Lebanon arrests 30 for allegedly plotting bombings in Beirut
Fatah Islam-linked militants arrested for planning to bomb Arab, European ambassadors in Lebanon.
By The Associated Press Tags: Fatah Islam Israel terrorism LebanonAuthorities have arrested some 30 Islamic militants who allegedly plotted to bomb the main police headquarters in Beirut and attack Arab and European ambassadors in Lebanon, court and security officials said Monday.
The 30 militants were detained nearly two months ago in and around the southern port city of Sidon when the Lebanese army was engaged in fierce fighting with militants of the al-Qaida-inspired Fatah Islam group in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon.
Some of the arrested belong to Fatah Islam and the rest are members of another al-Qaida-inspired group, said the security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Interrogation of the detained militants showed that they planned to blow up the headquarters of the Internal Security Forces with an explosives-laden military vehicle, the officials said.
Police have since tightened security around its headquarters in Beirut. Concrete blocks have been set up around the building and people living in the vicinity have been barred from parking their cars.
Officials said some of the militants were linked to a roadside bomb that struck a UN jeep in the village of Qassimiyeh in July near the southern port city of Tyre, causing damage to the vehicle but no casualties.
The group was also planning to help some 200 Fatah Islam members and 50 other al-Qaida-inspired militants escape from the central Roumieh prison east of Beirut, according to officials.
Prison security guards, backed by a group of army commandos, foiled an escape attempt last Thursday when relatives of the prisoners tried to storm the prison, the officials said.
Separately, Lebanese authorities charged 20 suspected militants, 16 Palestinians and four Russians, with terrorism Friday for alleged membership in Fatah Islam.
The Russian nationals were the first non-Arabs charged by authorities with being among the Fatah Islam fighters who the Lebanese army finally crushed on Sept. 2 after a three-month siege that destroyed large parts of the Nahr el-Bared camp near the northern city of Tripoli.
In the past weeks, Lebanese authorities charged more than 330 people of different nationalities with terrorism and belonging to Fatah Islam.
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opinions ! There is a great sympathy for Israelis in some Lebanese circles ; Israelis are considered by these circles as our brothers, since the two nations represented once upon a time the great civilization of Canaanaits. Nevertheless, once should not forget that the Lebanese Army is weak, knowing that the proportion of national military expenses are very low, representing not more than 2-3% of the GDP, compared with 7% for Israel (knowing also that there are 7 million inhabitants in Israel, and four in Lebanon !). Therefore, if the LAF made any attempt to reply, it would have signed its epitaph !! Thank you Uzi for your optimism !!
Such violence from your mouth surprises the least of us. DO you really think that when a person decides not to fight back, they are really on the side of the attacker? In the Muslim world, probably yes - where pride trumps all logical thinking, which results in sending your own children to certain death. yes, even if the Lebanese themselves gave you an explanation, you will trump it with your own backward thinking that even Bin-Laden would be proud of. Truth is - the Lebanese army could not go up against the IDF, and they knew it. Second, they knew a response would place ALL army sites at risk to attack, and of course, the gov't couldn't join in lest they be considered supporters of Nasrallah's naked violence against the region. Do you think Arab nations who remained silent during the war were also on Israel's side, or just hated Hizbollah?
Natalie Durston a/k/a Abdullah Muhammed knows exactly what he's talking about
LONG LIVE FREE LEBANON!!!!! Free from the Syrians , free from the terrorist Hisballa, free from all the garbage thats all over that poor country. Freedom is coming for Lebanon. Wish you the best. Someone from Israel.
Last year the Lebanese army did not respond when Israel attacked targets all over their country. The Lebanese army did not even defend itself on several occassions when they were directly attacked by IAF units. To say that Israel and America enjoy undue influence in Lebanon would be an understatement. Now America and Israel would have the Lebanese arrest those that they feel are a threat to their dominance of Lebanon. This is business as usual. I don't mind seeing the leaders of my country poking their noses where they don't belong, because, more often than not, those noses are cut off.
Russian ANTAGONISTS again, go figure, I'm sure China's in there somewhere
I would like to congratulate the Lebaneese government for job well done keep up the good work and clean Lebanon from all the hate driven people.
If anyone was plotting it has to be one of the usual suspects: The CIA The Mossad The SAS The Beastie Boys anybody but the noble Lebanese! Please say it isn't so. Relax folks: it was 16 palestinians and four Russians. No Lebanese (though the Palestinians were probably born in Lebanon)
are mossad agents