Report: Ibrahim Says Syria Ready to Cooperate in Prisoners Swap Deal
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim informed the members of the hostage crisis cell that Syrian authorities expressed readiness to cooperate with Lebanon to enter a prisoners swap deal with the Islamic State group and al-Qaida-affiliate al-Nusra Front that kidnapped Lebanese soldiers and policemen in August.
Sources told al-Mustaqbal newspaper published on Thursday that Ibrahim briefed the crisis cell on his recent visit to Damascus, stressing that “the Syrian regime is ready to cooperate and enter a prisoners swap deal.”
Prime Minister Tammam Salam headed on Wednesday night the crisis cell meeting.
However, the sources said that the General Security chief didn't “mention the details of such a cooperation.”
The Syrian government has reportedly set three conditions to engage in a prisoners swap with jihadists, demanding the Lebanese state to “officially appeal Damascus for help.”
The Syrian government also demanded the Lebanese army not to hand over to the Free Syrian Army the head of its command council, Colonel Abdullah Rifai, and to revive cooperation with the Syrian military in order to control the border and combat terrorism.
The Nusra said that the three-month hostage crisis would end if 10 inmates held at Lebanese prisons would be freed for each hostage or seven Lebanese inmates and 30 female prisoners held in Syria would be released for each abducted soldier and policeman or if five Lebanese and 50 women inmates would be freed.
The group added that the swap with the prisoners held at Syrian prisons should take place in Turkey or Qatar, while the exchange with the Lebanese authorities should take place on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal.
The Islamic State group reportedly expressed readiness to release the Lebanese soldiers and policemen if the Lebanese state sets free five Islamist inmates in return for each captive.
The cabinet had previously totally rejected any swap deal with the jihadists.
Sources also told al-Mustaqbal newspaper that jihadists reassured the Qatari-appointed mediator, Syrian Ahmed al-Khatib, that the captive soldiers and policemen are safe for now and no other member will be executed.
H.K.
G.K.
20 November 2014, 09:24
32
I respect this man too much for not allowing the iranian made movie "Silent Majority" to be aired in Lebanon. The movie is about the demonstrations in Iran against the regime and the fraud in elections.
20 November 2014, 13:12
12
Wlak 7ejet day3o wa2t. Let the state pinpoint where the terrorists are jailed, let the state call the families of our kidnapped soldiers, let it open the door of the jail where the sod terrorists are jailed, let the families take for each of our soldiers twenty terrorists. Let the families keep these sods in places of their choosing and if Al Nusra touches one hair of our soldiers, the families cut ten of their own captives hairs. If the terrorists kill one of our boys, then let the families kill twenty, simple!! 7ejeht day3o wa2tel ness, these terrorists do not talk the language of civilized people, only force will make them respect the sanctity of the lives of our boys, then no one can blame the state.
20 November 2014, 20:59
10
Dear Phoenix Guest, well you know me long by now so why bother your ink? Since we are at it, why don't you come up with suggestions, eh instead of babbling and mumbling? Freedom, the other Phoenix is a fake as we often see in this forum. My method is one I am not ashamed of and will use it if I was given the chance. What matters to people like me is our soldiers, even if it meant killing 20 terrorist for one of their hairs, I will do it. Lebanese come first.
