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Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. (AP)
Last update - 14:12 02/09/2008
Barak confirms report Israel foiled 2 Hezbollah kidnap attempts abroad
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press
Tags: Israel, Hezbollah, Lebanon

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday confirmed that Israel security forces had recently foiled two attempts by the Lebanese militia Hezbollah to kidnap Israeli businessmen abroad.

Barak made the comments while touring the South, and called on the public to act in accordance with warnings issued by the government's counterterrorism unit.

Israeli officials on Monday made first mention of the foiled kidnappings.
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Details are sketchy on the matter, and Israel's military censor banned publication of some of them. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because no official statement had been made.

Channel 2 TV said Hezbollah has cells in West Africa and South America.

The officials said the kidnap plots were stopped at advanced stages. On Aug. 20 Israel put out an unusual travel advisory, warning that Hezbollah was planning to kidnap Israelis abroad.

Last month, new intelligence on Hezbollah's intentions to abduct Israelis abroad prompted the government's counterterrorism unit to issue a warning to travelers, who were advised to take special precautions.

In its warning, the Prime Minister's Office Counterterrorism Bureau explained that intelligence reports suggested Hezbollah is planning abductions as revenge for the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh, the militia's operations chief, who was killed in a Damascus car bombing in February. Israel has denied any involvement in the bombing. But the Sunday Times in London quoted "informed Israeli sources" that the Mossad spy agency carried out the car bombing that killed Mughniyeh.

Hezbollah has vowed to avenge Mughniyeh's death by attacking Israel or Israelis abroad. The travel advisory was a general warning, applicable to the entire world, not any specific travel destinations. According to people within the intelligence community, Israel does possess specific information regarding the location where Hezbollah plans to attack. But the Counterterrorism Bureau's warning says it applies to all countries.

Last month, Israeli security officials warned Israelis living and working in West Africa that Hezbollah intended to carry out abductions there. In recent months, Jewish and Israeli institutions outside Israel have bolstered security in anticipation of a possible Hezbollah attack, as have Israeli aircraft and ships.

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      1.   Lebanon: prepare for more death and destruction 21:33  |  Conroy 01/09/08
      2.   1000 to 1 21:36  |  Dr Noam 01/09/08
      3.   "But the Sunday Times in London quoted "informed Israeli sources" 22:07  |  Proud Israeli 01/09/08
      4.   "Details are sketchy - you bet...!" 22:16  |  Palestinian Brit 01/09/08
      5.   If Israeli security services have foiled two attempts by 22:22  |  Joseph.E 01/09/08
      6.   Israel Business Community Must Hire Body Guards 23:07  |  Joseph.E 01/09/08
      7.   Conroy... and the broken record 23:10  |  northern neighbor 01/09/08
      8.   south leb is going to fry, fry, fry 23:13  |  frenz 01/09/08
      9.   Joseph E and the hezbanon syndrome 23:14  |  northern neighbor 01/09/08
      10.   Is that news? 23:18  |  northern neighbor 01/09/08
      11.   Pal Brit 23:25  |  rich 01/09/08
      12.   Kidnaping civilians is too easy, why don´t get soldiers? 23:32  |  JP 01/09/08
      13.   Kidnaping civilians is too easy, why don´t get soldiers? 23:32  |  JP 01/09/08
      14.   Eventually... 23:41  |  Joseph L. 01/09/08
      15.   # 3 Proud Israeli 23:54  |  Joseph.E 01/09/08
      16.   Details are sketchy means that 00:06  |  Hizbullahi 02/09/08
      17.   If this was true, then.. 00:39  |  observer 02/09/08
      18.   If this was true, then.. 00:39  |  observer 02/09/08
      19.   propaganda 00:56  |  Delta 02/09/08
      20.   Finkelstein is an agent for Hizballah? 00:57  |  Yaakov Sullivan 02/09/08
      21.   #4:Palestinian Brit, you bet your life 01:14  |  Doc Holliday 02/09/08
      22.   Times and Sun nothing more then JP and Haaretz 01:18  |  Kerry 02/09/08
      23.   #4 Palestinian Brit - Speaking about "Smoke Screens" 01:24  |  * BEN JABO 02/09/08
      24.   #10 Huh??? 01:55  |  DesMnsDave 02/09/08
      25.   Co sie odwlecze to nie uciecze 02:18  |  Pollak 02/09/08
      26.   The Lebanese deserve thier fate. 02:49  |  alan the real one 02/09/08
      27.   Hezbollah COWARDS COWARDS COWARDS 04:27  |  Craig 02/09/08
      28.   # 10 Observer - Different Times... 04:47  |  WYSIWYG 02/09/08
      29.   The war against Hizbullah does not concern Israel only. 07:17  |  Jean Van Daem 02/09/08
      30.   To Joseph L # 7 - Israel met its match,,,? 07:47  |  Natasha 02/09/08
      31.   Israelis should blame their government for placing them at risk 07:52  |  Dutch 02/09/08
      32.   RE:THREAT:Israel should be going on THE OFFENSIVE;YOU LAMEBRAINS 07:56  |  Pavel 02/09/08
      33.   So when did these worries start ? 08:09  |  Ramzi 02/09/08
      34.   Northern Neighbor: Credible Evidence on Mughniyeh 08:50  |  Tex 02/09/08
      35.   Ramzi: Written Like A True Lunatic 08:52  |  Tex 02/09/08
      36.   The Media should take responsibility 08:54  |  Bnayahu 02/09/08
      37.   yo ramzi 08:55  |  Rania 02/09/08
      38.   re Dr. Noam #2 10:19  |  EZ 02/09/08
      39.   PALBRIT Nothing sketchy about Hesallah threat,again,on Al Manar 10:57  |  PETER SM 02/09/08
      40.   Pal brit UK 11:06  |  pamela 02/09/08
      41.   Hizbulli Lebanon 11:16  |  pamela 02/09/08
      42.   DORIS.Why are jihadists murdering all over the world.? 11:20  |  PETER SM 02/09/08
      43.   RAMZI Hesballah is talking attack not deterence. 11:24  |  PETER SM 02/09/08
      44.   For the staff of Haaretz,Dutch the anti semetic women who is mad 11:24  |  pamela 02/09/08
      45.   # 44 Pamela 11:56  |  MJ 02/09/08
      46.   Pamela, MJ and HAARETZ re Dutch 12:17  |  ChanahS 02/09/08
      47.   Pamela, MJ and HAARETZ re Dutch 12:17  |  ChanahS 02/09/08
      48.   HIZBULLAHI They do not want to expose the traitor(s) amongst you 12:53  |  PETER SM 02/09/08
      49.   Pollak Eat you heart out! 12:56  |  PETER SM 02/09/08
      50.   "informed Israeli sources" 13:41  |  Tali 02/09/08
      51.   Actually there were more 13:44  |  jackie 02/09/08
      52.   Those who support kidnappers 13:44  |  x-ray 02/09/08
      53.   POLAK Have you had Islamist terror YET?Widely available in the EU 14:01  |  PETER SM 02/09/08
      54.   Nonsense 15:55  |  Natallie Durson 02/09/08
      55.   Burn Lebanon and Lebanon will burn you 17:58  |  Ask Mossad 02/09/08
      56.   On the other hand Finkelstein helps Hizbollah spiritually 17:58  |  Yaakov Sullivan 02/09/08
      57.   Peter SM Finkelstein speaks fluent Arabic and Hebrew so 18:02  |  Yaakov Sullivan 02/09/08
      58.   #7 Northern neighbor of the Iranian province of Lebanon 00:21  |  Conroy 03/09/08
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