Turning oil into blood: Western intelligence, Libyan covert actions, and Palestinian terrorism (1973-74)

How can multilateral liaison be used as a tool to counter state-sponsored terrorism? This article analyses cooperation among 18 Western European intelligence agencies to counter Libyan-Palestinian terrorism in Europe in the early 1970s. Two arguments are presented. Concerning Western perceptions of Palestinian-Libyan operations, the article argues that the intelligence reports overestimated Libyan influence over Palestinian actions. Concerning intelligence cooperation, the article argues that intelligence was shared to collectively understand the threat posed by Libya but also to send implicit political messages. The article is based on unprecedented access to records from a multilateral liaison called the Club de Berne.