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The '''Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - External Operations''' (PFLP-EO) or '''Special Operations''' (PFLP-SO) or '''Special Operations Group''' (PFLP-SOG) were organizational names used by [[Palestinian]] radical [[Wadie Haddad]] when engaging in international attacks, that were regarded as [[terrorism]], and were not sanctioned by the PFLP.

A leading member of the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine]] (PFLP) from its inception, Haddad had been banned from organizing attacks on non-[[Israel]]i targets after his role in the [[Dawson's Field hijackings]] in 1970, which were widely seen as having provoked the [[Black September in Jordan|Black September]] crackdown on the [[Palestinian Liberation Organization]] (PLO) in [[Jordan]].

However, Haddad defied the ban by claiming to carry out his attacks in the name of a PFLP-EO faction, although he remained part of the PFLP. To support him, he solicited the help of non-PFLP organizations such as the [[Abu Nidal Organization]] and the [[West German]] [[Red Army Faction]] (RAF); he also employed his PFLP proteg�, [[Ilich Ram�rez S�nchez]] ("The Jackal").

It is unclear to what extent the PFLP-EO formed a faction in the real sense of the word, within the Palestinian [[nationalist]] movement. It may simply have been a faction or trend within the PFLP, or possibly a name tag used to shield the PFLP from the political fallout of Haddad's spectacular [[terrorist]] operations.

As discontent grew with Haddad's rogue tactics, and the mainstream PLO pressured the PFLP to cease its international operations, Haddad's position became increasingly precarious. After the botched [[Operation Entebbe|Entebbe Operation]] in 1976, when [[Israel]] gained worldwide sympathy after rescuing more than one hundred airline passengers held by Haddad's PFLP (or PFLP-EO) men and members of the RAF in [[Uganda]], the PFLP leadership responded by expelling him from the organization. Wadie Haddad died in 1979 few years later in [[leukaemia]].

'''The PFLP-EO spawned two other radical groups:'''

* [[The 15 May Organization]]
* [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - Special Command]]


[[Category:Israeli-Palestinian conflict]]
[[Category:National liberation movements]]
[[Category:Armed leftist groups]]
[[Category:Palestinian militant groups]]

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====References====
* Adapted from the [[Wikipedia]] article, "Popular_Front_for_the_Liberation_of_Palestine_-_External_Operations" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_Front_for_the_Liberation_of_Palestine_-_External_Operations, used under the [[GNU Free Documentation License]]