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Maj. Gen. (res) Doron Almog
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| By Associated Press September 17, 2005 |
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British police have canceled an arrest warrant against a former Israeli general wanted for alleged war crimes, an Israeli official said Friday.
The British Embassy in Tel Aviv informed Israeli officials that the case against Doron Almog was being dropped for procedural reasons, said Foreign Ministry Mark Regev. He cautioned, however, that similar warrants could still be issued in England against Israeli commanders.
"Almog's case has been canceled, but this matter is far from behind us," Regev said.
London's Metropolitan Police declined to comment on the case Friday.
Almog was forced to stay on an Israeli plane that landed in London early this week after he was tipped off by Israeli diplomats that he was about to be arrested. He returned to Israel on the same plane.
Almog served as head of Israel's southern command in 2002 when Israeli jets struck wanted Hamas commander Salah Shehadeh, killing him and 14 others, nine of them children. Human rights groups frequently highlight the attack when accusing Israeli commanders of war crimes.
The case reportedly prompted the former army chief, Moshe Yaalon, to cancel a planned trip to London this week. Yaalon was the military commander at the time of the Shehadeh killing.
The Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights had filed a complaint against Almog through a British law firm under legislation that gives Britain the power to charge foreigners with war crimes, even if Britain or its citizens were not involved. A warrant for Almog's arrest was issued on Sept. 10 by the Bow Street magistrates' court, in central London, the human rights center said.
Israel is concerned that other former soldiers could face arrest in Britain or other countries with such war crimes laws, including Belgium, Spain and Germany. Many former army commanders are now senior politicians or executives in companies doing business abroad.
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