Lebanese army shells refugee camp

[oberliner]

TRIPOLI, Lebanon - Lebanese troops pounded a Palestinian refugee camp with artillery and tank fire for a second day Monday, raising huge palls of smoke as they battled a militant group suspected of ties to al-Qaida in the worst eruption of violence since the end of the 1975-90 civil war.

Nearly 50 combatants were killed in the first day of fighting on Sunday, but it was not known how many civilians have been killed inside the Nahr el-Bared camp on the outskirts of the northern port city of Tripoli, the scene of the worst violence.

Palestinian officials in the camp reported at least nine civilians were killed Monday, along with 40 wounded. The figures could not be confirmed because emergency workers or security officials have not been able to get in.

Black smoke engulfed the skies over the camp as fires raged and heavy gunfire and explosions rang out constantly. The fierce fighting resumed after a brief truce that allowed the evacuation of 18 wounded civilians, according to Saleh Badran, an official with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070521/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon_violence;_ylt=AsTfJrf.24Nj.hzhsVWVQQ2s0NUE

[dave_p]

1. The army's broadly supported

Seems the camp's been under the control of jihadi extremists. The army operation has general backing in Lebanon, from the government to Hezbollah, and from Fatah proper.

[oberliner]

2. What do you mean by Fatah?

Is there a Fatah in Lebanon that is connected to the Fatah organization that Abbas heads in the PA?

Is the "Fatah Islam" group referenced in the article related to that organization as well?

The whole thing seems a little confusing.

[dave_p]

3. Fatah proper here's basically the Abbas outfit

Fatah al-Islam seems a pro-aQ cell that's grown within Fatah's Lebanon camps. So Fatah's happy to see it rooted out. So is Hamas's ally Hezbollah. So this isn't an extension of Israel v Palestine or Fatah v Hamas, it's national Arab opinion of all stripes against a dangerous jihadi contagion nobody else wants in their midst.