Israel Matzav

Book: Assassinations of Iranian nuke scientists 'a blue and white operation'

A new book published by CBS News correspondent Dan Raviv and Haaretz reporter Yossi Mehlman argues that the Mossad - and only the Mossad - is behind the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists.

But a study of fifty years of assassinations by the Mossad - including conversations with current and former operatives and those who work with them in countries friendly to Israel - yields the conclusion that the assassins inside Iran are Israelis.

The Mossad has a special operations unit - a kind of Mossad within the Mossad - called Kidon (the Hebrew word for bayonet), which has over the years developed unique methods for infiltrating enemy countries, and for murdering Israel's enemies without leaving a trace.

The Mossad benefits from unmatched linguistic capabilities, in part because Israel has many citizens whose families moved from Arabic- or Persian-speaking countries. Israeli operatives have traveled into Iran using the passports of other countries, including bogus documents produced by skilled Mossad forgers, and genuine passports where the photographs might be altered slightly.

Insight into the psyches and behavior of members of the super-secret Kidon squad can be found - perhaps surprisingly - in the pages of a novel called "Duet in Beirut," published only in Hebrew (in 2002), by Mishka Ben-David, a former intelligence officer in the Mossad's operations department, which runs and coordinates Kidon.

From the book and other sources it is understood that Kidon is so compartmentalized that its office is not inside the Mossad headquarters. Kidon combatants - who dubbed themselves "The Team" - hardly ever go there. Even when interacting with Mossad operatives from other units, Kidon men use assumed names. In the field, members use a third name - and sometimes even fourth and fifth identities.

Their training includes almost anything one might imagine is needed for an intelligence operation: surveillance, shaking off surveillance, studying objects and memorizing everything about them. They become proficient at remembering codes and securely communicating during missions without raising suspicion.

Because they are the cream of the crop, Kidon men and women are the ones the Mossad director selects for very dangerous missions - including complex operations of an information-gathering nature - that require top professionals.

YNet adds:

In their book, the writers claim that their in-depth study of 50 years of assassinations by Israel’s foreign-espionage agency yields the conclusion that the 20 suspects now being held by the Iranian government are not the killers.

"The methods, communications, transportation, and even the innovative bombs used in the Tehran killings are too sensitive for the Mossad to share with foreign freelancers," Raviv and Melman wrote.

Therefore, the writers estimate that the assassinations of physicists and nuclear scientists in Iran have been what Israelis call “blue and white” operations, referring to the colors of their nation’s flag.

In one chapter of the book, the authors claim that despite the fact that Iran has no diplomatic relations with Israel and bans any visits by Israelis, Mossad operatives have had no trouble entering and leaving the country. They further said that Israel holds a hidden safe house in Iran which allows for Mossad agents to keep safe while executing the assassinations.

The book further reveals the Mossad's close cooperation with Kurds and other ethnic minority groups inside Iran, stating that the Mossad believes that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Okay guys: Who wants to get me the book?

Labels: Iranian nuclear threat, Mossad, nuclear scientists

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:20 PM