1973 New York City bomb plot
Encyclopedia
The 1973 New York City bomb plot was a plan by the Palestinian
militant group Black September
to detonate three car bomb
s in New York City
at the same time Israel
i Prime Minister
Golda Meir
arrived there in March 1973. The bombs failed to explode, but the main suspect, Khalid Duhham Al-Jawary
, was not caught until January 1991. The attempted attack was the first such Black September operation within the United States.
began in Jordan
that same year. In September 1972 it caught world attention with the massacre
of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 Summer Olympics
in Munich
. Israel soon responded with the Wrath of God campaign
. In early March 1973 the group attacked the Saudi embassy in Khartoum
, killing the U.S. Ambassador and Deputy Chief of Mission as well as the Belgian
Chargé d'affaires.
, described in a federal warrant as a 27-year old Iraqi linked to Black September but self-described as a Palestinian who grew up in Jordan, flew through Montreal
to Boston
, and then on to New York City. On January 17 the FBI, acting on a tip received in Tel Aviv
, interviewed Al-Jawary about his activities. Al-Jawary claimed to be in flight training at Teterboro Airport
, and would leave a month to become a commercial pilot in the Mideast. During his time in New York, Al-Jawary became friendly with a woman named Carol, and used trips to Manhattan
with her son Todd in order to reconnoiter targets without arousing suspicion.
at the First Israel Bank and Trust company, another at Fifth Avenue and 43rd Street at an Israel Discount Bank
, and a third at El-Al
's cargo terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport
.
The bombs consisted of gasoline, propane tanks, and Semtex
, as well as batteries and blasting caps. The two cars on Fifth Avenue had alarm clocks for timing the detonators, whereas the one at JFK, two times as powerful, utilized an advanced electronic timer known as an "e-cell". In addition to the explosives, someone had placed Black September propaganda in the cars, concealed in Hebrew language
newspapers.
According to a Federal agent at the time, the explosives were supposed to detonate at noon on March 4 with the arrival of Prime Minister Meir in the city. However, the bombs never detonated, a failure which the FBI ascribed at the time to "an error in the circuitry system."
investigation released in 2009, the National Security Agency
had intercepted an encrypted message sent from official Iraqi diplomatic communications in the United States to the Iraqi foreign ministry in Baghdad (and then the Palestine Liberation Organization
), which revealed the plot and the bombs' locations. At 7:15 pm on March 6, officials from the FBI
and New York Police Department
started a search for the car bombs. All three cars were found: the two on Fifth Avenue had been towed and impounded at Pier 56 on March 5, and subsequently discovered on March 7 by their rental agency, while the car at the airport was found early in the morning on March 7 and disabled by NYPD bomb squad member Terence McTigue.
According to the FBI, the detonation of one of the bombs by police caused a fireball 50 to 75 feet high and 25 feet wide, creating a potential fatality zone of 100 yards that could have killed hundreds. Though they soon issued a warrant for the arrest of the main suspect, Al-Jawary, they also stated publicly at the time that "It would have been a pretty tough job for one man."
, he was detained in Rome
for use of a false Jordan
ian passport. A few months later Italian authorities handed over custody to the FBI
, who flew Al-Jawary to stand trial in Brooklyn
. In April 1993, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Al-Jawary was released on February 19, 2009 from the U.S. Federal prison system and handed over to U.S. immigration officials.
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
militant group Black September
Black September (group)
The Black September Organization was a Palestinian paramilitary group, founded in 1970. It was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of eleven Israeli athletes and officials, and fatal shooting of a West German policeman, during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, their most publicized event...
to detonate three car bomb
Car bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
s in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at the same time Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
Golda Meir
Golda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
arrived there in March 1973. The bombs failed to explode, but the main suspect, Khalid Duhham Al-Jawary
Khalid Duhham Al-Jawary
Khalid Duhham Al-Jawary , also known as Abu Walid al-Iraqi, is a convicted terrorist. A Jordanian and Iraqi citizen of Palestinian origin, he served 16 years for plotting to attack New York City in 1973, placing three self-manufactured bombs in cars which failed to detonate.-Black...
, was not caught until January 1991. The attempted attack was the first such Black September operation within the United States.
Background
Black September was formed in 1970 after the Black September conflictBlack September in Jordan
September 1970 is known as the Black September in Arab history and sometimes is referred to as the "era of regrettable events." It was a month when Hashemite King Hussein of Jordan moved to quash the militancy of Palestinian organizations and restore his monarchy's rule over the country. The...
began in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
that same year. In September 1972 it caught world attention with the massacre
Munich massacre
The Munich massacre is an informal name for events that occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Bavaria in southern West Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually killed by the Palestinian group Black September. Members of Black September...
of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. Israel soon responded with the Wrath of God campaign
Operation Wrath of God
Operation Wrath of God ,This title was an invention of later writers, and was most likely not used by the Mossad itself. also called Operation Bayonet, was a covert operation directed by Israel and the Mossad to assassinate individuals alleged to have been directly or indirectly involved in the...
. In early March 1973 the group attacked the Saudi embassy in Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
, killing the U.S. Ambassador and Deputy Chief of Mission as well as the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Chargé d'affaires.
Planning
On January 12, 1973, Khalid Duhham Al-JawaryKhalid Duhham Al-Jawary
Khalid Duhham Al-Jawary , also known as Abu Walid al-Iraqi, is a convicted terrorist. A Jordanian and Iraqi citizen of Palestinian origin, he served 16 years for plotting to attack New York City in 1973, placing three self-manufactured bombs in cars which failed to detonate.-Black...
, described in a federal warrant as a 27-year old Iraqi linked to Black September but self-described as a Palestinian who grew up in Jordan, flew through Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and then on to New York City. On January 17 the FBI, acting on a tip received in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, interviewed Al-Jawary about his activities. Al-Jawary claimed to be in flight training at Teterboro Airport
Teterboro Airport
Teterboro Airport is a general aviation relief airport located in the Boroughs of Teterboro, Moonachie, and Hasbrouck Heights in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It is owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey...
, and would leave a month to become a commercial pilot in the Mideast. During his time in New York, Al-Jawary became friendly with a woman named Carol, and used trips to Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
with her son Todd in order to reconnoiter targets without arousing suspicion.
Car bombs
Just days after the Khartoum killings, around March 4, 1973, Al-Jawary took three rented cars rigged with explosives and placed them around various Israeli targets in the city; one at Fifth Avenue and 47th Street47th Street (Manhattan)
47th Street is an east-west running street between First Avenue and the West Side Highway in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Traffic runs one way along the street, from east to west, starting at the United Nations Headquarters....
at the First Israel Bank and Trust company, another at Fifth Avenue and 43rd Street at an Israel Discount Bank
Israel Discount Bank
Israel Discount Bank Ltd. , I.D.B., is one of Israel's three largest banks, with 260 branches, and assets of 171 billion NIS .-History:...
, and a third at El-Al
El Al
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd , trading as El Al , is the flag carrier of Israel. It operates scheduled domestic and international services and cargo flights to Europe, North America, Africa and the Far East from its main base in Ben Gurion International Airport...
's cargo terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
.
The bombs consisted of gasoline, propane tanks, and Semtex
Semtex
Semtex is a general-purpose plastic explosive containing RDX and PETN. It is used in commercial blasting, demolition, and in certain military applications. Semtex became notoriously popular with terrorists because it was, until recently, extremely difficult to detect, as in the case of Pan Am...
, as well as batteries and blasting caps. The two cars on Fifth Avenue had alarm clocks for timing the detonators, whereas the one at JFK, two times as powerful, utilized an advanced electronic timer known as an "e-cell". In addition to the explosives, someone had placed Black September propaganda in the cars, concealed in Hebrew language
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
newspapers.
According to a Federal agent at the time, the explosives were supposed to detonate at noon on March 4 with the arrival of Prime Minister Meir in the city. However, the bombs never detonated, a failure which the FBI ascribed at the time to "an error in the circuitry system."
Discovery
According to an Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
investigation released in 2009, the National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
had intercepted an encrypted message sent from official Iraqi diplomatic communications in the United States to the Iraqi foreign ministry in Baghdad (and then the Palestine Liberation Organization
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
), which revealed the plot and the bombs' locations. At 7:15 pm on March 6, officials from the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
and New York Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
started a search for the car bombs. All three cars were found: the two on Fifth Avenue had been towed and impounded at Pier 56 on March 5, and subsequently discovered on March 7 by their rental agency, while the car at the airport was found early in the morning on March 7 and disabled by NYPD bomb squad member Terence McTigue.
According to the FBI, the detonation of one of the bombs by police caused a fireball 50 to 75 feet high and 25 feet wide, creating a potential fatality zone of 100 yards that could have killed hundreds. Though they soon issued a warrant for the arrest of the main suspect, Al-Jawary, they also stated publicly at the time that "It would have been a pretty tough job for one man."
Aftermath
In the immediate aftermath of the failed attack the FBI launched a massive investigation for the case, codenamed Tribomb. Three hundred FBI agents took part, recovering 60 fingerprints identified as those of Al-Jawary and conducting hundreds of interviews. Despite immediately issuing a warrant for the arrest of Al-Jawary, he managed to escape the country, but in 1991, while flying from Iraq to Tunis for the funeral of Abu IyadSalah Khalaf
Salah Mesbah Khalaf , also known as Abu Iyad was deputy chief and head of intelligence for the Palestine Liberation Organization, and the second most senior official of Fatah after Yasser Arafat....
, he was detained in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
for use of a false Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
ian passport. A few months later Italian authorities handed over custody to the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, who flew Al-Jawary to stand trial in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. In April 1993, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Al-Jawary was released on February 19, 2009 from the U.S. Federal prison system and handed over to U.S. immigration officials.