Report: Deportation of Syrians Torpedoed Release of Lebanese Pilgrims
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The General Security Department’s deportation of 14 Syrians torpedoed efforts to release 11 Lebanese Shiite pilgrims kidnapped in Syria since May, An Nahar daily reported on Friday.
The Lebanese mediator involved in negotiations to set the men free was informed that the talks reached a dead-end following major progress made to secure the safe return of the pilgrims, the newspaper said.
The mediating side has close ties to high-ranking officials in the Syrian opposition that is battling the regime of President Bashar Assad since March last year, it said.
Lebanon deported the Syrians on Wednesday, drawing severe criticism from Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat and human rights activists.
The General Security said the reasons for the expulsions were not political but a Human Rights Watch representative in Beirut said some of the deportees had expressed fears of persecution by the regime on their return.
The 11 pilgrims were kidnapped on May 22 in the northern province of Aleppo by armed gunmen while on their way home from Iran.
The armed opposition Free Syrian Army, whose leaders are based in Turkey, has denied any involvement.
The alleged kidnappers, who identify themselves as "all of Syria's rebels," said in a statement that accompanied a video aired on al-Jazeera network in June they will free them when a "civil state" sees the day in Syria.
The same month, al-Jazeera quoted an armed group, the "Syrian Revolutionaries -- Aleppo Province,” as saying they were holding the pilgrims.
In both videos aired by al-Jazeera the abductors have demanded an apology from Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
03 August 2012, 08:23
116
Those socalled 'pilgrims ' (in fact hizb operatives training the Shabiha!) should face the same fate as those deported Syrians, whatever this may be !
03 August 2012, 09:16
314
hizbushaitan is so arrogant they think their actions will not haeve reactions.
they act as if no one can ever do the same thing to them as they do to others.
let them continue like that and they will see how much htred they are amassing daily, and the result that will outcome from all this behavior whether from the new syria or internally.
03 August 2012, 10:24
31
Time for Lebanon to get involved in the fight against the terrorists in Syria and attack all terrorists whom are operating along the Lebanese Syria border. Also have search rescue missions to find those by terrorists kidnapped Lebanese inside Syria.
03 August 2012, 13:26
06
Abbas Ibrahim is a tail, same as Mansour, Wahab, and the likes. Shame on them.
03 August 2012, 14:08
03
What did they think was gonna happen innou ok they deported 14 back and the rebels will give the hostages back...and yesterday we were talking abt how hizballah fights a war and limits civilian casulties...all lies him and his syrian allies just killed these 14 refugees and maybe even the 11 lebanese who knows now what their fate is...more blood in the hands of these heartless thugs
03 August 2012, 16:35
03
For every action there is a REACTION, so HA and Amal has no one to blame but themselves for whatever the reaction of the rebels will be, this proves again that serving their master in Damascus is more important then serving and bringing their very own back home.
03 August 2012, 18:07
01
Time to punish the kidnappers by burnning tires and block road. very effective. The whole of FSA will then collapse
03 August 2012, 18:17
00
chillout... Lebanon must guard its border and deport every single Syrian, Palastenian and every foreigner on our land illegalli.
The palastenian MUST disarm and go back to their land. or spread across Syria, Jordan, Iraq and KSA etc... The lebanese must protect the country, and must have a very clear separation of state and religion and the main thing is STOP all interntional interference in the internal affairs that has been going on since 1943. Qatar, KSA, IRAQ,ARABS, EU, USA, mind your own business.
03 August 2012, 20:18
00
HA and Amal must change its stance towards the Syrian people before its too late (if it'snt already)
