Lebanon's Democratic Gathering leader MP Walid Jumblatt announced after talks with Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir Monday that finishing off Fatah al-Islam terrorists meant that "red lines have fallen apart.""Yesterday Lebanon emerged victorious over the Fatah al-Islam gang. We will continue in spreading state authority over all the Lebanese territory, without any exception," Jumblatt told reporters at Bkirki, seat of the Maronite church north of Beirut. "Yesterday the red line fell apart Â…They had placed a red line on the international tribunal, but the tribunal has been agreed on and we shall achieve justice and the culprits will be punished," Jumblatt added.
In an apparent recalling of the red line slogan declared by Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah shortly after the confrontation broke out at Nahr al-Bared on May 20, Jumblatt said: "They said Nahr al-Bared is a red line and we said the state is the base. The red line has fallen apart."
Jumblatt expressed gratitude to "friendly states" for providing the Lebanese Army with weapons and equipment in its battle against Fatah al-Islam terrorists, naming Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France, the United States, the United Arab Emirates "and others." He concluded by stressing that "the state will spread its authority on every inch of Lebanese territory."