Outrage in Ain al-Hilweh over Geagea remarks

Approaching checkpoints and throwing stones at the army, around 200 Palestinian youths in Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp demonstrated against Samir Geagea following remarks he made calling for the removal of arms from all Palestinian camps and suggesting that the Lebanese Army enter Ain al-Hilweh to root out extremist elements. On Thursday, the Lebanese Forces leader told Voice of Lebanon, “If we are forced to wage a battle similar to the one at Nahr al-Bared, then so be it.” He added, “The army should enter the Ain al-Hilweh camp and arrest the head of the takfiri network.” Geagea was commenting on the recent unraveling of a “fundamentalist terrorist” group in Lebanon headed by Abu Mohammad Tawfik Taha at the southern Lebanon refugee camp. He also called on the Cabinet to confiscate Palestinian weapons. “If we are forced into another [battle similar] to that of Nahr al-Bared, [then let the army] enter Ain al-Hilweh and arrest [Taha]. If the government [heads] in that direction, the opposition will support entering Ain al-Hilweh and all other camps to rid them of arms,” Geagea was quoted by Ya Libnan as saying. Two hours after the demonstration began, the Popular Committees and the various Palestinian political factions of the camp succeeded in convincing the protestors to return to the camp and cease confronting the Lebanese army. The protestors in turn extracted a promise from the Palestinian leadership to examine their situation and contact the Lebanese army in a bid to loosen security measures taken at the camp's entrances.