Page 318 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism

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298———Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

Department, Syria not only provides a haven for
PKK. See KURDISTAN WORKERS PARTY. Habash and other PFLP members, but gives the group
logistic support.
In 1993, the PFLP, a longtime opponent of peace
PLF. See PALESTINE LIBERATION FRONT. negotiations, broke from the PLO to oppose the sign-
ing of the Declaration of Principles. The PFLP
joined the Alliance of Palestinian Forces but split
from this umbrella organization in 1996 because
of ideological differences. During the same year,
PLO. See PALESTINE LIBERATION
ORGANIZATION. Habash commanded his members to refrain from
taking part in the Palestinian legislative council
elections. Although PFLP members sit on the
PLO’s executive council, the group is not part of the
POPULAR FRONT FOR THE Palestinian Authority.
LIBERATION OF PALESTINE In July 2000, an ailing Habash, who had led the
PFLP for three decades, stepped down. The group’s
800-odd members elected Habash’s deputy Mustafa
Founded in 1967 by George Habash after Israel Zibri, widely known as Abu Ali Mustafa, as the new
captured the West Bank in the Six-Day War, the secretary general. In the intifada that began later that
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) year, the PFLP took responsibility for roadside bombs
embraces a blend of Marxist-Leninist ideology and and mortar attacks. In many interviews, Mustafa told
Arab nationalism. The group, which became notori- the press that Israel was an “illegitimate entity.” Israeli
ous during the 1970s for hijacking civilian airliners, minister Ephraim Sneh was, in turn, widely quoted as
is the second largest in the Palestine Liberation saying that Mustafa was taking the PFLP “back into
Organization (PLO). The U.S. State Department lists what it was in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s—an active
the PFLP as a terrorist group. and deadly terrorist organization.” In August 2001,
In August 1969, PFLP members Leila Ali Khaled Israeli forces assassinated Mustafa, firing laser-guided
and Salim Issawi took over a TWA Rome-to-Tel Aviv missiles into his Ramallah office. Israeli officials
flight and directed the plane to Syria, where the stated that he was killed to prevent the PFLP from
passengers and crew were released unharmed. With carrying out bombing attacks.
the plane emptied, the hijackers blew up the cockpit. Two months later, the PFLP retaliated and assas-
Khaled, then just 25, became infamous, called “girl sinated right-wing Israeli cabinet minister Rahavam
terrorist” and “deadly beauty” by the press. She subse- Zeevi, who had advocated the killing of Palestinian
quently had plastic surgery to disguise her well-known political leaders and the expulsion of all Palestinians
face, and took part in the PFLP’s next, and most daring, from the West Bank and Gaza. Israel accused
round of hijackings. On September 6, 1970, PFLP Mustafa’s successor, Ahmed Saadat, of orchestrating
members hijacked four planes in a single day, all bound the crime, and pressured the Palestinian Authority to
for New York City. After all hostages were released arrest him. Yasir Arafat banned the group’s military
safely, King Hussein of Jordan declared war on the wing and arrested Sadaat in January 2002. That very
Palestinian groups operating in Jordan. In the battles week the military arm of the PFLP, named the
known as Black September, the Jordanian Army Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigade for its late leader,
crushed the Palestinian fighters. threatened to kill Palestinian Authority officials if
The group renounced hijacking and largely dropped Saadat and other PFLP prisoners were not released
from the headlines for several decades. Members from Authority jails. At the same time, however,
became involved in a variety of social projects, includ- PFLP political leaders were distancing themselves
ing working to provide a network of Palestinian health from the group’s military arm in public statements,
care clinics. Although the group moved part of its although they did not go so far as to threaten the lives
headquarters from Syria to the West Bank during the of fellow Palestinians. The military wing of the
mid-1990s, Habash continued to lead the group from PFLP continues to contribute to the region’s escalat-
his base in Damascus. According to the U.S. State ing violence.