Israel´s Ambassador to the United Nations told the Security Council on Tuesday that western Africa has become Hizbullah’s “powerbase.”

“Israel is particularly concerned over Hezbollah´s use of the area [West Africa] as a base of terror operations. Criminal initiatives bolster Hezbollah´s efforts to create sleeper-cells in the area,” Ron Prosor told the Council.

“The world can´t stand idly by – this endangers more than just Africa but innocent lives the world over, as we have seen in New Delhi, Tbilisi and Bangkok," he added.

Prosor told the Security Council that “Israel could play a key role in the global fight against the infiltration of crime-backed terror activity into Western Africa."

He also offered Israeli assistance in forming an "international intelligence agency" dedicated to foiling terror attacks "worldwide."

Prosor´s comments came on the same day that authorities in Azerbaijan uncovered a Hizbullah terror cell that had sought to target Israeli diplomats and Jewish figures in Baku.

Early last week, the wife of Israel´s defense attaché in Delhi was seriously injured in a car bombing. A similar bomb attached to an Israeli diplomatic vehicle in Tbilisi, while the would-be bombers in Bangkok botched their attempt.

Thai police arrested three Iranian nationals in connection with the Bangkok attack and are looking for two more terrorists who remain at large.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has openly accused Iran and its terror confederate Hizbullah of being behind the attacks, saying it revealed Tehran´s "true face."

Prosor lodged a formal complaint naming both Iran and Hizbullah in the attacks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Hizbullah denied any involvement in the string of bombing attempts, but did indicate it planned to target senior Israeli officials. Iran has also denied the charges.

There have been numerous reports in the media indicating Hizbullah uses businessmen in West Africa financiers and arms smugglers.

Sources in the US intelligence community have accused Hizbullah of trafficking in arms and drugs to finance its terror operations.

Earlier this month, Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah denied media reports that his group was involved in money laundering or drugs trafficking to fund the group’s war against Israel.

He also denied media reports that Hizbullah was involved in any commercial ventures in or outside Lebanon. (IsraelNationalNews © 2012 02/22/12)