Photo of KassarMonzer al-Kassar, born in Syria in 1945, is known as the "Prince of Marbella."
Kassar is married to a sister of Ali Issa Dubah, a former chief of Syrian intelligence, and a close associate of Rifat Assad, the brother of Syria's former President Hafez Assad.
Kassar is said to have been a CIA asset, involved with Colonel Oliver North and General Richard Secord. ('Confession of an Iranian Terror Czar')
Reportedly, Rifat Assad, 'the Syrian boss of the Lebanese heroin industry', and Monzer al-Kassar took over Lebanon's Bekaa Valley in 1975 with the help of the Syrian Army.
Allegedly, heroin was transported from the Bekaa Valley to the USA on PanAm flights with the help of Kassar and elements of the CIA. (If Not Megrahi Then Who Is Really Responsible (from The Herald ))
Kassar has been linked to the Lockerbie Bombing.
On board Pan Am 103, on 21 December 1988, were Major Charles McKee, of the the US Defence Intelligence Agency in Beirut, and Matthew Gannon, CIA Deputy Station Chief in Beirut.
McKie and his team had reportedly discovered evidence that a 'rogue' CIA unit called COREA, was involved in the drugs business with Monzar Al-Kassar. (Part XIX(D): AN IRAN-CONTRA/AL QAEDA READER, cont'd)
Reportedly Al-Kassar 'was part of the secret network run by US Lt. Colonel Oliver North.'
Outraged that COREA was doing business with a Syrian 'who made money from drugs, arms and terrorism', the McKee team reportedly 'decided to fly to CIA HQ in Virginia to expose COREA'.
They flew on Pan Am flight 103 which came down over Lockerbie.
It has been alleged that Kassar has received regular CIA money deposited to his credit at the Katherein Bank, Vienna (A/c No. 50307495) and at the Swiss Bank Corporation in Geneva (A/c No. 510230C-86). ('Confession of an Iranian Terror Czar')
Kassar is said to be a very major arms and drugs smuggler.
In 1987, investigations into the Iran-Contra scandal found that al-Kassar had been paid 1.5 million pounds by someone in the U.S. government to sell arms to Nicaraguan Contras. (Monzer al-Kassar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
In 1992, al-Kassar made arms sales in the millions of dollars to Croatia, Bosnia and Somalia, violating United Nations arms embargoes to all three countries.
According to the US Drugs Enforcement Agency, Al-Kassar imports 20 % of the heroin that comes to the United States. (FTR-109 Monzer Al-Kassar & Co)
In 1992, the Spanish government arrested Kassar for his alleged involvement in the Achille Lauro hijacking. In 1995, and he was found not guilty on all charges.
In July 2006, the government of Iraq placed Kassar at number 26 on their "most wanted" list, calling him one of the main suppliers for the Iraqi insurgents.
On 8 June 2007, the DEA (US Drug Enforcement Administration) announced the arrest in Spain of Monzer al Kassar. This was said to be linked to arms sales to rebels in Colombia.
Kassar was arrested just days before the Libyan convicted of the Lockerbie bombing was granted a second extraordinary appeal and 'just days after Blair went to Tripoli to negotiate a deal that would save him the embarrassment of a fresh appeal.' ('Confession of an Iranian Terror Czar')
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Aviation Terrorism and Security - Google Books Result
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