Thursday, February 07, 2013

Bulgarian opposition questions blaming of Hezbollah for bomb

"Bulgaria's opposition criticized a government statement that Hezbollah carried out a bomb attack that killed Israeli tourists, saying on Wednesday the conclusion was unjustified and dangerous.  The July attack in the coastal city of Burgas raised tensions in the Balkan country, where 15 percent of the 7.3 million population are Muslim, and opposition parties said the government acted under Israeli and U.S. pressure.   The charge made by European Union and NATO member Bulgaria on Tuesday may open the way for Brussels to join the United States in branding the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant movement Hezbollah a terrorist organization.   "It is an unjustifiable act that is very dangerous," Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader Sergei Stanishev said. "The government entered into an international political game in an irresponsible manner, without calculating the consequences."  The nationalist Attack and ethnic Turkish MRF party joined the Socialist criticism, saying it was too soon for the rightist government of Prime Minister Boiko Borisov to blame Hezbollah because the investigation had not yet concluded.   They said the government had failed to provide a thorough analysis of faults in national security and Bulgaria would remain vulnerable."