Report: Burgas bomber an Algerian-Swedish Islamist (edited to update to current story)

[azurnoir]

Last edited Thu Jul 19, 2012, 05:22 PM - Edit history (1)

update from original

Sweden denied Thursday reports in Bulgarian media suggesting that that Mehdi Ghezali, the suspected suicide bomber who executed the terror attack on Israeli tourists in Burgas, was a Swedish national.

Bulgarian media named Ghezali as the terrorist saying he was an Algerian-Swedish Islamist who spent two years in Guantanamo Bay.

"We don't know this name", Swedish Security Service Chief Claes Ohison said, but would not elaborate.

Earlier, ABC News published a photo of a fake Michigan driver's license that belonged to the man who was identified by Bulgarian authorities as the suicide bomber.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4258021,00.html

[bemildred]

1. Gitmo graduate, huh? nt

[azurnoir]

4. well that is what's being claimed

seems like shots being 'fired' all around on this one Iran, Hezbollah (didn't Netanyahu say something about attacking Lebanon 'if' a short while back?) Sweden, Gitmo, Dearborn, the US,.......Obama (not mentioned but when was this guy supposedly released?) so many possible targets hope Bibi doesn't run short of ammo

[bemildred]

6. I don't really see how they (anybody) can know the things claimed so soon.

After all, the perp, if he was the perp, is a few kilos of hamburger now. A bit of careful forensic work is required.

But the Gitmo angle is interesting, on the one hand, it will be used to justify keeping "threats" in there forever without any redress. On the other hand it will be used to point out that the place by its very existence is a terrorist factory, and exacerbates the problem that it purports to solve.

[SQUEE]

7. if it is him..

He was released in 2004, and luckily the President can't be blamed, as this would have occured under the former regimes examination and release protocols.

[SQUEE]

2. SAPO is discounting this claim

http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/sapo-avfardar-rykte-om-misstankt-svensk/
Swedish State Police authorities are denying this is Mehdi Ghezali.

[azurnoir]

3. well welcome to DU seems 3 years after you registered you decide to post

and on my thread too I'm flattered do you have a link for that info , bBTW the Ynet article say7s he has not yet been positively identified

About SQUEE
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[SQUEE]

5. I am here watching most days.

It is not often I can add to a discussion since most stuff I would post is done by someone with quicker fingers than me.
It was just that I had just read this on the site I posted above and thought it would fit.
I find the extremely quick ID of this individual a little odd, and thought I would share what I found.

[bemildred]

8. Unless they have the guy in question or know where he is, I don't see how they could

know it's not the Gitmo guy yet.

[SQUEE]

9. is/ has been under surveillance

"In Sweden, Mehdi-Muhammed Ghezali, who was released in July after more than two years at the base, is being monitored by Swedish intelligence agents. While Sweden's security police, SAPO, gave no official comment, its agents have said Ghezali is not a threat."

Sorry no link, it is from article no longer available in Boston Globe.

[bemildred]

14. Thanks, that clarifies.

Let's see if they can back it up. That should embarass somebody.

[oberliner]

10. Jumped the gun maybe?

The story you posted looks to be a load of you-know-what.

[SQUEE]

11. and this is why i just watch

Jumped the gun? How so?

I posted a link to what I saw, never claimed it was anything more and yet..

It is still VERY interesting they IDed this guy so incredibly quickly.

[SQUEE]

12. my bad..

Thought you were refering to my post as it sits above yours and I am half reading at work..
Appologies.

[azurnoir]

16. I seriously doubt the poster you were addressing would delegitimize any post of yours

[oberliner]

20. No worries

As the other poster wrote - I don't de-legitimize new posters.

[Mosby]

13. the bulgarians said they were able to get prints

And dna sample fron the body so its possible that they could have "IDed" him this fast.

[Mosby]

15. the bulgarians are now denying it was ghezali

Swedish and Bulgarian officials denied Thursday that Mehdi Ghezali, a Swedish citizen of Algerian descent, is responsible for the attack against Israelis in Bulgaria a day earlier.

Bulgarian media reported earlier Thursday that the suspected suicide bomber who blew up a bus of Israeli tourists in Burgas, which killed seven people and wounded 34, was Ghezali, who is a 33-year-old former detainee of Guantanamo.

Several hours after the name was circulated in Israeli and global media, Swedish officials were quoted by the Swedish news agency TT as saying that Mehdi Ghezali was not the bomber behind the Burgas attack.

Moreover, Bulgarian officials told ABC news that the bombing suspect's name that has been circulating on the web is incorrect.

[azurnoir]

18. actually if you bother to click the link you'll find Ynet has updated the story to

bring it up to speed with what has been revealed

[oberliner]

19. Not before you breathlessly rushed to post it here

Glad you got it in before they made the changes?

[azurnoir]

21. wow that's really IMO kind of a petty remark

but whatever pleases breathlessly hardly off line for awhile more likely

[oberliner]

22. OK - I'll withdraw it

I prefer to stay on friendly terms.

[unc70]

29. Your earlier remarks seemed petty too

From my ever so humble perspective.

[azurnoir]

30. well then I would guess your opinion comes from not so humble a place

seeing as how you chose to give it, however if that is your opinion you are welcome to it

[Scurrilous]

23. White House reserving judgment on Bulgaria attack

<snip>

"The White House isn't yet backing Israel's assertion that Hezbollah, with the help of Iran, was behind this week's deadly bombing of a tourist bus in Bulgaria.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Friday reiterated the Israeli belief that Hezbollah was responsible for the terror attack on Wednesday which killed five Israelis and a Bulgarian bus driver. And a U.S. official speaking on the condition of anonymity also told the Associated Press on Thursday that Iranian-backed Hezbollah was behind the attack.

But asked on Friday about possible Hezbollah involvement, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was circumspect.

"It is certainly the case that Hezbollah and Iran have been bad actors, as a general matter," Carney said. "But we're not, at this point, in a position to make a statement about responsibility. "

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/07/white-house-not-fingering-iran-hezbollah-in-bulguria-attack/1#.UAn24GFYtBo

[azurnoir]

24. but Netanyahu said .............

how dare the "White House" reserve judgement, if the "White House" really supports Israel it does not reserve judgement, it asks what Israel wants it to do and to who(m)

[oberliner]

25. Crossing into tinfoil hat land

Israel controls the White House? This is really beneath you.

[azurnoir]

28. keep trying I always find the fake accusations so telling of a liberal mind

but perhaps you failed to notice the smilie it was to denote that the comment was parody or representative of rightwing philosophy

[oberliner]

32. Nothing fake

Just trying to come to terms with what you are posting now and what you apparently are all about. I was way off the mark - or you have "evolved" - either way, it is unfortunate.

[azurnoir]

33. come to terms with my comment or interpret in a way that serves a purpose?

what is unfortunate is that you would sink to that your comment has about as much honesty and validity as #26

[oberliner]

34. No interpretation at all

Here's what you wrote:

"if the "White House" really supports Israel it does not reserve judgement, it asks what Israel wants it to do and to who(m)"

[azurnoir]

35. Nice paraphrase really makes your point

perhaps you'll understand this smilie you seem to ignore the one I posted in the comment your going on about

[oberliner]

37. It's not a paraphrase

To paraphrase something is, by definition, to use different words.

This is a word for word cut and paste of your exact words.

[King_David]

26. Borderline post

'Israel's puppy' ?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/113414248

[azurnoir]

27. excuse me are you confused? you link to post made by someone else

a couple of days ago it was a link to a different thread from the one being discussed but I think we resolved that

[shaayecanaan]

31. I did think he looked a bit pasty to be one of the tribe...

I guess well just see.

[azurnoir]

36. well according to Times of Israel

Last edited Sat Jul 21, 2012, 03:58 PM - Edit history (1)

he is supposedly Dutch and Iranian

[shaayecanaan]

38. I heard he was half Martian, half Ecuadorian (nt)

[azurnoir]

39. well that could account for

the greenish cast and here I thought it was just bad reprinting