Qatar Ends Arsal Hostage Efforts, Salam Remains Silent

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement issued on Sunday night that it had launched the mediation efforts upon Lebanon's request and for humanitarian reasons.

But it put an end to its efforts after its envoy failed to resolve the crisis.

Qatar regretted the killing of policeman Ali al-Bazzal and renewed its commitment to exert all diplomatic efforts to save lives.

The mediation's end came after the families of the servicemen, who were taken hostage by al-Nusra Front and the extremist Islamic State group from the northeastern town of Arsal in August, blocked roads across Lebanon.

The relatives accuse the Lebanese authorities of procrastinating in meeting the demands of the jihadists.

They called on Monday on the Muslim Scholars Committee to play a bigger role in the negotiations after Qatar's withdrawal.

But Sheikh Salem al-Rafehi, who heads the committee, told LBCI TV that the Lebanese authorities should ask the Muslim Scholars to negotiate with the hostage-takers and show willingness to engage in a swap.

The Committee later held talks with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan.

Rafehi said after the meeting: “The government should officially task the Committee with addressing the case of the Arsal captives.”

“It should accept holding negotiations with the gunmen,” he added.

“Official authorization by the government would thwart external meddling in the affair,” he explained.

He reiterated the Committee's proposal to release the women and children in exchange for the gunmen seizing their threats against the captives.

Al-Nusra on Friday published a photo purporting to show Bazzal being shot in the head and threatened to kill more soldiers if the relatives of the militants are not released immediately.

Lebanese authorities have arrested a divorcee and child of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. They have also apprehended the wife and two children of another militant commander in Syria, Abu Ali al-Shishani.

Following the weekend turmoil, Prime Minister Tammam Salam refused to give details to his visitors on the latest meeting of the committee which is tasked with overseeing the hostage file.

Asked about the security situation in the country, Salam said: “There is nothing comforting … but things are under control.”

Salam preferred to keep discretion, the visitors told An Nahar daily in remarks published on Monday.

Comments 8
Missing theobserver 08 December 2014, 10:26

It seems that the Qatari mediation's goal was to release a captive Qatari women.
When they reached their goal, they quit !

Thumb kanaandian 08 December 2014, 11:43

put the beast, the mufti of ksa on the plank. get him to tell his troops to release the soldiers, this man is closest to the heart of all isis members- as he is their jesus, thir god, the perverted terrorist religious leader of ksa.

Thumb -phoenix1 08 December 2014, 12:35

Wallahi I knew this will happen soon enough, so here we are, back to square one, albeit one less serviceman who was executed in cold blood by these evil terrorists. had the state just allowed the families of the kidnapped servicemen to take hostage those terrorists in our jails, if last week we executed at least 30 of their people in retaliation for the execution of one of our boys, by today ISIL and Nusra would be thinking a hundred times before they touch one hair of our boys. Read any media, social or otherwise, and you will notice how public sentiment is now reaching its limits, and when limits are reached, reactions will start taking place. Yesterday the tents of Syrian refugees were burnt down, today or tomorrow who knows what will happen? Will the people storm our jails and get their own hostages? A weak state is no solution.

Thumb -phoenix1 08 December 2014, 13:22

Naharnet thanks for deleting my comment. Was there abuse? No, it was constructive and aimed to bring about results fro a dysfunctional state. Anyway, it's your paper, was doing my best....

Thumb ex-fpm 08 December 2014, 13:58

flamethrower and southern

Missing coolmec 08 December 2014, 13:58

Hi Phoenix
I hope you're doing ok. BTW why are you surprised Naharnet deleted your comments? It is routine for them. I am not sure they like a constructive comment...lol

Thumb -phoenix1 08 December 2014, 14:32

Hi Coolmec, I am fine bro. I've just re-logged in again and much to my surprise the post has been returned, strange? Kindly read it Coolmec and see for yourself, it's clean, devoid of all slur, just a post to reflect public sentiment. Anyway, all I can say is, thanks Naharnet, at least one can say that monitoring is being done in real time and fairly too.

Thumb -phoenix1 08 December 2014, 18:19

Mr Ebrahim too promised to retaliate in kind, now ya FT what happened? If Ibrahim does as he promised, we surely wouldn't be here procrastinating would we?