Assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh: Difference between revisions

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His assassination attracted international attention in part due to allegations that it was ordered by the Israeli government and carried out by [[Mossad]] agents holding fake or fraudulently obtained passports from several European countries and Australia.

According to initial reports, Al-Mabhouh was drugged,<ref>[http://www.dubaipolice.gov.ae/dp/english/news/news_show.jsp?Id=857382312&ArticalType=1 Mabhouh was sedated before killed] Dubai Police</ref> then electrocuted and suffocated.<ref name="bbc2" /> Lt. Gen. [[Dhahi Khalfan Tamim]] of the [[Dubai Police Force]] said the suspects tracked Al-Mabhouh to Dubai from [[Damascus]], Syria. They arrived from different European destinations and stayed at different hotels, presumably to avoid being detected and, with the exception of three of its members suspected of "helping to facilitate" who had left on a ferry for Iran several months before the assassination, departed after the assassination to different countries.<ref name="csmonitor1"/><ref name="bbc2"/> Dubai's police chief said that he was "99% certain" that the assassination was the work of Israel's Mossad. On 1 March 2010, he stated that he was "sure" that all of the suspects are hiding in Israel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/March/theuae_March20.xml&section=theuae|title=suspects in Mabhouh killing hiding in Israel |work=Khaleej Times|date=1 March 2010|access-date=14 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://jta.org/news/article/2010/03/01/1010848/report-alleged-dubai-assassins-entered-us |title=Report:Alleged Dubai Assassins entered US |publisher=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=1 March 2010|access-date=14 April 2010|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304051808/http://jta.org/news/article/2010/03/01/1010848/report-alleged-dubai-assassins-entered-us |archive-date=4 March 2010}}</ref>

He said that Dubai would ask for an arrest warrant to be issued for [[Meir Dagan]], the head of Mossad, if it is confirmed that the Mossad is involved and responsible for the assassination.<ref name="bbc3">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8523588.stm |title=Dubai police chief in Mossad arrest call|work=BBC News|date=19 February 2010|access-date=19 February 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220053308/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8523588.stm|archive-date=20 February 2010| url-status= live}}</ref> The Hamas leadership also holds Israel responsible, and has vowed revenge.<ref name="isitmos">[http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=169000 Analysis: So did the Mossad do it?] ''The Jerusalem Post''</ref> Hamas, which is itself on the [[U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations]], [[European Union]] lists of terrorist organizations, and also considered a terrorist organization by the governments of Israel,<ref>[http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2003/7/The%20Financial%20Sources%20of%20the%20Hamas%20Terror%20Organiza The Financial Sources of the Hamas Terror Organization] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120524212543/www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2003/7/The%20Financial%20Sources%20of%20the%20Hamas%20Terror%20Organiza |date=24 May 2012}} (Israel MFA), 28 May 2010</ref> and Japan,<ref name="Japan's Diplomatic Bluebook 2005">{{cite web| url=http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/other/bluebook/2005/ch3-a.pdf| title=Japan's Diplomatic Bluebook 2005|year=2005}}</ref> as is its military arm by the United Kingdom<ref>[http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/legislation/current-legislation/terrorism-act-2000/proscribed-groups.html Proscribed terrorist groups] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118084213/http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/legislation/current-legislation/terrorism-act-2000/proscribed-groups.html |date=18 January 2010}} United Kingdom [[Home Office]]</ref> and Australia,<ref name="NSF-Australia-terrorlist">[http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/agd/www/nationalsecurity.nsf/AllDocs/95FB057CA3DECF30CA256FAB001F7FBD?OpenDocument Listing of Terrorist Organisations] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204040731/http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/agd/www/nationalsecurity.nsf/AllDocs/95FB057CA3DECF30CA256FAB001F7FBD?OpenDocument |date=4 February 2014}}, Australian Government Attorney-General's Department, 27 January 2006. Retrieved 28 May 2010</ref> requested that Israel be added by the EU to its list because of suspicions that Israel was involved in the assassination.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=37415|title=Middle East Online |publisher=Middle East Online|date=22 February 2010|access-date=14 April 2010}}</ref>

In March 2010, the British foreign secretary, [[David Miliband]], expelled an Israeli diplomat after the UK's [[Serious Organised Crime Agency]] discovered that Israel had forged copies of British passports.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bowen|first=Jeremy |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8583041.stm|title=Expulsion of diplomat sends a strong signal to Israel |work=BBC News|date=23 March 2010|access-date=14 April 2010|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100408045254/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8583041.stm| archive-date= 8 April 2010|url-status= live}}</ref> On 24 May, the Australian government expelled an Israeli diplomat after concluding that there was "no doubt Israel was behind the forgery of four Australian passports" related to the assassination.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/israeli-diplomat-to-be-kicked-out-of-australia-over-passport-forgery-row/story-e6frf7jo-1225870510101|title=Israeli diplomat to be kicked out of Australia over passport forgery row|work=Herald Sun |date=24 May 2010|access-date=28 May 2010}}</ref> Similar action was taken by Ireland.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/0602/1224271678155.html |work=The Irish Times |title=Forged passport inquiry urges expulsion of Israeli |date=6 June 2010|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110210134534/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/0602/1224271678155.html |archive-date=10 February 2011}}</ref> Israel has refused to comment on the accusations that its security forces were behind the assassination.<ref name="bbc2"/>

*{{flagicon|Ireland}} Ireland – Investigations by Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs Passport Service and by the [[Garda Síochána]] concluded that eight Irish passports were used in the assassination, and all were forgeries (but based on information from valid passports). Irish citizens whose information had been used were issued with new passports. Dubai Police had Interpol issue red notices (arrest warrants) for Jael Foliard, Kevien Daverone, Ivy Broton, Evan Denengz and Anna Shauna Clasby, all of whom entered Dubai on forged Irish passports. Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs [[Micheal Martin]] in a statement issued on 15 June 2010 said the Irish government had come to the "inescapable conclusion" that Israel was responsible for the forged passports used in the al-Mabhouh assassination, noting Israel did not assist in his country's investigations and did not deny involvement.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

*{{flagicon|Iran}} Iran – On 2 February, the Iranian foreign ministry blamed Israel for the incident, stating, "This is another indication of the existence of state terrorism by the Zionist regime".<ref name=zionist>{{cite news|title=Iran: Assassination was Zionist terror |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3843019,00.html |agency=[[Reuters]] |newspaper=[[Ynetnews]] |date=2 February 2010|access-date=2 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206012929/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0%2C7340%2CL-3843019%2C00.html |archive-date=6 February 2010|url-status=live }}</ref>

*{{flagicon|Lebanon}} Lebanon – Key [[Hezbollah]] members became nervous after the killing in Dubai. Since foreign passports were seemingly used for the attack, Hezbollah asked the Lebanese government for additional screening of foreigners entering Lebanon.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/03/02/Hezbollah-claims-Israel-changed-rhetoric/UPI-40461267547537/|date=2 March 2010|work=United Press International|title=Hezbollah claims Israel changed rhetoric}}</ref>

*{{flagicon|Sweden}} Sweden – Foreign Minister [[Carl Bildt]] stated that "misuse of European passports is not to be tolerated".<ref name=Suspicion />

On 2 February, Hamas' representative in Lebanon [[Osama Hamdan]] said that Palestinian Authority security forces might have been involved in the death, stating that, "The Palestinian Authority security forces are pursuing [our] fighters and they have killed dozens of them since 1994."<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=167578 Hamas rep in Lebanon suggests PA helped assassinate Mabhouh], Jerusalem Post 2 February 2010</ref> ''[[Haaretz]]'' reported that details from a preliminary Hamas investigation procured by the newspaper suggested that al-Mabhouh was assassinated by agents of an Arab government, and that al-Mabhouh was wanted by Egypt and Jordan.<ref>{{cite news |first=Avi |last=Issacharoff |title=Hamas: Dubai assassins were likely Arabs, not Israelis |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1146944.html |work=[[Haaretz]] |date=2 February 2010|access-date=2 February 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100204211216/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1146944.html| archive-date= 4 February 2010| url-status= live}}</ref> On 12 February, senior Hamas leader [[Khaled Mashal|Khaled Mashaal]] rejected reports that Hamas blamed Arab states for al-Mabhouh's death, and said the Israeli Mossad was solely responsible.<ref>[]http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=168546 'Next war with Israel will be regional'], Jerusalem Post 12 February 2010</ref>

===European Union===

[[Category:State of Palestine–United Arab Emirates relations]]

[[Category:Targeted killing]]