Abu Nidal Organization

The Abu Nidal Organization (ANO)—officially known as the Fatah Revolutionary Council—was a Palestinian militant group founded in 1974 by Sabri Khalil al-Banna, better known as Abu Nidal. Splintering from Fatah after a severe political rift with Yasser Arafat, the ANO became one of the most violent and notorious Palestinian rejectionist groups of the late twentieth century. It was designated a terrorist organization by numerous states and international bodies, including Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, and Japan.
Between 1974 and 1992, the ANO is estimated to have carried out around 90 attacks in more than 20 countries, killing or injuring over a thousand people. Its operations targeted not only Western and Israeli interests, but also moderate Palestinians and Arab governments that showed openness toward negotiated solutions with Israel.

Founding and Ideological Background
Abu Nidal, once a Fatah activist and Ba’ath Party sympathizer, rejected all political compromise with Israel, particularly after the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Within Fatah, he led a leftist faction critical of Arafat’s increasing interest in diplomacy. Following Fatah’s expulsion from Jordan after Black September, tensions among Palestinian factions deepened.
After the PLO adopted the Ten Point Program in 1974—seen by rejectionists as a step toward negotiating with Israel—Abu Nidal broke away and established his own group. He promoted an uncompromising stance on pan-Arabism and the complete eradication of Israel, though in practice the movement revolved largely around Abu Nidal’s personal agendas, internal authoritarianism, and shifting alliances.

Regional Support

The organization’s state sponsors shifted over time:

• Iraq (1974–1983)
• Syria (1983–1987)
• Libya (1987–1997)
• Brief alignment with Egypt (1997–1998)
• Return to Iraq (1998–2002) under Saddam Hussein

These host governments used the group as a proxy in regional conflicts, enhancing its operational reach.

Major Attacks and Operations
The ANO was characterized by indiscriminate violence, high-casualty attacks, and operations that sought political disruption rather than strategic military gain.

Notable Attacks

• Rome and Vienna airport attacks (December 1985)Gunmen opened fire at El Al ticket counters, killing 18 and wounding around 120. Patrick Seale described the operations as “typical Abu Nidal” for their random cruelty.
• Neve Shalom Synagogue attack, Istanbul (1986)Part of a series of attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets.
• Pan Am Flight 73 hijacking, Karachi (September 1986)One of the deadliest hijackings of the era.
• City of Poros ship attack, Greece (1988)Gunmen assaulted tourists aboard a leisure vessel, killing nine.
• Assassinations of Palestinian moderates
  • Abu Iyad (Salah Khalaf) and Abul Hul in Tunis (1991)
  • Issam Sartawi (1983)
  • Attempted assassination of Mahmoud Abbas (1974)

The group targeted moderate PLO figures whom Abu Nidal viewed as traitors for considering negotiation with Israel.

Internal Repression and Torture
The ANO became infamous not only for external violence but also for brutal internal purges. Studies and testimonies suggest that:

• New recruits were forced to rewrite their life histories repeatedly; inconsistencies were treated as proof of espionage.
• Suspected disloyal members faced extreme torture, including beatings, burning with plastic, confinement in tiny cells, and being buried alive with only a pipe for air.
• Hundreds of members were executed between 1987 and 1988 in internal purges.

British journalist Alec Collett was murdered by the group in 1986 in retaliation for U.S. air strikes on Libya.
Former insiders later asserted that many ANO attacks served no Palestinian objective and were the product of Abu Nidal’s growing paranoia.

Relations with the PLO and Other Palestinian Groups
The ANO’s hostility toward the PLO centred on its rejection of any negotiated settlement with Israel. Beyond public denunciations, the organization conducted direct armed attacks on PLO officials and attempted to seize Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon during the 1990s. The PLO ultimately sentenced Abu Nidal to death in absentia for his campaign against its leadership.

Decline and Abu Nidal’s Death
By the late 1980s and early 1990s, geopolitical shifts—such as the decline of Soviet influence, changes in Middle Eastern alliances, and the Oslo peace process—reduced the ANO’s usefulness to state sponsors. Internal paranoia and defections further weakened the group.
In August 2002, Abu Nidal died in Baghdad under mysterious circumstances. Iraqi authorities claimed he committed suicide; Palestinian sources alleged he was executed on Saddam Hussein’s orders.
The ANO effectively dissolved soon afterward.

Legacy
The Abu Nidal Organization is remembered as one of the most violent militant groups of the late 20th century. While it claimed to fight for Palestinian liberation and pan-Arab nationalism, its actions frequently harmed Palestinian political interests and targeted civilians indiscriminately. Historians and former members have described Abu Nidal’s rule as repressive, conspiratorial, and ultimately self-destructive. The group’s trajectory reflects the fragmented landscape of Palestinian militancy and the broader geopolitics of the Cold War Middle East.