Mansour: Contacts Continue to Release Hostages, Gov’t Supported LA
Despite the fragile security calm that Lebanon is witnessing, the curse of security chases them beyond the borders.
After the Syrian rebels kidnapped Tuesday 11 Lebanese citizens, 3 others were killed in Iraq during their pilgrim visit to the Holy shrines there.
According to Iraqi security sources, a roadside bomb exploded in the Khamsat Kilo area [west of the provincial capital Ramadi] as a bus carrying Lebanese pilgrims... passed on the highway, killing 3 women of them and wounding 10."
This came as no news emerged on the 11 kidnapped Lebanese citizens in Syria despite people's trust in the Secretary General of Hizbullah His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah vow to spare no effort to release them.
Hostages Crisis Waits...
Al-Akhbar Lebanese newspaper reported Thursday that "the side behind the kidnapping belongs neither the so-called Free Syrian Army nor to Islamic extremist groups.
"The side is relatively an independent faction working on its own," the paper added.
In parallel, Lebanese official sources revealed to the same daily that "Beirut received reliable information on the decision to release the hostages."
They further pointed out that "the issue is limited to the provision of logistics supplies to release them."
Meanwhile, Syria denied alleged claims that the Lebanese were transferred to the Turkish territories.
"The hostages were taken from the first place to a safer one," the sources clarified.
For his part, Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour expressed confidence that "the kidnapped Lebanese in Aleppo are safe."
In remarks to "al-Joumhoria" daily, Mansour unveiled that he is "waiting for a signal indicating their release."
"Any additional detail on this topic may harm the safety of the hostages' release," the minister stressed.
In another security concern, two people were killed and others were wounded Wednesday evening in what media reports said was a personal dispute in the Beirut neighborhood of Caracas.
The National News Agency blamed a "drunken" man in the neighborhood for shooting an unspecified weapon near the headquarters of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, while several rounds of RPG fire were reported by residents afterward.
Media reports said one Lebanese Army (LA) soldier and two members of the Internal Security Forces were wounded after the authorities intervened.
This came as some forces continue their escalating campaign against the national military institution.
Military Source: Northern Buffer Zone Not by Pressuring LA
A high-ranking military source confirmed that "distinction must be done between the judiciary duties related to the death of Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahid and the security aspect of the LA's duties in all Lebanese regions, particularly in the North."
In an interview with "as-Safir" daily, the source emphasized that "those who think a buffer zone can be achieved through arm-twisting the LA are wrong."
"This step is not determined by the army but by the political will," he added.
The source, who highlighted that "the repercussions of the incident decrease with time," he noted that "people in Akkar are those who insist on the LA's presence in the region."
"They are well aware that if the LA withdraws from the region, they are the most to be affected," the source added.
As-Safir quoted him as saying: "40 percent of the LA belong to the region." "People in Akkar won't allow anyone to attack the institution that belongs to them and they belong to," he concluded.
Gov't Supports LA
Meanwhile, the security concern governed the discussions of the Wednesday's Council of Ministers.
Lebanese dailies mentioned that "the government voiced support for the army and promised to provide it with all the necessary tools to enable it to protect the country."
According to "as-Safir" daily, the Change and Reform Bloc urged the government to task the LA with controlling the security in the North.
"The security situation in Akkar has spiraled out of control ... We should either leave it for gunmen or the army should resume its control on it," Energy Minister Jebran Bassil said during the session.
Ministerial sources told the daily that " the bloc's ministers were seeking to put their request for a vote but they decided to wait until next week to see how the security situation would evolve."
The ministers also expressed surprise at the fact that Shadi al-Mawlawi was honored as a hero upon his release "knowing that he is, at the very least, involved in smuggling weapons into Syria."
However, the National Struggle Front (NSF) rejected the proposal.
"Any solution to the deterioration of the security situation should come through a political decision," "as-Safir" quoted the ministers as saying.
Worried Jumblatt Urges Dialogue
For his part, Head of the NSF MP Walid Jumblatt expressed deep concern regarding the recent clashes in several Lebanese regions.
In remarks to "an-Nahar", Jumblatt viewed "this period is maybe more dangerous than 2005 which followed the extension of former President Emil Lahoud's term."
Jumblatt hailed the call for national dialogue "especially between Hizbullah and the Amal Movement on one side, and the Future Movement on the other."
However, he called the Lebanese " not to put a lot of hope on dialogue."
He also said that "the upcoming parliamentary elections are a meaningless detail amid the sensitive circumstances."
Source: Lebanese dailies, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
