SOVIET SPIES INFILTRATE MOSSAD, SOURCES SAY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP89B00224R000903020005-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 15, 2011
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: December 16, 1987
• Content Type: MEMO

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Soviet spies infiltrate Mossad, sources say
By RIQ ARD SALE
WASHEOMN (UPI) _ Soviet infiltration of Israel's spy agency,
Mossad, is the most serious blow to Israeli intelligence since the 1970s
and U.S. intelligence also was breached as a result, U.S. sources
reveal.
Mossad has been penetrated by "highly placed- Soviet moles and a
full-scale internal counterintelligence investigation is under way, the
intelligence sources said.
A Justice Department source said U.S. counterintelligence agents
became aware of the Israeli-Soviet espionage pipeline when data stolen
by Jonathan Jay Pollard, a U.S. Navy analyst convicted of spying for
Israel, was 11 traced to the Eastern bloc. "
Intelligence sources said data reaching the Soviets via this route
included sensitive U.S. weapons technology and strategic information
about the defense forces of Turkey, Pakistan and moderate Arab
countries, including Saudi Arabia.
U.S. intelligence analysts said the Pollard data was traded to the
Soviets in return for promises to increase emigration of Soviet Jews to
Israel.
One analyst said Israel's " right-wing " Jews are involved with
spying for the Soviets and called it "ironic, " noting that left-wing
elements were responsible for similar scandals in the past.
A senior U.S. official said morale in Mossad *'had plummeted " but
refused to eaiment on whether the breach had damaged U.S.-Israeli
intelligence ties.
In Jerusalem, an Israeli government spokesman denied knowledge of
the security breach.
11 I know nothing abort all that, said Avi Pazner, spokesman for
the prime minister's office. It seems to be utter fantasy."
A State .Department spokesman- also declined canment. But an
administration official said the Soviet penetration of Mossad was
discussed at meetings of CIA, FBI and other U.S. counterintelligence
specialists about the Pollard case.
one of the guys was cammenting that if Pollard had stolen stuff,
at least it was going to a U.S. ally, but a CIA guy spoke up and said
that if Mossad was involved it meant that copies of everything were
going to (the KGB's) Moscow center," the source said.
Pollard began serving a life sentence early this year in what U.S.
officials have called one of the worst intelligence disasters in U.S.
history.
Asked to describe the Israeli-Sovet spies, an administration
intelligence source said: "They are highly placed agents in the top
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T11121 Mon Dec 14 06:40:19 1987
at every significant levels. Page 2
Israel has launched ~~
Iinftrtin, l a full-scale investigation into the Soviet
some Mossad disguising it as "a Probe into financial co
agents, an administration source said.PtsOn of
The source emphasized that "counterintelligence
souralways begin with the painstaking of financial investigations
inquiries aimed at date r an agen al vouchers,~~ whethe unexplained Payments or lived an unit' t has rived large,
said most double agents are cau y high lifestyle. Another ght Israel apparently was first used as a baseyorr
the tudy of w.
SSsoviet agent n, rents
early 1960s, when Professor Kurt Sitte, a s the the
ogY Haifa was nuclear Sitte, a specialist in cosmic'tads eXP~d as a diet agent.
Force, was convicted in 1961. ation working with the U.S. Air
A subsequent case was uncovered the following Dr.
Beer, a former aide to the chief of staff of the y
rsaeli Israel
arrested after he became liaison officer ono t t was
Minis
ter David Ben-(irion, intelligence to t}M Defense
Aided by a
arrested Gip from the British Secret Service
9es he Passed data to M15, Bger was
In the 1970s, more trouble came the Soviets.
who from left-wing Sabras, or
native-born Israelis
Union. one case involved ha ad
the Soviet
Paratrooper with
Soviet-backed Syria. er who spied for
U.S. intelligence analysts said the latest
agents occurred in the early 1980s under the penetration by Soviet
Minister Ariel Sharon. ministration of Defense
ISrT ei and es said they awls aware of % Soviet reports'' of meetings between
espionage operations against Israel Cyprus, a well-known base for Soviet
Administration officials confirmed that the capital, Nicosia, is an important KGB base island nation es
Soviet and
agents operating in Middle Eastern a meeting place for
A U.S. intelligence analyst said he was countries such as Israel.
ron
oviiets h had edplhimself its in the Sharon governmentP because that Sharon
penetration with people who were extraordinarily . " vulnerable to
He declined to elaborate.
The Mossad was founded in 1937 in England then illegal emigration of Jews fran Euo to handle large scale and
British control. Pe to Palestine, then under
By 1942, a secret agent training site was set up cultural school outside of Tel Avisv. Pat Mikveh, Israel,
map-reading, ing bourses included cryptography.
other intelligence skills.
After Israel was created and
by the Shin Beth, the Israelin 1948, counterintelligence was handled
Israeli government sources say Massad has about 2,000 e~loyees of
takeover in Tehran, said, CIA report, found during the 1979 U.S. embassy
are among the best in the worlda ~s intelligence and security services
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iffice of Current Production and Analytic Support
'JA Operations Center
Vews Bulletin
Wed Dec 16 12:11:33 1987
CARLUCCI: ALLIES MIGHT HALT INTELLIGENCE COOPERATION
By Charles Aldinger
WASHINGTON, Dec 18, Reuter - Defense Secretary Frank
Carlucci warned Congress on Wednesday that U.S. allies will cut
off Intelligence cooperation with Washington If lawmakers move
to exert tight control over secret operations.
''it Is a matter of perceptions. Other governments are
extraordinarily sensitive on this point," he told the Senate
Intelligence Committee.
"if our Intelligence assets around the world, particularly
cooperating organizations, perceive that the CIA Is obliged to
disgorge whatever the (intelligence) committees may want, then
It Is very clear based on my experience that our Intelligence
assets would dry up.''
Carlucci testified on legislation proposed by Republican
Sen. William Cohen of Maine and others -- and strongly opposed
by President Reagan -- that would force presidents to notify
Congress within 48 hours of approving a covert operation.
The bill, sparked by the Iran-Contra scandal in which U.S.
arms were secretly sold to Iran and profits given to Contra
guerrillas fighting the leftist Nicaraguan government, would
also force the White House to quickly provide reasons for
Intelligence activities.
The Reagan administration charges that such mandatory
reporting could drag the names of cooperating governments
through the TV limelight and threaten the lives of U.S. and
allied secret agents.
''The President feels very strongly on this issue -- so
strongly, in fact, that I would speculate that should It reach
his desk In this form that he may well see fit to disapprove
It,'' said Carlucci, suggesting a Reagan veto.
Cohen told Carlucci that an offer by Reagan to give 48-hour
notification of covert action approval ''minus extraordinary
circumstances,' was not enough.
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He said the ''extraordinary circumstances" loophole would
give presidents wide discretion on delaying such reports,
perhaps for months.
"The president may be the sole spokesman of our foreign
policy but he Is not the architect of that policy,?' Cohen told
Carlucci.
Carlucci, 57, Is well acquainted with the U.S. Intelligence
community, having previously served In the CIA and as director
of Reagan's National Security Council before he became defense
secretary last month.
He told the committee that he had served In high government
posts under four presidents, Including Democrat Jimmy Carter,
and all were strongly against mandatory reporting of
Intelligence activities to Congress.
Stressing that Reagan had tightened Oval Office control
over covert activities as a result of the Iran-Contra affair,
Carlucci said: "I believe the problem has been fixed."
Republican Sen. Chic Hecht of Nevada said he supported
Reagan strongly In opposition to the bill.
We are hurting our Intelligence worldwide," said Hecht,
noting that congressional hearings on the Iran-Contra affair
had been televised to hundreds of countries around the world.
''People risk their lives to help us," he said.
''Who's going to trust us when we have all these cameras In
front of us?"
Reuter
Reut12:12 12-16
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