15 May Organization

The now defunct 15 May Organization, an Iraqi-based Palestinian terrorist group, was led by Muhammad al-Umari, aka Abu Ibrahim or “the bomb man.” It became known for carrying out several high-profile airplane bombings during the 1980s, often recruiting couriers to plant nitroglycerin or dynamite beneath jetliner passenger cushions.

The 15 May Organization first came together in 1979, splintering from Wadi Haddad's Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine–Special Operations Group. It was always a small group, only garnering 50 to 60 members in its heyday. The 15 May Organization, named for the day that the state of Israel came into existence, was never part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), according to the U.S. State Department. The group was based in Baghdad and operated in the Middle East, Europe, and East Asia before disbanding. Iraq provided the 15 May Organization with logistic and financial support, ...