Saudi police deny body of Westerner found dumped in Riyadh, continue to search for engineer American Paul Johnson al Qaeda claimed to have kidnapped Saturday after killing another American, Martin Lockheed employee Kenneth Scroggs.
Both described as experts on Apache helicopters “used against Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine.” Same Islamic website also showed video of killing June 8 of Jewish American Vinell security contractor Robert Jacob
DEBKAfile reports arrival of dozens of British MI6 secret service agents on West Bank and Gaza Strip, bring hundreds of vehicles for Palestinian security personnel. From Jenin they conduct surveillance of Jewish settlements.
Egypt still undecided about undertaking security in Gaza Strip after Israel’s withdrawal. To keep Egypt out of West Bank, Jordan’s Abdullah offers generous “mortgages” to key West Bank Palestinians willing to buy villas in Amman and look after his interests in Ramallah.
Read first article of two-part DEBKAfile Special Report below
One US soldier killed, 2 injured in bombing-shooting attack near Taji north of Baghdad. Suicide car bomber kills 12, seven of them Iraqi security personnel, at Iraqi military academy in SE Baghdad where American train officers for New Iraqi Army.
Also deputy interim education minister Kemal Jara assassinated, day after gunmen shot dead Iraqi interim deputy foreign minister Bassam Qubba in al-Azimiya district of Baghdad.
Mofaz reports to cabinet: Two large terrorist attacks plotted jointly by several Palestinian groups for this weekend were foiled. They were to take place simultaneously in Jerusalem and Gaza’s Karni crossing.
Sharon constrains ministers from criticizing disengagement plan they approved by the majority last week. None may travel without permission for the duration of Knesset session. The must stand by minority government in no confidence motions
Pakistan detains 10 al Qaeda suspects in failed assassination attempt of Karachi commander, including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed’s nephew and 8 Central Asians
Israeli Settlements Come under… MI6 Surveillance
DEBKAfile Special Report
June 13, 2004, 11:55 AM (GMT+02:00)
The Israeli government is getting ready to offer down payments to voluntary evacuees from 21 Gaza settlements and four West Bank locations that Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon plans to remove by the end of 2005. This move is designed to stimulate departures and jump the gun on two major delaying factors: the cabinet only approved the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon’s disengagement outline; voting on settlement removals is not due until March 2005 and then it will be piecemeal. Secondly, compensation to departing settlers entails long and tiresome legislation, whereas down payments do not. Broad hints that the first comers will get the best deal have been thrown out already. The bargaining is clearly about to begin.
A second Middle East party has also hit on the notion of financially rewarding people willing to change address. DEBKAfile’s Palestinian and Jordanian sources reveal that Jordan’s King Abdullah is offering non-returnable “mortgages” – cash on the nail – to high...
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