IS Threatens to Execute Soldiers Held Hostage, Slams Hizbullah 'Allies'
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربيةA French-speaking jihadist threatened Friday to execute Lebanese soldiers held hostage by the Islamic State group, saying three prominent anti-IS Lebanese politicians would be responsible for their deaths.
The threat was made in a video Agence France Presse obtained from a Salafist cleric, Wissam al-Masri, who is mediating the release of 25 police and soldiers held by IS and the Syrian branch of al-Qaida the al-Nusra Front.
Four hostages have already been executed.
The video, filmed in a field with hills in the background, shows three men in blue uniforms, each kneeling in front of a fighter holding a knife to his throat.
The unidentified speaker, was wearing a hood and his companions' faces were uncovered. From his speech, it was not possible to determine if he was from Lebanon, where French is widely spoken, or a third country.
Thousands of fighters from France and countries in North Africa where French is spoken have flocked to IS ranks.
The speaker attacked the politicians for what he said is their support for Hizbullah, whose fighters are aiding Syrian President Bashar Assad in the civil war against largely Sunni Muslim rebels that include IS.
"To the allies of France in Lebanon – (Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad) Hariri, (Lebanese Forces leader) Samir Geagea and (Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid) Jumblatt -- the Islamic State is at war with Hizbullah, which is meddling in the affairs of Muslims in Sham (Syria) and has killed our women and our children," he says.
"You are certainly criminals, but you have added to your crimes today by your collaboration with Hizbullah and your transformation of the Lebanese army into a mere puppet in the hands of Hizbullah, with which it oppresses Sunnis."
IS is a radical Sunni organization that considers Shiite Muslims to be heretics. It has murdered many of them in a campaign of atrocities in areas under its control in Syria and neighboring Iraq.
"You are therefore responsible for the fate of your fellow citizens. Their future, their life and death, depends on your next decision," he said without making any specific demands of the three men.
However, the jihadists have demanded that Islamist prisoners held in Lebanese jails be released in exchange for the hostages.
Masri told AFP that he had met with IS leaders Thursday in Qalamoun, Syria, near the Lebanese border and seen nine of the soldiers.
"Two of them are in a very fragile state of health," he said.
Lebanon has tried to insulate itself from the effects of the war in neighboring Syria, but has been wracked by increasing instability and spillover from the nearly four-year conflict.
Last week, Prime Minister Tammam Salam said 16 police and soldiers were still being held by al-Nusra, and nine by IS.
"We have tried to negotiate with them... but things are very difficult."
"Lebanon has tried to insulate itself from the effects of the war in neighboring Syria, but has been wracked by increasing instability and spillover from the nearly four-year conflict."
and how did Lebanon try to insulate itself from the effects of the war in Syria.... by allowing Hizbollah send its fighters to Syria and participate in the massacres of civilians?
oh _mowaten_ you scary me sometimes!!!! I was thinking the same thing, exactly the same thing. We are so so similar it is not even funny anymore. We are both Shia and extremists; We both pretend to be secular and non-prejudicial; We both are malignant narcissists; We both lie and distort and last but not least; We both are paid to post.
_mowaten_, do you think people might think we are the same poster? I hope not
mowaten.. are you not tired of repeating the same lie over and over again? Is lying a second nature in your culture or is it something that HA teaches you? Try harder next time...
bless anyone person, entity, organization, brigade, or country that inflicts pain and suffering, death and destruction upon the terrorist iranian sectarian militia, its leaders, followers, and supporters wherever they may be.
I respect French Jihadists, Lebanese Jihadists, Shia Jihadists, Mr. Mystic, Mr. Flamethrower, and Mr. Mowaten equally.
these terrorist takfiry wahabi filth are just barking , cause our soldiers are their only shield and they know that if there is no soldiers hostages they will be wiped out from all our Lebanese borders in no time
god bless democracy
But Dr. Geagea is accused of supporting ISIS and now ISIS is threatening him, how come? rofl
better ask megahabib, mystic, or flamethrower. Better still ask mowaten he knows everything.
The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns in the strongest terms these barbaric acts that do not conform to the basics of human decency. The Islamic Republic is proud of its history and record on human rights, preserving personal liberties, and protecting minorities. We stand firm by the resistance in Lebanon in its fight against the forces of evil.
that is exactly what hezbollah wants: that all the soldiers get killed. so that it would push the army to ally with the syrians and justify hezbolahis intervention in syria against the Baabda declaration and to support bashar! that is all what M8ers dream of: kissing assad's boots ....
releasing them would be bad for their propaganda.
hahahaha! You see how you add a flavor of wit to the forum. Before you posted, this article and the commentors were pretty boring. Here you are, you present yourself with confidence and conviction armed with facts that leave them speechless. Somesing anazar flamesrower!
أوقف حاتم الموسوي شقيق النائب في “حزب الله” حسين الموسوي بتهمة تزعمه عصابة لسرقة السيارات في لبنان. إشارة الى ان شقيقا اخر للموسوي اتهم بفضيحة حبوب الكبتاغون المخدرة العام الماضي.
This guy is from North African french speaking country (or possibly from France, and with North African descent). Tunisia, Morocco, mainly. He's not Lebanese. It is apparent from his accent and intonation.
when the lebanon army join forces with ISIS to fight the terrorism of HA in the region!!!???
even more funny is we have people on here speaking the same language as the terrorist hizbollah.
Said the American, supporter of child murder. When are you going to vote for congress, to bomb another sovereign nation?
At least there is a vote, at least there are bi-partisan discussions on whether or not military action should be taken, at least the USAF is the only military in the US, and no terrorist militias "resisting" Mexican occupation of southern California, along with their Saraya who are a bunch of criminals, at least the United States has law and order and due process of law, at least the United States doesn't have political parties with blasphemous names like "Party of God"
It is not in their interest to release the soldiers. They would not rescue the soldiers even if they could. They negotiated with Nusra and ISIL to release their own terrorists because they are incapable of any military operation.
I can answer that, because M14 and the Americans, will never accept Hezbollah, to negotiate for the LAF, or even free them. God and honest truth, the Americans above ofcourse, will not accept it.
As hard as this path might be for Lebanese and Lebanon, Lebanon should never negotiate with terrorists. IS, Al Qaida, Al Nusra don't deserve the crap that comes from a dog. They are wild beasts and need to be treated like one. Enough is enough, the army, people and resistance need to mobilize and learn how to develop a media campaign against them. Other nations are good at doing this, we need to start to learn from our enemy's. Lebanon and their politicians need to grow some balls. They are good at talking in circles and nothing gets done. Thats the good ol'Middle East for yah.