U.S. partner's 'military wing' named for arch-terrorist

Imad Mughniyah

JERUSALEM – The declared military wing of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization has formed a cell to attack Israel named after assassinated Hezbollah arch-terrorist Imad Mughniyah, WND has learned.

Mughniyah, one of the most-wanted terrorists in the world, was killed in a bomb blast last week. He was responsible for infamous deadly attacks against the U.S. and Israel, including involvement in the 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon.

Fatah's Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades took responsibility for a shooting attack yesterday against an Israeli bus in the northern West Bank. No one was injured in the shooting.

Brigades leaders told WND the attack was perpetuated by a new cell of their group calling itself the "Cells of the Martyr Mughniyah."

The new Mughniyah cell consists entirely of Fatah gunmen from the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, said the Brigades leaders.

"This cell will lead more attacks to commemorate this huge man Mughniyah and his contributions to the Palestinian revolution and fight against Israeli occupation. The Palestinian people owe him many operations and his huge support for the intifada," Abu Oudai, a senior Brigades leader in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, told WND.

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Oudai threatened that Fatah's Mughniyah terror cells would carry out more attacks to avenge the Hezbollah leader's death, including suicide bombings inside Israel.

Senior Fatah Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades leaders confirmed to WND the formation of the new Mughniyah cells. They said it was officially sanctioned by the Brigades.

The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah's official military wing, took responsibility for every suicide bombing in Israel in 2005 and 2006 and for scores of deadly shootings and rocket attacks.

As a gesture to Abbas, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in June granted amnesty to hundreds of Brigades members on condition they turn in their weapons and refrain from attacks. Most gunmen continued to carry out anti-Israel attacks and openly brandished their weapons.

U.S. policy considers Abbas moderate. Olmert is negotiating with Abbas, aiming to create a Palestinian state by the end of the year in line with last November's U.S.-backed Annapolis summit.

Mughniyah was No. 1 on Israel's most-wanted list of terrorists and topped the FBI's most wanted list as well. He was killed in a bomb blast in Syria last week.

According to defense officials, Mughniyah was the most important Hezbollah operative, directly planning most of the terror group's major operations, including the 2006 raid of Israel's northern border in which two soldiers were kidnapped, promoting Israel's war against Hezbollah in Lebanon that year. The officials said unlike many other terror leaders who could be easily replaced, Mughniyah's death was a major blow to Hezbollah, explaining it would take years to replace him.

Olmert's office released a statement denying responsibility for the assassination. An Olmert spokesman added the prime minister learned of Mughniyah's death through news reports.

Still, Hezbollah directly blamed Israel for the bombing and vowed retaliation. In a recorded speech played at Mughniyah's funeral, Hezbollah chieftain Hassan Nasrallah said his terror group was ready for "open war."

Mughniyah led Hezbollah's "international terror branch," directly orchestrating attacks against foreign targets, according to Israeli security officials. He was widely considered Nasrallah's successor.

Mughniyah was accused of helping to plan the 1983 Marine barracks attack in which 300 were killed and also the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut the same year, killing 63 people.

He was responsible for the 1985 hijacking of a TWA passenger jet and the murder of one of its passengers, a soldier in the U.S. navy. Mughniyah was indicted for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires killing 85 people. A warrant was issued for his arrest for the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires in which 29 people died. Argentinean officials have publicly pointed a finger at Iran for aiding in those attacks.

Also, serving as commander of Islamic Jihad in the 1980s, Mughniyah was accused of kidnapping dozens of Western hostages, including Americans, killing some of them, such as the CIA's Middle East station chief.

According to foreign press reports, the Mossad reportedly tried to assassinate Mughniyah in a complex operation in southern Beirut in the 1990s.

Mughniyah reportedly lived a secretive life, routinely switching between locations in Syria, Lebanon and Iran. He is thought to have undergone multiple plastic surgeries and changed identities numerous times

 

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