Ali Atwa
Encyclopedia
Ali Atwa is a Lebanese
national and member of the Islamist
organization Hezbollah. Atwa is also known as Ammar Mansour Bouslim and Hassan Rostom Salim.
He is currently wanted by the United States
government for involvement in the June 14, 1985, hijacking
of TWA Flight 847
. (He allegedly intended to help hijack the plane but was bumped from the flight. He was arrested but was then released by the Greek government as part of the deal to release the hostage
s. He then re-joined the hijackers in Algiers
on board the hijacked airplane). This hijacking resulted in the death of United States Navy
diver Robert Stethem
.
On October 10, 2001, Atwa along with two other alleged participants in the hijacking was placed on the initial list of the FBI's top 22 Most Wanted Terrorists
, which was released to the public by President Bush. A reward of US$
5 million is currently being offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction. He is currently thought to be living in Lebanon
.
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
national and member of the Islamist
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
organization Hezbollah. Atwa is also known as Ammar Mansour Bouslim and Hassan Rostom Salim.
He is currently wanted by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government for involvement in the June 14, 1985, hijacking
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
of TWA Flight 847
TWA Flight 847
TWA Flight 847 was an international Trans World Airlines flight which was hijacked by Lebanese Shia extremists, later identified as members of Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad, on Friday morning, June 14, 1985, after originally taking off from Cairo. The flight was en route from Athens to Rome and then...
. (He allegedly intended to help hijack the plane but was bumped from the flight. He was arrested but was then released by the Greek government as part of the deal to release the hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
s. He then re-joined the hijackers in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
on board the hijacked airplane). This hijacking resulted in the death of United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
diver Robert Stethem
Robert Stethem
Robert Dean Stethem was a United States Navy Seabee diver who was killed by Hezbollah militants during the hijacking of the commercial airliner he was aboard: TWA Flight 847...
.
On October 10, 2001, Atwa along with two other alleged participants in the hijacking was placed on the initial list of the FBI's top 22 Most Wanted Terrorists
FBI Most Wanted Terrorists
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Most Wanted Terrorists is a list of fugitives who have been indicted by sitting Federal grand juries in the United States district courts, for alleged crimes of terrorism. The initial list was formed in late 2001 in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks...
, which was released to the public by President Bush. A reward of US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
5 million is currently being offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction. He is currently thought to be living in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.