Terror in Black September: The First Eyewitness Account of the Infamous 1970 Hijackings
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A gripping eye-witness account of the hijacking of four planes by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in 1970 written by one of the passengers Publishers Weekly Thirty-seven years ago on September 6, Palestinian revolutionaries hijacked four airliners bound for New York. Two of the planes were flown to the desert outside of Amman, Jordan, and held there just as the Jordanian civil war erupted. Raab, a health-care executive, was a 17-year-old hostage on one of those planes, and he recounts the ordeal, which resulted in his being separated from his family and dragged back and forth across Jordan for weeks in fear for his life. Raab also attempts to narrate the larger story, from the tense, fractious multinational negotiations over the hostages to the conflict between the Jordanian army and the Palestinian guerrillas. It is an ambitious undertaking, one that Raab lacks the craft to achieve. While the book is painstakingly researched, the writing rarely comes alive, even in the most dramatic situations. The various sources-including Raab's account that he wrote soon after his release-seem to be stuck together rather than shaped. Still, much of the material is intrinsically fascinating and a sad reminder of how much and how little has changed. Four hijacking attempts in one day was a record that would stand alone for 31 years, until another September day in 2001. (Sept.)Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
Acknowledgments viAuthor's Note viiiAboard a Plane in the Jordanian Desert September 11, 1970 1"We Are All Fedayeen" Summer 1970 3"This Is Your New Captain Speaking." Sunday, September 6 9"Am I Leaving One Orphan or Two?" Monday, September 7 28"We May Have to Face a Tragedy" Tuesday, September 8 48Misery Loves Company Wednesday, September 9 63"They Forced Me into the Grave" Thursday, September 10 78Chaos, Confusion, and "Fantastic Tension" Friday, September 11 91Explosions in the Desert Saturday, September 12 104My Family Is Freed Sunday, September 13 116Negotiations at a Standstill Monday, September 14 125"I Just Want to Be Near My Daughter" Tuesday, September 15 131The Eve of War Wednesday, September 16 142"A Little Excitement" Thursday, September 17 149An Extremely Close Call Friday, September 18 161Hussein's Momentary Edge Saturday, September 19 168Our Fate in the Balance Sunday, September 20 174A Desperate Situation Monday, September 21 184Poised to Intervene Tuesday, September 22 191Switzerland andGermany Cave Wednesday, September 23 198What About the Hostages? Thursday, September 24 203European Hostages Rescued Friday, September 25 207Our Perilous Walk to Freedom Saturday, September 26 212Six Missing Hostages Sunday, September 27 218Nixon and Home Monday, September 28 222Last Six Finally Free Tuesday, September 29 227European Capitulation and Culmination Wednesday, September 30 230Epilogue 233Notes 235Bibliography and Sources 260Index 266
