Jordan’s population right now consisted 2/3rds of Palestinians, and only 1/3rd of Jordanians. Nasser’s political support also strengthened the Palestinians position.
Palestinian fedayeen enclaves in Jordan began to set up “independent republics” where they attempted to set up checkpoints and tax citizens.
In September of 1970, members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijacked four airliners bound for New York City and one for London. Explosives were used to destroy the empty planes for the press.
King Hussein saw this as the last straw, and threat to his rule, and decided to take action against the PLO presence in Jordan.
By 1970, different factions within the PLO called for the overthrow of Jordan’s king, Hussein.
Hussein attempted to appease the fedayeen with an edict, and with the support of Nasser, though this failed and the fedayeen continued to grow in opposition. Libya, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait openly supported the fedayeen.
Israel guaranteed Jordan that they would not push territorial boundaries if Jordan withdraw troops from the border for a PLO confrontation.
On the 7th of June, Hussein’s motorcade came under heavy fire by fedayeen soldiers while attempting to visit the mukhabarat headquarters.
A ceasefire was attempted to be called after retaliation, though the PFLP did not abide by it and instead held 68 foreign nationals hostage in two Amman hotels, threatening to blow them up if Jordan did not dismiss their Special Forces and some military leaders.
By August, Arafat seemed to have wanted to stage a revolution in Jordan.
The PFLP began hijacking planes to bring attention to the Palestinian problem.
Events
In September, Hussein begins to capture his capital and attempts to push the fedayeen out of Jordanian cities and refugee camps.
Syrian forces, 10,000 strong, with PLA markings marched towards Irbid to support the fedayeen.
17,000 Iraqi troops remained in Jordan after the 6-day war, causing concern that they may intervene.
The US stationed a navy fleet to be positioned off the coast of Israel, near Jordan.
Israel mobilized troops to begin to support Jordan, readying its air force to discourage Syrian troops with sonic booms.
Arafat and Hussein signed a peace deal on the 27th of September, brokered by Nasser.
Iranian leftist guerilla organizations sided with the PLO during the conflict, bombing the Jordanian embassy in Tehran during King Hussein’s state visit in revenge of the events of Black September.
Outcome
Jordan allowed the fedayeen to relocate to Lebanon via Syria, where four years later they would become involved in the Lebanese Civil War.
The Palestinian Black September Organization was founded afterwards to punish Jordan for its expulsion, resulting in the assassination of Jordanian prime minister Wasfi Tal in 1971 due to his command of the military during operations against the fedayeen.
This organization also carried out a terrorist attack during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, with 8 members killing 11 Israeli coaches and athletes, as well as 1 West German police officer.
In 1972, the 3 surviving PLO terrorists from the Munich massacre were traded in exchange of the hostages taken on the hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 615.