How Mossad’s failed plot to kill Saddam Hussein led to Tze’elim Bet disaster – EXPLAINED

Israel which began launching missiles in Iran under Operation Rising Lion last week has turned into a full-blown war now, with Iran retaliating with its full power. As Israel killed several Iranian top military officials and nuclear scientists, this scenario reminds of Mossad’s mission to kill Iraq President Saddam Hussein in the 1990s.

Operation Bramble Bush, an Israel’s Mossad operation to assassinate Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was launched in 1992. However, the operation failed, leading to the killing of Israel’s own soldiers.

After the 1991 Gulf war, Israel viewed Saddam as a dangerous threat to nation. Israel had to deal with multiple Scud missile attacks from Iraq when though it wasn’t even a part of the war.

According to Intelligence, Saddam was developing weapons of mass destruction. The Israeli military aimed to eliminate the threat and came up with a mission to assassinate Saddam at a public event.

The Israeli mission was codenamed “Operation Bramble Bush” and was carried out by Israel’s most elite commando unit, Sayeret Matkal. The IDF’s top brass approved the operation, while Mossad provided the intelligence.

Saddam was expected to attend a funeral in his hometown Tikrit. As per the mission, the Israeli commandos would infiltrate the area and launch shoulder-fired missiles at Saddam’s convoy during the ceremony.

On November 5, 1992, Sayeret Matkal conducted a live-fire rehearsal in the Negev Desert. As they were imitating the real attack, they used live missiles, assuming that safety measures were foolproof. However, turned out, that wasn’t the case.

As they simulated, one of the operatives mistakenly fired a real missile at his own team, killing five elite soldiers and severely injuring six others. The mission was then immediately aborted and was later known as Tze’elim Bet disaster.

As per the investigation, it was revealed that serious lapses in planning, communication and risk assessment were behind the disaster.

Israel kept the information of the deaths of soldiers a secret for years and the operation remains classified.