Porcelain Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 BEIRUT, Lebanon - Imad Mughniyeh, the suspected mastermind of dramatic attacks on the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Marine barracks that killed hundreds of Americans in Lebanon in the 1980s, has died in a car bombing in Syria. The Islamic militant group Hezbollah and its Iranian backers on Wednesday blamed Israel for the killing of Mughniyeh, Hezbollah's security chief in the 1980s who was one of the world's most wanted and elusive terrorists. Israel denied involvement. Hezbollah did not say how or where Mughniyeh was killed. But Iranian state television and the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria said he died in a car bombing in the Syrian capital Damascus on Tuesday night. Hezbollah's announcement of the death came a few hours after a late night explosion in Damascus destroyed a vehicle. Witnesses in the Syrian capital said at the time that a passerby was killed as security forces sealed off the area and removed the body. But authorities there would not give details. "This action is yet another brazen example of organized state terrorism by the Zionist regime," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said, according to the state news agency IRNA. He called on the world to "prevent the Zionist regime from taking these actions that are a clear violation of international law." Mughniyeh, 45, was believed to have directed a group that held Westerners hostage in Lebanon. Among them was journalist Terry Anderson, a former Associated Press chief Middle East correspondent who was held captive for six years. Mughniyeh, who had been in hiding for years, was one of the fugitives indicted in the United States for planning and participating in the 1985 hijacking of a TWA airliner in which a U.S. Navy diver was killed. He is on an FBI most wanted list with a $5 million bounty on his head for that indictment. Israel accused him of involvement in the 1992 bombing of Israel's embassy in Argentina in which 29 people were killed and the blast at a Buenos Aires Jewish center two years later that killed 95. Hezbollah, whose top leader Hassan Nasrallah has been largely in hiding since the 2006 war fearing Israeli assassination, did not immediately threaten revenge. "With all pride, we declare a great jihadist leader of the Islamic resistance in Lebanon joining the martyrs," said a statement carried on Hezbollah television. "The brother commander hajj Imad Mughinyeh became a martyr at the hands of the Zionist Israelis." Iranian media reported that an Iranian school and a Syrian intelligence office were in the same area of Kafar Soussa where the explosion in Damascus occurred. One report said Mughniyeh was leaving his house and about to get into his car when it exploded. Another said he was attending a ceremony at the Iranian school in Damascus and was killed as he left the function. Israel denied involvement and said it was looking into the death. "Israel rejects the attempt by terror groups to attribute to it any involvement in this incident. We have nothing further to add," read the statement from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office. Syria has not commented on the death. If confirmed that Syria was hosting Mughniyeh, it would be an embarrassment for the government of President Bashar Assad. Syria is accused of hosting a number of Palestinian extremist groups and has been accused by the U.S. of sponsoring terrorism. The death could also could further stir up turmoil in deeply divided Lebanon, where a Hezbollah-led opposition is locked in a bitter power struggle with the Western-backed government. Hezbollah called for a massive gathering of its supporters for Mughniyeh's funeral in southern Beirut on Thursday. Mughniyeh was Hezbollah security chief during a turbulent period in Lebanon's civil war. He has been accused of masterminding the April 1983 car bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut that killed 63 people, including 17 Americans, and the simultaneous truck bombings of the U.S. Marine barracks and French military base in Beirut, killing 58 French soldiers and 241 Marines. He was indicted in the United States for the 1985 TWA hijacking in which Shiite militants seized the 747 and flew it back and forth between Beirut and Algiers demanding the release of Lebanese Shiites captured by Israel. During the hijacking, the body of Navy diver Robert Stethem, a passenger on the plane, was dumped on the tarmac of Beirut airport. During Lebanon's civil war, Mughniyeh was also believed to have directed a string of kidnappings of Americans and other foreigners, including Anderson — who was held for six years until his release in 1991 — and CIA station chief William Buckley, who was killed in 1985. Anderson was the last American hostage freed in a complicated deal that involved Israel's release of Lebanese prisoners, Iran's sway with the kidnappers, Syria's influence and — according to an Iranian radio broadcast — promises by the United States and Germany not to retaliate against the kidnappers. Giandomenico Picco, an Italian diplomat working at the time as a special assistant to U.N. Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar, said he was certain but never able to absolutely confirm that the hooded man he met in the slums of Beirut to finalize the deal was Imad Mughniyeh. Mughinyeh's killing was the first major attack against a leader of Hezbollah since the 1992 helicopter strike that killed the Hezbollah secretary-general Sheik Abbas Mussawi in southern Lebanon. Little has been known about him since the end of the Lebanese civil war and Hezbollah has regularly refused to talk about him. Wednesday's announcement of his death was the first mention of him in years. Al-Manar on Wednesday aired a rare picture of Mughniyeh — showing a burly, bespectacled man with a black beard wearing a military camouflage and a military cap. It did not say when the picture was taken. Mughniyeh has been reported by the media and intelligence agencies to have undergone plastic surgery to avoid detection as he moved around in the 1990s. American intelligence officials have described Mughniyeh as Hezbollah's operations chief, who was believed to have moved between Lebanon, Syria and Iran in disguise. Mughniyeh's last public appearance was believed to be at the funeral of his brother Fuad, who was killed on Dec. 12, 1994, when a booby-trapped car blew up in the southern suburb of Beirut. In 2006, Mughniyeh was reported to have met with hardline Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Syria. Tehran and the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guards have never publicly disclosed the extent of their links with their protege Hezbollah. Hezbollah did not threaten immediate revenge. Its al-Manar television, which broke into Quranic verses after the announcement, broadcast another statement from the Shiite Muslim militant group, saying a funeral will be held on Thursday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Hi, new member, first post. I think it can be pretty certain that this was an Israeli/Mossad action. Firstly, no one has taken responsibility. Second, the target was a high profile member of Hizbollah which is a proxy of Iran.., that rules them out. He was in a meeting with the Syrian forces and Hamas as they work together.., that rules them out. He was one of the most tactically successful and loved members of Hizbollah so in-fighting is pretty doubtful. An operation like this requires a high level of tactical planning and operational skills, only the Israelis, CIA and Brits really possess such skills. Israel is looking to regain the initiative after the recent botched conflict in northern Israel/southern Lebanon. This could well be an attempt to bait Hizbollah into a reaction that allows Israel to destroy the domestic and international acclaim Hizbollah received after the strategic defeat they recently dealt the Israelis. Hizbollah gained a lot from the recent conflict both politically and prestigiously. They will not wish to invite another open conflict for they really have nothing further to gain, only ground to lose. But, Hizbollah must be seen to react. One may expect retaliation elsewhere in the world. El Al flights, Israeli embassies, businesses and known holiday sites of Jews will definitely be in the sights of Hizbollah. Be prepared for a reaction somewhere in the world within the next two months. If not, expect more targeted assassinations or provocative attacks by Israel against Hizbollah, Syria and Iran. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.crooked Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 nice first post captain obvious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Well, thanks for your welcome to the site and I particularly enjoyed your own probing insights into the issue! I think you and I could be good friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.crooked Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I are sorry. I was drunk earlier. It was a good assessment of the whole situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.crooked Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I just didn't imagine a situation where it wouldn't have been Israel that carried this out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.crooked Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Nor one where the action reaction casual nexus wouldn't perpetuate itself as it has for years and years in this particular dispute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shai Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I heard about this on the BBC today. The US more or less condoned the killing. Typical douchebaggery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.crooked Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 my point exactry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Yeah, that's alright mate. Wish I was drunk too! This situation is a little different than the typical "Israel Vs. Arab" situation, not too much, but a little. Mainly because of the nuclear issue brewing in Iran. Word on the grapevine is that Mughniyeh had recently been tasked by Iran to organise shia cells across the arab world to strike at US and possibly Saudi interests in the case of an American attack on Iran. I'm not sure whether Iran had let this information leak to the US as to deter against US action in the region or whether this information was discovered through covert means. This being said, there is also a good chance that the US was involved in the assassination. Of course if they weren't they would have given tacit approval or at least informed in advance. One way to tell if it actually was the Israelis is to find out how soon after or even if before the hit that Israel's security status was raised on the northern border, on El aL flights and at embassies and consulates around the world. I am not aware if this info is available. A reason why it may not have been Israel (of course, we are all quite certain that it was even though they deny it) is that Mughniyeh was becoming a stronger figure than Nasrallah in Hizbollah and these organisations are known for their power competitions. Secondly, it has been spoken recently that the Syrian intel services have been compromised by Israel (This is evidenced by the recent shake-up and re-allocation of positions within the organisation, Hamas has already been penetrated for years) and this could possibly have been an inside job for reasons unknown. It could also have been an action sponsered by Saudi Arabia. Iran is pushing for regional dominance and the Saudi's and Kuwait have the most to lose from this shift in power. But, as said before, it's quite doubtful it was them because they lack the resources and skills to be able to carry out an operation that requires such precise intel and execution. Another question that needs to be asked is why Israel chose to act now if it was an act sponsored by the US. Mughniyeh is renowned for being a very hard man to track and had recently been hiding in Southern Lebanon where he is pretty much untouchable to Israel and the US. Had the Israelis just seen a chance and taken it? Doubtful, because this operation needs a good amount of planning to have the information long enough to get a team on the ground, tools for the job, execute and exfil plan..., that is of course if they don't have the whole Syrian intel on the payroll! What is more likely is that Israel is still pissed about what happened in the 2006 conflict on their northern border. Hizbollah, Nasrullah in particular and Iran gained a huge amount of regional credibility though their "victory" and Iran/Syria are becoming emboldened and pushing the envelope, namely by trying to retake control of Lebanon. Israel needs to again gain the initiative before they lose any more ground and is probably pushing for open conflict again with Hizbollah. This means we can loof forward to a serious campaign of attacks on Hizbollah, Iranian and Syrian interests (as we have already recently been witnessing). Which, as you have pointed out, means a greater amount of attacks on Israeli interests. I'd be pretty surprised if that meant attacks on Israel proper as that would certainly invite disaster on Lebanon, Syria and possibly Iran. So, stay away from Sharem el Sheikh (sp), don't fly ElAl, be careful in Pretoria, etc. etc. Oh yeah, I wouldn't want to be either a Lebanese nationalist politician nor a Syrian controlled politician in Lebanon right now either. Pretty much an endangered species! All a bunch of stupid shit TBH. Sure, it keeps me interested, but I'd prefer to be painting, riding MTB or looking at pretty girls instead. Glad my country is a peaceful one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAR Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 aparently the news just picked up on this bc they're now all running stuff on it. Anyhow, its weird to read things like senior hezbollah tactical analyst killed in the head line and then afterward read something that makes this guys cause seem legit and his death a bad thing. I mean, last time i checked, when a terrorist dies/ gets killed its good. Also to say this is 100% Israel is a bit narrow minded. There is infighting within the Lebanese community and Hezbollah, it would be beneficial for say a Lebanese Christian militant (or govt, bc Hezbollah wants to take over Lebanon) to allow people to think it is a Israeli move while they operate in the shadows. Im not saying thats what happened. I am just pointing out that its not so black and white. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shai Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I don't think that the US needs to be making statements like that if they're trying to broker a peace treaty between the Palestinians and the Israelis. We all know that the Bush Administration is NOT a disinterested party in this, but for the sake of appearances, couldn't they at least...TRY to keep their traps shut? I'm just sick of seeing no real progress if we're supposed to be helping them settle their differences. Then again...what else could I expect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereotype V.0002 Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I don't think that the US needs to be making statements like that if they're trying to broker a peace treaty between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Most palestinians don't care that some shiia hezbollah guy got killed, but are you actually offended or angry that the US condoned the killing? I think the exact quote in question is some state dept weenie saying "the world is better without him." Is that really so radical of a statement? This guy personally killed hundreds of americans, are we supposed to send his family a condolence card and flowers? We should be capturing when feasible or killing every single person in the world like him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shai Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I think the US not making public statements on the record to that effect is the smartest policy. In a way, I think BOTH sides are wrong in this matter. The smartest Palestinians and Israelis I know are the ones that left, and they agree that the situations sucks, and will continue to suck as long as the people are being led by extremists on either side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 1. The reason why we can be pretty certain it was NOT a Lebanese Christian or another element of Lebanon is the tactical complexity involved in the hit. The target is renowned as being one of the hardest to hit in the game (He's been avoiding the Americans since the Beruit bombing that killed 200 or so Marines). I cannot see the Marionites, etc., havong that kind of info, pre-planning and operational complexity to make the hit. Second, he was Hizbollah's top security operative being tasked by Iran, Hizbollah's "owners", why would they kill him when he has been such a useful tool to them? 2. Of course the US would want him dead and should be happy that he is. He killed hundreds of US citizens, tortured a few to death, etc. Why the hell wouldn't they want him dead? It's like saying that they shouldn't be pleased with the death of Zarqawi, Saddam or bin Laden! 3. This issue has little if nothing to do with the Palestinian peace process. Yes, he was in touch with Hamas and Hizbollah did support Hamas. But, Hamas is a thorn in the side of the peace process, the leaders of the West Bank don't talk to them and ever day Palestinians have very little to do with Hizbollah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawood Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 I don't think that the US needs to be making statements like that if they're trying to broker a peace treaty between the Palestinians and the Israelis. We all know that the Bush Administration is NOT a disinterested party in this, but for the sake of appearances, couldn't they at least...TRY to keep their traps shut? I'm just sick of seeing no real progress if we're supposed to be helping them settle their differences. Then again...what else could I expect? That's because they speak with pitch forked tongues, shaking your hand with the right and stabbing you in the back with the left. It's just the type of people they are. I'm way past the point of ever expecting anything sensible coming from this administration in Amreeka. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAR Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 Thats just them jumping to conclusions. I mean it has Mossad written all over it, but still. Imho, challenging Israel to a secret ops war like this is not their best idea... Mossad is serious business, I mean look at Eli Cohen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 The problem that Mossad faces against Hizbollah is that Hizbollah will operate outside the law internationally while Israel is a little more restrained that way. Hizbollah has a pretty long international reach and is known to have a vast network throughout the worl that has targets mapped out ready to be hit. Hizbollah can go after any Israeli assets or citizens where Israel can only really hit Hizbollah operatives. It makes them a little harder target than just being able to bomb holiday resorts, kidnap/hit private citizens and businesses. Israel would much prefer an overt war than a global anti-insurgency campaign of sorts. Hizbollah won't hit Israel proper, it will hit Israel interests in other countries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereotype V.0002 Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 They actually put the bomb in his vehicle, thats fucking beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire15 Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 That guy got pwned. Right down the street from the intelligence agencies office to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 They actually put the bomb in his vehicle, thats fucking beautiful.That's only speculation as for now. Some agencies are running with that line but it has not been confirmed. The most corroborated line is that he was on foot at the time. Personally I'd say that it was in a vehicle between the meeting and his vehicle. Simple; much easier to just park an already loaded vehicle, arm it and walk away. Why would you risk attaching a bomb to his vehicle which would surely have had an element of surveillance on it. Remember, this guy has been successfully evading two of the world's premier agencies for over 20 years. He had his shit squared away with stuff like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereotype V.0002 Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 Why would you risk attaching a bomb to his vehicle I dont know, but if they did i would guess its because they tried this Simple; much easier to just park an already loaded vehicle, arm it and walk away. already with less than successful results, or maybe because his car probably had a little extra weight on it and it wouldn’t be a guarantee that he would die. Why didn't they run him over or spray an aerosol can in his ear, who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 I definitely would have sprayed an aerosol can in his ear, ditched the cans in the bush and then come the next day for pics and posted it here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereotype V.0002 Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 I definitely would have sprayed an aerosol can in his ear, ditched the cans in the bush and then come the next day for pics and posted it here! I was talking about an attempted killing of a similar person, not the graffito. But anyway SURPRISE COCKFAG!!!!!!!11!!111!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayorMeanBeans Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1202246336431&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull supposedly 2,000 extremists flooded into gaza during the breach. don't know what to say about this (if its true or not)- only pa officials and unnamed hamas sources. printed in the jerusalem post. on another note, this is a really good article- http://www.slate.com/id/2184450 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I was talking about an attempted killing of a similar person, not the graffito. But anyway Oh dude, :rolleyes: I'm quite aware what you were referring to. I was trying to add some humour instead of arguing with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereotype V.0002 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Well it sort of seemed like you missed it and I assume most people on here were probably potty training when that incident took place. I apologize if I insulted your base of knowledge. Also you will need to use more angry emoticons and the caplock for me to know we are arguing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticalninja Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 ARABS ARE RAPING MEXICANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!WATCH OUT BEFORE THE THE COUNTRY of MEXICO CONVERTS TO ISLAM. NEXT TARGET THE UNITED STATES! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CACashRefund Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Heres an article that implicates arab factions in his death The Lebanese newspaper A-Safir reported Saturday that the Lebanon-based guerilla group Hezbollah has deployed 50,000 "activists" along the southern border with Israel and declared a state of high alert in southern Lebanon. According to the report, the organization has also evacuated all buildings in the area designated for social or political purposes in recent days, in preparation for a confrontation with Israel in the wake of the assassination of Hezbollah terror chief Imad Mughniyah. Mughniyah, the organization's deputy secretary general, was killed in a blast in an upscale Damascus neighborhood late Tuesday. On Thursday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah blamed Israel for the assassination and vowed to retaliate. Israel denied any involvement in the incident. Advertisement Meanwhile Saturday, another Lebanese newspaper reported that Lebanese officials believe a serious military confrontation with Israel will erupt in the near future. According to a report in the Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper Al-Akhbar this possibility has been raised in intensive discussions being held between Hezbollah officials and Iranian and Syrian officials. The various militant Palestinian organizations have also declared a state of high alert, the report added. Al-Akhbar also reported that Syrian investigators probing the assassination suspect that "official security organizations operating in Arab nations" may have been involved in the killing, and that some of the suspects arrested in the course of the investigation were not civilians. The report also said the investigation revealed that Mughniyah had been killed from a blast originating from a car bomb nearby, and not from a bomb planted in the vehicle he was occupying, as originally believed. The investigation revealed that the car bomb had been detonated remotely as Mughniyah walked past. Lebanese security officials have identified the owners of the vehicle that exploded, Al-Akhbar reported. The reason why Mughniyah was in Damascus at the time of his death is still unclear. "The investigations are being kept in full confidentiality due to considerations regarding the Mughniyah's location when he succumbed to an ambush," the Lebanese newspaper said. Syria says will launch investigation on its own Syria alone will investigate Tuesday's killing of Mughniyah in Damascus, contradicting earlier reports of a planned joint investigative committee with Iran and Hezbollah, government officials told the state-controlled Syrian news agency SANA on Saturday. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki agreed with Syrian officials during a visit to Damascus on Thursday to set up a joint team to investigate the killing, Mottaki's deputy Alireza Sheik-Attar said on Friday. Attar, speaking during Friday prayers, said that the team would investigate the circumstances surrounding the car bombing in Damascus, in order to "discover the identities of those who carried out this filthy crime." Also Friday, Al-Akhbar reported that Hezbollah investigators would also launch a probe into the incident. According to the report, there has been progress in the investigation. The newspaper also reported "hysteria in Tel Aviv," referring to the travel advisory issued to Israeli citizens traveling abroad by the Counter-Terrorism Bureau. On Friday, a Lebanese source said that a joint Syrian-Iranian investigation into the assassination was well under way, and suspects have been arrested in the Syrian capital. The suspects arrested in connection to the killing have been mostly Palestinians residing in Syria, the Lebanese source said. Hezbollah and its main backer Iran have accused Israel of killing Mughniyah, who was also among the United States' most wanted men. Israel has denied any involvement. The source added that Hezbollah has appointed a successor to Mughniyah. "A successor to Imad Mughniyah has been appointed, which is natural," said the source, who requested anonymity. "That's how Hezbollah works, they move quickly to choose successors of fallen leaders." The source said the appointment was made hours after the announcement of Mughniyah's death in a car bomb in Damascus on Tuesday. He did not identify the successor, but said he was not one of the two names being circulated in the Israeli media. Iranian FM meets with Hamas, Islamic Jihad in Damascus Mottaki held separate Friday meetings at the Iranian Embassy with Damascus-based Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal and Islamic Jihad chief Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, said the Iranian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Later in the day, Mottaki held a one-hour meeting with Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa to discuss the Mughniyah assassination. "We discussed the terrorist crime that led to the martyrdom of one of the most senior commanders in the Lebanese Islamic Resistance (Hezbollah), martyr Imad Mughniyah," Mottaki told reporters after his meeting with al-Sharaa. Mottaki also discussed Mughniyah's death with Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday, accusing Israel of retaliating for its "losses" in the 2006 Second Lebanon War. The Iranian foreign minister said he "imagined it could exact a heavy price by assassinating one leader of the Lebanese resistance." Mottaki flew to Damascus on Thursday from Lebanon, where he attended Mughniyah's funeral and offered condolences to the man's family and associates. Underlining Iran's close ties to Shiite Hezbollah, Mottaki sat between Mughniyah's father and a senior Hezbollah official. Moallem: Perpetrators to be found soon On Thursday, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said investigations were underway into who was behind the car bomb that killed Mughniyah. He added that he expected the perpetrators to be found soon. "Syrian security forces are continuing investigations into this terrorist crime and we hope you will hear results soon," Moallem said at a joint press conference with Mottaki. "We as a state will show with full proof the party involved in this crime and who stands behind them." Moallem said those who killed Mughniyah "assassinated any attempt to revive the peace process," hinting for the first time that Israel might be involved. Meshal said Thursday that Mughniyah's death would not deter the militant Palestinian group from continuing its resistance against Israel. "We accept the challenge and we are not afraid at all," said Meshal at a wake for Mughniyah at a Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus. During Friday prayers in Baghdad, Sheik Suhail al-Eqabi read worshippers a statement that was issued Thursday by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr regarding Mughniyah's death: "The dirty hands have stretched out to get [Mughniyah] and he was sent to paradise where he became a martyr of world Islamic resistance." Al-Sadr on Thursday declared a three-day mourning period for the death of Mughniyah. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/954644.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CACashRefund Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Heres one that implicates israel NOTHING seemed very remarkable about the short, bearded man who mingled with other guests on Tuesday evening at a reception in Damascus, the Syrian capital, to mark the 29th anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini’s Iranian revolution. Yet before the night was over he was dead in the twisted wreckage of his car and the inevitable assumption was that Mossad, the Israeli foreign intelligence service, had killed him with an ingeniously planted bomb. The news spread rapidly that the dead man was Imad Mughniyeh, an elusive figure known as “the Fox” who had been one of the world’s most feared terrorist masterminds. Robert Baer, a former CIA agent who spent years on his trail, said Mughniyeh was “probably the most intelligent, most capable operative we’ve ever run across”. Related Links * Israel on alert after threat by Hezbollah * Hezbollah warns Israel it faces open war As the Israelis rejoiced, Iran and Hezbollah, the militant Shi’ite group, which together had harnessed Mugniyeh’s expertise, mourned his death at a huge funeral in Beirut, where he established his terrorist network. Mughniyeh’s mother, Um Imad, sat amid a sea of black chadors, a lonely, sombre figure as mourners held their hero’s picture aloft. “If only I had more boys to carry on in his footsteps,” she sighed, confessing that she did not have any pictures of him, even from his childhood, as he had taken them away. He was the third of her sons to die in a car bombing. With a price of $25m (£12.7m) on his head, he was always vigilant. Some say he had had plastic surgery to alter his face in an effort to elude the Americans and Israelis who blamed him for plane hijackings and other bloody attacks which killed hundreds of their citizens in the Middle East and as far away as South America. He had grown accustomed to living dangerously and there was no reason he should have feared for his safety last Tuesday as he sipped fruit juice at the party at the Iranian cultural centre. Mughniyeh was on fairly good terms with everybody present – almost all the leaders of the Damascus-based militant groups were represented. At 10.35pm he decided to go home. Having exchanged customary kisses with his host, Hojatoleslam Ahmad Musavi, the newly appointed Iranian ambassador, Mughniyeh stepped into the night. Minutes later he was seated in his silver Mitsubishi Pajero in a nearby street when a deafening blast ripped the car apart and killed him instantly. According to Israeli intelligence sources, someone had replaced the headrest of the driver’s seat with another containing a small high-explosive charge. Israel welcomed his death but the prime minister’s office denied responsibility. Hezbollah accused the “Zionist Israelis” of killing its “brother commander” but believed the explosive had been detonated in another car by satellite. One witness said: “I held his head in my hands, kissed him farewell. His face was burnt but intact and he had received serious injuries to his abdomen.” Whatever the truth about the bomb, Mughniyeh, 45, died as he had lived – violently. He was a product of the Lebanese civil war that transfixed western governments 25 years ago. Born in a south Lebanon village, the son of a vegetable seller, Mughniyeh joined Force 17, Yasser Arafat’s personal bodyguard, when scarcely out of his teens. After the Palestine Liberation Organisation was forced to leave Lebanon in 1982, he stayed behind and joined Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi’ite Islamic group that emerged in 1985 as a militant force resisting Israeli occupation. He came to the attention of Sheikh Mohammed Fadlallah, Hezbollah’s spiritual leader, and rose quickly up the ranks. He was shaped into a remarkably effective terrorist as, under the auspices of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, the organisation grew into one of the deadliest forces fighting Israel and America. Western terrorism experts say he was the dynamo behind some of Hezbollah’s most lethal operations. These included the bombing of the American embassy in Beirut that killed 63 people and the attacks on the US marine and French paratrooper barracks that left more than 200 dead. It was Mughniyeh’s decision to kidnap Terry Waite, the Church of England envoy, as he tried to broker the release of other captives. Another notorious act attributed to him was the hijacking of a TWA flight when an American passenger, a US navy diver, was shot and his body thrown onto the runway. In the 1990s Israel made him a priority target for his involvement in two attacks in Buenos Aires – the 1992 Israeli embassy bombing, which killed 29, and a 1994 suicide bomb attack on a Jewish community centre, in which 85 died. Then he went to ground. The FBI placed him on its most-wanted list but had to use a 20-year-old photograph for its reward posters. Despite these difficulties, the CIA came close to capturing him. The Israelis were also hot on his trail. “We tried to knock him down several times in the late 1980s,” revealed David Barkay, a former major in unit 504 of Israeli military intelligence who was in charge of Mughniyeh’s file. “We accumulated intelligence on him, but the closer we got, the less information we gleaned – no weak points, no women, money, drugs – nothing.” Mughniyeh lost two brothers, Jihad and Fuad, in car bomb explosions in Beirut. In 2000 he was targeted by an Israeli sniper in southern Lebanon. But in Meir Dagan, who became head of Mossad in 2002, he faced a committed opponent under whose leadership the organisation built a strong record in assassinating Israel’s enemies. Israel fought a bitter 34-day war against Hezbollah in 2006 to eradicate it in southern Lebanon. It believes that Mughniyeh was instrumental in rebuilding the group after the war, rearming it with Iranian-made Fateh 110 rockets which are capable of hitting Tel Aviv and which it fears could be equipped with chemical weapons. Informed Israeli sources said that at the time of his death Mughniyeh was working for the Syrians on a terrorist attack against Israeli targets. This was to avenge Israel’s airstrike on what was believed to be a secret nuclear site in Syria last year. Since Mughniyeh’s death, Israeli embassies and Jewish institutions around the world have been on high alert. “I’ve no doubt the Syrians and Iranians will retaliate,” said Barkay. Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s general secretary, warned in a fiery oration at Mughniyeh’s funeral that Israel had committed a “major stupid mistake”. It was now “open war”, he said. In Lebanon, a close friend of Mughniyeh was certain that he would be avenged by Hezbollah in an attack that, ironically, he had prepared himself before his death. “Most likely the retaliation when it comes will be one that had been planned and masterminded by Imad himself,” said Anis Al-Nackash, a Lebanese expert on Hezbollah. He said Mughniyeh had prepared a variety of “spectacular” attacks to be executed by Hezbollah if one of its top leaders was assassinated. These were now being dusted off and updated. On the day Mughniyeh was buried, Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, summoned Dagan from his cottage in Galilee to Jerusalem. “It was a one-on-one meeting,” said a source. But it is believed that Dagan was complimented by his boss and told that he would stay as head of Mossad until the end of 2009. Time will tell whether, as Israel fervently hopes, Mughniyeh’s death has gravely weakened his organisation or if the effect has merely been to harden Hezbollah’s resolve. Taken out The Israeli security service, Mossad, is thought to have killed six other militants abroad since Meir Dagan became director in August 2002: December 2002 Ramzi Nahara, Israeli agent who defected to Hezbollah and planned attacks against Israel. Dagan knew him personally. Killed in Lebanon by car bomb March 2003 Abu Mohammed Al-Masri, Al-Qaeda member building cell to target Israeli border with Lebanon. Killed by car bomb in Lebanon August 2003 Ali Hussein Saleh, Hezbollah explosives expert. Killed by car bomb in Beirut July 2004 Ghaleb Awali, Hezbollah official with links to activists in Gaza Strip. Killed by car bomb in Beirut September 2004 Izz el-Deen al-Sheikh Khalil, Hamas official liaising between headquarters in Syria and members in Gaza and West Bank. Killed by car bomb in Damascus May 2006 Mahmoud Majzoub, Islamic Jihad official liaising with Hezbollah. Killed by car bomb blast in Lebanon http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3382343.ece Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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