UK to expel Israeli diplomat over Dubai case

[satya]

This is great news!

UK to expel Israeli diplomat over Dubai case
By DAVID STRINGER (AP) – 18 minutes ago

LONDON — Britain plans to expel an Israeli diplomat Tuesday to rebuke Israel for its alleged use of forged British passports in the assassination of a Hamas operative in a suspected Mossad hit, a U.K. government official said.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband was to address Parliament on the issue, following an investigation into the use of 12 fake U.K. passports in the incident. Britain's Foreign Office would not provide any details of Miliband's statement in advance.

"The foreign secretary will make a statement to the House of the Commons this afternoon," a spokeswoman said.

However, a U.K. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment ahead of the statement, confirmed that one Israeli diplomat will be expelled.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office said Israel's ambassador to Britain, Ron Prosor, met with Peter Ricketts, Britain's senior diplomat, to discuss the case Monday. Israel's Foreign Ministry declined to provide details of the talks, but there was no suggestion the ambassador himself would be expelled.

In 1988, Britain expelled Israeli attache Arie Regev for "activities incompatible with diplomatic duties" — a euphemism for espionage. It also barred a second Israeli, Jacob Barad, from returning to Britain after his departure in 1987. Both men were suspected of coordinating the activities of the Mossad, the Israeli spy agency, in the U.K.

A French judicial official, meanwhile, said the Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the alleged use of four fake French passports in the Dubai case. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday because of the sensitivity of the case, said the probe was for suspected forgery and identity theft.

Israel's embassy in London said Miliband had canceled his appearance at a reception Tuesday to mark the refurbishment of the Israeli embassy. The embassy would not comment on whether one of its diplomats would be expelled.

"We can neither confirm nor deny," an embassy spokesman said.

Dubai authorities have accused the Mossad of being behind the Jan 20. slaying of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a luxury hotel room, and have identified at least 26 suspects of an alleged hit squad that traveled to Dubai on fake identities and forged European and Australian passports. Interpol has unveiled a wanted list of 27 people in connection with the slaying.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied any involvement in al-Mabhouh's killing.

At least 15 of the names used by the suspected killers match those of Israeli citizens who are dual nationals of Western countries — including eight Israeli-British dual nationals. All have denied involvement, saying their identities were stolen.

Shortly after he was named as one of the British suspects, dual national Melvyn Adam Mildiner told The Associated Press that he thought he was picked because "I don't have a Jewish-sounding name."

It is suspected Mossad specifically targeted the identities of dual nationals. It is relatively easy for British Jews — and Jews from other nations — to qualify for Israeli passports if they meet the basic requirements set out by the Israeli government. It is common for people to carry valid passports from both nations.

In a recent speech, Eliza Manningham-Buller — the ex-head of Britain's MI5 — said forged British passports had previously been used by the same country behind the Dubai slaying, though she declined to specifically name Israel.

Arieh Eldad, a lawmaker from Israel's National Union — a hardline opposition party — called Friday for the military attache of the British Embassy in Israel to be expelled in response. "Nobody nominated them as the judges in our war against terror," he told the AP.

Diplomatic expulsions are a rare sanction against foreign governments. Britain kicked out four Russian diplomats in 2007 over the country's refusal to extradite to London a suspect in the poisoning death of Alexander Litvinenko.

Britain's Serious and Organized Crime Agency has conducted an inquiry into the use of forged British passports, but is not involved in wider inquiries by Dubai police into the killing.

Associated Press writers Raphael G. Satter and Gregory Katz in London; Aron Heller and Ian Deitch in Jerusalem and Pierre-Antoine Souchard in Paris contributed to this report

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[mgt23]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... rable.html

David Miliband: Israeli cloning of British passports was 'intolerable'

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, has condemned Israel over the 'intolerable' counterfeiting of British passports which were used by a hit squad suspected of the assassination of a Hamas commander.
 

By Rosa Prince and Adrian Massie-Blomfield
Published: 4:10PM GMT 23 Mar 2010


An investigation by the Serious and Organised Crime Squad (SOCA) has concluded that there are "compelling reasons" to believe that Israel was responsible for the "misuse" of a dozen British passports.

A senior diplomat at the Israeli Embassy in London – widely believed to be a member of Mossad, the feared Israeli secret service agency – is expelled from the United Kingdom as a result.
 
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      Dubai Hamas assassination: latest CCTV footage

As the diplomatic row escalated, Mr Miliband told the House of Commons that he had demanded that the Israeli government give assurances that British citizens will never again be drawn into such an operation.

Describing the passport holders as "wholly innocent victims," the Foreign Secretary said that the fact that Israel was a "friend" of the United Kingdom added "insult to injury.

Expelling a diplomat is one of the most serious steps which can be taken against another country.

Mr Miliband said: "The request for an individual to leave, and the decision of the Israelis to accede to that, was made by us. It was linked ... to the investigations that have taken place.

"We've been very clear with the Israelis about the basis which we were asking the individual to leave."

The Foreign Secretary told MPs that Britain had no advance knowledge of the "very sophisticated" operation to clone passports while their holders were travelling through Israel and other countries.

He added: "Given that this was a very sophisticated operation, in which high-quality forgeries were made, the Government judges it is highly likely that the forgeries were made by a state intelligence service.

"Taking this together with other inquiries, and the link with Israel established by Soca, we have concluded that there are compelling reasons to believe that Israel was responsible for the misuse of the British passports.

"The Government takes this matter extremely seriously. Such misuse of British passports is intolerable."

He added: "I have asked that a member of the embassy of Israel be withdrawn, and this is taking place."

A spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry said: "The relationship between Israel and Britain is mutually important. We therefore regret the British decision."

Members of the Israeli parliament likened the British government to "anti-Semitic dogs" and demanded the expulsion of Britain's military attaché in Tel Aviv after erupting in fury over the expulsion of an Israeli diplomat in London.

"I think the British are being hypocritical, and I do not wish to insult dogs here, since some dogs show true loyalty, [but] who gave the British the right to judge us on the war on terror?" said Arieh Eldad, a right-wing member of the Knesset.

The canine theme was taken up by a second MP, Michael Ben-Ari, who said: "Dogs are usually loyal, the British may be dogs, but they are not loyal to us. They seem to be loyal to the anti-Semitic establishment.

"We have learned that a dog must be called by its name. This is anti-Semitism disguised as anti-Zionism."

[Chargeemquick]

Nice.

So much for our best ally in the mid-East.

As Delboy said:"Luvvly jubbly"