JPRS-NEA-89-043 23 JUNE 1989 FBIS /NOFORN/ 8JULY 1988>TEHRAN>0800 MEHRABAD>PRESENT>HAMID REZA NAQQASHAN/ MUHMUD HASHEMI RAFSANJANI OFFICIALS INFORMED OF ARRIVAL OF PRIVATE PLANE. NAQQASHAN IS SEEN SITTING IN A MERCEDEZ AT 0830 WITH AHMAD JIBRIL. THEY ARE FOLLOWED BY MAHMUD HASHEMI FAFSANJANI IN ANOTHER MERCEDEZ WITH THREE COMPANIONS OF JIBRIL. THEY SET OUT AT A CONSPICUOUS SPEED. 0930 THEY ENTER MANZARIYYAH CAMP WHRE THE GUESTS ARE ACCOMODATED IN A SPECIAL SUITE. 9JULY 1988>MANZARIYYAH CAMP>0730>THREE CARS LEAVE MANZARIYYAH CAMP AND TRAVEL TO JUMARAN, RESIDENCE OF AYATOLLAH KHOMENI. WITHIN ONE HALF HOUR WALI AND HIS LEGAL EXPERT (FAQIH) RECEIVE THE USULI MUSLIM MARXIST PALESTINIAN FREEDOM FIGHTER (MUNADIL) COMRADE. WHILE JIBRIL KNEELS DOWN TO KISS THE RIGHT HAND OF ROHOLLAH MUSAVI KHOMENI, MOHTASHEMI, MINISTER OF INTERIOR WHO WAS ACCOMPANYING JIBRIL IN HIS VISIT TO JUMARAN, SAYS: "OUR BROTHER AHMAD HAS COME TO INFORM YOUR EMINENCE THAT HE IS PREPARED TO SUPPORT US IN TAKING REVENGE ON AMERICA, THE GREAT SATAN." THE METTING LAST NO MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES. JIBRIL IS INFORMED BY MOHSTASHEMI AFTER THE MEETING THAT ROHOLLAH WAS IMPRESSED BY HIM AND THAT HIS SPECIAL PROVIDENCE WOULD PERVADE THE POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE (GENERAL COMMAND). 12JULY 1988 >JIBRIL RETURNED TO BEIRUT VIA DAMASCUS. HE REPORTS TO SYRIAN OFFICIALS THE MEETINGS IN TEHRAN. 28 JULY 1988 >FIVE LEBANESE AND PALESTINIAN GROUPS ARRIVE IN TEHRAN ABOARD A PRIVATE IRANIAN PLANE FROM DAMASCUS. THE GROUPS COMPOSED SEVENTY INDIVIDUALS, SOME IDENTIFIED AS ABBAS MUSAVI, HUSAYN MUSAVI, ALI HAMADI, AHMAD AL-MEGNIYYAH, ALI AL-IFFI, IBRAHIM AL-AMIN, ALI SHAMS, BU FADI, AHMAD AL-UMLAH, ABU MUHAMMAD AL-NAJAFI. AFTER A VISIT TO THE TOMB OF THE EIGHTH IMAM OF THE SHIITE IMAMAS, ALI IBN MUSA AL-REZA, IN MASHAD CITY, THE MEMBERS SET OUT BY BUS FOR VAKIL ABAD CAMP LOCATED TO THE NORTHWEST OF MASHHAD CITY. 15 AUGUST 1988>IRAN AIR FLIGHT 54 (747) TRANSPORTED A LEBANESE AND A PALESTINIAN TO DAMASCUS AFTER THEY HAD SPENT THEIR SPECIAL TRAINING PERIOD IN VAKIL ABAD CAMP, WHERE THE YOUTHS OF ALLAH ARE TRAINED IN THE ARTS OF HIGHJACKING PLANES AND BOMBING MILITARY AND INDUSTRIAL COMPOUNDS. 28 AUGUST 1988>AHMAD JIBRIL RETURNED TO TEHRAN WITH FIVE SUPPORTERS. THEY WERE TRANSPORTED FROM MEHRABAD AIRPORT TO LALEH HOTEL ( FORMALLY INTERCONTINENTAL) WHERE THEY SPENT THREE DAYS DURING WHICH THEY MET WITH MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND THE COMMANDER OF THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS, MOHSEN REZA’I, AND HEAD OF INTELLIGENCE SERVICE NAQQASHAN. JIBRIL SPOKE OF THE DIFFICULTIES FACING HIS GROUP AND GROUPS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT OF HIGHJACKING AMERICAN PLANES, IN VIEW OF INCREASED SECURITY AT WORLD AIRPORTS. JIBRIL PROPOSES THAT THE PROJECT SHOULD BE REPLACED BY ANOTHER PROJECT THAT CALLED FOR THE HITTING AND BOMBING AMERICAN PLANES IN AREAS NEAR THE FOLLOWING AIRPORTS: ATHENS, LARNAKA, COPENHAGEN AND HELSINKI. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A LONG DISCUSSION, AND A DECISION WAS MADE TO TAKE ON A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF HITTING AND BOMBING AMERICAN PLANES. 04 SEPTEMBER 1988>JIBRIL MET WITH THE CHARGE D’AFFAIRES OF IRAN IN BEIRUT, HUSSEIN NIKNAM (ABU AHMAD), WHO INFORMED HIM THAT HIS FRIENDS IN TEHRAN PREFERRED BOMBING AMERICAN PASSENGER PLANES WITH THEIR PASSENGERS AND IF POSSIBLE, BY BOMBING THE AIRCRAFT WHILE IT WAS LANDING OR TAKING OFF. 07 SEPTEMBER 1988>HUSSEIN NIKNAM, ACCOMPANIED BY MOHSEN ARMIN (HEAD OF IRANIAN INTELLIGENCE), SET OUT FOR SHEIKH ABDALLAH BARRACK IN BAALBAK FROM BEIRUT. THERE THEY MET AHMAD JIBRIL AND SHEIKH IBRAHIM AL-AMIN AND SHEIKH SUBHI AL- TUFAYLI AND THREE ARMENIANS FROM AMONG THOSE WHO WORK WITH JIBRIL, IN ADDITION TO A TURKISH ENGINEER WHO ARRIVED IN BAALBAK TWO DAYS EARLIER VIA DAMASCUS ON A MOROCCAN PASSPORT. NIKNAM INTRODUCED THE TURKISH ENGINEER TO JIBRIL UNDER THE NAME RASHID MEHMET, AS HIS HIZBOLLA CONTACT IN WEST GERMANY AND A TECHNICAL ENGINEER AT FRANKFURT AIRPORT. 14 SEPTEMBER, 1988> A METING WAS HELD AT THE HOUSE OF THE MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR ALI AKBAR MOHTASHEMI ON AFRIQIYA STREET IN TEHRAN. THIS MEETING WAS ATTENDED BY THE REPRENTATIVE OF AHMAD JIBRIL, SALAH MUHAMMAD, IN ADDITION TO IMAD AL MEGHNIYYEH WHO HAD BEEN RESIDING IN TEHRAN SINCE HIS EXIT FROM THE KUWAITI AIRCRAFT HIGHJACKED TO MASHHAD IN IRAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TURKISH HIZBOLLA IN IRAN, NAMED MUHAMMAD AL HATIMI, ALSO ATTENDED THE MEETING TOGETHER WITH A MEMEMBER OF THE SECRET ARMENIAN ARMY "HAYRO KARBATIAN". DURING THE MEETING, THE LATEST CHANGES REGARDING THE FIRST PROJECT WERE DISCUSSED. MOHTASHEMI REDIVIDED THE ROLES DURING THIS MEEETING. HIS PLAN WAS AS FOLLOWS: OPERATIONS COMMITTEE TO INCLUDE: HAMID REZA NAQQASHAN, MOHSEN REZA’L,AHMAD JIBRIL, ABRAHIM AL-AMIN. COORDINATING COMMITTEE AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS TO INCLUDE: ABRAHIM ABU SAHLAN (PALESTINIAN), ‘IMAD AL MEGHNIYYEH (LEBANESE), MUHAMMAD HATIMI (TURKISH), MOHSEN ARMIN (IRANIAN), ABU FADI (PALESTINIAN), ‘ALI HAMADI )LEBANESE. EXECUTING COMMITTEE: TO CARRY OUT THE OPERATION TO INCLUDE: THE TURKISH ENGINEER RASHID MEHMET, THE ARMENIAN HAYRO KARABTIAN, AHMAD AL MEGHNIYYEH AND REZA KHASKAR (HEAD OF REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS IN LEBANON ). INCLUDED WERE EIGHT LEBANESE AND PALESTINIANS WHO HAD BEEN TRAINED BEFOREHAND IN TEHRAN. THREE PERSONS WERE NAMED WHO WERE REPONSIBLE FOR GIVING THE GREEN LIGHT FOR THE EXECUTION OF THE OPERATION: RASUL QASSAB QARA’I IRANIAN CONSUL IN FRANKFURT, MANOUCHEHER TALE’ MASULEH (PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR INTELLIGENCE IN SWITZERLAND WHO HAD BEEN EXPELLED BY THE SWISS AUTHORITIES TWO MONTHS EARLIER (JULY, 1988), AND BI AZAR SHIRAZI AMBASSADOR TO GREECE. ANOTHER NAME WAS LATER ADDED TO THE LIST: DANESH YAZDI, IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO SWEDEN. 27 SEPTEMBER, 1988> AHMAD JIBRIL INFORMED MOHSEN ARMIN (HEAD OF IRANIAN INTELLIGENCE IN BEIRUT ) OF THE ARRIVAL OF NINE SPECIA GROUPS FOR THE EXECUTION OF THE "DIFFICULT TASK" IN THE FOLLOWING CITIES: FRANKFURT, HELSINKI, COPENHAGEN, LARNAKA, ATHENS, OSLO, BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, AND KARACHI. EACH GROUP WAS COMPOSED OF THREE PERSONS. THEY WERE TO CONTACT THE TERRORIST CELL IN PLACE IN EACH COUNTRY. HELSINKI CELL COMMANDED BY HIZB ALLAH. ATHENS CELL COMMANDED BY NURI MOFIDI (CHAUFFEUR OF BI AZAR SHIRAZI) MOHTASHEMI ANNOUNCED THE OPERATION WOULD BE INTEKAM (REVENGE). 04 OCTOBER, 1988> DENMARK AUTHORITIES RECEIVED NUMEROUS REPORTS INDICATING THE PRESENCE OF A TERRORIST CELL AMONG THE IRANIAN REFUGEES AND SOME IRAQIS WHO TEHRAN HAD RECRUITED AND SENT TO DENMARK TO REQUEST POLITICAL ASYLUM. 08 OCTOBER, 1988> AUTHORITIES IN BANGKOK DISCOVERED A LARGE QUANITY OF EXPLOSIVES IN A PLACE NEAR THE AIRPORT. 12 OCTOBER, 1988> AN URGENT CABLE SENT BY MOHSEN ARMIN, ARRIVED FROM BEIRUT TO TEHRAN. IT CONTAINED A PIECE OF NEWS ABOUT THE ARRIVAL OF A SPECIAL SHIPMENT TO THE DESIGNATED AREAS: 15 DECEMBER, 1988> THE IRANIAN EMBASSY IN BEIRUT HOSTED A CONFERENCE TITLED: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN SUPPORT OF THE PALESTINIAN INTIFADAH, AT THE CARLTON HOTEL. THE AMERICAN AGENTS IN BEIRUT FOLLOWED THE AGENDA OF THIS CONFERENCE CLOSELY AND SCRUTINIZED THE IDENTITY OF ALL ITS PARTICIPANTS, IDENTIFIED AS: AHMAD JIBRIL, ABU MUSA, ABU FADI, IBRAHIM AL AMIN, ABU MUHAMMAD AL NAJAFI, AHMAD HASSAN MEHNA, SA’ID SHA’BAN AND ‘ALI ‘AMMAR WERE AMONG THE PROMINENT FACES. THE CONCLUDING STATEMENT CONTAINED A SUBTLE REFERENCE TO THE APPROACHING OF THE ORDAINED REVENGE ON AMERICA FOR ITS CRIME AGAINST THE IRANIAN CIVILIAN PLACE OVER THE PERSIAN GULF IN THE BEGINNING OF THE PREVIOUS SUMMER. 20 DECEMBER, 1988>ENGINEER RASHID MEHMET AND TWO OF HIS COMRADES RECEIVED A SPECIAL CARGO FROM HAYRO KARABTIAN IN FRANKFURT. ON THE SAME DAY RASID MEHMET RECEIVED THE GREEN LIGHT FOR EXECUTING THE OPERATION FROM RASUL QASSAB QARA’I. THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 21 WAS CHOSEN, AFTER THE IRANIAN EMBASSY IN BEIRUT CONFIRMED THAT FIVE AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE AGENTS WERE SETTING OUT FOR AMERICA VIA FRANKFURT VIA PAN AM. THE UNSPECTING COURIER HAD TRAVELED FROM SWEDEN THE PREVIOUS WEEK, AND WAS TO BE USED AS THE CONDUIT TO PLACE THE DEVICE ABOARD. THE SUITCASE CONTAINING THE DEVICE WAS ATTACHED TO THE COURIER’S BAGGAGE AFTER HE CHECKED IN. IN THIS WAY THE BAG WOULD NOT BE TRACEBLE. THE COURIER, A LEBANESE, CAME FROM A FAMILY OF HEROIN PRODUCERS IN HERMAL WHO OPPOSED HIZBOLLA. HE WAS TRICKED IN THINKING HE WAS ONLY A MULE FOR A NORMAL DRUG SHIPMENT TO BE USED BY HIS AMERICAN CONTACTS. HE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED THAT HIS AMERICAN GUIDE WOULD MEET HIM ABOARD THE FLIGHT. 21 DECEMBER, 1988> THE AMERICAN PASSENGER PLANCE FELL OVER LOCKERBIE. WHILE AN UNKNOWN GROUP IN BEIRUT, UNDER THE NAME OF ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS ANNOUNCED RESPONSIBILITY, THE IRANIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS VEHEMENTLY DENIED THE REPORTS THAT IRAN WAS BEHIND THE OPERATION. IN BEIRUT AMHAD JIBRIL RECEIVED THE FINAL PORTION OF HIS TEN MILLION DOLLAR PAYMENT. IN LARNAKA, CYPRUS, THE IRANIAN CHARGE D’AFFAIRES RECEIVED RASHID MEHMET WHEN HE ARRIVED WITH A GERMAN PASSPORT IN LARNAKA AFTER HAVING PERFORMED HIS MISSION.
