Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXIV, Middle East Region and Arabian Peninsula, 1969–1972; Jordan, September 1970

203. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to President Nixon¹

Washington, September 6, 1970.

SUBJECT

• Middle East Developments

[Omitted here is material on the Arab-Israeli conflict unrelated to the Jordan crisis.]

In addition to the foregoing there have been four highjackings reported this morning involving American, Swiss and Israeli airlines:

• —A TWA flight from Tel Aviv to New York via Athens and Frankfurt was highjacked shortly after takeoff from Frankfurt. There were approximately 142 passengers and crew members on board. Latest reports indicate that the plane is heading for Damascus.
• —A Swiss Air DC–8 aircraft enroute to New York from Zurich was highjacked over Paris with 143 passengers and crew on board. A Swiss Air spokesman said the plane was seized by Palestinians with destination Cairo.
• —A third incident involved an El Al 707 with 148 passengers and two armed guards. Enroute to Tel Aviv via Amsterdam an abortive highjacking attempt was made shortly after takeoff from Amsterdam. The plane then landed at London. The London police report that the male highjacker was killed, his female accomplice wounded and the pilot and a steward also wounded.
• —A Pan American 747 jumbo jet enroute from Amsterdam to New York with 151 passengers and 18 crew members has also been reported highjacked. Fragmentary information indicates that the pilot has asked flight clearance to Beirut.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in Amman has now claimed credit for the first three highjackings, saying that the passengers on the Swiss Air flight will be held for the release of three fedayeens being held in Switzerland. The highjackings are apparently all being carried out by male-female teams.

Both the White House and State have been called by Rabbi Rubin in New York who has notified us that the TWA 707 from Tel Aviv to New York carries one of the senior American Jewish rabbis who is ill and who would probably not survive a lengthy internment. Rabbi Rubin has been pressing for a strong condemnatory statement from you. We have delayed recommending such a statement until the situation with respect to all of the flights clarrifies. In the interim, however, State has been in contact with each of the possible destination countries urging strongly that they adhere to established international practice and immediately release the aircraft and passengers. I believe it is preferable to withhold strong condemnatory statements until the diplomatic channels have been played out. In this way we will not put recipient Arab Governments in a position of having to side with the PFLP prematurely.

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 646, Country Files, Middle East, Middle East General, Vol. VII. No classification marking. Haig wrote on the first page: “Given orally by Haig to Pres. 6 Sept.”