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"Entebbe to Today, Terrorism in Transition"


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Published: Aug 31, 2006

Wed., Sept. 6, 6 p.m., free, National Museum of American Jewish History, Independence Mall, 55 N. Fifth St., 215-923-3811, www.nmajh.org

Only minutes after Air France Flight 139 takes off, the four hijackers stand up and demand that it be diverted. More than 200 passengers, sweat slipping down their eyelids and heartbeats rattling their ribcages, sit and pray. A female terrorist watches the cabin carefully, her finger through the loop of a grenade pin.

At 3:15 a.m. the plane will arrive at Entebbe Airport in Uganda, where the passengers will spend the next week wondering if they'll ever see home again.

If that sounds like a hypothetical situation concocted by the FAA to scare you out of packing shampoo, think again.

The incident at Entebbe is 30 years old, and the terrorist tactics are even older. The National Museum of American Jewish History thinks understanding this conflict is crucial to the ongoing national discussion about terrorism.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured) and ex-CIA director James Woolsey share the successes, failures and lessons of their 30 years fighting extremism. They'll discuss the causes, repercussions and appropriate responses to terror. Whatever your opinions, these experienced voices can expand your knowledge and understanding.