Northern Cell Planned to Attack Army Sites, US Controlling Operation Rooms
Extra- Spending Law final Touches
As the week opens its doors on bloody scenes from Gaza seized strip, the Arab silence governs the globe regarding the "Israeli" continuous massacre against Palestinians.
However, the nation's leader's voices increases in volume to penetrate the sky zone when it comes to Syria.
Shuttling rounds of negotiations between the two poles of the world, Russia and US, are being held.
The first is armed by the regimes' steadfastness in the field, public support, and Syrian reform plan while the other is armed by a bundle of media fabrications, Arab support, and armed groups on the ground.
In parallel, the Lebanese scene seems unimmunized from the repercussions of Syrian developments as some chose to make Lebanon part of the armed axis against Damascus.
Mikati: LA Uncovered Salafist Extremist Cell
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati confirmed Monday a report that the Lebanese Army recently uncovered a subversive cell within its ranks that had planned to attack military bases.
"A cell in the Lebanese Army has been uncovered. Judicial authorities have taken care of the issue and referred the suspects to investigation. Judicial authorities are following up on the matter," Mikati told reporters at the Grand Serail.
Uncovering that the active cell in Northern Lebanon cell has subversive intentions, Mikati highlighted that "the cell has branches in Palestinian camps in Lebanon."
This came as "al-Akhbar" Lebanese daily reported Monday that "the Lebanese Army has discovered a Salafist cell in its ranks consisting of two soldiers who had planned to carry out attacks against the army."
According to the paper, the two, part of a larger group of four Lebanese and one Palestinian, are affiliated with the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda.
Report: Cell Planned to Attack LA Sites
For its part, "as-Safir" newspaper confirmed Tuesday that the "tale of the cell goes back to a few months, particularly when the Lebanese army intelligence arrested a cleric from the north."
Being unsure that members of this cell are part of the military institution, the Lebanese army carried out this task with absolute confidentiality and without any noise for two months.
"A few days ago, military intelligence was able to identify those accused within the organization as well as those who are outside it with the place of their residences," well informed army sources told "as-Safir".
Through wiretapping, the army suspected that three soldiers, two from the North and one from the Bekaa, were receiving phone calls from outside the military institution to plan for the attacks.
According to the paper, a student officer in the military school and another marine commando confessed with other five detained civilians that they had established a Salafist cell that considers the Lebanese army as an infidel atheist organization.
"The suspects admitted that the ring leader is a Palestinian named Abu Mohammed who resides at one of the refugee camps in Lebanon," the paper stated.
The sources pointed out that "investigations with those arrested lasted about a week and that they declared serious confessions which have been referred to military courts to conduct the necessary legal procedures."
"The political authorities were informed of the outcome of the process carried out by the army intelligence," "as-Safir" mentioned adding that "breach of the LA was professionally performed by a group that took over the recruitment of the young officer based on religious and sectarian considerations and by planting evil thoughts."
The sources said that "the student officer admitted that he was preparing for a terrorist attack against the military school, and perhaps Staff College, while the commando's mission was similar against Hamat base."
Another Qatari Cell?
In a related context, security source confirmed to "al-Binaa" newspaper that the Lebanese army was able to arrest last night (Monday) a car driven by a young Salafist man from Arsal while trying to cross the borders into Syria.
"Four gunmen coming earlier from Qatar through Beirut International Airport were inside the car," the paper clarified.
According to "al-Binaa" sources, the armed cell possessed sophisticated mobile phones that contained detailed segments for the manufacture of improvised explosive devices, and maps of Syrian military sites.
In parallel, diplomatic sources in Beirut informed the same daily that the US Ambassador in Lebanon Maura Connelly is directly supervising the operation rooms at the US Embassy in Awkar.
"These rooms arrange the smuggling of arms and the infiltration of military insurgents into Syria," the paper asserted noting that "the same process is taking place in US embassies of other countries bordering Syria, especially in Turkey, Jordan."
According to "al-Binaa", "these processes are performed continuously after a direct coordination with the Turkish, French, Saudi, Arabia and Qatari intelligence."
At another level, PM Mikati and the Head of Finance Parliamentary Committee MP Ibrahim Kenaan finalized the last part of extra- money spending draft law before delivering it to the government Wednesday.
"We are making progress as we are discussing all the data to set a text acceptable to everyone," economic minister Nicolas Nahhas told "an-Nahar" daily hinting at "the possibility to end the draft law before the cabinet's Wednesday's meeting.
He further stressed that "the text is technical and there is a deep and professional discussion on certain points."
"We are on the right track, but new obstacles might face us in every moment," he concluded.
Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
