King Hussein’s Stand: Defeating the Palestinian Takeover of Jordan

By FORGOTTEN HISTORY

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In September 1970, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan stood on the edge of collapse. Palestinian fedayeen groups under Yasser Arafat and the PLO had turned the country into a launchpad for attacks on Israel while openly challenging King Hussein’s authority. Hijackings of international airliners, including three blown up on Jordanian soil, pushed the crisis to a breaking point and triggered a brutal civil war. King Hussein declared martial law and ordered the Jordanian Army to restore control. Heavy fighting engulfed Amman and other areas as Syrian tanks crossed the border in support of the PLO. The conflict, known to Palestinians as Black September, lasted weeks in its main phase and continued into 1971. Thousands died before Jordanian forces prevailed, expelling the PLO leadership and fighters from the kingdom. The events reshaped the Palestinian movement and the wider Middle East. They led directly to the creation of the Black September terrorist organization, the PLO’s relocation to Le

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