In death, suspected Egyptian spy still tantalizes

Remorse after death
Now that Marwan is dead, both men express some remorse at the decision to unmask the reputed spy.

"I think it was a terrible mistake," said Bregman, who developed a working relationship with Marwan after exposing him. "I don't know and we don't know whether the story of him being a double agent is linked to his death. It was a mistake to mention that someone who was still alive was a spy. You don't do that."

Bregman, who is convinced Marwan was murdered, thinks his killer may have been trying to prevent publication of Marwan's memoirs, which he had been writing at the time of his death. The manuscript of the memoirs is missing, Bregman said.

In a telephone interview, Blum said he did not use Marwan's name in his book until Bregman had revealed it.

"As a journalist I think I had a responsibility to use his name as it was already out there, but as a human, if I did anything to contribute to his death, I'm very sorry," said Blum.

He said his extensive research about the Yom Kippur war convinced him that Marwan was in fact a double agent who was part of a larger, coordinated Egyptian disinformation campaign.

As a result of Marwan's information, he said, Israeli tank commanders in the Sinai peninsula were out of position when the Egyptians attacked.

Police have revealed little about the investigation. A spokeswoman who said her name could not be published because of Scotland Yard policy said police have not been able to find the shoes he was wearing at the time.

That may be important because police wanted to examine the shoes to determine whether he stepped on a plant on his balcony in order to climb over the protective railing.

The spokeswoman also confirmed that police know the identity of two people who were reported by an eyewitness to have been on the balcony when Marwan toppled to his doom.

"We know who these individuals are," she said, refusing to state whether they are suspected of foul play.

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