CIAO DATE: 09/2008
February 2008
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
In response to the February 12 assassination of chief of operations Imad Mughniyeh, Hizballah has ratcheted up its threats, warnings, and saber rattling. In turn, Israel has locked down its foreign missions, put its military on heightened alert, and deployed Patriot missiles near Haifa. And in Washington, the FBI issued a bulletin to its field offices warning of possible attacks on U.S. soil.
Given Hizballah's secretive nature, it is difficult to assess the group's tactical intentions through the prism of official speeches. Indeed, Hizballah's first public acknowledgment of Mughniyeh's existence came during leader Hassan Nasrallah's eulogy. Nevertheless, precedent suggests that concerns about Hizballah retaliation are well founded.
Resource link: PolicyWatch #1347: Beyond Rhetoric: Hizballah Threats after the Mughniyeh Assassination [PDF] - 13K