Kesher Talk

PLO Gun-running: Gerald M. Steinberg, of the Bar-Ilan University in Israel, writes in the Wall Street Journal Europe:

Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority has certainly come a long way since its creation in 1994. Instead of a weak and demilitarized proto-state, with only a "small gendarmerie" to keep law and order and prevent terrorism, the PA has an army, navy, and full-fledged arms acquisition network. While often advertised as too poor to feed its own people, the Authority clearly has plenty of spare change to buy freighters, outfit them with secret water-proof compartments, and fill them with tons of weapons and advanced explosives for terrorists attacks.

The 4000-ton Karin-A was captured last Thursday by Israeli forces in the Red Sea, on its way through the Suez Canal before delivering its cargo to Gaza. It was crewed by top Palestinian naval personnel, and its cargo included long range Katyusha rockets, Sagger and LAW anti-tank missiles, mortars, mines, advanced explosive equipment, sniper rifles, crates of ammunition, and other implements of destruction. These weapons, which have markings in Farsi, were purchased in Iran, and the operation was supervised by PLO officials. The cost of the weapons, boat, and related expenses are estimated to have been at least $15 million, all paid for by the Palestinian Authority and under Arafat's direct control.

... The case of the Karin-A weapons ship is by no means the first example in which Mr. Arafat's minions have been caught directly smuggling weapons into the territory under their control. Instead of the limited weapons specified in the Oslo agreements, the Authority has smuggled in tens of thousands of illegal Kalashnikovs, M-16s and other weapons, along with the tons of ammunition. These arms are brought through tunnels connecting Gaza with Egypt, in trucks crossing the Jordan River, and by sea.

Last May, the Israeli Navy intercepted a fishing boat, the San Torini, which was loaded with SA-7 anti-aircraft missiles, grenades, grenades, mortars and shells, mines, rifles, and ammunition from Lebanon to Gaza. On December 16, Israeli security agents arrested Osama Zuhar Hamed Karika, 28, who was on his way to Saudi Arabia, ostensibly for medical treatment. Mr. Karika was caught with documents related to the production of the Kassam rocket in Gaza and the West Bank. The rockets are based on a North Korean design, and are similar to the ones passed from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon, which then provided prototypes to the Palestinians.

... As is now painfully obvious, the tens of millions of euros, yens and dollars given to the Palestinian leadership are used primarily to buy weapons and explosives. Palestinian statehood may yet come one day, but not as long Mr. Arafat and his colleagues are running the show. Instead, it will take a new leadership and a more pragmatic and realistic generation to reach this goal safely. In the meanwhile, the first task is to stop throwing good money after bad, declare bankruptcy, and reorganize.

posted by Howard @ 1/07/2002 10:17:06 AM