Gordon Thomas - Gideon's Spies

In October 2007, Meir Dagan told his staff he had agreed to remain in office until “the Iran problem” was resolved. A year later, Ehud Olmert, the prime minister of Israel and Dagan’s political boss, announced he would retire to give more time to rebutting the corruption scandal engulfing him. Israel’s foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, declared she would run for office as leader of the Kadima party. The hard-talking former Mossad agent, who had chased terrorists in Europe at the age of twenty-six, had given up the job after her future husband said he did not want his future wife spending nights in European hotels surrounded by fit, young Mossad agents. When in October 2008 Israel’s president said there would be a general election, Livni, now a vivacious fifty-year-old, made it clear she could count on the support of Meir Dagan in her bid to become the first woman prime minister since Golda Meir. Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the conservative opposition Likud Party, made a similar claim. Meir Dagan maintained a diplomatic silence on who he would support except to tell his staff anyone would be better than Olmert.

In 2008 the diversity of threats to Israel and the world beyond its borders led to Mossad acting with even more deadly purpose. It is still the only intelligence service that has an officially sanctioned assassination unit: its kidon squad have continued to kill and kill again. “We fight fire with fire,” Mossad’s latest director, Meir Dagan, has told his staff. But where, in the past, it maintained silence about its executions, today it allows the details to emerge—in the belief it will deter its enemies. There is no convincing proof it has.

While today most people have a reasonable, if limited, idea of how spies work and understand terms like “double agent,” “safe house,” and “tradecraft” they will not know the total scale of international espionage and its economic cost. The demise of the Warsaw Pact, the Iraq War of 2003, and the continuance of al-Qaeda as the new godfather of terrorism has only increased the need for intelligence. Espionage exerts a perennial hold on the public imagination and appetite. My aim has been to satisfy that hunger.

The one great truth today is that if President Bush’s War on Terror, so optimistically launched in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, is to succeed, there is a need for other intelligence services to take careful note of how Mossad goes about its business. Mossad can be harsh beyond belief to its enemies. It often treats its own staff who fail with a ruthlessness no other agency—with the exception of the Chinese Secret Intelligence Service—would consider. But Mossad prides itself as rightly being regarded among the best, if not the very best. This book is not an apology for what Mossad does, but hopefully it continues to do what Meir Amit said after its first publication: “Tells it like it was—and like it is.”

IDFResponsible for coordinating all intelligence for the General Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces. From time to time gives Mossad specific tasks.

AMANIntelligence branch of the IDF with specific responsibility for gathering military, geographic, and economic intelligence. Its prime focus remains the activities of Israel’s Arab neighbors in the new millennium.

AFIIntelligence branch of Israel’s air force. Specializes in gathering signals intelligence and aerial reconnaissance. By the year 2001, the latter will be largely replaced by satellite, leaving AFI’s role to provide conventional air support intelligence.

BPParamilitary-style border police in Israeli-occupied territories. Limited intelligence-gathering role.

NINaval intelligence unit of all Israeli seaborne forces. Work includes monitoring Israel’s coasts and updating foreign naval resources.

GSSAlso known as Shin Bet or SHABEK. Responsible for internal security and defense of Israeli installations abroad such as embassies, consulates, and important Israeli organizations.

RPPCResearch and Political Planning Center advises prime minister of the day and his policymakers on longterm strategy.

CIAConducts covert operations, provides intelligence analysis for the incumbent president. Forbidden by Executive Order from conducting assassinations.

DIACoordinates all military intelligence for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

INRState Department’s small intelligence and research department (1999 staff approximately 500). Reports only to incumbent secretary of state.

NIOBased in Pentagon The National Imagery Office controls all U.S. satellite intelligence gathering. Constantly “tasked” by the CIA and DIA.

NROPentagon-based. Works closely with NIO and has specific responsibility for all satellite hardware and deployment.

NSAOperates from Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. Over the years its “spy in the sky” image has given the National Security Agency a glamour once only the prerogative of the CIA. Specializes in signals intelligence, cryptography. Works closely with NIO on satellite intelligence gathering.

GCHQIts 7,000 (approx. 1999) staff act as Britain’s “invisible eye in outer space.” Formally known as Government Communications Headquarters, it monitors and decodes radio, telex, fax, and e-mail traffic in and out of the United Kingdom. Regularly “tasked” by Britain’s two main intelligence services.

MI6Also known as the Secret Intelligence Service. Staff of under 2,000 (1999) plan, carry out, and analyze worldwide clandestine operations and intelligence gathering.

MI52,000 staff (1999). Britain’s prime internal counterespionage service. Specializes in monitoring all designated subversives in the country and conducts surveillance on a large number of foreign diplomats and embassies, including, those of Israel.

GRUGlavnoye Razvedyvatelnoye Upravlenie provides Kremlin with military intelligence. Staffed with the best of the former Soviet Union’s intelligence services. Equipped with satellite surveillance.

FCSRenamed the Federal Counter-intelligence Service, it is really the old KGB updated. Staff of 142,000 (1999). Focuses on border movement control, internal counter-intelligence, surveillance of all foreign diplomats, many journalists, and business people. Has a powerful secret police division with units in every major city in Russia.

SVRSluzhba Vneshnie Razvedaki runs worldwide, multilayered intelligence-gathering operation. Specialist units gather political, industrial, and commercial intelligence. Conducts covert operations, including assassinations.

ILDHarmless-sounding International Liaison Department, the organization engages in a wide range of covert activities. Prime target is the United States.

MIDMilitary Intelligence Department reports to the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army. Brief includes updating all foreign military capabilities (especially the United States) and conducting satellite reconnaissance. Staff are attached to every PRC embassy and consulate.

MSSFounded in 1983, the Ministry of State Security is responsible for all counter-espionage within China. Has a fearsome reputation.

STDBased in Ministry of Defense, the large Science and Technology Department has two prime functions: to collate all signals traffic from the Chinese navy and overseas embassies; to target primarily U.S. firms working at the cutting edge of military and civilian technology.