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==Early life== ==Early life==
Katz, a fluent ] speaker, was born in Basra in 1963 to a well-to-do ] family. After the ], in 1968 her father was arrested on charges of spying for ], and the rest of the family put under ]. The following year, after having been tortured, Katz's father was convicted and executed in a public hanging in the central square of Baghdad to the roaring applause of more than half a million Iraqis.<ref>]'', July 25, 2003, accessed January 31, 2010]</ref> Katz's mother managed to escape on foot with her three small children to Iran, and from there made their way to Israel.<ref name="katz profile">{{cite web | last =Wallace-Wells | first =Benjamin | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Private Jihad: How Rita Katz got into the spying business | work = | publisher =The New Yorker | date =May 29, 2006 | url =http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/05/29/060529fa_fact | format = | doi = | accessdate =2007-10-09 }}</ref> Katz, a fluent ] speaker, was born in Basra in Southern Iraq in 1963 to a well-to-do ] family. After the ] and shortly after ]'s ] seized power in Iraq in 1968, her father was arrested on charges of spying for ]. The family's property was confiscated by the state, and the rest of the family put under ]. The following year, after having been tortured, Katz's father was convicted and executed in a public hanging in the central square of Baghdad to the roaring applause of more than half a million Iraqis.<ref>]'', July 25, 2003, accessed January 31, 2010]</ref> Katz's mother managed to escape on foot with her three small children to Iran, and from there made their way to Israel.<ref name="katz profile">{{cite web | last =Wallace-Wells | first =Benjamin | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Private Jihad: How Rita Katz got into the spying business | work = | publisher =The New Yorker | date =May 29, 2006 | url =http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/05/29/060529fa_fact | format = | doi = | accessdate =2007-10-09 }}</ref>


While in Israel, Katz served in the ] and studied politics and history at ]. She later married a medical student and in 1997 came to the United States with her husband, who received a ] fellowship. While in Israel, Katz served in the ] and studied politics, history, and Middle Eastern studies at ]. She later married a medical student and in 1997 came to the United States with her husband, who received a ] fellowship.


==Career== ==Career==
In approximately 1997 she began working for a Middle Eastern research institute. Katz worked as an undercover investigator, attending pro-Palestinian rallies and fundraising events in the U.S. disguised as a Muslim woman in order to expose links of American Islamic groups to foreign terrorist groups.

Katz believes that most Muslims living in America are moderate. But that a small group of people, funded by some Saudi Arabians and others, are trying to radicalize them. Katz's SITE Institute was funded by various federal agencies and private groups. It provided information on radical Muslim groups operating in the United States, and led to closures of organizations, deportations, and ongoing investigations.<ref></ref>

In May 2003, Katz related her story on the ] newsmagazine, "]," but in disguise. She also wrote a book entitled '''' under the name "Anonymous", to protect herself and her family from retaliation from groups that she said were linked to ], ], ], and ].

In July 2003 two of the groups she discussed in her book and on television (the Heritage Education Trust and the ]) sued her and revealed her name and identity.

In October 2007, it was revealed that Katz had discovered, and issued to the Bush Administration, a copy of an ] video which had yet to be released by ]. Katz issued the video via a private link to a SITE web page to White House counsel ], and Joel Bagnal, deputy assistant to the president for homeland security. Within minutes, computers registered to various parts of the ] began downloading the video, and within hours a transcript referencing SITE had appeared on '']''. Katz had requested the web page remain confidential, and has reported that dissemination of this information tipped off her Al-Qaeda supporters who had since eliminated the ability of SITE to gather such information.<ref name ="washpost2">{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Leak Severed a Link to Al-Qaeda's Secrets | work = | publisher =The Washington Post | date =Oct. 9, 2007 | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/08/AR2007100801817.html? | format = | doi = | accessdate =2007-10-09 }}</ref> In October 2007, it was revealed that Katz had discovered, and issued to the Bush Administration, a copy of an ] video which had yet to be released by ]. Katz issued the video via a private link to a SITE web page to White House counsel ], and Joel Bagnal, deputy assistant to the president for homeland security. Within minutes, computers registered to various parts of the ] began downloading the video, and within hours a transcript referencing SITE had appeared on '']''. Katz had requested the web page remain confidential, and has reported that dissemination of this information tipped off her Al-Qaeda supporters who had since eliminated the ability of SITE to gather such information.<ref name ="washpost2">{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Leak Severed a Link to Al-Qaeda's Secrets | work = | publisher =The Washington Post | date =Oct. 9, 2007 | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/08/AR2007100801817.html? | format = | doi = | accessdate =2007-10-09 }}</ref>


Revision as of 09:05, 31 January 2010

Rita Katz
Born1963 (age 61–62)
Basra, Iraq
Alma materTel Aviv University
OccupationTerrorism analyst
EmployerSITE Institute
Notable workTerrorist Hunter: The Extraordinary Story of a Woman Who Went Undercover to Infiltrate the Radical Islamic Groups Operating in America
ChildrenFour

Rita Katz (born 1963, Basra, Iraq) is a terrorism analyst and the co-founder of the SITE Institute, a private intelligence firm based in Washington, DC, which focuses on tracking global terrorist networks, and intercepting and distributing secret messages, videos, and advance warnings of suicide bombings from the terrorist group's communications networks.

Early life

Katz, a fluent Arabic speaker, was born in Basra in Southern Iraq in 1963 to a well-to-do Iraqi Jewish family. After the Six Day War and shortly after Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party seized power in Iraq in 1968, her father was arrested on charges of spying for Israel. The family's property was confiscated by the state, and the rest of the family put under house arrest. The following year, after having been tortured, Katz's father was convicted and executed in a public hanging in the central square of Baghdad to the roaring applause of more than half a million Iraqis. Katz's mother managed to escape on foot with her three small children to Iran, and from there made their way to Israel.

While in Israel, Katz served in the Israeli Defense Forces and studied politics, history, and Middle Eastern studies at Tel Aviv University. She later married a medical student and in 1997 came to the United States with her husband, who received a National Institutes of Health fellowship.

Career

In approximately 1997 she began working for a Middle Eastern research institute. Katz worked as an undercover investigator, attending pro-Palestinian rallies and fundraising events in the U.S. disguised as a Muslim woman in order to expose links of American Islamic groups to foreign terrorist groups.

Katz believes that most Muslims living in America are moderate. But that a small group of people, funded by some Saudi Arabians and others, are trying to radicalize them. Katz's SITE Institute was funded by various federal agencies and private groups. It provided information on radical Muslim groups operating in the United States, and led to closures of organizations, deportations, and ongoing investigations.

In May 2003, Katz related her story on the CBS newsmagazine, "60 Minutes," but in disguise. She also wrote a book entitled Terrorist Hunter: The Extraordinary Story of a Woman Who Went Undercover to Infiltrate the Radical Islamic Groups Operating in America under the name "Anonymous", to protect herself and her family from retaliation from groups that she said were linked to Al Qaeda, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah.

In July 2003 two of the groups she discussed in her book and on television (the Heritage Education Trust and the Safa Trust) sued her and revealed her name and identity.

In October 2007, it was revealed that Katz had discovered, and issued to the Bush Administration, a copy of an Osama bin Laden video which had yet to be released by Al-Qaeda. Katz issued the video via a private link to a SITE web page to White House counsel Fred F. Fielding, and Joel Bagnal, deputy assistant to the president for homeland security. Within minutes, computers registered to various parts of the Executive Branch began downloading the video, and within hours a transcript referencing SITE had appeared on Fox News. Katz had requested the web page remain confidential, and has reported that dissemination of this information tipped off her Al-Qaeda supporters who had since eliminated the ability of SITE to gather such information.

Works

Book

Select articles

Sources

References

  1. "Keeping an Eye on Al Qaeda". Newsweek. Sept. 11, 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. Joby Warrick (Sept. 12, 2007). "Bin Laden, Brought to You by ..." The Washington Post. pp. A01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. Glick, Caroline B., "A personal jihad", Jerusalem Post, July 25, 2003, accessed January 31, 2010
  4. Wallace-Wells, Benjamin (May 29, 2006). "Private Jihad: How Rita Katz got into the spying business". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2007-10-09. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. Leibel, Aaron, "Author Infiltrates Islamic Terror Cells", Jewish Journal, August 28, 2003, accessed January 31, 2010
  6. "Leak Severed a Link to Al-Qaeda's Secrets". The Washington Post. Oct. 9, 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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