Read Online The 50 Worst Terrorist Attacks by Edward Mickolus, Susan L. Simmons - Free Book Online
Authors: Edward Mickolus, Susan L. Simmons
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ground, the terrorists allowed a British woman who had been hemorrhaging to deplane. Upon leaving Libya, the plane attempted to land in Sudan, but the government refused. It flew on to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. During the initial seizure, the West German leader of the hijackers announced over the loudspeaker, âThis is the Ché Guevara Brigade of the Popular Front of the Liberation of Palestine. I am your new commandant. This plane is renamed Haifa . You are our prisoners.â The passengers reported that the terrorists attempted to keep their identities secret, referring to each other only by numbers. Onepassenger, M. Cojot, acted as liaison with the hijackers. Upon landing at Entebbe, the Ugandans provided the hijackers with additional weapons and guarded the hostages while the terrorists left to freshen up. Three additional terrorists joined the original seven.
The demands of the terrorists were initially unclear; there was some question as to the identities of several of the 53 terrorists imprisoned in Israeli, Swiss, West German, French, and Kenyan jails whose release was demanded. Some reports claimed that five terrorists mentioned in Kenyan jails had plotted to assassinate Idi Amin, who added their names to the end of the hijackersâ list. Others believe that the group attempted to fire heat-seeking missiles at an El Al plane in January 1976 but had been captured and either killed or turned over to the Israelis. The hijackers named Hashi Abdullan, the Somali ambassador to Uganda, as their representative and instructed France to name an envoy for the side of the governments. However, President Amin refused to allow French ambassador Pierre Renard or a special French envoy to deal with the hijackers directly, claiming that he was negotiating with them.
The hijackers set a deadline of noon on July 1, 1976, for the release of the prisoners, threatening to destroy the plane and all on board. They demanded that the French release Intos Silvia Masmela, a girlfriend of the Venezuelan terrorist Carlos (Ilyich Ramirez Sanchez), and the release from Switzerland of Petra Kraus, the leader of a Baader-Meinhofâtype urban terrorist group. West Germany was to release Werner Hopper, Jan-Carl Raspe, Ingrid Shubert, Raphaël Rendat, Inge Viett, and Fritz Tuefel, most of them Baader-Meinhof and Movement 2 June members. They claimed Kenya was holding Abdul Hanafi, Sad, Ibrahim Qasim, Hasan, and Sals. The remaining prisoners were held in Israeli jails; prominent ones included Kozo Okamoto and Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop Hilarion Capucci (who was being held for smuggling guns to the PFLP). The released prisoners were to be flown to Entebbe International Airport.
None of the governments gave in to the demands. On June 30, 1976, the hijackers released 47 elderly women, sick persons, and children and allowed an Air France 707 to fly them to Nairobi, Kenya. Ugandan officials said that among those released were 33 French nationals, 3 Moroccans, 2 Greeks, 2 Americans, 2 Dutch nationals, a Canadian, a Cypriot, a Paraguayan, a Venezuelan, and a stateless person.
The next day, the Israeli cabinet announced that it was willing to negotiate for the release of some prisoners in return for the release of the remaining hostages. This decision followed a demonstration by 50 relatives of the Israeli hostages, who stormed the office of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The hijackers extended their ransom deadline to July 4, 1976. On July 1, 1976, the terrorists released 100 more hostages. It was learned from the group that a selection had taken place; the non-Jewish hostages were separated from the Israelis or persons of dual nationality. The crew of the Air France plane decided to stay with the Israeli hostages, who were threatened with death by 7:00 A.M . EDT.
After intervention by France, Yasir Arafat sent a senior Fatah member to Kampala to attempt to secure the release of the hostages. The terrorists refused to meet with him,
The demands of the terrorists were initially unclear; there was some question as to the identities of several of the 53 terrorists imprisoned in Israeli, Swiss, West German, French, and Kenyan jails whose release was demanded. Some reports claimed that five terrorists mentioned in Kenyan jails had plotted to assassinate Idi Amin, who added their names to the end of the hijackersâ list. Others believe that the group attempted to fire heat-seeking missiles at an El Al plane in January 1976 but had been captured and either killed or turned over to the Israelis. The hijackers named Hashi Abdullan, the Somali ambassador to Uganda, as their representative and instructed France to name an envoy for the side of the governments. However, President Amin refused to allow French ambassador Pierre Renard or a special French envoy to deal with the hijackers directly, claiming that he was negotiating with them.
The hijackers set a deadline of noon on July 1, 1976, for the release of the prisoners, threatening to destroy the plane and all on board. They demanded that the French release Intos Silvia Masmela, a girlfriend of the Venezuelan terrorist Carlos (Ilyich Ramirez Sanchez), and the release from Switzerland of Petra Kraus, the leader of a Baader-Meinhofâtype urban terrorist group. West Germany was to release Werner Hopper, Jan-Carl Raspe, Ingrid Shubert, Raphaël Rendat, Inge Viett, and Fritz Tuefel, most of them Baader-Meinhof and Movement 2 June members. They claimed Kenya was holding Abdul Hanafi, Sad, Ibrahim Qasim, Hasan, and Sals. The remaining prisoners were held in Israeli jails; prominent ones included Kozo Okamoto and Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop Hilarion Capucci (who was being held for smuggling guns to the PFLP). The released prisoners were to be flown to Entebbe International Airport.
None of the governments gave in to the demands. On June 30, 1976, the hijackers released 47 elderly women, sick persons, and children and allowed an Air France 707 to fly them to Nairobi, Kenya. Ugandan officials said that among those released were 33 French nationals, 3 Moroccans, 2 Greeks, 2 Americans, 2 Dutch nationals, a Canadian, a Cypriot, a Paraguayan, a Venezuelan, and a stateless person.
The next day, the Israeli cabinet announced that it was willing to negotiate for the release of some prisoners in return for the release of the remaining hostages. This decision followed a demonstration by 50 relatives of the Israeli hostages, who stormed the office of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The hijackers extended their ransom deadline to July 4, 1976. On July 1, 1976, the terrorists released 100 more hostages. It was learned from the group that a selection had taken place; the non-Jewish hostages were separated from the Israelis or persons of dual nationality. The crew of the Air France plane decided to stay with the Israeli hostages, who were threatened with death by 7:00 A.M . EDT.
After intervention by France, Yasir Arafat sent a senior Fatah member to Kampala to attempt to secure the release of the hostages. The terrorists refused to meet with him,
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