Friday, May 25, 2007

Lebanon's new war?

From Lucy Fielder of Al-Ahram Weekly

Fatah Al-Islam's ideology is Al-Qaeda-style Salafism -- anti-Shia and anti-US. Experts say most militia members are northern Lebanese, joined by Palestinians, Syrians, Saudis and other Arab nationalities. A political split between the Sunni-dominated government of Prime Minister Fouad Al-Siniora and the Shia resistance group Hizbullah forms the backdrop to Fatah Al-Islam's growth, according to Ahmed Moussalli, an expert on Islamist movements at the American University of Beirut. " In Lebanon in the last few months it seems the Hariri group has been channelling funds and allowing weaponry to enter in order to create a Sunni militia... to bargain with Hizbullah."

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