Ashraf Marwan

Ashraf Marwan was born in Cairo, Egypt, on 2 February 1944. He was the grandson of the chief of the Sharia courts in Egypt, and the son of a general in the Egyptian Republican Guard. He graduated from Cairo University with a degree in chemical engineering in 1965, and married Mona Nasser, the daughter of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, in 1966. He worked at the Presidential Office under Nasser and his successor, Anwar Sadat, as a close aide and diplomat. He was also a billionaire businessman who had interests in various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and telecommunications. Marwan was also a spy who worked for both the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate and the Israeli Mossad. He contacted the Mossad in 1970 and offered his services, claiming that he was disillusioned with the Nasser regime and wanted to help Israel. He provided valuable information to Israel, such as the Egyptian plans for the 1973 war, the state of the Egyptian air force, and the Soviet involvement in the region. He also alerted Israel to the surprise attack by Egypt and Syria on 6 October 1973, although his warning was not taken seriously enough by the Israeli leadership. Some Egyptian officials claim that Marwan was a double agent who also worked for them, and that he fed false or misleading information to the Mossad to confuse and deceive them. Marwan’s identity as a spy was exposed in 2002 by Ahron Bregman, an Israeli academic and journalist, who revealed his name in a book and a documentary. Marwan denied the allegations and sued Bregman for libel, but the case was never resolved. Marwan died under mysterious circumstances on 27 June 2007, falling from the balcony of his London flat. His wife and relatives testified that he had been under considerable stress and had expressed fears that he was being followed. His wife accused the Mossad of assassinating him, while others speculated that he might have committed suicide or been killed by Egyptian agents. The coroner’s inquest into his death was inconclusive, and the cause of his death remains unknown. Marwan was hailed as a hero by both Egypt and Israel after his death. He was given a state funeral in Egypt, attended by President Hosni Mubarak and other dignitaries. He was also honored by Israel, which awarded him a certificate of appreciation for his contribution to the security of the state of Israel. He was described by some as the 20th century’s greatest spy, and by others as a traitor and a double-crosser. His life and death remain a source of controversy and intrigue.