Betsy Pitsik reports for the Washington Times:

The U.N. agency that oversees the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon, the scene of three days of battles between Lebanese troops and Muslim militants, said yesterday it had been aware for months that heavily armed foreigners were moving into the Palestinian enclave but were helpless to stop them.

The extremists of Fatah Islam, who local reports say hail from Syria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Bangladesh, apparently entered the camp, just north of Tripoli, several months ago. They are thought to have arrived in a group, not individually.

Officials of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) could not say how a large band of foreigners carrying what has been described as mortars, rockets, explosive belts and other heavy weapons were able get past the Lebanese army soldiers stationed outside the camp.

They also could not explain why militias of young Palestinian men who provide security and gather intelligence throughout Nahr el-Bared and other Palestinian areas allowed foreign fighters to settle there.

Ed Morrissey, writing at Heading Right, rightfully concludes that “the UN once again shows itself to be useless when it comes to fighting international terrorism.”

I agree with Ed, even if providing security isn’t the responsibility of the UNRWA it should have, at least, informed the Lebanese government and other governments (about the infiltration of the camp by heavily armed foreigners). If governments would have been informed, and if they were allowed to take action, perhaps the current mess could have been avoided.