Doaa El-Bey looks at what awaits Lebanon after its victory in Nahr Al-Bared By ousting the last member of the Fatah Al-Islam group from Nahr Al-Bared, Lebanon regained control over the refugee camp. However, the end of Fatah Al-Islam heralds the start of other battles meant to prevent similar confrontations in the future. Ayman Al-Safadi hailed the "well deserved" victory of the Lebanese army over the Fatah Al-Islam "gang" which he described as a "mercenary group". Al-Safadi blamed the late victory -- which took over 100 days -- on limited capabilities, poor resources and the fact that this war was imposed on the Lebanese army which was not ready to fight it. Al-Safadi wrote in the Jordanian daily Al-Ghad that the victory raised questions over who supported and armed Hizbullah in order to shake security in Lebanon. It is hard to believe, said Al-Safadi, that Fatah Al-Islam leader Shaker Al-Abssi managed to unilaterally recruit members and build the infrastructure of his group without the help of an organised party or state. However, he added the army's victory was not the end, and should be followed by a battle to rebuild the Nahr Al-Bared camp and put an end to the suffering of its inhabitants. "The Lebanese army deserves Arab and international support to rebuild the camp. Any failure to lend such support would be a victory for Fatah Al-Islam and a defeat of all moderate powers in the region," Al-Safadi wrote. Rebuilding the camp should come in line with reshaping the relations between the Lebanese government and the Palestinian factions living in Lebanon in order to avoid the emergence of another Fatah Al-Islam. After all, continued Al-Safadi, it is not impossible to reach an agreement that would allow the Palestinian factions to assume the responsibility of security inside their camps in a way that would not encroach on Lebanese sovereignty or allow terrorism to infiltrate into the camps. It is also high time, according to Al-Safadi, to give the Palestinian factions their basic rights of education and job opportunities. Omar Habangar described the defeat of Fatah Al-Islam as an end to a temporary phenomenon. "But it was not without any benefits to Lebanon as it forced a weak Lebanese army to depend on its humble resources in fighting the strongest terrorist power the region has known. It also allowed the internal security forces to give priority to wider national security rather than street security." Habangar wrote in the Lebanese daily Al-Anwar the Lebanese people have now something to boast about: having effective security forces and an army capable of protecting their nation whenever necessary. Still, there is another battle awaiting the military and security leaders, a battle with the repercussions of a military confrontation. The state has a duty towards the victorious army, meaning the government "should help the army to be at the ready at all times so that whoever sent Fatah Al-Islam to Lebanon would think twice before sending another group, perhaps with a different name but with the same strategies." The editorial of the United Arab Emirates independent daily Al-Khaleej wrote that Lebanon had witnessed two things that could lead Beirut out of its present crisis: its victory in Nahr Al-Bared and the initiative of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to choose a consensus presidential candidate and hold elections on schedule in accordance with the constitution and through a quorum of two-thirds of the MPs. Both developments represent light at the end of the tunnel for Lebanon and they deserve to be thoroughly studied away from any external influence. The Lebanese army, the editorial read, needs the support of all the powers in the nation to avoid any infiltration or security threats in the future. As for Berri's initiative, it came a few weeks before the presidential election, and thus could save Lebanon from falling into complete anarchy. "The army's victory and Berri's initiative should be built upon in order to take Lebanon out of its present crisis especially during the present stage when the region is filled with tension and the Zionist enemy is waiting to pounce on Lebanon at any time," the editorial read. Elias Harfoush regarded Berri's move as opening a new door for resolving the Lebanese crisis. However, he expressed his fear that it could meet the same fate as that of his previous initiative. In order for Berri's initiative to succeed, it requires an agreement between the government and the opposition on the importance of saving Lebanon and putting its interests before their own personal interests and demands. In addition, Harfoush wrote in the London- based daily Al-Hayat that agreeing on a consensus presidential candidate is almost impossible as each party regards its candidate as a consensus candidate from its own point of view. However, Harfoush suggested that lessons could be learnt from Nahr Al-Bared. Despite the heavy casualties, the victory was the only positive thing in the Lebanese scene as it represented not only a military victory, but political as well. The latter was reflected in the tumultuous national celebrations of the achievement of the army in spite of its poor resources and the difficult political situation. However, Harfoush did not elaborate on how to build upon the army's victory in choosing the consensus presidential candidate. Salah Sallam regarded Nahr Al-Bared's victory and Berri's initiative as two positive developments that could move Lebanon's crisis toward a resolution. He regarded the army's victory as a decisive and positive step as it uprooted a terrorist organisation that posed a threat not only to the north but to the whole of Lebanon. Berri's initiative showed that the opposition gave up its condition to form a national unity government before the presidential election due late this month. He wrote in the Lebanese daily Aliwaa that the other parties should work on reopening a national dialogue between all factions to reach the desired consensus on the presidential candidate. Sallam called on all the parties to seize the opportunity of a possible resolution in Lebanon and a regional and international will to resolve other regional problems and build upon it. "At present, Lebanon should avoid any negative developments or setbacks that could involve it in external conflicts or internal fighting for decades to come."
