Muslim Scholars Say Ghali had Green Light to Head to Arsal, Engage in Direct Negotiations

The Muslim Scholars Committee stressed on Monday that it received the green light from a security agency to head to the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal and engage in direct negotiations with the Islamist gunmen, who are holding several Lebanese soldiers and policemen hostage.

Sources close to the committee said that Sheikh Hossam al-Ghali, who was arrested on Sunday as he was heading to the outskirts of Arsal along with four Syrian gunmen of whom one was carrying an explosive belt, headed to the area to take a written pledge from the abductors that the captive servicemen will not be harmed.

The sources told As Safir newspaper that al-Ghali was not aware that one of the gunmen, who accompanied him and was appointed by the kidnappers, was carrying an explosive belt.

The sources said that both sides, the Lebanese state and the Islamist gunmen, don't want us to engage in the negotiations, saying: “The committee became a source of annoyance to everyone.”

Committee member Sheikh Wissam al-Masri, who was reportedly appointed by the al-Qaida-affiliate al-Nusra Front to negotiate a prisoners swap deal, told al-Mustaqbal newspaper that “al-Ghali was appointed by the Muslim Scholars to meet with the kidnappers and receive a pledge that they will not kill any hostage.”

“Al-Ghali was accompanied by a Syrian national and he was surprised when he reached an army checkpoint that the Syrian was carrying an explosive belt.”

Al-Masri stressed that the committee will “continue its efforts to persuade the Lebanese state to officially task it with the negotiations.”

However, the Sheikh expressed pessimism over the matter over sharp differences among the cabinet members.

Committee member Sheikh Adnan Imama urged the state in comments published in the pan Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat to act in a positive manner in order to end the abduction ordeal.

Imama noted that the the security, justice, political and military should unite and work on the same level to gain the trust of the jihadists by proving that the state has a head.

Sheikh al-Ghali was released later on Sunday but the four Syrians remained in custody. They had all been transferred to the Ablah military barracks for interrogation.

The hostage troops and policemen were captured when jihadists from the al-Qaida-affiliate al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State groups briefly overran Arsal in August and engaged in fierce battles with the Lebanese army.

Four captives have been executed so far, and the jihadists have threatened to kill the remaining hostages unless there is a deal to free Islamist prisoners in Lebanon.

The Muslim Scholars Committee has recently announced that it will seek a pledge from the captors on halting executions after the relatives of the servicemen called on it to lead the negotiations.

H.K.

D.A.