Lebanon Claims Victory Over Militants

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Lebanon Claims Victory Over Militants

By HUSSEIN DAKROUB
Thursday, June 21, 2007; 4:34 PM

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- The defense minister said Thursday the
Fatah Islam militant group holed up in a northern refugee camp
has been defeated after a monthlong military operation, and
that only mopping up remained.

Fighting in the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp outside the northern
port of Tripoli will continue until the remnants of the group
are flushed out, said Defense Minister Elias Murr.

The fighting in Nahr el-Bared, Lebanon's worst internal violence
since the 1975-90 civil war, has claimed the lives of more than
150 people, including 75 soldiers, at least 60 militants and more
than 20 civilians. It comes amid a fierce power struggle between
Lebanon's government and the opposition led by the militant
Hezbollah group.

"The Lebanese army has destroyed all Fatah Islam positions,"
Murr declared on the private Lebanese Broadcasting Television.
"The army is combing the area. This terrorist organization has
been uprooted."

-snip-

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/21/AR2007062101351.html

[bemildred]

1. That's good news. nt

[shenmue]

2. Good

I'm glad for Lebanon. :patriot: Fatah are a bunch of crazies who want to impose religious fanaticism on the whole country. They need to pipe down.

[Eugene]

3. The militants aren't from Fatah.

The militants are an al-Qaeda affiliated group that
apparently moved into the camp. The residents saw
them as an odd group of Islamist strangers who kept
to themselves until the shooting started.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. Yeah, struck me as odd too. I thought Fatah was secular whereas Hamas and Hezbollah were the crazies

[Kagemusha]

7. It's another Fatah. It's not the group linked to the PLO.

Not the same group at all.

[rayofreason]

8. Fatah...

...has actually become more "Islamic" in recent years in order to comabt the appeal of Hamas.

[monktonman]

5. Mission accomplished?

At least the Lebanese are good enough to wait till
they've really beaten the bad guys before declaring victory.
I wonder if their president is shopping for a cod piece?

[Middle finga]

6. Oh Lebanon have a military?

They must have been on vacation last summer when their country was being bombed back into the dark ages. Well at least they stepped up this time.