Israel Matzav: Britain to formally accuse Israel of liquidating al-Mabhouh, expel Israeli diplomat

Britain to formally accuse Israel of liquidating al-Mabhouh, expel Israeli diplomat

The British government is to formally accuse Israel of being behind the liquidation of Hamas murderer and arms dealer Mahmoud al-Mabhouh by a team of liquidators traveling on 'cloned' British passports (Hat Tip: Russel H).

Ron Proser, the Israeli Ambassador to London, was summoned to the Foreign Office on Monday to be told the results of an inquiry into the murder of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, whose body was discovered in a luxury Dubai hotel room in January.

Several members of the team suspected of killing him were found to be travelling on passports cloned from documents belonging to British citizens living in Israel. Other passports had been stolen from Irish, German, Australian and French citizens.

Speculation has been growing that a senior Israeli diplomat would be expelled as a mark of the “anger” within the Government that British passport holders had been put at risk as a result of the operation.

A ministerial statement to be made to Parliament will formally name the Israeli security services as responsible for the cloning of up to 15 British passports, which were copied after being taken away by airport officials.

The statement will say that it proved impossible to confirm definitively whether Mossad, the feared Israeli secret intelligence service, was responsible for the operation, with suspicion also resting on the Military Intelligence Directorate.

But the probe had determined for certain that the passports were cloned when British citizens passed through airports on their way into Israel, with officials taking them away for “checks” which lasted around 20 minutes.

Foreign Office sources expressed frustration that there was little more that could be done to “punish” Israel over the affair.

A later report indicates that Foreign Minister David Milliband will address Parliament about this issue on Tuesday afternoon and that one Israeli diplomat will be expelled.

So does that mean that this is the end of the affair or the beginning of a new phase? It sounds like the end of it to me. And by the way, why isn't anyone investigating al-Mabhouh's forged passport?

Israel Matzav: Britain to formally accuse Israel of liquidating al-Mabhouh, expel Israeli diplomat