Quote Originally Posted by mrbazoun View Post
] I'm pretty surprised at all the media coverage this has gotten. Prior to this assassination, it seemed as though Hamas leaders were a dime a dozen, dying left and right.
I feel you answered your own question here:

The only reason this is grabbing so much media attention is because it happened in Dubai, and for good reason the ruler of Dubai feels like making a deal of this.
Even though Syme pretty much summed it, I'll add that the UAE, and Dubai in particular, is the one place in the Middle East where things like this aren't suppose to happen. Perhaps that explains the carelessness with which al-Mabhouh prepared his trip (ordering his tickets online, telephoning his family in Gaza about his trip). It's almost as shocking as the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko in London for this reason as well as the reasons Syme stated.

In addition, even though relations between Israel and the UAE have been "icy," to say the least, as far as I'm aware this is the closest thing to an incursion that Israel has committed against them.

And even though this may or may not be why this story is prominent in the media, Dubai was also hit disproportionately hard by the economic crisis. Not too long after the crisis hit, they even have had to turn to Abu-Dhabi for assistance. Though I cannot guess what impact it will really have in the end, this can't be good for the city's image.