Poland Arrests Alleged Mossad Agent: Official

[T-Faz]

BERLIN — An 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.

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.

For Israel, the news about Brodsky's arrest comes at an already difficult time as the country is facing international criticism over its May 31 military raid on a humanitarian flotilla bound for Hamas-ruled Gaza that killed nine people.

The German news weekly Der Spiegel reported that the arrest in Poland already has already 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 UAE.

If Brodsky's extradition goes through, however, it could put the government in Berlin – a staunch Israeli ally – in a difficult diplomatic position.

Poland Arrests Alleged Mossad Agent: Official

 

[TopCat]

Good job Poland, now deport this guy to Al-Qaeda camp in Afganistan and they will skin him alive

 

[Peregrine]

hi,
would be a big blow for Mossad if he is extradited from Poland to Germany & then to UAE, i hope UAE police is also watching this closely

 

[EjazR]

Is Israel losing another ally because of Dubai hit? - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

The Israeli government is pressuring Poland to not extradite alleged Mossad spy Uri Brodsky to Germany. If he is sent to Germany, Brodsky could be tried in court or even extradited to Dubai for his suspected role in the assassination of Hamas agent Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in January.

A Polish source told Haaretz that no decision had been made on an extradition. The source also declined to say where Brodsky was being held. Brodsky, who says he is a businessman and has no connection to the events, was arrested based on information provided by the Dubai and United Arab Emirates police and on an international arrest warrant issued in Germany via Interpol.

A German spokesman said the final decision was solely up to the Polish government.

Germany and Poland have an extradition agreement, both bilateral and through European treaties. The extradition matter, however, is complex and could prove long and drawn out. The Polish source added that Poland feels embarrassed and trapped between two countries it views as friends.

Poland is considered one of Israel's greatest friends anywhere in the world, let alone the European Union. They have close ties including economic agreements, arms deals, cultural relations and support by Poland for Israel in international forums, especially the United Nations. According to foreign reports, Israel and Poland also also have covert ties through their intelligence communities.

Evidence of those ties can be seen in the fact that the arrest was kept under wraps in Poland; the news was broken by a German media outlet. Even after the story broke, the Polish media played it down on Saturday, basing their reporting on the Der Spiegel report.

Germany is also considered one of Israel's best friends, including decades-long ties between the Mossad and the German foreign intelligence service. It may be assumed that if Brodsky is extradited to Germany it will be on suspicion of belonging to a foreign organization and not on the suspicions of which Dubai is accusing him. One can also assume that Germany would decline to extradite Brodsky to Dubai.

The fact that this is the first arrest of an Israeli suspected of being a Mossad agent involved in the Dubai assassination indicates that the matter refuses to fade away.

The Dubai hit may have been a success operationally, but it has severely damaged Israel diplomatically. Britain has expelled the Mossad representative in the Israeli embassy in London, followed by Australia's expulsion of the Mossad representative in Canberra. Ireland is also considering various actions, including expelling the IDF military attache.

The political damage to Israel comes as a series of actions – or lack of actions – indicate that the world is sick of Israel's deeds and sees Israel as a neighborhood bully that disregards and violates international norms. Israel's good friends, like Australia, Germany and France are finding it difficult to defend Israel and to justify their support of Israel to their publics.

 

[PakSher]

It is time that Israeli terrorist activities are brought to light. Enough terror on the Palestinians and enough theft of their land and resources. Poland and Germany need to make sure their countries are not used as terrorist bases against other countries.

 

[Syed Naved]

hi,
would be a big blow for Mossad if he is extradited from Poland to Germany & then to UAE, i hope UAE police is also watching this closely

Yahudi , Christians & Mosad Must Be treat like This for their wrong doings