SYRIA: Mysterious death of an enigma
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Word of the killing of Lebanese militant Imad Mughniyah, unleashed a flood of speculation around the world. Who was behind the killing? What does it mean?
Arabs and Iranians immediately blamed Israel, which has long wanted the head of Mughniyah, a reclusive militant known as the chief of ‘special operations’ for the Shiite militia Hezbollah as well as a key ally of Iran.
Haaretz correpsondent Amir Oren, in an analysis, said if Israel did the job, its Mossad secret service deserved the credit for sending a clear message to Israel’s enemies.
Iran saw Mughniyah as a crucial asset...Whoever tracked Mughniyah down in Syria had excellent operational and intelligent abilities...The operation sends a poignant message to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah and will make them think twice about opening a second front if Israel is to enter Gaza in a major ground incursion.
It’s possible that Mughniyah was taken out by one-time allies he might have crossed in some way. A Shiite Muslim, he may have been the target of Sunni militants believed to be linked to Al Qaeda or, it has been suggested, even by governments in Damascus or Tehran that might have felt he’d outlived his usefulness.
But some observers say his death is a victory for the U.S. and Israel, no matter who is responsible. His considerable black ops expertise will be missed by Hezbollah, Iran and Syria, they say. Here’s a comment from Kent’s Imperative, an intelligence blog:
It does not matter, in that moment, whether this was merely red on red violence, or if some unknown covert action element of the international great game achieved the decisive checkmate. It only matters that the faces now change, and the benefits of Mughniyah’s long operational experience has been denied to the terrorist adversary.
Most Westerners and a smattering of bloggers in the Middle East hailed Mughniyah’s passing. ‘May he rot in hell,’ declared Shaun Mullen over at the Moderate Voice blog.
But most Arabs hailed him as a hero who fought against Israel. His career as a militant began with the 1980s Israeli invasion and occupation of Lebanon. Zeinobia at Egyptian Chronicles justified her sympathy for the slain Lebanese fighter:
I do not think that he is terrorist in the same way that the Israelis do not believe that Ariel Sharon is a war criminal. Seriously. You look it from your perspective. This man was defending his country... I know very well and so [do] other patriots in Lebanon who were the invaders.
— Borzou Daragahi in Los Angeles
Mughniyah, the elusive senior Hezbollah commander. Credit: AP Photo/Hezbollah Media Office