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Could a Jewish Mossad agent have been masquerading as a bird to gather intel about Turkey?
Remember when the Saudis captured a vulture on suspicion it was spying for Israel? Or the bizarre claim that the Sharm el-Sheikh shark had been sent by Israel to attack unsuspecting tourists? Well, to add to your list of spurious claims made by Israel's enemies about Mossad's dastardly tricks, I bring you the big-nosed bird spy.
Apparently, the Turkish authorities are in a bit of a flutter about a European Bee-Eater (it's a species of bird – who knew?) that was recently found dead in a field in Ankara.
The late bird was handed to Ankara's intelligence service after the farmer who found it noticed an Israeli identification ring on its legs. And, given that Israel and Turkey aren't exactly the best of friends at the moment, they decided the poor creature posed a security risk.
But according to Ynet, that's not all that raised suspicion: "The bird-beak in question reportedly sported 'unusually large nostrils,' which – combined with the identification ring – raised suspicions that the bird was 'implanted with a surveillance device' and that it arrived in Turkey as part of an espionage mission."
So, basically, the bird had a big nose and was therefore considered an enemy of the state.
Oh, history, you repeat yourself in such marvellous ways.
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