Hezbollah Involved in Bombing

[gilliam]

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian security forces on Saturday arrested two suspected militants in connection with a suicide bombing that killed four Israelis at a Tel Aviv nightclub, acting on orders from Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to track down and punish those responsible.

Palestinian security officials pointed to the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah, which has been trying to disrupt an informal Mideast truce, as the apparent mastermind of the attack. Abbas hinted at Hezbollah involvement, holding a “third party” responsible for the bombing.

Hezbollah, which is funded by Iran, has hundreds of West Bank gunmen from various Palestinian militant groups on its payroll. Israel and the United States said Abbas has to act quickly and forcefully — despite his long-standing reluctance to confront militants — if he wants to rescue a fragile Mideast truce.

story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=535&e=2&u=/ap/20050226/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians

 

[gilliam]

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -

A senior Hezbollah operative told two top Palestinian militants in the West Bank that he recruited the suicide bomber who blew himself up outside a Tel Aviv nightclub in an attack that killed four Israelis, the militants said Saturday.

The militants, local leaders of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, said the operative, Kais Obeid, called them after the bombing and asked them to claim responsibility for the attack.

The two militants, one speaking from Ramallah and the other from the Balata refugee camp near Nablus, said they turned down the request because they feared they would be targeted by Israeli or Palestinian security forces.

Obeid told the Al Aqsa leaders he had recruited Palestinians from the West Bank town of Tulkarem to carry out the bombing, the two militant leaders said on condition of anonymity. Obeid said he paid money to the Tulkarem cell but would not say how much. Obeid was vague about whether the bomber and his local handlers had ties to Palestinian militant groups, the two Al Aqsa leaders said.

In Tulkarem, Palestinian security forces on Saturday arrested two men in connection with the suicide bombing. Security forces said the two had ties to the militant Islamic Jihad group.

Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and Syria, has stepped up efforts in recent weeks to derail a Feb. 8 truce declared by the Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Hezbollah has hundreds of West Bank gunmen on its payroll, most from Al Aqsa, a violent group with ties to Abbas’ ruling Fatah Party. The main militant groups - Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al Aqsa - have denied involvement in the bombing and said they remained committed to the informal truce.

lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-me/2005/feb/26/022607975.html

 

[gilliam]

On the other hand: Syrian Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for the attack in Tel-Aviv

Then again, maybe they are the same.

 

[4_marks]

Drop a small nuclear weapon upon the nuclear facility currently under construction in Iran with this warning to Syria and Iran. Any more terrorist attacks and you guys are next!!!