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ASSASSINATION - THE DEADLY TACTIC

NCJ Number
63614
Journal
EXECUTIVE RISK ASSESSMENT Volume: 1 Issue: 5 Dated: (MARCH 1979) Pages: 1-8
Author(s)
ANON
Date Published
1979
Length
8 pages
Annotation
ASSASSINATIONS BY TERRORISTS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, EXCEPT COMMUNIST COUNTRIES, FROM 1970 THROUGH 1978, ARE ANALYZED WITH RESPECT TO REGIONS AND COUNTRIES AFFECTED, TYPES OF TARGET PERSONNEL, TACTICS, AND PREDICTED TRENDS.
Abstract
ASSASSINATION INCIDENTS HAVE INCREASED FROM 24 IN 1970 TO 242 IN 1978. OVER THREE-FOURTHS OF THE 1978 ATTEMPTS WERE SUCCESSFUL. EUROPE AND LATIN AMERICA HAVE ACCOUNTED FOR 73.5 PERCENT OF THE 687 RECORDED ASSASSINATIONS IN THE 9-YEAR PERIOD. THE HIGHEST NUMBERS OF ASSASSINATIONS WERE IN SPAIN, ITALY, ARGENTINA, COLOMBIA, NICARAGUA, GUATEMALA, AND EL SALVADOR. IN SPAIN THE MOST ACTIVE TERRORIST GROUPS HAVE BEEN THE BASQUE FATHERLAND AND LIBERTY MOVEMENT (ETA) AND THE MARXIST FIRST OF OCTOBER ANTIFASCIST REVOLUTIONARY GROUPS (GRAPO). IN ITALY, THE RED BRIGADES, FIRST LINE, AND ARMED PROLETARIAN NUCLEI ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE GROUPS. MOST ASSASSINATION TARGETS HAVE BEEN FROM THE SAME COUNTRY AS THE ASSASSINS. TARGETS HAVE INCLUDED POLICE (25 PERCENT), MILITARY (15 PERCENT), GOVERNMENT (13 PERCENT), BUSINESS (12 PERCENT), POLITICAL (10 PERCENT) AND DIPLOMATIC (8 PERCENT) PERSONNEL, AS WELL AS OTHERS. THE PERCENTAGE OF BUSINESS TARGETS HAS INCREASED IN RECENT YEARS, AS HAS THE NUMBER OF ASSASSINATIONS DIRECTED AT LOWER RANKING PERSONNEL WITHIN EACH TYPE OF ORGANIZATION. ASSASSINATION TEAMS USUALLY HAVE THREE MEMBERS, OFTEN INCLUDING ONE FEMALE. PISTOLS OR AUTOMATIC WEAPONS WERE USED IN ALMOST FOUR-FIFTHS OF THE INCIDENTS. USE OF ASSASSINATIONS AS A TERRORIST TOOL WILL PROBABLY NOT DECLINE IN THE FUTURE. CASE EXAMPLES, TABLES, FOOTNOTES, AND AN EXPLANATION OF THE DATA BASE, ARE INCLUDED. FOR RELATED ANALYSES OF OTHER KINDS OF TERRORISM, SEE NCJ-63615, 63616, AND 63623. (CFW)