Spy: Eli Cohen died because of failure
In Ynet interview, man who served as Israeli spy in Syria, Lebanon before legendary spy Eli Cohen calls for investigation committee to look into his death
"I call for an investigation committee to be set up. I warned my commanders a number of times that if they don't use the cover I prepared for my replacement, Eli Cohen, he would certainly die. My commanders did not heed my clear warnings," he charged.
"From the moment I heard that Eli Cohen was standing trial in Damascus, I swore to myself that I would not rest until I investigate the truth," noted the man who creates the fabricated identity for spy Eli Cohen, who was apprehended in Damascus and hanged in a city square.
Masoud Buton, 82, served during his role in intelligence as an Israeli spy in Syria and Lebanon under a fabricated identity between 1956 and 1962 , and his fascinating story has been publicized.
Dealing with the past
Buton says he wants the State of Israel do deal with an episode from the past. He says his commanders and senior security officials during that time did not heed his warning, and if they had, it would all look very different now. Eli Cohen may not have been executed.
Buton (left) during his Lebanon days (Photo: Roee Nahmias)
On the other hand, senior defense officials from that time, including former Mossad head Meir Amit, say that Buton is a "pathological liar" who is interested in money from the State. Nadia, Cohen's widow, says emphatically that she believes Buton's version of events. After 40 years, Buton's comments serve to show that the scar around the death of the most famous Israeli spy is still here.
