Sunday, May 20, 2007

Lebanon's Jihadists, Jordan's Gestapo

So, it is happening in Lebanon as well. Some time ago this site warned that a lot of money was going to Sunni Jihadist groups in Lebanon without regard to their real affiliations. Both Lebanese money and Persian Gulf oil money (in some notable cases they are one and the same in Lebanon) was directed toward groups that might weaken the Shi'a Hezbollah or offset its influence, and we warned that some of that money was going to al Qaeda allies, especially around the northern city of Tripoli (the other Tripoli, not the Tripoli of the shores in the song).
Lebanon reports today that 13 of its army soldiers were killed and 19 wounded in ongoing clashes with Fath el-Islam, a Sunni extremist group. Even Hezbollah has not killed Lebanese soldiers, at least not in recent decades and not in these numbers. And this is only one group of potentially dangerous Jihadists in the country.
Meanwhile, Lebanese security authorities are apparently trying to decide whether to blame the group's new strength and cockiness on Syria, Iran, or both. In the past Israel was blamed for any such inexplicable and embarrassing developments in an Arab country.

Egypt's Al-akhbar (May 19) reports that Jordanian Mukhabarat (their own Gestapo) has established a new "Division for Combatting Shi'ism". Viva moderation in the new Middle East.

New Saudi currency will bear the picture of King Abdullah, complete with the dyed jet-black beard and moustache. The one riyal note will bear a picture of the "first" Islamic dinar issued centuries ago, but not a picture of the original Roman Dinarius coins issued much earlier, perhaps 2200 years ago.
Cheers
Mohammed
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