I Spy

Geeze this is depressing. Check out the comment thread at the Globe and Mail on the story about the Canadian convicted in Egypt of spying for Israel while in Canada.

Alberto Bayo from Canada writes: If the charges are true, then this guy's a traitor, and treason is the worst imaginable crime. And working for Mossad? Yuk...those guys are a real sleazy, low-life lot.

Michael C from Canada writes: A Cairo court found Mohamed el-Attar, 31, guilty of belonging to a spy ring that worked for Israel, operating in Turkey and Canada.

This person is an Isreali spy. I don't think there's much to debate about the matter. However much our legal system is criticized, on the whole, it rarely makes mistakes (wrongfully convicted is a separate argument for another day). Where ate all the law and order zealots spewing their blabber about this? Where are all the Eurocentric citizenship zealots spewing their blabber. Might it be that Isreal gets a free pass because it's a western allie, ect. etc.? If this guy was a Muslim, there'd be 200 posts denigrating him at this point. Paradoxical, hypocritical idomeseo's.

Steve Tatone from Canada writes: The Mossad uses Canadian 'false-flags' all the time. Anyone remember the botched assasination in Jordan a few years ago where the Mossad guys had Canadian passports? They use our identity because Canadian citizens are trusted in most corners of the world. On the absolute other hand, Canada has a bit of a problem with special courts too, and its also possible that Attar is just some guy. Buuuuuut...on the first hand it seems like Isreal has been ratcheting up the Egyptian spying as of late, and this guy quite possibly spied on Canada for Isreal. In fact, there seem to be Isreali agents EVERYWHERE these days...

Alberto Bayo from Canada writes: This guy was nothing more than a low-level Mossad part-timer trying to make some quick money, and he got caught. Tough.

There’s more, and a lot more, all in a similar vein. What baffles me is how these alleged critical thinkers assume the Egyptian authorities are an unimpeachable source for both truthfulness and integrity.

Then there is the warped presumption that foreign spy agencies are all busy spying on other foreign spies, who are busy spying on the activities of Canadians in Canada, while the CSIS is completely asleep at the switch. And not one of the commenters (the last time I checked) asked what I would believe would be the obvious question.

If Egyptian government knew a Canadian Mossad agent was spying on the activities of Egyptian Arab Canadians while in Canada; why didn’t the Egyptian Authorities give a hat tip to the Canadian government? Do you really believe the Egyptians would pass on the opportunity to one-up the Mossad and embarrass the Israeli government internationally?