Reuters: 'Qaeda' Says Jihadists Didn't Kill Hariri -- Web

[allemand]

Tue Feb 15, 2005 02:53 AM ET

DUBAI (Reuters) - A statement attributed to al Qaeda and posted on the Internet on Tuesday denied Islamists had killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, saying Lebanese, Syrian or Israeli intelligence were behind the attack.

The statement, signed by a hitherto unknown group calling itself the Al Qaeda Organization in the Levant, was posted on an Islamist Web site often used by al Qaeda a day after another unknown Islamist group said it was behind the huge Beirut blast that killed Hariri. (...)

"Blaming the Jihadist and Salafist groups for what happened in Beirut is a complete fabrication," the statement said. "The priorities of the jihadist groups in the Levant are supporting our brethren in Iraq and Palestine, not blowing up cars."

"This is clearly an operation that was planned by a state intelligence agency ... and we blame either the Mossad, the Syrian regime or the Lebanese regime."

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7630327


Interesting analysis in the Jerusalem Post:

"It's totally illogical that Syria would do it," said Prof. Eyal Zisser, a Syria expert at the Dayan Institute for Middle East Studies at Tel Aviv University. "It would be such a stupid move on their part. Everyone is watching them and they don't want to destabilize Lebanon." (...)

"I wouldn't point the finger at Damascus necessarily," Simon Williams, a senior analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit in London, told The Jerusalem Post. "I would look at those acting on behalf of Syria. There are people making decisions inside Lebanon on Syria's behalf that I really don't think have the backing of Syrian leadership."

Reuven Merhav, the former director of Israel's quasi-embassy in Beirut in 1983 and later a director-general of the Foreign Ministry, (...) said Hariri could have been killed for business-related reasons, adding, "He did very big reconstruction projects in Beirut."

Most agreed that the sensational attack did not suit the style of Syrian President Bashar Assad. (...) Walker told the Post it was not inconceivable that Bashar knew nothing about it and intelligence agents were acting independently with their Lebanese counterparts. (...) "Bashar doesn't have control over his country and his people," Walker said. "He doesn't have the death grip over the security forces."

More:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1108353358867&apage=1

[Patriot Acts]

1. Hmmm.....

.....who would benifit most from this?

[EFerrari]

2. Could it be, ah, maybe, SATAN?

[oasis]

3. We should attack Syria now. We cannot wait for the smoking gun. It

may hit us in the form of a mushroom cloud.

[EFerrari]

4. 'Long as WalMart keeps those lanes open, I'm cool.

[R Hickey]

5. CIA is who I suspect.

This is how they operate.

[hector459]

18. Joint operation by CIAAa/Mossad IMHO

That's the way WE operate.

[allemand]

6. So far, al-Qaeda not known to have targeted Saudis outside the kingdom

Blast in Beirut kills former prime minister
Mohamad Bazzi, Newsday
Tuesday, February 15, 2005

(...)

If Hariri was killed by a militant group, it would mark a dramatic shift for Islamists who are trying to topple the Saudi regime. So far, offshoots of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network are not known to have targeted Saudi supporters and economic interests outside the kingdom.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/02/15/MNGISBB1QU1.DTL

Interesting. I didn't know that.

However, there was this article by the "SITE Institute" yesterday:

Map of Future Al-Qaeda Operations
By SITE Institute
February 14, 2005

A message posted to a leading al-Qaeda-frequented Jihadist message board on February 12, 2005, purports to answer the questions: “What is the future of al-Qaeda? And what will the upcoming operations be?” In answering these questions the message claims to lay out a future “map of the operations against America and its interests,” with coverage of the following categories:

(...)

Targeting America’s allies through assassinations: The message warns: “As for America’s allies, they will be targeted by the assassination of the heads of the regimes, security officers, a number of presidents, and kings; this is in addition to the assassination of security officials such as intelligence officers who will be forming in their country a kind of a mafia….” The further explains that “future assassinations will serve political and strategic goals that aim at striking the American plan, by targeting individuals that America relies on for the success of this plan. The list of targeted regimes includes the regimes of Al-Saud in the Arabian Peninsula, Mubarak in Egypt, and the Jordanian regime, in addition to collaborators of the Americans in Iraq such as al-Rafida and others.” The further points out: “Also, with the targeting of intelligence officers, America will lose an important source of information, in addition to the protection provided by those individuals to its points of interest in the region.”

http://siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications19805&Category=publications&Subcategory=0


But I have no idea who is actually behind this "SITE Institute" and how reliable this information is.

Ed. to add information.

[allemand]

7. "There are indications that Beirut bombing was suicide attack"

14:51 Lebanese interior minister: There are indications that Beirut bombing which killed ex-PM Hariri was suicide attack (Reuters)

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/ShTickers.html

Unclear if this is a new development or if it refers to an earlier Al-Hayat-LBC interview (AP):
"Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh did not rule out a suicide attack, telling television station Al-Hayat-LBC that it would have been difficult to detonate the explosive by remote control due to the sophisticated jamming system in Hariri's motorcade."
http://www.azdailysun.com/non_sec/nav_includes/story.cfm?storyID=103500


Here is the original Reuters article:

Indications show Hariri killed by suicide attack

15 Feb 2005 13:09:16 GMT
Source: Reuters

BEIRUT, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Initial investigations into the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri show that the car bomb which killed him was triggered by a suicide attacker, Lebanon's interior minister said on Tuesday.

Suleiman Franjieh told reporters the car carrying the bomb which killed Hariri in Beirut on Monday appeared to have been in motion and approached its target before detonation.

"It could have been that someone was driving the car and it might have a been a suicide (attacker) who blew himself up," he said.

He said the bomb crater was in the middle of the road, indicating the car was not parked at the road side when it exploded.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L1591864.htm

Ed. to add information.

[allemand]

8. Another statement from "al-Qaeda" in Beirut's al-Balad newspaper

Al-Qaeda Denies Link to Hariri Slaying
LAST UPDATE: 2/15/2005 7:29:21 AM
United Press International

Al-Qaeda Tuesday denied any responsibility for the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

A statement purported to come from the Islamist group, published in Beirut's daily newspaper al-Balad, said, "The claims that have been circulated by the enemies for this horrible crime that killed innocent people in Beirut is nothing but a lie and a rumor."

The statement accused pro-Syrian parties, which it said were outraged by U.N. Resolution 1559 calling for the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon, of making the untrue claim.

(...)

"These claims are aimed at diverting attention from the real perpetrator and portraying the mujahideen (Muslim warriors) as criminals," the statement said.

http://www.woai.com/news/national/story.aspx?content_id=E5849BF1-3BCD-44EF-BBC5-B02C35851EC6

http://www.albaladonline.com/

[allemand]

9. Coincidence?

"Hariri's slaying is a momentous event, yet the most pressing concern right now is not who pulled the trigger: The United States and France may have already decided that Damascus has Hariri's blood on its hands. The international community has discussed the likelihood of just such an incident over the last few months, especially since Lebanon's new electoral law became an issue. Over the last few weeks, however, there have been indications from Washington and Paris - some of which have probably been calculated leaks - that Syria will be held responsible for the safety of Lebanon's opposition figures."

The Daily Star, Editorial
On the brink of an abyss
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&article_id=12692&categ_id=17


Indeed, this was the first news link I found yesterday when the name Hariri was first mentioned in relation to the bomb attack:

"International Warning to Syria Against Murdering Hariri or Jumblat

Naharnet:

Terje Roed-Larsen, the U.N coordinator of Syria's departure from Lebanon under Resolution 1559, has reportedly asked that President Assad be given a 'last chance' to bow to the will of the international community or face a financial blockade by the United States and the European Union. (...)
Al Hayat cited diplomatic sources in Paris for its 'last chance' report. It quoted the sources as also saying the international community had sent a clear message to the Assad regime to refrain from 'any bloodletting in Lebanon." The message warned that assassinating ex-Premier Hariri or Druze leader Walid Jumblat would initiate a "total, final and irrevocable divorce with the international community," according to Al Hayat."

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/News__index/news%202005/02%2013%2005%20International%20Warning%20to%20Syria%20Against%20Murdering%20Hariri%20or%20Jumblat.htm

It was published some hours before the attack. Now, if there were "calculated leaks" beforehand, the whole thing becomes very fishy.

[Igel]

10. Oh, so Al-Qa'ida is now centralized enough to know what every

rinky-dink jihadi group in the entire ME is doing? Or are they relatively decentralized?

And again that 'cui bono?' canard comes up.

Could be a jihadi group. Could be Mossad. Could be CIA. Could be Syria. Could be all sorts of people.

[Tempest]

11. Saudi Arabian militants or mafia most likely behind it

Juan Cole seems to think so.


Personally, I find the likelihood of the Saudi connection generating al-Qaeda-type violence against him somewhat more plausible than that it came out of local politics, since local politics had been fairly civil in Lebanon.

It is also possible, since al-Hariri was worth $4 billion and had all sorts of shady deals going on even when he was PM, that this assassination had an economic/ mafia-type background that we are not aware of.

www.juancole.com

[allemand]

13. If there really was a suicide bomber, this would, in my opinion, point to

the involvement of Islamists.

AFAIK, Mafia or intelligence agencies don't use suicide bombers. Maybe the followers of president Lahoud are passionate enough to do such a thing, I don't know.

If Islamists were behind the bombing, it's interesting that al-Qaeda felt compelled to issue a statement (or even various statements) denying involvement in the attack.

[Tempest]

14. You're wrong, Mafia does use suicide attackers

The Sicilian mafia has used suicide attacks for decades. The attacker would target someone knowing full well they would not escape. Their families would be taken care of for their sacrifice.

Then there's the "copy-cat" factor. Use a suicide bomber to make it look like it was terrorists.

[allemand]

15. Interesting. The family of the possible suicide bomber is already in

custody:

Lebanese Interior Minister "Franjieh said DNA tests were under way on the remains of a body found at the scene of the explosion to establish whether they belonged to Abu Adas. His mother and sisters had given themselves up to police for questioning, he said.

The DNA of hair taken from his mother would be compared with that of the remains, he said.

Abu Adas told his family in January he was leaving for Iraq. They had not seen him since Jan. 15 when he left the house, Franjieh said."

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L1591864.htm

Ahmed Tayseer Abu Adas seems to have been part of a Wahhabist group.

At the same time it's surprising how quickly the Lebanese security forces were able to identify him.
And so far Suleiman Franjieh is rejecting calls for an international investigation.

“An international inquiry is unacceptable. Investigators will, if necessary, call upon experts from neutral countries,” he said.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2005/February/middleeast_February465.xml§ion=middleeast&col=

[Tempest]

16. If he's the attacker, Juan Cole was right

The Wahhabists are mostly a Saudi group.


Then again, he could just be a patsy.

[bemildred]

12. Reminds me of the Gaza hit a year or so back,

Took out an SUV with a shaped charge, killed 3 or 4.
That kind of skill in evidence here.

[allemand]

17. 200 to 250 kg of C-4 explosive used in the attack, according to

a French news report (AFP).

"Selon des sources judiciaires proches des enquêteurs, entre 200 à 250 kg d'explosifs C-4, une matière fortement explosive, ont été utilisés."
http://www.courrierinternational.com/AFP/depeche.asp?obj_id=050215161200.lnjabjo5

According to Newsweek, C-4 was also used in a recent attack against Marwan Hamadi, a Lebanese parliamentarian, who "nearly was killed as his Mercedes emerged from the underground garage of his apartment tower and rolled down a steep hill toward the corniche. Two men were watching from behind, seated on stone steps that lead to a private school. A 26-lb shaped charge of C-4 explosive planted in a parked car blasted the departing Mercedes, instantly killing a guard seated in the rear. Injured, Hamadi survived—probably saved only by the bomber's presumption that he would be in the guard's place."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6969789/site/newsweek/

Syria was believed to be behind the attack.

In this context, it's also interesting to note that according to Antoine Basbous, "Hariri was personally threatened over the resolution by Syria's intelligence chief in Lebanon, Rostom Ghazale. "Hariri told his friends that Ghazale put a pistol to his head and said: 'It's your choice: Syria or resolution 1559,'" Basbous said."
http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=25&story_id=16951&name=Hariri+murder+seen+as+a+'Syrian+message'+to+France

I wonder if C-4 is readily available to wannabe terrorist groups in Lebanon, or if this points to the involvement of a state sponsor.

[slackmaster]

19. Great question

I wonder if C-4 is readily available to wannabe terrorist groups in Lebanon, or if this points to the involvement of a state sponsor.

I'm pretty sure it's not sold at Wal-Mart in Beirut.

[bemildred]

20. I understand a good quantity of HE went astray in Iraq. nt

[allemand]

21. Exactly.

"The explosives mostly consist of 195 metric tons of HMX and 141 metric tons of RDX - key components in plastic explosives".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3950493.stm

"Both are key components in plastic explosives such as C-4 and Semtex".
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1098677410357

So, thanks to Bush, C-4 is now "readily available" in the region.
On the other hand, the explosives would still have to be smuggled through Syria. That should be rather difficult, but I think that there is also a long tradition of smuggling in those countries.

[allemand]

22. Confusion among Jihadists

In response to yesterday’s assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri, in a Beirut bombing which killed 14 and injured more than 100, several members of a leading al-Qaeda-frequented Jihadist message board engaged in a lively exchange on the subject.

Several posters celebrated the assassination as a triumph of Jihad, with one stating: “At the start of the process of exterminating traitors, we would like to congratulate the leaders of the Jihad for the success of the operation against Lebanon’s Idol (Hariri) and the death of this miserable dog.”

However, others questioned the significance of the attack (...). One member states: “Rafiq al-Hariri no longer holds a political position in Lebanon; therefore, his extermination is not beneficial, and does not lead to the accomplishment of a political goal. He was not that precious of a catch.” (This poster also implies that since al-Hariri was opposed to the Syrian military occupation of Lebanon - an occupation which (this poster claims) stifles the development of Sunni Islamic groups - al-Hariri’s assassination may actually harm the jihadist cause.)

Another member states: “We repeat and confirm that the Mujahideen have no connection with this operation in any way, ideological or political it might be. These claims are wrong and aim to cause harm to the Mujahideen brothers in the country. Please condemn the false claim made by this group, for this is not the style of the Mujahideen, and will harm the aspirations of the Mujahideen brothers.”

More:
http://siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications20005&Category=publications&Subcategory=0