'The Spy Cables': Al-Jazeera Teases Massive Global Intelligence Leak

Hundreds of secret intelligence documents from world's spy agencies will reportedly reveal "operational dealings of the shadowy and highly politicized" landscape of international espionage

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Al-Jazeera says its reporting on what is calling 'The Spy Cables' will offer a glimpse into the world of espionage. (Image: Screenshot/Al-Jazeera)

Al-Jazeera is reporting that it has come into the possession of "hundreds of secret intelligence documents from the world's spy agencies" which, in partnership with The Guardian newspaper, will be detailed in a series of in-depth exposés beginning on Monday.

According to an initial (and vague) report about the specific contents of the "top-secret" documents, the Al-Jazeera Investigative Unit reports that "unlike the Edward Snowden documents that focus on electronic signals intelligence, commonly referred to in intelligence circles as 'SIGINT', the Spy Cables deal with human intelligence, or 'HUMINT'." As such, the news outlet reports, much that is revealed is a "more humdrum, day-in-the-office level" look at the world of international espionage than some of the NSA documents revealed by the U.S. whistleblower.

"Rather than chronicling spy-movie style tales of  ruthless efficiency of intelligence agencies," Al-Jazeera reports, the files "offer an unprecedented glimpse into the daily working lives of people whose jobs are kept secret from the public."

Al-Jazeera began tweeting about the cables over the weekend, leading some to wonderwhether the hype would be matched by the content of the disclosures.

Though nothing is indicated about the possible source of the intelligence documents, Al-Jazeera says the files come from intelligence agencies around the world, including: Israel's Mossad, Britain's MI6, Russia's FSB, Australia's ASIO and South Africa's SSA.

On Monday, Haaretz reports that one of the revelations contained within the documents may be Mossad's "true assessment" of the Iran's nuclear program—a potentially explosive piece of information if it betrays public comments on the subject made by the nation's political leaders.

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