1991 United States embassy sniper attack in Bonn

1991 United States embassy sniper attack in Bonn
The former embassy in Bonn, pictured in 1990
LocationBonn, Germany
Date13 February 1991 (UTC+01:00)
WeaponG1
Deaths0
Injured0
PerpetratorRed Army Faction

On 13 February 1991, three members of far-left militant organization the Red Army Faction (RAF) used a military rifle to fire about 250 rounds at the United States embassy in Bonn, Germany.[1]

The suspects fired at the embassy from a distance of about 500 metres[2] from Villa Von-Weiß-Straße 8, located across the Rhine river in Königswinter. The incident was linked to the ongoing Gulf War. In a note left at the scene, the RAF said the attack was done to combat American imperialism and to get it out of Iraq.[3] The attackers escaped from their positions in a stolen Volkswagen Passat car and were never caught. The embassy received some bullet holes and broken windows, but no major damage was caused.[4]

The same G1 rifle was used by the RAF in the killing of Detlev Karsten Rohwedder in April 1991.[5]

In October 2001, new DNA tests of a hair left in the passenger seat of the Passat revealed that Daniela Klette may have been one of the suspects.[6] Klette is an alleged RAF member who was already suspected in other attacks, such as the prison bombing in Weiterstadt in 1993.[7] Klette remained at large until her arrest in 2024.[8] Nobody else has ever been convicted for the attack.

In March 2026, it was reported that Klette had been charged by the Federal Public Prosecutor with attempted murder in 20 cases in relation to the attack.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ AP. "German Economic Aide Slain; Red Army Faction Suspected". Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  2. ↑ Germany, programm.ARD.de – ARD Play-Out-Center Potsdam, Potsdam. "Rätsel RAF-Terror". programm.ARD.de. Retrieved 12 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ Gohr, Andreas. "Rote Armee Fraktion Infopage". www.rafinfo.de (in German). Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  4. ↑ JONES, TAMARA (14 February 1991). "U.S. Embassy in Bonn Is Sprayed With Bullets by Left-Wing Group : Terrorism: Shots fired across Rhine cause no injuries. A letter links the attack to the war". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  5. ↑ "40 Jahre RAF – Die Suche nach der bleiernen Zeit". General-Anzeiger Bonn (in German). 4 May 2016. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  6. ↑ Mascolo, Georg (14 January 2002). "ATTENTATE: Verräterisches Frauenhaar". Der Spiegel. Vol. 3. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  7. ↑ "Dutch police say surviving Red Army Faction members still active". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  8. ↑ "German police arrest Red Army Faction suspect Daniela Klette". DW.com. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  9. ↑ "Bundesanwaltschaft erhebt Anklage gegen Klette" [Public prosecutor lays charges against Klette]. tagesschau.de (in German). 26 March 2026. Retrieved 30 March 2026.
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