ANT KATZ

Pictured above is a bank of SA designed and manufactured Mokopa air-to-ground missiles on an SA designed and manufactured Rooivalk attack helicopter. Below Right is a picture of the Helicopter firing a Mokopa missile.

Al-Jazeera is REPORTING TODAY that a Mossad secret service document leaked to their Investigative Unit reveals that in 2010 Israel obtained stolen South African anti-tank missile technology.

South African intelligence covered it up, says the report, and even years later, when two men charged with stealing the plans were put on trial in SA, prosecutors failed to release the full information of Israel’s involvement.

Journalists who covered the case were fed a false account of events, and reported that Israelis had been offered the materials but “were not interested,” and had dismissed the black market salesmen offering the blueprints as “a joke.”

• A Mossad document reveals that Israel obtained stolen South African anti-tank missile technology
• The Spy Cables include a top-secret reply to an SA request for Israel’s intelligence service to return the purloined blueprints; and
• Mossad agrees, but on the condition that an Israeli citizen involved in the affair would “not be prosecuted or involved in legal issues”

However, an Israeli secret service cable shows that Israeli businessmen had indeed been interested, had taken the salesmen seriously, likely purchased the blueprints and then apparently passed them on to the Mossad.

The Spy Cables include a top-secret reply to a South African request for Israel’s intelligence service to return the purloined blueprints.

In it, Mossad says that “in light of the strong cooperation” between the two countries’ intelligence services “we can, at least, return the missile plans to you.”

National newspaper The Times reported on Wednesday that “a group claiming to be former agents of Mossad threatened to unleash a devastating cyber-attack on SA unless the government cracked down on the growing campaign to boycott Israel.”

But Israel only did so on condition that an Israeli involved in the affair would “not be prosecuted or involved in legal issues.” It appears SA agreed to those terms because no Israeli has been directly involved in legal issues since, says Al-Jazeera.

Stolen missile plans

In the August 2010 Mossad cable, classified secret and titled “Macopa Missile Plans – Response,” Mossad refuses to investigate how Israel got hold of the stolen plans.

The Mokopa air-to-ground missile system is manufactured by Denel and named after the Setswana word for the feared Black Mamba snake.

LEFT: [The missile is correctly named Mocopa  -ED]

But the cable offers Mossad’s assistance in recovering the documents.

“Further to your request regarding the Macopa Missile Affair [sic], please note that our service has no authority to carry out investigations on Israeli territory,” the Mossad writes. “However, In light of the strong cooperation between our services, and our sincere desire to assist you, we have examined ways in which we can, at least, return the missile plans to you.”

There is, however, condition: “Since, according to the information you relayed to us, an Israeli citizen, Mr Yitzhak Talia [sic], is involved in this affair, we would appreciate receiving confirmation from the competent authority that the Israeli citizen will not be prosecuted or involved in legal issues in South Africa concerning this affair, before we relay the plans to you.”

“The information we will relay to you about this matter is classified intelligence and therefore should not be used in legal proceedings.”

Exit Henry Taljaard, enter Yitzhak Talyah

The Spy Cables do not explain how “Yitzhak Talia” is involved. But court documents mention a “Yitzchak Talyah aka Edward Henry Taljaard” and suggest he was shown the missile plans, but that his involvement went no further.

See the spy cables for yourself on Al-Jazeera’s website:

• 2010 SECRET DOCUMENT: MEETING – CASTLE WALK
• 2010 SECRET DOCUMENT: MACOPA MISSILE PLANS – RESPONSE

Al-Jazeera’s Investigative Unit, in collaboration with The Guardian newspaper, is publishing a selection of the documents and the stories contained within them. Follow the unfolding stoty daily on this website.

Tomorrow: The two South Africans found guilty

Related reads posted today:

• MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, SA’S WIKILEAKS by Howard Feldman
• INTELLIGENC E CABLES REVEAL MURKY EVENTS by Sue Belling
  

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