Dateline: - Middle-East

A couple of incidents caught my eye in the last day or so about stuff that happened in the Middle-East.

Two Canadian teenagers accused of vandalizing public property in Israel, including a memorial to fallen soldiers, were released by police after claiming diplomatic immunity, Israeli officials say.

The vandals destroyed park benches, pulled down outdoor lights and uprooted street signs,and caused about $5,000-worth of damages.

Insp. Micky Rosenfeld, an Israeli police spokesman, said two Canadians, an American and an Israeli were questioned after police arrived at the scene.

The Canadians were, in fact, released as a result of their diplomatic immunity and therefore we couldn't question them or investigate them," he said.

Diplomats at the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv refused to comment about the incident although it seems obvious that the teenagers must have been the sons of Canadian diplomats.

"Destroying public property, public order, this is something that is a severe crime as far as we're concerned," Rosenfeld said.

If they are not able to be charged in Israel, then perhaps we should think about legal action back here in Canada.

I don't think that Canada wants the reputation of flouting local laws and accepting criminal behaviour from the Diplomatic corps, or their families!

On an even more serious note the investigation into whether a Canadian woman should face charges in Lebanon for taking her children back from her estranged husband is over and a decision is expected shortly.

Here is another case of women having either no rights - or at least reduced rights in the Middle-East. (She's damned lucky this did not happen in Saudi Arabia!!!)

Cedar Hawach, three, above, and her sister Hannah, six, are both Canadian citizens and have acquired Lebanese citizenship since their father took them to Lebanon.

Melissa Hawach and two foreigners who helped her could face Lebanese charges related to child abduction for arranging to take Hanah, 6, and Cedar, 3, from their father just before Christmas.

Melissa, who is originally from Saskatchewan, travelled to Lebanon in December to recover her two girls after their Lebanese father abducted them and took them to Lebanon without her consent!

Their mother has custody of the children in Canada. But their father, Joseph Hawach, argues that under Lebanese law, he now has custody.

The children have Canadian citizenship, but they have also acquired Lebanese citizenship since their father took them to Lebanon.

Melissa Hawach reportedly enlisted the help of four ex-soldiers from Australia and New Zealand, two of whom were arrested and are in a Lebanese jail awaiting the results of the investigation.

Meanwhile, husband Joseph Hawach has been in hiding in Lebanon.

Interpol has circulated an international warrant for his arrest and extradition.

He faces allegations in Canada of unlawfully removing the two children.



Your "Interpol" scribe;
Allan W Janssen