TERRORIST GROUP PROFILES

MILNET

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)

a.k.a. Popular Front for the Libration of Palestine (PFLP),
PFLP-General Command (PFLP-GC),
Black September,
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP),
Palestine Liberation Front (PLF)

From: Patterns of Global Terrorism. United States Department of State Publication 10321

Description

On 9 September 1993, in letters to Israeli Prime Minister Rabin and Norwegian Foreign Minister Holst, PLO Chairman Arafat committed the PLO to cease all violence and terrorism. On 13 September 1993, the Declaration of Principles between the Israelis and Palestinians was signed in Washington, DC. We have no information that any PLO element under Arafat's control was involved in terrorism from that time through 1995. (There were two incidents in 1993 in which the responsible individuals apparently acted independently.) One group under the PLO umbrella, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), suspended its participation in the PLO in protest of the agreement and continues its sporadic campaign of violence. The US Government continues to monitor closely PLO compliance with its commitment to abandon terrorism and violence.

Previous History:

The PLO acted as an umbrella terrorist organization of Palestinian terrorists in Lebanaon (Bekka Valley and South Lebanon) raiding into Israel after Israel siezed areas beyond its original borders. In 1969 through 1970, raiding from Jordan, the PLO attacked Israeli settlements in the Bet Shean Valley Regional Council as well as attacked the general Israeli population in random attacks. The group was splintered when the Jordanian Army expelled them from Jordan 1970 and the factions set up office is Dasmascus, Syria, and Beirut, Lebanon. Israelis and Arab supporters of Israelis killed up through Yassar Arafat's first year as chairman of the Executive of the PLO, numbered more than three thousand. Here is a partial list of activities:

1960s and early 1970s: Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine conducted attacks and plane hijackings mostly directed at Israel, including the Dawson's Field hijackings, which prompted Jordan to expel the group from Jordan in September of 1970.
1970: Avivim school bus massacre by palestinian militants, killed nine children, three adults and crippled 19.
1972: The Japanese Red Army claimed responsbibily (on behalf of the PFLP) for the 24 civilian deaths at the Lod Airport massacre.
1972: Black Septemer claimed responsibility for theMunich massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics
1972: Black September hijacked a plane flying from Belgium to Tel Aviv.
1974: Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command killed 8 people, 9 of whom were children in Kiryat Shmona apartment building. One terrorist was killed in the action.
1974: Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), kill 26 students and adults and wounded 70 in the Ma'alot school bus massacre
1975: Ben Yehuda Street Bombing, a refrigerator bomb was exploded in Jerusalem killing 15 civilians and wounding 77.

1975:

1978: Coastal Road massacre killed37 Israeli civilians and wounded 76.
1979: Palestine Liberation Frontt (led by Samir Kuntar) killed 28 year old Danny Haran his two daughters.