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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) NNNN Source: Voice of America .