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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
Erika Bolstad: Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech
The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Dec. 15, 2011
/ 19 Kislev, 5772
Intensifying undercover war between the West and Iran
By
Nicholas Blanford
Latest spy-versus-spy with Iran shows again that CIA has grown weak on tradecraft and in cultivating human intelligence resources
JewishWorldReview.com |
 EIRUT — (TCSM)
The publication by Hezbollah of the names of the CIA station chief in Beirut and several other alleged CIA staffers is a serious blow to the US agency's ability to gather intelligence amid what appears to be an intensifying undercover war between the West and Iran, according to a former CIA officer.
"There's obviously an espionage war going on in Iran. And to lose an asset in the middle of a war like this, I think it's catastrophic," says Robert Baer, a former CIA officer who operated in Lebanon in the 1980s.
Iran has been rocked in recent weeks by a series of mysterious explosions at facilities believed to be connected to the Islamic Republic's nuclear and missile production programs, raising speculation that the US and Israel are in the throes of a secret intelligence war against Iran.
A special report on Hezbollah's Al-Manar television station on Friday listed the names of the alleged CIA station chief in Beirut, along with his predecessor and three CIA officers as well as the nicknames of five other operators.
"The CIA station in Lebanon, through a team of operating officers, executes tasks of recruitment that target all colors of the Lebanese spectrum — government employees, security and official individuals, Lebanese politicians, media people, religious people, social people, bankers, medics, and academics," Al-Manar said in a report that used cartoons and graphics.
CIA SHUTDOWN
The television report added weight to recent revelations that the CIA was forced to abandon its Lebanon operations after Hezbollah discovered the identity of several spies. In June, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, revealed that at least two members of his organization had been discovered working for the CIA and were arrested.
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Nawar Sahili, a Hezbollah MP, said Tuesday that the intelligence war with Israel and the US was ongoing. "We have our tools and we are watching their movements," he said, adding that Hezbollah would have further revelations to make on the issue.
Baer, who has written three books based on his experiences with the CIA as well as a novel, said that the agency would have to undergo a thorough damage assessment exercise before it could consider resuming intelligence-gathering operations in Lebanon.
"With a damage assessment, traditionally you just have to close down and figure out why [it happened] and what else is compromised," he says. "They also have to consider that the embassy or wherever they were operating from is compromised. It's a laborious, time-consuming thing that can take years. You've got to pull everybody out and put new people under cover and get them to learn Arabic."
Archive footage of Baer being interviewed by a Lebanese television station about his former clandestine activities in Beirut was included as background in Al-Manar's expose of the CIA's current Lebanon operations.
Hezbollah has a strong and aggressive counter-intelligence department that apparently has access to sophisticated monitoring and surveillance equipment to track down enemy agents. In the past three years, more than 100 people in Lebanon have been arrested on suspicion of spying for Israel. They have ranged from garage mechanics to a retired general in the Lebanese army.
US EQUIPMENT USED?
While there have been no serious overt acts of violence along the traditionally volatile border between Lebanon and Israel since the month-long conflict of 2006, the two enemies are engaged in a secret intelligence war using highly sophisticated equipment. Last week, Hezbollah technicians discovered an elaborate Israeli tapping device hooked into the group's private fiber-optic communications network in south Lebanon. The device was destroyed in a remote-control explosion by the Israelis shortly after its discovery.
Hezbollah is believed to have uncovered the CIA network through the process of telephone co-location which analyzes millions of phone calls made in Lebanon every day to discern patterns. Ironically, the equipment used by Hezbollah to roll up the CIA network is thought to have been originally provided by the US to help the Lebanese government trace the assassins of Rafik Hariri, a former Lebanese prime minister who was assassinated in a truck bomb explosion in 2005, according to Baer and Lebanese press reports. In June, an international tribunal indicted four members of Hezbollah for their alleged role in Mr. Hariri's assassination.
Baer said that the CIA had grown weak on tradecraft and in cultivating human intelligence resources over the past decade, which had resulted in costly mistakes being made in Lebanon.
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