by Youssef Hourani

A bomb explosion has wounded at least five people. The Nahr el Bared ceasefire holds, but the Defence minister repeats his ultimatum that Fatah al Islam rebels give in or face a massive military incursion. France’s Foreign minister arrives today.

Beirut (AsiaNews) – Yet another bomb in Lebanon.  This time the target was the country’s Druze community in the mountain city of Aley. This third attack – a suitcase packed with 10 kilo’s of explosives – wounded 5 people and caused grave damage to the city’s commercial centre.  The attack on the Druze city of Alley is being seen as a message directed towards its leader, Walid Joumblatt, from the majority party, who has pointed the finger at Syrian involvement indicating the strong links between last nights explosion,  last Sunday’s attack on the Beirut Christian quarter of Ashraffiyeh and Mondays bombing of the Sunni quarter of Vedun. From this view point the bombs are being seen as a sign sent from Damascus against the opening of an international tribunal into the assassination of the former prime minister Rafic Hariri.

In the meantime the ceasefire between the army and Fatah al Islam rebels holed up in the Nahr al Bared refugee camp is holding, from where Palestinian refugees continue to flee.  National Defence minister, Elias Murr, speaking on television reiterated that the terrorists must give up otherwise the army will muster its full strength. “The army –he said – has to put an end to this violence and we must vindicate the blood of our soldiers”.  Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir has launched a fresh appeal to all Lebanese leaders, “that they respect constitutional deadlines” urging immediate intervention to end the current political crises, which is “beginning to effect national security”.  He also expressed outright condemnation of the violent acts which he said “could empty the country of its citizens”.

Patriarch Sfeir, who received a Palestinian delegation led by Abbas Zaki yesterday in Bkerke, in an attempt to find a solution to the Nahr el Bared crises, said he hoped an accord could be found between the army and Palestinian authority, while repeating his support of the army, “which continues to carry out a noble role and its vital mission without discrimination”.   French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, is due in Lebanon today, to bring a message of solidarity from the French President elect Nicolas Sarkozy, for Fouad Siniora’s government. He is also due to meet with the Maronite Patriarch as well as parliament speaker Nabih Berri.

• Lebanon
• bomb
• Druze
• Christian
• Sunni
• attacks
• Syria
• poltical
• crises