8 Shocking Crimes That Were Secretly Committed By Governments

2. The Lavon Affair

A year after the commencement of Operation Ajax - and presumably in some part inspired by it - Israel launched its own campaign of covert misdirection. Given the codename Operation Susannah, it consisted of a series of bombings, planted by Israeli operatives, against British and American-owned communities.

Primarily targeted at libraries, cinemas and schools, the operation aimed to frame the Muslim Brotherhood, assorted Egyptian Communists and, according to released files, a alarmingly vague series of "unspecified malcontents" or "local nationalists". The idea, such as it was, would lead to a complete destabiliSing of the region and perceived civil, religious and political unrest. Leaving the Egyptians with little choice but to request that the British Government step in and assume military control of the Suez Canal zone. However, after a series of successful attacks, a poorly-rigged bomb caught one of the operatives in the blast, leading to his capture and the exposure of the entire plot.

The issue went as far a public trial, and ended in the execution of two of the spies. After being labelled as "Unfortunate Affair" or "The Bad Business" by the Israeli government, the incident was finally dubbed "The Lavon Affair" after the aftermath forced the country's defence minister - Pinhas Lavon - to resign.