NCJ Number
63588
Date Published
1977
Length
363 pages
Annotation
ISRAEL'S 1976 RESCUE OF THE KIDNAPPED PASSENGERS OF AN AIR FRANCE JETLINER IS DESCRIBED BY A TEAM OF ISRAELI JOURNALISTS WHO INTERVIEWED THE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE ENTEBBE OPERATION.
Abstract
TO TEACH THE FREE WORLD THAT IT NEED NOT BE HELPLESS TO PREVENT OR POWERLESS TO STOP THE TACTICS OF RUTHLESS TERRORISTS, THIS NARRATIVE DESCRIBES THE MOTIVATIONS AND STRATEGIES OF THE ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES (IDF) WHICH RESCUED 105 PERSONS FROM ENTEBBE AIRPORT. THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AND THE IDF CONSIDER THEIR DUTY TO STRIKE AT THE FORCES OF TERRORISM AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY, AND THE PARTICULAR RESCUE AT ENTEBBE IS SEEN BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL AS ONLY ONE BATTLE IN A PROTRACTED WAR. THE BOOK DESCRIBES THE HIJACKING OF AIR FRANCE FLIGHT NUMBER 139 BY PALESTINIAN AND EUROPEAN TERRORISTS, THE SUBSEQUENT FLIGHT TO UGANDA, AND THE IDF ORGANIZATION OF A MILITARY OPERATION WHICH USED INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM EARLIER ISRAELI CONNECTIONS WITH UGANDA. BECAUSE ISRAEL LACKED A COMMANDO UNIT, THE ENTEBBE OPERATION WAS CONDUCTED BY VOLUNTEERS FROM ELITE GROUPS OF THE IDF. UNDER THE CODE NAME OF 'THUNDERBALL,' THE RESCUE EFFORT FEATURED THE TRANSPORTATION OF THE IDF FORCE FROM ISRAELI TO UGANDA BY MEANS OF MILITARY AIRCRAFT WHICH WERE USED TO RETURN THE SURVIVING SOLDIERS AND HOSTAGES. DESCRIPTIONS OF THE RESCUE PLANS AND RESULTS INDICATE THAT SIX TERRORISTS, FOUR HOSTAGES, AND THE ISRAELI COMMANDER WERE KILLED. ILLUSTRATIONS ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)