Fatah al-Islam rules, national cloning and a cup of coffee

Assad's war on Lebanon received a new title today with the creation of the "al-Qaeda organization in Lebanon", announced by al-Qaeda's alleged Iraq branch. The announcement coincided with a declaration by pro-Assad Islamist Fathi Yakan-- who has been "mediating" between the Lebanese army and Fatah al-Islam-- that his "mediation" efforts failed because the conflict in Nahr El Bared is now in "the hands of al-Qaeda".

Yakan, who split from the Sunni al-Jamaa al-Islamiya after the Hariri assassination to form his own pro-Syrian Islamist group, had been shuttling between Damascus and Nahr El Bared camp well before Fatah al-Islam attacked the army. The preacher was also used as a Sunni cover by Hizbullah, which picked him to lead prayers in downtown Beirut at the beginning of their occupation of the city.

Yakan's announcement was described by security sources quoted in An-Nahar as an attempt to cover up for the Assad regime's involvement in the war.

The Nahr El Bared gang also seems to have changed leadership. Yakan said Shaker al-Absi, who has been linked to Syrian intelligence in numerous reports (the latest of which is this, which claims he ran a training camp in Syria for Iraq-bound suicide bombers), could no longer be reached. This was followed by a statement by Shahine Shahine, who pledged allegiance to a Saudi al-Qaeda "Emir".

Reports also emerged today that the ranks for Fatah al-Islam swelled after numerous Islamists and pro-Syrian Palestinian factions joined the fight against the army.

وكان بارزاً في الجولة الأخيرة من الاشتباكات ليل الجمعة - السبت التحاق قوى فلسطينية جديدة بـ «فتح الإسلام» الذي استطاع اعادة تجميع صفوفه بعد الضربات التي مُني بها، وتمكن من خوض معركة ضد الجيش كانت الأعنف منذ الاعتداء الذي استهدف العسكريين فجر الأحد في 20 أيار (مايو) الماضي.
وأكد شهود عيان في مخيم نهر البارد لـ «الحياة» ان أطرافاً فلسطينيين سارعوا الى نجدة «فتح الإسلام» في المواجهات من خلال تزويده بالمقاتلين والذخيرة والتموين، وهذا ما برز جلياً في المعركة الأخيرة التي خاضها ضد الجيش مخالفاً كل التوقعات التي كانت تتحدث عن انه بات على وشك الاستسلام.
وجاء ما كشفه الشهود العيان متطابقاً مع المعلومات التي توافرت لجهات رسمية وبعض القيادات في الأكثرية والمعارضة التي أجمعت على ان «فتح الإسلام» نجح من خلال الدعم اللوجستي والبشري الذي زودته به بعض الفصائل الفلسطينية في اعادة تنظيم نفسه إذ لوحظ ان المئات من المسلحين شاركوا في المعركة الأخيرة، بينما لم يتمكن في المواجهات السابقة من حشد أكثر من مئة مقاتل.
وتحدث الشهود ايضاً عن ان مقاتلين ينتمون الى فصائل فلسطينية انتشروا في المواقع الأمامية المؤدية الى مخيم نهر البارد في محاولة لإشغال الجيش اللبناني وتخفيف الضغط العسكري الذي كان يتعرض له «فتح الإسلام» على طول محاور استراحة النورس ومؤسسة صامد ومبنى التعاونية.

An-Nahar corroborates the above, adding that the soon to be released results of investigations with arrested Fatah al-Islam members will reveal the "enormity of the plot" and the involvement of many pro-Syrian organizations in the battle against the army.

According to An-Nahar, the army's command is now "re-evaluating" its strategy and introducing "more effective" artillery after incurring heavy losses over the weekend—11 soldiers. The army basically found itself on uncharted territory fighting a larger number of terrorists, who have been using underground tunnels, and laying booby-traps.

The army death toll rose to 58 soldiers since the beginning of the war. At least 45 terrorists were reportedly killed, and dozens other arrested. Two Red Cross workers were killed today by Fatah al-Islam sniper fire.

Meanwhile, over at the Hizbullah-led front of this war, Nabil Qawooq today advised March 14 to submit or else become "the biggest loser".

"February 14 (March 14) has to submit to the reality of participation [of Hizbullah in a national unity government legalizing the weapons of the resistance] otherwise it will be the biggest loser," Qawooq said.  He refused any trade-offs between the presidency and the national unity government, saying that only a national unity government based on the 2005 ministerial statement (which legalized the resistance against Israel) will save March 14 from "collapse and from a path of failures and disappointments."

This is a clear admission that Hizbullah views Assad's war on Lebanon as a deserved punishment for March 14 for their anti-Syrian stance. In the transcript published by The National News Agency, there's not a single mention of the Lebanese army—instead, it's all about the "resistance", and the "moral, patriotic and religious" duty to counter alleged attempts to "destroy" the "achievements of the resistance" and "punishing it" through the monitoring of the Lebanese-Syrian border, the airport and smuggling by sea. He renewed Hizbullah's objections to deploying international monitors at the border and the airport and at sea, as well as "expanding UNIFIL's mandate". 

Amid this multi-faceted Syrian war on the country, Jumblatt lashed out at ongoing Saudi and French sponsored negotiations to form a cabinet giving the opposition veto power, based on the same ministerial statement legalizing "the resistance" against Israel, and without any guarantees for holding presidential elections. He also wondered how UNSC 1701 would be reconciled with the 2005 ministerial statement.  Jumblatt viewed such ideas as giving the opposition everything, adding that the French and the Saudis are not in a position to provide guarantees given Assad's continuous war on the country via Nahr El Bared, which Jumblatt said was launched because Bashar knew he would not be able to force the formation of two governments in case a president was not elected.

In a statement to An-Nahar, Jumblatt criticized the government for not sending the UNSC information on Fatah al-Islam's involvement with Syrian intelligence on the eve of a session to discuss resolution 1559. The PSP leader accused "some" of withholding this information to facilitate the formation of a "national unity government that is a national cloning government" that does not guarantee the holding of presidential elections or stability in the country.

Jumblatt insinuated that "some" in March 14 need to rise to the level of the sacrifices made by the army "every moment of every hour" in its "battle for sovereignty and independence". He said "some" would be mistaken to believe that establishing the Hariri tribunal is the end of all misery. It is the beginning, Jumblatt said, with the goal being justice, stability and the Assad regime's recognition of the Lebanese state.  "In this politically and militarily decisive battle, let the callers for compromise shut up", Jumblatt said.

Meanwhile, Saad Hariri is still waiting to chat with Hassan Nasrallah over a "cup of coffee".

Comments

[JoseyWales]

...that the soon to be released results of investigations with arrested Fatah al-Islam members will reveal the "enormity of the plot"...

Excuse me while I laugh for a good half hour here....

Investigation? Results? Revealed??? Soon?

Surely AnNahar is jesting, where have I heard this hilarious stuff before?

Furthermore, I think Annahar and the rest of the idiot press should question their sources and the army command and the gvmnt of Milquefuck.

I don't believe ANYTHING anymore.

How the hell are these Fateh Islam people getting reinforcement when for DAYS now we hear the army has them surrounded and that the "small" pocket of terrorists is under control?

Screw the press and the politicians. It's a miracle the army grunts are fighting behind this failed SHIT of a leedership. God help these soldiers and bless them.

[Shunkleash]

BLASPHEMY!!!!

How dare anyone impugn the dignity and honour and Hygiene and DIGNITY and WEAPONS of the great imperial ibn kulb ruler of hizbteezeestan and his loyal subjects of the balad al arz. The hair on my ass always raises whenever i hear one of these hizbteezee jokers talk...

Anyway, i agree with Josey...the leb army has been tightening the fucking "noose" for three weeks....and they still have more to go!?!?!?...WHY NOT LEVEL THE GOD DAMN PLACE ALREADY....instead we hear bullshit stories about infiltrations out and in as well as re-arming and reinfomrcments etc etc etc. The guys are getting killed and everyday that goes by gives me the curdling feeling that this is all really just political masturbation.

NOW the people (March 14) who should be the most united appear to be the most divided...Geagea, Jumblatt and Gemayal are on the same page (whatever thats worth since I beleive that jumblatt is alread looking for a way to mend the fences with gooseneck in Syria). Hariri, by all accounts is in the sandbox again hoping to buy off everyone with a rolex and BEEMER! Oh well...just like his papa..."if you don't want to deal with them, pay them off and let them be some other idiots problem".

It is all very very funny if you feel like laughing...what a bunch of jokers.

AYESH SHUNKLEASH!!!

[Amir in Tel Aviv]

What about down town Beirut?
still occupied by HZB protesters,
or did they despair by now, and left?
.

[Louis-Noel Harfouche]

That must be some looooong freagin' rope for the noose to still bear tightening. Either that, or this is a 21st century version of the 1967 discourse of (Arab) "victories"; a discourse of "verbal wars" (of fanciful rhetorical victories if you will), which provided Arabs at the time catharsis and escape form their inadequacies. Nasser's (largest and strongest Arab) army was dessimated in two days (between June 6th and 7th) in 1967. Meanwhile, his announcer at the notorious "Sawt al-Arab", the jive-turkey Ahmad Sa'id (remember "Baghdad Bob" aka al-Sahhaaf, the Iraqi Minister of Information?), kept feeding Arab audiences news of the Arabs' valiant victories on the battlefied. Meanwhile, those poor Egyptian soldiers who survived the Israeli onslaught were running home across the desert, barefoot!
I'm afraid we're being fed the rhetoric of Baghdad Bob (and Ahmad Sa'id before him)... Remember how Sahhaaf claimed that there were no US troops in Baghdad, and that the Americans were committing suicide by the hundreds at the city's gates??? The noose tightening (for the past month) around FAI's neck could well be a Lebanese rendering of another Arab gimmick. Shit, shoot me now! Please! Is this what we've been reduced to? I just puked in my mouth a little.

[Battal Agha]

Time to start an uprising against all those who are opposing the Army. These poor sod are trying to fight a war with white gloves when the ennemy is preparing traps and killing undiscriminately. Time to wake up... Hariri should stop stretching his hand to Zibballah. Lebanon is being transformed into an Al Quaedah bastion....

[valiumjunky]

does anyone know of a fund for the families of the lebanese army killed and wounded that is accepting donations?

[fubar]

"Meanwhile, Saad Hariri is still waiting to chat with Hassan Nasrallah over a 'cup of coffee'".

Well, then, not to worry, it is only a pretense of an offer. Nas prefers the more Islamic tea to the more Western coffee. And in spite of the fact that Nas has a sweet tooth, he now sweetens his more Islamic tea with the more Islamic honey given that the street sweeper has declared that sugar and sugar cubes are hosts for the very un-Islamic and dreaded Western cooties.

So save your panic for when the boy in blue offers Nas tea with honey.

On another note, "re-evaluating" strategy and "more effective" artillery - do it, pull the trigger.

[Bad Vilbel]

Louis,

No need to look that far back for those victories: Let's not forget Hassan Nassralah's declaration of victory last summer, even though over 1000 Lebanese were dead, and the destruction and devsastation was in the billions of dollars.

Sometimes, the way these goons define "victory" makes me wish we experienced more "defeats".

[ghassan karam]

The plot cannot possibly be bigger or more enormous than what the confiscated documents show. How can any plot be bigger than blowin up major hotels and embassies in Beirut , cutting off the North by detonating explosives in Chekaa and declaring an Islamic Emirate in the North of Lebanon.

Yet inspite of "the enormity" of this conspiracy to destroy the country the current leadership have not yet mobilized enough forces and have failed to act decisively to excise the cancer. What is clear is that the longer the current situation is allowed to drag the more difficult it becomes to deal with it and the greater would be the pressure to act less forcefully and for FAI to reinforce its forces and get help from its sympathisers. Once the LAF control Naher Al Bared then my greatest fear would be a move by Ahmad Jibreel in the Beka'a. I hope that if and when that occurs that the events do not take the LAF by surprise. They better have a well thought out plan to hit the General Command quickly and hard.

[Bad Vilbel]

Sadly, Ghassan, the LAF (or at least the political leadership) barely appears to have a plan to deal with THIS crisis. What makes you think they've already planned for the next one?

[Craig]

US had the opposite problem in Falluja. Too many of the ratbags got out and away during the siege. Some of the Falluja chick-shits who decided they weren't really prepared to fight to the death after all are probably in Lebanon right now. Please finish what the US started. And don't leave any alive, either. They'll be back if you do. They are like cockroaches.

Anybody who is offended by what I just said, please disregard. It's none of my business.

[LebExile]

Call me naive or whatever you will, but I believe that the Government and Armed forces are handling this the best way possible...

Yes, let them bring reinforcements and more supporters, let them all congregate at Nahar al Bared, and then, when it all becomes too much, level the whole place on their heads...

The number of Jihadists in Lebanon is finite, they dont pop out of thin air, so, the longer this drags on, the more Jihadists go there to support FAI, the more we can wipe out in one place and one fight.

The March 14 government has managed to score several victories here that are overlooked by everyone... here let me list a few..

1. they have brought out into the open the arming in the camps and danger this poses to Lebanon... I'm not talking about arms in the camps, we all know about them, but, about armed radical groups in the camps who flee justice to hide there, or act as lawless gangs etc..

2. the army are on the verge of storming the camp to clean it out. Once in there, they wont get out easily... just like the army is now in the south, having an army presence in the camps can only be a good thing.

3. exposing Syrian complicity in the destabilisation of Lebanon... I know - everyone knows of their complictiy, but, now there is tangible proof that can be used against them.

4. marginalised hizbollah even further... as most of you guys would be aware... their 8 March protests and forcing people to attend these marches was facilitated to a degree by such thugs.

5. another card out of the hand of the Assad regieme. how eslse did you think they intended to destabilise Lebanon???

6. greater support by the international community and the strenghtening of our army.. with more weapons, better training and cooperation with the ISF.

...

These are some of the pluses, I can think of more, it's just not easy to put thought to words when you have just worked for 16 hours straight.

[Traffic]

I'd have to say that the reason this issue has dragged so long is very understandable when you consider that it took two weeks for the arms that were scheduled for later delivery to arrive.

Meanwhile, the army is doing a great job. They are waging the toughest of wars against complete nutcases that are not afraid to die.

Anyways concerning Saniora and the March 14 group, I guess that they are doing a good enough job. This the the first time maybe in the history of Lebanon that the army is given such a strong political cover to do its job even when there are forces in Lebanon that wish that FAI would be successful in scoring a defeat against the army.

As for Hariri's invitation to opposition leaders, i guess it is mostly a necessary media stunt at the most. Joumblat and Geagea have been decisevly against such fruitless measures, which is an indication that this is move is only meant for public (the opposition's) consumption not more.

[Jeha]

AK,

We're watching an interesting parallel with 75/76, which Gemayel and Joumblat remember, but Hariri does not recall.

Back then, the Syrians used their proxies, Saika and PLA, and one of the results was Damour. They could lated come as ADF, and "calm" the tensions they have fanned.

Now, they use Fath Al-Islam and others (witness the sudden "rise" in the reported number of fighters in the camps), in the hope of coming back again to "calm" Lebanon.

[Don Cox]

"The number of Jihadists in Lebanon is finite, they dont pop out of thin air,"

They can do, because a man who was previously just sympathetic to the cause can at any time flip over into being an active fighter. There are millions of such borderline cases in the Arab world and in Pakistan.

There is a whole industry devoted to converting people from a sincere faith in Islam into suicidal fanaticism, so that they can be used as cannon fodder.

[Vox P]

"so that they can be used as cannon fodder."

We have the fodder, but we still need the cannons :)

[Vox P]

"so that they can be used as cannon fodder."

We have the fodder, but we still need the cannons :)

[Charlie]

I sense some mockery in Saad’s “cup of coffee” remark. Wasn’t it the opposition through Aoun once said that they (Siniora) should just show up at the doors of Syria say they are there for coffee, or something along these lines? So perhaps Harriri is just using the same line with them now…:-)

In any case, due to the Harriris’ (Father and Son) style of playing nice with the international and Saudi players, I wouldn’t expect Saad to come out strongly against any of these initiatives before he lets the political wheels turn some. It is unfortunate, but this is Lebanese politics we are talking about.

Geagaa, Gemayle and other Christian players on March-14 don’t have the same luxury as Harriri. They need to continue to upstage Aoun as the guardians of Christian interests. Their biggest fear (and Sfeir) is a scenario that leads into transforming the council of ministers to a presidential council while keeping the post of the president vacant due to failure in electing a new one.

Meanwhile, the Army continues to fight it out with FAI.
The Army has yet to score missiles for the Gazelle choppers while PFLP-GC is getting reinforcements and adding to their present capabilities that already places sensitive Lebanese targets like the airport within range of their bases in Namaa. Lebanon is not just fighting a war it is fighting off a hold choke!!

[Bad Vilbel]

Did you guys see today's story about Aoun? Is he trying to flip-flop?

[R]

what do you mean BV ? what story are you referring to ?