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>From http://gopusa.com/opinion/db_0207.shtml
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The Israeli Spy Flap Will Fade Away, But At What Cost?
By Douglas J. Brown
February 7, 2002
Just as the discovery of 27 listening devices in President Jiang Zemin's new Boeing
plane is not likely to outwardly damage US-China ties, reports of Israeli spy rings in
the US are not likely to have a noticeable effect on US-Israeli relations. At least,
not
outwardly.
At the same time, Fox News and NewsMax were reporting the allegations of Israeli
intelligence of possibly infiltrating US law enforcement wire- tapping operations, US
intelligence was reportedly playing a key role in helping the Israelis spot and track
the
Karine-A, a ship laden with 50 tons of weapons and explosives for the Palestinians.
There is no question that intelligence cooperation and support between the two
countries will be a key factor in whether the war against global terrorism will be
successful. It can be safely assumed that Israeli intelligence on global terrorism is
going to be some of the best in the world.
True, Israel will attempt to manipulate us and direct us with this intelligence. Yet
equally true is that Israeli intelligence will be as important to the US in this war,
as US
political and military support to Israel has been through the years.
Nevertheless, if the reports of Israeli intelligence infiltrating American high- tech
companies, subsidiaries of larger Israeli companies, are true, then Israel risks
seriously damaging its working relationship with American Law Enforcement and
Intelligence Agencies at a critical time for both countries.
The companies that have been identified have all vigorously denied the allegations
through their spokesmen. But their denials ring a little hollow when the FBI public
affairs department refuses to dismiss the allegations against the companies as totally
unfounded. Either the FBI is doing a terrible disservice to the companies by letting
the stories hang or something is up.
Furthermore, the companies' denials display a certain disingenuousness when they
dismiss the notion that the companies are in some way controlled by Israeli
intelligence. Of course, Israeli intelligence would not likely be at the center of some
company wide conspiracy in which every employee was a 'spy.' No, it only takes a
few well-placed individuals to make a spy ring or two. For the most part, 99% of the
company would be operating as, and would be, a perfectly legitimate company.
This is not the first time Israeli intelligence has been accused of tapping US phone
lines. Several stories have appeared in the last few years including reports that
Israeli intelligence had tapped the Clinton White House phones. Specifically a
subsidiary of the Israeli telecommunications company Telrad was identified as the
culprit. ("FBI Probes Espionage at Clinton White House" Insight Magazine May 8th
2000; "Israeli spies tapped Clinton e-mail" Sunday Times May 21, 2000 by Uzi
Mahnaimi; and the Washington Post May 7, 1997)
Ironically, in addition to the possible damage between US and Israeli government
agencies, overly aggressive economic and high tech espionage by Israel also risks
the credibility and reputation of their own high-tech sector. Strategic alliances, M&A,
the activities of American and Israeli VC funds, and even Israeli and American
government backed programs to promote the Israeli high tech sector and nurture its
ties with the US high tech sector all come under an unnecessary cloud of suspicion.
The Israelis will no doubt defend any breach of etiquette and zealotry on its part by
arguing that they are at war for their very survival against terrorism and the states
that sponsor it. True enough. But so are we.
The US cannot afford to have a foreign intelligence service rooting around our law
enforcement and intelligence agencies unchecked and unquestioned in a time of
war, even a 'friendly' one.
What is the likely fallout if Israel has been caught over aggressively 'tapping' into
our
law enforcement and intelligence agencies?
Officially it should be no different than the reaction of both the American and Chinese
governments to the bugging of President Zemin's plane. (If, indeed the US really did
do it.) Senior US officials will have no comment at all or they will make some
innocuous statement to the effect that bumps in the road happen but that good
Israeli-American relations are more important than ever to each country.
Behind the scenes, the same senior officials will have to make clear all the way down
the line that Israeli infiltration and spy networks are to be thoroughly investigated,
swept up or turned back onto the Israelis. Furthermore, damage assessments need
to be thorough and far-reaching. They need to take into account not just what the
Israelis did and learnt but also what other countries may have learned through Israeli
activities. (See, "Israel: An embarassment of spies" Bulletin of Atomic Scientists
March/April 1999)
The failure of US officials to thoroughly purge any Israeli spy networks that have
been discovered or stumbled upon could be disastrous for both countries.
Reports that investigating Israeli intelligence operations in the US is the kiss of
death
for one's career was the most disturbing part of the original FOX story. It rings all
too
true to observers and members of the law enforcement and intelligence
communities. Senior officials attacking the messenger rather than the message was
all too frequent the case in the last administration, Gary Aldrich, Nora Trulock, and
Tim Johnson are just a few of the names that come to mind.
Orders that reek of political expediency that run directly counter to the laws and
duties that law enforcement and intelligence officers are sworn to uphold and carry
out have a thoroughly corrupting effect within the law enforcement and intelligence
agencies.
In such an environment professionals are forced to choose between careers and
professional ethics and integrity. Officers who self-servingly choose careers, or who
are oblivious or too afraid to choose are pitted against officers who refuse to
compromise their professional integrity and duty to country.
Such a law enforcement and intelligence community is not much service to the
nation or its allies. It would be a community riddled by divisions, easily manipulated,
unreliable, and just plain out to lunch.
It would be a community where massive Chinese espionage activities and active
measures would be dismissed as insignificant or not worth investigating. A
community where agitprop style diversity campaigns would undermine the morale of
personnel, and where the self-flagellation rhetoric of a DCI would help lead to
ridiculous restraints on intelligence gathering. A community where one of the most
warped and twisted minds in American history would sell out his country out of a
warped sense of arrogance and pride, Robert Hanssen that is. In short it would be a
continuation of the Clinton years.
September 11th made it clear that America can't afford or survive with such a law
enforcement and intelligence community. Israeli intelligence activities must be
thoroughly investigated and understood by American authorities. Neither the US, nor
Israel can afford US authorities to do anything less.
Let us know what you think about this column by sending us an e-mail at
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