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The Vulture Was A Spy

And we have the proof!

by
Marc Tracy
January 04, 2011
A griffon vulture.(Wikipedia)
A griffon vulture.(Wikipedia)

Tablet Magazine has been given an exclusive look at the last known transmission between a vulture, identification code R65, captured in Saudi Arabia and his handlers, who are bird ecologists at Tel Aviv University. Or so they want you to think.

MOSSAD: “Vulture R65, are you there? Come in, Vulture R65!”

VULTURE R65: “Brawck!”

MOSSAD: “Roger that. Have you entered Saudi airspace?”

VULTURE R65: “Brawck!”

MOSSAD: “Okay, good. We knew we could count on you. Now we are going to tell you your exact mission.”

VULTURE R65: “Brawck!”

MOSSAD: “Right, exactly. Recon. We want you to drop to an altitude of 50 meters. Then—”

VULTURE R65: “Brawck!”

MOSSAD: “Hold on, Vulture R65, we’re not finished. Drop to an altitude of 50 meters and then you’ll want to—”

VULTURE R65: “Brawck!”

MOSSAD: “Dammit Vulture R65, please let us finish. That is an order.”

VULTURE R65: “Brawck!”

MOSSAD: “Thank you.”

VULTURE R65: “Brawck!”

MOSSAD: “So go to 50 meters, spy on this powerful sheikh, then come back home and tell us what you saw. And for heaven’s sake, don’t get caught!”

VULTURE R65: “Brawck!”

MOSSAD: “Do you copy?”

VULTURE R65: “Brawck!”

MOSSAD: “Okay. Good luck, and be safe. The State of Israel is counting on you. Over and out.”

VULTURE R65: “Brawck!”

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.