On June 11, the Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot said the release of
Sabag has angered Israel military intelligence, Middle East Newsline reported. The newspaper said Sabag was
deemed a high-value source who could have provided information on Syria and
its strategic cooperation with Iran.
"[Israeli Sgt.] Gilad Shalit is in captivity [in the Gaza Strip] and we
are letting this asset go," a senior intelligence official told Yediot.
Sabag was said to have been serving as Syrian liasion with IRGC in the
Balkans. IRGC has a large presence in Bosnia as well as neighboring Kosovo.
The second leading asset detained aboard Marmara was identified as Amin
Abu Rashid. Abu Rashid, a Dutch national, was described as a senior Hamas
operative responsible for fundraising in Europe.
Israeli sources said Abu Rashid was linked to Hamas weapons procurement.
They said this included Abu Rashid's close cooperation with Mahmoud Al
Mabhouth, regarded as Hamas's procurement chief and assassinated in the
United Arab Emirates in January 2010. A Mossad agent suspected of being
linked to the assassination was reported to have been in Poland.
"His role in Hamas was to find ways to smuggle money to the
organization's groups in Gaza and particularly in the West Bank," Yediot
said.
Both Abu Rashid and Sabag were said to have returned to Europe after
their release by Israel. The sources did not rule out the prospect that the
role of both men was probably not fully known during their detention.
"The IDF does not elaborate on the interrogation of detainees," an
Israeli military statement said. "The release decision was not made by the
military."
ShareThis
