The origins of An Nahr al Barid (click here). The problem with any refugee camp is anarchy. They have little to do with government so much as control. The 'internal' order of the An Nahr al Barid refugee camp was completely dominated by extremists and in recent months violent extremists that were similar in nature to 'drug turf wars' in the slums of some USA cities. That is the issue here and the International Red Cross and Red Cresent Society (click here) have yet to obtain an idea of the number dead and wounded within the refugee camp.
The Lebanese government is attempting to bring the extremists under control for the benefit of those in the camp as well as benefitting the sovereignty of Lebanon. The extremists throughout the country were providing a venue for overthrow of the government. It could not be tolerated anymore. This isn't just about a conflict between extremists and the Lebanese government, this is about the safety of those that live within the camp itself. There were no police, simply armed camps of different groups.
I don't buy the al Qaeda thing. Every extremist group in the Middle East models itself after al Qaeda. They long to be powerful and controlling of populous of people in order to win favor with Allah in a 'bent' understanding of Islam.
The number of victims of the Lebanese shelling of the Nahr Al-Barid refugee camp, north of Tripoli, rose on Monday evening; 15 people are now dead and 80 injured.
The residents of the refugee camp appealed for a ceasefire in order to be able to evacuate the injured and bury the dead.
Eyewitnesses stated that a third party, which they did not name, was behind the resumption of confrontations and the escalation. The assaults became fiercer and heavy artillery was used.
In talks to the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite TV station, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) general command leader, Anwar Rajab, accused gunmen from the Al-Mustaqbal 'future' movement of violating a ceasefire, which was agreed on Monday morning.
A spokesperson from the Al-Mustaqbal movement denied the accusation.
Anwar Rajab warned of the tensions spilling over into other areas. He said "Nahr Al-Barid is not an orphan," meaning there are similar refugee camps in Lebanon that will join forces to retaliate to the attacks.
Head of the Hamas politburo, Khalid Mash'al, telephoned the Lebanese Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora, and demanded that he takes the necessary measures to protect the Palestinians in Nahr Al-Barid refugee camp.
According to a statement from Hamas' media office, Siniora pledged to take the required measures in order to preserve the Palestinian lives.Mash'al had earlier telephoned the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Amr Mousa, and the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud Al-Faysal, for the same reason; he asked them to do their best to secure the safety of the Palestinian people in the refugee camp of Nahr Al-Barid.
He also asked them to organise talks and consultations, in order to stop the brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.The PLO's envoy to Lebanon, Abbas Zaki, told Al-Jazeera, "
The refugee camps, which contain around 400,000 Palestinian refugees, will not be the fanning the flames of a civil war
AM - Tuesday, 22 May , 2007 08:12:00
Reporter: David Hardaker
TONY EASTLEY: Another car bomb explosion, this one in the mainly Muslim sector of Beirut, has injured six people, set cars ablaze and damaged buildings.
Reporter: David Hardaker
TONY EASTLEY: Another car bomb explosion, this one in the mainly Muslim sector of Beirut, has injured six people, set cars ablaze and damaged buildings.
On Sunday a bomb exploded in the Christian sector of the city.
Meanwhile fighting between Lebanese troops and Islamic militants in and around a big Palestinian refugee camp in the main northern city of Tripoli has continued for a second day, with at least nine civilians killed. Yesterday 50 soldiers, militants and civilians died in the worst internal violence seen in Lebanon since the end of the civil war 15 years ago. Middle East Correspondent, David Hardaker reports. (Sounds of gunfire)...
Militant group Fatah al-Islam offers truce to stop fighting with Lebanese army (click here)
By The Associated Press
Militant group Fatah al-Islam will stop fighting the Lebanese army from 2.30 P.M. (1130 GMT) on Tuesday as long as the Lebanese army does not attack it, the group's spokesman said."We are giving a chance for calm and a ceasefire from 2.30 p.m.," Abu Salim Taha said. When asked how long it would last, he said, "It is open-ended if the army commits to it as well."When asked if he was aware of the truce offering, a military source said, "initially, we do not start firing. We only return fire when we are fired upon. If there is no firing at us, we will not return fire."...
By The Associated Press
Militant group Fatah al-Islam will stop fighting the Lebanese army from 2.30 P.M. (1130 GMT) on Tuesday as long as the Lebanese army does not attack it, the group's spokesman said."We are giving a chance for calm and a ceasefire from 2.30 p.m.," Abu Salim Taha said. When asked how long it would last, he said, "It is open-ended if the army commits to it as well."When asked if he was aware of the truce offering, a military source said, "initially, we do not start firing. We only return fire when we are fired upon. If there is no firing at us, we will not return fire."...
