THE USE of fake Irish passports by the team allegedly responsible for assassinating a senior Hamas operative in Dubai will be raised by Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin when he meets his Israeli counterpart today amid increasing speculation Israel’s intelligence services were behind the killing.
The alleged assassins of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh also used six passports from Britain, and one each from France and Germany, say Dubai authorities. The emirate’s police chief has said he is “99 per cent” certain Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, was responsible for the murder.
Mr Martin is due to meet Avigdor Lieberman when EU foreign ministers’s monthly gathering in Brussels this morning. Mr Lieberman, whose visit to Brussels was planned for some time, will also face questions from British foreign secretary David Miliband in a separate meeting.
“There has been a lot of speculation out there that there may have been Mossad involvement. We don’t have any cast-iron proof of anything but we will see if can shed any light on this and give any clarification and give his perspective,” Mr Martin said.
Israel has so far refused to confirm or deny involvement in the January 19th assassination. “We don’t need to defend ourselves but if there is to be an inquiry and we are asked to co-operate, then we will do so,” an Israeli government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said last night.
The official played down speculation of a serious diplomatic rift.
“It is very unpleasant to see all these allegations and so-called revelations. Once direct talks have taken place things can be straightened out. There is no need for any strain or tension,” he said.
Mr Martin said the United Arab Emirates foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan told him on Friday the incident may result in a tightening of entry conditions for EU travellers to the UAE. “He said there was pressure mounting in his country in terms of the visa facilitation that currently exists there for EU citizens and the ease with which we can go there, and there have been calls for curbing such access now and going back to having to apply for visas because of what has happened,” Mr Martin said.
“I think they’re anxious also that it would be aired and articulated at EU level . . . They thanked us for our co-operation but they are clearly very angry at what has happened as well.”
Any curbing of the easy access Irish citizens have to the UAE would have a major impact on those who work there, Mr Martin added.
Sheik Abdullah has said the UAE is determined to bring those responsible for the killing to justice.
“The abuse of passports poses a global threat, affecting both countries’ national security as well as personal security of travellers,” he said.