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The Dubai Job

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Re: The Dubai Job

#21

Post by sophacles »

badmash69 wrote: post #14

Downvote me if you will, but I do not think this article belong on the front page of Hacker news. It is a interesting illuminating article but it belongs on Reddit or even Slashdot.

Read the guidlines -- "anything that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity" is the short and sweet rule. I find well written pieces about things I normally don't know much about intellectually gratifying. More so, actually, than yet another "awesome vim tricks (that any reasonably experienced user already knows)" or "look at this awesome revolutionary thing in node.js (that turns out to be a standard async pattern)".

Re: The Dubai Job

#22

Post by doron »

tome wrote: post #5
tkahn6 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't think they were used to devastating effect at all. That's a matter of perspective. I think the citizens of Ashdod would disagree. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_I...

The structural devestation has certainly been significantly less than many other devestations I could name which are happening contemperaneously. However, I can't speak for the psychological (and other forms) of devestation that may be happening in Ashdod and Sderot. I would like to know more about that.

The constant trickle of rockets creates a very poor incentive for any economic development, leaving an already troubled region in a spiraling economic downturn and brain drain for those who are able to leave. Other effects will surely be realized as time goes by, the constant disruption of the education system in the entire region comes to mind.

Re: The Dubai Job

#23

Post by praptak »

forensic wrote: post #18
wyclif wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd say you have it backward. Tactically, mistakes were made. But strategically this mission was a huge success: they eliminated their target-- the goal of the whole operation.

Considering all the details about their own operations that were leaked, I bet they wish they had spent more time to get it perfect. It's not like Israel is incapable of perfect assassinations. It's just a question of dedicating enough resources - time, money, manpower. This has not only exposed agents and caused a diplomatic mess, it has exposed operational details: - the hacking of hotels - the use of disguises and…

I suspect that they have to constantly tweak those anyway. They do not have any guarantee that the opponent hasn't got the patterns even if the mission had no obvious failures.

The Dubai could as well have kept this under the rug, hoping to trap the agents on their next mission.

Re: The Dubai Job

#24

Post by vitorbal »

This was a really interesting article. I like this subject, does anyone know of any books, websites or articles that might have more of the same?

Re: The Dubai Job

#25

Post by lallysingh »

vitorbal wrote: post #24

This was a really interesting article. I like this subject, does anyone know of any books, websites or articles that might have more of the same?

The Stratfor rundown:

http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20100303_using_intelligence_a... (free article)

Stratfor's good for this in general, but also not cheap.

Re: The Dubai Job

#27

Post by tome »

wyclif wrote: post #11
tome wrote: post #6

It seems like the operation was tactically a great success, but strategically a failure. The agents seem to have been very well trained and carried out their task very effectively. There has been serious negative fall-out, though, including the unmasking of a number of important agents, and worsening ties with Dubai and the countries whose passports were forged.

I'd say you have it backward. Tactically, mistakes were made. But strategically this mission was a huge success: they eliminated their target-- the goal of the whole operation.

Mossad's "goal of the whole operation" is to safeguard the jewish state. It's not clear whether assasinating a Hamas leader was worth the price they ended up paying.

Re: The Dubai Job

#29

Post by nikcub »

vitorbal wrote: post #24

This was a really interesting article. I like this subject, does anyone know of any books, websites or articles that might have more of the same?

Same author (a very good, well known writer on the topic):

* http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/opinion/10bergman.html?_r=...

* http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124243059842325581.html

Same topic:

* http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/0319/Dubai-a...

* http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2010/02/al-mabhouh_ass...

Re: The Dubai Job

#30

Post by badmash69 »

sophacles wrote: post #21
badmash69 wrote: post #14

Downvote me if you will, but I do not think this article belong on the front page of Hacker news. It is a interesting illuminating article but it belongs on Reddit or even Slashdot.

Read the guidlines -- "anything that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity" is the short and sweet rule. I find well written pieces about things I normally don't know much about intellectually gratifying. More so, actually, than yet another "awesome vim tricks (that any reasonably experienced user already knows)" or "look at this awesome revolutionary thing in node.js (that turns out to be a standard async pattern)"…

As long as we are cherry picking text from guidelines to support our POV, here is my pick " ..If they'd cover it on TV news, it's probably off-topic. "

This stuff has been covered on TV. May be not on the channel that you like to watch --- but it has been covered. Search BBC or CNN. From CNN.com: http://articles.cnn.com/2010-12-26/world/israel.mossad.repor...

And that is why I think is topic is better suited to Reddit and not here.

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