Hezbolah-linked terrorists blamed for Burgas attack

(JTA) – Two men with links to the terrorist organization Hezbollah were implicated in a terrorist attack in Bulgaria that killed six, including five Israelis. Hezbollah also financed the bomb attack on a tour bus full of Israelis last July, Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov told reporters on Tuesday following a six-hour Cabinet meeting.

Prior to Tsvetanov’s news conference, Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev did not confirm nor deny reports that Bulgaria would blame Hezbollah and Iran for the terrorist attack.
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“There is a significant progress, but the investigation is still not over,” Plevneliev was quoted as telling the Sofia news agency after a meeting Tuesday of Bulgaria’s Consultative Council for National Security.

Israel has blamed both Hezbollah and Iran for the attack, which also killed the Israeli tourists’ Bulgarian bus driver. Iran has denied responsibility and accused Israel of staging the attack.

A Bulgarian finding that Hezbollah was linked to the attack could lead to its classification as a terrorist group in the European Union.

The U.S. Congress in recent weeks has called on European bodies to join the United States, Israel, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in designating Hezbollah as a terrorist group.

British and Dutch officials pressed last year for concerted EU action against Hezbollah, a major player in the Lebanese government, but other nations including France have resisted efforts to blacklist the group in an apparent effort to maintain good relations with Beirut.