February 20, 2010

Dubai's police chief said in a report on Saturday that his force has evidence incriminating the Mossad in the killing of a Hamas commander in the Gulf emirate last month, despite Israeli denials.

"Among the new evidence available to Dubai police which incriminates the Israeli secret service, the Mossad, and confirms its involvement in the murder ... are telephone communications between the culprits who have been detected," Dhahi Khalfan said in the newspaper Al-Bayan.

Mahmud al-Mabhuh, one of the founders of Hamas's military wing, was found dead in his luxurious Dubai hotel room on January 20.

"Dubai police also have reliable information that some perpetrators bought their tickets in other countries using credit cards bearing the same identity revealed" previously by the emirate, he added.

"Therefore, the perpetrators used the same passport in several countries," Khalfan said, reiterating that "the Mossad is 99-percent involved" in the assassination of Mabhuh.

Neither in the case of the telephone calls nor of the credit cards did Khalfan say how the link to Mossad was drawn.

On Thursday, Interpol issued arrest notices for 11 suspects -- six listed with British passports, three Irish, one French and one German -- wanted by Dubai for Mabhuh's murder.

On Friday, Israel dismissed as "baseless" calls for the head of Mossad, Meir Dagan, to be be arrested in connection with the murder.

"The Dubai police have provided no incriminating proof," a senior Israeli official told AFP, adding: "Police have not explained the circumstances of his death, or even any proof that he's been assassinated."

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© Copyright AFP 2010.