Japanese Red Army
| Japanese Red Army | |
|---|---|
| 日本赤軍 | |
Flag of the Japanese Red Army | |
| Leader | |
| Dates of operation | 1971–2001 (30 years) |
| Motives | Proletarian revolution in Japan, World revolution |
| Active regions | Japan, Middle East, Europe, South Asia, Southeast Asia |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-left |
| Notable attacks | Lod Airport massacre Japan Airlines Flight 404 Japan Airlines Flight 472 Malaysian Airline System Flight 653 (suspected) |
| Status | Defunct |
| Allies | State allies: North Korea Libya Syria Non-state allies: Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine |
The Japanese Red Army (日本赤軍, Nihon Sekigun; abbr. JRA) was a far-left militant organization active from 1971 to 2001. The JRA was founded by Fusako Shigenobu and Tsuyoshi Okudaira in February 1971, and was most active in the 1970s and 1980s, operating mostly out of Lebanon with PFLP collaboration and funding from Muammar Gaddafi's Libya, as well as Ba'athist Syria and North Korea.
After the Lod Airport massacre, it sometimes called itself the Arab-JRA. The group was also variously known as the Anti-Imperialist International Brigade (AIIB), the Holy War Brigade, and the Anti-War Democratic Front. The JRA's stated goals were to overthrow the Japanese government and the monarchy, as well as to start a world revolution. It was designated a terrorist organization by Japan and the United States.