12/24/1994

On December 24, 1994, “members of the bin Laden-funded Armed Islamic Group (GIA), boarded Flight 8969 [in Algiers, Algeria]…storming the cockpit and wiring the airliner with explosives. After a hostage standoff, they flew to Marseilles [France] and demanded that the Airbus be fully fueled. When the GIA terrorists killed two hostages, the plane was stormed by France’s elite GIGN [National Gendarmerie Intervention Group] ‘super gendarmes’ and the crisis ended. Passengers later told police that the hijackers intended to fly the Airbus into the Eiffel Tower.”

 – Peter Lance, Triple Cross, Page 188