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Wadie Haddad
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Wadie Haddad
Wadie Haddad (Arabic: وديع حداد; 1927 – 28 March 1978), also known by the kunya Abu Hani (أبو هاني), was a Palestinian militant and founding leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) who later split to form the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – External Operations (PFLP–EO). Haddad organized several hijackings of international civilian passenger aircraft in the 1960s and 1970s.
Haddad was born into a family of Palestinian Christians (Greek Orthodox) in the city of Safed in 1927. His home was destroyed during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, prompting him to flee to Lebanon as a Palestinian refugee. He received a degree in medicine from the American University of Beirut, where he met fellow Palestinian refugee George Habash, who was also a medical student. Together, they helped found the Arab Nationalist Movement (ANM), a political organization of pan-Arabists who sought to dismantle Israel and unite the world's Arab countries. Haddad became a leading member of the organisation.
After graduating, he relocated with Habash to Amman, Jordan, where they established a medical clinic. He worked with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in 1956 but was arrested by Jordanian authorities in the following year due to his nationalist activities. In 1961, he managed to escape to Syria. In 1962 he was one of 60 ANM members trained at the Egyptian commando school at Inshas. Haddad became a proponent of the armed struggle against Israel and succeeded in militarizing the ANM.
The ANM was one of the groups that came together to found the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in late 1967. Haddad oversaw its Special Apparatus, which was responsible for so-called external operations—attacks conducted outside the borders of historic Palestine. Haddad planned the first ever act of modern air terrorism, which the PFLP executed on 23 July 1968, hijacking an El-Al flight from Rome to Lod airport and redirecting it to Algeria. Negotiations lasted 39 days. Haddad organized another hijacking in August 1969, when PFLP militants led by Leila Khaled diverted a TWA flight from Rome to Damascus. The Dawson's Field hijackings, the simultaneous hijacking of multiple flights organised by Haddad, provoked the Black September crackdown on the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Jordan. Haddad was extensively criticised, especially by the organisation's left. At a central committee meeting in early November 1970, the PFLP publicly agreed to suspend external operations in general and the tactic of airplane hijacking specifically.
Haddad was later instructed to brief the whole PFLP leadership before conducting further external operations, but he refused to do so, saying that he would liaise only with George Habash, and to a lesser extent with three other senior figures. Haddad paused hijackings for more than a year, but defied the moratorium by organising the hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 649 in February 1972. In reaction, the PFLP's third general conference on 7 March 1972 voted to dissolve the Special Apparatus and expel Haddad. Haddad continued to be friendly with Habash, however, and channeled substantial funds to the PFLP over the following three years.
In June 1976, Haddad organized the hijacking and redirection of Air France Flight 139 to Entebbe, Uganda. He planned to hold the flight's Israeli and Jewish passengers hostage to promote Palestinian nationalism and secure the release of internationally held Palestinian prisoners. The operation's failure following the Israeli commando raid led to the PFLP publicly expelling and severing ties with Haddad. The CIA believed that Haddad's expulsion was a publicity stunt designed to create plausible deniability about PFLP—and perhaps PLO—involvement in Haddad's terrorism. It is notable that, despite poor public relations between the PFLP and Haddad, the PFLP fully funded and organized Haddad's large funeral procession in 1978. Leila Khaled also stated that Haddad maintained consistent relationships with some PFLP members until his death.
Haddad cooperated with non-PFLP organizations such as the Black September Organization, the West German Revolutionary Cells and the Japanese Red Army. He also secretly worked with several dictators, including Idi Amin and Muammar Gaddafi.
During the February 1972 Lufthansa Flight 649 hijacking, Haddad's commandos demanded the release of several Black September Organization members alongside Sirhan Sirhan. Haddad also enlisted one of his top militants, Ali Taha, to lead the Black September Organization's hijacking of Sabena Flight 571. After an Israeli commando raid foiled the plan and killed the hijackers, Haddad retaliated by collaborating with the Japanese Red Army to stage the Lod Airport massacre. In turn, Haddad sent his militants to support the Japanese Red Army's 20 July 1973 hijacking of Japan Air Lines Flight 404.
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Wadie Haddad
Wadie Haddad (Arabic: وديع حداد; 1927 – 28 March 1978), also known by the kunya Abu Hani (أبو هاني), was a Palestinian militant and founding leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) who later split to form the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – External Operations (PFLP–EO). Haddad organized several hijackings of international civilian passenger aircraft in the 1960s and 1970s.
Haddad was born into a family of Palestinian Christians (Greek Orthodox) in the city of Safed in 1927. His home was destroyed during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, prompting him to flee to Lebanon as a Palestinian refugee. He received a degree in medicine from the American University of Beirut, where he met fellow Palestinian refugee George Habash, who was also a medical student. Together, they helped found the Arab Nationalist Movement (ANM), a political organization of pan-Arabists who sought to dismantle Israel and unite the world's Arab countries. Haddad became a leading member of the organisation.
After graduating, he relocated with Habash to Amman, Jordan, where they established a medical clinic. He worked with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in 1956 but was arrested by Jordanian authorities in the following year due to his nationalist activities. In 1961, he managed to escape to Syria. In 1962 he was one of 60 ANM members trained at the Egyptian commando school at Inshas. Haddad became a proponent of the armed struggle against Israel and succeeded in militarizing the ANM.
The ANM was one of the groups that came together to found the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in late 1967. Haddad oversaw its Special Apparatus, which was responsible for so-called external operations—attacks conducted outside the borders of historic Palestine. Haddad planned the first ever act of modern air terrorism, which the PFLP executed on 23 July 1968, hijacking an El-Al flight from Rome to Lod airport and redirecting it to Algeria. Negotiations lasted 39 days. Haddad organized another hijacking in August 1969, when PFLP militants led by Leila Khaled diverted a TWA flight from Rome to Damascus. The Dawson's Field hijackings, the simultaneous hijacking of multiple flights organised by Haddad, provoked the Black September crackdown on the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Jordan. Haddad was extensively criticised, especially by the organisation's left. At a central committee meeting in early November 1970, the PFLP publicly agreed to suspend external operations in general and the tactic of airplane hijacking specifically.
Haddad was later instructed to brief the whole PFLP leadership before conducting further external operations, but he refused to do so, saying that he would liaise only with George Habash, and to a lesser extent with three other senior figures. Haddad paused hijackings for more than a year, but defied the moratorium by organising the hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 649 in February 1972. In reaction, the PFLP's third general conference on 7 March 1972 voted to dissolve the Special Apparatus and expel Haddad. Haddad continued to be friendly with Habash, however, and channeled substantial funds to the PFLP over the following three years.
In June 1976, Haddad organized the hijacking and redirection of Air France Flight 139 to Entebbe, Uganda. He planned to hold the flight's Israeli and Jewish passengers hostage to promote Palestinian nationalism and secure the release of internationally held Palestinian prisoners. The operation's failure following the Israeli commando raid led to the PFLP publicly expelling and severing ties with Haddad. The CIA believed that Haddad's expulsion was a publicity stunt designed to create plausible deniability about PFLP—and perhaps PLO—involvement in Haddad's terrorism. It is notable that, despite poor public relations between the PFLP and Haddad, the PFLP fully funded and organized Haddad's large funeral procession in 1978. Leila Khaled also stated that Haddad maintained consistent relationships with some PFLP members until his death.
Haddad cooperated with non-PFLP organizations such as the Black September Organization, the West German Revolutionary Cells and the Japanese Red Army. He also secretly worked with several dictators, including Idi Amin and Muammar Gaddafi.
During the February 1972 Lufthansa Flight 649 hijacking, Haddad's commandos demanded the release of several Black September Organization members alongside Sirhan Sirhan. Haddad also enlisted one of his top militants, Ali Taha, to lead the Black September Organization's hijacking of Sabena Flight 571. After an Israeli commando raid foiled the plan and killed the hijackers, Haddad retaliated by collaborating with the Japanese Red Army to stage the Lod Airport massacre. In turn, Haddad sent his militants to support the Japanese Red Army's 20 July 1973 hijacking of Japan Air Lines Flight 404.
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