Sunday, May 20, 2007

Al Qaedaesque militants clash with Lebanese Army

The timing of these incidents is quite interesting: The illegitimate government of Siniora (and its allies) has decided to clamp down on Fath el Islam just as the United Nations faces the tractions of whether to adopt a tribunal looking into the assassination of Hariri, and calls to adopt it under chapter 7, face serious difficulties. Putting it simply, the ruling clique in Lebanon is hereby pushing the envelop in calling for a multinational forces to enter Lebanon with a mandate to disarm Hezballah, politically (and logistically) overstetching the capabilities of the Lebanese Army. Gaza option redux!
From CNN here and for further insight into Fath el Islam read Seymour Hersh's essay in the New Yorker, "Redirection" here , and Bruce Riedel's Foreign Affairs June essay, here


and as a further reminder, a most distinguished US Intelligence Official, Bruce Riedel, has this to say in June's Foreign Affairs, "... al Qaeda is well placed to threaten global security in the near future. Because it thrives on failed and failing states, it will have opportunities to set up new operations. One appealing option may be Lebanon, where extremist Sunni groups have long operated, particularly in the country's second-largest city, Tripoli, which was controlled by a Sunni fundamentalist group during much of the 1980s, before Syria cracked down. If the Lebanese state is further weakened or civil war breaks out, al Qaeda may seek a foothold there. The United Nations force stationed in Lebanon is likely to be a target, since the jihadists consider it to be another crusading army in the Muslim world."

Read Bruce Riedel's Foreign Affairs June essay here.

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