The Red Army Faction, a Documentary History, Volume 1
Page 54
RAF prisoners: Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, Jan-Carl Raspe, Verena Becker, Werner Hoppe, Karl-Heinz Dellwo, Hanna Krabbe, Bernd Rössner, Ingrid Schubert, and Irmgard Möller must be released in exchange for Schleyer, and must be free to travel to a country of their choosing. Günter Sonnenberg, who is unfit for imprisonment due to a gunshot injury he suffered during his arrest, must be immediately released. The warrant for his arrest must be lifted. Günter will leave with the 10 other prisoners, with whom he must immediately be placed so they can talk. The prisoners must be assembled at 8:00 AM on Wednesday at the Frankfurt Airport. Between then and their departure at 12:00 noon, they must be allowed to talk freely and unimpeded amongst themselves. At 10:00 AM, one of the prisoners will enter into direct communication with the commando via German television to inform us that their departure is unfolding according to plan.
For purposes of public oversight and to safeguard the prisoners’ lives between takeoff and landing, we propose that the prisoners be accompanied by Payot, the General Secretary of the United Nations’ International Federation of Human Rights, and Pastor Niemöller. We request that they accept this role to ensure that the prisoners arrive at their chosen destination alive. Naturally, we would agree to any alternative proposal from the prisoners.
Each prisoner will be given 100,000 DM. This communiqué, which can be authenticated by Schleyer’s photo and his letter, must be broadcast unedited and unaltered on the Tagesschau this evening at 8:00 PM. We will establish the concrete details for freeing Schleyer as soon as we receive confirmation that the prisoners have been freed, that they won’t be extradited, and when the federal government releases a statement guaranteeing that it won’t pursue extradition. We are assuming that Schmidt, who demonstrated in Stockholm how quickly he can make decisions, will be equally quick this time given his personal connection to this greasy magnate of the cream of the national business world.
Siegfried Hausner Commando
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1977
We presume that the decision not to broadcast our demands and ultimatum on yesterday’s 8:00 PM Tagesschau, as we had stipulated, is the result of a decision taken behind closed doors by the Crisis Management Team and reflects a decision by the federal government to resolve the situation militarily. The BKA’s ploy, demanding proof that Schleyer is alive, even though they received Schleyer’s handwritten letter yesterday and are also in possession of a photo of him taken yesterday, has the same function of buying time. We will only respond to the questions the BKA published today, when it is clear that the federal government is holding up its end of the deal—and we are running out of patience repeating this:
The manhunt must be stopped immediately. The prisoners must be gathered together in one place. The confirmation that this has been done will be delivered by one of the prisoners on German television today. As a clear gesture, we demand that the video recording, in which Schleyer reads his letter attached here, be broadcast on every television news show that airs at 6:00 PM tonight.
Siegfried Hausner Commando
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1977
There will be no further communiqués from us until the prisoners are flown out. The federal government has enough proof to assure them that Schleyer is alive: his letter and the videotape, as well as the recording with his answer to both questions. Go-betweens are unnecessary, as are all other stalling tactics. A resolution which includes Schleyer’s release depends on the departure of the prisoners: otherwise it is not happening. For the last time, we demand:
That the federal government publicly announce its decision by 8:00 PM this evening. By Friday at 10:00 AM, proof that preparations have been made for the prisoners’ departure. By 12:00 noon, the prisoners’ departure on a fully fueled Lufthansa long haul aircraft must be broadcast live on television. The remaining demands are known to you from the previous communiqués.
Siegfried Hausner Commando
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1977
We will wait until 12:00 AM for a decision from the federal government as to whether they want to make the exchange or not, and that decision should come in the form of obvious preparations for assembling the prisoners. The way in which this should occur has already been established. One of the prisoners must confirm that preparations are underway. The prisoners themselves will inform the federal government of possible destinations. The federal government will receive no further response from us to BKA messages transmitted via Payot. Should the federal government decide to once again allow our ultimatum to pass in silence, they will be responsible for the consequences.
Siegfried Hausner Commando
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1977
We have nothing to add to our statement of September 12, 1977. We request that Monsieur Payot play the role that the federal government assigned him, that role and that role only, and that he stop participating in the delays and postponements, which reflect a decision in favor of creating space to maneuver for a military solution.
The tactic of the so-called secret negotiations is absurd given the action’s goal: freeing the prisoners. We have responded to the federal government’s contemptible maneuvers for 9 days with multiple extensions of our ultimatum—they face a dilemma in that agreeing to the demands would contradict the institutionalized hate-driven civil war mentality they have whipped up against the RAF, and would require resisting the American thumbscrews. On the federal government’s side, during these 9 days there has not been a single concrete development to indicate a willingness to exchange Schleyer. The BKA’s claim that the manhunt was called off is a joke. Every newspaper carries photos of highway checkpoints and reports of homes raided. We are giving the federal government one last extension until 12:00 AM tonight to fulfil our demands.
Siegfried Hausner Commando
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1977
If the federal government still wants to save Schleyer’s life, they must immediately call off the manhunt in Germany, as well as arranging a halt to those that have begun in France, Holland and Switzerland. Our demand that all aspects of the search cease remains unchanged.
We are also warning the federal government not to tap our telephone conversations with Payot or attempt to use them in any other way in the search. We will only conduct further negotiations with the federal government through the lawyer Payot if they discontinue their tactic of attempting to prolong telephone calls with senseless conversation, and if it is made clear that measures are being taken to prepare the release of the 11 prisoners specified.
Further signs of life from Schleyer will only be forthcoming if there is concrete evidence that the exchange is being prepared.
Also, if the federal government continues to withhold information from us about the results of Wischnewski’s negotiations, all we have to say is that we know for certain that there are countries willing to take the 11 prisoners.
Siegfried Hausner Commando
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1977
We have given Helmut Schmidt enough time to choose between the American strategy for the extermination of liberation movements in Western Europe and the Third World, and the interests of the federal government in seeing that the most important industrialist alive today not be sacrificed to this imperialist strategy. The ultimatum of the “Martyr Halimeh” Commando’s Operation Kofr Kaddum and the ultimatum of the RAF’s “Siegfried Hausner” Commando are identical.
The ultimatum expires on Sunday, October 16, 1977, at 8:00 AM GMT. If, at that time, the eleven prisoners specified have not arrived at their destination, Hanns Martin Schleyer will be shot. After holding Schleyer for forty days, there won’t be another extension of the ultimatum or any further contact. Any delay will mean Schleyer’s death.
To save time, it won’t be necessary for Pastor Niemöller or the lawyer Payot to accompany the prisoners. We will receive confirmation of the prisoners’ arrival even without confirmation from escorts. Hanns Martin Schleyer will be freed within 48 hours of our having received confirmation. Freedom throug
h armed anti-imperialist struggle!
Siegfried Hausner Commando
Operation Kofr Kaddum
To all revolutionaries in the world
To all free Arabs
To the Palestinian masses
Today, Thursday, October 13, 1977, a Lufthansa 737 leaving Palma de Majorca en route to Frankfurt, flight number LH 181, passed into the complete control of the Commando “Martyr Halimeh”.
This operation has as a goal the liberation of our comrades in the prisons of the imperialist-reactionary-zionist alliance. This operation reinforces the goals and demands of the Commando “Siegfried Hausner” of the RAF, which commenced on 05-09-77.
Revolutionaries and freedom fighters of the entire world are confronted with the monster of world imperialism, the barbaric war against the peoples of the world, under the hegemony of the U.S.A.
In this imperialist war, the sub-centers like Israel and the FRG have the executive function of oppressing and liquidating all revolutionary movements in and on their specific national territory.
In our occupied land, the imperialist-zionist-reactionary enemy demonstrates the very high level of their hostility, of their bloody aggressivity, against our people and our revolution, against all the Arab masses and their progressive and patriotic forces. The expansionist and racist nature of Israel is, with Menachem Begin at the summit of this ensemble of imperialist interests, clearer than it has ever been.
On the basis of these same imperialist interests West Germany was constructed as a U.S. base in 1945. Its function was the reactionary integration of the countries of West Europe via economic oppression and blackmail. As far as the underdeveloped countries of the world are concerned. West Germany gives financial, technical, and military support to reactionary regimes in Tel-Aviv, Pretoria, Salisbury, Santiago de Chili, etc …
There is a close and special cooperation between the two regimes in Bonn and Tel-Aviv in the military and economic fields, as well as in the area of shared political positions. The two enemy regimes work together against patriotic and revolutionary liberation movements in the world in general and in Arab, African, and Latin American regions in particular. This is manifested by their providing racist and minority regimes in Pretoria and Salisbury with arms and atomic and military technology, by delivering mercenaries and credits to them, by opening markets for their products, by breaking boycotts and economic embargos surrounding them.
A significant example of the close cooperation between the Mossad, the German Secret Services, the CIA, and the DST is the filthy piracy of the imperialist-reactionary alliance: the Zionist invasion of Entebbe.
Actually, the identical character of Neo-Naziism in West Germany and Zionism in Israel is in the process of becoming clearer in the two countries:
• reactionary ideology is dominant.
• fascist, discriminatory, and racist labor laws are enforced.
• the worst methods of psychological and physical torture and murder are used against fighters for freedom and national liberation.
• forms of collective punishment are practiced.
• all guarantees of international law, such as laws governing the humane treatment of prisoners, a just trial, and a defense are completely abolished.
While the Zionist regime is the most authentic and practical continuation of Naziism, the government in Bonn and the Parties in parliament do their best to revive Naziism and expansionist racism, especially amongst military personnel and within the other State institutions.
Economic circles and the magnates of multinational corporations play an effective role in these efforts. Ponto, Schleyer, and Buback are blatant examples of persons who have effectively served old Naziism and who now, in practice, execute the goals of the Neo-Nazis in Bonn and the Zionists in Tel-Aviv, both locally and internationally.
Part of the anti-guerilla strategy of the enemies is non-acquiescence to the legitimate demands with the goal of freeing our imprisoned revolutionaries, who suffer the most cruel forms of torture with the silent awareness of the international public. We declare that this will not succeed. We will force the enemy to free our prisoners, who daily defy them by fighting oppression, even in prison.
VICTORY FOR THE UNITY OF ALL REVOLUTIONARY
STRENGTH IN THE WORLD
Struggle Against World Imperialism Organization
October 13, 1977
SAWIO Ultimatum
To the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of West Germany
this is to inform you that the passengers and the crew of the LH 737 plane, flight no. 181 leaving from Palma to Frankfurt, are under our complete control and responsibility. the lives of the passengers and the crew of the plane as well as the life of Mr. Hanns-Martin Schleyer depends on your fulfilling the following—
1. Release of the following comrades of the RAF from prisons in West Germany—Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, Jan-Carl Raspe, Verena Becker, Werner Hoppe, Karl-Heinz Dellwo, Hanna Krabbe, Bernd Roessner, Ingrid Schubert, Irmgard Moeller, Guenter Sonnenberg—and with each the amount of DM 100,000.
2. Release of the following Palestinian comrades of PFLP from prison in Istanbul—Mahdi and Hussein.
3. The payment of the sum of $15 million U.S. dollars according to accompanying instructions.
4. Arrange with any one of the following countries to accept to receive all the comrades released from prison:
1. Democratic Republic of Vietnam
2. Republic of Somalia
3. People’s Democratic Republic of Jemen
5. The german prisoners should be transported by plane, which you should provide, to their point of destination. they should fly via Istanbul to take in the two Palestinian comrades released from Istanbul prison.
the turkish government is well informed about our demands. the prisoners should all together reach their point of destination before Sunday, 16th of Oct. 1977, 8.00 o’clock a.m. GMT. the money should be delivered according to accompanying instructions within the same period of time.
6. If all the prisoners are not released and do not reach their point of destination, and the money is not delivered according to instructions, within the specified time, then Mr. Hanns-Martin Schleyer, and all the passengers and the crew of the LH 737 plane, flight no. 181 will be killed immediately.
7. If you comply with our instructions all of them will be released.
8. We shall not contact you again. This is our last contact with you. You are completely to blame for any error or faults in the release of the above mentioned comrades in prison or in the delivery of the specified ransom according to the specified instructions.
9. Any try on your part to delay or deceive us will mean immediate ending of the ultimatum and execution of Mr. Hanns-Martin Schleyer and all the passengers and the crew of the plane.
S.A.W.I.O.
October 13, 1977
Final Schleyer Communiqué
After 43 days, we have put an end to Hanns Martin Schleyer’s pitiful and corrupt existence. From the moment he began his power play, Herr Schmidt gambled with the possibility of Schleyer’s death: he can find him on rue Charles Peguy in Mulhouse in a green Audi 100 with Bad Homburg license plates.
As compensation for our pain and suffering over the massacres in Mogadishu and Stammheim, his death is meaningless. Andreas, Gudrun, Jan, Irmgard, and ourselves, we are not surprised by the dramatic and fascist methods the imperialists use to exterminate the liberation movements. We will never forget Schmidt and the alliance that participated in this bloodbath.
THE STRUGGLE HAS ONLY BEGUN.
FREEDOM THROUGH ARMED ANTI-IMPERIALIST STRUGGLE
Siegfried Hausner Commando
October 19, 1977
77: Living With The Fallout
The movement was under total observation—the BKA thought that Schleyer was hidden outside of Germany, so they wanted to follow any thread and not arrest people. I don’t think that movement people were at all involved in the kidnapping, but the state knew that the third g
eneration came out of the prison support movement so they watched every move.
They were looking all over Europe. I was in the United States at the time and they raided the house of friends I was staying with. A friend of mine was traveling in Italy on his motorcycle and was followed by Italian cops from village to village. Every time we crossed the border going to Switzerland, for example, they would stop the car three kilometers before the border on the autobahn and wait for us with machine guns.
We were anti-imps visiting prisoners, leafleting, spray-painting, etc. Often when I left the prison after a visit, I would be searched, as would my car, by very nervous young cops with machineguns. When I went to political meetings, they followed us openly. But they didn’t arrest us. It scared people away, of course. It split the movement, and it pushed others underground. It made me personally feel very determined and hateful.
The state built an enormous data bank. Cases came to light where people were listed as “terrorists” because of who they were sitting next to on the train. There were street controls of cars, and people had to show their passports all the time.
Publishers and bookstores had a very hard time, were raided. Although they did not agree with the RAF, they did it for freedom of speech. Trials and more trials. For every leaflet there was a big debate. Did you put it on the counter or not. New laws: §88a and §130 made it impossible to publish anything, for instance like the book you are planning now. You had to hide the typewriter, get it published in Holland, bring it back across the border—really hard—distribute it illegally.
Homes were raided to take away typewriters and papers. Trials and more trials. With §129a, everything counted as support. So the left had to spend a lot of energy on defense stuff. But only individuals were arrested not whole groups or meetings…