Reuters desperate to blame Israel for assassination, puts words in mouth of EU

It's unclear if we will ever learn the identities of the nations and actors who participated in the killing of Hamas arms trafficker Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.  Though there is much suspicion that the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad planned and executed the operation, there is also evidence that Palestinians may have been involved.  What we do know for certain, is that there is currently no proof Israeli agents carried out the apparent assassination.

This is obviously very distressing news for Reuters correspondents who, in a stroke of journalistic malfeasance, fabricate their own innuendo and associate it with a statement earlier today by the EU:

BRUSSELS, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The European Union condemned on Monday the use of fraudulent EU passports by the killers of a Palestinian militant in Dubai, showing its discontent with Israel without referring to it directly. [italics, ours]

The story, headlined:

Unhappy with Israel, EU condemns Dubai killing

acknowledges that the EU statement made no mention, directly or indirectly, of Israel.  But that doesn't prevent Reuters from citing anonymous "European diplomats" who apparently whispered into the ears of the agency's correspondents that the statement was "intended as a rebuke to Israel" and then conflating this hearsay with the official statement.

There you have it.  When the existing facts don't support your agenda, you can always manufacture new ones.