# That Hezbollah Terrorist Killed in Lebanon **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 15, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689 "2008-02-15T01:16:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/1 "2008-02-15T01:16:01Z")
…how did the Mossad pull this one off? The Israelis are denying everything, but I’m quite sure that this bum was sent to hell by the Mossad (congratulations!). My hat’s off to them-this bastard killed a lot of innocent people. Thanks, Mossad! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/2 "2008-02-15T01:21:30Z")
It was in Syria, actually, which is even more ballsy if Israel did it. ---
**Author:** ![Lynwood\_Slim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Lynwood\_Slim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynwood_Slim)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/3 "2008-02-15T04:10:49Z")
I think this is one of those situations where if they told you how they did it, they would have to kill you ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/4 "2008-02-15T04:30:57Z")
You don’t give any reason for your conviction that Mossad did the job. An awful lot of terrorist types get offed by “colleagues” - rivals within the organisation, rivals in opposing organisations, splinter groups, etc, etc. You think these guys like to settle internal disputes by playing rock, paper, scissors? ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/5 "2008-02-15T07:04:08Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] **..how did the Mossad pull this one off?** The Israelis are denying everything, but I’m quite sure that this bum was sent to hell by the Mossad (congratulations!). My hat’s off to them-this bastard killed a lot of innocent people. Thanks, Mossad! 😃 [/QUOTE] Simply put they probably contracted it out to someone else. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/6 "2008-02-15T10:44:52Z")
[QUOTE=Declan] Simply put they probably contracted it out to someone else. Declan [/QUOTE] When has the Mossad ever used subcontractors? Look, I don’t know if Israel was behind the assasination, although I wouldn’t wrie it off - the September possible-nuclear-reactor-raid indicates that we have an extensive inteligence network in Syria. But employing mercenaries has never ben part of the Israeli intelligence service M.O. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/7 "2008-02-15T17:06:03Z")
Mossad appears to be an extremely capable organization, and I have no doubt that they could do it if they wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/8 "2008-02-15T22:18:13Z")
The simplest explanation seems to be that another Islamist organization did it. They certainly don’t have any qualms about killing rival gangs. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/9 "2008-02-16T05:56:11Z")
It could even have been the Syrian Government, which sometimes puts down terrorist groups if they stray off the reservation a little too far. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/10 "2008-02-16T07:03:30Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] When has the Mossad ever used subcontractors? Look, I don’t know if Israel was behind the assasination, although I wouldn’t wrie it off - the September possible-nuclear-reactor-raid indicates that we have an extensive inteligence network in Syria. But employing mercenaries has never ben part of the Israeli intelligence service M.O. [/QUOTE] Israel is always gonna be blamed and that dude is one that wont be missed but a carbombing sounds local not sorta fantastic like putting a bomb inside a cell phone, and thats what makes me think it was contracted As well , I am not ruling out American intel agents doing it either or contracting it out. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/11 "2008-02-16T08:03:00Z")
[QUOTE=Declan] Israel is always gonna be blamed and that dude is one that wont be missed but a carbombing sounds local not sorta fantastic like putting a bomb inside a cell phone, and thats what makes me think it was contracted As well , I am not ruling out American intel agents doing it either or contracting it out. Declan [/QUOTE] The fact that the car bomb \*only \* killed the target - and didn’t take out the entire block - is a pretty good indicator that it was done by Israelis or Americans ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/12 "2008-02-16T09:24:56Z")
the Lebanese newspaper Al Ahbaar (sp?) reports today that “a high ranking source in Lebanese security says that a number of Palestinians have been arrested in Syria on suspicion of being involved in the murder” (of senior Hizbollah figure Amiad Mornia). It also says “high ranking figures in the Syrian government have raised suspicions that other elements from Arabic espionage agencies were involved.In addition some of the arrestees are not Arab, but their identities are not yet known.” sorry, no cite in English. But if you read Hebrew, you can click [here](http://news.walla.co.il/?w=//1235041) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/13 "2008-02-17T11:31:38Z")
[QUOTE=Declan] Israel is always gonna be blamed and that dude is one that wont be missed but a carbombing sounds local not sorta fantastic like putting a bomb inside a cell phone, and thats what makes me think it was contracted As well , I am not ruling out American intel agents doing it either or contracting it out. Declan [/QUOTE] According to the Sunday Times, he was killed by an [exploding headrest](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3382343.ece). Sorta fantastic enough for you? ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/14 "2008-02-17T12:25:45Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] The fact that the car bomb \*only \* killed the target - and didn’t take out the entire block - is a pretty good indicator that it was done by Israelis or Americans [/QUOTE] That was my first thought - precision attack requiring close eye-ball of the target, and no levelling of surrounding buildings. In any case, Mossad won’t deny it even if they weren’t responsible - they quite like the idea that people will think they’re capable, keeps their aura alive. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/15 "2008-02-17T14:20:43Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] The fact that the car bomb \*only \* killed the target - and didn’t take out the entire block - is a pretty good indicator that it was done by Israelis or Americans [/QUOTE] Maybe, but many of the recent bombings in Lebanon targeting pro-Western MPs and journalists have been the same way. In one case, the MP was killed but his bodyguard, in the seat next to him, wasn’t. These bombings are universally attributed to Syria. If Syria decided Mughniyeh was a liability, they would have been happy to off him. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-hezbollah-terrorist-killed-in-lebanon/437689/16 "2008-02-17T15:30:30Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] According to the Sunday Times, he was killed by an [exploding headrest](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3382343.ece). Sorta fantastic enough for you? [/QUOTE] He must have been standing up in the car and bent over it at the time of detonation, then, if a witness’ statement in that article is to be believed. The guy said that his face was burned but recognizable, and he had massive injuries to his abdomen. Hee hee hee…