[June 17, 2013] Officials deny presence of Nusra Front branch in Sidon Tweet Jun 18, 2013 (The Daily Star - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- SIDON, Lebanon -- Officials and security sources strongly denied the existence of a branch of the Nusra Front, the Al-Qaeda affiliate fighting in Syria, in the city of Sidon and nearby Palestinian refugee camp, even as they warned the Syrian conflict was radicalizing local youth. Speculation over Nusra's presence in Lebanon intensified after Friday's arrest of Mohammad Abu Hawash, a 27-year-old from Sidon, on suspicion of belonging to the group. The Nusra Front is a militant group fighting against the regime of President Bashar Assad, and has openly declared allegiance to Al-Qaeda. It is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. A broad spectrum of Islamist sources said the group had no organized presence in Lebanon or local Palestinian refugee camps, but that events in Syria have "brainwashed conservative Muslim youths who sympathize with them at least in name, particularly after Hezbollah announced that it stands with Bashar." Security sources told The Daily Star that some Islamist groups with ideological leanings toward Nusra Front have provided the rebels in Syria with weapons as well as fighters from Lebanon and Palestine traveling there as individuals. But they vehemently denied that Nusra had sleeper cells in Lebanon or the camps, or that the group had an organized presence in the country. "I do not think that there is an organizational structure called Nusra Front [in Sidon and the Palestinian camps], but we have to be watchful and control the Syrian-Lebanese border to prevent elements from sneaking through," said Sheikh Maher Hammoud, the imam of Al-Quds Mosque in Sidon. Sheikh Hammoud, who is a Hezbollah ally, was the target of an assassination attempt earlier this month. He said that he had received warnings prior to the attack that he could be targeted by Nusra, though the investigation in the case has not been completed. Another Islamist official denied that Al-Qaeda or Nusra had an organized presence in the country, adding that the speculation was aimed at deterring support for the Syrian uprising and to raise fears of Islamism. "As the massacres against our people in Syria increase, it drives the youth toward extremism under different names," said Bassam Hammoud, the political representative of the Jamaa al-Islamiya, the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, in south Lebanon. "We ensure that we calm things down as much as possible and we help to moderate the rhetoric. The fear is that as the Syrian crisis persists, so will extremist thought." Sources said that Abu Hawash, the man accused of having links to Nusra, is a believer in the group's ideology and fought on the border alongside Syrian rebels. Abu Hawash was initially a supporter of Salafi Sidon Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir, and allegations have surfaced that he was transferring weapons from the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp to the preacher, The Daily Star has learned. He also fought alongside other Islamists in Tripoli, and was rumored to have been killed in combat, before resurfacing and being apprehended. Other residents of Ain al-Hilweh have fought in Syria. Three weeks ago, a local mosque announced the death of Ibrahim Ziad Mubarak, the fourth camp resident to die in the fighting in Syria. Fighters have also returned to the camp to recuperate from injuries sustained there. Sources likened such fighters to the influx of dozens of Ain al-Hilweh residents to Iraq to fight against the American occupation, though they maintained that such individuals were not part of an organization. Concern over Nusra's presence in Lebanon intensified after reports emerged that Abu Mohammad al-Golani, the group's leader, may have visited northern Lebanon and the Ain al-Hilweh camp, though subsequent Palestinian and Lebanese investigations did not substantiate the rumors. Meanwhile, tensions continue to simmer in Sidon, with repeated clashes between the supporters of Assir and Hezbollah. The latest incident occurred Sunday, when supporters of Assir clashed with Mahmoud al-Sous, a member of Hezbollah's Resistance Brigades, a branch created by the group in the 1990s that encompasses fighters from Lebanon's non-Shiite sects. A statement from Assir's media office claimed that Sous insulted Assir's supporters, and the fight that ensued was swiftly ended by the Lebanese Army. The statement accused Sous, along with other Resistance Brigade members, of destroying local businesses belonging to Assir supporters. Security sources said they were worried about attempts to destabilize Sidon after the success of the Lebanese Army in quelling unrest in the volatile northern city of Tripoli. ___ (c)2013 The Daily Star (Beirut, Lebanon) Visit The Daily Star (Beirut, Lebanon) at www.dailystar.com.lb/ Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]