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There was only one international story to warrant coverage by a correspondent. All three networks reported on the fighting at a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon--although none had a reporter on the scene. From London, CBS' Mark Phillips recounted that the conflict "began as a police operation following a bank robbery." The thieves were suspected of being members of the militant Fatah al-Islam organization. Many were "fresh from fighting with the insurgents in Iraq," noted ABC's Wilf Dinnick (subscription required) from Jerusalem.
They took refuge in the Nahr al-Bared camp in Tripoli. Dinnick noted that "the Lebanese government is forbidden by law" from entering the Palestinian camps so the army laid siege, shelling it from a distance. Concluded NBC's Richard Engel from London: "Now there is no electricity in the camp of 40,000. Bread, medicine and water are running out." Engel added that when NBC visited the camp two weeks ago, Shakir al-Absi, the leader of Fatah al-Islam, "openly bragged" about training his fighters to go on the attack "around the world." His goal is "to topple Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's fragile government" in Beirut.
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