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Israelis on Kidnap Alert
September 03, 2008 9:51 AM
Hezbollah Tries to Snatch Israelis Around the World
By Simon McGregor-Wood, ABC News
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told reporters Wednesday that the Lebanese Shiite organization Hezbollah has recently tried to kidnap Israelis living and working abroad.
As many as five attempts were foiled with the help of foreign security and intelligence agencies, according to Israeli media reports.
“There have been quite a few intelligence alerts in recent weeks and there were a number of very important thwarting operations,” Barak said. His comments were contained in a transcript released by his office Wednesday.
According to unnamed security officials in Israel there has been particular concern over attempts to seize Israeli businessmen working in West Africa and South America. Both are places which have sizeable expatriate Lebanese communities where, it is alleged, Hezbollah may have supporters.
The Israeli government sent special envoys to several countries to warn Israeli citizens of the threat.
Hezbollah has vowed to avenge the assassination of a senior military commander Imad Mougniyeh who was killed by a car bomb in Damascus earlier this year. Israel has denied involvement in the bombing but many people in the Middle East believe it was responsible.
Barak warned Israelis living overseas they must be vigilant in the face of Hezbollah’s threats.
“I can only tell Israeli citizens once more: Being Israeli is a responsibility, and we must take seriously the counterterrorism unit’s warnings…use your common sense.” He said.
According to unnamed Israeli security sources talking to the Haaretz newspaper Wednesday, there is also concern that Hezbollah may launch attacks on Israeli targets abroad including embassy buildings and the officials who work in them.
September 3, 2008 in Simon McGregor-Wood | Permalink | User Comments (3)
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Riiiighht...If any Israelis are "kidnapped", it will surely be done by Mossad. False-flag operations is Israel's modus operandi.
Posted by: Truth Hurts | Sep 3, 2008 11:37:59 AM
Oh Israel Oh Israel. Noone cares for your propaganda anymore. Sorry, you will fall, no matter how many of your "precious israeli's" are kidnapped. Most people do not sympathize with Israel. Boo hoo dirty settler jews being kidnapped, who would ever do such a thing. Its not like Israel kidnaps Palestinians on a daily basis...
Posted by: Citizen in FL | Sep 3, 2008 12:15:33 PM
It's a country that's the approximate size and population of Tennessee. Who really cares? Israeli's? Good, let them read it in their own crappy news, Israel is completely irrelevant to the vast majority of Americans. I have more respect for Hezbollah than Israel's government, at least they don't shove their hokey, lame propaganda in our faces 24/7.
Posted by: Anthony | Sep 3, 2008 12:41:05 PM
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