Netanyahu says Israel had no specific warning ahead of flydubai attack, and MBZ agreed to joint probe
In a CNN interview, Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel received no specific warning ahead of the flydubai FZ1073 incident and that UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed agreed Israel would join the interrogation of the Omani suspect.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel received “no specific warning” ahead of the attack aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, telling CNN’s Jim Sciutto that Israel had intelligence that Iran’s proxies — Hezbollah and Hamas — were planning attacks on Israel and Israelis abroad, “but I can’t tell you that we had any specific warning about this”.
Netanyahu confirmed that UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed had agreed to Israel joining the investigation of the suspect, an Omani national now being interrogated in Saudi Arabia. “I spoke to the president of the United Arab Emirates… and he agreed that Israel would join the interrogation,” he said, adding that the suspect was expected to be transferred to the Emirates. Asked on Fox News whether Iran was involved, he said: “It’s too early to say.”
He recounted how the stabbed Indian pilot, Smit Machchhar, unlocked the cockpit door despite heavy bleeding, and how Israeli passenger Yaniv burst in, threw the attacker off the instruments and pulled the stick back while reserve pilots in the cabin stabilised the aircraft, which he said had entered a nosedive with damage to its rudder and tail. “The amazing heroism here… managed to prevent a 9/11 disaster, because that’s what it looks like was happening,” he said.
He also claimed Iran “did stand behind the attack in Britain”, saying Israel passed the information to the UK — an assertion made by Netanyahu, not independently verified.
Sources
More on this topic: all World stories
