The LA Times reported yesterday on a plot to bomb the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan was foiled with the capture of two suspected Hezbollah terrorists from Lebanon. The arrests were conducted last year with the police intercepting their fleeing car containing
explosives, binoculars, cameras, pistols with silencers and reconnaissance photos. Raiding alleged safe houses, police foiled what authorities say was a plot to blow up the Israeli Embassy in Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic that borders Iran.
The arrests were largely a secret until the trial began last week for the two Lebanese and four more Azeri on charges including terrorism and espionage.
Hezbollah and Iran deny involvement but the report cites that the plot was developed as retaliation for the suspected Israeli assassination in February 2008 of Imad Mughniyah whom wiki describes as
a senior member of the Hezbollah organization. He was alternatively described as the head of its security section, a senior intelligence official and as a founder of the organization. Mugniyah has been associated with the Beirut barracks and United States Embassy bombings in 1983, which killed over 350, as well as the kidnapping of dozens of foreigners in Lebanon in the 1980s. He was indicted in Argentina for his alleged role in the 1992 Israeli Embassy attack in Buenos Aires.
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He is thought to have killed more Americans than any other militant before the 9/11 attacks
Azerbaijan is now seen as a new front in the ME conflict as it is believed Iran is in favor of undermining its Western leaning government which also has a good relationship with Israel.
The suspected terrorists were found by investigators to have
traveled back and forth from Baku to Iran and Lebanon in early 2008. They used Iranian passports, stayed in luxury hotels and led a cell that laid the groundwork for an attack, anti-terrorism officials say.
The cell allegedly conducted reconnaissance on the Israeli Embassy, which is housed in the Hyatt Tower high-rise complex along with the Thai and Japanese embassies. The group cased other targets, developing plans to bomb a radar tower, prosecutors say.
The Azerbaijani investigation concluded that the suspects intended to array three or four car bombs around the embassy and set them off simultaneously. The group had hundreds of pounds of explosives, allegedly supplied by Iranian spies, and intended to accumulate more, said the officials familiar with the investigation.
While this plot was thwarted others will undoubtably continue some experts felt given the importance of Imad Mughniyah to Hezbollah and Iran.