March 14: A State that Contacts Ali Mamlouk Does Not Respect Itself or the People
The March 14 General Secretariat hailed on Wednesday the release of the nine Lebanese pilgrims who were held in Syria's Aazaz region, but questioned how negotiations were carried out with Syrian security chief Ali Mamlouk in the case.
It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “A state that meets and negotiates with Mamlouk, who is wanted by Lebanon's judiciary, is not a state that respects itself or its people.”
General Security chief Major General Abbas Ibrahim, who played a major role in the release of the pilgrims, had contacted and met with Mamlouk as part of negotiations to free the captives.
Mamlouk and former Minister Michel Samaha are wanted by Lebanon on charges of transporting explosives to the country in order to carry out terrorist attacks.
Moreover, the General Secretariat condemned the “scandalous” popular reception for the pilgrims that took place at the Rafik Hariri International Airport on Saturday, saying that it is a sign that Hizbullah is still in control of the facility.
“A state that respects itself would hold an official welcome for the pilgrims at the airport, while leaving the popular ones for the streets,” it remarked.
A raucous reception was held for the pilgrims by their loved ones at the airport after they were released from captivity that last 17 months.
Addressing the release of the pilgrims, the March 14 General Secretariat hoped that their release will pave the way for tackling the case of “all prisoners and captives unjustly held in Syria.”
The manner in which the pilgrims were released “demonstrated once again that those who possess illegitimate arms and are capable of kidnapping innocents with total disregard to the state's agencies, are able to ensure the release of their loved ones,” it noted in reference to the abduction of two Turkish pilots in Beirut in August in retaliation to the pilgrims' kidnapping.
“Those banking on the rule of law, judiciary, and government will however have to wait a long long time for the release of any loved ones,” it remarked.
The Turkish pilots were released soon after the pilgrims were freed.
“The General Secretariat is committed, now more than ever, to the state and the implementation of laws and it will never cease demanding that Hizbullah, similar to all Lebanese, abide by the laws of Lebanon and not the other way around,” it declared.
“The release of the pilgrims however will not be complete without the release of Bishops Youhanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi and all Lebanese journalists, including Samir Kassab,” it stated.
The General Secretariat questioned how national, regional, and international efforts are exerted to release certain captives and not others.
The two bishops were kidnapped in Syria in April, while Kassab, his Mauritanian colleague Ishak Moctar and their Syrian driver, went missing in Syria's Aleppo region last week.
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