[AP/Washington Post] Hamza Hendawi - President Bashar Assad boasts that Damascus is "the capital of resistance," a claim borne out by the presence here of Hamas leaders and a host of other radical Palestinian groups. The fact that someone was able to set off a car bomb Tuesday in the capital to kill Imad Mughniyeh, one of America's most-wanted fugitives, is a blow to the reputation of Syria's feared security services, which are a cornerstone of the regime's autocratic control of the country. It could also raise questions over the strength of the regime's grip. Mughniyeh was a terror icon, linked to the killings of hundreds of Americans, French, Jews and Israelis in bombings and airline hijackings over two decades. A Western diplomat based in Damascus said the incident was a double embarrassment for Syria - "on account of (Mughniyeh) being here and because they could not protect him."
2008-02-15 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive