re: #302 Charles

The logical implication of what Miliband said is, indeed, pretty obvious. But I think it’s notable that he scrupulously maintained a formal and moral distinction between the cloning of the British passports and the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.

This fine distinction allowed him to criticize Israel for the counterfeiting of British passports, without voicing so much as a hint of criticism for the operation itself. I think this was a carefully crafted diplomatic move that legitimately chastised Israel for unilaterally implicating Britain in a high profile Mossad operation, without actually criticizing the operation itself.