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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Salafist Cleric Tells Charbel that End of Jihad Call Hinges on Hizbullah Pullout |
| 2013-04-24 |
| [An Nahar] Salafist holy man Sheikh Salem al-Rafehi said Tuesday that he informed caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel his readiness to withdraw his call for jihad if Hizbullah ended its involvement in Syria's civil war. In remarks to LBCI, al-Rafehi said: "Charbel telephoned me and I formed him our readiness to pull the invitation to Jihad in Syria if Hizbullah stopped sending fighters to Syria." Al-Rafehi and another Salafist holy man sheikh Ahmed al-Asir called on Monday for jihad to defend Sunnis in Syria. Al-Asir announced the creation of the "Free Resistance Brigades," urging whoever is capable of heading to Syria to go there to aid "the oppressed" in the town of al-Qusayr, southeast of Homs. Asir called on "all the Lebanese who fear attacks by Iran's party (Hizbullah) in Leb to arm themselves and form 5-member secret cells to be ready to exclusively defend themselves and their families should the need arise." Fighting has flared in Syria's Homs region in recent weeks as the government has pressed its campaign to stamp out rebel-held pockets in the area. Much of the heaviest fighting has raged near the Lebanese border around al-Qusayr, where activists said government troops backed by gunnies linked to Hizbullah captured the villages of Radwineyeh and Tel al-Nabi Mando. Al-Rafehi also announced that he has decided to "send men and weapons in support of our Sunni brothers in al-Qusayr." He called on "all Sunni men to be fully prepared ahead of sending the first batch (of fighters) to perform the jihadist duty in al-Qusayr." |
| Posted by:Fred |