Intelligence

Mystery over Scot wanted in Mossad assassination

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, May 25, IRNA -- Interpol has named a Scottish man, Christopher Lockwood, as being suspected of part of an Israeli secret service hit squad who murdered a Hamas official in Dubai in January, but mystery surrounds his identity.

Lockwood, whose photograph was also published on Interpol’s wanted list, is the 33rd person named in connection with the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, but was reported to be the only one so far to have used a genuine passport.

The 62-year old was described as being born in Glasgow and according to the Scottish Daily Record, his father is thought to be a Jewish Palestinian who migrated to the UK just after World War One.

But upon checking birth records for 1948, the paper said Tuesday that it found no one of the name Christopher Lockwood, who was born in Glasgow or any other part of Scotland that year.

It also reported that Interpol refused to say if the details, including his birth date of February 23, 1948, they released about Lockwood come from information found on a passport, which could have been forged, or from further intelligence.

The assassination has triggered a diplomatic storm in several European countries, as suspects were found to have been using forged or fraudulently issued passports.

In March, Britain expelled the reported Mossad chief at the Israeli Embassy in London after accusing Israel of forging cloning British passports related to the case.

The then foreign secretary David Miliband said an investigation had discovered "compelling" evidence and told MPs it was "intolerable" for a foreign country to behave in such a way, and the fact that Israel was a close ally added "insult to injury".

With regard to Lockwood, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said she could not comment specifically about the new suspect.

"This is part of an ongoing Emirati investigation into the killing. The UK continues to provide assistance to the Emiratis in their investigations," the spokeswoman said.