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Lebanon Is Pivotal For Syria’s Jihadists

Ali Hashem writes that Lebanon has been home to various jihadist groups since the 1990s, but that it wasn’t until the Sept. 11 attacks that the connection with al-Qaeda became clear.
A gunman stands near a picture of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near the port city of Sidon in south Lebanon March 12, 2013. Ten people were wounded and one killed during clashes between the Fatah movement and radical Islamists that started on Monday.  REUTERS/Ali Hashisho (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3EW3X

Beirut's bloody Valentine's Day back in 2005, the day former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed, saw the first appearance of "Al-Nusra," a group that then claimed the responsibility for the Sunni leader's assassination. A young jihadist called Ahmad Abu Adas appeared in a videotape that was aired exclusively on the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera news network saying he belonged to the group that killed Saudi Arabia's strongman in Lebanon. The claim wasn’t taken seriously and pro-Hariri supporters and politicians accused the Syrian regime of fabricating the group to distract attention.

A group made up of 13 jihadists was arrested in Beirut, and its members confessed to playing a role in the assassination; later on, members of the group discarded their testimonies, saying they were coerced.

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