Editing Abu Nidal (section)

===Hindawi affair===
{{main|Hindawi affair}}
On 17 April 1986—the day the teachers' bodies were found and McCarthy was kidnapped—Ann Marie Murphy, a pregnant Irish chambermaid, was discovered in [[Heathrow Airport|Heathrow airport]] with a [[Semtex]] bomb in the false bottom of one of her bags. She had been about to board an El Al flight from New York to Tel Aviv via London. The bag had been packed by her Jordanian fiancé [[Hindawi affair|Nizar Hindawi]], who had said he would join her in Israel where they were to be married.<ref>{{harvnb|Melman|1987|p=170–174}}</ref> According to Melman, Abu Nidal had recommended Hindawi to Syrian intelligence.<ref>{{harvnb|Melman|1987|p=171}}</ref> The bomb had been manufactured by Abu Nidal's technical committee, who had delivered it to Syrian air force intelligence. It was sent to London in a diplomatic bag and given to Hindawi. According to Seale, it was widely believed that the attack was in response to Israel having forced down a jet, two months earlier, carrying Syrian officials to Damascus, which Israel had supposed was carrying senior Palestinians.<ref>{{harvnb|Seale|1992|p=248}}</ref>