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- Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) aka: The Orly
- Group, 3rd October Organization
-
- Description
- Marxist-Leninist Armenian terrorist group formed in 1975 with stated
- intention to compel the Turkish Government to acknowledge publicly its
- alleged responsibility for the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915, pay
- reparations, and cede territory for an Armenian homeland. Led by Hagop
- Hagopian until he was assassinated in Athens in April 1988.
-
- Activities
- Initial bombing and assassination attacks directed against Turkish targets.
- Later attacked French and Swiss targets to force release of imprisoned
- comrades. Made several minor bombing attacks against US airline offices in
- Western Europe in early 1980S. Bombing of Turkish airline counter at Orly
- Airport in Paris in 1983--eight killed and 55 wounded--led to split in group
- over rationale for causing indiscriminate casualties. Suffering from
- internal schisms, group has been relatively inactive over past four years,
- although recently claimed an unsuccessful attack on Turkish Ambassador to
- Hungary.
-
- Strength
- A few hundred members and sympathizers.
-
- Location/Area of Operation
- Lebanon, Western Europe, Armenia, United States, and Middle East.
-
- External Aid
- Has received aid, including training and safehaven, from Syria. May also
- receive some aid from Libya. Has extensive ties to radical Palestinian
- groups, including the PFLP and PFLP-GC.
-
-
- SELECTED INCIDENT CHRONOLOGY
-
- JANUARY, 1975:
- BOMBED THE BEIRUT HEADQAURTERS OF THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
- BECAUSE OF ITS ROLE IN ASSISTING ARMENIANS TO EMIGRATE TO OTHER
- COUNTRIES.
-
- OCTOBER, 1975:
- CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MURDER OF THE TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO
- AUSTRIA. THE OPERATION WAS ALSO CLAIMED BY THE JUSTICE COMMANDOS
- OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE (JCAG).
-
- OCTOBER, 1975:
- CLAIMED RESPONSIBLITY FOR THE MURDERS OF THE TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO
- FRANCE AND HIS CHAUFFER, WHO WERE MACHINE-GUNNED TO DEATH WHILE
- ENROUTE TO THE TURKISH EMBASSY.
-
- FEBRUARY, 1976:
- ASSASSINATED THE FIRST SECRETARY OF THE TURKSIH EMBASSY IN BEIRUT.
-
- OCTOBER, 1976:
- DETONATED TWO BOMBS IN ISTANBUL, KILLING ONE AND WOUNDING FOUR.
-
- NOVEMBER, 1979:
- BOMB THE TWA OFFICE IN MADRID.
-
- DECEMBER, 1979:
- BOMBED THE TURKISH AIRLINES OFFICE IN LONDON. IN CLAIMING
- RESPONSIBILITY, ASALA EXPRESSED SOLIDARITY WITH THE TERRORIST
- MOVEMENTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND.
- DECEMBER, 1979:
- CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MURDER OF THE TURKISH PRESS ATTACHE
- IN PARIS.
-
- MARCH, 1980:
- BOMBED THE OFFICES HOUSING THE TURKISH AIRLINES AND THE TOURIST
- BUREAU IN ROME, KILLING TWO PERSONS.
-
- JUNE, 1980:
- CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MURDER OF A TURKISH CONSULAR
- EMPLOYEE IN GENEVA.
-
- OCTOBER, 1980:
- CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BOMBING OF THE ALITALIA OFFICE IN
- MADRID.
-
- OCTOBER, 1980:
- CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BOMBING OF THE TURKISH AIRLINES
- OFFICE IN LONDON.
-
- NOVEMBER, 1980:
- CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BOMBING OF THE SWISSAIR OFFICE IN
- MADRID.
-
- JANUARY, 1981:
- BOMBED THE SWISSAIR OFFICE AND THE SWISS CONSULATE IN MILAN IN
- RETALIATION FOR THE ARREST OF TWO ARMENIAN MILITANTS IN GENEVA.
-
- MARCH, 1981:
- ASSASSINATED THE TURKISH LABOR ATTACHE AND CONSUL FOR RELIGIOUS
- AFFAIRS IN PARIS.
-
- SEPTEMBER, 1981:
- STORMED THE TURKISH CONSULATE IN PARIS, KILLING A GUARD AND
- SERIOUSLY WOUNDING A VICE-CONSUL. THE TERRORISTS HELD 51 PERSONS
- HOSTAGE FOR FIFTEEN HOURS BEFORE SURRENDERING.
- JUNE, 1982:
- ATTEMPTED TO BOMB THE AIR CANADA FREIGHT OFFICE AT LOS ANGELES
- INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. POLICE DISARMED THE DEVICE FIFTEEN
- MINUTES BEFORE IT WAS SET TO DETONATE.
-
- AUGUST, 1982:
- ATTACKED ISTANBUL'S ESENBOGA AIRPORT, KILLING SEVEN AND WOUNDING
- SEVENTY TWO.
-
- JUNE, 1983:
- CARRIED OUT A GRENADE AND MACHINE GUN ATTACK ON THE ISTANBUL
- BAZAAR, KILLING TWO.
-
- JULY, 1983:
- BOMBED THE TURKISH AIRLINES COUNTER AT ORLY, PARIS, KILLING SEVEN.
-
- MARCH, 1984:
- WOUNDED THE FIRST SECRETARY AND THE DEPUTY MILITARY ATTACHE OF
- THE TURKISH EMBASSY IN TEHRAN.
-
- JANUARY-MAY, 1986:
- STAGED FIVE INCIDENTS IN LEBANON, RESULTING IN ONE KIDNAPPING, NINE
- DEATHS, TWO INJURIES, AND PROPERTY DAMAGE RESULTING FROM BOMBINGS
- AGAINST "DASHNAG" (RIGHT WING) ARMENIAN POLITICAL PARTY MEMBERS.
- ASALA CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY OR WAS SUSPECTED IN ALL OF THE
- OPERATIONS.
-
- SEPTEMBER, 1986:
- SUSPECTED OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE PARIS BOMBING CAMPAIGN.
-
- OCTOBER, 1987:
- IN EAST BEIRUT, LEBANON, GUNMEN ATTACKED THREE MEMBERS OF THE
- FRENCH EMBASSY GUARD FORCE, KILLING TWO AND WOUNDING ONE. ASALA
- CLAIMED THE ATTACK WAS CARRIED OUT TO PRESSURE THE GOVERNMENT OF
- FRANCE TO RELEASE ASALA PRISONERS HELD IN FRANCE.
- APRIL, 1988:
- ASALA LEADER HAGOP HAGOPIAN KILLED IN ATHENS.
-
- DECEMBER, 1991:
- A LONE GUNMAN OPEENED FIRE ON A LIMOSINE IN WHICH THE TURKISH
- AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY WAS RIDING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A
- CALLER CLAIMING TO REPRESENT ASALA TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
- ATTACK.
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- THE ABOVE INFORMATION WAS DERIVED FROM MULTIPLE STATE DEPARTMENT AND
- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SOURCE DOCUMENTS.
-
-