Tamir Pardo (תמיר פרדו; born 1953), is the next director of the Mossad[1], announced as the current director's replacement by Israeli prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on November 29, 2010. The appointment was confirmed by the Committee for Senior Appointments headed by Jacob Turkel.Pardo was known to the public until now only as ‘T’. The 57-year-old father and grandfather served in the Israel Defense Force’s élite unit Sayeret Matkal and took part in the 1976 operation to rescue the hostages on the hijacked Air France plane at Entebbe, Uganda. Yoni Netanyahu, brother of the current Israeli prime minister, was killed in the operation, and Pardo reportedly had remained a close friend of the Netanyahu family.
In a statement Netanyahu praised the new director’s “decades-worth of rich experience in the Mossad”. He said: “He is the right man to usher the organization through the coming years in the face of complicated challenges”. Defense Minister Ehud Barak described Pardo as “a responsible professional with the richest operational experience possible.”
Mavi Boncuk |
In hopes of repairing relations with the British government, it was rumored that Pardo plans to pledge to UK officials that Israeli agents will no longer be allowed to use fake British documents in overseas operations specifically used in the January assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, the Telegraph reported. According to the Telegraph report, Pardo's predecessor, Meir Dagan, refused to apologize to the British for the cloning of the passports. According to DABKA (a misinformation site closely related to MOSSAD)[2] The Telegraph lays out Pardo's agenda of priorities as follows: Providing Britain and NATO with increased intelligence on Iran's nuclear weapons program, using its network of undercover agents in the country; increasing Mossad's role in Yemen and expanding its watch over the Russian SVR in Syria and Turkey in order to help the West "win the new Cold War."
Pardo must also brief the Brits on Israel's "deep cover agents" in Asia, Yemen, Afghanistan and Iran and report the strength of China's cyber war ability to attack the West. In all these fields, British MI6 admits it cannot easily operate. Therefore, the Israeli Mossad chief must place all of Israel's top secrets at the feet of the MI6 chief at their first interview, says the Telegraph - a likely prospect indeed, but also a dead giveaway of London's motive in pushing so precipitately to "rebuild" relations.
And what is London offering in return? If Pardo plays along, the Mossad station chief whom London expelled over a dozen faked British passports, which Israel was never proved to have used, will be reinstated.
In hopes of repairing relations with the British government, Pardo plans to pledge to UK officials that Israeli agents will no longer be allowed to use fake British documents in overseas operations again, according to the report. According to the Telegraph report, Pardo's predecessor, Meir Dagan, refused to apologize to the British for the cloning of the passports.
Pardo is a longtime Mossad veteran who served as Dagan’s deputy before leaving the agency in 2009, reportedly after existing MOSSAD chief Dagan refused to back his candidacy to replace him as director. Dagan was appointed head of the Mossad by Ariel Sharon in 2002 and was tasked with restructuring the agency after a slew of mishaps. He decided to turn the Mossad’s attention to two main objectives – preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and waging a shadow war against the ‘axis of evil’ made up of Iran, Syria, Hizbullah and Hamas.
In late 2009 the Obama Administration, it was revealed today, privately warned the Turkish government not to criticize unsubstantiated allegations against Iran’s civilian nuclear program, in particular warning that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments made Turkey “vulnerable to international community criticism. The documents, revealed as part of the WikiLeaks Cablegate release, centered around Prime Minister Erdogan’s criticism of Obama’s allegations as “gossip,” and advised top Erdogan aides and Turkish President Gul to “rein in” the prime minister. Another document expressed concern at Turkey’s interest in a working relationship with Iran, saying Turkey was missing an opportunity to weaken the Iranian government by not condemning the 2009 election and saying Turkey was motivated by a desire to avoid a region-wide war. Though US officials have repeatedly accused Iran of making nuclear weapons they have never provided evidence of this assertion, and the IAEA has continually verified the non-diversion of Iran’s nuclear material. Interestingly, the US mocked Turkey’s claims of “influence” with Iran by saying Turkey was unable to even convince Iran to sign the third party enrichment deal sought by the P5+1. Just months after the cable Turkey did succeed in getting Iran to sign the deal, sparking public US condemnation of Turkey and a refusal by the US to complete the proposed deal.
DEBKAfile's Washington sources disclose that what US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had in mind was an alternative path which still remains to be marked out: It would move Middle East peacemaking out of the deadlocked US-Palestinian-Israeli track and introduce a new set of prime movers with the long-term goal of a regional peace settlement.
Washington has taken the first step of trying to resolve the Turkish-Israeli dispute over Ankara's maritime bid to bust the Gaza blockade in order to open the door to restoring the old dialogue and strategic relationship between Ankara and Jerusalem.
In a parallel step, the US has acted to bring Turkey into active mediation on the Iranian nuclear controversy. Washington will approve the talks with Iran the Six Powers (US, Russia, France, China, UK and Germany) embarked on this week ending in a deal for an enriched uranium swap to take place on Turkish soil under international supervision. Tehran has in the past demanded that this swap take place in Turkey. The Americans want to make sure that at no time, Iran holds enough enriched uranium for producing a nuclear bomb.
Once that accord goes through, the Erdogan government will be free to return to its interrupted role of 2007-2008 under the Olmert government as peace broker between Israel and Syria. An accommodation on that track, if achieved, would pave the way for Ankara taking over revived Israel-Palestinian negotiations.
Encouraged by Washington, Israeli diplomat Yosef Ciechanover and Turkey's deputy foreign minister Feridun Sinirlioglu held their first fence-mending talks in Geneva on Dec. 5. The ice was not broken. Indeed, Friday, Dec. 10, Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal said in Ankara: "There has been no change in Turkey's expectations from Israel. Israel has behaved unjustly against Turkey regarding aid ship Mavi Marmara and we are still expecting compensation and an apology."
Israel regards the commandos who prevented the Turkish ship from reaching Gaza as having performed their duty to defend the blockade in the face of attacks by armed "peace activists" aboard the vessel.
Mavi Boncuk |
In hopes of repairing relations with the British government, it was rumored that Pardo plans to pledge to UK officials that Israeli agents will no longer be allowed to use fake British documents in overseas operations specifically used in the January assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, the Telegraph reported. According to the Telegraph report, Pardo's predecessor, Meir Dagan, refused to apologize to the British for the cloning of the passports. According to DABKA (a misinformation site closely related to MOSSAD)[2] The Telegraph lays out Pardo's agenda of priorities as follows: Providing Britain and NATO with increased intelligence on Iran's nuclear weapons program, using its network of undercover agents in the country; increasing Mossad's role in Yemen and expanding its watch over the Russian SVR in Syria and Turkey in order to help the West "win the new Cold War."
Pardo must also brief the Brits on Israel's "deep cover agents" in Asia, Yemen, Afghanistan and Iran and report the strength of China's cyber war ability to attack the West. In all these fields, British MI6 admits it cannot easily operate. Therefore, the Israeli Mossad chief must place all of Israel's top secrets at the feet of the MI6 chief at their first interview, says the Telegraph - a likely prospect indeed, but also a dead giveaway of London's motive in pushing so precipitately to "rebuild" relations.
And what is London offering in return? If Pardo plays along, the Mossad station chief whom London expelled over a dozen faked British passports, which Israel was never proved to have used, will be reinstated.
In hopes of repairing relations with the British government, Pardo plans to pledge to UK officials that Israeli agents will no longer be allowed to use fake British documents in overseas operations again, according to the report. According to the Telegraph report, Pardo's predecessor, Meir Dagan, refused to apologize to the British for the cloning of the passports.
Pardo is a longtime Mossad veteran who served as Dagan’s deputy before leaving the agency in 2009, reportedly after existing MOSSAD chief Dagan refused to back his candidacy to replace him as director. Dagan was appointed head of the Mossad by Ariel Sharon in 2002 and was tasked with restructuring the agency after a slew of mishaps. He decided to turn the Mossad’s attention to two main objectives – preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and waging a shadow war against the ‘axis of evil’ made up of Iran, Syria, Hizbullah and Hamas.
In late 2009 the Obama Administration, it was revealed today, privately warned the Turkish government not to criticize unsubstantiated allegations against Iran’s civilian nuclear program, in particular warning that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments made Turkey “vulnerable to international community criticism. The documents, revealed as part of the WikiLeaks Cablegate release, centered around Prime Minister Erdogan’s criticism of Obama’s allegations as “gossip,” and advised top Erdogan aides and Turkish President Gul to “rein in” the prime minister. Another document expressed concern at Turkey’s interest in a working relationship with Iran, saying Turkey was missing an opportunity to weaken the Iranian government by not condemning the 2009 election and saying Turkey was motivated by a desire to avoid a region-wide war. Though US officials have repeatedly accused Iran of making nuclear weapons they have never provided evidence of this assertion, and the IAEA has continually verified the non-diversion of Iran’s nuclear material. Interestingly, the US mocked Turkey’s claims of “influence” with Iran by saying Turkey was unable to even convince Iran to sign the third party enrichment deal sought by the P5+1. Just months after the cable Turkey did succeed in getting Iran to sign the deal, sparking public US condemnation of Turkey and a refusal by the US to complete the proposed deal.
DEBKAfile's Washington sources disclose that what US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had in mind was an alternative path which still remains to be marked out: It would move Middle East peacemaking out of the deadlocked US-Palestinian-Israeli track and introduce a new set of prime movers with the long-term goal of a regional peace settlement.
Washington has taken the first step of trying to resolve the Turkish-Israeli dispute over Ankara's maritime bid to bust the Gaza blockade in order to open the door to restoring the old dialogue and strategic relationship between Ankara and Jerusalem.
In a parallel step, the US has acted to bring Turkey into active mediation on the Iranian nuclear controversy. Washington will approve the talks with Iran the Six Powers (US, Russia, France, China, UK and Germany) embarked on this week ending in a deal for an enriched uranium swap to take place on Turkish soil under international supervision. Tehran has in the past demanded that this swap take place in Turkey. The Americans want to make sure that at no time, Iran holds enough enriched uranium for producing a nuclear bomb.
Once that accord goes through, the Erdogan government will be free to return to its interrupted role of 2007-2008 under the Olmert government as peace broker between Israel and Syria. An accommodation on that track, if achieved, would pave the way for Ankara taking over revived Israel-Palestinian negotiations.
Encouraged by Washington, Israeli diplomat Yosef Ciechanover and Turkey's deputy foreign minister Feridun Sinirlioglu held their first fence-mending talks in Geneva on Dec. 5. The ice was not broken. Indeed, Friday, Dec. 10, Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal said in Ankara: "There has been no change in Turkey's expectations from Israel. Israel has behaved unjustly against Turkey regarding aid ship Mavi Marmara and we are still expecting compensation and an apology."
Israel regards the commandos who prevented the Turkish ship from reaching Gaza as having performed their duty to defend the blockade in the face of attacks by armed "peace activists" aboard the vessel.
NOTES
[1] Haaretz, in an editorial after the appointment was announced, wrote: It [Mossad] answers exclusively to the prime minister, and the identity of its head only became public after his appointment. This does not allow for sufficient public oversight - neither on the process of the appointment, nor on his performance. This must also be addressed during the changeover.
[2] http://www.debka.com/article/20494/
[1] Haaretz, in an editorial after the appointment was announced, wrote: It [Mossad] answers exclusively to the prime minister, and the identity of its head only became public after his appointment. This does not allow for sufficient public oversight - neither on the process of the appointment, nor on his performance. This must also be addressed during the changeover.
[2] http://www.debka.com/article/20494/
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