Next chapter in Israeli spy story

General attorney reveals the identity of the Egyptian at centre of alleged spy ring as Israeli security comes under fire from the country's media

Following Monday's announcement of the discovery of an Israeli spy ring in Egypt, more details have come to light regarding the identity of the network's agents and the extent of their operations.
Three members have been identified as Tariq Abdel Razeq Hassan, the Egyptian owner of an import-export business, and two Israeli agents, Idi Moushayh and Joseph Daymour. Hassan was arrested on August 1 at Cairo International Airport. His Israeli accomplices remain at large.
According to Hesham Badawi, general attorney of Egyptian state security, Hassan initiated contact with Mossad offering cooperation at a time when he was going through financial troubles. “He received thirty seven thousand dollars from two Israeli officers in return for his cooperation with Israeli intelligence,” Badawi told a press conference on Monday.
He added that the defendant travelled to Syria and Lebanon several times for Mossad to collect information on security measures.
Hassan was today referred to the emergency state security supreme court for trial by the attorney general.
General Sameh Saif El-Yazal gave Ahram Online an insight into the work of the spy network. Hassan was assigned by Mossad the task of recruiting agents from among the employees of communication companies in Egypt. He would send Mossad the names of the employees from one such company. El-Yazal believes such a strategy was used to target Syria and Lebanon. He said that the case as nothing new as Egypt occasionally uncovers agents working on behalf of Israel. For him it is nothing more than a “classic spying strategy.”
El-Yazal added that President Mubarak was fully aware of the details and had referred to it in his speech of yesterday when he described Egypt's national security as a red line.
The Israeli media's reaction was summarised to Ahram Online by Dr Tariq Fahmy, head of the Israeli Affairs Unit in the national centre for Middle Eastern Studies, as one of stinging criticism against the Israeli security apparatus and the string of repeated fiascos.
Within Israel, today's announcement is viewed as a direct message by Egypt coming as it does just days after Tamir Pardo took over as head of Mossad.