Former CIA Official: Mossad behind Moghnieh Killing
Source: Al-Manar TV, 14-2-2008
"Evidence in Damascus car bombing points to "Israel"," says Bruce Riedel, former advisor to three US presidents on Middle Eastern affairs. Riedel, who spent over 30 years with the CIA before serving as a senior advisor on South Asian and Middle East affairs under three US presidents, said "Israel" has already carried out similar operations in Syria. Riedel is currently a senior fellow with the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institute. He said that Sayyed Nasrallah is also in the crosshairs; something the "Israelis" never stop saying.
Martyr Moghnieh's body was laid in a refrigerated coffin, wrapped in Hizbullah's flag. His father - Fayez, a south Lebanese farmer - as well as Hizbullah's deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Kassem, and other Hizbullah officials received condolences inside a hall from allied Lebanese politicians and representatives of Palestinian factions.
HIZBULLAH RETALIATION, MATTER OF HOW AND WHEN
Whoever carried out the operation demonstrated very impressive capabilities, in particular in collecting intelligence, Haaretz's Yossi Melman said in his analysis about the assassination of the Islamic Resistance's commander Imad Moghnieh.
"For many years he was in the sights of "Israeli" intelligence and the CIA, as well as other Western intelligence agencies such as Britain's, but because Moghnieh knew all this, he was doubly cautious," Melman added. He drew two opposite conclusions: one is that the killing was a message to Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah that created shock and awe in Hizbullah and the second conclusion is that in the long run Hizbullah will clearly recover from the killing and return to functioning normally. "The big and more important question arising from the killing in Damascus is not whether Hizbullah will respond, but how and when," Melman asked. He further analyzed the response saying it will not necessarily come immediately in a reflex action.
"Their response will also not be along the border, because it seems they have no evidence to tie "Israel" directly to the killing. We can also estimate that they will not attempt a mass terror attack in "Israel". The more reasonable and likeliest possibility is that Hizbullah, with Iranian approval, will try to make a revenge attack against "Israel" overseas, in particular against an embassy. In this case it seems they will look for areas that are "Israel"'s "soft underbelly" such as the "Israeli" Embassy in Jordan, Egypt or certain African capitals - where it will be easier for them to act surreptitiously," Melman analyzed.
"Israel's" security services have meanwhile issued orders to its embassies and delegations abroad to be on high alert, anticipating the possibility that Hizbullah will retaliate.
"Evidence in Damascus car bombing points to "Israel"," says Bruce Riedel, former advisor to three US presidents on Middle Eastern affairs. Riedel, who spent over 30 years with the CIA before serving as a senior advisor on South Asian and Middle East affairs under three US presidents, said "Israel" has already carried out similar operations in Syria. Riedel is currently a senior fellow with the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institute. He said that Sayyed Nasrallah is also in the crosshairs; something the "Israelis" never stop saying.
Martyr Moghnieh's body was laid in a refrigerated coffin, wrapped in Hizbullah's flag. His father - Fayez, a south Lebanese farmer - as well as Hizbullah's deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Kassem, and other Hizbullah officials received condolences inside a hall from allied Lebanese politicians and representatives of Palestinian factions.
HIZBULLAH RETALIATION, MATTER OF HOW AND WHEN
Whoever carried out the operation demonstrated very impressive capabilities, in particular in collecting intelligence, Haaretz's Yossi Melman said in his analysis about the assassination of the Islamic Resistance's commander Imad Moghnieh.
"For many years he was in the sights of "Israeli" intelligence and the CIA, as well as other Western intelligence agencies such as Britain's, but because Moghnieh knew all this, he was doubly cautious," Melman added. He drew two opposite conclusions: one is that the killing was a message to Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah that created shock and awe in Hizbullah and the second conclusion is that in the long run Hizbullah will clearly recover from the killing and return to functioning normally. "The big and more important question arising from the killing in Damascus is not whether Hizbullah will respond, but how and when," Melman asked. He further analyzed the response saying it will not necessarily come immediately in a reflex action.
"Their response will also not be along the border, because it seems they have no evidence to tie "Israel" directly to the killing. We can also estimate that they will not attempt a mass terror attack in "Israel". The more reasonable and likeliest possibility is that Hizbullah, with Iranian approval, will try to make a revenge attack against "Israel" overseas, in particular against an embassy. In this case it seems they will look for areas that are "Israel"'s "soft underbelly" such as the "Israeli" Embassy in Jordan, Egypt or certain African capitals - where it will be easier for them to act surreptitiously," Melman analyzed.
"Israel's" security services have meanwhile issued orders to its embassies and delegations abroad to be on high alert, anticipating the possibility that Hizbullah will retaliate.
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