JPOST
A day after the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah’s military commander, two seemingly coordinated attacks were launched on Monday against Israeli embassies overseas.
In the first attack, the wife of an Israeli diplomat was injured when a bomb exploded in her car in New Delhi, India. The woman succeeded in driving to the Israeli embassy where she was evacuated to a nearby hospital. She was reported to be in moderate condition. Israeli media reported that she had dropped off her children just moments before the explosion.
Local authorities were investigating the possibility that the bomb was planted under the car or alternatively that an assassin on a motorbike attached it to the vehicle as it was driving. Indian television cited witnesses who saw a motorbike following the car and possibly throwing an object toward it before the explosion.
In the second attack, an embassy staffer in Tbilisi, Georgia discovered a bomb underneath his car as he was driving to the embassy Monday morning. The staffer – a local Georgian national – heard something during the drive, pulled over to the side of the road, noticed the bomb and called local authorities. The bomb was dismantled before exploding.
Israeli security authorities raised the level of alert worldwide following the attacks. Security officials said that it was possible that the attacks were connected to the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah military chief Imad Mughniyeh who was killed in Damascus on February 12, 2008.
Diplomats worldwide have been ordered to check in and citizens currently overseas have been asked to do the same, reporting where they are and what their status is.
Security at embassies is being boosted by local police and military forces and Israel was considering the possibility of sending reinforcements from Israel. The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) was holding security assessments at its headquarters in Israel.
The attacks were believed to be coordinated. Iran and Hezbollah have tried a number of times in recent years to avenge Mughniyeh’s assassination.
Israel raised its level of alert in early January surrounding delegations overseas out of concern that Iran and Hezbollah are trying to launch an attack ahead of the fourth anniversary of the assassination Mughniyeh. Attacks were recently thwarted in Azerbaijan and in Thailand.
Other attempts have included a plan to shoot down an Israeli airliner over Turkey with shoulder-to-air missiles and a plan to attack Israeli tourists in the Sinai.
Responding to news of the attack, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said Israel knows exactly how to identify those responsible for the attacks.
Last month, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz warned Hezbollah on Tuesday not to test Israel’s resolve by perpetrating a terror attack against an Israeli target overseas.
“We are witnessing efforts by Hezbollah and other hostile elements to perpetrate a brutal terror attack far from Israel,” Gantz said at the time.”I recommend to everyone not to test our resolve.”
JPost.com staff, Gil Hoffman and Reuters contributed to this report.
It is now time for Israel to take this war directly to the top echelons (i.e., the child molesters, girl rapists, Holocaust deniers of Ahmadinejedad, Khameini, and the Mullahs – and the thug terrorists who run the Iranian Revolutionary Guard) and wipe ’em out. Just kill every one of the sons-of-bitches.
Purim is coming. And if you can’t hang ’em high like their ideological predecessor Haman – you can still wipe ’em out. Israel I’m sure has commando teams on the ground. Tehran is not impregnable…and if the SEALS could get Bin Laden, I’m quite sure the IDF boys can do the job too. And its time. Cut off the head of the snakes first, then the rest of the job (i.e., destroying the nuke facilities) falls into place.
Norman I don’t disagree what I meant was America was both 1-trying to insulate herself 2-throwing Israel to the wolves. Motive and method. We don’t know that Israel was behind the assassinations, we would like to believe it was and it probably was but it could have been a joint operation between any combination of countries or groups including Arab and Iranian. There are many countries and groups who have an interest in destabilizing the regime in Iran. Israel hardly ever agrees or denies intel operations letting the enemy think what they want and America the same. In this instance it was primarily directed towards Israel by a (sic) friend and ally. This is not done unless with malicious intent and coming only a few days after Sec of Defense made his comment that Israel would attack within a few months.
Looks like a coordinated effort to thwart an Israeli attack sending the message in different ways.
Do you know why everybody hates the Russians but won’t mess with them? Because they are mean and ruthless. Wish Israel were meaner and more ruthless.
Yamit, I could care less that the Obama Administration is trying to protect Iran and Hezbollah.
Israel, I agree has all too often been a mewling kitten. But inside that mewling kitten lies a ferocious lion.
Israel’s enemies should not test Israel’s resolve to defend itself and its people.
I’m Sure Ms Clinton going very public and Brashly with pathos declaring that America had nothing to do with the assassinations in Iran of Iranian scientists had nothing to do with the attacks today. 😉
If America denies and Israel remains silent by the process of elimination one might construe that the culprit is …..ISRAEL. 8)