Ronen Bergman
The price of quiet
Italian ‘bribe’ to terror groups only one example of deals with terrorists
Reports that the Italian government allowed Palestinian terror groups to act freely in Italy in exchange for their commitment to refrain from targeting Italian sites did not shock, to put it mildly, senior intelligence officials who countered Palestinian terrorism in the 1970s and 1980s.
In March 1988, the CIA provided French intelligence officials with passport photos of Imad Mugniyah as well as information about the forged passport he was using. This enabled French immigration authorities to identify him at the border control. Yet because they feared that Mugniyah’s arrest would prompt the murder of French hostages held by his group in Lebanon,
the French stepped back, to the great chagrin of the administration of George Bush Sr.
Although it is not yet clear whether anyone in Israel knew or suspected that such deal was in place, this type of conduct whereby a government pays for peace, either by providing terrorists with money or granting them operational freedom, is a well known modus operandi for many countries.
Illicit Ties
Former Italian president admits that his government had deal with PLO, Popular Front according to which they were allowed free movement within Italian territory in exchange for leaving national targets alone; PFLP leader confirms
In another case, the French paid millions of dollars to Hizbullah so that the group would release two hostages.
Germans released Iranian agents
Last year, Germany released two Iranian intelligence agents midway through their life term for murdering four opposition members, even though these agents were supposed to serve as bargaining chips for missing Israeli navigator Ron Arad. The Germans apparently did it in exchange for the release of hostages in Iraq.
Elsewhere, Spain refrained from preventing Palestinian terrorists from passing through its territory, despite several Israeli warnings. Turkey also knew, in real time, that leading Hamas activists were passing through its territory, yet refrained from detaining them, despite Israel’s protests.
Meanwhile, Jordan released the commander of the terror cell who blew up Israel’s embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992, not to mention Saudi Arabia, which bought some quiet from global Jihad activists in exchange for huge transfers of funds earmarked for radical Islamic education throughout the world.
