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Founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine George Habash. (AP)
Last update - 07:34 27/01/2008
Palestinians: PFLP founder George Habash dies at 81
By News Agencies
Tags: Palestinians 

Prominent Palestinian figure George Habash, the founder of the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), died in Jordan on Saturday, the Palestinian government said.

Habash, who was 81, founded the PFLP in 1968.

Habash, a longtime rival of Yasser Arafat, led the PLO's second-largest faction which pioneered airliner hijackings.
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"He had a severe heart attack and he died instantly," said Leila Khaled, a member of the Palestine National Council and a leading member of the PFLP.

Khaled spoke by telephone from Jordan Hospital in Amman, where she said Habash died at 8:15 p.m. Saturday.

The PFLP's spokesman in Damascus, Maher al-Taher, confirmed Habash's death. The former guerrilla leader had been living in Amman since 1992, al-Taher said.

Habash and his group gained notoriety for the hijackings in 1970 of four Western airliners over the United States, Europe, the Far East and the Persian Gulf. The aircraft were blown up in the Middle East after passengers and crews disembarked.

The group also was responsible for gunning down 27 people at Israel's Lod airport in May 1972.

Habash, an American-educated physician, launched the Popular Front in December 1967, six months after the Arabs lost the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights to Israel.

Habash opposed the interim peace agreements with Israel, in part because they did not require Israel to stop settlement construction. Throughout his life, he supported the use of violence against Israel, arguing that Israel would not make the concessions required for a peace agreement.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's office declared a three-day mourning period for Habash.
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  1.   Another martyr hits paradise. 22:04  |  Stephen. 26/01/08
  2.   Prominent Palestinian figure?? 22:11  |  Jewish State 26/01/08
  3.   do u not think that Israel has terrorized people? 22:36  |  Fred 26/01/08
  4.   To #1 22:44  |  Pierre 26/01/08
  5.   Sad day, next year in Jerusalem! 22:53  |  In Jordan 26/01/08
  6.   # 1 Jewish State 23:00  |  Rudy 26/01/08
  7.   Fred in Chicago 23:02  |  Fred in Denver 26/01/08
  8.   Jewish State 23:05  |  Fred 26/01/08
  9.   No tears shed for this old terrorist 23:12  |  Marwan مروان خوري 26/01/08
  10.   To #1: a correction 23:12  |  Scientist 26/01/08
  11.   3 days morning ? 23:20  |  Harold 26/01/08
  12.   Terror in Denver and Chicago 23:29  |  Harold 26/01/08
  13.   Good riddance 23:31  |  Yoav Ben Zakai 26/01/08
  14.   Fred and Fred 23:39  |  Connie 26/01/08
  15.   In Jordan 23:42  |  In Israel( for now) 26/01/08
  16.   George Habash 23:42  |  Ellis 26/01/08
  17.   Habash dead at 81 23:48  |  Scott Havsy 26/01/08
  18.   Goodbye George ! 23:49  |  K 26/01/08
  19.   This should help us through the colod spe;; 23:53  |  Miche Norman 26/01/08
  20.   1 less,,, 00:07  |  daniele 27/01/08
  21.   #5 00:08  |  Jane 27/01/08
  22.   In Israel (for now...that is why Pals will win) 00:24  |  In Jordan 27/01/08
  23.   In Israel (for now...that is why Pals will win) 00:24  |  In Jordan 27/01/08
  24.   God Bless You Mr. Habash 00:25  |  Refugee in Diaspora 27/01/08
  25.   Good riddance 00:31  |  Mark Lincoln 27/01/08
  26.   TO In Jordan #5 00:33  |  dovale 27/01/08
  27.   to # 24 00:51  |  Teco Jimos 27/01/08
  28.   it should have happened 81 years ago in his credell 00:53  |  Gromek 27/01/08
  29.   to # 24 00:59  |  Gromek 27/01/08
  30.   To #21 01:13  |  mahedi 27/01/08
  31.   to # 23 why should the Pals win? 01:13  |  Gromek 27/01/08
  32.   To # 27 01:24  |  Refugee in Diaspora 27/01/08
  33.   He was right 01:26  |  Rasmuncher 27/01/08
  34.   Loss of a great leader 01:39  |  Nic 27/01/08
  35.   Now, it`s ... 01:39  |  Yakov 27/01/08
  36.   No respect for even the dead 01:48  |  pal 27/01/08
  37.   in Jordan 01:48  |  in Israel 27/01/08
  38.   where did he born? 01:53  |  Sam 27/01/08
  39.   to in jordan...a disgrace 01:56  |  real vision 27/01/08
  40.   # 24 in California 01:57  |  TexMex 27/01/08
  41.   Marxist terrorist is no different from Islamic extremist 02:02  |  Marwan مروان خوري 27/01/08
  42.   Part of list of Arab doctors who organised mass murder. 02:04  |  PETER SM 27/01/08
  43.   All good zionists should honor his name 02:13  |  Voice of Reason 27/01/08
  44.   2 FREDDIES.After losing war of annihilation Pals switched .! 02:17  |  PETER SM 27/01/08
  45.   In Israel 03:33  |  In Jordan 27/01/08
  46.   hudna 05:13  |  marcos 27/01/08
  47.   Farewell, Al-Hakim! 05:22  |  Ben Alofs 27/01/08
  48.   When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go! 06:24  |  Yosemite 27/01/08
  49.   Three days of mourning? A real national hero. Sick 06:31  |  Jason 27/01/08
  50.   An Arch-Terrorist, Inventor of Plane-Hijacking 06:38  |  I 27/01/08
  51.   "Dr. Habash one of the founders of the Arab National Movement" 06:42  |  avigdor 27/01/08
  52.   Dr. Abbas from Moscow U. gives honors to another Marxist dead 06:53  |  avigdor 27/01/08
  53.   It should be three hours 07:23  |  miche Norman 27/01/08
  54.   Bye bye 07:23  |  Habib 27/01/08
  55.   reply 07:32  |  jivara 27/01/08
  56.   27 people gunned down at Lod airport 07:34  |  Howard Tabachnick 27/01/08
  57.   Habash 07:38  |  Jason 27/01/08
  58.   To # 50 07:38  |  Faris 27/01/08
  59.   B.ALOFS.PFLP won 4.2% of the popular vote in 2006 elections 07:41  |  PETER SM 27/01/08
  60.   Dr George Habash was born in Lod / Palestine 07:48  |  Sam (UK) 27/01/08
  61.   Good Riddance to Habash AND Soeharto 09:01  |  Ruth 27/01/08
  62.   A murderer is dead 09:03  |  Harold Lane 27/01/08
  63.   In Jordan 09:05  |  Brad 27/01/08
  64.   A true hero and may God bless his soul! 09:06  |  Joe 27/01/08
  65.   Have respect you vultures and crows 09:07  |  Steve the Pals. 27/01/08
  66.   But Sam 09:08  |  Brad 27/01/08
  67.   SAM Quoting British mercanary fighting for Arabs as factual 09:29  |  PETER SM 27/01/08
  68.   A Palestinian Spartan dismounts his horse in the Diaspora. 10:08  |  Anton Siniora 27/01/08
  69.   Nic#34- Great leader? Nope, just another loser. 10:11  |  Joe Sittizen 27/01/08
  70.   YOU SHALL BE REMEMBERED 10:22  |  Omar the Pali 27/01/08
  71.   The Physician Who Took The Hypocrite Oath Instead 10:37  |  Lavi 27/01/08
  72.   Well said Joe #64 10:38  |  Ramez 27/01/08
  73.   StevethePal.To get respect you have to give some 11:04  |  PETER SM