LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 22/2011
Bible Quotation for today/Troubles and Persecutions
Matthew 24/03-13: " As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to
him in private. Tell us when all this will be, they asked, and what will happen
to show that it is the time for your coming and the end of the age. Jesus
answered, Watch out, and do not let anyone fool you. Many men, claiming to speak
for me, will come and say, I am the Messiah! and they will fool many people. You
are going to hear the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far
away; but do not be troubled. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that
the end has come. Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one
another. There will be famines and earthquakes everywhere. All these things are
like the first pains of childbirth. Then you will be arrested and handed over to
be punished and be put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. Many will
give up their faith at that time; they will betray one another and hate one
another. Then many false prophets will appear and fool many people. Such will be
the spread of evil that many people's love will grow cold. But whoever holds out
to the end will be saved. And this Good News about the Kingdom will be preached
through all the world for a witness to all people; and then the end will come.
Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from
miscellaneous sources
Who’s causing the trouble in Ain
al-Hilweh?/By: Mona Alami/December
21/11
Will the Arab Gulf form a union?/By
Tariq Alhomayed/December 21/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for
December 21/11
Top US
general: Iran's dangerous game could draw Mid East and US into conflict
Top U.S. General: Military option on Iran 'executable if necessary'
U.S. Defense Secretary: Iran could get nuclear bomb within a year
IAEA may visit Iran for talks on nuclear program
Lebanon's Arabic press digest - Dec. 21, 2011
Lebanon: Arsal Mayors Slam Ghosn Statement, Urge
Authorities to Deploy Army along Border
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea: All of Lebanon should
be free of non-state arms
Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with Maronite Patriarch
Bechara Boutros al-Rai/ discuss draft electoral law
Speaker Nabih Berr calls for resuming national dialogue
Hariri hold talks with
Turkey's Erdogan, Davutoglu
President Michel Sleiman addresses developments with
Speaker Nabih Berri
Lebanon to decide whether to join observer team to Syria
Lebanese Army foils major drugs smuggling attempt
to Gulf
Beirut: :
3 policemen wounded
over building violation in Beirut
President Michel Suleiman Discusses ‘Arms-Free City’ with
Beirut MPs
Nasrallah, Aoun Stress ‘Strong Alliance’ and ‘Full
Coordination’
Assad losing control as 10,000 soldiers desert Syrian
military
Syrian opposition urges UN action over “massacres”
Activists say 111 killed in
Syria's "bloodiest day"
Lebanese daily As-Safir daily correspondent detained in
Syria, editor says
Arrival of Arab observer mission will not prevent Assad’s demise, says Hariri
France denounces “unprecedented massacre” in Syria
Syria assigns new envoy to Washington
Damascus envoy meets with Lebanese Grand Mufti, says
“Syria is fine”
Five Iranian technicians abducted in Syria, Tehran says
Syrian air force, navy on manoeuvres against
'aggression'
GCC creates $5 bln
support fund for Jordan and Morocco
UN nuclear watchdog says Iran visit possible
Saudi Arabia Executes 2 Egyptians
Egyptians back at polls, calm in Cairo after clashes
Turkish police detain 38, most of them journalists
Iraq's Maliki tells Kurds to hand over Sunni leader
Turkish police detain 38, most of them journalists
A
nuclear Iran and potential war with Syria
By YAAKOV KATZ /12/20/2011
J.Post/Hezbollah and Hamas are just some of the challenges Israel could face in
the coming year of 2012. With Iran continuing what appears to be an unstoppable
race towards obtaining nuclear weapons, 2012 appears to be turning into the year
which might be the last chance to stop the Ayatollahs from obtaining the bomb.
Hezbollah, Israel believes, has obtained 50,000 rockets and missiles of various
sizes and ranges that encompass the entire State of Israel and could be fired in
a future war. This is in comparison to the 15,000 rockets it had just five years
ago during the Second Lebanon War in 2006. With predictions that Syrian
President Bashar Assad's days are numbered, concern is growing in Israel over
the possibility that in the twilight days of his regime, Assad will attack
Israel, possibly with his long-range Scud missiles. And then there is the
uncertainty surrounding the future of the Middle East – the American pullout
from Iraq, the future withdrawal from Afghanistan, the revolution in Egypt,
Tunisia and Libya - all of which can impact Israel’s security. It is under this
climate that The Jerusalem Post will be holding its first conference in New York
on April 29, 2012. As the paper’s military correspondent and defense analyst, I
strongly recommend that you attend the conference and come hear from Israeli
leaders and some of our leading analysts and reporters.
2012 is shaping up into one of the most important years in Israel’s existence.
Come be a part of it.
Top US general: Iran's dangerous game could draw Mid East and US into conflict
DEBKAfile Special Report /December 21, 2011/Just 24 hours after US Defense
Secretary Leon Panetta told CBS that Iran could build a nuclear bomb in a year
or less, Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint US Chiefs of Staff issued a
warning: "Iran is playing a dangerous game that could ensnare the Middle East,
the Middle East and others into conflict and a renewed arms race." During a stop
in Afghanistan, the general spoke to CNN of concerns about Iran's ambitions from
Iraq to Afghanistan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. He was described as quietly
leading the ongoing military planning for an attack against Iran's nuclear
weapons if the president gives the order to do so. "We are examining a range of
options," said the US general. "Don't push it," he warned Iran.
debkafile's military and Washington sources say it should be noted that in the
space of 24 hours, America's two top security figures have referred to war with
Iran as a realistic and imminent possibility. This is a big step from the
customary US references to a military option as being on the table as a last
resort for halting Iran's march toward a nuclear bomb still calculated to be
some years in the distant future.
Gen. Dempsey went on to say: "My biggest worry is they (the Iranians) will
miscalculate our resolve. Any miscalculation could mean that we are drawn into
conflict, and that would be a tragedy for the region and the world." There is no
guarantee that Israel will give the United States warning if it decides to
attack Iran, he said, "But America is sharing intelligence with Israel. We are
trying to establish some confidence on the part of the Israelis that we
recognize their concerns and are collaborating with them on addressing them,"
the US general said. Gen. Dempsey clarified another controversial point when he
said the loss of the drone is not the end of US efforts to figure out what Iran
is doing. America is gathering intelligence against Iran in a variety of means.
"It would be rather imprudent of us not to try to understand what a nation who
has declared itself to be an adversary of the United States is doing."
Mayors and the Municipality council of the town of Arsal
Mayors Slam Ghosn Statement, Urge Authorities to Deploy Army along Border
by Naharnet/The mayors and the municipality council of the town of Arsal slammed
on Wednesday the statement of Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn, who warned that al-Qaida
members have entered the country through the town. This information “should
motivate (the authorities) to deploy the Lebanese army along the border with
Syria to halt the continuous Syrian violations of Lebanese sovereignty,” they
said in a statement. “We reject his allegations,” they added. The mayors urged
Prime Minister Najib Miqati to resolve the issue, demanding “those who are keen
to preserve the civil peace not to fall a victim of those allegations.” Ghosn
said on Tuesday that al-Qaida members have entered the country through the Bekaa
border town of Arsal “under the guise of being members of the Syrian
opposition.”
He noted that reining in such incidents was “first and foremost the
responsibility of the army and security forces,” but added that “at the same
time it is a national responsibility that must be shouldered by all Lebanese
parties.”
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri meets with top Turkish officials
December 21, 2011 /Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday held separate
meetings with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Turkish PM Recep
Tayyip Erdogan to discuss latest regional developments, according to a statement
released by Hariri’s office. The men also addressed the Syrian crisis and
bilateral ties, added the statement. The United Nations estimates more than
5,000 people have been killed since mid-March in the regime crackdown's on
dissent. Lebanon’s political scene is split between supporters of the Assad
regime, led by Hezbollah, and the March 14 pro-Western camp.-NOW Lebanon
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea: All of Lebanon should be free of non-state
arms
December 21, 2011 /Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea welcomed on Wednesday
Beirut MPs’ call to disarm all parties in the capital and added that all of
Lebanon should be free of non-state weapons.
“Not only do we demand the disarmament of [non-state groups] in Beirut, but
[this should be the case] in all of Lebanon as well,” Geagea told Free Lebanon
radio station. On Monday, Beirut MPs agreed to take action to disarm the
capital, a few days following a dispute that escalated into gunfire and injured
one person in Beirut’s area of Zaidaniyeh near Aisha Bakkar. Commenting on a
report that quoted Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn as saying that Al-Qaeda-inspired
terrorist cells infiltrated Lebanon through the Bekaa border town of Aarsal,
Geagea asked, “Why were they not arrested?”“Why [should we] scare the people
with [unfounded stories] if the report [turned out to be] untrue?”Geagea warned
against “using such matters in order to tighten the noose on Syrian refugees
pouring into Lebanon.”Thousands of Syrians have fled the unrest in their
countries since the beginning of protests against Syrian Presidents Bashar al-Assad’s
regime.-NOW Lebanon
Speaker Nabih Berr calls for resuming national dialogue
December 21, 2011 /Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday met with a number of
parliamentarians to review the latest developments, the National News Agency
reported. The MPs told reporters that Berri called again “for resuming national
dialogue under the auspices of President Michel Sleiman.” According to the MPs,
Berri said that dialogue “is the [preferable means] through which all issues
that concern the country and its citizens can be discussed.”Berri also said that
the issue of administrative appointments “is heading in the [right] direction.”
-NOW Lebanon
Nasrallah, Aoun Stress ‘Strong Alliance’ and ‘Full Coordination’
by Naharnet /Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Free Patriotic Movement
leader Michel Aoun stressed their strong alliance and the importance of full
coordination in the next stage during a meeting they held on Tuesday. A
statement released by Hizbullah’s press office on Wednesday said Nasrallah and
Aoun “stressed the importance of full coordination and the adoption of an
effective mechanism in this regard during the upcoming stage.” The two men also
“stressed their solid understanding and the permanent alliance of the two sides
which help protect Lebanon against all challenges,” the statement said.
Energy Minister Jebran Bassil, who is Aoun’s son-in-law, accompanied the FPM
chief. Nasrallah’s political aide Hussein Khalil and Wafiq Safa also attended
the talks.The conferees “discussed the latest local and regional developments
and assessed the government’s performance in the past months,” the statement
added.
President Michel Suleiman Discusses ‘Arms-Free City’ with Beirut MPs
by Naharnet /President Michel Suleiman discussed on Wednesday with lawmakers
representing Beirut their project to establish an arms-free capital, according
to the National News Agency. They tackled the security situation in Beirut and
the MPs’ project to remove “illegal arms” from the capital in order to fortify
civil peace. The delegation included MPs Tamam Salam, Atef Majdalani, Nadim
Gemayel, Michel Pharaon, and Mohammed Qabbani. On Monday, lawmakers representing
Beirut criticized the security situation in Lebanon. The MPs have decided to
form delegations to meet with the president, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, and
Speaker Nabih Berri to “ensure the establishment of an arms-free
Beirut.”Suleiman also held a meeting with Berri at the Baabda Palace. They
discussed the current developments locally and regionally, and a number of
projects and law drafts that were referred to parliament.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai/
discuss draft electoral law
December 21, 2011 /Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with Maronite Patriarch
Bechara Boutros al-Rai in Bkirki on Wednesday to discuss several issues,
including the drafting of a new electoral law ahead of the 2013 parliamentary
elections.“We addressed all matters, starting with the electoral law [issue] and
the [government’s] finalization of administrative appointments,” Mikati was
quoted as saying by the National News Agency. The premier also said that he
extended congratulations to Rai on the occasion of the Christmas holidays.
Lebanese parties are presently debating the electoral law for the upcoming 2013
parliamentary elections. After the parliament agreed on drafting a law based on
proportional representation, some parties rejected the proposed law and called
for adopting the 2009 electoral law, which is based on simple majority
representation.-NOW Lebanon
President Michel Sleiman addresses developments with Speaker Nabih Berri
December 21, 2011 /President Michel Sleiman met with Speaker Nabih Berri on
Wednesday to address latest developments as well as governmental projects, the
National News Agency reported.
The NNA also said that Sleiman will chair a cabinet meeting at the Baabda
Presidential Palace later in the day. “The cabinet’s agenda includes 54 items,”
the report added. The president also held a separate meeting with a delegation
of Beirut MPs, who – according to the NNA – briefed Sleiman on their proposal to
disarm non-state groups in the Lebanese capital. Beirut MPs met Monday to
discuss the security situation in Lebanon’s capital and agreed to take action to
disarm Beirut, following a dispute that escalated into gunfire and injured one
person in Beirut’s area of Zaidaniyeh near Aisha Bakkar.
-NOW Lebanon
Syrian opposition urges UN action over “massacres”
December 21, 2011
The opposition Syrian National Council on Wednesday urged the UN Security
Council and Arab League to hold emergency meetings after "massacres" carried out
by regime forces.
Reacting to reports this week of the killing of hundreds of civilians, the
opposition bloc called for an "emergency UN Security Council session to discuss
the regime’s massacres in Zawiyah mountain, Edleb, and Homs, in particular." It
also called for an "emergency meeting for the Arab League to condemn the bloody
massacres... and cooperate with the United Nations in taking the necessary
measures to protect Syrian civilians."The strongly-worded statement came after a
rights group reported that forces loyal to embattled President Bashar al-Assad
carried out a "massacre" by killing 111 civilians in the northwestern town of
Kafruwed on Tuesday.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had warned earlier
that "dozens of civilians" were surrounded by the army in the town in the region
of Jabal al-Zawiyah, more than 300 kilometers (185 miles) north of Damascus.The
revised toll brings to 123 the number of civilian deaths across Syria for that
day, the majority of them in Edleb province and 12 in the flashpoint central
city of Homs.At least 100 army deserters were killed or wounded in Edleb on
Tuesday, the Observatory said, adding 14 security force members were killed in
southern Daraa province, cradle of the nine-month uprising against Assad's
rule.Meanwhile, state news agency SANA reported clashes with "an armed terrorist
group" in Qusayr in Homs province, and said several were killed or wounded,
while the military suffered no casualties.More than 100 deserters and civilians
were reported to have been killed on Monday.The latest wave of violence in Syria
marks some of the bloodiest days since a military assault on the central city of
Hama killed 139 people in late July.It comes ahead of the scheduled arrival of
an advance Arab League team which is due in Damascus on Thursday to pave the way
for some 500 observers.
-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Lebanese daily As-Safir daily correspondent detained in Syria, editor says
December 21, 2011 /A Syria correspondent for Lebanese daily As-Safir was
detained at a rally against President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, an editor at
the newspaper told AFP on Wednesday.
"We lost contact with our correspondent Mohammed Dahnoun yesterday [Tuesday]
during a protest at Midan Square in the Syrian capital and believe he has been
detained," the editor said, requesting anonymity. "Eyewitnesses say they saw
security forces drag him away from the crowd," he said, adding that Dahnoun had
likely been covering rather than participating in the protest. A Facebook page
has been set up demanding the release of Dahnoun, who is 30 years old and hails
from the northwestern Syrian city of Edleb, according to the page. Dahnoun has
been writing for As-Safir's youth supplement for nearly five years and in recent
months has written on the crisis in Syria. As-Safir is considered supportive of
Syria and its ally, Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah.
Since the outbreak of anti-regime demonstrations in March, however, the paper
has published editorials critical of Assad's crackdown on the rallies. Damascus
in July banned As-Safir over its coverage of the anti-Assad protests. In a
column last week, owner Talal Salman hinted that Assad should step down,
slamming the regime's accusations that terrorist gangs were behind the revolt as
"unacceptable by any standards of logic.""Will he learn from Gamal Abdel Nasser
after the defeat of 1967 and save his country?" Salman wrote, referring to the
popular pan-Arab Egyptian leader who stepped down after the Six Day War between
Israel and Egypt. "Bashar al-Assad alone holds the answer."
Forces loyal to Assad have cracked down brutally on the uprising, killing more
than 5,000 people, according to UN estimates. Thousands others, including
bloggers, journalists and activists, are believed to have been detained. The
opposition Syrian National Council on Wednesday urged the UN Security Council
and Arab League to hold emergency meetings after regime forces reportedly killed
more than 200 people in just two days.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Damascus envoy meets with Lebanese Grand Mufti, says “Syria is fine”
December 21, 2011 /Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel Karim Ali visited
Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani on
Wednesday, after which he said that “Syria is fine.”“Syria is fine and its
[government] is making ongoing reforms as well [as launching] dialogue,” Ali was
quoted as saying by the National News Agency. He added that Syria is being “the
target of a war,” hinting that Western powers “do not want to have [stability]”
in the Middle East.Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s troops have cracked down
on protests against almost five decades of Baath rule which broke out mid-March,
killing over 5,000 people and triggering a torrent of international
condemnation.-NOW Lebanon
France denounces “unprecedented massacre” in Syria
December 21, 2011 /France denounced Wednesday what it said was the
"unprecedented massacre" of 120 people by Syrian forces and urged Russia to
accelerate talks for a UN Security Council resolution on the crisis.At his
regular briefing, French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Bernard Valero said:
"Everything must be put in motion to end this murderous spiral into which
[Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad is dragging his people, deeper each day.""A
massacre on an unprecedented scale took place in Syria on Tuesday, causing more
than 120 deaths," he said, apparently throwing France's weight behind reports
from Syrian opposition and rights groups of a mass killing."We call on Russia to
accelerate the rhythm of negotiations at the Security Council on its draft
resolution," he added.
Russia has proposed a Security Council motion that would denounce violence from
both sides in the Syrian conflict: Assad's security forces and opposition
pro-democracy protesters, most of whom are unarmed.France has called this
"unacceptable,” seeking instead a resolution that would directly pin the blame
for the violence on the regime and threaten strong international sanctions on
Damascus.
Valero admitted that talks on this issue "had not advanced very far" and added:
"We need the Russians, who have moved on this, to go forward."
France supports an Arab League plan to end the violence, which the United
Nations believes has left 5,000 people dead in nine months. This would see a
ceasefire, the release of political prisoners and foreign observers.On
Wednesday, the opposition Syrian National Council said that more than 200 people
had been killed in two days alone, including 111 civilians in the northwestern
town of Kafruwed on Tuesday.If confirmed, this would make it one of the
bloodiest weeks of the conflict so far, despite increasing international
pressure on Assad.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Five Iranian technicians abducted in Syria, Tehran says
December 21, 2011 /Five Iranian technicians working on a power plant project in
Syria were abducted on Wednesday by an unidentified group of people, the Iranian
embassy in Damascus said in a statement, according to the Mehr news agency. The
embassy "has called on the kidnappers to immediately release" the technicians,
Mehr added. The five were taken early on Wednesday as they were on their
way to work on the project in Homs, a western city that is a major flashpoint
for the unrest that has gripped Syria, according to the report. "In a statement,
Iran's embassy in Damascus confirmed the abduction of five Iranian engineers in
Syria and has called on the kidnappers to release them immediately," Mehr said.
The Syrian Arab News Agency reported earlier Wednesday that eight expert
engineers of “different nationalities” working at the Jandar Power Generation
Plant outside Homs disappeared earlier in the day. The United Nations
estimates more than 5,000 people have been killed since mid-March in the regime
crackdown's on dissent.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Saudi Arabia Executes 2 Egyptians by Naharnet/Two Egyptians
accused of murdering a Filipino were beheaded by the sword in the Saudi capital
on Wednesday, said the interior ministry.
The pair, Wael al-Sayed and Rizq Rajab, lured the Filipino driver by saying they
wanted to rent his truck before killing him and stealing the vehicle, the
ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency.The beheadings
bring to 75 the number of executions in Saudi Arabia this year, based on an
Agence France Presse count. In September, Amnesty International called on the
ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom where 140 people were on death row to
establish an "immediate moratorium on executions." The London-based rights
watchdog said Saudi Arabia was one of a minority of states which voted against a
U.N. General Assembly resolution last December calling for a worldwide
moratorium on executions. Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug
trafficking are all punishable by death under Saudi Arabia's strict
interpretation of Islamic sharia law. Amnesty says Saudi Arabia executed 27
convicts in 2010, compared to 67 executions announced the year before.
SourceAgence France Presse.
Will the Arab Gulf form a union?
By Tariq Alhomayed
Asharq Al-Awsat
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, spoke to the
leadership of the Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] on the necessity for the GCC
moving from cooperation to union; but will the GCC accept this? Do the GCC
member states understand the importance of such a union? Reality shows, since
the Arab earthquake, or what has been dubbed the Arab Spring, that the sole
remaining towering structure in our region is that of the GCC. This is despite
all the destabilization attempts to undermine some GCC states, like what
happened in Bahrain, instigated by Iran, not to mention the systematic campaigns
of incitements targeting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Therefore, the Gulf union is not a luxury, but rather this is an urgent
security, economic, and political necessity; this is a question of existence and
survival, for all GCC states, particularly as the danger that is threatening the
GCC originates from a single source, namely Iran. There is also the threat of
chaos that is striking the rest of the Arab states, and everything that will
follow this with regards to the expected political immaturity on the part of
some. We must remember the storm that accompanied the Gamal Abdul Nasser era in
Egypt, and ask ourselves what will the situation be like today, when we are
seeing political storms such as this in a number of countries? This is not to
mention what the region at large is facing with regards to the threats of
terrorism, financial chaos, and more.
Therefore, the GCC states forming a union is a necessity and not a luxury; this
is something that does not require the formation of committees and meetings [to
study this proposal] and other time-wasting, rather what is required today –
more than at any time before – is an awareness of the danger that is surrounding
the GCC from every direction, and on a number of different levels. This requires
awareness and level-headedness, and for the GCC states to move away from
[political] point-scoring, or let us say political haggling. This has become an
open secret in the Gulf, namely that sometimes GCC projects fail because of
unjustified competition, either politically or economically or over other less
important things. In the event of the GCC states becoming aware of the danger
that is surrounding them, they will find themselves in need of a genuine union,
and greater influence than that afforded by an organization that holds
committees that could take years [to make a decision]. The GCC states are
currently facing genuine danger, and the greatest threat in this regard is their
lack of clarity regarding a vision for the future! We do not know what direction
the situation in Iraq is moving towards, particularly as the political process
there is under threat after al-Maliki has become the new dictator of Iraq,
whilst we are all aware that Iraq today has become the new Syria in the eyes of
Iran. There is also ambiguity regarding the situation in Egypt and Libya, whilst
the situation in Yemen is only holding together thanks to Gulf involvement, and
we still don’t know what the future holds for the country. There is also Syria,
and the destructive role being played by Iran there; in addition to all this
there is also the international economic situation, and a long list of causes
for concern about our future.
All of this calls for the Gulf States to take similar – although not necessary
uniform – policies and decisions, for our security is under threat, as is our
oil sector, and our people. The Gulf States are different from other countries
in the region as they are practically the only ones that are the same today as
they were yesterday [prior to the Arab Spring], and that is because they are
concerned about citizenship and state building, despite any flaws and
shortcomings.
Therefore, the Gulf union is an urgent and logical requirement, not a luxury,
but the question that must be asked here is: are the GCC states aware of the
danger that surrounds them, or will they continue wasting time and
opportunities, all the while this danger increases?
Who’s causing the trouble in Ain al-Hilweh?
Mona Alami, December 21, 2011
A file photo from March 2008 shows Fatah fighters in the Ain al-Hilweh
Palestinian refugee camp outside the southern Lebanese city of Saida. (AFP/Mahmoud
Zayat)
New clashes put an end this weekend to what seemed to be a relative period of
peace in the Ain al-Hilweh camp, carving new lines in the political balance
between the Fatah movement, on the one hand, and Palestinian Islamist factions,
such as Jund al-Sham, Fatah al-Islam and Osbat al-Ansar, on the other. In an
unexpected turn of events, it appears a new faction may be forming among members
of these groups.
In recent weeks, armed clashes, attacks and assassination attempts against Fatah
members have been increasing in number and intensity. The target seems to be the
head of the Palestinian Armed Struggle, Abdel Hamid Issa, well-known by his nom
de guerre, Al-Lino. Like a sheriff, he has built a reputation for being one of
the toughest Fatah members in the camp. His fixed, uncompromising stance against
Islamist factions has made him the target of several assassination attempts.
Ain al-Hilweh, the largest Palestinian camp in the country is home to about
70,000 refugees. The enclave is an infamous bastion for radical Islamic groups.
Until the summer of 2011, the camp had been relatively calm under the Fatah
security apparatus, with the help of a committee comprised of 17 Palestinian
military factions to handle security incidents.
The truce seems forgone and Islamic factions seem restless once more. “Recent
incidents were blamed on members of Jund al-Sham, fallen out of the jurisdiction
of Osbat al-Ansar,”admits the source.
Jund al-Sham was dismantled a few years ago, some of its members joining Osbat
al-Ansar in the Safsaf area, while others beefed up the remnants of Fatah
al-Islam, taking residence in the infamous Tawarik and Hotein quarters of the
camp. Now, an estimated 100 Islamist militants have taken shelter in these
districts.
Security sources in the camp and Palestinian leaders fear that members of the
already-dismantled Islamist faction Jund al-Sham have joined forces with what’s
left of Fatah al-Islam to form a new organization that could complicate the
security situation in the Ain al-Hilweh.
Al-Lino was not hurt in any of the recent spate of attacks, but several of his
bodyguards have been assassinated or injured. Last Saturday, Amer Fustoq was
shot dead. The same day, Fatah officer Talal al-Ordoni was injured in an ambush
in the camp’s vegetable market. Three other people were wounded in the process.
A few days earlier, a Jund al-Sham militant killed Ashraf al-Qaderi, another
bodyguard protecting Al-Lino.
“Al-Qaderi’s assassination was an act of revenge,” Issa told NOW Lebanon, adding
that he believes the incident was linked to the foiled attempt on his life a few
months ago on August 5. Two members of the Islamist faction Jund al-Sham,
Mahmoud Abdel-Kader and Abou Kharroub, were involved in the bombing.
Al-Lino has also accused Fatah al-Islam’s new so-called emir, Oussama al-Shehabi,
of ordering the assassination. Shehabi is said to have replaced Abdul Rahman
Awad at the head of Fatah al-Islam, deemed a terrorist group by the Lebanese
state which fought a three-month war with the faction in the Nahr al-Bared
Palestinian refugee camp in North Lebanon, in the summer of 2007.
“Jund al-Sham is definitely getting bolder,” said a security source inside the
camp, on condition of anonymity.
Issa’s statements also imply that the Islamist factions are becoming more
difficult to control by the day, while assassination attempts against Fatah
members are increasing with intensity. “There was another assassination attempt
last week on the life of Uday Othman, another member of Fatah,” Issa explained.
Sporadic gunfire erupted in Ain al-Hilweh after a brawl between a Fatah member
and Abed Fodah, a Jund al-Sham militant. It seems that Fatah had tried arresting
Fodah a few days earlier, but was freed by members of Osbat al-Ansar, another
radical organization involved in terrorist activities in the nineties.
The new wave of violence reveals that Fatah members and the Islamists have old
scores to settle. Over the past four years, dozens of Jund al-Sham members were
killed in gunfights and bombings which remain unsolved. Security sources inside
the camp have repeatedly accused Fatah members of assassinating the Islamist
leaders one by one.
Issa continues to blame Jund al-Sham for the recent wave of violence. “[These]
renegades are seeking to provoke tension and create a confrontation between
Fatah and the Islamic forces, which we are working to avoid,” he said.
But other Palestinian leaders fear that a new, mysterious faction is rising.
Others such as Hajj Maher Oueid, head of Ansar Allah, an Islamic faction close
to Hezbollah, said that “initial investigations are now pointing to the
involvement of a third faction, which is playing the two sides against one
other.” Hajj Maher refused to name the “third faction.”
Arabic daily Al-Hayat also mentioned the rise of a new Palestinian faction. The
paper named former Jund al-Sham member Haitham Chaabi and ex-Fatah al-Islam
fighter Naeem Abbas as possible members. Abbas was said to have links with Al-Qaida
and is wanted for his involvement in bombings targeting UNIFIL convoys in South
Lebanon.
Security sources within the camp do not seem, however, very optimistic. Given
their limited resources, Jund al-Sham cannot afford to engage on its own in a
full-fledged war against Fatah, which remains the dominant faction inside the
southern camp. That is why, sources say, the party could have obtained the
backing of another Islamic Palestinian faction.
Sources underline that this mysterious third faction is currently deployed
within the camp as well as in the outskirts of the southern city of Saida. If
their assumptions are confirmed, the third faction will further complicate the
political equation in Ain al-Hilweh.