Report: Mossad used Australian passports before Dubai row

Australia's counter-intelligence and security agency is investigating suspicions that three Australian-Israeli dual citizens spied for Israel in recent years by using their Australian passports, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Saturday.

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation has been conducting the inquiry for six months, the newspaper reported, and the probe is unrelated to the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai last month. Three Australian passports were used in that operation, which Dubai authorities attributed to Israel's Mossad spy agency.

Australian intelligence sources told the Herald that the three men under investigation all emigrated to Israel within the last decade. Each has visited Australia at different times to legally change their names and obtain new passports.

The individuals had changed their names from those that could be identified as European-Jewish to ones more typically identified as Anglo-Australian. One of the men changed his last name three times, the paper reported, and the other two twice each. The names were changed from those that could be identified as European-Jewish to those typical of Anglo-Australians.

The new passports were used to gain entry to a number of countries hostile to Israel, including Iran, Syria and Lebanon. None recognize Israel, and all forbid Israelis from entering by law. Israel also prohibits its citizens from traveling to these countries, citing security reasons.

The Herald reported that the three Australians are involved with a European communications company that has a subsidiary in the Middle East. In 2004, one of the individuals in question sought assistance at the Australian embassy in Tehran.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1152808.html

Australia should make a stink too.

There's been stern words and very stern frowns aimed at the Israeli ambassador, but it's just as likely to fizzle out into nothing. The timing was handy coz it took the insulation scheme and Peter Garrett off the front pages for a day or so, but I found it interesting that the woman living in Tel Aviv whos identity had been stolen hadn't been contacted by Australian officials at all and was feeling pretty overwhelmed and not supported. I just think it was good for a bit of insincere foot-stamping and stern words and now it's back to business as usual.