Wilderness Survival Foreign Terrorist Organizations Abu Nidal Organization (ANO)
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| Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) |
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| Wednesday, 06 October 2004 | |
 Abu Nidal Organization (ANO)Name(s). Fatah — Revolutionary Council, Arab Revolutionary Brigades, Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Muslims, Black June and Black September. Goals and Objectives. ANO’s goal is to destroy the state of Israel and establish a Palestinian state. Favored Tactics. Its operations include kidnapping, murders, bombings and hijackings. Brief History. The ANO was founded in 1974 by Sabri al- Banna whose nom de guerre, Abu Nidal, means "father of the struggle." Abu Nidal was a high-ranking official in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and served as PLO representative to several Arab states. Abu Nidal bitterly opposed the idea of a Palestinian state co-existing with an Israeli state and after the PLO began leaning towards reconciliation with the Jewish state, he split with the group to form the ANO.
The ANO was once one of the most feared transnational terrorist organizations in the world. Its operations, which included kidnapping, murders, bombings and hijackings, have killed approximately 900 people and injured several hundred more across three continents and 20 countries. Over the years, Iraq, Syria, and Libya each reportedly harbored Abu Nidal and often hired the ANO to execute attacks that were in their interests. As a result, the ANO’s selection of targets has been diverse and inconsistent, depending largely on the demands of the state sponsor. The ANO has targeted Jews both inside and outside of Israel, but also targeted moderate Palestinians and Arabs who supported peace talks with Israel. ANO is responsible for the assassinations of senior Jordanian diplomat Naeb Imran Maaytah outside the embassy in Beirut in 1994, Abu Iyyad, the PLO’s second-in-command in 1991, and Abu el-Hol, commander of the Western Sector forces of Fatah in 1991. The group is also known for simultaneous attacks on Israeli airline counters in Rome and Vienna which killed 18 people and injured 111. In August 2002 Abu Nidal reportedly killed himself in his apartment in Baghdad where he was being treated for leukemia. However, the multiple gunshot wounds to his head leave unanswered questions surrounding his apparent suicide The extent to which the ANO is still active is under debate.Favored Tactics. Its operations include kidnapping, murders, bombings and hijackings.Anti-American Activities. While the ANO sometimes targeted Western interests, there is only one incident in which it directly targeted a U.S. interest. On July 22, 1985, ANO attempted to bomb the U.S. embassy in Cairo but failed.Primary Area(s) of Operation. From1974-1980, ANO headquarters were based in Baghdad, where the group reportedly took direction from the Iraqi administration to carry out attacks against primarily Syrian and PLO targets. The ANO later relocated to Syria, then Libya, and finally Lebanon. Strength and Composition. According to the State Department, the ANO consists of a few hundred membersConnections with Other Groups. The ANO does not appear to be connected with any other group. State Supporters and Other Sources of Funding. The ANO received funding and logistical assistance from several state supporters throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including Iraq, Syria and Libya. Originally Designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. October 8, 1997. Re-Designated. October 8, 1999, October 5, 2001. Issues of Interest to Congress. The mysterious circumstances of Abu Nidal’s death beg some questions. If it was a murder, published speculation spans from the killers being agents of Saddam Hussein seeking to eliminate any ties the regime may have had to terrorist groups, to the murderers being henchman of Yasir Arafat carrying out revenge for the murders of PLO officials by Abu Nidal. In addition, the viability of ANO as a terrorist organization is up for debate; some might question whether it should continue on the designated foreign terrorist organization list. Third, it is unclear what impact the sanctions imposed on the ANO had or are having on state sponsorship for the group. |
Today, ANO militants reportedly reside in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, but over the years, the group’s activities have reached far beyond the confines of its state sponsors.8 When the ANO was active in the 1970s and 1980s, it executed attacks in 20 countries, including Austria, Belgium, Egypt, France, Greece, India, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sudan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
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