Mossad Chief Meir DaganRumors Of Mossad Chief's Death Greatly Exaggerated
-- Time Magazine
-- Time Magazine
I’d like to trace the viral pathways of a rumor. And it’s a cracker of a rumor: that Meir Dagan, the Mossad Chief, was assassinated in Amman, Jordan, and his killing was hushed up. The story began circulating around the Middle East today at a scorching velocity.
And that’s because aspects of it seemed plausible.
Dagan’s portly face and penetrating eyes may be too well-known for him to take part in an actual spy operation (Israeli Channel 2 named him “Israeli Hero of the Year’ for presumably ordering the hit on Hezballah’s military commander Imad Mugniyah in Damascus). But Dagan does sometimes travel to Amman to exchange whispers with fellow spymasters. It is also true that Hezballah has sworn revenge for Mugniyah’s killing, and the Mossad chief would make a fitting target.
Yesterday, the story started making the rounds on a few Arab internet sites. Then, according to one diplomat, it was picked up by DEBKAfile, a rightwing Israeli website, one of whose sensational –-and false-- reports about an impending terrorist attack in Manhattan actually prompted police to close down N.Y.’s bridges for several hours.
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My Comment: Another slow day in Middle East newsrooms.