Force 17

{{Infobox military unit

| unit_name = Force 17

| image =

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| dates = Early 1970s - 2007

| country = Palestine

| branch =

| type = Commando and special operations unit

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| command_structure= Palestinian Fatah movement and later of the Office of the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority

| garrison = Al-Fakhani Street in Beirut

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| battles = Uganda–Tanzania War

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| commander1 = Ali Hassan Salameh (Founder)

| commander1_label = Notable commanders

}}

Force 17 ({{langx|ar|القوة 17}}) was a commando and special operations unit of the Palestinian Fatah movement and later of the Office of the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority. It was formed in the early 1970s by Ali Hassan Salameh (Abu Hassan).{{Cite web|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/middle_east/2001/israel_and_the_palestinians/profiles/1691693.stm|title = Who are Force 17?|date = December 4, 2001|publisher = BBC}} Initially, the group was housed in building 17 of Al-Fakhani Street in Beirut.

History

Force 17 was formed by Ali Hassan Salameh in the 1970s in an attempt to professionalize Fatah's intelligence services.{{cite book |last=Bird| first=Kai |date=2014 |title=The Good Spy | publisher=Crown Publishers | isbn=9780307889751 |url=https://archive.org/details/goodspylifedeath00bird|url-access=registration}} Force 17 was also initially responsible for Yasser Arafat's personal security.{{Cite web|url = https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/holy/combatants/palestinians.html|title = Palestinian Political Organizations|access-date = October 28, 2014|publisher = PBS}} Salameh was wrongly believed to have masterminded the 1972 Munich massacre and was assassinated in January 1979 as part of Mossad assassinations following the Munich massacre.{{cite news|author=Noam Shalev|date=24 January 2006|title=The hunt for Black September|work=BBC News Online|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/this_world/4627388.stm}}

= Dissolution =

In 1994, the unit was largely absorbed into Yasser Arafat’s personal security force, the Palestinian Authority's "Presidential Security".[http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=10400&CategoryId=21 The Palestinian Security Services: Past and Present] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703021701/http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=10400&CategoryId=21 |date=2017-07-03 }}. MIFTAH, 30 May 2006.
"Presidential Security: What was Yasser Arafat’s former personal-security force {{sic|comprised|hide=y| of}} a highly trained group of some 3,000 officers, now guards Mahmoud Abbas. Most of these men were members of Force 17, an armed unit whose duties included guarding VIPs and securing important locations such the presidential compound in Ramallah."{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/arabic/news/newsid_1693000/1693528.stm |title=القوة 17والجناح العسكري لفتح |publisher=BBC |date=1 December 2006}} In 2006, the unit was separated, to become the Presidential Guard as part of the Palestinian Security Services.[https://books.google.com/books?id=icV4k__xMmgC&pg=PA160 Friedrich, Luethold], 2007: Appendix A, p. 161. During the Lebanese Civil War, then-14-year-old Imad Mughniyeh joined Force 17 in 1976. He worked as a sniper in Beirut, targeting Christian fighters on the Green Line.{{cite news |title=Profile: Imad Mughniyeh |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2008/2/17/profile-imad-mughniyeh |access-date=5 July 2024 |work=Al Jazeera English |date=2008-02-17}}

In 2007, a plan to dismantle the remnant of Force 17 and incorporate it into the Presidential Guard of President Mahmoud Abbas was unveiled by Ynet.{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3457445,00.html |title=Abbas to dismantle Force 17 |newspaper=Ynetnews |publisher=Ynet News |date=10 August 2007|last1=Waked |first1=Ali }} The Force was merged into the Presidential Guard and the National Security Forces in December 2007.Roland Friedrich, Arnold Luethold and Firas Milhem, [http://www.dcaf.ch/content/download/35601/526419/file/final_EN.pdf The Security Sector Legislation of the Palestinian National Authority] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007001920/http://www.dcaf.ch/content/download/35601/526419/file/final_EN.pdf |date=2016-10-07 }}, p. 272; Decision No. ( ) of 2007, 6 December 2007 (3,2 MB). Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), January 2008. [http://www.dcaf.ch/Publications/The-Security-Sector-Legislation-of-the-Palestinian-National-Authority On website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150307100755/http://www.dcaf.ch/Publications/The-Security-Sector-Legislation-of-the-Palestinian-National-Authority |date=2015-03-07 }}

Operations

1979: Force 17 elements were dispatched to Uganda to assist the PLO's efforts to defend the regime of Idi Amin during the Uganda–Tanzania War.{{cite news|url=https://www.w6an.com/abdul-ghaffar-al-ghoul/ |title= الشهيد العقيد عبد الغفار حلمي الغول |trans-title=The martyr Colonel Abd al-Ghaffar Hilmi al-Ghoul |author=Major General Orabi Klub |work=w6an.com |language=ar |date=29 April 2020 |access-date=28 February 2021 }}
September 1985: Gunmen allegedly part of Force 17 stormed a yacht moored in Larnaca, Cyprus killing three Israeli citizens.{{Cite web|url = https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/26/world/3-israelis-slain-by-palestinians-in-cyprus.html|title = 3 Israelis Slain by Palestinians in Cyprus|date = September 26, 1985|work = The New York Times}} PLO authorities at the time denied involvement.{{Cite web|url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-09-27-mn-18160-story.html|title = Israel Asks Cyprus to Extradite Pro-Palestinian Gunmen Accused of Killing 3 Aboard Yacht|date = September 27, 1985|work = Los Angeles Times}}
December 1985: Force 17 claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and murder of IDF soldier Moshe Levi. His body was found burning near Mazor.{{Cite web|url = http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/mfa-archive/1996/pages/kidnapppings%20of%20idf%20soldiers.aspx|title = Kidnappings of IDF Soldiers|access-date = October 28, 2014|publisher = Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs}}

= Rumored operations =

The group has been accused by some of having carried out the 1987 assassination of Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali in London.{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/news/britain/21727937-reinvestigation-cartoonists-assassination-1987-stirs-rumours-among-londons|title=Can a murder that happened three decades ago now be solved?|newspaper=The Economist|date=31 August 2017|access-date=2017-09-06}}

=Operations against Force 17=

On January 28, 2001, the IDF captured six members of Force 17, who were believed responsible for the shooting deaths of at least seven Israelis in the Ramallah area, including Binyamin Ze'ev Kahane and his wife Talya Kahane. Binyamin Kahane was the son of Kach leader, Rabbi Meir Kahane.{{Cite web|url = http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2001/Pages/Israel%20Security%20Agency%20-ISA-%20and%20IDF%20forces%20arrest.aspx|title = Israel Security Agency IDF forces arrested terrorists suspected of shootings|access-date = October 28, 2014|publisher = Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs}}
February 2001, an Israeli helicopter fired a missile killing prominent Force 17 member Massoud Ayyad.{{Cite web|url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/1322613/Arafat-aide-killed-in-helicopter-ambush.html|title = Arafat aide killed in helicopter ambush|date = February 14, 2001|publisher = The Telegraph}}

Leadership

According to most reports Force 17 was founded in the early 1970s by Ali Hassan Salameh.{{Cite web|url = http://www.newsweek.com/wooing-red-prince-251604|title = The Wooing of the Red Prince|date = May 20, 2014|publisher = Newsweek}} In 1979 Salameh and his bodyguards were assassinated in Beirut by Israeli intelligence.{{Cite web|url = http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/books/robert-c-ames-and-the-death-of-an-american-view-of-the-middle-east#page1|title = Robert C Ames and the death of an American view of the Middle East|date = June 19, 2014|publisher = The National}}

Mahmoud Awad Damra reportedly commanded Force 17. In 2006, he was sentenced by an Israeli court to 15 years in prison for his role in planning several attacks against Israel. He was released as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange.{{Cite web|url = http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Terrorist-released-in-Schalit-deal-named-PA-adviser|title = Terrorist released in Schalit deal named PA adviser|date = January 2, 2012|publisher = The Jerusalem Post}}