Security forces move on radical Islamists in Tripoli

After what happened in Tripoli July 20, the common wisdom among security circles is that the city had better hold its breath for the next few days and that a major security-political crisis might be lurking.

On July 20, the Lebanese army announced it had arrested Salafist militant leader Hussam Abdullah al-Sabbagh on several warrants for acts of terrorism. Reactions to the announcement came quickly, as gunshots were heard around the city and clashes with army stations and checkpoints occurred in certain neighborhoods, in addition to small, limited protests that only lasted a few hours.

Sources in Lebanon's security circles explained to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that “the issue might not end there,” since Sabbagh is one of the leaders of the armed Sunni fundamentalist groups that fought in Tripoli against the militants of the Alawite neighborhood for over four years. He became an active fundamentalist preacher in the city after his return from Australia, where he had emigrated and gained citizenship before returning to pursue his Salafist activism. According to the security insiders, Sabbagh essentially had immunity all along, which prevented his arrest. These sources also confirmed that he was one of the suspects in the attempted assassination of Faisal Karami, who was then the minister of sports and youth, in Tripoli on Jan. 18, 2013.

Yet, the fragile government situation in Beirut back then, in addition to the security instability in Tripoli and the hesitation of officials to take any step that might lead to the escalation of the military situation there, have all guaranteed Sabbagh this effective immunity, which could have turned into official immunity, allowing him to do as he pleases.