Report: Evidence of Hizbullah and Iranian Attempts to Carry out Assassinations
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Investigators working in four countries have amassed new evidence linking attempts to assassinate officials and businessmen to either Hizbullah or Iran-based operatives, The Washington Post reported Monday.
Citing unnamed U.S. and Middle Eastern security officials, the newspaper said the evidence included phone records, forensic tests, coordinated travel arrangements and even cellphone SIM cards purchased in Iran and used by several of the would-be assailants.
Last year, Azerbaijan uncovered a plot to kill U.S. Embassy employees or members of their families.
But the plot was apparently just one of many. Iranian-backed operatives have been linked to attempts to kill foreign diplomats in at least seven countries over a span of 13 months, the paper said.
The targets have included two Saudi officials, a half-dozen Israelis and -- in the Azerbaijan case -- several Americans, according to the report.
Strikingly the attempts halted abruptly in early spring, at a time when Iran began to shift its tone after weeks of bellicose anti-Western rhetoric and threats to shut down vital shipping lanes, The Post said.
In March, Iranian officials formally accepted a proposal to resume negotiations with six world powers on proposals to curb its nuclear program.
"There appears to have been a deliberate attempt to calm things down ahead of the talks," the paper quotes an unnamed Western diplomat as saying. "What happens if the talks fail -- that's anyone's guess."
It is unknown whether the attempts were ordered by Iranian government officials or carried out with the authorities' tacit approval by a proxy group such as Hizbullah, The Post noted.
Many U.S. officials and Middle East experts see the incidents as part of an ongoing shadow war, a multi-sided, covert struggle, in which Iran also has been the victim of assassinations, the report said.
Four scientists tied to Iran's nuclear program have been killed by unknown assailants in the past three years, and the country's nuclear sites have been hobbled by cyber-attacks, the paper noted.
28 May 2012, 15:17
10
Not taking sides, I have to agree with Mowaten. As long as there is no official judgement from a court, everything else = Rumours.
It´s obvoius ( doh) that there is some parties ( from abrode or within we dont know) that are trying to instigate strife in the country.
This is a perfect example. "unnamed US and Middle Eastern officials" has "evidence"...
Where is the evidence? If there was any evidence they could take Iran to the international court, and even impose even greater sanctions on the country.
On the otehr side, the four killed scientist in Iran, was a clear violation of international law, and at least to say, barbaric. While USA has a lots of enemies ( there are 100 candiates to be behind an attack on their embassy) the candidates for being behind the assassination of the Iranian Scientist are not many.
Not being a fan of the Iranian political agenda, still one has to be fair.
28 May 2012, 17:22
01
Finally some people who make sense on this M14 website! Finally some credibility! Man, how could any decent person believe such crap! Hello STL :) Same logic, same lies, same conspiracy :)
28 May 2012, 21:07
00
inta unless it is on manar nothing is credible lol.. like that manar report on the hariri assasination..dripping in credibility hahahaah
28 May 2012, 22:06
00
mowaten, yeah but it's not like the unnamed sources are from a comic rag like Al Akhbar, right?
28 May 2012, 09:54
49
I wish we could ship all that hezbollah filth to Iran where they belong... they make me ashamed to be Lebanese...
28 May 2012, 15:45
00
Peace my friends...we are all God's children....no wander why our country is falling apart at the seams!
28 May 2012, 10:17
63
We will never be rid of this cancer cell as long as it has fangs. The Party of Murdering Thugs will continue to act on behalf of Iran from now until kingdom come.
28 May 2012, 10:47
42
after the fall of the iran discussions lately, it is clear now that something is being prepared at the regional level:
- people are slaughtered on a daily basis in syria: why the outcry today?
- hizbushaitan murderous cells are a known fact: why the above comments now?
- why yesterday netanyahu said iran and hizbushaitan are also responsible of the murdours in syria?
my strong belief is the syrian regime is extremely close to falling and something big is being prepared to finish hizbushaitan and give a blow to iran.
28 May 2012, 10:54
83
I am used to my government fabricating things. I will never forget all the evidence they showed on CNN and other medias, about Saddam's WMD. Pictures videos and all. After the war and destruction, they apologized for bad intelligence with no accountability. So guys don't be fooled by the west. All this tell me, Lebanon, syria and Iran will be a nice package deal for testing new weapons.
28 May 2012, 22:30
00
@jcamerican...your government happens to be mine as well and sadly I do not agree with all its middle east foreign policy but without facts you cannot accuse it of fabricating anything. The war with Iraq, as misguided as it was and as disgusted as I am with it, was approved by congress and the united nations for reasons that turned out to be false or not. Neither of us were there neither of us knows the truth or will ever know the truth. I thought we went there for oil but for whatever reason we never came back with any of it and that is why I am disgusted. Only history will tell whether or not what our boys sacrificed their lives for was legit or not and for the betterment of the Iraqi people. For now, I just have to assume a world without Saddam is a better place. Time will tell but either way don't be so quick to turn on your country jcamerican which does far more good for the world than bad.
28 May 2012, 11:07
22
hezbollah had and still be threat for freedom and humanity.What kind of development and benifits bring to lebanon?OHHH I forgot fighting experiance.
28 May 2012, 12:20
06
Hizbollah belongs to Iran. They made it, with the power of money and arms. Hizbollah is a subsidiary of coporate Iran. It's executive chairman is there. The Hassan is no more than a small executive with a clear reporting line to the basij, and Suleimani .
However, the chiites blelong to Lebanon, although under the impulse of this outlaw organisation called Hizbollah, they act as though Lebanon belongs to them !
28 May 2012, 13:34
05
Its true that they always defend themselves by claming that isreal is the devil and our main enemy ... well the enemy that i fear most is the one that lives with me in the same country and backed up by my other neighbor .
28 May 2012, 15:15
51
secret sources, blablabla Hizballah, Iran, Blalala, kill, unnamed cities and countries, blablabla assasinations, KSA, USA,ISrael, Unknown dates,blablabla. terrorist, killers,no proof but very reliable sources, blablabla, please believe us this is not bullshit, after all we are al nahar....
28 May 2012, 17:29
10
this is precisely our problem. people like slashito are so stubborn they wouldn't even see how they are being manipulated.
Evidences? Like the MDW when the US wanted to invade Iraq? Why the hell would hezbollah plot for any action outside leb? Have they ever done so?
And please don't bring back the May 7 thing, it was more than well deserved! When you play with fire... :)
Yalla 1, 2, 3... krejlak kamm msabbe slashito please please please :)
28 May 2012, 18:00
00
The Bottom line here is, yes we are divided in different parties/sects whatever you want to call it.
But dont use foreign medias "assumptions" ( its more fabricated implications in order to divide us)to attack each other.
You know more than the agency france what is happening in Lebanon. You dont need their fabrications ( nor the fabrications of an iranian news agency either).
28 May 2012, 20:57
00
Well,i have been reading all comments for the last few years,and i'm afraid we didn't learn our lessons yet.
We as Lebanese people regardless of religions beliefs got almost destroyed from the face of this blessed wold,and still hating each other.
Born with christian mother and raised by Muslim mothers,sisters,and brothers.
The best years of life was.
We as Lebanese people regardless of our religious beliefs where the looser.
Please my Lebanese brothers and sisters wake up and lets work for Lebanon,with Lebanon and for Lebanon and never against Lebanon.
Long live Lebanon,and good lord bless all.
