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Britain's Quiet War on Iran

(Ha'aretz) Anshel Pfeffer - The MV Alaed was steaming south from the Russian Baltic port of Kaliningrad headed to Syria, in its hold three refurbished Mi-25 heavy attack helicopters, ammunition, missiles and an air-defense system. Choppers like these have been used to bomb rebel forces and civilians. The ship passed less than 80 km. from the coast of Britain bearing a load that violated EU sanctions against arms shipments to Syria. Yet the vessel was Russian-owned and any attempt to board would have led to a major diplomatic row with Moscow. On June 19, the Alaed turned back. What forced the ship to return was the decision by British insurance company Standard Club to notify the vessel's owners, Femco, that it was withdrawing insurance from all its ships. Without firing a shot, the British government succeeded in denying arms to Syria. It also sent a message to Russia and its allies in the region that Britain still has ways to project power across the globe. It has been using similar methods for over two years against Iran, in what some diplomats are calling "unprecedented British economic warfare." Despite its eclipse as a military and naval power, London retains its position as a global hub for international financial transactions. There has been deepening cooperation on diplomatic, financial and intelligence levels between the UK and Israel, which has often supplied the necessary information for the British government to inform banks and insurance companies of Iranian activities. Says one former senior Israeli intelligence officer, "We were under strict orders to supply Britain with everything we had on Iran. We gave them the crown jewels of intelligence."
2012-07-04 00:00:00
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