Video: Mughniyeh burns
posted at 12:08 pm on February 15, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Via Israel Matzav, watch it not for the detail (of which there’s little) but just to be part of the moment. Upon further review, the hit was only extremely impressive, not fantastically so: The bomb wasn’t planted in Mughniyeh’s car under his security’s nose, it was inside a car parked next to his and detonated remotely. How the driver managed to get that close and observe the scene long enough to time the detonation correctly is anyone’s guess, but Syria’s already arrested several suspects. Their background? Palestinian.
I try to be judicious about Debka links but this one rings truer than their usual fare. It jibes with Nasrallah screeching yesterday about “open war” with Israel and the point about Syria having to hit back after this and the IAF raid on that mystery site a few months ago is well taken. The Haaretz link up top also mentions the Iranian foreign minister meeting today with Assad and Khaled Meshaal, the leader of Hamas, so some sort of coordinated counterstrike isn’t far-fetched. Enjoy all this election/horserace crap now, in other words, because we may have real news to write about very shortly.
Exit question: The Democrats’ foreign policy experts picked some week to visit Damascus, huh?
Update: Too good to check?
A Kuwaiti newspaper reports that Hizbullah terrorist chief Imad Mughniyeh, who was killed in a car-bomb attack in Damascus on Tuesday, was in the midst of planning major terrorist attacks in moderate Arab countries when he was killed.
Al-Watan reports that American intelligence had learned that Mughniyeh arrived in Damascus three days earlier with instructions from, and in coordination with, the Iranians. His objective was to meet with Hizbullah leaders and coordinate a mass attack, for which he was to receive help from Syrian intelligence…
Another Kuwaiti newspaper, Al-Siasa, reports that Mughniyeh took part, shortly before he was killed, in a secret meeting in the Iranian School in Damascus. Also participating in the meeting were Syrian Intelligence Chief Gen. Aisaf Shwackath, Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal, and an Islamic Jihad representative. On the agenda: planned attacks in Arab countries that refuse to take part in the coming Arab League summit in Damascus. The newspaper entertains the possibility that the meeting was merely a camouflage for Syrian involvement in Mughniyeh’s killing.
Not sure why he’d care which states did or didn’t attend the summit or why he’d want to solidify Sunni opposition to Iran, particularly vis-a-vis the balance of power in Lebanon, by hitting countries like Kuwait and Jordan.
Update: A pointed question from the JPost: How’d Iran get hold of this cellphone video?
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Does anyone smell burnt bacon in that video?
ZoneDaiatlas on February 15, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Those fools in the middle east are always trying to kill each other the same way Europeans did last century. Because these Middle Easterners are a few hundred years behind the civilized word, they proboably have a few centuries to go. Too bad the weapons are getting more and more effective.
saiga on February 15, 2008 at 12:32 PM
Hmm, the plot thickens. The Palestinians did it (allegedly)? But I thought that all the Arabs were united in their determination to give the Palestinians a state, blah, blah, blah, whatevs.
My more skeptical thought is that whoever actually did it is already back home (home starts with an “I”) and the Palestinians were just the poor schmucks arrested to save Syrian face.
I guess we’ll find out in about 10 to 15 years, right around the time that whole IAF excursion into Syria is explained….
mjk on February 15, 2008 at 12:33 PM
Nicely done. A surgical car bomb would be tough to pull off. Shin Bet has some real pros and I’m glad to see it revived. The bad guys will be looking under every bed and in every closet for the inside helper, unless they are the culprits. Sowing paranoia amongst the sociopaths is a delightful thing to watch.
a capella on February 15, 2008 at 12:35 PM
That’s one explanation. Perhaps the Mossad (at least I like to think it was) was able to flip someone close to the rat bastard. Syria is infamous for poor security. Perhaps Jordanian and Israeli agent worked together. Damn! This would make a great movie.
Andy in Agoura Hills on February 15, 2008 at 12:37 PM
I love the sight of burning scumbags in the morning.
EJDolbow on February 15, 2008 at 12:37 PM
real news vs. election horse race crap?
It would be nice to up the cull on Islam.
BL@KBIRD on February 15, 2008 at 12:37 PM
Do we know who took this video?
Andy in Agoura Hills on February 15, 2008 at 12:38 PM
I don’t buy the conspiracy theory that Iran offed the guy. He’s simply too valuable as a tactician and strategist for them to be willing to do without him.
If Iran or Syria intended to create an incident as pretext for an all-out attack on Israel, there were dozens of other options. Getting rid of a legend like Mughniyeh would have handicapped their war effort considerably.
The simplest explanation is probably the best one: the Mossad is up to its old badass tricks again. More power to them.
frode on February 15, 2008 at 12:41 PM
Great point, Andy. Mossad’s flipped people before and Israel does manage to work with Jordan on the odd occasion.
This would make a great movie. Just keep Spielberg away from it.
mjk on February 15, 2008 at 12:41 PM
Maybe by doing something like this?
- The Cat
MirCat on February 15, 2008 at 12:54 PM
P.S. That above comment should have been
Maybe by doing something like this?
- The Cat
MirCat on February 15, 2008 at 12:55 PM
One dead scumbag and the arab world is in a tizzie, works for me. I’ll hoist a cold one for who ever did it.
limowilliam on February 15, 2008 at 12:58 PM
I hope this is what awaits the scumbag in the great beyond.
KelliD on February 15, 2008 at 1:25 PM
Smells/looks like roast/burnt pig…(smirk)
areseaoh on February 15, 2008 at 1:31 PM
Islam: It’s a Blast!
Black Adam on February 15, 2008 at 1:45 PM
They’re cutting the ribbon on Mughniyeh Avenue in Berkeley if anyone is interested.
Chuck Schick on February 15, 2008 at 2:29 PM
What’s the old saying? “Build a man a fire and he’ll be warm for a night. Set a man on fire and he’ll be warm for the rest of his life.”
DrSteve on February 15, 2008 at 2:51 PM
The smoking gun. Now we know who did it.
@ntif@n on February 15, 2008 at 2:59 PM
“I love the smell of burning jihadi in the morning. It smells like, VICTORY.”
Texas Nick 77 on February 15, 2008 at 3:24 PM
The video makes me feel all warm inside.
chsw
chsw on February 15, 2008 at 4:45 PM
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