Countering
Terrorism: The Israeli Response To The
1972 Munich Olympic
Massacre
And The Development Of Independence Covert Action Teams
CSC
1995
SUBJECT
AREA - Topical Issues
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
Title:
Countering Terrorism: The Israeli Response to the 1972 Munich Olympic
Massacre
and the Development of Independent Covert Action Teams.
Author:
Alexander B. Calahhn
Thesis:
The purpose of this study is to examine the methodology of the covert action
teams
authorized by Prime Minister Golda Meir to find and assassinate those
individuals
responsible
for the attack on the Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic games in
September
1972. Specifically, the study addresses whether the operational and tactical
methods
utilized in this counterterrorist effort were successful relative to the
original
operational
objectives.
Background:
In 1972, the Israeli Mossad initiated one of the most ambitious covert
counterterrorist
campaigns in history. Golda Meir and the Israeli cabinet's top secret
'Committee-X'
devised a campaign in retaliation for the massacre of eleven Israeli's
during
the Munich Olympic games. Meir tasked the committee with devising an
appropriate
response to the Munich massacre. The panel concluded that the most
effective
response was to authorize the assassination of any Black September terrorists
involved
in the Munich incident. The Mossad assumed the responsibility for implementing
the
panel's directive. To accomplish the directive, the Mossad developed several
assassination
teams, each with specific mission parameters and methods of operation. The
Mossad
headquarters element developed one team utilizing staff operations officers
supported
by recruited assets of regional stations and managed through standard Mossad
headquarters'
procedures. A second unit recruited staff officers and highly trained
specialists
and set them outside the arm and control of the government. The theory was to
support
this team financially through covert mechanisms and let them operate with
complete
anonymity outside the government structure. The assassination team deployed
through
normal channels failed to complete their mission and publicly exposed the
entire
operation.
The second team which operated with full decentralized authority and freedom
of
movement achieved significant success in fulfilling their operational
objectives and
never
compromised the operation.
Recommendation.: Although there are inherent differences
between Israeli and U.S.
policies,
specifically those addressing the use of assassination as a political tool,
important
lessons
may be gleaned from this study for policy makers. Planners of sensitive covert
operations
must have a firm understanding of bureaucratic processes. Government
bureaucracies
inherently limit the degree of operational success by the nature of their
systems.
Bureaucracies cannot move effectively beyond a predetermined operational
tempo,
and impose fatal restraints regarding operational tradecraft and tactics.
Successful
covert
operations demand a flexible capability with full decentralized authority
enabling
officers
to initiate actions as circumstances dictate, enhancing the operational
success-failure
ratio. When operational teams incorporate decentralized authority in
concert
with good tradecraft and tactical techniques, success is virtually assured.
Government
agencies are capable of conducting decentralized, sensitive operations with
reasonable
operational control and an expectation of success.
COUNTERING
TERRORISM:
THE ISRAELI RESPONSE TO THE 1972 MUNICH OLYMPIC MASSACRE AND
THE
DEVELOPMENT OF INDEPENDENT
COVERT ACTION TEAMS
by
Alexander B.
Calahan
GS-12
Graduate Class
Thesis submitted to
the Faculty
of the Marine Corps Command
and Staff College
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Master of Military Studies
April 1995
The views in this paper are
those of the author and
do not reflect the official
policy or position of the
Department of Defense or the
U.S. Government
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank Mr. George Jonas
for his candid conversation regarding Avner's
team,
which was so vital to this study. I would also like to give special thanks to
my thesis
advisor,
Dr. James H. Anderson, my second mentor, Mr. N. Richard Kinsman, and my third
reader
and year-long faculty advisor, Dr. Donald F. Bittner. Additionally, I would
like to
acknowledge
the military officers and civilian faculty of the U.S.M.C. University, Command
and
Staff
College for allowing me the opportunity to participate in a unique learning
experience.
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
iv
CHAPTER PAGE
1.
INTRODUCTION 1
The Experiment, 1
Intelligence Activities and
Plausible Deniability, 3
2.
THE GAMBLE 8
Massacre at Munich, 8
The Black September Organization,
13
3.
ISRAEL RESPONDS 15
Golda Meir and Committee-X, 15
Case Studies, 16
Lillehammer, 18
Avner, 21
4.
ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS 35
Organizations and the Human
Condition, 35
Tradecraft, Cover, and Trails of
Evidence, 43
Politics and the Nature of War, 45
Meeting the Objectives, 47
5.
LESSONS LEARNED 51
Relevance to U.S. Intelligence
Operations, 51
Executive Order 12,333, 56
APPENDIX
A. Covert Operations' Methodology 59
BIBLIOGRAPHY
74
COUNTERING TERRORISM
The Israeli Response to the 1972
Munich Olympic Massacre and the
Development of Independent Covert Action Team.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The Experiment
In 1972, the Israeli Mossad initiated
one of the most ambitious covert
counterterrorist
campaigns in history. Golda Meir and the Israeli cabinet's top secret
'Committee-X'
devised a campaign in retaliation for the massacre of eleven Israeli's
during
the Munich Olympic games. Black September's (BSO) assault on the Olympic
Village
apartments on September 5, 1972, set in motion a chain of events unparalleled
in
the history of terrorism and antiterrorism tactics. Eleven Israeli's died in
the assault
at
Olympic village and the subsequent failed (West) German police rescue attempt
at
Germany's
Furstenfeldbruck airfield. Outraged by intensifying PLO and BSO terrorist
attacks
on Israeli citizens, Prime Minister Golda Meir, with the support of her highest
ranking
cabinet officials, decided to take the war to the terrorists.
After the events of September 1972,
Golda Meir authorized the formation of
Mossad
directed covert action teams to find and assassinate those individuals
responsible
for the attack on the Israeli athletes in Munich. This paper will explore the
methods
and concepts behind this counterterrorist effort, and analyze its success
relative
to the original operational objectives. Specifically, two case studies will
demonstrate
how the operational methodology as directed through the primary
headquarters'
element directly affected the level of success achieved by the teams
outlined
in the case studies. The specific concept of using assassination as a
government
tool is not the primary focus of the thesis. Rather, the research centers
on
the design of the teams, the operational objectives, and the measurement of
success
relative to those objectives. Further, the paper intends to contrast and
compare
the effectiveness of covert action teams controlled within bureaucratic
organizations,
with loosely controlled decentralized independent action teams.
In depth examination of specific
elements inherent in each team's
organizational
structure, as well as their headquarters' guidance, provides a clear
perspective
of the teams' methodologies. The specific elements explored include the
following:
the type of control instituted, personnel recruited, method of deployment,
headquarters
support, use of cover, engagement, and escape procedures. For the
purposes
of this paper, the methodologies of the different teams present an ideal
platform
for analysis. The research focuses on the actions of two particular units as
they
moved through the phases of their strategy, tactical deployment, engagement,
and
escape.
Other issues of consideration include Mossad operational objectives,
management
policy and control, and the psychological impact on unit members.
For the purposes of this paper,
antiterrorism reflects more passive measures
such
as education, surveillance, liaison training and advising; counterterrorism
techniques
refer to offensive measures to prevent and deter terrorism with active
interdiction
such as targeting and elimination.
Intelligence Activities and Plausible
Deniability
Investigating intelligence operations
from open source material is a difficult
task.
Covert operations, by definition, incorporate an institutional plausible
deniability
factor. Specifically, in the unfortunate event the operation becomes
exposed,
there are levels of deniability imposed which restrict the means to positively
link
the operation with the primary agency. In addition, when agencies do release
the
results
of operations, the sources and methods utilized to conduct the operations
remain
classified to protect sensitive assets. This paper assumes the validity of
certain
events
based on available corroborating evidence and analysis of the events by
individuals
with covert operational experience. Also, the identity of those individuals
providing
their expertise of intelligence operations and tradecraft must remain
confidential.
Even with these sources, limited means exist to fully verify the
information
provided.
The development of the structure and
methodologies regarding the teams
described
in the case studies derived from published open sources. The paper is
unclassified
in nature and utilizes terms extracted from open sources which closely
represent
the actual concepts.
George Jonas, author of Vengeance,
(1984), provided the primary source of
information
regarding "Avner's" unit discussed in depth in the second case study.
Avner
is a former Mossad officer, selected as the team leader of an independent
assassination
team deployed by senior Mossad operations officer Mike Harari. After
operating
for approximately two years in the field and conducting nine successful
assassinations
of PLO terrorists, Avner officially left the Mossad on bitter terms in
1974.
After two years of stressful field operations, Avner felt emotionally drained
and
extremely
disappointed with the Mossad leadership. The Mossad had agreed to
deposit
a generous salary monthly into a Swiss bank account for Avner and each team
member;
upon completion of the assignment they would then be able to collect their
funds.
Avner's personal account reflected approximately $100,000 dollars when the
team
disbanded. Avner advised Harari that he intended to resign, withdraw his money,
and
move to New York. Harari recommended that Avner simply take a vacation, but
remain
within the Mossad. He advised Avner that he would not be required to go
directly
back to the field and had the option of a desk assignment. This did not appeal
to
Avner, as he was already very disillusioned with the Mossad leadership. He felt
that
they
demanded absolute loyalty but did not return that loyalty. Mr. Jonas reported
that
to coerce him to stay, the Mossad blocked Avner's access to the Swiss bank
account
and threatened his family. Avner countered the threats and was recontacted
by
Harari soon after in an attempt to reconcile their disagreement. The threats
stopped,
and Avner's money was still denied, but a resolution was eventually
negotiated.
Mr. Jonas commented that Avner "felt grievously betrayed at the end of
the
mission."1 Avner was never led to
believe that continued service in the Mossad
was
a condition for him to retrieve his promised salary. Money was not the original
motivating
factor for Avner for he had fully accepted the mission prior to the promise
of
the Swiss account. Avner had more contacts with the Mossad, however, the
details
of
these encounters are not available.
In an attempt to start a new life, Avner
teamed with Jonas to publish the
accounts
of the operations he conducted as chief of one of the most successfully
orchestrated
covert operations in history. Obviously, the name "Avner" is a
pseudonym
used to protect his true identity. Avner never identified Mike Harari by
name
for he utilized the pseudonym 'Ephraim' to identity his Mossad contact in his
personal
accounts as provided to Mr. Jonas. Harari was identified through later
publications
and the assumption that Ephraim was Harari was drawn through collateral
research.
George Jonas is an accomplished author
and currently produces movies and
television
shows for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto, Canada.
Jonas
explained the circumstances in which Avner came to his attention. At the
conclusion
of his mission and subsequent dispute with the Mossad, Avner contacted a
British
publishing company about his story. The publishing company in turn sought
out
the services of Jonas, well known and respected for his investigative
journalistic
skills,
primarily in the law enforcement arena. Avner and Jonas discussed the
possibilities
of producing a book and the parameters of confidentiality. The two
conducted
a series of interviews regarding the details of Avner's mission to assassinate
the
top PLO terrorist leaders in Europe. Jonas related that Avner's recall of
"small
details"
was remarkable. It was his ability to provide minute details inherent in the
operations
which enhanced Jonas' assessment of Avner's credibility. After discussing
the
events of the operations, Jonas traveled to the assassination sites to verify
the
accounts.
Avner provided specifics of operational events which never appeared in
news
coverage of the assassinations. Only the few involved would have known the
intricate
operational tactics and movements described in depth by Avner. He
produced
detailed information regarding the movements and signals of the support
teams,
the makes and models of vehicles used, the descriptions of the assassination
sites,
weapons, the specially designed ammunition, the types of explosive devices, and
their
process of cultivating intelligence sources.2
Jonas maintains his confidentiality pact
with Avner regarding "Avner's" true
identity.
Open source published materials have speculated as to his true identify and
his
current location and occupation. The alleged Avner was contacted by this writer
for
his comments regarding the accounts in Jonas' book as well as his missions as a
team
leader with the Mossad. Avner related that the Mossad recently released an
official
statement confirming that the events published in Jonas' book, Vengeance, are,
in
fact, true. Contractual and confidentiality agreements prohibit him from making
any
further
statements and or publicly confirming or denying "Avner's" true
identity.
Avner
stated that the events in Jonas book are accurate and include all the detail he
is
willing,
or contractually able, to provide.3
Avner and Jonas refused to divulge the
identities of the other officers involved
in
the operation. However, Avner assured Mr. Jonas that the personalities and
specialties
relating to each team member are accurate; hence, they are not composites
to
disguise the actual team.
Mike Harari and the names of the
officers involved in the Lillehammer incident
described
in the first case study were identified and cross referenced through more
recently
published material. David B. Tinnin's book, The Hit Team, published in
1976,
also provides an account of a team traveling through Europe assassinating PLO
terrorists.
Numerous discrepancies of tactical details of the operations exist between
Tinnin's
and Avner's accounts. Tinnin's premise of an independent team was correct,
although
his description of the team's personnel and operational tactics differed
significantly
from Avner's account. These discrepancies are discussed at length
subsequent
to the case studies in an effort to reconcile the differences. Also, the
Mossad
had commissioned numerous teams with different methods of operation. It is
feasible
that Tinnin had information regarding a third team, with a similar mission as
Avner's,
which was mentioned by Jonas..
CHAPTER 2
THE GAMBLE
Massacre at Munich
At approximately 0400 hours on September
5, 1972, the "fedayeen"1 (men of
sacrifice)
began executing their plan to scale the fences at Kusoczinskidamm, and
capture
the Israeli Olympic athletes residing at the Olympic Village apartments. The
gunmen
made their way to apartment one, at 31 Connollystrasse, Olympic Village
Apartments,
and inserted a passkey. Yossef Gutfreund, a 275 pound wrestling referee
in
apartment number one, began reacting to the sound of Arab voices behind his
door.
He
quickly alerted his roommates there was danger and pushed his body against the
door
in an attempt to deny the Arab fedayeen entrance. Gutfreund's efforts were
effective
for only a few seconds, but allowed one roommate, weightlifting coach Tuvia
Sokolovsky,
time to break out a window and successfully escape.2
The Arab terrorists successfully entered
apartment one, immediately taking five
Israeli
team members hostage: track coach Amitzur Shapira, fencing master Andrei
Spitzer,
rifle coach Kehat Shorr, weightlifting judge Yacov Springer, and Yossef
Gutfreund.
The terrorists expanded their search throughout the complex, capturing
six
additional athletes in apartment number three. Wrestling coach Moshe Weinberger
was
away from the complex during the initial assault. He arrived back at the
apartment
while the terrorists continued their search for additional Israeli game
participants.
Upon entering the apartment, Weinberger struggled with two assassins,
striking
one and knocking him unconscious. The second Arab terrorist shot
Weinberger
in the face. Although critically wounded, Weinberger rendered another
attacker
unconscious before being shot repeatedly in the chest by a third terrorist.
Despite
his efforts to defend himself and his colleagues, the Arab terrorists killed
Weinberger
with a point-blank gunshot to his head.3
As the attack continued, weightlifter
Yossef Romanno and teammate David
Marc
Berger tried to escape through an open kitchen window. Romanno, failing to
make
his way through the window, located a kitchen knife and stabbed one gunman in
the
forehead. A second Arab moved forward and fired from point blank range into
Romanno
with a Kalashnikov assault rifle, killing him.4
By approximately 0500 hours, the Arab
terrorists had killed two Israeli team
members
and captured nine. Due to the unanticipated battle and chaos, the terrorists
failed
to locate eight additional team members in apartments' two, four, and five. Two
Israeli
athletes had escaped and made their way to safety. Despite the gunfire, the
activity
at the Village Apartments drew very little notice from the other occupants in
the
area. The two athletes who escaped alerted the authorities to the incident.
Within
the
next hour the Arab terrorists had issued a set of demands, written in English,
and
had
thrown Moshe Weinberger's body into the street.5
The Palestinian off-shoot group, the
Black September Organization, claimed
responsibility
for the actions at the Village Apartments. Their demands included the
release
of 234 Arab and German prisoners held in Israel and West Germany. The
terrorists
provided a typewritten list of prisoners for release; these included Ulrike
Meinhof
and Andreas Baader, the founders and leaders of the German based
Baader-Meinhof
Gang. The German police had arrested both individuals earlier in
June
1972. The terrorists also demanded that the police provide three planes for
their
escape.
Upon receiving confirmation on the release of the prisoners, the terrorists
would
select one of the planes to transport them to a safe destination.6
Frank Bolz, Jr., co-author of The
Counter-Terrorism Handbook published in
1990,
outlined the West German chain of command that coordinated the efforts to
rescue
the hostages. Manfred Schreiber, the Munich Police Commissioner, became
the
de-facto command authority over the hostage incident. Schreiber was also the
officially
appointed chief of the Olympic Security Forces. His superiors in Bonn
established
communications with Israel's Prime Minister, Golda Meir, as well as
coordinated
the possible release of the Baader-Meinhof Organization members with
German
authorities. The Interior Minister of Bavaria, Bruno Merk, acted as
Schreiber's
superior officer, and West German Chancellor Willy Brandt conducted
discussions
with the Israeli Prime Minister. Meir made it perfectly clear to Brandt that
the
Government of Israel would never negotiate with terrorists.7
The West German police negotiators
successfully extended three deadlines
originally
imposed by the terrorists. The Black September Group requested a jet to
transport
them to Cairo where the prisoners demanded for release by Israel would
meet
them. However, the government of Egypt refused to provide assistance in
support
of any West German police action during the crisis. This development, in
combination
with Golda Meir's absolute refusal to negotiate, forced Schreiber to
conclude
that a rescue attempt was his only option. Schreiber determined that in order
to
conduct a successful hostage rescue, he must confine the terrorists to Germany.
To
initiate
a rescue, he decided the best option was to isolate the terrorists at Germany's
Furstenfeldbruck
Airport. Once at the airfield, West German sharpshooters would
attempt
a hostage rescue operation.8
It is important to note that Mossad
Chief Zwi Zamir had traveled directly to
Munich,
on orders from Golda Meir, to discuss the ongoing incident with the West
German
authorities. Golda Meir had directed him to negotiate permission for specially
trained
Israeli commandos, the 'sayeret,' to conduct the hostage rescue. The sayeret
are
elite trained reconnaissance forces drawn from the ranks of the Israeli Special
Forces
and experienced in hostage rescue techniques. Although Chancellor Brandt
might
have acquiesced, the local state officials refused. According to the German
federal
constitution, the decision was in the hands of the state officials.
Unfortunately
the
German police lacked the expertise and experience of the Israeli sayeret.9 It
was
only
after the arrival at the airport that the West German Police realized there
were
eight
terrorist members, not the five originally estimated. Considering the early
estimate
of five terrorists, the police deployed only five German snipers at
Furstenfeldbruck
airport to initiate the rescue. This was far short of the sniper
requirements
for this type of ambush scenario. The German police also placed a
dummy
Lufthansa Boeing 727 at Furstenfeldbruck airport, located approximately
fifteen
miles from the center of Munich. Eight police officers deployed around the jet
dressed
as flight attendants and crew members. Unfortunately these police officers
were
without radio contact with the command post or other police units.
As the terrorists moved a 'safe'
distance from the hostages, Schreiber ordered
the
police snipers to open fire. Their initial rounds went off-target and a full
gun battle
ensued.
The Israeli captives were still sitting bound in the helicopters which had
transported
them to the airfield. The initial firefight between the fedayeen and police
lasted
approximately an hour and fifteen minutes. The German Police decided to
initiate
an 'infantry' attack to move the terrorists from the vicinity of the
helicopters.
As
the attack began, one fedayeen tossed a grenade into one of the helicopters
holding
five
of the Israeli athletes. The helicopter exploded, killing all five athletes.
Shortly
thereafter,
another fedayeen member entered the second helicopter, shot, and killed the
last
four hostages. The police captured three terrorists during the ensuing
firefight.
At
approximately 0130 hours, the police killed the last of the Arab terrorists.11
The
German
police investigation indicated that a few of the hostages may have
inadvertently
been shot by the German police during the fierce gun battle. However, a
definitive
conclusion was not possible due to the severely burned condition of the
bodies.12
Although it is clearly evident that many
things went wrong in the hostage
rescue
attempt, it is not the purpose of this paper to explore those factors. However,
there
are a number of important issues for consideration which became apparent after
the
failed rescue effort. According to 1972 Facts on File, the West German police
identified
Yossef Gutfreund and Yacov Springer as Israeli security agents posing as
Olympic
team members. The three captured Arab terrorists confessed that they were
students
who had recently lived in Jordan. They also disclosed that there were
possibly
fifteen Arab guerrillas plotting additional terrorist attacks. What is
paramount
is
the reaction of the Israeli Government to this incident. The West German Police
were
very critical of Golda Meir's absolute resistance to cooperate in any
negotiations
with
the terrorists to effect the release of the hostages. Israel's history contains
countless
incidents of terrorist tactics employed by her enemies. Golda Meir, in an
official
statement, warned that "Israel will persevere in her struggle against the
terrorist
organizations and will not absolve their accomplices from responsibility for
terrorist
actions."13 Unnamed Israeli sources later identified those countries as
Egypt,
Syria,
and Lebanon. The Egyptian official reaction accused the West German police
of
making false charges against Egypt regarding a lack of cooperation. Egyptian
officials
also placed responsibility of the deaths of the hostages on the West German
police,
claiming that it was their bullets that killed the hostages.
The Black September Organization
A Palestinian guerrilla group, The Black
September Organization (BSO),
claimed
responsibility for the killing of the eleven Israeli's in Munich. The Fatah
originated
in 1957 and boasted an estimated membership of over 11,000 by the late
1980's.
The United States Department of State's 1988 publication of Terrorist Group
Profiles,
describes the Fatah as the military arm of the Palestine Liberation
Organization
(PLO). Fatah is an acronym spelled backwards representing Harakat
al-Tahrir
al Filistini. The phrase translates as Palestine Liberation Movement.
Former
Fatah leader Yasir Arafat (Abu Ammar) assumed leadership of the PLO in
1969.
The Fatah utilized the name Black September Organization from approximately
1971
to 1974. Some sources speculate that Arafat utilized the name to distance
himself
and the PLO from the actions of the BSO. Many terrorist experts speculate
that
Arafat controlled the BSO and utilized it as his primary military force. Arafat
attempted
to keep the association at arm's length to provide a factor of plausible
deniability.
Black September represents the results of the culmination of tensions
between
the Fatah and the Jordanian government. In September 1970, King Hussein's
military
forced the group out of Jordan and into Lebanon.
The expulsion of Fatah from Jordan and
Egypt severely limited the group's
ability
to launch cross-border operations into Israel. Thus, the Fatah resorted to
increased
terrorist activities as a means to attack Israel. Black September conducted
nine
major terrorist attacks in 1971 and early 1972 prior to the Munich Olympic
incident.
On September 6, 1971, the London Times reported that the BSO had been in
contact
with the Baader-Meinhof terrorist group in West Germany. In addition, the
London
Times reported that Andreas Baader met secretly in Beirut with Palestinian
officials
in February 1971, prior to his arrest.14 However, there was no specific
information
regarding possible agreements between the two groups.
Also, five days after the Munich
incident, an Israeli recruited agent ambushed
case
officer Zadok Ofir in Brussels. Ofir was working under official cover as the
First
Secretary
at the Israeli Embassy in Brussels. He received an urgent phone call from
his
agent claiming that an emergency meeting was necessary. The agent was an Arab
traveling
on a Moroccan passport. At a meeting set at the Cafe Prince, Ofir's recruited
agent
shot him in the abdomen at point blank range. Ofir survived the shooting and
the
ensuing investigation determined that the individual Ofir went to meet was a
double
agent and an active member of the BSO.15
CHAPTER 3
ISRAEL
RESPONDS
Golda Meir and Committee-X
The results of the failed rescue mission
in Germany caused Israeli Premier
Golda
Meir great distress. The reluctance of German police to utilize experienced
Israeli
commandos in the rescue attempt also disappointed Meir. However, she
publicly
praised the West German police for tang aggressive action against the
fedayeen
in Munich and encouraged other countries to follow suit.1 Israel maintained
then,
and still does, that a 'no compromise' stance is the only viable solution in
stemming
terrorist aggression.
As a result of the Munich incident, in
conjunction with growing BSO terrorist
activities,
Golda Meir developed a new counterterrorism policy. General Aharon
Yariv
accepted the new position of the Prime Minister's Advisor on
Counterterrorism.
Golda Meir, General Yariv, and Mossad Chief General Zwi Zamir
also
persuaded the Israeli Cabinet to form a top secret counterterrorist committee.
Meir
tasked the committee with devising an appropriate response to the Munich
massacre.
Golda Meir and Defense Minister Moshe Dayan chaired the special panel,
known
simply as "Committee-X."2 (According to Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman,
authors
of Every Spy a Prince, the journalist, Yoel Marcus, was the first to expose the
activities
of "Committee X" in Har'aretz on June 10, 1986.) The panel concluded
that
the most effective means to make a clear statement that Israel would not
tolerate
terrorist
activity was to authorize the assassination of any Black September terrorists
involved
in the Munich incident. This directive included any individual identified as
either
directly or indirectly involved in the planning or the execution of the assault
on
the
Israeli athletes in Munich.
Committee-X assigned the Mossad the task
of implementing the panel's
directive.
The committee made it clear to the Mossad leadership that the objective was
to
kill the BSO members and create terror within the terrorists' organizations. It
was
not
a mission devised to capture and/or prosecute suspects. Mossad Chief Zwi Zamir
appointed
senior agent Mike Harari to oversee the development of the special covert
action
teams. Harari worked in conjunction with a Mossad operations officer,
Abraham
Gehmer, who worked under official cover as the First Secretary of the Israeli
Embassy
in Paris. The Mossad established Paris as their regional base for European
operations.3
Case Studies
In order to implement the directive
issued by Golda Meir's Committee X,
Harari
and his superiors chose an unusual but historic approach. Harari formed
several
assassination teams, each with specific mission parameters and methods of
operation.
The panel tightly compartmentalized the teams to the point that the teams
were
unaware of one another. The Mossad intended to succeed in achieving the
panel's,
and particularly Golda Meir's, objectives. In this respect they attacked the
problem
from varied angles, hoping to develop an interlocking information net which
terrorist
targets would be unable to avoid. If one method was ineffective or missed a
lead,
another team would probably fill the gap.
Two particular units are described in
this paper which represent two different
methods
of personnel recruitment, headquarters control, support, and intervention.
The
success of these teams becomes apparent through close examination of their
methodologies.
The Mossad headquarters element developed one team utilizing staff
operations
officers supported by recruited assets of regional stations and managed
through
standard Mossad headquarters' procedures; one of these is depicted in the
"Lillehammer"
case study. The second unit recruited staff officers and highly trained
specialists
and set them outside the arm and control of the government; this is the
"Avner"
group case study. The theory was to covertly support this team financially
and
let them operate with complete anonymity outside the government structure.
Their
only contact was with Harari, established through covert signals and then only
on
rare occasions. Harari provided the unit a list of target names and
instructions for
obtaining
funds through covert accounts prior to deployment.
As described earlier, the details of Avner's covert action team
in the second
case
study is primarily derived from George Jonas' book, Vengeance. Avner, a former
Mossad
officer is the principal source of information detailing the team's operations.
Although
the Israeli Government has acknowledged that covert teams were deployed
after
the Munich incident to assassinate PLO terrorists, official details regarding
the
teams'
actual methods remain classified. Considering the nature of the mission, it is
doubtful
that any absolute official evidence of the assassination program exists.
Newspaper
reports, investigative reports, police reports, and unclassified United States
government
files all verify the assassinations of the PLO terrorists. Many western
journalists
also speculated that the assassinations were conducted by the Israeli
"Wrath
of
God" assassination teams. It is debatable whether the Mossad actually used
the
term
"Wrath of God," or if the media attached the title. It may also have
been utilized
by
Israeli propaganda specialists to increase PLO paranoia.4 Former officers of the
Mossad
have also verified the firearms methodology utilized by Mossad specialists, to
include
their preference for the Baretta .22 caliber pistol. These officers also
acknowledged
that the Mossad incorporated an internal assassination section.
Lillehammer
The first case examines the details of
the attempted assassination of Ali Hassan
Salameh
in Lillehammer on July 21, 1973. This operation resulted in the exposure of
seven
Israeli officers in a highly publicized media event. The operation was clearly
a
failure
for a myriad of reasons. This case, however, examines the elements of a
sensitive
operation coordinated and implemented though headquarters procedures and
the
inherent problems in such an operation.
Harari was the controlling officer for
the mission to assassinate BSO leader Ali
Hassan
Salameh, the primary architect of the Munich massacre, and the Mossad's
number
one target. Numerous publications have identified Harari as the chief of the
Lillehammer
operation. Victor Ostrovsky, a former Mossad Staff Operations officer
from
approximately January 1983 to 1987 and co-author of By Way of Deception,
(1990)
specifically identified Harari as the Chief of the Metsada. He defined the
Metsada
as a highly secret organization within the Mossad which operates combatants.
Within
the Metsada is the "Kidon," a specially trained, elite assassination
unit.
According
to Ostrovsky, kidon is a translation of the word 'bayonet,' and is the
operational
arm of the Mossad responsible for kidnappings and executions.5
Ostrovsky
also commented that after his recruitment into the Mossad, he learned he
was
being groomed for the Kidon.
After a year of searching and following
endless erroneous leads, the Mossad
finally
acquired confirmed intelligence placing Salameh in Lillehammer, Norway. The
Mossad
wanted to seize the opportunity and act immediately on this information.
General
Zwi Zamir, the Mossad Chief, was monitoring the developments in Israel
while
Harari developed and deployed the assassination team. Harari selected five
Mossad
staff officers as the primary engagement unit for the operation. The action
element
included Dan Arbel, Abraham Gehmer, Zwi Steinberg, Michael Dorf, and
Yigal
Zigal. It seems odd that since the Mossad incorporates a special unit to
conduct
these
operations, that Harari did not choose to deploy an established kidon unit for
the
assignment.
The support team, composed of regionally recruited assets including
Marriane
Gladnikoff, conducted the necessary surveillance of Salameh and monitored
his
movements. In addition, they established safe houses and acquired the vehicles
required
for the "action" unit.6
The culmination of this mission occurred
in July 1973, more than a year after
the
reported initial deployment of the assassination teams. On July 21, 1973, the
Israeli
assassination team shot and killed an innocent man closely resembling Salameh.
Earlier
that day the surveillance team followed the individual they believed to be
Salameh
to a local public swimming pool. Soon after, he exited with an obviously
pregnant
woman. At approximately 1400 hours, the assassination team arrived
in-country
and proceeded to the Oppland Tourist Hotel where they registered under
alias
names. The surveillance team reported that they observed the assumed Salameh
enter
a movie theater with the same pregnant woman at approximately 2000 hours.
The
action team departed the hotel and deployed to intercept the target after he
left
the
theater. The target and female companion exited the movie at approximately 2235
hours
and took a bus to an area just a "short walk" from their flat. As
they began
their
walk from the bus stop to the flat, two members of the action team exited a
Mazda
and began firing into the man believed to be Salameh with Baretta .22 caliber
pistols.
The pregnant woman crouched over the dying man, screaming as the team
escaped
from the scene. Individuals in the neighborhood notified the police, who
arrived
at the scene within the next few minutes. The team dropped the Mazda at a
predesignated
point and transferred to a Peugeot rented from a Scandinavian rental
company
to transport them out of Lillehammer.7
The authorities identified the dead man
as Ahmed Bouchiki, a Moroccan,
working
as a waiter in Lillehammer. The pregnant woman was later identified as
Bouchiki's
wife. The police observed the Peugeot with the assassination team on a
road
leading away from Lillehammer after receiving reports of the shooting.
Unfortunately,
Dan Arbel and Marrianne Gladnikoff used poor operational tradecraft
and
utilized the Peugeot a second time to travel to the airport 24 hours later.
Airport
personnel
observed the vehicle and reported it to the police. The police located the
vehicle
and immediately arrested both occupants.
During the police interrogation,
Gladnikoff provided the police a safe house
address
as her residence. She also broke down and reported that she was working for
the
Government of Israel. Arbel had an unlisted phone number in his possession
which
lead
the police to Yigal Zigal, originally believed to be an employee of El Al
Airlines.
Following
Gladnikoff s lead, the police responded to the safe house address and
discovered
Yigal Zigal, Zwi Steinberg and Michael Dorf. Zigal claimed to be an
Israeli
Security Officer assigned to the Israeli embassy. He offered the police
official
Israeli
credentials at the time of his arrest, ordered the police to leave the
apartment,
and
attempted to claim diplomatic immunity. The police disregarded the credentials
and
took Zigal, Dorf, and Steinberg into custody. The police also discovered a
detailed
Mossad cable of instructions in Dorf's possession identifying the Mossad and
specific
evacuation procedures. This cable specifically ordered the unit not to carry
any potentially compromising material with them
during the course of the operation.8
Steinberg
also had two keys with a blue label attached identifying an apartment in
Paris.
After official notification, the French police responded to the address
identified
on
the key labels. The French located the apartment and identified it as another
Israeli
safe
house. Within that apartment were more keys and labels exposing almost every
safe
house in Paris. The French authorities recovered other incriminating evidence
that
allegedly linked the Israeli Government with other assassinations of PLO
terrorists.
A public trial of the six arrested Israeli team members exposed the details of
the
operation. Five team members were convicted for killing the waiter; Michael
Dorf
was
acquitted.9 Dan Raviv, co-author of Every Spy a Prince, reported that although
the
five officers were sentenced from two to five and one-half years in prison, all
five
were
released by the Norwegians in less than twenty-two months.
Avner
The second case examines an independent
team organized by Mike Harari.
Unless
otherwise noted, the account of Avner's team was drawn from George Jonas'
book,
Vengeance (1984). The pseudonym "Avner" represents the unit team
leader
selected
by Harari for the operation.10 Avner's
unit consisted of five highly trained
individuals
with varied specialties. Each officer had some second and third language
proficiencies.
The different specialties included: devising alias documents,
appropriating
vehicles, improvised explosive devices (IED), small arms, electronics,
business,
banking, and operational security. The premise of the unit was total
flexibility.
Although each officer had specialized skills, each team member could
essentially
perform any task.
The design of the unit closely resembled
United States Army special forces'
units.
The members formed a team without utilizing rank and formal military doctrine.
It
was absolutely essential that the unit operate informally while creating and
implementing
operational plans. Falling into formal military protocol during an
operation
could prove fatal. Avner did not want to limit his team's flexibility with a
rigid
chain of command. Also, Avner understood that as the unit chief, he could not
afford
to isolate himself from his team in an assignment of extended duration.
Harari explained that the philosophy of
Avner's operation was to cut off the
leaders
from their organization. Because terrorist groups are "unlike military
forces
and
have no life power of their own... they must be supplied with everything they
need
for survival; money, weapons, papers, hideouts, training, and recruits."
With
their
"lifeline severed, a whole network of them will disappear."11 The
objective of the
entire
operation was to sever the leadership and throw the organization into chaos. Of
course,
the organizations could rebuild; however, this would require time. The
Mossad
hoped to identify the new leaders during that rebuilding process and seek
further
opportunities to neutralize that progress.
To sever any official ties with the
Israeli Government, Avner's team resigned
from
their positions in the Mossad. With no formal contractual agreements, the
resignations
effectively terminated any further paper trails'. Due to the lack of open
source
conclusive evidence, absolute verification that all the team members actually
served
with the Mossad prior to this mission is not possible. Published materials have
protected
the identities of members of this team. However, their specialized skills, in
concert
with their understanding of covert operational tradecraft, would indicate
intelligence
association of some form. The selection of the team members was critical
in
matching personalities and specialties. Harari emphasized the critical aspect
of the
permanency
of the unit. The unit would not substitute officers during the course of
the
operation. The unit would operate until the successful completion of the
mission
or
until death or injuries rendered it inoperable. The concept was for the team to
combine
their specialties into a totally flexible lethal unit.
General Zwi Zamir provided the team with
a list of priority targets, which
included
the following: 12
Ali Hassan Salameh
Developed and executed the assault
on the Israeli athletes at Olympic
Village;
Abu Daoud
Arrested in Germany, March 1973;
confessed to his involvement in
Munich; admitted member of the
BSO, directed by Fatah leader Yassar;
Mohmoud Hamshari
PLO member and coordinator of
Munich incident;
Wael Zwaiter, a.k.a., Abdel Wael Zuaiter
Arafat's 2nd cousin, organizer of
terrorism in Europe;
Dr. Basil Raoud al-Kubaisi, a.k.a.,
Bassel Rauf Kubeisy
Coordinated logistics for the
Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine;
Kamal Nasser
Official spokesman for the PLO;
Kemal Adwan
Chief of sabotage operations for
Al Fatah in Israeli occupied territories;
Abu Yussuf, a.k.a., Mahmoud Yussuf
Najjer
High ranking PLO official;
Mohammed Boudia
Linked with European PLO;
Hussein Abad al-Chir
PLO contact with KGB in Cyprus;
Dr. Wadi Haddad
Chief terrorist linked with Dr.
George Habash.
Prior to deployment, Harari brought the
team together in Israel for a few days
of
"refresher courses" and in-depth briefings regarding the Mossad's
current
intelligence
on each target. The Mossad also provided official passports for their
initial
deployment to Geneva, where they would set up their first temporary
operational
base. They would then lock away any personal items and official passports
for
the duration of the mission.
Harari provided the team with only two
principle rules of engagement prior to
their
deployment. The Mossad's intent was to send a message with every assassination
that
PLO terrorists could not hide from Israel under any circumstances. He wanted
the
team to be imaginative and strike in creative ways. In this vein, the
terrorists
would
know that they had been "touched." If the assassinations occurred
while the
terrorist
leaders operated within their own security nets, it would send a clear message
that
they would never feel safe. The second principle was for the team to act with
zero
collateral risk. Harari made it clear that the unit was to ensure one hundred
percent
identification of the target before acting. Harari did not want his covert
action
unit to act with the same recklessness and disregard of innocents as the
terrorists
they were hunting. If the unit could not obtain absolute identification, they
were
to abort the mission and attempt the "hit" again at a later time. He
emphasized
that
if the team killed only three terrorists, the mission is a success, although
disappointing.
However, if the unit killed all eleven on the list but also killed one
innocent,
the mission would be a failure.13 This
was the entirety of the team's
headquarters'
guidance regarding operations and rules of engagement. Ironically,
these
precepts were set almost a year prior to the failed Lillehammer incident which
was
coordinated by Harari.
The first order of business in Geneva
was to determine "hard" and "soft"
targets.
Hard targets represented individuals who might be utilizing security teams,
disguises,
and varied routines, and/or carrying weapons. Hard targets operate at a
higher
clandestine sophistication level and are generally alert to sting operations
and
surveillance.
To protect themselves, they utilize covert 'tradecraft' and change their
schedules
frequently. Soft targets are the individuals who do not hide their sympathies
to
the Palestinian cause and lived routine open lifestyles. Their daily activities
were
predictable
and did not include security measures. These targets only operated in a
clandestine
capacity part time. Soft targets were more accessible and required much
less
effort in acquiring positive identification.14
The team's first operational priority
was to acquire recent accurate information
on
the movements of the targets on the list. Without solid leads to begin their
operation,
Avner decided to disperse the team throughout Europe. Each individual
targeted
regions with which he was familiar and had established contacts. Each
member
would expand the network of contacts in his region and develop
"sources" of
reliable
information to support the mission. It was necessary to create a foundation
from
which to operate. This included target intelligence, weapons, documents and
support
personnel.
In the early stages, Avner developed a source
who was trying to make his way
into
the higher echelon of the Baader-Meinhof Red Army Faction. He believed that
introducing
Avner's readily available cash flow to the group might increase his own
value.
Avner's source assumed Avner and his partners had embezzled a great deal of
money
and were possibly funding a small independent terrorist unit. Even if this were
the
case, he did not inquire further because the Baader-Meinhof Organization was
always
seeking new sources of hard currency to fund their activities. The source
believed
if he could produce substantial ready cash from Avner, it would elevate his
status
within the organization. As a result, the Baader-Meinhof organization provided
basic
preliminary logistical support for Avner's early operations, while allowing him
the
opportunity to begin establishing his underground identity and bona-fides. In
order
to
operate effectively and obtain peripheral support, Avner had to establish an
effective
cover
which would withstand close scrutiny. This required having key individuals
and/or
organizations vouch for his authenticity; Baader-Meinhof provided the
foundation
for Avner's acceptance in the underground terrorist networks. Avner's
team
utilized the Baader-Meinhof association in the early stages of the mission to
cultivate
a working network of sources.
The team reconvened in Geneva to
consolidate their information. After careful
analysis,
they selected Wael Zwaiter as their first target. The group determined that
Zwaiter
was a soft target, living and operating in Rome. The squad traveled separately
to
Italy and rendezvoused in Ostia, an area a few miles outside Rome where they
secured
sleeping quarters at three different sites. The weapons specialist made
arrangements
to have five Baretta .22 caliber, semi-automatic pistols with extra
ammunition
and magazines transported into Italy through his own established network
of
arms' suppliers. The Baader-Meinhof group provided Avner with personnel for
operational
support and target surveillance. The support assets reported all Zwaiter's
movements
and daily routine. These assets were unaware of the actual mission and
would
not be present during the actual hit.
On October 16, 1972, a vehicle driven by
a support team member delivered
Avner
and one additional "shooter" to the vicinity of Zwaiter's apartment
complex and
exited
the area. A third action member occupied the passenger seat of a vehicle
operated
by a female support asset, also in close proximity. The female was
responsible
for signaling the group of Zwaiter's approach. As an advance team
approached
the area, the female's passenger would exit the vehicle and she would
drive
away from the site, signaling the team that the target was approaching and the
operation
was a "go."
The female said good-bye to her
passenger and drove away as the team moved
into
their rehearsed positions. Another couple from the support team advanced
Zwaiter's
movements by approximately one minute. A blond female ran to join the
advance
couple and they strolled away from the apartment complex; the final signal
that
Zwaiter was approaching alone. The two shooters entered the complex ahead of
the
target to set themselves in position in the lobby. Avner had conducted an
advance
(recon)
earlier to familiarize himself with the interior of the lobby and develop
contingency
plans. As expected, Zwaiter stopped for a few minutes at a tavern across
from
the apartment complex to make a phone call. The surveillance team had learned
that
the local phone company had disconnected Zwaiter's phone service for lack of
payment.
Surveillance reports also indicated that Zwaiter would routinely stop at the
tavern
enroute to his apartment to make phone calls.
After completing his call, Zwaiter
continued towards his apartment on
schedule.
The lobby was dimly lit and, as Zwaiter entered, Avner switched on
additional
lights to positively identify his target. As Zwaiter looked up from
something
held in his hands, a bit confused at the light, the second shooter asked the
target
if he was Wael Zwaiter. With positive identification established, the two
commandos
quickly drew their weapons and shot fourteen rounds (custom designed
22
caliber bullets) into Zwaiter. The two exited through the main lobby entrance
where
two teammates were waiting in a vehicle to transport them from the area. The
fifth
unit member's job was about to begin. He was the security man who would go
back
into the scene and "sweep" it for any incriminating evidence
accidentally left
behind
by anyone involved in the action. The team drove to a predesignated area and
transferred
to a van operated by another support asset who transported the unit to a
safe
house. The team had successfully accomplished their first mission. The cost to
the
Mossad for the operation was approximately $350,000 dollars.
Following the Zwaiter operation in Rome,
Avner's Baader-Meinhof contact
introduced
him a new source of information in Paris. Avner's team had established
itself
as a bona-fide mercenary group buying and selling information on terrorists.
Their
access to quick large sums of cash opened doors with few questions asked.
Following
their first operation, Avner secured an introduction to "Louis," a
member of
a
free lance information organization known only as "Le Group." 15 Papa, Louis'
father,
was a former member of the French Resistance during World War II and the
originator
of Le Group. The organization essentially grew out of the French
Resistance,
and was predicated on the premise that there would always be a demand
for
services and material for various groups seeking the means to further their
cause.
Papa
devised a "private" underground intelligence service which provided
information,
weapons,
documents, clothing, surveillance teams, vehicles, safe houses, etc., to
individuals
seeking such services with extreme discretion and few questions asked.
The
primary condition for the services of Le Group was hard currency. Papa's only
restriction
was that he would not provide services to an official government entity. He
felt
governments were simply too "treacherous and unscrupulous... and riddled
with
politics."16
Le Group provided the information
required by Avner's team for their next
selected
target, Mahmoud Hamshari. Avner wanted a more spectacular means for this
"hit"
to encapsulate Harari's directive of shaking up the terrorist with their
"reach."
Le
Group deployed a surveillance team which reported on Hamshari's routine. One
team
member acting as an Italian Journalist contacted Hamshari via telephone and
suggested
a meeting for an interview. After Hamshari acknowledged his interest in
such
a meeting, the caller advised him that he would be contacted in several days to
make
the appropriate arrangements. This was a ploy to have Hamshari positively
identify
himself on the phone. The action team planned to wire the base of the
telephone
with explosives which they would initiate through a remote triggering
device.
Avner and his unit went through their
routine of running rehearsals, advances,
and
signals prior to the operation. Everything was in place on December 8, 1972.
Hamshari
sat alone in his apartment awaiting the phone call from the Italian journalist.
The
team received their "go" signal and the explosives' specialist
detonated the
explosives.
The unit was successful again.
Le Group would provide all the necessary
support to Avner's team for the next
four
independent missions; Abad al-Chir, Basil al-Kubaisi, Zaid Muchassi, and
Mohammed
Boudia.17 The specific details of each operation are not required for the
purposes
of this paper, only that each was conducted methodically and was successful
without
compromise to the team. Although not on the original list, Muchassi was
Abad
al-Chir's replacement as the PLO contact with the Soviet Union's KGB. After
receiving
reliable information on Muchassi from Le Group, Avner's team made a
unilateral
decision to include him in their mission. The team decided that if Abad
al-Chir
had been selected as a target, it was reasonable to believe that his
replacement
was
also a viable target. The Mossad always taught its officers to use initiative
and
make
reasonable decisions in the field. Avner's team had acquired the information
required
for an operation targeting Muchassi and had the opportunity and the means.
Unfortunately,
during this operation, Avner's team encountered Muchassi's KGB
contact
officer in a vehicle blocking the path of their escape. The team shot and
killed
the
KGB officer after observing him reach for a weapon under his jacket.
In March 1973, Harari contacted Avner's
unit regarding a change in
procedure.
Harari was aware that Avner and his unit had acquired significant success
in
obtaining intelligence on PLO terrorists. Harari's had received intelligence
that
three
targets on the original list were meeting in Beirut. He advised Avner that
Mahmoud
Yussuf Najjer, Kamal Nasser, and Kemal Adwan were no longer on his
target
list. Harari wanted Avner's team to provide their intelligence and sources to
him
in support of a Mossad directed military action in Beirut. The military action
would
include the killing of the three terrorists as well as other objectives within
a
single
orchestrated operation.
Avner was extremely tentative about
turning over Le Group to the Mossad,
especially
after Papa had made it clear that he would not support organized
government
operations. Avner was extremely concerned about losing Le Group's
services,
as well as jeopardizing the security of his unit. He informed Harari that he
would
not divulge his sources. Avner and Harari designed a compromise to protect
Le
Group yet utilize their service to perform the advance, surveillance and
intelligence
for
the operation. The Mossad, in conjunction with the Israeli Defense Forces
(IDF),
would
perform the actual mission.
In April 1973, forty Israeli commandos
conducted a covert amphibious landing
on
a Beirut beach setting in motion an ambitious mission to strike at multiple
targets
and
deliver a decisive blow against the PLO. The operation succeeded in killing
Adwan,
Najjer, and Nasser, as well as approximately one hundred PLO Guerrillas.
However,
it also included two innocent casualties: Najjer's wife and one neighbor.
Najjer's
wife had moved in front of Najjer in an attempt to shield him from fire.
Dwing
the commotion, the neighbor opened her door out of curiosity and was killed
by
Israeli commandos. The Israeli's reported one dead and three wounded during the
assault.
The overall mission was a tremendous success.18
In late 1973, Avner's team learned of
the Salameh incident in Lillehammer and
realized
for the first time that Harari was using other teams to target the same PLO
terrorists
as his list. Harari never disclosed to the unit that any other teams, whether
controlled
through Mossad headquarters or independent, were also involved in the
same
mission.
In January 1974, Avner's unit received
information of Salameh's presence in
Sargans,
near Liechtenstein, Switzerland. Salameh was reportedly going to meet other
PLO
leaders in a church on January 12, 1974. After contemplating a number of
alternative
plans, they concluded that an attack inside the church was the most
feasible.
Avner and his partner entered the dark church and encountered three armed
Arabs.
As one young Arab reached for a pistol, Avner and his partner quickly reacted
by
shooting the three men. They continued down the church stairs toward the
basement
where they encountered three very startled and obviously frightened priests.
A
third team member then watched the priests as the two primary shooters went
back
up
the stairs to continue the search for Salameh. As the mission unraveled, Avner
made
the decision to abort the operation and move to the escape phase. This was the
first
failure of the unit and included the possible deaths of three Arabs not on
their list.
Avner's
team was distressed over the engagement with the three guards, however, the
unit
felt justified in their actions in that the Arabs' were clearly combatants, not
innocents.
This second attempt on Salameh had failed, but, Avner's team avoided
compromise
or arrest.
As the mission continued, in May 1974,
the team found themselves in London,
England.
Avner was attempting contact with a source with possible information
regarding
Salameh. His source never made the prearranged meeting. Avner felt
uncomfortable
about the aborted meeting, and also mentioned to the group that he
believed
he was under surveillance. He related his concern that the British authorities
may
have discovered their presence in the capital and were conducting surveillance
operations
against the team. Only three team members were in London, where they
had
hoped to conclude their business in three to four days then meet the other two
back
in Frankfurt. Avner and one partner were staying at the Europa Hotel. One
evening
after dinner, Avner decided to spend some leisure time in the Etruscan Bar. A
very
attractive blond woman enticed Avner into a conversation for a short time at
the
bar.
As Avner left the woman and the bar enroute to his room, he passed his partner
heading
to the bar for a drink. After a short time, Avner went back to the bar to
socialize
with his partner but observed that both he and the woman had departed.
Avner and his teammate had separate
bedrooms which shared a common foyer.
As
Avner went into his room he noticed the same strong perfume of the woman at the
bar
and heard the sound of a female laughing in his partner's room. The next
morning
Avner's
partner failed to arrive for breakfast. Concerned, Avner went to his partner's
room
to check on his welfare. After receiving no response to his knocks on the door,
Avner
entered the room. He found his partner dead, lying naked on the bed with a
bullet
wound to the chest. Avner contacted Le Group, which handled all the details of
sanitizing
the room and disposing of the body. Avner also asked Le Group to provide
him
any information they could obtain regarding the woman's identity.
After arriving in Frankfurt, Avner
provided the details of the death to the other
team
members. After reviewing the information provided by Le Group, the team
uniformly
agreed to track and assassinate the responsible woman. Although this was a
clear
disregard of their mission parameters, the emotional impact of the incident
pushed
them to pursue the woman. Le Group had determined that the woman was a
free
lance assassin whom Avner had positively identified through photographs
obtained
by Le Group. Her services were available to any one willing to meet her
fees.
The woman resided in Hoorn, just outside Amsterdam. On August 21, 1974,
the
team conducted a mission to assassinate the woman in the same fashion as their
previous
operations. As the assassination team approached her, the woman
instinctively
reached for a weapon. The team subsequently shot and killed her.19
There
was no information available as to who had contracted her services for the hit
on
Avner's team. Mr. Jonas reported that Avner was severely reprimanded for acting
unilaterally
in assassinating the woman. This was clearly outside the parameters
initially
established by Harari for team operations.20
On September 14, 1974, another team
member was killed while making
contact
with a source associated with his Belgium weapons connection. Again, Le
Group
provided all the necessary services to dispose of the body. Avner had been
asked
numerous times if he thought Le Group had betrayed the unit and provided
other
interest's information regarding Avner's team. Avner maintains his position
that
Le
Group never betrayed the team. Mr.
Jonas commented that he questioned Avner
specifically
on this issue. According to Mr. Jonas, Avner clearly understood Le
Group's
business philosophy that hard currency buys services. However, Avner
believed
Papa was loyal to him in that there were many opportunities throughout their
relationship
where Papa could have betrayed the team and did not.
Harari directed the team to abandon the
mission after the second death in the
team.
Avner and the team made the decision not to acknowledge Harari's message
and
try one more time for Salameh in Tarifa, along the Gibraltar Atlantic coast.
Salameh
was reportedly in a house "on top of some low cliffs lining the
beach."21 On
October
10, 1974, Avner's remaining team of three attempted their last operation.
They
chose a commando style infiltration to gain access to the house. During the
infiltration
phase, the team encountered an Arab security man with a Kalashnikov
assault
rifle and subsequently killed him. Again, the plan was unraveling and Avner
aborted
the operation. This was the end of their two year quest to hunt PLO
terrorists.22
Avner' s team had deployed almost two
years earlier with a list of eleven PLO
terrorists.
Throughout this period his team succeeded in terminating eight of the
original
eleven and one replacement PLO leader outside the list. The collateral
damage
assessment included: one KGB officer, four PLO security men, one free lance
assassin,
and two team members.
CHAPTER 4
ANALYSIS AND
CONCLUSION
Organizations and the Human Condition
Harari's method of deploying numerous
teams simultaneously with different
methodologies
to attack the PLO problem was innovative. Golda Meir issued a
difficult
directive to achieve. It was Harari's responsibility to assassinate top PLO
terrorists
while ensuring zero collateral risk. He also needed to protect the Mossad
with
a reasonable degree of deniability associated with those assassinations. Only
Golda
Meir's Committee-X had a full understanding of the operation. Harari
struggled
with deploying teams to assassinate PLO terrorists without associating the
Mossad
with the actions. He also needed to screen the operation from the senior
members
of the cabinet outside of Committee-X. He was under pressure to take both
official
and unofficial actions against the PLO.
According to victor Ostrovsky, By Way of
Deception, the Mossad had the
required
mechanisms within the "Metsada" branch to execute kidnappings and
assassinations.
Further, the Mossad's written charter allows the Mossad discretionary
authority
to conduct assassinations. Ostrovsky explained that the unit designated for
such
assignments is the "Kidon." Three teams of twelve individuals each
comprised
one
unit. Generally two teams conduct training in Israel while the third team
deploys
abroad.
These teams remain separated from the other Mossad members, and are not
briefed
on personnel, structure, or operations outside their unit. The members of the
assassination
teams use aliases even within their own environment to ensure the true
identities
of the individuals remain secure.1
Harari utilized all the assets at his
disposal as opportunities arose. Avner's
team
deployed as an independent entity, allowing them to operate at their own pace.
However,
when pressure was building from the Israeli Cabinet to take some sort
official
action he combined his resources and initiated the Mossad-IDF operation in
Beirut.
When Mossad intelligence verified Salameh's location in Lillehammer, Harari
assembled
an improvised team to respond immediately, but this operation ended in
disaster:
the mission resulted in the killing of the wrong person and the arrest of six
Israeli
officers.
Developing another team with the freedom
to move outside the control and
policy
of the government was an extremely bold and risky proposition. However,
Harari
had the insight to understand that a team unburdened by a slow moving
bureaucratic
process had the capability of moving with more efficiency and success. If
designed
correctly, the Mossad would keep an acceptable level of plausible deniability
in
their association with the team.
Geoffrey M. Bellman, author of The
Consultant's Calling, is an expert on
organizational
structure and functionality. He explains why an organization is only
capable
of performing to a certain level of mediocrity. Organizational structure is
essential
to conducting business in a modern complex society. However, it is
important
to understand the dynamics and limitations of an organization. Bellman
relates
that organizations are:
large, awkward, and unwieldy. Usually
organizations don't work very
well because they don't fit the human
creatures who work in them.
Organizations as we have built them are
more mechanical than
'organical'... we have built awkward
hierarchical structures with boxes
and lines connecting them. We have
created structures modeled after
machines--mechanistic, sharply defined,
and inflexible--that force their
moving human parts to act like machines
too. Such organizations do
not work very well... even when
everything is finely in ... there are
significant difficulties.2
This concept illustrates the dynamics of
an organization relative to the decision
making
process. It also highlights that inherent limitations exist in every system.
The
organization
is essential to conduct business in the world. To truly succeed, those
functioning
within organizations must understand the limitations of the system and
determine
accurate estimates of success relative to those limitations. Are the
objectives
set forth by the command or supervisory element actually achievable within
the
policies of the organization? Also, does the directive fall within the inherent
limitations
of the system itself? Bellman maintains that:
important organizational decisions are
not made because they are
logical and rational. Logic and
rationality are used in support of the
decision, as kind of psychic insurance.
Organizations swing through
cycles of centralization and
decentralization, and they don't do it
because it makes sense. CEO's select
executives who are first loyal
and only secondarily have managerial
competence. Much of business
does not make sense, and I am not
arguing that it should. Instead I am
arguing against pretending that it
should.3
The important aspect of operating within
organizations and systems is that by
its
very nature it incorporates a predetermined limitation of success. As long as
the
mission
operates under the constraints dictated by the organization's structure,
policies,
regulations and management philosophies, it will only obtain a finite
predetermined
level of success. Harari understood that a headquarters' controlled
operation
automatically hindered his ability to achieve all the objectives implied in the
directive
set forth by Golda Meir.
The Israeli Prime Minister directed the
Mossad to conduct specific covert
operations
to achieve politically derived strategic objectives. Harari needed to
establish
a secret compartmentalized operation that was streamlined and efficient.
Attempting
to work within the official headquarters process would have undoubtedly
exposed
the mission and/or possibly slowed it to a nonfunctional level. Outside the
official
control of the Mossad, Avner's team conducted successful operations without
compromise
for approximately two years.
Bureaucratic processes are rigid and
restrict decentralized authority and the
ability
to work at a continued fast and fluid pace. Government agencies must live
within
regulations which do not allow interpretation or flexibility for unique
circumstances.
Bellman related that organizations are sharply defined and do not
allow
flexibility. Philip K. Howard, The Death of Common Sense (1995), further
demonstrates
how this is magnified in government agencies:
Government acts like some
extraterrestrial power, not an institution
that exists to serve us....It almost
never deals with real-life problems in
a way that reflects an understanding of
the situation....Our regulatory
system has become an instruction
manual. It tells us and the
bureaucrats exactly what to do and how
to do it. Detailed rule after
detailed rule addresses every
eventuality, or at least every situation
lawmakers and bureaucrats can think
of. Is it a coincidence that almost
every encounter with government is an
exercise in frustration?.. In the
decades since World War II, we have
constructed a system of
regulatory law that basically outlaws
common sense. Modern law, in
an effort to be self-executing, has shut
out our humanity....The motives
were logical enough: Specific legal
mandates would keep government
in close check and provide crisp
guidelines for private citizens. But it
doesn't work. Human activity can't be
regulated without judgment by
humans....Government cannot accomplish
anything when multiple
procedures are required for almost every
decision....Process is a
defensive device; the more procedures,
the less government can
do....Which is more important: the
process or the result?4
Howard's observations are not unique,
but they highlight why Avner's team
was
so successful. Harari removed the team from the endless regulations and
restrictions
which the headquarters' process would have imposed. The different
agendas
of all the bureaucratic elements directing, conducting, and supporting the
mission
would impose limiting factors relevant to the flow and efficiency of the
operation.
All of these different elements must adhere to rigid rules and regulations
mandated
by federal legislation. While each element attempts to meet all their required
procedures,
the operational timeline is proportionately delayed. Each layer of
bureaucracy
slows the development of the operation and subsequently limits
decentralized
authority at the tactical level. For example, the finance branch may
require
a written request and justification for the use of funds. This element must then
identify
the proper funding mechanism and acquire authorization to release the funds
through
their supervisory elements. The request is transferred up and down a chain of
command
in each element; for every deviation from the original request, amendments
for
justification must be instituted. The efficiency of the operation is
automatically
limited
by the bureaucratic process. The political authorities create a dilemma, in
that
they
impose factors which cannot possibly be met by adhering to established
bureaucratic
process. In many cases the process limits the degree of success of a time
sensitive
operation.
The case studies presented earlier
demonstrate the limiting factors inherent in
each
approach. The Lillehammer affair profiled the elements of a typical
headquarters
operation.
It encapsulates the deficiencies of a sensitive operation controlled through
an
inefficient bureaucratic process. The objectives of the mission were sound and
in
theory
the Mossad had the institutional capabilities to conduct the operation with a
reasonable
expectation of success. The breakdown was in the system itself. The
Mossad
incorporated all the internal assets to successfully accomplish the Lillehammer
mission.
However, the bureaucratic system was not inherently capable of assembling
and
preparing those assets for a complex mission in a timely manner. The
Lillehammer
operation
required a cohesive team which was well trained in special operations in
order
to succeed within the specified time parameters. Even the best special
operations
unit might have failed due to the pace in which the operation was moving,
and
the lack of rehearsals, geographical knowledge, and positive target
identification.
Political
leaders set political objectives and time restraints which were tactically
unreasonable.
At best, the mission had high risk "blowback" potential.
The Mossad main headquarters' element
orchestrated and controlled the
mission.
Intelligence obtained through reliable sources placed Salameh in Lillehammer,
Norway.
Salameh was a primary "hard" target and the Mossad was eager to act
on
the
intelligence. Harari attempted to assemble experienced field officers capable
of
conducting
a sensitive, high risk operation. However, he selected officers in an ad-hoc
fashion,
ostensibly to work together as a cohesive team. In addition, the support team
tasked
to conduct surveillance, acquire safe houses, and obtain vehicles, was
composed
of recruited assets. Generally, assets do not operate at the same level of
competence
and loyalty as staff officers. To this point the operational concepts are
sound,
however, the introduction of an unrealistic tactical timetable began a domino
effect
of fatal shortcuts. The team never worked as a coordinated unit prior to this
operation,
yet they attempted to implement the mission without rehearsals. The ad-hoc
unit
relied on blind faith that all the team members were competent and disciplined
in
operational
tradecraft, tactics, and security.
The extremely tight time constraints
required dissemination of cables to the
field,
containing explicit instructions for individual responsibilities, tasks, and
escape
procedures.
Once information began flowing to the field, compartmentalized access of
the
operation was sacrificed in exchange for time. The operation was moving at a
pace
in which operational security broke down at almost every level. In their haste
to
set
the mission in motion, team members provided evidence trails of their
movements.
This
evidence chain enabled police investigators to piece the entire operational
network
together. Three officers still had compromising material in their possession at
the
time of their arrest leading the police to other team members. Complacency and
lack
of good operation tradecraft procedures played a big part in the failure, but
the
primary
failure rested in expecting successful results from an operation which was not
feasible
within the system's constraints. The pace of the mission was beyond the
capabilities
of the organization. The bureaucratic process was unable to provide the
essential
elements required to complete the mission successfully in the time allowed.
The
unit did not have the time to memorize their instructions and closely
coordinate or
rehearse
their actions.
The primary hit team never coordinated
with the surveillance team to establish
positive
identification of Salameh. The results were disastrous. Considering Mossad
intelligence,
the support teams deployed where they expected to encounter Salameh.
The
support assets assumed that the individual they had under surveillance was in
fact
Salameh
and continued to operate on that assumption. The movements of the
assumed
Salameh did not appear to fit the scenario; his stops at the municipal
swimming
pool, his association with the pregnant female, and the stop at the movie
theater.
The support team never reported or discussed any of the listed key indicators
with
the assassination team as particularly unusual for a hard target like Salameh.
Still
to
this point, the operation could possibly have succeeded. It was the
responsibility of
the
assassination team to positively identify their target before taking action. As
the
operation
unfolded, the primary action element violated the first rule issued to Avner
and
his team by Harari a year earlier. The Mossad's first rule of engagement in
assassination
operations provided that officers must obtain absolute identification of
the
target prior to engagement.
Considering that the mistakes made by
the officers involved in the Lillehammer
operation
were so fundamental in nature, an argument may be made that the officers
either
did not possess the requisite skills to conduct such a sensitive mission
successfully,
or their basic training was inadequate. However, the failure is more
attributable
to attempting to conduct an operation beyond the capabilities of the
political
bureaucracy. In the team's rush to meet the political objective of moving
against
Salameh, they sacrificed routine tactical practices for speed. Apparently
Harari
and
Zamir felt the risk of rushing the operation was acceptable if it provided the
Israeli
cabinet
a successful operation against the PLO which the politicians could positively
exploit.
The political leadership would be pleased that the Mossad was making
progress
in their campaign against the PLO and the media could report that the PLO
had
suffered another serious blow. The Mossad was under extreme pressure from the
Israeli
cabinet to provide evidence that they were actively pursuing the PLO and
making
significant progress. Only the few in Committee-X were aware of the full
extent
of the Mossad's operations against the PLO. The remaining Israeli cabinet
members
were not briefed on Avner's team and did not understand who was
responsible
for the killing of so many terrorist leaders, or why the Mossad did not have
more
reportable information regarding those incidents.5 The cabinet wanted to see
more
Israeli influence and reporting. Harari and Zamir probably believed that a
successful
Mossad operation against Salameh would mollify the cabinet members. In
Vengeance,
George Jonas reported that Harari told Avner, he was under extreme
pressure
to take "official" action and he was having a great deal of difficulty
explaining
why
the Mossad had not identified the organization moving through Europe killing
terrorist
leaders. This was one of the primary reasons the IDF conducted the large
scale
raid into Beirut.
The officers in Lillehammer had more
than adequate training and skills;
however,
the organization forced them to abandon proven tradecraft procedures to
accomplish
the assassination of Salameh under unreasonable tactical conditions.
Harari
allowed political pressure to dictate the pace of the operation beyond what he
knew
was reasonably necessary for success within the bureaucracy. This is the
primary
reason Avner's team was designed outside the political realm of the Mossad.
Avner's
team would not institute shortcuts bowing to political influences which might
jeopardize
the success of the mission. Quality operations demand quality people
involved
and quality planning from the outset. The Mossad team members understood
that
they would operate in a covert capacity until the successful completion of the
mission
or the team was no longer able to operate intact due to injuries or deaths.
They
were to remain a cohesive unit. The unit learned and understood each others'
skill,
abilities, and limitations, planning and operating accordingly.
Tradecraft, Cover, and Trails of Evidence
The importance of timely accurate
intelligence has never been more critical.
As
the information highway roars forward nations strive to maintain a strategic,
operational,
and tactical advantage. Technical intelligence collection has phenomenal
capabilities
in achieving certain objectives. Imagery, targeting, weapons, and
surveillance
technologies continue to expand. However, the most difficult operations
have
always involved human collection (HUMINT). HUMINT involves the
development
and recruitment of individuals with access to sensitive information which
is
unattainable through open sources. These recruited assets also play an integral
role
in
the planning of covert operations.
Instituting effective secure covert
operations with recruited "agents" or
offensive
operations through trained operations officers are also extremely difficult
tasks.
Operating in this modern computerized world makes it almost impossible to
operate
without creating a "trail" of evidence. The most basic elements of
covert
operational
tradecraft address the effective use of cover and trails of evidence. The
concepts
of developing, maintaining and utilizing cover are essential in effectively
deploying
covert action teams. Covers may be improvised impulsively to fulfill a quick
need,
or developed for a long term duration with full headquarters' support. The more
complex
covers might include the use of proprietary or commercial companies,
diplomatic
status, or private tourism. Organized crime and terrorist organizations are
very
proficient in developing very sophisticated "legitimate" business
fronts from
which
to operate. With this in mind, operational planners must understand that the
paper
trail and legend that follow the moves of the operations officers must support
and
further establish the bona fides of the officers. Appropriate covers must
enhance
the
probabilities of a successful operation, not hinder it or expose it as a ruse.
This
concept
develops the depth of cover necessary for a reasonable expectation of success.
This
is the inherent flaw of intelligence agencies operating complex, sensitive
operations
within a slow moving, rigid bureaucracy.
Effective covert operations demand a
flexible capability. Field officers must
have
the decentralized authority to initiate actions as circumstances dictate to
enhance
their
access and credibility to achieve the end objectives. This is not to say that
headquarters'
elements should provide carte blanche to operations officers. However,
supervisors
should understand that the rigidity of the bureaucratic process should not
hinder
and restrict the officers' ability to succeed. Time is of the essence in high
risk
operations,
and opportunities are won and lost in very short time spans. Field
operations
cannot afford the luxury of decision by committee.
Politics and The Nature of War
A very serious problem with covert
action involves the political factor. As the
noted
philosopher Karl von Clausewitz related, war is the continuation of policy by
other
means. As in war, political leaders utilize covert operations to achieve
politically
driven
objectives. The Israeli 'command authority' directed the Mossad to conduct
covert
operations in much the same way the United States, National Command
Authority
(NCA) directs its military forces to war to achieve its political objectives.
The
inherent concepts are similar in each case. Once the NCA issues its directive,
it
should
not manage the detailed tactical phases of the operation. The NCA generally
delegates
the strategic, operational, and tactical means to accomplish their directive to
the
military. In the war on terrorism, the NCA has directed its national resources
to
counter
those individuals or organizations which may target the United States, and
prosecute
those who have committed acts of violence against U.S. citizens. This is a
tall
order which demands attention at all levels of the political infrastructure.
Political
leaders
are pressured by the public to demonstrate some success in their endeavors and
are
watched carefully by the press. Senior officials are very sensitive to the
press, and
in
many circumstances, attempt to modify operations to make them more palatable
should
sensitive operations become exposed. The initial strategic objectives become
muddled
in the layers of bureaucracy and competing agendas. In an effort to
accommodate
the shifting political environment, sound tactical practices are oftentimes
sacrificed.
The Israeli Lillehammer incident, and the U.S. Task Force Ranger incident
in
Somalia, exemplify how quickly operations fail when tactics and sound
operational
planning
was sacrificed for speed to accommodate a politically driven agenda.
Politicians and analysts should not
dictate and micro-manage the tactical
aspects
of covert operations. However, it is reasonable to fully brief the required
political
chain of command on the risk potential and probability of success. The action
exists
to accomplish a political objective in the first place. Based on the merits of
these
briefings, the political leaders may accept or reject the proposal. However,
due
to
their lack of expertise in tactical operations, politicians should refrain from
actually
managing
field tactics of the mission.
The sensitivity and compartmentalization
of an operation is also a very
important
issue. The methodology of the operation should be consistent with the
sensitivity
of the mission and the final objective. If a team is designed to be covert yet
must
be disclosed to endless oversight committees, legal review, interagency
courtesy
and
personnel divisions for administrative concerns, the team becomes vulnerable to
exposure
in the early stages. In some time sensitive instances, the bureaucratic process
defeats
the mission before the planning is complete.
Meeting the Objectives
The primary question in the analysis of
the two case studies addresses the issue
of
whether or not the methodologies of the different covert operations succeeded
in
meeting
the final objectives set forth by Golda Meir and Committee-X. The
operational
objectives must be separated from the political strategy. The political
strategy,
among a myriad of objectives, was to strike at the heart of the terrorists.
Golda
Meir wanted to send the message that Israel would not let terrorist acts
against
Israeli
citizens go unanswered or unpunished. There would be a price to pay for any
attack
on Israeli citizens anywhere in the world. The directive to the Mossad,
inherent
in
the political strategy, was to develop top secret covert operations to track
and
assassinate
the PLO terrorist leaders responsible, either directly or indirectly, for the
massacre
at Munich. They were to do this while providing a deniability factor for the
Israeli
government. It was Harari's mission to devise the mechanism to accomplish
that
task.
To keep the mission compartmentalized,
Harari decided to create a team
outside
the reach of the bureaucracy. This would ensure the secrecy of the mission as
well
as allowing the team unhampered movement and full decentralized operational
control.
In the context of tactical and operational objectives, Avner's team achieved
enormous
success. His team deployed with only a list of eleven primary targets for
assassination
and two principal rules of engagement. Five of the eleven were
effectively
tracked and assassinated through Avner's unit's developed network of
intelligence
and weapons sources. Three additional terrorists were killed in a
combined
Mossad-IDF commando effort, fully supported through the team's
established
underground network, Le Group. Ziad Muchassi, was targeted by Avner's
team
after they learned through Le Group, that Muchassi was the replacement for
Abad
al-Chir, previously killed by Avner's team. Avner's team made the unilateral
decision
to assassinate Muchassi since the opportunity presented itself.
Avner's team met all the requirements of
their directive to assassinate PLO
terrorists
while screening any evidence of Israeli government involvement. During the
course
of their mission, the team also killed four Arab security men employed by the
Black
September Organization, and one KGB officer supporting BSO activities. In
terms
of the mission, these individuals could also be considered combatants. They
were
elements of a security force incorporated in a terrorist organization tasked
with
the
protection of their leaders. These individuals had fill knowledge of their
association
and the risks involved.
Avner's team never compromised the
Israeli government's association through
exposure
to the authorities or arrest. In the context of operational objectives, Avner's
team
was an unqualified success. The success is directly attributable to the
operational
design
and methodology of the team itself.
Five extremely talented officers were
selected
to work as an independent cohesive unit. They melded their operational
tradecraft
experience in the preparation and implementation of each action without
political
interference. The effect of streamlining the operation outside the bureaucratic
process
allowed the team total flexibility. The simplicity of the concept was its
genius.
Unlike
the Lillehammer affair, Avner's team developed, refined, and implemented the
actions
on a tactically appropriate timetable. If the plan was not feasible at the
first
opportune
time, it was not forced to meet a political agenda.
Instituting a team such as Avner's
incorporated a degree of risk, both for the
team
and the Mossad. Intelligence agencies are very sensitive to losing control of
operations.
If information of the team, as designed, had leaked, it may have been
construed
as a rogue team. Although the press did attribute the assassinations to a
Mossad
covert action team, it was always assumed the team was under the direct
control
and supervision of the Israeli government. It wasn't until 1984, and the
publication
of George Jonas' book Vengeance, that the concept of an independent
team
was exposed.
The mission did result in a number of
unforeseen problems. The two year
duration
placed an enormous stress on the individual team members. The unit became
emotionally
involved, and paranoid about sharing their intelligence sources with
Harari.
Although they were dedicated to accomplishing their mission, they began to
feel
a detachment and sense of disloyalty from the Mossad. When the first of two
team
members was killed, the team decided to move on their own and conduct an
assassination
outside the parameters of the PLO terrorists selected by the Mossad.
They
targeted and assassinated the female free-lance assassin responsible for the
killing
of
their colleague. Although sympathetic, the Mossad recognized the emotional
decision
made by the team and the total disregard of their orders. The problem is not
that
the woman was an innocent, for she very well may have been contracted by the
PLO
to target the team. The major concern was whether or not the Mossad was
losing
control of the unit. They evaluated the success the team had already achieved
in
conjunction
with their infiltration into the European underground, and apparently
determined
it was worth the risk of allowing the unit to continue to operate.
Technically,
the Mossad still had tight control of the unit through their financial
resources.
The team could only continue to operate as long as the Mossad continued
to
provide the hard currency required to support the operations. Each
assassination
was
costing approximately $350,000 dollars. The Mossad also controlled the
individual
accounts of each team member.
Although, for operational purposes,
Avner's team was no longer officially
associated
with the Mossad, they, nevertheless, considered themselves professional
Mossad
operations officers serving their country. Harari skillfully used their duty as
Jewish
Israeli citizens as motivation and control.
CHAPTER 5
LESSONS LEARNED
Relevance to U.S. Intelligence
operations
Individuals who have participated in
sensitive United States covert operations
agreed
to comment on the concept of Avner's team and their own experiences,
providing
their identities remained confidential. Three individuals associated with
different
agencies and teams provided their input on covert action teams. All three
have
extensive experience, including close quarter combat which resulted in the
deaths
of
both friendly and enemy personnel. All three acted as the Team Leader of their
respective
teams' and are identified in alias as Mark, Peter, and Bill.
The teams differed slightly within their
respective political infrastructures;
however,
the critical element of a permanent, cohesive team was consistent.
"Permanent"
is relative to the assignment's duration in each instance. One example of
how
an agency designs a special operations group is to utilize three rotating,
independent
teams, activated for a period of two years; one unit is "on call,"
one unit is
training,
and one is preparing for deployment. For permanency and cohesiveness, each
of
the three teams retains its members for the duration of the two year tour.
All three individuals agreed that
Avner's team was extremely successful in
achieving
its operational objectives. Avner's success related directly to the team's
combined
skills and the permanency of the unit. This, in combination with total
freedom
of movement and decentralized authority, allowed the team to make
necessary
adjustments quickly. These points were construed as absolutely critical for
successful
operations. Careful screening of personnel is also essential in developing
competent,
cohesive units. The simple fact that officers have similar training does not
imply
acceptance into an established unit. Uniformly, all three team leaders
commented
that random substitution of team members is a fatal error. Teams train,
rehearse,
and deploy together in high risk operations. They learn each member's
strengths
and limitations, and develop a "sixth sense" as to how each may react
in fluid
situations.
Their lives depend on each other and they develop a special trust and
loyalty
within the unit. Unless the bona fides of an officer is clearly substantiated,
he
will
not be fully trusted. Most police or military personnel will not completely
rely on
a
new unit member who is untested or until he/she has proved himself/herself. The
teams
should incorporate alternate officers who continually train with the unit and
may
be
substituted if a primary member is injured, killed, or indisposed due to
personal
emergencies.
A common complaint is that politicians and bureaucrats believe that
because
individuals have common training they may be assembled and deployed on an
ad-hoc
basis, which is theoretically more economical. Designing a covert action team
based
primarily on political or economic platforms is a formula for disaster. The
Lillehammer
incident is a classic demonstration of what can go wrong very quickly.
Mission duration is also a very
sensitive element and requires close monitoring
of
the psychological stress on the individual team members. In Mark's team,
members
worked
in a covert capacity ranging from 30 days to nineteen months. The nineteen
months
was an exceptional case and was monitored very carefully.1 Peter's team was
designed
to serve a single purpose, in that each case required extensive surveillance
culminating
with a final operation. At the completion of an operation, the team would
then
begin a new, similar mission. Peter's team worked together for approximately
three
years.2 Bill's team was a special operations team which responded on short
notice
to crisis situations. Individuals could work into the team and rotate out
throughout
the existence of the unit. Integration into the unit involved a very
methodical
process which insured continuity.3
Peter's team was finally disassembled
due
to political pressure. The team achieved significant success, however there
were
specific
outside pressures which the political leadership found possibly detrimental to
their
careers. It is important to note that none of the three were involved in
illegal
operations
or assassinations.
When the teams were allowed to conduct
their operations utilizing good
tradecraft
and tactical techniques, success was almost assured. Of course, there is
always
an element of risk in every covert operation which extends from mild to high.
The
goal in extremely high risk operations is to optimize the teams' talents and
not to
restrict
the success ratio by managing the teams' efforts through lawyers and
politicians.
There is no question that the team serves at the pleasure of the civilian
leaders
and that the mission is developed to serve political objectives. The disconnect
occurs
when the leadership attempts to manage the tactical sects of the operation
to
ensure peripheral political objectives such as media exploitation and or
reelection.
The
team should consider the operation in relation to the political restrictions
imposed
and
the tactical means necessary to successfully complete it. The success-risk
ratio is
evaluated,
then forwarded back to the higher headquarters for approval or disapproval.
This
would be ideal in a perfect world.
The problem is that this process is in
direct conflict with political realities. At
each
level in the chain of command is an independent cell with its own goals and
objectives.
Pressure to succeed, to adhere to every policy and regulation, to be
promoted,
to fully support higher headquarters, and never say no to a request, are
realities.
As Bellman pointed out, it is this organization of dysfunctional cells which
limits
the success of any endeavor attempted through a bureaucracy. The larger the
bureaucracy,
the less efficient the process becomes. The trick is to recognize the
deficiencies
in the system and develop the means to operate at a more efficient level.
A
former military officer and West Point graduate commented, "...in war, the
bureaucracy
which makes the fewest mistakes at any particular critical time, emerges
as
the victor."4 It is undisputed that gross miscalculations, confused
maneuvers, poor
command
decisions, and misguided political decisions are inherent in every conflict.
This
is simply the nature of a political, bureaucratic process. The military officer
was
not
simply cynical, he recognized the inherent dynamics of 'systems.' As Bellman
related,
the answer lies in the ability to recognize the realities and develop methods
which
work in concert with human nature and not force those methods into
mechanically
defined boxes on a line chart.
Harari obviously understood the dynamics
of the Mossad's political
infrastructure.
He realized that he would never be able to launch a team like Avner's
within
the existing structure. It would be impossible to create a highly efficient
team
capable
of multiple operations across Europe, moving from one country to another,
on
short notice. The paperwork itself would probably have killed the concept. Each
move
would require new approved orders, advances of funds, travel coordination,
notification
of regional Stations, weapons moved through slow covert logistical
requisitions,
and endless justification of accountings. These mechanisms are necessary
to
function, however, to fulfill the approval and justification requirements at
every
level
for a sensitive, continuous mission was unacceptable. The mission would also
never
remain covert with a paper trail of gigantic proportions. Harari's mission was
compartmentalized
to only the few associated with Committee-X; it was necessary to
create
a plausible deniability screen for both the public and the Israeli Cabinet.
The Lillehammer incident is indicative
of everything which could go wrong in
an
operation. Not all Mossad headquarters operations ended in disaster; they are,
overall,
a very proficient and highly respected intelligence service. In the past, it
was
their
ability to carefully develop operations within their system which made them so
formidable.
The Mossad was small and their operations critical to the country's
security.
They could not afford to make irreparable mistakes. However, the service
grew
and evolved into a larger more complex bureaucratic entity and now suffers the
inefficiency
associated with that growth.
Executive Order 12,333
Although similarities may be drawn
between U.S. and Israeli operations, it is
important
to note that the U.S. operates under much more stringent legal guidelines.
The
use of assassination is not a legal option in U.S. directed counterterrorist
operations.
The guidelines on assassination are somewhat complex in the United
States,
and every president since Gerald Ford has attempted to address the issue
through
the enactment of executive orders. According to Neil C. Livingston, The Cult
of
Counterterrorism,!989, "there are no statutory prohibitions against
assassination,
and
the United States clearly possesses the capability to carry out so-called 'wet'
operations."5
However, President Gerald Ford felt it necessary to address the issue
and
subsequently enacted Executive Order No. 11,905 which banned "political
assassinations."
President Carter expanded the concept under Executive Order No.
12,036.
In this order, President Carter removed the word "political," and
added the
phrase,
"no person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government
shall
engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination."6 President Reagan
signed
Executive
Order No. 12,333, which maintained the same language as President
Carter's
E.O. 12,036.7 To date, President
Clinton has not enacted a new executive
order
and E.O. 12,333 remains in effect.
The United States clearly does not
promote the use of assassination in its
counterterrorist
programs. However, the issue has become somewhat muddled in
terms
of how E.O. 12,333 applies to military operations. On December 9, 1984, in a
speech
at the Waldorf-Astoria Hostel in New York, Secretary of State, George P.
Shultz,
stated that the United States should be prepared to conduct "retaliatory
operations"8
against terrorists. Shultz was echoing President Reagan's sentiments that
"swift
and effective retribution could be expected" against those terrorists who
harm
Americans.
After a failed coup attempt in Panama in
1989, DCI William Webster,
addressed
the limitations of E.O. 12,333 in an interview with the New York Times.
Webster
"called upon Congress to give the CIA 'greater latitude' to support
coupons."9
Webster
specifically addressed the limitations and the confused interpretation of E.O.
12,333.
Webster stated, "if you want us to deal with the likes of Noriega, then
the law
should
be changed to allow the CIA to do so."10
"He told the New York Times that
the
Congress and President needed to address the ambiguities in the executive
order.
'When
you have deliberate blurring, it puts a terrible, and I think unacceptable
pressure
on
the people who have to do the work'."11
The author recognizes the inherent
differences between Israeli and U.S.
political
realities. Israel, surrounded by hostile borders, must take extraordinary
precautions
to protect itself. The U.S. does not
find itself in the same geo-political
spectrum
as Israel. What may be an unacceptable response in a certain situation can,
and
does, become not only acceptable but morally right, under other circumstances.
Click
here to view image
NOTES
CHAPTER I
1George Jonas, author of Vengeance (1984)
and investigative journalist, telephone
interview
by author, January 18, 1995.
2Jonas, interview. Jonas commented that
after approximately six months of
discussions
with Avner, he concluded that the events described to him were true. Avner's
recall
of small details was "excellent." Avner's recall in combination with
Jonas' personal
research
convinced him that Avner's account was authentic. Jonas related that he
attempted
to verify events through outside sources and establish the likelihood of those
events.
3Avner, former Mossad Operations Officer
and primary source to George Jonas,
telephone
interview by author, January 27, 1995. Source (Avner) related that due to
contractual
and confidentiality agreements, an interview relating to his alleged
association
with
the Mossad would not be possible. However, he commented that the book,
Vengeance,
by George Jonas, describes the details of the Mossad operations subsequent
to
the Munich incident, and he could not elaborate beyond what is in the book. The
source
(Avner) contacted by the author, further declined to, confirm or deny, (due to
the
binding
agreements) that he was indeed Avner. Published open source materials have
identified
the source as Avner, but the author chose not to identify the publications or
the
name
of the individual identified. The source commented that the Israeli Government
has
officially
acknowledged the existence of the independent assassination teams tasked to
target
PLO terrorist leaders following the Munich massacre. Suffice it to say that the
fact
that
the source is restricted through contractual and confidentiality agreements
tends to
substantiate
the source's identity.
CHAPTER 2
1George Jonas, Vengeance (New York:
Simon and Schuster, 1984)1
2Jonas, 2
3Jonas, 3
4Jonas, 3
5Jonas, 4
6Jonas, 4
7Frank Bolz, Jr., Kenneth J. Dudonis,
and David P. Schulz, The
Counter-Terrorism
Handbook (New York: Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc., 1990)
53
8Bolz, 56
9Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman, Every Spy a
Prince (Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Co.,
1990)184
10Bolz, 56
11Jonas, 6
12Lester Sobel, ed., Facts on File
Yearbook (New York: Facts on File Inc., 1973)
695
13Sobel, 695
14Facts on File, 694 (London Times
reported on September 6, 1972)
15Raviv, 185
CHAPTER 3
1Facts on file, 695
2Raviv, 186
3Raviv, 186
4Jonas, 350. Jonas relates that
according to his sources, the "Wrath of God" name
was
not officially associated with Avner's team.
5Victor Ostrovsky and Claire Hoy, By Way
of Deception (New York: St. Martin's
Press,
1990)117-118
6Stewart Steven, The Spymasters of
Israel (New York: Ballantine Books,
1980)341-349.
Steven depicts the events of the Lillehammer operation in detail. There
are,
however, discrepancies between Steven's biographical sketches of the team
members
with
more recent publications. As described in the bibliography essay and text, it
is
doubtful
that the Mossad had the resources to deploy eight to ten wholly independent
teams
to conduct assassinations. Within six weeks of the Munich massacre, the Mossad
had
already accomplished its first successful assassination of Wael Zwaiter; within
12
months,
seven successful operations had been completed. This equates to a completed
operation
approximately every six weeks. This constitutes an incredible recruiting and
logistical
accomplishment if the Mossad utilized completely independent teams for each
operation.
It would also indicate an incredible intelligence coup if the Mossad was
actually
capable of tracking and targeting all their targets concurrently.
7Steven, 347
8Steven, 349
9Steven, 346-349
10Jonas, 11
11Jonas, 81
12Jonas, 96
13Jonas, 90
14Jonas, 117
15Jonas, 141-148
16Jonas, 147
17Jonas, 175-254 Jonas provides detailed
accounts of Avner's operations against
these
four targets in his book, Vengeance.
18Jonas, 178-194
19Jonas, 268-280
20Jonas, interview. Jonas commented that
he discussed the incidents surrounding
the
free-lance assassin at length with Avner. Avner maintains that he does not know
who
targeted
his team or contracted the assassin. Avner was adamant that Le Group had not
betrayed
the team by providing information about his team to other hostile groups. Avner
was
not naive, he simply believed that if Papa was going to betray them, he
certainly had
sufficient
prior opportunities. Avner was severely reprimanded for targeting the female
assassin
and acting outside his established mission parameters. His control officer,
Ephraim,
was extremely upset.
21Jonas, 294-298
22Jonas, 298
CHAPTER 4
1Ostrovsky, 117-119
2Geoffrey M. Bellman, The Consultant's Calling (San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass Inc,
Publishers, 1990) 68-70
3Bellman, 71
4Philip K. Howard, The Death of Common
Sense (New York: Random House,
Inc.,
1994)104, 105
5Jonas, 178
CHAPTER 5
1A source, special operations officer in
a federal government agency, who wishes
to
remain anonymous, conversations with author, January - March 1995.
2A source, special operations officer
associated with a major metropolitan police
department,
who wishes to remain anonymous, conversations with author, January -
March
1995.
3A source, special operations officer in
a federal government agency, who wishes
to
remain anonymous, conversations with author, January - March 1995.
4A source, special operations officer in
a federal government agency, also a
free-lance
writer who contributed to international publications, deceased, killed in
combat,
conversations
with author, 1988.
5Neil C. Livingstone, The Cult of
Counterterrorism (Lexington: Lexington Books,
1989)
392
6Livingstone, 392
7Livingstone, 392
8John P. Wolf, Antiterrorist Initiatives
(New York: Plenum Press, 1989)18
9Mark Perry, Eclipse (New York: William
Morrow and Company, Inc., 1992) 290
10Perry, 290
11Perry,291
GLOSSARY
ADVANCE A support surveillance team which
moves a predetermined distance in front
of a target to signal his
arrival to a predesignated area; or the reconnaissance
of an area prior to an
operation.
ALIAS: False name and background for
cover purposes.
ANTITERRORISM: Passive and defensive measures; activities
such as education, foreign liaison
training, surveillance, and
countersurveillance, designed to deter
terrorist activities.
ASSET: Individual recruited by
intelligence agency case officers who provides
information on sensitive or
protected foreign intelligence, military, political
or economic issues.
BLACK
SEPTEMBER
ORGANIZATION: BSO, name utililized from approximately
1971 - 1974, by the Fatah,
the military force of the PLO.
CABLE: Messages sent through secure
communications channels.
COLLATERAL
DAMAGE: Severe injury or death of innocents as a result of an operation.
COMMITTEE-X: Special top secret committee within the
Israeli Cabinet addressing
retaliation methods against
the PLO for the killing of 11 Israeli citizens at
Munich. chaired by Golda
Meir and Moshe Dyan.
COVER: Ficticious background devised to
support officers in the conduct of covert
operations.
COVERT
OPERATIONS: Clandestine activities conducted in foreign countries generally
conducted by the military
or an intelligence agency.
COUNTERTERRORISM: Active measures; operations which
incorporate the direct
intervention of terrorists
groups or the targeting and assassination
of terrorist personnel.
EVIDENCE
TRAIL: Any evidence establishing the
movements of officers involved in
operations; travel records, hotels, phone records,
etc.
FATAH: The military arm of the PLO.
FEDAYEEN: Term used by Islamic terrorist to
describe themselves. (term used and
explained by George Jonas, in
his book, Vengeance.
HUMINT: Acronymn for human intelligence
collection.
KIDON: Specially trained elite
assassination unit within the Mossad Metsada.
METSADA: Secret organization in the Mossad
which operates combatants.
MOSSAD: Israeli intelligence service.
OFFICIAL
COVER: Diplomatic cover utilized by
intelligence officers stationed at
overseas embassies.
REHEARSAL: Practice walkthrough of an operation
prior to the actual event.
SAFE
HOUSE: Location used as an
operational safe haven that has been acquired through
individuals or
organizations several levels removed from the officers
involved in the
operation. The location is generally
acquired through
legitimate businesses and
means, camoflauging the actual purpose of the
complex.
SAYERET: Elite trained reconnaissance forces
drawn from the ranks of the Israeli
Special Forces.
SIGNAL: Discrete action by one member of a
team sending a predetermined message
to another
STAFF
OFFICER: A fully vetted staff
employee of an intelligence organization.
SWEEP: Carefully examining a scene for
any compromising material or physical
evidence which may identify
officers involved in an operation.
TARGET: Term used to identify the subject
of an action.
TRADECRAFT: Special clandestine techniques utilized
to covert operations.
ON SOURCES IN THE
FIELD:
A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL
ESSAY
Conducting research on intelligence
activities through open sources inherently
leaves
certain information open to speculation. Even in the best of circumstances,
access
to
classified information does not ensure the absolute confirmation of certain
events.
Sensitive
covert operations are designed to protect the agency and personnel involved
with
layers of plausible deniability. Sources and methods are protected so that even
those
with
access to the files are unable to verify the names of the individuals involved.
George Jonas, author of Vengeance,
published in 1984, provided the primary
source
of information regarding "Avner's" unit, discussed in depth in this
paper. George
Jonas
is convinced that Avner's account of his mission as the team leader of the
Mossad's
European
independent covert action team is authentic. After discussing Avner's accounts
with
Jonas, cross referencing the reported assassinations with open source material,
and
comparing
Avner's account with known tradecraft techniques, the author is also convinced
that
Avner's story is legitimate.
Jonas' book addresses specific
discrepancies between Avner's account and books
published
previously. The author also found discrepancies in the identification of
personnel
and tradecraft techniques in research material, both prior to and subsequent to
Jonas'
book. The author has attempted to clarify those discrepancies.
Stewart Steven, author of The Spymasters
of Israel, published in 1980, speculated
that
the Mossad recruited independent contractors or foreign assets to fill the
teams. An
independent
contractor is a self-employed individual, hired to conduct specialized duties.
Requirements
for contractors range from computer specialists to special weapons experts.
In
this light, Steven stipulated that the Mossad covert team members were
independent
contractors,
not full time Mossad staff officers. Theoretically, contractors were recruited
from
outside agencies to work as assassins under Mossad control. These persons would
undergo
preliminary specialized training and subsequently be deployed to the field for
the
mission.
The team members would receive direction, instruction, and support through a
Mossad
case officer. He further speculated that each operation was conducted by
different
teams,
staffed by different operatives, in each case. His conclusions are based
primarily on
the
widely publicized failed mission in Lillehammer. He also speculated that the
teams had
a
free hand in their operations, and were used for one mission only, then
disassembled.
This theory seems unreasonable in that
the logistical and security problems would
have
been enormous. If the Mossad had only 11 terrorists on their primary target
list, it
would
require at least 55 individually recruited contractors to fill the primary
"hit" teams.
Each
team would also require support from regional Stations and recruited assets.
Each
regional
operation would also require a minimum often support assets to reinforce the
primary
hit team. This would expose a great number of sensitive assets to temporary
employees.
The primary team members require a through vetting, alias documents, and
essential
tradecraft training. This would infer that the Mossad could easily recruit
individuals
with covert operational skills combined with tactical commando skills, willing
to
act as assassins. Committee-X and the top secret directive to assassinate PLO
terrorist
leaders
would also be susceptible to exposure. It is ludicrous to believe the Mossad
could
control
over 150 people traveling across the globe targeting PLO terrorists. Even if
the
Mossad
was capable of recruiting the required individuals, it would mandate over a
year of
processing
and training before they could deploy to the field. Avner's team had deployed
and
completed their first successful assassination of Wael Zwaiter by October 16,
1972,
only
six weeks after the Munich incident. Victor Ostrovsky, a former Mossad officer,
explained
in his book, By Way of Deception (1990) that the Mossad incorporated a special
unit
to conduct kidnappings and assassinations. This was identified as the Metsada;
however,
it consisted of only 36 commandos divided into three teams of twelve, of which
only
one was operational at any given time. This still would not account for the
number of
individuals
needed to fill 11 separate, independent teams. In addition, Avner's explanation
of
duties with the Mossad provided that his prior assignment was with a skymarshal
team,
not
the Metsada or kidon.
Steven's speculations in Spymasters of
Israel have been disputed in later
publications
as more reliable information became available. Steven's supposition is
contradictory
to David B. Tinnin's conclusions detailed in an earlier publication, The Hit
Team,
published in 1976. Steven maintains that Tinnin's premise of a specially
trained
team
moving through the Middle-East and Europe assassinating Arab terrorists was
"totally
incorrect." Although Steven was able to collect information on the
Lillehammer
incident
through public sources, information regarding additional teams had not yet
surfaced
with any supporting evidence. A separate team was, in fact, traveling through
Europe
as an independent entity, targeting terrorists. In addition, the supposition
that the
hit
team consisted of independent contractors is also erroneous.
Dan Raviv, co-author of Every Spy a
Prince, published in 1990, identified
Abraham
Gehmer as a Mossad operations officer, working under official cover as First
Secretary
of the Israeli Embassy in Paris; Stewart Steven listed him as a Mossad
Commander.
Steven believed Dan Arbel was a Danish born, part time Israeli operative,
recruited
for the Lillehammer mission because of his language ability and geographical
knowledge
of the area. Although the description of his skills may be accurate, Victor
Ostrovsky,
co-author of By way of Deception (1990), provided that Arbel continued to
have
a successful career following his arrest. Arbel became the Mossad Chief of
Station in
Paris,
and the Chief of the Mossad Training Academy in the mid-eighties. Ostrovsky
wrote
that he was in training as a Mossad officer at the academy when Arbel was the
Chief.
Dorf, Steinberg, and Gladnikoff were
described by Steven as recruited assets. At
the
time of their arrest in Lillehammer, Yigal Zigal presented official Israeli
credentials
identifying
him as an Israeli Embassy security officer and Dorf had an official Station
cable
in
his possession. It would seem highly unusual for someone other than a staff
officer to
have
access to internal classified cables. Since assets are controlled through staff
case
officers,
allowing a recruited asset access to documents containing sensitive and unique
Mossad
identifiers, would constitute an incredible breach of security.
Harari, Arbel, and Zigal are clearly
Mossad staff officers and it is likely that Dorf
and
Steinberg are as well. This would indicate that the primary action team in
Lillehammer
was indeed composed of full time staff officers, not contractors utilized for
one
mission only. It is feasible that recruited assets were used to fulfill support
roles, such
as
conducting surveillance and obtaining vehicles and safehouses.
"Local" assets
assimilate
more easily into the area and are not readily identified through language
deficiencies
or physical appearance. The information provided to these support officers is
routinely
limited and compartmentalized to avoid exposing an entire operation if
individuals
are compromised.
The books, Spymasters of Israel, By Way
of Deception, Eclipse, and Every Spy a
Prince,
identified Mike Harari as the coordinator of the Mossad assassination teams.
Mr.
Jonas,
through Avner's account, maintains that the original suppositions made in
earlier
publications
that independent contractors were recruited to fulfill the mission requirement
is
incorrect. Other sources also speculated that teams formed for this mission
were born
out
of Ariel Sharon's Squad 101. According to Jonas, Squad 101 was conceived in the
late
1950's of special trained commandos to fight the fedayeen in the Gaza Strip and
Israeli
borders. The new teams formed by General Zamir were different in organization
and
personnel selection. These teams were indeed filled by Mossad staff officers.
Also,
officers
recruited into the Mossad routinely have previous military and commando
training.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A
source, special operations officer in a federal government agency, who wishes
to remain
anonymous, conversations with author,
January - March 1995.
A
source, special operations officer associated with a major metropolitan police
department, who wishes to remain
anonymous, conversations with author, January
-March 1995.
A
source, special operations officer in a federal government agency, who wishes
to remain
anonymous, conversations with author,
January - March 1995.
A
source, special operations officer in a federal government agency, also a
free-lance
writer who contributed to international
publications, deceased, killed in combat,
conversations with author, 1988.
Bellman,
Geoffrey M. The Consultant's Calling, Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers, San
Francisco, 1990.
Bolz,
Frank, Dudonis, Kenneth, and Schulz, David P. The Counter-Terrorism Handbook,
Elsevier Science Publishing Co., New
York, 1990.
CIA.
Unclassified Terrorist Incidents, Counterterrorist Center, 1993.
Howard,
Philip K. The Death of Common Sense, Random House, Inc., New York, 1994.
Jonas,
George. Vengeance, Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, 1984.
Jonas,
George, author of Vengeance (1984) and investigative journalist, telephone
interview by author, January 18, 1995.
Livingstone,
Neil C. The Cult of Counterterrorism, Lexington Books, Lexington, 1989.
Ostrovsky,
victor and Hoy, Claire. By Way of Deception, St. Martins Press, New York,
1990.
Perry,
Mark. Eclipse, William Morrow and Co., Inc., New York, 1992.
Raviv,
Dan, and Melman, Yossi. Every Spy a Prince, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston,
1990.
Sobel,
Lester, ed. Facts on File Yearbook, Facts on File Inc., New York, 1973.
Sterling,
Claire. The Terror Network, The Berkley Publishing Group, New York, 1982.
Steven,
Stewart. The Spymasters of Israel, Random House, New York, 1982.
Tinnin,
David, and Christensen, Dag. The Hit Team, Little, Brown and Company,
Boston, 1976.
Wolf,
John P. Antiterrorist Initiatives, Plenum Press, New York, 1989.
United
States Department of State. Terrorist Group Profiles, U.S. Government Printing
Office, Washington, D.C., 1988.
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