Thread: Mahmoud al-Mabhouh Assassination

What do you think of the false passports? Are they the affront to international respect they're being reported to be?

Well, in my opinion, not really. I understand why countries are upset about their passports being used by a hit squad, but at the same time, don't try to tell me that, for instance, the British have never used passports from other countries for their own intelligence operatives when sending them abroad for clandestine/covert activities. So no, I don't really think it's some big affront to the principles of international respect. It's part of doing business in the world of intelligence and everyone does it even if no-one talks about it publicly. But since Israel got caught doing it, and in such a brazen and controversial operation... again, I understand why some of these countries are miffed. And of course their displeasure has to be voiced in condemnatory tones. They can't just say "damnit Israel we all know that all our spy services do this, but we're pissed off that you got caught doing it on an assassination". They have to act like they're seriously affronted by the act itself.

Funny thing is, assuming Israel really is behind this killing, it wouldn't be the first time they've screwed up like this. When they tried to kill Khalid Mashaal in 1997, the hit team entered Jordan with Canadian passports, which caused a similar diplomatic flap with Canada when they bungled the job and got caught. This is one of the reasons I'm still not entirely comfortable assuming Mossad responsibility for the Al-Mabhouh killing, since it would mean that they are repeating techniques which have gotten them into trouble in the past.