Abu Nidal Organization

Abu Nidal Organization
منظمة أبو نضال
Also known asFatah – Revolutionary Council
Founding leaderAbu Nidal
Dates of operation1974–2002
Split fromFatah
IdeologyPalestinian nationalism
Anti-Zionism
Pan-Arabism[1]
Secularism[2]
Political positionLeft-wing[3]
Notable attacksList of attacks attributed to Abu Nidal
StatusDefunct
Allies
Opponents
Designated as a terrorist group by

The Abu Nidal Organization (ANO; Arabic: منظمة أبو نضال Munaẓẓamat Abu Nidal), officially Fatah – Revolutionary Council (فتح – المجلس الثوري Fatah al-Majles al-Thawry), was a Palestinian militant group founded by Abu Nidal in 1974. It broke away from Fatah, a faction within the Palestine Liberation Organization, following the emergence of a rift between Abu Nidal and Yasser Arafat. The ANO was designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States,[4] the United Kingdom,[1] Canada,[5] the European Union[6] and Japan.[7] However, a number of Arab countries supported the group's activities; it was backed by Iraq from 1974 to 1983, by Syria from 1983 to 1987, and by Libya from 1987 to 1997. It briefly cooperated with Egypt from 1997 to 1998, but ultimately returned to Iraq in December 1998, where it continued to have the state's backing until Abu Nidal's death in August 2002.[8]

In practice, the ANO was leftist and secularist, as well as anti-Zionist and anti-Western.[9] In theory, it was not particularly associated with any specific ideology—or at least no such foundation was declared.[10][11] It was mostly linked with the pursuit of Abu Nidal's personal agendas.[12] The ANO was established to carry on an armed struggle in pursuit of pan-Arabism and the destruction of Israel.[1] Like other Palestinian militant groups, the ANO carried out worldwide hijackings, assassinations, kidnappings of diplomats, and attacks on synagogues. It was responsible for 90 terrorist attacks between 1974 and 1992. In 2002, Abu Nidal died under disputed circumstances in Baghdad, with Palestinian sources claiming that he was assassinated on the orders of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.[13]

  1. ^ a b c "Schedule 2: Proscribed Organisations". Terrorism Act 2000. UK Public General Acts. Vol. 2000 c. 11. 2000-07-20. Archived from the original on 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2018-04-28. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2018-04-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ "The Evolution of Islamic Terrorism - an Overview | Target America | FRONTLINE | PBS". PBS. Archived from the original on 2017-09-12. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  3. ^ Sharma, D. P. (2005). The New Terrorism: Islamist International. APH Publishing. p. 414. ISBN 978-81-7648-799-3. Archived from the original on 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  4. ^ "Chapter 6. Foreign Terrorist Organizations // Country Reports on Terrorism 2013". U.S. Department of State. 2014. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  5. ^ "Currently listed entities". 21 December 2018. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Notice for the attention of Abu Nidal Organisation 'ANO' — (a.k.a. 'Fatah Revolutionary Council', a.k.a. 'Arab Revolutionary Brigades', a.k.a. 'Black September', a.k.a. Revolutionary Organisation of Socialist Muslims included on the list provided for in Article 2(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism". Official Journal of the European Union. 2011. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  7. ^ "MOFA: Implementation of the Measures including the Freezing of Assets against Terrorists and the Like". Archived from the original on 2013-04-06. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
  8. ^ Sloan, Stephen; Anderson, Sean K. (2009-08-03). Historical Dictionary of Terrorism. Scarecrow Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-8108-6311-8. Archived from the original on 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  9. ^ Sharma, D. P. (2005). The New Terrorism: Islamist International. APH Publishing. p. 414. ISBN 978-81-7648-799-3. Archived from the original on 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  10. ^ "The Evolution of Islamic Terrorism - an Overview | Target America | FRONTLINE | PBS". PBS. Archived from the original on 2017-09-12. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  11. ^ "Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) - Mackenzie Institute". Archived from the original on 2018-07-13. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
  12. ^ "Abu Nidal Organization (ANO)". The Mackenzie Institute. Archived from the original on 2021-03-01. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  13. ^ "Mystery death of Abu Nidal, once the world's most wanted terrorist". the Guardian. August 20, 2002. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.