Nahr al-Bared

     Media comment that among the groups streaming to the camp since Monday, are gunmen of Ahmed Jibril’s radical Poplar Front for the Liberation of Palestinian-General Command and Abu Mussa’s breakaway Fatah. Both maintain headquarters in Damascus, notwithstanding US demands to remove them. Jibril is known to draw funds from Tehran. Their armed men could not have crossed from Syria without Damascus’ approval, thus belying Syria’s denial of direct interference in the violence which is posing an acute challenge to the Lebanese army. Syrian FM, Walid Al-Moallem, expressed regret over the events taking place in northern Lebanon, saying" the leaders of Fatah al-Islam are wanted by the Syrian security apparatuses," adding" their activities won't serve the Palestinian issue." Lebanese security officials accuse Syria of using Fatah al-Islam to destabilize Lebanon. Also, Fatah Islam's leader, Shaker al-Absi, has been linked in Iraq, to the former head of al-Qaida Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and is believed to have recruited about 100 fighters, including militants from Saudi Arabia, Yemen and other Arab countries. Lebanese troops have stayed clear of the Palestinian refugee enclaves under a contract signed in 1969. However the army’s failure against the Palestinian extremists in Nahr al-Bared would detract from its authority in the whole of Lebanon. It would have grave repercussions for the stability of government of anti-Syrian Fouad Siniora and its ability to stand up to Hizballah and pro-Syrian forces.Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government vowed to finish off extremist militants from Fatah al-Islam, holed up inside Nahr al-Bared, and the army has said its troops were trying to target only militant positions.(15,45)