http://web2.stratfor.com/news/2004TER/Story.neo?storyId=240909
Bombing in Damascus: Mossad or Amateurs? Dec 14, 2004 1817 GMT A small bomb exploded Dec. 13 in a car parked at a gas station in the diplomatic district of Damascus, Syria, slightly injuring one passerby. Realization that the car's occupants -- who had left their vehicle just before it exploded -- were an unidentified Hamas member and his daughter raised immediate speculation that this attack was the work of the Israelis. Israeli involvement cannot be completely ruled out, especially when considering that Mossad agents have conducted similar operations in the past. However, this attack was so poorly executed as to virtually eliminate Mossad as the perpetrator. Mossad involvement becomes even more improbable when the most recent assassination of a Hamas official in Damascus -- likely an Israeli operation -- is taken into account. In September, Izz el-Deen al-Sheikh Khalil was killed when a bomb hidden under the driver's seat of his sport utility vehicle exploded. That bomb was either set to go off when Khalil started his vehicle, or was remotely triggered. The Dec. 13 bombing, on the other hand, involved a timed device, according to Syrian security sources, who theorize that the attack was botched because the perpetrators did not expect the target to stop and leave his vehicle before the device detonated. In other words, this clearly seems to be the work of nonprofessionals -- possibly amateurs who were attempting to implicate the Israelis. If a car bomb is to be used successfully as an assassination device, a certain degree of intelligence must go into the planning and execution of the attack. The target's movement patterns must first of all be well-documented, to both plan the attack and to ensure that the person planting the device is not caught. The detonation also must be planned to mitigate -- or to multiply, if that is the intention -- collateral casualties. The best bomb therefore would be an improvised explosive device linked to the ignition or a command-detonated, remote-controlled explosive device. Utilizing a remotely detonated device allows the attacker the luxury of choosing where and when to set off the bomb, regardless of the target's activities. In this case, the attacker could have waited for the Hamas member and his daughter to return to their car after stopping at the gas station. The failure to plan for an unscheduled stop in their target's itinerary also seems to underscore this as the work of amateurs -- and thus to eliminate the highly professional Mossad. Furthermore, is seems almost ludicrous to think that Israel would act so rashly in the diplomatic quarter of the Syrian capital. The target easily could have been driving near embassies or diplomatic residences when the timed device exploded. If Mossad used a timed device in an assassination attempt it should consider itself lucky that the explosion caused only minor damage Israel has plenty of reasons for wanting to thin the ranks of its Palestinian nemesis -- and has a track record of doing just that. Hence, Stratfor cannot completely rule out the possibility of Mossad involvement in this latest attack. However, we give Mossad more credit than to stage an amateurish stunt like this. In fact, we have a hard time believing that the Hamas member was supposed to die in the bombing at all. Timed explosive devices cannot be relied upon to get the job done properly when assassination is the intent. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. 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