Families of Kidnapped Pilgrims Agree to Reopen Airport Road
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The families of the kidnapped Lebanese pilgrims have agreed to reopen the airport road on Monday after they blocked it for around three hours in protest against the failure to release their loved ones.
The families blamed the government for the failure, initially threatening to keep the road blocked indefinitely.
One group of families resorted to blocking the road with cars and vans, while another has turned to burning tires, said the National News Agency.
One of the family members accused officials of not exerting enough efforts to ensure the release of the captives, said al-Jadeed television.
Another said: “We have been patient, but our patience has limits.”
Al-Jadeed added that travelers heading to the airport had resorted to walking to their destination in order to avoid missing their flight.
One of the family members called on the captors to release the pilgrims, saying that none of them are affiliated with any political parties in Lebanon.
“We hope that they will free them as soon as possible,” he added.
“We are prepared to sleep on the road until our demands are met,” he stressed.
This is the third time that the airport road had been blocked over the case of the kidnapped pilgrims, said al-Jadeed.
It later reported that the families prevented a convoy from reaching the airport.
It said that the four-car envoy was encircled by the protesters and forced to turn back after a clash between the two sides.
The identity of the security official reportedly in the motorcade was not disclosed, it continued.
MTV later reported that gunshots were heard in the area.
It said that they from a car of a Hizbullah official as he was trying to safely return from the protest after being attacked by the demonstrators.
On Friday, a delegation from the families had held talks with President Michel Suleiman demanding the release of the pilgrims.
The 11 pilgrims were kidnapped on May 22 in the Syrian city of Aleppo as they were making their way back to Lebanon by land from a pilgrimage in Iran.
Their location remains unknown amid conflicting reports that they had entered Turkish territory.
No side has so far claimed responsibility for their abduction, but various sides had been accused of being behind the incident, including the Free Syrian Army, which has denied any involvement in the case.
18 June 2012, 18:08
013
God be with the 11 pilgrims but what the hell are you doing blocking the road to the airport ???
Go block the road to damascus ! Go protest in front of the Syrian "embassy" in Hamra !
This only shows that this is a staged demonstration supposedly blaming the hezbollah government when the pilgrims are most likely linked to hezbollah.
All show !!!
18 June 2012, 18:25
010
How big are the families of those kidnapped? How much clout and power do they have in order to block such a main artery? The government that they are trying to pressure is controlled by Hezbollah. The airport road is under Hezbollah's control. So what is going ON?
18 June 2012, 18:28
05
very stupid! they should block parliament or the serail but not bother the lives of the citizens! what a shame...
18 June 2012, 18:45
05
Primitice people, primitive acts. How about setting yourselves on fire?
18 June 2012, 18:49
00
For Once...I agree with all the 5 comments posted....Its time for the Govt to put pressure on the Gulf States to visit Lebanon this summer - via Beirut Int'l Airport.....
18 June 2012, 19:27
07
Tourism what tourism? Whatever support they had for their cause is now gone.
18 June 2012, 19:33
02
Blocking the airport road and threatening the citizens of Lebanon is all they know. Why not blame Nasrallah for sending Hezz officers into Syria, most likely to give orders to the Hezz snipers and shabiha there? The Hezz govenrment is a total failure but threatens anyone who suggests it should collapse. What a disaster.
18 June 2012, 19:38
00
when will people like you stop complaining and DO something about the corrupt government officials??
18 June 2012, 20:05
06
Why the Hello would you blocked the Airport road, Na3seen Masayeb ? what the travellers have to do with the Kidnapped issue ? Ya A3mi go and Block El masna3 heading to Syrian , Someone give them direction maybe they dont know how to get there ........
18 June 2012, 20:12
01
i suggest the families of the hundreds kidnapped from Lebanon before 2005 during the syrian occupation by the syrian army or by jamil sayyed's thugs and sent to jails in syria to come join the families of the 11 pilgrims after all one lebanese citizen imprisoned in syria is worth another no matter who's holding him.
19 June 2012, 00:10
04
They agreed? Who are they to agree? Is it their private road? They are turning their just cause into a thug operation. What an insult to the Lebanese who have been in Syrian jails for years... They didn't get to block the airport road. Why? they are lesser people?
What about demonstrating next to the Syrian embassy?
19 June 2012, 08:34
02
Read the headlines: Hizbollah closes the airport road. Hizbollah agrees to reopen the airport road ! Hizbollah takes the decisions in the government. Hizbollah asks the government to take actions to find the pilgrims. Hizbollah authorizes the STL investigators to visit a hospital in Dahyé.Hizbollah sets up a bus loaded with other 'pilgrims' to the same hospital, dressed up as women! What a bunch of clowns !
19 June 2012, 15:39
10
"Wortheless 11" cant come home yet cause there filming a Mega Block Buster in Syria i believe it will also air in 3D cant wait.long Live The Syrian Civil War!
19 June 2012, 15:39
00
"Wortheless 11" cant come home yet cause there filming a Mega Block Buster in Syria i believe it will also air in 3D cant wait.long Live The Syrian Civil War!
19 June 2012, 15:54
00
first of all I think that it is shameful that not a single regional 'power' has condoned the kidnappings. I specifically refer to Persian Gulf Nations. Then The way the government, especially ministry of foreign affairs, dealt with the situation the first 48hrs was shameful towards the families. Finally, I agree with most those families have NO right to disrupt peoples lives. Go and demonstrate in Babbda, or serail. mayeb thousands will join in support.
