Ibrahim Says 'Racing Time' to Free Servicemen before 'Any Security Development' in Qalamoun
General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim stressed Friday that mediators are “racing time” to secure a swap deal to free the Lebanese servicemen who have been in the custody of jihadist groups since August, amid concerns that military developments in Syria's Qalamoun region might affect their fate.
“We are racing time to finalize the process of freeing the captive servicemen before any security development happens (in Qalamun),” said Ibrahim in a meeting with a delegation from the Press Syndicate.
“We were in contact with the Qatari mediator last night and he told us positive news about this issue and I can confirm that the servicemen are safe. I don't want to set a date but, God willing, a solution is imminent,” he added.
Ibrahim noted that the file has been finalized “except for the implementation mechanism.”
“The issue of negotiations and implementation is a matter of mutual trust. Some points have been accepted by us and rejected by them and vice versa, but the Qatari mediator is in Turkey and he's trying to resolve these pending points,” the general went on to say.
A number of soldiers and policemen were abducted by militants from the al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State groups during clashes in the northeastern border town of Arsal in August 2014. A few of them have since been released, four were executed, and the rest remain held.
Last week, the hostages held by al-Nusra warned in a video released by the Qaida-linked group that they would be executed if Hizbullah and the Syrian army wage an operation in the Qalamoun region.
They also voiced fears that negotiations to free them are not serious, accusing Ibrahim of “lying to the families of the servicemen.”
But Ibrahim snapped back on Friday, saying “the other party always resorts to the media in a bid to pressure us.”
“I reassure that the case of the servicemen has been totally finalized and the remaining dispute is revolving around the implementation mechanism,” he added.
“The video that surfaced days ago will not affect us, our morale or the course of negotiations,” said Ibrahim, noting that he is seeking to finish the deal “in a manner that preserves Lebanese sovereignty and laws.”
Addressing the anxious families, Ibrahim called for patience and underlined that their “pressure” will only increase the Lebanese authorities' “determination” to finalize the case.
As for the bishops Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi and the Lebanese journalist Samir Kassab, who were kidnapped in Syria, the general said there is no information about the three abductees or their whereabouts while emphasizing that their case is on the agenda of all his meetings and visits.
Y.R.
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