OLYMPIC TERRORISTS LINKED TO AL FATAH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01601R000300300003-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 13, 2000
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: September 12, 1972
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2001I0:*641~.d11- 0-01601 R0003
12 sip 1972
U.S. IN ELLI E I E ANALYSIS'.
By OSWALID JOIINSTON
Star-NeN's staff writer
American and Israeli intelli-
gence analysts are now in sub-
stantial agreement that the
Black September group of
Arab terrorists, organizer of
the ? Munich massacre, is an
intergral part of Al Fatah, the
"official" Palestinian guerrilla
organization.
1?espite misgivings in in-
formed circles here that intel-
ligence about an underground,
organization like 1, -el. Sep-
tember is inherently unrelia-
lble, the group is now ac-
cepted to be the "dirty arm"
of Fatah--carrying out assas-
sinations and other operations
over which 1-ho parent or-
ganization can claim no con-
trol.
"That is a pretty good dc-
scription," a U.S. official re-
marked recently of the Israeli
claim that Black September is
a "cover" for Fatale opera-
tions. "'T'hese poeple don't ex-
ist in a vacuum."
F3
~
VpL
11 !
The agreement is not mnerely
academic. The Israelis relied
heavily on their claim that
Black September is as "offi-
cial" as Fatah to justify Fri-
day's air attacks on 10 guer-
rilla bases in Syria and Leb-
anon.
`International Action'
The fact `that. U.S. intelli-
gence chimes in with this view
gives added weight to the U.N.
Security Council veto the Unit-
ed States cart Sunday night to
kill a resolution condernning
the Israeli raid but omitting
any mention of the Munich t.er-
rorist operation which left, 11
Israelis dead.
In a parallel move over the
weekend, Secretary of State
William P. Rogers sent meS-
sages to some 120 nations
around the world urging their
cooperation in the "most se-
vere international action" to
snuff out future terrorist at-
tacks.
The Rogers' message was
directed expressly at Palest.i.n-
ian guerrilla operations, but
Arab states such as Egypt,
Syria and Iraq, with which the
United States does not have
formal diplomatic - relations,
were among the countries re-
ceiving it. .
.'1'he Rogers message is part
of a high-profile Nixon admin-
istration campaign to press
for international intelligence
cooperation to help track clown
Black September and other
Arab terrorist, groups in their
suspected cells in Western Eu-
rope.
Last week the State Depart.-
a special ad hoc commute
the Fill to j)ool intelligence on
Palestinian terrorist opera-
lions. A parallel committee to
consult with 'foreign govern-
ments ropresented here was
also announced, and some 50
embassies were contacted late
last week. .
There seems no doubt intelli-
gence coordination between
the administration and the-
Is-raelis is already well ad-
vanced, at least on. the ques-
to deal with them. .
Lion of the terrorists and how
During i:he weekend, for in-
stance, the Israeli military
took special pairs to place in
the hands of the U.S. embassy
in Tel Aviv reconnaissance
photographs showing the re-
sults of Friday's raids,
The object, according to a
well-placed source here, was
to assure the Americans that
the bombing raids, which in
several instances were aimed
at targets close to Palestinian
refugee camps hit suspected
guerrilla encampments only
and avoided civilian casual-
tics.
Radio Broadcasts
This assurance was seen as
an Important. factor in the ad-
ministration decision to veto
Sunday's anti-Israel resolution
in the United Nations - only
the second U.S. veto in the
'history of the world body.
Equally important, it. may
be assumed, is the U.S. inlclli-
gen.ce assessment that Black
0
STATINTL
F i eF
11 ;'1i:,C'i"tiL
September - despite .its re
cent history of Operations in
Western Europ-has direct
relations with Al Fatah's "offi-
cial" headquarters in Beirut,
Cairo and Damascus.
The Israelis now conclude
that this relationship is a mat:
ter of cold, hard fact -- known
"for sure." They cite monitor-
ing of Pat.ah's official radio
broadcasting organ. Sawt al
Assifah (Voice of the Whirl-
wind), and its consistent func-
tioning as Black September's
chief source of publicity.
still more important, .ac-
cording to sources here, was
the more recent disclosure
that two Palestinian girls con-
victed in Israel only last
month in the abortive hijack of
a Sabena airliner to'I'cl Aviv
in May were designated Black
Setpember operatives only aft-
er they were recruited and
trained for the hijack opera-
tion.
Revealed at Last -Min mite
Both girls, Therese I}ialsa
and I;i.ma AissaTamrous, dis-
closed in interrogation after
their capture that their enroll-
ment as members of Black
September was revealed to
them only at the last minute
before they boarded the tar-
get aircraft.
Operations attributed to
Black September by Fatah ra-
dio have included: the assassi-
nation of Jordan's premier,
Wasfi Tell, in Cairo last No-
vember ; the attempted assas-
sination of Jordan's ambassa-
dor to Great Britain in London I
last December; sabotage di-
rected against a natural gas
storage area in Amsterdam,
and an electronics plant and
oil. pipline near hamburg, all
last February; the murder of
five alleged Jordanian agents
at Cologne lastFebruary; the
May 8 Sabena hijacking; and
last week's attack on the Is-
raeli Olympic team at Munich
last week.
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP80-01601 R000300300003-6