The number of Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA in Lebanon is currently 409,714, or an estimated 10 per cent of the population of Lebanon, a small country which is now quite densely populated...
Posted on 08/24/2007 6:37:31 PM PDT by Fred Nerks
Posted 3 hours 11 minutes ago
The families of Islamist fighters besieged in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon have been evacuated by the army, opening the way for a possible final military assault on the militants.
An army statement said the evacuees numbered 38 children and 25 women. It said two children were transported to hospital and it appealed to the militants still inside the battered camp to surrender and face a fair trial.
A spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said among the group were two children and three women injured on Friday in an explosion inside the camp.
The military agreed to a temporary truce with the Fatah al-Islam fighters to allow the last civilians to leave the camp, which has been mostly reduced to rubble following more than three months of intense shelling and air raids by the army.
Three military buses filled with women veiled in black from head to toe and children were seen leaving the camp followed by several ambulances. They were taken under heavy security to a nearby military base for questioning.
Sheikh Mohammed Hajj, spokesman for a group of Palestinian clerics involved in mediations, said the evacuees included the widow and child of Abu Hureira, Fatah al-Islam's number two, who was killed recently, and the wife of the group's chief, Shaker al-Abssi.
He said the women included 12 Syrians or Syrian-Palestinians, and that the rest were Lebanese.
He said the Lebanese women and children would be handed over to their families after questioning.
Television footage showed images of bewildered children and of soldiers carrying infants.
The evacuation could pave the way for the army to launch a final assault on the Al-Qaeda-inspired militants, who have refused demands to surrender and vowed to fight to the death.
Immediately following the evacuation in late afternoon, the army resumed its shelling of Fatah al-Islam positions.
-AFP
To the death it shall be ….
Right on target Fred... let the games begin.
I was afraid Lebanon was going to go spineless on us. Since the war in southern Lebanon, they’ve grown a set and gone after the terrorists around Beirut, at least. I’d sure like to see them clear out the southern border region though.
Perhaps success up north will strengthen their resolve. That would be a great outcome.
The number of Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA in Lebanon is currently 409,714, or an estimated 10 per cent of the population of Lebanon, a small country which is now quite densely populated...
Yep, no kidding... it’s truly sad how those cultures implode. They are not an incapable people by any means, but they sure seem to make some awful choices.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.