By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
DAMASCUS, Syria – On February 13, Hezbollah announced that Imad Mughniyeh, an influential leader, was killed in Syria when a car bomb exploded. Syrian state television stated that one person died in the explosion and Hezbollah identified that victim as Mughniyeh. In the announcement, Hezbollah stated “With all pride we declare a great jihadist leader of the Islamic resistance in Lebanon joining the martyrs… the brother commander hajj Imad Mughniyeh.” Residents report that an explosion took place in a residential area in Damascus on evening of February 12.
Prior to 9/11, Mughniyeh was on top of the FBI’s Most Wanted List for his alleged involvement in numerous terrorist attacks against Israel and the US. He is said to be the mastermind behind the 1983 bombing of US Marine barracks in Lebanon, which killed 241 American. He is also linked to two bombings of the US embassy in Beirut. He was indicted for his suspected involvement in the planning of the 1985 TWA hijacking that resulted in the death of an American Navy diver. It is also suspected that he was involved in the planning of the two bombings in Buenos Aires, Argentina; one of the Israeli embassy and another of a Jewish center.
Also, Mughniyeh is thought to be the mastermind behind the wave of kidnapping Westerners in the 1980s and 1990s. Two famous incidences are the kidnapping, torture and execution of CIA station chief William Buckley and the kidnapping of Terry Andersen, a former Associated Press correspondent. Andersen was held as a hostage in Lebanon for six years and was released in 1991. Andersen told the Associate Press that he was neither surprised nor sad to hear of Mughnuyeh’s death and that it was appropriate that he “goes up in a car bomb.”
Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran all accuse Israel of involvement in Mughniyeh’s death. Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran’s official state news organization, said that Israel and the US are the number one suspects in Mughniyeh’s death and called the action an example of “US and Israeli state terrorism.”
The Israeli Prime Minister’s office released a short statement; “Israel rejects the attempts of terror elements to attribute to Israel any involvement in this incident.” US State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, also stated that the US does not know who carried out the bombing. However, both governments hailed Mughniyeh’s death as a victory against terrorism. Sean McCormack said that “the world is a better place without this man in it,” and that Mughniyeh was “a cold-blooded killer, a mass murderer and a terrorist responsible for countless innocent lives lost.”
Both US and Israeli governments were interested in the whereabouts of Mughniyeh, who has been in hiding since the late 1980s. After indicting Mughniyeh in the 1985 TWA hijacking, the US offered a $5 million dollar reward for information that would lead to his arrest. In addition, Mughniyeh’s brother was killed in a bombing in Beirut in 1994 and reports suggest that Mughniyeh was the actual target.
Mughniyeh’s funeral will be held on February 14 in southern neighborhoods in Beirut. Also, on February 14, the anti-Syrian majority leader Hariri will be leading a demonstration honoring his father, who was assassinated three years ago. There are concerns that violence may result between individuals who attend the events.
For more information, please see:
Al Jazeera – Israel Blamed for Hezbollah Killing – 14 February 2008
Arab News – Hezbollah No. 2 Assassinated – 14 February 2008
Associated Press – Top Hezbollah Militant Killed in Syria – 13 February 2008
BBC – Hezbollah’s Most Secretive Operative – 13 February 2008
BBC – US Hails Hezbollah Leader’s Death – 13 February 2008
International Herald Tribune – Top Hezbollah Terrorist Killed in Car Bomb – 13 February 2008
Islamic Republic News Agency – Mughniyeh Assassination, Example of Israeli State Terrorism – 13 February 2008
Middle East Online – Senior Hezbollah commander killed in Syria – 13 February 2008
Middle East Times – Top Hezbollah Commander Assassinated – 13 February 2008
