Booby-Trapped Vehicles, Suicide Bombers Raise Security Measures in Beirut
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Political figures were informed that several explosive-rigged vehicles and suicide bombers arrived in Beirut to carry out terrorist acts and spread chaos in the capital.
According to An Nahar newspaper published on Saturday, Speaker Nabih Berri and several other politicians obtained the information from security agencies.
The information prompted security forces to raid two hotels in Beirut's neighborhood of Hamra in search for wanted suspects and to deploy at all the entrances to Beirut, preventing trucks from entering the capital for fear of more bombings.
The daily said that two booby trapped cars and three other cars, in addition to a group of suicide bombers are set to carry out a large-scale terrorist operation.
On Friday, a suicide bomber detonated his vehicle near a police checkpoint in the eastern town of Dahr al-Baydar, while troops raided two hotels in Hamra, arresting suspected members of an al-Qaida breakaway group allegedly plotting terrorist attacks in the country.
It was not clear if the two incidents were related. But the bombing — the first since March — along with the security dragnet in and around Beirut sparked fears of renewed violence in a country which has been buffeted by the conflict in neighboring Syria.
Security forces also deployed at all the entrances to Beirut, preventing trucks from entering the Lebanese capital for fear of more bombings.
Meanwhile, a meeting organized by AMAL Movement scheduled to take place at the UNESCO Palace was postponed. Berri was expected to attend the gathering.
The event was scrapped based on a report of a planned terrorist attack received by the Interior Ministry.
Security forces began recently enforcing strict measures at all entrances to Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hizbullah stronghold, setting up checkpoints and searching cars, after obtaining information on a plot to target hospitals in the area.
Syria's civil war has spilled over into neighboring Lebanon on multiple occasions and inflamed sectarian tensions. A series of car bombs have struck Shiite areas across Lebanon, killing dozens of people.
Hard-line Sunni groups have claimed responsibility for the attacks against Shiites, saying they are meant to punish Hizbullah for fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad's troops.
21 June 2014, 09:38
26
If ISIL wants to kill Hezbollah and vice versa, this should not involve any Lebanese civilian.
As Nasrallah said to ISIL and Nusrah, let us fight in Syria away from civilians.
The problem is that Syria has civilians too and they are dying to because of this extremist vs extremist war.
Therefore, civilians everywhere are targets now. And those my-faith-is bigger-than-yours crazies can go on killing each other for another 100 years.
21 June 2014, 10:05
16
God bless the only security that protects us without discrimination or condition. These sons of proud Lebanese families are putting their lives on the line every single day for us and for the freedoms we so dearly hold. It is time we give up our political opinions and demand these politicians play their pay in protecting lebanon and lebanon only indiscriminately and unconditionally.
21 June 2014, 11:32
00
close all refugee camps (Palestinian , Syrian)and send these refugees to gulf countries where they can cater for their needs (money, food electricity , ...)
and the security situation will be at least 70 % better
god bless democracy and secularism
21 June 2014, 11:39
00
can someone tell us what are the nationalities of the terrorists cought in napoleon hotel?
21 June 2014, 12:26
22
Wolf
I am not sure whether you read my reply in another article regarding your suggestion of a military take over
Pls let me know
21 June 2014, 12:38
00
wolf
I just read your comment. I disagree with you when you say I do not the knowledge of the way of life in Lebanon. True I am an expatriate, but that certainly does not imply I am unaware of Lebanese life and traditions. Again think twice about a military coup
21 June 2014, 13:04
31
I am going to patent this formula:
(Hezbollah + Assad Regime+ Islamic Republic of Iran Regime) - (Takfiris+Financial Backers of Takfiris+ Wahhabis+Al Qaeda +ISIL+Al Nusra)-(Likud+Hamas)=Peace in the Middle East
21 June 2014, 13:23
20
Believe me when I say we need to reform and clean our military. we need to remove the undesirable as there are a lot in the military. on the other hand I fully support you and apprehending our corrupt political leaders and hold them responsible for looting the state coffers enriching themselves and taking the country to its current sad state.
I shall support a military coup once our LAF is cleaned up corruption and favoritism are rooted out
21 June 2014, 13:24
21
Wolf
Again I admire your love for Lebanon and it is remarkable. I wish there are more like you. I prefer seeing people like you rather than seeing the polarized M8 and M14 who know nothing but mutually blame each other in a very lame way.
Unfortunately I agree with you we are heading very fast to appoint of no return. For your info I know our military but first allow me first to reiterate my full support and encouragement to the men and women of the LAF who as you said have sacrified their lives for Lebanon. I know the military I have several friends ranking from generals to lower grade.
21 June 2014, 13:29
31
Wolf,
For now, the current cabinet is the best solution. Everyone is in it. We must stay united because Lebanon, with 1m Syrian refugees, 400k Palestinian refugees and a great majority of disenfranchised Lebanese citizens, can detonate at any moment.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/21/world/middleeast/a-dozen-men-reportedly-islamist-militants-detained-in-beirut-hotel.html?hp&_r=0
21 June 2014, 13:46
32
Machia
I think we are stuck with more than 1MM Syrian refugees. Double that and add to it 600M Palestinians and about 700M Bengla Deshi, Egyptians, soudanese etcc the end result is the recipe for disaster for Lebanon and we are currently feeling the effect
21 June 2014, 16:18
34
I agree wolf. Remember Lebanon when General found chehab was president. Lebanon prospered through the Arab Abdul Nasser turmoil. He controlled and restricted Palestinians during their height of financial and military support against Lebanon. Unfortunately president suliman frangieh disintegrated most of his intelegiance and security institutions which then eventually led to the 75 war.
21 June 2014, 18:26
23
zeinabgahba... What part of my comment makes me an "aouni boot licker"?
Be a zahlami and post under your most commonly used account name so I know who to address.
21 June 2014, 16:29
23
Lebanon needs to close ranks under a military government that removes sectarian politics. Like what Ataturk did after ww1 with the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Change the alphabet to the phonetic alphabet, identify ourselves as Lebanese and not Arabs or our sect. There is a bigger movement happening in the Middle East that we must unite against.
Check out the map of the "new Middle East" that dick Cheney help draw up in 1996 as the president of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) before becoming vice president. He also the president of Halliburton, the main private contractor to benefit from Iraq.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/plans-for-redrawing-the-middle-east-the-project-for-a-new-middle-east/3882
We need a strong independent national identity in the Middle East. This can't happen under the current sectarian political system
21 June 2014, 17:04
31
Ashrafieh, who are you to talk when you defend maronite terrorists of the civil war who did horrible things! This problem is a problem of mankind, its called hypocrisy! You see the faults of others but forget your own filth.
21 June 2014, 18:43
23
LoL... Everything that happened to Lebanon over the past 50years and we still have a country against all the odds and plots from Syria, ksa, Israel and the USA. I was to ask u if u remember Henry Kissinger asking president frangieh to transfer the Christians to Canada and let the Palestinians have Lebanon? But u wouldn't know that he responded by throwing an ashtray at his head! Despite it all, every mistake from our "leaders", despite all the deaths, assassinations and those that left... The bells will always ring in the mountains! Lebanon will always be the thorn in their new Middle East that splits the land into Jews, Sunni, Shiite and Kurd with the Christians allowed to visit through Zionist permission and "protection".
21 June 2014, 20:17
11
Have u heard the words "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country"? You might think that these are from JFK.... But the truth is that they are the words of Khalil Gibran!
Christians leaving is the problem. Christians are the founding fathers of Lebanon. With out Christians there is no republic of Lebanon. But the point is not just about Christians... It's about no sect! Lebanon is not a country that France invented with the Maronites... It's always been special, different and independent. The ottomans knew it with fakhradin! The bible mentions it over 60 times. We speak differently and act differently. We are genetically different that has been proved by national geographic. http://genographic.nationalgeographic.com
Why hide from the facts? These are things to be proud of. We are Middle Eastern but not Arab. Lebanese from the levant. Descendants of the Phoenicians.
21 June 2014, 20:33
11
I took the national geographic geno test. It's completely anonymous. The results came back that I was 65% Mediterranean, 15% Northern European, 20% north Western Asian (Arabia Iran area). From that mix the guessed that I was either Lebanese or Sardinian. With Phoenician ancestry. Why can't we be proud of who we are?
It shouldn't matter our sect... We have a unique culture, language and food that many other nationalities would envy. Instead we are forced to see Lebanese as Arabs of a sect. We are much more important than that as pope john Paul 2 said,.. Lebanon is a message to the world.
21 June 2014, 20:57
11
Defacto... I can only do a small amount. I live in Australia but visit Lebanon every 2-3 years. I renovated my grandfathers (our family) house in our village. I give my family that still live in Lebanon money just as every other Lebanese who works abroad does. Without the Lebanese diaspora Lebanon would be half the nation it is today. Just the same as the Jews give to Israel, Lebanese give back to their families in Lebanon. Still every time I'm called a foreigner.
I pay rates and electricity and motor. I teach my children about their Lebanese heritage and take them to Lebanon even though Lebanon gives me nothing In return except force me into the army for conscription when I was younger. Lebanese give more to their country and expect nothing in return. Maybe this is how Khalil Gibran came up with the quote?
22 June 2014, 05:24
02
Well communism and the Soviet Union lasted 75 years, let's how long Mr. Putin will last with his resources fuelled vision of an empire.
In Lebanon we have no empirical delusions, and we kindly ask you, (and I don't mean you defacto in particular), foreigners to butt off our affairs.
We don't need some anonymous foreign ignoramus to give us lessons.
22 June 2014, 07:36
01
Defacto get your facts right. Current Russian Debt: USD 226 billion
http://www.nationaldebtclocks.org/debtclock/russia
Standing "in front of the US and the EU!" (by the way you should take some English lessons) does not make a nation in the 21st century.
Defacto said: "Ok! So tell me what are u doing for Lebanon? Other than the luxury in downtown Beirut and plastic surgeries and sex?"
Do you really want to go there, especially that you are enamoured with Russia?
As Lebanese we are very proud of our sexual activity, great plastic surgeon and great luxurious downtown. The same way we are proud to have a great diaspora of scientists, businessmen, writers, philosophers, artists, entertainers that are making the world a better place. We are also proud to be the only Arab nation to have kicked the butt of Israel.
Please do come to Lebanon and we will be happy to give you an upgrade physically and mentally.
21 June 2014, 20:51
00
Lebanon needs to be cleaned of people that worship countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, or any of our other neighbors. Lebanon's interest should be purely for the sake of the Lebanese people. We have politicians who sell out our country and our people for a couple extra hundred dollars. Soon we won't be from Lebanon, we will be from mini- Syria/Israel/khara. There needs to be an IMMEDIATE removal of Palestinian and Syrian refugees and Lebanese people themselves have to stop the secretarian bullshit. The focus should not be on whether you are Christian, Sunni, or Shia, but rather on if you are Lebanese or not. We always comment on how we are different than Arabs, we are different in blood, action, history, genes, everything, yet we think just like them. Lebanon needs social reform, educational reform, healthcare reform, Lebanese need to move ahead, not think as if we are living in the 1950s.
22 June 2014, 01:08
00
Where is Ali Eid? once Nasrallah travels to California then we will have peace in Lebanon.
22 June 2014, 04:24
00
I too have felt the combination of deep love for ourunique nation, the frustration withnits corrupt politicians, and immense pride at our brave soldiers. I generally agree that a military coup is a great solution, ask yourselves if we would have any control over WHO the general in charge would be... If its a Fuad Chehab, then wonderful.. But if its a Michl Aoun, ia disaster... Suleiman was a good man but not of the agressive temeprament it would have taken to do it.. So what is the solution? Id say a military coup followed after a resonably short time by direct popular election of the president. During the period of military rule, the military government would: 1. apply concentrated overwhelming force to clean out one at a tume all pockets of armed militias that do not surrender to givernment authority. 2. Integrate the "resistance" soldiers and weapons into the LAF perhaps as additional Maghaweer or other special regiments. 3. Sign a peace treatybwith Israel but make it a cold peace.
