Western intelligence sources tell Time Magazine Israel's Mossad targeted Iranian scientist

• ublished 21:07 14.01.12
• Latest update 21:07 14.01.12

On Saturday, Iran claimed it had information tying U.S. to the incident; Senior Israeli official tells Time Magazine he 'doesn't feel bad' for scientist killed.

By Haaretz and Reuters 

Western intelligence sources told Time magazine on Friday that Israel's Mossad is responsible for the latest assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist.

A magnetic bomb was attached to the door of 32-year-old Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan's car during the Wednesday morning rush-hour in Tehran. His driver was also killed. Sources tell the magazine Israel was behind three previous assassinations of scientists.

	The shrouded body of Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan is seen prior to his burial in Tehran on January 13, 2012.
	Photo by: AP

A senior Israeli official told is quoted in the report as saying "yeah, one more… I don't feel sad for him."
On Saturday, Iranian state television said that Iran had evidence the United States was behind the latest assassination. We have reliable documents and evidence that this terrorist act was planned, guided and supported by the CIA," the Iranian foreign ministry said in a letter handed to the Swiss ambassador in Tehran, state TV reported.

"The documents clearly show that this terrorist act was carried out with the direct involvement of CIA-linked agents."

The Swiss Embassy has represented U.S. interests in Iran since Iran and the U.S. cut diplomatic ties shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Tension has mounted between Iran and the West as the United States and European Union prepare measures aimed at imposing sanctions on the Iran's oil exports, its economic lifeblood.

The United States and Israel have not ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the nuclear dispute.
Also on Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. has stepped up contingency planning in case Israel launches a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

According to the report, U.S. defense officials are becoming increasingly concerned that Israel is preparing to carry out such a strike.


http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/western-intelligence-sources-tell-time-magazine-israel-s-mossad-targeted-iranian-scientist-1.407322

Egypt: Israeli 'Mossad agent' to be tried in absentia

Cairo alleges that Israeli Ofir Harari, Jordanian national worked for Mossad to recruit Egyptians in telecoms sector
 

Roee Nahmias and AFP 

 

Latest Update:  08.14.11, 22:21 / Israel News

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An Israeli and a Jordanian are to go on trial in Egypt on charges of spying for Israel's intelligence services, Cairo's news agency MENA reported on Sunday.

Ibrahim abu-Zaid, a telecoms engineer from Jordan and Israeli Ofir Harrari, who the Egyptians say is an "officer with the Mossad" are to go on trial in Egypt's State Security Court on charges of "spying for a foreign country with the purpose of harming Egyptian national interest," the report said.

Harari, who has not been arrested, will be tried in absentia.

Egypt: Israeli 'spy' to remain in jail / Roee Nahmias Israeli-American Ilan Garpel to be held for another 15 days on espionage charges Full story

Abou Zeid was reportedly arrested in April 2010, prior to Egypt's January 25 Revolution. He was interrogated by National Security Prosecution after Egyptian intelligence had detected "espionage activities" between him and Harari, serving Israeli intelligence.

Harari had allegedly tasked the Jordanian with recruiting Egyptians working in the telecoms sector "to obtain technical data," and the two had devised a system to bug telephone calls in Egypt.

It was not immediately clear when the trials would begin.

On June 12, Egypt arrested US-Israeli dual national Ilan Grapel on suspicion of spying for Israel, which denied any such charge.

Egypt's espionage allegations come at a sensitive time when Israel is trying to understand where Egypt's new temporary regime is headed. I

It has been estimated both in Israel and in Egypt that the Egyptian allegations stem from a wish to appease Egyptian demonstrators protesting against the close relations that existed between Israel and Egypt in the pre-uprising days.
 
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4108817,00.html

Report: Israel's new Mossad chief behind assassination of Iran nuclear scientist

• Published 11:08 02.08.11
• Latest update 11:08 02.08.11

German weekly Der Spiegel, quoting an Israeli intelligence source, says last week's shooting was first 'public operation' orchestrated by Tamit Prado.

By Ofer Aderet Tags: Mossad Iran nuclear Iran

Israel's Mossad is behind the assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist last week, the German weekly Der Spiegel reported, quoting "a source in Israel's intelligence community." 

Last week, Dariush Rezaeinejad, a 35-year-old member of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was shot dead by two gunmen firing from motorcycles. This is the fourth attack on an Iranian nuclear scientist in the past year. In the previous cases, Iranian media outlets and spokesmen accused the Mossad, the CIA and MI6 of being behind the strikes. 

	Technicians measuring parts of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant in this undated photo.
	Photo by: AP

"This was the first public operation of the new Mossad chief Tamir Pardo," an Israeli intelligence official reportedly told Der Spiegel. 

The report also claimed that there is a fierce debate in Israel over the efficiency of such assassinations and it also stated that Israel Air Force officers have stepped up their calls to bomb Iran's nuclear reactor. 

"Mossad experts have long believed that the best way to delay the progress of Iran's nuclear program is by assassinating key targets involved in its development and by striking Iran's nuclear reactors – but it is unclear when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will listen to these suggestions," the article said. 

The man, who was killed last Saturday, was initially identified by state-run media as Darioush Rezaei, a physics professor and expert in neutron transport. The media then backtracked, with officials subsequently naming him as Dariush Rezaeinejad, an electronics PhD student. 

Foreign officials contacted by the Associated Press have verified the name, but say that Rezaeinedjad participated in developing high-voltage switches, a key component that is crucial to setting off the explosions needed to trigger a nuclear warhead. 

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/report-israel-s-new-mossad-chief-behind-assassination-of-iran-nuclear-scientist-1.376567

Der Spiegel: Mossad behind Iran hit

German newspaper quotes Israeli intelligence source saying that Iranian nuclear scientist's assassination was Mossad chief Tamir Pardo's first major operation. Report claims Mossad opposed to IAF calls to strike Iran nuke sites

Assaf Uni

Published:  08.02.11, 00:31 / Israel News

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BERLIN – The assassination of the Iranian nuclear scientist in Tehran last week was the first major operation of Mossad director Tamir Pardo, the Der Spiegel website reported Monday.

The article, which quotes an Israeli intelligence source, surveys the series of assassination attempts involving Iranian scientists in the past 18 months and points to the Mossad as the organization at the forefront of Israel's campaign against an Iranian nuclear bomb.

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According to reports, the scientist was shot to death last Saturday while taking his daughter to kindergarten. "It was the first public operation by new Mossad chief Tamir Pardo," an unnamed Israeli intelligence source told Der Spiegel's correspondent in Beirut.

Verification

Report: Shot Iranian said to be nuke expert / Associated Press Ex-IAEA official says physics professor Darioush Rezaei, who was assassinated in Tehran, was indeed an atom scientist Full story

It was later revealed that the victim was involved in the development of switches for a nuclear bomb and had worked in a research center in northern Tehran.

The days after the hit saw many conflicting reports regarding the victim's identity. Iran's State-run media initially identified him as Darioush Rezaei, a physics professor and expert in neutron transport, but backtracked within hours, with officials subsequently naming him as Darioush Rezaeinejad, an electronics student.

According to the Der Spiegel report, the victim is Professor Rezaei, who was not seen in public since the hit.

In January 2010, Iranian nuclear scientist Mohammed Ali Masoudi was assassinated in Tehran. In November of that year physics professor Majid Shahriari was also killed.
According to Der Spiegel's source, many Israel Air Force officers are pushing for an aerial attack on Iranian nuclear sites, a plan the Mossad is against.

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"It's also a matter of prestige between the organizations," the source said. "As long as the Mossad is leading the campaign against the Iranian nuclear program it continues to get the big budgets."

Iran has submitted a letter to the UN's Human Rights Council demanding an investigation into the assassination of Daryoush Rezayeenejad last week.

Javad Larijani, the secretary general of Iran's High Council of Human Rights, accused Israel and the West of assassinating an electrical engineering graduate student.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4103182,00.html

Report: Israeli killed in New Zealand earthquake was Mossad agent

• Published 23:27 19.07.11
• Latest update 23:27 19.07.11

Local media reports Ofer Mizrahi, killed in the Christchurch earthquake in February, was part of a team trying to infiltrate sensitive computer systems.

By Sefi Krupsky

New Zealand security officials suspect Israeli Mossad agents were trying to obtain sensitive information from the state's databases, reported the local Southland Times newspaper on Tuesday. Authorities suspect that one of the agents was Ofer Mizrahi, one of three Israelis killed in the earthquake in the city of Christchurch last February.
Authorities have launched an investigation into what a senior security official called "suspicious activities of several groups of Israelis during and immediately after the earthquake."

	Ofer Mizrahi, one of the three Israelis killed in the earthquake.
	Photo by: Reproduction

There was extensive local media coverage of the search teams that were sent from Israel after the earthquake. The two private search parties were sent without prior coordination with officials in Jerusalem, and were met with difficulties after the local authorities prevented them from searching in the area.

The report claims Israel's reaction to the casualties and missing Israeli citizens was unprecedented. For example, Prime Minister John Key, who is Jewish, spoke with his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu four times the day of the earthquake. The report also claims that Israeli ambassador Shemi Tzur , who is posted in the capital Wellington, immediately ordered plane tickets to Christchurch. Furthermore, Home Front Defense Minister Matan Vilnai also left immediately for the disaster-struck city.

The three Israelis who survived the car crash that killed Mizrai fled the scene and left him behind, the report continues, saying Mizrahi had five passports. New Zealand security services suspected he was a Mossad agent after the Israeli search party took interest in his many passports and after his three friends' quick departure back to Israel. Security services also took note that a Facebook page set up in remembrance of Mizrahi has only five "likes."

Shemi Tzur, the Israeli ambassador in Wellington, denied the allegations and dismissed them as "science fiction."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/report-israeli-killed-in-new-zealand-earthquake-was-mossad-agent-1.374109