
Newly released RFK assassination files reveal curiosity and concern over Sirhan Sirhan's Palestinian roots
Newly unclassified documents have piqued interest in Sirhan Sirhan, the Christian Palestinian who emigrated from Jordan to the US and later assassinated presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy. Some of the many previously classified documents released on Friday show a scramble by US investigators, lawyers, reporters and others to learn anything and everything about Sirhan's Palestinian background before his move to the US in 1956 at the age of 12. Several weeks ago, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard touted the release of documents related to the 1968 assassination that had been 'sitting in boxes for decades'. In just one of the thousands of pages of previously redacted documents that have been released, a letter from a lawyer addressed to the then US secretary of state Dean Rusk expresses concern about Sirhan's political motives based on his Palestinian background. Investigations by the Los Angeles Police Department and FBI indicated speeches given by Mr Kennedy on the campaign trail in support of Israel fuelled Sirhan's motivation that night in June, after RFK won the 1968 California Democratic primary in his pursuit of the White House. 'RFK must die,' he wrote over and over in a diary found by investigators. Friends and acquaintances of Sirhan also said at the time that he had became obsessed with RFK due to his stance on Israel, with the killer frequently and overtly expressing anger. 'Many Arabs like Sirhan have been misled to believe that Israel is the enemy and the cause of their enslavement and poverty,' reads the letter from the attorney based in Detroit, Michigan. 'This Nazi-type of propaganda has led many irrational acts of violence and tragic murders similar to the recent Kennedy assassination,' the letter continues, adding that the guilt for RFK's assassination also sits with 'those who triggered Sirhan's mind to act and caused him to suffer from irrational impulses.' Another recently unclassified document details a reporter, Salah Abd as-Samad, who met Sirhan's father in Amman, Jordan, shortly after his son was accused of shooting RFK. 'I believe that the imbalance in Senator Kennedy's speeches while electioneering for the presidency was the primary cause of what happened,' the reporter recounted Sirhan's father as saying during an interview. 'This is what pushed my son to act as he did. Had the late senator been reserved and merely called for peace in the Middle East, nothing would have happened.' The new information is the latest in a series of recent developments which have thrust Sirhan back into the public consciousness. Just before the release of new documents related to RFK's assassination, Sirhan's lawyer Angela Berry said she was forced to speak out about her client, in part because of how he was mentioned in a statement by Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who she claimed used Sirhan's situation to justify his attempts to keep Erik and Lyle Menendez in prison. The brothers, who shot and killed their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, in the family's Beverly Hills mansion in 1989, have been appealing against their life sentence for years. Renewed interest in that case has caused a groundswell of support to review the case and potentially grant the brothers parole. Mr Hochman said that while Sirhan accepted responsibility for killing RFK, the Menendez brothers never apologised for their crime. 'If Sirhan remains an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety, then so, too, do the Menendez brothers – who have never come fully clean of their lies in over 30 years,' Mr Hochman told celebrity news site TMZ. Those comments annoyed Sirhan's lawyer, who has been working towards parole for her client. 'On multiple occasions, my client has said that he doesn't remember shooting Robert F Kennedy,' Ms Berry told The National in a phone interview. Sirhan was granted parole in 2021 but ultimately that decision was overturned by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who said the assassination was one of the most notorious crimes in US history. Sirhan was denied parole in 2023, his 17th unsuccessful attempt. His lawyer said Mr Hochman's comments reinforced many misconceptions about what her client did and did not say in the years since RFK's death. 'I am of the strong opinion that it's a poor comparison,' she said, reaffirming her claim that Sirhan did not remember the assassination so could not confess to the crime. 'It's disingenuous and feeds into this false narrative that's built up over the last 50 years.' During interrogations shortly after RFK's assassination in 1968 and in several outbursts throughout the trial the following year, records show Sirhan did confess several times. Yet despite the confessions, evidence and ultimate conviction, a cottage industry of conspiracy theories has fuelled considerable speculation about who killed Mr Kennedy. Many insist there was a second shooter, with others implying Sirhan had been hypnotised to commit the act. Making matters more complicated, throughout the years Sirhan has also flip-flopped on his confessions, occasionally claiming that he didn't remember the assassination, while at the same time expressing remorse for Mr Kennedy's death. In 2019, he was stabbed in prison by an inmate but recovered. Now 81, Sirhan's diminished mental state has further clouded his memory and added to the uncertainty over whether or not his words are genuine. Amid the doubt, alternative narratives have continued to flourish. In his book that seeks to debunk the conspiracy theories, The Forgotten Terrorist: Sirhan Sirhan and the Assassination of Robert F Kennedy, author Mel Ayton does not mince words. 'Despite the overwhelming evidence against Sirhan, some conspiracy advocates use tactics similar to those used by OJ Simpson's defence team – eg, discrediting witnesses, pouring scorn on scientific evidence and otherwise building a smokescreen to hide the assassin's guilt – to allege that Sirhan is innocent,' one passage says. In an email to The National just before the new Sirhan documents were released by the US government, Mr Ayton speculated about what to expect. 'There will likely be information from the CIA about intelligence inquiries regarding possible Sirhan Middle East connections. There were none – apart from information about extended family members who lived in the West Bank,' he wrote. 'We'll also likely learn more about the FBI and LAPD's methods of surveillance (after the assassination)'. During a recent interview with comedian and commentator Bill Maher, Robert F Kennedy Jr, son of RFK, said he believed Sirhan was involved in the murder but did not fire the shots. He also claimed he visited Sirhan in a California prison and that after the meeting he became convinced there was another shooter who killed his father. Since the interview on Maher's show, Mr Kennedy Jr has been appointed Health Secretary in US President Donald Trump's administration. Ms Berry said Mr Kennedy Jr, in his new position, could try to exert pressure to obtain parole for Sirhan, although the odds of success are limited. Because it is not a federal case, there is little Mr Trump could do if he became involved. 'It's not a federal issue, it's a state issue, and it's up to those in charge in California,' she said. In January, Mr Trump signed an executive order directing US intelligence agencies to release previously withheld files connected to the assassinations of Robert F Kennedy, and those of John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Amid much anticipation, files relating to the JFK assassination were released last month but failed to unveil any game-changing discoveries. In an interview with The National, award-winning investigative journalist and author Dan Moldea said he doubted anything of significance would come to light from the release of more RFK assassination documents, although he had yet to go through the documents at the time of the interview. 'I'm sure there will be new things that have come out that are interesting but nothing that's going to determine that Sirhan didn't do it,' he said. Mr Moldea, who wrote the book The Killing of Robert F Kennedy, dismissed claims made by some that more bullets were fired during the assassination than Sirhan's gun could hold. 'The initial FBI report was wrong,' he said. Incorrect and rushed assessments of the crime scene had misidentified what investigators thought were bullet holes, he added. He said irresponsible reporting on the assassination, coupled with Mr Kennedy Jr's recent claims, have 'created a QAnon, pro-Sirhan Sirhan cult' that pushes for his release from prison. 'What RFK Jr has done is irresponsible and the damage he has done by resurrecting all of this, when we thought it was all put to bed, is also irresponsible,' Mr Moldea said. Regardless of what the new documents reveal, there is already a significant amount of information on RFK's assassination and Sirhan in the public domain, readily accessible through the US National Archives. Additionally, the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, has what it describes as 'the world's largest, most complete compilation of materials' related to the killing. Its collection contains manuscripts, photographs, audio interviews, videos, news clippings and research notes complied by various contributors and journalists, as well as documents obtained from the US government. Meanwhile, the fascination with Sirhan and RFK's assassination shows no sign of diminishing. But as the theories continue to circulate, Sirhan has remained in prison for 56 years. He will next be eligible for a parole board hearing in 2027.
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Middle East Eye
8 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
‘Popular Forces': Who are the Gaza gangsters being armed by Israel?
In a small area of land in Rafah, a new group has emerged from the shadows of Israel's war on the Palestinian enclave. Led by drug smugglers, aid looters and militants linked to groups across the border in Egypt, Popular Forces, as they call themselves, have been exercising their power in southern Gaza, under gang leader and former prisoner Yasser Abu Shabab. Last month, the group created a new Facebook page, with slick videos and a new logo. The marketing drive coincided with Israel admitting to arming Abu Shabab's gang, in what appears to be an attempt to sow chaos and embolden anti-Hamas elements in Gaza. Middle East Eye takes a look at Abu Shabab, his associates, and why Israel has chosen to lend its support. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Who is Yasser Abu Shabab? Yasser Abu Shabab, born in eastern Rafah in the early 1990s, hails from the influential Tarabin Bedouin tribe, which stretches across the Sinai, Gaza and southern Israel. He dropped out of school at an early age, building a reputation for trafficking cigarettes, hashish and psychoactive drugs through tunnels and crossings into Gaza. Family members say he smuggled items from Egypt and Israel. In 2015, Hamas detained Abu Shabab on drug trafficking charges and eventually sentenced him to 25 years in prison. But in October 2023, during the early days of the war on Gaza, Abu Shabab escaped the Asda prison in western Khan Younis, amid Israeli bombardment. The circumstances around his escape remain murky. What have his gang been doing during the war? Following their escape, Abu Shabab and his allies assembled a few hundred men and called themselves the Popular Forces in Arabic. The group exerts control over an area of southern Gaza near the Kerem Shalom crossing, which connects Gaza, Israel and Egypt. Abu Shabab has said he leads 'a group of citizens from this community who have volunteered to protect humanitarian aid from looting and corruption'. On Facebook, the group describes itself as "a voice of truth against terrorism for a safe homeland for all". 'Their utility lies in their ability to destabilise Hamas from within' – Andreas Krieg, security expert A leaked UN memo described their base as a 'military-like compound' in a zone 'restricted, controlled and patrolled' by Israeli forces. According to Muhammad Shehada, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, Abu Shabab's gang is engaged in several activities. These include, he writes, looting UN aid and selling some of it on the black market; carrying out reconnaissance missions on behalf of Israeli authorities; and acting as a proxy militia for Israel in areas that it has depopulated. It has also been accused of cooperating with the controversial Israel and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). An unnamed diplomatic official told CNN that the GHF, whether directly or indirectly, had contact with Abu Shabab. The scandal-ridden GHF has denied any involvement. 'We do have local Palestinian workers we are very proud of, but none is armed and they do not belong to Abu Shabab's organisation,' it said. In November, Abu Shabab admitted that his men had raided a few trucks. 'We are taking trucks so we can eat, not so we can sell,' he said. 'Every hungry person is taking aid.' Several truck drivers have accused Abu Shabab's forces of intercepting aid deliveries and forcing them to unload goods. There were reports in early May that Israeli forces attacked shop owners and police officers who were attempting to protect shops from looting and chaos caused by the gangsters. Asaad al-Kafarna, a police officer in Gaza, was killed by Israeli forces near a restaurant on 2 May after pursuing gangsters accused of looting and collaborating with Israel's military. How are the gang linked to Islamic State? Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli opposition politician, recently said that Abu Shabab and his forces were connected to the Islamic State group, or Isis (IS). Andreas Krieg, an academic at King's College London and an expert on security, told MEE: "While some individuals from the tribe have been involved in smuggling and, in some cases, collaborated with Sinai-based Isis affiliates, the tribe itself is not ideologically aligned with jihadist groups. 'In fact, many Tarabin members in Sinai have fought against Isis alongside the Egyptian military.' Key figures in Abu Shabab's groups have longstanding links with militant groups. One of them, Issam al-Nabahin, joined the Sinai chapter of IS in the mid-2010s. A damaged building in northern Sinai, Egypt in January 2015, where at least 30 soldiers and police officers were killed by Islamic State-allied groups (Reuters) According to media reports, he was part of a group of Palestinians who fought in the insurgency against Egypt's army, and were involved in the killing of civilians. Hamas and Egypt cooperated to arrest and kill the militants, but Nabahin evaded capture. Nabahin re-emerged in 2023, when Hamas arrested him and sentenced him to death. But he escaped before his execution and has since resurfaced as part of Abu Shabab's forces. Another senior figure in the Popular Forces is Ghassan al-Dahini. He was formerly an official in the Army of Islam, a Palestinian group allied with IS in Sinai. He reportedly managed smuggling and communications between the Army of Islam and militant groups in Sinai. Dahini has been arrested at least twice by Hamas police in Gaza. During one arrest attempt, he killed a Palestinian policeman. He, like Nabahin and Abu Shabab, escaped imprisonment following the outbreak of Israel's war. He now serves as the deputy of the Popular Forces. Why is Israel arming these gangsters? Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has admitted to arming Abu Shabab's gang. '"We made use of clans in Gaza that are opposed to Hamas… What's wrong with that?' he said in a post on X last week. "It's only good. It saves the lives of Israeli soldiers." The gangs have been armed with Kalashnikovs and pistols that were taken by Israeli forces from Hamas and Hezbollah, according to Maariv. Israel's Shin Bet security service, Maariv reported, suggested that even if Abu Shabab were to turn around and point the weapons towards Israel, the effect would be negligible. Krieg said that it was a 'calculated strategy' to reduce Israel's military and administrative burden in Gaza by 'cultivating local surrogate actors'. 'By leveraging tribal networks and local knowledge, groups like the Popular Forces enable Israel to exert indirect control while avoiding the reputational and operational costs of reoccupation,' he said. What has been the impact on Hamas? Krieg said that the presence of the Popular Front forces Hamas to fight on multiple fronts, undermining its monopoly on coercive power. 'Although the Popular Forces lack popular legitimacy and are widely seen as criminal collaborators, their utility lies in their ability to destabilise Hamas from within,' said Krieg. Israeli troops in Rafah, southern Gaza, in October 2024 (Israeli Army handout/AFP) Hamas has killed at least 50 members of Abu Shabab's forces, the group said earlier this week. Ynet reported that Abu Shabab's militia had killed six members of Hamas' 'Arrow' unit, which is responsible for targeting collaborators with Israel. Israeli media also reported that an Israeli drone strike targeted Hamas fighters while they were clashing with members of Abu Shabab's militia. Do the Popular Forces have support beyond Israel? It is not immediately clear if the gang has other external backers. Since May, the group has created social media accounts and posted professionally produced propaganda videos, which may have been made with outside help. Israel cuts Gaza internet as dozens more aid seekers killed Read More » 'While direct evidence of regional sponsorship is lacking, there are suggestive indicators,' said Krieg. One of Abu Shabab's militiamen was recently pictured driving a vehicle with an Emirati number plate, 'an unusual and conspicuous detail in the context of besieged Gaza,' according to Krieg. 'This, combined with his group's anti-Hamas posture, has fuelled speculation that actors aligned with the UAE, which has a well-documented history of supporting anti-Islamist surrogates in Libya, Yemen and Sudan, may be involved indirectly,' he said. There is no direct evidence of UAE backing. A Palestinian official told i24news that an adviser to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was directly communicating with the gang. Abu Shabab's gang has said that it is working under the umbrella of 'Palestinian legitimacy', a phrase often used by leaders of Fatah, who are longstanding rivals of Hamas. PA spokesperson Anwar Rajab has denied any connection between the PA and Abu Shabab. Will the Popular Front have a post-war role? As things stand, it appears unlikely that the Popular Forces will play any serious long-term role in Gaza after the war. Military sources told Maariv that Israeli support was only part of a short-term tactical move. 'These gangs cannot be a substitute for a long-term strategic plan. As an alternative to Hamas, a move must be built with countries in the region that will build a governing structure that will replace Hamas," one source said. 'Israel has a long track record of inadvertently creating surrogate Frankenstein monsters' – Andreas Krieg, security expert According to Krieg, the militia is too small, criminally tainted and politically toxic to serve as a viable governing force. 'Their limited size and lack of legitimacy among Palestinians, compounded by their open collaboration with Israeli forces, render them structurally incapable of administering territory or managing civil affairs in a sustainable way,' he said. Krieg added that Israel had no incentive to formalise relations with a group whose existence could disrupt broader diplomatic efforts with Arab states. 'But Israel has a long track record of inadvertently creating surrogate Frankenstein monsters in the short-term that then develop lives of their own.'


Gulf Today
9 hours ago
- Gulf Today
UN to vote on resolution demanding Gaza ceasefire, hostage release and aid access
The UN General Assembly is expected to vote on Thursday on a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and the opening of all Israeli border crossings for deliveries of desperately needed food and other aid. The resolution, drafted by Spain and obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, "strongly condemns any use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.' Experts and human rights workers say hunger is widespread in Gaza and some 2 million Palestinians are at risk of famine if Israel does not fully lift its blockade and halt its military campaign, which it renewed in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas. Last week, the UN Security Council failed to pass a resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and calling on Israel to lift all restrictions on the delivery of aid. The United States vetoed the resolution because it was not linked to the release of the hostages, while all 14 other members of the council voted in favour. UN members vote on a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza at UN headquarters in New York City. AFP There are no vetoes in the 193-member General Assembly, where the resolution is expected to pass overwhelmingly. But unlike in the Security Council, assembly resolutions are not legally binding, though they are seen as a barometer of world opinion. After a 10-week blockade that barred all aid to Gaza, Israel is allowing the United Nations to deliver a trickle of food assistance and is backing a newly created US aid group, which has opened several sites in the center and south of the territory to deliver food parcels. But the aid system rolled out last month by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been troubled by near-daily shootings as crowds make their way to aid sites, while the longstanding UN-run system has struggled to deliver food because of Israeli restrictions and a breakdown of law and order. Palestinian children wait for food at a distribution point in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, on Wednesday. AFP The draft resolution being voted on Thursday references a March 28 legally binding order by the top United Nations court for Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza for food, water, fuel and other supplies. The International Court of Justice issued the order in a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of acts of genocide in its war in Gaza, charges Israel strongly denies. The resolution stresses that Israel, as an occupying power, has an obligation under international law to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those in need. It reiterates the assembly's commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the Gaza Strip as part of a Palestinian state. The assembly is holding a high-level meeting next week to push for a two-state solution, which Israel has rejected. Displaced Palestinians walk past the ruins of destroyed buildings along the Gaza City shoreline. File/AP The resolution supports mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United States aimed at implementing a January ceasefire agreement. When the US vetoed last week's Gaza resolution, acting Ambassador Dorothy Shea said it would have undermined the security of Israel and diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire "that reflects the realities on the ground.' Like the failed Security Council resolution, the resolution to be voted on Thursday also does not condemn Hamas' deadly attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited the war, or say the group must disarm and withdraw from Gaza. Both are US demands. Mourners react during the funeral of a Palestinian killed, in what the Gaza health ministry says was Israeli fire near a distribution centre in Rafah. File/Reuters The Hamas-led fighters killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostage. About 55 hostages are still being held. Israel's military campaign has killed over 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It says women and children make up most of the dead, but doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 20,000 fighters, without providing evidence. Associated Press


Middle East Eye
13 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
UK defence ministry 'currently' training Israeli army personnel
The UK is "currently" involved in training members of the Israeli army on British soil, according to Ministry of Defence officials. In response to a question from a Labour MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces admitted the training was ongoing despite government concerns over Israel's assault on Gaza. "As part of routine defence engagement with Israel, the UK is currently training a limited number of Israeli Defence Forces personnel on UK-based training courses," Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said on Wednesday. The UK has been largely supportive of Israel during its war on Gaza, which began in October 2023. This is despite allegations of genocide and war crimes committed by Israeli soldiers against Palestinian civilians. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel's war on Gaza, which several countries, as well as many international rights groups and experts, now qualify as an act of 'genocide'. In recent months the government has become more critical in its rhetoric towards its erstwhile ally, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer pronouncing Israel's aid blockade on Gaza 'intolerable". Israeli military officials say there are no restrictions on bombing Gaza homes Read More » Britain's foreign ministry announced on Tuesday that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir would be banned from entering the UK and will have any assets in the country frozen. Nevertheless, the government has faced criticism over its continuing provision of military assistance to the country. More than 300 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) staff sent a letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy last month, raising concerns about potential UK "complicity" in Israel's assault on the enclave. "In July 2024, staff expressed concern about Israel's violations of international humanitarian law and potential UK government complicity," the letter said. "In the intervening period, the reality of Israel's disregard for international law has become more stark." It said the UK government's continued weapons exports to Israel had contributed to "the erosion of global norms", and cited a visit to London in April by Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, "despite concerns about violations of international law". Israel's war on Gaza started after the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, which killed around 1,200 people. Israel responded by pummelling the Gaza Strip and invading it. As well as the high death toll in the besieged territory, the Palestinian population there is facing "imminent famine", according to the United Nations.