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Force 17

Force 17

9.9
An armed group that guarded Palestinian leaders and carried out secret attacks
  • proper noun
  • NSFW
translation icon : Fuerza 17
  • Force 17 was established in 1972 to protect Yasser Arafat and other senior PLO officials.

Examples

  • Investigators linked several attacks in Europe to operatives from Force 17.

  • International agencies monitored Force 17 due to its involvement in covert operations.

  • The Force 17 unit was established in 1972.

  • Many people are unaware of Force 17's covert operations.

  • Force 17 was established in 1972 to protect Yasser Arafat and other senior PLO officials.

  • International agencies monitored Force 17 due to its involvement in covert operations.

  • Investigators linked several attacks in Europe to operatives from Force 17.

Surface Forms

Force 17 main

Morphology

force + seventeen

A B1 learner who knows 'force' and 'seventeen' can infer that 'Force 17' is a numbered military/police-style unit (a force called '17'), so the general idea of an organized group is transparent. However, the specific referent — that it is a Palestinian paramilitary/security unit tied to Yasser Arafat and covert operations — is not derivable from the constituents, and as a proper name its detailed meaning is unpredictable without exposure.

Etymology

Force 17 may come from the idea of a small force of about 17 guards who stood close to and 'protected' leaders like Yasser Arafat. That's why Force 17 refers to a tight personal 'security' team that also did secret operations.