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Shocker! Straw Apologised To Israel For UK Attempt To Arrest War Criminal Print E-mail
Tuesday, 19 February 2008

2008_02_18_pals-casualty_s.jpgAn Israeli general wanted for alleged war crimes escaped arrest in the UK because British police feared an armed confrontation at Heathrow airport.

Documents seen by BBC News reveal how Major General Doron Almog managed to fly back to Israel when police failed to board his plane in September 2005.

He stayed on board for two hours after a tip-off that he was facing detention.

Police were concerned about a potential clash with Israeli air marshals or armed personal security on the plane.

Maj Gen Almog had flown to the UK for social and charitable visits to Jewish communities in Solihull, in the West Midlands, and Manchester.

Lawyers acting for Palestinian campaigners lobbied the Metropolitan Police to act over allegations he had ordered the destruction in 2002 of more than 50 Palestinian homes in the Gaza Strip.

Campaigners say the homes were destroyed by the Israeli army as retribution for a Palestinian militant attack, in contravention of the laws of war protecting civilian property. Israel says destruction of Palestinian houses is among the necessary measures it takes to protect its citizens.

The Met initially refused to get involved, citing massive pressures on counter-terrorism teams in the wake of the London bombings.

But the legal representatives successfully applied to a judge for an arrest warrant for a private prosecution.

Decisions log

A decisions log prepared for the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which has investigated the incident, shows officers decided to detain the general at Heathrow's immigration control.

They then planned to take him to a police station to consider executing the warrant.

However, news of the warrant leaked to the Israeli Embassy.

Officials tipped off the general and he and his wife refused to leave the El Al flight for the two hours it sat at the London airport's terminal.

The documents now show Det Supt John MacBrayne, a senior counter-terrorism officer who was responsible for the operation, could not get confirmation that his team had the right to board the plane.

El Al, Israel's national airline, had refused permission.

In his log, he wrote: "Another consideration [was] that El Al flights carried armed air marshals, which raised issues around public safety.

"There was also no intelligence as to whether Mr Almog would have been travelling with personal security as befitted his status, armed or otherwise."

The officer concluded there were real risks to the police and public and also had concerns about the "international impact of a potentially armed police operation at an airport".

Apology to Israel

When Maj Gen Almog arrived back in Israel, the planned arrest caused a minor diplomatic storm, with Israeli foreign minister Silvan Shalom describing the incident as an "outrage".

In turn, the then UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw apologised to his counterpart for any embarrassment caused.

Hickman and Rose, lawyers for the Palestinians, demanded an inquiry.

A spokesman for the Independent Police Complaints Commission said its review had not identified the source who leaked details of the planned arrest.

It also concluded police had not broken rules by failing to board the aircraft to execute the warrant.

John O' Connor, a former head of Scotland Yard's flying squad, told BBC One's Breakfast programme: "All they needed to do was to stop the plane from taking off and negotiate through the Foreign Office."

He said he felt the arrest had been "written off", putting "British justice is in the dock."

Source: BBC NEWS




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Readers have left 16 comments.
kermit: Quote

sounds like the Blackburn Muslim Mafia have a lot to answer for.

(1) 2008-02-19 11:25:44
Waqaar: Quote

ARMED CONFLICT!!! ...

Meaning the General/his cronies were ARMED!! ...

Israel wipes its shoes all over British Law ... :(
(2) 2008-02-19 15:22:33
Abu Haadiya: Quote

Like the USA, this country has been taken over by the Zionists. Lets see if the British public are whipped into a frenzy by the media, about this blatant example of 'one law for one, and one for others' that they keep accusing Muslims of.
(3) 2008-02-19 16:26:56
fred: Quote

Imagine if it was a muslim war criminal, mi5 would have just blown up the plane and asked questions later
(4) 2008-02-19 17:18:44
Assad's Sister: Quote

Ah! Libel. The headline says "War Criminal" and the BBC correctly says that a private prosecution was launched for 'alleged war crimes'. There is a difference between an allegation and a guilty verdict. Play fair with the law.
(5) 2008-02-19 17:37:06
onlooker: Quote

no surprise that the headline hear bears no resemblance to the actual story published.

Firstly General Almog is not a war criminal but has simply been accused of an association to the decision to kill a wanted terrorist which ended in the unfortunate death of civillians.

Secondly Waqaar, the general had no 'cronies' the report references the following;

In his log, he wrote: "Another consideration [was] that El Al flights carried armed air marshals, which raised issues around public safety.

"There was also no intelligence as to whether Mr Almog would have been travelling with personal security as befitted his status, armed or otherwise."

There is no evidence here that "Israel wipes its shoes over British law" all countries are legally entitled to protect their airlines with armed marshalls.

Hickman and Rose are simply looking for a test case where israeli military personnel can be arrested in the UK for alleged 'war crimes'

I certainly hope that when representiatives from Syria, Hezbollah and other regimes visit the UK these 'legal eagles' are as quick to have them arested as well.
(6) 2008-02-19 17:46:16
karlos: Quote

When are British Muslims who continue to vote for Labour wake up and realise that Israel is above the law. The only way to change this is to kick people like Jack Straw out of office.
Labour created Israel in 1948 and supplied Israel with plutonium in the 1960s. Today more than 50% of Labour MPs are devoted zionists.
Yet people like Jack Straw get widespread Msulim support.
Shame on you.
(7) 2008-02-19 18:16:41
Karlos's mate: Quote

Now I wonder where Jack Straw's true loyalties lie, selling Britain's international reputation and standing down the river, by letting an alleged war criminal off the hook with paltry excuses.

Where are all the really hard speeches, Mr Straw, you know the ones you reel out when non-Israelis are involved, the ones that begin ''We will never give in to....this and that''

The Police should trace who tipped off the Israeli embassy and stick 'em inside. Perhaps they should ask Jack Straw for help
(8) 2008-02-19 20:19:37
Colin: Quote

How ironic that the special arm of the London Police that spends so much time and effort protecting British citizens from Islamic terrorists were nearly involved in arresting someone who has spent so much time and effort protecting Israeli citizens from Islamic terrorists! Special interest groups are certainly ingenious.
(9) 2008-02-19 20:31:43
Taz: Quote

Straw is a Zionist and the government tipped off the Israeli Embassy who then sent the warning to the war criminal who then made his escape back to apartheid land.
(10) 2008-02-19 22:49:20
Islamic Torch: Quote

Well it says it all - the Dog eat dog philosphy is true. Once as zionist always a zionist. Will not the Muslims of Blackburn now wake up and raise there left foot, remove that leather saddle and then with it raise there arm and with a swinging motion rain blow after blow down this dog's head who for all animal lovers I am referring to Jack Straw.
(11) 2008-02-20 07:59:03
kermit: Quote

colin,

its ironic that the London police spend so much time tackling Islamic extremist and ensuring they are not above the law, that they should allow a Jewish General and his armed escort the luxuary of breaking British law. Irony indeed. One law for one and the one law for the other.
(12) 2008-02-20 12:01:02
Barbarossa: Quote

How ironic that the special arm of the London Police that spends so much time and effort protecting British citizens from Islamic terrorists were nearly involved in arresting someone who has spent so much time and effort protecting Israeli citizens from Islamic terrorists! Special interest groups are certainly ingenious.
— Colin



Brilliant argument! - the mosque Mafia of Blackburn have a lot to answer for.
(13) 2008-02-20 12:35:35
Zubair: Quote

no surprise that the headline hear bears no resemblance to the actual story published.

Firstly General Almog is not a war criminal but has simply been accused of an association to the decision to kill a wanted terrorist which ended in the unfortunate death of civillians.

There is no evidence here that "Israel wipes its shoes over British law" all countries are legally entitled to protect their airlines with armed marshalls.

— onlooker


So basically the death of innocent civilians is a price worth paying for trying to kill one man is it? I'm surprised you didn't try to de-humanise these innocent civilians further by referring to them as 'collateral damage'.

The Police clearly didn't board the flight because they had reason to believe that the armed guards would not co-operate. Tell me do other airlines also ask their air marshalls not to co-operate with the law enforcement authorities of the country they're visiting?

If Almog had nothing to hide why then did he not turn himself in and attempt to vindicate himself rather than running away like a coward with a guilty conscience?

Wait, let me guess, because if he had turned himself he wouldn't have had a fair trial in the UK right???

It's also very worrying that the Israeli embassy was tipped off about the arrest warrant. It's only speculation but the most likely source of the leak was most likely from within the Police force, one needs to question this person(s) loyalties.
(14) 2008-02-20 21:14:33
Farrukh Bokhari: Quote

A slap on the face of all huge so called Muslims living in Blackburn
(15) 2008-02-21 11:45:23
onlooker: Quote

colin,

its ironic that the London police spend so much time tackling Islamic extremist and ensuring they are not above the law, that they should allow a Jewish General and his armed escort the luxuary of breaking British law. Irony indeed. One law for one and the one law for the other.
— kermit


how exactly were they breaking the law?
(16) 2008-02-21 12:29:34
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