-Caveat Lector- Die Welt: Saudis paid for Karine A [With thanks to MidEastweb http://www.mideastweb.org ]
Die Welt (in German, best-effort computer-assisted translation by MewNews) January 30, 2002 Money for Palestinians' arms ship probably comes from Saudi Arabia Increasing upheaval on the Middle Eastern political scene By Rolf Tophoven http://www.welt.de/daten/2002/01/29/0129au310883.htx Berlin - DIE WELT is informed that influential Saudi Arabian circles paid for the contraband vessel "Karine A" to carry weapons to Arafat's authority. The ship had been seized on 3 January by a special unit of the Israeli navy on the Red Sea. The "Karine A" was fully laden with 50 tons of weapons from Iran, on the way to its Palestinian addressees. The CIA, Israel's Mossad, and Palestinian security services have conducted their own independent investigations. To this point, all three investigations have withheld their conclusions for different reasons. This follows realizations by the intelligence services that Saudi Arabian businessmen paid $10 million dollars to Iran for the weapons carried on the "Karine A." The rent for ship cost $400,000, and fuel, repairs, and harbor dues cost $1 million. The involvement of Saudi business circles--among them members of the royal family, as well as Saudi intelligence--in the "Karine A" affair sheds a new light on the already long-disturbed political relationship between the USA and its partner at the Gulf. In addition, it reveals domestic fault-lines and rivalries within the kingdom, in which more and more critical voices are rising against the US. Also, the transactions indicate for the first time the readiness of influential figures in the royal family and the intelligence service to support the newly formed connection between Arafat and the Lebanese Hizbollah and their Iranian patron. So far, the Saudis have not paid into Arafat's intifada-coffers [Intifada-Schatulle], but rather but have underwritten the fundamentalist Hamas in its bases in the Palestinian autonomy area, Jordan and Syria. The money transfer for the smuggling of arms on the "Karine A" was completed through Islamic charity organizations in Jidda. Middle Eastern intelligence services know, however, that within Saudi Arabia no very large sum of money is transferred without the knowledge and agreement of the intelligence service or the highest governmental authorities - only if the funds are channeled through Abu Dhabi and Beirut. The financial transactions around the "Karine A" revealed further apprehension about exciting developments [erregende Entwicklungen] in the Middle East crises-region [Krisenregion]. Iranian circles were involved not only in the arms deal with Arafat's authority. Iranian Revolutionary Guards also organized the secret transfer of al-Qaeda agents and fighters into Lebanon and Syria. The sea and air transport were paid with Saudi Arabian money. Five thousand dollars was given as cash in hand to each al-Qaeda member who was willing to travel to the West Bank and Gaza. So far, about 80 to 100 al-Qaeda cadres have accepted Arafat's offer. They are waiting in the Palestinian refugee camp Ein al Hilweh [in Lebanon] to be smuggled into the Palestinian autonomy areas. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
