Mid 1965.

Somewhere in Tel Aviv in a house lived Ezer Weizman, Chief of the Israelis Defence Forces(IDF) was ready to have his breakfast waiting for his best friend Meir Amit(Mossad Chief). This was a normal for them. They used to have breakfast together quite often. One day while having breakfast Meir Amit Asks Weizman that as a Mossad what can he do for him.

Meir Amit: As a Mossad what can I do for you. Everybody asks for something from me but you never.

Ezer Weizman: I never ask because I'm afraid you can't give me that.

Meir Amit: There's no harm in asking. Who knows I might give it to you.

Ezer Weizman: Are you sure?

Meir Amit: Yes.

Ezer Weizman: Get me a MiG - 21.

Meir Amit was shocked for a second and he even chocked on his coffee spilling it all over the table.

Mossad is one of the Top Intelligence Agencies and as its Chief, he has seen his fair share of everything and was never as shocked as listening to what Ezer said just now.

Meir Amit: Are you crazy! No country in the Western Block has it. How am I supposed to get you one. This is Impossible

Ezer Weizman: That's why I never asked you for this favour.

And that was the reality. MiG-21 was the most advanced technology equipped fighter jet in the 1960s, that only a handful of countries had.

This plane was a complete mystery for the Western Block, be it Americans, British, Israel. And they had never seen or inspected a MiG-21.

Russia had delivered a large amount of planes to Arab Countries and that posed a serious threat to the national security of Israel. Ezer Weizman knew it and he wanted to study the plane so as to make counter arrangements for Israel's defense.

Even after leaving Meir Amit was thinking about the words Ezer Weizman said this morning. It was the only thing that Ezer had ever asked him for and didn't want the reputation of Mossad to go down the drain.

Meir Amit took Weizman's demand as a challenge and entrusted Mossad's James Bond Rehavia Vardi with this task.

Vardi started sending the feelers to Mossad's Agents, Israeli diplomats and Ambassadors that a MiG-21 is required keep your eyes, ears and noses alert at all times and report back if getting any news.

A few weeks later, Vardi receives an Intel from Israel's cultural attaché Yakov Nimrodi in Iran.

He Informed Vardi that he knows an Iraqi Jewish Pilot, Yosuf Shemesh. And that he can deliver a MiG-21.

Shemesh had a Christian Girlfriend in Baghdad whose sister's husband name was Munir Redfa. Redfa was also a pilot in Iraqi Air Force and used to fly a MiG-21.

He was very dissatisfied with his superior officers in Iraqi Air Force. He was getting fed up of Iraqi behavior towards him.

Redfa once told Shemesh that he was given an assignment to bamb a Kurd/Quds village with very few men and mostly women and children.

He didn't want to bomb that village but under the pressure from his superiors' pressure but had to bomb ans kill women and children.

After that mission Redfa didn't want to live in Iraq anymore.

It took Shemesh one whole year to convince him to work for Mossad.

To Be Continued.

After successfully poaching Redfa it came the time for him(Redfa) to meet Mossad and Athens was chosen for the first meeting.

With a false cover of his wife's illness, Redfa travelled to Athens. There he met with Mossad Officers and Israeli Air Force officers. And was given the code name of "מבצע יהלום" Romanization Mivtza Yahalom or Diamond.

Operation Diamond.

Mossad promises Redfa that if he delivers a MiG-21 they will not only pay him USD 1 Million ($1,000,000) but will also get his family members out of Iraq safely.

After a Day of thinking it through, Redfa agreed and then was taken to Rome and from Rome to Tel Aviv.

He spent 24 Hours in Tel Aviv and during this time he was briefed about operation's details and secret codes.

After spending 24 hours, Redfa left Tel Aviv for Athens and from there for bagdad to prepare for the last stages of the operation.

Redfa was back in Baghdad and everything who is going according to the plan.

But then Redfa made a silly mistake which could jeopardize the whole operation. For just a few bucks he started selling all his home furniture in bulk.

And this scared the world out of Mossad handlers.

They were almost certain that Redfa's mistake will be caught by Iraqi Intelligence Agency, Mukhabarat and now they will arrest Redfa and put him behind bars.

But stars were favouring Redfa and Mossad. No one suspected anything and he sold all his furniture quietly.

One night, Redfa's 43 family members were taken to secluded mountains. From there were airlifted by Turkish helicopters and while flying undetected from radars. They were all taken to Turkey.

As soon as the landed in Turkey read for received a message.

Mosaad: Your sister has just delivered a healthy baby girl.

It was a signal to Redfa that his family had landed in Turkey safely. And now it's time for him to fulfill his end of deal.

Munir Redfa: Y.

Y meant Yes I'm ready.

On July 19, 1966, Munir Redfa ttokboff his MiG-21 and started flying towards Israel.

Israel Air force commander Mordechai Hodd had given clear orders to all stations, that if you see an enemy plane in Israeli Airspace you don't shoot, you do absolutely nothing and sit tight. He had also recruited three Ace Pilots of Israeli Air Force to escort Redfa's MiG-21.

As soon Redfa enter Israeli air space, all three Israeli plane started escorting him. Redfa also started tilting his plane's wing towards right which meant he comes in peace, please don't shoot.

After 65 minutes of taking off from Baghdad Redfa's MiG-21 had landed on Hatzor Airbase, Israel.

Israel had done the Impossible. They received their MiG-21.

And because this operation was done in James Bond Style, the MiG-21 was nicknamed 007.

Israeli pilots studied this plane in depth and also did a lot of exercises using it.

And all this came in handy a year later when Israel alone fought a war with four Arab countries Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Jordan and defeated them badly in only 6 days. This war is now known as the 6 day war.

Had Israelis not gotten a MiG-21 in 1966 you never know 1965's 6 day war would have been called 60 day.

See you soon in Espionage stories' next episode.

Late 2006.

The second war between Israel and Lebanon had ended a few months back. Israel's economy has to take big hit but lebanon's economy was in shambles, especially Beirut and other villages in Southern Lebanon had converted in debris.

But in between all this havoc, Salah Ezzedine was living a life of unimaginable luxury and vanity. This 46 year old, filthy rich man was born in a small town named, Maaroub. A town just 13 miles away from Northern Israel

In a Roman styled Palace living like a king, Salah Ezzedine had only 2 dreams. First to rapidly increase his wealth, and second to use this wealth to make friends with top leaders of Hezbollah.

And to realise his dreams he was doing everything he can, be it right or wrong. He was rapidly rising on the socio-economic ladder not knowing that someone has set its eyes on him.

A man who was set to use Ezzedine as a pawn to destroy Hezbollah's economy completely.

The man who is nicknamed as grandmaster in world of espionage was going to play this game with Hezbollah on the cusp of diplomacy, in which the person in front is checkmated before he can be checked.

After Israel's second war with Lebanon, there was only destruction from Beirut to southern Lebanon.

Hundreds of thousand of houses, families were destroyed and all this ended up as uprising and hatred towards Hezbollah.

Even the intellectual and political societies were critical of Hezbollah. But before this idea could hit masses at large, Hezbollah started re-construction of homes. Hezbollah did everything to calm these people by building homes, giving away sedan cars, liquor and was quite successful in garnering public support.

After seeing this happen, Meir Dagan, Mossad Chief was troubled.

He didn't quite understand, how can the people of Lebanon support an organization that was responsible for this destruction.

Second thing he didn't understand was, how can Hezbollah, which became bankrupt because of the war have this surprise flow of cash.

In between this thought process, Meir Dagan calls an intelligence officer Uri L. Dagan and tells,

Meir Dagan: I don't know how it will happen but I want to con Hezbollah.

As soon as he receives the order, officer Uri, with his team, starts to weaken Hezbollah's economic nexus.

The operations' start was near the end of 2006.

Year 2007 was just to come and a very serious economic crisis was swallowing The United States of America.

Each day The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal published report of the con artists of the Wall Street, duping millions or rather billions of dollars.

One day, Officer Uri is reviewing these reports, when an idea comes to his mind. "To destroy a businessman, it's better to rob him of his wealth than to kill him".

2007,

New Year's Day,

South Lebanon.

Salah Azidine's house, living in a small village in South Lebanon, was such that even the villain of James Bond's film would have been jealous to death.

The walls of this castle, made up of stone and steel had beautiful carving. The front gate was fully automatic and only one security guard hd its controls. Even his room was bigger than most of the houses of the village.

There were numerous musical fountains in his garden with lush green grass.

Hundreds of guards handling automatic and melee weapons, guarding his mansion.

Ezzedine, who can literally make anything of gold was very attracted towards Hezbollahs' ideology. And had a lot of dealings with Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General, Hezbollah.

He even had a travel agency, who sent the top officials of Hezbollah to Mecca and Madina on his own cost.

He had a publishing house that helped in spreading the ideology of Hezbollah and even printed books for schools run by Hezbollah and a radio station used for running Hezbollah's propoganda.

Apart from being a genius investor he was a very good marketer. And to get in Hezbollah's good books, both his printing press and radio station's names were, Hadi.

This Hadi was Hadi Nasarallah, Son of Hassan Nasarallah. Hadi was killed in 1997 while fighting against Israel. And just because of these tactics he was soon accepted into the top ranks of Hezbollah.

In some years his contacts with Hezbollah's political, economic, military circle became secure.

He bacame so radical that before starting any new work he always got blessings of religious leaders of Hezbollah beforehand.

And because of this happiness, he started spending his money just like water for Hezbollah. Didn't knowing what future had for him.

To Be Continued.