US commends Bulgaria attack probe

The United States commended Bulgaria for its investigation linking the Lebanese Hezbollah militia to last July`s terrorist attack.

Washington: The United States on Tuesday commended Bulgaria for its investigation linking the Lebanese Hezbollah militia to last July`s terrorist attack in a tourist resort that killed six including five Israeli tourists.

"Bulgaria`s investigation exposes Hezbollah for what it is - a terrorist group that is willing to recklessly attack innocent men, women, and children, and that poses a real and growing threat not only to Europe, but to the rest of the world," the Assistant to the US President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, John Brennan, said following the Bulgarian investigations. The bombing was carried out by a suicide bomber on a passenger bus transporting Israeli tourists at the Burgas Airport in Bulgaria on July 18, last year. The bus was carrying forty-two Israelis, from the airport to their hotels, after arriving on a flight from Tel Aviv. Commending Bulgarian authorities for their determination and commitment to ensuring that Hezbollah is held to account for this act of terror on European soil, Brennan said the US will continue to provide the Bulgarian Government assistance in bringing the perpetrators of this heinous attack to justice. "Hezbollah`s dangerous and destabilising activities - from attacking tourists in foreign countries to leader Hassan Nasrallah`s active support of Bashar al-Assad`s violent campaign against the Syrian people - threaten the safety and security of nations and citizens around the world," he said. Brennan noted that Bulgaria`s implication of Hezbollah underscores the importance of international cooperation in disrupting terrorist threats. He also called on European partners as well as other members of the international community to take proactive action to uncover Hezbollah`s infrastructure and disrupt the group`s financing schemes and operational networks in order to prevent future attacks. "The United States is proud to stand with its friend and NATO ally Bulgaria. We deeply value our strong partnership on a wide range of issues including advancing global and regional security in Afghanistan and the Balkans, expanding economic and commercial ties, and promoting cultural and education programmes," Brennan said. PTI