Israel's Mossad did not anticipate Delhi terror strike
NEW DELHI: The "limpet bomb" attack on the wife of the Israeli defence attache on Monday, seemingly as a retaliation against assassinations of Iranian scientists, appears to have come as a surprise to Mossad, Israel's external security agency.
Sources said a high-level team which discussed the threat of revenge strikes against Israeli targets did not anticipate that Iran's alleged sympathizers could strike in India's capital.
Although the Israeli embassy here took the precaution of alerting Delhi Police to what they called the looming threat of revenge attacks, Mossad officials who last week interacted with their Delhi counterparts did not apprehend that Iran's alleged proxies could strike in India.
The team led by Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, a veteran of the dramatic Entebbe operation where Israeli commandos managed to free their nationals held hostage by terrorists, felt that Israeli citizens were safer in India than their compatriots in Turkey, countries in East Asia and South America. The assessment could have been influenced by the absence so far of a group which could resort to terrorism allegedly at Iran's behest.
While the attack has come as a rude shock to Indian and Israeli agencies, intelligence agencies are fearing that use of magnet or limpet bomb may cease to be an aberration in South Asia. According to senior intelligence sources, National Technical Research Organization -- the agency that helps the security establishment with techint - had intercepted a conversation about Pakistan-based terrorists arming themselves with magnetic bombs.
The NTRO shared the input with the security establishment just before the attack on Monday: the first case where magnet bomb has been used as a terror weapon in the region. The arrival of the weapon, which has been used with lethal effectiveness in Iraq and, later in Iran, has left intelligence agencies troubled about the repercussions; especially in terms of measures that the security apparatus, already creaking under pressure, may have to take to deal with the new challenge.
Investigators handling the case have not been able to recover either a timer or a detonator, leading them to suspect that the device that the motorcycle-borne assailant used may have been an incendiary device. The debate about the nature of the device goes to the heart of another question relevant to the strike: whether the attacker was a local or a foreigner allegedly recruited by Iranian agents.
The agencies are working on the assumption that a foreigner would find it difficult to procure raw materials for an explosive device and, therefore, may settle for the use of an incendiary device which is easier to put together. But no firm conclusion can be reached yet about the bomber's nationality; one reason being his familiarity with the layout of the high-security zone where he targeted Tal Yehoshua.
Meanwhile, three days after the attack, Indian agencies have established contacts with their counterparts in Thailand and Georgia for specifics of the bombs that were recovered by them and targeted against Israelis. The effort is to study the parallels, if any, between the bombs in the three places - New Delhi, Bangkok and Tbilisi -- that could help New Delhi's investigations narrow down further.
Presently, Indian agencies are combing through the database of foreigners who entered India in recent times, and obtained visas at various missions. The lack of an organized database of visas issued at various locations around the world is making investigations that much difficult. Also being analysed are phone calls that were made around the attack site to various locations. "We are trying to get information about the kind of explosives used in the two other incidents, people behind them and whether the three incidents have any link," a source said.
Delhi Police is, meanwhile, groping in the dark even as it intensified its search for the attacker and a red motorcycle used by him. Though they found one such motorcycle in south Delhi's Lado Sarai, it is yet to be linked with the incident.
Preliminary forensic report of the 'sticky' device talks about finding traces of potassium chlorate and potassium nitrate. Cops have not found any circuit or battery from the spot - an indication that very sophisticated triggering device could have been used. "Preliminary report also talks about finding traces of aluminum and magnet. Final report is expected in three-four days," an official said.
Meanwhile, sources also spoke of a detailed letter from the Israeli embassy to Delhi Police of possible targeting of Israeli interests, but even this letter did not warn of any India specific inputs. Written on February 1 to Delhi Police, the letter had recalled in detail various developments around the world, and expressed concern that a "quality response" by Hezbollah or Iran to various attacks against Iranian targets and Hezbollah commanders.
The letter, signed by Yahel Vilan, the deputy chief of mission, and Shahar Gal Nero, the first secretary (security) had recalled reports from Bangkok about a terror plot targeted against Israelis. It had also spoken about Hezbollah's plans of revenge attacks in Europe. The letter had spoken about the possibility of revenge against the death of Iranian nuclear scientist Mustafa Ahmadi Roshan, who was killed in a car bomb attack on January 11.
The letter warned the police about recent inputs about people using forged Israeli passports. Specifically, the Israeli mission expressed fears that these forged passports could be used to avoid security checks in Israel and elsewhere.
The letter went on to say that since the killing of Imad Mughniyah, senior Hezbollah commander, on February 12, 2008, there had been efforts to carry out revenge killings. The letter said, "Iran and Hezbollah are determined to revenge the death" of Mughniyah.
Israel's Mossad did not anticipate Delhi terror strike - The Times of India
