Lebanese Army Victorious over Terrorists

By Rick Moran

A piece of good news this Labor Day comes from Lebanon where the army has finally crushed the terrorist group Fatah al-Islam and killed their leader in the process:

The Lebanese Army has finished off the Fatah al-Islam legend, killed its leader Shaker al-Abssi and 31 other terrorists and rounded up 20 in the 106th day of the confrontation at the northern refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared.

Security agencies have launched a nationwide manhunt for 10 terrorists who escaped the battle Sunday by infiltrating through the al-Bared River stream.

Judicial sources told Naharnet a Palestinian cleric, who had mediated with Fatah al-Islam terrorists, identified al-Abssi’s body.

The entire country has erupted in celebrations, including the Hezb'allah led opposition who tacticly supported the government's efforts to destroy the terrorists in Nahr al-Bared despite the nearly 9 month old cabinet crisis that threatens the stability of the country.

The army is seen as one of the few national institutions that is above politics and the Lebanese people are very proud of the military today. As for the downside, it took the poorly trained and equipped army 106 days to defeat a force that never exceeded 350 men. Analysts reckon that the military - which hadn't seen a major engagement since the 1980's - actually was peforming as well as could be expected by the end of the fighting so perhaps that bodes well for the future.

I have much more on the siege and its aftermath here.