Russia police nab Israeli wanted by Interpol for training militants

[Scurrilous]

Source: Haaretz

<snip>

"Russian police detained an Israeli man wanted by Interpol for training militants when he arrived at Moscow's Domodedovo airport, Russia's agency for fighting organized crime and terrorism reported Tuesday.

Yair Gal Klein, 61, had been sentenced in absentia to 10 years in jail by a Colombian court in 1991 for training militants for drug cartels in the late 1980s, the agency's spokesman said, citing intelligence reports.

Interpol had tipped off Russia's Interior Ministry that Klein could attempt to travel to Moscow in August. He was detained when he arrived at the airport on Monday.

"To get through passport controls in many countries without any difficulties, he changed the date of birth, his surname and the passport number," the spokesman said."



Read more: http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/898286.html

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From the archives:

Colombia seeks Israelis accused of training death squads (Apr-03-07)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2792652

[Judi Lynn]

1. Ha ha ha! Haaaretz seems to have very little awareness of this guy. It's all a mystery!

Thanks for finding the previous material posted when his name came up earlier this year. It truly seemed he had found his way right back down into the underworld, and had successfully found a way to slip in and out all over the world without detection.

&w=395">~~~~ click for photo ~~~~

Yair Gal Klein

Here's an article published in the International Herald Tribune on the event:

Reports: Israeli wanted in Colombia on terror-related charges detained at Moscow airport
The Associated Press
Published: August 28, 2007

MOSCOW: A former Israeli army officer wanted in Colombia on terror-related charges has been detained at a Moscow airport, Russian media reported Tuesday.

The Israeli is suspected of involvement in training militants for drug cartels in Colombia in the late 1980s, according to the Interfax and RIA-Novosti news agencies and Channel One television, which cited unidentified law enforcement officials.

The Moscow air and water transport police confirmed that an Israeli was recently detained at the capital's Domodedovo airport, but declined to provide details.
(snip)

Yair Klein and the other two Israelis are accused of helping set up training camps to teach private armies working for Colombian drug lords Pablo Escobar and Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha about explosives, car bombs and high-profile killings. The armies later morphed into Colombia's right-wing death squads.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/28/europe/EU-GEN-Russia-Suspect-Detained.php

[Judi Lynn]

2. Found an article in the Russian Regnum news:

Israeli citizen with long criminal record detained in Moscow airport

An Israeli citizen detained by Russian Interior Ministry, Federal Security Service and Moscow Criminal Investigation Department Yair Gal Klein will be first extradited to Israel and then to Colombia, a REGNUM correspondent is told by a source at the Russian Interior Ministry.

A former commando of the Israeli Armed Forces, now a retired lieutenant-colonel, the man has a long criminal record. In 1980s, he trained militants for the Colombian mafia; on January 13, 2000, he was arrested in Accra and spent 16 month in prison in Sierra Leone for being involved in an arms trafficking deal. In 1991, he was sentenced by a Colombian court to ten-year imprisonment for training militants, but escaped justice. Under reports, given by the former commando, he was hired by the Cuban defense ministry to train guards for the banana industry. However, later, his students took part in the most defiant operation of Colombian mafia that abruptly resists the government.
(snip/...)

http://www.regnum.ru/english/876548.html

[Judi Lynn]

3. Pravda: Israeli wanted in Colombia detained at Moscow airport

Israeli wanted in Colombia detained at Moscow airport
Front page / Russia
08/28/2007 09:26 Source: AP ©

Russian authorities have detained a former Israeli army officer wanted in Colombia on terror-related charges at a Moscow airport.

The Israeli is suspected of involvement in training militants for drug cartels in Colombia in the late 1980s, according to the Interfax and RIA-Novosti news agencies and Channel One television, which cited unidentified law enforcement officials.

The Moscow air and water transport police confirmed that an Israeli was recently detained at the capital's Domodedovo airport, but declined to provide details.

Interfax and Channel One said the man's last name was Klein but gave different first names.

In April, Interpol issued an international arrest warrant for Yair Klein, a former lieutenant colonel in the Israeli army, and two other Israelis accused of training private armies of Colombian drug cartels and right-wing death squads. They face nearly 11 years in prison if convicted on charges of criminal conspiracy and instruction in terrorism, Colombia's domestic intelligence agency said at the time.

http://english.pravda.ru/news/russia/28-08-2007/96409-israeli_detained-0

[Scurrilous]

4. Colombia to seek extradition of Israeli who trained paramilitaries

<snip>

"Colombia said Tuesday it would seek the extradition of a former Israel Defense Forces officer convicted of training paramilitaries in the Andean country, who was arrested Monday by Russian police at Moscow's Domodedovo airport.

Yair Klein, 61, was sentenced in 2001 in absentia to 10 years in jail by a Colombian court for training recruits for paramilitaries in their brutal campaign to counter Latin America's oldest left-wing rebel insurgency.

Colombian Foreign Minister Fernando Araujo said the government would ask that Klein be extradited to carry out his sentence in the Andean country, where the disarming of illegal paramilitaries has helped ease violence.

"Colombia's government is going to make a formal petition to the Russian Foreign Ministry, so he is sent here to pay his sentence," Araujo said."

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/898426.html

[Judi Lynn]

5. L.A.Times: Colombia to seek Israeli's extradition

Colombia to seek Israeli's extradition

Yair Klein, arrested in Russia, has been convicted of training paramilitary groups in terrorism.
By Chris Kraul, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 29, 2007

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA -- The Colombian government will seek the extradition of a former Israeli army commando arrested Monday in Moscow on charges stemming from his alleged private training of Colombian paramilitary groups in the 1980s, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The arrest of Yair Klein by Russian police followed a tip from Colombian authorities, Foreign Minister Fernando Araujo told reporters. The Russians arrested Klein, 61, on an international warrant. Klein had been traveling with a false passport, the Reuters news agency reported.

In 2001, Klein was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in jail by a judge in Manizales on charges of having trained paramilitary armies in terrorist "techniques and tactics," Araujo said.

Klein has acknowledged in interviews with Colombian news media that he trained paramilitary groups from 1987 to 1989, but said he taught only self-defense methods. He has maintained that the Colombian armed forces were aware of his presence and that he broke no laws.

Prosecutors said he taught offensive tactics, including the use of explosives and firearms. Colombian law prohibits contact with guerrilla or paramilitary groups.

Mauricio Romero, a Javeriana University professor and expert on Colombian paramilitary groups, said he believed Klein also instructed the private armies of the Medellin drug cartel, and may have been partially responsible for a wave of killings, including those of several presidential candidates in 1989 and 1990.

More:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-colombia29aug29,1,2074509.story?coll=la-news-a_section