Frederick Forsyth on the Dubai Hamas killing

Spies are not known for their openness and, true to form, the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, will neither confirm nor deny it was behind the assassination in Dubai of the Hamas commander, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.

Dubai's police chief says he is "99%, if not 100%" certain that Mossad was behind the murder.

Meanwhile, several European governments have demanded an explanation from Israel over the use of fraudulent passports by the suspected killers.

Frederick Forsyth is a world-renowned writer, who penned the famous spy thriller, The Day of the Jackal.

Newshour's Mary Ann Sieghart asked him if this plot could have come from the pages of one of his books.

First broadcast 18 February 2010