Infamous Hezbollah Terrorist Mughniyeh Killed in Damascus

One of the world’s most notorious terrorists, the Lebanese Shiite murder Imad Mughniyeh, was killed late last night by a car bomb in Damascus. Mughniyeh was at times an agent of the PLO, of Iran, and of Hezbollah, as well as being an early — and rare — Shiite link to al-Qaeda. Hezbollah, predictably, blamed Israel for the killing, and Israel, predictably, denied Israeli responsibility. However, the U.S. had a bounty on Mughniyeh’s head, following his 1985 murder of a U.S. Marine Navy diver aboard a plane Mughniyeh hijacked. Little wonder then that Hezbollah issued the cryptic statement claiming "the right to retaliate anywhere in the world and in any way it sees fit," implying U.S. involvement.

My friend Hussein Ibish passes on this Asharq Alawsat piece. It has the most detail of any article so far on Mughniyeh’s killing — which is to say not much, but something — as well as a recitation of his gruesome curriculum vitae.

The man who according to Abu Wafa, was an opportunistic terrorist who did not know the meaning of humanity or sympathy was killed according to press reports as he was leaving his house and about to get into his car when it exploded. However, LBC, a Lebanese television station, said Mughniyeh was attending a ceremony at the Iranian school in Damascus and was killed as he left the function.

It’s hard to overstate Mughniyeh’s mystique as an evasive figure. Back when Osama bin Laden was playing commando in Afghanistan, Mughniyeh was dodging the Mossad, the CIA, rival Lebanese death squads and angered terrorist colleagues. Using a car bomb to kill him — not exactly a subtle method — was doubtlessly intended to shatter his legend. I want very badly to read the memoir of whoever is responsible for finally putting this murderer down.