Supporting the idea that this was a jihad attack is the fact that it was a suicide bombing. Pace CAIR-linked Robert Pape, only jihadists have thus far been known to commit mass murder in this way on an international scale. “Bulgaria says suicide attacker in baseball cap, sneakers, shorts attacked Israeli tourist bus,” by Veselin Toshkov for The Associated Press, July 19:
SOFIA, Bulgaria – A lanky, long-haired man wearing a baseball cap and plaid shorts with a fake Michigan driver’s license carried out a deadly suicide attack on a bus full of Israeli vacationers, Bulgarian officials said Thursday.
Israel stuck by its claim that the attack was carried out by Iranian-backed Hezbollah, a Lebanese guerrilla group, and threatened retaliation. Seven people “” five Israelis, the Bulgarian driver and the bomber “” died in the blast Wednesday.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack. But Israel has attributed a series of attacks on its citizens around the world in recent months to Iran, threatening to escalate a shadow war between the two arch-enemies.
The attack occurred shortly after the Israelis boarded a bus outside the airport in the Black Sea resort town of Burgas, a popular destination for Israeli tourists “” particularly for high school graduates before they are drafted into military service “” about 400 kilometres (250 miles) east of the capital, Sofia.
Bulgarian television aired security camera footage Thursday showing the suspected bomber wandering in and out of the terminal shortly before the blast. He was dressed as a tourist himself, wearing a baseball cap, T-shirt, plaid shorts and sneakers with short white socks. He carried a large backpack with wheels, as well as a smaller bag.
Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said the bomber was believed to have been about 36 years old and had been in the country between four and seven days.
“We cannot exclude the possibility that he had logistical support on Bulgarian territory,” the minister said.
Officials were using DNA samples to try to establish his identity. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov told reporters that a Michigan driver’s license was retrieved, but he said U.S. officials reported that “there was no such person in their database.” Michigan is home to one of the largest Arab communities in the United States.