"...has to be seen going through the motions"

I am shocked, shocked to read this:

MI6 was tipped off that Israeli agents were going to carry out an 'overseas operation' using fake British passports, it was claimed last night.

A member of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, said the Foreign Office was also told hours before a Hamas terrorist chief was assassinated in Dubai. [...]

The security source said that the tip-off was not a request for permission to use British passports but more a 'courtesy call' to let the security services know 'a situation' might blow up. The Mossad man said Israeli intelligence chiefs understand British authorities will have to 'slap them on the wrist' and added: 'The British government has to be seen to be going through the motions.'

And in yet more shocking news, the British government is denying that such an outlandish thing could ever happen—even as it goes through the motions of delivering the aforementioned slap on the wrist.

I suppose in one sense it would be helpful to get this kind of immediate confirmation of similar kabuki performances by the U.S., but then again it kind of takes the fun out of it, doesn't it?

Comments

[Catherine]

You apparently shock easily.

Just a kid. Your site is excellent, but depressing

[John Caruso]

Mission accomplished!