Outrage!
KEVIN Rudd and Stephen Smith were full of outrage yesterday following credible suggestions Israel had abused three Australian passports by either procuring or forging them and using them during what looks like a state-sponsored assassination of a Palestinian Hamas leader.
They really aren’t that outraged. They need to put on a show for the anti-Israel (aka pro terrorist) bunch – there is some votes in it.
“Looks like a state-sponsored assassination” is about as close as we are going to get to the facts. I doubt whether Israel will ever cough up the details as it’s an intelligence operation and they are at war with the terrorists.
I think Rudd should congratulate Israel and, just as an aside, mention that in the future, Australia would prefer they should use fake passports from some other country.
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I’m a tad sceptical that it was Israel. Mossad is good at this stuff and far too much evidence was left, much of it heading back to Israel (3 x Aust passports, all from Aussies who live in Israel for example).
Lets face it, Hamas isn’t short on enemies, a number of whom have access to the resources of nation states (for things like producing forged documents), and most of those enemies would like to see the blame put on Israel (win/win for them).
I wouldn’t bet money on it either way and it is early days yet, but I remain sceptical.
Good point Harry. I did wonder why they were leaving such a trail. I think it will fade from view pretty soon but I would love an answer.
It’s time for the Israelis to stop behaving like Whitlam MKII. They must not sugar coat the problem, but must step up to the plate, take full responsiblity —— and keep doing it..
I agree with Harry – so far the claim is that 30 Mossad ‘operatives’ used doctored passports from Australia, the UK and Ireland during the operation to top the bad guy.
Amusingly it is also claimed the three with the Australian passports decamped the scene via Iran, a place where Australian passports are soooooo welcome we being part of the ‘Great Satan’ collective.
Rudd’s not the only Prime Minister who has expressed outrage about Mossad. Look at the history.
Margaret Thatcher ordered the closure of Mossad’s station in London in the 1980s when Israeli agents were flagrantly planning assassination operations against suspected Palestinian militants in exile in Britain.
(Times Online – February 19, 2010)
I guess Maggie had a good reason to give more than lip service in a situation where the information gleaned indicated that the unpleasantries were to take place on her turf. Would have been unacceptable not to take affirmative action.
KRudd on the other hand is excellent at lip service to all number of topics and promises including “the buck stops here”.
Any more Prime ministers upset with Mossad?
I’d also have to ask, does the figure of 30 operatives, sound like the sort of COVERT force that Mossad would send to kill someone?
Given that every extra person is a potential compromise of the op, I wouldn’t think you’d send more than 4 people – one to do the job, one to back him up, one driver and an on scene commander.