For nearly three decades the world believed a feared hijacking strategist died of leukemia, until reports surfaced alleging that a covert Mossad operation used poisoned Belgian chocolates to eliminate one of its most elusive enemies.
Close your eyes and picture a man accused of orchestrating dramatic aircraft hijackings that shook the world during the 1970s. Commercial aviation was under siege, governments were rattled, and intelligence agencies were scrambling. At the center of several high profile attacks was Wadi Haddad, a senior figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. He was widely described as a strategic planner behind international airline hijackings, including the 1976 Entebbe incident in Uganda. To many in global security circles, he was a mastermind operating beyond reach.
For Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, Haddad became a top priority. Yet reaching him was no simple task. He lived under tight security in Baghdad and was known for extreme caution. Reports described him as deeply paranoid about his safety. He allegedly never slept in the same place twice, ensured that food and drink were checked carefully, and allowed only a trusted inner circle to approach him. Conventional assassination methods were considered too risky. Intelligence planners needed a strategy that would bypass his defenses without raising suspicion.
According to accounts published years later, Mossad began closely monitoring Haddad’s habits. Among the patterns observed was a personal indulgence. He reportedly loved high quality Belgian chocolates imported from Europe. This seemingly harmless weakness would allegedly become the foundation of a covert intelligence operation that remained secret for decades.
Investigative reports claim that a deep cover operative cultivated a close relationship with Haddad and eventually presented him with a gift of premium chocolates. These chocolates were allegedly laced with a slow acting biological toxin developed to avoid immediate detection. The substance reportedly weakened the immune system gradually rather than producing sudden symptoms that would trigger alarm.
Within weeks, Haddad’s health began to deteriorate. He lost weight rapidly and complained of severe internal discomfort. Iraqi doctors were reportedly unable to identify the cause of his condition. He was later transferred to a hospital in East Germany for advanced treatment. On March 28, 1978, he died. Official records listed leukemia as the cause of death.
For 28 years, the world accepted that explanation. It was only in 2006 that journalist Aaron Bergman reported allegations that Haddad’s death may have resulted from a secret Mossad mission later referred to as the Chocolate Operation. Whether viewed as documented intelligence history or a chilling chapter of Cold War era espionage, the story remains one of the most striking examples of psychological warfare and covert operations in modern intelligence lore.
