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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Explosives En Route to Hizbullah Caused Deadly Iran Plane Crash
2009-08-03
(IsraelNN.com) Explosives en route to the Hizbullah terrorist group caused a Russian-made plane to crash in Iran two weeks ago, claiming the lives of 168 people, according to a report in the Italian paper Corriere Della Sera on Saturday.
"I thought I'd turned the 'no smoking' sign on, dammit!"
The report quoted Middle East sources who said the plane, which took off from Tehran and was headed for Armenia, was carrying in its luggage compartment several metal cases with two kilograms of explosives and detonators destined for the Lebanese terrorist group. The shipment was meant to have continued by land from Armenia to Turkey, then to Syria, and finally to Lebanon.

Shortly afterwards, the plane crashed near the city of Qazvin. Eyewitnesses reported hearing explosions in the plane before it crashed into the ground.
Only 16 minutes after takeoff, the pilot of the Tupolev jet reported an emergency. Shortly afterwards, the plane crashed near the city of Qazvin. Eyewitnesses reported hearing explosions in the plane before it crashed into the ground.

The Italian paper also said that a member of the elite Iranian Revolutionary Guards was on board the plane to monitor the delivery of the goods to Hizbullah and that Iranian security forces arrived at the plane crash site. Iranian authorities have said that they recovered the plane's three black boxes but have not yet offered an explanation for the fatal crash.

The report also said that the explosives were meant to be concealed in southern Lebanon, but after an explosion in a Hizbullah weapons depot only a few days before the flight, the terrorist group decided they would be safer north of the Litani river. Tensions rose in southern Lebanon between Hizbullah and UNIFIL forces following the July 14th blast which reportedly destroyed a Hizbullah weapons cache, including numerous Katushya rockets.
Posted by:Fred

#3  Not as much fun, liberal hawk? Or deniability, perhaps.
Posted by: trailing wife   2009-08-03 23:07  

#2  Why not just move explosives in the open to Syria, and then smuggle them across the Syrian-Leb border (ground or air)?
Posted by: liberal hawk   2009-08-03 12:41  

#1  Just damn. I hate it when that happens.

And once again, Allan shows a sense of humor.
Posted by: Sonny Ebbeamp1305   2009-08-03 10:48  

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