The Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) had warned the Maltese Police that a Libyan terrorist group was planning "terrorist acts" in Europe just weeks before the landing of a hijacked EgyptAir plane in Malta. Subsequent attacks also took place in Italy and Vienna.

The hijacking left 58 passengers and two of the hijackers dead. Thirty-eight passengers survived along with one of the hijackers.

A new book authored by Joe Mifsud and edited by Martin Bugelli entitled "terror's footprints: Shadows of International Terrorism over Malta" reveals minutes of a meeting held between the Police and the PLO prior to the hijacking.

Abu Taher, who at the time was responsible for the PLO security in Tunis, Palestinian representative in Malta Mourad Essa Bahloud, Police Superintendent Carmelo Bonello and Police Inspector David Stubbings took part in the meeting, held on 5 November 1985, just over two weeks before the hijacking.

Minutes of the meeting read as follows:

"Mr Abu Taher started by thanking the police for all the help they had received in the past. He explained that the situation as regards their organisation has changed a lot since the Israeli attack on their Headquarters in Tunis.

"He further stated that they had reliable information that members of the Abu Nidal group were organising themselves for terrorist attacks both in Europe and in North and East Africa so that the PLO might be suspected of such acts.

"He further stated that about 40 days before there was a meeting between President Gaddafi and Abu Nidal in Tripoli, which lasted for over six hours. During this meeting, details of the plan mentioned above was discussed and the sum of $14,000,000 is supposed to have been given by Gaddafi to Abu Nidal to finance it.

"Abu Taher explained that such a plan was to damage good relations existing between the PLO and friendly countries. In this regard he exclaimed that they were ready to help by supplying more information when it is available.

"He also reiterated that they were not going to do anything against this plan in Malta or other friendly country, but they were ready to hit them hard, very hard in some places."

 

Meeting a portent to the hijacking

Author Joe Mifsud writes that this meeting between the PLO and the Police foreshadowed the hijacking.

"Notwithstanding that there was no indication that Malta was to be involved, as the diversion to Luqa airport was decided upon while the hijacking was already in progress, this proved to be a portent for the tragic events that occurred later that month.

"Due to their importance, copies of the actual minutes of this, and other subsequent meetings between Taher and the Malta Police, are being published in this book."

Dr Mifsud spoke to then Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, who explained how the botched rescue on Maltese soil unfolded.

"The plan was that when the time came for giving out food, the soldiers would be wearing white clothes. When the doors opened, they would have ensured that the doors remained open by jamming the doors, a single door only would have been opened, and the assault would take place while they were giving them food, so that everyone would be distracted.

"This was the plan. In spite of the existence of this plan, the Egyptians and those who were with them, i.e. American officials, took the decision to attack the aircraft around one to one-and-a- half hours earlier. And the attack consisted of putting explosives in the luggage hold (something that we were not told before), and then attacking the doors with explosives to force them open.

"When this happened, the plastic inside the aircraft caught fire and suffocated everyone. This was the tragedy that took place, it was not planned and it was against the plan that we had agreed on."

 

Potential assassination attempt on surviving hijacker

Dr Mifsud also delves into the potential assassination attempt by the Libyan terror group on the one surviving hijacker, Omar Al-Maarzouqy.

"In the meantime, while investigations were still taking place, the Egyptian Embassy passed on information to the Foreign Affairs Ministry regarding the presence of Abu Nidal terrorists in Malta. In a note dated 29 November 1985, the Egyptian Embassy stated that it had information that a terrorist group had arrive in Malta."

Excerpts of the information passed on read as follows:

"The Egyptian Authorities received information including the arrival in Malta of a terrorist group composed of 5 to 7 persons and belonging to Abu Nidal (Sabry Al-Bana) faction; it is believed that its arrival is part of an attempt to assassinate Omar Al-Marzouqy, the terrorist involved with the hijacking group of the Egyptian aircraft on 23/11/1985, and who is receiving medical treatment in St Luke's Hospital."

 

A labour of love

Speaking to The Malta Independent on Sunday, author Joe Mifsud says the book is the fruit of years and years of travel and research.

He said his full-time job often meant that the information uncovered by his research was put to one side.  

It was only when he spoke to Martin Bugelli, who edited the book, that the project finally took off and came to fruition.

"I spent a lot of time with Martin, I have known him a long time and we usually quibble about football. I am known to be pro-Palestinian, while Martin sympathises with Israel. I told him about all the material I had compiled.

I gave him an 800-page manuscript and, after gallons of coffee were consumed on Martin's part and litres of water on mine, we edited it down to the 440 page limit."

The book will be launched on 12 November by Kite group. A book signing event will be held on 14 November at MCC in Valletta.