NABATIYEH, LEBANON // The sound of rockets echo off the concrete walls, smoke periodically belches from the shattered turrets of Israeli armoured vehicles, while the ground is littered with boots, shredded uniforms and shell casings. But this is not the scene of a battle, rather a Hizbollah-engineered theme park designed to celebrate the militants' "divine victory" over Israel in the 2006 war and the accomplishments of one of their most famous commanders, Imad Mughniyeh, the top Hizbollah intelligence operative killed last winter in a car bombing in Damascus.
His image adorns most of the walls, and his voice can frequently be heard from the sound system giving orders to his men amid what sounds like fighting in the background. Mughniyeh had been wanted by several of the world's intelligence services for more than 20 years and had survived at least three major attempts on his life. His death sparked threats of revenge against Israeli and Jewish interests worldwide.
Hizbollah is known for its patience in planning attacks and several members of the group had said any retaliation would wait until after July's prisoner exchange with Israel, in which the bodies of two Israeli soldiers were traded for four Hizbollah fighters captured during the 2006 war, as well as Samir Kuntar, a Lebanese fighter imprisoned in Israel for almost 30 years. The impact of an attack on Israeli or Jewish interests would vary depending on the target and magnitude, but with Lebanon still recovering from the 2006 war, Syria making tentative moves to open direct peace talks with Israel, and the Israeli political system in disarray over several scandals, there is a widespread fear that any attack and its subsequent response could quickly spiral out of control.
"We're holding our breath and waiting," said one government official in Lebanon opposed to Hizbollah, who refused to let his name be used discussing the group. "We know they will strike. But how hard and where? And how will the Israelis respond? I wish we knew anything." Last week, Ehud Barak, Israel's defence minister, announced that at least two attempts by Hizbollah to kidnap Israeli citizens abroad had been foiled and warned that the group could strike at embassies or other Jewish or Israeli targets worldwide in revenge for the slaying.
Last month, Canadian and Israeli intelligence sources also confirmed that a cell of Hizbollah operatives had been intercepted while tracking flight crews for the Israeli national air carrier, El Al, in Montreal, in what was feared to be preparations for a strike on either the airline or its employees, according to press reports from both the Israeli and Canadian media. Israeli intelligence warnings to Jewish travellers have highlighted threats in South America, Africa, Canada and Southeast Asia, where many Israelis will holiday during the holidays this month.
The Israeli government also recently ordered all holidaymakers to leave the popular resorts in Egypt's Sinai area for fear they could be targeted by Hizbollah. Last week, Israeli intelligence also warned all travellers against visiting certain Muslim areas of Thailand due to a specific threat that could be linked to Hizbollah but refused to provide any specific details. But West Africa seems to be the area of most concern, not only because of its Jewish populations, but also because its large communities of Lebanese Shiites make it a key operational hub for Hizbollah, according to intelligence reports and regional sources.
A diamond industry official with close ties to both communities said it appears at least one of the attempts referenced by Mr Barak had occurred in West Africa, targeting Jewish diamond brokers. "It's a natural fit: lawless areas, huge Lebanese and Jewish populations both trading in diamonds and local goods, often working together. And both Hizbollah, Amal and the Israeli government operate openly in much of the region. There's been an obvious tightening of security by the Jewish diamond dealers in Africa," said the executive, who asked not to be named discussing terrorism issues.
Even as the region waits for the Hizbollah response to Mughniyeh's death, the exhibit in Nabatiyeh raises the commander's profile to nearly cult-hero status, perhaps to justify any retaliation for his killing. He has been accused in the United States, Israel and France of a litany of abductions, bombings and murders, including attacks on US and French peacekeepers in the 1980s, the hijacking of a TWA flight in 1985 and two major bomb attacks on Israeli or Jewish targets in South America in the early 1990s.
But according to one commander inside the group, Mughniyeh had little command experience and his real expertise was intelligence operations. "Hajj Radwan ran our military intelligence operations," said a Hizbollah commander around the time of his assassination, using Mughniyeh's alias. "He is a great martyr and our brother-commander, but he was not a military man, he was our best spy. The leaders of the [2006 war] were men you have never heard of, our military leadership remains a secret."
What is equally unclear is what impact his death, and possible revenge against Israel, will have on Lebanon and the region as a whole as both sides seem intent on pursuing another war. * The National
