Lebanon's army battled militants who threatened to open "gates of fire" after clashes which killed 21 people, 13 of them soldiers, on Sunday. If you're "refugees" in somebody else's country and you threaten to open "gates of fire," they're absolutely justified if they kill you all to the last man, woman, and child. Or they could just kick your collective backside far enough out of their country that you won't bother them again. Antarctica's nice this time of year. Relatively.
It was Lebanon's worst internal fighting since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war, and was triggered when security forces raided homes in Tripoli to arrest suspects from the Fatah al-Islam group accused of robbing a bank a day earlier. A Lebanese military source said the army shot down a high-ranking officer within the Fatah Al-Islam group. The military source told added that the man, known as Abu Mayzen, was the third assistant to the group leader Shaker Al-Absi.
We're waiting to hear about his demise, too...
The man, who is believed to be behind explosions that targeted civilian buses in the Meten town of Ain Alaq earlier this year, was one of several militants shot down in one of the city's streets during mopping-up operations by Lebanese law and order forces. According to latest reports, the law and order forces had succeeded in restoring law and order to the city and various other northern Lebanon trouble spots, where the group was also active, including Akkar. However, members of the group who had left the refugee camp have escaped and are now on the run in neighboring villages and bushes.
Making for Syria and home over the backroads, are they?
Meanwhile, Tripoli residents were cautioned to stay away from trouble spots for their own safety.
We comment occasionally on the fact that it's been 60 years and the Paleos are still "refugees." Then something like this happens to remind us that even only somewhat normal societies like Leb don't need to make this kind of mindset welcome. There's a reason the Paleos haven't been welcomed as permanent settlers, and that reason is Gaza. And Ein el-Hellhole. And all the other places festering with mindless "militancy."
And their behavior in Kuwait. And Iraq. And Jordan ...
Elsewhere in Lebanon, cautious calm prevailed as Lebanese army troops were taking serious measures to enforce the law through setting up checkpoints on highways and coastal roads converging on the capital Beirut, specifically the Damascus Road. Vans and buses were submitted to meticulous searches by the army.
Trying to make sure the dishpits don't explode downtown in the capital.
A cabinet minister said the fighting with the group seemed timed to try to derail U.N. moves to set up an international court to investigate political killings in Lebanon.
| A cabinet minister said the fighting with the group seemed timed to try to derail U.N. moves to set up an international court to investigate political killings in Lebanon. |
Thirteen soldiers were killed at Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli and in an attack on an army patrol in al-Qalamoun, just south of the city, a security source said. Four Fatah al-Islam militants were killed in the camp, which is home to 40,000 Palestinian refugees. Medical sources in the camp said four civilians, including two children, had also been killed and 45 wounded.
[Tap! Tap!] Damned sympathy meter appears to be dead! Maybe it's the batteries.
Fatah al-Islam said the army had launched an unprovoked attack.
"Yeah! We wudn't do nuttin'! We wuz just standin' around with our AKs and our bandoliers, when -- Bang! -- they jumps us outta nowhere!"
"We warn the Lebanese army of the consequences of continuing the provocative acts against our mujahideen who will open the gates of fire ... against (the army) and against the whole of Lebanon," it said in a statement.
"Fearsome bastards, ain't we? Youse should tremble in yer boots!"
The army had tightened its grip around Nahr al-Bared camp since authorities charged Fatah al-Islam members with two bus bombings in a Christian area near Beirut in February. Three civilians were killed by the bombs.
Don't forget the bank heist yesterday, either.
Cabinet minister Ahmad Fatfat, speaking in Tripoli, linked the clashes to what he said were efforts to derail U.N. moves to set up the international tribunal for suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. A U.N. probe has implicated Syria and Lebanese officials in the Hariri killing. Damascus denies any involvement in the killing. It also denies any link to Fatah al-Islam which, according to its leader, has no organisational links to al Qaeda but agrees with its aim of fighting 'infidels'.
Just another Syrian front organization. Syrian intel is to Fateh al-Islam as ISI is to the Taliban.
Syria closed two of its border crossings into northern Lebanon because of the security situation there, according to an official Syrian statement. The main crossing remained open. An official source of the Syrian Interior Ministry told the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that the closure of the border exits of Al-Arida and Al-Dabbousiah was for security reasons. The border checkpoints will remain closed until resoration of normal security conditions in northern Lebanon.
Fatfat told Lebanon's pro-government Future TV: "There is someone trying to create security chaos to say to world public opinion: 'Look, if the tribunal is established, there will be security trouble in Lebanon'."
I think the International Community™ is aware of that fact. They're probably even aware of who's behind the security trouble, though they're also probably trying not to be. The International Community™ works hard to keep its ability to tie one event to another in a stunted condition.
The United States, France and Britain last week circulated a draft U.N. resolution that would unilaterally set up the court, which is at the heart of a political crisis in Lebanon.
The rattle of assault rifles and machineguns could be heard, and thuds from explosions rocked the Nahr al-Bared area after the fighting broke out before dawn. Residents were trapped indoors and called for a ceasefire to evacuate the wounded.
They always do that. Eventually the ceasefire always comes, at which point the bad guyz have the opportunity to rearm and keep the festivities going interminably.
The army sent in reinforcements to the outskirts of the camp where smoke could be seen rising into the air. The army is not allowed into Palestinian camps under a 1969 Arab agreement.
When Arabs agree it's usually on something that stunningly stoopid.
An army statement said the clashes began when Fatah al-Islam attacked army posts around the camp and in northern Tripoli. Security forces had also been trying to arrest Fatah al-Islam members, security sources said. A group of suspected Fatah al-Islam members had been detained, the sources said.
Which'd be why they attacked, of course...
Security forces clashed with militants in Tripoli itself while trying to arrest Fatah al-Islam members holed up in a building in the predominantly Muslim city, which is Lebanon's second largest. Smoke rose from a building in the city. Fatah al-Islam was formed last year by fighters who broke off from the Syria-backed Fatah Uprising group.