Hezbos Blame Israel for Moughniyah Slaying, Arrest Palestinians

These clowns need to get their talking points straight. If you're going to pin the blame on the Israelis, rounding up some Palestinians for whacking this guy is going to be a tough sell.

In the meantime, the fanatical killers have appointed an unnamed successor to the mutant Imad Moughniyah, who reportedly was in such rough shape the 72 virgins took a pass on Valentine's Day.

Lebanon's Hezbollah has appointed a successor to its senior guerrilla commander Imad Moughniyah who was assassinated in Syria this week, a Lebanese security source said on Friday.

The source said the appointment was made hours after the announcement of Moughniyah's death in a car bomb in Damascus on Tuesday. He did not identify the successor who would now command Hezbollah's formidable and well-armed guerrilla army.

A joint investigation into the bombing by Syrians, Iranians and Hezbollah was well under way and suspects had been arrested in the Syrian capital, the source said.

Hezbollah and its main backer Iran have accused Israel of killing Moughniyah, who was among the United States' most wanted men. The Israeli government has denied any links, though its Mossad spy service had been hunting him for two decades.

"A successor to Imad Moughniyah has been appointed, which is natural," said the source, who requested anonymity. "That's how Hezbollah works, they move quickly to choose successors of fallen leaders."

So if it was the Israelis, why are they rounding up Palestinians residing in Syria?

The suspects arrested were mostly Palestinians residing in Syria, the Lebanese source said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki agreed with Syrian officials during a visit to Damascus on Thursday to set up a joint team to investigate the killing, Mottaki's deputy Alireza Sheik-Attar said on Friday.

The Syrians claim they will present irrefutable proof the Israelis are behind this.

Sure.

SYRIA would soon present "irrefutable" proof of who was behind the assassination of the Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyah, the Foreign Minister, Walid al-Moualem, said, hinting that Israel was responsible.

"As a state, we will irrefutably prove the party involved in this crime and who stands behind it. An investigation is ongoing," he said on Thursday.

"We hope that you will soon hear the results of this mighty effort," Mr Moualem said after meeting his Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki. Mr Mottaki came from Beirut, where he had attended Mughniyah's funeral.

Asked if Tuesday's killing, in a district of the Syrian capital swarming with security, would undermine chances for peace with Israel, Mr Moualem said the assassination killed "any effort to revive the peace process".

"Whoever wants peace does not commit terrorism, whoever wants peace does not lay siege to Gaza with a million-and-half Palestinians struggling for the minimum to survive," he said.

Update: I considered this when it first occurred, and how funny would it be if true: Mughniyeh: Killed in a Work Accident?