Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

Carr reveals problems with DFAT's handing of Zygier case

By chief political correspondent Simon Cullen
Updated Wed Mar 6, 2013 5:41pm AEDT

[Embedded] Video: Carr reveals problems with DFAT's handing of Zygier case (ABC News)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-06/carr-says-no-requests/4556620
Photo: Ben Zygier was found hanged in a secret prison cell near Tel Aviv in 2010.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-06/gfxbbenzygierredeux12020jpg/4556486
Related Story: Prisoner X revelations 'massively damaging Israel'
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-21/prisoner-x-on-twt/4532328
Related Story: Israel denies Zygier had contact with ASIO
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-20/israel-denies-zygier-had-contact-with-asio/4528868
Related Story: Zygier arrested after leaking Mossad work to ASIO: sources
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-18/zygier-arrested-after-leaking-mossad-work-to-asio-sources/4525640
Related Story: DFAT knew of Australian's detention in Israel
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-13/dfat-was-aware-of-australian27s-detention-in-israel/4517074
Map: Australia .. http://maps.google.com/?q=-26.000,134.500(Australia)&z=5

Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr has confirmed that an Australian man - known as Prisoner X - worked for the Israeli government, raising the prospect that Australian passports may have been used for foreign intelligence purposes.

Ben Zygier, who was also known as Ben Allen or Ben Alon, is believed to have worked for Israel's spy agency Mossad before being arrested and jailed in a top secret Israeli prison in February 2010.

Senator Carr says an internal report by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) has raised problems with how the case was handled, adding there are still unanswered questions surrounding Zygier's work and his arrest.

"Certainly if Australian passports were misused here, that's something we are forced to take very seriously," Senator Carr told reporters in Sydney.

"No country can allow the integrity of its passport system to be compromised.

"We can't say whether it happened with Mr Zygier's several passports. I hope the inquiry that takes place - one of the inquiries taking place - in Israel can clarify this position.

"If that's confirmed, we'll be registering the strongest protest."

Read the DFAT report
http://www.scribd.com/doc/128815193/Report-into-DFAT-s-handling-of-Zygier-case

Watch the full Foreign Correspondent report on Prisoner X on iView
http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/program/30989

Read Trevor Bormann's original story here
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-12/australia-suspected-of-mossad-links-dies-in-israeli-jail/4514806

How Israel's top spies scrambled to keep the lid on the ABC's revelations
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-15/unmasking-prisoner-x-beating-the-censors/4520278

The dual Australian-Israeli national died in his jail cell in December 2010, although questions remain how that could happen in a cell that was supposedly suicide proof.

Senator Carr says Australia requested information about what charges Zygier was facing, but Israel has declined to provide any details because of a gag order.

The DFAT report has found that Zygier was given regular access to his lawyer and more than 50 visits by family members while in detention.

Senator Carr says no consular support was provided to Zygier during that time but nor did he seek such assistance.

"Israeli authorities reportedly gave an assurance to ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) that Mr Zygier would be 'afforded the full legal rights of an Israeli citizen'.

"This was conveyed by ASIO to DFAT on February 24, 2010.

"I really think it's unsatisfactory that things rested there instead of the officers of the Australian embassy being able to make visits and see for themselves.


Ben Zygier Photo: Ben Zygier was found hanged in a secret prison cell near Tel Aviv in 2010.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-06/gfxbbenzygierredeux12020jpg/4556486

"The decision not to follow up reflected an assessment that Israel would probably not grant consular access to Mr Zygier."

The head of DFAT, Peter Varghese, has said that Australia's embassy in Tel Aviv was not made aware of Zygier's detention until after his death.

The Prisoner X case, as it has become known, is regarded as one of the most sensitive secrets of Israel's intelligence community, with the government going to extraordinary lengths to stifle media coverage and gag attempts by human rights organisations to expose what happened.

Media restrictions on how it is reported have been eased slightly since the ABC's Foreign Correspondent program named the prisoner as Zygier.

It remains unclear exactly why Zygier was arrested.

Foreign media reports have implicated him in the assassination of a senior Hamas official in Dubai in January 2010 when some of the killers used Australian passports.

But Senator Carr says there is no evidence that is the case.

"The advice I've got is that nothing in the Zygier file... has him working in Dubai. My advice is that it doesn't link him with what happened in Dubai."

The fraudulent use of Australian passports by suspected Mossad agents in Dubai strained relations between the two countries, and led to the expulsion of an Israeli diplomat from Canberra.
Sensitive cases

Senator Carr says the Government has adopted all the recommendations of the DFAT report, including that a whole-of-government approach be developed for dealing with people detained on intelligence-related matters.

It also suggested that senior consular officials be given access to written records, including intelligence, of sensitive cases.

The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, Vivienne Thom, says she has undertaken her own inquiries into the case and spoken to senior Australian intelligence officials following reports of ASIO's involvement.

"Based on the information that I have considered, I have come to the conclusion that there is no evidence that ASIO has acted improperly or unlawfully in this matter," Dr Thom said in a statement.

"Consequently, I have advised the Attorney-General the Hon Mark Dreyfus... that I do not intend to initiate a formal inquiry into this matter.

"In accordance with usual practice I will not confirm or deny whether any of the media reports are accurate."

[Embedded] Video: Look back at the full original report by Trevor Bormann for Foreign Correspondent .. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-12/prisoner-x---the-australian-connection/4515252 .. (Foreign Correspondent)

First posted Wed Mar 6, 2013 3:17pm AEDT

Contact Simon Cullen .. http://www.abc.net.au/news/contact/feedback.html?id=4057016

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-06/bob-carr-on-prisoner-x-case/4556546

=====

Ethnic political biases- rant by conservative Jewish comedian, Melrose Larry Green. 3558

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv9XTFt5bWM

See also:

BIG NEWS: For First Time, Britain & France May Recall Ambassadors to Israel | U.S. Red Line Crossed
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=82040405

The Dubai assassination and the “war on terror” .. one bit ..

Every national government aligned with Washington is culpable. The diplomatic protests registered by Britain, Australia, France, Germany and Ireland over the abuse of their passports are nothing but a grotesque charade. One need only ask the question—how would the reaction have differed had Iranian intelligence agents carried out an assassination in another country using forged European and Australian passports? Instead of diplomatic niceties there would be a drumbeat for full-scale war.
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=47635469

Recep Erdogan, Turkish Prime Minister, Draws Criticism For Zionism Remarks
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=85195063

yet

Israeli-American Company To Drill For Oil In Occupied Golan Heights
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=85058601

When NSW Premier he was good for forest preservation. Just how progressive,
and up-front, Bob Carr, will be in his role as Foreign Minister remains to be seen.