Jerusalem
14 February 2008
Israel put its embassies on high alert and advised Jewish institutions around the world to be on guard against possible attacks, following the assassination of a senior Hezbollah leader Tuesday in Damascus. VOA's Jim Teeple reports from Jerusalem.
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| An image grab taken from the Hezbollah-run Manar TV, 13 Feb 2008, shows an undated photo of Imad Mughniyeh at an unidentified time and place |
Israeli officials say they had nothing to do with the bombing that killed Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh, but they are taking no chances - putting their embassies around the world on high alert - and reinforcing troops along Israel's northern border with Lebanon.
Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter told Israel radio that Israel has experience with reprisal attacks by its enemies.
Dichter says plans have been put in place both internally and externally to safeguard Israeli institutions. He says the world is a better, safer place since the killing of Imad Mughniyeh.
Foreign Ministry officials refused to comment on the stepped-up security measures, but media reports say they could last for weeks or months.
While Israeli officials say they had nothing to do with the blast that killed Mughniyeh, they welcomed his demise, saying he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people in terrorist attacks around the world during the past 30 years. U.S. officials who had indicted Mughniyeh on kidnapping and murder charges also said the world was better off without him.