Fatah al-Islam 'plotting attack' against judges

By Youssef Diab
Daily Star staff
Friday, January 22, 2010

BEIRUT: Judicial authorities have been warned of a possible attack by the Fatah al-Islam militant group against one of the judges trying its members, sources revealed Thursday.

The authorities received a security report saying the group aimed to stage an attack against one of the judges involved in trying members of Fatah al-Islam, according to the sources.

A source said the report was based on evidence and information gathered by security forces from calls made by a number of “suspect elements.” The information revealed that the militant group was plotting an attack on one of the judges currently assigned to try Fatah al-Islam members. The source also hinted that the attack would probably be launched from the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in south Lebanon.

The report also asked military and security authorities to reinforce surveillance around Ain al-Hilweh, to observe the moves of suspected individuals and to check the identities of everyone going in and out of the camp. It also demanded that security be tightened at justice palaces and courts throughout the country, and that judges who are investigating cases involving Fatah al-Islam members be escorted by security personnel.

Fatah al-Islam first emerged in 2006 after it split from the Palestinian group Fatah al-Intifada. It comprised a few hundred fighters and was based in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon.

Fierce battles between Fatah al-Islam and the Lebanese Army broke out at Nahr al-Bared in 2007, killing 400 people, including 168 soldiers, and displacing some 30,000 refugees from the camp. Fatah al-Islam has also been linked to deadly bombings targeting UN peacekeepers in the south and civilian buses.

Members of the group have been arrested in recent years and sentenced to imprisonment, hard labor or death.

The Beirut Criminal Court and the Military Tribunal have on several occasions tried members of the group on various charges, including conducting or organizing terrorist acts.

Source: The Daily Star.
Link: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=110964.