ASALA’s activities in 1983, according to the US Central Intelligence Agency

On June 16, 1983, ASALA carried out one of its most famous operations, the “Hakob Hakobyan” operation. As part of the operation, an attack is being carried out in the market of Istanbul. ASALA fighter Mkrtich Mataryan was martyred by a bomb explosion.

As a result of the operation, 3 people were killed and 22 were injured. Days later, on June 23, 1983, the US Central Intelligence Agency publishes a report in which, among a number of global terrorist events, it also presents the actions that took place in Istanbul.

Terrorism Review, June 23, 1983, N GI TR 83-013, Secret.

US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): Office of Global Issues (OGI).

On June 16, 1983, the terrorist killed two and injured 23 people as a result of an attack with a grenade and a machine gun in the market of Istanbul. A person who called the Agence France-Presse (AFP) agency in Paris attributed the responsibility to the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA).

This would be ASALA’s first attack in Turkey since the Ankara airport attack in August last year. In our assessment, the Istanbul attack is revenge by the Turkish authorities for the execution of an ASALA member who was arrested during the ASALA attack last August.” (See: TERRORISM REVIEW):

 

In addition to presenting the Istanbul operation, the CIA devotes a large chapter to ASALA in its secret report, where it presents the organization, recent events, and also gives a political assessment.

Below we present that chapter included in the report in its entirety.

«Radical Armenian groups create a new political organization

The groups that provided support to the Armenian radical terrorists have united in a new political organization. According to “Armenian Reporter”, “Democratic Front” was created during the conference of Armenian radical groups from USA, Canada and Europe in Los Angeles in April.

This organization includes the British and Canadian People’s Movements of the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA), as well as the Armenian National Movement operating in France, which is often called “Combat Armenien”. The conference statement claimed that traditional, nationalist Armenian political parties had failed to advance the Armenian cause effectively, and declared that the only way to “liberate” Armenian territories was through popular, armed struggle.

 

The “Democratic Front” has declared that it is independent of any existing group or political party. We hypothesize that one of the reasons for the realignment of these radical support groups was, in part, their isolation from the activities of the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA). ASALA’s leadership expelled French, British and Canadian support groups in December 1982, following deepening divisions between the terrorist core and popular movements. The latter provided some support to ASALA.

We hypothesize that these support groups may have refused to support ASALA’s erratic and indiscriminate bombing campaigns, preferring to improve the international image of Armenia, which had been damaged by terrorism, and achieve this goal through more moderate political activity.

We also note that in the May-June issue of the Hayastan Kaytzer periodical, it was mentioned that the “Democratic Front” stopped its unconditional support to ASALA. The new organization will probably try to create a broad political base in order to support the Armenian struggle for the homeland.

Longstanding close ties with the Palestinians appear to have encouraged Armenians to emulate the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) use of political organizations as a means of bolstering its legitimacy as a representative of the Palestinian people.

We note the efforts of the most powerful Armenian political organization, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (also known as the Dashnaktsutyun Party), to return to the Socialist International and establish closer relations with socialist parties in order to gain support for the Armenian cause.

The Second Armenian International Congress, scheduled to be held on July 20-24, 1983 in Lausanne, Switzerland, plans to draft a constitution for a permanent organization to govern the Armenian diaspora. Although the fledgling Democratic Front appears to have rejected terrorism, we speculate that its success as a political force may affect its future relationship with ASALA, which lacks a pillar of political support.

The five terrorist attacks carried out by ASALA after abandoning its support groups show that it can operate on its own. However, we believe that ASALA can be seen as a valuable ally.” (Ibid.).

The Istanbul operation not only became one of the most famous episodes of ASALA’s activity, but also refocused the attention of international structures on the organization’s strategy, structure and external relations. The CIA report shows that during that period, ASALA was gradually losing some of its former political support while continuing the path of armed struggle and trying to maintain its influence in Armenian radical circles.

Z. Sh:i was late

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