IMAD FAYEZ MUGNIYAH - Did they get him?

The Israeli military said warplanes dropped 23 tons of explosives late on Wednesday on a south Beirut bunker. Reports in ME diplomatic circles (not unconnected with Detlev Mehlis the man who fingered Syria as Hariri's killer) say that the Israeli's had information that Imad Mugniyah was present. He is on the FBI top 20 most wanted list - he was responsible for many hi-jacking, kidnapping, assassinations and seizing IDF soldiers - a track record and MO which has placed him in the frame again.

Michael Ledeen, (an unreliable source with many fingers in many spooky pies) at the American Enterprise Institute, claimed he was sighted at the meeting in Damascus by US officials in Damascus (January 22nd 2006) with Mr. Ahmadinejad and the Syrian dictator, Bashar Assad.

At the time Congressional staffers "familiar with America's Iran policy", said that they had heard from foreign "diplomatic sources" that the Mugniyah was at the meeting.

If you wonder why US officials might have seen the meeting of Assad / Ahmadinejad / Imad Mugniyah it will be useful to consider direct talks that the US have had (and through other channels including Ex MI6 officers with Hezbollah over many years see here

23 tons of HE ? Whoever it was they were after, they wanted him dead - or it was a big fireworks show for the networks tonight.