March 17, 2004
"AUSTRALIAN REPORTER" ACCUSED OF ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING
Israelly Cool is hot on the trail of a mystery celebrity spy with an Aussie link, semi-outed by DEBKA:
In just a few weeks, X will step into the daylight and "blow" the extraordinary cover under which he lived and operated in secret for half a century as a spy for two masters, the American CIA and the Israeli Mossad. He does not promise to tell quite all, but he will lay bare for the first time some of the hair-raising exploits in which he took a hand.
At the early age of 16, Mossad headhunters spotted X’s potential as a high-flying media star and began the long process of grooming him for the task of moving with ease around the most powerful circles of international influence. After five years of basic studies, he spent another five at the Mossad "Academy" being exhaustively tutored for his role as future super-spy, a career on which he embarked in the early 1950s.
The stylish charmer stepped naturally into his new role.
On June 2, 1954, X arrived in Alexandria on his first mission. In the guise of an Australian reporter working on a picture series for international newspapers, he gained access to the Egyptian Navy’s flagship Domiat. His real assignment was to discover if the naval radar the Soviet Union had recently sold for use against the Israeli fleet had already been fitted on Egyptian battleships.
Who could it be? Not me, that's for sure. I'm merely the seventh agent of blog.
Posted by Tim Blair at March 17, 2004 01:37 AMCongrats on 7th place Blair. Between you, Reynolds and Sullivan, it's a wonder that I get any thinking done for myself.
Posted by: Bill at March 17, 2004 at 02:09 AM007, Aston Martin DB5, Cool
The Miata's just a cover?
Posted by: Bruce Rheinstein at March 17, 2004 at 02:52 AMIs that guy from "The Gong Show" claiming to be a spy again?
Posted by: AK at March 17, 2004 at 03:21 AMUh...Egypt has never had "Battleships". Not a good start.
Posted by: Richard Cook at March 17, 2004 at 03:23 AM"Uh...Egypt has never had 'Battleships.'"
Sure, that's what they want us to think...
It's DEBKA. Take it with more than a grain of salt.
Posted by: Bruce Rheinstein at March 17, 2004 at 03:46 AMAs a matter of fact they did. It was sunk by the HMS New Foundland during the Suez crisis. Go here: http://www.hmsnewfoundland.org.k/newfoundlandhistory.htm for details
PS: God Bless Google.
Posted by: madne0 at March 17, 2004 at 04:06 AMSorry, wrong link...correct one here: http://www.hmsnewfoundland.org.k/newfoundlandhistory.htm
Posted by: madne0 at March 17, 2004 at 04:09 AMDammit i'm dumb! http://www.hmsnewfoundland.org.uk/newfoundlandhistory.htm
Please apologise for my extreme stupidity.
JOHN PILGER IS A MOSSAD/CIA AGENT???
Well, probably not, but let's spread it around anyway.
Posted by: Angie Schultz at March 17, 2004 at 04:46 AMWho could it be? Was Sir Les Patterson a reporter also?
BC
You, Tim? You couldn't possibly be that old. Only I--way down the list as the 18th Agent of Blog--has the experience measured in years to have been there at Suez. (Well, not at Suez, but long enough, alas).
Posted by: Roger L. Simon at March 17, 2004 at 04:56 AMYou, Tim? You couldn't possibly be that old. Only I--way down the list as the 18th Agent of Blog--have the experience measured in years to have been there at Suez. (Well, not at Suez, but long enough, alas).
Posted by: Roger L. Simon at March 17, 2004 at 04:56 AM*sigh* madne0 please read your own linkage. If the Egyptian Navy's flagship Domiat was a frigate, they most assuredly did not have battleships.
Anyone who uses 'warship' and 'battleship' interchangeably is so ignorant that they could only be a journalist.
Posted by: Greg at March 17, 2004 at 05:32 AM"It was sunk by the HMS New Foundland during the Suez crisis"
I think that was a Frigate. From what I can find, it appears that the only Battleship involved in the Suez Crisis was French, the Jean Bart.
Posted by: Bruce Rheinstein at March 17, 2004 at 05:37 AMthe only Battleship involved in the Suez Crisis was French, the Jean Bart.
What earthly use would the French have for a battleship? Are they really fast in reverse or something?
Posted by: RainDog at March 17, 2004 at 05:51 AMRainDog;
They're built (or not, depending on what cheese prices are that year) by friends of the Prime Minister.
As for Mr Blair, if you aren't an agent, how do you pay for those long lunches with expensive wines? Shoveling elderly women across the street after a bus storm?
Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at March 17, 2004 at 06:06 AMI read somewhere that there are over 2 million blogs now. I'd say that #7 is pretty darn good!
and besides it's four spots up from Paul Krugman!!
(although, if you could move up to Number 6, that would make you The Prisoner, and then you'd get to drive around in that cool Super-Seven and be the envy of all Austrailia... or maybe not)
Posted by: mike at March 17, 2004 at 06:12 AM"What earthly use would the French have for a battleship? Are they really fast in reverse or something?"
It's even better. The Jean Bart was a Vichy ship that was originally sunk in 1942 during battle with the Massachusetts.
Posted by: Bruce Rheinstein at March 17, 2004 at 06:59 AMCool! So the Jean Bart already had experience in surrendering!
Posted by: Sgt. Mom at March 17, 2004 at 07:56 AMBlair is only in this for the hot blogger groupie chicks. Lucky prick.
Posted by: J F Beck at March 17, 2004 at 09:25 AMFirst mission in 1954, after 5 years at the Mossad "Academy". Therefore began at Mossad "Academy" in 1949. Mossad not formed until 1951:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossad
Posted by: Tim Shell at March 17, 2004 at 09:48 AMIts Ray Martin. Champion of the blue dyed hair, able to chase ambulances faster then you can say "ozzie battler".
Posted by: Gary at March 17, 2004 at 09:56 AMAngie - that was my thought too. Twisted minds think alike!
Posted by: Pixy Misa at March 17, 2004 at 11:48 AMAnd not a single reference yet to SPECTRE...
Posted by: charles austin at March 17, 2004 at 12:30 PMMaybe it was that bloke who felt up Anne Summers mate.
Posted by: max power at March 17, 2004 at 05:16 PM
Tim Shell
"in 1949. Mossad not formed until 1951"
I'm pretty sure the Mossad was around in the pre-state days because their original purpose was to smuggle in refugee ships.
Posted by: Dead Ed at March 17, 2004 at 07:53 PM