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Bekijk Volledige Versie : A man sent to spy on muslims instead converts to Islam



Lost_lady
01-08-06, 12:31
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mole22may22,0,5675485.story?coll=la-home-headlines


Swiss Spy in a War of Words


An ex-informant who became a Muslim says his handlers wanted him to frame an Islamic scholar

GENEVA — Along with banks and chocolates, this placid lakefront city has another claim to fame: It is full of spies.

Claude Covassi, a broad-shouldered, gray-eyed martial arts expert, was one of them. He became an informant for Swiss intelligence in early 2004, converted to Islam and infiltrated fundamentalist circles here in his hometown. He followed the trail of holy warriors all the way to mosques in Syria where aspiring foreign "martyrs" are groomed for Iraq.


But in February, the secret agent went explosively public. He revealed his mission to its prime target, a Muslim scholar here who has been periodically accused of extremism, and gave newspaper interviews accusing his handlers of trying to frame the cleric. Since then, Covassi has unleashed everything from confidential documents to details of clandestine operations.

The former spy insists that he abandoned his masquerade because he found faith.

"It is not great speeches that convinced me but the force of prayer and understanding of the Koran," Covassi, 36, said in a recent interview by e-mail from his refuge in Egypt. "Islam transformed my existence."

But Swiss anti-terrorism officials reject his allegations and accuse him of a personal vendetta. It's unclear who was manipulating whom.

Covassi's story gives a rare street-level view of the fight against Islamic extremism. All across Europe's Muslim communities, security forces conduct aggressive surveillance of mosques, prayer halls, bookstores, butcher shops, Internet cafes and other outposts where legal fundamentalist activity converges with terrorism.

The case of the turncoat informant also reveals the risks involved for spy agencies — and for a scruffy legion of secret soldiers on the front lines.

Covassi alleges that he was a pawn in a turf war between domestic and foreign services in Switzerland that resembles the conflicts among anti-terrorism agencies in other countries.

"I think the situation would not have degenerated so seriously if our different intelligence services collaborated even a little," he said. "In reality, I have been able to observe that they are in continual rivalry, trying even to damage each other."

His war of words has shaken the anti-terrorism forces of a small country with a surprisingly active militant underworld. Questions abound about Covassi's motivations. Is he retaliating over money or a grudge? Is he in league with extremists? Adding to the uncertainty about his credibility, a court last month sentenced him in absentia to eight months in prison for dealing anabolic steroids while he taught Thai boxing at a gym in 2002.

Some officials believe he's trying to pressure the government to avoid the prison term.

"Sometimes you use a source and it goes wrong," said a Swiss security official, who asked to remain anonymous. "How much of what he says is rubbish to help him get out of the criminal case, I don't know."

The Los Angeles Times confirmed essential parts of Covassi's story in interviews with Swiss legislative and security officials, European anti-terrorism agents and others involved in or familiar with the events. And Covassi supports his account by providing names and phone numbers of his handlers and confidential e-mail exchanges with agents.

The intelligence oversight committee of the Swiss congress is investigating the case. But doubts persist, especially regarding Covassi's allegation that spymasters plotted to smear the controversial Islamic scholar Hani Ramadan by linking him to Iraq-bound militants. Ramadan's brother, Tariq, is an internationally known Islamic intellectual.
Without commenting on specifics, Federal Police Chief Jean-Luc Vez said he knew of no wrongdoing.

"The [domestic intelligence service] respects the law," Vez said. "We do not know of a case in which they can be blamed for illegal activity."

But Vez said the Ramadans' history and high profile made them legitimate subjects for scrutiny. "Their writings are sometimes ambiguous," he said. "It is quite normal that they would get particular attention."

Hani Ramadan says he might sue the government, but will await the result of the legislative inquiry. He has declined to comment further.

"As I have always said, the Islamic Center of Geneva has nothing to hide," Ramadan said in a prepared statement. "The two years of secret investigations by an agent … indeed prove that, because they have not resulted in any official investigation or sanction."

Qaiys
01-08-06, 12:43
Geplaatst door Lost_lady
spymasters plotted to smear the controversial Islamic scholar Hani Ramadan by linking him to Iraq-bound militants. Ramadan's brother, Tariq, is an internationally known Islamic intellectual.

Kortom dat is het antwoord van één democratische westerse land op een islamitische intellectueel die ze monddood willen maken. hem pakken via zijn familie.

Joesoef
01-08-06, 12:55
Welnee, hij is alleen erg overtuigend.

Qaiys
01-08-06, 13:00
Geplaatst door Joesoef
Welnee, hij is alleen erg overtuigend.

Tarik Ramadan of de ex-spion?