How Cold War Czechoslovakia became a haven for terrorists

Watching the Jackals: Prague’s Covert Relations with Cold War Terrorists and Revolutionaries Daniela Richterova

Georgetown University Press, pp.376, 32

Cold War Prague hid its historic charms under a veil of grime and dilapidation. But, as we learn from this deeply researched and scholarly study, it was still a favoured destination for international terrorists, mostly Palestinians, after the 1968 Soviet invasion. They liked its hotels, its proximity to the West, its medical facilities, the tolerance and support of its security authorities and the quality of its light-arms manufacturing.

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Tagged20th century european history, Abu Nidal, assassination, Carlos the Jackal, Czechoslovakia, PFLP, PLO, Terrorism, the Iron Curtain, Wadi Haddad, Yasser Arafat

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How Cold War Czechoslovakia became a haven for terrorists

Simply to oppose and aggravate the West, the country supported a range of radical Palestinian organisations – but their violence and unpredictability became serious liabilities

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