Friday, February 26, 2010

Fraudulent passports and disguises are tools of trade for Hamas

From The Globe and Mail, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010, by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza — Reuters:

Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, the Hamas commander assassinated in Dubai, used the same tradecraft — fraudulent passports and disguises — as his killers during secret missions to procure arms for the group, a confidant said on Thursday.

...“He used to wear coloured contact lenses and dye his hair when travelling to European countries,” said the confidant, who is based in the Gaza Strip, an enclave run by Hamas Islamists. He told Reuters he spent two years in exile with Mr. al-Mabhouh.

“He used to supply money and arms to Hamas and other allied factions,” the confidant said.

“He had many passports of different nationalities — all Arab,” he added. “Recently he underwent surgery to reshape his nose. It became narrower.”

Mr. al-Mabhouh was killed last month in his hotel room in ...Dubai ....

Dubai authorities have named 26 alleged members of the team that tracked and killed the Palestinian and said they used fraudulent British, Irish, French, German and Australian passports, and disguises...

...Dubai police have not commented officially on the passport Mr. al-Mahbouh used to enter the emirate. Mr. al-Mabhouh's brother said the Hamas commander arrived in Dubai on a Palestinian passport that listed his family name as Hassan.

“(Mabhouh) never led a normal life. He was suspicious, careful, and he never told anyone, not even his wife, of his future or immediate plans,” the confidant said, adding that Mr. al-Mabhouh used Arab passports to enter European countries because they aroused less suspicion....

...Both Hamas and Iran have acknowledged Tehran's financial support for [Hamas]....

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