In the Newsletter, you can read the summaries of the key events in international terrorism and political violence and their global context in the News Highlights. This week?s Feature Article contains an excerpt from the forthcoming book "The Human Faces of Terror". Email if you can tell us the nom de plume of the subject of this article. Details regarding his adult career are in the next issue.

Don?t forget to check out the additions to the Terrorism Bookshelf, which now includes tables of contents of leading terrorism journals and classic books such as Kaplan and Marshall?s 1996 "The Cult At the End of the World", about Aum Shrinryko and Donna M. Schlagheck?s 1988 "International Terrorism".

As always, this edition of the Newsletter is linked to selected data from the TerrorismCentral Library.

CONTENTS:

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

1. World
2. Africa
3. Americas
4. Asia Pacific
5. Europe
6. Middle East
7. South Asia
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
9. Finance
10 Human Rights
11. Law and Legal Issues
12. Narco-terrorism
13. Transportation
14. Weapons of Mass Destruction
15. Recently Published

FEATURE ARTICLE:
Part 1 of 2, Excerpt from "The Human Faces of Terror"

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

1. World

In the last few weeks this Newsletter has talked about recent events in the long-running conflicts in Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo, including the influence of international relations on the origins of the wars and on their prospects for peace. Last week we talked about the need for good governance and economic growth.

The World Summit on Sustainable Development has opened in Johannesburg, just after the World Bank issued its annual world development report. In this report, the World Bank, not known as a hotbed of environmentalism, pointed out the critical impact of environmental quality on human welfare and its own inspectors have raised concerns about the World Bank Chad-Cameroon pipeline and other projects.

For background and additional information on this emerging convergence between economic development and the environment, check out these resources:

Alan Beattie, "World Bank warns on sustainable development" in the Financial Times, August 22, 2002
Economist, "World Development Report: Sustaining hope: Is the World Bank turning Marxist?" in The Economist, August 24, 2002.
Financial Times Survey special report on Sustainable Business published on August 23, 2002

The World Summit now underway is extremely important. In the narrow window of opportunity we have, let us hope that the wealthy nations of the world will wake up to the reality of these interconnections and begin to move proactively against the near term threats to the future of the earth as a whole.

2. Africa

Angola is a classic case of bad governance leading to the rape of urgently needed natural resources. According to the International Monetary Fund, oil brings in more than $3 billion in revenue and nearly a third of that disappears, siphoned off by corruption at the highest levels of state and society.

A massacre in Democratic Republic of Congo has been the subject of continued investigations by the United Nations, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and others. HRW has found that the rebel Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) was "responsible for widespread killings, summary executions, rapes, and pillage during the put-down of a mutiny beginning on May 14, 2002" and has called for their prosecution. Even as calls for justice were made, fighting between the Rwandan army and Interahamwe rebels, due to be disarmed and repatriated under the recent peace accord, has intensified.

A week after Burundi began peace talks with Tanzania fighting with rebels of the Forces for the Defense of Democracy (FDD) killed 20.

Ethiopia and Eritrea have agreed to return all Prisoners of War. Ethiopia has arrested ten officials for alleged instigation of violence.

The Ivory Coast has raised export taxes on cocoa products.

Nigeria has launched a major campaign against a widespread international fraud that has included the impersonation of South Africa?s central bank. Central authorities are less successful in cracking down on Sharia law. Amina Lawal?s sentence to be stoned to death for adultery was upheld by an appeals court. It will be appealed further.

South Africa is hosting the World Summit on Sustainable Development. President Mbeki is continuing his ambitious schedule and has now acknowledged that action should be taken in response to the land seizures in Zimbabwe.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir used emergency powers to overrule the constitutional court?s ruling to free opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi, instead ordering him held under house arrest another year.

In Swaziland, Mario Masuku, leader of the opposition party Peoples United Democratic Party (PUDEMO), has been acquitted of sedition and promises to continue his campaign.

Tunisian journalist Abdallah Zouari, freed after 11 years in jail for his work on the newspaper of the banned Ennahada Islamic movement, was arrested again when he refused to submit to banishment to the south.

In Uganda, rebel commander Vincent Otti, number two in the Lord?s Resistance Army (LRA), was wounded in fighting last weekend. Uganda President Museveni has again offered to stop government offensives against LRA and begin negotiations in exchange for a ceasefire and cessation of child kidnappings.

Zambia has rejected genetically modified grain even in the face of widespread food shortages.

Zimbabwe?s President Mugabe continues his hard line on land seizures, with the arrests of more than 140 white farmers. Mugabe?s wife chose her farm and evicted the 70-year-old resident farmer. Faced with dissention from his cabinet, he dissolved and reorganized the cabinet with his close supporters.

3. Americas

Argentina?s former President Carols Menem is under investigation for his Swiss bank account and other potential financial irregularities.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is pressing again with his battle against left wing rebels and right wing paramilitaries. He plans to arm 15,000 peasants to help the army. The main rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has refused UN mediation. The rebel National Liberation Army (ELN) has kidnapped 26 tourists. President Uribe has traveled to the area to oversee a military operation to free the hostages. And the right-wing paramilitaries have attacked a town in rebel territory, threatening hundreds of civilians.

Student protests in Haiti were thwarted by counter protests by government supporters.

Peru?s congress is investigating allegations that naval recruits were tortures. Former intelligence head Vladimiro Montesinos, in prison on corruption charges, has seen $77 million (obtained through corrupt arms sales and stashed away in a Swiss bank) returned to Peru.

In the US, President Bush is improving his running time while biding his time over the vexed question of an Iraqi invasion -- a move that has begun to engender significant opposition from his own republican party.

Senate members of the intelligence committee have been asked to hand over telephone records and schedules as part of their investigation into press leaks.

The secret US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that directs espionage investigations has issued its first ever public decision stating that a plan to let criminal prosecutors direct investigations and share data was not acceptable and that the Justice Department is required to wall off counterespionage from criminal investigations.

Government officials are investigating an archive of some 250 video tapes that are believed to be of al Qaeda training exercises and show, among other things, images of possible experiments of chemical weapons on animals. CNN paid $30,000 for the tapes, but has denied the money went to al Qaeda.

In New York City, reports have identified communication and cooperation limitations in the September 11 emergency response. These issues are being addressed. The city?s medical examiner has compiled a list of 2,819 killed at the World Trade Center.

Venezuelan President Chavez and more than 100,000 supporters have protested a court ruling that clears officers accused in the failed coup in April, saying there was insufficient evidence of rebellion.

4. Asia Pacific

Australia is resuming wheat exports to Iraq.

The military junta in Burma, responding to pressure from Aung San Suu Kyi to move towards democracy, has emphasized changes will be gradual. There are continued concerns on the fate of refugees on the Burma/Thai border.

Cambodia is in new discussions with the United Nations to revive a possible tribunal for Khmer Rouge crimes of genocide.

East Timor?s emerging democracy received praise from UN human rights commissioner Mary Robinson, who last week condemned the acquittal of Indonesian soldiers involved in the 1999 human rights violations in East Timor.

Indonesia has given Aceh rebels until December to abandon their demands and resume talks.

North Korea will be subject to symbolic US trade sanctions (as there is no trade between the countries) as the result of an alleged prohibited arms deal with Yemen.

Philippines police say they have killed Pentagon Gang leader Faisal Marohombsar. The Pentagon Gang are Muslim separatists who specialize in kidnapping. On the southern island Jolo, Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerillas kidnapped six Jehovah?s Witnesses, four women and two men. The men were beheaded and the army is negotiating elease of the women. A group of door to door Avon cosmetics salespeople was also kidnapped; two have been freed.

5. Europe

Austrian police have arrested two Kosovo Albanians suspected in the grenade attack on a disco last month. The names have not yet been released. The attack appears to be personal.

French police have arrested a couple in Alsace after discovering a large arms cache in their home. They are apparently associated with neo-Nazi causes.

Basque separatist Ismael Berasategui Escudero, arrested in connection with ETA activities, has escaped from his high security prison by switching places with his brother.

Georgia has accused Russia of bombing inside its territory, even as it launches its own troops to the Pankisi Gorge to hunt out suspected Chechen rebels.

Germany continues to investigate connections with al Qaeda. A summary of some of their recent findings is in an article by Douglas Frantz and Desmond Butler, "Germans Lay Out Early Qaeda Ties to 9/11 Hijackers" published in the New York Times on August 24, 2002.

German police stormed the Iraqi embassy in Berlin to free four hostages taken by the Democratic Iraqi Opposition of Germany, an obscure Saddam Hussein opposition group. Five men were arrested and are under investigation.

Italy arrested five men including an Italian art historian under suspicion they were planning a terrorist attack in an historic basilica.

A Russian helicopter crashed, killing 115. Chechen rebels claimed they had shot it down, but possible overloading or other operational failures are being investigated.

In Moscow, Russia, Vladimir Shirokov was arrested after threatening to blow up a van in front of the Federal Security Services. It was later established that the "explosives" were bags of cement and his weapon a toy. Shirokov was found to be a mental patient.

More than 100 tons of nuclear material considered at risk of being stolen was secretly flown from Serbia to Russia for increased safety.

In Spain, Basque separatist party Batasuna faces a ban over its relationship with ETA. Thousands of its supporters have protested in the streets against this move.

In the UK, Farid Ahmadi and his wife and two small children plan to appeal their deportation. They are temporarily housed at a detention center in Germany.

Northern Ireland continues to experience violence. Much happens at flashpoints and a suggestion to build a peace wall has been put forth as one in a group of community safety measures. This week there was a bomb at Belfast Airport that was eliminated in a controlled explosion. The Real IRA admitted it left the lunchbox bomb that killed David Caldwell.

6. Middle East

Bahrain has issued a joint statement with Iran opposing unilateral military action against Iraq. This is another example of the growing protests against US plans to forcibly topple Saddam Hussein, who is launching his own diplomatic efforts to solidify Arab support.

After a short-lived agreement on the "Gaza First" plan at the beginning of the week, continued violence by both Palestinian and Israeli extremists has effectively put a stop to the proceedings.

In the occupied Gaza strip travel restrictions continue. Two Palestinian militants of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades attempting to attack a Jewish settlement were shot dead. An Israeli raid on a refugee camp, including blowing up a building, killed one and injured four. Hamas took credit for killing a soldier.

Iraq offered to allow weapons inspectors in following a discussion of what remained to be done. The United Nations rejected this condition.

Famed terrorist Abu Nidal was shot dead in Iraq. The details of his death (and even absolute confirmation of his death) remain unclear. There have been suggestions that the US arranged to have Abu Nidal found in Iraq and that the US could also have been involved in the seizure of the Iraqi embassy in Berlin. Pentagon stockpiles of weapons and supplies in the Middle East also indicate that talk of a US invasion is serious.

Israel plans to vaccinate 15,000 first responders against smallpox. A group of Israeli hotels has sued the Palestinian Authority for $324 million for damage to the tourist industry.

A final settlement between Libya and the families of the Pan Am 103 (Lockerbie) bombing should be announced shortly.

Saudi Arabian Saud A. S. al Rasheed voluntarily went to the Saudi Interior Ministry after discovering that the US FBI had issued a worldwide alert for his arrest on suspicion of a connection with the September 11 hijackers, a charge he and his family denies. Trade between the US and Saudi Arabia has dropped by almost a third in the first half of the year.

BBC television has developed a program called "Paradise Exposed" about human rights violations in prime tourist destinations. For highlights into what he discovered, see David Aaronovitch?s report on Tunisia, "It may be a holiday paradise to you, but to the locals it?s a place of torture" online at http://argument.independent.co.uk/regular_columnists/david_aaronovitch

In the West Bank there is no sign of further troop withdrawals and Bethlehem remains surrounded. Israelis killed Mohammed Saadat, brother of the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and also a member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades), injured seven (mostly children), and arrested 15 Hamas bombing suspects. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades has executed fellow Palestinian Ikhlas Khouli as a collaborator. She is the first woman to be so executed. Her son had informed her of the whereabouts of local militia head Ziad Daas who was killed by Israeli soldiers along with his deputy August 7.

7. South Asia

Afghanistan urgently needs foreign aid to support reconstruction, in particular, to bring security. There are some 750,000 soldiers serving under regional warlords who need to be disarmed and possibly trained to join the Afghan national army. There are inquiries into how the aid that has come in is being handled. The US is providing some training and State Department agents will replace special forces to protect Presidentn Hamid Karzai. The government also needs to investigate reports of mass graves of Taliban prisoners, the discovery of a suspected al Qaeda chemical laboratory, and the collection of al Qaeda videos (purchased by CNN). BBC?s correspondent Kate Clark has finished her three-year stint in Afghanistan and offers "Farewell to Afghanistan" as a look back at her time there. Read it online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/from_our_own_correspondent/2197543.stm

In the Indian state of Tripura, 20 soldiers were killed and five injured, probably by separatist rebels of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT).

In Kashmir, dozens were killed in village raids and border clashes this week. Cross-border attacks continue, but the US says they have accepted Pakistan assurances that these are not supported by the state. Pakistan has accused India of an attack across the Line of Control and claims India had sustained dozens of casualties. India denies the event occurred and despite the continued violence says the elections will continue as scheduled.

Nepal?s official investigation into the disappearance of newspaper editor Krishna Sen claims there was no record of his being taken into custody or tortured to death. Human rights groups are asking for an independent investigation.

Pakistan has arrested two men suspected of being members of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi responsible for an explosion at a Shia mosque in April. A group of six allegedly plotting the bombing of a Christian hospital has also been arrested. The US closed its consulate and has opened it now for partial operations in an undisclosed location. President Musharraf continues to expand his powers with more constitutional amendments, against active political opposition.

The Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers have agreed to meet in Thailand to begin peace talks September 16-18. .The rebel group has used the sea route for the first time since access was granted, meeting terms of last week?s agreement.

8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

European Union proposals to store records of all personal communications for a year are generating controversy. Consumers are concerned about the privacy of their email and phone calls. Companies are concerned about the logistical nightmare of storing and managing such vast quantities of data.

Microsoft faces broad criticism after it downplayed serious reports of new vulnerabilities including a flaw in the way Internet Explorer handled digital certificates.

Warnings over insecure wireless applications keep coming. The FBI has now (belatedly) informed InfraGard chapters of "warchalking" marks that designate open wireless access points.
BBC News reports on a new trend: football motivated hacking. See the article online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/technology/2210186.stm

9. Finance

Abdirisak Aden, Abdulaziz Abdi Ali, Garad Jama, Global Services International USA, Money Wire Service Inc. and Barakaat Enterprise USA have been removed from the United Nations list of those banned for suspected ties to al Qaeda. The UN is expected to establish procedures to compile sanctions lists rather than adopting that provided by the US Treasury, as was done in this case.

CNN paid $30,000 for 60 video tapes that are believed to be of al Qaeda training exercise, but has denied the money went to al Qaeda.

Jaweed al-Ghussein, former treasurer of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has denied charges that Yasser Arafat embezzled millions of dollars. (The new Palestinian Authority finance minister has introduced widespread reforms. See Ben Lynfield?s report "The Palestinians? fiscal fighter" in The Christian Science Monitor, August 20, 2002.)

The Swiss government has returned over $77 million obtained by Peru?s former intelligence head Vladimiro Montesinos, through corrupt arms sales, to Peru.

Nigeria has launched a major campaign against a widespread international fraud that has included the impersonation of South Africa?s central bank. See Michael Peel "Victims pursue alleged fraudsters in Nigeria" in the Financial Times, August 24-5, 2002 and "South African Fraud" Scan of scams: How to impersonate a central bank" in The Economist August 24, 2002.

Thailand is proposing legalizing some underground businesses in order to be able to tax them.

10. Human Rights

Cambodia is in new discussions with the United Nations to revive a possible tribunal for Khmer Rouge crimes of genocide.

Nabil al-Marabh was arrested in New York after the September 11 attacks under suspicion of terrorism suspect and has been held on a minor immigration violation ever since, with no evidence of terrorist connections ever offered. He claims to have been denied legal representation and beaten

In the UK, Farid Ahmadi and his wife and two small children plan to appeal their deportation. They are temporarily housed at a detention center in Germany.

Mazan al-Najjar, a professor at the University of South Florida who had been held for five years without charge, has now been deported for alleged links to the militant Islamic Jihad group.

With increased security at Sangette in preparation for its closure, the nearby town of Cherbourg is experiencing a renewed influx of immigrants. Sangette was originally built to get immigrants off the streets of Cherbourg. Now, extra policing is being called for.

US Ambassador-at-large for war crimes has said in case it cannot secure bilateral agreements the US will seek agreements with NATO and other organizations to ensure it will be exempt from the International Criminal Court.

The US State Department has agreed that diplomat Richard Holbrooke will be allowed to testify in the Slobodan Milosevic war crimes trial.

11. Law and Legal Issues

Abdirisak Aden, Abdulaziz Abdi Ali, Garad Jama, Global Services International USA, Money Wire Service Inc. and Barakaat Enterprise USA have been removed from the United Nations list of those banned for suspected ties to al Qaeda. The UN is expected to establish procedures to compile sanctions lists rather than adopting that provided by the US Treasury, as was done in this case.

Mohamed el-Atriss was arrested on his return from Egypt on suspicion of providing false identification to two of the September 11 hijackers.

General Sugustin Bizimungu, former chief of the Rwandan army, pled not guilty in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to charges of genocide.

Liam Campb ell and Michael McKevitt, charged I a civil case for their alleged role in the Omagh bombing of 1998, plan to contest the charges brought against them

Basque separatist Ismael Berasategui Escudero, arrested in connection with ETA activities, has escaped from his high security prison by switching places with his brother.

Robert Goldstein, a Florida chiropodist, has been arrested for possession of non-registered destructive devices and attempting to use explosives to destroy Islamic institutions.

Tashala Hayman has been arrested and held without bail for allegedly sending to sodium cyanide cokes to US Senator Edward Kennedy.

Lucas Helder, the "smiley face" bomber who planted pipe bombs in rural mailboxes in May will use an insanity defense when his trial begins in November.

David Hudak and his defense contracting company in New Mexico, US, faces weapons violations charges after agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Customs searched the operation and confiscated thousands of munitions including NATO warheads. Mr Hudak says they were used for training.

Mohammed Imran, Mohammed Hanif and Mohammed Ashraf are on trial in a secured court in the Karachi, Pakistan prison. They are accused of the car bombing outside the US consulate in June.

Alex Manuputty, leader of the Christian separatist group Maluku Sovereignty Front, is on trial for plotting a rebellion in the Malluccas.

Mario Masuku, leader of the opposition party Peoples United Democratic Party (PUDEMO) in Swaziland has been acquitted of sedition and promises to continue his campaign.

The federal judge, Leonie Brinkema, in the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui has ordered prosecutors to provide her with copies of the September 11 Flight 93 voice recordings so she could determine their relevance to the trial.

Mazan al-Najjar, a professor at the University of South Florida who had been held for five years without charge, has now been deported for alleged links to the militant Islamic Jihad group.

Shawn R Pelley was arrested in New York for identity theft after he stole the identities of twelve Boston lawyers and eight from other localities.

Abu Quassey is on trial in Indonesia for human trafficking that led to the deaths of 350 last October.

Saud A. S. al Rasheed was the subject of an international FBI alert. A Saudi citizen, he was suspected of a relationship with al Qaeda. He has turned himself in.

In appeals lodged by Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and three other militants convicted in the kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl, new evidence and information that he was killed by an Arab after an attempted escape is said to potentially have an influence on the appeals.

Sudanese opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi was ordered kept under house arrest for another year when President Omar al-Bashir used emergency powers to overrule the constitutional court?s ruling to free him.

Attorneys for James Ujaama, arrested in July and still not charged, have asked for his release.

12. Narco-terrorism

Despite government efforts at eradication, the poppy crop in Afghanistan looks ready to generate over $1 billion to the country?s GDP. Afghanistan looks ready to reclaim its place as the number one world producer of raw opium, used to produce heroin.

13. Transportation

Evaluation of delays and logistical problems caused by increased airport security will be evaluated in determining whether the US Congress will approve a delay in the deadline for new security measures that had been slated for December 31.

For the third time this year, security vans at airports have been attacked and cash stolen. The first two occurred at Heathrow; the latest attack was in a tunnel at Gatwick.

The UK Home Secretary, David Blunkett, has proposed new legislation to make broad information available to the police, including airline passenger and shipping cargo lists.

14. Weapons of Mass Destruction

A potential antidote to anthrax has been developed by researchers at Rockefeller University.

More than 100 tons of nuclear material considered at risk of being stolen was secretly flown from Serbia to Russia for increased safety.

There have been reports that the US found evidence of an Islamic militant group of Kurds, the Ansar al Islam, has been experimenting with producing ricin.

Israel plans to vaccinate 15,000 first responders against smallpox. In the US, on the other hand, action to implement an advisory panel recommendation has not been acted upon.

Al Qaeda training tapes recently uncovered in Afghanistan seem to indicate that they were experimenting with chemical weapons in animal tests.

15. Recently Published

BBC News reports on a new trend: football motivated hacking online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/technology/2210186.stm

Beattie, Alan, "World Bank warns on sustainable development" in the Financial Times, August 22, 2002

Clark, Kate "Farewell to Afghanistan" BBC News online http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/from_our_own_correspondent/2197543.stm

Economist, "World Development Report: Sustaining hope: Is the World Bank turning Marxist?" in The Economist, August 24, 2002.

Financial Times Survey special report on Sustainable Business published on August 23, 2002

Garbus, Martin. Courting Disaster: The Supreme Court and the Unmaking of American Law. Holt/Times.

Mawdsley, James. The Iron Road: A Stand for Truth and Democracy in Burma. Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Miller, Anita, Jordan Miller and Sigalit Zetouni, Sharon: Israel?s Warrior-Politician. Academy Chicago and Olive Publishing.

Peel, Michael "Victims pursue alleged fraudsters in Nigeria" in the Financial Times, August 24-5, 2002 and "South African Fraud" Scan of scams: How to impersonate a central bank" in The Economist August 24, 2002.

Pilger, John. The New Rulers of the World. Verso

Raghuram, Sunaad. Veerappan: India?s Most Wanted Man. HarperCollins

Wilkinson, Daniel. Silence on the mountain: Stories of Terror, Betrayal and Forgetting in Guatemala. Houghton Mifflin.

FEATURE ARTICLE:

Part 1 of 2, Excerpt from "The Human Faces of Terror", (by Anna Sabasteanski, forthcoming 2003)

Jaffa is a fortified port, built on a rocky citadel strategically placed overlooking the Mediterranean at the intersection of Africa, Asia and Europe. Throughout more than 4,000 years of history, this location made it the object of desire for myriad invaders, including ancient Romans, the crusaders, Ottomans, and Egypt.

Under Egyptian rule, the economy thrived and Jaffa became known for its thriving manufacturing industries of olive oil and soap, its fishing industry and tourism, as the main entry point for pilgrims. It was a major Palestinian cultural center. But Jaffa was best known for its thriving agriculture, particularly the world famous Jaffa orange.

One of Jaffa?s most successful citizens was Khalil al-Banna. He had a fortune in orange plantations whose crops were exported to Europe. Al-Banna had a wife and family of seven boys and four girls. They lived in a large, comfortable house close to the sea and a summer home in the highlands of northern Syria.

In his old age, Khalil fell in love and married his 16-year old maid, a member of an impoverished Syrian minority group. His twelfth child, born in 1937, was a boy named Sabri.

In 1937 Jaffa was under Great Britain?s Palestine mandate -- the latest occupying empire in its long history. Its population had changed dramatically in the prior fifty years. The number of people had increased fourfold. Much of the increase was through immigration. The new immigrants included international traders and various religious groups, including both North African and European Jews.

The increasing number of North African Sephardic Jews and rising nationalism among both Jews and Palestinians had caused communal violence that increased throughout the 1930s. In 1936 a general strike led to more violence and the destruction, by the British, of large portions of the old city.

In 1944 Jaffa?s population was 94,000, including 28,000 Jews. The state of Israel was established under UN mandate in 1948. Jaffa, populated by Palestinians, was surrounded by Israelis and came under attack by terrorist attacks from Sternists and then by the army during the Arab-Israeli War of 1948. Israel captured the town, forcibly evicting the population and killing thousands. The population fled. By 1948, only 3,600 Palestinians remained in the city.

For the next year, the once prosperous Banni family fled. They moved to a smaller town, then to the al-Burj refugee camp in Gaza where they spent the winter freezing in tents, then fled again to Nablus, in the West Bank. The West Bank was ruled by Jordan and was -- for a time -- out of reach of the invading forces and their program of ethnic cleansing. Scratching out a bare living in a canvas tent in a crowded, filthy refugee camp, with no running water or sanitation, it was a far cry from the comfortable life of the fragrant orange groves.

Thus was eleven-year-old Sabri introduced to fear, hatred, and terror at a young age.

The Palestinian Calamity (as they deem the creation of Israel) exacerbated his already precarious family situation. As the son of his father?s dotage, with a mother despised by the first family, Sabri?s half-siblings scorned him. After his father died in 1945, his mother was forced out of the family home and the 8-year-old boy was left to his own devices. With no one to care for him, he dropped out of school after third grade. The loss of both parents and limited acceptance among his half-siblings combined with the effects of war and displacement contributed to the lifelong feelings of insecurity and mistrust that later had disastrous consequences.

In the camps, he and his family struggled to survive. He found odd jobs and relied on the charity of his family and others to make do. Sabri, ambitious despite his lack of education, read widely and soon came upon underground literature of the revolutionary Arab movement. In this reading he discovered the Ba?ath party, based in Jordan, and joined it when he turned 18. This nationalist group favored a great Arab revival and wanted to keep Jordan away from the UK because of its perceived betrayal of the Palestinians. But Jordanian King Hussein had no tolerance for radical politics. The Ba?aths were arrested en masse, their offices and newspaper closed. Those who were not arrested fled or went underground.

Sabri now had another group to hate in addition to the Israelis and the western powers that had supported them: the Hashemites of Hussein?s Jordan.

In 1957, Sabri moved to Saudi Arabia. He and a friend set up a business as housepainters and electricians in Riyadh. His business did well and grew to a successful contracting operation. He demonstrated natural skills with numbers and people.

On a visit back to his family, with whom he was gradually reconciling, Sabri met and married Hiyam al-Bitar, an educated, fellow Jaffa-refugee. Together they had three children: a son, Nidal, and two daughters, Badia and Bissam.

Finally, Sabri al-Banni had escaped the nightmare of the refugee camps, but he had not abandoned the dream of returning to his lost homeland.

A fiercely patriotic nationalist, young Sabri aspired to leading the Palestinians to freedom and prosperity. He tried to establish his own party without success then instead joined the Fatah wing of Yasser Arafat?s Palestinian Liberation Organization, which had emerged as the leading voice of the Palestinian people.

Life was good. Until 1967...

Next week read Part 2: the journey from patriotism to paranoia, and find out the fate of hopeful young Sabri al-Banni and his family.

(For a complete list of sources used in this article, read al-Banni?s entry in the Biography section of selected library topics from https://terrorismcentral.com. In addition, special credit to Patrick Seale, whose fascinating book "Abu Nidal: A Gun For Hire" (Random House, 1992) provided much of the personal background cited herein.) Also, for a description of Jaffa in the inter-war period, see Walter Laqueur?s A History of Zionism, MJF Books 1972, Chapter 5 "The Unseen Question".

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