29. Was Hitler’s No. 1 soldier an Israeli spy?
SS Colonel Otto Skorzeny (wikimedia commons)
During WW2, SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny, commander of the SS special forces was referred by allied media as “The most dangerous man in Europe” and probably for good reason. He was in charge of the German equivalent to today’s USA Delta Force, Navy Seals, and Green Berets.
After the war, he managed to escape from an allied prison, apparently with the help of former SS men who were disguised as US military police. He settled in Spain under the auspices of Franco’s regime.
In the 50’ Skorzeny began consulting to Israel’s greatest enemy at that time – Egypt. In those days, Egypt employed German scientists – mostly former Nazis – to develop long-range missiles to be used against Israel.
In 1962, Skorzeny was recruited by the Israeli intelligence service, the ‘Mossad’. After the abduction of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann and his prosecution in Israel, Skorzeny feared a similar fate and therefore decided to cooperate with Israelis for immunity.
Skorzeny proved to be a very effective spy and had a crucial role in obstructing the Egyptian missile project.
He died of cancer in Madrid in 1975 as a full-fledged Nazi, showing neither remorse nor regret.
His funeral was attended not only by dozen of hailing Nazis but also by his ‘Mossad’ handlers who came to pay their respects… and for other purposes…
