Bulgaria bomber tried to rent car, prosecutor says

PanARMENIAN.Net - A man believed to be the suicide bomber who attacked a bus full of Israeli tourists, killing six others, had attempted to rent a car but was turned down because his ID appeared suspicious, a Bulgarian prosecutor said Friday, July 20, according to the Associated Press.

Authorities are looking for clues as to who the suspect was, using his fingerprints, his DNA and his fake Michigan driver's license. Security camera footage from before the attack showed the suspected bomber wandering in and out of the terminal, wearing a baseball cap over long hair, T-shirt, and plaid shorts, with a bulky backpack believed to contain the bomb.

Israel was quick to blame Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah for the attack and a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Thursday night that Hezbollah was believed to be behind the attack. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because it was a sensitive intelligence issue.

Prosecutor Kalina Chapkanova said in a TV interview that before the attack that a man believed to be the bomber tried to rent a car in the town of Pomorie, near the site of the bombing. She said the owner of the rental agency described the man as having short hair, and become suspicious of his license and refused to conclude the deal.

Chapkanova quoted the agency owner as saying that the suspect spoke English with a "specific" accent.

"The owner said that the man had a short haircut, while the photo on the license showed a man with long hair," Chapkanova said. "The owner said that there was nothing suspicious in the behavior of the suspect. He has been very calm and even the failure of the deal did not upset him."

The victims of the attack included the Bulgarian bus driver and five Israelis, including a pregnant woman. 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. Burgas is about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of the capital, Sofia.