Page 352 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism

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332———Shigenobu, Fusako (1945– )

University of South Florida. At the university, he was planned to direct his organization to continue to carry
a well-liked professor, known for being a soft-spoken out suicide bombings.
intellectual.
See also PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD
Shallah also worked for a think tank called World
Islamic Studies Enterprise (WISE). In several contro- Further Reading
versial articles, the Tampa Tribune called the think
tank a terrorist front and its cofounder, fellow Univer- “Hezbollah, Palestinian Rejectionists Celebrate Rabin
sity of South Florida professor Sami al-Arian, the Assassination. Source: Al-Quds Palestinian Arab Radio
in Arabic 1730 gmt 5 Nov 95.” BBC Summary of World
front man. The FBI opened a criminal investigation of
Broadcasts, November 6, 1995.
al-Arian in 1995 to determine whether he had been
“Islamic Jihad Says Suicide Attacks on Israelis Will Go
funneling money to the PIJ or other terrorist groups.
On.” AP Worldstream, December 23, 2001.
The long-running investigation was stepped up after
“Jihad’s New Man May Have Tampa Ties.” St. Petersburg
the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, Times, October 31, 1995, 1A.
but no criminal charges have been brought against Miller, Judith. “A Professor’s Activism Leads Investigators
al-Arian. After Fox television host Bill O’Reilly in to Look Into Possible Terrorism Links.” New York Times,
September 2001 detailed al-Arian’s ties to Shallah and July 23, 2002, A14.
accused him of being a terrorist sympathizer, the Uni- Niebuhr, Gustav. “Professor Talked of Understanding But
versity of South Florida relieved him of his teaching Now Reveals Ties to Terrorists.” New York Times,
duties. November 13, 1995.
Shallah did not publicly claim any link to the PIJ Padgett, Tim, and Rochelle Renfor. “Can a Tenured Profes-
sor Be Fired for His Pro-Muslim Views? In a Post-Sept.
during his academic career, and his possible covert
11 America, All Bets Are Off.” Time, February 4, 2002,
actions are unknown. The PIJ is a loosely knit, myste-
56.
rious group known for its violence and its opposition
Sachs, Susan. “Terrorism Inc.; Islamic Jihad Founder
to peace negotiations with Israel.
Admits Funding by Iran.” Newsday, April 11, 1993, 7.
In October 1995, gunmen said to be working for
Israel shot down PIJ leader Dr. Fatih Shaqaqi in
the Mediterranean island of Malta. The group then SHIGENOBU, FUSAKO (1945– )
named Shallah its new leader. Shallah spoke on the
Palestinian Al-Quds radio during the November cere-
monies to commemorate Shaqaqi’s death, saying, A wing of the Japanese Red Army (JRA) founded
“For us, the head of Shaqaqi cannot be equal to any- by Fusako Shigenobu was responsible for a series of
thing but the head of Jerusalem.” He also pledged to terrorist attacks, including a 1972 attack on Ben-
escalate militant operations against Israel. Gurion Airport (Lod Airport) in Tel Aviv.
In the spring after Shallah was named head of the Fusako Shigenobu was an active student member
PIJ, an unknown group called the War Purgers sent a of the JRA in the 1960s. A radical leftist group, it
bomb threat to the University of South Florida’s cam- wanted to drive out the democratic government and
pus newspaper. The letter demanded a public apology end American involvement in the country so that
for Shallah’s treatment and threatened to bomb a Japan could become a communist state. The group
building and kill a professor. In response, the univer- split into several factions, and in 1971 Shigenobu and
sity moved up the date of final exams to enable a handful of followers went to Lebanon to join forces
students to be off campus by the date set in the letter. with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
No attacks occurred, and a student pleaded guilty to (PFLP).
the threats in December 1996. The early actions of Shigenobu’s faction included
During the escalating Middle East violence that kidnappings, murders, and hijackings, mostly on
began in 2000, the PIJ carried out many suicide bomb- behalf of the PFLP. The deadliest attack was a
ings and other attacks against Israelis, and Shallah machine gun and grenade attack at Ben-Gurion Air-
publicly endorsed the bombings. In December 2001, port in Tel Aviv in 1972. The JRA killed 26 people,
Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat called to stop the including 16 Americans. Then, in 1974, the JRA
attacks, and Shallah told the London newspaper El invaded the French Embassy in The Hague, took the
Hayat that he would not follow Arafat’s demand and French ambassador and 10 others hostage, and