Chicago
04-24-2003, 03:24 PM
Mossad switches from analysis to action
April 24 2003
Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, has turned its sights on international terrorism with a renewed focus on overseas commando operations under the leadership of its new head, the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot reported.
Since Major-General Meir Dagan took over the post at the end of October, Mossad has pushed the fight against "Islamic terrorism" to the top of its priority list at the expense of its information collection and analysis, the paper said.
Under the former Mossad head, Ephraim Halevy, there was a special emphasis on collecting intelligence, analysis and research, rather than operations and world terrorism, the paper said.
General Dagan, by contrast, has "placed terror at the top of the Mossad's agenda, alongside activity to prevent Arab countries from becoming armed with non-conventional weaponry" and has virtually sidelined the diplomatic-strategic element, it said.
To this end, General Dagan has strengthened the "Caesaria" unit, the branch allegedly responsible for special operations and assassinations, which Mr Halevy had left dormant.
Although the paper made no direct mention of Mossad's top-secret activities, it referred to two incidents that occurred after General Dagan's appointment.
The first of these was the mysterious death of a Lebanese drug dealer who was killed by a car bomb on December6.
Ramzi Nahra had initially worked as an Israeli informer but later began supplying information to the Lebanese Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah, information that led to the exposure of an Israeli intelligence cell working in Beirut.
The second incident occurred on March1, when an Egyptian Islamist was killed in a car bomb in the Ain el-Helweh refugee camp in south Lebanon.
Abdel Sattar al-Jad, also known as Faruq al-Masri, had lived in the camp for 10 years and was known for having fought in Afghanistan against the Soviet army.
Mossad accused him of belonging to a 200-strong group of supporters of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
General Dagan, 55, is considered to be closely allied to the politics of the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, whom he served as a political adviser during the 2001 election campaign.
In 1970 General Dagan ran a secret commando unit called Rimon, which, press reports say, summarily executed Palestinians accused of carrying out attacks in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip.
Agence France-Presse
This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/23/1050777304484.html
April 24 2003
Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, has turned its sights on international terrorism with a renewed focus on overseas commando operations under the leadership of its new head, the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot reported.
Since Major-General Meir Dagan took over the post at the end of October, Mossad has pushed the fight against "Islamic terrorism" to the top of its priority list at the expense of its information collection and analysis, the paper said.
Under the former Mossad head, Ephraim Halevy, there was a special emphasis on collecting intelligence, analysis and research, rather than operations and world terrorism, the paper said.
General Dagan, by contrast, has "placed terror at the top of the Mossad's agenda, alongside activity to prevent Arab countries from becoming armed with non-conventional weaponry" and has virtually sidelined the diplomatic-strategic element, it said.
To this end, General Dagan has strengthened the "Caesaria" unit, the branch allegedly responsible for special operations and assassinations, which Mr Halevy had left dormant.
Although the paper made no direct mention of Mossad's top-secret activities, it referred to two incidents that occurred after General Dagan's appointment.
The first of these was the mysterious death of a Lebanese drug dealer who was killed by a car bomb on December6.
Ramzi Nahra had initially worked as an Israeli informer but later began supplying information to the Lebanese Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah, information that led to the exposure of an Israeli intelligence cell working in Beirut.
The second incident occurred on March1, when an Egyptian Islamist was killed in a car bomb in the Ain el-Helweh refugee camp in south Lebanon.
Abdel Sattar al-Jad, also known as Faruq al-Masri, had lived in the camp for 10 years and was known for having fought in Afghanistan against the Soviet army.
Mossad accused him of belonging to a 200-strong group of supporters of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
General Dagan, 55, is considered to be closely allied to the politics of the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, whom he served as a political adviser during the 2001 election campaign.
In 1970 General Dagan ran a secret commando unit called Rimon, which, press reports say, summarily executed Palestinians accused of carrying out attacks in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip.
Agence France-Presse
This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/23/1050777304484.html