Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Terrorists Snatched South of Here   [W. Thomas Smith Jr.]

BEIRUT — The AP is reporting Suspected terrorists detained in Lebanon:

Lebanese military intelligence officials have detained members of a suspected "terrorist network" for plotting attacks against U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, the army said Monday.

The group had planted a bomb near the southern city of Tyre [where an assassination attempt was made against one of the men I am working with here two days ago] in an attempt to target a U.N. patrol, but it did not explode because of a problem with the trigger, the army said in a statement.

The suspects also admitted they planned to plant two other bombs in the area and detonate them within a short period "in order to cause maximum casualties among the forces," the statement said.

What the AP is not reporting is that the network involved includes members of:

• Fatah Al Islam (The Al Qaeda-affiliated bunch that was supposedly wiped out to a man during the recent Battle of Nahr Al Bared).
• Jund Al Sham (a terrorist group of Syrian and Palestinian origins).
• Osbat Al Ansar (a particularly nasty group — though all three are — training here in Lebanon for suicide-bombing operations in Iraq).

One of my intelligence sources here also tells me, these three groups are receiving direct operational support from Hezbollah.

This morning, I'm seeing and hearing a lot of Lebanese Army helicopters overhead.

Last night, fighters were heard screaming overhead. Since the Lebanese Air Force has no operational combat jets, it had to have been the Israelis on one of their frequent nocturnal look-sees.

Editor’s note: Please see this note.

10/16 04:20 AMShare