Robert Bandanza
January 31st, 2010, 07:47 PM
31/01/2010 Hamas said Saturday it plans to send representatives to Dubai to take part in a joint investigation into the assassination of senior organization member Mahmoud al-Mabhouh 10 days ago.
Al-Mabhouh was responsible for the capturing and killing of Israeli occupation soldiers Aviv Sasportas and Ilan Saadon. Hamas says Israel was behind his death.
Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha said he expects authorities in Dubai to cooperate with the investigation team, adding that "the Zionist enemy will pay a heavy price for this crime."
Senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Zahhar said Saturday Israel would be solely responsible for the "repercussions" of taking the conflict to the international arena. "Israel knows Hamas can hit all Israeli targets abroad – any time, anywhere," he said.
"We have maintained that the confrontation between us and the Israeli enemy be within the occupied land. Israel wants to change the rules of the game and to open the international field for battles - so it will be responsible for this," al-Zahhar said, 'We are waiting with our response so that it will be a worthy one."
Another senior Hamas figure, Osama Hamdan, said the Islamic resistance group will boost security around Hamas representatives in Arab and European countries.
Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, blamed Mossad for the assassination, saying the hit has "expanded the circle of Zionist assassinations, and it has now penetrated deep into Arab and Islamic states. "There are clear signs that the Zionists aim to spill the blood of the Arab and Islamic nation," he said.
Abu Obeida added that it was the duty of the Arab countries to "sever the long arm of the Zionist entity before Mossad has a chance to wreak havoc."
Meanwhile, London-based Times newspaper reported Sunday that the people who assassinated al-Mabhouh in his Dubai hotel room injected him with a drug that induced a heart attack, photographed all the documents in his briefcase and left a “do not disturb” sign on the door.
According to the report, al-Mabhouh's body was discovered by staff at the luxury al-Bustan Rotana Hotel after lunch on January 20. There were no suspicious signs and local doctors diagnosed a heart attack, the Times said.
Nine days later, after blood samples sent to Paris for analysis showed signs of poison.
The report that al-Mabhouh was poisoned to death and was only discovered many days later contradicts earlier information as well. Security sources in Dubai said over the weekend that the body had traces of burns and torture from electric shocks. The Khaleej Times newspaper that al-Mabhouh was apparently suffocated to death by a pillow attached to his face.
Earlier Saturday, al-Zahhar said that al-Mabhouh's assassins arrived in the region as part of Israeli Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau's entourage.
Landau recently took part in an environmental convention in Abu-Dhabi. In an interview with Al-Jazeera, al-Zahhar said it was possible the assassins had come with him and entered Dubai under assumed identities, using false passports.
A senior source in Dubai said Friday afternoon that local police had managed to identify the men suspected of assassinating al-Mabhouh.
According to the official, the police were conducting a manhunt for the suspects, who he said have European passports, and had even appealed to the Interpol for help. He added, however, that the two had apparently left the emirate.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=122086&language=en
Al-Mabhouh was responsible for the capturing and killing of Israeli occupation soldiers Aviv Sasportas and Ilan Saadon. Hamas says Israel was behind his death.
Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha said he expects authorities in Dubai to cooperate with the investigation team, adding that "the Zionist enemy will pay a heavy price for this crime."
Senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Zahhar said Saturday Israel would be solely responsible for the "repercussions" of taking the conflict to the international arena. "Israel knows Hamas can hit all Israeli targets abroad – any time, anywhere," he said.
"We have maintained that the confrontation between us and the Israeli enemy be within the occupied land. Israel wants to change the rules of the game and to open the international field for battles - so it will be responsible for this," al-Zahhar said, 'We are waiting with our response so that it will be a worthy one."
Another senior Hamas figure, Osama Hamdan, said the Islamic resistance group will boost security around Hamas representatives in Arab and European countries.
Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, blamed Mossad for the assassination, saying the hit has "expanded the circle of Zionist assassinations, and it has now penetrated deep into Arab and Islamic states. "There are clear signs that the Zionists aim to spill the blood of the Arab and Islamic nation," he said.
Abu Obeida added that it was the duty of the Arab countries to "sever the long arm of the Zionist entity before Mossad has a chance to wreak havoc."
Meanwhile, London-based Times newspaper reported Sunday that the people who assassinated al-Mabhouh in his Dubai hotel room injected him with a drug that induced a heart attack, photographed all the documents in his briefcase and left a “do not disturb” sign on the door.
According to the report, al-Mabhouh's body was discovered by staff at the luxury al-Bustan Rotana Hotel after lunch on January 20. There were no suspicious signs and local doctors diagnosed a heart attack, the Times said.
Nine days later, after blood samples sent to Paris for analysis showed signs of poison.
The report that al-Mabhouh was poisoned to death and was only discovered many days later contradicts earlier information as well. Security sources in Dubai said over the weekend that the body had traces of burns and torture from electric shocks. The Khaleej Times newspaper that al-Mabhouh was apparently suffocated to death by a pillow attached to his face.
Earlier Saturday, al-Zahhar said that al-Mabhouh's assassins arrived in the region as part of Israeli Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau's entourage.
Landau recently took part in an environmental convention in Abu-Dhabi. In an interview with Al-Jazeera, al-Zahhar said it was possible the assassins had come with him and entered Dubai under assumed identities, using false passports.
A senior source in Dubai said Friday afternoon that local police had managed to identify the men suspected of assassinating al-Mabhouh.
According to the official, the police were conducting a manhunt for the suspects, who he said have European passports, and had even appealed to the Interpol for help. He added, however, that the two had apparently left the emirate.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=122086&language=en