View Full Version : Hamas leader assassinated
rickrock305
02-17-10, 23:42
can't say as i feel too sorry for the guy.
thought it was interesting they were able to put together CCTV of the entire team and all their movements though.
http://video.gulfnews.com/services/player/bcpid4267205001?bctid=66672644001
Really interesting, wish there was audio. Where'd you come across that at?
Interesting to note that the door was locked and chained from the inside.
More news here: http://gulfnews.com/in-focus/hamasmurder
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/7258631/British-threat-to-Israel-over-Dubai-Hamas-assassination.html
the word is, "innocent" europeans' passports were forged, and it was a mossad hit, using israeli agents..
sort of odd the way information is coming about. i don't suppose there's any reason to trust the accuracy of any press-release information, or to draw any conclusions about who did what.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/7258631/British-threat-to-Israel-over-Dubai-Hamas-assassination.html
the word is, "innocent" europeans' passports were forged, and it was a mossad hit, using israeli agents..
sort of odd the way information is coming about. i don't suppose there's any reason to trust the accuracy of any press-release information, or to draw any conclusions about who did what.
Really interesting story. The video wasn't terribly exciting but it was pretty amazing the way they tracked the entire "team" throughout the evolution. Kind of like a modern day version of Munich, the movie that is.
I don't know why people call it "murder." Hamas and Israel are at war with one another.
I don't know why people call it "murder." Hamas and Israel are at war with one another.
exactly.. it was an assassination of a terrorist leader, not a "murder," like a crack deal gone wrong or something.
Sounds to me like the guy was watching hotel porn and had a stroke while...erh uhh stroking:p and HAMAS and the Gov't of Dubai are turning lemons into lemonade and the media is quite happy to go along with it and sell the news as usual:(
Everything that the Israelis are being accused of the Dubai Gov't could have even more easily faked. Maybe the special communication devices were Star Trek Communicators and Scotty beamed them into and out of the room leaving the door bolted and chained:cool:
I don't know why people call it "murder." Hamas and Israel are at war with one another.
I'm neutral on it, but I would say it's a pretty clearly murder, at war or not.
It wasn't a killing that happened in Israeli or any of the Palestinian territories, so it would fall under the laws of the UAE, and under those laws it would be murder.
If our country killed a radical cleric in Germany and some one got caught, it would most likely be seen as murder, because it's unlawful under German law.
Iraq Ninja
02-18-10, 03:43
I'm neutral on it, but I would say it's a pretty clearly murder, at war or not.
What about dropping a rocket on some Tango in a hut in Pakistan? Is that murder? What if Israel dropped a rocket on this guy's hotel room instead of doing it face to face?
In the end, I doubt the UAE is too worried about this.
Can't we just call it a "Man Made Disaster";)
What about dropping a rocket on some Tango in a hut in Pakistan? Is that murder?
Pakistan wants it to happen so no, it's not as if they're in the dark on this and Americans are just sneaking around the country against their will blowing shit up.
Like it or not, killing some in a country outside of a conflict is usually considered murder. If the UK assassinated an Argentinian in NYC during the Falkland wars do you think the NYPD would simply consider it a casualty of war? Probably not, they would more than likely call it a murder and treat it as one.
Does it really make a difference that the UAE is treating this as a murder? No, it's not as if they're going to get those involved extradited for a trial. It's just chest pounding.
well, one things pretty certain...
http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100215/capt.3fcad9c3cf444a5a8f67e345e7076f29.mideast_dubai_hamas_slaying_cai113.jpg?x=353&y=345&q=85&sig=1aLP_oiQihQE0GoD8jwX5Q--
...that's the last NOC mission any of these guys will be doing for while.
Iraq Ninja
02-18-10, 05:55
What I saw was either the shorts for MI:4 or a bunch of random surveillance video easily made out to look like whatever, whoever, wanted it too. Just saying. I know nothing of this case/incident. Just reminded me of the 9/11 conspiracy videos.... and that southpark episode where cartman convinces everyone kyle was responsible for 9/11 with his video presentation.
I just watched the whole video and I thought it was well done, both by the hit team and the investigation. I don't have any doubt about what the video is showing.
Surveillance is a tricky business, especially these days when you are on video. The team basically went by the book, sticking to standard protocols. I had to laugh when the obviously athletic execution teams showed up.
I stay at that hotel quite often. Maybe I should rent that room and hold a Tango Down party next time...
Consider the etymology of the term assassin. What's going on is an evolution of war, but it still is what it is--war. They still haven't found a name for it, nor have they had the time to make up new rules for its conduct. "They" being those who view these events from the outside with their high moral dignity.
How is this assassination different from the random firing of missiles into a military/police post, or a kibbutz different from this killing? With the extensive use of human shields, the use of surgical strikes of this kind could be seen as a more humane tactic.
Consider the etymology of the term assassin. What's going on is an evolution of war, but it still is what it is--war. They still haven't found a name for it, nor have they had the time to make up new rules for its conduct. "They" being those who view these events from the outside with their high moral dignity.
How is this assassination different from the random firing of missiles into a military/police post, or a kibbutz different from this killing? With the extensive use of human shields, the use of surgical strikes of this kind could be seen as a more humane tactic.
I really don't give two shits about the UAE or some guy name mahmud. He played a dangerous game and lost, oh well so sad. My only point is that it is murder lol. I don't care about the whole morality thing either, I'm just saying under UAE law (the country this happened in :P ) It's murder, and murder is defined by laws.
And as a side note, this is going to bite Israel in the ass, governments usually aren't all that grateful being connected with such things.
Find, fix, finish. Interesting stuff, very well coordinated. I find it interesting that the UAE was able to put this all together so quickly, they're obviously very well practiced at piecing together the movements of cells.
In the video (http://video.gulfnews.com/services/player/bcpid4267205001?bctid=66672644001) @ 13:41, a male with an athletic build in street clothes and his face digitally blurred follows "Kevin" as he checks out of his hotel. UAE Intelligence? Did they have some assassination cell members under surveillance?
Mauser KAR98K
02-18-10, 08:39
This whole sequence was show on the nightly news on CBS. And guess who was the bad guys: Israel. They seem to forget that HAMAS is a terrorist faction. :rolleyes:
ForTehNguyen
02-18-10, 08:43
Munich is the first thing I thought of when I read this. If some of yall havent seen it, its a great movie.
In the end, I doubt the UAE is too worried about this.
I doubt they're worried, either - more embarassed and butthurt that a team that size made it in and out without their even seeing it until after the fact...or maybe they did see it and just sort of let it happen, and the outrage after the fact is simply a media show.
The Brits are, somewhat understandably, pissed off that the Israelis apparently stole the identities of some real Brits who were living in Israel in order to forge the passports.
And as a side note, this is going to bite Israel in the ass, governments usually aren't all that grateful being connected with such things.
Yeah, Dubai has been so friendly towards Israel up until now.
Yeah, Dubai has been so friendly towards Israel up until now.
Im talking about the UK mainly, it's not exactly going to strengthen any bond between the two.
I don't know about this one .
If the exact incident ( as reported ) had taken place in some other locations , I would be very sceptical . Places like Egypt , Jordan , maybe some countries along the western Med come to mind. Organizations like Hamas can be a real nuisance and some cultures value due diligence more than formal , transparent due process.
rickrock305
02-18-10, 10:20
I had to laugh when the obviously athletic execution teams showed up.
i noticed that too.
that and when he came out of the room still wearing gloves.
i find it a little weird that a supposed leader of Hamas travels alone with no security.
VooDoo6Actual
02-18-10, 10:25
http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20100217_video_dispatch_tradecraft_dubai_assassination
More EEI from Stratfor
---------------------------
UAE: THE ASSASSINATION OF MAHMOUD AL-MABHOUH
Summary
Recently released closed-circuit television footage shows the suspected assassins of Hamas military commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh as they conducted operations. Throughout the footage, the suspects act in a methodical, well-choreographed manner, indicating the assassination was a professional operation.
Editor's Note: This is a tactical discussion and analysis of the assassination of Hamas military commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.
Analysis
Dubai police on Feb. 16 released closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of 17 individuals (15 men and two women) believed to have participated in a Jan. 19 operation to assassinate Hamas military commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.
Al-Mabhouh, one of the founders of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, reportedly was in Dubai for an unknown meeting -- without security, due to an inability to purchase timely airfare for his bodyguards -- and according to STRATFOR sources stopped there on his way to Tehran to meet with Iranian officials about prospective arms sales to Hamas. He was found dead in his room at the Al Bustan hotel in Dubai on Jan. 20.
Police were able to backtrack 11 of the 17 suspects through CCTV footage and immigration records to their arrival at the Dubai International Airport 19 hours prior to al-Mabhouh's assassination. Those 11 traveled to Dubai on passports from the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Germany, arriving approximately 14 hours ahead of al-Mabhouh from different locations around Europe.
The suspects utilized several high-pedestrian-traffic locations throughout Dubai as meeting areas, logistics hubs and staging sites prior to the operation, including at least three hotels and a shopping center. Dubai police also identified several reportedly encrypted phone calls made from suspects' phones to numbers in Austria, where police think a command-and-control center for the operation was based.
All suspects attempted to alter their physical appearance in varying degrees, ranging from simple hats to wigs and glasses. The demeanor of team members visible on the CCTV footage did not deviate from that of regular tourists or businesspeople, indicating a high level of training and professionalism.
From the CCTV footage it was clear the suspects were assigned to one of several specialized teams and carried out very specific roles in the operation. At least four surveillance teams were identified; three of the four teams appeared to work in pairs, while the fourth looked to be a single individual. Another individual, who seemed to be the senior commander of the operation, appeared to have reserved the room across the hall from the room in which al-Mabhouh was staying. The remaining seven members of the group were directly involved in the actual assassination, serving as lookouts outside al-Mabhouh's room or as the actual assassins.
Prior to al-Mabhouh's arrival in Dubai, the surveillance teams were prepositioned at the airport and at two hotels al-Mabhouh was known to frequent when he traveled to Dubai. Once al-Mabhouh arrived at the Al Bustan, the two surveillance operatives located in the lobby were seen following him to his room. After al-Mabhouh's room number had been confirmed, the two surveillance assets contacted the rest of the team, who then moved to the Al Bustan, and the senior commander reserved the room across the hall from al-Mabhouh's.
Al-Mabhouh then left the Al Bustan for an unknown meeting, during which time CCTV shows one of the surveillance operatives calling out the description of al-Mabhouh's vehicle. After al-Mabhouh's departure, two men and a woman wearing wigs and glasses and a pair of two-man assassin teams staged themselves in the room across the hall from al-Mabhouh's room.
Upon his return to the Al Bustan, al-Mabhouh is seen passing the disguised man and woman who had taken up lookout positions near the elevator and outside al-Mabhouh's room. Al-Mabhouh was then intercepted and killed in his room by the two-man assassin teams at approximately 8:30 p.m. local time. The surveillance teams then left the premises, followed by both the two-man assassin teams (who left all together), and finally by the disguised two men and woman.
The 11 identified individuals flew out of the Dubai International Airport between two and 10 hours after the assassination to several different locations such as South Africa, Hong Kong, Germany, France and Switzerland – long before a hotel cleaning crew discovered al-Mabhouh's body Jan 20 at approximately 1:30 p.m. local time.
The arrival of the team members some 19 hours ahead of the operation and 14 hours ahead of al- Mabhouh indicates the group had knowledge of al-Mabhouh's travel plans beforehand. Additionally, the coordinated movements and logistics involved in the operation typically require an advance team to be in place ahead of the assassination team's arrival. Throughout the CCTV footage, some members of the team -- specifically the actual assassins -- were mindful of the placement of the surveillance cameras and moved in such a way as to block direct views of their faces, while others were not as careful.
The team's movements throughout the operation were methodical, calculated, well-choreographed and, most of all, indicative of a professional operation. Moreover, their outward demeanor directly before and after the killing did not deviate from that of Dubai regulars. It was clear that each member of the team was professionally trained and operated in a coordinated and defined role necessary for the completion of the mission. Operators with these skills are not easy to come by. The tactics and logistics involved in this operation were well beyond the capabilities of known terrorist organizations and all but a few national intelligence services. While this CCTV footage does not offer any clues as to who carried out the al-Mabhouh's assassination, it does show a high degree of professionalism that very few possess.
STRATFOR 2010
/break/
4+ countries / Interpol is busy I see
Kidon.....;)
המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים
HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim
מדינת ישראל
המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים
etmology
(Arabic)
حشاشون \ جماعة الحشاشين
Hashshashin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashshashin
" ...cloned passports from Ireland , France and Germany.... "
And , of course , the UK .
Holy Nurnberg & Munich , Batman !
theblackknight
02-21-10, 08:27
I stay at that hotel quite often. Maybe I should rent that room and hold a Tango Down party next time...
Now thats funny right there.:D
Alpha Sierra
02-21-10, 12:10
or maybe they did see it and just sort of let it happen, and the outrage after the fact is simply a media show.
This would be my bet.
VooDoo6Actual
02-21-10, 14:46
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61J14O20100220
Credit cards implicate Mossad in Dubai hit: report
Sat Feb 20, 2010 1:04pm
DUBAI (Reuters) - New evidence incriminating Israel's spy agency in the assassination of a Hamas commander in Dubai includes credit card payments and phone calls made by suspects, an Arabic-language daily reported on Saturday.
Police have already said the 11 suspects used forged passports in the names of innocent individuals of several European nationalities.
"Dubai police have information confirming that the suspects purchased travel tickets from companies in other countries with credit cards carrying the same names we have publicized (in the passports)," Al Bayan daily on Saturday quoted Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan Tamim as saying.
It did not give further details.
Palestinian Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was found dead in his room in a luxury Dubai hotel on January 20, a day after arriving in the emirate.
Dubai police have released photographs of the 11 suspects. The international criminal police organization Interpol said on Thursday it had issued "red notices" for their arrest in any of its 188 member countries.
Dubai's police chief said on Thursday he believed Israeli agents were responsible for killing al-Mabhouh, a senior member of the Islamist group which rules Gaza, and called for the Mossad spy agency's chief to be arrested if its responsibility was proved.
Britain offered on Friday new passports to six British citizens whose identities were used by the suspects and all of whom live in Israel, to protect them from inadvertent arrest through Interpol.
Other suspects identified by Dubai used cloned passports from Ireland, France and Germany.
(Reporting by Tamara Walid; editing by Andrew Roche)
how did they work the" locked and chained" from the inside"?
how were they able to put together such complete footage?
Is the actual footage much clearer than what we are seeing? If not how can you identify anyone?
Just some questions that pop-up.
I heard a report that said he was tasered or shocked and then strangled or suffocated. That would explain "glove-man", but with such a professional crew it seems unlikely that no one would notice he was still wearing them in the hallway. Were they removed in the elevator or was he still wearing them outside the hotel?
rickrock305
02-21-10, 17:22
"Dubai police have information confirming that the suspects purchased travel tickets from companies in other countries with credit cards carrying the same names we have publicized (in the passports)," Al Bayan daily on Saturday quoted Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan Tamim as saying.
It did not give further details.
how does that implicate Mossad?
not saying i would be surprised if they were behind it, but it seems like everyone is real quick to point the finger there with absolutely no proof.
how does that implicate Mossad?
not saying i would be surprised if they were behind it, but it seems like everyone is real quick to point the finger there with absolutely no proof.
indeed... everyone hates hamas, even if only privately. this could have been anyone, to include nations, rogue agencies, or even private organizations. mossad seems likely, but it also seems way too likely.
usaffarmer
02-21-10, 18:59
They were all just tourist on a trip. Nothing to see here people move on.... :)
It was a clean hit.
No innocents hurt.
Everyone made it out.
Good Job
They were all just tourist on a trip. Nothing to see here people move on.... :)
It was a clean hit.
No innocents hurt.
Everyone made it out.
Good Job
amen.
rickrock305
02-21-10, 20:21
indeed... everyone hates hamas, even if only privately. this could have been anyone, to include nations, rogue agencies, or even private organizations. mossad seems likely, but it also seems way too likely.
there is even some speculation out there that this was an internal Hamas operation. for example, his security team being pulled at the last minute yet he still made the trip? strange to say the least.
there is even some speculation out there that this was an internal Hamas operation. for example, his security team being pulled at the last minute yet he still made the trip? strange to say the least.
would be an excellent opportunity to put a rift between EU intelligence and Mossad, as well as make room at the top within Hamas.
UAE vows to catch Hamas official killers
The United Arab Emirates will bring the killers of a top Hamas official to justice, the country's foreign minister said Sunday.
"We fully intend that those responsible are brought to account for their actions," Anwar Gargash said in a statement published by the country's official news agency.
The Gulf state is urging allies in Europe to get to the bottom of how fraudulent passports were used as part of the murder plot, its foreign ministry said.
European officials pressed Israel for answers Thursday over the use of doctored passports by suspects in the killing, following media speculation that Israeli agents were involved.
"The UAE is deeply concerned by the fact that passports of close allies, whose nationals currently enjoy preferential visa waivers, were illegally used to commit this crime," the UAE foreign ministry said Sunday.
Interpol on Thursday made public the photos and fraudulent names of 11 people it said were involved in the murder. The "red notices" are not international arrest warrants, but are a way of alerting police forces around the world that the suspects are wanted by authorities in the United Arab Emirates.
British and Irish officials met with their respective Israeli ambassadors Thursday and France demanded that Israel explain the use of a French passport in the plot, authorities in the three countries said.
Authorities in Dubai earlier released the photos and fraudulent names of 11 members of an alleged hit-squad that killed al-Mabhouh.
The suspects had European passports -- one from France, three from Ireland, six from Britain, and one from Germany, according to police.
United Arab Emirates officials involved in the investigation, however, told CNN there are seven more suspects involved -- including two Palestinians -- for a total of 18. The two Palestinians were arrested in Jordan, according to the official.
An official with knowledge of the investigation told CNN two other suspects are thought to be Irish, for a total of five. The nationalities of the other three have not been released.
The United Arab Emirates has been in touch with Austria, the official said, because investigators believe the "command and control room for communication, that was used for the relay communication system, was in Austria ... we've talked earlier to the Austrians and we are working on that."
Authorities previously had said the suspects did not talk to one another by telephone, but instead used relay communication -- walkie-talkies or mobile-to-mobile devices.
Countries friendly to the UAE have been cooperative in exchanging information, the official said.
The passports used are not fake or forged, but are authentic passports meant for other people, the official said.
Police are working to identify the five other suspects, the official said.
The suspects and others are believed to have come to Dubai near the end of 2009 for mapping and planning efforts, the official with knowledge of the investigation told CNN -- "there were previous stake-outs for planning and research purposes."
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has already ordered an investigation, after British officials said they believe the passports used were fraudulent.
France has also said a passport used from that country is fraudulent.
"We have got to know what happened to British passports," Brown said in a statement Thursday. "It is as simple as that. It is an investigation that has got to take place before any conclusions are drawn."
In Israel, as many as seven people whose names were on the travel documents said they have no knowledge of al-Mabhouh's death.
The Dubai police chief said Thursday that he is "99-percent" certain that Mossad, the secretive Israeli intelligence unit, is behind al-Mabhouh's killing.
"Our investigations reveal that Mossad is involved in the murder of al-Mabhouh. It is 99 percent, if not 100 percent that Mossad is standing behind the murder," Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim told The National newspaper, an English-language daily owned by the ruling family of Abu Dhabi.
Dubai police have evidence that shows a clear link behind the suspects and people closely connected to Israel, Tamim told the paper, but he did not say what the evidence is.
Hamas has called al-Mabhouh's death an assassination. His family members told CNN they believed Mossad was involved.
Al-Mabhouh was behind the kidnapping and killing of two Israeli soldiers in 1989, according to Hamas.
"The decision for revenge has been made and the Zionists must wait for that moment and see," said Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.
Israel has a policy of neither confirming nor denying involvement in security matters, and government officials declined to comment on the "assassination" statement.
"The Israeli policy has always been to be vague regarding security activities, and that is the right policy," Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israel Army Radio on Wednesday.
Buckaroo
This is all so familiar, like I've seen it before...
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s187/Gianlucasabotage/sabotage.gif
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/2723219868_25841fdc1f.jpg
well, one things pretty certain...
http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100215/capt.3fcad9c3cf444a5a8f67e345e7076f29.mideast_dubai_hamas_slaying_cai113.jpg?x=353&y=345&q=85&sig=1aLP_oiQihQE0GoD8jwX5Q--
...that's the last NOC mission any of these guys will be doing for while.
I don't know. that guy second from left at the top is probably gonna be pretty hard to track down once he gets out of his disguise...
:p
This whole sequence was show on the nightly news on CBS. And guess who was the bad guys: Israel. They seem to forget that HAMAS is a terrorist faction. :rolleyes:
That's typical. Hamas attacks and kills Israelies, not a peep from the world community. But when Israel does the same back at Hamas, the Israelies are condemed and scorned. WTF? :confused:
That seems to be the world view these days. Sympathy for terrorists, hate for those who kill terrorists. :rolleyes: And unfortunately, some of that comes from our so called "allies".
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/NY%20Times.jpg
VooDoo6Actual
02-22-10, 13:42
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/NY%20Times.jpg
OUTSTANDING !
LMAO...
Thanks Buck. That pretty much sums it up.
rickrock305
02-22-10, 15:07
That's typical. Hamas attacks and kills Israelies, not a peep from the world community. But when Israel does the same back at Hamas, the Israelies are condemed and scorned. WTF? :confused:
That seems to be the world view these days. Sympathy for terrorists, hate for those who kill terrorists. :rolleyes: And unfortunately, some of that comes from our so called "allies".
i think they've both committed atrocities.
VooDoo6Actual
02-22-10, 16:47
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/02/20102219289545873.html
Israel PM 'signed off' on Dubai hit
Hamas officials said al-Mabhouh may have created a 'security breach' that led to his death [Reuters]
Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, is alleged to have given the green light for last month's assassination of a senior Hamas figure, according to a British newspaper.
The Sunday Times, citing "sources with knowledge of Mossad", reported on Sunday that Netanyahu visited the Israeli intelligence headquarters in early January and, after being brief, authorised the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.
A rehearsal of the operation, which reportedly involved at least 18 agents, was apparently carried out at a Tel Aviv hotel - without detection - prior to the briefing.
While the identity of the killers remains unknown, Dubai police have identified 11 members of the alleged hit team through immigration records and CCTV tapes.
They identified the passports the 11 suspects were using as coming from Britain, France, Germany and Ireland
Dhahi Khalfan, Dubai's police chief, on Saturday said further investigation showed that some of those passports - bearing authentic holograms - had been used to track al-Mabhouh on earlier trips to the emirate.
'Security breach'
Al-Mabhouh took off from Damascus, the Syrian capital, on a flight bound for Dubai on January 19. Israel apparently suspected he was on his way to Iran to arrange an arms shipment for Gaza.
Around five hours after he checked in to the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, he was murdered.
Hamas officials are now saying al-Mabhouh may have inadvertently made some security slip-ups by booking his flight online, and by calling his family.
"Al-Mabhouh called his family by phone before he travelled to Dubai and told them of his plan to stay in a specific hotel, and he booked his travel through the internet," Salah Bardawil, a Hamas politician in Gaza, told reporters on Friday.
"This undoubtedly created a security breach in the movements of al-Mabhouh."
Bardawil also said some members of rival Palestinian faction Fatah may have had a role to play in the Hamas commander's death, but made no accusations against the group itself.
"We hold the Mossad directly responsible for the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh on Arab territory and the Mossad should, and will, bear all the consequences for this crime sooner or later," he said.
"We are not blaming Fatah or the Palestinian Authority. Until now, the investigations only point to collaborators or individuals who worked with Mossad. But this does not mean the PA of Fatah were behind the assassination."
The Israeli government, and Mossad itself, have refused either to confirm or deny any role in the assassination - part a "policy of ambiguity", as Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli foreign minister, described it.
"Ultimately people here are quite satisifed by the outcome, whether it was in fact the Mossad or not, whether the faces of the operatives were shown on the CCTV cameras, whether or not there is a certain amount of diplomatic embarrassment," Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, reporting from Tel Aviv, said.
"That this Hamas senior commander, who was believed to be involved in gaining finance for weapons for Hamas fighters, the fact that he was taken out is something that most Israelis would approve whole heartedly of.
"There is nothing politically controversial here ... the question more is the rather messy loose ends that have been left here."
Diplomatic tensions
Tensions between Israel and its European allies have, however, mounted in the wake ofthe murder, with UK, Irish, German and French governments all summoning their respective Israeli ambassadors for answers regarding the use of their passports.
On Saturday, Germany's Der Spiegel magazine reported that the German passport used was genuine(in German).
The magazine said a man using the name of Michael Bodenheimer approached Cologne immigration officials in June 2008 with a request for citizenship, offering pre-World War II papers as proof of his German ancestry. The travel document was apparently issued in 2009.
The passport was apparently obtained by stealing the identity ofan Israeli-American.
UK authorities, meanwhile, said on Saturday that they believe the six British passports used in the operation must have been duplicates using numbers copied by Israeli immigration officials, according to a Telegraph report.
The British travel documents were not biometric, meaning they did not have computer chips embedded in them that would make it more difficult to duplicate.
Hamas is a death cult . They reap what they sow.
The regular people in The Palestiniian areas deserve better leadership.
i think they've both committed atrocities.
Really? I don't see Israel DELIBERATELY targeting and killing civilians in Palestine. Hamas has.
rickrock305
02-22-10, 22:47
Really? I don't see Israel DELIBERATELY targeting and killing civilians in Palestine. Hamas has.
there have been reports...
Really? I don't see Israel DELIBERATELY targeting and killing civilians in Palestine. Hamas has.
there have been reports...
Ok, show us one substantiated report that Israel, as a matter of policy, deliberately targeted civilians.
Hamas policy does that. That comes from the top.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/02/20102219289545873.html
Israel PM 'signed off' on Dubai hit
Bardawil also said some members of rival Palestinian faction Fatah may have had a role to play in the Hamas commander's death, but made no accusations against the group itself.
"We hold the Mossad directly responsible for the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh on Arab territory and the Mossad should, and will, bear all the consequences for this crime sooner or later," he said.
Why do I get the impression that in this context, "Mossad"= "random Israelis and assorted westerners"? Since when has Hamas or the hezb been all that selective about their targets for *ahem* "reprisals"?
I'm neutral on it, but I would say it's a pretty clearly murder, at war or not.
It wasn't a killing that happened in Israeli or any of the Palestinian territories, so it would fall under the laws of the UAE, and under those laws it would be murder.
If our country killed a radical cleric in Germany and some one got caught, it would most likely be seen as murder, because it's unlawful under German law.
It's only murder if done correctly.
there have been reports...
Source? Put up or shut up.
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