Mombasa 2002 Attacks
A Strong Message to Mossad in Africa
By Khaled Hanafi, IOL Staff
IslamOnline.net
CAIRO, November 29 2002 (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 Israels 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.