Beirut, al- Qaeda cast shadow over suicide attack on Iranian embassy
Beirut ( AsiaNews
/ Agencies) - 23 people were killed and
146 injured in the double suicide bombing at the Iranian Embassy in Beirut this
morning, the most serious attack to hit the country since the 2005 assassination
of then Prime Minister Rafik Hairi . Among
the dead was Sheikh Ibrahim Ansari, cultural attaché to the Iranian embassy . So far no one has claimed
responsibility. The
Lebanese army report that two launched themselves at the building: the first on
board a motorcycle and the other in a SUV . However,
the dynamics of the attack point to groups affiliated with al - Qaeda. Shortly
after the attack Sirajeddi Zreikat , a member of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, tweeted
that " this is a double martyrdom operation carried out by two Lebanese
Sunni heroes." Zreikat
warns that the attacks will continue until the guerrillas of the Shiite
movement Hezbollah withdraw from Syria. The
Islamic extremist leader also calls for the release of Azzam Brigades guerrillas
from Lebanese prisons.
What
happened in Beirut has already triggered the reaction of Iran and Hezbollah
both committed to supporting the troops of Syrian President Bashar al -Assad
against Islamist insurgents . Speaking
on the Shiite al- Manar TV, the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar
Roknabadi, who survived the attack , pointed the finger at Israel and Saudi
Arabia, accusing them of having ordered the attack. Tzachi
Hanegbi , member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence committee rejects the
accusations and said that "Israel has nothing to do with such acts."
The
attack on the Iranian embassy arrives the day after a summit between Tehran and
members of the Security Council plus Germany and Iran on the nuclear issue
during negotiations between Syria, Russia and Western countries for the
organization of the peace conference in Geneva II .
The
Geneva talks on the nuclear issue will open tomorrow after the partial failure
of the meeting held on 8 November following France's veto to the definition of
a basic agreement . The
Obama administration is trying to give confidence to the openings made by the
new reformist Iranian President Hassan Rouhani , an attitude that has aroused
strong criticism and is opposed by Israel and Saudi Arabia who are against any
agreement with the Shiite state . This
week Obama will try to convince Congress not to vote to impose new economic
sanctions against Iran. Last
week, John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State , warned the deputies that imposing
further restrictions may isolate Washington from members of the 5 +1, who are favorable
to an agreement with Iran. For
Robert Einhorn , a former member of the U.S. negotiating team , tougher
sanctions would quash any opportunity to peacefully resolve the Iranian nuclear
issue .
The
partial uncertainty of the United States and the change of direction of France
have cooled the initial opening of the Iranian government . Yesterday
in a phone call to Russian President Putin, Rohuani pointed out that "the
recent talks in Geneva made good progress, but excessive demands could
complicate the achievement of an agreement ."
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22/02/2016 09:34
17/12/2013
