Syria Says it Freed 25 in Exchange for Nuns
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Syrian government freed only 25 prisoners — and not the 150 reported by foreign mediators — in exchange for 13 Greek Orthodox nuns who had been held by al-Qaida-linked rebels, the country's information minister said Tuesday.
Qatari and Lebanese officials, who were mediating between Damascus and the rebels holding the nuns, said previously that 150 women prisoners were released early Monday.
"The real number of those who were freed in exchange for the release of the nuns, who were kidnapped by armed terrorist gangs, is 25 persons," Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said on state TV.
Damascus typically does not comment on releases in exchange for people held by rebels. Al-Zoubi's remarks were a rare acknowledgement that President Bashar Assad's government made any concessions to the rebels fighting to oust him from power.
The nuns were captured in December as opposition fighters overran a Christian village, north of the capital.
The women were held by the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front rebel group in Yabroud near the Syrian border with Lebanon. In recent weeks, the town has been the scene of fierce fighting as Syrian government troops, backed by Lebanon's Hizbullah militants, try to oust the rebels from the border area.
Their release and return to Damascus Monday provided an unusual example of regional actors cooperating to reach across the Syrian civil war's sectarian and ideological fault lines, which have sharply split the Middle East.
The energy-rich Gulf nation of Qatar, a chief backer of the rebels fighting to topple Assad, was involved in the mediation. Lebanon's General Security Chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, a powerful figure trusted by the Lebanese militant Hizbullah group and its Syrian government allies, was on hand to receive the nuns early Monday.
Al-Zoubi denied there were any direct contacts between Syrian and Qatari officials to reach the deal. Assad's government accuses the Gulf state of supporting terrorists — a term they use for the rebels — in a plot to destroy Syria.
The Syrian conflict started as largely peaceful protests against Assad's rule in March 2011. Since then it has deteriorated into a civil war in which more than 140,000 people have been killed, activists say. Millions have fled their homes and sought shelter in safer parts of their homeland or in neighboring states.
According to a UNICEF report released on Tuesday, more than half of the 2 million Syrian refugees — about 1.2 million — are children. Nearly a half of those are under the age of five. Another 3 million children have been displaced inside Syria because of the fighting, the report said.
Children have been hit hard during the conflict, now entering its fourth year.
More than 10,000 children have been killed in the fighting, UNICEF said. Thousands have lost limbs, parents, teachers, schools, homes and virtually every aspect of their childhood, the report said.
11 March 2014, 13:40
613
You have no shame, really. These were women and children and now you are asking the syrian regime to re arrest them?
11 March 2014, 13:41
811
'agonic situation' ? thats not what they said...
'I hope from the SAA to follow up those released and catch them back'
please SAA arrest them and rape those women and kids again...
southern how much are u paid to sound so stupid and ridiculous ?
11 March 2014, 17:35
612
Nadine and Southern have no shame. Many (and likely most) of the women in Syrian jails are held there as hostages to pressure relatives who are part of the opposition. Many of these women suffer horrowing conditions. One can only hope that both of you end up in Syrian Mukhabarat jails so you have the chance to experience the humanity of that regime. And if anyone of you two is Lebanese, you should be ashamed. How many thousands of Lebanese perished under torture or executed by Syrian regime or were simply disappeared?
11 March 2014, 15:00
710
i just love his sources, always .sy or .ir or .taqiyaBS
the website is new, most links are not working, articles from sana, the syrian electronic army is getting worse day by day...
Please visit the site just to see the level of stupidity of Southern, please ya chabab....
11 March 2014, 15:10
78
of course it's fake, everything is fake, we're all living in the matrix, the khomeynist matrix.
Pro Assad/Khamenei muppets are very quiet today coz their leader ft is absent.MOUHAHAHAHAHA
11 March 2014, 15:11
711
First thanks naharnet for deleting my coment.. Anyway i will rephrase it maybe it will pass:
Southern ur coment proves that u are no better than israelly or south lebanese army (jeich lahed), when i think of how many patriotic lebanese gave their lives so u can live freely... I thought we just have difference of opinion, but clearely u lost all sense of humanity...
Ur coment is a disgrace...
11 March 2014, 17:09
55
So hilarious sagh/nadibe/lebpatriot...
U are so funny... And so human...
I wish that none of ur family will hv to live what those poor women went through...
Now, like usual, go have some chupachups...
11 March 2014, 15:27
54
You consistently defend the Syrian regime and the Pro-Iran HA. You consistently attack the President of Lebanon. I suggest you change your avatar to something more indicative of your political and secterian affiliation.
11 March 2014, 15:31
127
I really don't understand why you are all jumping on Southern. He is not stating they should recapture women and nuns and children. He is referring to the terrorists that were set free. It was not clear their gender in the above article, it just says 25. Although we know the Assad regime has Lebanese locked up for their political beliefs, I am sure some of these individuals Nusra wants were some wackos. I see way more atrocities against helpless Christians by FSA/ISIL/Nusra. I know how dirty Assad can be, but I really believe in this war he is the better choice for our region.
11 March 2014, 15:41
98
'He is referring to the terrorists that were set free.'
http://www.troll.me/images/creepy-willy-wonka/im-astonished-please-do-go-on-thumb.jpg
11 March 2014, 17:05
144
Thank you Zahle1, this is exactly the reason why I posted today, it seems that there are some people who just cannot accept in good faith the different opinions of others, this place could soon become stale.
11 March 2014, 17:29
411
phenix u are right, i cannot accept that we give us the choice beteween assad and takfiri,i cannot accept that assad passes for our protector after all he did to our country, i cannot believe that after all we went through to make him leave our country he still can find a way to impose himself on us..
I cannot believe that 13 years old billal hamza killed while in custody of assad firces and sent back to his parents was a cleaner and more modern death than those of takfiris..
I cannot believe that after the destruction of towns by airstikes, scuds, explosive bariel on civilians they still can defend him bc of takfiris...
I cannot believe after 13political assassination, takfiri chaker el abssi, smaha/mamlouk... Some lebanese still count on this guy and his regime...
I think i will go hv some chupachups...
11 March 2014, 18:09
113
Thank you Imagine, I share in every single line you wrote, me too, I want neither the Syrian regime, nor the Takfiris or for that matter anyone to come and mess up our country. We are simply too fed up with them all, we pay a very high price for those who supported anything BUT Lebanese. It's time the Lebanese live in peace, the rest should go out now, out of Lebanon.
11 March 2014, 18:10
56
U are perfectly right, all those against assad are takfiri/zionist/ksa/imperialists (like hamza el khatib, or takfiri also tortured him while in assad custody before giving back his corpse to his family...
Joe always great post man, keep it up... Now go have some chupachups...
11 March 2014, 18:12
55
Sorry zahle the later coment was not intended to u... And the name of the child tortured by assad chabiha was hamza el khatib...
11 March 2014, 18:06
410
Zahle, no southern was not referring to what you describe as terrorists. He was referring to women because he clarified it in his later post which I am quoting
"you claim to be against the terrorists, but now I doubt in you.
here you got another link, Woman Held for Trying to Recruit Females for al-Nusra, Fugitive Hurt in Bekaa Chase!"
11 March 2014, 15:53
63
I just checked the website of southern... I found the following hilarious news!!! Tx southern for the laugh.
"st petersburg academy confers president assad a medal to defend syria's interests" WOuhahahahhahahahaaa!
Can you beleive that?
11 March 2014, 17:15
68
phoenix: I answered you yesterday on this matter. Do you feel your friend FT got censored for no reason? When you got censored do you believe it was unfair? I read your comments at that time and I believe you should have been censored and I think you agree. FT also used unacceptable language attacking another poster and I happened to read those comments. I am not defending anyone here as I get many of my comments deleted for no reason other than a multitude of people press the report button. Yes, it would be nice to stick to certain standards, but I think you are being unfair.
11 March 2014, 18:12
510
U are perfectly right, all those against assad are takfiri/zionist/ksa/imperialists (like hamza el khatib, or takfiri also tortured him while in assad custody before giving back his corpse to his family...
Joe always great post man, keep it up... Now go have some chupachups...
12 March 2014, 00:18
02
Thank you President Assad. We, the American people (not our leaders and the Israel lobby), are fully behind you. It's terrible that you had to release all of these terrorists. But your resolve to rescue these nuns shows the lengths to which you have gone to protect Syrians of all faiths and the fact that you value saving lives over destroying them. You are a wonderful man and people in the history books will realize it. I pray that you may win and that the unholy alliance between America, France, Israel, Erdogan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar will fail. Syrians must remain free from a barbaric law based on a narrow and perverted interpretation of the Quran. Long live Assad and all peaceful Syrians! Death to Al Qaeda, ISIL, and their supporters!
12 March 2014, 14:57
00
Well I think many of us are on the same page. The only thing I am confused about is why my post was deleted? Can I email a moderator?
