Culture
Heroes in the shadows: the intelligence men behind October
Before the crossing, there was a battle for information. Egypt remembers the agents who fought it.
Before the crossing began, there were men fighting a completely different battle: the battle for information.
Rifaat El Gammal, better known by his cover name Raafat El Haggan, Ahmed El Hawan, Ashraf Marwan, Amr Talaba and Rifaat Gebril are among the names associated with the Egyptian intelligence operations that helped pave the way for the 1973 victory. Several of their stories were later dramatised for Egyptian television.
On the anniversary of October, Egypt remembers the men who sacrificed in silence so the country could win back its land and its dignity.
