Karine-A affair

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Karine A. p1
Ship data
flag TongaTonga Tonga
other ship names

Rim K (1998–2001)
Luba (1990–1998)
Algarmi (1979–1990)

Ship type Cargo ship
Owner Abbas Am, Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Shipyard Astillero Hijos de J. Barreras, Vigo
Launch 1979
Whereabouts sunk in April 2003
Ship dimensions and crew
measurement 2867 GT
Machine system
machine 1 × diesel engine
Transport capacities
Load capacity 4029 dw
Others
Registration
numbers 		IMO no. 7707114

The confiscation of a Palestinian arms ship of the Second Intifada , the Karine A , by Israeli forces in international waters of the Red Sea on January 3, 2002, became known as the Karine A affair . The ship was supposed to smuggle over 50 tons of weapons and explosives into the Gaza Strip . The capture of the ship by the Israeli forces was known as Operation Noah's Ark . Israel saw in the affair proof that Arafat's peace intentions and efforts were only feigned, but that the Palestinian Authority continued to promote the armed struggle against Israel through acts of terrorism. Most Arab governments have described the affair as being orchestrated and fabricated by Israel.

The Karine A was the third illegal arms ship within a year after the Calypso in January and the Santorini in May 2001. Even after the Karine A affair, several Palestinian arms ships were seized by the Israeli Navy: the fishing cutter Abu Hasan (May 2003) , the Cypriot freighter Monchegorsk (January 2009), the German freighter Hansa India (October 2009), the Antiguan freighter Francop (November 2009), and the Lebanese ship Victoria (March 2011).

Palestinian operation

The cargo ship Rim K was sold by Diana K Shipping to a Lebanese company on August 31, 2001 for USD 400,000 . Adel Mughrabi (also called Adel Awadallah or Adel Salameh) appeared as the buyer. Mughrabi was a member of Arafat's staff until the early 1980s. He then resigned from the service because his private business was inconsistent with his position. Mughrabi is seen as a key figure in Palestinian arms procurement. From October 2000, Mughrabi's contacts with Iran and Hezbollah can be proven.

Was as a ship owner in Lloyd's Register but not Mughrabi but the in Yemen living Iraqis Ali Mohamed Abbas added. After the purchase, the ship was renamed Karine A on September 12th and the flag was changed from Lebanon to Tonga.

Large-scale arms smuggling was planned to provide the Palestinian Authority with heavy weapons and explosives. Under the Oslo Accords , she was prohibited from possessing such weapons. The weapons were to be reloaded in international waters in the Mediterranean onto smaller ships to be transported off the coast of the Gaza Strip. There they were supposed to be sunk in waterproof diving containers and gradually brought ashore by diving squads.

The Karine A first went to Sudan , where the ship's crew was replaced by members of the Palestinian command. The captain was Omar Akawi, a long-time Fatah member and former member of the Palestinian leadership. The Karine A drove from Sudan to al-Hudaida in Yemen in order to continue to the Persian Gulf in December 2001 . In Kisch the anchored Karine A . On the night of December 11th to 12th, the weapons were brought to the ship in 83 wooden containers from a ferry . From Kisch the ship drove through the Indian Ocean back towards the Red Sea and had to make a stopover in al-Hudaida due to technical problems. After the problems had been resolved, the ship resumed its course in the direction of the Suez Canal .

Operation Noah's Ark

After three months of surveillance of Karine A by Israeli secret services as part of the preparatory operation Milk and Honey , a squadron of Dvora patrol boats from Schajetet 13 started in Eilat on the morning of January 2, 2002 . On January 3 at 04:45 am, the boats accompanied by Israeli attack helicopters and aircraft reached Karine A , which was about 500 km south of Eilat on its journey towards the Suez Canal in international waters of the Red Sea. The maximum operational range of the boats and aircraft was maxed out. Within eight minutes, the Israeli forces took control of the ship. The crew of Karine A was completely taken by surprise, so that the ship could be taken over without a single shot. It was no longer even possible for the ship's command to send a radio message. Without the knowledge of the Palestinian commandos on land, the course was changed. The Karine A reached the port of Eilat on the evening of January 4th. The operation Noah's Ark was complete after 60 hours.

Ship cargo

Karine A's weapon load at the presentation in Eilat
A loading mast head of the later sunk Karine A in front of the Eilat Museum

When the Karine A was seized by the Israeli Navy, it was carrying civilian goods worth around USD 3 million and 50 tons (some sources cite 70-80 tons) of weapons and explosives worth USD 15 million. The civilian goods were used to camouflage the illegal cargo. The latter included:

Ben Gurion Airport could have been fired at from positions in the West Bank with the 120 mm missiles. The C4 explosives would have been enough to produce 300 bomb belts for suicide bombers. In the history of Israel so far, there have been around 100 suicide bomber attacks.

Political evaluation and consequences

Immediately after the Karine A affair became known, the Palestinian Authority withdrew and denied any involvement or knowledge. However, Captain Akawi confirmed that he had received his instructions directly from the National Authority, including from Fuad Shubaki, Adel Awadallah and Fathi Gazem. Despite the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian forces agreed the previous December, Akawi was not ordered to stop arms procurement. In addition, Akawi was not the only one on board the Karine A who was particularly close to the Palestinian Authority: several high-ranking officers were members of the Palestinian "Naval Police".

The US intelligence saw compelling evidence of the direct connection of the Palestinian leadership to Karine A . After reviewing all the evidence, US Vice President Cheney concluded that the Palestinian Authority is in close cooperation with Iran with key people including Arafat. The credibility of Arafat and the Palestinian leadership with Western governments was severely damaged. In January 2002, amid increasing pressure from the United States, Arafat issued arrest warrants against three alleged masterminds, all of whom were senior officials in the Palestinian Authority.

Israel is using the success of Operation Noah's Ark as a justification for continuing to stop ships in international waters to avoid arms smuggling or other threats against Israel.

According to the Palestinian newspaper al-Hayat , Yasser Arafat has assumed responsibility for the arms transport.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Israel's Interception of Arms Ships - Background , Israel Foreign Ministry, March 15, 2011.
  2. ↑ Victoria Arms-smuggling Incident ; Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March 15, 2011
  3. ↑ a b c Weapons Found on 'Karine-A' and 'Santorini'
  4. ↑ IDF Seizes Weapons Ship PA: The Karine A affair , Jewish Virtual Library
  5. ↑ Robert Satloff: The Karine-A affair and the War on Terrorism ; The National Interest, March 1, 2002
  6. ↑ Captain: Weapons were intended for Palestinians In: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger .de, January 7, 2002, accessed on August 18, 2018.
  7. ↑ Jennifer Griffen: "Prison interview with Palestinian ship captain smuggling 50 tons of weapons." Fox News. Jerusalem, January 7, 2002
  8. ↑ Eli Lake: "Bush blasts Arafat on terror." United Press International, January 28, 2002
  9. ↑ Arafat bows to pressure from Washington. In: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger .de. January 28, 2002, accessed July 28, 2019 .
  10. ^ FM Liberman comments on flotilla events ; Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, May 31, 2010
  11. ↑ SHORT MESSAGES. In: Newsletter of the Israeli Embassy in Berlin. February 7, 2002, accessed July 26, 2018 .

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