Western Intelligence Diversions?

No, because the CIA employs more than 1 person. The CIA is large enough to cope and remember a shipment of this size will take time to organise, collect together and prepare the logistics, so presumably ongoing monitoring will be tracking it. However many stories are based on rather improbable events so I wouldnt let that hamper you. However, Syria and the Palestinans have a good enough understanding for this not to happen, I'd set it in maybe Lebanon or Iraq.