Historical Dictionary of Terrorism Third Edition

PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION • 519Front’s approach in winning national rights for the Palestinians was putto the test with the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war in 1975 and Syrianintervention from 1976 onward, in which certain Syrian-sponsoredPalestinian groups fought against al Fatah. The conflict split the PopularFront for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), aRejection Front member, whose factions actually fought each other. Despitean al Fatah ban on attacks against Israeli targets within the southernsecurity zone declared by Israel, anti–al Fatah groups continuedtheir operations there. An attempted assassination of Israel’s ambassadorto London in 1982 by another anti–al Fatah group, Black June,triggered Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and siege of Beirut, which culminatedin the expulsion of the PLO administrative apparatus and most ofits fighters from Lebanon. After 1983 Syria further incited Palestinianforces against each other and encouraged divisions even within al Fatahin order to block the return of al Fatah fighters to Lebanon. This resultedin the emergence of a splinter group under the leadership of Abu Musa,a former deputy commander of al Fatah, that fought alongside Syriantroops against al Fatah loyalists. The rift between the al Fatah loyalistsand anti-Arafat factions was healed when Syria began backing theShi’ite Amal militia’s campaign against the Palestinian refugee campsand both sides largely drew together to fend off Amal’s fighters.While the PFLP and like-minded groups agreed with certain ofthe grievances and criticisms of Arafat expressed by the Abu Musafaction, they grew anxious for the integrity of the PLO and its independencefrom the control of Arab governments. The outbreak of thefirst Palestinian intifada of 1987–1991 in the West Bank and GazaStrip changed the focus of terrorist or insurgent activity from outsideto within the borders of the former Mandate of Palestine. On 15 November1988, the 18th PNC declared an independent Palestinian statein the occupied territories and tied PLO acceptance of United NationsResolutions 242 and 338 to Israeli withdrawal from those territories.The PLO as a whole formally adopted al Fatah’s long-standing declaratorypolicy of abstaining from terrorism outside Israel and the Israelioccupiedterritories, making cessation of terrorism within those areasalso dependent on an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and GazaStrip. Following 14 December 1988 the United States and the PLOengaged in a diplomatic dialogue, which was suspended temporarilyfollowing a Palestine Liberation Front raid on a Tel Aviv beach on30 May 1990. With the 13 September 1993 Oslo Peace Accords with