Report: Suspected Mossad agent arrested in Poland over Dubai assassination
Uri Brodsky arrested in Warsaw for allegedly obtaining forged German passport involved in Hamas strongman hit, AFP reports; Foreign ministry confirms Israeli citizen arrested in Poland.
By The Associated PressAn alleged Mossad spy from Israel wanted in connection with the hit-squad slaying of a Hamas agent in Dubai has been arrested in Poland, officials said Saturday.
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Hamas strongman Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. |
| Photo by: Archive |
The man, using the name Uri Brodsky, is suspected of working for Mossad in Germany and helping to issue a fake German passport to a member of the Mossad operation that allegedly killed Hamas agent Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai in January, a spokesman for the German federal prosecutor's office told The Associated Press.
Brodsky was arrested in early June upon his arrival in Poland because of a European arrest warrant issued by Germany which is now seeking his extradition, the spokesman said, declining to be named in line with department policy.
The spokesman had no estimate of how long it could take for Brodsky to be extradited from Poland to Germany, saying the matter is now in the hands of the Polish authorities. "If Brodsky agrees, the extradition could take a few days, but that isn't likely," the spokesman said.
In Warsaw, Monika Lewandowska, a spokeswoman for Polish prosecutors, confirmed that the suspect, identified only as Uri B., was arrested at the city's international airport on June 4. She told the AP that the arrest warrant was made in connection with the murder of a Hamas member in Dubai.
"The suspect appeared before a Polish court on June 6, and was ordered to remain in temporary arrest for up to 40 days," she said. Lewandowska had no information on his possible extradition.
In Israel, the Foreign Ministry said without elaborating that it was aware of the man's fate. "At the moment, we're looking into that like any other Israeli who has been arrested, and he's getting consular treatment," spokesman Andy David said.
Police in the United Arab Emirates said the elaborate hit squad linked to the Jan. 19 slaying in Dubai of al-Mabhouh - one of the founders of Hamas' military wing - involved some 25 suspects, most of them carrying fake passports from European nations.
Dubai's police chief, Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim, has said he is nearly 100 percent certain that Mossad, Israel's spy agency, masterminded the killing.
The brazen assault in a luxury hotel and its alleged perpetrators were widely captured by security cameras. Some footage, released by Dubai's police, showed alleged members of the hit squad disguised as tourists, wearing baggy shorts, sneakers and baseball caps, and carrying tennis rackets.
At the time, Israel said it didn't know who was responsible for the killing but welcomed it, claiming al-Mabhouh was a key link in smuggling weapons to Gaza and a possible middleman with Israel's archenemy, Iran.
The German news weekly Der Spiegel reported that the arrest in Poland already has led to some diplomatic friction. The Israeli Embassy has urged Polish authorities not to extradite Brodsky, the magazine reports in its issue to be published Monday.
Germany's Foreign Ministry had no comment on the case and referred to an ongoing judicial investigation by the federal prosecutor's office. The country's top investigating unit deals with all cases affecting internal or external security, including terrorism or espionage.
After a German passport was used by a person linked to the Dubai slaying, the prosecutor's office in February started investigating a possible connection to a foreign intelligence agency.
Authorities in the western city of Cologne had issued a passport to a man named Michael Bodenheimer. "A man using that name was among the assassins who killed the Hamas operative," according to Dubai police.
In February, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle urged a thorough investigation and said German authorities would do everything possible to support their counterparts in the U.A.E.
If Brodsky's extradition goes through, however, it could put the government in Berlin - a staunch Israeli ally - in a difficult diplomatic position.
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Every single one of the people photographed are at risk any moment they are outside Israel. Mossad burned a bunch of it's own.
These people live from their historic fame of the fifties and sixties, when Mossad was the most efficient and professional intelligence service in the world (otherwise Israel would not have survived in those days). The amateurism shown by Mossad in Dubai and also by the Navy SWAT teams offshore Gaza last week is really scary. Israel should be put "on the leash" by its Western Allies and should become full member of NATO and the European Union with immediate effect and full consequences. (They can keep the Shekel though ...).
The roundup by the Dubai government of 25 accomplices for the killing of one former Hamas leader is unbelievable when it It takes only one Mafia hit man to do the job. This is just an attempt to blame Israel for the murder of a protected Dubai drug lord.
it would certainly be israel that will find itself in a difficult and embarassing situation. it's not the germans that have used fake passports or that have carried out a murder. only israel is the country that gives itself a license to kill. murdereres should not be allowed to do whatever crimes they wish. they shoud face arrest and jail. those who commissioned the murder should face trial, should be taught a severe lesson. you shall not kill, the commandment says.
This is about the rule of law. Most nations subscribe to it and genuinely try to enforce it. Fortunately for Israel, the Germans and Poles do not believe in punishing a whole community or people for the sins of one person.
Im amazed at the ignorant rantings and condemnation, who ever took out the Hamas terror leader should recieve a medal. But once again we see that every nation is expected and allowed to defend itself but not Israel. True colors.
Jewish person on the planet irate.
Europe does everything possible to bend over backwards to muslims.
You are so right and the reason is that they are scared to death of them...if we don't stand firm and tall and fight this islamic fervor we will all suffer in the years to come.
Send a message to Israel and the US,your criminals are not above internationsl lsw.
This is a pretty stupid mucking up of a spying affair. Anyway, if the Poles do not do what they are supposed to do e.g. extradite him, then it means Polan is completely bought.
So what is the world going to do?
What else Harold, should the world do if the facts are crap? What are you after? Something uplifting the humanity? You regret Mabhouh?
Keep spinning, I hope.
There is a report Israel is asking Poland not to extradite him to Germany. Since he is traveling on a German passport he is a German citizen. Israel has nothing to say about it. Perhaps he will ultimately end up in Dubai where they will "tickle" the information out of him. He will soon give up the whole game
that Israeli Interrogators "tickle" Palestinian Civilians?
Once more the europeans go after a Jew for defending Israel and the Jewish People from the scourge of terror
schmuelshachor.....buuuuuuuh....using fake passports to kill people.....buuuuuh..... i hope poland will keep this assh... and put him in small ghetto soemwhere in warsaw... that's waht your jews are looking for.... that is what you do the palestinian people...
is it your universal excuse?
'Once more the europeans go after a Jew... Actually, they're going after someone who is wanted for murder and using false passports.
Knock it off. Your victimhood gets tiresome.
so nice to see that you are the ass....in this whole story. I hope Israel continues to eliminate as many terrorists as they can because the rest of the world is totally without gonads when it comes to this subject.
Yes, they will! If ALL Hamas members that committ a crime in Germany and go to Poland they will IMMEDIATELY be detained and handed over to Germany authorities. And the Palestinian authorities - like Israelis now do - would demand from Poland not to hand him over... This is not a case of Israel, Jew, Mossad, Hamas etc. It's a case of a foreign citizen allegedly committing a crime in Germany. That the alleged criminal is a Israeli jew & Mossad agent should be of no interest if he's handed over or not - of course we all know in this case it will be of interest. "When you point your finger at someone, three fingers are pointing back at you."
I expect a nice barbecue tomorrow. But it still may be raining...
Disappointing that Meir's cowboy strategy is sill in effect and he hasn't "retired". Isser must be looking down and wondering "what the hell". So much honor and glory being flushed down the toilet.
Clearly EVERY SINGLE AGENT used was compromised. The capability of modern surveillance systems to identify individuals in crowds makes detection of those the police wish to arrest relatively easy. That the presence of anyone involved with the Dubai hit would attract the interest of any intelligence agency is also obvious. Why was 'Uri Brodsky' allowed outside Israel? Has Mossad become as incompetent as it seems? Does Israel suffer from such hubris and arrogance that it does not understand what it has accomplished under Netanyahu? Time to stop living in fantasy land and get real.
The Mossad has you thinking exactly what they want you to be thinking.
....would that it was incorrect! Particularly the ending...
cryyy "anti-Semitism"
... for Israel to pin its assassinations on European passport holders in the future. And I guess that message is being put across quite clearly.
Yep,now they will say he dioesd not work for them,that they do not know him.
Why are so many concerned more about Mabhouh than his victims. Why is it a crime to make certain this monster will never kill again, but not a crime for what this piece of dirt did?
... but about the way Israel tried to pin it on Europe.
have a judge and jury to decide the fate of suspected criminals, we humans do not go round assassinating people who we think are guilt. Maybe one day you will come to humanity and realize that.
in the future we basically let the israelis decide who's "worthy" enought to walk on earth? If the mossad thinks someone is - as you put it - a monster we just let them "act" on a global stage? At least since Achmed Bouchiki incident one can fairly label Mossad a criminal organization...
. . . this man Mabhouh will never kill again. But that is only stating the obvious. The real issue is that the dozens of Mossad who conspired to murder him will continue to kill with impunity. Is this the kind of world you want to live in? In which whatever group claims ethnic supremacy and travels the world to kill at will? In which his crime and all others are deplorable, but yours is always justifiable? Your callous attitude only invites retaliation, which will surely come.
What about a fair trial, offering the guy the possibility to defend himself? Why should European citizens believe Mossad without seeing proof?
The USSR and US and every country in the EU carried on assissinations against each other for decades during the cold war. How else would we have ever got all those spy movies of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. The real question now is how does Germany release this spy without angering the liberal EU hierarchy. Maybe he will have to do a couple years until all the fuss settles down and they are onto other injustices.
But an execution. Had you a better solution to keep him from killing more lives, submit it. Or if you apply impunity on crimes on innocent people more than execution on murderers to keep them from killing more people, then... Two weights!
The methodology is at question, especially when it comes to stealing innocent folk's identities. What's more innocent JEWISH identities. Such is the treatment of our fellows by the State founded in all our names.
When Israel is no longer at war we can have trials. It's too difficult to seize him and have a trial. Assassinations are the way to go. War is not nice. Too bad. Did the people murdered by this guy have a trial? Does Hamas have even a modicum of decency in dealing with Shalit?
and went early to poland and germany may be before realestate prices start to go up
if he broke the law in Germany the poles should hand him over. Just because you're an israeli Mossad agent doesn't mean you're above the law - even though some isrealis will disagree. A mossad agent is not a "Übermensch"....
It never stops. Israeli government criminality everywhere you look - Europe, Arabia, Gaza, Tel Aviv, ...
so quit while you are ahead
What about Asia, South America, Africa? We're everywhere. Our favorite export product. Crime! Better watch out. No, better not look. Are you for real? Apparently you live in Arabia, engulfed in Israeli government crime......
Yes israel's fight against terror will never stop,as long as there are murderers on the loose...I wonder if you'll call it criminality if the moslem terrorists come after your relatives and yourself...No matgter how deep is the hole you are hiding inn,you are always vulnerable...At least Israel is trying to clean up the mess,one murderer at a time
They all do the same. The Poles too.
I am sure they all us passports of other countries, even illegally obtain them or fake them. But they generally do not let themselves get caught in highly public assassinations with those passports in a way that suggests the idea was to put the blame on passport "issuing" states and thereby put their countries' citizens at risk.
Even if some European services use fake passports, they don't do it right in front of thousands of video camera and not in such as way that the names of each identity they borrowed are known 48 hours later. Maybe good to leave spying activities to professionnals.
The Israel excuse for EVERYTHING! "everyone does it" bunch of children
who were involved in kidnapping an Islamist in Italy and sending him abroad for torture. Italians were angry because they had him under surveillance and were getting good info.
- I didn't do it! - Nobody saw me do it! - You can't prove anything
Set up an guantanamo and do it US style.
Excellent news here. Give him to Germany and I hope they put him away for a decade. A message to Mossad and their arrogant superiors. Your put at risk the citizens of a foreign country by forging the passports of that country. Serous enough crime I believe to put Netanyahu on a most wanted list.
The only thing we know for sure right now is that he's a Jew. Also you're implying that only the Israeli secret service practices forging, which is laughable. Check your own garden first. As for your last sentence, that sounds like wishful thinking from a 10 years old
If the german prosecutor has serious elements against Brodsky, that constitute a criminal offense, of course they will ask Poland to extradite and, presumably, Poland will follow suite. http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/justice_freedom_security/judicial_cooperation_in_criminal_matters/l33167_en.htm
Israel will definitely play the Holocaust card with Germany to get him back.
The guy probably just followed orders. The ones who need to be sent to prison for a decade are the people, may they be Mossad or politicians, who ordered this stupid, disastrous hit.
Have you been living out of this world for the past 60 years? Mossad has officially acknowledged several times they use forged passports.
'Israel will definitely play the Holocaust card with Germany to get him back. ' ...and find out it's no longer trumps.
watch
I have nothing to add.
If other countries are practicing forging they don't get caught! The Israeli government is arrogant and has started to behave sloppy thinking nothing will stick on it. Trying to make sure everyone knows it did it, but not take the consequences for it, because it assumes no one will go after it. Well, piss off enough people that it starts matter for people who make decisions and they'll make decisions Israel neither wants or expects.
... but I will enjoy the spectacle of those corrupt German officials trying to get rid of the case! It will probably be rather "pinteresque"!
How does anyone know that he is a Jew? He has only been described as an Israeli in all news reports to date.
The Germans want this fella arested because they think he may be mossad. Misdirection in here. Germany has nothing on any of these so called imaginative people who crept into the terrorists room and winkled him out. As for Poland, I doubt they will hand anyone over let alone a jew to germany for prosecution wont happen
There are warrants out for all of the individuals identified in the surveillance tapes. People are in denial.
But if they don't want to give him to Germany, there are all sorts of ways. You worry? For him? for Mabhouh? For Israel? For Hezbollah?