Iran arms Arafat, claims paper

WASHINGTON - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has forged an alliance that involves Iranian shipments of heavy weapons and money to Palestinian groups involved in action against Israel, the New York Times reports, citing unidentified United States and Israeli intelligence officials.

"The partnership, officials said, was arranged in a clandestine meeting in Moscow last May between two top aides to Arafat and Iranian Government officials," the newspaper said.

"The meeting took place while Mr Arafat was visiting President Vladimir Putin of Russia, according to senior Israeli security officials."

The Times said the Israeli officials refused to provide further details.

Arafat's reported alliance with Iran causes concern in Tel Aviv because "it gives the Palestinians a powerful and well-armed patron in the increasingly violent conflict with Israel", the paper said, quoting Israeli officials.

In a September 11 connection, American officials were troubled by intelligence reports "that Iran is harbouring al Qaeda members, including one leader who recently tried to mount an attack against Israel from his sanctuary in Iran", according to the Times.

The al Qaeda network under the leadership of fugitive Osama bin Laden is blamed for the attacks on New York's World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, outside Washington. The attacks killed more than 3000 people, destroyed the trade centre's twin towers and damaged the Pentagon.

There was talk of an Iran-Palestinian connection this year when Israel seized a ship carrying 50 tonnes of Iranian-supplied weapons. The confiscated arms included anti-tank weapons and rockets that could reach most cities in Israel.

Israeli intelligence reports about the Moscow meeting were at the heart of secret briefings that Israel provided to the Bush Administration after the arms shipment was intercepted, the newspaper said.

Palestinian Authority officials dismissed the accusations of Iranian involvement.

"This is a factory of lies," said Yasir Abed Rabbo, the Palestinian Minister of Information.

"Israel is like any colonial power. When they get in trouble, they try to blame outsiders.

"There has not been a single Iranian here since the 14th century."

* US envoy Anthony Zinni was to resume security talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials last night to achieve a Middle East truce ahead of a key Arab summit in Beirut later this week.

Zinni's efforts were marred on Saturday by Gaza Strip violence in which Israeli troops killed five Palestinians, including two who stormed an Army post.

Aides to Arafat said the Palestinian President was already planning to head to the March 27-28 summit, a trip that would end his three-month-old confinement in the West Bank imposed by Israel after a wave of Palestinian attacks.

- REUTERS

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