Yair Klein

Yair Klein    (Soldier, Arms dealer)
Nationality	Israeli
Interests	Contras
Israeli arms dealer known for his activities in the 80s

Yair Klein (sometimes Jair Klein) is a former lieutenant colonel in the Israeli army, who established the private mercenary company Spearhead Ltd ('Hod HaHanit'). Through Spearhead, Klein provided arms and training to armed forces in South America, Lebanon, and Sierra Leone.

Spearhead Ltd

Yasha Levine wrote in 2008 about his activities:

Klein is no Viktor Bout, but he is one of the better-known figures in the shadowy world of international arms dealers. Over the course of his career, Klein has equipped and trained some of the most notorious paramilitary outfits out there—from Nicaraguan death squads to the child armies of Sierra Leone. And he’s never been shy about it. Klein has openly explained his activities in pretty much every media format: articles, radio programs, TV interviews, documentaries, and self-made promotional videos. Klein and his merry band of Israeli mercenaries even appeared in a 1989 PBS documentary boasting of their activities in Central America, including working with the Nicaraguan Contras, a CIA creation that was known primarily for massacre-and-run operations in poor defenseless villages.

[...]

Klein’s training activities had a big and bloody impact on Colombia. Local human rights activists accuse Klein of singlehandedly turning inept cartel goons into highly efficient death squads. Bogota, which at first turned a blind eye to the right-wing militias, were forced to finally take action when government officials started getting knocked with alarming regularity and professionalism. In 1989, the shit hit the fan when a promotional video showing Klein and other Spearhead employees training drug cartel militias was leaked to the public, causing a PR disaster for Klein—and for Israel. Spearhead was operating under an Israeli government license, putting Israel on the hook. A subsequent investigation by the Colombian government exposed Klein’s ambitious plans to set up a “freedom fighter” training camp on the island of Antigua. Along with a diploma, every graduate would be sent back to Colombia with his very own machine gun.

Lebanon

Spearhead landed its first major contract training and supplying basic army gear to the Phalangists (the notorious Lebanese Christian militia responsible for shooting up the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps) which he made "strong contacts" with.

Guns for Antigua

Klein, with the help of Bruce Rappaport, was heavily involved in the Guns for Antigua scandal of 1989, helping Maurice Sarfati launder guns from Israel through Antigua to Colombia, intending to supply Israeli-made weapons to the Medellin Cartel. He was put on trial for three counts of exporting military equipment and expertise without the requisite licenses at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court and given a suspended sentence.

Liberia and Sierra Leone

Klein, has provided military material and training in Liberia and Sierra Leone since 1996, according to West African sources and the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Aharonoth.

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