Police let alleged war criminal escape

[TBH]

An Israeli general wanted for alleged war crimes escaped arrest in the UK because British police feared an armed confrontation at Heathrow airport.

Link

What a cop-out, no pun intended. If that was a gangland boss they were trying to apprehend they would have done it no questions asked.

[golach]

Who advocated that he was a "War Criminal" , not the War Crimes Tribunal, no but Hezbula, a bunch of terrorists themselves. The police did the right thing IMO, by not boarding the plane.

[TBH]

The police took it seriously enough to actually get a warrant for his arrest.

[DeHaviLand]

Outrageous, just another example of the way the British Government bends over backwards to appease the Israelis. Of course, that will now mean that I'm anti-Semitic

[j4bberw0ck]

The police took it seriously enough to actually get a warrant for his arrest.

Well, not quite. The warrant was issued by a judge based on "representations" by a firm of lawyers acting for Palestinian interests who apparently wanted to bring a private prosecution, there being insufficient evidence for normal processes. I would think the Government was heartily relieved the General wasn't arrested - how embarrassing. I wonder how the Police knew the plane was stuffed full of armed Israeli sky marshals who would fight?

Might someone in the UK Government have suggested to the Police that it was so?

Heaven forfend.....

[northener]

I can see the headline now:

" Police in airliner gun battle with Mossad agents at Heathrow"

Armed confrontations with international figures are generally not a good thing, as the repercussions are long and far-reaching. Shooting a few crack dealers is not a good comparison.

Quiet diplomacy may take longer, but it tends to work better.

[TBH]

Well, not quite. The warrant was issued by a judge based on "representations" by a firm of lawyers acting for Palestinian interests who apparently wanted to bring a private prosecution, there being insufficient evidence for normal processes. I would think the Government was heartily relieved the General wasn't arrested - how embarrassing. I wonder how the Police knew the plane was stuffed full of armed Israeli sky marshals who would fight?

Might someone in the UK Government have suggested to the Police that it was so?

Heaven forfend.....

My mistake. The warrant was issued by a senior district judge at the request of lawyers acting for a palestinian group.
The warrant would not have been issued unless the judge thought that there was sufficient evidence to proceed.
Under the fourth Geneva convention Britain has a right to search for and apprehend suspected war criminals and for Jack Straw to offer up an apology to Israel shows how immoral and spineless our government can be.

[j4bberw0ck]

Oh, I don't know. Much better to be on the side of reason and economic growth in the Middle East, than on the side of terrorists. Israel is the economic engine that keeps that part of the Middle East alive.

[JAWS]

[

Outrageous, just another example of the way the British Government bends over backwards to appease the Israelis. Of course, that will now mean that I'm anti-Semitic

Is that why Leila Khaled, who is a wanted Palestinian terrorist responsible for the hijack of a plane in this country, is allowed to come and go as she pleases?
She was arrested at Heathrow for the hijacking but released after her fellow terrorists hijacked three planes, one carrying British schoolchildren, to a place called Dawson’s Field in the Middle East. They threatened to kill the hostages, including the children, if she and other terrorists held elsewhere in Europe were not released.
She is now not only allowed to come to Britain but also allowed to lecture at various Educational Establishments here.
No, DeHaviLand, not anti-Semitic, just ever so slightly one-sided with your declared outrage.

TBH, the term "War Criminal" is trotted out rather easily by some people simply in an attempt to justify their dislike of supporters of certain political viewpoints.
It is now become so degraded in it's usage that it is more of a mild insult than anything else.
All the accusation "War Criminal" basically means now is, "Somebody who fights for a Country or Political Ideology which I don't like."
But it matters little, most people are well able to distinguish between the accusations of War Crimes which are genuine and worthy of the description and those which are made for politically motivated reasons.