Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya Denies al-Qaida Presence in Lebanon

Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya has denied allegations that the al-Qaida terrorist network was operating in Lebanon, but stressed that some extremists believe in Osama bin Laden’s thoughts.

The party’s politburo chief Omar al-Masri told An Nahar daily published Thursday that the reports about al-Qaida’s presence in Lebanon “are an old story.”

The terrorist network has no base in Lebanon, al-Masri said, but he stressed that “some extremists believe in bin Laden’s ideology” when he was asked about demonstrations in Tripoli and other northern towns where the photos of the slain terrorist leader were raised.

The party official told An Nahar that the U.S. administration had exaggerated the role of al-Qaida which paved way for Arab regimes to strengthen their grip on power ahead of their collapse by mass demonstrations.

Al-Masri believes that the Syrian regime is using the same technique by claiming that al-Qaida was behind two deadly bombings that shook Damascus last week.

“What they’re doing is a farce,” he said, stressing that most of the victims were detainees and army dissidents.

The opposition Syrian National Council has said that the Syrian regime had intentionally put them at the scenes of the blasts to reveal to the public the alleged victims of the explosions through TV footage.

Al-Masri added that Lebanese Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn, who claimed that al-Qaida militants were operating in and out of the border town of Arsal, had been framed.