Ibrahim Says No Foreign Role in Asir's Arrest

Foreign intelligence agencies did not help Lebanese authorities arrest fugitive Islamist cleric Ahmed al-Asir, the General Security said on Sunday.

“All claims of a link for foreign security agencies in Asir's arrest are baseless and the operation was entirely carried out by the General Security,” agency chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim told MTV.

Denying reports that a retinal scanner was behind Asir's capture, Ibrahim clarified that the General Security does not have such a device, vowing that the agency will continue its efforts to “preserve security and stability in Lebanon.”

Asir was arrested Saturday morning at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport.

The cleric, who had shaved his beard and changed his appearance, was trying to fly to Nigeria by way of Cairo, using a fake Palestinian travel document that had a valid visa, the General Security said.

He had been on the run since June 2013, when he and some supporters fought a deadly battle with the army outside the southern city of Sidon.

The army seized his headquarters after 48 hours of clashes that killed 18 soldiers, but Asir was able to escape with several of his followers.

He continued to issue audio statements while on the run, and various rumors circulated as to where in Lebanon he was hiding.

In 2014, prosecutors sought the death sentences for Asir and 53 others, including singer-turned-fundamentalist Fadel Shaker.

They were accused of having formed armed groups that attacked the army, killing officers and soldiers, and of having explosive materials, light and heavy weapons that they used against the army. 

Asir, a native of Sidon, was virtually unknown politically before the outbreak of Syria's civil war in 2011.

He began making headlines after the conflict erupted by criticizing Hizbullah and its ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Y.R.