Hi there, !
Today Mon 10/21/2013 Sun 10/20/2013 Sat 10/19/2013 Fri 10/18/2013 Thu 10/17/2013 Wed 10/16/2013 Tue 10/15/2013 Archives
Rantburg
531688 articles and 1855967 comments are archived on Rantburg.

Today: 44 articles and 126 comments as of 10:23.
Post a news link    Post your own article   
Area: WoT Operations    WoT Background    Non-WoT        Politix   
At Least 60 Killed, Hundreds Wounded in Iraq Bombs
Today's Headlines
Headline Comments [Views]
Page 4: Opinion
10 19:36 JosephMendiola [2] 
3 16:52 Paul D [2] 
Page 1: WoT Operations
4 01:12 Thereque the Grim9745 [1]
1 10:29 airandee [1]
0 [1]
2 10:41 Pappy [1]
1 10:42 Pappy [1]
1 08:27 Frank G [1]
1 03:57 Spereting Tingle4064 [2]
3 22:19 Barbara [1]
3 14:19 Pappy [1]
8 20:48 JosephMendiola [1]
1 08:26 Frank G [2]
Page 2: WoT Background
5 20:55 JosephMendiola [4]
4 10:22 Besoeker [2]
0 [2]
3 22:13 SteveS [3]
0 [2]
0 [2]
2 17:41 Fred [2]
2 09:17 JFM [2]
0 [2]
0 [2]
3 13:23 Barbara [2]
2 21:15 Uncle Phester [3]
1 09:45 Frank G [2]
4 19:22 JosephMendiola [2]
1 21:48 Frank G [2]
2 05:54 Bobby [4]
Page 3: Non-WoT
1 17:33 Besoeker [2]
0 [2]
11 21:04 JosephMendiola [3]
5 22:56 Pappy [4]
2 12:08 Shipman [2]
1 08:11 Procopius2k [2]
3 08:34 Glenmore [2]
0 [2]
4 22:58 Pappy [2]
0 [2]
2 22:25 Uncle Phester [2]
Page 6: Politix
1 22:44 newc [2]
0 [2]
9 22:12 SteveS [2]
20 21:23 JosephMendiola [2]
The Grand Turk
Analysis: Turkey's Unprecedented Act Of Betrayal Against Israel
[Jpost] If Turkey did blow cover of Israeli spy ring, it would violate unwritten code of conduct between allied intelligence agencies.

In April 2012, Iran announced that it had uncovered a spy ring numbering 15 operatives working at the behest of Israel. Iranian authorities fingered the operatives as being responsible for the killings of nuclear scientists in recent years. Tehran had long suspected the Mossad as the mastermind of these operations. In announcing the arrests, Iran touted the apprehension of "Zionist spies" and the revelations regarding "Zionist" intelligence activity in a neighboring country.

The announcement, which didn't garner much attention at the time, takes on added importance Thursday just hours after The Washington Post reported that Turkish intelligence revealed the identities of 10 Iranian spies working for Israel. According to the report, Iranian agents would meet with their Mossad handlers on Turkish soil.

This information was revealed by the newspaper's senior foreign affairs analyst, David Ignatius, a journalist who is known to maintain extensive contacts with both the American and Israeli intelligence communities. If the report is accurate -- and it is difficult to doubt the credibility of Ignatius' sources -- then we are talking about a very egregious -- even unprecedented -- act. In fact, this is the basest act of betrayal imaginable.

For over 50 years, Israel and Turkey were strategic allies. At the heart of this relationship were the extremely close ties between the Mossad and Military Intelligence on one hand, and the Turkish MIT and its military intelligence apparatus on the other hand. These ties were first established in 1958, and they were an integral part of the "Trident" partnership that also included Iran's intelligence services during the reign of the Shah. It was only recently that Israeli intelligence chiefs permitted archived, previously classified material about the nature of this special relationship to be released for public consumption.

This strategic alliance is manifest in the bi-annual meetings between the heads of Mossad and MIT as well as intelligence analysts and experts on both sides. This relationship was also characterized by the frequent exchanges of information about common enemies and adversaries in the region, including Iraq, Syria, and post-Islamic Iran.
Perhaps not so common as the Israelis thought, hmmm?
Even during the most tense periods in relations between the two countries, intelligence ties remained intact, even if they did cool somewhat. While intelligence work is often interest-driven, devoid of sentiment and cruel in nature, there are still unwritten rules of conduct that govern relationships.

If it is indeed guilty of blowing the cover off of the Israeli spy network, then Turkey blatantly violated these codes. Despite the deteriorating ties triggered by the violent Mavi Marmara incident of two years ago, Israel and Turkey have never been -- and are not today -- enemies.
Perhaps it is time reassess that statement, given what is clearly Prime Minister Erdogan's attitude.
According to foreign media reports, Turkey has long been a base of operations for Mossad agents operating against Iran. Nonetheless, it was only recently reported that an Iranian-Belgian businessman who was arrested in Israel on charges of being a spy for the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force had created straw companies in Turkey to serve as a cover.

One may assume that Turkish intelligence was monitoring both Israeli and Iranian espionage activity taking place on its soil. Despite the caution and the efforts taken to maintain total secrecy even from close allies, it is possible that Turkish intelligence agencies discovered the Mossad apparatus and its ties with the Iranian network.

It was assumed that despite the bumpy road and tensions in relations, interests would trump all other considerations and smooth relations between the intelligence agencies would continue. Earlier this year, there were reports that Mossad chief Tamir Pardo met with MIT director Hakan Fidan in Ankara. According to Ignatius, Israeli officials wryly view Fidan as "Iran's station chief in Ankara." Though this statement was made with tongue firmly planted in cheek, it was meant to convey the sense that Fidan is perceived as very close to Iran.

If the Israeli spy network was indeed unveiled, it was done so at the order of Fidan and with the full approval of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His obsessive animus toward Israel and his anti-Semitic tendencies are known to all.
Posted by: trailing wife || 10/18/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  If anybody in Israeli intelligence community trusted Turks...
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 10/18/2013 14:28 Comments || Top||

#2  Apparently there was some level of trust - for half a century.
Posted by: Pappy || 10/18/2013 15:51 Comments || Top||

#3  Whose side is Erdogan on? MB/Islamists comes to mind.
Posted by: Paul D || 10/18/2013 16:52 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Israel Strike Coming?
[WashingtonTimes] Talks in Geneva on Iran's nuclear program are triggering fears within U.S. intelligence agencies that Israel is hardening its stance on Iran and could conduct a military attack to stave off what the Jewish state believes is a delaying tactic for Tehran to buy time to build nuclear weapons.

The clearest indicator of growing Israeli concerns, according to defense officials, is the recent large-scale Israeli air force drill Tuesday in the northern part of the country. The exercises along the northern border and over the Mediterranean were considered unusually large.

An Israeli defense source told Israel's Walla! news outlet: "Changes have recently occurred in the Middle East. The [Israeli Defense Force] is preparing for those changes in both the closer and more distant perimeters, and yesterday's exercise was intended to signal the IDF's serious intention of dealing with those problems and thwarting them."

Additionally, Israeli air forces conducted long-range fighter exercises last week involving in-flight refueling practice.

The talks in Geneva have produced press reports that the B.O. regime is preparing to ease sanctions on Iran following conciliatory statements by Iranian Prime Minister Hassan Rouhani at the U.N. last month.
Posted by: trailing wife || 10/18/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Yes, there is a strike coming, the knish and bagel workers union are walking out on account of a long overdue, non=payment for debts by Iran.

Go get'm kids, the AH in the WH won't, so you do it.
Posted by: Thereque the Grim9745 || 10/18/2013 1:50 Comments || Top||

#2  Israel is hardening its stance
I don't think their stance has changed one little bit. And it's crystal clear, it's just some folks don't take it seriously.
Posted by: Bobby || 10/18/2013 6:00 Comments || Top||

#3  ..triggering fears within U.S. intelligence agencies that Israel is hardening its stance

Their stance has never changed. They won't get into the boxcars again.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 10/18/2013 8:07 Comments || Top||

#4  They do this around this time every year - in the past they practiced to crete, greece, and turkey (when the were getting along). This is routine and much to do about nothing.
Posted by: Yosemite Sam || 10/18/2013 10:17 Comments || Top||

#5  If I may rephrase Curtis LeMay:
Israel's adversary is Iran, its enemy is Obama.
Posted by: Phusosh Bonaparte6402 || 10/18/2013 11:38 Comments || Top||

#6  ..I suspect that, soon, the question mark will be unnecessary...
Posted by: Uncle Phester || 10/18/2013 13:05 Comments || Top||

#7  I suspect the Saudi's and Israel's are talking about airspace and refueling and other things best left unsaid.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 10/18/2013 14:42 Comments || Top||

#8  Of course these talks will never have happened
Posted by: European Conservative || 10/18/2013 15:27 Comments || Top||

#9  They won't get into the boxcars again.

Indeed they won't.
Posted by: JohnQC || 10/18/2013 16:40 Comments || Top||

#10  Baby Assad + Iran are now the US' PDeniable BFF = "Tip of the Spear" agz Al-Qaeda + other Foreign jihad groups in Syria + ME.

Ironically, it also means or infers that the same are now [reluctant?]Israel's pseudo-allies as well agz the Hard Boyz, AT LEAST THRU SUMMER 2014.

IMO SecState Jaaawhn's real job in the ME is notsomuch negotiating the destruction of Syria's ChemWar Arsenal but keeping Israel + even the KSA from unilaterally attacking Iran + Iran's NucProgs.

ALLEGED MARXIST-ANARCHIST-GLOBALIST NOW HAS HIS PCORRECT-DENIABLE EXCUSE OR COVER STORY AS TO HOW SHIA IRAN BECAME THE WORLD'S FIRST ISLAMIC NUCLEAR SUPERPOWER AMID A OWG-NWO "MULTIPOLAR/
POLYCENTRIC WORLD" VEE PROPOSED MEDITERRANEAN UNION, MIDDLE EAST UNION, ISLAMIC UNION, PERSIAN GULF? UNION, ETC. OWG GLOBAL FEDERAL UNIONS.

Lest we fergit, IIRC NET ARTIC = the Head of the inter-Muslim OIC wants his bloc of Muslim World-States to have a [permanent?] seat on the UNSC, WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS BROADLY COMPRISED OF THE WORLD'S TOP NUCLEAR + GREAT POWERS, MOSTLY JUDEOCHRISTIAN NATIONS.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 10/18/2013 19:36 Comments || Top||



Who's in the News
29[untagged]
4Arab Spring
2Govt of Pakistan
1Govt of Iran
1Govt of Syria
1Hamas
1Hezbollah
1Islamic State of Iraq & the Levant
1Pirates
1Taliban
1al-Qaeda
1al-Shabaab

Bookmark
E-Mail Me

The Classics
The O Club
Rantburg Store
The Bloids
The Never-ending Story
Thugburg
Gulf War I
The Way We Were
Bio

Merry-Go-Blog











On Sale now!


A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.

Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.

Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has dominated Mexico for six years.
Click here for more information

Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
Seafarious
tu3031
badanov
sherry
ryuge
GolfBravoUSMC
Bright Pebbles
trailing wife
Gloria
Fred
Besoeker
Glenmore
Frank G
3dc
Skidmark

Two weeks of WOT
Fri 2013-10-18
  At Least 60 Killed, Hundreds Wounded in Iraq Bombs
Thu 2013-10-17
  Logar Governor Killed By Blast in Mosque
Wed 2013-10-16
  Syria fighting rages on despite Muslim holiday
Tue 2013-10-15
  Boko Haram 'kills 24 Nigerian vigilantes in ambush'
Mon 2013-10-14
  Key Syria opposition group refuses Geneva peace talks
Sun 2013-10-13
  Tunisian Forces Clash with Jihadists
Sat 2013-10-12
  US troops capture a senior Pakistan Taliban leader in Afghanistan
Fri 2013-10-11
  Libya PM 'Freed' after Several Hours Held by Militia, Calls for Calm
Thu 2013-10-10
  Libyan Prime Minister Zeidan kidnapped by gunmen
Wed 2013-10-09
  Egypt Strips Muslim Brotherhood of NGO Status
Tue 2013-10-08
  Egypt: Huge Explosion Hits Security HQ In Sinai
Mon 2013-10-07
  SEAL Strike on Shaboob Big Turban Fails in Somalia
Sun 2013-10-06
  Abu Anas al-Libi snatched
Sat 2013-10-05
  Boko Haram: 186 killed, 15 arrested as Military raids insurgents' camp in Yobe
Fri 2013-10-04
  Belgium Extradites Nisar Trabelsi to U.S.

Better than the average link...



Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
34.206.64.143
Help keep the Burg running! Paypal:
WoT Operations (11)    WoT Background (16)    Non-WoT (11)    (0)    Politix (4)