narrator: Five men and one woman. A deadly mission. Their leader: Illich Ramirez Sanchez called Carlos the Jackal.
narrator: Shortly before 12 o’clock noon: the commando unit sets out. The sport bags are packed with explosives and weapons.
The mission: kidnapping some of the most influential and powerful men in the world.
The woman and the five men are battle tested. The coup in Vienna has been meticulously prepared for months. To this end, the terror commando was trained in a camp – in Southern Yemen.
Radio voice: The curb in production causes competition among OPEC countries on the international market to toughen again. The information for the public on the results of today’s talks will be very scarce as usual.
Police President: We were standing downstairs to warm up a bit. Four or five boys and a girl passed by and nodded without saying anything. But they greeted us.The female terrorist asked Tieler, are you a policeman. He said, yes. Then she shot him dead.
Minutes later, Gabriele Kröcher Tiedemann, called Nada, cold-bloodedly killed an Iraqi bodyguard who is in her way.
Sylvia Smetiprach 1975: Secretary, OPEC: All of a sudden, I saw a person falling against the glass door. And then I heard shots.
Hans Reif: I had a filing cabinet. Relative heavy. And I think I pushed it in front of the door all by myself.
Enis Al-Attar, 1975, Administrator, OPEC: I hid immediately under the desk, taking my telephone to call the police.
Within several minutes, the information service at the police headquarters receives three phones calls from the OPEC building.
Ernst WallascheckPress relation, State police: I was just thinking about warming up my lunch box. All of a sudden there was a call from the information service. He said “Ernst, there is a shoot-out in the OPEC building”. I said, “think up a better joke”. And he said, listen.
The terror commando tries to gain control over the situation in the building. The OPEC employees are driven out of their offices.
Enis al Attar: Then someone knocked at the door and a female voice said we should come out at once or they would fire.
Reif: And then she fired through the door. The bullet went through the back of the filing cabinet, but got stuck in the files.
Smetiprach: Then the women grabbed my hair and pulled me out saying, “put your hands up”. She pulled me outside and said if I remained quiet nothing would happen to me.
In an office, a Libyan delegation member tries to grab Carlos’ weapon. The terrorist executes him at once.
The hostages are pushed into the OPEC conference room where already the oil ministers are waiting. Several OPEC employees remain unnoticed on the second floor.
Regina Klug Secretary, OPEC: We thought they would probably occupy the second floor as well, so we kept silent, hardly moved, because we were afraid they would find us if they were standing outside by the lift.
Ten minutes after the attack: a commando unit of seven people arrive at the OPEC building. The men of the storm troop have no idea what will await them.
Wallascheck: In the whole police headquarters they only had, I believe, five or six bullet-proof vests. You must remember it was in 1975.
Moosberger: Although the EKO was very trained when a family member threatened another one, or if there was a brawl in a department store but it was unsuited in a terrorist raid.
Three officers examine the building and instantly end up in a shoot-out with the terrorists.
Wallascheck Radio voice: After a while they returned, and one of the officers was lagging behind. We asked him what’s the matter with you?And he answered they shot me in the buttocks, but I got the bastard.The Ringstrasse is blocked off between Schottentor and Burgtheater. The police has hermetically sealed off the area. Journalists are not allowed to advance to the OPEC building. There is the danger that the terrorists will open fire or blow up the building.
Anton Gatnar, Head economic news,ORF Radio: Near the parliament there was a single policeman who said there is a detour. I pointed at my ORF sticker in the car and he gave me the signal pass through, and I drove to the OPEC building where I saw a few ambulances, so I parked my car and went slowly up. Several policemen were standing there, but I could pass with my ORF batch and then I was at the OPEC building. More and more onlookers gather in front of the building while in the interior of the OPEC building the drama takes its course. Repeatedly gunfire can be heard.
Reidinger: In those days, the ambulances were green and the terrorists believed they were police cars and were therefore highly nervous. For this reason, the ambulances in Vienna were later white with the word ambulance on it. This is internationally better known.
Paramedics rescue the dead policeman Anton Tichler. The woman terrorist sent the body in the elevator to the ground floor.
Reidinger: Tichler was to retire on the first of January. And because he wanted some extra money for his planned ski holiday in Switzerland he had reported voluntarily, therewith signing his own death sentence.
In the conference room, the terror commando keeps in check the oil ministers, delegation members and OPEC employees. Altogether 70 people are taken hostages by Carlos.
Fadhil Al-Chalabi1975: Member of Iraqi Delegation
The terrorists fasten explosives to doors and windows.
Smetiprach Two men had grenades in their hands. One grenade was pulled and there was masses of dust in the room and there was this crater and it was horrible. And a very heavy colleague fell onto me and I couldn’t breathe.
Attar Then he separated people. Saudi Arabian and Iranian to the hostile countries, Libyans to the friendly countries. With regard to Kuwait he said he didn’t know where they belonged.
Attar Carlos then apologised to the Libyan minister and his delegation for having had to kill a Libyan delegate.
Smetiprach I cried terribly and then Carlos called me outside and asked me whether I was a Viennese woman. Yes, I repeated, and then he said you may go home.
REif She was lucky. You must be able to cry.
OS Smetiprach I only wanted to get out. That was my deepest wish. When I talk about it now it all comes up again. One of the terrorists is severely wounded in the shoot-out with the police. Carlos sends Enis al Attar out of the conference room to fetch a first-aid kit.
Attar I said I’m not crazy. You on this side and on the other side there is certainly the police. And I’m in the middle. He said I should raise my arms and always say I’m from the OPEC building and if I would get him the kit he would let me go.
Attar and Sylvia Smetiprach are set free. For the police they draw a plan of the building’s first floor. They convey Carlos’s message that the OPEC building would be blown up if the police interfered again.
OS Radio In view of the situation an emergency cabinet meeting convenes and Federal Chancellor Kreisky interrupts his winter holiday in Lech to travel to Vienna.
The released hostages become the most important informants for the government. The emergency cabinet meeting learns that the most wanted terrorists in the world are behind the attack on the OPEC building. For the time being the deliberations and speculations on the aim of the assault start without Chancellor Kreisky.
Hannes Androsch1975: Finance minister One aim is certainly the wish to support the Palestinians and to get money for their activities and the other to show what they were capable of doing.
Erwin Lanc1975: Traffic Minister It’s hard for me to admit, but these were the first terrorist activities to arouse public attention on an international level because so far the international media had completely denied the existence of a Palestinian problem.
Exactly one hour and 40 minutes after the attack started, Carlos sends a new message. The heavily injured terrorist is to be taken to hospital.
Ammesmann1975: Paramedic We didn’t know anything. We only had heard there were injured people and gunfire. And we didn’t know whether terrorists were involved or it was some sort of other raid.
For the time being an unknown person is admitted to the General Hospital. Only later the physicians find out that he is the German terrorist Hans Joachim Klein. On the 21st December he celebrates his 28th birthday.
Vilmos Vecsei1975: Physician on duty, AKH He was seriously injured. We asked him questions in English, German and French. He didn’t answer. In this critical, life-threatening situation we couldn’t reach him. That was the most impressive thing for me. Someone who had lost such a quantity of blood and evidently understood us could not be discountenanced.The medical staff made more or less funny, friendly, evil remarks to the effect how can you help such a guy to survive.
A surgery of life and death. Klein has severe injuries in the abdomen due to a ricochet. The bullet got stuck in the backbone.
Paul Sporn1975: Physician on duty, AKH I had had a very negative attitude, but soonI said stop now, you are a physician and this is a heavily injured young boy and you treat him now.
Reinhard Krepler1975: Medical student Then Professor Boigenfürst said you have two possibilities now. We either put the wounded terrorist in your room or you go home at once. Then the professor quickly removed the drains from my foot saying you are healed. And then the ambulance took me home.
Still during surgery the physicians learn that Carlos wants the injured back.
Professor Steinbereiter wanted to negotiate with Carlos but Carlos said he wouldn’t negotiate, he wanted him dead or alive, and threatened to kill the hostages.
In this situation, the surgery room was opened and policemen with helmets were standing there shouting, Carlos said I want him dead or alive. When can we have him?The simple answer was. You can get him. Get him. Uncover him. But as long as I’ve not finished I will never approve that you do something to him.
OS Radio Archive The terrorists demand a communiqué every two hours. In addition they request a bus to be at their disposal tomorrow morning. They plan to leave by plane to an unknown destination.
18.00 hours: Federal Chancellor Bruno Kreisky arrives and chairs the negotiations immediately. He has to discuss a difficult question together with the OPEC states and their ambassadors in Vienna.
Andrisch Then there was an informal point of discussion whether - and if yes how - weapons should be used. A procedure, however, that was in contradiction to the Federal Chancellor’s philosophy.
OS Radio archiveNarratorOS Kreisky The Iraqi chargé d’affaires in Vienna, Al-Azzabi, acts as mediator of information between government and terrorists. The Kreisky government decides to fulfill the demands of the terrorists.A lot of harm has already been done, and as we know that we have to take their threats very seriously this finally determines our mode of procedure.
OS The AUA had to be talked into supplying a plane and to find pilots ready to expose themselves to considerable risk.It was not easy to organize postal busses veiled with curtains, normally they don’t exist. This was technically the simplest task, a problem that could be solved.
OS Lanc Secondly, we had to find a physician to escort the flight, provided the treating physician would release the patient. I found one but in the morning he told me he wouldn’t do it because he had two children.
18.52 Once at a blood donation, Bruno Kreisky had met a Kurdish physician – the intern Dr. Rawenduzy who promised Kreisky to be available for him in case of a crisis.
19.06 OS Radio archive The Kurdish physician Dr. Rawenduzy declared himself willing to treat the severely wounded terrorist during the flight.
Wiriya Rawenduzy1975: Internist In this moment I neither thought of the family nor of the children. I remember I briefly phoned home and said I will fly.
A communiqué by Carlos is read over the radio in French at a two-hours interval. The voice belongs to a young member of Kreisky’s office. In the pamphlet, Carlos describes his people as ‘arms of the Arab revolution’ and blames Israel, the USA and several Arab states of an international conspiracy against the Palestinians. A parole that also fell on fertile grounds among the German Left in the 70ies.
OS Reif When I went to the men’s room, I told him, your demands in French over the Austrian radio will be in vain. Nobody listens to the Austrian radio abroad anyhow, and only few people know French in Austria. And then he made a gesture as if it was his task.
OS Androsch Nobody had a mobile phone, Internet, SMS or any of the means of communication that make a worldwide web possible today. And due to these developments, today’s terror is much more dangerous as it can organize itself much more efficiently and globally.
On this very evening, a reception was to be given for OPEC in the Hilton hotel. When Carlos requests food the buffet from the Hilton is delivered without further ado. Radio journalist Anton Gatnar volunteers to help transport the food to the first floor.
OS Gatnar The two of us carried the baskets to the OPEC gate. Although the terrorists watched us, I didn’t see any of them myself. I thought maybe I’d see something and can report on it. I was under 30 in those days and accordingly naive. I had no fear.
OS Attar Carlos had deliberated whether to carry out the attack in the Hilton hotel or in the OPEC building. But he decided on the OPEC building because only the OPEC people would be involved then.
The night in the OPEC building runs smoothly. The commando members stay awake by means of amphetamines. None of them knows how many days they will be here. Only Carlos speaks with the hostages.
OS REif He smoked a lot. They spoke to people. Made compliments to girls. He was not at all unpleasant. The way he gave himself.
OS Smetiprach He simply had charisma. Had he not been a terrorist, but only this very charming man, I would have liked to marry him. The others were like hunted animals.
OS REif The Tiedemann woman had a real wicked face. She seemed to be thoroughly dangerous. She was watching all the time. Not only us, the hostages but also her colleagues, especially Carlos. If I was afraid of anyone then it was this woman.
Not a single second of this night are the hostages on the first floor unobserved. On the second floor, the OPEC employees are still hiding.
OS Klug We used the waste bin as a toilet. Thank god we had three in our office which we used. Otherwise we wouldn’t have managed over 24 hours. But we had nothing to eat or drink.
In the morning of 22nd December, a bus with curtained windows pulls up.
The oil ministers with their delegations are led in groups to the bus.
Carlos enjoys the attention of the photographers.
Demonstratively, he kisses the oil minister from Venezuela. Allegedly a friend of his father. He hands him a letter to his mother.
OS Wallaschek We didn’t know who would come down. Some were led down then brought back again. It was not quite clear whom they would take with them in the bus.
In a breathtaking ride, the recently operated on and seriously wounded Hans Joachim Klein is taken to the airport as well, constantly overseen by the escorting physician.
OS Sporn When we drove off he only said, where is my watch? That was the only sentence he said. This heavily injured man is worried about leaving his watch behind.
Dr. Rawenduzy starts a ride into the uncertain. Without artificial respiration his patient cannot survive.
OS Rawenduzy He always said, been, been. I told him I’m responsible for you. If we can’t find a common language I can’t help you much.
After the departure of the bus, the nightmare has ended for the Austrian hostages in the OPEC building. The police is confronted with a scene of devastation.
OS Klug Only after they had already knocked at the door we had locked three times, did we dare to open it. And thank god it was really the police.
OS Reif When I was free there had a feeling of aggression in me that made me think that even if a policeman wants anything of me, even in a friendly tone, I would be able to do a terrible thing.
OS Archive ORF TV Question: Did the night pass well?1st woman: I slept. I don’t know what the others did.Question: Did they treat you well?2nd woman: Very well, we had to eat. They brought us cigarettes and drink. We were treated very well.
The fearful hours of waiting have also ended for the families of the hostages. The 18-year-old Regina Klug is embraced by her boyfriend.
OS Reporter Archive Question:Where were you?On the second floor. In the last room, locked in.
OS Klug The good thing about it was that we decided to stay together and get married.
Yet not for everybody is the nightmare over. 35 people remain hostages of the terrorists. With a machine gun in his neck, bus driver Wilhelm Jaworek steers the bus to the airport.
OS InsertGertrude Jaworek1975: Wife of busdriver Wilhelm Jaworek He is never afraid. It was a normal thing for him to do. He phoned me and said I’m coming home now. And tomorrow morning I drive the terrorists to the airport.And I said, okay what shall I do?
OS Chalabi
OS Reidinger In order not to aggravate the situation, we blocked off of the whole route from the Ring to the airport. An officer was standing on every intersection and the traffic lights were switched to green. Imagine, had the convoy been stopped at an intersection. Carlos would have said this is a trap and the police are coming. That’s why we escorted the entire convoy.
OS InsertWilhelm Jaworek1975: Bus driver When he entered, he laughed and even shook my hand. He searched me for hidden weapons. When he got out he thanked me for the ride.
Many journalists are waiting at the airport for the arrival of the hostage convoy. To gain a better view, the Austrian television ORF posts cameras and reporters on top of a boiler house. On this day, the world looks upon Austria.
The pilots Manfred Pollack and Otto Herold have volunteered for this flight.
OS InsertOtto Herold1975: Pilot, AUA ‘B’ like bravo, oscar, ecco. lima, alpha, bravo had the most flight hours, that’s why it was chosen. To keep the loss as low as possible, in case the plane should be blown up.
OS Herold As many high ranking personalities took part in the OPEC conference, it was possible that they might kill a stewardess and throw her out of the door to exert pressure. That’s why I didn’t want to have a crew only responsible for service on board.
OS Archive It is bitterly cold here…The convoy consisting of two ambulances has now reached the airport Beside me is my radio colleague Gatner.He estimates the distance to the plane at 200 metres Now the stretcher is pulled out…
30.54 OS Sporn Interviewer: You took the injured terrorist to the airport. How is his condition?Respiration and lungs have improved, otherwise this transport would not be possible.Interviewer: Do you think he will survive the OS sporn I think he will.
OS Vecei When everything was done, I shook the terrorist’s hand and said, bye, bye, be good. He held my hand for a while and I thought, he doesn’t talk to me but with the pressure of his hand he thanks you. This was my feeling. I’d like to ask him whether he still remembers.
OS I read his book and to my great surprise I found out that he did not remember this phase of the attack or the time around it. And that we had been mistaken in our impression he respected us for treating him well. We couldn’t impress him because he had no memories.
The bus with the hostages arrives on the airport premises after accommodating Hans Joachim in the rear part of the airplane. The eleven oil ministers and 19 delegates are driven in small groups by Carlos and his command with machine guns into the airplane. The Austrian minister of the interior, Otto Rösch, is a silent witness. Five hostages are released.
OS Gatnar An endless phase started then. He went to the plane accompanied by one man. Then he went back and picked up the next one.And this went back and forth over many hours. It was hard for a radio reporter to fill the hours with reports on crows and that I didn’t see any policemen and that the snow storm was on again.
OS sporn It was a weird sight. Carlos with his machine gun didn’t talk. He only gave commands with his machine gun. Always in threes and I had the deep impression the man is in a frenzy of power.
The last act of the drama causes vehement critique for Austria worldwide. Otto Rösch. Minister of the Interior, shakes hands with Carlos as a farewell.
OS Archive Rösch Question.Is this the new style of Austrian cabinet members?Yes, the man has reached out his hand saying he wanted to apologise to have carried out the operation in Austria, and I took it.
OS Lanc The nation is upset that my friend Rösch shook Carlos’ hand. But picture this situation. It’s an act of relief on one hand. And on the other hand to bond the man to keep his promises inside the plane.
The two AUA pilots clear their machine for take off.
OS Rawenduzy When I saw Carlos I said, please we have an open oxygen cylinder, so please don’t smoke.I asked him a few times, where we would land and he answered, later.I told him if we would not land soon his friend would die of lack of oxygen and that he would be responsible for it.
OS InsertOtto Herold1975: Pilot, AUA I didn’t want to serve any food on the plane before take off. And with the exception of mineral water and coffee no drinks either. But I had wrongly assessed the situation because they were very angry that there was nothing to eat on board. So the atmosphere was a little tense.That’s why I would not take this decision a second time.When I offered coffee to a row of three, the minister was really angry and pushed aside the tablet and demanded me to bring him tea. I was also very angry and said, you drink my coffee or you get nothing. And then the terrorist, who had watched and followed me to collect the empty cups, told me to sit down. Then he gave order to this man to pick up the cups and to take them to the front.
OS Herold He showed me his packet of Czech explosives that you can knead and form and he played ball with it, threw it into the air. To be on the safe side I covered my ears, although it would have be in vain, if there had really been an explosion.
On 22 December 1975, at 16 minutes past nine o’clock, the plane takes off from runway number 12 of the Vienna airport.In the air, the pilots are instructed by Carlos to fly in the direction Algeria.
The heavily injured Hans Joachim Klein is taken to a hospital in Algiers.Carlos releases several hostages.
The next destination is Tripoli in Libya. The Libyan oil minister and five further hostages leave the airplane. Carlos himself may not set foot on Libyan soil.Finally, on 23 December 1975, the plane lands in Algiers again. The remaining hostages are set free. Libya is considered to have given orders for the terrorist attack. The Saudi Arabian and Iranian oil ministers were to be executed. Carlos is said to have received 50 million dollars for releasing the hostages.Anis Naccache, cover name Kahlid, lives today as merchant in Beirut and confesses to have participated in the terrorist attack of Vienna. There is no Austrian warrant of arrest against him. Today he claims to have been the political head of the OPEC attack.
Hans Joachim Klein, called Angie, survives his injuries and disappears in the French underground for 20 years. In 1999, he is turned over to Germany. He renounces terror and works closely together with the authorities. In February 2001, he is sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment and is pardoned two years later. Today, he lives in a little French village. For an interview with us he wanted 10,000 euros.
Gabriele Kröcher-Tiedemann, called Nada, is arrested in Switzerland in 1977, after a shoot-out. She is sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. Despite all witness statements, she could never be convicted for having participated in the OPEC assault. In 1991, she is released from prison and dies of cancer four years later.
Illich Ramirez Sanchez, called Carlos the Jackal, leaves behind a trail of blood all over the world, as international killer and terrorist. supported by communist and Arab regimes. He is said to have killed more than 80 people. In 1994, Carlos is arrested in Sudan and turned over to France. In prison, he marries his female lawyer. At the moment, he serves a life sentence in a prison outside of Paris.
OS Herold The terrorists packed their things and took their explosives and weapons. There was a little box with cigars from Fidel Castro inside. Carlos wanted to give every one of us a present and gave each of us one of these cigars. Although I was a little skeptical as there might have been explosives inside. Then he gave each of us a bullet. I don’t know exactly whether it was his own.
narrator: Shortly before 12 o’clock noon: the commando unit sets out. The sport bags are packed with explosives and weapons.
The mission: kidnapping some of the most influential and powerful men in the world.
The woman and the five men are battle tested. The coup in Vienna has been meticulously prepared for months. To this end, the terror commando was trained in a camp – in Southern Yemen.
Radio voice: The curb in production causes competition among OPEC countries on the international market to toughen again. The information for the public on the results of today’s talks will be very scarce as usual.
Police President: We were standing downstairs to warm up a bit. Four or five boys and a girl passed by and nodded without saying anything. But they greeted us.The female terrorist asked Tieler, are you a policeman. He said, yes. Then she shot him dead.
Minutes later, Gabriele Kröcher Tiedemann, called Nada, cold-bloodedly killed an Iraqi bodyguard who is in her way.
Sylvia Smetiprach 1975: Secretary, OPEC: All of a sudden, I saw a person falling against the glass door. And then I heard shots.
Hans Reif: I had a filing cabinet. Relative heavy. And I think I pushed it in front of the door all by myself.
Enis Al-Attar, 1975, Administrator, OPEC: I hid immediately under the desk, taking my telephone to call the police.
Within several minutes, the information service at the police headquarters receives three phones calls from the OPEC building.
Ernst WallascheckPress relation, State police: I was just thinking about warming up my lunch box. All of a sudden there was a call from the information service. He said “Ernst, there is a shoot-out in the OPEC building”. I said, “think up a better joke”. And he said, listen.
The terror commando tries to gain control over the situation in the building. The OPEC employees are driven out of their offices.
Enis al Attar: Then someone knocked at the door and a female voice said we should come out at once or they would fire.
Reif: And then she fired through the door. The bullet went through the back of the filing cabinet, but got stuck in the files.
Smetiprach: Then the women grabbed my hair and pulled me out saying, “put your hands up”. She pulled me outside and said if I remained quiet nothing would happen to me.
In an office, a Libyan delegation member tries to grab Carlos’ weapon. The terrorist executes him at once.
The hostages are pushed into the OPEC conference room where already the oil ministers are waiting. Several OPEC employees remain unnoticed on the second floor.
Regina Klug Secretary, OPEC: We thought they would probably occupy the second floor as well, so we kept silent, hardly moved, because we were afraid they would find us if they were standing outside by the lift.
Ten minutes after the attack: a commando unit of seven people arrive at the OPEC building. The men of the storm troop have no idea what will await them.
Wallascheck: In the whole police headquarters they only had, I believe, five or six bullet-proof vests. You must remember it was in 1975.
Moosberger: Although the EKO was very trained when a family member threatened another one, or if there was a brawl in a department store but it was unsuited in a terrorist raid.
Three officers examine the building and instantly end up in a shoot-out with the terrorists.
Wallascheck Radio voice: After a while they returned, and one of the officers was lagging behind. We asked him what’s the matter with you?And he answered they shot me in the buttocks, but I got the bastard.The Ringstrasse is blocked off between Schottentor and Burgtheater. The police has hermetically sealed off the area. Journalists are not allowed to advance to the OPEC building. There is the danger that the terrorists will open fire or blow up the building.
Anton Gatnar, Head economic news,ORF Radio: Near the parliament there was a single policeman who said there is a detour. I pointed at my ORF sticker in the car and he gave me the signal pass through, and I drove to the OPEC building where I saw a few ambulances, so I parked my car and went slowly up. Several policemen were standing there, but I could pass with my ORF batch and then I was at the OPEC building. More and more onlookers gather in front of the building while in the interior of the OPEC building the drama takes its course. Repeatedly gunfire can be heard.
Reidinger: In those days, the ambulances were green and the terrorists believed they were police cars and were therefore highly nervous. For this reason, the ambulances in Vienna were later white with the word ambulance on it. This is internationally better known.
Paramedics rescue the dead policeman Anton Tichler. The woman terrorist sent the body in the elevator to the ground floor.
Reidinger: Tichler was to retire on the first of January. And because he wanted some extra money for his planned ski holiday in Switzerland he had reported voluntarily, therewith signing his own death sentence.
In the conference room, the terror commando keeps in check the oil ministers, delegation members and OPEC employees. Altogether 70 people are taken hostages by Carlos.
Fadhil Al-Chalabi1975: Member of Iraqi Delegation
The terrorists fasten explosives to doors and windows.
Smetiprach Two men had grenades in their hands. One grenade was pulled and there was masses of dust in the room and there was this crater and it was horrible. And a very heavy colleague fell onto me and I couldn’t breathe.
Attar Then he separated people. Saudi Arabian and Iranian to the hostile countries, Libyans to the friendly countries. With regard to Kuwait he said he didn’t know where they belonged.
Attar Carlos then apologised to the Libyan minister and his delegation for having had to kill a Libyan delegate.
Smetiprach I cried terribly and then Carlos called me outside and asked me whether I was a Viennese woman. Yes, I repeated, and then he said you may go home.
REif She was lucky. You must be able to cry.
OS Smetiprach I only wanted to get out. That was my deepest wish. When I talk about it now it all comes up again. One of the terrorists is severely wounded in the shoot-out with the police. Carlos sends Enis al Attar out of the conference room to fetch a first-aid kit.
Attar I said I’m not crazy. You on this side and on the other side there is certainly the police. And I’m in the middle. He said I should raise my arms and always say I’m from the OPEC building and if I would get him the kit he would let me go.
Attar and Sylvia Smetiprach are set free. For the police they draw a plan of the building’s first floor. They convey Carlos’s message that the OPEC building would be blown up if the police interfered again.
OS Radio In view of the situation an emergency cabinet meeting convenes and Federal Chancellor Kreisky interrupts his winter holiday in Lech to travel to Vienna.
The released hostages become the most important informants for the government. The emergency cabinet meeting learns that the most wanted terrorists in the world are behind the attack on the OPEC building. For the time being the deliberations and speculations on the aim of the assault start without Chancellor Kreisky.
Hannes Androsch1975: Finance minister One aim is certainly the wish to support the Palestinians and to get money for their activities and the other to show what they were capable of doing.
Erwin Lanc1975: Traffic Minister It’s hard for me to admit, but these were the first terrorist activities to arouse public attention on an international level because so far the international media had completely denied the existence of a Palestinian problem.
Exactly one hour and 40 minutes after the attack started, Carlos sends a new message. The heavily injured terrorist is to be taken to hospital.
Ammesmann1975: Paramedic We didn’t know anything. We only had heard there were injured people and gunfire. And we didn’t know whether terrorists were involved or it was some sort of other raid.
For the time being an unknown person is admitted to the General Hospital. Only later the physicians find out that he is the German terrorist Hans Joachim Klein. On the 21st December he celebrates his 28th birthday.
Vilmos Vecsei1975: Physician on duty, AKH He was seriously injured. We asked him questions in English, German and French. He didn’t answer. In this critical, life-threatening situation we couldn’t reach him. That was the most impressive thing for me. Someone who had lost such a quantity of blood and evidently understood us could not be discountenanced.The medical staff made more or less funny, friendly, evil remarks to the effect how can you help such a guy to survive.
A surgery of life and death. Klein has severe injuries in the abdomen due to a ricochet. The bullet got stuck in the backbone.
Paul Sporn1975: Physician on duty, AKH I had had a very negative attitude, but soonI said stop now, you are a physician and this is a heavily injured young boy and you treat him now.
Reinhard Krepler1975: Medical student Then Professor Boigenfürst said you have two possibilities now. We either put the wounded terrorist in your room or you go home at once. Then the professor quickly removed the drains from my foot saying you are healed. And then the ambulance took me home.
Still during surgery the physicians learn that Carlos wants the injured back.
Professor Steinbereiter wanted to negotiate with Carlos but Carlos said he wouldn’t negotiate, he wanted him dead or alive, and threatened to kill the hostages.
In this situation, the surgery room was opened and policemen with helmets were standing there shouting, Carlos said I want him dead or alive. When can we have him?The simple answer was. You can get him. Get him. Uncover him. But as long as I’ve not finished I will never approve that you do something to him.
OS Radio Archive The terrorists demand a communiqué every two hours. In addition they request a bus to be at their disposal tomorrow morning. They plan to leave by plane to an unknown destination.
18.00 hours: Federal Chancellor Bruno Kreisky arrives and chairs the negotiations immediately. He has to discuss a difficult question together with the OPEC states and their ambassadors in Vienna.
Andrisch Then there was an informal point of discussion whether - and if yes how - weapons should be used. A procedure, however, that was in contradiction to the Federal Chancellor’s philosophy.
OS Radio archiveNarratorOS Kreisky The Iraqi chargé d’affaires in Vienna, Al-Azzabi, acts as mediator of information between government and terrorists. The Kreisky government decides to fulfill the demands of the terrorists.A lot of harm has already been done, and as we know that we have to take their threats very seriously this finally determines our mode of procedure.
OS The AUA had to be talked into supplying a plane and to find pilots ready to expose themselves to considerable risk.It was not easy to organize postal busses veiled with curtains, normally they don’t exist. This was technically the simplest task, a problem that could be solved.
OS Lanc Secondly, we had to find a physician to escort the flight, provided the treating physician would release the patient. I found one but in the morning he told me he wouldn’t do it because he had two children.
18.52 Once at a blood donation, Bruno Kreisky had met a Kurdish physician – the intern Dr. Rawenduzy who promised Kreisky to be available for him in case of a crisis.
19.06 OS Radio archive The Kurdish physician Dr. Rawenduzy declared himself willing to treat the severely wounded terrorist during the flight.
Wiriya Rawenduzy1975: Internist In this moment I neither thought of the family nor of the children. I remember I briefly phoned home and said I will fly.
A communiqué by Carlos is read over the radio in French at a two-hours interval. The voice belongs to a young member of Kreisky’s office. In the pamphlet, Carlos describes his people as ‘arms of the Arab revolution’ and blames Israel, the USA and several Arab states of an international conspiracy against the Palestinians. A parole that also fell on fertile grounds among the German Left in the 70ies.
OS Reif When I went to the men’s room, I told him, your demands in French over the Austrian radio will be in vain. Nobody listens to the Austrian radio abroad anyhow, and only few people know French in Austria. And then he made a gesture as if it was his task.
OS Androsch Nobody had a mobile phone, Internet, SMS or any of the means of communication that make a worldwide web possible today. And due to these developments, today’s terror is much more dangerous as it can organize itself much more efficiently and globally.
On this very evening, a reception was to be given for OPEC in the Hilton hotel. When Carlos requests food the buffet from the Hilton is delivered without further ado. Radio journalist Anton Gatnar volunteers to help transport the food to the first floor.
OS Gatnar The two of us carried the baskets to the OPEC gate. Although the terrorists watched us, I didn’t see any of them myself. I thought maybe I’d see something and can report on it. I was under 30 in those days and accordingly naive. I had no fear.
OS Attar Carlos had deliberated whether to carry out the attack in the Hilton hotel or in the OPEC building. But he decided on the OPEC building because only the OPEC people would be involved then.
The night in the OPEC building runs smoothly. The commando members stay awake by means of amphetamines. None of them knows how many days they will be here. Only Carlos speaks with the hostages.
OS REif He smoked a lot. They spoke to people. Made compliments to girls. He was not at all unpleasant. The way he gave himself.
OS Smetiprach He simply had charisma. Had he not been a terrorist, but only this very charming man, I would have liked to marry him. The others were like hunted animals.
OS REif The Tiedemann woman had a real wicked face. She seemed to be thoroughly dangerous. She was watching all the time. Not only us, the hostages but also her colleagues, especially Carlos. If I was afraid of anyone then it was this woman.
Not a single second of this night are the hostages on the first floor unobserved. On the second floor, the OPEC employees are still hiding.
OS Klug We used the waste bin as a toilet. Thank god we had three in our office which we used. Otherwise we wouldn’t have managed over 24 hours. But we had nothing to eat or drink.
In the morning of 22nd December, a bus with curtained windows pulls up.
The oil ministers with their delegations are led in groups to the bus.
Carlos enjoys the attention of the photographers.
Demonstratively, he kisses the oil minister from Venezuela. Allegedly a friend of his father. He hands him a letter to his mother.
OS Wallaschek We didn’t know who would come down. Some were led down then brought back again. It was not quite clear whom they would take with them in the bus.
In a breathtaking ride, the recently operated on and seriously wounded Hans Joachim Klein is taken to the airport as well, constantly overseen by the escorting physician.
OS Sporn When we drove off he only said, where is my watch? That was the only sentence he said. This heavily injured man is worried about leaving his watch behind.
Dr. Rawenduzy starts a ride into the uncertain. Without artificial respiration his patient cannot survive.
OS Rawenduzy He always said, been, been. I told him I’m responsible for you. If we can’t find a common language I can’t help you much.
After the departure of the bus, the nightmare has ended for the Austrian hostages in the OPEC building. The police is confronted with a scene of devastation.
OS Klug Only after they had already knocked at the door we had locked three times, did we dare to open it. And thank god it was really the police.
OS Reif When I was free there had a feeling of aggression in me that made me think that even if a policeman wants anything of me, even in a friendly tone, I would be able to do a terrible thing.
OS Archive ORF TV Question: Did the night pass well?1st woman: I slept. I don’t know what the others did.Question: Did they treat you well?2nd woman: Very well, we had to eat. They brought us cigarettes and drink. We were treated very well.
The fearful hours of waiting have also ended for the families of the hostages. The 18-year-old Regina Klug is embraced by her boyfriend.
OS Reporter Archive Question:Where were you?On the second floor. In the last room, locked in.
OS Klug The good thing about it was that we decided to stay together and get married.
Yet not for everybody is the nightmare over. 35 people remain hostages of the terrorists. With a machine gun in his neck, bus driver Wilhelm Jaworek steers the bus to the airport.
OS InsertGertrude Jaworek1975: Wife of busdriver Wilhelm Jaworek He is never afraid. It was a normal thing for him to do. He phoned me and said I’m coming home now. And tomorrow morning I drive the terrorists to the airport.And I said, okay what shall I do?
OS Chalabi
OS Reidinger In order not to aggravate the situation, we blocked off of the whole route from the Ring to the airport. An officer was standing on every intersection and the traffic lights were switched to green. Imagine, had the convoy been stopped at an intersection. Carlos would have said this is a trap and the police are coming. That’s why we escorted the entire convoy.
OS InsertWilhelm Jaworek1975: Bus driver When he entered, he laughed and even shook my hand. He searched me for hidden weapons. When he got out he thanked me for the ride.
Many journalists are waiting at the airport for the arrival of the hostage convoy. To gain a better view, the Austrian television ORF posts cameras and reporters on top of a boiler house. On this day, the world looks upon Austria.
The pilots Manfred Pollack and Otto Herold have volunteered for this flight.
OS InsertOtto Herold1975: Pilot, AUA ‘B’ like bravo, oscar, ecco. lima, alpha, bravo had the most flight hours, that’s why it was chosen. To keep the loss as low as possible, in case the plane should be blown up.
OS Herold As many high ranking personalities took part in the OPEC conference, it was possible that they might kill a stewardess and throw her out of the door to exert pressure. That’s why I didn’t want to have a crew only responsible for service on board.
OS Archive It is bitterly cold here…The convoy consisting of two ambulances has now reached the airport Beside me is my radio colleague Gatner.He estimates the distance to the plane at 200 metres Now the stretcher is pulled out…
30.54 OS Sporn Interviewer: You took the injured terrorist to the airport. How is his condition?Respiration and lungs have improved, otherwise this transport would not be possible.Interviewer: Do you think he will survive the OS sporn I think he will.
OS Vecei When everything was done, I shook the terrorist’s hand and said, bye, bye, be good. He held my hand for a while and I thought, he doesn’t talk to me but with the pressure of his hand he thanks you. This was my feeling. I’d like to ask him whether he still remembers.
OS I read his book and to my great surprise I found out that he did not remember this phase of the attack or the time around it. And that we had been mistaken in our impression he respected us for treating him well. We couldn’t impress him because he had no memories.
The bus with the hostages arrives on the airport premises after accommodating Hans Joachim in the rear part of the airplane. The eleven oil ministers and 19 delegates are driven in small groups by Carlos and his command with machine guns into the airplane. The Austrian minister of the interior, Otto Rösch, is a silent witness. Five hostages are released.
OS Gatnar An endless phase started then. He went to the plane accompanied by one man. Then he went back and picked up the next one.And this went back and forth over many hours. It was hard for a radio reporter to fill the hours with reports on crows and that I didn’t see any policemen and that the snow storm was on again.
OS sporn It was a weird sight. Carlos with his machine gun didn’t talk. He only gave commands with his machine gun. Always in threes and I had the deep impression the man is in a frenzy of power.
The last act of the drama causes vehement critique for Austria worldwide. Otto Rösch. Minister of the Interior, shakes hands with Carlos as a farewell.
OS Archive Rösch Question.Is this the new style of Austrian cabinet members?Yes, the man has reached out his hand saying he wanted to apologise to have carried out the operation in Austria, and I took it.
OS Lanc The nation is upset that my friend Rösch shook Carlos’ hand. But picture this situation. It’s an act of relief on one hand. And on the other hand to bond the man to keep his promises inside the plane.
The two AUA pilots clear their machine for take off.
OS Rawenduzy When I saw Carlos I said, please we have an open oxygen cylinder, so please don’t smoke.I asked him a few times, where we would land and he answered, later.I told him if we would not land soon his friend would die of lack of oxygen and that he would be responsible for it.
OS InsertOtto Herold1975: Pilot, AUA I didn’t want to serve any food on the plane before take off. And with the exception of mineral water and coffee no drinks either. But I had wrongly assessed the situation because they were very angry that there was nothing to eat on board. So the atmosphere was a little tense.That’s why I would not take this decision a second time.When I offered coffee to a row of three, the minister was really angry and pushed aside the tablet and demanded me to bring him tea. I was also very angry and said, you drink my coffee or you get nothing. And then the terrorist, who had watched and followed me to collect the empty cups, told me to sit down. Then he gave order to this man to pick up the cups and to take them to the front.
OS Herold He showed me his packet of Czech explosives that you can knead and form and he played ball with it, threw it into the air. To be on the safe side I covered my ears, although it would have be in vain, if there had really been an explosion.
On 22 December 1975, at 16 minutes past nine o’clock, the plane takes off from runway number 12 of the Vienna airport.In the air, the pilots are instructed by Carlos to fly in the direction Algeria.
The heavily injured Hans Joachim Klein is taken to a hospital in Algiers.Carlos releases several hostages.
The next destination is Tripoli in Libya. The Libyan oil minister and five further hostages leave the airplane. Carlos himself may not set foot on Libyan soil.Finally, on 23 December 1975, the plane lands in Algiers again. The remaining hostages are set free. Libya is considered to have given orders for the terrorist attack. The Saudi Arabian and Iranian oil ministers were to be executed. Carlos is said to have received 50 million dollars for releasing the hostages.Anis Naccache, cover name Kahlid, lives today as merchant in Beirut and confesses to have participated in the terrorist attack of Vienna. There is no Austrian warrant of arrest against him. Today he claims to have been the political head of the OPEC attack.
Hans Joachim Klein, called Angie, survives his injuries and disappears in the French underground for 20 years. In 1999, he is turned over to Germany. He renounces terror and works closely together with the authorities. In February 2001, he is sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment and is pardoned two years later. Today, he lives in a little French village. For an interview with us he wanted 10,000 euros.
Gabriele Kröcher-Tiedemann, called Nada, is arrested in Switzerland in 1977, after a shoot-out. She is sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. Despite all witness statements, she could never be convicted for having participated in the OPEC assault. In 1991, she is released from prison and dies of cancer four years later.
Illich Ramirez Sanchez, called Carlos the Jackal, leaves behind a trail of blood all over the world, as international killer and terrorist. supported by communist and Arab regimes. He is said to have killed more than 80 people. In 1994, Carlos is arrested in Sudan and turned over to France. In prison, he marries his female lawyer. At the moment, he serves a life sentence in a prison outside of Paris.
OS Herold The terrorists packed their things and took their explosives and weapons. There was a little box with cigars from Fidel Castro inside. Carlos wanted to give every one of us a present and gave each of us one of these cigars. Although I was a little skeptical as there might have been explosives inside. Then he gave each of us a bullet. I don’t know exactly whether it was his own.