Posted on 02/25/2003 1:53:25 PM PST by anotherview
Shin Bet chief canceled trip to Belgium fearing arrest
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter recently canceled a planned trip to Belgium for fear the Belgians would try to arrest him because of his involvement in Israel's counter-terrorism war in the territories, defense establishment officials confirmed Tuesday night after Channel 10 reported it.
Dichter was scheduled to deliver a lecture on international terror at a conference. Although the law enabling Belgian courts to prosecute alleged crimes against humanity was in appeal in court, the Shin Bet chief asked for a legal opinion on the possibility he might be arrested.
Dichter's staff asked the foreign ministry and defense establishment experts to look into it and when they did not provide an unequivocal answer, Dichter decided to cancel his trip.
Since the intifada began two and half years ago, and because of the increasing European criticism against Israel, many senior officers have consulted jurists prior to visiting Western European countries. However, this is the firs time a senior security official cancels a trip abroad fearing legal problems.
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