Israeli intelligence use of media

Today in the Sunday Times there is an in-depth story on how Israeli forces prepare for an attack on the Iranian Nuclear facility at Natanz using the Special Forces of the Shaldag unit and F-15 fighter-bombers from 69 Squadron.

But what is behind the story? As you can be sure that no military commander would reveal his plans, let alone to the details that appears in the Times, why is the story launched?

Two possibilities present themselves:

* The article suggests that the revelation of Israeli plans is designed to put pressure on USA as to get them to solve the problem fast. But it also underscores that the USA must know and be involved in any plans the Israeli would carry out, as they need to pass close to Iraqi airspace, controlled by the Americans.

* Deception. The Iranians probably know that the Israelis wouldn't do just as the Times say - but what will they do then? Now the Iranians are forced to beef up protection of their nuclear facilities. This might be advantageous for the Israeli. The increased security activity might help the Israelis locate some of the facilities that hitherto has been hidden from them. Whatever they do, it is interesting as this story is so obviously not what it seems on the surface.

Joseph W. Caddell distinguishes between two types of deception in his primer on Deception:

"A" Type Deception: "Ambiguity Deception" geared toward creating general confusion.

"M" Type Deception: "Misleading Deception" designed to mislead an adversary into a specific and preconceived direction.

Joseph W. Caddell: Deception 101 - A Primer On Deception
Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, 2004

Shlomo Shpiro: The Media Strategies of Intelligence Services International Journal of Intelligence and Counter Intelligence Vol. 14 No. 4, 2001