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Israel's 'long operational arm' has been rehabilitated Over the past year a number of reports of malfunctions have emerged regarding the Iranian nuclear project. Among them: An Iranian general who defected, Ali-Reza Asgari, had been involved in leading his country's contacts with Hezbollah; an Iranian dealer in sophisticated communications equipment was charged with spying for Israel and sentenced to death; his sons, engineers who helped build the Iranian centrifuges, were fielded as double agents for the CIA. "Thwarting" involves psychological warfare, leaks to the international media and diplomatic moves to embarrass the Iranians and enlist Western countries against it. In one case, the Iranians destroyed a facility near Tehran they were using to develop nuclear weapons, and covered it with a soccer field after its existence was leaked to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Dagan is in charge of this work as part of the mandate he received from Sharon, with the cooperation of the Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Commission (and at certain points the Strategic Affairs Ministry headed by former minister Avigdor Lieberman). Advertisement Creativity and daring Some of those who warn most vociferously against the Iranian threat, including former deputy defense minister Ephraim Sneh and Defense Ministry security department chief Amos Gilad, are full of praise for Dagan. Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, who recommended Dagan's appointment to Sharon, said he restored the Mossad to being "Israel's long operational arm, with the ability to go anywhere and do anything it wanted." Sneh has called Dagan a man of "exceptional operational imagination and daring." President Shimon Peres, who knows the Mossad from the day it was born, says Dagan "brought the Mossad back to its days of glory." The army has some criticism, especially Military Intelligence, for what appears to be the unjust reaping of credit by the Mossad for successful operations. But even Dagan's adversaries are said to acknowledge his creativity and daring. The Mossad's budget and human resources have grown by dozens of percents during Dagan's tenure. He presents his operations in Knesset sub-committee on the secret services, which approves his funding, as if he were the CEO of a cellphone company showing the board how many new subscribers he has enlisted. The Mossad's work is more complex than ever before. When Europe was the arena and the PLO the adversary, things were easier. The Iranian focus has changed the organization's activity, and stricter supervision at airports and border crossings since 9/11 have made it more difficult to create convincing covers for its operatives. Dagan has strengthened ties with parallel services in the U.S. in the struggle against Iran and the global jihad. That did not come easily. On Dagan's first visit to Washington as head of the Mossad, he explained to his hosts the need for diplomatic isolations and economic sanctions, and above all, secret operations. The Americans' response was cool. Last week, CIA chief Michael Hayden had warm words for the role played by an unnamed foreign intelligence agency that he said initially identified a structure at Al-Kibar as a nuclear reactor similar to one in North Korea. He likened the cooperation to "working together on a complex equation over a long period." Dagan came to the Mossad from the outside six years ago, and found the organization's veterans suspicious of him. News stories from his early years are full of reports of dismissals of senior people and anger among the old-timers. Dagan's predecessor, Ephraim Halevi, was more of a diplomat, who avoided daring operations. Especially after two serious mishaps - the failed assassination of Khaled Meshal in Jordan and an attempt to bug the Iranian Embassy in Cyprus - and in response to the demand to rehabilitate the agency, Halevi began work to thwart the Iranian threat, which Dagan made a major focus. Sharon knew Dagan from their days together fighting terror in Gaza. Dagan won a medal for jumping on a wanted man and wrestling away a grenade after the man had pulled the pin. The fighters in his unit disguised themselves as Palestinians, booby-trapped grenades belonging to the Popular Front, and gained a reputation in the Israel Defense Forces as merciless assassins. The big chance Citizen Dagan is said to love classical music, jeep trips, smoking a pipe and nature. He has been heard to joke about the fact that he is a vegetarian despite his particular operational expertise. He served for a few years as head of the counterterrorism unit in the Prime Minister's Office, and tried his hand as a security consultant. He stayed in contact with Sharon, and served as his campaign headquarters chief on election day in 2001. After Sharon's election, Dagan was enlisted to head a special body to fight the funding of terrorism, and a year-and-a-half later he was appointed head of the Mossad. Yossi Sarid opposed what he said was an appointment that smacked of the political advancement of a personal associate, but senior Labor party officials Sneh and Ben-Eliezer were in favor of their old friend's appointment. Sharon was said to appreciate Dagan's operational capabilities, but less so his diplomatic acumen. Olmert's entry into power was Dagan's big chance. Olmert did not have the military background of his predecessor, and Dagan's expertise could come to the fore. Olmert used to say that nothing preoccupied him more than the Iranian threat. Dagan's biggest step forward came as a result of his Lebanon experience. The Winograd Committee that investigated the 2006 war cited his evaluations, which were far more accurate than the IDF's. Four months before the war, in a cabinet discussion over Hezbollah's attempts to kidnap soldiers, Dagan and Gilad warned that a conflict that developed would not end without a ground operation. The day Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were abducted, on July 12, 2006, Dagan began to insist that a military response would engender a long conflict, in which the home front would suffer, and an air operation would not be enough to decide the outcome. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Fighting words Nasrallah: Jerusalem and Palestine will soon be returned to rightful owners. Paul Newman dies 'Exodus' star and legendary actor Paul Newman succumbs to cancer at age 83.

Read & React Report: U.S. said no to Israeli strike on Iran Responses: 191 Leftist prof.: Bomb attack shows settler violence spilling over Green Line Responses: 116 Survey: American Jews favor Obama over McCain Responses: 99 Mossad chief fights Iran nuclear program his own way Responses: 49 Nasrallah: Return of Jerusalem and Palestine isn't far Responses: 128 More Headlines 01:03 Sec. Council demands Iran halt enrichment, reaffirms old sanctions 23:46 Livni and Mofaz speak for first time since Kadima primary 00:08 17 killed in massive car bombing in Damascus 01:09 ANALYSIS / Damascus bomb is latest event to shake Syrian security 23:58 Syrian FM: Peace negotiations with Israel stalled 22:46 Legendary actor Paul Newman dies after struggle with cancer 11:42 Israel's unseeded Dudi Sela reaches finals of China Open 16:37 Nablus man attempts to kill mother-in-law with poisoned sweets 03:44 Nasrallah: Return of Jerusalem and Palestine closer than ever 20:12 In first debate, Obama and McCain trade blows over Iran policy, Iraq war 03:53 Palin: We mustn't send Iran message U.S. would allow second Holocaust 23:20 German FM: Ahmadinejad's UN speech 'blatant anti-Semitism' 00:00 Palestinians attack settlers visiting the Tomb of the Patriarchs 07:19 Paul McCartney gives Israelis a performance to remember 01:22 Fire destroys main hall of Egypt's National Theater Previous Editions Select Day 26 sep 25 sep 24 sep 23 sep 22 sep 21 sep 19 sep 18 sep 17 sep 16 sep 15 sep 14 sep

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