Baghdad describe last minutes for Abu Nida's suicide
Iraq-Palestine, Politics, 8/22/2002

The chairman of the Iraqi intelligence Taher Jalil al-Habboush on Wednesday gave the Iraqi official version on the death of Sabri al-Banna, known as Abu Nidal, which ended by his suicide by one bullet during an attempt by an Iraqi security force to arrest him. A story which was rejected by Fatah -- the revolutionary council-- while the US President George Bush doubted the death story of Abu Nidal.

What is remarkable in the words of the chairman of the Iraqi intelligence was that he said that the chairman of the PLO political department Farouk al-Qaddoumi was informed about Abu Nidal's suicide during his recent visit to Baghdad which started on Monday, August 12, and lasted for days, which means that the reports which recently indicated that the suicide of Abu Nidal occurred on Friday were not precise.

The notable thing in the statement of Fatah -- the revolutionary council-- is that the organization's admission that its leader died, and secondly the statement rejected the Iraqi story, and called on the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to interfere in order to investigate the "assassination crime," which the statement claims that one of the Iraqi intelligence department is responsible for, without mentioning its in name.

The statement also indicated that the organization will shortly declare the "name of the comrade which will be on top of the organizational pyramid in leading the movement in succession to Abu Nidal." However, in a rare appearance for the chairman of the Iraqi intelligence, Taher Jalil al-Habboush held a press conference in Baghdad in which he announced that Abu Nidal "committed suicide" by firing one bullet in his mouth at a time when he was presumed to be taken for interrogation by the Iraqi authorities because he entered into Iraq illegally by a forged Yemeni passport.

The press conference was held at the Iraqi ministry of information during which al-Habboush showed pictures for Abu Nidal with blood on his body and other pictures he said taken for of Abu Nidal while he was in the intensive care unit in the hospital, to which he was admitted before he had died just 8 hours after he shot himself. Abu Nidal was seen in the pictures, his first since 20 years, as overweight.

Al-Habboush said that "in 1999 we received a signal from one sisterly Arab state that ( Abu Nidal) had entered Iraqi illegally and after we had made precise investigations through sources and friends who said he entered Iraq by using a Yemeni passport through al-Munzireyah area ( between Iraq and Iran) using the means that allow the Yemenis, Syrians and the Jordanians to enter Iraq without a need for the entry visa." Al-Habboush added "after we had a long inspection, we came to know his residence and found out he lives by a name that is not on his passport." He explained "as we recognized the place, higher sides concerned ordered to bring him before the courts. A security group was formed to go to his residence and inform him that he had entered the country illegally and this implies legal measures against him and he has, therefore to accompany this force." He said "Abu Nidal welcomed the idea and he asked our permission to change his cloths. But then a fire shot was heard and it was found out he committed suicide by his pistol by one bullet which entered his mouth and penetrated into the skull."

He said that Abu Nidal was admitted to the intensive care unit in the hospital and "died after 8 hours." The Iraqi security official showed the press the Yemeni passport which had entry visas to Jordan and Sanaa, and Abu Nidal's entry visa to Iraq through al-Munzereyah border outlet, and pictures for him after his death while the blood is covering his face. A picture in the intensive care in one of the hospitals.

The chairman of the Iraqi intelligence indicated that "Sabri al-Banna used to be in Iraq until 1983. And after we learnt he was practicing activities that violate the Iraqi national and Arab security he was expelled in 1983 and never entered Iraq again." Al-Habboush did not precisely set a date for Abu Nidal's death. He said that Palestinian officials are making funeral arrangements. He unveiled that Iraq had informed the chairman of the PLO political department Farouk al-Qaddoumi during his recent visit to Baghdad about the suicide incident and the Palestinian charge de affairs in Baghdad about the implications of the incidents, and that the said official was shown the stage operation of the incident.

However, Fatah -- the revolutionary council -- said in a statement that "the story stated by the chairman of the Iraqi intelligence is not correct. Martyr Abu Nidal is a strong man who fought several battles on all fronts and never committed suicide," for the reasons stated by al-Habboush. The movement said that what had happened was an "assassination operation carried out by the intelligence," which he did not specify.

The movement stressed that Abu Nidal did not enter Iraq secretly, noting that "Abu Nidal was among the prominent militant figures at the national, Palestinian and Arab levels and that he entered Iraq since several years and at the knowledge and prior arrangements with the specialized Iraqi authorities." The movement called on the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to "quickly interfere in person to investigate the conditions of the assassination crime to unveil its implications and the sides behind it."

In Tehran, the Iranian government denied Abu Nidal to have had passed through Iran in 1999 before entering into Iraq, as stated by al-Habboush.

Previous Stories:
  Baghdad confirms Abu Nidal's suicide, details today   (8/21/2002)
  Official source denied the killing of Abu Nidal   (8/21/2002)
  Al-Jazeera: The killing of Sabri al-Banna; Abu Nidal   (8/20/2002)

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