Mossad’s Most Daring Operation Ever: How Israel Stole The Weapon That Once Terrified The World | World News

Jerusalem: The Israeli intelligence agency Mossad carries out operations so meticulously that even the targets cannot find any evidence of who did it. One of its most legendary missions took place in 1966, when the agency stole one of the world’s most powerful weapons from under the noses of nations supplied by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The operation was as much about entertainment as it was about sending a message of fear.

It was a weapon that struck fear into the world’s most powerful nations in those days. The Soviet Union had upgraded its MiG-19 fighter jet to a new model known as the MiG-21. The aircraft were supplied to countries such as Egypt, Lebanon and Iraq, and Israel viewed this deployment as a threat to its security.

Provoked by repeated threats, Mossad decided that stealing the MiG-21 would be its own achievement.

A Fun But Deadly Mission

Mossad chief Meir Amit then convened a meeting to discuss what might be the agency’s greatest achievement. The chamber unanimously named it MiG-21. The plan, codenamed ‘Operation Diamond’, aimed to steal the warplane and bring it to Israel.

The first two attempts failed, but Mossad’s team readjusted. It was decided to target countries that bought jets from the Soviets. Iraq became the focus and a female Mossad agent was assigned to the mission.

The key to success came from Iraqi pilot Munir Redfa, who, fed up with government policies, refused promotions and salary increases. The Mossad agent wooed her by promising $1 million, a government job, and a home for her family in Israel.

Redfa agreed, and on 16 August 1966, Mossad successfully smuggled the MiG-21 out of Iraq. The operation combined cunning, strategy and sheer courage to become one of the most famous missions in intelligence history.