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?
@BB
Fantastic work, as ever. 🙂
@Bleb
I hadn’t realised she’d asked to be emailed, I’ll try that. And yes, Mr Frosted sounds just like, erm, oh, what was his name again… oh yes, our dear old tony roma!
@DavidFrosted
Tony, is that you? If so, welcome back! You are a ray of sunshine 😀 Really enjoying reading your literary antics.
Either way thanks for the heads up re today’s Zaid interview on Sky – very “tell”-ing as you say!
If anyone didn’t see it, here’s a blow-by-blow:
Zaid is cornered by an interviewer and a cameraman just outside his garage, at the back of a block of flats: he’s just got out of his car.
A horn blares behind the camera, just before the interviewer speaks, and Zaid looks over to his right (our left) to see what it is.
Interviewer (shaking his head very slightly as he speaks): Do you have any idea why your brother died?
Zaid: No [blinks], no [blinks] idea, absolutely none [blinks, and the sound of a passing car distracts him and he looks to his left].
All that blinking… reminds me of, oh erm, who was it again, who was it… oh yes, Mr Blinking Martin, that’s who.
Goodness, it *is* a day for old friends, isn’t it?
Does anyone have a link to the article where the relatives in Iraq said something like, if you look at where he worked, you will find out who killed him?
@Ferret 5 Sep, 2013 – 9:00 pm
I didn’t see The Sky interview (no TV) I shall try to find it on the web when I get a chance.
However, the blinky blink blink effect, may just be a consequence of the harsh, almost point source, lights that the pap crews sometimes use to make the pictures usable on TV.
If you have access to a video cam or web cam, try the following experiment:-
After sunset sit in your normal watching-the-tv sofa with the camera pointing at you from about half way to the TV and focus the cam to get a nice half-length type shot of yourself ie newsreader style.
Next, adjust the room lighting so that you don’t look like an extra from Night of the Living Dead. This may entail bringing extra lights into the room. No make up allowed.
Then record a five minute exposition about Chevaline. Then have your significant-other ask you “How much do you fancy Eric Maillaud?”
Finally rewind and check out your own blink rate!
How to slide a thread Part ONE : Good BOLLOXIn BOLLOXParts
TALK BOLLOX I didn’t see The Sky interview (no TV)BOLLOX I shall try to find it on the web when I get a chance.BOLLOX
However, the blinky blink blink effect, BOLLOX may just be a consequence of the harsh, BOLLOX almost point source, BOLLOX
lights that the pap BOLLOX crews sometimes BOLLOX use to make the pictures usable on TV.BOLLOX BOLLOX BOLLOX
If you have accessBOLLOX to a video cam or web cam,BOLLOX try the following experiment:-BOLLOX BOLLOX
After sunsetBOLLOX sit in your normal watching-the-tv sofa BOLLOX with the camera pointing at you BOLLOX from about half way to the TV BOLLOX
and focusBOLLOX the cam to get a nice half-length BOLLOX type shot of yourself ie newsreader style.BOLLOX BOLLOX BOLLOX
Next, adjustBOLLOX the room lighting so that you don’t look like an extra BOLLOX from Night of the Living Dead.BOLLOX
This may entail bringing extra lights into the room.BOLLOX No make up allowed.BOLLOX BOLLOX
Then record BOLLOX a five minute exposition about Chevaline.BOLLOX Then have your significant-other BOLLOX ask youBOLLOX
“How much do you fancy Eric Maillaud?”BOLLOX BOLLOX BOLLOX BOLLOX
Finally BOLLOX rewind and check BOLLOX out your own BOLLOX blink rate!BOLLOX BOLLOX BOLLOX
ZAH drives a black BMW 5 Series station wagon, similar to SAH’s.
Looks like a hearse….. if he is allowed to visit his nieces, imagine the horror they must feel when he turns up in his chariot…
…and whatever happened to the likely lad, Brett ? anyone?
remember HIS body language during HIS ‘interview?’
there is a logic y poker stars wear shades & there is a logic y john mccain would rather play pocket poker rather than act like a normal honest citizen……
Still not forgetting the al-Hillis, one year on.
@Ferret.
Re your post. It was the cousin from Istanbul.
Try “Istanbul” “cousin” “Al Hilli”. That should find it.
I couldn’t work out if he/she was a cousin on the paternal or maternal side.
Interestingly a French newspaper (“a source close to the investigation ?) the other day “suggested” that the father had “more than one” account abroad and so was avoiding tax.
They go on to “suggest” that Zaid the accountant was closest to the father and was syphoning money from a (one of ?) Swiss account.
They suggest further that this was discovered by Saad.
Means, motive and opportunity.
Looks like the French don’t believe in “innocent until proven” then. Little wonder Zaid did not go to France to meet Eric (but did meet him in England).
However what the newspaper failed to “enlighten” us on was how the monies came to be in the account(s) in the first place…or where the alleged accounts actually were located.
It’ll be interesting to hear what Eric has to say about this.
And additional point.
I caught the UK (BBC) news the other day. Interesting output they have on Syria. Compared to the news from another part of the world it was very “pro” rebels and anti government.
In the other part of the world a film crew were able to capture (and they aired it) a group (it was a line) of “rebels” holding AK47’s. They wore blackhead bands tied “Rambo” style (or is that blackhead bands of jihad ?)
At their feet were a line of men (soldiers ?). They were stripped to the waist and kneeling with their faces to the dirty.
Make of that what you will.
But I doubt the kneeling men got to see the sunrise this morning.
Maybe the British Prime Minister would like to comment on that “event” ?
Or is it just in some countries they have populations with tougher stomach than others. They like to show the gruesome acts committed from “both” sides (how many sides are there again ?) of this “holy war”.
@James
Thanks, I’ll see if I can find it with that.
@Good in Parts
The video was shot in natural daylight. No lights.
@DF
Hilarious 😀
Sky interview here:
“Alps murder suspect Zaid al Hilli has denied any involvement in the shooting of his brother Saad and other family members.
Speaking on the first anniversary of the massacre, the accountant said: “I have no idea who killed them. Absolutely no idea.”
He refused to discuss any details of his questioning by Surrey police after his arrest in June on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. He is currently on bail.”
http://news.sky.com/story/1137500/alps-murder-suspect-denies-involvement
Here’s that link:
‘A cousin of Mr Al-Hilli, who was contacted in Baghdad but refused to be identified, said: ‘If you investigate and find out about Saad’s job, you will know who’s behind his killing.’
The cousin, who lives in Istanbul but was on a business trip to Baghdad, added: ‘We have been told by the police not to say anything more.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2203934/Did-gunman-trail-Alps-massacre-victims-way-home-Britain.html
@Katie
Thanks! 🙂
Unfortunately we dont have sufficient data to track that cousin in “Istanbul”.
I strongly guess that even “Istanbul” could be a fake cover.
He does not want his name to be known? Heck! We all know the name “al Hilli” already.
Therefore i suggest that this is the side of Saad’s mother and they wanted to keep her name a secret.
My suggestion would be that Istanbul is in fact Beirut and that the name of this cousin is Shaaban. However, that’s just a logical guess. We need to get more data, e.g. his first name.
His message is encrypted, too.
If you find out about Saad’s job …..
At this time it was publicly known that he worked for SSTL (officially).
Why then should we find out about Saad’s job? We already knew. Or didn’t we?
Is SSTL a covert job but in fact he did something else? Controlling drones or military surveillance?
Logic tells me that we have no f*cking clue about Saad’s real job, simply because they are liars who submit information to MSM.
My logic tells me that he had something to do with Hezbollah. I just dont know for what side he had worked. Or did he perhaps work for both sides?
And what precisely will this achieve? Only the murderer(s) have the true narrative.
6 September 2013 Last updated at 01:46
British and French police due to give Alps family murder update
Police scour the crime scene
The family had been camping in the Haute Savoie region of France
Related Stories
French Alps murder: Police still seeking answers one year on
Alps family murder remains unsolved
Q&A: Annecy shootings
British police have travelled to France for the first anniversary of the murder of three members of a British family.
They are due to give a joint news conference with French police on the investigation into the murders, which remain unsolved.
/..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23982056
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10289503/Al-Hilli-murder-convict-offered-100000-euros-to-eliminate-Iraqi-in-England.html
@Ferret
Not sure Le Figaro actually put it how The Telegraph is reporting it.
@ferret
“Si aucune hypothèse n’est écartée, l’idée d’un «contrat» est toujours suivie par les enquêteurs qui ont par ailleurs travaillé sur la piste d’un détenu français qui se serait vu proposer 100.000 euros pour éliminer un Irakien établi en Angleterre”
“ailleurs travaillé”
“Somewhere else worked” ?
That’s how Le Fig put it. My French may be a little out.
But the sentence before says “Si aucune hypothèse n’est écartée”.
“Not Dismissed”, so I assume it was a hypothesis from a previous experience !
Just my take.
Did we ever consider that the GCHQ data surveillance headquarters are in Cheltenham?
Coincidence? Zaid lives in Cheltenham ….
http://cheltenhamtwinning.wordpress.com/ourtwintowns/annecy/
Annecy os Cheltenham’s twin town. Just another strange coincidence …
Sorry. My fault. Zaid is from chessington.
However, annecy still is the twin town of cheltenham …
“Officers investigate industrial espionage and dispute over will as possible leads in 2012 killings of Saad al-Hilli and three others”
see:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/06/french-alps-killings-police-inquiry
Yes – but which Iraqi – Saad, Zaid or another. Significantly it doesn’t say.
“Investigators are “looking into the lead of a French inmate who was allegedly offered 100,000 euros to eliminate an Iraqi settled in England”, according to Le Figaro newspaper. ”
“The source confirmed that an “English witness” had suggested the entire Al-Hilli family was targeted by a “mercenary” from the Balkans who was paid the equivalent of 2000 euros.
While other lines of inquiry are still open, detectives have increasingly focused on an alleged a dispute between Mr al-Hilli, and his brother Zaid, 54, over a family inheritance, including a bank account in Geneva containing 800,000 euros.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10289503/Al-Hilli-murder-convict-offered-100000-euros-to-eliminate-Iraqi-in-England.html
Bluebird wrote:
Would this be of any interest:
Bluebird thinks to himself: Well I don’t think US authorities would start blabbing about that they know engineers helps ‘jihadists’ in this way, as this would ad a motive for taking Saad out .. hang on, this was secret files, not supposed to come out in the open.
Bang on, Bluebird
The US are likely to call Hetzbollah ‘jihadists’ as they often take a very simplified view, and all such groups are called ‘terrorists’ anyway, so once they have been designated this way, there is nothing stopping them for ‘taking them out’.
In this context I really fear that the US – pushed by Washington hawks — [just two days ago the infamous traitor, employee for AIPAC for many years, Steve Rosen had a piece in Foreign Affairs claiming that AIPAC — having been holding itself back for fear that a to open approach would bring accusations that a Syrian intervention could be seen as ‘Israel’s war’ — has been ‘forced out in the Open’ by Obama’s decision to ask Congress. And they are now banging Congressmen to support an attack.] would go after Hetzbollah encampments in Syria. This could so upset the latter, that they unleash some of their ten thousand strong missiles, which are installed in bunkers in Lebanon. As you know the US always forbids Israel to do anything as long as US forces are waging war in the region. This was the case in 1990-91 and 2003. This would then mean that the US also would have to attack those missiles being fired from Lebanon, and you have…mayhem. The perfect expression of what ‘missioncrep’ means.
@Kenneth
Rick Francona
He’s one for you.
Look at the late 80’s (Iraq V Iran).
Now Iran could go to the U.N.
Well they could…if the U.S. gave them “what they had”.
And now “Syria” ! The U.S. never bothered before. Why now ?
I suppose you all by now has read today’s top story in -the Guardian with so far nearly 3,100 comments (and The New York Times)
So Saad may have been assuming he was safe using encrypted means of communication. I know the article I reffered to in my last post mostly deals with ‘jihadists’ from Afghanistan, but Hetzbollah as well would have a very clear interest in interfering with Israeli drones, which then again fits neatly with our belief that Israel commissioned the job of taking Saad out.
So what I mean is: Saad was communicating by encrypted means with Hetzbollah in Lebanon, and Israel was snooping on it, and decided to take him out
Press Conf-:
Kim Willsher Guardian: Saad al-Hilli, had an unusual amount of information related to his work with a satellite company.
“With him in France?”
Imogen Foulkes tweet Ind for BBC
#annecy French police say al hilli bros fought bitterly over inheritance. Dispute is key line of inquiry, others include iraq connex and job
And he was communicating to the effect that he might be of help providing the means for Hetzbollah to intercept Israeli remote crafts.
And the US (and by implication Britain) would be full of understanding if Israel wanted him taken out, after all they have precisely the same interest regarding the aforementioned ‘jihadists’ in Afghanistan. Never mind that Hetzbollah predominantly is an organisation set up with the explicit purpose of throwing Israel out of Lebanon, which they succeeded doing in 2000. And in 2006 they sustained week long Israeli bombardments only to wait for the moment when Israeli soldiers set foot on Lebanese soil,- to give them a beating which resonated all over the Middle East and designated them as true heroes in the Arab Street. This was in effect the first time that Israel had been defeated on the battlefield.