Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known to the world as Carlos the Jackal, once evoked fear and fascination across the globe. Now an elderly inmate in a French prison, he offers a rare glimpse into his life, reflecting on a career of assassinations and bombings between 1973 and 1985, and the persona that blurred the lines between criminal and myth.
In a late winter morning interview, conducted under stringent French authority controls, the 76-year-old Ramirez Sanchez, clad in tan dungarees and a leather cabbie hat, appeared more relaxed than intimidating. His once-famous face, now stubbled and framed by thinning white hair, spoke of a life lived and aged behind bars. His voice, high and raspy, often trailed off mid-sentence, a stark contrast to the chilling acts he was convicted of.
Ramirez Sanchez agreed to the meeting after a year of requests, with French authorities permitting a limited conversation without recording devices or photographs. As the interviewer delved into old police files, the terrorist’s ability to commit audacious acts of violence and evade capture repeatedly surfaced. These included rocket attacks on airliners at Orly airport and a grenade attack on a French retail center that killed and maimed shoppers. In 1975, he orchestrated the seizure of OPEC oil ministers in Vienna, holding the assembly hostage before escaping in a hijacked airliner.
His ability to disappear after attacks, often retreating to luxury accommodations until his next strike, is a testament to the security landscape of the 1970s. Before his 22nd birthday, Ramirez Sanchez had joined a Palestinian militant group and survived a civil war in Jordan. By 23, he was a terrorist sleeper agent in London, awaiting his first assignment: to assassinate a businessman supporting Israeli causes. Though the victim survived, Ramirez Sanchez, armed with a semi-automatic pistol and limited ammunition, vanished.
European and American law enforcement agencies pursued him globally, with close calls multiple times. Even former allies and employers, including Middle Eastern dictators and East European officials, eventually grew weary of his actions but, rather than eliminating him, simply allowed him to move on.
Ramirez Sanchez exhibits no remorse for his actions and does not acknowledge that his attacks claimed innocent lives. When asked about his numerous escapes, he attributed them to divine providence, a belief he links to his conversion to Islam. However, a more plausible explanation lies in the unpreparedness of Western societies at the time to counter sophisticated terrorism. Security measures at airports were minimal, border controls were lax, and intelligence sharing between agencies was not routine. Furthermore, governments frequently acceded to terrorist demands, inadvertently encouraging further acts. Specialized anti-terrorism units and intelligence networks were underdeveloped, and some governments even facilitated escapes by providing getaway vehicles and cash.
The OPEC incident, where he secured a DC-9 jet and a multi-million-dollar payout, exemplified this pattern of appeasement. Public outcry in the 1980s, followed by increased spending on counterterrorism after the 9/11 attacks, led to more robust security measures. However, recent years have seen a shift, with intelligence and law enforcement agencies in the U.S. reducing counterterrorism specialists amid declining global threat levels.
New threats have emerged, including 'outsourced' terrorism linked to Russia and Iran, which reportedly hire criminals for acts of terror to undermine rivals. These modern-day operatives are described as mercenary terrorists operating in a 'violent gig economy.'
Carlos the Jackal, the ultimate escape artist of his time, sustained his violent career for two decades not due to unique talent or divine intervention, but because Western societies lacked the capacity and the will to stop him. He is a relic of a bygone era, yet his story underscores the enduring need for vigilance against evolving forms of terrorism. This article is adapted from the book "The Jackal" by Joby Warrick.