Zeinab Essa

It seems that there is a decision to ignite ashes in Tripoli.

The fragile truce is once again under tests. A day after the army deployed its units inside the Northern capital, it seems that things are back to the zero column.

A person was killed and at least 10 others were wounded on Wednesday as clashes renewed in Tripoli.

Fragile Truce...

"As-Safir" Lebanese daily commented on the scene by saying: "It seems that Jabal Mohsen-Bab al-Tabbane has become a more attractive and appealing front than that with the "Israeli" enemy."

"It seems that some sides preferred to forget "Israel" which still occupies part of the Lebanese territory, not to mention Occupied Palestine and other Arab parts," the paper added.

Armed clashes broke out in the afternoon as sounds of shots and bombs breached the night's calm.
According to Lebanese Army (LA) statement, its forces raided a number of buildings from which gunfire emanated and arrested gunmen.

It further denied media reports that the troops have pulled out from Syria Street, which separates Bab al-Tabbane from Jabal Mohsen.
"Upon gunfire exchange with light arms by gunmen in the region, LA units accurately responded against the sources of the gunfire, and still is carrying out swift raids on buildings from which shooting took place," the statement added.

Charbel: Lift the Lid on Militants

This came as Interior Minister Marwan Charbel carried long negotiations with protesters in Abdul Hamid Karami Square, demanding the release of extremist outlaws arrested in previous incidents.
"We had a 7 hours negotiations with Salafist groups to persuade them to open the road," Charbel said.

In an interview with "as-Safir" newspaper, he stressed that " the situation in Tripoli remains fragile."
"The solution is primarily political, while the security solution costs a lot and doesn't solve the roots of the problem," he added.
In this context, Charbel urged "March 14" and "March 8" camps to sign a document of honor to protect the city and prevent conflicts.
"I don't believe that everyone is really sincere in lifting the lid on militants," he said.

On the arrest of Shadi al-Mawlawi, Charbel said that the suspect has the right to be reinvestigated in the presence of his lawyers and to be released if charges against him proved to be baseless.
For his part, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman stressed that the General Security Department had carried out its duties by arresting al-Mawlawi and was not guilty of any errors in the operation.
"If the department had erred in detaining al-Mawlawi, the matter would be addressed by disciplinary measures, and not by releasing him," the President confirmed.

Extremist Cells Threaten Lebanon's Security

Meanwhile, official sources informed "as-Safir" that "Tripoli's incidents are far beyond the issue of al-Mawlawi's arrest."
"There are things related to the national Lebanese security... Thus, the core of the matter is linked to the logic of the state as a whole," the sources highlighted.

In parallel, they warned that the "Future Movement" is breached from within, revealing that one of the prominent Northern figures is partner in the clashes.
"He manages the armed groups on the ground," the sources uncovered.
"As-Safir" also mentioned that "the competent authorities received information about the suspicious movements of some extremist groups, which may have been preparing to carry out sabotage operations in Lebanon."
"The security authorities have precise details about the identity of these groups and their potential targets," the paper added.

Similarly, "al-Joumhoria" daily reported Thursday " the extremist groups that entered Lebanon planned to execute a series of assassinations in Lebanon and the region.
"These sides are keen on carrying out their attack during the peak of the sectarian tensions in Lebanon and the region," security sources told the daily.
They further warned that "these groups are too powerful to be thwarted by the Lebanese authorities."
"They are backed by major intelligence agencies that have dedicated billions of dollars for them," the sources added, accusing media instigation of encouraging such acts.
The news about Syrian regime committing massacres have been exploited by various powers on the ground to fuel the tensions even further as demonstrated by the recent clashes in the northern city of Tripoli," the sources said.

For its part, "al-Akhbar" daily revealed that "after the arrest of al-Mawlawi, the Directorate of Army Intelligence security arrested two young men suspected of belonging to al-Qaida in Beirut."
The daily stated that "the arrest took place in the area of Ain Mreisseh," and unveiled that " one of the arrested is the Syrian Samir K., while the nationality of the other, Anas P., is yet unknown."

Security sources pointed out that the detainees had attended to Lebanon to buy weapons, and that they were of "ordinary detainees".
However, other sources confirmed to the daily that " the LA's method in arresting the suspects indicates that the detainees are very important."
In turn, "al-Akhbar" quoted a diplomatic source in Beirut, who said that "he got information from private Western sources stressing that the suspects are al-Qaida members."

Extra Spending...No Solution

On the political level, the government delayed Wednesday a decision on extra governmental spending.

During a session at Baabda Palace, the cabinet approved emergency funds for the LA, the Internal Security Forces, government hospitals and NGOs active in aiding the disabled.
"The government approved allocating exceptional funds to cover emergency expenses under exigent circumstances," Information Minister Walid Daouk told reporters.

This came as Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi warned that the work of the LA and security agencies would be threatened if the government failed to approve sufficient funding.


Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org