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Last update - 00:00 01/09/2008
CIA papers show Arafat ordered murder of U.S. diplomats in Sudan
By Amir Oren, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: PLO, Henry Kissinger 

Henry Kissinger instructed the CIA to continue diplomatic contacts with Yassir Arafat's PLO representatives before the 1973 Yom Kippur War, even after Arafat ordered the kidnapping and murder of the American ambassador and his deputy in Khartoum, Sudan.

The diplomatic contacts, described only as related to security issues ¬ which had been revealed previously but not their contents - were exposed in the papers of former CIA chief Richard Helms that were made available to the public last week.

The documents mainly relate to the period Helms was the U.S. ambassador in Iran, 1973-1976, after he completed six years as the head of the CIA.
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The newly-released material contains, among other things, information on the Egyptian effort in the spring of 1973 to plead with the U.S., through Iranian channels, to reach a peace arrangement with Israel "on the basis of the Rogers plan," a withdrawal from the occupied territories captured in 1967 and placing them under international supervision.

The Shah of Iran recommended to then-Egyptian foreign minister Muhammad Hassan al-Zayyat that Egypt make do with an artillery barrage against Israeli positions on the Suez Canal instead of an attack crossing the canal.

In a telegram Helms sent Kissinger - then Richard Nixon's National Security Advisor - on July 5, 1973, Helms reported that King Hussein of Jordan told him that Jordanian intelligence had learned of a Syrian attack to recapture the Golan Heights originally planned for June, that had been delayed but could take place at any time soon. One of the Jordanian intelligence sources was the commander of a Syrian armored brigade, and the Jordanians had obtained a copy of the battle plans, which had been coordinated with Egypt and Iraq.

The most sensational revelation in the documents was the contents of the diplomatic negotiations held between Robert Ames of the CIA and the head of the Fatah's security apparatus, Ali Hassan Salameh, who was also the commander of the Fatah's Black September organization. Salameh was killed in Beirut in 1979 in an operation conducted by the Mossad and naval commandos.

Ames, who headed the CIA's Middle Eastern department, was killed in an Iranian-ordered attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in 1983.

Since the contacts between the CIA and the Fatah were revealed, their purpose has been described as obtaining intelligence information to warn of terrorist attacks against Americans; but the Helms' documents reveal that Arafat sent Salameh to the talks without hiding his responsibility for killing American diplomats in Khartoum in March 1973. Ames also agreed to Salameh's requests and asked Washington about various diplomatic issues, such as the Nixon administration's intentions relating to Palestinian interests.

Salameh told Ames that the PLO was working to topple King Hussein and establish a Palestinian state in Jordan. The response from Washington was: If the Palestinians want to negotiate a settlement, the U.S. would be happy to hear their proposals, but the toppling of existing governments through the use of force did not seem to be the most promising way.

Arafat, for his part, was unmoved: He threatened, via Ames, that he would burn Beirut if the Lebanese government acted against the PLO.


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      1.   Olmert`s "peace partnes" 03:31  |  Arie 01/09/08
      2.   b.s. i don`t belive it... 05:18  |  bashar 01/09/08
      3.   Kids Should Learn `Crime` To Obtain Peres-Arafat` Nobel Prize 05:30  |  Joseph.E 01/09/08
      4.   Will all the "REAL Americans"who are "more patriot than thou" 06:29  |  PETER SM 01/09/08
      5.   "Jordan is Palestine" from the dead horse`s mouth ! 07:07  |  Akram Zekaria 01/09/08
      6.   Bashar aw he only ordered Jews killed and stole billions 07:09  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 01/09/08
      7.   Old news. They are terrorists 07:10  |  Ilan 01/09/08
      8.   At That Time Holocaust Denier Terror Abu Mazzen Was Part Of Arafa 07:18  |  Joseph.E 01/09/08
      9.   Hatred of US a Pillar of PA Ideology. 07:19  |  Jean Van Daem 01/09/08
      10.   Haaretz Quote " Arafat, for his part, was unmoved: 07:22  |  Joseph.E 01/09/08
      11.   Single Arab Women 07:30  |  Elisheva 01/09/08
      12.   The truth from the dead horse`s mouth ! 07:30  |  Akram Zekaria 01/09/08
      13.   HK no supporter of Israel 07:34  |  Harry 01/09/08
      14.   Arafat, the terrorist 07:34  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 01/09/08
      15.   Big Surprise, Arafat Was A Murderer 07:40  |  Ben Israel 01/09/08
      16.   Showing and claiming are not equivalent 07:41  |  ALEX 01/09/08
      17.   A TOTAL FABRICATION 07:52  |  indrajaya 01/09/08
      18.   our faithful leaders 07:57  |  Palestinian 01/09/08
      19.   and more along similar lines (bashar, you`d better 07:59  |  ChanahS 01/09/08
      20.   Bashar I wrote you a whole explanation of why you should believe 08:03  |  Margie 01/09/08
      21.   @5 what`s the problem? 08:10  |  S. 01/09/08
      22.   Wow! 08:48  |  Shtarka 01/09/08
      23.   Arafat Ordered Murder of U.S. Diplomats 08:52  |  JordanisPalestine 01/09/08
      24.   ARAFAT got kicked out of Jordan for trying to take over.Unlike 09:43  |  PETER SM 01/09/08
      25.   Ah...that wonderful old Western Puppet, the Shah 09:49  |  Clickfool 01/09/08
      26.   Nixon knew very well, why he didn`t react strongly...... 09:53  |  Swiss (Dino) 01/09/08
      27.   bashar #2 what`s not to believe? 09:57  |  Yehuda 01/09/08
      28.   Maybe "Palestine" is a myth? 10:11  |  In-the-know 01/09/08
      29.   You can dig up much more bloody scandal on Menachem Begin 10:34  |  Natallie Durson 01/09/08
      30.   9# S. This does not mean,though the monarch should step down " 10:46  |  Akram Zekaria 01/09/08
      31.   Dino in defence of a murderer 11:11  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 01/09/08
      32.   Cipora. Really? #14 11:12  |  examiner 01/09/08
      33.   NATALIE Idoubt it but Pals are the angels of the intelligencia 11:15  |  PETER SM 01/09/08
      34.   CIA documents are just as credible compared... 11:25  |  Dutch Dirk 01/09/08
      35.   War is hell. 11:33  |  Tony Price 01/09/08
      36.   That`s the problem with a Jew in high position 11:40  |  C. Jay 01/09/08
      37.   So What`s The Point? 11:45  |  Yosemite 01/09/08
      38.   Arafat 11:53  |  Connie 01/09/08
      39.   That`s the problem when a Jew assumes high post 11:53  |  landsman a 01/09/08
      40.   Even Arafat believed in that the Jordan is Palestinian State 12:09  |  e.m Jordan is Palse 01/09/08
      41.   Even Arafat believed in that the Jordan is Palestinian State 12:09  |  e.m Jordan is Palse 01/09/08
      42.   Cipora. Really? #14 12:13  |  examiner 01/09/08
      43.   No point in getting over excited 12:21  |  Chris Linthwaite 01/09/08
      44.   CIA 12:26  |  j10 01/09/08
      45.   #21 false S 12:30  |  S 01/09/08
      46.   #29 What`s the point indeed 12:39  |  Victoria 01/09/08
      47.   Alfred Nobel must be turning in his grave 13:15  |  Mladen Andrijasevic 01/09/08
      48.   to #29 Nuttlalie one more time defends with teeth his hero killer 13:19  |  JP 01/09/08
      49.   to #29 Nazilie tryng to spin and twist like all liers 13:19  |  JP 01/09/08
      50.   to 25 Clicky, So you are telling that u support the Mullahs 13:24  |  JP 01/09/08
      51.   To Bashar and Indrajaya: Its normal to reject the bad reality 13:27  |  JP 01/09/08
      52.   There´s no other way to pals than Jordan like they leaders told 13:31  |  JP 01/09/08
      53.   Nowhere in the article does it show any culpa 13:44  |  Martin Wells 01/09/08
      54.   US and the Palestiian Arabs 13:59  |  Hilda 01/09/08
      55.   It was the Black September group 14:05  |  Bertrahm Standford 01/09/08
      56.   @30 Zekaria 14:06  |  SG (aka S.) 01/09/08
      57.   Bashar and others who think they know 14:12  |  George 01/09/08
      58.   natalie Durson 14:15  |  george 01/09/08
      59.   NATALIE@29 I doubt it.How many millions did Begin have? 14:20  |  PETER SM 01/09/08
      60.   # 29, Menachem Begin is the point 14:36  |  G 01/09/08
      61.   Killing of US diplomats in Sudan 14:54  |  Brod 01/09/08
      62.   G.It was the British military HQ & they were warned to leave! 14:57  |  PETER SM 01/09/08
      63.   G.It was the British military HQ & they were warned to leave! 14:57  |  PETER SM 01/09/08
      64.   G.It was the British military HQ & they were warned to leave! 14:57  |  PETER SM 01/09/08
      65.   Decent Germans in WWII, G, # 60? 15:03  |  Israeli citizen 01/09/08
      66.   # 31 Margie unfortunately (intellectually ???) unfit/unwilling... 15:06  |  Swiss (Dino) 01/09/08
      67.   peter sm 4 15:10  |  potobac 01/09/08
      68.   Cipora. Really? #14 15:11  |  examiner 01/09/08
      69.   #29 NATALIE 15:19  |  fluffy 01/09/08
      70.   Arafat 15:30  |  Harriet 01/09/08
      71.   Margie, little completion to my # 66 15:38  |  Swiss (Dino) 01/09/08
      72.   A Romanian Diplomat Reported This Many Years Ago. 16:13  |  Johnny Weintraub 01/09/08
      73.   Dino 16:14  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 01/09/08
      74.   CIA SPIES and LIES 16:20  |  Dav 01/09/08
      75.   # 73 Margie "Who can, and who can`t....???" (1) 16:55  |  Swiss (Dino) 01/09/08
      76.   OK, but this was before Nobel Prize 17:23  |  Iran radio News 01/09/08
      77.   Re Cipora #14 17:40  |  Esther 01/09/08
      78.   Dav- you`re right 74 17:47  |  ChanahS 01/09/08
      79.   Re S#45 versus "S"#21 17:52  |  Esther 01/09/08
      80.   #21 S. 17:57  |  Said 01/09/08
      81.   PETER #59... A champion of the irrelevant... 17:57  |  Esther 01/09/08
      82.   to #74. SO TELL ME HOW IS THIS A LIE?? 18:11  |  Ofer 01/09/08
      83.   Swiss #66 18:16  |  Esther 01/09/08
      84.   its amazing Bill Clinton is alive Arafat lived in the White House 18:17  |  zionist forever 01/09/08
      85.   Maybe 19:01  |  Gordon 01/09/08
      86.   Swiss (dino) #26 19:15  |  David Isarel 01/09/08
      87.   #77, Esther 19:31  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 01/09/08
      88.   The language the CIA understands 19:33  |  Fritz T. 01/09/08
      89.   We`ve Got Him On Tape 19:44  |  Jeff Northridge 01/09/08
      90.   to 85 re Arafat and Bill Clinton. Don`t delude... 20:09  |  Harriet 01/09/08
      91.   Klassic Kissinger 20:18  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/09/08
      92.   Arafat accomplished a great deal in his life… 20:32  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 01/09/08
      93.   ALL CONTRARY TO TONY BLAIR 20:33  |  Ian 01/09/08
      94.   Jeff # 89: that is what you get when playing a gentleman 20:56  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 01/09/08
      95.   Arafat Should Rot in Hell! 20:56  |  US CITIZEN 01/09/08
      96.   also yellow cake and WMD,S 20:58  |  BILLY JACK 01/09/08
      97.   @80, Said 21:01  |  SG 01/09/08
      98.   "When you need a thief, you get him out of jail" 21:21  |  Tosefta 01/09/08
      99.   All this baloney about Arafat--Sharon was also a murderer 21:25  |  Labhras I 01/09/08
      100.   # 93 Ian 21:27  |  Henry Blofeld 01/09/08
      101.   G # 60 21:37  |  ChanahS 01/09/08
      102.   #91 Mark of Lewiston, are you becoming a leftie? 21:43  |  Mark B. 01/09/08
      103.   #17 indrojia 21:45  |  Dr Noam 01/09/08
      104.   Dino, has the Tinner family been charged yet? 21:57  |  Mark B. 01/09/08
      105.   Not only Israel involved in assassinations then? 22:13  |  Palestinian Brit 01/09/08
      106.   Cipora #87... severe case of paranoia... 22:52  |  Esther 01/09/08
      107.   Channah S - jumbled facts? 22:52  |  Palestinian Brit 01/09/08
      108.   105 22:58  |  zionist forever 01/09/08
      109.   Palestinian Brit 107 22:59  |  ChanahS 01/09/08
      110.   Arafat ordered an asassination wave amongst dissidents in 80-ies 23:08  |  Mark B. 01/09/08
      111.   labarse of arabia and land and water stolen by whom 23:23  |  vhardman 01/09/08
      112.   Esther and her neighbors 23:30  |  Connie 01/09/08
      113.   102 Mark B - Once Upon a Time 23:37  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/09/08
      114.   #106, Esther 23:39  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 01/09/08
      115.   Laughable Lahbras, Pal state will be Apartheid & criminal rogue 23:55  |  I 01/09/08
      116.   Eldar Still Reveres Arafat 00:00  |  Tod Zuckerman 02/09/08
      117.   89 Howdy Jeff Northridge, just like what happened to Ariel Sharon 00:14  |  lakshmi 02/09/08
      118.   #!100 The Cricket Twit 00:29  |  Ian 02/09/08
      119.   WHAT`S FUNNY IS.... 00:33  |  Doc Holliday 02/09/08
      120.   What is the big issue here? 00:45  |  Marlene N. 02/09/08
      121.   Tony Blair and Gordon Brown 01:01  |  Cyasher 02/09/08
      122.   Itzhak Shamir ordered the killing of Bernadot 02:09  |  Yesh Gvul 02/09/08
      123.   Lakshmi 112 - it`s actually the Palestinian people 02:10  |  ChanahS 02/09/08
      124.   POTOBAC You suppose wrong.Read up on KGB & Arafat 02:15  |  PETER SM 02/09/08
      125.   Bogus CIA report comes from Israel 02:18  |  Fed up 02/09/08
      126.   Arafat & Abbas are typical "Palestinian peace partners". 02:19  |  Chaim 02/09/08
      127.   MARLENE why don`t you wish that Arafat had 10 US enquiries 02:23  |  PETER SM 02/09/08
      128.   #14 C.J.K That is it! I don`t trust anybody.Arafat The Terrorist 02:25  |  anonymous 02/09/08
      129.   objective Cipora! #109 consult your dictionary 02:26  |  examiner 02/09/08
      130.   #25 Clickfool..Yes Surprising to read about the Shah`s meddling 02:34  |  anonymous 02/09/08
      131.   chris linthwaite,"no need to get overly excited"why don`t you go 02:35  |  terrornator 02/09/08
      132.   Arafat was like Palestinian Jesus and I don`t believe Oren 02:36  |  Yaakov Sullivan 02/09/08
      133.   Arafat was like Palestinian Jesus and I don`t believe Oren 02:40  |  Yaakov Sullivan 02/09/08
      134.   #54 Hilda Arafat and the American poodles looks like. 02:41  |  anonymous 02/09/08
      135.   #109 CJK ---Esther Should engage brain before opening mouth! 02:56  |  anonymous 02/09/08
      136.   re 17 indrajayas in fantasy land 02:58  |  alan the real one 02/09/08
      137.   re 29 more natty d deflection. 03:04  |  alan the real one 02/09/08
      138.   re 26 more Dino deflection 03:08  |  alan the real ones 02/09/08
      139.   re 43 Look in the mirror chris 03:13  |  alan the real one 02/09/08
      140.   For lakshmi # 112 on how the Yasser actually died 03:20  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 02/09/08
      141.   re 60 Gee G read some history 03:26  |  alan the real one 02/09/08
      142.   re 99 generalizing is fun 03:37  |  Alan the real one 02/09/08
      143.   #Margie in Tel Aviv. About "poor morality," WHO PROVIDED GEORGIA 04:29  |  Maureen Ann 02/09/08
      144.   What Kissinger wanted then, and now 05:43  |  John Isenhower 02/09/08
      145.   56#SG It is not for me or you to suggest . (1) 05:46  |  Akaram Zekaria 02/09/08
      146.   56#SG It is not for me or you to suggest . (2) 06:28  |  Akram Zekaria 02/09/08
      147.   115 06:47  |  zionist forever 02/09/08
      148.   WHY Have all the "American Superpatriots "suddenly gone silent? 07:19  |  PETER SM 02/09/08
      149.   109# Cipora Julianna Kuhn. The only Peace left on the Table. 07:21  |  Akram Zekaria 02/09/08
      150.   #114 Doc Holliday - Speaking of LIARS and THIEVES... 07:28  |  PADDY 02/09/08
      151.   Cipora That`s why most Israeli leftists agree with you 07:32  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 02/09/08
      152.   #130, Akram 07:45  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/09/08
      153.   #132, Margie 08:01  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/09/08
      154.   #129, examiner 08:12  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/09/08
      155.   PADDY where was Sharon convicted of mass murder?? 08:14  |  PETER SM 02/09/08
      156.   #135, anonymous 08:16  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/09/08
      157.   Maureen Ann 08:31  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 02/09/08
      158.   152# Cipora just a short reply to one point in your post. 08:50  |  Akram Zekaria 02/09/08
      159.   # 73 Margie, "Who can, and who can`t" (2) 09:11  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/09/08
      160.   # 83 Dear Esther, I`m afraid you were a little bit too quick..... 09:19  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/09/08
      161.   # 104 Mark B. "It`s the mother`s-milk" 09:32  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/09/08
      162.   # 86 David Israel 09:37  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/09/08
      163.   For Peter SM, on Sharon the war criminal # 155 10:09  |  Clickfool 02/09/08
      164.   CIA papers show Arafat ordered murder of U.S. diplomats in Sudan 10:17  |  Ralph 02/09/08
      165.   Cipora #154 10:52  |  examiner 02/09/08
      166.   #163 boris the clucking fool and criminal intent 11:00  |  vhardman 02/09/08
      167.   Noble Price for Peace 14:31  |  G.Nevo 02/09/08
      168.   # 138 alan the real one(s) 14:43  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/09/08
      169.   # 86 David Israel, you wanted it, you will get it..... 15:52  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/09/08
      170.   # 86 David Israel (2) 16:01  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/09/08
      171.   Swiss (Dino) I thought you said thousands 18:51  |  David Israel 02/09/08
      172.   # 171 David Israel, again your old problem..... 20:51  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/09/08
      173.   Swiss (Dino) again please provide proof 22:47  |  David Israel 02/09/08
      174.   # 173 David Israel 23:59  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/09/08
      175.   Swiss (Dino) 174 00:20  |  David Israel 03/09/08
      176.   #150:Paddy, Sharon was convicted of nothing. 02:21  |  Doc Holliday 03/09/08
      177.   doc holliday 04:23  |  potobac 03/09/08
      178.   # 175 David Israel 10:14  |  Swiss (Dino) 03/09/08
      179.   #177:potobac, yes it points out Israels nature 14:57  |  Doc Holliday 04/09/08
      180.   CIA papers show Arafat had U.S. Diplomats murdered in sudan 19:51  |  Hon. Richard Krieger 11/04/09
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