Terrorists Target Israeli Diplomats In India and Georgia; Israel Blames Iran For Attacks

Two Israelis were injured when a bomb went off in their diplomatic vehicle in New Delhi. A diplomat's wife and their driver were injured when the bomb ripped through their vehicle.



A grenade was discovered by Israeli security underneath a diplomatic vehicle in Tblisi, Georgia and was safely defused before it could cause injury. It comes as Israel issued warnings to its diplomatic corps ahead of the anniversary of the death of Hizbullah leader Imad Mughniyeh that has long been attributed to Israel.

The Israeli government is holding Iran responsible, which shouldn't be all that surprising given that Iran blames Israel for being behind the current spate of attacks that have killed several Iranian nuclear scientists and conventional wisdom also suggests that Israel was behind the Stuxnet virus that crippled the Iranian nuclear centrifuge computer systems.

Israeli officials earlier told The Associated Press that an explosion tore through an Israeli diplomat's car in New Delhi. The driver and a diplomat's wife were injured, according to Indian officials.

Television footage showed a charred minivan with blue diplomatic plates, its rear door apparently blown out.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor would not discuss who was injured nor the extent of the injuries because it was a security matter.

"There was one attempted attack, and one successful, as it were," said Paul Hirschson, a spokesman for Israel's foreign ministry. "In both cases, the people concerned worked with the Israeli embassies."

Hirschson said the Israeli ambassador to India was not hurt in the New Delhi attack.
Israel had put its foreign missions on especially high alert ahead of the February 12 anniversary of the assassination, in 2008, of the military mastermind of Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas, linked to the Shiite Islamist group Hezbollah, Imad Moughniyeh.

That the attacks come four years to the day since Mughniyeh was killed suggests that Hizbullah may have been involved, or Iranian intel services, or a combination of groups. The New Delhi attack appears to have been carried out by an unknown assailant attacking the bomb to the car by motorbike.

Hizbullah Indoctrinates Another Generation

This story is courtesy of the New York Times, which reports that Hizbullah has set up a shrine to terrorists killed trying to get their 72 virgins, or at least kill a few Israelis along the way.

The children crowd forward around the glass case, eager for a glimpse of the martyr’s bloodstained clothes. His belt is here, and the shoes he died in, scarred with shrapnel. The battered desk where he planned military operations still has his box of pencils on it, his in-box, his cellphone.

“May God kill the one who killed him,” an old woman says, wiping tears from her eyes as she stares through the glass.

The dead man being shown such veneration is Imad Mugniyah, the shadowy Hezbollah commander. Until his death in a car bombing in Syria in February he was virtually unknown here, his role in the militant Shiite group clothed in secrecy. But since then Hezbollah has hailed him as one of its great military leaders in the struggle against Israel.

Now, the group has opened an exhibit in this southern town in honor of Mr. Mugniyah, who is widely accused in the West of masterminding devastating bombings, kidnappings and hijackings in the 1980s and ’90s. His stern, bearded face towers over the transformed parking lot where the exhibit is taking place, along with banners exalting him as “the leader of the two victories” — the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 and the 2006 summer war with Israel.

The presentation, which opened Aug. 15, is Hezbollah’s most ambitious multimedia exhibit to date, meant to dramatize the group’s bitter conflict with Israel on the second anniversary of their latest war. Schoolchildren pour in throughout the day, absorbing the carefully honed message of heroic resistance. At night, light and laser shows illuminate the weaponry and tanks, and overflow crowds have been keeping it open until after 1 a.m.

Hizbullah is glorifying Mugh the Thug, who murdered people and sent others to commit acts of terrorism. He's glorified and exalted.

Mughniyeh was a terrorist who was killed under suspicious circumstances. Hizbullah blames Israel of course, but Israel isn't saying. Now, they're using his grave as a shrine to indoctrinate another generation into the glorification of mass murdering psychopaths and terrorists who think nothing of murdering innocents.

And just in case you thought that Mughniyeh was just an Israeli, think again. He killed more Americans than any other terrorist prior to the 9/11 attacks. In fact, prior to 9/11, Hizbullah had more American blood on its hands than any other terrorist group. And to this day they remain the proxy army for Iran.

Underscoring Hizbullah's Victory

Samir Kuntar says he's going to continue the murderous legacy of Imad Mughniyeh (Mugh the Thug). Who actually thought otherwise? Anyone?

Kuntar was welcomed back to Lebanon as a hero. Some hero. He murdered innocent and defenseless children.



Hizbullah praised him to no end and pulled out all the stops in major rallies celebrating the return of this murderous terrorist and child killer. He was welcomed by thousands in his hometown. Iran cheered.

Israelis meanwhile, buried Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev yesterday. While I share in their families' grief, the decision to return live terrorists so that they can continue their deadly goals is a serious mistake that Israel will regret. Considering a death penalty for terrorists is not a bad idea, though the terrorists might consider capturing Israelis so that they can reclaim the bodies.

Curiously, the Arab media appears to mock the Hizbullah claims that they won, noting the catastrophic toll on Lebanon in the Hizbullah war with Israel.

These Arab countries fail to realize that everyone else can and will suffer at the hands of these Islamists in their pursuit of their ultimate goal of destroying Israel. It doesn't matter to them how many Arabs (Muslim or otherwise) are killed in fighting Israel so long as Israel loses eventually. This is why the terrorists go to such lengths to claim that those Muslims who die are considered martyrs. The religious veneer covers up their destructive intentions, though as we've seen in Iraq, the people harmed most by such fighting and death and destruction will take only so much of it before they stand up against the terrorists and cast them out.

With Hizbullah firmly in charge in Lebanon, that is an incredibly difficult task, especially with Syrian and Iranian support.

UPDATE:
Carl in Jerusalem notes that Hizbullah mutilated the bodies of Goldwasser and Regev. I doubt we'll ever hear an outcry against the terrorists when they torture their victims, behead them, mutilate them, and desecrate their remains.

UPDATE:
Hot Air also comments on Hizbullah's odious displays, including Nazi salutes, in the course of welcoming home Kuntar as a conquering hero.

Meryl Yourish has a roundup of reaction. Israellycool calls this the expected consequences. He's right.

At least some Lebanese are wondering why everyone is going out of their way to label Kuntar a hero. Lebanon Iznogood calls Kuntar a scumbag. Abu Kais notes what Hizbullah wrought on Lebanon.

UPDATE:
Meanwhile, Charles Johnson came upon this odious photo, which once again underscores just how useless the UN is in dealing with the Islamic terrorist group Hizbullah. They saluted the remains of the terrorists who Israel returned to Lebanon.

Terrorists Talking Away

Al Qaeda has released yet another video, this time Ayman al-Zawahiri appears, and he's appealing for Gaza to rise up against Israel and destroy Israel, and attack Jewish and American interests around the world. I wonder if Zawahiri has been paying attention to what's happened each and every time Hamas and the other jihadis have attempted mass casualty attacks - they've been hunted down like rabid dogs and eliminated by Israel's security forces.

Al-Qaida deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslims in a new audiotape released Monday to strike Jewish and American targets in revenge for Israel's recent offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The al-Zawahri tape came on the heels of a message from Osama bin Laden, who called for a holy war to liberate the Palestinian territories. Together, the two messages appeared to be a more direct push by the terror network's leadership to use widespread anger over the Gaza violence to whip up support.

Israel's weeklong offensive in Gaza ended in early March. It was launched in an attempt to put down Palestinian militants firing rockets against nearby the Israeli town of Sderot and city of Ashkelon. The Israeli assault killed more than 120 people, including many civilians. Three Israelis also were killed.

Bin Laden and al-Zawahri have frequently referred to the Palestinian cause in their past messages, but usually in broader terms of liberating Jerusalem and denouncing Israeli violence. Their latest calls for attacks, however, had a more immediate and urgent tone.

The string of messages has raised concerns that al-Qaida could be planning new attacks in the West — or is seeking to inspire its sympathizers to carry out violence. In another message last week, bin Laden warned of a "severe" reaction against Europe after Danish papers published a cartoon seen as insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

The AP makes no attempt to actually quantify how many terrorists were killed, and I'd suggest that the number of terrorists eliminated by Israel was far greater than the number of Palestinian civilians killed. It's yet another sign of AP bias against Israel. It also ignores the fact that Israel has been bombarded by literally thousands of kassam rockets and mortars since 2005, when Israel disengaged and left Gaza to its own devices. Gaza is wholly in Hamas's hands, and had Hamas intended to build a useful and productive society, it could have done so.

It instead engaged in a war against Israel, using the Palestinian population as human shields to carry out attacks against Israel and to use the civilians injured and killed as propaganda tools to bludgeon Israel in the media war since they aren't successful in the military arena.

The video is also notable because Zawahiri is essentially admitting there are few places in the world where al Qaeda and other jihadi groups have safe havens from which to launch operations and relying upon the old standby of the Palestinians is about all that they have left. He also attacked Egypt in the tape, for what he claimed was collusion with Israel for shutting the border with Gaza.

The Egyptian-born Al-Zawahri accused Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak of colluding with Israel in the siege of Gaza. Egypt has sealed its border with the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian militant group Hamas took over the territory last year.

He said Mubarak "repeats the same dirty role" as the Lebanese Phalangists — a Christian militia that was allied with Israel in Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war and was blamed in the massacre of Palestinian refugees in the Beirut camps of Sabra and Shatila.

"The roles are the same, even if the faces change — the same betrayal even if the names have changed," said al-Zawahri.

Zawahiri and Egypt have a long history, as Zawahiri was a leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad before becoming al Qaeda's number two thug. Expect the Muslim Brotherhood to take up Zawahiri's call in Egypt and engage in more terrorism there, particularly in the Sinai or at key tourist locations, as had been done in the past.

Elsewhere, Hizbullah is going to be holding rallies in Lebanon to mark the 40th day since Imad Mughniyeh, aka Mugh the Thug, was dispatched in a car bombing. Israel's security forces are on alert as a result.

This, however, is just rich. Fatah claims that they should not have signed the memo of understanding between itself and fellow terrorist group Hamas. It was a misunderstanding that Fatah officials signed off on the plan. I'll say. They can't agree on a power sharing arrangement that works for both terror groups:

Abbas has said repeatedly that he would not negotiate a new power-sharing deal with Hamas unless it first steps aside in Gaza. Despite Hamas' refusal to do so, Abbas sent a representative, former Deputy Palestinian Prime Minister Azzam al-Ahmed, to Yemen to explore the reconciliation proposal - apparently to avoid being seen as inflexible on trying to mend the deep internal Palestinian rift.

On Sunday, al-Ahmed and a senior Hamas representative, Moussa Abu Marzouk, signed a declaration that both accept a Yemeni initiative calling for the creation of a national unity government and the rebuilding of security forces loyal to that government instead of factions.

Of course, Israel says that any deal with the Palestinian Authority depends on whether the PA fights terrorism or not. Well, given that Hamas and Fatah are both terrorist groups and Fatah and Hamas are in talks to re-form the Authority, I'd suggest that there's no chance for peace. You might get occasional truces, but they're nothing more than a hudna - the strategic pause enabling the terrorists to prepare for a coming war with Israel.

Given how the terror threat hasn't diminished, it's way too soon to consider dismantling checkpoints in the West Bank.

Barry Rubin has a good op-ed, which mirrors many of my own writings - namely that the Palestinian terror groups all continually misread the situation. They think that Israel's reluctance to use force is a sign of weakness, and that they overestimate their capabilities (though one should never overestimate their capacity to slaughter innocents).

Mugh the Thug's Role in Lebanon War

I'm torn between calling this breaking news and stating the obvious, but AP says that Hizbullah sources have revealed that Imad Mughniyeh, far from being on the sidelines for the past decade, was right in the thick of the terrorist group's planning and operational efforts during the Hizbullah war with Israel in 2006.

Now Hezbollah officials and associates are describing a previously unknown role for Mughniyeh: Far from being too busy fleeing enemies, he was a key commander for Hezbollah in its 2006 war with Israel.

He was among the leading military and security strategists — if not the very top himself — of the group and a member of its decision-making committee, according to those who had knowledge of Mughniyeh before he was killed Feb. 12 in Damascus.

"Hezbollah's top architect of that war was Imad Mughniyeh," Anis Naccache, a 57-year-old longtime associate, told The Associated Press. "You can say he was like a staff general (chief of staff)."

In a speech Friday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah credited Mughniyeh with leading the group to two victories — the 2006 war and a Hezbollah guerrilla war in 2000 that led to the withdrawal of Israeli troops from its last positions in southern Lebanon.

In the 1980s, Mughniyeh was notorious in the West. He was accused of plotting suicide bombings of the U.S. Embassy and bases of U.S. and French troops that killed hundreds, as well as the kidnappings of dozens of Westerners in Beirut.

The last attacks he is believed to have directed were suicide bombings in the 1990s against the Israeli Embassy and a Jewish center in Argentina that killed more than 100 people and a bombing in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, that killed 19 Americans.

For years, Hezbollah said almost nothing about him. But after his death, the group has embraced him as a hero — to a degree that surprised some Lebanese who believed Hezbollah would not want to revive memories of its past association with terrorism.

AP can't call the thug, or the group, terrorists, even after the incontrovertible proof.

And his replacement in Hizbullah will try to do the same. Hizbullah's intentions haven't changed, and the UN continues to fail to carry out its obligations under UN SCR 1701. Lebanon continues to be torn apart by Hizbullah's presence, which is another avenue by which Syria profits.

Head on a Platter?

The Times of London reports that Imad Mughniyeh was killed by a bomb placed in the headrest of the car which proved to be his undoing.

I'm skeptical of this particular report, which claims via the headline that Israel's Mossad was behind the audacious plot, which breached Mugh the Thug's imposing security, to plant the bomb in the headrest.

At 10.35pm he decided to go home. Having exchanged customary kisses with his host, Hojatoleslam Ahmad Musavi, the newly appointed Iranian ambassador, Mughniyeh stepped into the night.

Minutes later he was seated in his silver Mitsubishi Pajero in a nearby street when a deafening blast ripped the car apart and killed him instantly.

According to Israeli intelligence sources, someone had replaced the headrest of the driver’s seat with another containing a small high-explosive charge. Israel welcomed his death but the prime minister’s office denied responsibility. Hezbollah accused the “Zionist Israelis” of killing its “brother commander” but believed the explosive had been detonated in another car by satellite.

One witness said: “I held his head in my hands, kissed him farewell. His face was burnt but intact and he had received serious injuries to his abdomen.”

Whatever the truth about the bomb, Mughniyeh, 45, died as he had lived – violently. He was a product of the Lebanese civil war that transfixed western governments 25 years ago.

It is interesting with whom Mugh the Thug was meeting with right before his death, and it once again suggests the close ties between Hizbullah and Iran.

The witness report seems to contradict the report that the bomb was in the headrest, but who knows what and how the bomb was constructed and the way the bomb's explosive force was directed.

Astute Bloggers notes that the Syrians continue rounding up various Palestinians and possible Hizbullah thugs. They're operating under the possible scenario that Hizbullah thugs decided to off Mugh the Thug.

I doubt we'll ever know for sure who killed Mugh the Thug, but the world is a better place for it as there's one less terror master to plot mass casualty attacks against the West.

Closing the Circle

In the past week, two major Islamic terrorists were killed, Islamic Jihad's Ayman Fayed and Hizbullah's Imad Mughniyeh (Mugh the Thug), and another, Mansoor Dadullah, was taken into custody by the Pakistanis.

These stories are related. They're forcing the terrorist groups to take actions that they would not have otherwise done, they're getting sloppy, and they're starting to go after their own.

Syria denies that they'll be a joint investigation into Mugh the Thugs death. Iran's Foreign Minister had said that there would be a joint investigation. Why would Iran want to meddle in Syrian affairs unless it wants to come out of the closet and openly tout its ties to the jihadi group. They probably want to determine how Mugh's security got bypassed and their main man got whacked. It's in their best interest to find out what happened because their other prized proxy assets might find themselves similarly eliminated. Tehran has to be wondering just how this all happened right under the noses of their friends the Syrians.

The Syrians have rounded up a number of Palestinians in connection with Mughniyeh's death, but this report suggests that Iran and Hizbullah are both participating in the investigation:

The Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar, affiliated with the Hizbullah organization, reported Friday that the investigation conducted by Syrian security services into the assassination of the arch-terrorist was in advanced stages.

According to the report, investigators on behalf of Hizbullah and Iran were taking part in the Syrian investigation.

The Lebanese source also reported that Hizbullah had appointed a successor to its senior commander hours after the announcement of Mugniyah's death in a car bomb in Damascus. He did not identify the successor who would now command Hizbullah's formidable and well-armed guerrilla army.

"A successor to Imad Mugniyah has been appointed, which is natural," said the source, who requested anonymity. "That's how Hizbullah works, they move quickly to choose successors of fallen leaders."

The Syrians have to be walking a fine line - they were playing host to Mugh the Thug, and he died right under their noses. That's going to make for a whole lot of uncomfortable terror masters in Damascus and Tehran along with finger pointing over who failed whom.

Meanwhile, Hamas has to get a little paranoid themselves, wondering if Fatah is busy prepping for an attack against Haniyeh. The terrorists are eating their own, and then some.

Of course, there's also the elimination of Ayman Fayed, a major Islamic Jihad thug in a cloud of dust and debris at his home. Funny how concrete homes can be turned to so much rubble when they're filled to the brim with explosives that mysteriously go boom. The media will be sure to find a way to pin this on Israel and blame Israel for all the others injured. The terrorists have responded with firing kassams at Israel. Islamic Jihad claims that it was an Israeli airstrike, while Hamas says the circumstances aren't entirely clear. Captain Ed notes that a whole bunch of rocket parts were found among the ruins, suggesting that Fayed's house was an ammo dump. Go figure.

All this comes on the heels of the capture of Mansoor Dadullah last week by the Pakistanis.

It's been a real bad time for the jihadis, and there isn't any good news on the horizon, unless Congress decides to not authorize the FISA amendments and allows the law to expire, putting the US at risk.

Mugh the Thug's Buried, But Questions Remain

Imad Mughniyah may have been buried yesterday, but the questions over who was responsible for the attack that ended this brutal terrorist's thuggish ways continue. While Hizbullah claims that Israel is behind the attack, they've been busy tracking down and rounding up a bunch of Palestinians living in Syria. They certainly have to get their story straight. Syria says that they'll be able to prove that Israel was behind the attacks.

The Kuwaitis say that Mugh the Thug was preparing for a mass casualty attack in an Arab country in the Middle East.

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 paper suggests that Mugh the Thug was busy meeting with Iranian terror masters in Damascus, along with Syrian thugs, Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal, and an Islamic Jihad representative.

Either scenario is plausible and a terrorist of Mughniyeh's stature certainly could be seen as meeting with top level terrorists and their terror masters from Iran and/or Syria. It still doesn't help figure out who carried out the attack or how the attackers managed to breach Mugh's considerable security.

Hizbullah has said that Mugh the Thug's death means open war with Israel (as though the continual and ongoing calls for Israel's destruction are insufficient, not to mention Hizbullah initiating the August war) and the Israelis have responded by increasing security and warning its foreign outposts to do the same.

The Hizbullah threats have also spurred synagogues in the US to beef up security as well.

UPDATE:
Video of the immediate aftermath of the attack has surfaced:


UPDATE:
Another Arab paper is now claiming that Mugh the Thug died in a work accident.

The Kuwaiti daily Awan reported, from a knowledgeable Arab source, that Imad Mughinyua was killed as he was preparing a car bomb.

The source said that Mughniya had prepared several car bombs for sending to Lebanon in order to prevent the March 14 Forces from holding a rally to mark the third anniversary of the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri.

He was supposedly on his way to carry out mass casualty bombings against the crowds gathered to pay their respects to Rafik Hariri on the third anniversary of his assassination. I seriously doubt this angle. Mugh the Thug didn't get to be his age by taking chances and the only way this was a work accident was if it was a "work accident," which is to say someone set him up. (HT: Charles at LGF)

Also, after the attack, Hizbullah and everyone was quick to claim that Israel was behind the incident, so why change the story now? It really is in everyone's interests if Israel is blamed. Israel gets to reclaim a bit of its mojo and its Mossad gets a gold star for carrying out one of the biggest operations of its kind in a good long time, Hizbullah and the Islamists get their bogeyman back, as do Iran and Syria.

Crowding in Lebanon

Today marks the third anniversary of the assassination of Rafik Hariri, who was murdered by terrorists most likely at the behest of the Syrian government.

It also marks the day that Hizbullah buries its leading thug, Imad Mughnieh. There are questions over crowd size, as though that is somehow indicative of support for the groups, and the meaning that can be divined from the crowd size.

Hizbullah has a way of getting large crowds, regardless of whether there is real support for them or not. It's called intimidation and threats of violence. The March 14/Hariri supporters do not have that going for them - they have the memories and courage of their convictions to stand with those who oppose Syrian dominion over the nation of Lebanon.

Mughnieh's death was a blow to not only Hizbullah, but to Iran and Syria. This was a terrorist whose ties ran deep with the terror masters, and who did their bidding. It's also quite telling that while Hizbullah spent years trying to distance itself from the terror thug himself, in death, they've embraced him and his legacy as tightly as ever - as though he never left.

Hizbullah, which spent years trying to publicly disassociate itself from the man, is now mourning him as a resistance leader, vowing revenge and what have you. To now claim that he was an active member of the group is to finally admit to being an international terrorist organization that never really "changed" after the end of the Lebanese civil war, as many had convinced themselves. Mughnieh was practically an Iranian intelligence operative, and was linked to attacks in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. His assassination left Hizbullah exposed. The group that could no longer argue for the holiness of their weapons, could no longer claim their theater of operations is restricted to Lebanon.

Indeed, Hizbullah has never waivered one bit from its origins - destruction of Israel and spreading Islam at the tip of the sword.

UPDATE:
Gateway Pundit has more on the demonstrations and photos.

Dispatched

Under somewhat mysterious circumstances, one of the worlds most notorious terrorists was killed in a car bombing in Damascus, Syria. Imad Mughniyeh had a rap sheet that made him the most dangerous terrorist until Osama bin Laden came along.

Among the terrorist attacks on his record: the 1983 Marine Barracks bombing that killed 241 US Marines and sailors.

So, who got him? Did the Israelis succeed in nailing this Hizbullah terror master in Syria, sending a message to the terrorists in Gaza and West Bank and their terror masters in Syria and Iran that no one can forever escape justice?

Did the US take him out? Or, did the Iranians or Syrians decide that they no longer had any use for the guy?

In any event, score one for the good guys.

The First Post notes the following:

Hezbollah TV announced this morning that Mughniyeh was 'martyred' in a car bombing in Damascus last night "by the hands of the Zionist Israelis". A spokesman for Israel's PM Ehud Olmert declined to comment, but it is an open secret that the Mossad security agency had been hunting Mughniyeh for many years.

So had the CIA, which blamed the veteran terrorist for plotting the bombing that killed 240 US servicemen in Beirut in 1983 and subsequent attacks on the American embassy in Lebanon in which the cream of the CIA's Middle East agents perished.

Mughniyeh - whom the CIA refers to as 'the original Bin Laden' - was also suspected of organising the kidnapping of the CIA's Beirut station chief, William Buckley, and personally torturing him to death: he was also linked to the abduction of the Western hostages, including the Britons Terry Waite and John McCarthy, in Beirut during the 1980s.

Israel's relentless pursuit of Mugniyeh, who was believed to be in his late forties, was motivated by his suspected involvement in bomb attacks on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires and a Jewish community centre in the Argentine capital in the early 1990s that killed more than 120 people. His brother, also a Hezbollah militant, died in a car bombing in Beirut almost 15 years ago that was widely believed to have been an Israeli attempt to assassinate Mughniyeh.

Beirut Spring noted that Hizbullah has spent the past decade trying to rebrand itself as something other than a terrorist group that specialized in suicide bombings and mass casualty attacks, which were Mugniyah's specialties. The location of the attack is especially embarrassing for the Syrians, but then again wonders whether the Syrians were in on the plot to send a signal to Presidential hopeful Barack Obama whose foreign policy advisor Mr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, is heading to the region, that talking might get somewhere?

Others blogging: Hot Air and Jammie (who notes that Imad should rest in pieces)

UPDATE:
Note also that the 1983 bombing that occurred on October 23, was actually a multiple truck bombing - one truck bomber demolished the US Marine barracks, while a second truck bomb blew up the French peacekeeping mission, killing 58 French soldiers.

UPDATE:
Israel denies any involvement, but the Syrians are pointing their fingers at Israel. None of this lessens the importance of his death. It's also rather fitting that he died via car bombing, since vehicle bombing tactics were one of his hallmarks.

UPDATE:
Rusty posits that Imad was taken out in retaliation for the assassination of Rafiq Hariri who was murdered three years ago tomorrow. I'm not so sure that the anti-Syrians have the capabilities to pull off such a complicated attack. There's not much of the car left.

No matter who was responsible, many a message was sent and delivered in eliminating Imad. The question is who was listening and what will be learned.

UPDATE:
Israel denies any involvement in taking out Mugh the Thug. Israel has also raised the alert level on its embassies and facilities around the world in case Hizbullah or its terror masters decide to lash out at Israel (as they invariably seek to do).

UPDATE:
So, who would try to take him out? Well, it's a long list. Here are the possible folks responsible for ridding the planet of this oxygen thief:

1) CIA
2) Mossad
3) Anti-Syrians gaining retribution for Hariri assassination 3 years ago tomorrow.
4) Syria (no longer needed him)
5) Iran (no longer needed him)
6) Hizbullah itself - someone decided to move up the career ladder

Of those, the most plausible are the Israelis, who have repeatedly shown that they can pull this kind of thing off - and the messages sent would be loud and clear to terrorists all around 'em. It says that if we can get to Mugh the thug, we can get to you too.

The CIA has shown itself capable of taking out terrorists, but it's recent modus operandi is the Predator strike, not a car bomb. I put the CIA on the ground in Syria to be remote at best.

However, the CIA assisting an anti-Syrian group? That's more likely than a CIA direct hit. Still somewhat remote given the time and effort needed to go after someone like Mugh the thug. Once you get more people involved, the likelihood that someone gets pinched and exposes the plot.

There is another possibility, which I judge as remote, and that is that various state sponsors like Iran or Pakistan have decided to liquidate the terrorists that they previously sponsored because the US and Israelis are getting to close to their regimes - plausible deniability could no longer be assured. Note that we've seen a spate of big name thugs dispatched of late.

UPDATE:
Bill Roggio notes that today's events mirror an Israeli intel operation that killed a Hamas terrorist in 2004. Also, links between al Qaeda and Hizbullah have been evidenced and suggested before - including in the 9/11 report.

UPDATE:
Others blogging Mugh the Thug's termination: Macranger, Outside the Beltway, Charles at LGF, and Gateway Pundit.