Lebanese Minister of Defense Elias Al-Murr: 27 Lebanese Soldiers Were Martyred. The Battle Will Not End until 270 Members of Fath Al-Islam Are Either Killed or Arrested

Following are excerpts from an interview with Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Al-Murr, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on May 22, 2007.

Elias Al-Murr: All the Palestinian positions we hear every day in the media are in support of the Lebanese army and the Lebanese state, and are against these terrorists. In addition, if we examine the statistics of the Lebanese army, we can see that the casualties among these terrorists were not Palestinians. There was nothing Palestinian about them.

Interviewer: What was their nationality?

Elias Al-Murr: They include all nationalities. Some are Lebanese, others are Jordanian, Saudi, Syrian – from all nationalities...

Interviewer: How many were they?

Elias Al-Murr: How many what?

Interviewer: How many members of "Fath Al-Islam" were killed?

Elias Al-Murr: It is said that 50-60 of them were killed. This is the information we have at the moment. In any case, that is not what's important. How many members of "Fath Al-Islam" are killed is not my concern. What is important to me is the martyrs of the Lebanese army. The Lebanese army had 30 martyrs. They were at their posts, carrying out the mission of defending the citizens, and protecting security and order in Lebanon. The army was at its bases, but was not firing or fighting anyone. It was at the bases, the way it is deployed all over Lebanon. The army was attacked at its bases, and that night, 27 martyrs were killed, while sleeping in their barracks. None of them managed to use his weapons for self-defense. There were 27 martyrs from the Lebanese army, and, in return, 270 of these terrorists should be killed or imprisoned, before I will consider the battle to be over. As far as I am concerned, anything beyond this equation is out of the question.

Interviewer: Minister...

Elias Al-Murr: Negotiations are out of the question. The Lebanese army will not negotiate with a bunch of criminal terrorists. They are not Palestinians, and they have nothing to do with the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. They have nothing to do with humanity or Islam. They are criminals, scoundrels, and terrorists. They will be arrested, and if they resist the Lebanese army, they will be killed.