Part 122 – NOVEMBER 1 1988
"Abu talb knows about the Pan Am flight 103 that crashed in Lockerbie and I think he was worried because he knew some of these persons [members of the PFLP-GC] who had been arrested in Germany and he was frightened in case one of them would give his name. [...] I think he was worried in case West German authorities would find out he had some knowledge of Pan Am 103." - Mahmoud Moghrabi, interview with Swedish Police
On Oct. 30 1988, the BKA finally informed their Swedish counterparts -- SAPO -- of the Autumn Leaves operation. On Nov. 1st 1988, SAPO rounds up Martin Imandi, Mohamed Moghrabi, Abu Talb and several of their associates. [1, 2, 3]
SAPO founds six passeports belonging to Abu Talb. Two were Egyptian, one Morrocan and two were burnt beyond recognition.
SAPO found electronic equipment such switches and quite interestingly barometric instruments from which the barometers had been removed.
Also early November, the PFLP-GC Krusevac safe house that Dalkamoni had visited in October was raided. But the occupant of the house, Mobdi Goben, has already left for Syria where he will remain until his death. [4]
At his house, the police seized about 8 kgs of Semtex as well as several hundreds of detonators and fuses.
Today Nov. 1st 1988, Kurt Maier begins working for Pan Am Alert as an X-ray machine operator. Maier will renounce his job at the end of December 1988. [5] He was on duty the day Pan Am 103 exploded.
Also today, Iran and Iraq have resumed United Nations-mediated peace talks. Ther is no sign of progress on the main issue, namely to draw their border. UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellarmet met separately with Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz of Iraq and his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Velayati.
Today, a Shiite Muslim fundamentalist group released a videotape in which Terry A. Anderson, an American hostage held in Lebanon, appeals to the next American President to work for his release.
''Whichever candidate wins the elections, remember that the unyielding refusal to deal with this matter is not going to make it go away; it is not going to free us,'' said Anderson, chief Middle East correspondent of The Associated Press.
''Our problem could have been solved a long time ago without such complications as arms deals,'' Anderson said.
''I've been very close to being released several times over the past two years, but each time it seems that the U.S. Government uses its influence to stop any agreement of being made. And I don't understand this.''
NOTES AND REFERENCES
1.
Imad Chaaban aka Marten Imandi
2.
The Moghrabis: Terror as a Palestinian Family Business
3.
Mohamed Abu Talb
4.
The Goben Memorandum
5. See Lockerbie trial transcript p. 6005.
Lebanon Captive Tapes Plea to Next President - November 1, 1988
No Gain in New Gulf Talks - November 1, 1988
