Since the capture of the arms-smuggling ship “Karine A”, Israel has been insisting on the Iranian connection. Consequently, according to press reports, a senior Israeli Intelligence delegation “presented evidence” to American officials in Washington Wednesday that the Lebanese Hizbollah special overseas operations chief, Imad Fayez Mughniyeh, who operates on behalf of Iran, was involved in this shipment.
The Israeli delegation arrived Wednesday in Washington to discuss the affair with U.S. officials. The delegation met with key intelligence officials as well as with U.S. Middle East envoy William Burns, presenting them with testimony collected from the crew that conclusively points to involvement on the part of Palestinian leader Arafat and the Palestinian Authority in the affair.
The United States is reasonably convinced that Arafat was aware of the Karine A weapons smuggling plot. According to American sources, figures in the Palestinian Authority were likely involved in the attempt.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the Bush Administration had some strong words for Arafat and requested he arrest those involved in the shipment of over 50 tons of weapons on board the ship, seized by Israel last week in the Red Sea.
In addition, Washington insisted the arrest of activists in Arafat's Fatah faction who were reportedly involved in this affair, according to Israel Radio Wednesday.
The U.S. added Wednesday that it has "credible information" the weaponry on board the ship was of Iranian origin, according to State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.
Imad Mughniyeh
Imad Fayez Mughniyeh is on America's "most wanted list of terrorists." The United States Department of State, is offering a reward of up to $25 million for information leading directly to the apprehension and/or conviction of Mugniyah.
His whereabouts are a mystery, though Israel claimed in October 2001 he had traveled from Iran to Lebanon around that time.
Mugniyeh was indicted for his role in planning and participation in the June 14, 1985, hijacking of a commercial airliner which resulted in the assault on various passengers and crew members, and the murder of one U.S. citizen.
He is also wanted for the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina that killed 92, and for the assassination of the CIA's Beirut station head in 1984. Mugniyeh is accused of participating in the 1983 suicide bombing of the American embassy in Beirut, the 1984 bombing of the U.S. Embassy Annex in Beirut, a 1985 assassination attempt of the Emir of Kuwait, the hijacking of a Kuwaiti airliner in 1988, a 1997 plot to destroy an El-Al flight leaving Tel Aviv, and the kidnapping of three Israeli soldiers in October 2000.
In August 2001, Israeli military intelligence warned of an unprecedented massive terror attack after following leads related to Mughniyeh. The Israelis have since accused him of being the mastermind behind the attack of September 11.
Last year, the Israelis have reported to the US government that Mughniyeh has taken on the job of liaison between Tehran and Fatah. Mughniyeh originally served in Lebanon as one of Arafat’s bodyguards before moving on to set up the Islamic Jihad.
Hamas: Gaza Post Raid - Response to Seizure of Ship
Meanwhile, Hamas said that Wednesday’s pre-dawn raid on the Israeli Army’s "Africa" standpost, in which four Israeli soldiers were killed, was partly a response to Israel's seizure from "Arab waters" of the Karine A cargo ship.
Khaled Meshal, a Senior Hamas leader announced in Beirut: "The resistance is continuing".
The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas announced in December a suspension of attacks inside Israel, in compliance with Arafat's truce call. The Palestinian Authority condemned Wednesday’s early morning attack and claimed it would arrest and punish those responsible.
Dr. al-Baz: Egyptians Were Not On Board
In a related development, Egyptian president's political advisor Dr. Osama al-Baz termed Wednesday as "non-sense" the Israeli allegations that Egyptians were on board the arms vessel, state-run news agency reported. "We know nothing (about this issue) and if it was true we would have been informed."
Al-Baz was commenting to an Israeli army official who claimed that Egyptians
were on board of “Karine A”.
Earlier, the Tel Aviv-based Haaretz daily reported that the Israeli military apparatus was proposing that Israel offer to exchange the five Egyptian sailors captured on board the ship for Azzam Azzam, an Israeli serving a prison sentence in Egypt for espionage. Israel has continuously denied that Azzam was a spy.
The proposal's initiators argue that the Egyptian sailors were not maliciously involved in hostile activity against Israel, while Azzam also was not involved in hostile activity against Egypt. According to those behind the proposal, the ship's operators planned to use Egyptian venues and facilities during the transfer of weapons on board to Gaza. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
