"The Jackal" reveals secrets of the "OPEC" operation: Gaddafi was behind the attack that shook the world

Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, globally known as Carlos the Jackal, has resurfaced from his French prison with a new narrative concerning the 1975 armed operation against the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) headquarters in Vienna. This attack transformed him from a relatively unknown militant into one of the world's most wanted figures and pioneered a new form of transnational terrorism.

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He claims former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi orchestrated the operation, contradicting previous theories linking it to Saddam Hussein.

In an extensive investigation by the Washington Post, American journalist Joby Warrick recounts meeting Carlos in France's Bois-de-Vincennes prison in March 2025, nearly fifty years after the OPEC seizure. The operation saw dozens of oil ministers and officials taken hostage, beginning with gunfire in the Austrian capital and concluding days later with international flights and negotiations.

The investigation portrays a man in his mid-seventies, bearing the marks of long years of imprisonment and isolation. However, he retains a degree of the showmanship that made him, as the newspaper describes, the world's first "celebrity terrorist" in the 1970s. His name and image were ubiquitous in the media, blurring the lines between fact, legend, and fictional portrayals.

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He still retains a degree of the showmanship that made him, as the newspaper describes, the world's first 'celebrity terrorist' in the 1970s.

Carlos asserts that the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was behind the OPEC attack. This account diverges from decades-old hypotheses that attributed the operation to the regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The Vienna operation began on December 21, 1975, when six militants, including a 26-year-old Carlos, arrived near the OPEC headquarters by tram. They entered the meeting venue, where ministers and officials from numerous oil-producing nations were gathered, and initiated a bloody assault that killed three people and took numerous hostages.

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The operation began on December 21, 1975, when six militants, including a 26-year-old Carlos, arrived near the OPEC headquarters by tram.

Carlos, who spoke English, French, Arabic, and Spanish, did not hide his identity for long, introducing himself to the hostages as "the famous Carlos." The group, operating under the name "The Arab Revolution's Arm," demanded the broadcast of a pro-Palestinian statement and safe passage out of the country via bus and plane. Carlos threatened to execute hostages if his demands were not met, while the hall was rigged with explosives, presenting the Austrian government with an unprecedented security crisis.

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The group, operating under the name 'The Arab Revolution's Arm,' demanded the broadcast of a pro-Palestinian statement and safe passage out of the country via bus and plane.