The book explores Czechoslovakia's liaisons with Cold War terrorists & revolutionaries, and the role its spies played in these interactions.
Invite only: Get in touch to request a spaceThe book launch will feature one of United Kingdom's top diplomats and Middle East specialists, John Raine, alongside Professor Richard Aldrich, author of GCHQ and The Secret Royals. Their opening remarks will set the stage for Richterova’s presentation of the book’s key findings – detailing Prague’s covert interactions with key Cold War terrorists and revolutionaries, including Che Guevara, Yasser Arafat, Carlos the Jackal, as well as the leadership of the deadly Abu Nidal Organisation.
The book is now available for purchase at:
Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the launch event.
Book abstract:
The untold history of Czechoslovakia’s complex relations with Middle Eastern terrorists and revolutionaries during the closing decades of the Cold War
In the 1970s and 1980s, Prague had become a favorite destination for the world’s most prominent terrorists and revolutionaries. They arrived here to seek refuge, enjoy recreation, or hold secret meetings aimed at securing training, arms, and other forms of support. While some were welcome with open arms, others were closely watched and gradually ousted.
Watching the Jackals is the untold history of Czechoslovakia’s complex relations with Middle Eastern terrorists and revolutionaries during the closing decades of the Cold War. Based on recently declassified intelligence files, Richterova unveils the story of Prague’s engagement with various factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization as well as some of the era’s most infamous terrorists including Carlos the Jackal, Munich Olympics massacre commander Abu Daoud, and the Abu Nidal Organisation. In this gripping account, Richterova explains why ‘Cold War Jackals’ gravitated towards Prague, how the country’s leaders reacted to their visits, and uncovers the role Czechoslovakia’s security and intelligence apparatus – the StB (Státní bezpečnost) played in these, at times, dangerous liaisons.
Drawing on interviews and remarkably detailed records from the former Czechoslovakia, Richterova offers readers interested in the intelligence world a fascinating account of how states use their spies to pursue covert policies with violent non-state actors. The book also introduces new evidence and nuance into old debates about whether or not the Soviet Bloc supported terrorism.
Select blurbs:
“Watching the Jackals is an illuminating account of the hidden history of state relations with terrorists and revolutionaries. A must read for all who seek to better grasp these complex interactions that often shape international events. It sets a standard for international intelligence history.”—Michael Morell, former acting director and deputy director, CIA
“In Watching the Jackals Daniela Richterova lifts the veil on a fascinating and hitherto occluded corner of Cold War history, making expert use of newly-opened Czech archives. A valuable addition to the study of terrorism and counter-terrorism alike.” —Gill Bennett, intelligence historian
“Watching the Jackals is an important book that sheds new light on both the Cold War's final decades and the East Bloc's complicated relationship with the terrorist groups active at that time. Daniela Richterova has deftly mined the astonishingly complete archive of Czechoslovakia's intelligence and security service to produce a sophisticated and nuanced analysis of the complexity of these relations that greatly enhances our understanding of Cold War dynamics and Soviet-era attitudes toward terrorists and terrorism.”—Bruce Hoffman, professor, Georgetown University, author of God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America
“Cold War terrorism pushed the West to its limits. As Richterova shows, Communist Czechoslovakia was at the heart of this drama—dancing with the jackals in both alliance and contempt. Read her fascinating book to see how reality, stranger than fiction, unfolded in this high-stakes game.” —Frederick Forsyth, international bestselling author of The Day of the Jackal.
Speaker bios:
John Raine CMG OBE is the Senior Adviser on Geopolitical Due Diligence at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). From 1984 until 2017 he was a member of the UK’s diplomatic service serving in Kuwait, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Pakistan. He held a number of senior positions in the UK’s National Security Community. John is also Advisor on Geopolitics to HSBC (Middle East), Chair of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission, Senior Trustee of the HALO Trust, and Deputy Chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Lincoln. John has been a Visiting Professor at the King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence and the Department of War Studies since 2022.
Prof. Richard J. Aldrich is a leading historian and award-winning author focused on intelligence, security, and British political history. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and Professor of International Security at the University of Warwick, Aldrich has written extensively on British intelligence, including GCHQ: The Uncensored Story of Britain’s Most Secret Intelligence Agency and The Black Door: Spies, Secret Intelligence, and British Prime Ministers. His work includes The Secret Royals, co-authored with Rory Cormac, and The Hidden Hand, on Anglo-American intelligence cooperation during the Cold War. A seasoned public speaker, he frequently appears at literary festivals and has supported museum exhibitions on intelligence and science.
Dr Daniela Richterova is Associate Professor in Intelligence Studies at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London. A leading expert among a new generation of intelligence and security scholars, she specialises in the history of Cold War espionage, covert operations, and state relations with terrorists and revolutionaries. She regularly publishes in prestigious academic and media outlets, including International Affairs and Foreign Policy. She is Director of the MA in Intelligence and International Security at King’s College London, Deputy Director of the King’s Centre for the Study of Intelligence, and Co-convenor of the Cambridge Intelligence Seminar.