Ashraf Marwan

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Ashraf Marwan (Arabic: أشرف مروان‎) (b. 1944[1]-June 27, 2007) was an Egyptian billionaire and an alleged spy for Israel, or possibly an Egyptian Double Agent. He was married to Mona Gamal Abdel Nasser, the daughter of former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser.

Contents

[edit] Biographical information

Marwan was born in 1944 and earned a Ph.D. in economics in Britain. He married Nasser's daughter in the 1960's.[2] He ended his relationship with Israel in the 1970's but, surprisingly, did not seem to suffer any political consequences.

He was later promoted to chief of staff to Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and named head of the Arab Industrialists Group. He became a business partner with Mohamed al-Fayed, the owner of Harrod's department stores and father of Dodi Fayed, who died in a car crash with Princess Diana in 1997. He married off his son to the daughter of Amr Mousa, the former foreign minister of Egypt and current secretary general of the Arab League.[3]

[edit] Spying

In September 2002, the London-based Israeli historian Ahron Bregman published a book that included allegations that Marwan was Israeli's "master spy" in Cairo.[4] In a subsequent interview with Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram, Bregman again named Marwan as Israel's disputed source.[5]

Despite these allegations being made public, Marwan seemed to avoid any retaliation from Egypt. On October 6, 2004, two year after being named as a spy, Israeli intelligence officers observed Marwan being greeted warmly by Current Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak; the only possible explanation, asserts Bregman, was that Marwan had been a double agent.[6]

Marwan relationship with Israeli intelligence was also revealed in 2003 book by author Howard Blum, who learned of Marwan's activities from the head of Israeli Military Intelligence during the Yom Kippur War, General Eli Zeira. According to Blum, Marwan first contacted Israel in 1969, when he handed Egyptian state documents to a London doctor whose office had previously been used for a covert meeting between Israel and Jordan. Marwan was approached by the Mossad while shopping in Harrods three days later, and thereby began spying for Israel. Marwan would meet Mossad officers in a London safe-house, where he would be paid £50,000 each visit. He would often meet directly with the Zvi Zamir, the head of the Mossad, and Marwan's conversations were taped and transcribed for the Israeli Prime Minister.[7]

In April 1973 Marwan warned the Mossad that Egypt and Syria would launch a surprise attack against Israel on May 15; that proved a false warning, and Israel lost $35 million while under the heightened state of alert. Marwan again met with Zamir on the eve of the Yom Kippur War, warning that Egypt and Syria were once again preparing to attack at sunset. This warning was not heeded by the Israeli cabinet, although it did turn out to be correct.[7] Despite this history, it remains unclear whether Marwan was an Israeli spy or an Egpytian double agent.[7]

[edit] Death

Marwan died on June 27, 2007, around 1:00 pm of a ruptured aorta caused by falling off a window of his flat on the fifth floor in Carlton House Terrace in London. News reports indicate that British police increasingly believe Marwan was murdered, a belief Marwan's eldest son Gamal has publicly expressed.[8] [9] Marwan's funeral in Egypt was led by Egypt's highest ranked imam, Sheik Mohammad Seyed Tantawi, and both Gamal Mubarak and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman attended. According to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, "[Marwan] carried out patriotic acts which it is not yet time to reveal."[7]

One witness who was on the third floor of a nearby building told British police that he saw two men "wearing suits and of Mediterranean appearance" appear on the balcony moments after Marwan's fall, look down, and then return inside the apartment. British police are also reported to have lost Marwan's shoes, which could hold clues on whether or not Marwan himself jumped from the balcony.[10]

Ahmed Marwan (Ashraf's son), is married to Hania Moussa, daughter of Egypt's former minister of foreign affairs and current secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa.

Ashraf Marwan was the fourth (famous) Egyptian personnel to die in London in the same way ,the other three were Suad Hosni, the movie actress, Al-Laithy Nassef, the ambassador, Ali Shafeek:the secretary of Abdel Hakim Amer's office, noticing that the four played a role in the political field in Egypt between 1966 and 1971.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Jewish Press, Friday Octoboer 5, 2007; Spy or Double Agent?: Israel's October Surprise (cover story)
  2. ^ Jewish Press, Friday Octoboer 5, 2007; Spy or Double Agent?: Israel's October Surprise (cover story)
  3. ^ Jewish Press, Friday Octoboer 5, 2007; Spy or Double Agent?: Israel's October Surprise (cover story)
  4. ^ Jewish Press, Friday Octoboer 5, 2007; Spy or Double Agent?: Israel's October Surprise (cover story)
  5. ^ Jewish Press, Friday Octoboer 5, 2007; Spy or Double Agent?: Israel's October Surprise (cover story)
  6. ^ Jewish Press, Friday Octoboer 5, 2007; Spy or Double Agent?: Israel's October Surprise (cover story)
  7. ^ a b c d Who Killed Ashraf Marwan?. International Herald Tribune. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
  8. ^ U.K. police believe ex-Mossad agent murdered. Haaretz. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
  9. ^ Did he fall or was he pushed?. Spectator. Retrieved on 2007-08-18.
  10. ^ Evidence missing in ‘spy’ death-fall mystery. The Times. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.


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