Terrorism continues in California

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34132, 20 April 1976, Page 11

Terrorism continues in California

(81/

CHARLES FOLEY,

J the. Observer Foreign News Service)

SAN FRANCISCO. , The Federal Bureau of Investigation has made its first major breakthrough in a continued war against radical terrorist groups ; responsible for scores of bombings in Northern California over the last year. In raids on houses used by the revolutionaries in towns around San Francisco Bay they have netted thousands (of documents — “a bonanza iof investigative leads,” said (one police officer — arrested (a band of California’s “urban I j guerrillas,” and uncovered a (plot to assassinate President iFord and his Republican challenger, Mr Ronald Reagan. But the bombings have not stopped. And the police believe they have a long way to go before they put an end to this violence — if, indeed, they can ever do so in today’s (heated political climate. The ! revolutionary underground in | California is nothing if not (persistent. For almost a de(cade now, terrorists have (bombed government buildings and the offices of giant corporations more or less at will. They have assassinated police officers, educators, public officials, in the name of “socialist revolution” and; a “new world order.” Record set The last 12 months, accord-; ing to the state attorney general, set a record for terrorism, with 72 bombings and other crimes in California alone. “A group like the Symbionese Liberation Army is wiped out.” said one F. 8.1. agent, “and next month you (find its place has been taken (by three others with similar (aims, and equally fancy (names.” The New World Liberation j Front took un the banner of; ■the S.L.A. after leaders of the J (organisation that kidnapped Patricia Hearst were killed ■ ■in a 1974 shoot-out with Los Angeles police. It seemed at (first to be a propaganda and i support group formed to ! cheer the S.L.A.’s exploits; but before long it was claiming responsibility for a string of bombings in the bay area. TV stations, banks, corporate 'offices, the home of top com-; pany executives, and the (Hearst family’s “castle” at| San Simeon were among the ‘ targets.

I Then, under the N.W.L.F., ! umbrella, a number of loosely [ (linked cells began to appear: | the Emiliano Zapata Unit —; named after the famous Mexican revolutionary; the George Jackson Brigade — Jackson was the black Communist author killed by guards at California’s San Quentin prison four years ago. Nine members of the Zapata Unit — five men and four women —were arrested in pre-daw.n raids during late February. F. 8.1. agents said they seized 1501 b of explosives and bomb components, along with thousands of letters, papers, communiques and instruc- ■ tions. Also found: false birth I certificates, false social ( security cards, and a state-1 ment showing that one young j woman member had a Swiss I bank account. It was one of ( this group who revealed the; alleged plot to assassinate; Ford, Reagan and other Cali- ( fomian political leaders. Who are these self-styled “urban guerrillas”? What are their numbers? Are they sincere in their efforts to better the world, or do their revolutionary creeds amount to little more than “ego-trips”? Familiar pattern A glance at the backgrounds of the Zapata Unit! comrades shows a familiar ( pattern. The make-up of the; (bandidos is not very different! from that of the S.L.A. Young ■white radicals, street dropouts from well-to-do middle class families; doped-out veterans of Vietnam; determined feminists; a sprinkling of ex-convicts. A volatile brew, held together chiefly by rage over their rejection by society, and politicised by campus revolt, civil rights battles, Vietnam. In size, the groups are small — perhaps a few score hard-core members — but they can rely on a surprisingly large body of sympathisers for succour, shelter, and protective silence. Thej protest movement of the! ■ 1960 s radicalised hundreds of I thousands of young people.! Small size makes the groups; difficult to penetrate; and it; does not appear to reduce; their effectiveness. Nation- j wide last year, 2000 terrorist! bombings took 70 lives. I The guerrillas finance themselves, as did Stalin’s (“expropriation squads” at; ■ the start of the century, by t bank robbery. The S.L.A. raided at least three North-, nliforruan banks, in-.

i eluding the one in San Francisco where. Patty Hearst j ; played out her revolutionary I l role as “Tania” for thei [benefit of concealed cameras.! Guns — although easily bought in California — are] also usually obtained byi theft or from underground; sources. Nearly 7000; weapons have been stolen from military bases since 1971, the Army says. Often ; this is done by servicemen, ! but armed raids on armour- ; ies also occur. One in Los j Angeies a year ago cost the; [National Guard more than; 1100 rifles, machine guns and I pistols. . Numerous bands Besides the N.W.L.F. and i its various cells, a number |of other guerrilla bands are; at work in California. The! i most important include: ; The Black Liberation j Army, an offshoot of the • Black Panther Party’s mili--1 taut wing. The F. 8.1. says j this group has killed 43 per- ; sons and wounded 152 since lit surfaced three years ago. Its favourite tactic is the random shooting of police. Cells exist in several cities. The B.L.A. has links with an ! organisation inside the prisI ons, the Black Guerrilla j Family, from which it draws [ members. ■ The Red Guerrilla Family, ; a determined group which [has carried out numerous bombings. One of the bigger) blasts last year caused a; quarter-million dollars worth: of damage to the high-rise! offices <jf a federal agency! in San Francisco. Believed to have many women members, it loudly supported the! S.L.A. The Weather Underground, oldest and largest of the! groups, is an outgrowth ofthe defunct Students for a! Democratic Society (S.D.S.). i Its “war” on the United! States Government has continued since 1970. The W.U.,; which has many well-known, never-arrested leaders, such [as Bernardine Dohrn and) Mark Rudd student rebels [who have made the F..8.1.’5j j “most wanted” list, is most! [active on the West Coast. Other active bands include [the Chicano Liberation Front: j (Mexican-American) responi sible for several northern- ' California blasts, and the; Puerto Rican “Armed Forces; i of National Liberation”! [(F.A.L.N.), which has set off -about 30 bombs. One recent . attack killed four people,, •i wounded 53. •10.F.N.5. Copyright. I