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Israeli Secret Service asked to inspect Irish passport production facility

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  • 22-05-2010 12:57pm
    #1
    RATM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,591 ✭✭✭


    This story just gets more weird. It turns out the Israeli Secret Service asked for an inspection trip to an Irish Passport facility in Balbriggan before they carried out the hit in Dubai.

    Full article
    http://www.independent.ie/national-news/israelis-asked-to-visit-passport-plant-here-before-dubai-killing-2190468.html

    ISRAELI officials asked to inspect the Dublin plant where security-enhanced passports are made -- just a month before a Middle East assassination by agents using forged Irish documents.

    A serious diplomatic incident was looming last night after a top-level report concluded that an Israeli intelligence agency forged the Irish passports used in the murder of a Hamas operative in Dubai in January.

    The Department of Foreign Affairs believes that an Israeli state agency provided the eight forged Irish passports used by agents involved in the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.

    The sensational charges against the Israelis are understood to be detailed in a report submitted earlier this week by the Irish Passport Service to Minister Micheal Martin.

    However, it is also understood that none of the findings could be proven beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Up to 27 people were suspected of involvement in the murder of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel on January 19. Three fraudulent Australian passports, four French, 12 British, one German and eight Irish passports were used in the killing.

    The genuine Irish passports -- whose numbers had been used in the forged passports -- had been though frontiers in Europe and the United States, but not in the Middle East.

    Meanwhile, it emerged last night that the Israeli Foreign Service approached the Department of Foreign Affairs in the run-up to Christmas to say it was very impressed by the sophistication of the new Irish passports and their in-built biometric components.

    The Israelis asked if they could send a small team to examine the DFA's manufacturing plant in Balbriggan, Co Dublin, where a new biometric security feature was built into the passports.

    The request was refused.

    "After the killing in Dubai, one of the bosses here said whoever refused the Israelis getting into the passport plant should be promoted," a source within the department said yesterday.

    A spokesman for Micheal Martin declined to comment.

    However, a senior and reliable source in the department said: "Our conclusion is much the same as that of the British. We're not looking for anybody else."


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Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 81,681 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    Twtt2.PNG

    Mr Burns: See with your eyes, not with your hands!
    Fidel Castro: Please! We are all amigos here!
    Homer: Mr. Burns, I think we can trust the President of Cuba!
    (Mr. Burns reluctantly hands over the $1 Trillion bill)
    Mr. Burns: Now give it back.
    Fidel Castro: Give what back?


  • Options
    #3
    UltimateMale
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭UltimateMale


    RATM wrote: »
    This story just gets more weird. It turns out the Israeli Secret Service asked for an inspection trip to an Irish Passport facility in Balbriggan before they carried out the hit in Dubai.

    Full article
    http://www.independent.ie/national-news/israelis-asked-to-visit-passport-plant-here-before-dubai-killing-2190468.html

    We should expel those bums the Isreali's. Their only parasites and murderers.


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    #4
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    UltimateMale wrote: »
    We should expel those bums the Isreali's. Their only parasites and murderers.

    ...doesn't really further the debate, tbh. Not all Israelis support the activities of their state.


  • Options
    #5
    gizmo555
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,948 ✭✭✭gizmo555


    UltimateMale wrote: »
    We should expel those bums the Isreali's. Their only parasites and murderers.
    Nodin wrote: »
    ...doesn't really further the debate, tbh. Not all Israelis support the activities of their state.

    OK, how about we should expel those bums, the diplomatic representatives of the murdering Israeli state which put our citizens at risk throughout the Middle East by forging our passports for use in an assasination?


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    #6
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    Thats fair enough.


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    #7
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,576 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    gizmo555 wrote: »
    OK, how about we should expel those bums, the diplomatic representatives of the murdering Israeli state which put our citizens at risk throughout the Middle East by forging our passports for use in an assasination?

    Who would you take along with them?

    Iran?
    Syria?


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    #8
    Qualitymark
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,824 ✭✭✭Qualitymark


    FlutterinBantam wrote: »
    Who would you take along with them?

    Iran?
    Syria?

    Iran and Syria have forged our passports too? Really?


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    #9
    anymore
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,672 ✭✭✭anymore


    gizmo555 wrote: »
    OK, how about we should expel those bums, the diplomatic representatives of the murdering Israeli state which put our citizens at risk throughout the Middle East by forging our passports for use in an assasination?

    As opposed to our Government which has Shannon airport used as a transit point for both the US military and for CIA flights ! :D


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    #10
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,576 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    Qualitymark wrote: »
    Iran and Syria have forged our passports too? Really?


    Well, maybe not, they wouldn't have the intelligence.


    But they have murdered plenty of people:cool:


  • Options
    #11
    Amalgam
    Registered Users Posts: 6,026 ✭✭✭Amalgam


    You're all getting upset over nothing. A film on the telly taught me the following..

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX-J6lcZZw4


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    #12
    Riddle101
    Registered Users Posts: 8,378 ✭✭✭Riddle101


    What I want to know is how have the other countries reacted to this? Ireland only had eight passports forged, but you've also got the ones from Germany, Austria, Britian, France etc.


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    #13
    digme
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,584 ✭✭✭digme


    I hate the Israeli government,sick ****ers.
    To forge our nation passports like that and kill another human is pretty bloody serious,fair play to the person who refused their sneaky trip.


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    #14
    Elevator
    Closed Accounts Posts: 844 ✭✭✭Elevator


    *queues ryanair offering 90k cheap seat to israel, oh wait sure we can't get a passport in this country right now...


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    #15
    gizmo555
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,948 ✭✭✭gizmo555


    Riddle101 wrote: »
    What I want to know is how have the other countries reacted to this? Ireland only had eight passports forged, but you've also got the ones from Germany, Austria, Britian, France etc.

    Britain expelled an Israeli diplomat, who according to this report in The Times, was actually a resident Mossad agent in London, working there with the knowledge and cooperation of the British.


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    #16
    wes
    Registered Users Posts: 11,747 ✭✭✭✭wes


    The Israeli gov looking more and more guilty. We should follow the British, and expel a diplomat.


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    #17
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    FlutterinBantam wrote: »
    Well, maybe not, they wouldn't have the intelligence.


    But they have murdered plenty of people:cool:

    I'm sorry, but are you implying Syrians and Iranians are somehow below normal in intellectual ability? Please explain.


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    #18
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    I'm presuming he means the intelligence operatives etc.

    I think we should expel a few diplomats just to shake a stick at the Israelis.

    DeV.


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    #19
    anymore
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,672 ✭✭✭anymore


    DeVore wrote: »
    I'm presuming he means the intelligence operatives etc.

    I think we should expel a few diplomats just to shake a stick at the Israelis.

    DeV.

    The reason Irish passports are so useful to foreign governments is that Minister martin refuses to make our passports more difficult to forge according to a report by Phoenix a few months ago.

    Apart from forgery anyway Irish Governments sell irish passports to wealthy foreigners anyway so Irish Citizenship is a commodity like anyother - hard to see why foreign governments would have any respect for irish passports - we obivously dont.-


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    #20
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,576 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    DeVore wrote: »
    I'm presuming he means the intelligence operatives etc.

    I think we should expel a few diplomats just to shake a stick at the Israelis.

    DeV.


    Exactly!

    Sorry you had to waste your time spelling it out for these guys D.

    You must be a busy man.

    Appreciate that.


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    #21
    anymore
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,672 ✭✭✭anymore


    FlutterinBantam wrote: »
    Exactly!

    Sorry you had to waste your time spelling it out for these guys D.

    You must be a busy man.

    Appreciate that.
    Ahem ! we didnt vote to refuse Israel entry into the OECD recently :D


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    #22
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,576 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    anymore wrote: »
    Ahem ! we didnt vote to refuse Israel entry into the OECD recently :D

    It was the intelligence bit I was referring to......:D

    I don't condone the other sentiments.


    Careless of me sorry.


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    #23
    IH77
    Closed Accounts Posts: 301 ✭✭IH77


    Riddle101 wrote: »
    What I want to know is how have the other countries reacted to this? Ireland only had eight passports forged, but you've also got the ones from Germany, Austria, Britian, France etc.

    The Australian's have now expelled a diplomat:

    Israeli diplomat expelled over fake passport affair

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/24/2907598.htm
    The Federal Government is expelling an Israeli diplomat after it found Israel faked Australian passports that were used in a hit on a top Hamas leader in Dubai.

    Foreign Minister Stephen Smith today condemned the fraud as "not the act of a friend" and a clear affront to Australia that cannot be tolerated.

    "This is not what we expect from a nation with whom we have had such a close, friendly and supportive relationship," he said.

    In February several forged Australian passports were used in the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.

    Mr Smith confirmed investigations by Australian Federal Police, ASIO and ASIS showed Israel fabricated the passports of four Australians who also had Israeli nationality.

    "The high quality of these counterfeited passports points to involvement of a state intelligence service," he said.

    "These investigations and advice have left the Australian Government in no doubt that Israel was responsible for the abuse and counterfeiting of these passports."

    The Department of Foreign Affairs summoned the Charge D'affairs to request that it remove one of its diplomats within the week.

    "The Government takes this step much more in sorrow than anger or retaliation," Mr Smith said.

    "It is a decision taken in our national security interest.

    "The department conveyed the Government's deep disappointment over Israel's involvement in this affair."

    The diplomat who has been expelled has not been named and it is not known whether they will return or be replaced at a later stage.

    Mr Smith said Australia would now work on rebuilding its relationship and reminded Israel friendship was a "two-way street".

    He also said Israel should realise it is on notice that if it again fabricates Australian passports similar or stronger action would be taken.

    When asked if Israel had acknowledged its part in the affair or had apologised, Mr Smith replied: "In terms of the substance of these matters Israel has not been drawn in those conversations or drawn on those matters."

    Consular assistance

    Nicole McCabe, Joshua Bruce, Adam Korman and Joshua Krycer have been named as the Australians whose passports were forged. All four live in Israel.

    Mr Smith says replacement passports have been issued and consular assistance is still being provided to the four Australians.

    An Australian Federal Police (AFP) team travelled to Israel to investigate the matter as well as the director-general of ASIO earlier this month.

    Dubai authorities had said they were almost 100 per cent certain the Israeli spy agency, Mossad, was responsible for the hit.

    Dubai claimed the assassins also used Irish, French and German passports to travel through the state.

    Israel has maintained there is no proof it was behind the assassination.

    Earlier this year, Britain expelled an Israeli diplomat after an investigation by its Serious Organised Crime Agency found that 12 forged British passports used in the assassination were copied from real documents.

    It said the copies were made after the passports were handed over for inspection "to individuals linked to Israel"
    .


  • Options
    #24
    Pittens
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,404 ✭✭✭Pittens


    Its the whole Israeli diplomats are Mossad which ha SHOCKED me!


  • Options
    #25
    anymore
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,672 ✭✭✭anymore


    Let me ask a question(s) ;
    1. how many people are subject to rigorous scrutiny at irish airports because of the danger they might be israeli terrorists plotting to blow up the plane ?
    2. How many of us are subject to rigorous scrutiny at Irish Airports becasue of the danger we might be Islamic terrorists plotting to blow up the plane ?
    Answer to one is zero
    Answer to two is all of us
    So which should we be most concerned about: passports or terrorism ? :confused:


  • Options
    #26
    BluePlanet
    Registered Users Posts: 2,342 ✭✭✭BluePlanet


    I vote to Expel a Diplomat.
    Preferrably the highest one.


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    #27
    anymore
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,672 ✭✭✭anymore


    BluePlanet wrote: »
    I vote to Expel a Diplomat.
    Preferrably the highest one.
    Why would we expel a diplomat from a country which we allowed to just join the OECD ? We had a veto which we didnt exercise :p:p

    Lets start getting some connection with reality here !


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    #28
    gandalf
    Registered Users Posts: 26,458 ✭✭✭✭gandalf


    anymore wrote: »
    Let me ask a question(s) ;
    1. how many people are subject to rigorous scrutiny at irish airports because of the danger they might be israeli terrorists plotting to blow up the plane ?
    2. How many of us are subject to rigorous scrutiny at Irish Airports becasue of the danger we might be Islamic terrorists plotting to blow up the plane ?
    Answer to one is zero
    Answer to two is all of us
    So which should we be most concerned about: passports or terrorism ? :confused:

    Let me respond with travelling on an Irish passport is a privilege open only to Irish Citizens. Israeli actions by forging Irish passports puts our citizens in danger when they shouldn't be.

    The only course of action is to expel a diplomat from the Israeli embassy and look at additional sanctions to let them know they cannot cheapen the protection an Irish Passport provides.

    If we do nothing it will happen again.


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    #29
    anymore
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,672 ✭✭✭anymore


    deadtiger wrote: »
    Let me respond with travelling on an Irish passport is a privilege open only to Irish Citizens. Israeli actions by forging Irish passports puts our citizens in danger when they shouldn't be.

    The only course of action is to expel a diplomat from the Israeli embassy and look at additional sanctions to let them know they cannot cheapen the protection an Irish Passport provides.

    If we do nothing it will happen again.

    Let me respond;Ireland puts its passports up for sale - Lets expel the Politicians who have prostituted irish citizenship !


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    #30
    gandalf
    Registered Users Posts: 26,458 ✭✭✭✭gandalf


    anymore wrote: »
    Let me respond;Ireland puts its passports up for sale - Lets expel the Politicians who have prostituted irish citizenship !

    Nice sound bite. It still doesn't excuse Israel from the crime that they have committed.

    If this situation was reversed can you even imagine what the response from Tel Aviv would be?


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    #31
    anymore
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,672 ✭✭✭anymore


    deadtiger wrote: »
    Nice sound bite. It still doesn't excuse Israel from the crime that they have committed.

    If this situation was reversed can you even imagine what the response from Tel Aviv would be?

    What crime - killing a terrorist ?


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