Israeli mercenary Yair Klein trained paramilitary 'with the approval of the Colombian authorities' .
Israeli mercenary Yair Klein trained paramilitary 'with the approval of the Colombian authorities' .
Monday, 26 March 2012 12:04
Brandon Barrett
Israeli mercenary Yair Klein claimed his arrival in Colombia in the 1980's to train paramilitary groups was undertaken with the approval of Colombian and Israeli authorities, reported local media.
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The mercenary is suspected of training the death squads of the AUC paramilitary group,as well as militias working for Pablo Escobar's infamous Medellin drug cartel. Klein could neither "confirm nor deny" whether he received drug money for his efforts in the interview with Behar.
Klein was convicted in absentia in a Colombian court in 2001 on charges of conspiracy and the illegal formation of a paramilitary group, for which he was sentenced to ten years.
Interpol issued an international arrest warrant in 2007 for Klein and two Israeli collaborators on charges of conspiracy and training a terrorist group. He was arrested in Russia soon after, and awaited extradition to Colombia for three years. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) blocked his extradition for fears of his safety in Colombian prison. The Kremlin then decided to return him to his native country in exchange for a Russian prisoner arrested in Israel.
More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/23071-israeli-mercenary-yair-klein-trained-paramilitary-with-the-approval-of-the-colombian-authorities.html
