Q & A with Juval

Interviewer:      Good Morning!

JA:  Good Morning!

Interviewer:  Thanks for speaking with us.

JA:     My pleasure!

Interviewer:      Congratulations on Max being released in paperback and the publishing of Flight 103 this year.

JA:          Yes, the Sam Green series seems to be doing very well.

Interviewer:    These novels are based on actual cases that you have worked on, is that correct?

JA:    Yes, Max was based on my investigation of the murder of British media tycoon, Robert Maxwell.  Flight 103 was based on the work that I did for Pan American Airlines after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

Interviewer:    You’ve answered this question before, but why do you fictionalize these stories, why not an autobiography or memoir?

JA:    There are aspects of these cases that I can’t now and may never be able to talk about.  There are sources that I can’t identify, clients that I need to protect.  By writing about these cases as fiction, it gives me the room that I need to tell a complete story without jeopardizing myself or anyone else in the process.

Interviewer:      One reason that we wanted to interview you is because while you’ve done many interviews about the books and what inspired them, there’s not a great deal of biographical information out there about you, the author.

JA:      Well, there is actually quite a lot of information out there about me, but there is as much fiction as fact.

Interviewer:      Exactly.  Well should we start from the beginning?

JA:          Wherever you would like.

Interviewer:      Where and when were you born?

JA:      I was born in Rishon Le Zion in Israel in 1947 and one of the first generation to be born and come of age in the new, post WWII Israel.  I spent several years in the late 1950’s living in Frankfurt, while my parents cared for my maternal grandfather and then spent the equivalent of my high school years at a kibbutz back in Israel.

Interviewer:     Do you speak German?

JA:    Yes.  I speak English, Hebrew and German.  I was fluent in German at one time.  I think it’s much easier to pick up a language as a young child.  I can still carry on a conversation, but I’ve lost a bit of it.

Interviewer:    What did your parents do?

JA:    My mother was a housewife.  For most of my childhood I thought that my father was a businessman of some sort.  He travelled frequently, supposedly dealing in imports and exports.  As it turns out, he was actually an agent with what eventually became the Mossad, the Israeli Secret Service.

Interviewer:    When did you find out about that?

JA:    Just before I left the kibbutz to join the army.  I met a friend’s father who knew my father.  I knew that that friend’s father was in the Mossad.  I started asking questions and over time it came out.

Interviewer:    Did your father ever talk to you very much about his experiences?

JA:    No.  While he was active, he could not speak about what he was doing.  And after he left the service, I think he felt a bit lost and was embittered by how poorly he felt the agency treated him when he was no longer of use.  He did not speak of it very much.

Interviewer:      So, after the kibbutz, you entered the army?

JA:    Yes, it was mandatory then in Israel and still is.  I served for several years, rising to the rank of Captain.

Interviewer:      Did you plan on entering the Secret Service after the army?

JA:    No, not at all.  It is not the sort of thing that you apply for.  They come for you.  I was actually hoping to get a job with El Al, the Israeli Airline.  It had always been my dream to be a pilot.  I did not have the academic qualifications in science and math to do that, but I hoped that I could work for them in some capacity that would allow me to travel.  I had always had a great curiosity about the world outside of Israel and my time in Germany as a child only strengthened that.

Interviewer:    How were you recruited then?

JA:    I received an envelope at home with instructions to meet a man at a certain time at a rather nondescript office.  Very vague, but I suspected what it was.  It was my intention to turn them down, but their talk of travel and career opportunities excited me.  I was eventually offered a place in their training program and I accepted.

Interviewer:    What was training like?

JA:    It was very rigorous, much more so than the army.  We trained very hard physically and with weapons, coding, computers, driving and the like.  About half of the recruits drop out or were asked to leave.

Interviewer:    How long had you been with the Mossad before you were given the Black September or Wrath of God assignment?

JA:    About three years.  I was then assigned to lead a team of agents tracking down and dispatching members of the Black September terrorist squad which was responsible for the assassination of 11 Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games in Munich.  The code name for the operation was Wrath of God.

Interviewer:    It is surprising that assignment would be given to such a young agent.

JA:    Yes, and no.  On one hand it was a very big assignment, but on the other hand Israel was a very young country itself and had already weathered many wars and conflicts.  Consequently, Israel had and still has a very young, very well trained army and special forces.  Also, I think that this is the sort of job where it actually helps to be very young.  Young people think they are invincible, they have no sense of their own mortality.  When you are older and have a family, you start to realize how fragile life is.  The job required confidence and an ability to not second guess decisions and not worry that you would almost certainly be killed.  In other words, it helped to be young and dumb.  Also, when you assemble a team that is going to be operating outside the borders of Israel, one of the most important requirements is languages.  Anyone can be trained to pull a trigger, but it is much more complicated to find someone who can blend successfully into other societies and still carry out the mission.  I spoke several languages.

Interviewer:    Would you go through that experience again?

JA:    Would I do what I did again?  Yes.  While it’s certainly not a time that I recall fondly, under the same circumstances, I would do it again.  I believe that that response to the terrorist attacks was the correct one.

Interviewer:    When did you move to New York?

JA:    1975.  I had ended the mission, I was done with the Mossad and I was ready for a fresh start.  America had always been a dream of mine.  It wasn’t easy at first.  I had no credentials.  I couldn’t talk about anything that I had done for the past several years.  Eventually I decided to stick with what I know and to use the contacts that I had, and in 1979 I started my company, Interfor, specializing in corporate intelligence and security consulting.  I have been doing that ever since.

Interviewer:    In 1984 George Jonas wrote Vengeance, the story of the Wrath of God operation as told to him by you.  Your identity was not revealed in the novel and the book was eventually the inspiration for the movie, Munich, by Steven Spielberg.  You were also a consultant on the movie.  Why did you decide to tell that story?

JA:    Personally, it was liberating to be able to tell the story, even anonymously.  It was the most extraordinary, pivotal, formative experience of my life and to not even be able to tell my family about it was difficult.  More importantly, I thought that the story needed to be told.  Terrorism as a political tool was and is a growing phenomenon and I felt that Israel’s response to the Munich massacre was something that needed to be discussed.  It was something that people could learn a great deal from.

Interviewer:    Since the release of Munich, you have been more open about your involvement in Wrath of God.  Why is that?

JA:    Enough time has passed.  It’s been more than 30 years and so much has happened since then that people don’t care enough about me to come after me, legally or otherwise.

Interviewer:      There are people who question your background and say that you were never in the Mossad, that you were a cab driver and that your only security experience was a short stint at El Al airlines from which you were fired.

JA:    Ha!  Yes, I have heard that as well.  I have to say that if that was the extent of my experience before I started my company, then I am one incredibly successful con artist.  To build a successful company that has lasted 30 years on a collection of lies would be unheard of, not to mention highly unlikely.  I couldn’t do what I do, I couldn’t have done the work that I have done for the past three decades, if I did not know what I was doing and if I didn’t have the contacts that I have.  Additionally, I have worked with government agencies, Fortune 500 companies and a lot of the world’s top law firms.  Very intelligent, very successful people have hired me time and time again.  Even the best con artist can’t fool everyone.  The people that I have worked for have been satisfied with my credentials and with the work that I have done for them and that is enough for me.

Admittedly, I don’t have the sort of resume that you can verify by calling Human Resources.  It is very easy to call me a liar.  But I am who I say that I am and I stand by the work that I have done.

Interviewer:    Since the work that you did for Pan American Airlines on the Flight 103 bombing, some American intelligence officers have claimed that you are a fraud as well.  How do you respond?

JA:    The FBI investigated me soon after I moved to New York to make sure that I was not a spy for Israel.  They determined that I had been in Israeli intelligence and that I was no longer working for them as a spy.  Since then I have consulted with the FBI, the CIA, DEA and the IRS.  To this day, I am invited frequently to speak with groups of FBI officers and trainees.

After my investigation of the Flight 103 bombing, I issued a report that claimed in part that the bomb had been smuggled on board the plane by a drug smuggling operation that was being supervised by a black ops group from the CIA.  Obviously, it was in the best interest of the U.S. government to discredit me.  I was called a fraud and a liar and they went as far as taking me to court on trumped up fraud charges on behalf of one of my clients.  A client, might I add, who had been satisfied with the work that I did.  There were some hard years after that, but the case was eventually thrown out of court and most of us have moved on.  As I said before, I am often invited to speak at FBI functions now.  But, there are still a couple of people from that time who rush to denounce me any chance that they get.  It is interesting, though, that the case made by the U.S. and British governments after the Lockerbie bombing is now falling apart and the men that were convicted of the crime may soon be freed.  My theories are really the only ones that have stood the test of time.

Interviewer:    Back to the books…why Sam Green?  Why use a nom de plume?

JA:    From a marketing standpoint, Sam Green has a more familiar ring to it for American and British book buyers than Juval Aviv.  But, additionally, I have two careers.  The majority of my time is spent on my company, Interfor, and it is nice to have a layer of separation between those two worlds.

Interviewer:      Are there more books in the works?

JA:      Yes, I am working on some ideas, but there is no publishing date at the moment.

Interviewer:      Will these be based on real events like Max and Flight 103?

JA:      Yes, there are several cases that I have worked on that I am considering using for more Sam Green novels.

Interviewer:    Well, we’re anxiously waiting to read them.  Thank you for the interview.

JA:    You’re welcome.  Thank you!

Asda Top Ten

I’m glad to say that Max has made it into the top ten best seller list of books sold by Asda.   Asda is the UK supermarket chain that is owned by Wal-Mart

Introducing Sam Green

I’m pleased to say that Max is about to be republished in the UK.   This time those ingenious marketing people at my publishers decided to give me a pen name, and so from know on I will be known as “Sam Green” to the book world, and of course as “Juval Aviv” to my clients in the security world.  I suppose you could say that we are trying to keep fact and fiction as separate as possible !

I hope this isn’t too confusing to those of you who have been following “Max by Juval Aviv” from the beginning.

Now that the publishing schedule is on track, we are going to be putting the audio stories out more regularly, so keep listening !

Background Checks

In the past few weeks, 8 people employed by the British National Health Service, have been arrested as suspects in failed bombing attempts in London and Glasgow. Two of them, both doctors, had taken preliminary steps to work in the U.S. These arrests have raised a potentially thorny issue that hasn’t received a lot of attention until now. That is; how far do companies and government agencies need to go when doing background checks prior to hiring a new employee to check for ties to terrorist organizations or criminal backgrounds?

One big difference between the recent incident in the U.K. and most previous incidents involving terrorism is that the alleged perpetrators are highly educated, middle class and employed. Prior to this incident, the majority of people involved in terrorist organizations have been the opposite: poor, uneducated, unemployed and disenfranchised. It was thought that these frustrating conditions make people more likely to fall under the influence of fringe religious and political groups and cults and easier to radicalize. It was assumed that people, like the doctors accused in this case, wouldn’t be so likely to be attracted to these groups because they are financially secure, they are fully functioning, fully engaged members of their societies and, at the end of the day, they have a lot to lose if they were jailed or killed.

Times are changing, however. The war in Iraq rages on and consequently, according to the NIE report issued this week, Al Qaeda and the Taliban are regaining strength and anti-American and anti-Western sentiment is growing. At the same time other countries like Lebanon and Palestine, and some in Africa and Indonesia, are growing more chaotic every day. Millions are left with no jobs, no food and no hope and are forced to flee their homes for foreign countries, sometimes bringing people of highly conservative or extreme religious and political beliefs into confrontation with societies with more secular humanist belief systems. All of these factors are contributing to a sense of frustration, alienation and desperation in a growing number of people in Europe and even in the United States who are susceptible to radicalization.

Now we have a situation where 8 very educated people employed in highly responsible positions are accused of attempting to murder hundreds of their fellow citizens. That was followed, just this week, with news that a low-level worker at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the birthplace of the atomic bomb, was caught trying to sell information on how to make enriched uranium to a person who he thought was representing another country. That person, fortunately, was an undercover F.B.I. agent, but this serves to further illustrate the point that the possibility of a terrorist infiltrating a company through a legitimate position is becoming a reality that we all have to face.

The British government is currently reviewing their hiring procedures and the background checks that were done on the accused doctors. This review will necessarily focus on the practice of fast-tracking the immigration process on foreign-born skilled workers and the thoroughness of the background checks done on all employees. Many companies and governments will be faced with similar situations in the coming years. Industries ranging from finance to pharmaceuticals face very real threats from infiltration and the potential damage to companies, the economy and the public at large is enormous.

What do we do? It is clear that thorough background checks are now a necessity for skilled workers. Calling a few references and a credit check will not be enough to protect your company. Checks on where a prospective employee has traveled in the past few years, or where they have studied can raise flags. Affiliations with activist groups or extremist political organizations need to be looked into for ties to illegal or violent activities. A thorough check of the court systems everywhere the person has lived, including outside the U.S., for criminal records is a must. In short, the kind of background checks normally reserved for high level executives should be considered for any employee with a degree of responsibility and access to sensitive information or secured areas.

The government can not do enough to keep us completely safe. Terrorism is here to stay and it is no longer in someone else’s back yard. Terrorists and those who are susceptible to radicalization are here in our towns and communities. They could be our doctors, our bankers, our pharmacists and without igniting a single bomb, they could inflict catastrophic damage. We have to accept that fact and act accordingly.

Travel Safety Tips

Summer is here again, and many of us are planning trips abroad. While there is increased risk, there are steps that we can take to keep ourselves and our families safe when we travel. Here are a few that I recommend…

Do not Advertise your Nationality
If you are traveling abroad, or even in your own country, advertising that you are from out of town increases your chances of being a victim of crime or terrorism. Opportunistic criminals and terrorists look for foreigners, especially Americans, whom they perceive as wealthy. Leave the corporate logos, Blackberries, iPods, and expensive jewelry at home or at the hotel. If you typically wear shorts, brightly colored shirts, sandals and the like when you travel you will stand out. We recommend something like business casual attire, especially in cities. You look less like a tourist and it’s easier to blend into a crowd if you are dressed a bit more conservatively.

Trust your Instincts
Your instincts are often right. If a situation does not feel right then leave. If you don’t feel safe in a hotel, then move. If a taxi looks suspicious, wait for another. It is better to feel a bit silly and paranoid than to be the victim of crime or terrorism, or as the old adage goes, “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Locate Your Country’s Embassy or Consulate
No matter how brief your stay in a foreign country, always locate your country’s embassy or consulate and let them know that you are there. You can even pre-register before you leave. They can be an enormous help in the event of an emergency.

Copy Important Documents
You should leave copies of your passport, visa, driver’s license, and health insurance, bank and credit cards in a hotel safe as well as with a friend or family member back home. Better yet, scan copies into an emailable format. Should you become the victim of theft or kidnapping, this could prove to be invaluable.

Rent or Buy a Cell Phone with International Roaming
Rent or buy a cell phone with international roaming that will function at your destination. Most U. S. mobile phone providers offer a global rental service.

Never Take the First Taxi in Line in Developing/Volatile Countries
If a group is out to kidnap you, they may have a taxi waiting outside your hotel for your departure or a compatriot in the hotel who will signal them when you are about to leave. For this reason it is better to hail a taxi on the street or have your hotel recommend a reputable taxi or limousine service. Also beware of unmarked taxis.

Don’t Exchange Currency at the Airport
Criminals often target foreign visitors exchanging large sums at airport banks and foreign exchange kiosks.

London Car Bomb,June 29, 2007

The discovery last night of an undetonated bomb in an abandoned car parked in a busy London nightclub and theater district is a grim reminder that the threats that we all face from terrorism are not going away.  Hatred for Western governments and way of life is at an all time high and fringe groups are often encouraged by the panic that even an unsuccessful attempt like this can cause.

While there is nowhere that you can go to keep yourself completely safe from this threat, there are things that you can do to help.  Report abandoned packages or bags to the authorities immediately.  If you notice something unusual, like in this case where people saw smoke coming from the car, report it and get away from the area.  If you notice unusual behavior in a person in a public place, such as increased agitation or wearing bulky garments that are inappropriate for the weather and look to be concealing something, don’t be afraid to report it.  Law enforcement agencies can’t be everywhere at once, so there is only so much they can do to protect us.  We must act as their eyes and ears and realize that we must assume some responsibility and be active participants in increasing the safety and security of ourselves and our neighbors

Staying Safe

An interview I gave last year to “Your Turn” on Fox about the choices you can make in your life to survive a terrorist attack.

Capture

The capture of five Britons in Baghdad is yet another terrible reminder of the strain that private security contractors are working under in that country. The trouble is, it would probably be a lot worse if they weren’t there.

The Front Line

I think this video gives us a good idea of what it is like on the front line of the war on terror.

You can support the war or not. But you can’t dispute the guts of those on the front line