Epstein briefed on 'covert' plan to deploy Pakistani special forces to Saudi-Yemen border
Epstein briefed on 'covert' plan to deploy Pakistani special forces to Saudi-Yemen border Submitted by Sean Mathews on Tue, 02/17/2026 - 19:50 One of Norway's most famous diplomats shared an assessment with child sex trafficker Epstein about Saudi Arabia lobbying Pakistan to join Yemen coalition Special operations group personnel patrol near the site of a gunfight between suspected militants and Indian security forces at Ishber Nishat in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir, on 10 November 2024 (Tauseef Mustafa/AFP) Off Convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was briefed on a “covert deal” for Pakistan to send commandos, known as the "Black Storks", to Saudi Arabia’s border with Yemen to support the kingdom’s war against the Houthis, according to an email released by the US Justice Department. The email, dated 7 April 2015 and titled “Pakistan Covert Deal with Saudi on Yemen”, was written by Nasra Hassan, a Pakistani who worked as an official for the United Nations for 27 years, and also for the Arab League. At the time the email was written, Hassan was advising the International Peace Institute. The email was sent to the organisation's former president, Terje Rod-Larsen, a man who the Financial Times described as one of Norway’s most famous diplomats, for his role brokering the 1990s Oslo Peace Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. The first part of the email is a synopsis of talks between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia regarding the war in Yemen, much of which had just been reported publicly. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the defence minister at the time and was working alongside the UAE to mobilise a coalition against the Houthis, the Iran-aligned rebels who captured the capital of Sanaa and a large swath of northwest Yemen a year earlier. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Saudi-led coalition launched thousands of air strikes on Yemen, which failed to dislodge the Houthis but resulted in hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths and a major humanitarian crisis. The Houthis responded by lobbing missiles and drones at civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Houthis still control most of Yemen's populated territory, but are in a fragile truce with Saudi Arabia. More recently, Yemen has emerged as a battleground between Saudi Arabia and its erstwhile ally, the UAE. Saudi Arabia-Turkey Kaan jet talks irk a Trump administration bent on arms export dominance Read More » The email shows no direct contact between Hassan and Epstein. Larsen forwarded Hassan's memo to Epstein on 7 April 2015. It’s unclear when Hassan was made aware of the talks between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. On 6 April, Pakistan’s former defence minister, Khawaja Asif, said publicly that Saudi Arabia had requested Islamabad provide aircraft, warships and soldiers for its offensive on the Houthis. Hassan, however, appeared to have detailed knowledge of the talks that was not readily available in public reporting at the time from sources such as The New York Times, Reuters, and others. Therefore, because of Larsen, Epstein would have been receiving additional information about a conflict that would devastate Yemen and have lasting consequences to this day for the Gulf and Red Sea region. The email was marked “Strictly Confi”, a shortened form of confidential. Pakistani troops wanted for border zone For example, Hassan indicated where Saudi Arabia wanted to use Pakistani soldiers. “Saudi King basically asked Pak PM for ground troops to gain control of & hold a swathe of land inside Yemen on very sensitive part of Saudi border,” she wrote. Hassan also wrote to Larsen that Saudi Arabia wanted Pakistan to use the JF-17 jet fighter in Yemen, describing the Chinese avionics of the jet “as good as the US” although “the weapons & delivery sytems are not as good as the US”. Pakistan's arms deals position it squarely within growing Saudi-UAE rift Read More » Epstein, who was found dead on 10 August 2019 in his jail cell inside the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, was ostensibly a New York financier. But he had links to intelligence agencies, including Mossad and the CIA, as well as arms dealers, going back to the 1980s. He tried to position himself as a mediator in the 2017 Gulf rift between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. He also had close ties to former DP World chief, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. Pakistan did not join the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen. On 10 April 2015, the country’s parliament voted against direct military intervention. Hassan’s email noted the widespread public opposition in Pakistan to intervention in a conflict against fellow Muslims. But she also claimed that Pakistan was in secret talks with Saudi Arabia to support its offensive without deploying into Yemen. It is unclear whether Pakistan did covertly deploy any troops, but three years later, in February 2018, the Pakistani military announced it would be sending troops to Saudi Arabia on a training and advisory mission, and the statement stressed that the troops would play no role outside the Saudi kingdom's borders. Pakistan's 'Black Storks' “The Pak civ Govt desperately needs Saudi cash & oil to solve its most pressing problem of energy. Hence a covert deal is being worked out which will give the Pak civ Govt what it needs,” she wrote. According to the email, the Pakistani military was willing to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia “should the absolute necessity arise”, but in the meantime, it appeared willing to deploy commandos to the Saudi side of the border with Yemen. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Hassan claimed that Islamabad was ready to send its elite special operations force, the Special Service Group, to support the Saudi military. The group, which is reported to have helped train and coordinate with Afghanistan’s mujahideen against the Soviet Union in the 1980s, is popularly known as the "Black Storks,” because of their black headgear. UAE scrubbing Hind al-Owais from internet after Epstein emails uncovered Read More » She added that Pakistani naval vessels, ostensibly conducting anti-piracy operations under the umbrella of Nato in the Gulf of Oman, could provide “logistical support” to Saudi Arabia. Islamabad also lobbied the Chinese to keep naval assets in the area, ostensibly to support the Saudi mission. “Pak has acted as a channel with the Chinese under which Chinese vessels will remain in the Gulf of Oman ‘against piracy’ - which, as is well-known, is no longer a threat!” Larsen’s fingerprints on the email substantiate its credibility. Until this month, his wife, Mona Juul, served as Norway’s ambassador to Jordan and Iraq. Juul resigned amid growing backlash over her and Larsen’s cosy relationship with Epstein. Larsen’s ties to the convicted child sex offender were revealed in 2020, forcing him to resign from the International Peace Institute. But the new tranche of emails has shown a much deeper web of connections. In one shocking revelation, Larsen and Muul’s children were listed among the beneficiaries of Epstein’s will. The Oslo Accords have long been condemned by Palestinian advocates and other critics for heavily favouring Israel. They failed to usher in an independent Palestinian state based on Israel’s 1967 borders and the right of return for Palestinians to their homes. Epstein Files News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0