{"id":80538,"date":"2016-10-03T12:00:40","date_gmt":"2016-10-03T11:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=80538"},"modified":"2016-10-01T14:46:46","modified_gmt":"2016-10-01T13:46:46","slug":"terrorists-vs-moderates-lessons-from-the-mi5-middle-east-files","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2016\/10\/terrorists-vs-moderates-lessons-from-the-mi5-middle-east-files\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Terrorists vs. Moderates’: Lessons from the MI5 Middle East Files"},"content":{"rendered":"

Another batch of MI5 files just released by the National Archives in London reveals more details regarding the origins of present day troubles in the Middle East, as well as the machinations of western allies trying to upstage one another.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"confidential-logo\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

29 Sep 2016 – <\/em>In the run-up to\u00a0the proclamation of\u00a0the State of\u00a0Israel in\u00a01948 the British Mandate administration in\u00a0Palestine was caught between\u00a0Jewish groups competing for\u00a0preeminence in\u00a0their fight against\u00a0the British, as\u00a0well as\u00a0between Britain’s wartime allies who were pursuing their own agendas in\u00a0the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Just as\u00a0with present day Syria<\/a>, London was trying to\u00a0identify and do deals with “moderate” opposition to\u00a0the British authorities. However, it transpires from\u00a0numerous deciphered exchanges between\u00a0the MI5 Palestine station and London HQ that the line between\u00a0the “moderates” and “Terrorists” [with a capital T as\u00a0seen in\u00a0most dispatches] was so thin, that it was almost impossible to\u00a0distinguish between\u00a0them.<\/p>\n

The British placed their bets on\u00a0the Jewish Agency<\/a>, headed by\u00a0Ben Gurion, and indeed they had what appeared to\u00a0be a mutually beneficial relationship, especially with\u00a0the Agency’s security liaison, officer Teddy Kollek (who went on\u00a0to become the Mayor of\u00a0Jerusalem in\u00a01960s).<\/p>\n

Born #OTD<\/a> in\u00a01911 in\u00a0Hungary: Teddy Kollek, long-term mayor of #Jerusalem<\/a> and father of @israelmuseum<\/a>. @newjertours<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/xicby6scvw<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014\u00a0Peregrin Hodgkinson (@Fnordmeister) May 27, 2015<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

However, MI5 officers strongly suspected that both Kollek and the Agency were playing a double game, trying to\u00a0use the British security services and the Army to\u00a0crush its rivals within\u00a0the Jewish “resistance” and to\u00a0further their own cause. Not unlike various Syrian armed groups<\/a> these days\u2026<\/p>\n

‘Terrorists v Moderates’<\/strong><\/p>\n

The “dirty” work was done by\u00a0the two notorious terror groups\u00a0\u2014 the Irgun Zvai Leumi (IZL) and the Stern Group (or Gang\u00a0\u2014 depending on\u00a0the mood of\u00a0a particular MI5 officer writing another memo about\u00a0yet another terrorist outrage).<\/p>\n

The MI5 files contain numerous reports about\u00a0blown up\u00a0bridges, oil depots, telegraph poles, robbed banks, army trucks and killed soldiers and policemen. A security summary for\u00a0January 1942, suggested that “the [Stern] Gang has been responsible for\u00a0five murders in\u00a0one week, causing considerable panic in\u00a0Tel Aviv.”<\/p>\n

The assassination of\u00a0Lord Moyne, the top British official in\u00a0the Middle East, in\u00a0November 1944, and the blowing up\u00a0of British HQ at\u00a0King David Hotel in\u00a0Jerusalem in\u00a0July 1946, with\u00a0a loss of\u00a091 lives, turned British panic into\u00a0desperation and mass reprisals that made things even worse.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

A picture taken 22 July 1946 shows the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, which housed the British Headquarters, damaged after a bombing attack against the British government by members of Irgun, a Zionist terrorist group headed by Menachem Begin.
\u00a9 AFP 2016\/ Intercontinental<\/p><\/div>\n

The Daily Telegraph reported from\u00a0Palestine:<\/p>\n

“Palestine lives under\u00a0martial law. Ordinary democratic rights are totally abrogated\u2026 There are thousands of\u00a0persons arrested without\u00a0trial\u2026 An outcry in\u00a0the local Press against ‘Jews being knocked about\u00a0or beaten at\u00a0Talbieh Military Detention Barracks,’ and being most roughly handled when picked up\u00a0on the streets\u2026 troops, shouting, ‘King David,’ are alleged to\u00a0have beaten prisoners and then forced them to\u00a0shout in\u00a0chorus: ‘the English are good.’ “<\/p>\n

Catching the perpetrators was an uphill struggle.<\/p>\n

The Jewish Agency was trying hard to\u00a0place the blame for\u00a0those outrages not on\u00a0the Stern Gang but\u00a0on its political rivals, an MI5 security summary said. The armed militia closest to\u00a0the Agency was Hagana, which later formed the nucleus of\u00a0the Israeli Army, and the Brits were led to\u00a0believe by\u00a0the Jewish Agency that it was following\u00a0a moderate line and challenged the extremists of\u00a0the Stern Group and IZL.<\/p>\n

However, an MI5 source was “of the opinion that they [Stern Group] are in\u00a0complete agreement with\u00a0Hagana policy and fully under\u00a0the control of\u00a0that body.”<\/p>\n

Hagana, Stern, and IZL had a love-hate relationship throughout\u00a0the British Mandate, at\u00a0times fighting each other, declaring a truce, joining forces, then falling out\u00a0again.<\/p>\n

“The Irgun Zvai Leumi and the Stern Group\u2026 have decided to\u00a0place themselves at\u00a0the disposal of\u00a0Hagana,” an MI5 dispatch said.<\/p>\n

Other dispatches spoke of\u00a0Hagana kidnapping and torturing members of\u00a0rival groups, sometimes handing them over\u00a0to the British, “blackmailing us to\u00a0release their own people.” MI5 officers complained that instead of\u00a0apprehending real terrorists the Agency was pursuing its political opponents, while playing the “good cop.”<\/p>\n

“In order to\u00a0dissociate itself from\u00a0future acts of\u00a0terrorism, the [Jewish] Agency is reported to\u00a0have planned the setting up\u00a0of a cover organization to\u00a0be known as ‘The Yishuv Fighting for\u00a0Jewish life and Freedom in\u00a0Eretz Israel,’ ” an MI5 telegram said.<\/p>\n

“This new group, in\u00a0which HAGANA, Irgun and Stern Group leaders will be included, will be used for\u2026 the announcement of\u00a0the establishment of\u00a0a rebel Jewish Government.”<\/p>\n

Deep Penetration<\/strong><\/p>\n

No wonder, British security officers expressed their distrust of\u00a0the entire Jewish population in\u00a0Palestine.<\/p>\n

In Aug 1944, Lt. Colonel Hunloke, a Defense Security Officer in\u00a0Palestine, wrote to\u00a0his superiors in\u00a0Jerusalem and London, underlining that he was expressing his personal opinion:<\/p>\n

“I consider it entirely wrong to\u00a0lay the blame on\u00a0any single section of\u00a0the Jewish Community. By their teaching of\u00a0the youth, by\u00a0the speeches of\u00a0their so-called leading politicians, they are all equally culpable.”<\/p>\n

Referring to\u00a0a speech by\u00a0Ben Gurion, Colonel Hunloke wrote:<\/p>\n

“In my opinion, such utterances at\u00a0this time is as\u00a0near to\u00a0high treason as\u00a0may be obtained and yet no action is taken.”<\/p>\n

After an attempted assassination of\u00a0the British High Commissioner, Hunloke lamented:<\/p>\n

“We are all apt to\u00a0suffer from\u00a0a defeatist attitude that we cannot penetrate these Jewish illegal organizations.”<\/p>\n

No such problem existed for\u00a0the opposite\u00a0side.<\/p>\n

An MI5 security review for\u00a01944 stated:<\/p>\n

“The murder of\u00a0Lord Moyne has focused attention upon\u00a0Zionist activities in\u00a0Egypt and has shown up\u00a0how deeply the Army and RAF are penetrated by\u00a0Zionist units and personnel.”<\/p>\n

The problem was so grave that HM Ambassador to\u00a0Egypt, Lord Killearn, wrote to\u00a0General Sir Robert Paget, Commander-in-Chief of\u00a0the Middle East Forces: \u00a0“\u2026about members of [Jewish] Palestinian units who are stated to\u00a0be meddling in\u00a0political affairs which have, presumably, no relation to\u00a0their military duties\u2026 for\u00a0the sake of\u00a0security, as\u00a0well as\u00a0for political reasons, Jewish personnel should be removed from\u00a0Egypt in\u00a0the largest possible numbers and in\u00a0the shortest possible time.”<\/p>\n

The British were concerned that the Jewish Brigade established and trained by\u00a0them to\u00a0fight the Nazis in\u00a0Africa and Italy was an incubator for\u00a0terrorists. The MI5 files contain a “top secret” request for “special attention security check of\u00a0all Jews traveling to\u00a0the UK,” because of\u00a0the security threat.<\/p>\n

\"MI5<\/a>

MI5 files released by the National Archives in London
\u00a9 Photo: National Archives<\/p><\/div>\n

In pamphlets and radio broadcasts circulated by\u00a0the underground, the British rule was branded in\u00a0words not dissimilar from\u00a0the ones used these days by\u00a0the Syrian opposition to\u00a0label the Assad government. The British were called mass murderers with\u00a0the blood of\u00a0hundreds of\u00a0thousands of\u00a0innocent victims on\u00a0their hands. The British regime in\u00a0Palestine was criminal, the pamphlets said, and had to\u00a0be destroyed by\u00a0all means.<\/p>\n

French Revenge<\/strong><\/p>\n

Quite a few of\u00a0these means were provided by\u00a0the British wartime allies, the French.<\/p>\n

Reporting on\u00a0his visit to\u00a0the Middle East in\u00a0February 1945 A.J. Kellar wrote:<\/p>\n

“The Stern Group\u2026 would seem to\u00a0be receiving support from\u00a0the French whose activities against\u00a0law and order in\u00a0Palestine have increasingly required our attention. We already know from ‘Top Secret’ sources that French officials in\u00a0the Levant have been clandestinely selling arms to\u00a0the Hagana and we have received recent reports for\u00a0their intention to\u00a0stir up\u00a0strife within\u00a0Palestine not only in\u00a0retaliation for\u00a0the part we played last year in\u00a0supporting Lebanese and Syrian demands for\u00a0independence but\u00a0also, by\u00a0embarrassing our position in\u00a0the Mandate, to\u00a0distract our attention from\u00a0French activities in\u00a0Syria and the Lebanon.”<\/p>\n

\"MI5<\/a>

MI5 files released by the National Archives in London
\u00a9 Photo: National Archives<\/p><\/div>\n

Shortly before\u00a0the deadliest attack on\u00a0the British at\u00a0the King David Hotel in\u00a0Jerusalem, an MI5 agent “CIRCUS” reported: “200,000+ (35?) pound sterling paid by\u00a0Jews to\u00a0French for\u00a0arms. Such a large sum only likely to\u00a0be available to\u00a0Hagana.”<\/p>\n

In other words, as\u00a0James Barr writes in\u00a0his book titled “A Line in\u00a0the Sand,” while the British were fighting and dying to\u00a0liberate France, their supposed allies the French were secretly backing Jewish efforts to\u00a0kill British soldiers and officials in\u00a0Palestine:<\/p>\n

“And the British Government had known for\u00a0some time that the Irgun and the Stern Gang were planning to\u00a0use Paris as\u00a0a base for\u00a0assassinations of\u00a0key British politicians including Churchill.”<\/p>\n

Of course, from\u00a0the French point of\u00a0view, theirs was just payback for\u00a0the British helping Lebanon and Syria to\u00a0break free from\u00a0France. MI5 dispatches spoke of “distrust for\u00a0British political agents in\u00a0the Levant States, common to\u00a0all French officers serving there.”<\/p>\n

\"MI5<\/a>

MI5 files released by the National Archives in London
\u00a9 Photo: National Archives<\/p><\/div>\n

Not much trust appeared to\u00a0be had between\u00a0the British and the Americans either.<\/p>\n

MI5 officers were bombarding the FBI with\u00a0requests for\u00a0information about\u00a0Jewish militants being trained in\u00a0terrorist warfare in\u00a0New York before\u00a0being sent to\u00a0Palestine as\u00a0illegal immigrants. One MI5 cable spoke of “an underground army of\u00a0some 200,000 Jews” in\u00a0Palestine, which was being armed “with the help of\u00a0American Middle East representatives.”<\/p>\n

Another report, from\u00a0agent CIRCUS, read:<\/p>\n

“Kaplan cabled from\u00a0America that he can raise 4,5 million dollars for\u00a0the proposed Jewish Army in\u00a0Palestine. The commission set up\u00a0for the organization of\u00a0this army already at\u00a0work.”<\/p>\n

FBI’s replies were long-winded but\u00a0gave no indication on\u00a0whether anything was being done to\u00a0disrupt the recruitment and training of\u00a0terrorists or to\u00a0stop them from\u00a0illegally traveling to\u00a0Palestine.<\/p>\n

“In the event any pertinent data are developed in\u00a0this regard, they will be furnished to\u00a0you,” an FBI cable promised.<\/p>\n

The MI5 files do not contain any further replies to\u00a0this effect from\u00a0the US ally.<\/p>\n

_______________________________________<\/p>\n

Nikolai Gorshkov<\/em> \u2013 Director, editor of <\/em>Sputnik News. <\/em>Worked as <\/em>BBC News correspondent across Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. Set up and managed <\/em>BBC editorial hubs in Russia and the FSU. Represented and promoted <\/em>BBC at international venues around the world. Studied at Institute of USA and Canada Studies, USSR Academy of Sciences.<\/em><\/p>\n

Go to Original \u2013 sputniknews.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Another batch of MI5 files just released by the National Archives in London reveals more details regarding the origins of present day troubles in the Middle East, as well as the machinations of western allies trying to upstage one another.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-middle-east-north-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80538"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80538\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}