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’.



Russian Missile Attack Forces Ukraine to Shut Down Power Grid

 A serviceman of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade "Khartiia" of the National Guard of Ukraine fires a Giatsint-B howitzer towards Russian troops at a position on a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine January 6, 2025. (Reuters)
A serviceman of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade "Khartiia" of the National Guard of Ukraine fires a Giatsint-B howitzer towards Russian troops at a position on a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine January 6, 2025. (Reuters)
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Russian Missile Attack Forces Ukraine to Shut Down Power Grid

 A serviceman of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade "Khartiia" of the National Guard of Ukraine fires a Giatsint-B howitzer towards Russian troops at a position on a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine January 6, 2025. (Reuters)
A serviceman of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade "Khartiia" of the National Guard of Ukraine fires a Giatsint-B howitzer towards Russian troops at a position on a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine January 6, 2025. (Reuters)

Russia on Wednesday launched a major ballistic and cruise missile attack on regions across Ukraine, targeting energy production and compelling authorities to shut down the power grid in some areas despite freezing winter weather, officials said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that it launched a strike on “critically important facilities of gas and energy infrastructure that ensure the functioning of Ukraine’s military industrial complex.” It didn't give the target locations or other details.

The barrage came a day after the Russian Defense Ministry vowed a response to what it said was an attack on Russian soil using multiple Western-supplied missiles.

Kyiv hasn't confirmed that attack, though it said Tuesday that it hit an oil refinery and a fuel storage depot, a chemical plant producing ammunition and two anti-aircraft missile systems, in a missile and drone attack that reached around 1,100 kilometers (almost 700 miles) into Russia.

Long-range attacks have been a feature of the nearly three-year war, where on the front line snaking about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from northeast to southern Ukraine, the armies have been engaged in a war of attrition. Russia has been advancing on the battlefield over the past year, though its progress has been slow and costly.

Russia attacked Ukraine with 43 missiles and 74 drones overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said. A total of 30 missiles and 47 drones were shot down, and 27 drones failed to reach their target, it said.

The Russian missiles sought out targets from the Lviv region in western Ukraine near Poland to Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine bordering Russia. The state energy company Ukrenergo reported emergency power outages in six regions. It often shuts down production during attacks as a precaution.

“The enemy continues to terrorize Ukrainians,” Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on Facebook.

Electricity supplies resumed to households in some areas by the middle of the day, but Ukrenergo urged customers to avoid using power-hungry electrical appliances.

Russia has repeatedly tried to cripple Ukraine’s power grid, denying the country heat, electricity and running water in an effort to break the Ukrainian spirit. The attacks have also sought to disrupt Ukraine’s defense manufacturing industry.

Last September, the UN refugee agency reported that Ukraine had lost more than an estimated 60% of its energy generation capacity.

Ukrainian authorities try to rebuild their power generation after the attack, though the barrages have eroded production. Western partners have been helping Ukraine rebuild.

“It is the middle of the winter, and Russia’s goal remains unchanged: our energy infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

He urged Western partners to accelerate the delivery to Ukraine of promised air defense weapons, emphasizing that “promises have been made but not yet fully realized.”