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Abu Nidal: The Splinter Festers
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11148 |
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Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
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3 / 1986 |
1,287 Words |
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Yonah Alexander
Yonah Alexander is director of the Inter-University Center for
Terrorism Studies, coordinated by the Potomac Institute for
Policy Studies in Arlington, Virginia. He has published over
ninety books in international affairs and terrorism, including
Combating Terrorism: Strategies of Ten Countries (University
of Michigan Press, 2002). |
The December 27, 1985, terrorist attacks on the Rome and Vienna airports have brought the Abu Nidal group of Palestinian revolutionaries to a new position of prominence in the world's attention.
Although the group remained out of the limelight for a period of time prior to this, Abu Nidal was not inactive. The State department reported connections between Abu Nidal and 60 terrorist attacks during the past eight years, 30 of these occurring since the beginning of 1984. Attacks took place in over 20 countries on three continents, illustrating the group's ability to operate where it wishes.
Abu Nidal's involvement in the airport attacks and the November 1985 hijacking of an Egypt Air passenger plane have renewed interest and concern about the group's activities.
The group was established in 1974. When Sabri al-Bana, known as Abu Nidal, broke away from Yasser Arafat's Fatah organization following disputes over ideology and methodology. Specifically, in 1974, Arafat limited PLO terrorist activity to Israel and the occupied territories. Nidal disagreed with the restriction, believing that any operations forwarding the Palestinian cause were warranted, regardless of their location.
Abu Nidal found an ally in Iraq who aided him in forming his organization, officially named the Fatah Revolutionary council (FRC), also known as Black June, and allowed him to operate from Iraqi soil. Syria also influenced the group beginning in the late 1970s and elements of organization relocated to Syria as Bagdhad began curtailing Abu Nidal activity originating
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