THE ABU NIDAL ORGANIZATION

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005283775
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 28
• Document Creation Date: June 22, 2015
• Document Release Date: December 31, 2008
• Case Number: F-2008-01434
• Publication Date: February 1, 1987

DOCID: 3352430
Directorate of
f Intelligence
The Abu Nidal
Organization
APPROVED FOR RELEASE^DATE:
24-Nov-2008
(b) (1)
(b) (3)
 DOCID: 3352430
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Intelligence
3 Arectorate of
The Abu Nidal
Organization (u)
This paper was prepared by Robert Fountain,
Office of Leadership Analysis, with research
assistance from David Blink, LDA, and
contributions from the Counterterrorism Center of the
Directorate of Operations. It was coordinated with
the Directorate of Operations. (u)
Comments and queries are welcome and may be
directed to the Chief, Asia/Near East Division, LDA,
on 482-5051 or secure 352446. (u)
Reverse Blank
LDA 87-10589
February 1987
 DOCID:' 3352430
Preface
Information available
as of 9 January 1987
was used in this report-
The Abu Nidal
Organization (u)
As its most recent attacks have demonstrated, the Abu Nidal Organization
is among the most dangerous and effective of all terrorist groups. It is
probably also the best organized of the radical Palestinian terrorist groups.
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Appendix
Chronology of
Abu Nidal Organization
Terrorist Activities, 1974-86
This chronology was compiled to give the fullest
representation possible of the ANO's operational
range and capabilities. It includes terrorist activities
and planned operations that are directly attributed to
the ANO and situations where Abu Nidal involve-
ment is only suspected or assumed
22 November
United Arab Emirates (UAE): Four terrorists, armed
with machineguns, handgrenades, and pistols, hijack
British Airways plane en route from Dubayy to Tunis
... two people wounded during takeover ... plane
took off with about 46 hostages, refueled in Tripoli,
Libya, and went on to Tunis ... one passenger killed
on ground; remaining hostages later released ... Abu
Nidal suspected.
Late 1974
Location unknown; probably Lebanon: Assassination
planned by Sabri al-Banna against Yasir 'Arafat,
Salah Khalaf (Abu Iyad), and other prominent Pales-
tinian leaders uncovered by Fatah intelligence ...
Banna sentenced to death in absentia in October.
26 September
Syria: Four terrorists, armed with machineguns and
grenades, take over Semiramis Hotel in Damascus,
taking 90 hostages ... about 50 Syrian Army Special
Forces troops ordered to storm hotel ... one terrorist
killed and three captured; four hostages killed and 34
wounded.
11 October
Pakistan: Grenade attack on Syrian Embassy and
Syrian Ambassador's residence in Islamabad ... Abu
Nidal suspected.
17 November
Jordan: Four Palestinians attack Intercontinental
Hotel with handguns and grenades, killing two em-
ployees and taking hostages ... Jordanian troops
counterattack, killing three terrorists and wounding
one ... two soldiers, one hotel guest killed; four hotel
guests wounded.
2 December
Syria: Syrian Foreign Minister 'Abd al-Halim Khad-
dam seriously wounded in assassination attempt in
Damascus... Abu Nidal suspected.
25 October
UAE: Assassination attempt against Syrian Foreign
Minister Khaddam in Abu Dhabi results in death of
UAE Minister of State.
1978
4 January
United Kingdom: PLO representative Sa'id Ham-
mami assassinated in London ... Abu Nidal
suspected.
15 February
Cyprus: Two gunmen attack Afro-Asian Peoples'
Solidarity Organization meeting in Nicosia and kill
its secretary general, Yusuf as-Siba'i, a confidant of
Anwar El Sadat ... leave country on aircraft with
I 1 hostages but refused permission to land in Libya,
Kuwait, Somalia, Ethiopia, or South Yemen .. .
subsequently return to Larnaca Airport ... Egyptian
counterterrorism force conducts unauthorized air-
borne assault on airport ... resulting firefight kills
15 and wounds 16.
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15 June 5 June
Kuwait: PLO official assassinated in Kuwait ... Abu Kuwait: Attempted assassination of PLO representa-
Nidal suspected. tive in Kuwait ... Abu Nidal suspected.
3 August July
France: Two gunmen attack PLO Paris office and kill Belgium: Israeli commercial attache assassinated in
representative to France, `Izz al-Din al-Qalaq ... Brussels ... claimed by Abu Nidal.
claimed by Black June and Black September.
5 August
Pakistan: Four gunmen, armed with submachineguns
and grenades, attack PLO office in Islamabad and kill
radio operator, two Palestinian students, and Paki-
stani police guard ... Abu Nidal suspected.
2 June
Kuwait: Four suspected Abu Nidal members arrested
for planning attack in Kuwait.
17 January
France: Manager of Arab bookstore assassinated in
Paris ... Abu Nidal claims responsibility in name of
Revolutionary Council of the Palestine National Lib-
eration Movement.
3 March
Spain: Gunman mistakenly shoots and kills Spanish
attorney Adolfo Cotelo Villareal-apparent target
Max Mazin, a leader of Spanish Jewish community
... Abu Nidal suspected.
22 April
Yugoslavia: Attempted assassination of Fatah official
Salah Khalaf in Belgrade; one bodyguard wounded
... Abu Nidal suspected.
July
Netherlands: Attack on Agudat Israel synagogue in
Antwerp; several persons killed ... Abu Nidal
suspected.
1 May
Austria: Head of Austrian-Israeli Friendship Society
assassinated in Vienna.
1 June
Belgium: PLO representative assassinated in Brussels
... Abu Nidal suspected.
29 August
Austria: Two gunmen, armed with Polish machine
pistols and handgrenades, attack Vienna synagogue
... claimed by Abu Nidal.
September
UAE: Authorities arrest three Abu Nidal members
planning to mount attack on US Embassy in Abu
Dhabi.
23 September
Cyprus: Two Arabs attack Israeli shipping firm in
Limassol with handgrenades, injuring five employees
... Abu Nidal suspected.
9 October
Italy: Senior PLO official assassinated in Rome ...
claimed by Abu Nidal.
June
Bulgaria: Two Abu Nidal members arrested in Bul-
garia while transporting arms for possible attack in
Rome.
November
Spain: Abu Nidal member assassinated in Madrid in
internal organizational dispute.
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4 February
Austria: Bomb explodes at residence of chief rabbi in
Vienna, causing some property damage but no
casualties.
1 March
Spain: Nabil Aranki, a coleader of Arab People's
Liberation Movement (APLM), a splinter group of the
Abu Nidal group, assassinated in Madrid ... Abu
Nidal suspected.
3 June
United Kingdom: Attempted assassination of Israeli
Ambassador Shlomo Argov in London ... precipitates
Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
5 June
India: First secretary of Kuwaiti Embassy assassinat-
ed in New Delhi ... claimed by Arab Revolutionary
Brigades.
17 June
Italy: Deputy director of PLO office in Rome assassi-
nated ... Abu Nidal suspected.
17 June
Italy: PLO activist assassinated in Rome ... Abu
Nidal suspected.
9 July
Turkey: President of Palestinian Student Union assas-
sinated in Ankara .. . Abu Nidal suspected.
23 July
France: Deputy director of PLO office assassinated in
Paris ... claimed by Abu Nidal and Jewish Armed
Resistance (Jewish Defense League splinter group).
9 August
France: Two gunmen with grenades and automatic
weapons attack Jewish-owned restaurant.
23 August
Kuwait: UAE Charge d'Affaires wounded in assassi-
nation attempt ... Abu Nidal suspected.
26 August
India: UAE Consul General in Bombay escapes injury
in assassination attempt ... Abu Nidal suspected.
16 September
Pakistan: Attempted assassination of Kuwaiti Consul
General in Karachi ... Abu Nidal suspected.
18 September
Spain: First secretary of Kuwaiti Embassy assassinat-
ed in Madrid, driver wounded ... Abu Nidal
suspected.
9 October
Italy: Grenade and machinegun attack against syna-
gogue in Rome kills a child and wounds 10 ... Abu
Nidal suspected.
9 November
Israel: Two bombings north of Tel Aviv claimed by
Abu Nidal.
8 December
Greece: Kuwait Airways offices bombed in Athens, no
casualties ... Abu Nidal suspected.
1983
10 April
Portugal: Issam Sartawi, prominent PLO moderate
and close friend of `Arafat's, killed in Lisbon ...
claimed by Abu Nidal in Damascus.
20 August
Greece: Assassination of aide to high-ranking Fatah
official Khalil al-Wazir . .. Abu Nidal suspected.
23 September
UAE: Gulf Air Boeing 737 en route from Karachi,
Pakistan, to Abu Dhabi crashes killing all Ill passen-
gers and crew ... crash may have been caused by
bomb aboard aircraft ... claimed by the Arab Revo-
lutionary Brigades.
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25 October
India: Jordanian Ambassador wounded in assassina-
tion attempt in New Delhi ... claimed by Arab
Revolutionary Brigades.
26 October
Italy: Jordanian Ambassador and driver wounded in
assassination attempt in Rome ... claimed by Arab
Revolutionary Brigades.
31 October
Jordan: Car bomb detonated outside main Jordanian
Army officers' club in Az Zarqa', no casualties
reported ... Abu Nidal suspected.
7 November
Greece: Two security guards of Jordanian Embassy in
Athens attacked; one killed, one wounded ... claimed
by Arab Revolutionary Brigades.
12 November
Jordan: Discovery of car bomb near British Embassy
in Amman ... Abu Nidal suspected.
19 December
Turkey: Car bomb discovered midway between
French Cultural House and Cordan Hotel used by US
military personnel in Izmir ... target undetermined
... Abu Nidal suspected.
20 December
Turkey: Car bomb injures one person and causes
extensive damage to apartment building near PLO
office and living quarters in Ankara ... Abu Nidal
suspected.
29 December
Turkey: Attempted bombing of Alitalia plane in
Istanbul ... Abu Nidal suspected.
29 December
Spain: Two Jordanian Embassy employees attacked in
Madrid; one killed, one wounded ... claimed by Arab
Revolutionary Brigades.
8 February
France: UAE Ambassador to France assassinated in
Paris ... claimed by Arab Revolutionary Brigades
and Islamic Jihad.
March
Greece: Alleged Abu Nidal operative arrested for
planning assassination of Israeli Ambassador in
Athens.
24 March
Jordan: Bomb defused outside British Consulate in
Amman ... claimed by Abu Nidal.
24 March
Jordan: Bomb defused outside British cultural center
in Amman ... claimed by Abu Nidal.
24 March
Jordan: Bomb explodes in parking lot of Intercon-
tinental Hotel across street from US Embassy,
damaging two vehicles and slightly injuring USAID
employee and daughter; second bomb discovered and
defused ... claimed by Abu Nidal.
28 March
Greece: British Embassy first secretary assassinated
in Athens ... claimed by Revolutionary Organization
of Socialist Muslims (ROSM).
3 May
Cyprus: Hana Muqbil, a Palestinian and reported
former Abu Nidal member, assassinated in Nicosia
... Abu Nidal suspected.
14 May
North Yemen: Two Abu Nidal operatives arrested
while planting bomb in Jordanian Embassy in Sanaa.
3 June
Egypt: Attack against Israeli Embassy worker in
Cairo ... Abu Nidal suspected.
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25 October
Italy: UAE vice consul wounded and Iranian student
accompanying him killed in assassination attempt in
Rome ... claimed by Arab Revolutionary Brigades.
November
Lebanon: Bomb attack on British Airways office in
Beirut ... claimed by ROSM.
12 November
Austria: Bomb partially explodes at Israeli El Al
airlines office; no casualties ... Abu Nidal suspected.
12 November
Austria: Bomb explodes in entrance hallway of British
Consulate :.. Abu Nidal suspected.
27 November
India: British Deputy High Commissioner assassi-
nated in New Delhi . claimed by ROSM.
29 November
Greece: Attempted assassination of Jordan's Deputy
Chief of Mission in Athens ... Abu Nidal suspected.
4 December
Romania: Deputy Chief of Mission of Jordanian
Embassy assassinated in Bucharest ... claimed by
Black September.
14 December
Italy: Isma'il Darwish, a leading military figure in
Fatah movement, assassinated in Rome ... claimed
by Arab Revolutionary Brigades.
29 December
Jordan: Two gunmen assassinate Fahd al-Qawasmah,
member of PLO Executive Committee and former
mayor of Hebron, in Amman ... claimed by Abu
Nidal and the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine (PFLP).
February
West Germany: Arab arrested while transiting Frank-
furt international airport with large quantity of mili-
tary explosives en route to Spain, target unknown ...
Abu Nidal suspected.
9 March
Italy: Abu Nidal member arrested for attempted
sabotage of Royal Jordanian Airlines flight.
21 March
Italy: Grenade attack on Royal Jordanian Airlines
office in Rome ... claimed by Black September.
21 March
Cyprus: Unidentified man throws two grenades into
Royal Jordanian Airlines office in Nicosia ...
claimed by Black September.
21 March
Greece: Grenade thrown into Royal Jordanian Air-
lines office in Athens, injuring three ... claimed by
Black September.
26 March
Lebanon: British journalist working for UNRWA
kidnaped in Beirut ... claimed by ROSM.
3 April
Italy: Rocket fired at Jordanian Embassy in Rome ...
misses Embassy and hits apartment on fourth floor of
the building, but causes no casualties ... claimed by
Black September.
4 April
Greece: Rocket fired at Jordanian airliner as it takes
off from Athens airport... projectile hits plane but
does not explode ... claimed by Black September.
23 April
Kuwait: Moderate newspaper editor wounded in as-
sassination attempt ... claimed by Arab Revolution-
ary Brigades.
May
France: Five Abu Nidal members arrested while
targeting British, Israeli, US, and Jordanian
Embassies.
15 May
Lebanon: UNRWA official kidnaped but released the
next day ... claimed by ROSM.
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July
Denmark: Synagogue and Northwest Orient airline
office attacked in Copenhagen ... Abu Nidal
suspected.
1 July
Spain: Bomb explodes at British Air ticket office in
Madrid, also damaging TWA office upstairs .. .
Royal Jordanian Airlines ticket office nearby hit by
automatic weapons fire and two grenades that fail to
explode ... one killed, 24 wounded ... claimed by
Organization of the Oppressed, ROSM, and Black
September.
11 July
Kuwait: Two bombs explode within minutes of each
other, killing eight and injuring 89 at two cafes about
10 kilometers apart in Kuwait city ... third bomb
defused at another cafe ... claimed by Arab Revolu-
tionary Brigades.
21 July
Lebanon: Bomb explodes outside Kuwaiti Airlines
office in Beirut ... no casualties reported ... claimed
by Arab Revolutionary Brigades.
24 July
Turkey: Ziyad al-Sati, First Secretary at Jordanian
Embassy, assassinated in Ankara ... claimed by
Black September, Islamic Jihad, Hizballah, and a
"Colonel Omar."
8 August
Greece: Bomb explodes in kitchen of London Hotel in
Athens, wounding 14 tourists, seven of them British
... claimed by ROSM.
24 August
Turkey: Bomb discovered in PLO office in Ankara ...
Abu Nidal suspected.
30 August
Greece: Palestinian arrested in Athens for plotting
assassination of Jordanian Ambassador ... claims to
be member of Black September.
3 September
Greece: Two grenades thrown at swimming pool at
Glyfada Hotel in Athens ... 19 British tourists
wounded .. claimed by Black September and
ROSM.
16 September
Italy: Grenades thrown at Cafe de Paris in Rome,
injuring 38 tourists including 11 Americans ...
claimed by ROSM.
18 September
Greece: Palestinian magazine publisher assassinated
in Athens ... claimed by Black September.
22 September
United Kingdom: British authorities arrest two Pales-
tinians found in possession of four handgrenades and
charge them with conspiracy to cause explosions and
to endanger life ... target identity unknown ...
suspected Abu Nidal members.
25 September
Italy: Bomb explodes at British Air office in Rome,
killing one and injuring 14 ... claimed by ROSM.
November
Turkey: Twelve-man Abu Nidal team arrested for
planning attack on Israeli Consulate in Istanbul.
23 November
Malta: Three gunmen seize Egypt Air Boeing 737 en
route from Athens to Cairo and force it to land in
Valletta, Malta ... when hijackers' demand for
refueling refused, they begin shooting selected passen-
gers ... one American, one Israeli killed; two Ameri-
cans, one Israeli wounded ... on 24 November Egyp-
tian military commando unit storms plane, resulting
in fire that ultimately kills 58 . .. Egyptian Revolu-
tion and Arab Revolutionary Brigades claim joint
responsibility.
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24 November
Jordan: Husayn al-Bitar assassinated in Amman as
result of internal feud ... believed to be Sabri
al-Banna's brother-in-law.
27 December
Austria: Three gunmen attack El Al ticket counter at
Vienna's Schewacht Airport with grenades and
AK-47s, killing three and wounding approximately
40.
27 December
Italy: Four gunmen attack El Al ticket counter at
Rome's Fiumicino Airport with grenades and
AK-47s, killing 16 and wounding approximately 80
... five Americans killed, 18 wounded.
5 September
Pakistan: Four men armed with automatic weapons,
handguns, and grenades storm Pan Am Boeing 747 in
Karachi, killing 19 and injuring over 100 others ...
Abu Nidal suspected.
6 September
Turkey: Five gunmen attack Neve Shalom synagogue
in Istanbul with grenade and machineguns .. .
25 killed ... Abu Nidal suspected.
Reverse Blank 15 S ret
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Figure 6
Abu Nidat Organization Activities, 1974-85
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Shlomo Argov, Israeli Ambassador to the United
4ingdom, whose attempted assassination in
Piondon by the Abu Nidal Organization provoked
Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, ostensibly done
ro eradicate the PLO presence there (u)
Hole ripped in the side of Athens-bound TWA
airliner by explosion of bomb allegedly planted by
Abu Nidal members (u)
M
The assassination of Isse
Sarrawi, a prominent Pl.
moderate and confidant
Yasir Arafat, was claim
the Abu Nidal Organiza
The funeral of PLO Ex-
West Bank moderate FA
December 1984 was cla
 '
the assassination ql issam
Sariawi, a prominent PLO
moderate and confidant of
Yasir Arafat, was claimed by
the Abu Nidal Organization (u)
Injured passengers huddle on the floor of Rome
s
Leonardo da Vinci Airport during an attack by
Abu Nidal guerrillas. (U)
Wide World o The funeral of PLO Executive Committee member and prominent Wier world o
West Bank moderate Fahd Qawasmah, whose assassination in
December 1984 was claimed by the Abu Nidal Organization (U)
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' passengers huddle on the floor of Rome's UP/
do do Vinci Airport during an attack by
!dal guerrillas. (u)
Hijacked Egyptian airliner on the ground at
Malta's Luqa Airport before failed Egyptian
cue raid (u)
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L'falta's Luqa Airport before failed Egyptian res-
ue raid (u)
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