Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ASIO warned of 1983 Armenian terror plot

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • ASIO warned of 1983 Armenian terror plot

    Nine MSN, Australia
    Dec 31 2011


    ASIO warned of 1983 Armenian terror plot

    By Max Blenkin


    It's almost forgotten now but one of the most notorious terror acts
    perpetrated on Australian soil was conducted by a little known group
    against a lowly Turkish diplomat.

    In the attack on December 17, 1980, unknown gunmen assassinated Sarik
    Ariyak, the Turkish consul-general in Sydney, and his bodyguard Engin
    Sever. The culprits got away but there was little doubt they were
    linked to the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide (JCAG).

    The terror group wanted an Armenian homeland, plus Turkish
    acknowledgement of the Ottoman empire's alleged murder of perhaps 1.5
    million Armenians in 1915-23. Its members conducted a series of deadly
    attacks against Turkish diplomats and interests throughout the world
    in the 1970s and 1980s.

    Federal cabinet papers for 1983 - released by the National Archives of
    Australia - reveal the Australian Security Intelligence organisation
    (ASIO) was sufficiently concerned about an attack that the government
    initiated a "special counter-terrorism risk alert".

    In a briefing to cabinet on October 24, 1983, ASIO warned that JCAG
    had been planning an operation in Australia, although it wasn't clear
    if that could happen in the near future.

    Much of the ASIO briefing document to cabinet was heavily redacted.

    But enough remains to give a clear idea of the basis for ASIO's
    concern about a possible imminent event.

    The document says a JCAG member in Sydney, Krikor Keverian, was found
    to have four handguns in his luggage when returning from Los Angeles
    on July 12.

    The next paragraph is blacked out but is followed by the intriguing
    sentence: "It is believed they were the 'important things' that he was
    reminded to bring back with him by Silva Donelian whom ASIO believes
    played some role in the killing in Sydney in December 1980 of the
    Turkish consul-general and his bodyguard."

    As well, the document continues, a man named as Levon Demirian was
    planning to return early from Beirut on July 13 "because something had
    been brought forward".

    His visit was cancelled after the discovery of the handguns.

    On July 14, another Armenian, Agop Magarditch, who had recently
    returned from the US, reported to authorities there were guns in a
    shipment of furniture and personal items en route to him from Los
    Angeles.

    That was duly intercepted and found to include a submachine gun, five
    handguns, ammunition, information on assassination and much more.

    "It is our suspicion that Magarditch, on hearing of Keverian's arrest,
    panicked and reported the weapons," ASIO said.

    The agency cited a series of more recent developments, including agent
    reports that Demirian was in Australia and that he had probably come
    in under an alias.

    "Such an entry would suggest operational motive. Any operation would
    almost certainly require an overseas commander and as the cell in Los
    Angeles is in disarray, Beirut is the likely source of such a person,"
    ASIO said.

    ASIO said another man, John Assadourian, had been appointed Keverian's
    "bodyguard" for reasons that could only be speculated upon.

    "In any event it identifies Keverian as a person of some significance
    in the eyes of his associates," ASIO said.

    The report cites a failed JCAG attack on the Turkish embassy in Lisbon
    on July 27 in which some of the attackers came from Beirut and all
    were equipped for a protracted siege.

    "The possible significance of the Magarditch shipment and of
    Demirian's involvement is made clearer by this information," ASIO
    said.

    It concluded handguns being brought into Australia by Keverian were
    destined for use in some JCAG operation, in which Demirian was to be
    involved.

    The possibility that this was to have been a siege/hostage operation
    could not be overlooked.

    ASIO said JCAG prepared its operations carefully, sometimes over 12
    months, and that what was planned could have been in its early stages.

    It recommended the alert should continue to November 6, and be
    extended if there was significant new information.

    In the meantime, ASIO said surveillance of selected JCAG members would
    continue, as would telephone interception.

    As well, NSW police had been asked to interview selected people with
    the aim of deterring any operations and locating Demirian.

    That might have worked in the short term but subsequent events showed
    ASIO's concerns were wholly justified.

    Around 2.16am on November 23, 1986, a car bomb exploded prematurely in
    the basement of the Turkish consulate in Melbourne, obliterating Hagop
    Levonian, who was subsequently identified as one of the bombers.

    His accomplice Levon Demirian was jailed for 25 years for murder,
    although that conviction was quashed on appeal and he ended up serving
    10 years for conspiracy.

    http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8397024




    From: A. Papazian
Working...
X