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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
| Help Sought From Arab States To Disarm Palestinians | |
| 2006-05-31 | |
Beirut, 31 May (AKI) - Lebanon will soon ask Arab states to assist it with a process to disarm Palestinian militants groups operating outside refugee camps situated in the country, a top government official was quoted as saying in the London-based newspaper, al-Sharq al-Awsat on Wednesday. "[Lebanese] premier Fuad Siniora will soon send out some requests for help to various Arab leaders," Khalili Makkawi, the official responsible for the Palestinian issue in Lebanon told the newspaper.
Two weeks ago a Lebanese soldier was killed during a gunfight between Lebanese troops and Palestinian militants from the Fatah-Intifada group. The incident took place near Lebanon's border with Syria. Last Sunday, another Palestinian group, Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for firing seven missiles at Israeli targets across Lebanon's southern border with Israel. Also on Sunday, Israel, in an apparent retaliation for the Islamic Jihad attack, struck at a southern Lebanon base of another Palestinian militant group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command. All the recent clashes have hardened the Lebanese government's resolve to deprive the Palestinian militants of their weapons, al-Sharq al-Awsat said. Makkawi welcomed a recent decision by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) to re-open its offices in Lebanon saying that the move would "consitute an added factor to ease dialogue" between the militants and the Lebanese government. He also said, he was "bewildered" by the decision of certain Palestinian factions to boycott talks aimed at setting a time-table - an apparent reference to representatives of Islamic Jihad, Fatah-Intifada and Hamas who have to date refused to participate in the negotiations. "For us the PLO remains the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people in Lebanon. I hope that the factions will resolve their differences and that the Palestinians have learnt from past experiences," he added. Some 400,000 Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon, mostly in overpopulated camps situated near Beirut, Tripoli, Sidon and Tyre. Many Lebanese regard the presence of the Palestinians in the country as a destabilising factor which also drags Lebanon into the conflict between the Palestinians and Israel. | |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #5 Rich. This is like asking the Crips to round up all the crack dealers. [SPIT] |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-05-31 22:15 |
| #4 Lebanon is looking for an exit plan for the Paleos and HEzbollah, it seems |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-05-31 19:34 |
| #3 Many Lebanese regard the presence of the Palestinians in the country as a destabilising factor which also drags Lebanon into the conflict between the Palestinians and Israel. They never were dumb. Paris of the Middle East and all that. |
| Posted by: mojo 2006-05-31 19:15 |
| #2 and that the Palestinians have learnt from past experiences," he added. Then his lips fell off. |
| Posted by: Thinemp Whimble2412 2006-05-31 18:29 |
| #1 "...I hope that the factions will resolve their differences and that the Palestinians have learnt from past experiences," Not to sound mean or anything, but how did he say this without laughing his head off? Have the Palestinians ever learned from past experiences? |
| Posted by: Chinter Flarong9283 2006-05-31 16:55 |