Police feared 'airport stand-off'

By Dominic Casciani
BBC News
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/999999.gif

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44435000/jpg/_44435701_almog203.jpg Major General Doron Almog refused to leave the plane at Heathrow

An Israeli general wanted for alleged war crimes escaped arrest in the UK because British police feared an armed confrontation at Heathrow airport. Documents seen by BBC News reveal how Major General Doron Almog managed to fly back to Israel when police failed to board his plane in September 2005.

He stayed on board for two hours after a tip-off that he was facing detention.

Police were concerned about a potential clash with Israeli air marshals or armed personal security on the plane.

Maj Gen Almog had flown to the UK for social and charitable visits to Jewish communities in Solihull, in the West Midlands, and Manchester.

Lawyers acting for Palestinian campaigners lobbied the Metropolitan Police to act over allegations he had ordered the destruction in 2002 of more than 50 Palestinian homes in the Gaza Strip.

Campaigners say the homes were destroyed by the Israeli army as retribution for a Palestinian militant attack, in contravention of the laws of war protecting civilian property. Israel says destruction of Palestinian houses is among the necessary measures it takes to protect its citizens.

The Met initially refused to get involved, citing massive pressures on counter-terrorism teams in the wake of the London bombings.

But the legal representatives successfully applied to a judge for an arrest warrant for a private prosecution.

Decisions log

A decisions log prepared for the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which has investigated the incident, shows officers decided to detain the general at Heathrow's immigration control.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44435000/jpg/_44435705_homes203.jpg Destroyed: Palestinians accused Maj Gen Almog of an attack on homes



They then planned to take him to a police station to consider executing the warrant.

However, news of the warrant leaked to the Israeli Embassy.

Officials tipped off the general and he and his wife refused to leave the El Al flight for the two hours it sat at the London airport's terminal.

The documents now show Det Supt John MacBrayne, a senior counter-terrorism officer who was responsible for the operation, could not get confirmation that his team had the right to board the plane.

El Al, Israel's national airline, had refused permission.

In his log, he wrote: "Another consideration [was] that El Al flights carried armed air marshals, which raised issues around public safety.

"There was also no intelligence as to whether Mr Almog would have been travelling with personal security as befitted his status, armed or otherwise."

The officer concluded there were real risks to the police and public and also had concerns about the "international impact of a potentially armed police operation at an airport".

Apology to Israel

When Maj Gen Almog arrived back in Israel, the planned arrest caused a minor diplomatic storm, with Israeli foreign minister Silvan Shalom describing the incident as an "outrage".

In turn, the then UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw apologised to his counterpart for any embarrassment caused.

Hickman and Rose, lawyers for the Palestinians, demanded an inquiry.

A spokesman for the Independent Police Complaints Commission said its review had not identified the source who leaked details of the planned arrest.

It also concluded police had not broken rules by failing to board the aircraft to execute the warrant.

John O' Connor, a former head of Scotland Yard's flying squad, told BBC One's Breakfast programme: "All they needed to do was to stop the plane from taking off and negotiate through the Foreign Office."

He said he felt the arrest had been "written off", putting "British justice is in the dock."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7251954.stm

Hmm... I really don't know what to say about this. Just felt like sharing my frustration, though I doubt anyone else will feel the same.

Not too out of the ordinary really with Diplomatic immunity and it's various forms being what they are.

I'd like Halo's input on this as I generally take his input as realistic vs spintastic.

All they needed to do was to stop the plane from taking off

This is easier than one may think. One of my family members was an RCMP officer in the 60's - 80's. He was tasked with making sure a plane did not leave a certain airport back in the 80's as they needed time to setup a sting operation at its final destination due to illegal substances being on board.

He waited around near the plane until it was fully boarded and the engines spooled up before it taxied to the runway. Being mindful of the intake pressures he took a garbage bag full of light trash and flung it towards the nacel.

3 weeks later the engine had been rebuilt, the sting operation was setup and the plane finally took off for its date with the authorities.

The stories my family member tells are incredible, this is just one of many.


Cheers,

Not too out of the ordinary really with Diplomatic immunity and it's various forms being what they are.

I'd like Halo's input on this as I generally take his input as realistic vs spintastic.

Curious... Why would the UK court even issue a warrant if this Israeli general has diplomatic immunity? Guess Your right, Halo probably has a better answer.

I'm sure it's better covered over there than on our news channels is all I meant really.

Israel above the law?

Um...yeah?

Rather than an armed confrontation with Israel security forces, wouldn't it be better to address the arrest warrant through extradition?

"The officer concluded there were real risks to the police and public and also had concerns about the "international impact of a potentially armed police operation at an airport".

Rather than an armed confrontation with Israel security forces, wouldn't it be better to address the arrest warrant through extradition?

"The officer concluded there were real risks to the police and public and also had concerns about the "international impact of a potentially armed police operation at an airport".

That however will not happen, and you know it.

The dangers were hilarious... Armed Israeli Air Marshalls. What kind of Air Marshal would fire on British Police? The Generals Bodyguards? Would they be so stupid as to open fire on British Police?

The reasons for their hesitation and lack of carrying out the operation were quite frankly nonsense.

..The dangers were hilarious... Armed Israeli Air Marshalls. What kind of Air Marshal would fire on British Police? The Generals Bodyguards? Would they be so stupid as to open fire on British Police?

The reasons for their hesitation and lack of carrying out the operation were quite frankly nonsense.

Except the Israeli miltary is highly regarded around the world for its skill and competance. 5 ISraeli trained soldiers would definately put up a good fight against an british spec ops team.


As far as above the law, in florida they recently passed a law that if in a residental area the speeds on a pursuit got above a certain limit they had to break it off for safety. Its about safety, in the end the generals arrest at that moment was worth the potential risk. thats the basics of risk managment and imo had nothing to politics of the situation.

Except the Israeli miltary is highly regarded around the world for its skill and competance. 5 ISraeli trained soldiers would definately put up a good fight against an british spec ops team.


As far as above the law, in florida they recently passed a law that if in a residental area the speeds on a pursuit got above a certain limit they had to break it off for safety. Its about safety, in the end the generals arrest at that moment was worth the potential risk. thats the basics of risk managment and imo had nothing to politics of the situation.

What I find ridiculous is that the Israeli Armed guards would resist. Would they really start a firefight that could lead to the death of their general?

Rather than an armed confrontation with Israel security forces, wouldn't it be better to address the arrest warrant through extradition?

that extradition has about 0% chance of ever happening.

'I'd like Halo's input on this as I generally take his input as realistic vs spintastic.'

- Actually that's pretty funny, I had no idea this had happened until I picked up the Evening Standard on the late train home last night. I thought it outrageous.

So I went home but then I found this from 2005:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4270664.stm

'Mr Straw also stressed the UK Government had not played a role in the arrest warrant - which Maj Gen Almog dodged after a tip-off from an Israeli official.


The apology came when Mr Straw met Mr Shalom at the recent United Nations summit in New York.

Lawyers acting for the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said a UK court had issued a warrant for his arrest.

Solicitors Hickman and Rose said the 54-year-old had been due to be arrested on suspicion of committing a breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949, which is a criminal offence in the UK under the Geneva Conventions Act 1957.

Senior District Judge Timothy Workman had given the police authority to detain Maj Gen Almog during a hearing at Bow Street Magistrates' Court in central London, the law firm added. The warrant relates to the bulldozing of more than 50 houses in the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, when Maj Gen Almog was head of Israel's Southern Command.'

But I guess this is the relevant part:


In a letter to Mr Straw and the UK attorney general, James Arbuthnot MP, parliamentary chairman of Conservative Friends of Israel, said the incident had caused embarrassment to Britain and concern to the world.

Mr Arbuthnot said: "I do not believe that when the Geneva Conventions were agreed it would have been envisaged that they could have been invoked without reference to the government of the day. "I consider that the issue of such a warrant should be a matter for the government and only the government, and would suggest that it should be impossible to issue a warrant under the Conventions without the prior consent of the attorney general."

- I think this is more an issue of the executive being angry at the judiciary for being so bold. No wonder no one is bothered to really act upon it.

So why even have such a convention if no one actually backs it up anyways?