Ashraf Marwan
Encyclopedia
Ashraf Marwan (February 2, 1944-June 27, 2007) was an Egypt
ian 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
.
in economics
in Britain. He married Nasser's daughter in the 1960s. He ended his relationship with Israel
in the 1970s but, surprisingly, did not seem to suffer any political consequences.
He was later made chief of staff
to Egyptian President
Anwar Sadat
and, a leading Arab industrialist, became a business partner of Mohamed al-Fayed
, the owner of Harrod's department store and whose son Dodi Fayed died in a car crash
with Diana, Princess of Wales
, in 1997. One of his sons is married to the daughter of Arab League
president Amr Moussa
.
Ahron Bregman
published a book that included allegations that Marwan was Israel's "master spy
" in Cairo
. In a subsequent interview with Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram, Bregman again named Marwan as Israel's disputed source.
Despite these allegations being made public, Marwan seemed to avoid any retaliation from Egypt. On October 6, 2004, two years after being named as a spy, Israeli intelligence officer
s observed Marwan being greeted warmly by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
; the only possible explanation, asserts Bregman, was that Marwan had been a double agent
.
Marwan's 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.
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 somewhat correct; the Egyptians actually attacked around 2:00 pm, giving them four extra hours. Despite this history, it remains unclear whether Marwan was an Israeli spy or an Egyptian double agent
.
In an interview with Lt. Gen. Saad El Shazly for the PBS documentary "The 50 Years War: Israel and The Arabs", Shazly indicated that on Friday Oct 5, 1973, he told Sadat "Even if they (The Israelis) found out now (about the impending attack), I don't care". Given that the Egyptians didn't put much importance on Israeli knowledge of the attack at this point, coupled with the timing of Marwan’s meeting with Zamir in London may suggest that Marwan was indeed a double agent and was given the green light to inform the Israelis of the impending attack, probably to secure his status with the Israelis as a trusted and valuable source. Yet the extent and type of information that was given to the Israelis by Marwan up to that point was so crucial to Egypt that it's hard to imagine the Egyptians volunteering this information, even if it was meant to mislead the Israelis. This may, on the other hand, suggest that Marwan was merely spying for Israel.
(British Summer Time
) outside his flat in Carlton House Terrace
, London. Cause of death
was traumatic aortic rupture
following a fall from the window of his fifth-floor apartment. News reports indicate that the Metropolitan Police Service
increasingly believe Marwan was murdered, a belief also held by Marwan's eldest son, Gamal. Marwan's funeral in Egypt was led by Egypt's highest-ranked religious leader, Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy
, and attended by, amongst others, Gamal Mubarak
, son of President Hosni Mubarak
, and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman
. According to President Mubarak, "Marwan carried out patriotic acts which it is not yet time to reveal." Following a case review in January 2008, the investigation was transferred to the Specialist Crime Directorate
, both because of its public nature and because the shoes Marwan was wearing when he fell, key evidence in the case, had been lost.
One witness
, who was on the third floor of a nearby building, told 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. Police are also reported to have lost Marwan's shoes, which could hold clues on whether or not Marwan himself jumped from the balcony.
Marwan is the fourth Egyptian of note to die in London in a similar way. The others, all of whom were involved in Egyptian politics between 1966 and 1971, are: Suad Hosni, the actress; Al-Leithy Nassif, the Egyptian ambassador
to Britain
; and Ali Shafeek, secretary
in the office of former Egyptian Vice President Abdel Hakim Amer
.
Amr Ellissy, an Egyptian journalist
, conducted an investigation into Marwan's death for his documentary
series Ekhterak. It was broadcast on Egyptian television
in six episode
s on the first anniversary
of Marwan's death. The documentary was conducted in Marwan's London apartment and included interviews with his son, a witness
and acquaintances of the late Egyptian billionaire
. Ellissy issued his book The Agent Babel in the Arabic language
through Dar AlShorouq press house, and was launched on February 2, 2009.
The British magazine Private Eye has also followed the story closely and suggests that there is considerable cause for suspicion surrounding the circumstances of Marwan's death.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian billionaire and an alleged spy for Israel, or possibly an Egyptian double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
. He was married to Mona Gamal Abdel Nasser, the daughter of former Egyptian president
President of Egypt
The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
.
Biographical information
Marwan was born in 1944 and earned a Ph.D.Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in Britain. He married Nasser's daughter in the 1960s. He ended his relationship with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in the 1970s but, surprisingly, did not seem to suffer any political consequences.
He was later made chief of staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
to Egyptian President
President of Egypt
The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....
Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
and, a leading Arab industrialist, became a business partner of Mohamed al-Fayed
Mohamed Al-Fayed
Mohamed Abdel Moneim Al-Fayed is an Egyptian businessman and billionaire. Amongst his business interests are ownership of the English Premiership football team Fulham Football Club, Hôtel Ritz Paris and formerly Harrods Department Store, Knightsbridge...
, the owner of Harrod's department store and whose son Dodi Fayed died in a car crash
Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Fayed's...
with Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, in 1997. One of his sons is married to the daughter of Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
president Amr Moussa
Amr Moussa
Amr Mohammed Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. He is a candidate in the 2011 Egyptian presidential election....
.
Spying
In September 2002, the London-based Israeli historianHistorian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
Ahron Bregman
Ahron Bregman
Ahron Bregman is a British-Israeli political scientist, as well as a writer and journalist, specialising on the Arab-Israeli conflict.-Biography:...
published a book that included allegations that Marwan was Israel's "master spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
" in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. In a subsequent interview with Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram, Bregman again named Marwan as Israel's disputed source.
Despite these allegations being made public, Marwan seemed to avoid any retaliation from Egypt. On October 6, 2004, two years after being named as a spy, Israeli intelligence officer
Intelligence officer
An intelligence officer is a person employed by an organization to collect, compile and/or analyze information which is of use to that organization...
s observed Marwan being greeted warmly by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
; the only possible explanation, asserts Bregman, was that Marwan had been a double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
.
Marwan's relationship with Israeli intelligence was also revealed in 2003 book by author Howard Blum
Howard Blum
Howard Blum is an American author and journalist.In 1986, Blum began working as a reporter for the New York Times, where he earned two Pulitzer Prize nominations. Since 1994, Blum has been a contributing editor to Vanity Fair....
, who learned of Marwan's activities from the head of Israeli Military Intelligence during the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
, General Eli Zeira
Eli Zeira
Eli Zeira is a former Major General in the Israel Defense Forces. He was director of Aman, Israel's military intelligence, during the 1973 Yom Kippur War...
. 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
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
while shopping in Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
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
Zvi Zamir
Zvi Zamir born Zvicka Zarzevsky was a Major General in the Israel Defense Forces and the Director of the Mossad from 1968 to 1974. Born in Poland, Zamir immigrated with his family to the then British Mandate of Palestine when only seven months old...
, the head of the Mossad, and Marwan's conversations were taped and transcribed for the Israeli Prime Minister.
In April 1973 Marwan warned the Mossad that Egypt and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
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 somewhat correct; the Egyptians actually attacked around 2:00 pm, giving them four extra hours. Despite this history, it remains unclear whether Marwan was an Israeli spy or an Egyptian double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
.
In an interview with Lt. Gen. Saad El Shazly for the PBS documentary "The 50 Years War: Israel and The Arabs", Shazly indicated that on Friday Oct 5, 1973, he told Sadat "Even if they (The Israelis) found out now (about the impending attack), I don't care". Given that the Egyptians didn't put much importance on Israeli knowledge of the attack at this point, coupled with the timing of Marwan’s meeting with Zamir in London may suggest that Marwan was indeed a double agent and was given the green light to inform the Israelis of the impending attack, probably to secure his status with the Israelis as a trusted and valuable source. Yet the extent and type of information that was given to the Israelis by Marwan up to that point was so crucial to Egypt that it's hard to imagine the Egyptians volunteering this information, even if it was meant to mislead the Israelis. This may, on the other hand, suggest that Marwan was merely spying for Israel.
Death
Marwan died on June 27, 2007 at around 13:00 UTC+1UTC+1
UTC+01:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +01:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .This time is used in:*Central European Time*West Africa Time*Western European Summer Time**British Summer Time**Irish Standard Time...
(British Summer Time
British Summer Time
Western European Summer Time is a summer daylight saving time scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in the following places:* the Canary Islands* Portugal * Ireland...
) outside his flat in Carlton House Terrace
Carlton House Terrace
Carlton House Terrace refers to a street in the St. James's district of the City of Westminster in London, England, and in particular to two terraces of white stucco-faced houses on the south side of the street overlooking St. James's Park. These terraces were built in 1827–32 to overall designs by...
, London. Cause of death
Cause of Death
Cause of Death is a 1990 album by American death metal band Obituary. Cause of Death is considered a classic album in the history of death metal. The artwork was done by artist Michael Whelan...
was traumatic aortic rupture
Traumatic aortic rupture
Traumatic aortic rupture, also called traumatic aortic disruption or transection, is a condition in which the aorta, the largest artery in the body, is torn or ruptured as the result of trauma. The condition is frequently fatal due to the profuse bleeding that results from the rupture...
following a fall from the window of his fifth-floor apartment. News reports indicate that the Metropolitan Police Service
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
increasingly believe Marwan was murdered, a belief also held by Marwan's eldest son, Gamal. Marwan's funeral in Egypt was led by Egypt's highest-ranked religious leader, Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy
Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy
Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy was an influential Islamic scholar in Egypt. From 1986 to 1996, he was the grand Mufti of Egypt...
, and attended by, amongst others, Gamal Mubarak
Gamal Mubarak
Gamal Al Din Mohammed Hosni Sayed Mubarak , , is the younger of the two sons of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and former First Lady Suzanne Mubarak...
, son of President Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
, and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman
Omar Suleiman
Omar Suleiman is a former Egyptian army general, politician, diplomat, and intelligence officer. A leading figure in Egypt's intelligence system beginning in 1986, Suleiman was appointed to the long-vacant Vice Presidency by then-President Hosni Mubarak on 29 January 2011...
. According to President Mubarak, "Marwan carried out patriotic acts which it is not yet time to reveal." Following a case review in January 2008, the investigation was transferred to the Specialist Crime Directorate
Specialist Crime Directorate
The Specialist Crime Directorate is one of the main branches of the London Metropolitan Police Service. It deals with a wide range of criminality from murder to organised crime. Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick is currently the head of the directorate...
, both because of its public nature and because the shoes Marwan was wearing when he fell, key evidence in the case, had been lost.
One witness
Witness
A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about an event, or in the criminal justice systems usually a crime, through his or her senses and can help certify important considerations about the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event first hand is known as an eyewitness...
, who was on the third floor of a nearby building, told police that he saw two men "wearing suits and of Mediterranean
Mediterranean race
The Mediterranean race was one of the three sub-categories into which the Caucasian race and the people of Europe were divided by anthropologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, following the publication of William Z. Ripley's book The Races of Europe...
appearance" appear on the balcony moments after Marwan's fall, look down, and then return inside the apartment. Police are also reported to have lost Marwan's shoes, which could hold clues on whether or not Marwan himself jumped from the balcony.
Marwan is the fourth Egyptian of note to die in London in a similar way. The others, all of whom were involved in Egyptian politics between 1966 and 1971, are: Suad Hosni, the actress; Al-Leithy Nassif, the Egyptian ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
; and Ali Shafeek, secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
in the office of former Egyptian Vice President Abdel Hakim Amer
Abdel Hakim Amer
Mohamed Abdel Hakim Amer was an Egyptian general and political leader. Born in Astal, Samallot, in the Al Minya Governorate in 1919, he served in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, took part in the 1952 Revolution and commanded the Egyptian Army in the Suez Crisis, the North Yemen Civil War and the...
.
Amr Ellissy, an Egyptian journalist
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
, conducted an investigation into Marwan's death for his documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
series Ekhterak. It was broadcast on Egyptian television
Egyptian television
The Egyptian Television Network is a television service run by the Egyptian Radio and Television Union. It commenced programming in 1960. Today it has more than three national channels, and several broadcast channels on satellite.- History :...
in six episode
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
s on the first anniversary
Death anniversary
A death anniversary is a custom observed in several Asian cultures including China, Pakistan, Israel, Georgia, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Russia and Vietnam, as well as in other nations with significant overseas Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Jewish, and Vietnamese populations...
of Marwan's death. The documentary was conducted in Marwan's London apartment and included interviews with his son, a witness
Witness
A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about an event, or in the criminal justice systems usually a crime, through his or her senses and can help certify important considerations about the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event first hand is known as an eyewitness...
and acquaintances of the late Egyptian billionaire
Billionaire
A billionaire, in countries that use the short scale number naming system, is a person who has a net worth of at least one billion units of a given currency, usually the United States dollar, Euro, or Pound sterling. Forbes magazine updates a complete list of U.S. dollar billionaires around the...
. Ellissy issued his book The Agent Babel in the Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
through Dar AlShorouq press house, and was launched on February 2, 2009.
The British magazine Private Eye has also followed the story closely and suggests that there is considerable cause for suspicion surrounding the circumstances of Marwan's death.
External links
- A report and video about Ashraf Marwan on the CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
program 60 Minutes60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
aired on May 11, 2009 - Article about the motives and personalty of Ashraf Marwan