Achille Lauro hijack mastermind in Cairo for ceasefire talks

Jerusalem Post ^ | Jan. 7, 2003 | KHALED ABU TOAMEH

[Nachum]

Mohammed Abbas, the mastermind of the 1985 hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro, has arrived in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on proposals to stop terrorist attacks against civilians in Israel.

Abbas was invited to Cairo by Gen. Omar Sulieman, the head of Egyptian intelligence, to convince various Palestinian groups to work out a joint strategy regarding the future of the uprising.

Sulieman has met over the past few weeks with representatives of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Peoples [Communist] Party, in addition to Fatah.

Abbas, who is also known by his nom de guerre, Abu Abbas, lives in Iraq, where he heads the Palestinian Liberation Front Party, a small faction of the PLO. He was supposed to arrive in Cairo last week but the visit was delayed because Israel barred three of his party members who live in the West Bank and Gaza Strip from traveling to Egypt. Palestinian sources identified the three to the The Jerusalem Post as Ahmed Chalabi, Dr. Wasel Abu Yusef and Hisham Abu Raya.

Members of Abbas's group commandeered the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in 1985, killing an elderly wheelchair-bound American Jew, Leon Klinghoffer, and dumping his body in the sea. Abbas claimed then that the murder of Klinghoffer was a "mistake, a military mission that went wrong."

"The media didn't tell the world that Abu Abbas saved the lives of six hundred passengers, only that a disabled man was killed," he said.

But in 1990, his group attempted another seaside attack that was thwarted by the Israeli navy, off the coast of Tel Aviv.

Abbas has been sentenced in absentia to five life terms in Italy, and is wanted in the United States.

The Egyptians have been trying, so far unsuccessfully, to organize a conference in Cairo of representatives of all the Palestinian groups to negotiate an agreement to confine terrorist attacks to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The Egyptian efforts suffered a major setback Sunday, when Fatah's armed wing, Al-Aksa Martyrs brigades, claimed responsibility for a double suicide bombing i Tel Aviv that killed 22 people.

[lormand]

ATTENTION CIA!

Send this animal straight to Allah, ASAP!

[dalebert]

Why hasn't someone asassinated this dude?

[reagan_fanatic]

Ahem...target-rich environment, dudes.

[tet68]

The Egyptians have been trying, so far unsuccessfully, to organize a conference in Cairo of representatives of all the Palestinian groups to negotiate an agreement to confine terrorist attacks to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Oh, how charitable of them, or is this just so the homibombers won't have to go so far.

[petuniasevan]

Who do they think they're kidding?

There's a reason they hired dirtbag wretch Abbas, and it's not as a consultant.

Something big is being planned. Hijack? Kidnap? WMD attack?

[bigfootbob]

"Why hasn't someone asassinated this dude? "

My thoughts exactly. Send in a Predator drone

[Napoleon Solo]

I'm confused. Wasn't this the dude that Saddam offed in Iraq a few months ago or was it someone with a similar sounding name?

[GirlShortstop]

"The media didn't tell the world that Abu Abbas saved the lives of six hundred passengers, only that a disabled man was killed," he said.

What the hell?!  What kind of twisted crap is this?!

[jodorowsky]

That was Abu Nidal

[Howlin]

I wish I could think of the best word to describe the way I feel after reading this. I'm just at a loss for words.

I do feel like I need a shower though.

[JoeSixPack1]

I do feel like I need a shower though.

Ain't that the truth. This is so subliminally sinister it reeks.

[Poohbah]

The Egyptians have been trying, so far unsuccessfully, to organize a conference in Cairo of representatives of all the Palestinian groups to negotiate an agreement to confine terrorist attacks to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Oh, please...get 'em all in one place, Egypt...then one of our Tomahawk shooters will have an "Oopsie" (spilling coffee on the weapons console is always a good excuse :o)

[Pistolshot]

Where's my Hellfire armed Predator?
I have a message to deliver.

[Poohbah]

I believe the expression is: "CANDYGRAM FOR MONGO!"

[Howlin]

ROFLMAO!

[Poohbah]

Thought you'd get a chuckle :o)

BTW, do ya think the Dems are feeling like the guys on the receiving end of one of Morphy's or Nimzovich's classic games?

[Cindy]

"Mohammed Abbas, the mastermind of the 1985 hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro, has arrived in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on proposals to stop terrorist attacks against civilians in Israel.

Abbas was invited to Cairo by Gen. Omar Sulieman, the head of Egyptian intelligence, to convince various Palestinian groups to work out a joint strategy regarding the future of the uprising."



Well, this article sure does not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling. I sincerely hope the CIA and THE PENTAGON have this info.

[hellinahandcart]

Ahem! HELLO???

Abbas, who is also known by his nom de guerre, Abu Abbas, lives in Iraq

Abu Nidal and Abu Abbas. Just ****ing imagine that...