Report: Negotiations on Arsal Captives 'Very Difficult' as Muslim Scholars Proposal Being Considered

The situation regarding the release of the policemen and soldiers kidnapped from the northeastern border town of Arsal is “dangerous” as Lebanon is living “under constant threats,” reported the daily An Nahar on Sunday.

Ministerial sources told the daily that negotiations to release the Arsal captives “are very difficult.”

They made their remarks after Saturday's extraordinary meeting of the ministerial cell tasked with releasing the captives.

The meeting was held in the wake of the Islamists' execution of policeman Ali al-Bazzal on Friday.

The gatherers sufficed by issuing a brief statement without divulging their next steps in tackling the case of the remaining detainees.

The ministerial sources pointed out however to the initiative launched by the Muslim Scholars Committee aimed at easing tensions.

It called on the state to release detained women and children mentioned by the captors and urged the kidnappers to cease threatening the families of the captives with the execution of their sons.

The sources revealed that efforts are underway to possibly implement this initiative.

Still under the shock of al-Bazzal's execution, the families of the captives headed on Sunday to his hometown of al-Bazzalieh where they will offer their condolences to his family.

The families stressed that they will not end the sit-in they have been holding in Beirut's Riad al-Solh Square aimed at pressuring the state to exert more efforts to release their loved ones.

They explained that ending the sit-in will be interpreted as sign that they have given up on their sons.

They urged while receiving condolences at al-Bazzalieh the state to hold direct negotiations with the kidnappers in order to release their loved ones.

“Take the bold stand and help bring back our sons,” they said addressing Premier Tammam Salam.

“We must rely on ourselves and only our state can return our sons,” they declared, while blaming the government of failing them.

“All self-respecting states carry out negotiations and the state must take a decisive stance to bring back the servicemen,” they added.

“Negotiations should be held as we want our sons to return alive and not be killed one by one,” they stressed.

Moreover, they said that the residents of Arsal should not be blamed for the fate of their loved ones.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant threatened on Saturday to execute Lebanese soldiers and policemen in its captivity as the families of abducted servicemen called on the cabinet to resign if it was incapable of ending the kidnapping ordeal.

On Saturday, the al-Bazzal family called on the state to start executing inmates linked to terrorist groups to ease the tension on the streets after the execution of al-Bazzal by al-Nusra Front.

Al-Nusra Front said on Friday night that it had killed him to avenge the arrest of Islamic militants' wives and children.

The group did not identify the women and children it said Lebanon was holding, nor did it say how many were missing.

Al-Bazzal was one of around 30 Lebanese soldiers and policemen abducted by jihadists in August during fighting in Arsal.

M.T.