Lt.-Col. Omar al-Hayb, from a well-known Bedouin family whose sons have served and serve in the IDF, was indicted today on charges of treason, aiding the enemy, grave espionage, and drug dealing. He served as Chief Tracking Officer in the Northern Command until he left the army six months ago - well after his alleged espionage activities began - and was also responsible for enlisting soldiers in the Bedouin sector. He lost an eye while pursuing terrorists in southern Lebanon six years ago, but requested to remain in the army.
Nine other Bedouin soldiers from the same extended family in the northern village of Zarzir have also been arrested in the case, and five of them were indicted today on similar charges. In exchange for hundreds of kilos of drugs and tens of thousands of dollars, the suspected traitors are accused of providing Hizbullah with classified maps of the northern border, details of troop movements and tank deployments, and information regarding the movements of senior military commanders.
The ten were arrested six weeks ago. One of them is suspected of having bought and transferred 12 cellular phones to Hizbullah elements, one of which was later found on the body of a suicide terrorist. This massive espionage case, which some have called the most serious the army has ever known, has already led to reports of built-in problems in Northern Command tracker units. One former officer said that that these units have become the "exclusive domain" of the Bedouin soldiers, with insufficient supervision by the upper IDF echelons.
Nine other Bedouin soldiers from the same extended family in the northern village of Zarzir have also been arrested in the case, and five of them were indicted today on similar charges. In exchange for hundreds of kilos of drugs and tens of thousands of dollars, the suspected traitors are accused of providing Hizbullah with classified maps of the northern border, details of troop movements and tank deployments, and information regarding the movements of senior military commanders.
The ten were arrested six weeks ago. One of them is suspected of having bought and transferred 12 cellular phones to Hizbullah elements, one of which was later found on the body of a suicide terrorist. This massive espionage case, which some have called the most serious the army has ever known, has already led to reports of built-in problems in Northern Command tracker units. One former officer said that that these units have become the "exclusive domain" of the Bedouin soldiers, with insufficient supervision by the upper IDF echelons.