Sunday, August 05, 2007

ISRAELI-IRANIAN INTELLIGENCE WAR

(Alan note: reports from on the ground in the USA and Europe indicate that a British vice-consul posted or formerly posted to a Middle East country - expressly not identified - along with an Israeli companion has been trying to recruit "helpers" among the Iranian Diaspora. As have some other Israelis in the USA, specially in Texas).

Israeli-Iranian ‘Intelligence War ’ Gains Momentum

Intelligence War - click here for Arab News site

Mohammed Mar’i, Arab News

RAMALLAH, West Bank, 1 August 2007 — The “intelligence war” betweenIran and Israel is gaining momentum, as both countries’ intelligenceservices are increasing efforts to recruit Hebrew and Persian speakers totheir ranks, a report said yesterday.

According to the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, the Iranian authoritiesneed Hebrew speakers to work as translators, intelligence agents and aspart of its propaganda machine against Israel. The main source ofHebrew speakers is Palestinian students studying abroad or Palestinianresistance activists sent for military training in Iran and Lebanon.

The paper added that one of the most prominent centers for Hebrewstudies is located at Iran’s Embassy in Beirut, where Hezbollah memberslearn Hebrew at the “Islamic Culture and Education Center.”

The embassy owns a vast library of Hebrew newspapers and books,including even children’s’ books. It was there that Hezbollah had trained,with the aid of Palestinians, a large group of fighters who were placed incharge of tapping Israeli communication systems, in a bid to collectintelligence on the “Zionist enemy” before and during the July War onLebanon.

According to the Shin Bet (Israeli intelligence agency),Palestinian-Arab students studying out Israel are an attractive target for Hezbollah,because it is easier for the organization to recruit and train themabroad.

The Shin Bet said that a young Palestinian-Arab woman who was studyingin Jordan was arrested at the Allenby Bridge border crossing, betweenthe West Bank and Jordan, recently on suspicion of collaborating withHezbollah.

The woman admitted in her investigation she was contacted by thegroup’s agents in Amman and was offered to serve as its agent in Israel.

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