Thinking Like a Terrorist: Terrorism Has Its Moment
The fourth part to my 11-part series on terrorism
Begin, Reagan, Palestine, terror on the airline
Ayatollahs in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan
—Billy Joel, “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (1989)
On Saturday, January 26, 2008, a controversial figure in terrorism’s history died of a heart attack in Amman, Jordan. The figure in question was George “al-Hakim” Habash.
For those unfamiliar with terrorism from the 1960s and 1970s, George Habash might seem like an odd name, one that doesn’t fit our notions of a modern terrorist from the Middle East. He was a Greek Orthodox Christian, a Palestinian, and a doctor, whom Time called the Christian godfather of modern terrorism following his death in 2008.
Habash’s group, known as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), is said to have pioneered skyjacking—that is the hijacking of airplanes—as a terrorist tactic. This began back in 1968, “when three PFLP armed operatives commandeered an Israeli El Al airliner enroute from Rome to Tel Aviv.” For those who remember Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” a little line in the song commemorates this series of events (see video below).