closeicon

Was al-Mabhouh a militant or a terrorist?

February 19, 2010 17:06

According to the Jewish Chronicle's Jessica Elgot:

"Interpol has issued wanted notices for the suspected Mossad agents accused of killing a Hamas militant in a luxury Dubai hotel."

But was Jessica Elgot right to describe al-Mabhouh as a "militant"?

Wouldn't it have been more accurate to call him a "terrorist"?

One might conclude that The Jewish Chronicle is, unfortunately, pandering to some sort of PC trendy lefty mumbo-jumbo.

Wikipedia: Al-Mabhouh

Al-Mabhouh was born in Jabalia Camp, Gaza, on February 14, 1960.[4] As a young man he pursued weightlifting and trained as a car mechanic, having previously quit secondary school, and later became a garage owner.[5] Al-Mabhouh has 13 siblings and was a married father of four.[5]
In the 1970s he joined the Muslim Brotherhood and in the 1980s he was reported to have been involved in sabotaging coffee shops where gambling was taking place. In 1986, the Israeli security forces arrested him for possession of an assault rifle. It has been reported that after his release, he became involved with Hamas.
He was suspected for being involved in the 1989 abduction and murder of two Israeli soldiers, Avi Sasportas and Ilan Sa'adon,[6] along with several other attacks. In May 1989, a failed attempt was made to arrest him for his believed involvement in the murder of two Israeli soldiers and he subsequently fled the Gaza Strip; his home in Gaza was reported to have been demolished by Israel in 1989 in response to these attacks on Israel.[7] Al-Mabhouh confessed to his involvement in these deaths in a tape released by Al Jazeera two weeks after his assassination.[8]
According to some reports, al-Mabhouh was believed to have been involved in smuggling weapons and explosives into Gaza.[1] One report indicated that he spent most of 2003 in an Egyptian jail.[9] He had been arrested and released several times by Israel, but at the time of his death was wanted by the Israeli government and living in Syria.[10]

February 19, 2010 17:06

Want more from the JC?

To continue reading, we just need a few details...

Want more from
the JC?

To continue reading, we just
need a few details...

Get the best news and views from across the Jewish world Get subscriber-only offers from our partners Subscribe to get access to our e-paper and archive