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| Iran-Contra |
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In October 1989, Ari Ben-Menashe visited Siff in Los Angeles. | Los Angeles, California |
Leon Siff was a retired probation officer from Los Angeles, California, who became involved in charitable work. He was the chief organizer of "One Universe," a non-profit alliance that included "National Food Relief," "Homes for the Homeless," and "Counseling Without Walls." His organization, also known as "Friends of the Universe," aimed to help the homeless living in and around Venice Beach, Los Angeles.1
Leon Siff was a Jewish man with a son who became a Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka. He met Ari Ben-Menashe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in July 1989, where he was observed dancing alone in a hotel lobby. Leon Siff later invited Ari Ben-Menashe to visit his operations in Los Angeles.1
In October 1989, Ari Ben-Menashe visited Leon Siff in Los Angeles. Leon Siff insisted Ari Ben-Menashe stay at his home and arranged a party in his honor. During this visit, Ari Ben-Menashe realized that Leon Siff was acquainted with Joseph O'Toole, an individual involved in arms brokering, raising Ari Ben-Menashe suspicions.1
Leon Siff was later implicated in Ari Ben-Menashe arrest. On November 3, 1989, Ari Ben-Menashe was arrested in Leon Siff bathroom by United States Customs Service agents. Leon Siff did not protest the arrest and later refused to admit any part in it, claiming he was looking for a lawyer for Ari Ben-Menashe.1
Footnotes
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Ben-Menashe, Ari. Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network. TrineDay, 1992. ↩︎