- Israel is secretly mobilizing its sleeper agents in the
United States in the run-up to the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror
attacks.
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- In an unprecedented move, Israel has secretly mobilized
its estimated 15,000 sleeper agents -known as sayanim-across America. For
the past month, in the utmost secrecy, they have been briefed by former
Mossad operations director, Raphael (Rafi) Eitan, on how to update the
defense systems of synagogues, Jewish religious schools, Jewish banks,
and other Jewish-owned institutions.
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- Many of the sayanim-the name comes from the Hebrew "to
help"-have received weapons training during their military service.
Others have worked in U.S. military intelligence. A number are currently
employed by police forces across the country.
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- "While their allegiance to their birth country cannot
be doubted, each sayan recognizes a greater loyalty: the mystical one to
Israel and a need to help protect it from its enemies," Meir Amit,
a former Mossad chief, has said. He created the secret force of sayanim.
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- Known as Israel's "invisible army," all its
members are vetted by professional Mossad intelligence officers, called
katsas, before being recruited.
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- Sayanim reported that the FBI has identified 240 individuals
living in the United States-mostly Saudis and Syrians-who are openly sympathetic
to al Qaeda.
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- "We have no hard evidence they are involved in the
preparation of an attack to mark the second anniversary of Sept. 11,"
an FBI source said. "Our policy is to keep close surveillance on them
and move in at the first sign of an attack being planned."
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- This wait-and-see policy has angered Israel's Mossad,
which insists an attack is being planned. Israeli intelligence had given
a similar warning before Sept. 11, 2001, which was dismissed as being "too
vague" by both the CIA and FBI.
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- To protect its massive multiple interests in the United
States, Israel has decided to act alone. It will be seen by Homeland Security
and the FBI as a vote of no confidence in their ability to protect Jewish
interests.
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- The information of a possible attack came from two U.S.-based
katsas (Mossad agents). Each made a similar report to Mossad chief, Meir
Dagan. Both reports stated al Qaeda terrorists in Canada are preparing
to launch an attack in the United States. No date or target was provided.
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- The decision to send Eitan-the Mossad spy chief who persuaded
Jonathan Pollard to betray all of America's most important defense secrets
to Israel-was made by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
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- Eitan is traveling on an Israeli diplomatic passport
throughout the United States-and requests to question him about his activities
have been rejected.
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- In order to avoid creating a political problem with Israel,
FBI Director Robert Mueller is said to have been ordered by Attorney General
John Ashcroft not to question Eitan.
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- A high-level administration source said: "In the
end, we are both on the same side. We need to keep Sharon reading the road
map to peace-even if it is in tatters right now."
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- On a recent fishing trip to Ireland, Mueller made plain
his feelings along the banks of one of Ireland's finest salmon rivers.
A source close to Mueller said: "Once more the Israelis are trying
to run their own show. Eitan appears to have mobilized a private army within
the United States which will ultimately only be answerable to Israel."
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- ANOTHER PROMIS
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- In a separate but related incident, another former Mossad
agent, Juval Aviv, has claimed in an email that Eitan is using the latest
version of Promis-the sophisticated software that can track terrorists-to
help to train sayanim.
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- The software was originally stolen by Eitan from a specialist
Washington computer company, Inslaw. Since then, Inslaw has developed several
even more sophisticated versions of the program.
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- Details are a closely guarded secret at Inslaw's offices.
But it is known that at least one major business corporation in Columbus,
Ohio-where Eitan has set up base-uses a version of Promis.
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- In his email, sent at 9:19 a.m. on Aug. 22 to Inslaw
boss, Bill Hamilton, Aviv-who is president of the New York-based Interfor,
an international private security agency staffed with former intelligence
officers-makes an astonishing claim:
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- The new version of Promis was tested in Ohio by you-know-who,
and he caused the blackout last weekend.
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- It was a test that was not meant to cause that much devastating
damage, but because their infrastructure is so old and vulnerable, it went
down without being able to correct itself. That is how we got the blackout
in 2003.
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- Mr. X is bragging about it and is quite impressed with
Promis's new capabilities.
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- "You-know-who" and "Mr. X" refer
to Eitan.
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- Attempts to contact Aviv to discuss his extraordinary
claim have failed. Aviv refused to take calls at his New York offices from
where he runs his worldwide operations.
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- Aviv has dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship and claims that,
as well as working for Mossad, he also led an Israeli army elite commando/intelligence
unit. He worked in Mossad at the same time Eitan was its director of operations.
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- Intelligence sources in Washington are puzzled why Aviv
should have linked Eitan to the blackout. But the FBI is likely to question
Aviv on his claims-unless they are once more warned off.
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- Meanwhile, Eitan's sayanim are fully mobilized.
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- In an interview, Meir Amit has said: "Sayanim fulfill
many functions. A car sayan, running a rental agency, lets his handler
know if any suspicious person has rented a car. A realtor sayan provides
similar information on anyone seeking accommodations.
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- "Sayanim also collect technical data and all kinds
of overt intelligence-a rumor at a cocktail party, an item on the radio,
a paragraph in a newspaper, a story overheard at a dinner party. Without
its sayanim Mossad could not operate," claimed Amit.
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- Between now and Sept. 11, Israel's secret army will be
reporting to Eitan under the nose of the FBI agents who continue to monitor
his activities-but can do nothing to learn more by questioning the spymaster.
Perhaps they are depending on their outmoded version of the Promis software
to provide the answers.
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