[[Alfredo Stroessner]] was the President of [[Paraguay]], having been put in power in 1954 by the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]. His regime was known for protecting [[Nazi Germany|Nazi]] intelligence officers and German scientists with whom the [[USA|U.S.]] government had made deals after [[World War II]]. Stroessner, with his German background and connections to the [[Nazi Party]] during the war, was considered an excellent candidate for the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] to install, indirectly serving [[USA|U.S.]] interests.[^1] [[Israel|Israel]]'s connection with [[Paraguay]] under Stroessner dates back to [[Golda Meir]]'s time as foreign minister, who was instrumental in opening diplomatic relations. Stroessner agreed to open [[Paraguay|Paraguay's]] embassy in [[Jerusalem]], even when the [[USA|U.S.]] did not recognize [[Jerusalem]] as the capital of [[Israel]]. This relationship, however, was not always consistent, with [[Mossad]] agents continuing to track [[Nazi Germany|Nazi]] groups in [[Paraguay]]. Stroessner attempted to improve his reputation by promising full cooperation with [[Israel]], though he did little to address the [[Nazi Germany|Nazi]] issue.[^1] [[Paraguay]] became a conduit for illegal arms shipments to [[Israel]] and for smuggling matériel from [[South Africa]] for the [[Dimona reactor]]. [[Paraguay Airlines]] maintained a monthly flight to [[Tel Aviv]], with aircraft undergoing maintenance by [[Israel Aircraft Industries]] in [[Israel]].[^1] In September 1988, [[Ari Ben-Menashe]] met with [[Alfredo Stroessner|Stroessner]] to persuade him to close down [[Carlos Cardoen|Cardoen Industries]]' chemical plant in [[Paraguay]], which was producing chemical weapons for [[Iraq]]. [[Alfredo Stroessner|Stroessner]] initially agreed to close the plant by the end of February 1989 in exchange for a $30 million aid package in military equipment and training for a special antiterrorist unit for his Presidential Guard. He also revealed that [[Andres Rodriguez|Gen. Andres Rodriguez]] had an interest in [[Carlos Cardoen|Cardoen Industries]].[^1] [[Alfredo Stroessner|Stroessner]] was aware of a plotted coup against him by [[Andres Rodriguez|Gen. Andres Rodriguez]], supported by the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]. Despite his efforts to neutralize Rodriguez, the coup took place on February 2, 1989, leading to Stroessner's overthrow. He had promised [[Ari Ben-Menashe|Ben-Menashe]] that the [[Carlos Cardoen|Cardoen]] plant would be closed, and had received small arms from [[Israel]] as part of the agreement.[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War")