The Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) was formed in 1974 after splitting from the Palestine Liberation Organization. ANO advocated for the elimination of Israel and sought to derail diplomatic efforts in support of the Middle East peace process. The group bore responsibility for many terrorist attacks, including the bombing of TWA Flight 840 (hyperlink) and the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 (hyperlink).
On October 8, 1997, the U.S. Department of State designated ANO as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. On June 1, 2017, the Department of State revoked ANO’s designation as an FTO.
