Israel blames Iran for deadly bus explosion targeting Israeli tourists in Bulgaria

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**Jihadin**

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is promising a strong reaction after an attack on Israeli tourists that he says was carried out by Iran.

A bus carrying mostly Israeli youth in a Bulgaria exploded near an airport Wednesday, killing at least 5 people and wounding at least 33 others, Bulgaria interior minister told local news stations. Witnesses told Israeli media that the huge blast occurred soon after someone boarded the vehicle.

A Bulgarian news agency is also reporting that two pregnant women and an 11-year-old Israeli girl are among the wounded.

Bulgarian media is reporting that one of the victims killed is a local tour guide. Nine of the tourists are reportedly still missing, according to Haaretz news.

The incident took place in the Black Sea resort city of Burgas, some 250 miles east of the capital, Sofia. Images shown on Israeli media showed smoke billowing from the scene -- a parking lot at the area's airport where tourists had apparently just landed.

Netanyahu said "all signs point to Iran."

This "is an Iranian terror attack that is spreading across the world," Netanyahu said. "Israel will react strongly to Iran's terror."

Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov told Haaretz that explosives were placed in the back of the bus.

The attack comes on the anniversary of a 1994 attack on a Jewish center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that killed 85 people. Just this morning, relatives of the victims implored the Argentine government to pressure Iran to turn over seven suspects accused in that attack.

Bulgaria, an eastern European nation, is a popular tourist destination for Israelis.

Although it was not yet certain what caused the blast, Israeli tourists have been targeted in attacks before before, namely in India, Thailand and Azerbaijan. Israel foe Iran is suspected of being behind these assaults.

Another spokesman for the Israeli ministry would not confirm that it was an attack. "We don't know if it was a terror attack," Paul Hirschson said. "We do know it was an explosion."

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Jonathan Rosenzweig said a flight from Tel Aviv had landed at a quarter to 5 p.m. and that the blast took place about 40 minutes later.

The tourists were apparently boarding the bus en route to their hotels.

The airport in Burgas was closed after the blast. At least 10 fire trucks are battling flames from the explosion, police say.

Witness Gal Malka told Israel's Channel 2 TV that she saw someone board the bus before it exploded. She also noted that the bus was full of Israeli teenagers.

Officials said Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had spoken with his Bulgarian counterpart and was being kept abreast of the developments. Bulgarian leaders, including President Rosen Plevneliev were on their way to the site.

Another footstep towards a shooting match

**Huffy**

Wouldn't surprise me, they're both escalating from proxy to direct shooting sadly

**Orlanth**

Certain it was Iran?

The press are a little one sided on this issue. After a string of assassinations in Ran if Iranian nuclear project officials that many claim is the work of Mossad there remained a wall of denial and the conclusion that there was no proof.

Meanwhile many suspected attacks by Islamic terrorists is de facto blamed on Iran and the western press is expected to believe that without question.

Maybe the Iranians were involved, but it is also possible, in fact probably more likely, to be an isolated Islamic militant cell. There are plenty of those around.

I don't trust Netanyahu to tell the truth on this issue, I do expect him however to jump on every opportunity to blame Iran and shorten the distance to a military operation, its what the fether does best.

**Huffy**

Orlanth wrote:Certain it was Iran?

The press are a little one sided on this issue. After a string of assassinations in Ran if Iranian nuclear project officials that many claim is the work of Mossad there remained a wall of denial and the conclusion that there was no proof.

Meanwhile many suspected attacks by Islamic terrorists is de facto blamed on Iran and the western press is expected to believe that without question.

Maybe the Iranians were involved, but it is also possible, in fact probably more likely, to be an isolated Islamic militant cell. There are plenty of those around.

I don't trust Netanyahu to tell the truth on this issue, I do expect him however to jump on every opportunity to blame Iran and shorten the distance to a military operation, its what the fether does best.

It doesn't matter, Iran and Israel knocking each other's citizens off sells far better than a random terrorist cell.
It is also in the benefit of Netanyahu and Ahmadinejad to play along, as a foreign enemy gives their respective countries a focus away from the huge domestic issues both countries are undergoing at the moment.

Iran=farther breakaway of Rep. Guard from Gov't authority/rising tensions between moderates and Ahmadinejad's conservatives
Israel=huge increase in housing costs, tensions between orthodox jews and pretty much every other group in Israel

Was Iran involved...unknown, is it likely? probably

**Phototoxin**

Trolling is not acceptable on Dakka. -Mannahnin

**Jihadin**

Isreal will probaly be the first to nuke someone or the first target. What happens after that will be up in the air. Problem thats everyone thinking if it goes into a shooting match what is Iran going to do in the Straight of Homuz.

**purplefood**

In fairness Israel has had a lot of problems considering ever since they were created they have been surrounded by countries who would quite willingly wipe them off of the face of the world...
That said Israel have yet to learn what a proportionate response is...

**Frazzled**

Phototoxin wrote:The sooner Israel is nuked into oblivion the more peaceful the world will be.

So you're calling for the extermination of what, a few million people?

**Zathras**

Phototoxin wrote:The sooner Israel is nuked into oblivion the more peaceful the world will be.

Yeah, peacful till they turn those nukes on other countries after being empowered by the destruction of Israel.....good thinking there.

**Dreadwinter**

The idea of Israel going to war kind of scares me. Those guys are not going to screw around when they finally decide to go balls deep in to Iran and Iran is crazy enough to throw whatever they got at them regardless of the consequences.

On the upside, people will forget about us doing Hiroshima and Nagasaki after those two start tossing nukes. So, silver lining?

**AlmightyWalrus**

Orlanth wrote:Certain it was Iran?

The press are a little one sided on this issue. After a string of assassinations in Ran if Iranian nuclear project officials that many claim is the work of Mossad there remained a wall of denial and the conclusion that there was no proof.

Meanwhile many suspected attacks by Islamic terrorists is de facto blamed on Iran and the western press is expected to believe that without question.

Maybe the Iranians were involved, but it is also possible, in fact probably more likely, to be an isolated Islamic militant cell. There are plenty of those around.

I don't trust Netanyahu to tell the truth on this issue, I do expect him however to jump on every opportunity to blame Iran and shorten the distance to a military operation, its what the fether does best.

This. Criticism against Israel is anti-semitism, but Iran's fair game.

**mattyrm**

Frazzled wrote:
Phototoxin wrote:The sooner Israel is nuked into oblivion the more peaceful the world will be.

So you're calling for the extermination of what, a few million people?

Phototoxin is a notorious anti-Semite.

And If I recall correctly, a creationist to boot.

So basically he is beyond ridiculous, and therefore I wouldn't get wound up about it.

**Testify**

purplefood wrote:In fairness Israel has had a lot of problems considering ever since they were created they have been surrounded by countries who would quite willingly wipe them off of the face of the world...
That said Israel have yet to learn what a proportionate response is...

A proportionate response means the death of an entire people and the extermination of a race.

Having said that, Isreal are fully capable of looking after themselves. Helps when you have the USA and India on your side, and of course they're in NATO.

**Frazzled**

Evidently the homicide bomber had already been caught and held in Gitmo, but later released to Sweden. Then caught again in 2009 on the border with Afghanistan but released after Sweden again refused him. Evidently he's an Algerian Swede. This supports my theory that too many Swedish meatballs will make you go on a killing spree.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2175859/Suspected-suicide-bomber-killed-Israeli-tourists-Bulgaria-bus-bombing-previously-spent-years-Guantanamo-Bay-released-charge.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Testify wrote:
purplefood wrote:In fairness Israel has had a lot of problems considering ever since they were created they have been surrounded by countries who would quite willingly wipe them off of the face of the world...
That said Israel have yet to learn what a proportionate response is...

A proportionate response means the death of an entire people and the extermination of a race.

Having said that, Isreal are fully capable of looking after themselves. Helps when you have the USA and India on your side, and of course they're in NATO.

India is in NATO? How come I didn't get the memo?

**Testify**

If you go around arresting anyone you don't like without any evidence, the obviously at some point you're going to pick someone up who's a real wrong'un.

**Frazzled**

caught... twice?

**AlmightyWalrus**

Frazzled wrote:caught... twice?

It's not him though, according to the Swedish equivalent of the FBI. I'd assume they know where he is.

**Frazzled**

AlmightyWalrus wrote:
Frazzled wrote:caught... twice?

It's not him though, according to the Swedish equivalent of the FBI. I'd assume they know where he is.

I wouldn't.

**dogma**

Orlanth wrote:Certain it was Iran?

The press are a little one sided on this issue. After a string of assassinations in Ran if Iranian nuclear project officials that many claim is the work of Mossad there remained a wall of denial and the conclusion that there was no proof.

Meanwhile many suspected attacks by Islamic terrorists is de facto blamed on Iran and the western press is expected to believe that without question..

Where in the article does it state that the Israeli position is necessarily accurate?

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Jihadin wrote:Problem thats everyone thinking if it goes into a shooting match what is Iran going to do in the Straight of Homuz.

That's less of an issue than the degree of political capital the situation has in the US. No President in his first term can keep the US out of the conflict, and most in their second will be pressed by their party to enter the matter.

Plus we have all those troops sitting between the two.

**Huffy**

Testify wrote:
purplefood wrote:In fairness Israel has had a lot of problems considering ever since they were created they have been surrounded by countries who would quite willingly wipe them off of the face of the world...
That said Israel have yet to learn what a proportionate response is...

A proportionate response means the death of an entire people and the extermination of a race.

Having said that, Isreal are fully capable of looking after themselves. Helps when you have the USA and India on your side, and of course they're in NATO.

Neither Israel nor India are in NATO. and India would be more likely to back up Iran due to economic ties

**Testify**

Huffy wrote:
Testify wrote:
purplefood wrote:In fairness Israel has had a lot of problems considering ever since they were created they have been surrounded by countries who would quite willingly wipe them off of the face of the world...
That said Israel have yet to learn what a proportionate response is...

A proportionate response means the death of an entire people and the extermination of a race.

Having said that, Isreal are fully capable of looking after themselves. Helps when you have the USA and India on your side, and of course they're in NATO.

Neither Israel nor India are in NATO. and India would be more likely to back up Iran due to economic ties

Damn, Isreal aren't in NATO you're right

my bad.

Also, Indians hate the Pakistanis. And the Pakistanis hate Isreal (and India, obviously). Pretty much all Hindus in India are more than happy to support Isreal given their historic hatred of Muslims.

**Huffy**

Testify wrote:

Also, Indians hate the Pakistanis. And the Pakistanis hate Isreal (and India, obviously). Pretty much all Hindus in India are more than happy to support Isreal given their historic hatred of Muslims.

geo-politics come before national hatreds...simply put the Iranians have the oil that India needs(and India is already noted for ignoring western sanctions on Iran). The Israelis have nothing that India needs. and not to mention a strong Iran friendly to India provides a threat against Pakistan.

**youbedead**

Huffy wrote:
Testify wrote:

Also, Indians hate the Pakistanis. And the Pakistanis hate Isreal (and India, obviously). Pretty much all Hindus in India are more than happy to support Isreal given their historic hatred of Muslims.

geo-politics come before national hatreds...simply put the Iranians have the oil that India needs(and India is already noted for ignoring western sanctions on Iran). The Israelis have nothing that India needs. and not to mention a strong Iran friendly to India provides a threat against Pakistan.

It would depend if Pakistan got involved and and if they supported iran.

**Huffy**

Agreed, but a stronger Iran would be in India's interests versus better ties with Israel

**Orlanth**

Huffy wrote:

Also, Indians hate the Pakistanis. And the Pakistanis hate Isreal (and India, obviously). Pretty much all Hindus in India are more than happy to support Isreal given their historic hatred of Muslims.

Actually back in the 70's this was true to some extent. However Israel exploited that and ripped off India over weapons and nuclear development and the India hasnt forgotten.

Testify wrote:
geo-politics come before national hatreds...simply put the Iranians have the oil that India needs(and India is already noted for ignoring western sanctions on Iran). The Israelis have nothing that India needs. and not to mention a strong Iran friendly to India provides a threat against Pakistan.

This.