RAMALLAH Ñ Israeli military sources said documents and material found in the
Ramallah office of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat point to weapons and material
either sent or modified by Baghdad and Teheran. The weapons and material
were apparently smuggled in Arafat's helicopter during his
frequent trips abroad, the sources said.
The material found in Arafat's headquarters also raised the prospect that the
PA are preparing to develop chemical weapons. The sources said
the material confirms documents that referred to plans to research and
develop biological and chemical weapons.
Among the weapons found in Arafat's compound were rocket-propelled
launchers of Soviet origin, Middle East Newsline reported.
The RPGs were modified by Iraq to increase their
range.
Iranian weapons were also found in the PA offices. The sources said these
included Iranian-produced anti-tank rocket grenades.
The nonconventional material found in Arafat's headquarters included
several liters of
bromine. Bromine is highly volatile and poisonous and a small amount could
kill people in a closed area.
The Israeli Ma'ariv daily reported on April 19 that Israeli forces found
the bromine buried in a sandbox. The chemical was evacuated by the
military's Technological and Logistics unit.