ENN Series; MRTA Hostage Take-Over in Peru

ENN Special Report - 12/19/96 - 16:40 CST

DAY 3 OF THE PERU HOSTAGE CRISIS
By Steve Macko, ENN Editor

LIMA, PERU (ENN) - As day three of captivity began in the home of Japan's ambassador to Peru on Thursday, the dozen ambassadors and hundreds of other VIPs found themselves split up in separate rooms. They were being guarded by rebels who are armed with assault rifles and grenades.

A Red Cross doctor who was allowed to enter the compound said that the hostages appeared to be calm and healthy. The number of people being held captive is uncertain but is now estimated to be more than 400.

At the U.S. Embassy in Lima, a special hostage crisis center is being manned by special agents of the FBI. Washington has also dispatched an unknown number of "security agents" from a "variety" of governmental agencies. According to the State Department, the mission of the "security agents" is to "advise" the embassy on protecting the estimated 10,000 American citizens living in Peru against any other possible guerrilla attacks.

Members of the Red Cross have been going in-and-out of the compound since Wednesday. There has been a report, however, that at least three Red Cross personnel were taken hostage by the rebels on Thursday. It is still not clear if the rebels are negotiating with the Red Cross or directly with the Peruvian government.

The Red Cross has been supplying medical assistance, water and food. They reported that the hostages had been split up and were being guarded in separate rooms.

Late on Wednesday afternoon, the ambassadors from Canada, Germany and Greece, along with a Peruvian Foreign Ministry member were released. Canadian Ambassador Anthony Vincent, however, has gone back and has been delivering messages to and for the rebels.

It was reported in the international press late on Wednesday that the current and past chiefs of Peru's anti-terrorist police, known as DINCOTE, are among the hostages being held. Sources from within DINCOTE confirmed that current chief Maximo Rivera and former chief Carlos Dominguez were inside of the residence.

Intelligence sources say that the guerrillas did not recognize all of the hostages and have sought identification from their captives. It is uncertain if the terrorists know that they are holding the police officials.

New questions have arisen in Japan about the security the Japanese maintain for their diplomats abroad. In recent years, the security at Japan's 182 embassies and overseas missions has been increased. This was done because of Japan's rising global profile and its awareness of the dangers in today's world.

However, critics say that Japanese embassy security lags behind other nations. It is hampered by its lack of expertise in intelligence gathering and lack of experience with violent crime. Hideaki Kase, an international diplomacy analyst, said, "Japanese diplomats in Lima took lax security measures because they believed guerrilla or terrorist activities were subsiding." It is being reported that the Japanese Foreign Ministry is using a crisis operation room for the first time since it was built in 1990.

There have been previous attacks at the Japanese Embassy in Lima. In 1993, a car bomb exploded there in an attack that was blamed on leftist guerrillas. After that incident, the Lima Embassy became one of Japan's most heavily guarded overseas missions.

It is said prior to the hostage-taking incident, the Japanese Embassy was being protected by three security officers from Japan's National Police Agency, three or four guards from a Japanese security company and four Peruvian policemen in two police cars. The lightly armed police proved to be no match for the heavily armed MRTA rebels.

The rebels have also cut all of the telephone lines at the residence and even reportedly found and cut a secret phone service that was attached to the house. Telephone contact has been reduced to cellular phone service.

Kase added, "Security measures taken by Japan are a far cry from those by the United States, which posts Marines on full alert in its embassies worldwide while Japan uses only one or a few police officers at each embassy."

The MRTA attack on the Japanese ambassador's residence is also taking its toll on the image and economy of Peru. The fragile confidence in Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori is now being threatened.

One newspaper political columnist said, "It is a setback of at least four years. We've returned to being a country subject to terror."

The whole of Peru apparently has been shaken by the daring incident that has propelled the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement into the world spotlight. On Wednesday, the Lima Stock Exchange was forced to close three hours early because domestic stocks plummeted. Stocks lost about 3.5 percent of their value on Wednesday.

For President Fujimori or Peru -- the timing of the situation could hardly be worse.

All year long, the President's popularity has been dropping steadily. From a high of 75 percent in January to the current figure of about 40 percent. Peru's economic program has failed to produce jobs. The Peruvian economy has been stagnant all year after good growth in years 1994 and 1995.

In February of 1980, a Colombian rebel group called M-19 tookover the Dominican Embassy in Bogota. Fifteen guerrillas held 57 hostages, including 19 diplomats for 61 days. The crisis ended when Cuban leader Fidel Castro mediated an end to the takeover and gave refuge in Cuba to the guerrillas.

The situation in Lima could very much end up the same way.

Excerpted from the ENN Daily Report - 12/20/96 - Vol. 2, No. 355

DID PERU FAIL TO ACT ON WARNINGS?
By Steve Macko, ENN Editor

LIMA, PERU (ENN) - After a late Thursday night meeting, the cabinet of President Alberto Fujimori tentatively decided to support the president's proposal to not to give in to the demands of the terrorists.
At least 23 members of Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement continue to hold an estimated 375 diplomats and other hostages in the residence of the Japanese ambassador.

The terrorists are demanding the release of about 300 of their jailed comrades, transportation to their jungle hideaway, a commitment from the Peruvian government to change its economic policies and an unspecified amount of money. The Peruvian government says that it will not meet the group's demands. The Red Cross has now reportedly taken the lead role as acting as a go-between between the MRTA rebels and the government.

On Friday, the New York Times reported that Peru failed to act on prior warnings that were received in seized documents, intelligence informants and previous attacks. It was learned that the MRTA had been planning similar raids to that on the Japanese ambassador's residence. Peruvian intelligence had to this knowledge for more than a year.
According to the Times article, Peruvian government security forces had made great strides in fighting terrorism in the country. They apparently became overconfident and chose to devote their scarce resources to the fighting of drug trafficking and the on-going border dispute with Ecuador.

Also cited by the Times were experts and sources from within the Peruvian government that said Peru is not prepared to handle these type of crisis' and has no team of experienced hostage negotiators.

John Caro, the former chief of Peru's anti-terrorism police, said, "On the one hand, this attack was due to great planning by Tupac Amaru, but on the other hand, the forgetfulness of those charged with preventing it is to blame. The government's intelligence- gathering has failed because this could have been prevented."

"The security forces were sloppy and overconfident. This attack could have been prevented with the same measures that any airline takes when passengers go onto an airplane," said Enrique Obando, who is an authority on terrorism and the military in Peru.

One of the warnings that should have given Peruvian authorities notice came in 1995 when police arrested 23 members and associates of the Tupac Amaru, including Lori Berenson of New York. Police reportedly found elaborate plans to storm the Peruvian Congress. Among the items found in the police raids were: guns, mortars, rocket launchers, ammunition and diagrams of the Peruvian Congressional building and intelligence that indicated the hours and locations of guards.

The mayor of the district where the Japanese ambassador's residence is located admitted that the Peruvian police were not very vigilant. He said that there were only about 15 officers guarding the compound at the time of the attack.

Japan, on Friday, announced that it was increasing security at some of its embassies around the world. This is thought to be in response to the attack.

The Japanese government has taken no direct role in the negotiations with the hostage-takers. But there has been some reported dissatisfaction expressed by the Japanese government with the way the Peruvians are handling the situation. A Japanese government spokesman said on Friday, "There is considerable difference between the views of Japan and Peru."

Late on Thursday, the terrorists freed four more hostages for medical reasons -- including one man in a wheelchair. There are still hostages from at least 28 countries left inside. A Red Cross doctor reported that the hostages were healthy and calm.

Also on Thursday, the President of Ecuador said that he was willing to grant asylum to the terrorists. "We have stated clearly that if we can be of help, providing the Peruvian government asks for it, we would accede to that," said Ecuadorian President Abdala Bucaram in response to a question about granting asylum.

Excerpted from ENN Daily Report - 12/21/96 - Vol. 2, No. 356

UPDATE ON THE HOSTAGE DRAMA IN PERU ...
By Steve Macko, ENN Editor

LIMA, PERU (ENN) - The 23 terrorists from the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) who are holding about 340 men captive in the Japanese ambassador's residence released 38 hostages unexpectedly on Friday night. Water, chicken, salad and rolls were also delivered into the house on Friday. Portable toliets may be the next items to be sent in. Many are saying that there may not be a quick end to the apparent impasse.

One the hostages who was released was 20-year-old Jerico Camino. He reported that there was a lack of food, water and living space inside of the house. The captives are being allowed to watch their plight on television.

In an effort to wear down the terrorists, the Peruvian government turned off the water and electricity to the building. However, the residence is equipped with gas-powered electrical generator.

A letter from the hostages was released to the news media on Friday. The letter said, "Although our situation does not permit us to decide the fate that awaits us, we want to repeat our support for an effective negotiation that leads to a peaceful solution ... and discards violence."

Camino, one of the hostages released on Friday, added that if the Peruvian government were to try and storm the residence, "there would be casualties outside as well as in. And I think much more inside ... it would be a bloodbath."

Also on Friday, a Peruvian television station broadcast a videotape that was said to have been made by the MRTA terrorists. It showed them preparing for the assault by studying a mock-up and photos of the Japanese ambassador's compound. The three-minute videotape showed people dressed in military-style gear with their faces covered by scarves.

Javier Diez Canseco, a leftist Peruvian congressmen, was among the 38 men who were released on Friday night. He defended the terrorists and called for the government to negotiate a settlement with the terrorists. Canseco said that the hostage-takers are "18 to 20 years old, maybe 21 ... They're a group of special forces, commandos. I think they're young men who want to live. They don't want to die."

Also among those released on Friday were the ambassadors of Brazil, Egypt and South Korea. South Korean Ambassador Lee Won-young reported that all of the ambassadors were being held together in one room on the second floor of the building. Eleven ambassadors still remain captive.

Counterterrorism experts and analysts who have been in contact with ERRI have said that the best course of action, at the moment, is to wait. As long as the terrorists continue to keep the lines of communications open and as long as they are still releasing hostages -- it is best to wait out the situation. Intelligence from the inside of the residence continues to flow out and this is an advantage to the authorities.

An assault on the building should only occur if the terrorists start killing hostages. It would be in the best interest of the Peruvian government to accept assistance from the United States and consider any building assault be launched by members of the U.S. Army Delta Force, who are highly trained for these type of situations.

Experts tell ERRI that based on the information that is known, an assault by US-SFOD (Delta Force) would have a high probability of success. But, they also say that such an attack is unlikely to take place as long as negotiations continue and hostages are being released by the MRTA.

Excerpted from ENN Daily Report - 12/22/96 - Vol. 2, No. 357

PERU'S PRESIDENT STANDS TOUGH ...
By Steve Macko, ENN Editor

LIMA, PERU (ENN) - In his first public announcement on the hostage- taking incident in Peru, President Alberto Fujimori in a four-minute speech condemned the terrorists at the Japanese ambassador's residence. He called the MRTA assault "repugnant" and totally rejected the demands of the terrorists.

The televised speech by the president took place late on Saturday night. Fujimori did not rule out an armed rescue attempt, but said that he was willing to explore a peaceful solution to the situation. The president's speech came hours after the MRTA rebel chief inside of the compound announced that he would gradually release any hostages who were not connected to the Peruvian government.

Fujimori, in his speech, insisted that the terrorists lay down their arms and release all of the hostages. He said, "You can't talk about a peace accord while using terror as the main argument." The president responded to the demand that the government release 300 jailed comrades of the rebels by saying, "freeing people who commit murders and terrorist attacks is unacceptable ... They want dialogue while putting an AK rifle on the necks of the hostages."

In a television interview, Victor Joy Way, the president of the Peruvian Congress, said that the elite units offered by "numerous countries" would not be necessary to resolve the crisis. It is felt by some experts that at least some Peruvians would view it as an insult to Peruvian pride for them to have to resort to the use of "foreign forces" to resolve the situation.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry refused to comment on Saturday when asked if U.S. Army Delta Force operators were ready to move to help rescue the hostages. Perry said, "I will not comment on any action that is planned or not planned relative to dealing with that. Simply because lives of people are at stake."

As dusk fell on Saturday, the chief of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, Nestor Cerpa, said in a shortwave radio interview that he wanted to avoid any bloodshed and believed that a peaceful resolution to the standoff could be achieved. Cerpa said, "I want to repeat that the gentlemen who are the great majority and have no connection with the government will be released by degrees." He added that more hostages would be released "in the next hours and days."

On Sunday, a London newspaper reported that the terrorists are also demanding billions of dollars in ransom from large Japanese corporations such as Mitsubishi, NEC and Toyota. The Independent newspaper cited a European diplomat as saying that the terrorists were negotiating by cellular phone for money to release the hostages. The unnamed European diplomat said, "They're asking for several billion dollars. And the chances are they'll get a decent percentage of that. There's a lot of bilateral negotiating going on."

ENN Special Report 12/22/96 - 20:20CST

Large Hostage Release Imminent?

(ENN) An arrival of several buses and major movement of Peruvian police is fueling speculation that a large number of hostages will be released within the hour. Although exact details are still sketchy, it is believed that International Red Cross negotiators may have won the freedom of many, if not all, of those held in the Japanese Ambassador's residence.

A shuttle of diplomatic and Red Cross representatives has been going on for the last few minutes and developments seem to be moving rapidly. A statement read on the behest of the MRTA said that they were releasing a "sizable number of hostages," but that a number of people with connections to the Peruvian and Japanese governments would remain in captivity.

ENN continues to monitor events in Lima and will provide updates as circumstances warrant.

Excerpted from the ENN Daily Report - 12/23/96 - Vol. 2. No. 358

TERRORISTS RELEASE 225 HOSTAGES ...
By Steve Macko, ENN Editor

The defiant Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement terrorists continue to hold 140 high-profile hostages at the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima after releasing 225 men on Sunday night. Despite the mass release, the MRTA terrorists showed no signs of giving in to the demands of Peru's president that they lay their weapons down and free the remaining hostages.

Late on Sunday, at about 10:00 p.m., the released captives filed out of the house one-by-one. They looked tired, but elated. They were quickly taken to a hospital for routine medical checks. Among those released were the ambassadors of Boliva, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Venezuela. Also released were diplomats from Bolivia, the European Union, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, the United Nations and seven U.S. Embassy officials.

Those who are still being held captive are: the Japanese ambassador, several Latin American and Asian diplomats, about 40 Japanese businessmen and Peruvian officials -- including two government ministers and the chief and former chief of Peru's anti-terrorism police. Also still being held is the brother of President Alberto Fujimori.

The terrorists said that they freed the hostages as a "Christmas gesture." However, they warned in a statement that the remaining captives would not be released unless Peru releases at least 300 of their jailed comrades. Fujimori has already flatly rejected this demand. In the statement from the MRTA terrorists, they warned that "if Mr. Fujimori decides on a military solution, he will always find a Tupac Amaru member vigilant."

Elite Peruvian special forces troops have reportedly drawn up an assault plan. Officials from U.S. SFOD Delta, the British SAS and the German GSG-9 reportedly may be advising the Peruvians. At least 900 policemen continue to surround the Japanese compound in Lima. The Panamanian press is reporting that as of Saturday, 21 December, there were elements of U.S. SFOD Delta (Delta Force) in Panama. The U.S. Southern Command in Panama refused to comment on these reports. President Fujimori has publicly indicated that he does not need help from foreign security advisors.

Intelligence has indicated that elite Peruvian forces have been training for a possible assault on the residence. One source said that an assault would only be used as a last resort. A Peruvian police source said that a building assault would require ten operators for each terrorist inside. (Editor's Note: This figure is probably much too high.) The assault would last between three to five minutes. Peruvian security experts estimated that, based on past experience, the assault could result in a 20 percent casualty figure among the hostages.

Any raid on the 2-story residence is said to be a tough assignment. The windows of the building are barred and protected with a thick wire mesh. The building is surrounded by a high perimeter wall. At least four of the terrorists are known to be armed with telescopic night vision sights on their rifles and they are acting as snipers from windows on the second floor.
The terrorists are heavily armed with AKM assault rifles, explosives, grenades and handguns. Intelligence from debriefed hostages has indicated that the terrorists have booby-trapped the entrances of the building with explosives.

Speaking during an interview from inside of the residence, Peruvian Foreign Minister Francisco Tudela described the terrorists as well- armed and highly-trained. Peruvian security forces have reported that the terrorists are used to harsh living conditions and practiced the assault in the tropical jungles of northeast Peru. Police believe that the terrorists were probably trained by foreign militants. Among those suspected involved are former members of Colombia's M-19 movement, the FMLN from El Salvador and Chile's MIR.

The leader of the hostage-takers has been identified as 43-year-old Nestor Cerpa of Peru. Most of the terrorists are believed to be Peruvian nationals, but there have been reports that some of the terrorists speak Spanish with foreign accents. There has been a report that one of the suspects may be a Panamanian national.

One of the freed hostages, Alejandro Toledo, said that what the Tupac Amaru terrorists really wants is an amnesty that would allow its members to participate in public life in Peru.

It was in the opinion of Toledo that any attempt to rescue the hostages by force would be "insane." He said that the terrorists were "armed to the teeth." Rooms in the building, he said, were wired with explosives, as well as the roof. He added that the terrorists had anti-tank weapons and wore backpacks that are filled with explosives that can be detonated by pulling a cord on their chest. The reliability of the intelligence from Toledo is not known.

EmergencyNet News Service
Emergency Response & Research Institute
6348 N. Milwaukee Ave., #312 Chicago, IL. 60646
(773) 631-3774 - Voice
(773) 631-4703 - Fax
(773) 631-3467 - Modem/Emergency BBS On-Line
http://www.emergency.com - Website
enn@emergency.com - E-mail

Return to the Counter-Terrorism Page