Dubai's police chief, Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim
Photo: AFP
Footage of the assassins
Photo: Reuters
The Dubai police chief continues to give interviews and tie the Mossad to the assassination of Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, and claims that while the hit may have been successful – Israel was damaged as a result.
Lt. Gen. Dhahi Khalfan Tamim said, 'The police investigation has turned the assassination mission from a political crime – to a scandal, to a diplomatic crisis for Israel and has exposed the Israeli Mossad and the outrageous modes of operation its cells employed in order to murder Mabhouh."
In an interview to Emirati paper al-Bayan published on Monday, Tamim said that "despite Israel's attempts at denial, claiming there is no evidence that a Mossad cell carried out the assassination, the Dubai police are in possession of dozens of items of incriminating evidence against the cell which attest to the Mossad's involvement."
He further noted that "the tactical success of Mabhouh's assassination is equal to its strategic and diplomatic failure."
Tamim praised the Dubai police, saying, "Thanks to the Dubai police's vigilance and capabilities and the strength of the evidence it holds and has handed over to the relevant countries, Mabhouh's assassination has turned into a scandal and a diplomatic crisis for Israel."
He rejected claims that western intelligence bodies cooperated with the Israeli Mossad in the operation.
The police chief added with satisfaction that this is the first time the Arab spectator has been able to witness the "crime of assassination." He said the killing was a subject of interest in the West, to the point where western countries summoned Israeli ambassadors a number of times to demand official clarifications on the use of passports of four European countries.
Tamim stressed that the passports in question were not stolen or forged – but were real. "We do not rule out the possibility that Israel has a printer that prints passports of countries around the world, and this confirms that Israel is country that violates international law," he said.
Meanwhile, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos said he was "extremely concerned" with the use of European passports in the Dubai assassination, and European Union sources said a "strong statement" in the matter should be expected.