Pflp Warns More ‘surprises’ for Israel

A spokesman for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which has claimed credit for the massacre at Lydda Airport Tuesday night, declared yesterday that “Our purpose was to kill as many people as possible at the airport–Israelis, of course, but anyone else who was there.” Bassam Zayid told the Manchester Guardian in Beirut: “We were sure that 90 to 95 percent of the people in the airport at the time the operation was due to take place would be Israelis or people of direct loyalty to Israel.” (According to reports today from Beirut, a PFLP statement said “We have many more surprises in store for Israel.”)

Zayid said the Marxist-oriented PFLP had no regrets–“none at all”–about the morality of the attack, explaining: “There is a war going on in Palestine.” Contending that it was the PFLP’s plan “to raise the temperature,” he said: “I foresee that (temperature rise) coming through Israeli reprisals–perhaps successful Israeli reprisals–and the Arab reaction to them. Our operation could mark a turning point.” Zayid added that the aim was also to reassert Palestinian morale, which he said had been “badly affected” by the foiling of a hijacking attempt two weeks ago by Israelis who have exuded “invincibility” in an “arrogant” manner.

HUSSEIN DENOUNCES ATTACK

In Egypt, the press hailed the “complete success” of the “crack blow of utmost significance” and saw it as the first step in “a Palestinian revolution inside Israel and occupied Arab lands.” But King Hussein of Jordan denounced the “crime committed by a mentally sick group” and said the act did “not reflect the true Image of the people of Palestine or the Arabs.” He stated that the murder of unarmed people is alien to the Arab character and expressed sorrow over the massacre.