Secret Bedfellows? The KGB, Carlos the Jackal and Cold War Psychological Warfare

Adrian Hänni

Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 2020, vol. 43, issue 1, 69-87

Abstract: This article contributes to the understanding of the emergence, character, and significance of conspiracy theories on state–terrorism relations by providing a historical case study on the “Carlos–KGB [Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti] conspiracy theory”: the fictional narrative that the “super-terrorist” Carlos the Jackal was an agent of the KGB, exploited against the Soviet Union's Cold War enemies. The analysis shows that the stories originated from disinformation operations of Western intelligence services, which were then spread by the news media, politicians, and Carlos himself. The mythical Carlos simulated through Cold War psychological warfare is deconstructed as a symbol of Soviet control of international terrorism.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1080/1057610X.2018.1471970

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