Second laptop stolen from Israeli nuclear chief. Linked to Iran nuclear programme?
To have one laptop stolen might be considered a misfortune, but to have two stolen could look like carelessness, especially when you're the head of Israel's nuclear programme.
The Guardian reports that News of the theft from Shaul Horev's family home in Beit Yitzhak was first kept secret from the Israeli public but the gag was partially lifted on Tuesday with a statement from Horev's office confirming he had been the victim of a burglary. His wallet, a "communication device" and various documents were also reported to have been taken.
As head of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), Horev is in charge of Israel's nuclear policy and answers directly to the prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu. He has the highest-level security clearance, allowing him free access to Israel's most tightly guarded secrets, including Mossad intelligence on Iran's nuclear programme.
It is the second time a laptop has been stolen from Horev since he took over at the AEC. An Israeli blogger Richard Silverstein pointed out the irony that Israel had previously claimed to have obtained secrets about Iran's nuclear programme from a stolen laptop which it used as evidence of Iran's ambitions for nuclear weapons – claims now widely believed to be untrue.
Matthew Fuhrmann, a Stanton nuclear security fellow, suggested Horev may have been the victim of espionage. "International agencies frequently try to steal information from phones and laptops, particularly from the hotel rooms of officials while they are traveling abroad. Israel in particular is known to have done this," he said.
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