Customer Reviews

American Experience: Hijacked

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On September 6, 1970, three teams of terrorists belonging to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacked five different commercial aircraft. Although labeled at the time as the `blackest day in aviation history', it would also end up with the infamous distinction of being America's first serious introduction to global terrorism.

In a riveting timeline that covers the several days of this situation, this documentary explores the entire affair as comprehensively as possible and does it well in my opinion. Interviews with former hijackers, journalists, politicians, and passengers and crew members provide compelling and emotional insights into the unique roles some of them played and descriptions of events many of them witnessed. Beginning with the commandeering of the aircraft and the reasons for doing so, this leads into a historical look at a politically turbulent Middle East climate at that time.

Inevitably, the United States and Europe would become key players in the events and with Israel's adamant refusals to cooperate in any way with terrorists, this would end up further complicating the frightening set of circumstances.

Even though most of the Palestinian demands were never met and remarkably no hostages were killed, a message was still sent to the world when the hijackers destroyed four of the five aircraft in massive explosions.

Over thirty years later and in a continuing volatile and oftentimes unpredictable climate in the Middle East and other parts of the world, some eerie and sinister comparisons can be made between that fateful day in 1970 and the horrific attacks in New York in September of 2001.

As a historical review of what was one of the more dramatic events of the 20th century, this movie is well done. It presents the evidence fairly, interviews both captives and hijackers, and gives them fair representation. It is typical of the quality of PBS.
Only negative comment is that it links this hijacking to later terrorist acts, which takes it out of context.