Look at how Germany defeated the Red Army Faction. The lessons about how to fight terrorism are all there | Jason Burke

In 1972, Heinrich Böll characterized the Red Army Faction’s violence since its 1970 founding as a “war of six against 60 million,” drawing accusations of sympathy for bombers and murderers. RAF bombings, abductions, and shootings created West Germany’s most acute post–World War II democratic crisis, with dozens killed, more injured, wanted posters and police checkpoints nationwide, and major state resources devoted to counter-terrorism. RAF members favored sporty BMWs, nicknamed Baader-Meinhof Wagen after Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof. By the late 1970s, Meinhof died by suicide in 1976 and Baader died similarly in 1977, while later generations carried out attacks aimed largely at freeing imprisoned members. Most later participants joined incarcerated comrades behind bars, and a third generation continued for about another decade, including Daniela Klette, who was sentenced last week to 13 years in prison at age 67 for armed robberies.

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