Palestinians On Rampage
Not the one in Gaza, either. This one is in Lebanon. At least 19 people have died in fighting between Lebanese and a Palestinian group with ties to al Qaeda and Syrian intelligence.
At least 19 people were killed in fierce gunbattles in Lebanon today between soldiers and fighters from a shadowy Palestinian Islamic extremist group accused of having links to both al-Qaeda and the Syrian intelligence services.
Lebanese troops launched an assault on a building in Tripoli where militants from Fatah al-Islam were holed up after a morning of deadly shootouts in the northern port city and and a nearby Palestinian refugee camp. Nicholas Blanford, a Times correspondent on the spot, said that the militants in Tripoli had taken an elderly lady and her daughter hostage.
An army spokesman said 11 soldiers had lost their lives in the fighting, while a total of seven gunmen were reported killed along with a civilian who was caught in the crossfire when troops attacked the building in Tripoli.
Lebanon sent in troop reinforcements to contain the battles which erupted at dawn in Tripoli and around the nearby refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared, a Fatah al-Islam stronghold.
They're just partying down all over, aren't they? And still the Western governments refuse to condemn this behavior in meaningful terms. (Saying the occasional "tut-tut" while simultaneous blaming the entire situation on Israel does not discourage the Palestinians.)
War, World news | Gaius Sunday, 20 May , 2007
By M Helou, Tuesday, 22 May , 2007 @ 3:15 am
Let’s not forget that the instigators include Jordanian and Saudi nationals, as well. We should discover where the funding for their operations and weapons is coming from. Therein lies the answer to Lebanon’s turmoil. The evening bombings are eerily reminiscent of last year’s string of bombs, which targeted the Lebanese economy and struck fear in the hearts of Lebanon’s innocent people. Lebanon is just a battleground for a larger war, and its current leaders are easily bought. This comes as no surprise.