Suspicion-- Misinformation 'Deliberately Misleading' IDF Radio in Hebrew 1100 GMT 4 Dec 97 A suspicion is being investigated that the misinformation an intelligence element transmitted to Israel about the Syrian president's intention to go to war with Israel was a deliberately misleading action. The committee investigating the affair has begun to look into these suspicions. Our political correspondent Aviv Bushinsky reports: [Begin recording] [Bushinsky] Did the intelligence element have hostile intentions in transmitting the misinformation which had been basis for erroneous assessments on al-Asad's intentions to go to war with Israel? The committee investigating the embarrassing affair has been considering this question for several weeks. Since the affair's disclosure and the start of the investigation, a ban has been imposed on any detail that could harm the continuation of the investigation as well as national security. The misinformation was relayed to political elements in Jerusalem for at least three years. The late Prime Minister Yitzhaq Rabin held talks with the Syrians but switched to the Israeli-Palestinian track at some point. In August 1996, the defense establishment mistakenly interpreted the Syrian military exercises as meaning President al-Asad intended to go to war. [passage omitted] Knesset Members Ehud Baraq and Shim'on Peres say that despite the misinformation, it is difficult so say that the opportunity for peace with Syria was missed only because of that. [Peres] I recall lots of cases in which I did not receive Mosad or IDF [Israel Defense Forces] Intelligence Branch assessments. Each intelligence body can at best report on what has already occurred. It is very hard to report on what will happen. [Bushinsky] Even when working with a false source, Peres said, there are still many considerations and assessments on which all the decisions are finally based. [end recording]
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