Black September

The Palestinians took full advantage of the state of chaos that followed Arab defeat in the 1967 Six-Day war.

Palestinian guerrilla factions consolidated their grip on the refugee camps in Arab states and hundreds of fresh recruits swelled their ranks.

The image of the young fedayeen – or freedom fighters – clad in the traditional Palestinian headscarf became an icon of resistance.

While some Arab regimes vied for influence among the Palestinians as a way of gaining leverage on the regional scene, not all held the Palestinians in such high esteem.

In Jordan, armed Palestinians strolled through the streets – enjoying freedom of movement and launching operations from Jordanian territory against Israel.

A bloody showdown was on the horizon – not with Israel, but with fellow Arabs.