Jerusalem: Israel worked with Chile to spy
on the Iranian ambassador in Santiago as the Jewish state grew
increasingly concerned about Tehran`s influence in South
America, a leaked US cable from 2008 showed.
"Israel is monitoring Iranian influence in the region,
which includes enhanced Iranian diplomatic relations with
Colombia and Venezuela," reads a cable sent from the US
embassy in Santiago in July 2008 which was leaked to
whistleblower website WikiLeaks.
"Israel is also watching as a growing number of Muslims
immigrate to Chile," says the cable which was penned by Juan
Alsace, an economic and political adviser to the US
ambassador.
Quoting Israeli Defence Attache Yoeli Or, it says Israel
was "working with the GOC (government of Chile) to monitor any
unusual activities by the new Iranian ambassador" Kambiz
Jalali.
They were also monitoring around 37 Palestinian Muslim
immigrants from the Iraqi-Syrian border who were resettled in
Chile earlier in the year, it said referring to an influx of
Palestinians under a UN-sponsored resettlement programme.
"While there are no signs of GOI (government of Iran)
affiliation with terrorist groups in Chile, the Chilean
intelligence service and the Israeli government are screening
for anything they deem suspicious," it said.
Or told him Israel was concerned about Iran`s "growing
influence" in Venezuela and noted that there were 50 Iranians
in Colombia who held diplomatic passports.
PTI
