Lebanese troops blasted a Palestinian refugee camp with artillery and tank fire again Monday, seeking to destroy a militant group with al-Qaida ties. The barrage smashed buildings and sent plumes of black smoke towering over the crowded camp on the Mediterranean.
And the Lebanese people seem to be behind this (well, a good chunk anyway. I'm not sure how the Shia, Christian, Sunni breakdown is shaking out). With the popular view (and likely true) that Syria is behind this group, no doubt there is support for taking them on:
Lebanese security officials accuse Syria of backing Fatah Islam as a tool to disrupt the country. "They are not al-Qaida. This is imitation al-Qaida, a 'Made in Syria' one," a national police commander, Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, said, referring to Fatah Islam.
Syria — which hosts a number of Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas — controlled Lebanon until 2005, when its troops were forced to withdraw from the country following the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. But Syria's opponents in Lebanon accuse it of seeking to re-establish its control through its allies, including Hezbollah. ...Lebanese in Tripoli cheered the Lebanese troops Sunday, a reflection of the anger over militants in the camp — and of lingering bitterness toward Palestinians, whom some blame for sparking the civil war.
And where the Syrian sock puppet moves, the Iranian hand can't be far away. So I wish the Lebanese army well in fighting these thugs. I hope we can help them win.
By all means remember that just because the Lebanese government has taken notice of the terrorists doesn't mean the government is causing this problem.
More news here (tip to Instapundit). And here.
Ultimately, Syria is the force behind this crisis. And behind them, Iran.
