Imad Mugniyeh Killed by Car Bomb - Page 2

82CardsGrad · February 17th, 2008, 03:40 PM

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Originally Posted by AZZenny

WE are taking it seriously because one of the 2 most important known terrorists was just publically assassinated, which changes the dynamic from run of the mill 'chatter-based' warnings. Also because Hizbullah is massively well-organized, widespread, and financially endowed, as well as deeply into criminal enterprise (all thanks to Mugniyeh's connections and expertise), and under IM's hand, has excelled at high-profile terrorism.

I don't see how this situation has one damn thing to do with left-right finger-pointing over generic fear-mongering. Israel has gone to high alert, and warned Israelis and high-profile non-Israeli Jews worldwide to take exceptional care traveling, meeting unfamiliar people for business or pleasure, accepting gifts or receiving letters, to avoid gathering at Israel-based events or centers, and has also cautioned non-Israeli Jewish schools and community centers to increase security and minimize large public activities for the immediate future. Believe me -- they adjust local security levels pretty frequently in Israel but they don't publicize general threat alerts often at all.

Ok... if you say so... When/if a high-ranking Repub official (Bush, Cheney, Rice, McCain...) speaks out and merely utters some commentary that is anything close to your positioning, I would bet the "fear-mongering" songbirds will begin the crooning...

AZZenny · February 17th, 2008, 06:06 PM

If any one of them said, "One of the world's most dangerous terrorists was killed this week and because of retaliatory threats by Hizbullah we have put the FBI on alert status, and are asking Americans traveling abroad to be extra careful. Since they are most likely to target Jewish civilians or Israeli citizens or diplomats, we want to suggest that even here at home, these individuals and groups be more aware of their usual surroundings and report any suspicious activity to the local Police or FBI immediately," I would hardly consider it fear-mongering. I doubt most people would, left or right, under the current circumstances.

That is very different than

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"merely utters some commentary that is anything close to your positioning,"

because it is not merely commentary. It is an internationally-acknowledged assessment of risk related to a concrete recent event, and a public threat by an organization that historically HAS carried out clear retaliation attacks.

The only part that's vague is the when -- usually but not always Hizbullah acts within 6 months, and the 'guesstimate' is that they will do something within 1-2 months to show they are just as slick and capable as whoever snuck into their inner circle.

But yes, next time Bush or Rice or Cheney or McCain says that voting for a Democrat is giving in to terrorists, or warn that if Hillary or Obama is elected there'll probably be a surge in terror attacks on US soil, or "we should engage in dialogue with the Muslim Brotherhood" -- Oh, wait, sorry, that's Appeasement Central at Condee's State Department, wrong script -- next time they make vague, non-specific bogeyman 'commentary' I definitely will consider it fear-mongering.

AZZenny · February 17th, 2008, 08:23 PM

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The Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai reported that the hit was perpetrated by security personnel of "an Arab state that shares a border with Syria," using American technology.
The report said Mughniyah was killed by a blast from an explosive charge that contained 3,000 metal fragments, as he was passing near the car that carried the bomb.

The funding for the assassination, according to Al-Rai, came from one of the Gulf states. The final decision to carry out the attack came from Jerusalem, the paper claimed. Israel's Channel 2 said the assassination involved interested parties from Lebanon.

OK, so let's see... bordering Syria - Iraq, Jordan... not sure Lebanon is considered an Arab state, and Turkey is Muslim, but not Arab.

I'm not sure there are Iraqi security personnel, although there are a ton of Iraqi Baathist refugees in Syria right now, and Sunni Iraqis would want him dead to weaken the Shia militias in Iraq.

But we're to believe Jordan, the US, Israel, some Lebanese group, and either the Kuwaitis or Saudis paid for it? Yeah, right. Makes no sense, too many fingers in an incredibly delicate pie, esp. since Israel would be the one to pay the price of revenge.

Also reported today that there was a foiled assassination attempt on the Damascus head of Hamas in Syria, Khaled Meshaal, just a day or two earlier, also now blamed on Israel plus one or more Arab states. That one smells awfully convenient, coming out just as Hamas became a suspect.

AZZenny · February 19th, 2008, 03:57 PM

Another one has bitten the dust, apparently.

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First, we nailed Al Qaeda commander Abu al-Laith al-Liby (or al-Libi, depending on your dictionary). Then someone (the Israelis? the Syrians?) stuck Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh in his well-deserved coffin. Now comes word that the Filippino Army has probably found the remains of Dulmatin, a top Jemaah Islamiah member suspected of planning the 2002 Bali bombings which killed over 200, in a grave in the southernmost tip of the Philippines. Dulmatin was apparently killed in a battle there on January 31 between government troops and a group of Abu Sayyaf, the terrorists who gave him refuge after he fled Indonesia. The FBI is assisting in the DNA check, but the authorities are quite confident. The Manila Times article on his death provides other details on him:

"Dulmatin carries the highest bounty of all fugitives known to be hiding in the Philippines, $10 million—dead or alive—offered by the US government.

Dulmatin—whose real name is Joko Pitono but was also known as Ammar Usman—is a Malaysian engineer from a wealthy family. He is the suspected mastermind of the bombings of a beach resort in Bali, Indonesia, on October 10, 2002, that killed 202 people, mostly Australian tourists."

More Arab sources are now suggesting Syria permitted, if not actually carried out, the Mugniyeh assassination, but I think that's very likely just their own spin so they don't look totally incompetent a block from Mukhabarat headquarters. This perspective would make them look like the tough guys in the picture, not the lapdogs they really have become.

AZZenny · February 25th, 2008, 08:02 PM

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Tehran, 25 Feb. (AKI) - The wife of assassinated militant leader Imad Mughniyeh, claims that Syria was behind the killing of her husband, reported Alborz, a pro-Iranian government source.

Her husband, Imad Mughniyeh was killed in a bombing in Damascus on 13 February and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Syria and Iran have blamed Israel for assassinating him.

Mughniyeh was the intelligence chief of Hezbollah's secretive military wing, the Islamic Resistance.

"The Syrian traitors assisted in my husband's murder," said the wife.

Saudi daily 'Okaz' has also entertained the idea of Syria being behind the murder of Mughniyeh. It hypothesises a power struggle within Lebanese Hezbollah between those who want an alliance with Iran, and those who want to steer away from it, enjoying the support of the Syrian security forces.

The fact that an approved Iranian media source reports this is probably of some political significance. What, I have no idea. I have never seen so many possible (despite most being superficially incredible) hypotheses about a whodunit before.

AZZenny · March 6th, 2008, 07:14 PM

Earlier today, Thurs evening Jerusalem time, one or possibly two terrorists infiltrated the library of a yeshiva (upper HS/college level Jewish religious school) and opened fire with an automatic weapon, killing eight, seriously or critically wounding 4-5 at last count, and wounding 6-10 others. Reportedly a student from elsewhere in the school climbed out on an adjacent roof and shot the terrorist twice, but he continued firing and was then shot and killed by a nearby off-duty IDF soldier.

Hizbullah was one of the first to announce the shooting on their TV station, attributing it to a previously unknown 'Imad Mugniyeh revenge squad'. Hizbullah making the announcement (and suggesting this is just the start) is tantamount to them taking credit. The dead shooter was an Israeli Arab from a Jerusalem suburb, which is just about the worst possible scenario for a whole lot of reasons. If someone wanted to torpedo the barely breathing peace process, this is near-perfect time, place, and target.

nidan · March 6th, 2008, 07:26 PM

Is why you can't let that happen.

If attacks can derail it then they will just keep doing more of the same.

AZZenny · March 8th, 2008, 08:31 AM

Egypt is 'sub-publically' blaming Syria for pushing the continued rocket attacks on Israel (when most Gazans really want them to stop) after a meeting between Egyptian and Gazan leaders to try to broker a truce with Israel. They also accused Syria of blatantly blocking progress in a deal for the kidnapped soldier, and now, most damning, are 'unofficially' blaming Syria for funding/planning the Jerusalem shooting.

This has some real weight, because Egypt has only a cool peace with Israel and is not as invested in the Lebanon/Syria conflict as many states, has ties with the US, Saudis, Europe, Turkey, Iran, Syria, etc.-- it's probably more neutral (or straddles more fences) than any Arab state.