Jiro Ose

Crisis in Lebanon

The clashes between Fatah al-Islam and Lebanese Army erupted on May 20 around Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon and the nearby port city of Tripoli; rapidly deteriorating into the deadliest internal fighting Lebanon has seen since the 1975 – 1990 civil war. Security has also been shaken by a series of bomb blasts in and around Beirut. Al Qaeda-inspired militants in north Lebanon threatened to take their fight to other parts of the country and beyond if the Lebanese army did not stop attacking a Palestinian refugee camp.

Palestinian refugees brave the sniper fire and escaped the camp.
  
  
Soldiers from Lebanese Army rushe to the fight.
     
  
Poster of Yassar Arafat and a web of power cables at Baddawi Palestinian refugee camp near the city of Tripoli Saturday, May 26, 2007. Battle between Lebanese Army and Fatah al-Islam, armed Sunni Palestinian group thought to have links with al-Quida continue to fight continues at near-by Nahr Al-Bared camp. Fatah al-Islam started at Baddawi camp, but left the camp and moved to Baddawi to establish themselves.
   
Soldier from Lebanese Army guards the street corner as others try to capture a suspected member of Fatah al-Islam in the northern city of Tripoli.
   
Palestinian refugees braved the sniper fires and managed to flee the fighting in Nahr Al-Bared refugee camp.
     
  
Elderly Palestinian refugee is being helped after braving the sniper fires and managed to flee the fighting in Nahr Al-Bared refugee camp.
   
Palestinian refugees braved the sniper fires and managed to flee the fighting in Nahr Al-Bared refugee camp.
   
Palestinian refugees braved the sniper fires and managed to flee the fighting in Nahr Al-Bared refugee camp.
     
  
Soldier from Lebanese Army runs across the street to avoid sniper fires in Nahr Al-Bared refugee camp.
   
Elderly Palestinian refugees braved the sniper fires and managed to flee the fighting in Nahr Al-Bared refugee camp.
   
     
  
Lebanese soldier stands guard as a funeral procession of Walid Eido, Member of Lebanese Parliament Member, his son Khaled Eido, and two body guards arrives at a mosque in Beirut, Lebanon Thursday, June 14, 2007.
   
With a pistol on his hip, a supporter of Phalangist Christian Party tries to keep the road clear for the funeral procession of slain anti-Syrian lawmaker Antoine Ghanem and his body guards in a Christian suburb of Beirut Friday, September 21, 2007. They were killed on Wednesday, September 19,2007 with a massive car bomb blast, a week ahead of scheduled Presidential election. Ghanem's death means the ruling and pro-western alliance of Sunni, Christian and Druze factions has slim majority of 68 in the 128-member parliament against a Shi'ite-Christian opposition that includes Hezbollah which is backed by Syria and Iran.
  
Woman mourns as the funeral procession of slain anti-Syrian lawmaker Antoine Ghanem and his body guards in a Christian suburb of Beirut Friday, September 21, 2007. They were killed on Wednesday, September 19,2007 with a massive car bomb blast, a week ahead of Presidential election. She is holding a photo of Tony Gaou, one of the body gurards. Flags in the photo are of Lebanon and Phalangist Christian Party. Ghanem's death means the ruling and pro-western alliance of Sunni, Christian and Druze factions has slim majority of 68 in the 128-member parliament against a Shi'ite-Christian opposition that includes Hezbollah which is backed by Syria and Iran. After the July War, conflict between Hezborah and Israel, Lebanon has been plagued with crisis such as political stand-off with pro-western bloc with slim majority and Syria and Iran backed opposition, accompanied by political assasinations and the fight between Lebanese army and Suni fandamentalist group in a palestinian camps.
     
  
Funeral procession of Walid Eido, Member of Lebanese Parliament Member, his son Khaled Eido, and two body guards makes its way to a mosque in Beirut, Lebanon Thursday, June 14, 2007.
   
A body of Walid Eido , Member of Lebanese Parliament Member, is being carried into a mosque for a funeral prayer in Beirut, Lebanon Thursday, June 14, 2007.
  
Lebanese Red Cross rescue workers morn for the death of their co-worker Boulos Mamaari at his house in Shiek Mohammad, mountain village in northern Lebanon June 12, 2007. Mamaari and his co-worker Haitham Suleiman, was killed by a shell near Nahr Al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp where the fighting between Lebanese Army and Fatah al-Islam, Islamist militant group continues.
     
  
A body of Boulos Mamaari, rescue worker of Lebanese Red Cross, is being carried down the streets of Shiek Mohammad, mountain village in northern Lebanon June 12, 2007.
   
Lebanese Red Cross rescue workers morn for the death of their co-worker Boulos Mamaari at the Sacred Heart Church in Shiek Mohammad, mountain village in northern Lebanon June 12, 2007.
  
Noose intended for the ones responsible for the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was raised during gathering under the rain in Beirut's Martyr's square, tens of thousands of pro-government supporters converged on central Beirut for the third anniversary of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri's assassination, just miles from where Lebanon's opposition group Hezbollah prepared to bury a top commander slain by a car bomb.
     
  
Saad Hariri, head of western-backed majority and son of assasinated former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, spends his day receiving visitors at his office in Beirut Wednesday, September 26, 2007. After the July War, conflict between Hezborah and Israel, Lebanon has been plagued with crisis such as political stand-off with pro-western bloc with slim majority and Syria and Iran backed opposition, accompanied by the fight between Lebanese army and Suni fandamentalist group in a palestinian camps.
  
Hundreds of supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition, its flag on left, rallied in Beirut Saturday December 1, 2007 to mark the anniversary of their sit-in to bring down the western-backed government. The protestors gathered in the city centre where the opposition has maintained a protest camp outside the offices of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.The opposition, its ministers walked on November 2006, has been demanding a government of national unity installed in place of Siniora's.
   
Members of Hezbollah carry the coffin of their assassinated commander Imad Moughniyah during his funeral in Beirut's southern suburbs February 14, 2008. In a videotaped eulogy broadcast on a giant screen to thousands attending the south Beirut funeral, chief of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah said Israel had taken the fight outside the "natural battlefield" of Israel and Lebanon. The car bomb killed Mughniyeh Tuesday night in Damascus. The former Hezbollah security chief was one of world's most wanted fugitives, accused of masterminding attacks that killed hundreds of Americans in Lebanon in the 1980s.
     
  
Lebanon's Hezbollah chief deputy leader Sheikh Naim Kassem, center, prays with clerics beside the coffin of assassinated commander Imad Moughniyah during his funeral in Beirut's suburbs February 14, 2008.
   
uneral procession of assassinated commander Imad Moughniyah is in progressl in Beirut's suburbs February 14, 2008.
   
In a videotaped eulogy broadcast on a giant screen to thousands attending the south Beirut funeral for slain commander Imad Mughniyeh, chief of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah said Israel had taken the fight outside the "natural battlefield" of Israel and Lebanon Feburary 14, 2008.
     
  
One of the members of Lebanese Parliament arrives at the Parliament in Beirut under heavy security in Tuesday, September 25, 2007. After a brief meeting, they announced the postponement of a session to elect a new president until next month after the legislature failed to have enough lawmakers to elect the President because of a Hezbollah-led opposition boycott. Fears of another attack against anti-Syrian lawmakers were high after the killing of Antoine Ghanem last week, which fueled the accusation against Syria being behind the political killings which left 5 MPs dead and Rafiq Hariri, Prime Minister.
  
Anti-government militia fighter signals to give him a cover fire before he crosses the street during a crash against pro-government fighters in Beirut, Lebanon Thursday May 8, 2008.
  
Anti-government militia fighter reload his AK-47 during a crash against pro-government fighters in Beirut, Lebanon Thursday May 8, 2008. Photo by Jiro Ose Please do not use my credit because the face of fighter is shown, and I might get some problem.
     
  
On Saturday, May 10, Lebanese army solders stand by as the funeral procession of Mohammed Shammaa, 22-year-old Suni man who was killed during the firefight between pro and anti goverment groups on Thursday, May 8, 2008. During the procession, shots were fired and kill 4 people in process. Lebanese army tried to stay out of crash, being neutral.
   
In front of posters of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, a woman mourns as the funeral procession of Ziad Ghalayini, a Sunni who was killed by Shiite gunmen two days ago in clashes, in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, May 11, 2008. Beirut, which for four days was the focus of bloody sectarian clashes between Sunnis and Shiites, spent a quiet night, though on Sunday morning many of its roads remained blocked, including the one to the airport, by the opposition's civil disobedience campaign.
   
A girl dressed as princess is a part of tens of thousands gathered waved yellow Hezbollah flag at the welcoming ceremony of 5 released prisoners being held at Beirut's southern suburb Wed. July 16, 2008. Five prisoners, most notably Samir Kuntar, were swapped by Israel in exchange for the bodies of two soldiers who were taken during the July War in 2006. Kuntar was 16 when he was captured, and was in captivity for 29 years.
     
  
A boy dressed in military outfit is a part of tens of thousands gathered waved yellow Hezbollah flag at the welcoming ceremony of 5 released prisoners being held at Beirut's southern suburb Wed. July 16, 2008. Five prisoners, most notably Samir Kuntar, were swapped by Israel in exchange for the bodies of two soldiers who were taken during the July War in 2006. Kuntar was 16 when he was captured, and was in captivity for 29 years.
   
  
Tens of thousands gathered waved yellow Hezbollah and Lebanese flags, posters of 5 released priosners, Hassan Nasrallah, and Imad Mugniyahat the welcoming ceremony of 5 released prisoners being held at Beirut's southern suburb Wed. July 16, 2008. Five prisoners, most notably Samir Kuntar, were swapped by Israel in exchange for the bodies of two soldiers who were taken during the July War in 2006. Kuntar was 16 when he was captured, and was in captivity for 29 years.
     
  
Dignitaries wait for the arrivals of release prisoners and coffins containing the remains of Palestinian and Hezbollah fighters, draped in their national flags, arrive in Lebanon from Israel in the Village of Naqoura bordring Israel, July 16, 2008. Israel handed over five Lebanese prisoners to Hezbollah via the Red Cross on Wednesday after the Shi'ite guerrilla group returned the bodies of two Israeli soldiers seized in a cross-border raid in 2006.
   
In his rare public appearance, standing with released prisoners, most notably Samir Kuntar to his left, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, addresses the crowd of tens of thousand in a packed open square in Beirut's southern suburb on the night of Wednesday, Julyt 16, 2008 to celebrate the release of five prisoners from Israel. The prisoners were swapped by Israel in exchange for the bodies of two soldiers.