In Rabieh, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun held the Siniora government responsible for the fighting between the army and Fatah al-Islam. "A clear-cut decision ought to be taken so that violence does not spread to other parts of Lebanon or else terrorist attacks will start targeting innocent Lebanese civilians," he said.  In a news conference Monday afternoon, while fierce battles were taking place in the vicinity on the Nahr al-Bared camp, Aoun accused the government of "blatant neglect," and of "pure incompetence."We are currently witnessing a true fiasco, where the government is incapable of taking any sensible decisions apart from showing linguistic support to the army and this is clearly not enough," he said. Aoun said attacks on the army were part of a "plot" to show the army was incapable of defending itself, and hence the Lebanese, "but the army is not to be blamed here but rather our uninvolved government." 

In a statement Monday, parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri denounced a bombing the night before in the neighborhood of Achrafieh, saying it was "closely" linked to attacks on the army in Tripoli.

Earlier Monday, Defense Minister Elias Murr said the blood spilled by the army "will not be wasted," adding that assailants would be "severely punished." Meanwhile, a number of politicians congregated at the Roman Orthodox diocese of Mosseitbeh Monday to meet with Archbishop Elias Aoude after the Achrafieh blast wrought damage on the Orthodox-affiliated Zahret al-Ihsan School. Education Minister Khaled Qabbabi said public schools were ready to welcome Zahret al-Ihsan students for the remainder of the year.

President Emile Lahoud urged that a national day of mourning be declared "to express our sympathy and solidarity with martyrs of the Lebanese Army."