| Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1992The Year in Review |
One of the largest one-year decreases in the number of internationalterrorist incidents since the United States began keeping such statisticsin 1968 occurred in 1992. International terrorist attacks declined during1992 to 361, the lowest level in 17 years. This is roughly 35 percent fewerthan the 567 incidents recorded in 1991, a figure that was inflated by aspate of low-level incidents at the time of the Gulf war. During 1992, UScitizens and property remained the principal targets throughout the world;nearly 40 percent of the 361 international terrorist attacks during theyear were directed at US targets.US casualties from acts of terrorism were the lowest ever. Two Americanswere killed, and one was wounded during 1992, as opposed to seven deadand 14 wounded the previous year:
On 8 January 1992 naturalized US citizen Jose Lopez was kidnapped by membersof the National Liberation Army in Colombia and subsequently killedaked byautomatic gunfire from a passing car. Another American serviceman in thevehicle was wounded. No group claimed responsibility. This attack occurredjust before the visit of President Bush to Panama.
The one ``spectacular'' international terrorist attack during the yearoccurred on 17 March when a powerful truck bomb destroyed the IsraeliEmbassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The blast leveled the Embassy andseverely damaged a nearby church, school, and retirement home.
Five American missionary nuns were brutally murdered in Liberia in twoseparate attacks during 1992. We have not included these murders asterrorist attacks because a political motivation appears to be lacking.
Twenty-nine persons were killed and 242 wounded. Islamic Jihad, a covernamefor the Iranian-sponsored group Hizballah, publicly claimed responsibilityfor the attack and, to authenticate the claim, released a videotape of theIsraeli Embassy taken during surveillance before the bombing. There ismounting evidence of Iranian Government responsibility for this act ofterrorism.
As was the case during the preceding three years, Latin America saw moreterrorism in 1992 than any other region. Antiforeign attacks in that regionwere predominantly against American targets. Leftwing terrorism,particularly in Europe, is in decline, but ethnic and separatist groups inEurope, Latin America, South Asia, and the Middle East remained active lastyear.
The deadly Peruvian terrorist group Sendero Luminoso was dealt a major blowin September when security forces in Lima captured the group's founder,Abimael Guzman, and many of its high command. Guzman was subsequentlysentenced to life imprisonment for his terrorist crimes.
None of the traditional state sponsors of terrorism has completely abandonedthe terrorist option, especially against dissidents, nor severed ties toterrorist surrogates. Iraq's international terrorist infrastructure waslargely destroyed by the Coalition's counterterrorist actions during thatwar. Since Operation Desert Storm, however, Saddam has used terrorism topunish regime opponents and to intimidate UN and private humanitarianworkers. The Iranian regime has practiced state terrorism since it tookpower in 1979; it is currently the deadliest state sponsor and has achieveda worldwide reach.
There were fewer deaths caused by international terrorism during 1992, 93vice 102 in 1991, but many more persons were wounded, 636 vice 242. Thesingle bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina accounted for about 40percent of all those wounded in terrorist attacks in 1992.
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International Community Acts To Counter Terrorism
In 1992 for the first time, the UN Security Council imposed Chapter VIIsanctions against a state accused of acts of international terrorism.The Security Council's deep involvement began on27 November 1991 when the Governments of France, the United Kingdom, and theUnited States issued a coordinated public statement directed at Libya inview of its responsibility for the bombings of Pan Am Flight 103 and UTAFlight 772 and the resultant murder of more than 440 passengers and crew.The coordinated statements made by the three governments demanded thatLibya:
-- Surrender for trial all those charged with the crimes.-- Accept responsibility for the actions of Libyan officials.-- Disclose all it knows of the crimes, including the names of all thoseresponsible, and allow full access to all witnesses, documents, and othermaterial evidence, including the remaining timers.
-- Pay appropriate compensation.-- Commit itself concretely and definitively to cease all forms of terroristaction and all assistance to terrorist groups. Libya must promptly, byconcrete action, prove its renunciation of terrorism.
On 21 January 1992 the Security Council adopted unanimously Resolution 731,which endorsed these demands. The Council:
-- Condemned the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 and UTA Flight 772 and theresultant loss of hundreds of lives.
-- Strongly deplored the fact that the Libyan Government had not respondedeffectively to the requests to cooperate fully in establishingresponsibility for these terrorist acts.
-- Urged the Libyan Government to immediately provide a full and effectiveresponse to those requests.
-- Requested the Secretary General to seek the cooperation of the LibyanGovernment to respond fully and effectively to those requests.
-- Decided to remain seized of the matter.Between the adoption of UNSC Resolution 731 and mid-March, the SecretaryGeneral and numerous other officials of the UN and interested governmentsattempted without success to convince Libya of the requirement that itcomply promptly and in full with the terms of the resolution.
These efforts failed, and the Security Council adopted Resolution 748 on 31March. The vote was 10 in favor and none opposed, with five abstentions.That resolution provided Libya a 15-day grace period to comply with UNSCResolution 731. Absent such compliance, a series of sanctions went intoeffect. These sanctions, which were adopted under Chapter VII of the UNCharter and are thus obligatory for all UN member states, include:
-- Banning all air traffic into and out of Libya.-- Prohibiting the operations of Libyan Arab Airlines offices worldwide.-- Banning the provision of aircraft and related services and parts toLibya.
-- Prohibiting all arms supplies and related material of all types andlicensing arrangements for arms to Libya.
-- Requiring withdrawal of military advisers, specialists, and techniciansfrom Libya.
-- Mandating that states significantly reduce the number and level of staffat Libyan diplomatic missions.
-- Requiring that states take steps to deny entry or to expel Libyannationals who have been involved in terrorist activities.
These sanctions went into effect on 15 April 1992 despite efforts by Libyato have the International Court of Justice intervene. They have been widelyapplied throughout the world.
The Secretary General has continued his efforts to secure full Libyancompliance with both resolutions. While the Libyans have taken somecosmetic and easily reversible steps concerning the presence in Libya ofterrorist training sites, they have yet to satisfy any of the requirementsimposed by the Security Council resolutions.
Activity by international organizations to help counter the threat posed byinternational terrorism was not limited to the UN Security Council. TheInternational Court of Justice (ICJ) heard Libya's request for a rulingthat would have prohibited the UN Security Council from imposing sanctionson Libya. The ICJ ruled against Libya.
Technical experts from a number of nations that produce plastic explosivescontinued to meet under the auspices of the International Civil AviationOrganization to review various marking chemicals to be included in plasticexplosives in accord with the terms of the Convention on the Marking ofPlastic Explosives for Purposes of Detection. That Convention, completed inMontreal in 1991, has been signed by the United States and 45 othernations. The United States will submit the Convention for ratification bythe Senate during 1993, upon completion of environmental, safety, andoccupational health tests related to the introduction of a marking chemicalinto plastic explosives produced in this nation.
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