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Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem. (AP)
Last update - 18:52 16/03/2008
Syrian FM: Israel gained most from Mughniyah's assassination
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Imad Mughniyah, Hezbollah 

Slain Hezbollah chief Imad Mughniyah used to enter Syria under assumed names, stay in residential apartments and didn't take any safety precautions, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem told Kuwaiti newspaper al-Anba on Sunday, providing the first details regarding the assassination.

Moallem didn't say who was responsible for the assassination, but insinuated that it was Israel, saying "one must ask oneself who gained most from it. Israel tops the list of those who stood to gain."

Mughniyah was killed in a car bombing in Damascus on February 12. The Lebanese guerilla group, of which Mughniyah was second in command, blamed Israel for the killing, but Israel has categorically denied any involvement.
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Moallem added that killing continues to be investigated "night and day" by the Syrian authorities. "Crimes like this one happen in many capitals around the world. I can't call it an 'infiltration,'" he said.

Next week, the traditional 40-day Muslim mourning period will draw to a close, prompting Israel to beef up security both in Israel and abroad in anticipation of reprisal attacks against Jewish targets.

Most of the interview centered on the upcoming Arab summit in Damascus scheduled for the end of March. The official Website for the summit advertises that the summit will begin on March 25 with a meeting of ambassadors which will be followed by a meeting of foreign ministers and later, the heads of Arab states are scheduled to meet. The summit is expected to conclude on March 30.

Moallem added that the heads of Arab states will be able to pull the Arab initiative toward peace with Israel if they so choose during the summit. He said that another possibility, for which they are preparing, is the declaration of war. "A reasonable man prepares himself for any possibility, in the face of the crazy policies?I can't say whether or not there will be war," Moallem said.

Moallem described Hezbollah as "friendly" with Syria but not "loyal" to Syria.

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      1.   IS this SYRIAN version of PUBLIC peace talks? Accusation without 14:05  |  PETER SM 16/03/08
      2.   For those who say PEACE or WAR practically in the same breath 14:14  |  Avi 16/03/08
      3.   Syrian FM 14:15  |  ChanahS 16/03/08
      4.   MUGniyah 14:24  |  Juan 16/03/08
      5.   Cont`d - Syria is our of control so who cares what they say??? 14:34  |  AIC 16/03/08
      6.   Killings ?? 15:01  |  najour 16/03/08
      7.   Muggy 15:01  |  SOI 16/03/08
      8.   THEY SEEM TO KNOW A LOT ABOUT 15:07  |  Robert 16/03/08
      9.   The usual...blame without proof 15:14  |  Lynn 16/03/08
      10.   ...and not haunted by nighmares from their bad conscience 15:14  |  Karl 16/03/08
      11.   #5 Yossi 15:25  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/03/08
      12.   The summer Syria will be sent to stone age 15:29  |  Oleg 16/03/08
      13.   The Mossad is too incompetent to have carried this out 15:54  |  HumbleJew 16/03/08
      14.   And that is why he was killed. Come on, he was wanted by many 16:00  |  Jo 16/03/08
      15.   Gain 16:09  |  Firefighter 16/03/08
      16.   Does it really matter? 16:31  |  Tarek 16/03/08
      17.   OK, but... 16:57  |  Outsider 16/03/08
      18.   Hezbollah chief Imad Mughniyah Death Benifits the World 17:16  |  Shepherd 16/03/08
      19.   Israel gained-- 17:18  |  Choshech 16/03/08
      20.   Yoav Stern did it. 17:22  |  Private 16/03/08
      21.   #11 Linthwaite 17:23  |  George Kaplan 16/03/08
      22.   Linthwaite continues to lie (2nd try) 18:45  |  ChanahS 16/03/08
      23.   Tarek#16 - and isn`t that the real base of the issue here? 18:47  |  William 16/03/08
      24.   Imad Mughniyah was under protection 18:53  |  KUTW 16/03/08
      25.   Hey Aaaaaaabott!!!!!!! Serrrrrtainly! 19:35  |  Yosemite 16/03/08
      26.   KUTV 19:51  |  Firefighter 16/03/08
      27.   Linthwaite the teacher and I thought it was a joke. 19:52  |  H 16/03/08
      28.   Chris Linthwaite , that`s a bit rich too 19:54  |  Dan 16/03/08
      29.   # 11 Chris Linthwaite, Arafats inner circle tried to blame Sharon 19:56  |  Max Zinger,P.Chimist 16/03/08
      30.   Linthwaite lying again 20:33  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 16/03/08
      31.   To Margie: That says it all, Kuntar is LinWeightBrain?s hero 21:51  |  Dan 16/03/08
      32.   Sunshine benefits Israel too, but we aren`t responsible for it 22:56  |  theolive-branch.org 16/03/08
      33.   No question that sharon is a murderer who was complicit with the 23:11  |  lakshmi 16/03/08
      34.   Lakshimi 23:55  |  Harold 16/03/08
      35.   Whole world couldn`t sleep. 00:53  |  Joseph 17/03/08
      36.   #5 You want Samir Kuntar free, Chris? 02:26  |  MaryRose 17/03/08
      37.   #11 Short Term Memory Loss, Chris? 02:36  |  MaryRose 17/03/08
      38.   How Many Lebanese POWs Chris? 02:57  |  MaryRose 17/03/08
      39.   Joseph`s missles 03:42  |  Harold 17/03/08
      40.   No Evidence But A Lot of Rhetoric 03:51  |  Tex 17/03/08
      41.   Lakshmi Sings: I Have So Many Reasons To Blame Israel 03:53  |  Tex 17/03/08
      42.   They did it 07:58  |  tom 20/06/08
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