Implausible Deniability
"[Conspirators dressed in police uniforms were to have opened fire within the crowd] so that citizens would think that the official police are shooting at them."
"Had it been executed, such a scenario would have had an unforeseeable consequence."
"We don’t have any evidence that the state of Russia is involved in any
sense . . . but we have evidence that two nationalists from Russia were
organizers."
"[Plotters, including Montenegrins, Serbians and Russians, had planned for 500 people to enter Montenegro on election night to] cause violence ... and hire professional sharpshooters to kill the prime minister. The plan was to stop Montenegro on its Euro-Atlantic path, especially to prevent it from entering NATO."
Milivoje Katnic, special prosecutor, Montenegro
Darko Vojinovic / Associated Press In
this Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016 file photo, Montenegrin police officers
escort people suspected of planning armed attacks after the
parliamentary vote in Podgorica, Montenegro
Montenegro is in line for acceptance into NATO; it has many sponsors from among the current 28 membership prepared to approve its inclusion into this mutual protection society. The country also aspires to join the European Union. As do many of the Soviet Union's former close allies and satellites, much to Russia's chagrin. Understandable in good part, since East Europe is Russia's geographic bailiwick and the incursion of a presence it views as hostile to its interests such as NATO, is galling to them.
The Kremlin's interference in the business of other nations in its near abroad, where it feels entitled to be involved in manipulating their allegiances has become legendary. Moscow's fingers can be seen in cyber-interference even in the far-abroad, having made its indelible impression on the recently-concluded U.S. presidential race. President Putin's obvious annoyance with Europe and with NATO in involving themselves in Russia's plans to endear itself to Ukraine and the Baltic States has backfired with crippling economic sanctions at a time when Russia's finances have been doubly compromised with low oil and gas returns.
And now, Montenegro seems prepared to indict a Russian intelligence officer whom it sees as the mastermind behind a coup plot meant to apprehend the small nation from joining NATO. An officer with Russia's KGB replacement, the GRU military intelligence service, has now been accused of operating a network of Serbian and Russian nationalists and paramilitaries plotting to assassinate Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.
Darko Vojinovic / Associated Press Milo Djukanovic in a file photo
These revelations result not only from the investigative intelligence of Montenegro itself, but with the added assistance of both British and American intelligence agencies, involved in getting to the bottom of the conspiracy. A second Russian GRU operative has been identified; Vladimir Popov is also being sought for apprehension by Montenegrin authorities. In all, Montenegro plans to indict 24 people involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Mr. Djukanovic and create chaos in the country.
The plot, evidently, was coordinated in Serbia by Sismakov and Popov. Warrants for both men have been issued by Interpol, but since the Russian constitution does not permit its citizens to be extradited, the Montenegrins may have their work cut out for them, particularly since the Kremlin has denied any culpability in the alleged plot. But it cannot be happy with the imminence of Montenegro joining NATO, since that event would shut it out of a military port on the Adriatic.
According to prosecutor Katnic,
"Russian state bodies" have been implicated in the assassination plot. On the cusp of the parliamentary elections 20 people were arrested before their plan to mingle with opposition protesters at the parliament building in Podgorica was foiled. Had the plan succeeded it would have been because the plotters were meant to force their way into the parliament while dressed in police uniforms, they would have fired on the crowd, and shot Mr. Djukanovic dead.
Labels: Conspiracy, Montenegro, NATO, Russia
Iran's Deft Hand In Atrocities
"After 21 years of no justice, deception and defrauding the families (of victims) we hope that the truth will emerge about everyone who plotted to cover up and derail the investigation."
Olga Degtiar, Buenos Aires
 |
| Aftermath of the 1994 explosion in Buenos Aires (AP) |
The trial of former president of Argentina, Carlos Menem, along with a former top judge and other officials has begun. The sad thing about this trial which seeks to establish the guilt of the accused for derailing the criminal investigation decades earlier into Argentina's worst terrorist attack that killed 85 people and injured hundreds more, is that the one individual who had worked longest, was most determined despite death threats to uncover details of the plot, was murdered mysteriously in January.
But prosecutor Alberto Nisman laid the groundwork and doggedly pursued all leads to gather the evidence that he was certain would establish the guilt of the 13 individuals he charged, including Mr. Menem, of conspiracy with Iran to deflect suspicion from the Islamic Republic of a dreadful carnage-ridden attack on the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association in 1994. He also accused the present Argentinian authorities of continuing the cover-up of Iran's, Hezbollah's and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad's involvement.
Alberto Nisman gives a news conference in Buenos Aires on May 20, 2009. (AFP/Juan Mabromata)
Prosecutors hold that Iranian authorities were responsible for the bombing, a powerful blast that collapsed the organization's main building, leaving hundreds of people injured in the rubble, and 85 dead. Popular belief among Argentines is that the event's deliberate mishandling and criminal state-figure involvement represents the epitome of an inept and corrupt justice system that reflects the whims of manipulative politicians.
Those on trial include two former prosecutors, a former top intelligence official, former police officers, a Jewish community leader and a mechanic, who was the owner of the truck that carried the powerful explosives. How and why Mr. Menem and those others involved reached their decision to bury the investigation will remain the focus of the trial. The 1990s geopolitics are at the crux of the situation.
And Mr. Menem's ancestry as one born of Syrian parents will be probed. Iran and the militant group Hezbollah have long been accused of being the force behind the atrocity. Interpol's red-alert list continues to list several Iranian officials related to the event, despite Iran's denial of involvement. The argument forwarded by Prosecutor Sabrina Namer will be that former justice Juan Jose Galeano halted the investigation of a
"Syrian trail" implicating Syrian-born Alberta Kanoore Edul.
Authorities had discovered that Mr. Edul had telephoned the mechanic who owned the truck that had held the explosives, Carlos Telleldin, days before the attack. Mr. Edul's parents just happened to have an enduring personal relationship with the Menem family and he had the telephone number of Moshen Rabbani, a cultural attache at the Iranian Embassy in Buenos Aires, in his planner.
As circumstantial evidence goes, the interrelationship between all these critical figures simply cannot have been a mere coincidence. Prosecutors accuse Mr. Rabbani of having masterminded the atrocity and his extradition continues to be sought. Judge Galeano predictably denies having received orders relating to the attack from Mr. Menem.
But there was a 1996 payment of $400,000 to the owner of the truck and Judge Galeano had negotiated the payment issued from the Secretary of State Intelligence spy agency. Purportedly the money was used to convince Mr. Telleldin to inform to whom his truck had been entrusted. He implicated several police officers of the Buenos Aires province, discredited by corruption scandals.
Labels: Argentina, Atrocity, Conspiracy, Iran
