Israel looks to muzzle witness in U.S. anti-terror case

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Israel looks to muzzle witness in U.S. anti-terror case

BY CRISPIAN BALMER
JERUSALEM Sat Nov 16, 2013 4:57pm EST

(Reuters) - The Israeli government has decided to prevent a key witness from testifying in an anti-terrorism case in the United States, drawing accusations that it is caving in to pressure from China.

The lawsuit revolves around allegations that Bank of China knowingly allowed Palestinian militants to use its accounts to finance their operations, including a suicide attack in the city of Tel Aviv in 2006 that killed 11 people.

Families of the dead, among them 16-year-old American holidaymaker Daniel Wultz, have launched at least two cases in the United States against China's fourth largest lender.

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Plaintiffs hoped that evidence from a former Israeli intelligence officer, who allegedly told Chinese counterparts in 2005 about suspicious transactions, would prove decisive.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/16/us-israel-china-funding-idUSBRE9AF0CS20131116

[Scootaloo]

1. Must admit, I'm a little surprised.

Bomb goes off in Tel Aviv, and Israel says that aiding the investigation would harm its ability to protect people in Israel?

Even for Israel, even for Netanyahu, that's a new level of cynicism.