Terrorist Incidents or Possible Inspiration in the News Dec. '06

Tupac Amaru Seizure of Diplomats, December 17, 1996:
Twenty-three members of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) took several hundred people hostage at a party given at the Japanese Ambassador's residence in Lima, Peru. Among the hostages were several US officials, foreign ambassadors and other diplomats, Peruvian Government officials, and Japanese businessmen. The group demanded the release of all MRTA members in prison and safe passage for them and the hostage takers. The terrorists released most of the hostages in December but held 81 Peruvians and Japanese citizens for several months.

Abduction of US. Citizen by FARC, December 11, 1996:
Five armed men claiming to be members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) kidnapped and later killed a U.S. geologist at a methane gas exploration site in La Guajira Department.

Paris Subway Explosion, December 3, 1996:
A bomb exploded aboard a Paris subway train as it arrived at the Port Royal station, killing two French nationals, a Moroccan, and a Canadian, and injuring 86 persons. Among those injured were one U.S. citizen and a Canadian. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but Algerian extremists are suspected.

Red Cross Worker Kidnappings, November 1, 1996:
In Sudan a breakaway group from the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) kidnapped three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers, including a U.S. citizen, an Australian, and a Kenyan. On 9 December the rebels released the hostages in exchange for ICRC supplies and a health survey for their camp.

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MomofBoys said:

Maybe this is a dumb idea for a thread, but here goes:

I've never believed that a 'small foreign faction' killed JonBenet. It seems implausible to the extreme.

However, I did wonder where, if PR was the author of the note, she got the inspiration. Was is it a film? Was it plucked from the news?

FARC (Colombia) kidnapped and killed a U.S. geologist Dec. 11, 1996. I'm having a terrible time getting more than a snippet about the case, but while doing research on FARC it seems that beheading is its execution method du jour. I know that's not uncommon in these militant/radical groups, but the timing is interesting. It was a small group of extremists (a group of five) that carried out the kidnapping and execution of the man.

It was in the news in the US at the time, but beyond that I don't know how much detail was given.

Were there other stories (terrorism-related or not) that might have given the Ramseys (or any perpetrator, for the IDIs) the idea re: the 'small foreign faction'?

I apologize if you guys have discussed this to death, but I didn't see a similar thread.

As source material:

From http://www.army.mil/terrorism/read.html

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Maikai said:

This is an interesting idea to explore.

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I don't think the Ramseys were interested in that element of society....but it wouldn't be surprising for someone into extortion movies and the excitement to follow international kidnappings and causes.

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