Page 187 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism

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164———Hawatmeh, Najib (1936 or 1937– )

See also AL QAEDA; OSAMA BIN LADEN; Nonetheless, Hawatmeh (said to be acting in
JAISH-E-MOHAMMED; LASHKAR-E-TAYYIBA; MILITANT accord with Syrian leaders) soon took a more moder-
ISLAM; MUJAHIDEEN; DANIEL PEARL; SEPTEMBER 11 ate tack. At the funeral for King Hussein of Jordan in
ATTACKS; TALIBAN February 1999, Hawatmeh shook hands with Israeli
president Ezer Weizman and complimented him for
Further Reading being a man of peace. Weizman told Hawatmeh that
the time had arrived for Israel to make peace with
Constable, Pamela. “‘They Were on a Do-or-Die Mission’:
Freed Indian Hostages Recount Eight Days of Terror Syria and Lebanon. The controversial handshake was
in Hands of Desperate Hijackers.” Washington Post, much discussed in the international press, as reporters
January 5, 2000, A15. and Israeli and Palestinian officials disagreed over
Goldenberg, Suzanne. “Terror List Angers Kashmir Fighters: who had initiated the gesture.
Separatists Bristle at Being Linked to the Kidnapping of In August 1999, Hawatmeh met with Arafat for the
Westerners.” The Guardian, October 25, 1997, 19. first time in six years, in response to Arafat’s call to
Jehl, Douglas. “Death of Reporter Puts Focus on Pakistan strengthen the Palestinian position before upcoming
Intelligence Unit.” New York Times, February 25, 2002, talks with Israel.
A1. Most active during the 1970s and early 1980s, the
Wilkinson, Isambard. “Pakistan Funds Islamic Terror.” DFLP has lost much of its influence in recent years.
Sunday Telegraph, May 16, 1999, 32.
The group now largely focuses on social and political
actions. In its most recent global terrorism report, the
U.S. State Department did not list the Democratic
HAWATMEH, NAJIB (1936 OR 1937– ) Front as an active foreign terrorist group.
aka Nayef Hawatmeh See also YASIR ARAFAT; DEMOCRATIC FRONT FOR THE
LIBERATION OF PALESTINE
Najib Hawatmeh was one of the most powerful
Further Reading
Palestinian terrorists during the 1960s and 1970s.
Hawatmeh is the founder and leader of the Syria- Dellios, Hugh. “Arafat, Rival Put Aside Differences;
Palestinian Leaders Seek to Reconcile Factions Before
based militant Marxist group Democratic Front for the
Key Talks With Israel.” Chicago Tribune, August 24,
Liberation of Palestine (DFLP).
1999.
Hawatmeh was born to a Greek Orthodox family
“Hawatmehh: Intifada Should Continue.” Jerusalem Post,
in Salt, Jordan. He joined Habash’s Popular Front for
September 13, 1993.
the Liberation of Palestine, but Hawatmeh’s disagree-
Rees, Matt. “Hopes Grow for Israeli Peace Talks With
ments and power struggles with Habash led him Syria.” The Scotsman, July 21, 1999, 10.
to leave the Popular Front in 1969. He formed the
Democratic Front, a Marxist-Leninist organization
working to create an independent, secular Palestinian HEARST, PATTY (1954– )
state through revolution, and he brought other more
radical Popular Front members into his new organi-
zation. The group, which was strongly connected Heiress to the Hearst newspaper empire, Patty
with the U.S.S.R. and other communist countries dur- Hearst is best known as a kidnapping victim turned ter-
ing the Cold War, has long been based in Damascus, rorist. As a member of a small, leftist terrorist group in
Syria. California, Hearst, along with her kidnappers, went to
During the 1970s, Hawatmeh became famous for prison in 1976 for bank robbery.
masterminding plane hijackings and other terrorist The granddaughter of legendary publishing tycoon
acts. In 1974, Democratic Front members attacked William Randolph Hearst, Patty Hearst was raised by
a school in the Israeli town of Maalot, taking the her parents to be privileged but not spoiled by their
children hostage and killing more than 20. When family’s wealth. In 1974, while attending college at
Arafat signed the Oslo Peace Accords with Israel in University of California, Berkeley, and living with her
1993, Hawatmeh condemned him and famously fiancé, Steven Weed, her life suddenly changed dra-
called Arafat “an American stooge.” matically. On the evening of February 4, members of