Editing Adnan Khashoggi (section)

==BCCI==
Adnan Khashoggi’s connections to the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) were significant, tied to his role as an international arms dealer and his involvement in covert financial operations. BCCI, founded in 1972 by Agha Hasan Abedi, was a Pakistan-based bank notorious for money laundering, fraud, and facilitating intelligence operations. Khashoggi’s links to BCCI emerged through his financial dealings and his role in the Iran-Contra affair. He maintained accounts with BCCI, using them to manage the vast sums earned from arms deals, particularly with Saudi Arabia and Western defense firms like Lockheed. BCCI’s secrecy and global reach made it an ideal vehicle for handling his complex financial operations, including commissions and investments through his Triad International Holding Company. In the mid-1980s, Khashoggi leveraged BCCI accounts to facilitate the Iran-Contra scheme, providing $25 million in bridging finance for arms sales to Iran, with funds channeled through BCCI’s network. The bank’s role in laundering money and moving funds for the Contras, with Saudi backing, aligned with Khashoggi’s intermediary role between U.S., Israeli, and Iranian parties. BCCI was known to have ties to the CIA, Saudi intelligence, and prominent figures in global politics. Khashoggi’s relationships with CIA officers like James Critchfield and his Saudi royal connections positioned him within BCCI’s orbit, as the bank was used to fund covert operations, including those supported by Saudi Arabia and the U.S. When BCCI collapsed in 1991 amid revelations of fraud and illegal activities, investigations revealed its use by arms dealers, drug traffickers, and intelligence agencies. Khashoggi’s name surfaced in connection to these probes, though he was not directly charged in BCCI’s downfall. His association underscored his role in the shadowy financial networks that BCCI enabled. In summary, Khashoggi’s connections to BCCI were rooted in his need for a discreet banking system to manage arms deal profits and support covert operations like Iran-Contra. While not a central figure in BCCI’s operations, his use of the bank and its ties to intelligence agencies highlight his deep involvement in the global nexus of finance, arms, and geopolitics.