'Israeli Mossad agents posed as CIA spies to recruit terrorists to fight against Iran'
Foreign Policy magazine cites CIA memos from 2007-2008 that the Mossad recruited members of Jundallah terror group to fight against Tehran; U.S. was reportedly furious with Israel and moved to limit joint intelligence programs.
By Barak Ravid Tags: Iran nuclear Israel Mossad USIsraeli Mossad agents posed as CIA officers in order to recruit members of a Pakistani terror group to carry out assassinations and attacks against the regime in Iran, Foreign Policy revealed on Friday, quoting U.S. intelligence memos.
Foreign Policy's Mark Perry reported that the Mossad operation was carried out in 2007-2008, behind the back of the U.S. government, and infuriated then U.S. President George W. Bush.
Perry quotes a number of American intelligence officials and claims that the Mossad agents used American dollars and U.S. passports to pose as CIA spies to try to recruit members of Jundallah, a Pakistan-based Sunni extremist organization that has carried out a series of attacks in Iran and assassinations of government officials.
According to the report, Israel's recruitment attempts took place mostly in London, right under the nose of U.S. intelligence officials.
"It's amazing what the Israelis thought they could get away with," Foreign Policy quoted an intelligence officer as saying. "Their recruitment activities were nearly in the open. They apparently didn't give a damn what we thought."
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Former U.S. President George W. Bush and former Prime Minsiter Ehud Olmert. |
| Photo by: AP |
According to a currently serving U.S. intelligence officer, Perry reports, when Bush was briefed on the information he "went absolutely ballistic."
"The report sparked White House concerns that Israel's program was putting Americans at risk," the intelligence officer told Perry. "There's no question that the U.S. has cooperated with Israel in intelligence-gathering operations against the Iranians, but this was different. No matter what anyone thinks, we're not in the business of assassinating Iranian officials or killing Iranian civilians."
The intelligence officer said that the Bush administration continued to deal with the affair until the end of his term. He noted that Israel's operation jeopardized the U.S. administration's fragile relationship with Pakistan, which was under immense pressure from Iran to crack down on Jundallah.
According to the intelligence officer, a senior administration official vowed to "take the gloves off" with Israel, but ultimately the U.S. did nothing.
"In the end it was just easier to do nothing than to, you know, rock the boat," the intelligence officer said.
Apparently, the Mossad operation caused a fiery debate among Bush's national security team and it was only resolved when U.S. President Barack Obama drastically scaled back joint U.S.-Israel intelligence programs targeting Iran, Perry quotes several serving and retired officers as saying.
The U.S. State Department has vehemently denied any ties to Jundallah and many U.S. intelligence officials remained angry with Israel over the 2007-2008 operation.
"Israel is supposed to be working with us, not against us," Foreign Policy quoted an intelligence officer as saying. "If they want to shed blood, it would help a lot if it was their blood and not ours. You know, they're supposed to be a strategic asset. Well, guess what? There are a lot of people now, important people, who just don't think that's true."
The CIA, the White House, and the Mossad failed to respond to the Foreign Policy report by the time it went to press.
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Isreal will pay for there crimes one day.
There's NEVER been a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g tangible that would support this AIPAC inspired fallacy. NOTHING! While the instances suggesting otherwise are in an abundance. It seems this incident opened a few eyes - as other incidents have done - but unfortunately, the revelations remain inside a small circle within the White House, state department, and national security agencies...while the fallacy is allowed to thrive unhindered in the eyes of congress and the American public.
Isreal will one day pay for all there crimes.
Congress members will apologize for casting Israel in such a bad light.
This story appears in the media. Something is afoot, and i don't think Netanyahu is going to be very happy with the consequences
Somethings never change. US will always play the puppet. AIPAC should be kicked out,
that also explains why tens of Iraqis get killed every week from "terrorism".
I'm not surprised this happened, or was found out. What is outrageous is that GWBush went ballistic, but still kept it secret from the American public. The guy was not up for reelection, so the flimsy excuse of not wanting to lose a few fractions of a percent of electoral support is not applicable. He was mad as hell, but shut up anyway. What invisible vise does Israel hold my country's tender parts in?
Israel: we are your allies. Help us economically (while you go bankrupt), help us politically (while you lose all the political cloud). USA: Sure, we will. I mean you said us during elections. Israel: BTW, when time comes, we will put your sons and daughters to fight our wars. While our sons and daughters chill on Tel Aviv beach and study for free in Yeshivas. Hope you do not mind.
about dealing with any state supporters of terrorism. When are we going to see these laws applied to Israel? Oh, yeah, right.
What Mossad did was nothing pmpaired to that episode
Israel sets up the US as the fall guy... naturally. Now we understand Clinton vehement denial of US involvement, as I suspected at the time the woman was indeed being sincere. This should play out well in the senate and congress.
And, get rid of obummer, the muslim in the oral office.
This will not end well for Israel,
it seems everyday i have less reason to keep my love and support of israel...
acting like the mossad posing as cia come on already with these stupid stories
besides, as many have noted, in a all of nothing high stakes game of survivial israel will and should do what it must. If the US doesnt have the stomach for it, I guarantee you israel does. There are no options. but for the cia right now to try to use this to distance itself from ties to anti iranian opposition, is frankly weak. who runs cia? you got it...leon panetta who just 3 weeks ago was turning his venom on israel ...like a weasel...the fix is in boys....unless obama is out in 2012, the fix is in...now he's talking to the taliban, and meeting with the brotherhood...oh yea, its all going perfectly well with obama....uh huh....
us claims: "we don't do bang and boom." yet, every day us uses predator drones to kill people in pakistan and afghanistan. the us refusal to stop iran's nuclear weapons program is mystifying. iran has killed thousands of americans since the islamic terror regime came to power. the article in "foreign policy" is obviously a plant by the obama clique in their relentless attacks against israel. furthermore, there is no proof whatever that the actions attributed to jundallah in the article, such as killing of border guards or blowing up a mosque would in any way or shape benefit israel. israel is solely interested in retarding iran's nuclear weapons program. the obama clique has done precious little to put a stop to iran's nuclear ambitions or its terror activities--unless one considers birthday greetings to ahmedinejad as a knockout punch.
How is Israel not a liability for the U.S.? At least people in the know are finally re-evaluating a historic one-way relationship.
A COUNTRY SURROUNDED BY ENEMY AND THREATHENED 24 A DAY WILL USE ALL MEANS TO DEFEND ITSELF TO PRESEVE ITS EXISTENCE. THATS UNDERSTANDABLE. WHO WOULD NOT !
Every country, every business, does that. If a Coca Cola marketer wants semi public data from Pepsi, his email is not JohnSmith@Coke.com, it's CokeSux@mediarep.com. But this kind of publicity is about to explode on Israel in many different forums.
"The report sparked (Bush) White House concerns that Israel's program was putting Americans at risk," the intelligence officer told Perry. See... it is not WikiLeaks that put American lives in danger, it is Israel that is putting American lives in danger. Stop funding that terrorist country (and the other terrorist heaven called Pakistan).
Nothing is going to happen. US is not going to take any actions against Israel. Are you guys kidding? Action?
Why did nt Bush go ballistic and start helping when Katrina happened?
Even Bush understood this and did not go too far in retaliation so what's the problem?That Israel is still alive and defends successfully every time they try to fulfill their bloody promise ? GOOD!When the survival of Israel is in question, diplomatic niceties must go aside especially when you deal with Dar al Islam fanatics.
Israel and diplomatic niceties should never be used in the same sentence. If Mossad and Israel are so proud of their extra-curricular killings, then they should not hide behind someone else's passport. They should instead act like honourable men and women.
I mean you just saaid desperate people make desperate moves.
You push your 'friend' into its path to protect yourself? Sounds about right - which is probably why the US is the only country foolish enough to consider Israel a friend
You push your 'friend' into its path to protect yourself? Sounds about right - which is probably why the US is the only country foolish enough to consider Israel a friend
Trying to damage the US relations with other countries is not diplomatic niceties. Think of this the next time you want to describe Israel as a friend if the US.
I wonder why? The problem with our intelligence agencies is not the Jonathan Pollards, although there are doubtless many of them, but the policy of "unshakeable support" for Israel.
It happened many times that a spy recruiter concealed the identity of his nation so as to make it easy for the recruit to say 'yes'. If you try to recruit Muslims, it is of course better not to let them know they would be working for Israel. However, assassinations is different. The US, as a matter of stated policy, does not engage in assassination, and Israel should understand why. The gun (or bomb) is an equalizer. Assassinations are rather easy to carry out, so the other side can do the same to you. Israel indeed put Americans at risk, except that the Iranians probably know very well that the CIA is rather inept in using agents, and the recent recent wave of nuclear sabotage and assassinations in Iran is probably the work of Mossad. Expect some retaliatory news from Israel.
prissy obama uses predator drones to murder people all the time, and he is proud of it. what he won't do is put a stop to iran's nuclear weapons program. such an action would require real guts.
prissy obama uses predator drones to murder people all the time, and he is proud of it. what he won't do is put a stop to iran's nuclear weapons program. such an action would require real guts.
do you really believe we have time to read them? We are not all paid propagandists here,we have also other things to do than read your detailed reports....Think about it.Regards :-)
Has once again spoken. Has all facts as usual. Logios is no doubt "GODS right hand man".
some people will believe anything
Israel is our 'friend' ONLY because of what they can get from us through the AIPAC lobby in Washington.
No thought about it. They knew they could get away with it...and they did. Nice to know they were using American passports and not Canadian this time.
"used American dollars ... to pose as CIA spies" So using US $ is proof of working for CIA?
that the U.S doesn't want to been seen as having absolutely anything to do with the recent Iranian scientist being killed. Completely understandable. And it's pretty good that they have an ally like Israel to pass the blame onto, which is completely legit. This is what ally's are for, considering it doesn't take much to assume Israel is behind it. And don't get me wrong, I'm happy if Israel did it, cause either way, U.S being involved or not, it's one less threat vanquished. Also, I think they are worried about a retaliation on assets over seas or at home from this recent assassination. In the end though, tell us something we don't already assume. We need Israel do things like this, the world needs it. Just think if assassinations were going on in Germany before WW2 exploded. And for Bush being upset, legit, but I don't see how American lives were put in danger when zero American's were involved! Good point, not.
whose life was probably thrown away by these Israeli cowboys.
The crime is defined in 18 U.S. Code sec. 912 as follows: "Sec. 912. - Officer or employee of the United States Whoever falsely assumes or pretends to be an officer or employee acting under the authority of the United States or any department, agency or officer thereof, and acts as such, or in such pretended character demands or obtains any money, paper, document, or thing of value, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both"
No, it's only valid for the American homeland.
So was the bombing of the U.S.S Liberty. The attackers said "so what, what ya going to do about it?"
Israel is a land of thieves. The Mossad is run by Israelis. What do you expect?
do it now
Historical note:The term Assasination originates with Iranian group called Assasins
sounds ominous Especially without a shred of proof.
Israel is never held accountable for anything. Obama gives Israel periodic vows that they can do anything they like and America will still stand with them. Do presidents have to take random drug tests? There is no other job that calls out for this more.
the only one out there that gets real intel is israel, everyone else eats sandwiches and does nothing the us needs israel more than israel needs the usa
AIPAC buys out the Congress so none of them ever protest. Any president that tries to protest is just asking for retaliation from the Congress.
to be US's "first line of defence" against terrorism. yeah right! This is like planting somebody else's finger prints in a murder. and then claiming you're that guy's best friend!
I assume your a muslim? The word "Assassin" derived from muslims, kinda late in the game to complain, isn't it? Personally, I smile when one or more of your heroes goes missing or goes suddenly dead.
You couldn't make it up....