October 7, 2007:
Four months
ago, Lebanese security forces found themselves battling some 500 al Qaeda
terrorists in a Palestinian refugee camp (actually a walled town of over
31,000) outside the northern city of Tripoli. The three month battle left over
400 dead (220 terrorists, 168 Lebanese soldiers and police, plus 47 Palestinian
civilians). Some 200 terrorists were captured, and a few dozen escaped. Most of
the Palestinian civilians were forced to flee the camp.
About two thirds of the dead
terrorists were identified, using documents, DNA analysis and families coming
forward to seek kin they believe had joined this al Qaeda group. While most of
the dead terrorists were Palestinian, a large majority were from other Arab
countries (Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Yemen, Tunis and Algeria). About half
of the bodies were claimed by families. The rest were buried by the Lebanese
government.
The battle was a big deal in
Lebanon, where Lebanese have long resented Palestinians bringing violence to
the country, and supporting terrorism that has made Lebanese politics more
violent. The al Qaeda terrorists are believed to be the pawns of Syria, which
claims Lebanon as part of Greater Syria. Syria gave sanctuary to the leaders of
this group, as well as Palestinian terrorist groups and various other Sunni
Arab groups allied with al Qaeda. Syria has become an assembly area for al
Qaeda, and other terrorist groups, a place where recruits know they can come to
get some training and then be sent off to countries where Islamic terrorism is
being used in an effort to establish religious dictatorships. The only place
where this has succeeded is in Iran, which is shameful to al Qaeda, which
considers heretical the Shia form of Islam practiced in Iran.