Cautious Tripoli Calm as al-Shaar Urges Ulemas to Unite their Stance
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
A cautious calm prevailed in the northern port city of Tripoli on Sunday after two days of heavy gunbattles between two neighborhoods left at least three people dead and 23 injured.
Media reports said there was no breach of the ceasefire that was reached on Saturday between the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh, which is Sunni, and the dominant Alawite Jabal Mohsen.
Only gunfire during the funeral of one of the victims stirred panic among the residents on Sunday morning. But they soon discovered that the gunbattles hadn’t renewed.
The ceasefire was reached at a meeting held between Tripoli lawmakers at the residence of MP Mohammed Kabbara.
The meeting was held in the presence of State Minister Ahmed Karami, MPs Samir al-Jisr, Moeen al-Merehbi and representatives of the army, the security services and religious leaders.
They denounced any security breach in their city and stressed the importance of coexistence and safeguarding civil peace.
Meanwhile, the army carried out raids in the two neighborhoods and arrested scores of people involved in the gunbattles.
It also seized weapons.
High-ranking security sources told An Nahar daily published Sunday that the incident in Tripoli was partly a message to Premier Najib Miqati that the city will not enjoy calm over the Syrian crisis.
The gunbattles were a clear indication on how the Syrian regime’s bloody crackdown on protestors since last March is enflaming emotions in Lebanon. Syrian President Bashar Assad belongs to the Alawite sect.
Tripoli Mufti Sheikh Malek al-Shaar headed a meeting of the Tripoli and North Ulemas “to set our stance from all the issues particularly of what’s going on around us in Syria.”
“We are looking into finding a final solution” to the clashes between the Sunnis and Alawites in the city’s two neighborhoods, he said despite stressing that there couldn’t be any ultimate resolution as long as arms are widespread in the North.
“No arms should be outside the control of the state,” al-Shaar stressed. “The loyalty of each party to the nation would be limited” if other countries and not Lebanon become a priority for them.
12 February 2012, 10:22
03
but this gunmen should be shot on sight by the army whoever he is
12 February 2012, 14:37
02
Its simple, ALL must give up their arms, no if or buts.
No fairy tale resistance or false legendry herosim Martydm.
12 February 2012, 15:20
00
Every house in that area is full of weapons, the two sides plain and simple can't live next to each other as they both claim that they own the entire area or city. They both need one another, cheap products from the Alawite/Syrian (i.e. underwear)which creates traffic jam in the area and city officials started thinking about a bridge over the Abu Ali river.
12 February 2012, 18:14
02
Of course the guy in black owns the place, look who is carrying the gun (who is armed). We do not need anyone carrying arms not this guy, not salafis, and not all others (hezb, Palastenians, SSNP, name it and I agree).... only the army, only the army, only the army. Elskeen be-@eed elkhara byejra2h, keef iza kan machine gun or RPG.
12 February 2012, 21:11
10
To answer Flame Thrower question: i dont see what hassouni has to do with northern militiamen.............
Hassouni is giving all other fanatics (on both sides of the isle) the excuse to also have weapons, and have their own Islamic resistances.
12 February 2012, 21:21
02
the filthy zionist media war terrorist think that what's wrong with picture is that it's lebanese army in the picture and not zionist militia.
12 February 2012, 21:23
02
of course the filthy slimy zionist will say "only the army should have weapons" but will secretly arm the salafi movement in lebanon, even among palestinians.
but their idea that only army should have weapons is another hallucination because lebanese parliament decided different.
12 February 2012, 21:36
00
no the people want to be protected from the axis of evil.... From the devils themselves....
12 February 2012, 21:39
00
A picture is worth a thousand words. The ninja with his weapon in hand (to make sure he gets his point across) is explaining the facts of life to the military... Something like this, we have more weapons then you do and we are more than happy to use them, so do not cross the dotted line.
13 February 2012, 00:55
00
Who wears black and does not care about the Army/People, yes you guessed it so called resistance in Tripoli because we have American/Israeli project near Abu Ali river. This guy has the balls to approach the Army checkpoint and tell those soldiers where to look and not to look just like when the Gas Canister explodes in Southern Beirut and the ISF is allowed into the scene when HA gives it the green light.
