Otpor Bombing in New York
On July 2, 1982, six men representing nearly the entire hierarchy of the terrorist organization founded by Ustase concentration camp commandant Vjekoslav "Maks" Luburic, were sentenced on racketeering charges, including plotting to kill the head of the moderate Croatian Fraternal Union and a Croatian priest in Milwaukee. Four days later, a series of bombs went off at distinctly "Yugoslav" targets in New York as retaliation, probably to intimidate and distract attention from the fact that Otpor's leaders were found guilty of extorting, intimidating, and plotting to kill, primarily, other Croats. The following report of the bombings is from the US Secret Service's intelligence bureau.

 

OUTGOING MESSAGE FORM

 

FROM: [illegible]
TO: NEW YORK
FILE: [illegible]
X-REF: I81-57646

DATE: 07-06-82
PRECEDENCE: PRIORITY
CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASS

[.....]

SUBJECT: BOMB INCIDENT

ON 07-04-82 A BOMB EXPLODED AT A CROATIAN TRAVEL AGENCY IN QUEENS, NEW YORK. HOURS BEFORE, A PIPE BOMB WAS DEFUSED AT A YUGOSLAV AIRLINE OFFICE NEAR ST. PATRICKS CATHEDRAL, IN MANHATTAN, NEW YORK. THERE WERE NO INJURIES FROM THE BOMB EXPLOSION, HOWEVER, A CAR WAS WRECKED AND WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT.

NO GROUP HAS CLAIMED CREDIT FOR THE INCIDENTS, HOWEVER, FOUR DAYS BEFORE, SIX CROATIAN TERRORISTS WERE SENTENCED TO JAIL TERMS RANGING FROM 40 TO 20 YEARS ON CONSPIRACY AND TERRORIST RELATED ACTIVITY (I81-57646).

THE ABOVE INCIDENT FILE NUMBER HAS BEEN ASSIGNED.

NEW YORK IS REQUESTED TO ESTABLISH APPROPRIATE LIAISON WITH THE FBI AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MONITOR ANY INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER. IN XXXX YOUR REPORT, ALSO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION OUTLINED IN THE SECRET SERVICE MANUAL, SECTION 462.9-469.9.

A REPORT IS REQUESTED IN 14 DAYS.

 

:: filing information ::
Title: Otpor Bombing in New York
Source: US Dept of Homeland Security (Secret Service)
Date: July 6. 1982 Added: June 6, 2003