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Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Terrorism has never helped Palestine
When an arsonist set fire to Pennsylvania's governor's mansion in April, he claimed to have done so because of what Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) 'wants to do to the Palestinian people.' On May 21, two young diplomats assigned to the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. were gunned down outside the Jewish Museum. The suspect, a 30-year-old Chicago native, shouted 'free Palestine' as authorities took him into custody. Court documents later quoted him saying he 'did it for Gaza.' In Boulder, Colo., 10 days later, an Egyptian national who had overstayed his visa used homemade incendiary devices to set demonstrators on fire at an event supporting Israeli hostages. He then began shouting about civilian deaths in Gaza, seemingly unbothered by the absurdity of protesting the killing of civilians by attempting to kill civilians. These attacks are accompanied by — or perhaps even energized by — a rise in antisemitic rhetoric and activity carried out under the guise of 'pro-Palestinian' demonstrations in the U.S. Last year, protestors at Cornell University and George Washington University chanted, 'there is only one solution, intifada revolution.' The attacks in Boulder and Washington are the physical manifestations of that chant. These developments follow a long history of political violence in the West inspired by the Arab-Israeli conflict. The perpetrators of such attacks are always duped into believing that their actions will help Palestine — despite a lack of evidence supporting that belief. During the Cold War, Palestinian fighters armed and encouraged so-called 'urban guerrillas' in West Germany. The June 2nd Movement emerged from Berlin's college scene in the 1960s, and an undergraduate there named Michael 'Bommi' Baumann became its most infamous member. Encouraged by Palestine's struggle, Baumann and his comrades quickly graduated from looting convenience stores to killing German officials after the Six Day War gave speed to their anti-Zionist fervor in 1967. Other European extremist groups, such as the Baader-Meinhof Gang (also called the Red Army Faction), had numerous ties to Arab terrorist organizations as well. Between 1969 and 1970, Palestinian guerrillas connected with the Red Army Faction and June 2nd members to provide them with weapons, explosives and propaganda training in Jordan. During the 1970s, Baumann's associates assassinated Gunter von Drenkmann, the president of West Berlin's highest court; kidnapped an industrial tycoon after killing his four bodyguards; and executed one of their own members who had turned informant. Notorious Venezuelan terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez — better known as Carlos the Jackal — also credited Palestine for his radicalization in the 1960s. One of Carlos's biographers, journalist John Follain, wrote that the Six Day War became the 'revolutionary rallying cry for tens of thousands of left-wing students the world over.' Inspired by the ideology of Palestinian militant Wadi Haddad, Carlos grew to believe that the destruction of Israel would free Palestine and trigger a global revolution. George Habash was a confidant of Haddad's who founded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. An ardent Marxist with connections to student groups in Europe, the Middle East and the U.S., Habash became Carlos's mentor. French special forces eventually apprehended Carlos during a 1994 raid in Sudan. While serving multiple life sentences in prison, Carlos stated that 'no one has executed more people than me in the Palestinian resistance.' Baumann was also arrested in 1981, several years after his close friend died in a shootout with police and his passion for the cause dwindled. Extremist factions like Hamas promote terrorism colored with false hopes of liberation in the interest of a charter that renounces peace and mandates perpetual war against the Jewish State. The Arab-Israeli conflict has always been ripe for exploitation and is thus used as a vehicle to recruit for that mission, not to help Palestinians. War is the objective because it globalizes the intifada. Instead of generating support for Palestine, however, these recent attacks have united Republicans and Democrats in a way few issues can. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) agree that antisemitism 'must be crushed,' and Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), who chairs the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, announced a hearing on the rise of anti-Israel attacks. Feeding into the decades-old delusion that global terrorism helps Palestine is a fool's errand from which no one benefits — especially not Palestinians. Activists turned terrorists delivered a masterclass in that that lesson during the 20th century. Others need not relearn it in the 21st. Maj. Michael P. Ferguson, U.S. Army, is a Ph.D. student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and coauthor of 'The Military Legacy of Alexander the Great: Lessons for the Information Age.' His views as expressed here do not necessarily reflect official policies or positions of the Army or the Department of Defense. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Terrorism has never helped Palestine
When an arsonist set fire to Pennsylvania's governor's mansion in April, he claimed to have done so because of what Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) 'wants to do to the Palestinian people.' On May 21, two young diplomats assigned to the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. were gunned down outside the Jewish Museum. The suspect, a 30-year-old Chicago native, shouted 'free Palestine' as authorities took him into custody. Court documents later quoted him saying he 'did it for Gaza.' In Boulder, Colo., 10 days later, an Egyptian national who had overstayed his visa used homemade incendiary devices to set demonstrators on fire at an event supporting Israeli hostages. He then began shouting about civilian deaths in Gaza, seemingly unbothered by the absurdity of protesting the killing of civilians by attempting to kill civilians. These attacks are accompanied by — or perhaps even energized by — a rise in antisemitic rhetoric and activity carried out under the guise of 'pro-Palestinian' demonstrations in the U.S. Last year, protestors at Cornell University and George Washington University chanted, 'there is only one solution, intifada revolution.' The attacks in Boulder and Washington are the physical manifestations of that chant. These developments follow a long history of political violence in the West inspired by the Arab-Israeli conflict. The perpetrators of such attacks are always duped into believing that their actions will help Palestine — despite a lack of evidence supporting that belief. During the Cold War, Palestinian fighters armed and encouraged so-called 'urban guerrillas' in West Germany. The June 2nd Movement emerged from Berlin's college scene in the 1960s, and an undergraduate there named Michael 'Bommi' Baumann became its most infamous member. Encouraged by Palestine's struggle, Baumann and his comrades quickly graduated from looting convenience stores to killing German officials after the Six Day War gave speed to their anti-Zionist fervor in 1967. Other European extremist groups, such as the Baader-Meinhof Gang (also called the Red Army Faction), had numerous ties to Arab terrorist organizations as well. Between 1969 and 1970, Palestinian guerrillas connected with the Red Army Faction and June 2nd members to provide them with weapons, explosives and propaganda training in Jordan. During the 1970s, Baumann's associates assassinated Gunter von Drenkmann, the president of West Berlin's highest court; kidnapped an industrial tycoon after killing his four bodyguards; and executed one of their own members who had turned informant. Notorious Venezuelan terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez — better known as Carlos the Jackal — also credited Palestine for his radicalization in the 1960s. One of Carlos's biographers, journalist John Follain, wrote that the Six Day War became the 'revolutionary rallying cry for tens of thousands of left-wing students the world over.' Inspired by the ideology of Palestinian militant Wadi Haddad, Carlos grew to believe that the destruction of Israel would free Palestine and trigger a global revolution. George Habash was a confidant of Haddad's who founded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. An ardent Marxist with connections to student groups in Europe, the Middle East and the U.S., Habash became Carlos's mentor. French special forces eventually apprehended Carlos during a 1994 raid in Sudan. While serving multiple life sentences in prison, Carlos stated that 'no one has executed more people than me in the Palestinian resistance.' Baumann was also arrested in 1981, several years after his close friend died in a shootout with police and his passion for the cause dwindled. Extremist factions like Hamas promote terrorism colored with false hopes of liberation in the interest of a charter that renounces peace and mandates perpetual war against the Jewish State. The Arab-Israeli conflict has always been ripe for exploitation and is thus used as a vehicle to recruit for that mission, not to help Palestinians. War is the objective because it globalizes the intifada. Instead of generating support for Palestine, however, these recent attacks have united Republicans and Democrats in a way few issues can. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) agree that antisemitism 'must be crushed,' and Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), who chairs the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, announced a hearing on the rise of anti-Israel attacks. Feeding into the decades-old delusion that global terrorism helps Palestine is a fool's errand from which no one benefits — especially not Palestinians. Activists turned terrorists delivered a masterclass in that that lesson during the 20th century. Others need not relearn it in the 21st. Maj. Michael P. Ferguson, U.S. Army, is a Ph.D. student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and coauthor of 'The Military Legacy of Alexander the Great: Lessons for the Information Age.' His views as expressed here do not necessarily reflect official policies or positions of the Army or the Department of Defense.
Wall Street Journal
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
The Alienated ‘Knowledge Class' Could Turn Violent
In the 1970s, Western democracies faced a wave of political violence. In the U.S., a radical left-wing group called the Weather Underground bombed federal buildings to protest the Vietnam War. In West Germany, the Red Army Faction waged armed resistance against what it saw as a fascist state. Italy's Red Brigades kidnapped and assassinated public figures, including former Prime Minister Aldo Moro. These groups shared a trait: Many members were highly educated, middle- or upper-middle-class young people. These weren't the oppressed proletariat of Marxist theory, but the disillusioned children of privilege and university lecture halls. A similar dynamic could take root in the U.S. As the Trump administration downsizes public agencies, dismantles DEI programs and slashes academic research funding, it risks producing a new class of people who are highly educated but institutionally excluded. History suggests this group may become a source of unrest—and possibly violence.
Al Jazeera
25-03-2025
- Al Jazeera
Germany launches trial of former Baader-Meinhof gang member
A German court has opened the trial of a former member of the notorious far-left Red Army Faction (RAF) who was arrested last year after being found living quietly in Berlin. Now 66, Daniela Klette was brought to the court near Hanover in northern Germany on Tuesday on charges of attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms and aggravated robbery. She is accused of committing the offences alongside accomplices Ernst-Volker Staub and Burkhard Garweg, who were also part of the 'third generation' of the group, also known as the Baader-Meinhof gang. Largely active in the 1970s and 80s, the RAF was responsible for the deaths of at least 30 people. By 1998, the group had disbanded. However, the trio is alleged to have committed violent robberies to fund their lives on the run. They are accused of stealing a total of 2.7 million euros ($2.9m) between 1999 and 2016. Police are still searching for Staub and Garweg, who would be aged 56 and 71, respectively, if they are still alive. Klette is reported to have acted mainly as a getaway driver. However, she also carried a 'realistic looking' dummy bazooka during the heists and faces a charge of attempted murder stemming from one robbery in 2015. Prosecutors opening the trial said the three suspects had 'proceeded in an extremely conspiratorial manner', renting cars and apartments under false names and sometimes setting fire to vehicles to cover their tracks. A spokesperson for the German court told the Reuters news agency that Klette potentially faces life in prison. The trial is expected to last about two years, and 12 witnesses will be heard from, according to the court. Klette had evaded arrest for more than 30 years when the police raided her Berlin apartment in February 2024 following a tip-off from a member of the public. She had reportedly been using a fake Italian passport in the name of Claudia Ivone. In her house, police found an automated assault rifle, explosives, and large sums of cash. The trial is being held in a secure room at the Higher Regional Court in Celle near Hanover due to security concerns. The building was secured by police and judicial officers armed with machine pistols and sniffer dogs as a crowd of about 50 people held a solidarity protest. Playing punk music, they held up a banner that read 'Defend revolutionary history – Freedom for Daniela and all political prisoners'. Named after early leaders Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof, the armed group formed from the radical fringe of the 1960s student protest movement. In its early days, the group mobilised against what it saw as US imperialism and a 'fascist' German state riddled with former Nazis. It targeted representatives from the government, business, and judiciary. At the height of its notoriety, the RAF shot a German bank chief dead and kidnapped and killed industrialist and former SS officer Hanns Martin Schleyer. In separate proceedings to the trial launched on Tuesday, Klette is accused of playing a role in a 1991 RAF attack on the US embassy in Bonn, the German capital at the time, and a 1993 explosives attack against a prison.
The Guardian
25-03-2025
- The Guardian
Former Baader-Meinhof militant goes on trial after decades on the run
A former member of the Red Army Faction has gone on trial in Germany for robberies she allegedly committed during three decades hiding in broad daylight. Daniela Klette, the last female member of the far-left terror network still on the run before her arrest, appeared before a court in the north-central city of Celle on Tuesday charged with 14 criminal offences including armed robbery and attempted murder. Police detained the 66-year-old last February in her flat in Berlin's gentrified Kreuzberg district where, unsuspected by her neighbours, she had walked her dog, danced capoeira and reportedly tutored schoolchildren in maths. Investigators found an anti-tank grenade and a Kalashnikov in her flat. The RAF, also known as the Baader-Meinhof gang, was responsible for a campaign of domestic terror in the 1970s and 1980s that included dozens of murders. With Ernst-Volker Staub and Burkhard Garweg, who are still on the run, Klette belonged to the so-called third generation of the group. It disbanded in the 1990s but the trio are alleged to have financed their lives in hiding through at least a dozen armed robberies in northern Germany. The trial will cover Klette's alleged involvement in the robberies but not the group's terror-related activities, which are expected to be covered by a further indictment. Klette is suspected of being involved in terror attacks on Deutsche Bank in 1990, the US embassy in Bonn in 1991, and a prison in Hessen in 1993. The trial is being held before Verden lower regional court, but because of security concerns the proceedings are taking place in the high-security building of Celle upper regional court. A protest of about 50 people from leftwing and far-left groups gathered outside the court in solidarity with Klette on Tuesday morning, the regional public broadcaster NDR reported. Klette is alleged to have been a driver for a spate of armed robberies spanning three decades. The Verden public prosecutor's office has alleged that in 2015 the group drove to a supermarket car park near Bremen to rob an armoured car holding €1m (£835,000). Klette is said to have carried a 'non-functional RPG-7 anti-tank gun and a submachine gun', while Garweg is said to have shot an automatic rifle at the window of the passenger door of the vehicle from close range. When Klette was arrested last year she allegedly texted Garweg, buying him time to run. He, too, is thought to have been living in Berlin under an alias. One of Klette's lawyers, Ulrich von Klinggräff, in an interview with the leftwing newspaper taz last week, criticised the trial for conflating Klette's alleged involvement in the robberies with 'completely arbitrary and unsubstantiated allegations about the RAF'. He cited the heavy security measures in the court and repeated references to the RAF in the indictment, which runs to 600 pages. Von Klinggräff said Klette was 'quite nervous' about the trial but would 'approach it with a fighting spirit'. The court has scheduled hearings until the end of the year. 'Yes, it's likely that Ms Klette had something to do with the robberies,' said Undine Weyers, another of Klette's lawyers, in the taz interview. 'But there's not a single piece of evidence that she was at any of the crime scenes or what role she played.'
