The 'Known Unknowns' of the Mugniyah Killing

[bemildred]

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Although in the US media only journalists like Seymour Hersh have the nerve to point out the obvious, the Israeli media has not shied away from evidence of Israeli intelligence's involvement in this well-calculated assassination.

The major Israeli daily newspaper Maariv shared the views of many others when it concluded that: "Officially, Israel yesterday denied responsibility for the killing. But experts say the brilliant execution of the attack was characteristic of the Mossad."

The Financial Times reported on the "triumphant mood" of the Israeli press which hailed "the demise of one the country's most feared adversaries" and quoted an Israeli paper stating "the account is settled".

The Financial Times also quoted a most telling analysis offered by one Israeli commentator: "Mugniyah's assassination is perhaps the hardest blow Hezbollah has taken to this day. Not just because of his operational abilities, his close ties to the Iranians, and the series of successful terror attacks that he carried out. But because he was a symbol, a legend, a myth."

http://www.ramzybaroud.net/articles.php?id=134d17f43aa2a31f10e7c94654cf87dc&mode=details&offset=0&browse_category=4772308

[eyl]

1. That article might be more useful if Baroud had bothered

to include some facts in it.

Instead, he starts with the conclusion that Israel is responsible for the assassination and then "proves" it by speculating how Israel (and Olmert in parrticular) might benefit from it.

All in all, not a brilliant piece of reporting.

[bemildred]

2. It's not "reporting", it's "analysis".

His reasoning is certainly open to question. There is no question he is not an unbiased observer.

I'm not convinced that "Israel did it", but I was taken by the comment that Baroud mentions in Maariv about how it was very Mossad-like. I'm sure I read something like that in Haaretz right after the killing too.

That sort of reminded me of the Syrian bombing, the desire to take credit without taking credit.

It's certainly true the Israeli government made firmer denials this time.

But none of this means much, it's all speculation.

[oberliner]

3. Will the Mughniyeh affair hit the Arabs?

Syria has vowed to soon release the results of its inquiry into the assassination of Hizbullah official Imad Mughniyeh. However, there is increasing likelihood that the findings, rather than explain what happened, will become a weapon in the regional struggle between Syria, Iran and their Lebanese allies on the one hand, and Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan to a lesser extent, and the March 14 coalition on the other.

In the past week since Mughniyeh's funeral, unidentified sources in Beirut and Damascus have been feverishly spinning media coverage of the killing. The Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, which is close to Hizbullah, was the first to identify an Arab angle in the Mughniyeh affair, quoting someone as saying that among those arrested by the Syrian authorities were "non-civilian elements of Arab nationality." Syria's daily Al-Watan, which is owned by the powerful cousin of President Bashar Assad, Rami Makhlouf, also cited a source as mentioning an Arab connection.

In the Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai Al-Aam, a source close to Hizbullah was quoted as saying that the Mughniyeh hit was "Palestinian-Israeli," using American technology and financed by an unidentified Gulf Arab official. Another Kuwaiti daily, Al-Siyassa, which is hostile to Damascus, wrote that Mughniyeh had been residing in an apartment building belonging to a business partner of Makhlouf - in effect linking the late Hizbullah official to people at the heart of Syria's political and economic elite.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=5&article_id=89152

[bemildred]

4. There does seem to be some internal dissention among the Arabs over this.

But it's still looks pretty murky. Everybody is spinning it for propaganda, but very few facts in sight.

[oberliner]

5. Israeli (or perhaps Jewish) targets will bear the brunt of any "retaliation" regardless of the facts

That much I think we can, unfortunately, agree on.

[bemildred]

6. I doubt that. The Israelis are not known for taking things lying down

anymore than Hizbollah/Hamas etc. are. And on the whole there are more dead Palestinians than Israelis, so the brunt would most likely continue to fall on them. I don't mean to defend attacks on Israeli civilians, but it's hardly a one-way street here.

[rockymountaindem]

7. I think he's also referring to things such as the attack on the Buenos Aires JCC n/t

[bemildred]

8. You think? nt

[rockymountaindem]

9. Wasn't Hezbollah responsible for that

back in the 90s?

[bemildred]

11. That's in dispute.

There is a prosecutor in Argentina that seems to think Hizbullah and Iran were in cahoots about it, but they deny it and the evidence I've been able to read about it sounds unconvincing, to me anyway. I don't follow it much. But I don't see why it matters whether they did or did not in relation to anything I said. I didn't make any assertions that they would be safe if they blew up an embassy somewhere, instead of sending some rockets over, or anything like that.

[rockymountaindem]

13. I'm not saying you did

I was just trying to clear up what I thought was some confusion. If there's no confusion, then that's that.

[bemildred]

14. OK. If that's the case, then thank you for your concern. nt

[oberliner]

10. Report: Widow of slain Hezbollah terrorist blames Syria for killing

Some three weeks after the assassination of Hezbollah arch-terrorist Imad Mughniyah, his widow blamed Syria for the killing, Army Radio reported Monday.

The Lebanon-based guerilla group, of which Mughniyah was deputy secretary general, repeatedly blamed Israel for the assassination, but so far no organization or state has taken responsibility for the February 12 car bombing in Damascus.

"The Syrian traitors are responsible for his death," Army Radio quoted Mughniyah's widow as telling a press conference in Tehran. "Damascus' refusal to allow Iran to investigate the incident is further proof," she said.

According to the report, rumors abounded in the months prior to Mughniyah's death regarding a rift between himself and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The rumors were that Mughniyah was attempting to take over command of the militant organization.

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/958004.html

[bemildred]

12. Dang, now I feel like a prophet.

Here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x200268#200319

[bemildred]

15. MI chief on Hezbollah: Vengeance part of Shiite culture

IDF Chief of Military Intelligence Amos Yadlin, referring Tuesday to the the February 12 car bombing assassination of Hezbollah terror mastermind Imad Mughniyah, said that vengeance is an integral part of Shiite culture.

Speaking to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Yadlin said that in seeking to retaliate for the assassination, which it has publicly blamed on Israel, the group's goal is to generate deterrence and to strike Israel with severity.

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Yatom also reacted to a Monday report that Mughniyah's widow blamed Syria for the killing. "The Syrian traitors are responsible for his death," Army Radio quoted her as telling a press conference in Tehran. "Damascus' refusal to allow Iran to investigate the incident is further proof," she said.

"Hezbollah has no leads," Yatom said.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/958342.html

[bemildred]

16. MI Chief: Terrorists trained in Syria, Iran have infiltrated Gaza

Military Intelligence Chief Major General Amos Yadlin on Tuesday said that while the border between Gaza and Egypt was breached last month, terrorists trained in Syria and Iran had infiltrated the Strip.

Referring to an incident last month when Hamas militants blew holes in the border fence between Gaza and Egypt, allowing hundreds of thousands of Gazans to cross the border freely, Yadlin said that this breach also allowed terror activists, trained in Syria and Iran, to infiltrate the Strip. He said these activists had undergone workshops and intensive training in all military fields.

Presenting the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee with a general security assessment, Yadlin estimated that large amounts of money and ammunition also made their way into the Gaza Strip during the 12 days in which the border was breached. Army Radio quoted Yadlin as saying that Al-Qaida operatives had also infiltrated the Strip through the breach.

Yadlin said that Gazans that had entered Egypt through holes in the fence had spent $150 million on various products.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/958342.html