| Report: Israel operating spy bases in Eritrea |
Stratfor intelligence group: Israel's presence in Eritrea
is very focused and precise, involving intelligence gathering in the Red Sea and
monitoring Iran's activities • Eritrea wants to use Israel to influence the
United States — an ally of both Israel and Ethiopia — in decisions regarding
Eritrea on the international stage.
Israel Hayom Staff
|
According
to Stratfor, Israel has a clandestine presence in and around Massawa.
|
Photo credit: Google
Maps  |
Israel is operating an intelligence gathering base in the
East African nation of Eritrea to monitor Iran's activities in the Red Sea, the
Stratfor Global Intelligence company revealed Tuesday.
The company says it uses a unique, intelligence-based
approach to gathering information via open-source monitoring and a global
network of human contacts.
In its report on Tuesday, Stratfor wrote: "The tiny
country of Eritrea has been accommodating two Middle Eastern rivals in order to
face its geopolitical challenges — mainly its fear of invasion by Ethiopia. Iran
wants to expand its presence in Eritrea and other East African nations in order
to gain influence along the Red Sea, an important route for seaborne
international trade. Israel, meanwhile, wants to monitor Iranian activities in
the region. By allowing foreign security operations in its territory, Eritrea
has become another venue for Israel and Iran's ongoing rivalry."
In exchange for resources, possibly including modest
amounts of cash and weapons, Eritrea has exhibited a willingness to become a
base of support for Middle Eastern powers that want to exert greater influence
in the Horn of Africa. As a result, Eritrea and its waters in the Gulf of Aden
have become another venue for Iran and Israel's rivalry. Israel and Iran's
engagement with Eritrea is an extension of their rivalry over the Red Sea, which
allegedly led to the bombing of the Yarmouk weapons factory in Sudan, Stratfor
reported.
Iran's operations in Eritrea are relevant to Tehran's
larger goal of controlling the Bab el Mandeb strait and the water route to the
Suez Canal. Thus, Iran's presence in Eritrea could be more significant in terms
of intelligence gathering than tactical defense, Stratfor says.
Israel also operates inside Eritrea. According to Stratfor
diplomatic and media sources, Israel has small naval teams in the Dahlak
Archipelago and Massawa and a listening post in Amba Soira. Israel's presence in
Eritrea is very focused and precise, involving intelligence gathering in the Red
Sea and monitoring Iran's activities. Various Stratfor diplomatic sources have
said that Israel's presence in Eritrea is small but significant.
Eritrea wants Israel's friendship for numerous security
and political reasons. Eritrea wants to use Israel to influence the United
States — an ally of both Israel and Ethiopia — in decisions regarding Eritrea on
the international stage. The country also wants to acquire better air defense
capabilities to defend against a possible attack from Ethiopia. Moreover,
cooperating with Israel is a way for Eritrea to balance its controversial
relationship with Tehran, Stratfor reports.
"Israel has good relations with both Eritrea and Ethiopia and is
less interested in expanding its presence in Eritrea than Iran. Israel would not
want to harm its relations with Ethiopia and other regional countries, as it has
a wider interest in East Africa — mainly containing Sudan's Islamist government,
which allegedly supports Hamas and other anti-Israeli elements in the Middle
East. As Israel has expanded its security cooperation with South Sudan and Kenya
in recent years, Eritrea has responded by strengthening its ties with Iran," the
report said.
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