A Hamas Founder's Son: I was Israeli Agent

(CBS)  The son of a leading Hamas figure served as an Israeli agent for over a decade, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported on its Web site.

The paper says that Mosab Hassan Yousef, 32, son of a Hamas founder, was employed by Israel's Shin Bet security service and provided information which led to "the exposure of a number of terrorist cells, and to the prevention of dozens of suicide bombings and assassination attempts on Israeli figures."

Yousef, who converted to Christianity a decade ago, now lives in the United States. He has written a memoir, "Son of Hamas," which is being released next week.

Yousef's father was Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a Hamas founder and an influential figure in the West Bank.

A Shin Bet officer identified by Haaretz as "Captain Loai," said that Yousef's help was instrumental in preventing several suicide attacks against Israelis.

"So many people owe him their life and don't even know it," he is quoted as saying. "People who did a lot less were awarded the Israel Security Prize. He certainly deserves it."

[curiously1]

Israel is doing the job on the terrorists, whom now not only feel unsafe wherever they are, but also they can't even trust their own family members.

[quapawsix]

If he was disloyal to his father why should he be trusted, what stops him from doing the same thing to Israel or anyone else. If you want to get a mole inside your enemy camp have him follow this guys example.

[starving1968-3]

Israeli "security" agent or Hamas terrorist.....

Is there REALLY a difference?

[grovesd]

Yes you moron - one secures Israel and innocent people while the latter attacks Israel and inncent civilians.

[Turbidite]

"What's that mean, Everett?"

[tmittelstaed]

Why is this a surprise? Highly-placed terrorist figures have often been involved in passing information to enemy governments, they do it so as to kill off political rivals. As the article says, Yousef's father was an influential figure - it's easy to be influential in an organization when your son is betraying your political rivals in that same organization and either embarassing them or getting them killed.