Lebanon is trying to rid itself of Syrian proxies, and while doing so, they’re doing a favor for Israel–getting rid of the PFLP.
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) – Having rid itself of Syrian occupying forces with a show of people power, Lebanon is now deploying its army to cut off Syrian support for its proxy – a Palestinian group behind some of the worst attacks against Israel over the years.
To many Arabs, the outfit that goes by the name of PFLP-GC, for Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, is Syria’s tool in its shadowy war against its enemies. It is on the U.S. State Department’s terrorist list and has lately been accused of involvement in the February assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri – the event that ended up forcing the Syrians to pull out of Lebanon.
Lebanese troops and armor have surrounded some of the PFLP-GC’s bases in the rugged mountains along the Syrian border. The government has said it will not use force, but wants to stop weapons and reinforcements coming in from Syria which it fears will be used to stir up trouble.
The U.N. investigator’s report that accused Syria of engineering the Feb. 14 killing of Hariri mentions “people” from the PFLP-GC of having had contacts with three of four Lebanese generals jailed on charges of planning the fatal car-bombing. However, investigator Detlev Mehlis later said its leader, Ahmed Jibril, is not a suspect.
Another U.N. report this week also said that Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Palestinian militias such as Jibril’s have made little headway, partly because they have been receiving more weapons from Syria.
A happy byproduct of the expulsion of Syria from Lebanon, but it could also lead to better relations with Israel.
On that same note, the king of Jordan canceled the showing of a vile, anti-Semitic program during Ramadan, after receiving a letter signed by 24 American rabbis.
There do seem to be some baby steps forward in the Arab/Muslim world towards Jews.
That would be a turning point, wouldn’t it, if Arab governments actually stopped supporting Palestinian terrorists. I’m not letting the Palestinians off the hook for the extremely dysfunctional nature of their politics (going back to the Mufti) but their worst, most violent tendencies have been enabled and indeed financed for decades by those who really have the wealth and power – Israel’s Arab “neighbors”.
Maybe it’s because they just hate Jews (likely) or maybe it’s because they need to buy off terrorists to prop up their own brutal, corrupt regimes (not mutually exclusive). But if they would stop the flow of arms and cash we might actually see a ray of hope. I’m not holding my breath, though.