Border Fighting Intensifies Between ISIS and Lebanon

[Jefferson23]

BEIRUT, Lebanon — A deadly confrontation worsened on Monday between Lebanon’s armed forces and Islamist insurgents from Syria who seized the border town of Arsal over the weekend in what appeared to be the most serious spillover of the Syrian civil war into Lebanese territory since the conflict began more than three years ago.

The Lebanese Army said in a statement that its forces were engaged in fierce battles with the Islamists in Arsal, where witnesses reached by telephone, including the deputy mayor, said shelling had hit the town from multiple directions and thousands of residents had fled.

Arsal is also one of the temporary homes for many of the Syrian war refugees who have sought sanctuary in eastern Lebanon, and witnesses said Lebanese Army checkpoints were refusing to let the refugees relocate deeper into the country. Some refugees said they were panicking because they had nowhere to go.

“Some residents here are angry with us — they’re refusing to host any of us thinking that we are behind such fighting, as if we were the ones who welcomed the insurgents,” said a refugee reached by phone, who identified himself only by his first name, Walid. He said at least one refugee encampment of tents had been burned by shelling.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/05/world/middleeast/isis-lebanon-syria.html?_r=0

[bemildred]

1. This is why Hezbollah doesn't want to get involved down South. nt

[Jefferson23]

2. They have their hands full, no doubt about that. Narallah's statements they would abandon

everything to focus on helping Hamas was my concern..and how much of that was
bluff or not, I did not know. ISIS is pretty much making everyone nervous, and with good reason,
they seem to be have brought a new meaning to extreme ruthlessness and crazy.

[bemildred]

3. IS is a big deal, they aren't going away soon.

I don't know where they are getting men, arms and money, but they are. (Well, they steal them for one thing, but that's not enough.) One suspects that all of those idle and angry young men in the Arab world have finally found something to do..

[Jefferson23]

4. Yes, I am afraid so..desperate men and all that. sigh.

[bemildred]

5. Yes. nt

[bemildred]

6. Here you go:

How ISIS is attracting Muslim youths through online merchandise

http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-how-isis-is-attracting-muslim-youths-through-online-merchandise/20140805.htm

[bemildred]

7. And here is Nasrallah in full throat:

Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah confident ISIS will "fail" in the Middle East

http://www.albawaba.com/news/hezbollah-nasrallah-isis-594587

Nice pic there.

[Jefferson23]

8. Yea, his confidence level is a tad premature I would think, forceful looking pic though. lol

The ISIS T shirts, I mean come on, if bin Laden were still alive even he would likely
think, wtf? Talk about mastering the internet...yikes. Tragic results to come.

Thanks for the links.