New Pegasus Spyware Revelations as French PM Visits Morocco
New evidence shows Israeli NSO representatives spent 10 days in Rabat in 2017 demonstrating Pegasus capabilities, while Morocco used the spyware against officials and dissident Omar Radi. Meanwhile, 103 US House Democrats voted for a symbolic amendment to end military aid to Israel, and Argentina reached the World Cup final after a dramatic comeback against England.
Five years after the first Pegasus spyware scandal, new revelations have emerged linking Morocco to the surveillance tool. Investigative outlet Forbidden Stories reports that representatives of Israeli company NSO spent 10 days in a villa in central Rabat in 2017, long before the two countries normalized relations. They demonstrated Pegasus' ability to remotely activate cameras and microphones and extract data with a single click.
A consortium of 15 news outlets has obtained the rare testimony of a former Moroccan secret services employee. According to Le Monde, Pegasus was used only as a last resort, and Morocco purchased other technologies before and after. The whistleblower described physical surveillance tactics against monarchy critic Omar Radi, whose phone was tapped, miniature cameras installed in his home, and conversations transcribed. Radi was arrested and convicted of espionage and sexual assault in a trial "fraught with irregularities," later receiving a royal pardon.
In the US, the Washington Post reports that 103 House Democrats voted for a symbolic amendment to end military aid to Israel. Introduced by a Republican lawmaker as an "America first" measure, all supporting votes came from the left. Democratic whip Katherine Clark said the US should not provide a blank check to any country that does not comply with US law. Meanwhile, JD Vance accused Israel of running a foreign influence campaign against him, responding "go to hell." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected in Washington on Saturday.
In football, Argentina secured a historic comeback against England, advancing to the World Cup final against Spain. Argentinian newspaper Olé celebrated through tears, while Spanish Marca hailed "the most beautiful final." Argentina's banner reading "The Malvinas are Argentinian" could risk FIFA sanctions. English media expressed heartbreak, with the Daily Express declaring "End of the world" and the Sun showing the despair of Harry Kane and others.
