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Mossad Helped Former Syrian Spy Chief Wanted for War Crimes to Flee to Austria- Report

Brigadier General Khaled al-Halabi, served as chief of Syrian intelligence in Raqqa from 2009 until 2013
Brigadier General Khaled al-Halabi, served as chief of Syrian intelligence in Raqqa from 2009 until 2013
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Mossad Helped Former Syrian Spy Chief Wanted for War Crimes to Flee to Austria- Report

Brigadier General Khaled al-Halabi, served as chief of Syrian intelligence in Raqqa from 2009 until 2013
Brigadier General Khaled al-Halabi, served as chief of Syrian intelligence in Raqqa from 2009 until 2013

A former Syrian intelligence official who was refused asylum in France was reportedly able to escape to Austria with the help of Mossad.

Brigadier General Khaled al-Halabi, served as chief of Syrian intelligence in Raqqa from 2009 until 2013,

An investigation by the Daily Telegraph claimed that he was helped to leave the country and start a new life.

The investigation also found that a lawsuit has been filed against Halabi in a western country for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

According to the complaint, during his time in charge prisoners in a Raqqa facility were murdered, tortured, and sexually assaulted.

Halabi has denied any wrongdoing.

France’s espionage agency, DGSE, helped Syria’s former general holiday to France in 2014, although it was denied asylum in the country in 2015 because it was involved in criminal acts.

Mysteriously, he was then transported from France to Austria by Israeli intelligence agents where he was granted asylum, a judicial source told the Daily Telegraph.

‘Since he was not really ready to seek asylum in France, he would make contact with Mossad, who was in contact with Austria’s BVT. [the country’s domestic intelligence agency], ‘The source said.

The report claimed that his asylum application was granted in December 2015 and Austrian authorities provided him with a four-bedroom apartment in Vienna.

The scandal has taken place in Austria since it emerged in the country’s press this month, with many MPs describing Halabi as a ‘war criminal’.

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India’s Navy Launches Submarine, Warships to Guard against China’s Presence in Indian Ocean

A view of the Indian Navy's three frontline vessels during the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai, India, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
A view of the Indian Navy's three frontline vessels during the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai, India, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
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India’s Navy Launches Submarine, Warships to Guard against China’s Presence in Indian Ocean

A view of the Indian Navy's three frontline vessels during the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai, India, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
A view of the Indian Navy's three frontline vessels during the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai, India, 15 January 2025. (EPA)

India's navy on Wednesday simultaneously launched a submarine, a destroyer and a frigate built at a state-run shipyard, underscoring the importance of protecting the Indian Ocean region through which 95% of the country's trade moves amid a strong Chinese presence.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Atlantic Ocean’s importance has shifted to the Indian Ocean region, which is becoming a center of international power rivalry.

“India is giving the biggest importance to making its navy powerful to protect its interests,” he said.

“The commissioning of three major naval combatants marks a significant leap forward in realizing India’s vision of becoming a global leader in defense manufacturing and maritime security,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while commissioning the vessels at the state-run Mazagon dockyard in Mumbai.

The situation in the Indian Ocean region is challenging with the Chinese navy, India’s main rival, growing exponentially, said Rahul Bedi, a defense analyst.

Bedi said that the INS Vagsheer submarine, the sixth among a French license-built Kalvari (Scorpene)-class conventional diesel-electric submarines, is aimed at replacing aging Indian underwater platforms and plugging serious capability gaps in existing ones. India now has a total of 16 submarines.

The P75 Scorpene submarine project represents India’s growing expertise in submarine construction in collaboration with the Naval Group of France, Bedi said.

India’s defense ministry is expected to conclude a deal for three additional Scorpene submarines to be built in India during Modi’s likely visit to Paris next month to attend the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.

However, the first of these boats, according to the Indian navy, is only likely to be commissioned by 2031.

India commissioned its first home-built aircraft carrier in 2022 to counter regional rival China’s much more extensive and growing fleet and expand its indigenous shipbuilding capabilities.

The INS Vikrant, whose name is a Sanskrit word for “powerful” or “courageous,” is India’s second operational aircraft carrier. It joins the Soviet-era INS Vikramaditya, which India purchased from Russia in 2004 to defend the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.