When the Islamist group Hamas conquered the Gaza Strip in June it seized an intelligence-and-military infrastructure created with U.S. help by the security chiefs of the Palestinian territory's former ruler. According to current and former Israeli intelligence officials, former U.S. intelligence personnel and Palestinian officials, Hamas has increased its inventory of arms since the takeover of Gaza and picked up technical expertise -- such as espionage techniques -- that could assist the group in its fight against Israel or Washington's Palestinian allies Hamas leaders say they acquired thousands of paper files, computer records, videos, photographs and audio recordings containing valuable and potentially embarrassing intelligence information gathered by Fatah. Fatah operated a vast intelligence network in Gaza established under the tutelage of the Central Intelligence Agency. ample reason to worry that Hamas has acquired access to important spying technology as well as intelligence |
Hamas Aims to Capitalize On Intelligence Gains From Gaza Takeover! For more than a decade, Fatah operated a vast intelligence network in Gaza established under the tutelage of the CIA..
The exact nature of the threat posed by the intelligence grab in Gaza -- including any damage to U.S. intelligence operations in the Palestinian territories and the broader Middle East -- is difficult to ascertain. U.S. and Israeli officials generally tried to play down any losses, saying any intelligence damage is likely minimal
Close ties between Hamas and Iran and Syria also mean that intelligence-and-spying techniques could be shared with the rivals of the Bush administration. As the US prepares to lead an international effort to bolster Fatah's security apparatus in the West Bank, the losses in Gaza stand as an example of how efforts to help Fatah can backfire.
A former top CIA said the US. had provided Fatah with "substantial help" in training, computers, equipment and analytical tools
The exact nature of the threat posed by the intelligence grab in Gaza -- including any damage to U.S. intelligence operations in the Palestinian territories and the broader Middle East -- is difficult to ascertain. U.S. and Israeli officials generally tried to play down any losses, saying any intelligence damage is likely minimal
Close ties between Hamas and Iran and Syria also mean that intelligence-and-spying techniques could be shared with the rivals of the Bush administration. As the US prepares to lead an international effort to bolster Fatah's security apparatus in the West Bank, the losses in Gaza stand as an example of how efforts to help Fatah can backfire.
A former top CIA said the US. had provided Fatah with "substantial help" in training, computers, equipment and analytical tools
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