Mossad's Hamas Hit

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Feb.25, 2010
All Rights Reserved.                                

            When Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, suspected of running guns between Tehran and Gaza, was assassinated Jan. 20 in Dubai, Israeli officials denied any involvement.  “He used to supply money and arms to Hamas and other allied factions,” said an unnamed source, fingering Israel’s spy agency Mossad for the operation that apparently suffocated the 49-year-old Hamas militant.  Smothered in his luxury Dubai hotel room, authorities named 26 members of an elite hit-squad, all using forged or stolen passports.  European Union officials denounced the use of forged or stolen passports to conduct spying operations.  Several countries called Israel’s ambassadors to complain about passport abuses.  At least three Australian passports were used in the operations, prompting former 1980s Mossad agent Victor Ostrovsky to confirm in a new book the Mossad counterfeits passports.

            Israeli officials denied any involvement in the Jan. 20 killing, despite Mossad’s obvious fingerprints.  “No evidence was presented by the Dubai police that links Israel to the incident in Dubai,” said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmour, sidestepping any real questions about Israeli involvement.  “Since there is no evidence of that nature and since the Dubai police have so far not presented any ultimate evidence, we don’t think we should respond to anything,” stopping far short of denying Mossad’s involvement.  Nuanced language indicates that the Mossad was indeed active in al-Mabhouth’s assassination.  Israel has been heavily involved in stopping Hamas’ illicit gun-running operations, flooding the Gaza Strip with missile launchers and weapons to fight Israel.  No country other than Israel has the motive and opportunity to assassinate Hamas’ leaders.

            Dubai authorities pointed to Israel despite a lack of physical evidence from the crime scene.  Escaping the country on a variety of flights, all 26 operatives eluded Dubai authorities, pointing to the government’s complicity.  Had Dubai authorities wished to flag suspicious agents, they would have detained them at the airport.  Dubai makes use of sophisticated security apparatus and practices, preventing the kind of terrorism seen in other Arab countries.  With the Jan. 4 opening of the $1.6 billion, 160-plus-story Burg Khalifa tower—the world’s tallest skyscraper—Dubai security was ratcheted up to at security checkpoints.  Allowing a Mossad hit operation to fly underneath Dubai’s radar suggested some involvement by Dubai authorities.  Israel claims the 26 operatives, who used British, Australian, Irish, French and German passports, were simply a case of stolen Israeli identities.

            Al-Mabhouth reportedly entered Dubai on a Palestinian passport and set up shop in a luxury Dubai hotel.  His brother confirmed that he led a clandestine life.  “[Mahmoud] never led a normal life.  He was suspicious, careful, and he never told anyone, not even his wife, of his future or immediate plans,” confirming that he traveled frequently on “business,” unknown because of its secrecy.  Israeli officials continue to deny any involvement in al-Mabhouth’s murder or, for that matter, political fallout over the use of fake passports. “I don’t predict a crisis with European allies because there is nothing that ties Israel to the assassination,” said the office of Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon.  Ayalon’s office didn’t deny Hamas and Dubai claims that the Mossad was responsible for the targeted hit.  No other country has a vested interest in assassinating Hamas operatives.

            Hamas promised to avenge the killing of al-Mabhouth, threatening to torpedo tenuous attempts by the Obama administration to jumpstart Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.  While Hamas has not yet resumed firing missiles at Israel, they’ve refused to release captured Israeli soldier 24-year-old Gilad Shalit, captured in 2006.  Israel has been in intense negotiations with Hamas for years to win Shalit’s release.  Since Hamas captured the Gaza Strip by force June 14, 2007, Israel has had a difficult time negotiating Shalit’s release.  Hamas’ Damascus-exiled leader Khalid Mashaal insists the war with Israel will continue until Palestinians reclaim land inside Israel. He has expressed no interest in negotiating a peace treaty that doesn’t include Palestinians’ right-of-return.  Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu considers Hamas, like Hezbollah in Lebanon, a mortal enemy.

            Despite Israeli denials, there’s no logical explanation for al-Mabhouth’s assassination other than Mossad.  All spy agencies go incognito with forged documents from foreign countries.  “Britton, France and Germany all share our interests in the fight against global terror, therefore there will be no crisis, instead our relations will continue to deepen,” said Ayalon, refuting Palestinian claims that the Mossad’s assassination has damaged Israel’s international standing.  Considered a fugitive for gun-running and his 1989 abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers, al-Mabhouth was a prime Mossad assassination target.  Continuing denials only harm Israel’s global credibility, weakening its case against Iran’s attempt to enrich uranium and eventually build A-bombs.  Israel’s better off admitting it’s at war with Hamas, taking any and all actions to protect its national security.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.