By Andrew L. Jaffee

I hope the Lebanese are stepping up to the plate. Having vast swaths of their country under the control of thugs — Palestinian/al-Qaeda terrorists, Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran — must get old, and be really frustrating. But today, Lebanese people backed up their military in helping to clean things up:

Lebanon’s army crushed the last remnants of a militant group in a ferocious gunbattle Sunday that killed 39 of the fighters, ending a bloody three-month siege at a Palestinian refugee camp that was the country’s worst internal violence in years.

Nearby villages celebrated with fireworks, drumming and dancing after the government declared victory. …

Residents of nearby villages, armed with guns and sticks, fanned out to protect their houses and prevent the fighters from seeking refuge and melting into the local population, state TV reported. Smoke billowed from fields where the army set fires to deny militants a hiding place.

Mohammed Khodor Najib, 65, boasted about how he captured a militant in Mohammara, a farming community near the camp.

“I found one of them hiding in my garden,” he said. Using a hunting rifle, he opened fire. “I hit him and handed him over to the army.” …

One must wonder where Hezbollah stands regarding the following statement, as their own elimination would be the logical conclusion of the current course of events:

The joy cut through the deep political divisions in the country, with supporters of both the government and opposition praising the army.

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Related: Iran, Palestinians, Syria, Lebanon, Terrorist Groups

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