Article

2008-02-14 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Israel denies involvement in Mughniyeh assassination

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Posted by Fred 2008-02-14 00:00|| || Front Page|| [9 views ] Top
File under: Hezbollah

#1 Hopefully this indicates that Olmert has finally 'bucked up' and has unhooked the leash on Meir Dagan's neck. This could be the start of a 'Black September' type operation that will surely get the rats scurrying for the sewers!

Posted by smn 2008-02-14 04:47|| 2008-02-14 04:47|| Front Page Top

#2 "Wasn't us, and there's no reason for Nasrallah to address mourners at the Mughniyeh funeral through video broadcast."

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2008-02-14 07:00|| 2008-02-14 07:00|| Front Page Top

#3 I like it. Make them think.
If it ain't the Joooos, who the hell is it? You Mahmoud? You Achmed? Maybe we pissed off the Syrians? Maybe the Iranians? How will I sleep at night? Where will I sleep at night?

Posted by tu3031 2008-02-14 09:28|| 2008-02-14 09:28|| Front Page Top

#4 From In From the Cold:

Mughniyehs death represents a major blow for Hizballah. Along with his skills in organizing terrorist operations, Mughniyeh was credited with organizing the groups defenses during the 2006 war with Israel. He also served as a primary liaison between the group and its patrons in Iran. In fact, Mughniyeh also held a position in the Iranian Quods Force, which provides extensive training and support for Hizballah.

Tuesdays car bombing is also an embarrassment for Damascus, at least officially. A number of terror groups maintain offices in the Syrian capital, and operate there with relative impunity. As the Washington Post observed, the successful effort to eliminate Mughniyeh represents a major breach in Syrias police-state security apparatus.

Still, that doesnt answer the question of who dispatched Imad Mughniyeh. Israeli operatives are the most logical suspects; as Bill Roggio notes, Mughniyehs assassination bears an uncanny resemblance to a 2004 Mossad operation against a top Hamas operative in Damascus. In both cases, the terrorists were killed by a well-placed car bombs that devastated the drivers compartment, but did little damage to the rest of the vehicle, and surrounding buildings.

But car-bombing is also a favored assassination technique of Syrian security organizations, employed on numerous occasions against Lebanese politicians. Had Mughniyeh run afoul of his Syrian hosts, or were Bashir Assads security forces simply asleep at the switch?

Mughniyeh died in a Damascus neighborhood thats home to an Iranian school and the headquarters of the Syrian intelligence service; in that location, as Meir Javedanfar writes at PJM, youd think that security would be tighter. Mr. Javedanfar believes that the successful hit against Mughniyeh indicates that western intelligence has penetrated Irans security services, allowing them to successfully track--and targeta Hizballah official who was known for his attention to personal security.

Posted by tu3031 2008-02-14 10:40|| 2008-02-14 10:40|| Front Page Top

#5 "Who, us? Able to strike at your heart without your awareness? Pish-tosh!"

Posted by mojo">mojo 2008-02-14 13:19|| 2008-02-14 13:19|| Front Page Top

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