrorism in Spain, 1968-83 179 Al3 Political Terrorism in Italy, 1968-87 180 Al4 Middle Eastern Terrorism in Europe, 1980-89 181 Al5 International Terrorist Incidents by Region, 1990-93 181 Al6 Worldwide International and Domestic Terrorist

Incidents by Geographic Region, 1989-93 182 Al7 Casualties Caused by International and Domestic

Worldwide Terrorism, 1990-93 182 Al8 Comparative Frequency of International and Domestic

Worldwide Terrorist Incidents in Totals and Annual Averages 183

Al9 Percentage Share of International and Domestic Terrorist Incidents by Geographic Region, 1989-93 183

A20 International and Domestic Terrorism in EU Member Countries, 1990-93 183

A21 Comparative Frequency of International and Domestic Terrorist Incidents in EU States in Totals and Annual Averages 184

A22 International and Domestic Terrorism in Italy, 1990-93 184

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List of Tables Vll

A23 International and Domestic Terrorism in Spain, 1990-93 185 A24 International and Domestic Terrorism in Northern Ireland,

1990-93 185 A25 International and Domestic Terrorism in Germany,

1990-93 185

List of Abbreviations

ACPO AD AIS ANO ANS APLA ARM AS ALA

ASF BfV BKA BLA BR BSB BVD C18 CCC CELAD CHM CIREA

CIREFI

CIS CIS CRI CRW DA Dev Sol DFLP DIA DST DVU EC ECPHRFF

Association of Chief Police Officers Action Direct (Action Directe) Islamic Salvation Army Abu Nidal Organization Actiefront Nationaal Socialisten Azanian People's Liberation Army Animal Rights Militia Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia Automatic Search Facility Bundesamt fiir Verfassungsschutzamt B undeskriminalamat Black Liberation Army Red Brigades (Brigata Rosso) Brigade Speciale Beveilingsopdrachten Binnenlandse Veiligheidsdient Combat 18 Communist Combatant Cells Comite Europeen de la Lutte Anti-Drouge Commando Holger Mains Centre for Information, Discussion and Exchange on Asylum Centre for Information, Discussion and Exchange on the Crossing of Borders and Immigration Commonwealth of Independent States Customs Information Service Centrale Recherche lnformatiediense Counter Revolutionary Wing German Alternative Devrimci Sol Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine Labour Relations Inspection Service Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire German People's Union European Community European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom

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ECST

EIS ELA EOKA EPC ERCA ETA

ETA-M ETA-PM

EU Europol FANE FAP FBI FCO FIS FLN

FLNC

FLQ

FNE FP-25 GAFI GCHQ GDR GEO GIA GIA GIGN GIS GRAPO GSG-9 HEU ICPC INLA IRA

List of Abbreviations

European Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism European Information Service Revolutionary People's Struggle National Organization of Cypriot Combatants European Political Cooperation Red Army for the Liberation of Catalonia Basque Fatherland, Land and Liberty (Euskadi ta Askatasuna) Basque Fatherland, Land and Liberty -Military Basque Fatherland, Land and Liberty -Political/Military European Union European Police Office Federation d' Action Nationale Europeenne Free German Workers' Party Federal Bureau of Investigation Fighting Communist Organization Islamic Salvation Front National Liberation Front (Front de Liberation Nationale) Corsican National Liberation Front (Front du Liberation National Corse) Front for the Liberation of Quebec (Front de Liberation de Quebec) Faisceaux Nationalistes Europeens Popular Forces of 15 April Grouped' Action Financiere Internationale Government Communications Head Quarters German Democratic Republic Grupo Especial de Operaciones Armed Islamic Group (Groupe Islamique Arme) Groupe Interforce Antiterroriste Groupe d'lntervention de la Gendarmerie Gruppo Intervento Speciale October 1st Anti-Fascist Group Grenzschutzgruppe 9 Highly Enriched Uranium International Criminal Police Commission Irish National Liberation Army Irish Republican Army

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JRA

KGB

LARF LTTE MAD MAG MCO MNRJRENAMO MPSB NAR NATO NCB NCIS NF NIEPA NO NOCS OIRA PAF PFLP PFLP-GC

PFN PIJ PIOS PIRA PKK PLF PLO PLOTE PNV PPSF PTA PWGOT QMV RAF RAID RARA R0-17 November

List of Abbreviations

Japanese Red Army (aka United Red Army of Japan!URA) Committee for State Security (Komitet Gosudarst­vennoi Bezopastnosti) Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Faction Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Mutually Assured Destruction Mutual Assistance Group May 19th Communist Organization National Resistance Movement Metropolitan Police Special Branch Italian Armed Revolutionary Nuclei North Atlantic Treaty Organization National Central Bureau National Criminal Intelligence Service Nationalist Front Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act National Offensive Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza Official Irish Republican Army Protestant Action Force Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine­General Command Parti des Forces Nouvelles Palestinian Islamic Jihad Personen, Instituten, Objekte, Sachen Provisional Irish Republican Army Kurdish Workers' Party (Pesh Merga) Palestine Liberation Front Palestine Liberation Organization People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam Partido de A vana Palestine Popular Struggle Front Prevention of Terrorism Act Police Working Group on Terrorism Qualified Majority Vote Red Army Faction (Rote Armee Fraktion) Recherche, Assistance, Intervention, Dissuasion Revolutionary Anti-Racist Action Revolutionary Organization of 17 November

List of Abbreviations xi

RPG Rocket Propelled Grenade RUC Royal Ulster Constabulary RZ Revolutionary Cells (Revolutioniirin Zellen) SAM Surface to Air Missile SAS Special Air Service SCENT Systems Customs Enforcement Network SDECE Direction de Documentation Exterieure et de

Contre-Espionnage SDS Students for a Democratic Society SEKs Spezialeinsatzkommandos SID Servisio Informazione Democraticia SIFAR Servisio Informazione della Forze Armata SIReNE Supplementary Information Request at the

National Entries SIS Secret Intelligence Service SIS Schengen Information System SIS DE Servisio Informazione Sicurezza Democratico SLA Symbionese Liberation Army ssu Special Support Unit STAR Group SHindigarbeitsgruppe Rauschgift TEU Treaty on European Union TL Free Land TREVI Terrorism, Radicalism, Extremism, International

Violence TSFN TREVI Secure Fax Network UCLAF Unite de Coordination de Ia Lutte Anti-Fraude UDA Ulster Defence Association UDR Ulster Defence Regiment UFF Ulster Freedom Fighters UN United Nations UNIT A National Union for the Total Independence of

Angola UNSO Ukrainian People's Self-Defence Association us United States USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics UVF Ulster Volunteer Force VAPO People's Extra Parliamentary Opposition VMO Vlaamse Militante Orden WP Warsaw Pact wuo Weather Underground Organization

Preface

This book represents the culmination of three years' research in the field of West European terrorism and EC/EU counter-terrorism. The book is predicated on the belief that terrorism in its various manifestations poses a fundamental threat to the freedoms and principles enshrined in the liberal democratic political systems of Western Europe. However, it is equally stressed that some of the potential responses to terrorism could pose an equal, if not a greater, threat to democratic norms than does terrorism itself. It is hoped that the words which follow will provide a sense of per­spective and understanding that both contributes to a more sophisticated understanding of the nature of the terrorist phenomenon itself as well as stimulates informed debate with respect to the need for appropriate and balanced responses.

There are many people to thank. In particular, I would like to extend my gratitude to the following for their input and help in the writing of the text: Martin Baldwin-Edwards of the Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland; Dr Monica den Boer, formerly of the University of Edinburgh and now at the Dutch Institute for Study of Criminology, the Netherlands; James Cooney of the Department of International and Public Affairs, Placer Dome Inc., Vancouver; Christopher Groves of Control Risks Ltd., London; Dr James Dingley of the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland; Superintendent Bill Emerton of the Metropolitan Police (UK) Special Branch, New Scotland Yard, London; Detective Superintendent Ken Grange of the Metropolitan Police's Directorate of Performance Review, New Scotland Yard, London; Donald Kerr of the International Institute of Strategic Studies, London; Dr Mike King of the Centre for the Study of Public Order, the University of Leicester; Dr Alasdair Stewart of the University of Aberdeen, Scotland; Professor Paul Wilkinson of the University of St Andrews, Scotland; and Dr Rachael Woodward of the Centre for the Study of Public Order, the University of Leicester.

A special debt of thanks is owed to Professor Brian Job for his tireless efforts in guiding me through the often harrowing experience of writing a book. His many insights and comments on the various drafts of the manu­script are much appreciated and greatly contributed to the final product that is contained in the pages that follow. Needless to say, however, the thoughts contained herein are my own and I consequently take full respons­ibility for any errors or faults that might occur in the text.

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Preface xiii

All efforts have been made to contact copyright holders, but if any have not replied, the author and publishers will be glad to make the necessary arangements when the book is reprinted.

Finally, but certainly not least, I would like to thank my wife, Tasha, for the patience, support and encouragement that she has given me since I first undertook to write this academic study. It has been said that the only thing worse than writing a book is living with someone writing a book. I can only hope that the experiences of the past three years have not done too much to confirm this in her mind!

P.C.

Abstract

This book is concerned with an analysis of the dynamic of West European terrorism and European Community/Union (EC/EU) counter-terrorism as it has evolved since the late 1960s. The first half of the study is devoted to an investigation of the nature of the terrorist phenomenon itself; the factors that were primarily responsible for its escalation from the late 1960s onwards; and the new and continuing trends that are likely to affect the future course of terrorism within Western Europe into the 1990s. The main focus of the second half of the project centres on an examination of the effectiveness and appropriateness of the latest EU provision to counter terrorism (and other major threats to internal security) - the Maastricht third 'pillar'. This assessment is made from a perspective that takes into account questions of both operational anti-terrorist proficiency and liberal democratic acceptability.

Police and security forces throughout the EU have strongly endorsed the third pillar as providing an efficient response to serious criminality. However, from a liberal democratic point of view, the Maastricht provi­sions raise critical questions concerning the underlying ideological ratio­nale that appears to be guiding the Twelve's evolving internal security cooperation, the lack of public debate surrounding this coordination and the absence of any effective means to control closer EU judicial and law enforcement action.

All this poses a serious problem for the future of EU counter-terrorism cooperation. Close coordination between the EU member states is absolutely necessary if the continuing threat of terrorism in Western Europe is to be effectively quashed in the 1990s. However, one cannot realistically expect this to happen if fundamental fears exist over the desir­ability and legitimacy of establishing ever closer internal security coopera­tion. It is therefore vital that in the headlong rush to provide for an enhanced international operational capacity to deal with terrorism critical considerations of democratic control and acceptability (both of which the EU as well as individual member states are sworn to uphold by virtue of their 'status' as liberal democratic entities) are not lost by the Union Twelve.

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