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Kenya is a strategic location for Israeli intelligence operations in Africa
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By
Khaled Hanafi, IOL Staff
CAIRO,
November 29 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Anti-Israeli attacks in
the Kenyan city of Mombasa are an extremely worrying message to Israel,
especially that they directly targeted the second most important African
state for Israeli influence after South Africa – Kenya, the state that
could have been Israel now instead of occupied Palestine.
For
Israelis,
Kenya
is not just the country that Theodore Herzl, the founder of the Zionist
movement, once saw as the national home for Jews; it is also a strategic
location through which Israeli companies and intelligence, Mossad, are
running their operations in
Africa.
These
"operations" include Mossad's spy operations in the Horn of
Africa countries, and facilitation of diamonds smuggling in the
Great Lakes
region through collaboration with some rebel movements.
It
also includes selling arms to rebel forces and supporting governments or
rebels allied to the United states in Africa.
Located
on a strategic point on the Indian ocean, Kenya is Israel's special
gateway to Africa and an excellent place for the Mossad to smoothly
conduct its operations in Africa.
Through
this strategic location and because of the heavy Israeli presence, the
Mossad formed an intelligence Nairobi-Adis Ababa axis, enabling them to
penetrate Arab national security and threaten Egyptian water security by
penetrating River Nile states.
Kenya's
relations with Israel date back to the time of the independence of Kenya
at the hands of Gumo
Keniyata, a pro-Western leader who was known for his close ties with
Israel.
Keniyata
allowed the Israelis to penetrate in all activities in Kenya, which made
only 3000 Israeli families in Kenya own major firms and control Kenyan
economy.
They
occupy highly influential economic posts, controlling business,
exchange, farms and service projects.
Moreover,
several Israeli companies
control agricultural crops like cocoa , cotton, rubber and coffee beans
and export them to Israel.
The
impact of Israeli experts and advisors on the Kenyan army is also a
clear thing, as the army is equipped with Israeli-made weapons,
especially aircraft, gunboats, artillery and communication equipment.
The
Mombasa operation is a heavy blow to Israeli interests in Kenya, and
consequently in the African horn, because of many reasons, including
that it hit Mossad in one of it most influential areas.
Another
reason is that if the previously unknown group calling itself the Army
of Palestine – which claimed responsibility for the attack – is
really behind it, this means that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict front
has spanned the borders of Palestine to include Israel’s interests
abroad.
Having
a extended space for their struggle against Israel and maintaining their
undefeated strategy of martyr operations, the Palestinians will find it
easier to attack Israeli targets, especially with the extreme weakness
of security measures in Africa.
In
Addition, anti-Israeli groups in Africa, especially in countries with a
Muslim majority, such as Senegal and Mauritania, and even in countries
with Muslim minorities such as South Africa, have pressed for closing
Israeli embassies there for fear of further attacks.
Most
importantly, U.S.-Israeli security cooperation will be largely
obstructed by such attacks which the U.S. deems attacks on its own
interests in Africa. That is precisely why the Mombasa operation
infuriated the U.S.
