Rachel Samuels
001665731
HIST 1390
Professor Burds
Israeli Espionage
Spies Against Armageddon: Inside Israel’s Secret Wars examines the history and exploits of Israeli intelligence from the country’s founding in 1948 to today. Instead of moving through the history chronologically, the book looks at the history through various stories and examples of intelligence successes and failures. The book also gives insight into the other major and minor organizations that play key roles in providing intelligence and protecting Israel: Shin Bet, the Israeli equivalent of the FBI; Aman, military intelligence; Lakam, scientific intelligence; Caesarea, Mossad's operational unit; Nativ, covert operations in Jewish communities abroad; and Kidon, Mossad’s …show more content…
During the 1950s and renewed in the 1970s, the Iranian government set to work creating a nuclear energy industry that would also lead to the creation of nuclear weapons. In 2002, Meir Dagan took over as director of Mossad. He would hold this role until 2010. Israel perceived a nuclear Iran as a direct threat to the country’s existence, so to Dagan, thwarting Iran’s nuclear program was the top priority, and he led a “five-pillar” plan to achieve this goal. The pillars were “political approach,” “covert measures,” “counterproliferation,” “sanctions,” and force regime change.” The second phase of Dagan’s strategy included special operations: the delivery of sabotaged equipment, the Stuxnet computer virus – which reportedly destroyed up to ten percent of Iran’s centrifuges in its Natanz nuclear facility – and the assassination of five key Iranian nuclear scientists. Raviv and Melman also highlight Dagan’s faith in the power of international pressure though sanctions. While Israeli’s intelligence efforts to slow Iran’s production and development where vital to the prevention of nuclear weapon creation, the Israeli intelligence community understood they could not fight against Iran without international assistance. Thus, they worked hard to gather information to prove to other countries that Iran was working towards nuclear weaponry. Without the intelligence they …show more content…
These included the Iraqi pilot who delivered the MIG aircraft, and Ashraf Marwan, the son in law of President Nasser, who turned over precise details (ignored by Israeli leaders) on the upcoming Yom Kippur assault. Of course, the Israeli agencies have enormous advantages in recruiting individuals--the world-wide reservoir of Jews born abroad, fluent in languages and perfect for "false flag" operations. There's an enormous treasure-trove of what the intelligence services call Sayanim (helpers), Jews who can be called on for operational assistance, including in many cases assassinations. "Israel has never admitted using Jews as Sayanim and doing so would carry the danger of endangering local Jewish communities." But of course despite this Israel recruits Jews around the world---many who cooperate without any formal relationship--and that creates a real burden for Jews who would never perform such services. Top US officials--especially the FBI--remain convinced of Mossad penetrations--most likely justifiably so, but it remains a painful issue of great sensitivity for Jews. This situation was exacerbated by the Pollard
001665731
HIST 1390
Professor Burds
Israeli Espionage
Spies Against Armageddon: Inside Israel’s Secret Wars examines the history and exploits of Israeli intelligence from the country’s founding in 1948 to today. Instead of moving through the history chronologically, the book looks at the history through various stories and examples of intelligence successes and failures. The book also gives insight into the other major and minor organizations that play key roles in providing intelligence and protecting Israel: Shin Bet, the Israeli equivalent of the FBI; Aman, military intelligence; Lakam, scientific intelligence; Caesarea, Mossad's operational unit; Nativ, covert operations in Jewish communities abroad; and Kidon, Mossad’s …show more content…
During the 1950s and renewed in the 1970s, the Iranian government set to work creating a nuclear energy industry that would also lead to the creation of nuclear weapons. In 2002, Meir Dagan took over as director of Mossad. He would hold this role until 2010. Israel perceived a nuclear Iran as a direct threat to the country’s existence, so to Dagan, thwarting Iran’s nuclear program was the top priority, and he led a “five-pillar” plan to achieve this goal. The pillars were “political approach,” “covert measures,” “counterproliferation,” “sanctions,” and force regime change.” The second phase of Dagan’s strategy included special operations: the delivery of sabotaged equipment, the Stuxnet computer virus – which reportedly destroyed up to ten percent of Iran’s centrifuges in its Natanz nuclear facility – and the assassination of five key Iranian nuclear scientists. Raviv and Melman also highlight Dagan’s faith in the power of international pressure though sanctions. While Israeli’s intelligence efforts to slow Iran’s production and development where vital to the prevention of nuclear weapon creation, the Israeli intelligence community understood they could not fight against Iran without international assistance. Thus, they worked hard to gather information to prove to other countries that Iran was working towards nuclear weaponry. Without the intelligence they …show more content…
These included the Iraqi pilot who delivered the MIG aircraft, and Ashraf Marwan, the son in law of President Nasser, who turned over precise details (ignored by Israeli leaders) on the upcoming Yom Kippur assault. Of course, the Israeli agencies have enormous advantages in recruiting individuals--the world-wide reservoir of Jews born abroad, fluent in languages and perfect for "false flag" operations. There's an enormous treasure-trove of what the intelligence services call Sayanim (helpers), Jews who can be called on for operational assistance, including in many cases assassinations. "Israel has never admitted using Jews as Sayanim and doing so would carry the danger of endangering local Jewish communities." But of course despite this Israel recruits Jews around the world---many who cooperate without any formal relationship--and that creates a real burden for Jews who would never perform such services. Top US officials--especially the FBI--remain convinced of Mossad penetrations--most likely justifiably so, but it remains a painful issue of great sensitivity for Jews. This situation was exacerbated by the Pollard