by Uzi Eilam
“Good evening, Gideon. I’m sorry to bother you so late. I am in need of your sharp instincts and ability to read people. Tomorrow, a visitor will be coming in for a meeting. It’s someone who may be able to provide us with some information about Iranian efforts to set up a local terrorist network here. I’d be grateful if you could join us.”
“I’ll get there early to look over the material.”
“Excellent,” said Bernard. “I’ll see you in morning.”
Chapter 19
Dr. Behrooz Kayghobadi exited the Anatole France Metro Station in the Levallois-Perret neighborhood of northwest Paris and walked quickly toward Rue de Villiers. He was nervous before his meeting at the Interior Ministry’s General Directorate for Internal Security. He had deliberated for weeks before approaching a French friend and colleague from the faculty. He knew of his friend’s government connections and had asked for his help in contacting a senior official in the Interior Ministry. The General Directorate for Internal Security was responsible for France’s fight against espionage and terrorism and, more recently, the war against cyberterrorism.
Dr. Kayghobadi had made up his mind after a family tragedy—his nephew had been killed in a strange car accident. His brother’s son had played a role of some sort in the student demonstrations in Iran and had become like a son to him after beginning his university studies in Paris. Dr. Kayghobadi and his wife had no children and were thrilled to adopt the young, curious student. He had promised his brother in Iran that he would watch over him like his own son, and now he was gone. As far as Dr. Kayghobadi was concerned, it was clearly no accident. It was the long arm of the Iranian regime.
The offices of the General Directorate for Internal Security were located in a modern office building on Rue de Villiers, and Dr. Kayghobadi was asked by the security guard at the entrance to show identification. The spacious fifth-floor office of the directorate’s deputy director reflected his senior status. A massive desk and a plush armchair sat before a large window that offered a view of a park budding with trees and colorful flower beds.
“Dr. Kayghobadi,” said the deputy director in an amicable tone, standing up to shake his hand. “Welcome.” Another—apparently higher ranking—man sitting in the room examined the visitor carefully.
“Thank you for your time,” said Dr. Kayghobadi in an almost inaudible voice.
“We’ve heard good things about your work at the university. We’ve also heard that you will soon be awarded the rank of professor. Please accept our congratulations,” said the deputy director.
“Thank you. I am grateful to France for the two opportunities it has given me. The first was when I was accepted by the Sorbonne as a young student with little knowledge of the French language, and I finished up with a Ph.D. in political science. The second was when I was hired to teach at the Sorbonne’s business school. These opportunities changed my life.”
“I understand that you were given a similar opportunity by the United States, and that you earned your doctorate in business administration there.” Professor Bernard examined the papers on the table before him. “If I might ask, Dr. Kayghobadi, why didn’t you remain there and apply for a position at the University of California at Berkeley? It’s an excellent institution.” Kayghobadi shifted uneasily in his seat as Bernard’s gaze remained fixed on his face. It was clear who would be leading the rest of the conversation.
“Well, you see…I was offered a teaching position at the University of Tehran,” Kayghobadi responded hesitantly. “It was an offer I couldn’t pass up…”
“And two years later, you packed up again and came to Paris?”
“That’s right, sir. You see, I come from a long aristocratic line that has always been connected with the country’s government and business elite. My family enjoyed a good life until the Pahlavi dynasty came to power in the 1920s. By January 1979, when Mohammad Reza Shah fled the country and Ayatollah Khomeini seized power, my family retained few assets. One might say, sir, that I am fulfilling my family’s historic legacy of striving for excellence and returning to an appropriate place in the elite. That is also why we adopted my brother’s son, who was a student here at the Sorbonne.”
“Was?”
“Yes. Our family suffered a terrible loss.”
“What happened?”
“I tried my hardest to protect and guide my nephew here in the city. But he was killed in a hit-and-run accident that has yet to be explained.”
“And you think it wasn’t an accident?” asked Professor Bernard.
“My nephew may have been young, but he was also careful and responsible, and he never touched alcohol. I can’t help thinking that elements within the Iranian regime were involved in some way.”
“Please, feel comfortable speaking freely. It’s just us here.”
“I warned him to watch himself and to not speak out too freely against the Iranian regime,” said Kayghobadi with visible pain. “But he didn’t listen… And then there was the accident. I’m still not sure that it was an accident.”
“And how can we be of service to you?”
“I am involved in the large Iranian community here in Paris, and I have access to information regarding secret activity.”
“Are you certain you want to do this?” asked Professor Bernard, keeping his gaze riveted on Dr. Kayghobadi.
“Yes I am, sir. Try me, and you’ll see that I’m willing to work with whoever I need to.”
***
Gideon had already come to know Professor Bernard well. He had invited him to this meeting, and Gideon knew the professor wasted neither time nor energy on things that were not truly important. What exactly has he called me in for? he wondered, carefully studying the professor’s face. His clear desire for a one-on-one meeting intimated secrecy and compartmentalization, and Gideon had not filled in Haim about the early-morning appointment. He had not even told Dan.
“I apologize for calling you in like this without telling you what it was about,” Professor Bernard began. “We have an Iranian volunteer who will be coming in to meet with us in just a few minutes, and I wanted you to sit in on the meeting.”
“A volunteer? For what?”
“My impression is that he’s sick and tired of the Iranian regime. He also suspects that his nephew, who was studying here at the Sorbonne, was murdered by Iranian agents. He says that, because he is involved in the Iranian community in Paris, he can point out people who are secretly operating against us.”
“Has he proven it?”
“That, Gideon, is precisely where we are in the process. He was given a week to come back with information that would convince us.”
The internal telephone buzzed and, after listening for a few moments, Bernard hung up and looked at Gideon. “He’s here. He’ll be right in.”
“Dr. Kayghobadi,” said Professor Bernard. “It’s nice to see you again. I’d like you to meet a colleague, Dr. Gideon Ben-Ari from Israel.”
An Israeli scientist? This surprised Kayghobadi, who tried to maintain a poker face. What’s the connection? he thought. What should he do now? Was he taking too great a risk? “Pleased to meet you, sir,” said Dr. Kayghobadi quickly, returning to reality. “I have two issues that may be of interest to you.”
“Please, go ahead,” said Bernard.
“There’s an underground tunnel connecting the basement of the Iranian embassy here in Paris to a safe house on Rue Fresnel. The digging was completed only five weeks ago, and few people at the embassy know about it.”
“Is the tunnel already in use?” Bernard asked without missing a beat, giving no indication that this was something that he already knew.
“I have no idea whether—or how much—the tunnel is being used, but it is definitely something about which that the cultural attaché at the embassy, who directed the project, seems extremely proud—”
“What’s his
name?” Bernard interrupted.
“Ali Reza Sulat. Really, he’s the senior representative of the Quds Force here in Paris. His previous assignment was commander of the Quds Force training base near Tehran.” Dr. Kayghobadi paused to study Bernard’s and Gideon’s faces in an effort to gauge what they were thinking, but their faces were expressionless. The meeting concluded with handshakes and the exchange of polite pleasantries, and Dr. Kayghobadi, who was uncertain whether he had gained their trust, left the room escorted by Bernard’s assistant.
“What do you think, Gideon?” Bernard asked when the two men were alone.
“The information is accurate, and Kayghobadi may have been unaware of the fact that we’ve already discovered the tunnel,” Gideon said slowly, thinking out loud.
“If you ask me,” Bernard said, “Sulat’s true identity should not be considered a major secret. So, do you think he’s reliable? Should we allow him to continue passing on information to us? It seems to me that it could be worthwhile to continue handling him.”
“Perhaps I’m letting my suspicions get the best of me because of my experience with the Iranian network in California,” Gideon said.
“Are you saying that you think the Guardians may have already recruited him when he was in California? Or that he was already an Iranian agent at the time?”
“Anything’s possible, Professor Bernard. He spent an extended period of time in California, and he’s Iranian. I agree that we should continue working with him, but we need to proceed cautiously and with controls.”
“That sounds reasonable to me,” Bernard said. “The question now is how to keep in contact with him. I thought it would be prudent to appoint someone from the task force.”
“In principle, that’s a good approach,” Gideon said, “but it has to look natural, that is, in the event it’s impossible to completely conceal his relationship with his handler. Who did you have in mind for the job?”
“I was thinking about Dominique,” replied Bernard. “She’s a Sorbonne graduate in Kayghobadi’s field, and she’s exceptionally well informed regarding the needs of the task force. This will enable her acquire information without wasting efforts and precious time.”
“I see,” replied Gideon, trying to remain focused on the business at hand. “When you present it that way, it sounds logical.”
“Thank you, Gideon. And for now, not a word of this to anyone.”
Chapter 20
Professor Bernard waited patiently as the members of the task force sat silently around the table reviewing the project’s initial summary report. “We’ve called this meeting in light of new information regarding the abnormal movement of funds within the European banking system. Over the past few weeks, we’ve observed some unusual transactions in and out of the Swiss banking system. A secret inquiry conducted, with the help of our sources in Switzerland, revealed the involvement of seemingly innocent Iranian-owned companies. Our warning bells were set off by the magnitude of the funds being moved.”
“What makes the financial transfers you identified unique?” asked Deutsch. “In the US we waged an all-out war against American customers of Swiss banks that brought Union Bank of Switzerland, the country’s largest bank, to its knees. Today, the Swiss banks are much more careful about checking every new account.”
“The Iranians are not opening new accounts in Swiss banks,” Professor Bernard clarified. “Before supervision was intensified, they opened a large number of accounts in a wide variety of banks. The accounts in question were legitimate accounts that had been dormant until recently.”
“And now they’re being used without anyone being able to stop them?” Gideon asked. “Do you have any data on the amounts of money being moved through these accounts?”
“Acquiring such information from the Swiss will require political intervention at the most senior levels,” explained Bernard. “We do know, however, that tens of millions of dollars have been transferred in the past month. And I’m certain that you, my friends, can guess what these funds are meant to be used for. I plan on asking my minister to speak to his counterpart in Switzerland about allowing us to begin a process with the Swiss financial authorities aimed at blocking the movement of funds in these accounts.”
“Professor Bernard,” Dr. Deutsch began, “I’m afraid things may be somewhat more complicated than that. It won’t be enough to go to your minister. The Swiss banking system still meticulously maintains its confidentiality, and clearing the hurdles they’ll place before us will take more time than we have. In my opinion, only American political pressure can get the process moving.”
“This is Europe, Dr. Deutsch,” Bernard reminded him. “France enjoys significant influence within the European Union, and we can get Germany to take part in an effort to convince our colleagues in Switzerland to allow tighter supervision. I’ll agree to a coordinated request made by the French and American political echelons. On the assumption that we have an open channel for professional dialogue in Switzerland, we can form a negotiating team that can leave as soon as possible. I’m willing to head up the team, and I suggest it include Deutsch and O’Connor, Gideon and General Bar-Oz, the head of our research department, and Dominique, as its secretary.”
“I’d also add Dan Avni to the team,” Gideon suggested. “You can never tell when we’ll need information on enemy communication in real time.”
“The negotiating team sounds like a good idea to us,” Deutsch said. “And I also think Dan could be useful to us there.”
“All right,” Bernard said. “Let’s get the political process underway and begin preparing for meetings in Zürich.”
***
After three days of persistent French and American diplomatic efforts with the Swiss, a door was opened for working meetings in Zürich. The negotiating team met in Bernard’s office for a detailed briefing given by members of the Division of Counterintelligence and a joint update on preparations. Deutsch and O’Connor briefed the team on the positive outcome of the contacts between the US State Department and Department of the Treasury and the French government. Haim, inspired by the addition of Dominique to the team, shared some of the knowledge he had acquired, at his last post in the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate, regarding the means used by terrorist groups to transfer “black” funds. With the assistance of acquaintances in the NSA stationed at the American embassy in Paris, Dan coordinated contacts with their counterparts in Switzerland. Gideon and Deutsch met alone with Bernard and clarified agreed-upon goals for the meetings in Switzerland. In a meeting of team members convened prior to the flight to Zürich, Bernard stressed the importance of the talks with the Swiss and the reasons it was necessary to develop tools to do damage to the financial capabilities of the Iranians.
***
“Thank you for taking the time to meet with us,” Professor Bernard began, speaking in French to the Swiss federal councilor for finance. True to form, Dominique immediately assumed the task of translating the proceedings into English. “We are currently engaged in a war against terrorism throughout the world and, as part of this effort, we are working on a focused initiative aimed at thwarting illegal actions by the Iranians in Europe. This initiative has forced us to contend with difficult challenges, and we have been joined in the effort by the United States and Israel.”
“We appreciate the aim of preserving the international order, and we share your concerns regarding the danger of international terrorism,” said the federal councilor. “Our federal council has authorized the Department of Finance to coordinate with you. With us today we have the director-general of my department, representatives of our defense sector, and representatives of our financial systems. This team was assembled to discuss all aspects of the issue with you. We feel obligated to impress upon you, however, the Swiss financial system’s special sensitivity regarding the protection of its depositors’ right to confidentiality. We will work together to f
ind a golden mean between the needs you present to us, on the one hand, and the Swiss constitution and the economic interests of our banks on the other.” The councilor paused as Dominique finished translating his remarks and studied the faces of those seated around the table. “I wish you productive talks. The director-general of the Department of Finance will keep me apprised of your progress and I, of course, remain at your service and will be happy to assist you if the need arises.” With this, the federal councilor concluded his brief opening remarks and left the conference room with his assistant.
“With your permission, Mr. Director-General,” Bernard said, “we’ll now fill your team in on the situation and offer our assessments regarding the threats and the kinds of actions that need to be taken to prepare for them. We’ll begin with Mr. John O’Connor from the United States, who will share his experience in the US following the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. Mr. O’Connor will show us how seemingly harmless money is transformed into weapon systems and means of warfare in the hands of terrorist groups. Next, General Haim Bar-Oz from Israel will present the knowledge Israel has accumulated, in its fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, on techniques of laundering and moving money for unsupervised defense procurement. I’m sure you are all familiar with Israel’s capabilities and will certainly give General Bar-Oz’s presentation the significance it warrants.”
“We have the utmost confidence in the Israeli security system,” agreed the defense sector’s representative on the Swiss Federal Council. “We look forward to hearing what he has to say.”
As the day of meetings unfolded, O’Connor offered a riveting account of the hidden channels of movement of terrorism funding, persuasively comparing the methods used by organized crime to those employed by terrorist organizations. Haim continued in the same vein, focusing on the differences among the various terrorist groups. He then moved on to the information possessed by Israel regarding Iranian financial activities, which he presented like a thriller, riveting all those present. Dan joined the talks after spending the entire morning meeting with American NSA personnel in Zürich and Swiss intelligence officials. At the end of Haim’s presentation, Dan attempted to update members of the forum on Iran’s recent financial transfers, but he was met by Haim’s disapproving pronouncement that there would be time for this information later in the discussions. Gideon, embarrassed by the dissonance within the Israeli delegation, felt compelled to intervene to smooth over the incident. He also answered the questions of the director-general and his colleagues about possible damage to the country’s banking system, which was an important source of revenue.
