Syria Sets Conditions to Engage in Prisoners Swap to Release Captive Lebanese Servicemen

The Syrian government has set three conditions to engage in a prisoners swap with the Islamic State group and al-Qaida-affiliate al-Nusra Front to guarantee the safe release of the abducted Lebanese soldiers and policemen.

Al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Tuesday that the Syrian government demanded its Lebanese counterpart to “officially appeal for help” to facilitate the release of the names enlisted by the two Islamist groups.

Diplomatic sources reiterated in comments to the daily that Syria refuses to repeat the Aazaz pilgrims experience, when the Lebanese government reportedly failed to publicly thank the Syrian state for its help.

In October last year, nine Lebanese held hostage in Syria for over 16 months returned to Lebanon after the Syrian regime agreed to release dozens of Syrian women detained in Syrian prisons.

The Syrian government also set a condition that the Lebanese army “shouldn't hand over to the Free Syrian Army the head of its command council, Colonel Abdullah Rifai.”

The source didn't rule out that the Syrian authorities would in return demand to be handed over Col. Rifai.

On Sunday, the Lebanese army arrested Rifai who was trying to enter Syria using fake documents.

The FSA is the Western-backed moderate group fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Rebels in the Qalamun region have battled both the Syrian army and Hizbullah, which has sent thousands of fighters into Syria to back Assad's regime.

The third demand is to revive cooperation between the Lebanese army and the Syrian military in order to control the border and combat terrorism.

The Syrian ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali has been calling for such a cooperation to avoid losses.

Al-Nusra and the IS groups have been holding several troops and policemen hostage since August 2, when they overran the northeastern border town of Arsal and engaged in bloody clashes with the army.

The two groups have since executed three troops and threatened to murder more hostages if Lebanese authorities didn't fulfill their demands.

The Nusra said that the three-month hostage crisis would end if 10 inmates held at Lebanese prisons would be freed for each hostage or seven Lebanese inmates and 30 female prisoners held in Syria would be released for each abducted soldier and policeman or if five Lebanese and 50 women inmates would be freed.

The group added that the swap with the prisoners held at Syrian prisons should take place in Turkey or Qatar, while the exchange with the Lebanese authorities should take place on the outskirts of Arsal.

The cabinet had previously totally rejected any swap deal with the jihadists.

There are hundreds of Islamist inmates in Roumieh prison awaiting their trials.

They were reportedly involved in terrorist acts, including planning suicide attacks, belonging to terrorist groups and other charges.

H.K.

G.K.