Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Might explain the undocumented passengers...

...on those flights that are running direct from Caracas to Damascus, and then on straight to Tehran.

This matter is one I've been dogging for a while for a number of reasons, but when an otherwise unrelated announcement came out in Israel yesterday, first on Channel 2 TV and then in Haaretz newspaper, it caught my attention.

The story is now being second-sourced by AFP, via the Middle East Times, reporting that multiple Israeli newspapers are carrying versions of this story. *Here* is their version.

Now I've been burned before by partisan Israeli sources (yes, DEBKAfile, I'm looking at you) but this case seems clear enough: The GovIsrael has had a Travel Warning out for a month warning "its citizens living and travelling abroad to take extra precautions against possible Hezbollah attacks or abductions."

7 comments:

Will said...

It's much easier to play off earlier comments :(

I'm inclined to believe this. Perhaps the reports are ... sensationalized, but I don't see this as at all out of character.

I also think the forces of Muslim extremism are struggling with their lack of significant follow-up to 9/11 and their suppression by the surge in Iraq.

"Car Bomb Kills 50" has become a pretty ordinary headline over the last 10 years, and maybe terror groups are trying to find the "next big thing" that will resound around the world like some of their past actions. Shocking the west is getting difficult for them.

Terrorists can't thrive without saturation media coverage, so they must be planning something. Would kidnapping travelers bring them back onto the front page? I don't know, but [snark] if they want France to surrender again they'll have to change tactics. [end snark]

@off topic:
I don't think Palin as VP nominee is good for the Democrats, I just wonder who thought it was good for the Republicans...

Purr said...

off topic-- @Will--

maybe to get the women's vote as to chip away from Hillary? As you know, the big issue for today is the daughter's pregnancy! Shaking head here-

Purr said...

Now-- this IS is what I call news- Hezbollah vowing to avenge Mughniyeh's death through attacks/abductions!

According to those two links, this reads as credible!

Purr said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Purr said...

this goes with your thread
"Hezbollah"

L.Douglas Garrett said...

@will

attaboy, Will, somebody has to go first!

Yes, on your comments about their needing a different event to get the media to notice.

Worse, the one thing that has been rewarding to various such groups in the last few years has been hostage taking on a small sclae, with *prolonged* negotiations resulting in large rewards.

((sigh)) You would think we would have learned in Lebanon in the '80's...

@Susan

Thank you, good follow-up article.

p.s. there is an "open" thread, but no harm no foul this time.

Karl Reisman said...

I wonder if this would make a cool movie. It sounds plausible, and Hugo has been very friendly with anti- US elements. There was some rumor of him turing over an island near Caracas to Arabs for "training"? I seem to recall such a rumor

Scott