Terror police feared gun battle with Israeli general

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Scotland Yard allowed a suspected war criminal to escape Britain because officers feared an attempt to stop him would lead to a gun battle at Heathrow airport, police documents seen by the Guardian reveal.

The former senior Israeli officer was supposed to be detained as he arrived in London for a speaking engagement after a British court had ordered his arrest.

But detectives watched on as he landed and hid on the plane for two hours, before flying off to escape justice.

In the documents, counter-terrorism police say they did not try to board the Israeli civilian jet partly because they feared armed guards on the plane would open fire on British officers.

A UK court had issued a secret arrest warrant for Major General Doron Almog over alleged war crimes under the Geneva conventions of ordering the demolition of 59 civilian Palestinian homes."

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[sam sarrha]

1. block em in.. starve em out ..or be considered one of them

[Tom Joad]

2. Cowards. The British Officers were damn cowards.

[rockymountaindem]

3. Would you want to get in a shootout with professional Israeli security men?

I wouldn't.

[Tom Joad]

4. I could understand the concern for innocent people who

might have been hurt by the Israeli thugs. So that may have been the top concern, in that case, perhaps my view expressed above was too harsh.

I do think that it is usually required of armed officers to deal with people who might become violent. People who don't want to deal with armed bad guys should not be in law enforcement.

[Shaktimaan]

5. Interesting viewpoint.

when contrasted with your beliefs on the armed forces. Namely, that we should support and admire those who choose not to fight, regardless of the circumstances. Why is it that a soldier who opts to refuse serving is worthy of admiration while these men who similarly neglected their duty are labeled "cowards?"

[Scurrilous]

6. Keeping the peace? The El Al flight and the Israeli army officer

<snip>

"To the average Heathrow traveller, it must have looked like just one of those inexplicable minor commotions that occur sometimes in the world`s busiest airports. An El Al flight was standing on the runway, with some passengers still inside. Telephone calls were being made. Messages were passed to and fro. After two hours, the plane took off. No visible drama.

We now know that the story could have turned out very differently. Inside the plane was a senior Israeli army officer, Doron Almog, veteran of some of the most celebrated military operations in the troubled history of the Middle East. There were also armed Israeli sharpshooters.

Outside were officers of the Metropolitan Police, acting reluctantly on an arrest warrant served by a judge at the request of lawyers who wanted to launch a private prosecution against the general.

The question that can never be answered is what would have happened if the police had marched on to the plane to seize the general and haul him before the courts. Possibly, he would have come quietly, and a lot of lawyers would have been kept very busy as the courts weighed what to do next.

A much more sinister possibility is that the Israeli agents on board would have refused to let the general be arrested without putting up resistance. At best, that would have meant an ugly stand off followed by a major diplomatic row. At worst, it could have led to dead bodies aboard the plane.

But now, the police and the Government face some awkward questions, of which the most interesting is who warned the Israelis that there was trouble brewing at Heathrow?"

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