Page 86 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism

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Atwa Ali———59

See also AL QAEDA; OSAMA BIN LADEN; HIJACKING; many of them Shiite Muslims, held by Israel. One of the
MILITANT ISLAM; ZACARIAS MOUSSAOUI; SEPTEMBER 11 hijackers shot a passenger, Officer Robert Stethem, at
ATTACKS close range and dumped his body onto the tarmac.
Meanwhile, Greek authorities arrested Atwa and
found forged Moroccan passports in his possession.
Further Reading
Atwa confessed his plans to hijack the plane. After
Erlanger, Steven. “An Unobtrusive Man’s Odyssey: Polite Atwa’s arrest became known, the hijackers began
Student to Suicide Hijacker.” New York Times, September negotiations with Greek authorities for his release,
15, 2001, A1. saying, according to press accounts, that they would
Finn, Peter. “A Quiet Path to Horror at World Trade Center: kill the Greek passengers on board, one every hour,
Emerging Details of a Hijacking Suspect’s Life Indicate until Atwa was released.
Rage Born in Egypt, Nurtured in Germany.” Washington
Post, September 23, 2001, A14. The plane then flew to Algiers, continuing a bizarre
Lardner, George, Jr. “Atta Skill-fully Evaded Authorities in air journey in which Testrake flew the plane back and
the U.S.: Terrorist Ring-leader Did ‘Everything Right’ forth from Beirut to Algiers, eventually logging 8,300
in His Dealings With INS and Other Entities.” miles. The hijackers released some hostages during
Washington Post, October 20, 2001, A3. each stop. While the plane waited during its first stop
Yardley, Jim. “A Portrait of the Terrorist: From Shy Child in Algiers, Greek officials flew Atwa to join his
to Single-Minded Killer.” New York Times, October 10, cohorts in exchange for passengers. After a two-week
2001, B9. standoff on the tarmac in Beirut, Israel released some
of the Shiite prisoners. The hijackers released all of
their hostages and flew to freedom in Algiers.
The United States indicted Atwa and fellow
ATWA, ALI (1960– ) Lebanese Imad Fayez Mughniyah and Hasan Izz-al-
Din on July 3, 1985, on charges related to the TWA
aka Ammar Mansour Bouslim, Hassan Rostom hijacking. All three men number on the FBI’s 22 most
Salim
wanted terrorists list. A fourth man, Mohammad Ali
Hamadei, was also indicted; he was later caught in
Lebanese citizen Ali Atwa is perhaps best known Frankfurt and sentenced to life in prison by a West
as the would-be hijacker who was bumped from TWA German court in 1989.
Flight 847. Atwa was included on the FBI’s October Lebanese officials have claimed that Atwa is not
2001 list of the 22 “most wanted terrorists” for his currently linked to the party structure of Hezbollah.
role in the 1985 hijacking, which developed into a Although Hezbollah recast itself as a political party
several-week-long hostage ordeal and led to the death during the 1990s, holding elected seats in parliament,
of a U.S. Navy officer. the U.S. government continues to regard it as a terror-
An alleged member of Lebanese Hezbollah during ist organization. As of January 2002, the FBI offers a
the 1980s, Atwa is thought by the FBI to be living reward of up to $25 million for information leading to
somewhere in Lebanon. Press reports have suggested Atwa’s arrest.
that the death of Atwa’s brother during an Israeli mil-
itary operation in Sidon (in Lebanon) led him to begin See also HEZBOLLAH; HASAN IZZ-AL-DIN; IMAD FAYEZ
MUGHNIYAH; TWA FLIGHT 847 HIJACKING
training to take part in the TWA hijacking.
By his own admission to Greek authorities, Atwa
planned on boarding TWA Flight 847 from Athens to Further Reading
Rome as its third hijacker on June 14, 1985. However,
Berger, Joseph. “Hostages in Lebanon: The Course of
he was bumped, missed his flight, and was arrested.
Events; 8 Days of Mideast Terror: The Journey of Flight
While Atwa was left on the ground arguing with
847.” New York Times, June 22, 1985, A1.
ticket agents, two hijackers took over Flight 847, bran-
Jaber, Hala. Hezbollah. New York: Columbia University
dishing a pistol and hand grenades. They forced Press, 1997.
American pilot John Testrake to redirect the Boeing 727 Snyder, Rodney A. Negotiating With Terrorists: TWA Flight
to Beirut, where they landed and made their demands. 847. Pew Case Studies in International Affairs Case 333.
They called for the release of hundreds of prisoners, Pittsburgh, PA: Pew Charitable Trusts, 1994.