Arutz Sheva January 8, 2002

Captain of the ship “Karin A” Omar Akawi told all he knows today to Israel Television about the arms smuggling mission he commanded. Only the public Israel Television channel was permitted by the IDF to interview the Arab captain in his Ashkelon jail cell.

Akawi said that Adal Awadallah, a PLO agent in Greece, first approached him to prepare the ship for transfer of goods to the PLO in Gaza. He said that he was instructed to reach a certain point on Iran’s Perisan Gulf coast by early December. There he met with another agent and began loading the ship with arms. Only then was he made aware of what “goods” he would be transporting. Akawi said that on the night of the IDF raid, he heard noises on deck but thought that it was due to a technical problem. A minute later, he said that he stood corrected. According to Akawi, there was no resistance because most of the crew were asleep when the IDF boarded the vessel. He confessed that they were taken by complete surprise and hadn’t anticipated that there would be any danger until they reached the Suez Canal, where they knew that ships were scrutinized. Akawi said that the arms shipment was a PLO mission and had nothing to do with the Lebanese terrorist organization Hizbullah. Akawi’s account renders irrelevant the claim by an unnamed American government source that the shipment was destined for Hizbullah in Lebanon.

Akawi told his interviewers that he joined the PLO in 1976 in Lebanon and served as an officer in the PLO naval police. He was promoted to advisor for maritime affairs in the PLO transportation office.

Lloyds of London announced today that the “Karin A” is registered as an Iraqi ship. Last summer, the vessel was sold to an Iraqi citizen, Ali Mahmoud Abbas, for $400,000. The IDF spokesman said yesterday that the head of arms acquisitions for the Palestinian Authority was involved in the purchase of the ship.

“Karin A” was intercepted in a raid by IDF commandos early Thursday morning and was found to have on board over 80 tons of weaponry, 30 tons more than initially reported. The ship was headed towards a PLO-controlled area in Gaza where its contents were to be delivered to high-ranking PLO naval commanders and then used in future attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers.

In Israel’s Red Sea port of Eilat, the arms were placed on display yesterday before foreign diplomats and the press. Speaking at the press conference, Prime Minister Sharon said that the raid on the ship was “another milestone in [Israel’s] ongoing and just battle against the forces of terrorism of the Palestinian Authority and its leader.”

Standing next to the “Karin A,” Sharon said: “This ammunitions ship behind us is part of a campaign of terror being conducted against us by the Palestinian Authority. This terror ship, which was on its way to the Gaza shore, was a threat to each and every one of you - in Tel Aviv as in Emanuel, in Haifa as in Ariel, in Herziliya and Ashkelon as in Elei-Sinai and Netzarim.”

“The type and character of the weapons and ammunition discovered on the ship prove once again that the Palestinian Authority has been focusing all its efforts on terrorism and preparing the operational infrastructure for the next waves of terror… Let there be no mistake - this is the choice made by the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority [Arafat].”

“The Palestinian Authority is a major player in the network of international terrorism, spearheaded by Iran and aimed at sowing death and destruction throughout the entire world.”

Sharon accepted the recommendation of the IDF Chief of Staff that the entire relationship with the Palestinian Authority must be reassessed. He said that the PLO drive to amass weapons casts doubts on any future agreement between the sides. Sharon also thanked all the members of Israel’s security forces, intelligence community, and every soldier who took part in the mission.

The PLO continues to deny any connection to the arms shipment. In a press release from Wafa, the Palestine News Agency, the PLO calls for an “investigating Committee with the participation of the USA, Russia, the E.U., Arab representatives, Israeli and Palestinian officials, to reveal the truth.” Earlier yesterday, Sharon said that Arafat was a liar, and even when caught red-handed continues to lie.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 8th, 2002 and is filed under hotnews.