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Who killed Mughniyah?
17-Feb-2008
Written by Gabriel Emile Eid, Fabia Bristow, and Masoud Kazemzadeh
Imad Mughniyah, one of the world’s foremost terrorists, was reportedly killed late Tuesday night February 12, 2008 Damascus time.[1] No one has yet claimed responsibility. In this article, we discuss who might have eliminated Mughniyah. We look at motives, capabilities, and a history of similar actions. We see seven possibilities: 1- Israeli government; 2- Syrian government; 3- U.S. government; 4- the fundamentalist regime ruling Iran; 5- professional assassin; 6- Mughniyah’s rivals inside the Hezbollah; and 7- Mughniyah faked his death.
(1) Israeli Government Killed Mughniyah
The Lebanese Hezbollah has pointed finger at Israel.[2] Israel has the capability and a history of assassinating those who have killed Israelis or Jewish people around the world. But what are possible Israeli motives other than the elimination of one of the most successful terrorists who has been targeting Israelis and Jews? Israel failed to crush Hezbollah in the “34 Day War” during summer 2006. Israel may want to finish the job it failed to accomplish in 2006. Israel, however, could not start a war due to international law and public opinion. Israel could attack if it was the Hezbollah that initiated the war. Thus assuming that Hezbollah would attack Israel after the death of Mughniyah, and assuming that Israel is in a better situation now than in 2006, and assuming that Hezbollah is in a worse situation than in 2006, then it would be in the interest of Israel to assassinate Mughniyah or pay someone in Damascus to assassinate him.
The first assumption seems to be coming true. Sheikh Hassan Nasrollah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah has said: “Zionists, if you want this sort of open war, then let the whole world hear, so be it!... The blood of Imad Mughniyah will make them [Israel] withdraw from existence.”[3] If Nasrollah’s verbal declaration of war is accompanied by a violent action, that would provide Israel the justification to massively attack Hezbollah.
The second assumption will be tested if in fact a war ensues.
The third assumption seems to be true. Unlike July-August 2006, when almost the entire Lebanese society supported Hezbollah and condemned Israel, today Hezbollah is isolated in Lebanon due to a variety of factors. Since the assassination of Rafik Hariri, who wanted to expel Syrian occupation forces and restore Lebanese sovereignty, there has been a rise in what may be called Lebanese nationalism and demands for sovereignty from outside powers. This new mood is expressed by Fouad Siniora and his supporters, variously called “March 14th Coalition,” “Pro-Democracy Forces,” “Parliamentary Majority,” and “the Government.” Opposed to the pro-democracy forces are Syrian regime, the fundamentalist regime ruling Iran, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Due to Hezbollah’s support for Syrian domination of Lebanon and its placing obstacles to the establishment of a UN tribunal to investigate the assassination of Rafik Hariri (widely held to be ordered by the Syrian regime), Hezbollah has come to be viewed negatively in the past year and half. Although Hezbollah’s subservience to the fundamentalist regime ruling Iran has been well-known, the new mood in favor of sovereignty has caused negative feelings toward the Hezbollah. Lebanon’s Hezbollah is probably the only political party in the world that in its organizational chart and manifestos and in actual practice, puts the leader of another country as its own’s ultimate leader. The Lebanese Hezbollah puts The Supreme Leader in Iran as its highest leader.[4]
Wikipedia summarizes the work of one of the top scholars of Hezbollah:
Since the Supreme Leader of Iran is the ultimate clerical authority, Hezbollah’s leaders have appealed to him “for guidance and directives in cases when Hezbollah’s collective leadership [was] too divided over issues and fail[ed] to reach a consensus.” After the death of Iran’s first Supreme Leader, Khomeini, Hezbollah’s governing bodies developed a more “independent role” and appealed to Iran less often.[5]
The Lebanese Hezbollah regards the Supreme Leader, or Wali al-Faghih, to have been Ruhollah Khomeini and Ali Khamanehi. This is to say that the leader of one country can order a party in another country to do as it orders it to do. This means that Ali Khamanehi can order the Lebanese Hezbollah to start a war with Israel tomorrow and the Lebanese Hezbollah HAS to obey his orders and start a war with Israel. This issue of being another country’s bullet means that the Lebanese Hezbollah has to do something that Khamanehi orders it although that may be against the national interests of Lebanon.[6] This has made many Lebanese to regard Hezbollah to be a traitor to Lebanon’s independence and sovereignty. This is accentuated by the Lebanese being Arab and Iran being a non-Arab country.[7]
(2) Syrian Government Killed Mughniyah
Two of the most prominent leaders of the pro-democracy faction Walid Jumblatt and Saad Hariri have publicly stated that Syrian regime is behind the assassination of Mughniyah.[8] Mr. Jumblatt is the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party of Lebanon, which is a Druz party. Although initially subservient to Syrian domination and occupation of Lebanon, he has changed and now supports independence and sovereignty for Lebanon, which puts him in direct conflict with Syrian regime, the fundamentalist regime ruling Iran, and the Hezbollah. Saad Hariri is the son of the late Rafik Hariri and the leader of the majority in parliament.
Syrian regime has a long history of assassinations. But most significantly is the location of the assassination and the nature of the Syrian regime (a police state where the regime has a tight control of the population). The assassination occurred in a wealthy neighborhood. The place where the explosion occurred is where the feared (and competent) Estekhbarat [Ministry of Intelligence], the Iranian school (presumably for the children of the fundamentalist regime’s officials and operatives), and a police headquarter are located.[9] Apparently Mughniyah had gone from the Iranian school to his car when he was killed.
Obviously the Syrian regime has the capability to assassinate Mughniyah. But what benefit would accrue to it? The Syrian regime is divided between two factions. One faction believes that the U.S. is in decline and thus advocates getting closer to the fundamentalist regime ruling Iran and to Lebanese Hezbollah so that Syria could dominate the region. The other faction is composed of forces that believe it would be in their interest to follow the so-called Libyan model and abandon the extremist and terrorist forces in the region and instead join the Western world. The second faction believes that by doing so, Syria could get back the Golan Heights that it lost to Israel, get financial assistance from pro-Western governments such as those in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and UAE. It is possible that the latter faction was able to convince President Bashar Assad to assassinate Mughniyah as a good-will gesture to show its willingness to distance itself from extremist and terrorist forces. The Janus-faced regime in Damascus has a history of doing one thing while saying the opposite. It is also possible that the first faction killed Mughniyah to increase hostility with the U.S. and Israel and hence undermine the second faction. To what extent Bashar Assad is able to contain the independent behavior of each faction is hard to estimate.
What is curious is that the assassination occurred during a high-level private delegation led by Zbigniew Brzezinski (a foreign policy advisor to Sen. Barack Obama) and included Hassan Nemazee (a financial chairman for Sen. Hillary Clinton).[10] Brzezinski met with President Assad and issued the following statement to the Syrian press and said the talks with President Assad “dealt with recent regional developments, affirming that both sides have a common desire to achieve stability in the region, which would benefit both its people and the United States.”[11]
In addition, the assassination just days before the third anniversary of the assassination of Rafik Hariri, which has become a massive rallying event for pro-democracy and nationalist forces in Lebanon raises suspicion. By creating a counter-weight to the memory of Hariri, which in fact the Hezbollah did in deciding to hold memorial rally for Mughniyah on that very day, Syria and Hezbollah have benefited politically.
If tensions in Lebanon lead to a war between the Hezbollah and the Lebanese Army, there is a high likelihood of the disintegration of the Lebanese Army because about 15% of the Army is comprised of Shiites who are more loyal to their communal group and Hezbollah than to Lebanon and the Lebanese Army. A new civil war and disintegration of Lebanese Army would pave the way for the re-introduction of Syrian occupation and domination of Lebanon.
(3) The U.S. Government Killed Mughniyah
Various American officials from the FBI, the State Department, and the Pentagon have welcomed the assassination of Mughniyah with much delight.[12] American government has been actively pursuing Mughniyah for the killing of many of its citizens. It should not come as a surprise if the U.S. was successful in getting one of its most deadly and successful enemies.
(4) Fundamentalist Regime Ruling Iran Killed Mughniyah
The fundamentalist regime’s death squads have killed more Iranian dissidents abroad than any government has ever done against its opponents in history. In addition, the fundamentalist regime has a brutal history of killing non-violent pro-democracy activists, feminists, students, literary figures, religious converts inside Iran. Among the latter are the killings of Dariush Forouhar, Parvaneh Eskandari Forouhar, Pirooz Davani, Majid Sharif, Mohammad Mokhtari, Mohammad Jafar Pouyandeh, and Masoumeh Mossadegh (Dr. Mossadegh’s granddaughter). The torture, rape and murder of Zahra Kazemi, the death in prison of Akbar Mohammadi, the torture to death of Dr. Zahra Bani-Yaaghob, and the torture to death of Feizollah Mahdavi (a fourth year university student in law) are but the well-known examples. Regime’s death squads have even murdered non-political individuals who merely converted to another religion such as the murder of Mehdi Dibaj, who converted from Shia to Christianity. Regime death squads even killed several dozen innocent worshippers at Imam Reza shrine in order to blame it on one of the opposition groups. But the above-mentioned are Iranians who were not fundamentalist. Why would the fundamentalist regime kill one of its own?
There is actually a history of the regime killing its own if doing so served the interests of the leadership. For example, after more than 15,000 brave Iranians risked their lives and marched in the funeral of the slain democrat (Dariush Forouhar) and feminist (Parvaneh Eskandari-Forouhar) leaders, who had been murdered by the regime’s death squad, while the regime death squads were to murder literary figures (Davani, Sharif, Mokhtari, and Pouyandeh), the regime arrested Deputy Minister of Intelligence Saeed Imami. Soon afterwards, Imami died in prison. Imami’s death was announced as suicide by vajebi (a chemical uses to get rid of body hair). However, it is not likely that consumption of the small amount of vajebi given to prisoners would cause death. The widely held belief is that the regime killed its own assassin in order to protect higher-ups who had ordered the chain murders such as Minister of Intelligence Dorri Najaf-Abadi, former Minister of Intelligence Ali Fallahian, Ali Akbar Rafsanjani, and the Supreme Leader Khamanehi. Many also believe the same death squad had been used by Rafsanjani and Khamanehi to kill Ahmad Khomeini, the Ayatollah’s influential son (whose ambition to become Supreme Leader was thwarted by Rafsanjani and Khamanehi). The regime’s death squads operating abroad are formed of the most trusted members of the Qods Force of the Islamic Republic Guards Corps (IRGC).[13] Members of death squads selected for assassinations inside Iran are composed of the trusted members of the Ministry of Intelligence or the IRGC.
What benefit would accrue to the fundamentalist regime by killing Mughniyah, its best terrorist asset? In the past year, the Lebanese Hezbollah, Syrian regime and the fundamentalist regime had failed to overthrow the pro-democracy government in Lebanon despite repeated attempts. The more bellicose and warmongers in the regime such as Ahmadinejad may wish to provoke another war in Lebanon either against other Lebanese groups or between Israel and Hezbollah. These elements in the ruling oligarchy in Iran may think it would be a repeat of the summer 2006, with the expectation that it would change the balance of forces within Lebanon, or undermine the talks in Baghdad between American officials and fundamentalist officials. By assassinating Mughniyah and blaming it on Israel, these elements within the fundamentalist regime may wish to bring violence in Lebanon and/or between Israel and Hezbollah, which they think would benefit their faction in Iran.
It is clear that although such a war may be in the interest of the extremist faction in Iran, it is against the interest of the Iranian people and the national interests of Iran. The regime has a history of consistently choosing what is in the interests of the fundamentalist clique and undermining the interests of the Iranian people and the national interests of Iran. For example, taking American diplomats hostage and keeping them hostage were clearly against the interest of the Iranian people and the national interests of Iran, but Khomeini and his supporters took those actions because it helped them get rid of the non-fundamentalist elements and impose the highly unpopular and incredibly anti-democratic fundamentalist constitution on a reluctant public.
(5) Professional Assassin Killed Mughniyah
There is a possibility that Mughniyah’s assassination was carried out by a professional assassin or assassins for purely financial reasons. Some such groups such as former KGB elements have deep roots and close connections in Syria. The U.S. government had placed $25 million bounty on Mughniyah’s head and such a sum could have attracted professionals.
(6) Hezbollah Rivals Killed Mughniyah
The Lebanese Hezbollah was created by the fundamentalist regime and composed of Lebanese Shia who worshiped Khomeini and had no nationalist feelings toward their own homeland of Lebanon. Over the years, however, it has been reported that some grew a bit skeptical of the benefits of being a simple tool in the hands of the regime ruling Iran. Whether this change occurred after observing the ideological, political and moral bankruptcy of the fundamentalist regime in Iran or a realization that their future lies in living as Lebanese along other Lebanese is not germane to the subject of this article. It has been speculated that some Hezbollah leaders have had some changes in their mentalities. It is possible that due to some internal dispute, other members of Hezbollah decided to kill Mughniyah. For example, it is possible that Mughniyah wanted to start another war with Israel, but other members of the Hezbollah disagreed, and decided to kill Mughniyah. Or conversely, it is possible that the fundamentalist regime gave an order to Lebanese Hezbollah such as attacking Israel, an order with which Mughniyah opposed. In order to prevent an open split, the fundamentalist regime and elements within Hezbollah simply decided to eliminate Mughniyah.
(7) Mughniyah Faked His Own Death
There is a possibility that Mughniyah faked his death in order to disappear. This possibility has been suggested by CNN’s senior correspondent Jim Clancy who was stationed in Beirut in the 1980s and covered many terrorist attacks attributed to Mughniyah.[14]
Conclusion
From what is currently known, the main beneficiaries of the elimination of Mughniyah are Syrian regime, the Israeli government, and the U.S. government. Unless insiders reveal secret information, we may never know who killed Mughniyah. If the Syrian regime, or the fundamentalist regime ruling Iran, or the Hezbollah are involved, we would not know until one of the two regimes is overthrown and its secret archives opened to scholars and journalists. Time will tell, perhaps.
Gabriel Emile Eid is a senior at Sam Houston State University, double majoring in Political Science and Criminal Justice, with a minor in Arabic. He is specializing on the Middle East.
Fabia Bristow is a senior at Sam Houston State University, majoring in Political Science and Criminal Justice, minoring in Accounting and Arabic. She hopes to work for the UN or INTERPOL. She is currently the President of Alpha Phi Sigma, the national Criminal Justice honor society.
Masoud Kazemzadeh, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Political Science at Sam Houston State University.
Endnotes
1. For a list of killings and operations attributed to Mughniyah see CNN Report: Reputed terrorist long sought by CIA killed in explosion. It is also alleged that he was close to and trained members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Muqtada al-Sadr’s Jeish al-Mahdi. Some reports that in 1975, Mughniyah was a personal body guard and trained assassin for Yasser Arafat seem highly unlikely. If Mughniyah was born in 1962, he was only 13 years old in 1975.
2. BBC: Syria 'to name Mughniyeh killer'.
3. Sheikh Afif al-Nablisy told Hezbollah’s al-Manar television “Any attack against the resistence (Lebanese Hezbollah) will be met with the resistence’s response. Eye for an eye, individual for an individual, leader for a leader.” Radio Farda, February 13, 2008, واکنش ایران و آمریکا به ترور فرمانده ارشد حزب الله.
4. See Hezbollah’s organizational chart at Wikipedia.
5. See Hezbollah. The work is by Magnus Ranstorp (1996).
Hizb'Allah in Lebanon: The Politics of the Western Hostage Crisis. St. Martin's Press. P. 45.
6. Michael Young, “The dilemmas of being an Iranian bullet,” The Daily Star, August 24, 2006.
7. To counter the notion of being subservient to a non-Arab country and leader, Lebanese Shiite supporters of the fundamentalist regime (with the help of the fundamentalist regime ruling Iran) argue that Khomeini was of Arab origins, his ancestors being from Mecca. In the following “documentary” produced by al-Manar in Lebanon and the regime in Iran and put on YouTube by www.aimislam.com which is a Shiite fundamentalist group supporter of the regime in Iran in Britain. See their documentary on youtube. At 3:55 minute, the video mentions that Khomeini “is of Arab origins, from the holy city of Mecca.” The propaganda video continues to repeatedly mention the Arab, Mecca, and Arabian peninsula origins of Khomeini more times (more than a dozen if one includes the pictorial images), to emphasize Khomeini’s Arab ethnicity. The unmistakable subtext being that Khomeini is not Persian, but rather Arab whose family was Arab and direct descent of the Prophet Mohammad and who happened to have moved to Iran to spread Islam. Thus, they are obeying and supporting an Arab descendent of the Prophet Mohammad who was ruling Iran. In other words, they are not supporting and obeying a non-Arab Iranian.
8. Deutsche Welle: لبنان: قدرت نمایی دولت و حزبالله.
9. Hassan Hashemian, “Terror Marmooztarin Shakhsiyat Kadr Rahbari Hezbollah Lobnan,” February 13, 2008, IranEmrooz: ترور مرموزترین شخصیت کادر رهبری حزبالله لبنان.
10. Eli Lake, “Obama Advisor Leads Delegation to Damascus,” The New York Sun, February 12, 2008, Obama Adviser Leads Delegation to Damascus; and Eli Lake, “Advisor to Clinton Meets With President of Syria,” The New York Sun, February 15, 2008, Adviser to Clinton Meets With President of Syria.
11. Lake, “Advisor to Clinton,” ibid.
12. CNN, “Report: Reputed terrorist long sought by CIA killed in explosion,” February 14, 2008.
13. Masoud Kazemzadeh, “God’s Assassins: The Lebanese Hezbollah and the Fundamentalist Regime Ruling Iran,” iranian.com (July 16, 2006)
14. See CNN: Clancy: Terror mastermind's deception cause for skepticism.
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Annoyingmouse
by programmer craig on Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:29 PM PSTLet's open it up for you a little since it takes you a while to process
what I say.
I don't "process" what you say. Your comments are... immature. So I address you in the same manner.
Example:
What does make you to believe that the "Islamic Republic
mullah" is/are rabid dogs?
Because they act like rabid dogs? Foaming at the mouth, viscous and erratic aggressive behavior? Isn't that how rabid animals behave?
Why not answer?
by Zion on Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:19 PM PSTWhy don`t you stick to the issue being discussed and answer the question I asked you? What is the real reason? Care to share with the rest of us? Is it because you simply have no answers? Is it because you realize you were wrong, what you stated was a lie, and you are too cowardly to admit it? Admitting you were wrong is no sign of weakness, annoyingmouse.
Zion
by Annoyingmouse (not verified) on Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:11 PM PSTYou and your buddy the "Craig's List" are done! Next time send your masters then you'll see "chenanat bekoobam be gorze geran..."
Experts
by Zion on Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:37 AM PSTAnd what does our `expert` have to say about the difference between General Assembly, Chapter Six and Chapter Seven resolutions ?
Zion
by Annoyingmouse (not verified) on Tue Feb 19, 2008 06:05 AM PSTDespite of trying hard to convince us that you are an Israeli there are many signs that you are simply a bitter IRI opposition who likes to provoke people. Well, I didn't know this until I read your watery post about the UN resolutions. Please stick to your remodeling job in DC and leave this to the experts.
programmer craig
by Annoyingmouse (not verified) on Tue Feb 19, 2008 05:57 AM PSTLet's open it up for you a little since it takes you a while to process what I say. What does make you to believe that the "Islamic Republic mullah" is/are rabid dogs? Beside who is the "Islamic Republic mullah"? I hope it doesn't take you another day or so to come back with an echo of my own question.
Israel , Iran or Syria
by AnonymousPb (not verified) on Tue Feb 19, 2008 04:52 AM PSTWhoever killed that monste did a very good job.
Annoyingmouse
by programmer craig on Mon Feb 18, 2008 09:54 PM PSThonestly what do you know about "Islamic Republic mullah"?
Besides the fact they are like rabid dogs? What else do you think I need to know? :P
AAA
by Zion on Mon Feb 18, 2008 09:09 PM PSTThat is a quote taken from a non-binding UN resolution, and I have already explained its status for you. It can claim all it wants and talk about a non-existing `international law` as well, it still means nothing.
Do you finally get it?
programer and zion
by AAA (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 07:01 PM PSTWhat part of the following sentence do you not understand so I can explain it better:
"acquisition of territory by force is inadmissible, as per the UN Charter and international law"
Israel has no respect for international law, contrary to what the authors claim. You can scream until you are blue in the face, it won't change anything.
Now go play with your dog.
programmer craig
by XerXes (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 05:48 PM PSTYou are absolutely right about the UN. They are bunch of losers and waste of time. Especially the security council that is flip flopping between the super powers. What a waste!
programmer craig
by Annoyingmouse (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 04:02 PM PSTAt least we agree on one thing. Anyways, honestly what do you know about "Islamic Republic mullah"?
Annoyingmouse
by programmer craig on Mon Feb 18, 2008 03:51 PM PSTOf course your dog knows more than even you do, no surprise that dogs aren't allowed in the UN.
They should be! Dogs know more about international law than most of the member states of the UN, too! Dogs have a better sense of basic morality as well. The General Assembly of the United Nations is nothing but a dictator's social club. To find a dog that had the same mentality as an Islamic Republic mullah, you'd have to locate one that was rabid, right? Right.
lol
by Death2Israel (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 01:56 PM PSTlol, Israel, lol. what a joke.
I think if Iran farts the wind will blow Israel away. Just a little fart and Israel is gone. Iran doesn't do it because we are a better culture and don't fight. Hey what can I say, we are a peace loving nation. But hey, Israel might do the "right" thing for the world and attack Iran, so we (Iran) would have an excuse to poof it away for good. yeahhhhhhh, do it Fascist people do it for the sake of the world.
When the ex defense minister was interviewing with the BBC about who will attack Iran, he was talking so fast that Iran is danger to the world and we must get rid of them...The interviewer said, well we are not going to attack Iran and Israel is on her own, what do you do now...The Ex defense minister suddenly (very typical of Israelis) changed his tone and said that we have no animosity towards Iran. lol, he freaking got so scared that he had to change his position and kiss IRI's ass. lol. Great piece. loved it. lol. Yeah, let them make the mistake so we poof them all. They really got no clue what Iran has. but Israeli government knows it well and that's why they shit in their pants if Iran says "boo". lol
Why haven't the muslims learned over the past 50 years
by Death (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 01:37 PM PSTthat every time they attempted to assail Israel, instead they got their ass kicked several orders of magnitude more and worse!? Why is it that these fools don't learn from history. I hope to God that Israelis attack the Islamic Republic of Mullahs and its terrorist bodyguards the IRGCs!?
Death, you are right
by Zion on Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:56 PM PSTI definitely agree with you, and if it was Israel`s doing, as seems to be the most probable scenario, I must say that it only makes me feel pride.
Israel is indeed an angel of death for murdering criminals and scums of the earth, from hiding Nazi criminals after WWII to their shiite counterparts in the 21st century.
//vwt.d2g.com:8081/hezbollah_salute.jpg
Way to go Israel!
To AAA and Annoyingmouse: Lies as usual.
by Zion on Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:54 PM PSTTo AAA and annoyingmouse,
You are either extremely ignorant or, as is usual among anti-Israel camp, liars. Here is your answer:
To understand fully the fallacious comparison between Iraqi and Israeli `non-compliances` with `U.N. Resolutions,` one must understand the different legal weights that `U.N. Resolutions` carry. First of all, there is a tangible distinction between (1) General Assembly `resolutions` and (2) Security Council `resolutions.`
1) General Assembly resolutions have political authority... but they are all non-binding. Most of those aimed at Israel are also patently ridiculous. For example:
General Assembly Resolution 250 `calls on Israel to refrain from holding military parade in Jerusalem.`
General Assembly Resolution 251 `deeply deplores Israeli military parade in Jerusalem in defiance of Resolution 250.`
General Assembly Resolution 252 `declares invalid Israel`s acts to unify Jerusalem as her capital`
General Assembly Resolution 271 `condemns Israel`s failure to obey UN resolutions on Jerusalem`
General Assembly Resolution 476 `reiterates that Israel`s claims to Jerusalem are null and void`
General Assembly Resolution 673 `deplores Israel`s refusal to cooperate with the United Nations`
When one considers that the majority of U.N. member states are Arab nations (22) or Islamic nations (52) or dictatorial, anti-democratic nations or nations in desperate need of Arab oil or nations desperate for business investment opportunities within Arab countries or countries fearful of discontent among their growing Arab/Muslim populations (almost all of Europe), it`s no wonder why so many anti-Israel General Assembly resolutions get introduced AND passed! In fact, of over 700 General Assembly resolutions passed since the UN`s 1945 establishment, nearly 450 condemn Israel. None have been passed against any Arab country nor any Arab terrorist organizations! In other words, out of 190 nations in the United Nations, over sixty percent of all General Assembly resolutions condemned just ONE member, Israel !
(2) The Security Council is the United Nations` most powerful body. It has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Five powerful countries sit as `permanent members` along with ten other member states, elected for two-year terms. It has the authority to dispatch military operations, imposes economic sanctions, mandates arms inspections, deploys human rights and election monitors and more.
Not all Security Council resolutions are created equal. The UN distinguishes between two sorts of Security Council resolution. Those passed under Chapter Six deal with the peaceful resolution of disputes and entitle the council to make non-binding recommendations. Such is the case, for instance, of UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, adopted in 1967 and 1973 respectively, which call for an Israeli withdrawal from disputed territories (not from ALL disputed territories!) in the framework of a negotiated comprehensive peace settlement.
In contrast to those adopted under Chapter Six, resolutions adopted under Chapter Seven of the U.N. Charter, entitled `Action With Respect to Threats to Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression,` can be enforced by third parties. Moreover, the United Nations can authorize under Article 42 of its Charter Seven the use of military force if a Chapter Seven resolution is violated. Chapter Seven violations are of a much more serious nature in that they give the council broad powers to take action, including warlike action, to deal with `threats to the peace, breaches of the peace, or acts of aggression.` They were used against Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait. However, NONE of the resolutions relating to the Israeli-Arab conflict comes under Chapter Seven. Therefore that claim of equivalency between Iraqi and Israeli failure to abide by U.N. resolutions falls flat on its head. Iraq is thumbing its nose at a legal and binding Security Council Resolution.
And for your information, the legal and binding nature of the mentioned resolutions is not tantamount to an `international law` of any sort. It is legal only as far as a state is a willing signatory of the United Nations, including its veto structure ( you think I don`t already know what you are going to whine about next?)
(Source and suggested further reading, including links to actual UN charters : //www.masada2000.org/UN.html)
Mughniyah will have
by Shaheen (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:02 PM PSTMughniyah will have generated proteges and wannabes. Its interesting to note that he was very good at what he did, but not good enough. Which is somewhat comforting. He trusted someone he shouldn't have. His little proteges will want to revenge him. Expect that in about a month.
Hezbollah Will Soon Destroy
by Amazing (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:59 AM PSTHezbollah Will Soon Destroy Israel, Says Iran Guards
February 18, 2008
Reuters
Asharq al Awsat
The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Monday Israel would soon be destroyed by the "hands of Hezbollah", the Lebanese group which is backed by the Islamic Republic, Fars News Agency reported. Guards commander-in-chief Mohammad Ali Jafari made the comment in a letter to Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to offer condolences after the killing of senior guerrilla commander Imad Moughniyah in a car bomb last week in Damascus. "In the near future, we will witness the destruction of the cancerous existence of Israel by the powerful and competent hands of the Hezbollah combatants," Jafari was quoted as saying.
Iran does not recognise Israel and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has often predicted the imminent demise of the Jewish state, drawing criticism from the West which fears Iran wants to make nuclear bombs that could threaten the region.
Iran denies any such nuclear ambitions, insisting its atomic work is peaceful, and Ahmadinejad has said his country is not a threat to anyone, not even Israel.
Western analysts say the Revolutionary Guards, an ideological wing of Iran's armed forces, has given military support to Hezbollah. Tehran denies this, saying it only provides moral backing to the Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim group.
Moughniyah was wanted for years by the United States and Israel for planning attacks that killed hundreds. As a wanted man, he moved secretly between Lebanon, Syria and Iran.
Iran has blamed Israel for Moughniyah's killing.
"Undoubtedly the martyrdom of this sincere fighter will strengthen the determination of all revolutionary and combatant Muslims, particularly his co-combatants in confrontation with the Zionist regime," Jafari added in his letter.
The Guards were set up after the 1979 revolution in Iran to protect Iran's Islamic system. They have land, sea and air units with a separate command structure to the regular military. They have an expanding economic role, including in Iran's oil industry.
//aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=11...
Why Hizballah and Not IRGC???
To: Death - your name says it all
by Anonymous-2 (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:22 AM PSTYou picked a good name for yourself, it represents exactly what Israel is all about, the angel of death!
Between 1997 and the
by Anonymousanon (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:47 AM PSTBetween 1997 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Mughniyeh traveled between Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan and northern Iraq, and assisted al Qaeda leaders to cross from Afghanistan to Iran.
//www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles-200...
رحیم صفوی: سپاه
Interesting (not verified)Mon Feb 18, 2008 09:39 AM PST
رحیم صفوی: سپاه پاسداران متعلق به همه مسلمانان جهان است
خبرگزاری حکومتی ایسکانیوز: سردار رحیم صفوی دستیار ویژه فرمانده کل قوا که در جمع دانشجویان دانشگاه مذاهب اسلامی سخن می گفت، در بخش پرسش و پاسخ این همایش درباره حضور وزیر امور خارجه جمهوری اسلامی در مراسم تشییع جنازه عماد مغنیه در بیروت و موضع و حمایت جمهوری اسلامی از حزب الله لبنان، اظهار داشت سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی به همه مسلمانان جهان متعلق است و تحت سیاست های رهبر معظم انقلاب و شورای امنیت ایفای نقش می کند و همواره هم سیاست علنی و رسمی ما، حمایت از مجاهدین فلسطین و لبنان است. ما همواره از حزب الله لبنان و مسلمانان عراق حمایت می کنیم.
مشاورعالی فرمانده کل قوا با بیان اینکه برای دفاع از هجوم احتمالی آمریکایی ها نوع رزم ما نامتقارن و ناهمتراز خواهد بود، گفت: جنگ ما با آمریکا نبردی کاملا متفاوت از جنگ عراق خواهد بود و سازمان رزم و تجهیزات نظامی جمهوری اسلامی برای هر نوع هجمه ای کاملا آماده است.
//www.iranpressnews.com/source/036345.htm
Rahim Safavi: IRGC belongs to all the muslims in the world. We support, Palestinian Mojahedin, and Lebanese Hizballoh...
We are ready to defend ourselves in case of an American invasion. Our war with the US will be different than the Iraq war. The Department of War and Logistics of hte Islamic Republic is ready for every kind of war. "Rough transliteration"
Baloney
by Anonymous-today (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 09:31 AM PSTAfter thousands of words, the answer is: we don't know. So much for analysis. And this to those morons, Zion and Craig. You can't have it both ways. You can't have the entire world mobilized against Iraq in '91 because of occupation of Kuwait (Saddam has his own reasons for inivading it that made sense to him) and then after 40 years still give Isreal cart blanche to do what it wants to do. You can't both rely on UN to have sanctions against Iran and then have Israel ignore every resolution against it (tens if not hundreds). And that business about Arabs always being the aggressor is nonsense too. The Arabs were defeated in the thirties by the Jews not '47, by many means including ethnic cleansing. '47 was a mere formality. All that "war of independence" stuff is Leon Uris mythology for Jewish consumption. Don't take my word for it. Read Shlomo Ben Ami's book Scars of War, Wounds of Peace. He by the way is a committed Zionist like you two (Foreign minister under Barak) but at least enough of a honorable scholar not to lie. The Jews had the upper hand long before '47. ’47 was a desperate act of honour by the Arabs. Imagine the Jews of New York declaring independence from US. It’s only a little piece of US after all and three thousand years ago Jews lived in New York. How the hell the non-Jewish New Yorkers would react? The Jews who were the engine of the state of Israel were European Jews and the state of Israel is a colonial state. Ditto '67. Yes, in '73 Egypt took the war to Israel because it had to liberate its land and if it wasn't for explicit support of US army it would have done a lot more than it did. I believe that Jews and Arabs can live together. If Blacks and Whites can live together in South Africa, so can Jews and Arabs. Palestinians have more in common with Israelis than with Saudis if they can get over their differences as large as they are but let’s not muddy up the history.
Body...
by Abol Danesh (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 09:09 AM PSTI deposited a half cooked rudimentary poem about Mughniah's death...and by all measures it was nothing but a rough sketch in skeleton without hardly any meat on it...
So I appreciated if someone takes the skeleton and adds some timely meat on it and then publish it on his or her own name and whethter wishes me be the first coauther I would be more than happy to be in that poetic meat built up edition and revisioning...
Build it! They will come ... 0
If America or Israel has done this, I say God bless them
by Death (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 08:43 AM PSTAfter all this terrorist had committed many murders across the world. May he rot in hell alongside Muhammad, Ali, Hassan, Hossein, and the rest of 12 criminal Imams.
But, I am afraid the Islamic Republic has done this out of desperation to reduce the high probability of getting attacked by America. America is hell bent to bring the terrorist regime and system of the Islamic Republic down. It is not if but rather when!
So, the Mullahs are willing to sell their own mothers to survive one more day! So, they do this to show to America they are conforming to their demands! But the train of American attack on the Islamic Republic had already left the station!
I say God bless the hands that placed the explosive device behind the headrest in the car where this terrorist was blown into pieces.
God bless America and Israel
This is a symbolic act but the beginning
by Abarmard on Mon Feb 18, 2008 08:17 AM PSTThese kind of actions are symbolic that carry a long political and militaristic waves. I don't see any significant about his death, the issues are still the same and political organizations are in line as before towards their paths. There maybe more animosity towards Israel from one corner and that's about it. That's as far as the success goes in assassinating a figure and in the long run it's irrelevant who killed this guy, absolutely pointless.
To: Programmed Craig
by AAA (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 07:32 AM PSTWell apparently you know less than your dog about international law. Israel is in violation of the following UN resolutions (ie intl law, ask your dog all about it):
93, 106, 111, 228, 316, 332, 337, 487, 497
I take one sentence out of 497 and your dog can tell you about the rest of them:
" Reaffirming that the acquisition of territory by force is inadmissible, as per the UN Charter and international law,.."
The Yankee's diplomacy
by Annoyingmouse (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 07:09 AM PSTThe Yankee's diplomacy hey!
"What a bunch of crap. My dog knows more about international law than you do".
Of course your dog knows more than even you do, no surprise that dogs aren't allowed in the UN.
"There is nothing "illegal" about occupying enemy territory during a war. And the Israeli-Arab conflict never ended, in case you didn't notice, which means occupation of enemy territory is STILL completely legal, even after all these years".
Your definition of legality and illegality is a poster child of the famous law, the "jungle law". The law that you write and also you enforce. That's why you've vetoed all the attempts by the UN peace making efforts in order to give Israel "legality" to hold on the occupied territories? That makes sense. But then why do you whine when they kick your ass by calling them terrorists? Sorry I am dumb you already said that, you write the law and you also enforce it. Damn you people are smart!
Who killed Mughniyah?
by Faribors maleknasri M.D. (not verified) on Mon Feb 18, 2008 03:36 AM PST'Mossad has Imad's blood on its hands'and not only his. so could one assum.But better wait to make a mind untill the Results of the examinations of the case which syria and the ISLAMIC REPUBLIC of IRAN have begann can be presented. Never the less some media mean they know allready those results. However, for me are news like the following only but speculations, because they are the recapitulation the assumings of the western media:
The Israeli foreign intelligence service, Mossad, had assassinated Hezbollah's top commander Imad Mugniyah, a new report says.
The British daily Times reported in its Sunday edition that Mossad has killed Imad Mugnyiah through an explosive planted in the headrest of the driver's seat in his car last week.
"According to Israeli intelligence sources, someone had replaced the headrest of the driver's seat with another containing a small high-explosive charge" The Times reported.
The report added that on the day Mugniyah was buried Israel's premier Ehud Olmert summoned Mossad chief Meir Dagan to al-Quds.
"It was a one-on-one meeting," said a source. But it is believed that Dagan was complimented by his boss and told that he would stay as head of Mossad until the end of 2009, the newspaper said.For speculants is the question: Who Killed ayatollah Beheshti stil from great actuality, because a satisfying answer is not found. Greeting
Craig
by Zion on Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:23 AM PSTYou basically gave the answer that I wanted to give in response to such nonsense. Thanks!