by Dyab Abu Jahjah from Al-Ahram Weekly
While the Lebanese government accused Syria of standing behind Fatah Al-Islam, using it as cover to launch destabilising attacks on Lebanon, these allegations were gradually toned down, as no real evidence was forthcoming to sustain them. In the meantime, cells of Islamist fighters were dismantled in the northern and eastern regions of Lebanon, cells linked to FAI. This along with arrests and the captured bodies of dead FAI fighters all revealed a strong presence of Saudi and other Arab Gulf nationalities in FAI, alongside a very strong Lebanese presence. It appeared beyond doubt that FAI is a typical Salafi jihadi group attracting Arab fighters from Morocco to the Gulf, and also tapping into the reserve of Lebanese Salafism strongly represented in the north ... FAI might have served as a logistical facilitator for the Iraqi jihad by providing training camps , safe haven, and passage routes for Arab mujahideen heading towards Iraq or coming from it. Such a role is also beneficial for Al-Qaeda, as it is for all the other Salafi jhadi groups in the Iraqi resistance, but when FAI abandoned this role and went into full confrontation with the Lebanese state it is no more an asset to Al-Qaeda.