Report: German officials confirm Mossad involved in Hezbollah ban
Officials cited as saying Israel overplayed its role in probe that led to the ban, most of work done by Berlin
German officials confirmed the involvement of Israel's foreign intelligence service Mossad in the probe that resulted in Lebanon-based Hezbollah terrorist group banned in the country.
According to Wednesday's report in Die Zeit newspaper, Mossad tipped German authorities off on a south Germany warehouse used by the group to store ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer that can be used to make explosives.
Mossad's involvement in Germany's decision to ban Hezbollah in its entirety, not just the military wing of the group, was first reported by Israel's Channel 12.
Die Zeit cited unnamed German officials as less than amused with what they perceive as Israel playing up its role in the investigations.
The newspaper said the warehouse lead was just one of many episodes in a lengthy probe that zoomed in on other illicit Hezbollah activities.
Among those, it cites the group's use of Germany-based servers to store malware it utilized to snoop on Israelis and Americans as well as its efforts to woo Germans though affiliated youth organizations.
It also noted that Israeli reports that Mossad handed its German colleagues intel on a Shi'ite businessman with associates in Germany who allegedly transferred millions to its accounts as baffling, since no such individuals are mentioned in the ban -- and the officials had no knowledge of the person.