Who let security fail at Schiphol Airport and why?
Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, the University College London student from Nigeria accused of trying to detonate a mixed liquid-powder device on a Northwest Airlines/Delta Airbus 330, flight 253, as it approached Detroit from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on Christmas Day appears to have received some special treatment from security at the Amsterdam airport. The Mutallab case also resembles that of another attempted plane bombing, that of the hapless "shoe bomber" Richard Reid....Fool me once, twice, thrice, shame on you. Fool me a fourth time . . ..
It has also been revealed that Mutallab is the son of Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, the former chairman of First Bank of Nigeria. According to This Day of Lagos, the elder Mutallab claims he reported the extremist views of his son to Nigerian security agencies, as well as to the U.S. embassy in Abuja, yet no attempt was made to prevent the radically-inclined Nigerian student to board the plane in Schiphol. The attempted plane bomber was schooled at the British International School in Lome, Togo and attended college in London and moved to Egypt and Dubai. The elder Mutallab is a frequent visitor to the United States and he is married to a Yemeni woman. The elder Mutallab is also close to Nigerian President Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, who is recovering from an unspecified illness in Saudi Arabia. Mutallab and Yar'Adua are both members of the Old Boys Association of prestigious Barewa College, which counts among its members the elite of Nigeria, including former head of state Yakubu Gowon, former President Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, and Emir of Zazzau Alhaji Shehu Idris. Mutallab serves as the President of the Old Boys Association, seen as the "Eton of Nigeria."
There have been calls by the Nigerian opposition for the Vice President of Nigeria to assume presidential duties as required by the Constitution when the president is incapacitated.
The younger Mutallab has been linked to an "Al Qaeda" plot to destroy the American airplane over Detroit.
For a number of years, passengers at Schiphol flying to the United States have been subjected to intense grilling by security personnel linked to an Israeli firm. In fact, these procedures were in effect even prior to the 9/11 attacks and many were put into place after the Pan Am 103 bombing in December 1998. U.S.-bound passengers at Schiphol are asked a number of personal questions, including where they have stayed either in the Netherlands or in their country of origin. Hotel receipts are routinely requested by security personnel and the addresses of private temporary residences are recorded. Mutallab boarded a KLM flight in Lagos for Schiphol where he transited for his onward flight to Detroit on Northwest/Delta.
Six months prior to Reid's near shoe bombing of American Airlines flight 63 from Paris to Miami in December 2001, while memories of 9/11 were still fresh in everyone's mind, Reid attempted to board an El Al flight from Schiphol to Tel Aviv. Reid was taken aside by El Al security and identified as a terrorist suspect. Reid paid for a one-way ticket with cash and would not reveal what he planned to do in Israel. However, rather than turning Reid into Dutch security for further action, he was allowed to board the El Al flight by Israel's Shin Bet security so his movements during his five days in Israel could be monitored. Six months later, Reid attempted to ignite his shoe on the flight from Paris to Miami. Israel had not informed British, American, or any other security agency of the concerns about Reid. Reid's aunt, Claudette Lewis who raised Reid in south London, was quoted as saying she believed her nephew had been "brainwashed."
Reid later said El Al failed to detect that he had explosives in his shoes on the flight to Tel Aviv, an amazing revelation considering the Israeli airline's tight security.
The bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland; the attempted shoe bombing of American Airlines 63; and the near catastrophe involving NWA/Delta 253 while on final approach to Detroit all occurred on or around Christmas at the height of travel season.
The links between El Al security and Mossad are extremely close with abundant cross-pollination of senior personnel back and forth.
The security company that allowed Reid to board American Airlines 63 at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris was ICTS (International Consultants on Targeted Security) International. ICTS's senior management are all ex-Israeli security officials, many of whom worked for El Al security. In 2003, ICTS's chairman, Ezra Harel, and director Menachem Atzmon were detained and questioned by police in a criminal investigation of Harel's business dealings. Harel was accused of paying bribes to Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) director Dan Cohen, an Israeli attorney who subsequently fled to Peru, for a lucrative contract involving Harel's company Rogosin Industries and IEC. The illegal deals involved off-shore entities created by Cohen in the Channel Islands, Velsheda, CN, Cusley International Ltd. and APK Ltd. and Cobalt, an entity created by Harel to launder money through Bank Leumi in New York. Harel and Atzmon were also involved in a questionable deal in acquiring the port of Rostock, Germany through an entity called Kent Investment Holding Ltd. Atzmon operated through a number of entities, including Harmony Ventures, BV, Albemarle Investment, Ltd., and Seehafen Rostock, the company that was managing the operations of the port of Rostock.
ICTS's president was Lior Zouker. Zouker stepped down in 2004. Harel, who started ICTS in 1982, retired in 2003 and was replaced by Elie Housman. Harel, a U.S.-Israeli dual citizen, died shortly after retiring. Harel for years had used Delaware-based corporations to conduct his worldwide business activities while his Israeli banking partner, Atzmon, was based in Zurich.
It was ICTS that largely developed the passenger "profiling" procedures used at Schiphol and other airports around the world through its subsidiary, ICTS Holland Products BV.
A significant shareholder in ICTS is an entity called "Everest Special Situations Fund LP" of Platinum House, 21 Ha'arba'a St.. Tel Aviv. According to Securities and Exchange Commission filings, the Everest entity is also financially linked to Metro One Telecommunications of Beaverton, Oregon; Simon Worldwide, an advertising firm in Los Angeles; Gyrodyne of New York City, a non-residential building operator; and Concord Camera Corporation, which, significantly, was headquartered at 4000 Hollywood Boulevard, Presidential Circle, 6th Floor, North Tower, Hollywood, Florida. On September 11, 2008, SEC records show that Everest in Tel Aviv sent the following correspondence to Concord Camera's CEO and President Ira Lampert via Federal Express and fax:
"Dear Mr. Lampert: As you know Everest Special Situations Fund L.P. (we) owns approximately 7.29% of the outstanding capital stock of Concord Camera Corp. (Concord or the Company). During the past year, through multiple written letters, an in-person meeting and numerous telephone conference calls with management, we have expressed our deep concern over the future of the Company and provided our views on ways to maximize shareholder value. Unfortunately, despite your assurance that our serious concerns were being promptly addressed in a meaningful way, it appears our concerns and suggestions have fallen on deaf ears. The Company has not provided us with or implemented any substantive responses regarding the significant concerns we have raised, including:
| * | the Company's disastrous operational performance, including 17 consecutive quarters of losses; |
| * | the Chief Executive Officers excessive compensation; |
| * | the Company's significant holdings in illiquid auction rate securities and how it intends to liquidate these positions; and |
| * | the inadequate response of the Special Committee of the Board as to why after 2 years it still has not suggested any strategic alternatives for the Company. |
| * | management is looking to entrench itself and not pursue a liquidation; or |
| * | management is not capable in carrying out a liquidation. |
| Sincerely, |
| /s/ Elchanan Maoz |
| Elchanan Maoz |
| Everest Special Situations Fund L.P. |
On October 31, 2008, Concord Camera, which specialized in disposable cameras, announced its liquidation. According to Federal Election Commission records, Lampert, who appears as a trustee of the Mount Sinai Medical Center Foundation of Miami Beach, had contributed to the campaign of U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat who is strongly pro-Israel. Metro One had provided Directory Assistance Services for Nextel, Cingular Wireless, and AT&T Wireless. The following is an excerpt from a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) report on the suspicious pre-9/11 activities of Israeli "art students" in the United States:
"At approximately 1:26 am on 3/27/01, S/A's arrested Eran LIVNI, an Israeli male, Aran OFEK, and Israeli male, and Michal GAL, DOB 8/10/79, POB: Afula Israel, I&NS #A75-894-941, an Israel female in apartment 216. OFEK and GAL were recognized by FPS S/A Stokes as having been interviewed by FPS subsequent to attempting to sell paintings at the DEA Dallas F.D. on Regal Row. LIVNI admitted to the S/A's he had engaged in attempting to sell art. Also present in apartment 216 were Noam GAVRIEL an Israeli national, and Netta Kritzman, a U.S. citizen. Personal belongings were retrieved from apartment #259 for OFEK and GAL. Three other Israeli nationals were encountered in apartment 9259, however, they were not found to be in violation of I&NS status and not arrested (nor identified in the report).
AMDOCS is an Israeli communications software company, based in the U.S. at 1390 Timberlake Manor Parkway, Chesterfield (St. Louis), MO 63017-6041, telephone number 314-821-3242. AMDOCS is traded on the NYSE under DOX. On April 17, 2001, AMDOCS released a statement that he had signed a five-year outsourcing agreement with BellSouth. AMDOCS also lists an address of #1 Bell Plaza, St. Louis, Mo, which is the address for Bell South. AMDOCS also has a seven-year outsourcing agreement with Nextel Communications, a provider of digital wireless telecommunications services. Under this agreement, AMDOCS will provide Nextel with a comprehensive billing and customer care information software and support services. The president of AMDOCS in Texas is identified as Boaz DOTAN, address: 23 Abba Hillel, St. Ranat Gan, Israel. Treasurer is listed as Beverly A."WHITMAN, SSN: 400-88-4097. Secretary is listed as Gregory CHRISTOFFEL, SSN: 389-52-8560 at 91 Bell Plaza, St. Louis, MO.
Aran OFEK stated that his father was a retired two-star general in the Israeli Army. (NFI). (ISP note: Israel recently launched its 5th spy satellite, identified as the OFEK 5. It is unknown if the name of the satellite and these persons is related.)
Michal GAL was subsequently held on a $10,000 cash bond. The bond was placed by Ophir BAER, DOB: 11-11-56, an Israeli male on a nonimmigrant H1B1 class visa. BAER was petitioned to work in the U.S. by AMDOCS, Inc. on Sept. 7, 1999, which was valid from Dec 10, 1999 to Sept 30, 2002. The visa was issued in Tel Aviv. BAER listed his address as 7845 La Cabeza Drive, Dallas, TX 75248 with telephone numbers (home) 972-392-0473 and (work) 214-576-5741, SSN: 627-70-0979. BAER also is identified with an address of 1125 East Campbell Road, Richardson, TX. BAER's SSN is also identified with a John BAER and Annie BAER at the 7845 La Cabeza address. BAER stated he was a relative of GAL. On the bond papers, it was reflected that GAL would be staying at 22 Palisade Terrace, Edgewater, NJ 07020 Tel: 201-224-0797 / 210-310-3521. A cashier check #0001594012 from Bank of America in the amount of $ 10,000 was posted."
A number of the Israeli "art students," in addition to some of the alleged 9/11 Arab hijackers, also resided in Hollywood, Florida, the headquarters of Concord Camera, which attracted the ire of Everest Special Situations Fund exactly seven years to the day from the 9/11 attacks.
ICTS is also linked with Israeli espionage against the United States. An ICTS board member, retired Major General Amos Lapidot, served as commander of the Israeli Air Force and authorized Israeli Air Force Colonel Aviem Sella, operating under official cover at the Israeli Consulate General in New York, and Rafael Eitan, head of LAKAM, an Israeli military technical intelligence gatherer, to accept U.S. Navy intelligence official Jonathan Pollard's offer to spy for Israel.
ICTS International, headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands, is also involved in providing various security controls at Schiphol airport. ICTS has a major presence around the world in airport security with contracts at Hong Kong, Bangkok, Suva, Auckland, Singapore, Macau, Chicago O'Hare, London Gatwick, Newark, Los Angeles, and Belfast. In 1999, Detroit airport abruptly canceled its security contract with Argenbright Security Inc. and replaced it with Huntleigh of St. Louis. Huntleigh had recently been purchased by ICTS. In December 2001, Huntleigh/ICTS screeners at San Diego International Airport placed a dummy "test" grenade in the carry-on baggage of an unwitting Chicago-bound passenger. Huntleigh/ICTS also provided "security" at Boston's Logan Airport on September 11, 2001.
In June 2009, ICTS was reportedly teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and was attracting a number of potential buyers.
