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| Bulgaria accuses Hezbollah of carrying out bus bomb attack | Bulgaria accuses Hezbollah of carrying out bus bomb attack |
| (7 days later) | |
| The Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah was behind the bombing of a bus filled with Israeli tourists in the Black Sea city of Burgas last July, a Bulgarian investigation has concluded. | The Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah was behind the bombing of a bus filled with Israeli tourists in the Black Sea city of Burgas last July, a Bulgarian investigation has concluded. |
| Five Israeli tourists, the driver and the bomber were killed in the blast. | Five Israeli tourists, the driver and the bomber were killed in the blast. |
| The militant cell that carried out the attack included a Canadian and an Australian citizen, investigators found. Both had been living in Lebanon, one since 2006 and the other since 2010. "We have well-grounded reasons to suggest that the two were members of the militant wing of Hezbollah," said Tsvetan Tsvetanov, Bulgaria's interior minister. | The militant cell that carried out the attack included a Canadian and an Australian citizen, investigators found. Both had been living in Lebanon, one since 2006 and the other since 2010. "We have well-grounded reasons to suggest that the two were members of the militant wing of Hezbollah," said Tsvetan Tsvetanov, Bulgaria's interior minister. |
| The apparently clear link between Hezbollah and a terrorist attack on European soil opens the way for the EU to include the Lebanese militia on its list of proscribed terrorist organisations. | The apparently clear link between Hezbollah and a terrorist attack on European soil opens the way for the EU to include the Lebanese militia on its list of proscribed terrorist organisations. |
| Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, urged EU action, saying investigators had found Hezbollah was "directly responsible for the atrocity". | Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, urged EU action, saying investigators had found Hezbollah was "directly responsible for the atrocity". |
| "This is yet a further corroboration of what we have already known, that Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons are orchestrating a worldwide campaign of terror that is spanning countries and continents," Netanyahu said in a statement. | "This is yet a further corroboration of what we have already known, that Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons are orchestrating a worldwide campaign of terror that is spanning countries and continents," Netanyahu said in a statement. |
| "The attack in Burgas was an attack on European soil against a member country of the EU. We hope that the Europeans draw the necessary conclusions as to the true character of Hezbollah." | "The attack in Burgas was an attack on European soil against a member country of the EU. We hope that the Europeans draw the necessary conclusions as to the true character of Hezbollah." |
| In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Israel said Hezbollah and its sponsor, Iran, were responsible. Iran has denied any involvement, instead accusing Israel of plotting and carrying out the blast. Hezbollah also denied involvement. | In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Israel said Hezbollah and its sponsor, Iran, were responsible. Iran has denied any involvement, instead accusing Israel of plotting and carrying out the blast. Hezbollah also denied involvement. |
| The United States designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation in the 1990s. Britain and the Netherlands have both included Hezbollah on their national terrorist lists. | The United States designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation in the 1990s. Britain and the Netherlands have both included Hezbollah on their national terrorist lists. |
| The British foreign secretary, William Hague, said on Tuesday: "It is important that the EU respond robustly to an attack on European soil. Every act of terror is an attack on our shared values. In committing an attack, terrorists seek to undermine our resolve, but they should only serve to strengthen it. The Home Secretary and I will be talking to our EU colleagues about the measures we can now take to continue to make our citizens safer." | The British foreign secretary, William Hague, said on Tuesday: "It is important that the EU respond robustly to an attack on European soil. Every act of terror is an attack on our shared values. In committing an attack, terrorists seek to undermine our resolve, but they should only serve to strengthen it. The Home Secretary and I will be talking to our EU colleagues about the measures we can now take to continue to make our citizens safer." |
| The chief opponent of the EU proscribing Hezbollah is believed to be France, which fears its interests in Lebanon could be harmed. Germany is also opposed. | The chief opponent of the EU proscribing Hezbollah is believed to be France, which fears its interests in Lebanon could be harmed. Germany is also opposed. |
| EU foreign affairs chief Lady Ashton said the report's implications needed to be seriously assessed. | EU foreign affairs chief Lady Ashton said the report's implications needed to be seriously assessed. |
| The bomb exploded as the bus took a group of Israeli tourists from the airport to their hotel in Burgas. The blast also killed the suspected bomber, a tall and lanky pale-skinned man wearing a baseball cap and dressed like a tourist. | The bomb exploded as the bus took a group of Israeli tourists from the airport to their hotel in Burgas. The blast also killed the suspected bomber, a tall and lanky pale-skinned man wearing a baseball cap and dressed like a tourist. |
| The men involved in the attack had fake US driving licences that were printed in Lebanon, according to investigators. | The men involved in the attack had fake US driving licences that were printed in Lebanon, according to investigators. |
| Rob Wainwright, the director of Europol, which sent experts to assist with the Bulgarian investigation, said the bomb was detonated remotely using a circuit board. Wainwright said investigators believe the bomber had not intended to die. | Rob Wainwright, the director of Europol, which sent experts to assist with the Bulgarian investigation, said the bomb was detonated remotely using a circuit board. Wainwright said investigators believe the bomber had not intended to die. |
| Forensic evidence, intelligence sources and patterns in past attacks all point to Hezbollah's involvement, he said. "From what I've seen of the case from the very strong, obvious links to Lebanon, from the modus operandi of the terrorist attack and from other intelligence that we see I think that is a reasonable assumption." | Forensic evidence, intelligence sources and patterns in past attacks all point to Hezbollah's involvement, he said. "From what I've seen of the case from the very strong, obvious links to Lebanon, from the modus operandi of the terrorist attack and from other intelligence that we see I think that is a reasonable assumption." |
| The investigators found no direct links to Iran or to any al-Qaida-affiliated terror group, he added. | The investigators found no direct links to Iran or to any al-Qaida-affiliated terror group, he added. |
| Yoram Schewitzer of Israel's Institute of National Security Studies said the significance of the Bulgarian report "will be measured by the actual steps taken by the EU" adding: "For Israel there was no doubt about Hezbollah. If the report materialises into activity, it will be effective. If not, it's just another report." | Yoram Schewitzer of Israel's Institute of National Security Studies said the significance of the Bulgarian report "will be measured by the actual steps taken by the EU" adding: "For Israel there was no doubt about Hezbollah. If the report materialises into activity, it will be effective. If not, it's just another report." |
| He said "political considerations" would determine whether the EU listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation. | He said "political considerations" would determine whether the EU listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation. |
| No one has been arrested in connection withthe attack. Tsvetanov said he hoped Australia, Canada and Lebanon would cooperate with the continuing investigation. | No one has been arrested in connection withthe attack. Tsvetanov said he hoped Australia, Canada and Lebanon would cooperate with the continuing investigation. |
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