To The Telegraph: 10,000 British passports issued fraudulently, including to al-Qaida terrorists

To:  The Editor 

The Telegraph
February 26, 2010

Sir,

10,000 British passports issued fraudulently, including to al-Qaida terrorists. 
 
Your  "Israeli immigration officials copied British passports.." (Feb. 20), makes implausible reading, especially the claim that on arrival at Ben Gurion airport, passports of six British citizens were photocopied and used to create new documents which were used by the hit squad.
 
There is no need to photocopy in order to record personal details of a passport holder, but in any event, the sinister connotation attributed to the supposed photocopying at Ben Gurion is difficult to understand while no adverse comments are made about routine photocopying in Dubai, as evidenced by the photocopies of passports and personal details of the suspects that have been published worldwide.
 
The disproportionate focus on Israel ignores the ready availability of false passports. According to the Mail of March 2, 2007, 10,000 fraudulent British passports were issued in one year. An Al Qaeda fanatic received nine British passports while plotting to murder thousands of people in a series of terrorist atrocities. Muslim convert Dhiren Barot was among 10,000 terrorists who obtained a travel document every year.
 
An in-depth discussion "More than meets the eye - in Dubai" is available at http://www.2nd-thoughts.org/id262.html
 
Sincerely
Maurice Ostroff
Herzliya, Israel

See also Article on the matter