Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Arms transfers via Mirabel by the Americans to circumvent a ban, by Fabrice de Pierrebourg
Under the era of George W. Bush, the government of the United States has used Mirabel airport to ship in the greater discretion of weapons and ammunition to the monarchical dictatorship in Nepal to help crush the Maoist rebellion blood.
The following story, revealed by RueFrontenac.com is unclear. Nebula as all cases occurring in the universe opaque and murky network of arms sales.
This is further evidence that deliveries of arms to conflict zones warmer, whether initiated by states or traffickers shamelessly follow tortuous paths to muddy the waters, away from the curious, bypass embargoes or international treaties.
The actors, voluntary or involuntary, of this story worthy of a screenplay adventures are three states, several Canadian federal agencies, police, intelligence service and a former airline Bulgarian considered villainous. So many actors who lock themselves in a circumstance of silence when asked for explanations or comments.
The facts, as they are still carried by RueFrontenac.com, occurred at least twice during the summer and fall 2005. The last confirmed expedition took place at the end of October 2005.
The track of these weapons goes back to Maryland in the warehouse of a company that specializes in the packaging of dangerous goods or weak prior to shipment by air, land or sea. Founded by a veteran of Vietnam, it is one customers different official bodies, including the Department of Defense, the State Department and intelligence agencies.
How many times the company in question has intervened for the shipment of arms to Nepal or elsewhere via Canada? Unsurprisingly, the spokesman for the company declined to answer our questions because, says she, the identity of his client. "I can not reveal such information is confidential," she said.
From Maryland to Mirabel
At the end of October 2005, the first part of this long journey to Nepal was carried by road.
First step: Mirabel Airport. Protected by a sealed diplomatic, this shipment of weapons and ammunition had traveled under heavy guard. After the border of St. Bernard de Lacolle, there would have been escorted by agents from the Border Services Agency of Canada. The agency has also refused to issue a comment on this.
The plan provided that the lethal cargo would then be loaded immediately into the hold of an Antonov cargo plane belonging to the Bulgarian company Vega Airlines Ltd. A company in the roadmap lackluster, as you will see later.
Except at the end of October 2005, a grain of sand has slipped into gear, disrupting this scenario a priori perfect. For some reason, probably a permissions problem in formal Transport Canada, the Vega aircraft could land at the appointed hour. As result, it has been stored for a certain period of time the weapons and ammunition to their arrival in the United States. This was not without posing a serious security problem.
Emergency meeting
All this has not gone unnoticed by some on the tarmac at Mirabel. For its part, Aeroports de Montreal (ADM) had already been informed officially of setbacks. The regional representatives of relevant government authorities, that is to say, Transport Canada, RCMP, SQ and CSIS were in turn briefed. The case seemed so suspicious that these partners met to discuss the case as strange that embarrassing "felt the CIA," whispered in the corridors.
This event occurs when the scandal secret flights by the CIA to transport prisoners to countries subcontractor torture gathered momentum in the world. No wonder some people have even tried Mirabel examine more closely the contents of boxes loaded aboard the Antonov Bulgarian.
It was too late. Vega had succeeded in obtaining the necessary permits and had flown his plane in the Laurentians sky to its final destination. A long journey with stops in Gander, Shannon and Sofia.
ADM confirmed RueFrontenac.com these shipments of arms to a "foreign country". But contrary to claims not to have been "involved in the operation, while some binding procedures - and kept confidential - for special flights would otherwise be due to set in motion, we were told.
Anyway, this little trick has ceased thereafter.
A fierce repression
The case is emphasized when considering the political situation in Nepal at that time. Note that the local security forces had launched a brutal crackdown against the rebels of the Maoist Communist Party of Nepal. Several advocacy organizations Human Rights had repeatedly denounced the atrocities committed over the past decade.
In a report released in June 2005, Amnesty International denounced the "thousands of cases of arbitrary arrests, unacknowledged detentions, torture and" disappearances "attributed to security forces." He added: "The crisis of human rights has worsened in Nepal since 1 February when King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev has taken control of the executive."
Since the early 2000s, the United States, India, Great Britain and even China were among the main suppliers of weapons and ammunition Nepalese security forces. Following the complete takeover by King Gyanendra, India and the United Kingdom have decided to suspend all military aid to the government. On September 13, 2005, the spokesman of the Embassy of the United States in Kathmandu said that the Americans had just notify the Government of Nepal "> their intention to enforce the embargo and to suspend any provision of equipment which could cause death (lethal) as the situation would not be back to normal.
This was not the case in light of events in Mirabel few weeks later.
Unanswered questions
Today, many questions remain. Why, for example, have chosen Canada to ship weapons, ammunition and explosives to Nepal? Is there not enough airports in the United States? How many times has this happened?
We have joined the U.S. State Department to obtain more clarification. The agency has declined, suggesting RueFrontenac.com contact the Department of Defense ... who spent his tour and returned the ball in the State Department.
• In May 2006, Amnesty International and the organization TransArms denounced in a joint report that chain of illegal U.S. arms supply to Nepal. A road "very tortuous via Canada and Europe," we can read.
• The Antonov AN-12 Vega has also been seen several times on the tarmac at several Canadian airports, including July 8, 2005 in Hamilton.
(In collaboration with Valérie Dufour)
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Labels: Canada, Fabrice de Pierrebourg, Nepal, Terrorism, United States
# posted by Francis Chartrand @ 1:24 PM 
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