Israel Today - January 6, 2002 - 22 Tevet, 5762
The Israeli Cabinet today discussed the army`s daring seizure of a Palestinian ship last week laden with 50 tons of weapons, headed for the Palestinian Authority (PA). "This is an extremely grave incident which exposes the true face of the Palestinian Authority, an authority which is totally contaminated with terrorism," said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Israel also rejected a statement by an unidentified, senior American official in Washington that the arms may have been destined for the Islamic terror group Hizbollah in Lebanon. Privately, Israeli officials have expressed disgust with that claim, saying it appears aimed at getting the PA off the hook.
Israel released fresh details of the weapons seizure today, aimed at putting to rest any doubts that the ship was headed to Palestinian territory. Official military sources say the ship, "Karine A," was purchased in Lebanon by Adel Mughrabi, who purchases arms for the Palestinian Authority. The commander of the ship was Omar Akawi, a colonel in the Palestinian naval police. Last month, the vessel sailed from Yemen to a point off the coast of Iran, where it was met by a ferry which brought the weapons in 83 large crates. The arms included Katyusha rockets, guided anti-tank missiles, mortars, anti-tank mines, machine guns, assault rifles, explosives and large quantities of ammunition. The arms were packed in watertight plastic cylinders manufactured in Iran. The ship intended to pass through the Suez Canal and then transfer the arms to three smaller vessels. Those boats were to have lowered the cylinders into the sea at a spot off the Gaza coast, and the Palestinian naval police were to pick them up, the sources said.
Despite the implications of these stunning disclosures, US envoy Anthony Zinni is continuing his peace mission, aimed at brokering an Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire. Zinni met this morning with Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, and later will hold talks with Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs. “The focus is on security and building confidence, insuring that we create a situation and environment that eliminates terror,” Zinni told reporters. “It is a long road and a long path, and my mission is clearly to start on that path. It has to start with security,... countering terrorism and...security cooperation.” European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana is also due to arrive today for talks with both sides.
Israel has again barred Yasser Arafat from traveling to Palestinian-ruled Bethlehem, this time for today`s observances of the Orthodox Christmas. Arafat is under a travel ban until he arrests the killers of Israeli Cabinet Minister Rehavam Ze`evi. Israel sparked a diplomatic incident last month when it barred Arafat from traveling to Bethlehem for Midnight Mass on Christmas eve. The Palestinians have accused Israel of humiliating Arafat by preventing him from going to Bethlehem, and the move has also been criticized by the US and Europe. Israeli officials say if Arafat continues to harbor terrorists and smuggle arms, he`s not going anywhere. |
