Operation Leo
Encyclopedia
Operation Leo was a plan to kidnap
the Swedish
Minister for Immigration Anna-Greta Leijon
in 1976. The plan was devised by the second generation of the German Red Army Faction
. The first generation of the group was also known as the Baader Meinhof Group, after two of its founding members.
law, and the goal was to exchange Leijon for 8 'comrades' held in West German prisons. The group intended to put the minister in a wooden box so as to prevent her from hearing or seeing anything and subsequently moving her to another location.
The plan was extensive and complicated and included robbing banks and procuring weapons. However, unbeknownst to the Red Army Faction, the Swedish Security Service SÄPO
had them under close surveillance. Before the plan could be put into action the police arrested the entire group in an operation code-named "Ebba Röd".
During the investigation that followed, some 90 people were arrested. Many received long prison terms, and the leader of the group, Norbert Kröcher
, was deported
to Germany where he served out his prison sentence until released in 1989. After he was arrested, "Ebba Grön" was called out on the police radio. (Röd is the Swedish word for red, and Grön is the word for green. Ebba was the police code-name for Kröcher.)
The Red Army Faction devised the plan as a direct consequence of the outcome of the 1975 West German embassy siege in Stockholm
. A group of RAF members seized the embassy by force, demanding negotiations with the West German government. After the Swedish and German governments had employed stalling tactics the terrorists became impatient and allegedly started planning a violent break-out. A botched attempt to create a diversion led to an explosion and a massive fire. One terrorist, Siegfried Hausner
, died from injuries sustained in the explosion in Stammheim prison
after being flown to Germany. The other members of the group were arrested as they tried to flee the premises.
If the plan to kidnap Mrs. Leijon had been successful the group would have named their unit "Commando
Siegfried Hausner
".
, formed in 1977, named themselves after the code word used in the police operation.
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Minister for Immigration Anna-Greta Leijon
Anna-Greta Leijon
Anna-Greta Leijon is a former Swedish social democratic politician.She was Minister of Justice from 1987 to 1988, and was forced to step down when the Ebbe Carlsson affair exploded.She has been the chairman of the Swedish Television SVT....
in 1976. The plan was devised by the second generation of the German Red Army Faction
Red Army Faction
The radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:* Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S...
. The first generation of the group was also known as the Baader Meinhof Group, after two of its founding members.
The operation
Leijon was chosen because she held the highest political responsibility for the new Swedish anti-terroristTerrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
law, and the goal was to exchange Leijon for 8 'comrades' held in West German prisons. The group intended to put the minister in a wooden box so as to prevent her from hearing or seeing anything and subsequently moving her to another location.
The plan was extensive and complicated and included robbing banks and procuring weapons. However, unbeknownst to the Red Army Faction, the Swedish Security Service SÄPO
SAPO
SAPO , Servidor de Apontadores Portugueses, is a brand and subsidiary company of the Portugal Telecom Group...
had them under close surveillance. Before the plan could be put into action the police arrested the entire group in an operation code-named "Ebba Röd".
During the investigation that followed, some 90 people were arrested. Many received long prison terms, and the leader of the group, Norbert Kröcher
Norbert Kröcher
Norbert Kröcher was a West German militant and member of J2M. He was also strongly associated with the second generation of the Red Army Faction. He was the husband of Gabriele Kröcher-Tiedemann.-As a Terrorist:...
, was deported
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
to Germany where he served out his prison sentence until released in 1989. After he was arrested, "Ebba Grön" was called out on the police radio. (Röd is the Swedish word for red, and Grön is the word for green. Ebba was the police code-name for Kröcher.)
The Red Army Faction devised the plan as a direct consequence of the outcome of the 1975 West German embassy siege in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. A group of RAF members seized the embassy by force, demanding negotiations with the West German government. After the Swedish and German governments had employed stalling tactics the terrorists became impatient and allegedly started planning a violent break-out. A botched attempt to create a diversion led to an explosion and a massive fire. One terrorist, Siegfried Hausner
Siegfried Hausner
Siegfried Hausner was a student member of the German Socialist Patients' Collective and later the Red Army Faction.-As a Terrorist:...
, died from injuries sustained in the explosion in Stammheim prison
Stammheim Prison
Stammheim Prison is a prison in Stuttgart, Baden Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the northern boundaries of Stuttgart in the city district of Stuttgart-Stammheim — right between fields and apartment blocks on the fringes of Stammheim...
after being flown to Germany. The other members of the group were arrested as they tried to flee the premises.
If the plan to kidnap Mrs. Leijon had been successful the group would have named their unit "Commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
Siegfried Hausner
Siegfried Hausner
Siegfried Hausner was a student member of the German Socialist Patients' Collective and later the Red Army Faction.-As a Terrorist:...
".
Trivia
The Swedish punk band Ebba GrönEbba Grön
Ebba Grön was a Swedish punk band formed in Stockholm in 1977. Ebba Grön consisted of Joakim Thåström , Gunnar Ljungstedt and Lennart Eriksson . After the release of their second album in 1981, they were joined by a fourth member, Anders Sjöholm, also known as Stry Terrarie, on keyboard...
, formed in 1977, named themselves after the code word used in the police operation.