Word: larnaca
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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That assurance was scarcely comforting to Sadat, who knew that Cyprus had long been a haven for Palestinian terrorists. Fearing that the killers might be freed, Sadat alerted the Egyptian army's crack Saiqa (Lightning) commando team and ordered it sent to Larnaca. Cairo merely informed Kyprianou that "we have people on the way to help rescue the hostages." Clearly, Sadat was preparing for an Entebbe-like raid. When the Egyptian transport arrived, Cypriot officials were stunned to discover that the "helpers" were Commando General Nabil Shukry and his assault team. Most were wearing combat suits. For some unexplained...
Hailing its commandos home last week, Egypt treated the Larnaca raid as a famous victory, and in a sense it was. Sadat was praised for forcefulness not only by President Carter but even by the Israelis. But the Cyprus events, beginning with Sebai's assassination, were a grievous blow to Arab unity, especially for rejectionists like Arafat, who oppose Sadat's negotiations but would really like to close the gap between their position and his. Up to now Sadat has based his conversations with Israel not only on the recovery of Sinai but on Palestinian rights as well...
...onetime R.A.F. flyer, chief pilot of Cyprus Airways, was enjoying a Saturday afternoon lunch with Wife Iris at a taverna in the mountains near Nicosia when he heard the news on the radio. Far below, in Nicosia, two gunmen had committed a political murder and were herding hostages to Larnaca airport. "I think we'd better dash back," said Captain Melling. "I'm the biggest hat in the company, and I'd better...
...accepted the plane as a flight in distress, then waved it off when an Air France pilot identified it as Cyprus 007. "Air France blew the gaffe on us," complained Melling, who landed anyway. There they refueled and took off once again?this time to their starting point at Larnaca. En route they were informed that they could divert to Damascus; Syrian President Hafez Assad himself had assured the killers refuge. Mohammed's reaction: "Not Syria! You don't know Syria! We're not going there...
After landing at Larnaca, Melling pulled up to the terminal and shut off his engines. Suddenly he noticed a strange plane taxiing by. It was a C-130E with Egyptian markings. What if the hijackers saw the plane and panicked? Melling quickly distracted them. Motioning behind him toward the cabin, he shouted loudly, "What was that noise?" The two Palestinians glanced back as the Egyptian plane slid by. "It looks like trouble," whispered Melling...