Israel & intelligence (merged thread)

[bourbon]

Until modern surveillance advances to the point where it can prevent these types of hits, or at least lead to quick captures of suspects, this type of operation remains an option for organizations like the Mossad.

The advances will come sooner rather than later; it’s a matter of if, not when. Dubai authorities now have the biometric data of 20+ operatives. It is not implausible that in the short-term future (if not now), that they’ll be able to run that data through years of video and pull up prior activity of operatives. That is going to expose more operatives and sources. Imagine if that info is networked with other countries.

Mossad isn't stupid. They knew that thier team members would be captured on film. They made the conscious decision that it was worth exposing operatives to get this guy. We can argue whether that was a good decision, but trust me it is no suprise to Mossad that these guys pics are being flashed all over the interwebs.

They took the risk potential exposure, yes; but they intended to make it look like a natural death. Being filmed does not matter if the authorities have no reason to go back and look at the tapes.

According to the LA Times article they injected him with succinylcholine which would paralyze him and then ultimately mimic a heart attack (delaying the time of death?). Something must have gone wrong and he was suffocated with a pillow. Coroners probably would have written it off as a heart attack, but they spotted puncture marks and an abnormality in the blood.

These 20 individuals are now in the process of transforming into Isreali farmers or shopkeepers where they will spend the rest of their lives. Mossad knew they could never be used in an international operation again.

Again, they took that risk; but hypothetically speaking if they knew that the direct cost was the exposure of 20 operatives, would it still be worth it?

[Kevin23]

My question is with all of this though why is the finger only being pointed at Israel so far? Sure they are first suspect to come to mind in a hit on a Palestinian militant organization figure like the guy killed in the case we are talking about. However I feel that everyone speculating on this at large aren't considering other nations or entities being behind the hit like Egypt, Fatah, or someone else, as the fellow who was killed was in the arms business and I'm sure like the Israeli's spokesperson who commented on the Dubai hit after it occurred was that "an arms dealer could have many enemies" not just the Israeli's.

[stanleywinthrop]

Again, they took that risk; but hypothetically speaking if they knew that the direct cost was the exposure of 20 operatives, would it still be worth it?

I don't know if it was worth it.

The point is that Isreal thought it was worth it.

[Rex Brynen]

Britain Expels Israel Diplomat Over Fake Passports

By JOHN F. BURNS
New York Times
Published: March 23, 2010

LONDON — In a rare move by a friendly government, Britain expelled an Israeli diplomat on Tuesday to rebuke the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for what it says was the fraudulent use of a dozen fake British passports in the assassination of a Hamas official in a Dubai hotel earlier this year.
Related

David Miliband, the British foreign secretary, said there were “compelling reasons” suggesting that Israel was behind the misuse of the British passports and called Israel’s actions “intolerable.”

“The fact that this was done by a friendly country only adds insult to injury,” he said in remarks to the House of Commons. “The actions in this case are completely unacceptable and they must stop.”

[davidbfpo]

Here are two UK reports on the expulsion of an Israeli diplomat in London:

Britain's relations with Israel sank to new low as Mossad's top agent was expelled from the country over the use of 12 forged British passports in the murder of a Hamas leader in Dubai.

Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...tolerable.html

The BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8582518.stm

Found elsewhere is an ex-CIA station chief, on Al-Jazeera:

...they are working from an old paradigm which simply is no longer relevant...The point is that in this day and time, with ubiquitous surveillance cameras, the ability to comprehensively analyse patterns of cell phone and credit card use, computerised records of travel documents which can be shared in the blink of an eye, the growing use of biometrics and machine-readable passports, and the ability of governments to share vast amounts of travel and security-related information almost instantaneously, it is virtually impossible for clandestine operatives not to leave behind a vast electronic trail which, if and when there is reason to examine it in detail, will amount to a huge body of evidence.

Tactical and strategic points made; link:http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2...732842915.html