Fidel Castro vs Leila Khaled

Castro led the 26th of July Movement to overthrow the US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. After a guerrilla campaign, Batista fled on January 1, 1959. Castro became Prime Minister, establishing a socialist state.

Castro's government nationalized all US-owned businesses, including oil refineries, sugar mills, and banks, without compensation. The US responded with a trade embargo that remains in place. This solidified Cuba's socialist economy.

CIA-trained Cuban exiles invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. Castro's forces defeated the invasion within three days. The failure strengthened Castro's position and pushed Cuba closer to the Soviet Union.

Castro allowed the Soviet Union to station nuclear missiles in Cuba, triggering a 13-day confrontation with the US. The crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. It ended with a US-Soviet agreement to remove missiles.

Castro resigned as President of Cuba due to health reasons, handing power to his brother Ra

Khaled participated in the hijacking of TWA Flight 840 from Rome to Athens. The plane was diverted to Damascus, where passengers were released after the plane was blown up. The operation brought global attention to the Palestinian cause.

Khaled attempted to hijack El Al Flight 219 from Amsterdam to New York. Israeli security forces foiled the attempt, and Khaled was captured and handed over to British authorities. She was later released in a prisoner exchange.

After the hijackings, Khaled became a globally recognized symbol of Palestinian armed struggle. Her image, often showing a keffiyeh and holding a gun, was widely circulated in media and propaganda.