Scholars Committee Willing to Resume Mediation, Says Abductors Had 'Humanitarian' Demands

The Muslim Scholars Committee on Tuesday announced its willingness to resume its mediation regarding the Lebanese security personnel who were abducted from the town of Arsal should it “receive such a request.”

“The Committee's initiative and efforts in Arsal to prevent bloodshed and further deaths and losses, as well as its negotiations with the kidnappers, enjoyed everyone's blessing and support,” MSC chief Sheikh Malek Jadida said in an interview with the National News Agency.

The scholars had on Friday announced the suspension of their mediation “pending better circumstances.”

Jadida reiterated that the initiative “was not a unilateral act by the Committee, as it had consulted with everyone.”

“Thank God, the Committee managed to lessen the damages and spare the country more bloodletting,” Jadida added.

Lamenting the criticism that the MSC has faced, the cleric said other parties are seeking to play a role in the negotiations and that the Committee wishes them success.

“The Committee does not care if the solution is reached at its hands or at the hands of others, as the important thing is reaching a happy ending and returning our young men to their families,” Jadida added.

“Should the Committee be asked to resume its role, it will not abandon this role, which it had embarked on out of its religious, moral and national duties,” the cleric said, in response to a question.

Asked whether the abductors had “unfeasible” demands, Jadida said “there were no demands that could be considered unfeasible but rather some humanitarian demands and the issue of Hizbullah's withdrawal from Syria, specifically from the conflict in Qalamun.”

“This demand is in line with what the Lebanese state had endorsed on avoiding involvement in the conflict in Syria,” the cleric went on to say.

Commenting on reports about other initiatives that could be in the making, Jadida said the Committee does not know anything about any new demands that the abductors might come up with.

Following the MSC's suspension of its mediation, kidnappers belonging to al-Nusra Front, al-Qaida's Syria branch, published a video showing eight captive members of the Internal Security Forces and an army soldier.

For its part, the Islamic State jihadist group posted a video featuring seven abducted troops.

Unconfirmed media reports say the abductors have upped their demands while Nusra has officially threatened to “resort to the military option” to “liberate” its prisoners from Lebanon's jails.

Y.R.