Beirut, 27 Jan 2010 — Hypotheses and speculations mounted about a “sabotage” action in the Ethiopian plane crash which plunged into the Mediterranean sea in stormy weather earlier this week with 90 passengers and crew on board feared dead.
The Ethiopian plane crash which plunged into the Mediterranean sea in stormy weather earlier this week with 90 passengers and crew on board is likely a “deliberate” attack, some media reports said Wednesday.
While the daily al-Liwaa said the crash is likely a “deliberate” attack, pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat did not rule out “sabotage” after the disaster presumably killed all 90 passengers and crew.
OTV, meanwhile, which is close to Hizbullah and is reputed to have strong ties with Hizbullah circles, cited official circles as saying that the Ethiopian plane was likely hit by a rocket.
Al-Liwaa based its hypothesis on Hizbullah’s heightened concern about the catastrophe and the fact that a Hizbullah delegation, including Hashem Safieddine and MP Nawar al-Sahili, was supposed to be on the plane.
It said the trip was cancelled at the last minute upon instructions by Speaker Nabih Berri to allow Sahili to attend a parliamentary session scheduled for Monday.
Berri, however, called off the meeting after the plane crash disaster.
Al-Liwaa also pointed to Hizbullah’s noteworthy presence in the funeral of one of the plane victims identified as Hassan Tajeddine in the southern town of Hanaway.
It said Tajeddine had close ties with Hizbullah.
However, a communique issued by Hizbullah strongly denied Al Liwaa’s report and said it was “totally unbased.”
“The newspaper used some atmospheres related to the trip of MP Nawwar al-Sahili to publish a totally unbased scenario,” added Hizbullah’s communique.
Navigation sources, meanwhile, told Asharq al-Awsat that “all possibilities are open.”
They said an “explosion” likely took place on the plane, pointing out that lightning by itself cannot bring down an aircraft.
The sources also raised the possibility that the lightning hit the plane in a “sensitive area” that, together with human and technical errors, led to the crash.
Witnesses said the aircraft was in flames as it dropped into the sea.
Lebanese leaders, including President Michel Suleiman, Defense Minister Elias Murr and Transportation Minister Ghazi Aridi, have ruled out sabotage in the plane crash. (AP photo inside shows Sheik Nabil Kaouk, right, Hizbullah’s commander in south Lebanon, and Hizbullah MP Hasan Fadlallah, left, attending Tajeddine’s funeral on Tuesday.)
February 3rd, 2010 at 2:17 pm
This is fabricated story designed by the bucher MelASS to get more support and credebility the fight on Terrorism. Hisbola is part of the government of Lebanon and pointless to attack anybody.
Let us all concentrate the great news which came out this afternoon about The bucher of Sudan most likely to face genocide charge by ICC. I know this kind of story doesn’t give comfort to the racist leader of TPLF MelASS. Time to put pressure on ICC to consider meles after alibesher.
February 3rd, 2010 at 4:10 pm
በዉነት በሂዝቦላ ተመቶ ከሆን በታም ያሳዝናል እኛ አሁን ምንም የምናረገዉ ነገር የለም ምክንያቱም በግምት ኢትዮጲያን የሚገዛ ወራዳ እና ከሃዲ ባንዳ ህግወጥ መንግስት ስላለን ነዉ. ስለዚህ እዉነትኛዉ የኢትዮጲያ መንግስት ሲመጣ የዛነ ነብር አየኝ ይበሉ ቺርታም ሁላ
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:45 pm
Stop being a fricken tabloid. There is not aniota of substance in this article.
February 4th, 2010 at 12:53 am
It could be I guse it before. since europeans specially a wife of the pre.of france was there it can be. Hisbolla isn’t a part of Lebanon gov.yematakewin or yematakiwin atikebatir/r.Stupid hisbolla.
February 4th, 2010 at 1:42 am
you are right the butcher Meles Zenawi is seriously following about the additional decession of the ICC against AL bashir the best friend of Zenawi.
the reason for the crash of Plane will be desplayed in the Black box. zenawi journalist always to attach everything with terrorism since Zenawi is still a live by this smart word that the US & western do not want to listen.
February 4th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
ውይ ነዶ!
ይህ የሚወራው ወረ ውሽት ነው ከማለትህ በፊት የሊባኖን ተወላጆች የሚሉትን ማድመጥ አለብህ:: እኒ ባለሁበት አካባቢ የሊባኖስ ተወላጆች በሰፊው ያመኑበት ጉዳይ ስለሆነ: ውሽት ነው ወይም የዲያብሎሱ መለስ ፈጠራ ነው ማለትን እናቁም:: ጥቁር ሳጥኑ እስካሁን ያልተገኝው ለምን ይመስልሃል? ነገሩ በቀላሉ የሚታይ አይደለም::
February 7th, 2010 at 6:55 pm
Though Hizbullah is a terrorist organization,I don’t think they are responsible for this incident or accident.The organization main focus is only in domestic matter until to this day.Anyway,it is too early to point a finger at anyone.
Wey Nedo,
Read the article properly before blaming anyone.According to the article,some media in Lebanon(Not Melese)think Hizbullah is responsible for this tragedy.
February 9th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
very sad news
February 11th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
we need more updated news
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:18 am
The funeral was held yesterday, so now maybe everyone at Sea World can get things going back to normal. I have to believe that Dawn would have wanted everyone to move forward. Still very tragic.