Israel Matzav

Report: Zygier gave Mossad secrets to Australian intelligence

A report from Australia's ABC television indicates that Mossad agent Ben Zygier was arrested in early 2010 because he exposed a Mossad operation in Italy to Australian intelligence.

ABC, which originally broke the story of Zygier's suicide in an Israeli jail under a fake name last week, reported Monday that Zygier gave detailed information about various Mossad operations, including a major operation in Italy, that had been planned over a period of several years.

According to the report, Zygier had applied for a work visa to Italy on one of his trips back to Australia.

ABC emphasized that it was not clear whether Zygier or ASIO had initiated the contact.

It is likely that one or more investigations into Zygier's tenure with the Mossad, and into his arrest and suicide in the isolation area at Israel's Ayalon prison, will be opened.

Haaretz adds:

Zygier reportedly met a number of times with agents of the Australian Secret Intelligence Organization and shared comprehensive details with them about Mossad's operations abroad, including his own work in Australia and a long-planned secret mission in Italy, according to reporter Trevor Bormann who last week broke the story of the Prisoner X affair.

Bormann said it was not yet clear whether Zygier initiated contact with the ASIO or was summoned for investigation. Reports from the last few days indicate that Zygier was detained by the ASIO for a long period of time while he was studying for his MBA at Monash University.

The ASIO's suspicions into Zygier reportedly began after he changed his surname in his Australian passport four times. Since the beginning of this affair, various conjectures have emerged suggesting that Zygier was in fact a double agent for the Mossad and the ASIO.

Bormann's latest report claims that during Zygier's visit to Australia, long before he was arrested in 2010, he submitted a request for a work visa in Italy. According to the ABC report, Zygier – together with two other Australian passport holders – set up a straw company in Italy to trade communications equipment with Iran and several Arab states.

The Mossad discovered that Zygier was in contact with the ASIO and worried that he would – or already had – exposed to them the existence of the straw company in Italy.

Hmmm.

Labels: Australia, Australian television, Iranian nuclear threat, Italy, Mossad

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:26 PM