Islamic Jihad--3 Years of Terrorism

Islamic Jihad, which freed an American hostage, Father Lawrence M. Jenco, on Saturday after 18 months’ captivity in Lebanon, has tormented Western governments since it began claiming responsibility for suicide bombings and kidnapings three years ago.

It emerged in 1983, claiming responsibility for bomb attacks on the U.S. Embassy and the headquarters of U.S. Marines and French paratroops in West Beirut that year, killing 362 people.

Little is known of the group’s size, leadership or sources of finance, and its claims, sometimes conflicting, come in anonymous telephone calls or typed statements to the media. Its members are believed to be Shia Muslim fanatics loyal to the fundamentalist regime of Iran.

Some terrorism experts believe that the name, which translates as Islamic Holy War, is merely a label used as a cover for one or more Muslim terrorist groups that are already known to the West.

Iran and Syria, which have influence with many armed factions in Lebanon, have both denied any links with the kidnapers.

Islamic Jihad began abducting foreigners in West Beirut in early 1984--some of the kidnapings committed in order to press demands for the release of 17 people jailed for bomb attacks in Kuwait and others to put pressure on France to stop backing Iraq in the Persian Gulf War with Iran.

With Jenco freed, Islamic Jihad claims to hold seven other Westerners kidnaped since 1984--four Frenchmen and three Americans--and has announced the executions of two others.