DATE=        02/14/99
TYPE=        EDITORIAL
NUMBER=      0-08190
TITLE=       EDITORIAL: ABU NIDAL IN IRAQ

CONTENT=THIS IS THE ONLY EDITORIAL BEING RELEASED FOR BROADCAST 
02/14/99.

ANNCR:
THE VOICE OF AMERICA PRESENTS DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW ON A WIDE 
VARIETY OF ISSUES.  NEXT, AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF
THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

VOICE:
    ACCORDING TO RECENT PRESS REPORTS, THE NOTORIOUS ABU NIDAL IS
ONCE AGAIN ENJOYING THE HOSPITALITY OF IRAQI DICTATOR SADDAM 
HUSSEIN.  IF THESE REPORTS ARE TRUE, IT MEANS THAT ABU NIDAL IS 
NOW BACK IN THE COUNTRY THAT HELPED GET HIM STARTED AS AN 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST.

    ABU NIDAL, WHOSE REAL NAME IS BELIEVED TO BE SABRI AL-BANNA, 
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TERRORIST ATTACKS IN TWENTY COUNTRIES THAT 
HAVE KILLED OR WOUNDED NEARLY NINE-HUNDRED MEN, WOMEN, AND 
CHILDREN.  THESE INCLUDE GRENADE AND MACHINE GUN ATTACKS ON THE 
ROME AND VIENNA AIRPORTS IN 1985; THE MURDER OF TWENTY-TWO 
WORSHIPPERS AT THE NEVE  SHALOM SYNAGOGUE IN ISTANBUL AND THE 
HIJACKING OF PAN AMERICAN FLIGHT 73 IN KARACHI IN 1986; AND THE 
CITY OF POROS EXCURSION SHIP ATTACK IN GREECE IN 1988.

    IN 1994, THE ABU NIDAL ORGANIZATION ASSASSINATED A JORDANIAN 
DIPLOMAT IN LEBANON.  IT HAS ALSO BEEN LINKED TO THE KILLING OF 
THE P-L-O REPRESENTATIVE THERE.  THIS IS MORE THAN A LITTLE 
IRONIC SINCE ABU NIDAL WAS THE P-L-O REPRESENTATIVE IN BAGHDAD IN
THE EARLY 1970S.  IN 1974, HE BROKE WITH THE P-L-O TO SET UP HIS 
OWN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.  THAT SAME YEAR, THE P-L-O SENTENCED 
HIM TO DEATH IN ABSENTIA.

    AFTER THAT, ABU NIDAL RECEIVED EXTENSIVE HELP FROM IRAQI 
DICTATOR SADDAM HUSSEIN IN THE FORM OF TRAINING, WEAPONS, AND 
INTELLIENCE SUPPORT.  IN NOVEMBER 1983, SADDAM'S PATRONAGE ENDED 
WHEN THE IRAQIS DISCOVERED THAT ABU NIDAL WAS WORKING WITH SYRIAN
INTELLIGENCE.

    RELOCATING IN SYRIA, ABU NIDAL CARRIED OUT TERRORIST ATTACKS 
ON ARABS AND JEWS.  IN 1986, HE PROVIDED SYRIAN AIR FORCE 
INTELLIGENCE WITH THE SUITCASE BOMB USED IN AN UNSUCCESSFUL 
ATTEMPT TO BLOW UP AN EL AL AIRLINER IN LONDON.  A YEAR LATER, HE
MOVED HIS HEADQUARTERS TO LIBYA.  THERE, HIS TERRORIST 
ORGANIZATION FELL INTO A SERIES OF BLOODY INTERNAL FEUDS WHICH 
LEFT HUNDREDS DEAD.

    IF ABU NIDAL IS NOW BACK IN IRAQ, IT WOULD HARDLY BE A 
SURPRISE.  IRAQ ALREADY PROVIDES SAFEHAVEN TO A VARIETY OF 
TERRORISTS, INCLUDING THE ARAB LIBERATION FRONT, THE MUJAHEDIN-E 
KHALQ, AND ABU IBRAHIM, FORMER HEAD OF THE NOW DEFUNCT 15 MAY 
ORGANIZATION.

    BUT WHEREVER HE IS, ABU NIDAL AND HIS SPONSORS SHOULD KNOW 
THAT THE U.S. WILL HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANY TERRORIST ACTS 
COMMITTED AGAINST AMERICANS.

ANNCR:

    THAT WAS AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE U.S. 
GOVERNMENT.  IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE WRITE TO EDITORIALS, 
V-O-A, WASHINGTON, D-C, 20547, U-S-A.  YOU MAY ALSO COMMENT AT 
WWW-DOT-VOA-DOT-GOV-SLASH-EDITORIALS, OR  FAX US AT (202) 
619-1043.  

12-Feb-99 10:07 AM EST (1507 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.