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Palestinian terrorist suspects are said to have served their time in style before the bulldozers arrived

BRITAIN made a robust defence yesterday of its decision to pull out of Jericho prison before an Israeli raid, citing fears that its monitors would be kidnapped, and painting a portrait of a jail controlled by inmates living in luxury.

Palestinian guards confirmed yesterday that Ahmed Saadat, a leading militant captured by Israeli troops in the raid, kept birds and flowers in his quarters. Western officials said that Saadat in effect used other prisoners as “domestic staff”.

An official told The Times that Fuad Shobaki, the alleged moneyman behind a 2002 weapons shipment intercepted by Israel, smoked up to five Cuban cigars a day and was known as “The Brigadier” to inmates and staff. He was also seized.

“Saadat and Shobaki were very much in charge,” one prison source said. “These guys were running the prison. They did what they wanted, when they wanted.”

Prison perks

- Monitors complained that Saadat, Shobaki and the four other “special” prisoners were given the run of the compound by Palestinian guards

- They were not “locked down” at night

- They were never separated from the 300 other prisoners

- They had mobile phones and computers; Shobaki ordered the monitors’ phone jammers to be turned off

- They had up to 90 visitors a week and used other prisoners “as domestic staff”

- Saadat kept birds and had a big book collection

- Inmates and guards referred to Shobaki as “brigadier”. He smoked up to five Cuban cigars a day