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tags:
- Event
- Terrorism
- Italy
---
The [[Achille Lauro]] was a cruise ship that was attacked in 1985. This event is described as an [[Israel|Israeli]] "black" propaganda operation designed to portray Palestinians as deadly and cutthroat.[^1]
The operation was orchestrated by [[Rafi Eitan]], who passed instructions to [[Mohammed Radi Abdullah]]. [[Mohammed Radi Abdullah|Radi]] then relayed orders to [[Abul Abbas]], who was reportedly receiving millions from [[Israel|Israeli]] intelligence officers posing as Sicilian dons. [[Abul Abbas|Abbas]] gathered a team to attack the cruise ship, with instructions to make the attack severe to show the world what would happen if Palestinian demands were not met.[^1]
During the attack, an elderly [[USA|American]] Jewish man in a wheelchair was killed and his body thrown overboard. For [[Israel]], this was considered the best kind of anti-Palestinian propaganda.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War")

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tags:
- Event
- Diplomacy
- Cold War
---
The Bandung Conference was a meeting of Asian and African states, most of which were newly independent, held in Bandung, Indonesia, in April 1955. Egyptian leader [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]] attended this conference and received a promise from [[Chou En-lai]], the Chinese premier, for as many arms as [[Egypt]] could afford. This marked a significant step in Nasser's efforts to secure military aid from the Communist world.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 2.

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created: 2025-07-23
updated: 2025-07-23
title: Moscow Signal
tags:
- event
- ColdWar
- technology
- intelligence
description: The Moscow Signal was a microwave beam directed at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow by the Soviet Union, suspected of being an electromagnetic weapon.
---
The [[Moscow Signal]] refers to a microwave beam directed at the [[U.S. Embassy in Moscow]] by the [[Soviet Union]] from 1956 to 1976. Discovered in 1962 by American military engineers, the signal was aimed primarily at the upper floors of the embassy, where the ambassador and top intelligence officials had their offices.[^1]
Initially suspected as a new means of eavesdropping, further investigation revealed that the Soviets were using multiple frequencies to transmit widely fluctuating and irregularly patterned microwave beams. The signal, with a power density between 2.5 and 4.0 GHz, was code-named MUTS (Moscow Unidentified Technical Signal) and later MUTS-2 when a more powerful signal was detected in 1973.[^1]
The [[United States]] suspected the Moscow Signal was an electromagnetic weapon designed to adversely affect the behavior and health of embassy personnel. This led to classified U.S. research programs, such as [[Project Pandora]], aimed at duplicating its effects and developing countermeasures. Studies on primates and later unwitting sailors exposed to similar microwave beams raised concerns about potential health hazards, including chromosomal damage and the development of Alzheimer's disease.[^1]
Despite official denials and attempts to downplay its effects, the Moscow Signal became a public controversy in the mid-1970s, leading to lawsuits from embassy employees and further debate among scientists about the reality and dangers of electromagnetic weapons.[^1]
---
[^1]: Jacobsen, Annie. *Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis*. Little, Brown and Company, 2017.

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tags:
- Event
- Diplomacy
- Middle East
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Camp David summit was a series of meetings between Egyptian President [[Anwar Sadat]] and Israeli Prime Minister [[Menachem Begin]], facilitated by U.S. President [[Jimmy Carter]], in September 1978. The summit led to the [[Camp David Accords]], which were seen as a significant step towards peace in the [[Middle East]]. Some American intelligence officials suspected that Carter's decision to provide [[Israel]] with KH-11 satellite photographs was a reward for Begin's success at this summit.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 1.

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tags:
- Event
- Military
- Vietnam
- France
---
Dienbienphu was a decisive battle in the First Indochina War, fought between the French Union's colonial forces and the Viet Minh (led by [[Ho Chi Minh]]) in 1954. The disastrous defeat of [[France]] at Dienbienphu contributed to a change in attitude among many French military men who had been skeptical of an independent nuclear deterrent. This defeat, coupled with the subsequent collapse of French colonialism in North Africa, made it clear that [[France]] could not depend on its [[NATO]] allies to protect purely French interests.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 3.

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tags:
- Event
- Terrorism
- Uganda
- Israel
---
The [[Entebbe hijacking]] occurred on June 27, 1976, when an [[Air France]] jet flying from [[Tel Aviv]] to [[Paris]] was hijacked by members of the [[Baader-Meinhof Group]]. The plane was diverted to [[Athens]] and then landed at [[Entebbe Airport]] in [[Uganda]]. Non-[[Israel|Israeli]] passengers were released, but [[Israel|Israeli]] and other passengers remained captive.[^1]
[[Israel]] decided to mount a commando raid to rescue the passengers. [[Ari Ben-Menashe]] was part of a backup team, flying to [[Nairobi]] in an [[Air Force]] Boeing 707 to serve as a listening post. The raid was successful.[^1]
Relations between [[Israel]] and [[Idi Amin]], then president of [[Uganda]], were strained at the time. [[Idi Amin|Amin]] had been installed in a military coup planned by former [[Israel|Israeli]] military attaché Col. Baruch Bar Lev, but relations deteriorated after [[Muammar Qaddafi|Col. Muammar Qaddafi]] of [[Libya]] promised money to black [[Africa|African]] nations if they cut ties with [[Israel]].[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War")

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[[Afghanistan]] is a country in Central [[Asia]] that was the site of a significant conflict involving the Soviet Union and the [[Mujahideen]]. It is also mentioned as one of the countries whose economies are dependent on the drug trade.[^1]
### Soviet-Afghan War and Mujahideen Support
[[Afghanistan]] was the focus of a worldwide support network for the [[Mujahideen]], the Afghanistan Resistance Movement against the [[Soviet Union|Soviets]]. This network involved figures like [[Ralph Olberg]] and [[Tim Osman]], who were instrumental in procuring [[United States|U.S.]] weapons and technology for the Mujahideen. Discussions included the Mujahideen's willingness to field test new and esoteric weapons and provide research reports with photos. The exchange of arms for drugs, with cocaine or heroin being used as payment for weapons.[^1]
[[Michael Riconosciuto]] was involved in discussions about analyzing a Soviet-directed weapons system called "Blue Death," captured by the Afghan rebels, to help develop effective countermeasures. Plans also included a military joint venture in [[Turkey]] to produce specialized ammunition and a lobbying effort to legally obtain Stinger II missiles and their variants for the Mujahideen. [[Michael Riconosciuto]] was tasked with formulating a plan to sanitize the electronics of any Stingers at risk of Soviet capture.[^1]
[[Ralph Olberg]]'s arms assistance project to the Afghan rebels was understood to be legally sanctioned, operating through the State Department and Senator Humphrey's office. However, there was a "turf battle problem" with certain factions of the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] and their group, MSH ([[Management Science For Health]]), who questioned whether Olberg and Osman's group truly represented the leadership of the Afghan rebel resistance.[^1]
---
## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Australia]] is a country and continent in the Southern Hemisphere. It is mentioned in connection with [[Nugan Hand Bank]], which was an [[Australia|Australian]] bank co-founded by [[Michael Hand]] and [[Frank Nugan]]. This bank reportedly laundered profits from drug trafficking in the [[Golden Triangle]] and financed subversive paramilitary activities in Southeast [[Asia]]. The bank collapsed in 1980, $5 billion in debt, and [[Michael Hand]] disappeared from [[Australia]].[^1]
[[Michael Hand]] reportedly fled [[Australia]] under a false identity on June 14, 1980, on a flight to [[Fiji]]. He was allegedly helped to escape by an American code-named "Charlie," identified as a former member of the [[United States Army Special Forces|U.S. Special Forces]] and ex-[[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] operative. [[Michael Riconosciuto]] claimed to have handled money transfers for Hand when he fled [[Australia]].[^1]
[[Brian Toohey]], a top [[Australia|Australian]] journalist, reported in his *The Eye* magazine in 1991 that [[Michael Hand]] had a postal drop in Washington State, and his wife was reportedly living with him there.[^1]
[[Robert Booth Nichols]] also listed [[Australia]] as one of his residences.[^1]
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## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Austria]] is a country in Central Europe. Its capital, Vienna, is home to the [[United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control|United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control]] (UNFDAC). The UNFDAC was a funding source for the purchase of computer software and hardware systems, including [[PROMIS]] software, by drug abuse control agencies in the Middle East.[^1]
---
## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Colombia]] is a country in [[South America]] that has been significantly impacted by drug trafficking, particularly through the operations of the [[Cali Drug Cartel]]. The country's political landscape has also been influenced by these illicit activities.[^1]
### Drug Trafficking and Political Influence
The [[Cali Drug Cartel]], led by figures like [[Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela|Gilberto Rodriguez]] and [[Jose Santacruz Londono|Jose Londono]], controlled a vast portion of the world's cocaine trade. The cartel's influence extended to the highest levels of Colombian government, with allegations that the newly elected president, [[Ernesto Samper Pizano]], accepted $3.7 million in campaign funds from [[Gilberto Rodriguez]], effectively aligning him with the drug lords.[^1]
[[Michael Abbell]], a former [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Department of Justice]] official, was indicted for laundering money for the [[Cali Drug Cartel]]. Surveillance reports indicated his frequent visits to [[Gilberto Rodriguez]]'s home in Bogota, [[Colombia]]. The law firm of Kaplan, Russin and Becchi, where Abbell worked after leaving the [[United States Department of Justice|DOJ]], had offices in Bogota.[^1]
[[Michael Riconosciuto]] claimed that [[Robert Booth Nichols]] paid Abbell to "crowbar" the extradition of Cali Cartel leaders, as they were considered "intelligence people." This suggests a complex interplay between drug trafficking, intelligence operations, and political influence within [[Colombia]].[^1]
### Financial Operations
[[Michael Riconosciuto]] also mentioned the "[[Workers Bank]]" in [[Colombia]] in the context of money laundering operations for the [[Wackenhut Corporation|Wackenhut]] people. He claimed to have set up "virtual dead-drops" for this bank, a method to circumvent ACH reconciliations on a daily basis, indicating sophisticated financial illicit activities originating from or passing through [[Colombia]].[^1]
---
## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Cyprus]] is an island nation in the Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of [[Lebanon]]. Its capital, Nicosia, became a significant location for various intelligence and drug trafficking operations, particularly during the 1980s.[^1]
### Role in Drug and Intelligence Operations
Nicosia, [[Cyprus]], served as a base for the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] and [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] operations, notably through the [[Euramae Trading Company]]. This company, described as a [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]]/[[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] "front," was established in Nicosia by the Cypriot Police Narcotics Squad. It functioned as a transit point for heroin from the Bekaa Valley in [[Lebanon]], cash, documents, and bootleg computer software moving along the Beirut-Nicosia-U.S. pipeline. It was also intended as a meeting place for [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] and [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] agents with informants and clients, a message drop for [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] arms dealers supplying [[Iraq]] and the [[Mujahideen]] in [[Afghanistan]], and a waiting room for [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] confidential informants and couriers from [[Lebanon]].[^1]
[[Michael T. Hurley]], the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] Country Attache in Nicosia, had overall responsibility for [[Euramae Trading Company]] and its initiative to sell [[PROMIS]] software to Middle Eastern countries for drug abuse control. [[Michael Riconosciuto]] claimed to have handled communications protocol and financial transactions for operations in [[Lebanon]] from [[Cyprus]], including those involving [[Maurice Ghanem]] and [[George K. Pender]].[^1]
[[Lester Coleman]], a [[Defense Intelligence Agency|DIA]] covert intelligence officer, worked in the office of [[Euramae Trading Company]] in Nicosia. He claimed that the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]], along with Cypriot, German, and British police, ran a "drug sting operation" code-named "Khourah" through [[Cyprus]] and airports in Europe, which involved delivering heroin from the Bekaa Valley to the [[United States]]. This operation allegedly used Pan Am Flight 103 as a "controlled delivery" flight, which later tragically exploded over Scotland.[^1]
---
## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Fiji]] is an island nation in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. [[Michael Hand]] reportedly fled [[Australia]] under a false identity on June 14, 1980, on a flight to [[Fiji]]. He was allegedly helped to escape by an American code-named "Charlie," identified as a former member of the [[United States Army Special Forces|U.S. Special Forces]] and ex-[[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] operative.[^1]
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## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Guatemala]] is a country in Central [[America]]. It is mentioned in connection with political instability, military coups, and U.S. involvement in the region.[^1]
[[General Ríos Montt]] became president of [[Guatemala]] in an army coup in March 1982. He was supported by the [[Ronald Reagan]] administration and aided by Full Gospel businessman [[John Carrette]]. Montt's military regime (1982–1983) was involved in severe atrocities during [[Guatemala]]'s 36-year civil war. Despite this, the [[Ronald Reagan]] administration continued its support, with [[Ronald Reagan]] praising Montt's integrity and commitment. In January 1983, Reagan agreed to sell [[Guatemala]] millions of dollars worth of helicopter spare parts without Congressional approval.[^1]
Montt's extreme Christian fundamentalism eventually led to his ousting in another coup in August 1983 by General [[Oscar Mejia Victores]]. However, [[Ronald Reagan]] later pressured Congress to approve $300,000 in military training for the Guatemalan army.[^1]
[[Jimmy Hughes]]' mother was a Christian missionary in [[Guatemala]]. Hughes also moved to [[Guatemala]] after leaving [[Los Angeles]] and before joining FGBMFI in [[Honduras]].[^1]
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## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Honduras]] is a country in Central [[America]]. It has been a focal point for political instability, military operations, and the influence of various international actors, particularly in relation to drug trafficking and U.S. foreign policy.[^1]
### 2009 Coup d'état
On June 28, 2009, the president of [[Honduras]], [[Manuel Zelaya]], was ousted from his home in Tegucigalpa and exiled at gunpoint to [[Costa Rica]]. The Honduran Supreme Court reportedly ordered the military to detain the president, and the Honduran Congress formally removed Zelaya from the presidency, naming congressional leader [[Roberto Micheletti]] as his successor. The [[United States]] and other countries condemned the coup.[^1]
The coup was allegedly designed by [[General Daniel Lopez Carballo]] and [[Romeo Vásquez Velásquez]], both friends of [[Jimmy Hughes]]. [[General Daniel Lopez Carballo]] justified the coup by stating that [[Venezuelan President]] [[Hugo Chávez]] would eventually be running [[Honduras]] by proxy if the military had not acted. Zelaya had been in the process of forming a friendship or alliance with [[Hugo Chávez]], who had reportedly formed an alliance with [[Iran]] and offered military support to [[Iran]] in the event of a war with the [[United States]].[^1]
### U.S. Military Presence and Drug War
The [[United States]] operates an airbase in [[Honduras]], the Soto Cano Air Base (commonly known as Palmerola Air Base), near Comayagua. This base is a joint Honduran and U.S. military facility. The [[United States]] has been expanding the infrastructure of the Soto Cano Air Base, which is used as a launching point for its war on drugs efforts in Central [[America]] as well as humanitarian aid missions throughout [[Honduras]] and Central [[America]].[^1]
The Honduran Constitution does not permit a permanent foreign presence in [[Honduras]]. A "handshake" agreement between the [[United States]] and [[Honduras]] allows the U.S. military's Joint Task Force (JTF-Bravo) to remain on a "semi-permanent" basis. This agreement, an annex to the 1954 military assistance agreement, can be abrogated with little notice. [[Oliver North]] once used this air base as a base of operations for the [[Contras]] in the 1980s.[^1]
### Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International (FGBMFI) Connections
[[Jimmy Hughes]] Ministries, founded by [[Jimmy Hughes]], operates in Zambrano, [[Honduras]], where Hughes ministers to the military and trains military personnel. Hughes, [[General Daniel Lopez Carballo]], and [[Romeo Vásquez Velásquez]] were all members of FGBMFI. The influential FGBMFI has a history of strong military connections and wide-ranging effects on foreign policy in Central [[America]] under the [[Ronald Reagan]] administration.[^1]
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## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Jordan]] is a country in the Middle East. Its capital, Amman, is home to the Arab Bank Limited. The Arab Bank Limited, under the leadership of Chairman and General Manager [[Abdul Majeed Shoman]], expressed willingness to cooperate with [[First Intercontinental Development Corporation|FIDCO]] concerning a fund to reconstruct [[Lebanon]]. The bank confirmed its capacity to handle a financial transaction of "US$ three billion or more" for this purpose, provided the conditions in [[Lebanon]] were clear and subject to the approval and counter guarantees of the Lebanese Authority.[^1]
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## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Kuwait]] is a country in the Middle East. [[Lester Coleman]]'s affidavit states that the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] was using [[Euramae Trading Company]] to sell [[PROMIS]] software to drug abuse control agencies in various Middle Eastern countries, including [[Kuwait]].[^1]
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## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Laos]] is a country in Southeast [[Asia]]. It is mentioned in connection with the clandestine [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] war and drug trafficking activities in the [[Golden Triangle]].[^1]
[[Michael Hand]], co-founder of [[Nugan Hand Bank]] and a highly decorated [[United States Army Special Forces|Special Forces Green Beret]] soldier, moved to the clandestine [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] war in [[Laos]] after his first stint in [[Vietnam]], according to [[Ted Shackley]], a former station chief in Indo-China.[^1]
[[Bo Gritz]] staged several expeditions to [[Laos]] in search of missing POWs. During these expeditions, he reportedly stumbled upon a "massive drug network in Southeast [[Asia]]" that was intertwined with American POWs.[^1]
[[Danny Casolaro]] was investigating [[Bo Gritz]]'s expose of [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] drug trafficking in the [[Golden Triangle]] and had requested to meet with a former police officer who had information on Laotian warlord [[Kuhn Sa]]'s Golden Triangle drug trade proposal to the [[United States]].[^1]
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## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Lebanon]] is a country in the Middle East that has been a focal point for various international political, military, and illicit activities, particularly during the 1980s. Its strategic location and internal conflicts made it a significant area for intelligence operations, arms dealing, and drug trafficking.[^1]
### Political and Military Landscape
In 1982, [[Israel]] invaded [[Lebanon]] with the aim of crushing [[Palestine Liberation Organization|PLO]] strongholds and installing the Gamayel family in power. At this time, Tel-Aviv supported the ultra-right Christian Phalange militia. The Christian Phalangist militia was instrumental in introducing [[Lebanon]] into the heroin trade. The powerful Christian Gamayel family sought external support for money, weapons, and political backing, with the international heroin trafficking network being a primary source.[^1]
Following the Israeli invasion, the Lebanese Parliament elected [[Bashir Gemayel]] to the presidency, who was reportedly on the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] payroll. However, Bashir was assassinated before taking office, and his brother, [[Amin Gamayel]], was subsequently installed as president.[^1]
In 1990, an accord was reached that granted Christians and Muslims equal representation, officially ending the civil war. Under this accord, [[Syria]] maintained control of the Bekaa Valley, including notorious drug ports north of Beirut.[^1]
### Drug Trafficking and Intelligence Operations
[[Lebanon]] became a significant hub for drug trafficking, particularly heroin. The Bekaa Valley saw an explosion in heroin production under Syrian occupation, with Syrian forces reportedly profiting from and protecting the trade. Estimates suggested that up to $2 billion in protection money was paid annually by dope plantation operators to Syrian occupation forces. The Bekaa also served as a center for processing Colombian cartel cocaine for re-export to European markets.[^1]
Various intelligence agencies and organizations were involved in [[Lebanon]]'s drug trade:
* **[[First Intercontinental Development Corporation|FIDCO]]:** This company, reportedly a [[National Security Council|NSC]] cutout, was involved in [[Lebanon]] to arrange the release of a prisoner and discussed a multi-billion dollar financial transaction for the country's reconstruction. [[Michael Riconosciuto]] claimed that [[First Intercontinental Development Corporation|FIDCO]] had a companion company, Euramae Trading, which operated throughout the Middle East and was involved in the drug trade as an [[National Security Council|NSC]]-directed operation.[^1]
* **[[Euramae Trading Company]]:** Described as a [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]]/[[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] "front" in Nicosia, [[Cyprus]], Euramae was a transit point for heroin, cash, documents, and bootleg computer software moving along the Beirut-Nicosia-U.S. pipeline. [[Michael Riconosciuto]] claimed to have handled communications protocol and financial transactions for operations in [[Lebanon]], including those involving [[Maurice Ghanem]] and [[George K. Pender]].[^1]
* **U.S. Government Presence:** The [[United States Government|U.S. government]]'s presence in [[Lebanon]] was significant. [[Lester Coleman]], a [[Defense Intelligence Agency|DIA]] covert intelligence officer, ran a network of agents in Beirut to find American hostages. He claimed that the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]], along with Cypriot, German, and British police, ran a "drug sting operation" code-named "Khourah" that involved delivering heroin from the Bekaa Valley to the [[United States]]. This operation allegedly used Pan Am Flight 103 as a "controlled delivery" flight, which later tragically exploded over Scotland.[^1]
* **Syrian Involvement:** [[Syria]]'s president [[Hafez al-Assad]] closed ranks with the [[White House]] after Desert Storm, and [[Syria]] maintained control of the Bekaa Valley, including drug ports. Allegations surfaced that [[Monzer Al-Kassar]], a Syrian kingpin and arms dealer, provided [[Oliver North]] with drug profits to purchase arms for the [[Contras]].[^1]
### Key Individuals and Events
* **[[Amin Gamayel]]:** President of [[Lebanon]] who received a letter from [[George K. Pender]] of [[First Intercontinental Development Corporation|FIDCO]] regarding reconstruction efforts.[^1]
* **[[Maurice Ghanem]]:** A figure involved in meetings concerning [[First Intercontinental Development Corporation|FIDCO]]'s participation in the redevelopment of [[Lebanon]], and under whom [[Michael Riconosciuto]] claimed to have worked.[^1]
* **[[Michael T. Hurley]]:** [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] Country Attache in Nicosia, [[Cyprus]], who had overall responsibility for Euramae Trading Company and its initiative to sell [[PROMIS]] software to Middle Eastern countries.[^1]
* **[[Werner Tony Asmar]]:** A German Lebanese intelligence agent who worked with [[Defense Intelligence Agency|DIA]] and was killed in a bomb explosion in Beirut after getting involved in the alleged drug operation.[^1]
* **[[Ian Stuart Spiro]]:** Lived in Beirut during the 1970s and 1980s, making contacts with Lebanese religious leaders and the Islamic Jihad. His death was linked to a spy network and the [[Iran-Contra Affair]].[^1]
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## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Liechtenstein]] is a small, landlocked country in Central Europe, known for its financial services. [[Adnan Khashoggi]] established front companies in [[Switzerland]] and [[Liechtenstein]] to handle his commissions.[^1]
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## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Pakistan]] is a country in South [[Asia]]. It is mentioned in connection with the assembly of 107 MM rockets and their launchers at a facility known as the Pakistan Ordinance Works. This was part of a plan formulated by [[Michael Riconosciuto]] to reconfigure Chinese 107 MM rockets into a backpack-portable effective artillery counter battery system for the [[Mujahideen]] in [[Afghanistan]].[^1]
[[Lester Coleman]]'s affidavit also states that the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] was using [[Euramae Trading Company]] to sell [[PROMIS]] software to drug abuse control agencies in various Middle Eastern countries, including [[Pakistan]].[^1]
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## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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The [[Panama Canal]] is a vital waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In 1977, the [[Jimmy Carter]] administration was determined to sign a treaty regarding the Panama Canal with [[General Torrijos]]. This determination reportedly influenced the administration's reluctance to pursue Torrijos, despite his and his family members' alleged involvement at the highest levels of the world cocaine trade.[^1]
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## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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The [[Philippines]] is an archipelago nation in Southeast [[Asia]]. It is mentioned in the context of [[Ignacio Paz]], the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence in the Philippine government, who was assisted by [[Robert Booth Nichols]] in removing large sums of money from the [[Philippines]] by investing with Nichols, who placed the money in Swiss bank accounts.[^1]
[[Art Suchesk]], a friend of [[Allan Boyak]] and a [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] proprietary company runner, repeatedly encountered [[Robert Booth Nichols]] in the [[Philippines]], among other locations, after the Los Angeles [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] dropped its interest in Nichols.[^1]
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## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Singapore]] is a city-state and island country in Southeast [[Asia]]. It is mentioned in connection with [[Patrick Moriarty]] and [[Bo Gritz]], as Moriarty paid Gritz to make business trips to [[China]], [[Singapore]], and other parts of [[Asia]]. Gritz claimed his July 1989 trip to [[Asia]] was to negotiate an oil interest he and Moriarty had set up between the [[People's Republic of China]] and [[Indonesia]].[^1]
[[Art Suchesk]], a friend of [[Allan Boyak]] and a [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] proprietary company runner, repeatedly encountered [[Robert Booth Nichols]] in [[Singapore]], the [[Philippines]], and [[Taiwan]] over a two-year period after the Los Angeles [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] dropped its interest in Nichols.[^1]
[[Michael Riconosciuto]] claimed that [[Robert Booth Nichols]] wanted to receive the set-up of their end offshore in [[Singapore]], including $20 million in cash, and to use certain technology overseas, namely in [[Australia]].[^1]
---
## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Switzerland]] is a country in Europe known for its banking system. [[Adnan Khashoggi]] established front companies in [[Switzerland]] and [[Liechtenstein]] to handle his commissions. In 1988, Khashoggi was arrested in [[Switzerland]], accused of concealing funds, held for three months, and then extradited to the [[United States]].[^1]
[[Robert Booth Nichols]] had an office in Zurich, [[Switzerland]]. [[Art Suchesk]], a friend of [[Allan Boyak]] and a [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] proprietary company runner, was based out of Zurich, [[Switzerland]], during a period when he repeatedly encountered [[Robert Booth Nichols]] in various international locations.[^1]
---
## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Syria]] is a country in the Middle East that has been significantly involved in the regional drug trade and political conflicts. Its president, [[Hafez al-Assad]], played a role in regional politics and alliances.[^1]
### Drug Trade and Political Influence
[[Syria]] maintained control of the Bekaa Valley in [[Lebanon]], a major heroin-producing area, after the Lebanese civil war. Syrian occupation forces reportedly profited from and protected the drug trade, with estimates suggesting up to $2 billion in protection money was paid annually by dope plantation operators. The Bekaa also became a center for processing Colombian cartel cocaine for re-export to European markets. In 1988, two Syrians arrested with large quantities of heroin and coke in Milan, [[Italy]], claimed to be working for a Syrian colonel in Bekaa.[^1]
There were long-standing back-channel relations between Washington D.C. and Damascus. A 1987 [[United States Department of Defense|Pentagon]] memo indicated that [[Oliver North]] was personally notified that Syrian intelligence in [[Lebanon]] was willing to negotiate with the [[White House]] for the release of hostages held by Lebanese terrorists. President [[George Bush]] himself reportedly made secret visits to Damascus for hostage negotiations.[^1]
After Desert Storm, [[Hafez al-Assad]] closed ranks with the [[White House]] and softened his stance against [[Israel]]. President [[George Bush]] and Secretary of State [[James Baker]] encouraged [[Syria]] and [[Israel]] to recognize each other's Lebanese occupation zones. Under a 1990 accord, [[Syria]] maintained control of the Bekaa Valley, including notorious drug ports north of Beirut.[^1]
### Connections to Pan Am Flight 103
[[Syria]] was implicated in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. The private investigative firm [[Interfor]] claimed that the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command|PFLP-GC]] was behind the bombing and that the flight was part of a heroin smuggling route connected to the Syrian regime and protected by both the [[United States Drug Enforcement Administration|U.S. DEA]] and the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]. [[Monzer Al-Kassar]], a Syrian kingpin and arms dealer, was alleged to oversee this ring. The [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] was reportedly protecting Al-Kassar's operation due to his cooperation in freeing U.S. hostages in [[Lebanon]].[^1]
Allegations suggested that the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] and [[United States Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] instructed [[Germany]]'s internal intelligence agency, the [[BKA]], to allow certain suitcases to pass uninspected onto U.S.-bound flights at the Frankfurt airport. A suitcase intended for heroin was covertly substituted with explosives by the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command|PFLP-GC]] and [[Monzer Al-Kassar]]. In 1990, when the [[White House]] sought [[Syria]] as a partner in the Allied coalition, blame for the Pan Am bombing shifted from [[Syria]] to [[Libya]].[^1]
### Other Connections
[[Michael Riconosciuto]]'s affidavit stated that the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] was using [[Euramae Trading Company]] to sell [[PROMIS]] software to drug abuse control agencies in various Middle Eastern countries, including [[Syria]].[^1]
---
## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Taiwan]] is an island nation in East [[Asia]]. It is mentioned in connection with [[Art Suchesk]], a friend of [[Allan Boyak]] and a [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] proprietary company runner. Suchesk repeatedly encountered [[Robert Booth Nichols]] in [[Taiwan]], among other locations, over a two-year period after the Los Angeles [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] dropped its interest in Nichols.[^1]
---
## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Turkey]] is a country that was discussed in the context of a military joint venture to produce specialized ammunition. This discussion took place between [[Ted Gunderson]], [[Ralph Olberg]], [[Tim Osman]], and [[Michael Riconosciuto]] in early 1986, as part of a worldwide support network for the [[Mujahideen]] in [[Afghanistan]].[^1]
[[Lester Coleman]]'s affidavit also states that the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] was using [[Euramae Trading Company]] to sell [[PROMIS]] software to drug abuse control agencies in various Middle Eastern countries, including [[Turkey]].[^1]
---
## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Venezuela]] is a country in [[South America]]. Its president, [[Hugo Chávez]], was a close ally of [[Manuel Zelaya]], the ousted president of [[Honduras]]. Chávez stated he would consider it an "act of war" if there were hostilities against his diplomats and put the armed forces of [[Venezuela]] on alert. Chávez reportedly had close ties to [[Iran]] and offered military support to [[Iran]] in the event of a war with the [[United States]].[^1]
---
## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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[[Vietnam]] was the site of a protracted conflict involving the [[United States]] and other international powers. It is mentioned in connection with several individuals who served there and later became involved in covert operations and intelligence activities.[^1]
[[Michael Hand]], co-founder of [[Nugan Hand Bank]], was a highly decorated [[United States Army Special Forces|Special Forces Green Beret]] soldier in [[Vietnam]]. After his first stint in [[Vietnam]], Hand moved to the clandestine [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] war in [[Laos]].[^1]
[[Bo Gritz]] was also a highly decorated [[United States Army Special Forces|Green Beret]] in [[Vietnam]]. Both Gritz and Hand had special knowledge of intelligence operations in the [[Golden Triangle]].[^1]
[[Robert Booth Nichols]] was reportedly in [[Vietnam]], working for a wealthy U.S. businessman in the private sector.[^1]
---
## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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---
tags:
- Event
- Nuclear
- Diplomacy
---
The Geneva Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy was a major international scientific conference held in [[Geneva]] in 1955. More than fifteen hundred delegates from seventy nations, including [[Israel]], whose delegation was led by [[Ernst David Bergmann]], took part. [[Lewis L. Strauss]] publicly joined the Israeli delegation in prayer during this conference, despite his private feelings about Zionism.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 7.

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---
created: 2025-07-23
updated: 2025-07-23
title: Extraordinary Powers Craze
tags:
- event
- China
- psi
description: The Extraordinary Powers Craze was a period of intense interest in paranormal phenomena in China during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
---
The [[Extraordinary Powers Craze]] was a period of intense interest in paranormal phenomena in [[China]] during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was sparked by a 1979 newspaper article about a twelve-year-old boy named Tang Yu who could allegedly read with his ears.[^1]
This event led to a nationwide fascination with [[Extraordinary Human Body Function]] (EHBF), with numerous reports of children and adults demonstrating psychic abilities such as [[ESP]] and [[Psychokinesis]]. The Chinese government, influenced by the scientist [[Qian Xuesen]], officially sanctioned research into these phenomena, leading to the establishment of research institutes and a surge in the practice of [[qigong]].[^1]
---
[^1]: Jacobsen, Annie. *Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis*. Little, Brown and Company, 2017.

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The [[Iran-Contra Affair]] was a political scandal in the [[United States]] that came to light between 1985 and 1987. This complex event involved the secret sale of arms to [[Iran]] by the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] administration. In exchange for these arms, American hostages held in [[Lebanon]] were to be released. The profits generated from these clandestine arms sales were then illegally diverted to fund the [[Contras]], a right-wing rebel group operating in [[Nicaragua]], circumventing a congressional ban on such aid.[^1]
Several key figures were implicated in the affair. [[Oliver North]], a Lieutenant Colonel in the [[United States Marine Corps]], emerged as a central figure. He was alleged to have received drug profits from [[Monzer Al-Kassar]], a Syrian kingpin and arms dealer, which were then used to purchase arms for the [[Contras]]. The [[United States]] Tower Commission probe into Iran-gate specifically revealed that Al-Kassar had been paid $1.2 million by North's co-conspirator, General [[Richard Secord]], to facilitate the movement of weapons from [[Israel]] to the [[Contras]].[^1]
[[Adnan Khashoggi]], an international arms merchant, and [[Manucher Ghorbanifar]], an Iranian arms dealer, served as crucial middlemen in the arms-for-hostages exchange. Khashoggi was found to have borrowed money for these arms purchases from the now-bankrupt [[Bank of Credit and Commerce International|BCCI]], with financial backing from Saudi and U.S. sources. [[Ari Ben-Menashe]], a self-proclaimed Israeli military intelligence officer, played a role in exposing the scandal by tipping off an obscure Lebanese magazine. Furthermore, [[Barbara Honegger]], a former [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] [[White House]] aide, alleged in her book *October Surprise* that [[Monzer Al-Kassar]]'s heroin smuggling network in [[Italy]] was utilized to launder [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization|NATO]] arms stocks, diverting them to [[Iran]] with the assistance of corrupt Italian intelligence officials linked to the secretive fascist Masonic lodge, P2.[^1]
The [[Iran-Contra Affair]] was a significant component of [[Danny Casolaro]]'s broader "[[The Octopus]]" investigation. Casolaro believed that this scandal was deeply interconnected with the [[PROMIS Software Scandal]] and the [[Bank of Credit and Commerce International|BCCI]] scandal. He obtained documents related to Iran-Contra arms deals, including photocopies of checks drawn on [[Bank of Credit and Commerce International|BCCI]] accounts for [[Adnan Khashoggi]] and [[Manucher Ghorbanifar]], from his confidante [[Bob Bickel]]. Bickel, in turn, had acquired these documents from [[October Surprise]] source [[Richard Brenneke]]. The name of [[Ian Stuart Spiro]] also appeared in [[Oliver North]]'s personal notebooks documenting the [[Iran-Contra Affair]], and Spiro's death was subsequently linked to a spy network and the affair itself.[^1]
---
## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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---
tags:
- Event
- Iran
- Politics
---
Iranian Revolution refers to the popular uprising in [[Iran]] that led to the overthrow of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in February 1979. The [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] had provided upbeat predictions that the Shah would manage to cling to power, despite a trenchant analysis from [[Uri Lubrani]], a former Israeli ambassador to Iran, in 1978, which stated that the Shah would not survive. The CIA's embarrassingly inept reporting on Iran forced the American leadership to turn once again to Israeli help in trying to anticipate world events.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 1.

32
40 - EVENTS/KEY EVENTS.md Normal file
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---
tags:
- MOC
- META
---
This Map of Content (MOC) highlights the most significant events within The Info Web, focusing on those that profoundly impacted the narrative of paranormal research, intelligence operations, and the unfolding of hidden histories.
# Military Operations & Conflicts
# Military Operations & Conflicts
- [[40 - EVENTS/Achille Lauro|Achille Lauro]] - A 1985 cruise ship attack described as an Israeli "black" propaganda operation.
- [[40 - EVENTS/Munich Olympic Massacre|Munich Olympic Massacre]] - The 1972 attack on Israeli Olympic athletes by Black September, leading to retaliatory actions.
- [[Entebbe hijacking]] - A 1976 hijacking of an Air France jet that led to a daring Israeli commando raid to rescue hostages.
# Cold War Era
*Events specifically tied to the Cold War period and its unique geopolitical context.*
- [[COLD_WAR_ERA/Moscow Signal|Moscow Signal]] - A microwave beam directed at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow by the Soviet Union, suspected of being an electromagnetic weapon that caused health issues and spurred U.S. research into psychotronics.
# Modern Incidents
*Recent, contemporary events, particularly those related to domestic and international security.*
- [[MODERN_INCIDENTS/Cybertruck Trump Hotel Bombing|Cybertruck Trump Hotel Bombing]] - A recent act of alleged domestic terrorism involving a U.S. Army Special Ops soldier, whose manifesto linked the event to government cover-ups of UAP technology and war crimes.
- [[MODERN_INCIDENTS/New Orleans Truck Attack|New Orleans Truck Attack]] - A recent act of terrorism involving a vehicle and firearms, highlighting the ongoing threat of domestic extremism and its potential connections to broader narratives.
- [[MODERN_INCIDENTS/FBI Seizes Largest Ever Explosive Cache|FBI Seizes Largest Ever Explosive Cache]] - A significant domestic law enforcement event revealing a large cache of explosives and extremist views, underscoring the volatile intersection of radical ideologies and potential violence.
- [[40 - EVENTS/Lockheed bribe scandal|Lockheed bribe scandal]] - A 1976 scandal involving bribes paid by Lockheed Aircraft Company to Israeli Defense Minister Shimon Peres, which was covered up.
# Historical Phenomena
*Broader historical events that highlight the long-standing nature of certain phenomena, even if not directly tied to Cold War intelligence.*
- [[HISTORICAL_PHENOMENA/Extraordinary Powers Craze|Extraordinary Powers Craze]] - A period of intense interest in paranormal phenomena in China, sparked by reports of children with psychic abilities, which led to government-sanctioned research into "Extraordinary Human Body Function."

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---
tags:
- Event
- Israel
- Egypt
- Scandal
---
The Lavon Affair was a covert Israeli operation in [[Egypt]] in mid-1954, involving an Israeli spy ring that bombed and sabotaged American, British, and Egyptian targets. The goal of these bombings was to derail pending British and American negotiations and possible rapprochement with the [[Gamal Abdel Nasser|Nasser]] government, aiming to keep [[Egypt]] isolated from Western powers.[^1]
An internal Israeli investigation was unable to determine who had given the order for the sabotage activities. [[Moshe Sharett]], who had not known of the operation, accepted [[Pinhas Lavon]]'s resignation in January 1955. The affair resurfaced as a major scandal in the early 1960s, with new revelations suggesting that low-level officials in the defense ministry might have falsified documents and given misleading testimony to accuse Lavon of authorizing the operation. Lavon, then head of the [[Histadrut]], publicly charged that [[David Ben-Gurion]], [[Shimon Peres]], and [[Moshe Dayan]] had undermined civilian authority over the military, leaking his allegations to the press and breaking cardinal rules of Israeli politics.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 3, 9.

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---
tags:
- Event
- Scandal
- Israel
- USA
---
The [[Lockheed bribe scandal]] refers to a series of bribery incidents involving the [[Lockheed Aircraft Company]]. In [[Israel]], a specific instance of this scandal came to light in 1976 through an intercepted telegram.[^1]
[[Ari Ben-Menashe]], while serving as a duty officer in [[Unit 8200]], intercepted a telegram from the [[Iran|Iranian]] Embassy in [[Ramat Gan]] to [[Tehran]]. This telegram detailed a meeting between an [[Lockheed Aircraft Company|Lockheed]] representative in [[Israel]] and [[Shimon Peres]], then Defense Minister, revealing a bribe of $3.5 million deposited into one of [[Shimon Peres|Peres's]] brother's business accounts in [[Europe]].[^1]
Despite the explosive nature of this information, it was covered up by [[Israel|Israeli]] military intelligence superiors, including [[Yoel Ben-Porat|Col. Yoel Ben-Porat]] and [[Sasson Yishaek|Lt. Col. Sasson Yishaek]]. The original telegram, its translation, and related logs were ordered to be erased, and the young woman working with [[Ari Ben-Menashe]] was transferred to another unit. No public disclosure or inquiry was ever made regarding [[Israel|Israel's]] involvement in the scandal.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War")

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---
tags:
- Event
- Conflict
- Middle East
---
The Arab-Israeli War (1948-1949) refers to the conflict that began after the end of the British Mandate for Palestine and the declaration of the State of [[Israel]] in May 1948. This war resulted in [[Israel]]'s victory and the creation of the Palestinian refugee problem in the [[West Bank]] and [[Gaza Strip]]. The [[United Nations]] approved Resolution 194 after the war, directing that the refugees had to be given the option of returning to [[Israel]] if they wished to do so.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 8.

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---
tags:
- Event
- Conflict
- Cold War
---
The Korean War was a conflict that began in 1950, involving North Korea (supported by China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (supported by the United Nations, primarily the United States). During this period, the [[United States]] was preoccupied with the war, as well as economic and social conditions in Europe, and the political battle with the [[Soviet Union]].[^1]
[[Israel]] publicly supported the American position in the Korean War. [[David Ben-Gurion]] even secretly offered to send Israeli troops to fight alongside the [[United Nations]] forces in South Korea, but President [[Harry S. Truman]] declined the offer, reportedly fearing it would lead to a security arrangement with [[Israel]]. Israel's stance on the Korean War, however, angered [[Moscow]] and led to a rupture in diplomatic relations between the two nations.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 2.

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---
tags:
- Event
- Conflict
- Middle East
---
The Six-Day War was a conflict fought between [[Israel]] and a coalition of Arab states (primarily [[Egypt]], [[Syria]], and [[Jordan]]) from June 5 to June 10, 1967. [[Israel]] launched a preemptive strike against the increasing Arab buildup in the [[Sinai]] and achieved a stunning victory, humiliating the Soviet-supplied Arabs and seizing [[Egypt]]'s [[Sinai Peninsula]], the [[Gaza Strip]], [[Jordan]]'s [[West Bank]], and [[Syria]]'s [[Golan Heights]]. The war also resulted in the Old City of [[Jerusalem]] coming under Jewish control.[^1]
Following the war, [[Charles de Gaulle]] responded by accusing [[Israel]] of being the aggressor and canceling all of [[France]]'s arms sales to [[Israel]], abrogating twelve years of close French support. He also delayed the pending shipment of fifty previously purchased Mirage III jet fighters.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 12, 13.

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---
tags:
- Event
- Conflict
- Middle East
---
The Suez Crisis, also known as the Second Arab–Israeli War or the Sinai War, was an invasion of [[Egypt]] in late 1956 by [[Israel]], followed by [[France]] and the [[United Kingdom]]. The invasion aimed to regain Western control of the [[Suez Canal]] and remove Egyptian President [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]] from power, who had nationalized the canal in July 1956.[^1]
[[Israel]]'s immediate tactical goal in the war was to destroy the Egyptian Army and its ability to support and train the growing Palestinian fedayeen movement. The strategic goal was to destroy Nasser's ability to achieve Arab unity. The battle plan involved [[Israel]] initiating the attack, followed by demands from [[France]] and [[Britain]] for a halt to hostilities and withdrawal from the [[Suez Canal]], creating a buffer zone. When [[Egypt]] refused, [[France]] and [[England]] would launch assaults to occupy the canal.[^1]
The battle plan went better than scheduled for [[Israel]], which stormed through the Egyptian Army and captured all of the [[Sinai]] by November 4. However, the intervention of the [[Soviet Union]], which issued a nuclear ultimatum to [[David Ben-Gurion]], [[Guy Mollet]], and [[Anthony Eden]], forced [[Britain]] and [[France]] to cease firing. [[Israel]], deserted by its two allies, was forced to agree to a cease-fire and the eventual deployment of a [[United Nations]] peacekeeping force in the [[Sinai]].[^1]
The Israelis were disappointed by the French and enraged by [[Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], who, they believed, had betrayed them. For [[David Ben-Gurion]], the lesson was clear: the Jewish community in [[America]] was unable to save [[Israel]]. This event solidified the conviction among some Israelis that they could not rely on external powers for their security, reinforcing the drive for an independent nuclear deterrent.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 3.

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---
tags:
- Event
- Conflict
- Middle East
---
The Suez War refers to the 1956 conflict involving [[Israel]], [[France]], and the [[United Kingdom]] against [[Egypt]]. The battle plan called for [[Israel]] to initiate the attack on October 29, sending paratroopers into the [[Sinai]] and destroying [[Egypt]]'s ability to operate from [[Gaza]]. [[France]] and [[Britain]] would then demand that both sides halt hostilities and withdraw ten miles from the [[Suez Canal]], creating a buffer zone. When the Egyptians refused, [[France]] and [[England]] would launch bombing and airborne assaults on November 6 to neutralize and occupy the canal.[^1]
The battle plan went much better than scheduled for [[Israel]], which stormed through the Egyptian Army and had captured all of the [[Sinai]] by November 4. However, the intervention of the [[Soviet Union]], which issued what was perceived in [[Israel]] to be a nuclear ultimatum to [[David Ben-Gurion]], [[Guy Mollet]], and [[Anthony Eden]], forced [[Britain]] and [[France]] to cease firing. [[Israel]], deserted by its two allies, was forced a few days later to agree to a cease-fire and the eventual deployment of the [[United Nations]]' peacekeeping force in the [[Sinai]].[^1]
The Israelis were disappointed by the French and enraged by [[Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], who, so Ben-Gurion had believed, would never turn away from supporting [[Israel]] in the weeks before the presidential elections. For [[David Ben-Gurion]], the lesson was clear: the Jewish community in [[America]] was unable to save [[Israel]]. This event solidified the conviction among some Israelis that they could not rely on external powers for their security, reinforcing the drive for an independent nuclear deterrent.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 3.

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---
tags:
- Event
- Conflict
- Israel
---
The War of Independence, also known as the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, was fought in 1948 following the end of the British Mandate for Palestine. [[Israel]]'s successful outcome in this war led to the establishment of the State of [[Israel]]. After this conflict, [[Ernst David Bergmann]] became widely known in the international scientific community as a brilliant organic chemist and director of the chemistry division at the [[Weizmann Institute of Science]].[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 2.

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---
tags:
- Event
- Conflict
- Middle East
---
The Yom Kippur War, also known as the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, began on Saturday, October 6, 1973, when [[Egypt]] attacked across the [[Sinai]] and [[Syria]] invaded the [[Golan Heights]]. The initial days of the war were a stunning rout for [[Israel]], with significant losses in tanks and aircraft. Egyptian forces breached the Bar-Lev defense line in the [[Sinai]], and Syrian forces advanced to the edge of [[Galilee]].[^1]
In response to the desperate situation, [[Israel]] called its first nuclear alert and began arming its nuclear arsenal. This alert was used to pressure [[Washington D.C.]] into a major policy change, specifically demanding an emergency airlift of replacement arms and ammunition. The Israeli leadership, including [[Golda Meir]] and [[Moshe Dayan]], resolved to implement three critical decisions: rally collapsing forces for a counterattack, arm and target its nuclear arsenal for the [[Samson Option]] in case of total collapse, and inform [[Washington D.C.]] of its nuclear action to demand resupply.[^1]
The initial target list for the nuclear weapons included Egyptian and Syrian military headquarters near [[Cairo]] and [[Damascus]]. While no weapons were targeted on the [[Soviet Union]], it was understood that the Soviets would quickly learn of the nuclear arming. The arming of nuclear weapons also served the purpose of forcing the [[United States]] to begin a massive resupply of the Israeli military, as the Israeli cabinet was enraged by what they perceived as an American strategy of delaying resupply to facilitate land-for-peace bargaining.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 17.

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---
created: 2025-01-03
updated: 2025-01-04
title: Cybertruck Trump Hotel Bombing
tags:
- terrorism
- " military"
- " conspiracy"
description: A U.S. Army Special Ops soldier detonated a Tesla Cybertruck filled with explosives near the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, injuring seven. The suspect left a manifesto alleging government cover-ups and war crimes, claiming the act was a 'wake-up call.' The FBI is investigating it as a potential terrorist act.
---
On January 1, 2025, active duty [[U.S. Army]] [[Special Operations Group|Special Ops Soldier]] [[Matthew Livelsberger]] parked a Tesla Cybertruck in front of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada. The truck was filled with firework mortars and gas canisters and was detonated at approximately 8:39am injuring seven bystanders.[^1] Livelsberger allegedly shot himself in the head seconds before the explosion. The [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] is still deciding whether to classify this as an [[act of terrorism]].
## Detailed Timeline
- The truck was rented in Colorado using [[Turo]] on December 28[^2]. Livelsberger texted a girlfriend that he felt like batman or “halo.”
- December 30, Livelsberger drove to Monument, Colorado and purchased two handguns
- December 31, Livelsberger drove through and charged at Trinidad, CO; Las Vegas, NM; Albuquerque, NM; and Gallup, NM.
- January 1, the truck is charged in Holbrook, Flagstaff, and Kingman, AZ (the last charge at 5:33 AM).
- 7:29 AM The Cybertruck is first spotted in Las Vegas
- 7:34 AM The Cybertruck is seen turning on to Fashion Show Drive, the location of the Trump International Hotel.
- Between 7:34 and 8:35 AM The Cybertruck pulled through the valet at the Trump hotel, then spent the next hour driving at several different locations along Las Vegas Boulevard. The truck spent nearly 45 minutes in the parking lot of a business near Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road.
- 8:35 AM The Cybertruck is spotted pulling onto Las Vegas Boulevard from Sands Avenue.
- 8:39 AM The Cybertruck again pulls into the valet area of Trump hotel. Within 17 seconds, the truck explodes.
- Livelsberger allegedly shot themselves in the head immediately before the detonation
## Additional Details
One rifle and one handgun (a Desert Eagle) were found in the vehicle.[^6]
Authorities recovered two cellphones, a laptop, and notes[^3] from one of those devices. One note was titled “surveillance log” and detailed activity from Dec 21 to New Year’s.
> “Fellow servicemembers, Veterans, and all Americans. TIME TO WAKE UP! We are being led by weak and feckless [sic] leadership who only serve to enrich themselves.”[^7]
A second note stated in part:
> "We are the United States of America, the best country ... to ever exist, but right now, we are terminally ill and headed towards collapse," the letter said. "This was not a terrorist attack. It was a wake up call. Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives. ... I need to cleanse my mind of the brothers I’ve lost, and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took." [^3]
The vehicle was allegedly never in self driving mode[^7]
## “Manifesto”
Livelsberger allegedly sent a “manifesto” to [[Sam Shoemate]] (@samosaur) on December 31, 2024[^4] alleging, among other things, that the [[New Jersey Drones|NJ Drones]] are Chinese [[anti-gravitic]] devices, that the United States also possesses this technology, that he is aware of war crimes committed in 2019 by the United States, and that he has TSSCI with [[UAP]] [[Special Access Programs|USAP]] access.
### “Manifesto” Text
^5630d3
> In case I do not make it to my decision point or on to the Mexico border I am sending this now. Please do not release this until 1JAN and keep my identity private until then.
> First off I am not under duress or hostile influence or control. My first car was a 2006 Black Ford Mustang V6 for verification.
> What we have been seeing with "drones" is the operational use of gravitic propulsion systems powered aircraft by most recently China in the east coast, but throughout history, the US. Only we and China have this capability. Our OPCEN location for this activity in the box is below.
> China has been launching them from the Atlantic from submarines for years, but this activity recently has picked up. As of now, it is just a show of force and they are using it similar to how they used the balloon for sigint and isr, which are also part of the integrated comms system. There are dozens of those balloons in the air at any given time.
> The so what is because of the speed and stealth of these unmanned AC, they are the most dangerous threat to national security that has ever existed. They basically have an unlimited payload capacity and can park it over the WH if they wanted. It's checkmate.
> USG needs to give the history of this, how we are employing it and weaponizing it, how China is employing them and what the way forward is. China is poised to attack anywhere in the east coast
> I've been followed for over a week now from likely homeland or FBI, and they are looking to move on me and are unlikely going to let me cross into Mexico, but won't because they know I am armed and I have a massive VBIED. I've been trying to maintain a very visible profile and have kept my phone and they are definitely digitally tracking me.
> I have knowledge of this program and also war crimes that were covered up during airstrikes in Nimruz province [[Afghanistan War|Afghanistan]] in 2019 by the admin, [[Department of Defense|DoD]], [[Drug Enforcement Agency|DEA]] and [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]. I conducted targeting for these strikes of over 125 buildings (65 were struck because of CIVCAS) that killed hundreds of civilians in a single day. USFORA continued strikes after spotting civilians on initial ISR, it was supposed to take 6 minutes and scramble all aircraft in [[CENTCOM]]. The UN basically called these war crimes, but the administration made them disappear. I was part of that cover-up with USFORA and Agent [redacted] of the DEA. So I don't know if my abduction attempt is related to either. I worked with GEN Millers IO staff on this as well as the response to Bala Murghab. AOB-S Commander at the time [redacted] can validate this.
> You need to elevate this to the media so we avoid a world war because this is a mutually assured destruction situation.
> For vetting my LinkedIn is Matt Berg or Matthew Livelsberger, an active duty 18Z out of 1-10 my profile is public. I have an active TSSCI with UAP USAP access.[^5]
The “box below” comment refers to a pin dropped on Google Maps near Lincoln County, NV at 37.2475372, -115.8155235[^8] ([Google Earth Link](https://earth.google.com/web/search/37%2e2475372,+-115%2e8155235/@37.2475372,-115.81552349,1354.56239459a,656.55298892d,35y,0h,0t,0r/data=CmAaMhIsGY5FiUyvn0JAIaVneokx9FzAKhgzNy4yNDc1MzcyLCAtMTE1LjgxNTUyMzUYAiABIiYKJAkJ_i20GaZCQBFG45X9UppCQBkeJs7mBOxcwCFBBNxVhPpcwEICCAE6AwoBMEICCABKDQj___________8BEAA)) which is a specific building at [[Groom Lake]] aka Homey Airport (KXTA) aka [[Area 51]].
# Footnotes
[^1]: [Fireworks, gas tanks and camping fuel used in Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside Las Vegas Trump Hotel](https://archive.is/nxAPd)
[^2]: [Cybertruck explosion timeline: What was vehicle's path to Las Vegas?](https://archive.is/yMUC0)
[^3]: [Soldier who died in Cybertruck left writing criticizing government, authorities say](https://archive.is/oahMf)
[^4]: [Tweet by @samosaur](https://archive.is/BLh0q)
[^5]: [manifesto posted by @ShawnRyan762](https://archive.is/e2UZA)
[^6]: [Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion investigators piece together suspect's final hours](https://archive.is/GxiYr)
[^7]: [ ‘TIME TO WAKE UP!’ Tesla Cybertruck driver left messages before Las Vegas bombing](https://archive.is/VC7Pp)
[^8]: [coordinates](https://archive.is/6iV4v)

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---
created: 2025-01-04
updated: 2025-01-04
title: FBI Seizes Largest Ever Explosive Cache
tags:
- FBI
- Explosives Cache
- Extremism
description: The FBI seized the largest explosives cache in its history from Brad Kenneth Spafford's Virginia farm, including 150+ pipe bombs, a rifle, and unstable chemicals. A confidential source revealed Spafford's extremist views and plans for violence, leading to his arrest after a year-long investigation.
---
On January 1, 2025, the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] announced they seized the "largest explosives cache in FBI history."
The FBI found more than 150 homemade pipe bombs and a short barrel rifle during a December 30, 2024 raid on [[Brad Kenneth Spafford]]'s farm in Isle of Wight County in Virginia.[^1]
Most of the weapons were found in a detached garage that also contained homemade fuses. A notebook contained lists of explosives and recipes for making HMTD, C4, grenades, etc. There was also a vest preloaded with pipe bombs and a homemade mortar.
In his freezer they found a jar of HMTD, a highly unstable easy to make chemical used for amateur blasting caps, etc.
A confidential human source (CHS) first tipped off the FBI in 2023 when they witnessed Spafford firing at a target of President Biden with an unregistered short barrel rifle and discussing how we need more political assassinations and that the government was kidnapping children and training them to be school shooters. The CHS kept in contact with Spafford through 2024 and received memes, etc endorsing violence that the CHS also provided to the FBI.
This culminated in October 2024 when the CHS visited Spafford's newly purchased farm while wearing a wire. The CHS was able to get Spafford to state he had the SBR and would not register it, that he had HMTD, ETN (a secondary explosive), and that he was going to fortify his property with a 50 caliber turret mounted gun.
# Footnotes
[^1]: [UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. BRAD KENNETH SPAFFORD](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.564917/gov.uscourts.vaed.564917.18.0_1.pdf)

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---
created: 2025-01-03
updated: 2025-01-03
title: New Orleans Truck Attack
tags:
- terrorism
- mass shooting
- vehicle attack
description: On January 1, 2025, Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a rented truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street, New Orleans, firing an AR-style rifle. He killed 15 people, injured 35, and was later killed by police. The FBI declared it an act of terrorism. Pipe bombs and ISIS ties were also discovered.
---
On January 1, 2025 at approximately 3:15 am, [[Shamsud-Din Jabbar]] bypassed police barriers with a rented Ford F-150 Lightning (electric vehicle). He proceeded to drive for three blocks into dozens of people along Bourbon Street in New Orleans while firing with an AR style rifle. He eventually crashed into a boom lift and engaged law enforcement with fire striking two officers before being killed in return fire. 15 people, including Jabbar, were killed and ~35 others were injured (primarily via the truck, one person died from a gunshot wound).
The [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] declared the event an [[act of terrorism]].
## Additional Details
- Truck was rented on December 30, 2024 in Houston, Texas via [[Turo]]
- Jabbar drove to New Orleans on the evening of December 31, 2024.
- He stayed in an airbnb in St. Roch at 1329 Mandeville Street that caught on fire early Jan 1[^1]
- New Orleans police had removed bollards which “were being repaired” in preparation for the Sugarbowl (scheduled for Jan 1).[^5]
- Jabbar had an ISIS flag mounted on the back of his truck.[^5]
## Weapons
Two pipe bombs were found in coolers in the French Quarter a few blocks from the attack (Bourbon St and Orleans St and Bourbon between Tolouse and St peter). Allgedly they were rigged for remote detonation with a wireless remote found in the truck.[^2]
Jabbar used or had on him an AR style rifle with a homemade suppressor and a handgun.[^3]
# Footnotes
[^1]: [Fire at St. Roch rental may be connected to mass casualty Bourbon Street attack, sources say](https://archive.is/XzFA6)
[^2]: [Islamic State-inspired driver expressed desire to kill before deadly New Orleans rampage, Biden says](https://archive.is/6V9is)
[^3]: [10 killed on Bourbon Street in New Orleans after suspect intentionally slams truck into crowd; dozens injured](https://archive.is/B6eFa)
[^5]: [At least 10 killed in New Orleans after driver intentionally rams into crowd on Bourbon Street](https://archive.is/EYCVr)

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---
tags:
- Event
- Terrorism
- Germany
- Israel
---
The [[Munich Olympic Massacre]] refers to the attack that took place during the 1972 Summer Olympics in [[Munich]], [[West Germany]], where 11 [[Israel|Israeli]] Olympic team members were taken hostage and eventually killed by the Palestinian terrorist group [[Black September]].[^1]
In the aftermath of this massacre, a battle raged in [[Europe]] between [[Mossad]] agents and [[Black September]], with both sides engaging in retaliatory killings.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War")

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The [[October Surprise]] refers to a conspiracy theory alleging that [[Ronald Reagan]]'s presidential campaign secretly negotiated with [[Iran]] to delay the release of American hostages held in [[Iran]] until after the 1980 [[USA|U.S.]] presidential election. This alleged delay was intended to prevent President [[Jimmy Carter]] from gaining an "October Surprise" boost in popularity that could have secured his re-election.[^1]
[[Gary Sick]], a former [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]] administration adviser on [[Iran]], published his book *October Surprise*, which systematically sifts through the evidence that convinced him the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] camp and [[Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini|Khomeini]] did actually make a secret deal.[^2]
### Connections to PROMIS Software Scandal
[[Michael Riconosciuto]] claimed that he and [[Earl Brian]] traveled to [[Iran]] in 1980 and paid $40 million to Iranian officials to persuade them not to release the hostages before [[Ronald Reagan]]'s inauguration. This allegation directly linked the [[PROMIS Software Scandal]] to the [[October Surprise]] affair, creating a "domino effect" in [[Washington D.C.]] and leading to numerous investigations and media attention.[^1]
[[Danny Casolaro]] was investigating the [[October Surprise]] as part of his broader "[[The Octopus]]" probe, believing it was connected to the alleged theft of the [[INSLAW]] computer program, [[PROMIS]]. [[Ari Ben-Menashe]], a self-proclaimed [[Israel|Israeli]] military intelligence officer, claimed that two [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] agents from [[Lexington]], [[Kentucky]], were disaffected because their superiors had refused to indict high [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] officials for their role in the [[October Surprise]].[^1]
[[Barbara Honegger]], a former [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] [[White House]] aide, authored a book titled *October Surprise*, in which she alleged that [[Monzer Al-Kassar|Al-Kassar's]] heroin smuggling network in [[Italy]] was used to launder [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization|NATO]] arms stocks for diversion to [[Iran]], with the help of corrupt [[Italy|Italian]] intelligence officials linked to the secretive fascist Masonic lodge, P2.[^1]
### Investigations
Both the [[USA|U.S.]] [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and the [[USA|U.S.]] [[United States Senate|Senate]] began looking into the [[October Surprise]]. The full [[United States Senate|Senate]] voted down a formal investigation, but the [[Senate Foreign Relations Committee]] decided to hold limited hearings on the arms-for-hostages deal. The [[United States House of Representatives|House]], however, funded a full-scale [[October Surprise Task Force]], whose chief counsel was [[E. Lawrence Barcella, Jr.]], to investigate [[Gary Sick|Sick's]] and [[Ari Ben-Menashe|Ben-Menashe's]] allegations, among others.[^2]
An interim report issued by the [[October Surprise Task Force]] chairman, [[Lee Hamilton]], on June 30, 1992, concluded that [[George Bush]] was in the [[USA|United States]] continuously during the October 18-22 time period and did not travel to [[Paris]], [[France]], to participate in the alleged secret meeting. This conclusion was drawn despite the report's assertions that it had interviewed only about 50 out of some 150 potential witnesses and had obtained only a small fraction of the documents it was seeking. [[Lee Hamilton|Hamilton]] stated that "all credible evidence" led to the conclusion that [[George Bush]] was not in [[Paris]].[^2]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.
[^2]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War")

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---
tags:
- Event
- Military
- Israel
- Iraq
---
Osirak bombing refers to the Israeli air strike on the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak, twelve miles southeast of Baghdad, on June 7, 1981. The raid was carried out by Israeli F-16s, which had been authorized for purchase by [[Israel]] in 1975 for "defensive purposes only."[^1]
Upon learning of the bombing, U.S. President [[Ronald Reagan]] privately expressed delight, remarking, "Well. Boys will be boys." Despite this, the [[State Department]] formally condemned the bombing, and some of Reagan's high command, including [[Caspar Weinberger]] and [[George H.W. Bush]], proposed sanctions against [[Israel]]. However, the suspension of F-16 deliveries was lifted two months later.[^1]
Within [[Israel]], the bombing was controversial. [[Yitzhak Hofi]], the director of [[Mossad]], and Major General [[Yehoshua Saguy]], chief of military intelligence, both opposed the attack, primarily because there was no evidence that [[Iraq]] was yet capable of building a bomb. [[Yigael Yadin]], the deputy prime minister, also dissented. Saguy argued that the adverse reaction in [[Washington D.C.]] would be a more serious national security threat to [[Israel]] than the Iraqi reactor. Prime Minister [[Menachem Begin]], however, was buoyed by the success and unilaterally announced the Israeli coup, defending the operation by stating that another Holocaust would have occurred if the reactor had not been destroyed.[^1]
Begin also made a controversial statement at a British diplomatic reception, claiming that the Israeli planes had destroyed a secret underground facility at Osirak intended for the assembly of Iraqi nuclear bombs. Israeli officials knew this description was not of a facility in [[Iraq]], but rather of a secret underground facility in [[Israel]] at [[Dimona]]. They attempted to downplay his remarks by stating he had misspoken and that the facility was only four meters deep.[^1]
Following the bombing, [[Ariel Sharon]] concluded that the [[United States]] was not a reliable strategic ally. He then turned to a clandestine Israeli intelligence agency under his defense ministry, which began intercepting intelligence on the [[Middle East]] and [[Soviet Union]] from sensitive American agencies.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 1.

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Pan Am Flight 103 was a passenger flight that exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. The incident became a focal point for investigations into international terrorism, drug trafficking, and intelligence operations.[^1]
### Allegations of Drug Smuggling and Intelligence Cover
Pan Am Flight 103 was allegedly part of a heroin smuggling route run by a drug trafficking ring connected to the Syrian regime and protected by both the [[United States Drug Enforcement Administration|U.S. DEA]] and the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]. The private investigative firm Interfor, hired by Pan Am, claimed that the Syrian-backed [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command|PFLP-GC]] was behind the bombing. Interfor also alleged that the ring was overseen by Syrian kingpin [[Monzer Al-Kassar]], known as a major arms dealer, and that the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] was protecting Al-Kassar's operation because he was cooperating with efforts to free U.S. hostages in [[Lebanon]].[^1]
According to allegations, the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] and [[United States Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] instructed Germany's internal intelligence agency, the BKA, to allow certain suitcases to pass uninspected onto U.S.-bound flights at the Frankfurt airport, where Flight 103 originated. Unbeknownst to all but the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command|PFLP-GC]] and Al-Kassar, a suitcase intended for heroin was covertly substituted with explosives.[^1]
### "Controlled Delivery" Operation
The [[United States Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] admitted that a protection program, code-named "[[Khourah]]," existed. [[Ronald Caffrey]], acting assistant administrator of the operational division of the [[United States Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]], stated that this was a "controlled delivery" operation. In such operations, a law enforcement agency permits and monitors shipments of contraband to identify and arrest high-ranking members of trafficking organizations rather than just low-level couriers.[^1]
### Aftermath and Shifting Blame
Pan Am argued in court that it was a pawn of an international intelligence operation but lost the case and was forced into bankruptcy. In 1990, as the [[White House]] sought to align [[Syria]] as a partner in the Allied coalition, blame for the bombing shifted from [[Syria]] to [[Libya]], where it largely remains.[^1]
Two senior members of the [[Middle East Collection 10]] (MC-10) cell, [[Matthew Kevin Gannon]] and Major [[Charles Dennis McKee]], were on Pan Am Flight 103, having just returned from a mission in Beirut. After the explosion, the Beirut end of MC-10 was reportedly "blown."[^1]
---
## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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---
tags:
- Event
- Diplomacy
- Cold War
---
The Paris Summit Meeting was scheduled for a few weeks after the [[U-2 Incident]] in May 1960, but was ruined by [[Nikita Khrushchev]]'s rage at the incident, which caught the White House in a series of lies. This event led [[Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] to order an end to all reconnaissance flights over [[Russia]].[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 6.

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The [[Queen's Accident]] refers to a head-on collision that occurred on March 5, 1983, in the Yosemite National Park foothills, involving a Mariposa County Sheriff's vehicle and a Secret Service car. The accident took place while scouting Queen Elizabeth II's motorcade route, approximately 25 minutes ahead of her motorcade. Three Secret Service agents, [[George P. LaBarge]], [[Donald Robinson]], and [[Donald A. Bejcek]], were killed in the collision. Mariposa County Sheriff's Sergeant [[Roderick Sinclair]], who was driving, sustained broken ribs and a fractured knee, while his partner, Deputy [[Rod McKean]], was also present.[^1]
### Circumstances and Cover-up Allegations
Allegations surfaced that [[Roderick Sinclair]] had been heavily drugged on the day of the accident, receiving large daily doses of Demerol prescribed by [[Dr. Arthur Dahlem]]. Nurses at Fremont Hospital, where Sinclair was initially treated, and some former deputies corroborated this. Assistant [[United States Attorney|U.S. Attorney]] [[James White]] in Fresno attempted to investigate Sinclair's drug use, ordering Dahlem's files seized. However, [[United States District Court|U.S. District Court]] Judge [[Robert E. Coyle]] intervened, ordering White to drop the criminal investigation, claiming Sinclair's drug problem was irrelevant and drug records inadmissible because no blood tests were taken at the hospital. Despite this, blood tests had been taken but later disappeared.[^1]
In the subsequent civil trial, Judge [[Robert E. Coyle]] ruled both Sinclair and the deceased Secret Service agents at fault, ordering Mariposa County to pay 70 percent of the claim. Ironically, Sinclair was later promoted to Commander of the Mariposa Sheriff's Department. The original [[California Highway Patrol|CHP]] report on the accident was reportedly sent to the [[California Attorney General's Office|State Attorney General's office]] ([[John Van de Kamp]]), who allegedly ordered it "discarded." [[Bruce Eckerson]], the Mariposa County District Attorney who owned stock in [[Music Corporation of America|MCA]] Entertainment Corporation, was then appointed to submit a new report. All [[California Highway Patrol|CHP]] officers involved in the original investigation either resigned, were transferred, or fired, as did [[James White]] himself after the alleged cover-up.[^1]
Deputy [[Rod Cusic]] stated he was "told by [[Roderick Sinclair]] to lie to a Grand Jury" about Sinclair's drug addiction and the accident, a disclosure he made to the Fresno [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]]. Cusic also witnessed a booby-trapped incendiary device explode at Sinclair's home. A 1984 civil trial revealed Sinclair's vehicle contained "a myriad of automatic weapons including a booby-trapped bomb" at the time of the collision.[^1]
### Subsequent Investigations and Connections
Years later, a CBS television executive and [[Ron Williams]], a Secret Service agent whose best friend was killed in the accident, sought [[Cheri Seymour]]'s help to investigate the incident. [[Don Thrasher]], a producer for ABC News 20/20, also investigated, corroborating details about [[Roderick Sinclair]]'s background, including his father's military service under [[Douglas MacArthur]] and Sinclair's own alleged work in Army C.I.D.[^1]
The [[Queen's Accident]] became a key element in the broader investigation into corruption in Mariposa County, as highlighted by [[Jerry Goldberg]]'s reporting for *Capitol News Service* and the efforts of [[D.I.G. (Decency in Government)|D.I.G.]].[^1]
---
## Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.

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---
tags:
- Event
- Conflict
- Lebanon
- Israel
---
The [[Sabra and Shatila massacres]] occurred on September 16 and 17, 1982, in the [[Sabra and Shatila refugee camps]] in [[Beirut]], [[Lebanon]]. The massacres were carried out by [[Lebanese Christian militias]] (Phalangists) while the camps were surrounded by [[Israel|Israeli]] troops.
### Sharon's Lebanon Invasion Plan
[[Ariel Sharon]]'s plan for the invasion of [[Lebanon]] involved the [[Israel Defense Forces|IDF]] serving as an anti-Syrian blocking force while its Lebanese Christian allies, the Phalangists, cleaned out the city of [[Palestine Liberation Organization|PLO]] followers. However, the Phalangists failed to move, and the Israeli Air Force was called upon to begin the bombing of [[Beirut]]. Instead of victory, there was impasse, as five hundred Israeli soldiers were killed along with more than ten thousand Palestinians and Lebanese, some in the shocking massacre at the Palestinian refugee camps in Sabra and Shatila.[^2]
### Advance Warning and Israeli Knowledge
According to [[Ari Ben-Menashe]], [[Ariel Sharon]], then [[Israel|Israeli]] Defense Minister, was aware in advance that the massacres were likely to happen. A letter from [[Pierre Gemayel]], leader of the Christian forces, to Sharon indicated an intention to seek revenge for the assassination of his son, [[Bashir Gemayel]], and that many Palestinians would die. This letter was delivered to Sharon's office and read by [[Moshe Hebroni]] and [[Yehoshua Sagi|Sagi]].[^1]
### Israeli Military Role
Despite this foreknowledge, [[Israel|Israeli]] troops allowed the Phalangist forces into the camps and sealed off the area, preventing Palestinians from escaping. A commission of inquiry, headed by Supreme Court Justice [[Yitzhak Kahan]], found that while the [[Israel|Israeli]] government was not directly involved, it was warned and took no action to prevent the tragedy. The full report of the commission, though highly classified, indicated that Sharon had seen the warning letter.[^1]
### Political Consequences
As a result of the inquiry, [[Yehoshua Sagi|Maj. Gen. Sagi]] was removed from his position, and [[Ariel Sharon]] was forced to resign as Defense Minister, replaced by [[Moshe Arens]]. [[Moshe Hebroni]] was allowed a three-month period as head of branch in the External Relations Department, during which he could remove any incriminating documentation.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. _Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network_. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War") [^2]: Hersh, Seymour M. _The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy_. Random House, 1991. Chapter 21.

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---
tags:
- Event
- Cold War
- Espionage
---
The [[U-2 Spy Plane|U-2]] Incident refers to the shooting down of an American U-2 spy plane over the [[Soviet Union]] on May 1, 1960. The incident, involving pilot [[Gary Francis Powers]], caused a major international crisis and led to the ruin of [[Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]]'s Paris summit meeting scheduled for a few weeks later. It also prompted Eisenhower to order an end to all reconnaissance flights over [[Russia]].[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 4, 6.

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---
tags:
- Event
- Military
- USA
- Israel
---
The USS Liberty Incident refers to the attack on the U.S. Navy intelligence ship USS Liberty by Israeli forces on June 8, 1967, the third day of the [[Six-Day War]]. The Liberty, flying the American flag, had been monitoring [[Middle East]] communications traffic in international waters off the coast of [[Israel]] and had been identified as an American ship before the attack. The incident resulted in the deaths of thirty-four American servicemen and wounded 171 others.[^1]
[[Walworth Barbour]], the American ambassador to [[Israel]], urged [[Washington D.C.]] to downplay the incident, reporting that [[Israel]] did not intend to admit to it and suggesting that publicity could feed Arab suspicions of U.S.-Israel collusion. He noted that the Israelis were "obviously shocked by error and tender sincere apologies."[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 12.