Palestine Liberation Organization #CR0000318 (Also... Some alternate names are aliases, other are names for specific subgroups or cells). PLO Source: EuroTer, Interpol, MI-6, FBI Type: Political terrorist organization Scope: The preeminent Palestinian terrorist organization. The PLO have become dormant on their own, but many of the organizations within the Palestinian umbrella organization remain very active. Affiliations: Linked to nearly every Islamic terrorist organization in existence, and many Palestinian or other foreign terrorist organizations. They are supported by the governments of Iraq, Syria, Libya and Sudan. [Interpol] Personnel: 13000+ trained terrorists operating worldwide, with as many as 30000 trained terrorists, insurgents, and assassins operating in local theatres. [MI-6] Operating Since: 1964 Structure: Bureaucratic organization headed by a ruling council comprised of members from a number of the other terrorist organizations that within the PLO's main umbrella organization. The Executive Committee also oversees a number of departments within the PLO; Political Department, oversees 83 PLO offices worldwide, Education Department, runs and oversees all levels of schooling, and scholarship funds for graduate studies, Health Department, runs 50 hospitals and clinics as well as the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Information Department, control all forms of media, including radio and cinema, Palestinian National Council, the policy making body of the Palestinian people. The Executive Committee also controls the Security forces of the organization. These units have a variety of duties, some of which overlap each other. The Civil police (Shurta Madaniyya) Handles ordinary police functions such as directing traffic, arresting common criminals and keeping public order. Also has rounded up political suspects and blocked the entry into Gaza of newspapers critical of the PLO. National Security Force (Kuwaat AlAmn AlWatani) mans checkpoints, patrols borders, and conducts joint patrols with the Israelis. Headed by Gen. Nasser Youssef [#LL5103208]. Intelligence (Mukhabbarat AlAmma) Headed by Amin alHindi [#LL5207441], a participant in the 1972 massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. Gathers intelligence on opposition groups, Israeli collaborators and terrorist cells. Preventive forces (Amn AlWiqa'i) Plainclothes special forces comprising the military wing of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Fatah [#CR0002091] movement; includes Fatah Hawks and other groups active during the intifada. Presidential security (Amn AlRiyassa) Arafat's personal bodyguards. Includes members of Force 17 [#CR0002091], which carried out numerous terrorist attacks on Israeli targets in the past. Has also arrested critics of Arafat. Coast guard (Shurta Bahariyya) It has few boats but patrols Gaza in jeeps and has powers of arrest. [EuroTer] Leaders: Yassir Arafat [#LL2191428], Chairman of the Executive Committee, General Nasser Youssef [#LL5103208], leader of the National Security Force, Amin alHindi [#LL5207441], runs the Intelligence force. Legitimate Connections: The PLO sponsors, covertly or overtly, a wide variety of Palestinian relief and support organizations. [FBI] Also runs a range of front organizations that allow access into a number of countries worldwide. Resources: Excellent connections to worldwide arms markets. including smallarms, heavy weapons, and high quality military equipment. Excellent international intelligence capabilities, with a fair number of well-trained intelligence gathering operatives. Excellent training facilities with a large group of experts to provide training to new members. Suspected Criminal Activity: In the early 1970's several groups affiliated with the PLO carried out numerous international terrorist attacks. By the mid-1970's, under international pressure, the PLO claimed it would restrict it's attacks to Israel and the occupied territories. Several terrorist attacks were later carried out by groups affiliated with the PLO, including the Hawari Group [#CR0002091], the Palestine Liberation Front [#CR0000922], and Force 17 [#CR0002091] against targets inside and outside of Israel. Additional Commentary: Founded in 1964 by the Arab League, the PLO was the invention of Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser [#LL0946513]. Nasser saw it as a means to advance Egypt's goals of uniting the Arab world under Egyptian rule, by rallying the Arab states under the banner of destroying Israel. It was founded as a Palestinian nationalist umbrella organization dedicated to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. In 1969 Yassir Arafat became the chairman of the PLO's Executive Committee, a position which he still holds. In the early 1980's, the PLO became fragmented into several contending groups but remains the preeminent Palestinian Organization. The United States considers the PLO to be an umbrella organization that includes several constituent groups and individuals holding differing views on terrorism. Yassir Arafat publicly renounced terrorism in December, 1988 on behalf of the PLO.
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