BY ELI BEN MEIR
A grouping painting of all the IAF pilots that participated inward the performance of bombing a Syrian nuclear reactor site inward 2007. Up until now, the “secret safety affair,” aka the Israeli assail on the Syrian nuclear reactor, has solely been reported inward unusual media due to censorship regulations. Now that it has been approved for publication inward Israeli media, too, I am excited to retrieve that menstruation 10 years agone when I served every bit caput of the IDF Technological Intelligence Department inward the Research Division as well as afterward every bit deputy caput of the entire division. In essence, I was the leading IDF tidings officeholder at the fourth dimension of the attack.
I possess got many as well as varied memories from that time. My subdivision was the initiative off to uncover the existence of the nuclear reactor, simply a few months earlier the assail took place. We forthwith alerted our superior officers as well as hence continued to hold upwardly involved inward the progress of the affair. We participated inward dozens of deliberations inward which the province of affairs was assessed as well as hence reassessed as well as details virtually a possible assail were discussed. We carried out numerous simulations as well as articulated what the in all likelihood reactions from the Syrians as well as specially Bashar Assad could be.
Ironically enough, the actual assail took house the same even out every bit the marriage ceremony of 2 of my colleagues, Liron, who was the IDF principal of staff’s secretary, as well as Oron. For many days as well as nights next the attack, nosotros continued to closely detect all activity inward Syrian Arab Republic hence that State of Israel would hold upwardly cook inward illustration Damascus decided to retaliate.
I’m for sure that numerous commentaries as well as personal accounts volition at nowadays hold upwardly written virtually that fateful black – inward fact, I believe at that topographic point are plenty to fill upwardly dozens of books as well as movies. But without going into besides much detail, discussing controversial issues or who deserves credit for dissimilar aspects of the campaign, at that topographic point are a number of issues that must initiative off hold upwardly examined hence that the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate tin hold upwardly for sure to larn the necessary lessons.
The courage/ability to limited a differing opinion
The researchers inward the IDF Technological Intelligence Department that I commanded from the terminate of 2005 suspected that at that topographic point was hole-and-corner nuclear activity taking house inward Syria, but nosotros could non evidence this unequivocally. Throughout 2006, my squad as well as I fought against diverse officials inward IDF tidings as well as the Mossad inward an endeavor to convince them to allocate resources as well as manpower to investigate this threat. Despite the fact that I was met amongst slap-up resistance, I was non deterred as well as continued to vestibule for additional funding as well as to introduce our findings at every possible forum inward State of Israel every bit good every bit overseas, fifty-fifty if nosotros knew at that topographic point was piddling take away chances we’d hold upwardly listened to.
Colonel A. on the 2007 IAF bombing of a Syrian nuclear reactor site. (Marc State of Israel Sellem/IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The importance of tidings question every bit the primary axis of tidings gathering
This thing makes it unequivocally clear that tidings gathering, as well as specially the question department, is the mainstay of Military Intelligence. If it weren’t for the IDF Technological Intelligence Department, the State of State of Israel would possess got woken upwardly 1 morn to a annunciation past times Bashar Assad that an active nuclear reactor exists inward Syria! The fact that the number of question staffers has been cut, the unit’s condition lowered, as well as its influence on data collection reduced, has harmed the powerfulness of Military Intelligence units to maintain State of Israel safe.
Everyone tin predict the futurity as well as combat virtually the past
Unfortunately, it is hard to discovery people today who volition acknowledge that they rejected out of mitt the numerous assertions nosotros made proving that a nuclear reactor existed inward Syria. (These objections continued from the terminate of 2005 until the outset of 2007.) This continued, despite the fact that at that topographic point were many people who rejected these facts.
But because nosotros are non discussing the number from the betoken of reckon of those who opposed carrying out the attack, nosotros are non learning from our mistakes.
Delegation to as well as trust of commanders
Due to the fact that my squad as well as I were the ones who discovered the existence of the reactor, every bit good every bit the ones who carried out the verification of the information, my commanders appointed me to hold upwardly the tidings commander of the operation. Because Research Division caput Brig.-Gen. Yossi Baidatz, Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin – who was caput of Military Intelligence – as well as Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi had consummate confidence inward me, I was able to personally brief prime number government minister Ehud Olmert as well as his squad on a weekly solid soil regarding the condition of the project. I informed them virtually our operational plan, alternative plans, as well as all the possible forms of retaliation nosotros powerfulness expect. I was never asked to procedure whatever textile through the Military Censor, or to supply them amongst a preview earlier approaching the prime number minister.
The connectedness betwixt splendid question capabilities as well as operational understanding
Needless to say, the Arab Spring would possess got evolved quite differently had Syria’s armed forces had nuclear capabilities. My broad operational tidings background allowed me, on the 1 hand, to force for the disclosure of the hole-and-corner nuclear activity inward Syrian Arab Republic as well as to introduce it to the relevant armed forces as well as safety echelons. On the other hand, I was also capable of producing operational tidings that opened upwardly a diversity of options for Israel. This critical juxtaposition of question tidings as well as operational agreement is becoming to a greater extent than as well as to a greater extent than rare.
The powerfulness as well as obligation to possess got responsibility
It is vital to possess got responsibleness on a daily solid soil when gathering intelligence.
Our professional person as well as personal prestige is seat to the evidence during unique times, such every bit during the Syrian nuclear reactor affair.
On overstep of this, I was faced amongst tremendous opposition from Syrian Arab Republic specialists as well as other senior IDF tidings as well as Mossad officials. It was clear to me that my professional person status, every bit good every bit that of my team, was at peril if nosotros were to neglect due to under- or overestimating the seriousness of Syrian nuclear capability. If it turned out that our claim that Syrian Arab Republic was edifice a nuclear reactor was false, this would possess got been disastrous for the safety of the State of Israel, as well as possess got been extremely damaging for the reputation of the Technological Intelligence Department, every bit good every bit for me personally. Despite these pressures, I did non hesitate to relay the data nosotros had at hand. After it became clear that our assessment had been correct, the appropriate bodies were able to commence the procedure of preparing operational plans.
Undated picture released during a briefing past times senior USA officials inward 2008 shows what USA tidings officials said was a Syrian nuclear reactor built amongst North Korean help. USA tidings officials said the facility had been roughly becoming operational when it was destroyed inward early on September 200. (US government/AFP) Investigations as well as conclusions
After the assail was completed, I led the Military Intelligence investigation as well as was appointed past times the principal of staff to bring together the squad that prepared overviews of IDF processes. This squad carried out an extensive investigation whose findings were presented to the principal of staff as well as the caput of Military Intelligence. H5N1 number of the lessons nosotros learned at that fourth dimension are silent relevant today, but I am doubtful that many electrical current senior Military Intelligence officials are familiar amongst them.
The importance of people
As caput of the Technological Intelligence Department during that period, I was privileged to dominance a grouping of professional person operatives who had a broad arrive at of noesis inward applied scientific discipline as well as science, every bit good every bit unique question as well as tidings capabilities. They used advanced methodologies to get together intelligence, as well as were non discouraged past times the many objections they encountered along the way. I experience deep gratitude to each as well as every 1 of them.
On a personal banking enterprise annotation – the responsibleness an tidings officeholder has over a 30-year career is tremendous. The daily uncertainty that arises from the unexpected actions of the enemy is a task that requires beingness available 24/7 as well as is really challenging.
There are, however, situations inward which you lot experience that all your hard operate had been worth it, as well as that the challenges you’d faced of a abrupt appear to shrink. I valued the chance to operate amongst high-quality officers as well as soldiers as well as aid them prepare professionally. I also experience that nosotros were successful inward preventing attacks that would possess got brought virtually the loss of many lives, as well as preventing the escalation of tensions that could possess got led to war.
Few officers possess got the take away chances to participate inward such fateful events similar the assail on the Syrian nuclear reactor. I experience privileged as well as grateful to my commanders as well as the Technological Intelligence operators who served nether me during that time.
To conclude, this is also the initiative off chance I’ve had to divulge to my wife, Galit, as well as to my daughters why I was absent hence much during those few months of 2007, why my presence was needed overseas as well as why I received a missive of the alphabet of commendation from prime number government minister Ehud Olmert.
Brig.-Gen. (res.) Eli Ben Meir is a veteran Israeli tidings officeholder who served every bit caput of Military Intelligence’s Research Division.
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