Hizbullah pays Palestinians to attack

         Fearing a harsh military response if it attacks Israel directly, Hizbullah has paid Palestinian terrorist cells to avenge the assassination of the group's military commander, The Jerusalem Post has learned. Hizbullah, Israeli officials told the Post, has paid tens of thousands of dollars to Palestinian terrorist groups, asking them to carry out large-scale attacks against Israel - including the kidnapping of IDF soldiers - in retaliation for the February assassination of Imad Mughniyeh. Hizbullah has accused Israel of killing Mughniyeh in a Damascus car bombing on February 12. Hizbullah has threatened repeatedly to avenge the assassination. Hizbullah's decision to ask the Palestinian groups to attack Israel in its place stems from concern, officials said, that an attack carried out directly by Hizbullah operatives would lead to a fierce Israeli military response in Lebanon. Defense officials have said in recent months that in the event of a renewed conflict with Hizbullah, Israel will not limit its strikes to Hizbullah targets but will also feel free to strike at Lebanese infrastructure now that Hizbullah is part of the government in Beirut. According to the defense officials, while the Palestinian terrorist groups have received large sums of money from Hizbullah, their failure to carry out attacks against Israel has caused tension between Gaza and Lebanon. Israel has beefed up security around embassies and institutions abroad out of fear that they may be targeted by Hizbullah, which is suspected of carrying out the bombings against the Israeli Embassy and Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in the early 1990s. Fearing a kidnapping attack, the defense establishment has also warned Israeli businessmen, and particularly former defense officials, to take extra precautions when traveling abroad. (20,12)