In the age of the terrorist threat from violent Islamist extremism, one cannot forget the ghosts of terrorism past. However, in Germany , the proposed release of former Baader-Meinhof member, Brigitte Mohnhaupt, has rekindled old memories of the horror and fears that pervaded Germany during the height of Baader-Meinhof?s (also known as the Red Army Faction (RAF)) terror campaign. Every era has its bogeymen, and in Europe of the 1970s, the rise of left wing terrorist groups like the RAF in Germany and Red Brigades in Italy was at its zenith. Ironically, while these groups and their predominant ethos had faded into relative obscurity by the early 1990s, the pending release of Mohnhaupt is a potent reminder that these terrorists and the violence they inflicted were home grown.
The RAF was a radical left wing group that targeted what they viewed as symbols of Western capitalist greed in Germany and US imperialism. They went after prominent business executives, politicians, members of the judiciary and police or what they viewed as members of the German establishment, and US military personnel. They also formed some relationships with other terrorist organizations, including the PFLP . The RAF is responsible for some 30-50 murders and assassinations, kidnappings, and arson attacks. Members were part of the post-World War II generation that rejected the perceived materialism of their elders and what they believed to be subjugation of Germany by the United States . The group also formed in the aftermath and backlash of the Vietnam War. The RAF chose to show their disapproval of society through violence.
Today, while there would seem to be little in common between the 1970s left wing groups of Europe and the violent Islamist extremist groups of today, some things do not change. Both have youth rejecting their elders and societal norms in favor of violence; both have rejected what they see as imperialistic US influence in the world.
Mohnhaupt is now 57-years old and has spent the last 24 years in prison. She is believed to have been involved in at least nine murders. German authorities claim there is no security risk to releasing a woman of this age on probation as part of the legal considerations that she has served the minimum terms of her five life sentences. In addition, another RAF member, Christian Klar, is also seeking early release through official pardon.
Family members of victims are outraged that these RAF members have never apologized and are even being considered for release. Germany has tried to put the memories of groups like the RAF behind them in order to heal but cases like Mohnhaupt?s re-open old wounds. The healing process may allow former terrorists to be treated as regular criminals and allowed to re-enter society after debts?in the form of prison terms–have been paid rather than to continue their special status that perpetuates their menace long after it has faded. On the other hand, for victims, many believe they should never be allowed to re-enter the society they tried to destroy. In the coming years, many countries will face this problem as terrorists complete their prison terms and petition for release.