The mainstream media for the most part has moved on. But there are a few more gleanings to be had, of perhaps the most interesting comes from the Daily Mirror, which labels al-Hilli an extremist on the grounds that he was against the war in Iraq, disapproved of the behaviour of Israel and had doubts over 9/11 – which makes a great deal of the population “extremist”. But the Mirror has the only mainstream mention I can find of the possibility that Mossad carried out the killings. Given Mr al-Hilli’s profession, the fact he is a Shia, the fact he had visited Iran, and the fact that Israel heas been assassinating scientists connected to Iran’s nuclear programme, this has to be a possibility. There are of course other possibilities, but to ignore that one is ludicrous.
Which leads me to the argument of Daily Mail crime reporter, Stephen Wright, that the French police should concentrate on the idea that this was a killing by a random Alpine madman or racist bigot. Perfectly possible, of course, and the anti-Muslim killings in Marseille might be as much a precedent as Mossad killings of scientists. But why the lone madman idea should be the preferred investigation, Mr Wright does not explain. What I did find interesting from a man who has visited many crime scenes are his repeated insinuations that the French authorities are not really trying very hard to find who the killers were, for example:
the crime scene would have been sealed off for a minimum of seven to ten days, to allow detailed forensic searches for DNA, fibres, tyre marks and shoe prints to take place.
Nearby bushes and vegetation would have been searched for any discarded food and cigarette butts left by the killer, not to mention the murder weapon.
But from what I saw at the end of last week, no such searches had taken place and potentially vital evidence could have been missed. House to house inquiries in the local area had yet to be completed and police had not made specific public appeals for information about the crime. No reward had been put up for information about the shootings.
Behind the scenes, what other short cuts have been taken? Have police seized data identifying all mobile phones being used in the vicinity of the murders that day?
The idea that the French authorities – who are quite as capable as any other of solving cases – are not really trying very hard is an interesting one.
Which leads me to this part of a remarkable article from the Daily Telegraph, which if true points us back towards a hit squad and discounts the ides that there was only one gun:
Claims that only one gun was used to kill everybody is likely to be disproved by full ballistics test results which are out in October.
While the 25 spent bullet cartridges found at the scene are all of the same kind, they could in fact have come from a number of weapons of the same make.
This throws up the possibility of a well-equipped, highly-trained gang circling the car and then opening fire.
Both children were left alive by the killers, who had clinically pumped bullets into everybody else, including five into Mr Mollier.
Zainab was found staggering around outside the car by Brett Martin, a British former RAF serviceman who cycled by moments after the attack, but he saw nobody except the schoolgirl.
Her sister, Zeena, was found unscathed and hiding in the car eight hours later.
Both sisters are now back in Britain, and are believed to have been reunited at a secret location near London.
There are of course a number of hit squad options, both governmental and private, which might well involve iraqi or Iranian interests – on both of which the mainstream media have been very happy to speculate while almost unanimously ignoring Israel.
But what interests me is why the Daily Telegraph choose, in the face of all the evidence, to minimise the horrific nature of the attack by stating that “Both children were left alive by the killers”? Zainab was not left alive by design, she was shot in the chest and her skull was stove in, which presumably was a pretty serious attempt to kill a seven year-old child. The other girl might very well have succeeded in hiding from the killers under her mother’s skirts, as she hid from the first rescuers, and then for eight hours from the police.
The Telegraph article claims to be informed by sources close to the investigation. So they believe it was a group of people, and feel motivated to absolve those people from child-killing. Now what could the Daily Telegraph be thinking?
Katie…
I did. I still do…but I can not confirm a trace of him there.
Well, apart from you can’t marry someone without dating them..and yopu can’t date them unless you’re there.
Stick that in with the postmans comments…and that Zaid “shared” the house in Claygate…and !
I think he was in Dubai.
Tell us more about the bulletin ?
Who was the researcher for the beeb. Is the bulletin on “Beeb Iplayer”.
Cheers.
So what sort of work is available to someone like him, in Dubai ,,James ?
There is this youtube clip of the car that seems to be taken from a slightly different angle to the other photo’s I have seen so posting in case it is useful .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxhC0CBuOuc&feature=related
It was BBC & probably too recent to be on the iPlayer yet.
They were showing the stun gun type found at Claygate & then went across to one of their journalists who had done a search for AH, I didn’t get his name, but it was left as ‘a mystery’ for a man working in a sensitive technology & complicated by us having to work with the French.
@ Jon
I am curious why you suggest to delete the site from the host list? I am pretty much a neophyte but I understood that leaving the site in the list would pre-empt future DNS problems, either accidental or otherwise.
Interesting.
So no trace of him for 22 years, but he was supposedly married in Weybridge ten years ago. Does that mean there is no record of the marriage in the UK then? If there is then the investigating journo hasn’t looked very far. And if there isn’t…. hmm
Dopey, It might have been 98, even so, we have a minimum of 12 years years unaccounted for.
98 makes more sense if he married 10 years ago.
James,does this have any connection do you think,I mention it purely because of the name?
” For reasons not adequately explained to us, at the new Al Hilli Passport Control (Al-Ain–Buraimi, where a border post has just been established and formalities introduced in early 2007), travellers are required to purchase a visa for Dh200.”
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/united-arab-emirates/transport/getting-there-away
Katie. That is not true about saad that there are no traces. He married iqbal in 2003 in the uk. I have the document about their wedding from ancestry.com
Katie..
“So what sort of work is available to someone like him, in Dubai”
Loads.
From….
“The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST), is a Dubai government entity that was established by law in 2006, as part of the United Arab Emirates’ national initiative to promote scientific innovation, with the emphasis on space technology and promoting sustainable development”.
To…
“The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) is working to deliver safe, clean, efficient nuclear energy to the United Arab Emirates – energy that is needed to support the UAE’s social and economic growth”
And the “Al Hilli Crossing” is just a border crossing out of Al Ain, UAE…
Hi Bluebird.
It’s not like the BBC to get it so wrong.
Did the chap just mean his work, did I get the date wrong ,did he say 2008 ?
Funny how I remember the 8 so clearly .
As it was on the 6pm S/W bulletin we probably won’t hear it again…..
Which year was SSTL started ?
James.
So if he were there at such places you name, would he need to be secretive about that , I mean would it be odd for a UK citizen to be working on those projects or would he have signed on as an Iraqi, do you think ?
Mosht intereshting … and welcome back to @ all of you.
Believe it or not, I have been missing some of you this last weekend 🙂
Hi Peter, I think we suffered withdrawal symptoms. 🙂
Katie…
With a UK passport…and relevant skills, I doubt there would be any trouble getting in as a contractor (same as in the U.K. Co’s).
You may sign the “secrets act” or whatever…but it’s just a piece of papper and some checks.
You get 10 years if you “own” a taser gun don’t you (in the U.K.) ?
Not alot made of that !
That is a piece of kit…just to keep your brother out !!!!
Cna’t buy that somehow.
Hi all, a very interesting news bulletin on BBC a few minutes ago.
Their researcher had tried to find Saad Al Hilli from 1988 to 2010…… they failed to find any trace of him.
Oh for goodness sake.
Their researcher should have TRIED HARDER™
From UK-INFO Disk 2001 (From 192.com)
Saad Al Hilli
26 Oaken Lane
CLAYGATE
ESHER
SURREY
KT10 0RG
Add this to Bluebird’s find of the Al Hilli’s wedding cert in 2003 on ancestry.com, and one has to wonder how hard they really tried?
All in all, 4 Al Hilli’s at 26 Oaken Lane in 2001:
Fasiha Al Hilli
Kadhim Al Hilli
Ada DP Al Hilli
Saad Al Hilli
I don’t understand why so much importance has been put on the taser either, surely if it were a straight forward gun,he’d just get a fine not 10 years ?
Apparently there are only two ways to get a Stun gun, military or the police, so where did AH get his , or was it planted ?
Also there is:
Safaa Al Saffar
7 Canning St
Dundee
DD3 7RZ
And Rasha Al Saffar at the same address.
Also in 2001.
Apparently there are only two ways to get a Stun gun, military or the police, so where did AH get his , or was it planted ?
Well, he couldn’t have got it from the secret services could he because he wasn’t involved with secret services at all was he.
And why would they plant it? To get him 10 years in jail posthumously?
Where was he working at that time ?
“IF” the Taser is his….!
But for gun or taser, it isn’t a “fine” katie !
It’s “time”.
Who is Ada DP Al hilli? (re ferret’s notice)
This is the first time this name appears in relation to the al hilli family. Registered in the same house?
“To get him 10 years in jail posthumously?”
No…but makes a good story though !
Protection from mad bro ?
Not quite a “gun” ! Just a “taser” !
That’s “IF” this taser was there.
And why release that fact now ? Did they not look under the bed !
I’ve no idea Ferret, nor do I know when/IF it were planted.
Anyhow… in the three days we’ve had off, I’ve figured it all out. At least, the important bits. And I think there is a very good reason why they are keeping it out of the media, so I’m not going to spell it out here.
But there’s really no need. If you really want to find out, you can, by reading this thread and particularly the first thread, keeping an open mind and putting the clues together.
There was a very interesting clue on Friday, or rather two very similar clues, which were collectively the last piece in the puzzle for me.
Like I say, this forum is in the public domain so I’m not going to spell it out here.
If you want to keep thinking it was a zirconium deal gone wrong, or a robbery for £1m from a swiss bank account, or whatever, be my guest… unfortunately none of them fit all the pieces of the puzzle.
Hopefully curiosity will pique some into finding the truth… if you haven’t already…
Who is Ada DP Al hilli? (re ferret’s notice)
This is the first time this name appears in relation to the al hilli family. Registered in the same house?
No idea… And yes, same house.
Ferret..
And you know as well as I, Nuke smugglers get arrested…not shot.
And robberies for a million…tend not to be in carparks in forests..in France..etc…etc…etc.
Someones MO is actually all over this.