Fatah's great survivor who stood by Arafat

Having spent most of his adult life fighting in the security forces for the Palestinian cause, it is remarkable that Amin al Hindi lived to be 70 and died, in Amman, of natural causes. Born in Gaza in 1940 he spent many years in exile. He was suspected of being involved in the planning of the Black September kidnapping of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Olympics in Munich, but he never acknowledged any involvement. His death comes six weeks after that of Mohammed Daoud Oudeh - known as Abu Daoud - the self-confessed architect of the plot which ended, contrary to his plans, in the death of five of the gang, one German policeman and 11 members of the Israeli team.

Al Hindi disappeared for two decades after Munich, which seemed to suggest his involvement. Yet his survival, when most others suspected of involvement were subsequently killed, and his frequent contact with Israeli security officials after the Oslo Peace Accords of 1993 indicate otherwise. A close associate of Yasser Arafat, al Hindi played a key role in Fatah, the Palestinian national liberation movement. Following the Accords, he returned to the Palestine Territories and became commander of the Palestine General Security and Intelligence Service, with the rank of major-general.

In September 2001, one of his aides was killed by a car bomb, which was seen as a warning to al Hindi. In mid-2004, as factional struggles for succession to Arafat emerged, a spate of kidnappings and killings broke out in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. General outrage and calls for reform mounted in Gaza and, in July 2004, Al Hindi resigned. However, Arafat refused to accept the resignation and al Hindi remained in his post.

Some weeks later, on August 25, 2004, Tariq Abu Rajab, al Hindi's deputy chief, was shot and seriously wounded and two of his bodyguards killed. Rajab survived and, in April 2005, was appointed by Arafat's successor, Mahmoud Abbas, to replace al Hindi. Al Hindi's funeral, with military honours, was attended by President Abbas and other Palestinian leaders in Ramallah. Amin al Hindi was born in 1940 and died on August 17.

* The National

Important questions to consider

1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?

There are different types of travel available for pets:

Manifest cargo
Excess luggage in the hold
Excess luggage in the cabin

Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.

2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?

If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.

If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.

3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?

As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.

If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.

If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.

4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?

This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.

In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.

5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?

Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.

Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.

Source: Pawsome Pets UAE