Region | Lebanon
Al Abssi slams Sunni leaders, Nasrallah
After a prolonged silence, fugitive leader of Fatah Al Islam Shaker Al Abssi hit out at parliamentary majority leader Sa'ad Hariri and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, saying that it was "vengeance time" in Lebanon.
- By Sami Moubayed, Correspondent
- Published: 22:02 June 10, 2008
- Al Abssi remains at large after escaping last September from fierce fighting between Fatah Islam and the Lebanese army at the Nahr Al Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon.
- Image Credit: Reuters
Damascus: After a prolonged silence, fugitive leader of Fatah Al Islam Shaker Al Abssi hit out at parliamentary majority leader Sa'ad Hariri and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, saying that it was "vengeance time" in Lebanon.
Al Abssi, who led a war against the Lebanese Army last summer, said that Lebanon's Sunnis were "traitors" who received orders from George W. Bush. He threatened suicide attacks in Lebanon.
He accused Hezbollah of launching a sectarian war on May 7, when its armed men took over west Beirut. In an audiotape titled An Appeal to Lebanon's Sunnis, he said, "The objective of Sa'ad (Hariri), Nasrallah, and (Palestinian president Mahmoud) Abbas, is to humiliate the people. One is taking orders from (US President George) Bush, and the other from the devil's verses in Tehran." The suicide bombers of Iraq, he noted, would not spare "God's enemies wherever they are!"
A source at public security in Lebanon told Gulf News, "We cannot confirm if the tape is authentic, therefore, cannot say anything about it at this stage," noting that it was posted on several websites loyal to the leader of the Al Qaida-inspired splinter group.
"We are investigating, but we do know that contrary to media reports last year, Al Abssi is still alive," said the Lebanese officer.
Last year clashes between Fatah Al Islam and the Lebanese Army claim-ed the lives of 400 people, including more than 130 soldiers and the Palestinian refugee camp, known as Naher Al Bared, was destroyed.
Nicholas Blanford, correspondent for The Times in Beirut, told Gulf News, "This is not unexpected. Leban-ese Sunnis feel frightened, angry and humiliated by Hezbollah's seizure of Beirut last month. They want to fight back."
Militant killed
Also on Tuesday, a militant who was seriously wounded in the Palestinian ref-ugee camp of Ain Al Hilweh in southern Lebanon died of his wounds, security officials said.
Jalal Hassanain, a 27-year-old Palestinian, was shot by unknown assailants on Monday night, the officials said.
— With inputs from AP
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