Tuesday, May 13, 2008

TRUCE IN TRIPOLI SINCE TODAY 06.00 AM, BEIRUT MORE OR LESS QUIET

Important development in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, where Al Qaeda affiliated groups have declared Jihad against Hezbollah and allies...

A truce is holding in the city between pro-government (Hariri etc) and pro opposition (Hezbollah etc) groups.

This after a meeting, last night, in Tripoli's Serail between both sides. Al Qaeda-like Salafites were present during this meeting.

For the last couple of days the fighting is taking place in two area's in Tripoli; Bab el Tabani (Alawite area, pro-Hezbollah) and Jabal Mohsen (Sunni area, pro government).

At the moment there is a, so called, Separation Force, placed between both areas. The Separation Force does consist of neutral men from the Ministry of Interior (police), not the army.

According to a well informed source, who was present at last nights cease fire talks the "truce is stable but fragile".

"It can collapse if anything happens in other parts of Lebanon," he adds.

According to him, the Salafists (so bascially pro-Al Qaeda sunni radicals) in and around Tripoli are "medium armed".

"They carry their individual weapons," he says, "An most of them have medium heavy weapons like RPG's, hand grenades, M-16's and Kalashnikov."

Here a round-up of the situation in Beirut:

I've just driven around town.

There are still many roadblocks blocking traffic between West and East Beirut and between Down-Town and the Airport.

But situation in Hamra (Sunni, west Beirut, attacked by Hezbollah on Thrusday night) is slowly improving. Around 15 percent of shops open. Much more traffic on the streets of Hamra than yesterday. Pro-Syrian SSNP party though still openly active in Hamra. Every now and then, some armed men, but considerably less than on Friday and during the weekend.

Christian areas of Beirut are, more or less, normal.

As I haven't been to the Druze area's (mountains east and south of Beirut), I can't say anything about the situation there.

additonal:

At 17.00, Lebanon time, speech of Saad Hariri.

Harald Doornbos

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Any confirmation there were Iranians fighting for Hezbollah during their action against the Druze this weekend?

If so, why? If Hez is so strong...?

Anonymous said...

koen

I am not in Lebanon but compare the situation to, let's say, Vietnam (Vietcong). Vietcong was also strong but they had some russian present during the fighting. Same here.

Why pasdaran is in Lebanon?
Some guesses.
- Political correctness or in Hezb situation religious correctness.
- Help in deploying new weapons, if any.
- Observers - how our allies are doing?
- Propaganda i.e. we are with you.
*****
Don't forget that Hezb was always saying that they will never use their weapons against lebanese, the weapons are against Israel.
LOL