Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., January 09, 2009 Tevet 13, 5769 | | Israel Time: 10:43 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Joy of Giving Travel Week's End Anglo File
Last update - 15:01 08/01/2009
ANALYSIS / Excellent intel on Gaza shows Israel learned from its errors in Lebanon
By Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: israel, israel news, gaza 

At a Hanukkah candle-lighting at the Shin Bet security services headquarters two weeks ago, Yuval Diskin spoke with former heads of departments about the organization's preparedness to confront Hamas. The head of the Shin Bet sounded quite cautious. Perhaps even he was surprised by the quality of the intelligence that he and his people had succeeded in providing the Israel Defense Forces during the months of planning that preceded Operation Cast Lead and in the days prior to its launch.

Even those who object to the war in the Gaza Strip will find it hard not to agree that this time around, the intelligence community mostly succeeded in delivering the goods. Seen in the light of the Second Lebanon War failures, these achievements are particularly impressive. Back in 2006, the strategic data provided by the intelligence community was deemed sound, as it allowed the air force to within 34 minutes destroy most of Hezbollah's hideouts for its long-range rockets. But there were many shortcomings at the level of tactical intelligence, especially field intelligence. Even if Military Intelligence had had information about Hezbollah bunkers or outposts, this intel did not always succeed in reaching the forces in the field.


Advertisement
The Israel Defense Forces drew lessons from its failures, and this time, the fighters were better prepared. They are equipped with good intelligence measures and also have access to reliable information while in the field. The dissemination of intelligence is made possible by Shin Bet case officers, who work out of IDF command centers.

Another important factor leading to this success is the close and unprecedented cooperation between the Shin Bet and Military Intelligence: Military Intelligence with its 8200 signal intelligence (sigint) gathering unit in the technological realm and Unit 504 that runs agents, together with the research division and air force intelligence, which provides aerial photographs, has had a considerable role to play in this conflict's intelligence achievements.

With the help of MI 8200, the Shin Bet has begun to transform from an intelligence organization based on human sources into an intelligence-gathering organization that is also adept at electronic eavesdropping, intercepting messages and decoding them. In the Shin Bet today there is talk of "operating sensors," rather than "operating human sources." This stresses the change in its gathering methods, which are varied: They are no longer relying only on agents who provide information to their operators, but also technological systems that make it possible to listen in on phone conversations, intercept faxes and decode messages and the dispatches. In this way, the Shin Bet has compensated for the blows it experienced - less access and difficulties recruiting human sources - since the transfer of the Gaza Strip to Palestinian control in 1994 and the disengagement three years ago. Face-to-face meetings to transmit information between an agent and his handler have been replaced by other methods.

In Military Intelligence speak, cooperation with the Shin Bet and other agencies is called "intelligence fusion," meaning "a joint effort of a number of intelligence agencies in providing resources, knowledge and information to achieve the maximum result." Practically speaking, the "fusion" is manifested in the efficient use of computer programs and the storage and analysis of multi-layered intelligence (measures, voices and data) also during battle.

A precise hit

The intelligence community has thus far succeeded in preparing a rich "target bank" to serve the air force and ground forces. Accurate and precise intelligence is of particular importance in a densely populated area like Gaza, where every mistake is liable to cause the deaths of hundreds of innocent people. Nevertheless, despite its good intelligence, Israeli troops still killed dozens of innocent civilians. Particularly impressive has been the ability to identify three mosques, which stored rockets and served as meeting places for terrorists. This is no trivial matter. Mistaken information could have caused the destruction of an innocent mosque, which was not serving as a weapons store, which would have sparked tremendous hostility toward Israel in the world, to the point of forcing it to end the fighting.

It is with good reason that even prior to the operation, the Shin Bet coined the term misgrad (a portmanteau consisting of the Hebrew word for "mosque" and the Grad rocket), which will no doubt star in the gibberish that every war produces.

Another achievement enabled the air force to make precise hits on about 40 tunnels that Hamas exclusively used to smuggle in weapons, ammunition and diesel to generate electricity in its installations. This prevented the need to carpet-bomb the border strip along all of its 12 kilometers, which most probably would have killed more innocent civilians living along the Gaza-Egyptian border (the Philadelphi Route).

However, it is dangerous and premature to boast of intelligence achievements. The longer the war, the lower the chance of continued intelligence successes. And at this stage of the fighting, it is not yet clear how close Israel is to rendering a significant blow to Hamas' strategic capabilities. During the past week, Hamas has fired between 30 and 40 rockets every day. This testifies that the organization is succeeding in maintaining its steady launching capability. The fact that its leadership has ducked underground and it fighters are in no hurry to engage in hand-to-hand fighting with the IDF does not necessarily mean they are in "a state of shock" from the fierceness of the IDF response, as Military Intelligence head Amos Yadlin assessed at a cabinet meeting this week. It is possible that, in fact, this was a well-calculated decision by the guerrilla organization to preserve its leadership and its military capabilities for the crucial confrontation - or for "the day after."



Related articles:
  • Abbas at UN, appeals for mutual Gaza cease-fire
  • ANALYSIS / Using aggressive tactics in Gaza to save soldiers' lives
  • ANALYSIS / Israel must double, triple, quadruple its medical aid to Gaza
  • Israel to establish 'humanitarian corridor' for Gaza Strip
  • Venezuelan President Chavez: Gaza operation is a Palestinian 'holocaust'
  • Al-Qaida No. 2 slams Obama for failing to stop IDF offensive in Gaza
  • French TV claims photos from 2005 showed damage from Israel's Gaza operation
  • Four of six IDF soldiers killed in Gaza were victims of friendly fire
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Fallen hero
    Relatives mourn Maj. Roey Rosner, 27, killed Wednesday by Gaza militants.
    On the northern front
    Hezbollah denies responsibility for two rockets fired at Israel from Lebanon.
      1.   It could still turn out to be a failure 05:02  |  Jens 08/01/09
      2.   4th largest army 05:14  |  Ben 08/01/09
      3.   Key Question: Why Was Israel Deliberately Provoked? 05:27  |  MIKE 08/01/09
      4.   Iran and Gaza 06:19  |  Jerry 08/01/09
      5.   ForJens 06:19  |  Larsen Imanin 08/01/09
      6.   God speaks to little ones 06:32  |  Shimon Cleopas 08/01/09
      7.   Hamas are just cowards!!! Hamas does not defend their own people! 11:09  |  arthur 08/01/09
      8.   Easy? 11:59  |  Fred 08/01/09
      9.   to Arthur, Israel and Hamas 12:04  |  Dik 08/01/09
      10.   To arthur #7 14:50  |  richard 08/01/09
      11.   Jens # 1 Substantial Evidence 14:50  |  Jeff Northridge 08/01/09
      12.   Well Meant Support - Just Good for Palestine`s Suicide 15:08  |  LetUSbeCivil 08/01/09
      13.   #10 Jeff collatoral damages? 15:20  |  richard 08/01/09
      14.   # Jens # 1 Substantial Evidence 15:21  |  Jens 08/01/09
      15.   Better Intel.... 15:46  |  Joe 08/01/09
      16.   YES, BUT....AMIRA SAYS 15:56  |  Robert 08/01/09
      17.   Hamas Has Screwed Up Big Time 16:18  |  nate 08/01/09
      18.   The Less Said, The Better 16:54  |  Zooog 08/01/09
      19.   One detail missing 18:02  |  Dr D 08/01/09
      20.   Are "leaks" about human intel (i.e. collaborators) intentional?? 19:05  |  Voice of Reason 08/01/09
      21.   The 2006 war was a disaster politcally and socially for israel. 23:09  |  Why would any group 08/01/09
      22.   Targeting Hamas into a gun sight bulls-eye 10:17  |  allang 09/01/09
     Read & React
    UN Security Council calls for immediate Gaza truce
    Responses: 18
    UN: IDF officers admit Gaza school shelling was by mistake
    Responses: 9
    Akiva Eldar: Israeli rejection of Gaza deal may topple Abbas
    Responses: 8
    Gideon Levy: Those who justify Gaza war justify all of its crimes
    Responses: 1
    Bernard Avishai, Sam Bahour: Israel playing into Hamas' hands
    Send response


    More Headlines
    10:01 UN Security Council calls for immediate Gaza truce
    09:59 17 Gaza rockets strike Negev, lightly wounding one person
    10:39 Palestinians: Israel attacks 30 Gaza targets, killing at least 10
    08:42 ANALYSIS / Israeli rejection of Gaza deal may topple Abbas
    04:21 ANALYSIS / Egypt-Syria row hampering Gaza truce efforts
    02:23 Report: Obama ready to talk to Hamas after taking office
    04:46 ANALYSIS / Hamas seeks Gaza war of attrition ending in IDF pullout
    03:45 UN: IDF officers admitted Gaza school shelling was by mistake
    18:20 Get up to the minute coverage of the warfare in Gaza directly to your email
    09:04 Ex-Pentagon chief: Israel won't sit idle as Iran finalizes nuclear steps
    04:06 European Jews to hold rallies supporting Israel's Gaza offensive
    02:24 'This country exists because of people like him'
    03:56 Czech FM: Israel needs Gaza truce to curry European favor
    03:51 Carter: Fighting in Gaza could renew peace talks
    05:53 NATO chief: We provide forum, not forces, to Israel and Arabs
    05:59 Palestinians: IDF first sends dogs into Gaza homes, then soldiers
    05:40 Despite Gaza operation, elections likely to be held as scheduled
    05:34 Research sheds light on Ottoman era slave-owning Jews in Jerusalem
    03:02 IDF unveils Hamas battle map seized by paratroopers in Gaza
    23:11 WATCH: Olmert spokesman says Israel never sought war in Gaza
    20:35 WATCH: U.S. Senate voices strong support for Israel's Gaza battle against Hamas
    Previous Editions
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    Summer in Israel
    Israeli style - Tzofim Chetz V'Keshet 2009
    You can make a direct IMPACT!
    on the life of an Israeli soldier
    State of Israel Bonds
    During this time of market volatility, Israel bonds can help.
    SURF RAMBAM
    Keep current about new-wave medical care, education and research.
    Summer Camp in Israel
    The best place for your children this summer
    Academic Studies in Israel
    All the Q & A at the IDC HERZLIYA Open House, January 9,2009
    Fattal Hotel Chain
    Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel.
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations
    Jewish Singles Personal Ads
    Find the love of your life on JDate.com
    Junkyard
    Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
    Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |
    Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel
    birthright Israel | Search engine marketing
    Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
    © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved