Gumaa Al-Shawan
Encyclopedia
Gumaa Al-Shawan was an Egyptian double agent
who worked for the Israeli Mossad
from 1967 until 1973. He provided the Israelis with false military information with the help of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate
.
occupied the Sinai Peninsula
during the 1967 War. His wife Fatima reportedly lost her eyesight due to an Israeli air strike and they moved to Cairo
.
to earn his living on a ship. He met a woman with whom he fell in love, but who was reportedly a Mossad
agent and who convinced him to work at her father's company. There he met an undercover Mossad agent posing as a Syria
n who asked Al-Hawan to return to Egypt and gather information regarding the ships that were sailing in the Egyptian channel.
.
. Rais Zakariya persuaded him to travel so that the Mossad agents would supply him with an advanced transmission device that could send messages within six seconds, and the GIS needed that device. Al-Hawan arrived in Rome
and received an Israeli passport
with a fake name. In Israel he was taught how to use the device and gave him instructions upon his return to Egypt. The Mossad received the following message: "From the Egyptian intelligence to Mossad, thanks for cooperating with our agent Ahmed Al Hawan all these years and supplying him with your transmission devices; see you in future rounds!"
as Gumaa Al-Shawan.
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...
who worked for the Israeli Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
from 1967 until 1973. He provided the Israelis with false military information with the help of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate
Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate
The General Intelligence Services , often called the Mukhabarat , is an Egyptian intelligence agency responsible for providing national security intelligence, both domestically and transnationally, with a counter-terrorism focus....
.
Biography
Ahmed Al-Hawan was born and raised in Suez. He and his family left after IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
occupied the Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
during the 1967 War. His wife Fatima reportedly lost her eyesight due to an Israeli air strike and they moved to 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...
.
Mossad
When Al-Hawan couldn't find a job in Cairo, he traveled to GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
to earn his living on a ship. He met a woman with whom he fell in love, but who was reportedly a Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
agent and who convinced him to work at her father's company. There he met an undercover Mossad agent posing as a 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....
n who asked Al-Hawan to return to Egypt and gather information regarding the ships that were sailing in the Egyptian channel.
Egyptian Intelligence
Al-Hawan opened a grocery store and began to collect information for his bosses but he soon developed some doubts about their intentions. He went to the headquarters of the General Intelligence Service (GIS) and met with Rais Zakariya (General Mohammed Abdul Salam Al-Mahgoub) whom he informed him about his experiences with the people he worked with. The GIS recruited him to provide the Israelis with false information for the next six years without knowing he was a double agentDouble 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...
.
End of Mission
Shortly after the war, Al-Hawan received a letter from the Mossad requesting he come to Tel AvivTel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. Rais Zakariya persuaded him to travel so that the Mossad agents would supply him with an advanced transmission device that could send messages within six seconds, and the GIS needed that device. Al-Hawan arrived in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and received an Israeli passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
with a fake name. In Israel he was taught how to use the device and gave him instructions upon his return to Egypt. The Mossad received the following message: "From the Egyptian intelligence to Mossad, thanks for cooperating with our agent Ahmed Al Hawan all these years and supplying him with your transmission devices; see you in future rounds!"
Retirement
In January 1976, while collecting some info for the Mossad under the supervision of the Egyptian intelligence, an army vehicle hit Al-Hawan causing him a major injury in his right leg that he says could have easily been cured, had the doctors been more competent. The injury was followed by damage to the right eye as a result of using invisible ink. He requested retirement which was approved by President Sadat in December 1977.Popular culture
His story was made into a drama series titled Tears in Insolent Eyes دموع في عيون وقحة starring Adel EmamAdel Emam
Adel Imam , , born May 17, 1940 in El Mansoura , is a popular Egyptian movie and stage actor. He is primarily a comedian, but he has starred in more serious works and, especially in his earlier films, has combined comedy with romance.Emam earned a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture from Cairo...
as Gumaa Al-Shawan.
Death
Ahmed Al-Hawan died on 1 November 2011 at the age of 74 after suffering from an illness. For several months he has been treated at the expense of the armed forces.External links
- http://www.fayoum.edu.eg/english/newsdetail.aspx?news_id=97
- http://ct.tarekshalaby.com/component/content/article/36-real-people/138-the-fascinating-life-of-egypts-most-famous-spy