Tunisia: Mossad in the Maghreb
For the past three months, the Arab Maghreb countries have been witnessing a growing number of controversies and scandals concerning cells linked to Israeli espionage activities, Al-Akhbar reports.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Tunisia-Mossad-...
It says that It began when an informants network was dismantled in Mauritania early this year. Then Mossad made the headlines in Algeria and Morocco in a string of reports, rumors, and hoaxes.
Finally, a new scandal reverberated across Tunisia last week involving a wide network of Mossad operations, including espionage centers alledgedly using the country as a base to spy across the Maghreb region.
Abderraouf al-Ayadi, head of the Wafa Movement which split from the Rally for the Republic (RPR), caused a huge stir last week when he said that Mossad has stepped up its activities in post-revolutionary Tunisia, Al Akhbar reported.
Abderraouf al- Ayadi claimed that that these activities were being conducted under the cover of European and US NGOs that claim to be charitable, humanitarian, or cultural.This echoes earlier statements by the head of the Tunisian Workers Party (formerly POCT), Hamma al-Hammami, about Israeli spy networks operating in post -
revolution Tunisia that took advantage of the state of chaos and lawlessness that swept the country following president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's escape.
A February report by the Yafa Center for Studies and Research focusing on Mossad activities in the Maghreb coincided with Al-Ayadi and al Hammami's statements.It said that Mossad had been using Tunisia as a base ever since the PLO left in 1982. The Tunisian security services under Ben Ali are said to have worked closely with Mossad. Shalom Cohen a Mossad operative from their North African section headed the Isreali interest section in Tunis and is said to have set up a Mossad network with branches in Sousse and Djerba.
Djerba has the well known El Ghriba Synagogue, synagogue,which was attacked and a bomb detonated by Al Qaeda in Apriol 2002 killing 21 people. It is the site of an annual Jewish pilgrimage. Relations between the Maghreb countries and Jewish people ( as opposed to teh Jewish state and Mossad are very close because of long historical and family ties. There is no surprise that Mossad is installed in Tunisia and many other organisations as well. Post revoutionary chaos has given them an opportunity and the reason to be involved . The Maghreb will be increasingly involved in events in the region such as Syria which also involves Lebanon, Jordan and Iran Egypt and Libya. Tunisia is a base of operations in Libya where conditons are chaotic and weapons are freely trafficked and in Algeria where AQIM is still active albeit increasingly harrased by Algerian security forces.
Israel, surrounded by hostile Arab countries is bound to use Mossad to spy on and assess the Maghreb which is now changing very rapidly and is a centre for a new and growing islamic fundamentalism. Tunisia should be concerned about Mossad penetration but it probably doesn't warrant the current hysteria. Mossad is seen to be less effective than it was in the 1980's. Tunisia is facing far more dangers with its own clash between islamists and the secular parts of Tunisian society which threatens the successful creation of Tunisia's democratic institutions. Tunisia is vulnerable to destabalisation efforts by many groups, not least former Ben Ali supporters and salafists but so far the state has managed to hold its own against those that would attack it.
Finally, a new scandal reverberated across Tunisia last week involving a wide network of Mossad operations, including espionage centers alledgedly using the country as a base to spy across the Maghreb region.
Abderraouf al-Ayadi, head of the Wafa Movement which split from the Rally for the Republic (RPR), caused a huge stir last week when he said that Mossad has stepped up its activities in post-revolutionary Tunisia, Al Akhbar reported.
Abderraouf al- Ayadi claimed that that these activities were being conducted under the cover of European and US NGOs that claim to be charitable, humanitarian, or cultural.This echoes earlier statements by the head of the Tunisian Workers Party (formerly POCT), Hamma al-Hammami, about Israeli spy networks operating in post -
revolution Tunisia that took advantage of the state of chaos and lawlessness that swept the country following president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's escape.
A February report by the Yafa Center for Studies and Research focusing on Mossad activities in the Maghreb coincided with Al-Ayadi and al Hammami's statements.It said that Mossad had been using Tunisia as a base ever since the PLO left in 1982. The Tunisian security services under Ben Ali are said to have worked closely with Mossad. Shalom Cohen a Mossad operative from their North African section headed the Isreali interest section in Tunis and is said to have set up a Mossad network with branches in Sousse and Djerba.
Djerba has the well known El Ghriba Synagogue, synagogue,which was attacked and a bomb detonated by Al Qaeda in Apriol 2002 killing 21 people. It is the site of an annual Jewish pilgrimage. Relations between the Maghreb countries and Jewish people ( as opposed to teh Jewish state and Mossad are very close because of long historical and family ties. There is no surprise that Mossad is installed in Tunisia and many other organisations as well. Post revoutionary chaos has given them an opportunity and the reason to be involved . The Maghreb will be increasingly involved in events in the region such as Syria which also involves Lebanon, Jordan and Iran Egypt and Libya. Tunisia is a base of operations in Libya where conditons are chaotic and weapons are freely trafficked and in Algeria where AQIM is still active albeit increasingly harrased by Algerian security forces.
Israel, surrounded by hostile Arab countries is bound to use Mossad to spy on and assess the Maghreb which is now changing very rapidly and is a centre for a new and growing islamic fundamentalism. Tunisia should be concerned about Mossad penetration but it probably doesn't warrant the current hysteria. Mossad is seen to be less effective than it was in the 1980's. Tunisia is facing far more dangers with its own clash between islamists and the secular parts of Tunisian society which threatens the successful creation of Tunisia's democratic institutions. Tunisia is vulnerable to destabalisation efforts by many groups, not least former Ben Ali supporters and salafists but so far the state has managed to hold its own against those that would attack it.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Tunisia-Mossad-...