Leila Khaled: in her own words

On 5th September 2000, the day preceding the 30th anniversary of the commencement of the Dawson's Field hijacks, Philip Baum met with Leila Khaled at the SAS Radisson Hotel in Amman, Jordan. What follows is an edited version of Leila's own story - the story of a hijacker...

PB: Why have you agreed to meet with me?

LK: The name of the magazine 'Aviation Security'. I was looking forward to finding out what you wanted to know from me about the security of aviation...

PB: Perhaps we could begin by your telling me a little bit about your childhood, where you were born and your early years.

LK: I was born in Haifa (Palestine) in 1944. In 1948 there were clashes, fighting, and we were obliged to leave. My father was a revolutionist so he was with the people who were defending the country. We didn't know where he was, so my mother with 8 children had to leave. I was 4 years old. She took us to the south of Lebanon. Between Palestine and Lebanon there were no borders; people could go and come but it was a catastrophe for the Palestinian people and the Lebanese couldn't do anything except to receive the people. We were lucky that my mother had an aunt there, so she brought us to her house rather than waiting for a tent.

PB: You say your father was actually involved in the struggle. To what extent?

LK: He was fighting. My mother refused to live in the house (in Lebanon); she put us in the basement because she said "your house is in Haifa, it's not here". She was in a very bad situation. She realised that we had lost our country. People Were saying that it was near the end of the war and once all the fighting was over we would go back. But it wasn't this way. The Zionists there in Palestine were making rumours that if you stayed (in Palestine) or returned they would kill you and your children; they demonstrated that in Deir Yassin ?a village where they killed all the people. Everybody was terrorised by the idea of massacres at that time. So they were leaving and people went by cars, by boats, by walking, going to the north to Lebanon.

PB: Do you have memories of actually living in Haifa?

LK: I just remember when there was fighting. It was very very close to our house and my mother used to take us down to protect us from the shootings. Once, when she was planning to leave, she asked somebody to bring her the car, but when she counted her children she found one missing, it was me. I was hiding in the kitchen (protecting some dates her father had brought them). I heard people calling me, but I didn't respond. At that moment a bomb was thrown on the car and it exploded. When the neighbours came and took me down they asked my mother not to punish me because I had saved them. The next time I was the first one to be taken out!

PB: So you grew up in the south of Lebanon and always believed and hoped that you would return to Palestine. When did you actually get involved in politics yourself?

LK: You know at that time the whole area was affected by the big incident that happened. The Palestinians were kicked out, "the Jews came" - that was the phrase. In the Arab surrounding area the national feeling became higher and they wanted to defend the Palestinians ...to get them back to their homeland. But the regimes at that time were mostly correctionary regimes, so they just said it but didn't do anything about it. There were always demonstrations asking for support. After 1952 - following the revolution that took place in Egypt by Nasser when national feeling became higher and higher - a movement (Arab National Movement) led by George Habbash was established at the American University of Beirut; my brother was a member. He was politically involved so when he came home he was always speaking about the Arab National Movement .... In school, which was at the beginning a tent, our school was an evangelical school established for the Palestinians only who were living in the town itself and some came from the camps surrounding Tyre, our teachers were Palestinians so they were also affected by the whole atmosphere. So all these things affected me and I was involved very early, I was about 15 years old when I began to be a member of this movement.

PB: Its a big move to matte from being a member of a movement to putting your life on the line and getting involved in incidents such as your hijacking in 1969.

LK: What you have to remember is that that was the beginning in the 50s and what we were looking for was always that we have to go back (to Palestine), but nothing happened. On the contrary, in 1967 all Palestine was occupied, so it was really easy to me to commit myself totally to our cause. It was a dream for me that I hold arms and fight for our just cause. Everybody was frustrated and didn't know what to do it was a very big defeat and this was the second one - one in 1948 and one in 1967. So I was full of aspirations that I might go back to Palestine in some other way, this is another way, so ....

PB: How did you actually get involved with that core group?

LK: After 1967 there was a group for us, Fatah, that was established and was calling for armed struggle. In our movement, the National Arab Movement, we were preparing for armed struggle but we did not declare it. After June 1967, it was easy to shift directly from being a member of a political party to a party that's holding arms.

PB: And were there many women who got involved in that?

LK: Yes. A number of women, especially in the Occupied Territories. At that time women were active in the struggle, so I was inspired also by them. A lot of women were coming to be trained in military camps.

PB: Where were the camps?

LK: In Jordan.

PB: And when were you first asked if you would participate in an aircraft hijack?

LK: It wasn't me who thought of that. I was in the military camp here and I was preparing to go inside Palestine. One day I was called to go from our place - I thought that it was my mother who was asking for me (to return to Kuwait, where she lived and worked as a teacher) for the start of school term. So I said I don't want to go. They said it was something dealing with the war. So off I went and found that I was asked to participate in that operation. And I said yes, because I was waiting to do anything and we were that much convinced mentally and morally that there is no other choice for us except to fight. We had read about other organisations. It was very near that the Algerian Revolution achieved victory, and for years we had been supporting the Algerians in their struggle. Also there was the revolution in the south of Yemen and in 1967 they achieved their independence. So these were for us the very near examples, so it was very convincing to us that we can do the same thing. Why not?

PB: What sort of training did you receive for an aircraft hijack?

LK: I had to read about the aircraft itself, how it works. I don't know everything about the aircraft, but ....just (enough) to make the captain understand that we know everything about the aircraft and we can do the same thing he is doing if he didn't obey. But you can imagine that anyone in a plane to be threatened by hand grenade wouldn't think twice to respond to his hijackers. So we didn't find any secret to convince the pilot or the co-pilot because they would understand of course.

PB: So in that first incident in August 1969, when you hijacked the TWA plane from Rome to Athens, what actually happened in Rome? How did you actuaily go through the airport security?

LK: There were no security measures like now. It was just very easy to go ...... no searching, nothing. So we had studied that of course.

PB: How long had you spent in Rome?

LK: Some days. I didn't stay long. It was just very easy because you just show passport and you pass by.

PB: What passport did you present?

LK: My passport. My real passport. So we passed easily. There were no obstacles.

PB: And how many people were involved in that operation?

LK: Two of us. Myself and my comrade.

PB: When you saw the passengers checking in for the flight, how did you feel about the passengers themselves that were going to be involved in that incident?

LK: You know ....l was impressed by a child, a girl, she was there and she had here (points to her chest) on her T-shirt written 'Be Friends'. So I was thinking, I was a child and I was abused in all the meaning of abuse. I was deprived of my home, my family, children like me living in a miserable situation in camps, no work for our fathers and our mothers did not work at that time. We were just lost. So I said if it were up to me I would like to say we want to be friends with everybody, but we were obliged to do that (hijack), to show that we were forgotten as a people.

PB: So there was no sort of last minute thinking "shall I really do this"?

LK: No. One had to do something. We were obsessed by the idea and we wanted to do it. You know when one goes to such an act, he's all totally living the act itself and waiting to do it and finish with it. So I was thinking of it (the hijack) as if it would affect our liberation - to that extent. And this girl, especially this girl, made me think that how can we reconcile with the whole world? But you know, I just stopped thinking of it. And after ...when I was on the bus going to the aircraft, I was sitting next to a man, and he was asking me where I was from. I didn't dare mention, but he was just "where are you from", and I said "guess?" .... And I asked him "where are you from?" He said "I'm Greek and I have been living in Chicago for 15 years and now I am coming to see my mother." It just came to my mind that he's not going to see his mother directly. But, at the same moment, I remembered my father. My father died in 1966, but in 1964 he had permission to come and see his mother because my grandmother was ill and still living in Palestine. So he went to Jordan to go to Jerusalem and there a gate where people were meeting together from Palestine and from outside. He waited for three days and three nights and his mother did not show up. He died and he never saw his mother. This man (sitting next to her), he chose to go to Chicago. I was about to tell him, "go out, you're not going to see your mother", but I said (to myself) "I can't." He said "are you from Cyprus?" I said "no". "Spain?" "No." Then he said "from Bolivia?". I said "yes, how did you know that?" and he said, "I had a book about Che Guevara". He began to say that he wanted to invite me in Athens. Apparently I said "yes", but I don't remember that. Then we reached the plane and everyone boarded, he went to the economy class, I went to first class, so we parted. When we reached Damascus I met him in the bus again and he was crying. I said "you know now we reached safety, now you can go and see your mother".

PB: Wasn't your original intention to go to Tel Aviv rather than Damascus?

LK: No. We went to Tel Aviv just to make a trip (fly past). That was the first time I saw Palestine after we left (in 1948).

PB: I saw a report once that you actually asked to see Haifa as well from the skies.

LK: Yes. You know I asked the pilot to go over Haifa too and I was telling him that this is my land and I don't know it. He made a press conference (afterwards) and he said that I did not hurt him. Before we left we were given very strict instructions that we shouldn't hurt anybody and we had to make the pilot and the crew comfortable.

PB: And how did you feel the crew actually responded during the incident?

LK: The pilot was, of course, very surprised and he said "OK". The co-pilot was very angry; he had a cup, an empty cup, and he was just trying to drink. I wanted to cool him down, so I said "you can ask for anything to drink and you won't have to pay for it". The minutes that were very crucial were when we were over Tel Aviv. They (the Israelis) sent two aircraft, military aircraft, which made it very difficult for the pilot. I asked him to land (in Tel Aviv), but when we reached the height of 10,000 I said "that's enough, stop, turn around and go to the north". Of course there is for aviation special phrases I was using and the pilot of course was using the same phrases and the same language and so he thought I knew everything about the plane.

PB: So you flew on to Damascus?

LK: Yes.

PB: What happened when you landed in Damascus?

LK: I asked the passengers to leave and asked the crew to help the people go down. There was no stairs, so they had to go to the chutes. They left in less than 5 minutes as we had dynamite. We put it in the cockpit and a match and we went down but it did not explode, so my comrade again went back to the aircraft, and the - what do you call it ...?

PB: Fuse?

LK: Yes, the fuse did not ignite, so he ignited it and it took off.

PB: Was it always your intent to destroy the aircraft?

LK: Yes, at the end of it we had to do it.

PB: Were there going to be any demands made or was it pure publicity?

LK: Yes. We asked the Syrians to ask for the release of prisoners in Israeli jails. There were also Syrians in jail, including two pilots who landed in Haifa by mistake in their aircraft. There were only six Israelis on the (TWA) plane. We were told by our leaders that there was to be an (Israeli) VIP passenger on the plane; we realised afterwards that he was not there. Rabin was supposed to be on that plane from New York. Now the plane was coming from New York, Rome, Athens, Tel Aviv and Rabin was at that time ambassador of Israel in Washington. But he changed in Rome and he went on El Al.

PB: You knew that it was going to be Rabin or you just knew there was going to be a VIP?

LK: I myself did not know, nor my comrade, but our leaders knew it was Rabin who was going on that plane.

PB: But in reality, what actually happened when you ...

LK: The Syrians asked for the release of some prisoners and the Israelis only accepted to release 13 people. Mostly they were soldiers and the two pilots, they were released. But not the Palestinian prisoners.

PB: And you were imprisoned for a while in Syria?

LK: Yes. Yes. For one month and a half - 45 days. Then I was released.

PB: And then you became quite a well known figure. You were the glamour girl of international terrorism. You were the hijack queen. You had a very well known face, yet you were still able to carry out another attack one year later.

LK: I didn't want to be known. So when I was released I came here to Jordan and after some days I just went to the military camp. Then I was told that a TV group was coming to see me. I refused at the beginning and then Dr.George Habbash called me and he said you have to. I said "Doctor, I was told if I succeed in doing this operation then I go to another one". So he said "Do you think that you're going to go from one place to another that easily? There are a lot of people who can do the same job". I said "Doctor, I don't want to. I'm afraid". He said "what are you afraid of? You're not afraid to go to a plane and hijack it, but you are afraid to see press men?" He said "You have to speak for your comrades who are in jail now. You went for that operation to tell the whole world who we were and at the same time an attempt to release the prisoners, especially the women, and you have to speak to the media so that everybody knows." And of course I had to obey, so I spoke to the media. Sometimes I had to get help (in answering) some questions. Politically, some things I knew beforehand - that this (Palestine) is our land. It's occupied. We have to fight and to go back. That's all. Any other things I don't know about it. So it was not easy for me to go through this operation (media interview).

PB: I understand that you then went through some form of cosmetic surgery?

LK: Yes, it was plastic surgery to change my features and at the same time to prove to the Israelis that we can pass through their security measures because although we knew that the Mossad were spread all over the world, with very simple measures we could penetrate their measures.

PB: What changes did you make?

LK: I had some changes ...to the nose ....the chin, so it was as if I went through a car accident. You know for a woman to make changes is easy, with eye glasses and very short hair and so on.

PB: Back to September 1970 and it's 30 years tomorrow.

LK: Yes.

PB: As far as I understand the intent was that there would be lour of you on the El Al plane to New York. Four of you had tickets on the day and two of them didn't get on?

LK: Mmmh. They were told that there were no seats for them and they said there was a mistake by booking clerk at Tel Aviv because the plane was coming from Tel Aviv to New York via Amsterdam.

PB: So the two of you decided to carry on.

LK: You know we were coming as transit passengers from Germany to Amsterdam. So we came from Germany to Amsterdam directly to the airport. The other two were in Amsterdam and when they came to check in they were told that they had no seats. So we were in and we had to do it.

PB: What passport were you carrying then.

LK: Honduras. From Honduras.

PB: And Patrick Arguello (her colleague) also had a Honduras passport?

LK: Yes. Although he was from Nicaragua, but we had two passports. This passport, because he knew Spanish. I did not, so it was to help if we faced any questioning.

PB: Did El AI question you?

LK: Yes. We waited at the KLM (transit desk) and they said the plane (already) flew. You know it was something terrible for us when they said that because another two planes were to be hijacked - a TWA and a Swissair.

PB: And you knew that?

LK: Yes. So we waited and after about half an hour a man came, an officer, who was Israeli. He said "come with me to search your bags." We said "our bags, as transit passengers, will go directly." He said "no it's in the basement. Come with me to search them." We said "it's OK you can search them." He said "no, come with me." So while we were walking he asked me "do you speak Spanish?" I said "si signor", and then he went on speaking in English. Patrick, whom I didn't know beforehand, when we were sat together later said "how did you say that." I said "if he'd known Spanish, he would have spoken in Spanish. But he didn't know." Then I asked him (the security officer) "why all these measures? I have never been through such measures" and he said "because of these terrorists who hijack planes." We said "it's OK you can open it". He said "no, you open it". So we opened our bags and he said - all the time he was asking - "did anybody give you anything?" We said "why do you ask such questions?" He said "no, you have to declare that nobody gave you anything." We said "like what?" He said "for example, a radio or box or whatever it is. Anything dangerous." "Like what dangerous?", I said. "Things", he said "like knives." We said "no, you can see everything." So he said "take everything from your bag and say that it's yours and nobody gave it to you." I said "all the bag and whatever is in it is my mine, nobody give it to me." He said "no, take everything." So we began to take everything (out) and said "this is mine, nobody gave it to me" all the time. Then we closed them. You know we were looking at the time because the other planes are going to fly at the same time, but this plane was delayed. So we were afraid that there would be known that other planes were hijacked so another search would be made and they might find our arms.

PB: Which were on your person?

LK: Mmmh. I had two grenades and Patrick had a pistol and a grenade and the others, who were supposed to come, also had a grenade and a pistol. Our comrades didn't show up. So Patrick asked "what shall we do?" I said "we'll do it." We were waiting and then we went to the underground and there were soldiers having their guns with them The man who searched us at the airport was waiting at the door of the plane. When all passengers went in they told us to go in and we went in. We sat - there were two seats and they said "you sit here." It was only just the second row. We expected to sit at the back. So we sat there and it was good for us. So I told Patrick that nobody knew. So he said "are you Queen Elizabeth?" I said "no, I have an experience before." Although he saw me before he didn't realise my face. So I told him "I'm Leila Khaled." So half an hour (after take off) we had to move. We stood up. I had my two hand grenades and I showed everybody I was taking the pins out with my teeth. Patrick stood up. We heard shooting just the same minute and when we crossed the first class, people were shouting but I didn't see who was shooting because it was behind us. So Patrick told me "go forward I protect your back." So I went and then he found a hostess and she was going to catch me round the legs. So I rushed, reached to the cockpit, it was closed. So I was screaming "open the door." Then the hostess came; she said "she has two hand grenades," but they did not open (the cockpit door) and suddenly I was threatening to blow up the plane. I was saying "I will count and if you don't open I will blow up the plane."

As is now well recorded, Leila was tackled and bound and Patrick Arguello was shot, and later died. The plane landed in Landau. The same day however, Leila's colleagues managed to hijack a Swissair aircraft and a TWA aircraft to Dawson's Field (later renamed by the PFLP as Revolution Airstrip) in Jordan. The two hijackers that had intended to board the El Al flight in Amsterdam opted to continue their mission by boarding, and then hijacking, a Pan Am flight. This was flown to Cairo where it was destroyed. Leila herself was taken initially to hospital, and then to West Drayton police station before being transferred to Eating police station. Four days later the PFCP hijacked a BOAC flight to Dawson's Field. The demand - the release of Leila Khaled.

PB: When did you find out about the BOAC hijack?

LK: You know he (at the police station) was asking questions and he said "your friends hijacked a plane." So I said "how come, who hijacked?" He said "your organisation." So I said I didn't know about that. He said it was hijacked from Dubai to that airport in Jordan and they were asking for my release. And I said "what are you going to do?" They said "we don't have the authority to answer any questions here, we ask questions. It's up to our government. So, after 28 days I was told that I was was going out. (Prime Minister Edward Heath authorised her release)

PB: And this is when you flew and picked up your comrades (those demanded by the hijackers at Dawson's Field ) in Germany and Switzerland and continued to Cairo?

LK: Yes.

PB: And that was when Nasser died.

LK: Yes. He died on the 28th. We went on 1st October. Everything was mourning in Egypt.

PB: Looking back, do you have any regrets?

LK: No, we didn't have regrets. The only regret was that we lost our comrade Patrick.

PB: Did you have any contact with his family afterwards?

LK: Yes. With his mother. I wrote to her many times, but when the war broke out in Lebanon we lost contact because there were no connections at that time.

PB: Albeit that the plan didn't work for you on the El Al plane, do you view the entire operation as a success?

LK: Yes, to help to take all the planes at one time, you know it was very big mess in the world. I once saw some drawings and caricatures of planes flying around the globe and it was written "PFLP Air Space". Of course there was a very big discussion in the world about such acts and we were described as terrorists, (but) we didn't have any other means except to do something that drives the Israelis crazy.

PB:Why did you stop?

LK: In 1970 the PFLP, in its central committee, came to a decision that we had to stop hijacking. This act was made just to raise the question and it was raised and it was enough for us.

PB: But other groups carried on.

LK: Yes. But, you know, here and there but not in an organised fashion with clear objectives. They stopped afterwards.

PB: It's interesting because, here we are today in Amman in Jordan and in many respects that incident provoked the civil war in Jordan. And, as a result of that, the PLO was forced out of Jordan into Lebanon. How do you square that with the fact that you are living here today?

LK: You know I was not allowed to come to Jordan for years, but in 1989 it was being declared that everybody can come back. I was living in Lebanon then. When I got married to my husband he had a Jordanian passport.

PB: When did you get married?

LK: In 1982.

PB: How many children do you have?

LK: Two.

PB: Boys? Girls?

LK: Boys, two boys.

PB: And how old are they?

LK: One is 17 and the other is 14.

PB: And do they know about your involvement?

LK: Yes. When they grew up they knew about it, but at the first time my child, the first one, was angry in the garden. One day I was coming back home, he was there, and the minute I opened the door he said, "mum are you a thief?" I said "I couldn't be a thief. Why do you say that?" He said it was the teachers in the kindergarten were saying that "I'm the boy of a woman who stole a plane." I said "no, I didn't steal a plane." Then he said "OK, where is it? I want to go to see it." He thought that it was a model. And afterwards I told him what I was doing and I told him the whole thing. It was, you know, a story for him the first time, but afterwards he began to understand.

PB: Now that they are teenagers, are they involved themselves in the fight for a Palestinian state?

LK: You know, they are not involved. They know that their parents are involved. They know that they are Palestinians. You know, here they are living in a situation, an atmosphere different than in Lebanon and in Syria. But they know very well that they have something to do in the future, but first, the first measure for them is to study and to get knowledge and have a certificate because through knowledge and information they can be the people.

PB: How would you feel if they decided to pick up arms themselves?

LK: You know, all the time I was asking this question to myself. Sometimes my children ask me "if we want to fight for Palestine?" I say "any time, when you're convinced, when you have the opportunity, don't hesitate to do that." The younger one always says "and if I die?" I say "I will be proud of you because you're fighting for your people and for your land."

PB: What do you feel about the current peace process?

LK: You know, it's a process, but it's not a peace process. It's a political process where the balance of forces is for Israelis and not for us and they have all the cards to play with and the Palestinians have nothing to depend on, especially (when) the PLO is not united. There's a big discussion and a big split in the Palestinian society. You know, the Palestinians were scattered all over and still they are, but they were united under (the) PLO programme, the programme that calls for the right to return and self-determination and establishing a State with Jerusalem as its capital. All Palestinians were united on this cause, but when the negotiations began, the Palestinians divided, some with and some against. We are from the other side, against the whole process. Two countries, Egypt and Jordan, signed treaties with Israel which makes it very difficult for us to gain our rights.

PB: When you hear about other hijacks, such as last December's hijack of an Indian Airlines aircraft that ended in Afghanistan, how do you react?

LK: I was against that. I was against it because it didn't have a goal, I mean a political one. I'm against killing people. Because this act should be clean. When the killings began it was totally a brutal act.

PB: So events tike lockerbie, the Pan Am jet that was bombed over Scotland...

LK: I'm against that because the people on the plane are not involved in that. They are nod the ones to be sacrificed. That's why in all our actions the passengers and the crew were always kept safe. We didn't hurt anyone.

PB: Going back to the incident in September 1970 when you did have the two grenades, would you have been prepared to kill if necessary?

LK: No. There were 80 bullets in the body of the plane. No, I had instructions only to defend myself. It happens and still I'm here, passengers are still alive, the crew, only my comrade was killed, not any other ones, OK?

PB: When you fly today what do you think when you go through airport security?

LK: I think of it as other work (a result) of our actions.

PB: Do you think that hijacking is a legitimate form of protest today?

LK: I don't think so.

PB: Why?

LK: You know, for us it was used to put a question in front of the whole world. Who are the Palestinians? And the answer was to be given by the revolution itself. Because you know the media was totally with the Israelis all over the world. We don't have our media. So this is one of the ways, and we did this as tactics just at the beginning of the revolution. Now our cause is known and the whole world is discussing it in one way or another, but for any other people their questions is deals with as independent countries and no people is occupied except the Palestinians. In the whole world, no others, no occupation for any country.

PB: The Kashmiris will say that what they want to have.....

LK: And they are having arms anyhow. This is between two countries. It is for the Kashmiris to decide what they want, the people themselves and this is a just way of solving the problem. For us it's not considered even our opinion as a people. Through the United Nations, whatever it is, we are not asked our opinion after this conflict.

PB: How would you tike to be remembered to the future as an individual?

LK: As a freedom fighter.

PB: And when people use the word 'terrorist', what's your reaction?

LK: I always think of who planted terror in our area. We did not plant terror in our area, it was our enemies who planted it. So we are to adjust the phrase and to turn it back to those who caused the whole issue to come out.

PB: I understand that nowadays you are working for women's rights in the Arab world?

LK: I'm a member of the General Union of Palestinian Women, so I have to work with women from different organisations here in Jordan, whether its unions, associations, or federations. I work with them in different aspects, whether it's political activities or activities dealing with women's issues, workshops and meetings and so on.

PB: Do you think you're likely to ever see Haifa again?

LK: Yes of course.  

Leila Khaled is interviewed by Philip Baum, Editor of Aviation Security International

The interview lasted two hours. Naturally, what has been published here is a considerably edited version of the full interview. We have tried, as far as possible, to reproduce the exact words that were used, however slight alterations have had to be made, primarily grammatical, in order to make the edited version flow. No part of this interview may be reproduced in any other publication without the express written permission of the publishers of Aviation Security International.

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