UK. Who cares if this guy is a top official in Mongolia?
Bat Khurts is the head of Mongolia's counter-terrorism agency. He arrived in Britain expecting to hold security talks with British officials. Instead this September when he arrived at Heathrow he was arrested on a European arrest warrant and has since been held in a London jail.
Khurts'' lawyers claim that British authorities knew very well what would happen to Khurts when he arrived in Britain. Yet they did not warn Mongolia or Khurts. Khurts was a former field agent. Khurts is accused of being part of a snatch squad which kidnapped and drugged Damiran Enkhbat - a dissident wanted for the murder of a Mongolian government minister - in northern France in 2003. German prosecutors claim that Enkhbat was transported in a car driven by Khurs to the Berlin airport and then flown to Mongolia. Perhaps he should have hired the CIA to do it for him or Mossad. Alternatively he could have just been declared a legitimate target.
A court in the UK put off until February 3rd a decision on whether to send Khurts to Berlin to face trial or accept Khurts s'view that he enjoys diplomatic immunity. In any event the Mongolian government is absolutely furious and the result is hurting trade and potential investment in a country with rich natural resources. One wonders if UK officials are just stupid, arrogant or what if anything was going through officials' heads when they did not warn Mongolia.
The Mongolian Prime Minister, Sukhbaataryn Batbold, abruptly cancelled a trip to Britain in November. Britain's ambassador to Ulan Bator, William DicksonWilliam Dickson, who is claimed by Mr Khurts to have enthusiastically offered to set up meetings in Whitehall, has been recalled to London.
British companies were attempting to break in to the Mongolian market. In the next five years Mongolia is expected to be one of the world's fastest growing economies. The London Stock Exchange was on track to build a new state of the art exchange in the Mongolian capital. That bid is now in jeapordy. About possible new contracts a Mongolian official said:"It is not inconceivable for these business contracts, which are currently under consideration by the Mongolian government, to be at risk following the grave discourtesy shown by the British."
Khurts is a key figure in Mongolia's National Security Council which has the final decision on all legislation in the country. A Mongolian offical remarked:"It is like another country arresting the head of MI5 during a diplomatic visit. Were that to happen the British would, rightly, go absolutely ape shit." One can imagine the U.S. reaction if some country jailed the CIA chief on the grounds the CIA had ordered renditions!
Khurts was traveling on a diplomatic passport. Alun Jones QC said:"Countries in Asia and the Middle East ought to know that if they are sending senior civil servants to this country the Foreign Office might be planning to arrest them." British diplomate strongly deny they were trying to entrap Khurts. That may very well be but surely they should know if there were a warrant out for his arrest and have warned him what might happen. The Foreign Office said:"The arrest in no way amounts to a diplomatic or political statement by the British government." Perhaps not but it is surely a sign of something intended or not!
Khurts'' lawyers claim that British authorities knew very well what would happen to Khurts when he arrived in Britain. Yet they did not warn Mongolia or Khurts. Khurts was a former field agent. Khurts is accused of being part of a snatch squad which kidnapped and drugged Damiran Enkhbat - a dissident wanted for the murder of a Mongolian government minister - in northern France in 2003. German prosecutors claim that Enkhbat was transported in a car driven by Khurs to the Berlin airport and then flown to Mongolia. Perhaps he should have hired the CIA to do it for him or Mossad. Alternatively he could have just been declared a legitimate target.
A court in the UK put off until February 3rd a decision on whether to send Khurts to Berlin to face trial or accept Khurts s'view that he enjoys diplomatic immunity. In any event the Mongolian government is absolutely furious and the result is hurting trade and potential investment in a country with rich natural resources. One wonders if UK officials are just stupid, arrogant or what if anything was going through officials' heads when they did not warn Mongolia.
The Mongolian Prime Minister, Sukhbaataryn Batbold, abruptly cancelled a trip to Britain in November. Britain's ambassador to Ulan Bator, William DicksonWilliam Dickson, who is claimed by Mr Khurts to have enthusiastically offered to set up meetings in Whitehall, has been recalled to London.
British companies were attempting to break in to the Mongolian market. In the next five years Mongolia is expected to be one of the world's fastest growing economies. The London Stock Exchange was on track to build a new state of the art exchange in the Mongolian capital. That bid is now in jeapordy. About possible new contracts a Mongolian official said:"It is not inconceivable for these business contracts, which are currently under consideration by the Mongolian government, to be at risk following the grave discourtesy shown by the British."
Khurts is a key figure in Mongolia's National Security Council which has the final decision on all legislation in the country. A Mongolian offical remarked:"It is like another country arresting the head of MI5 during a diplomatic visit. Were that to happen the British would, rightly, go absolutely ape shit." One can imagine the U.S. reaction if some country jailed the CIA chief on the grounds the CIA had ordered renditions!
Khurts was traveling on a diplomatic passport. Alun Jones QC said:"Countries in Asia and the Middle East ought to know that if they are sending senior civil servants to this country the Foreign Office might be planning to arrest them." British diplomate strongly deny they were trying to entrap Khurts. That may very well be but surely they should know if there were a warrant out for his arrest and have warned him what might happen. The Foreign Office said:"The arrest in no way amounts to a diplomatic or political statement by the British government." Perhaps not but it is surely a sign of something intended or not!
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