BEIRUT: Lebanon has not authorized the Committee of Muslim Scholars to represent the government in negotiations to release the captive servicemen, Prime Minister Tammam Salam said in comments published Friday, adding that political bickering had largely affected the hostage crisis.
“I read their [the Committee of Muslim Scholars] request for authorization in the papers. They did not make an initiative as per an authorization and we did not give authorization to anyone,” Salam told Al-Hayat in an interview in Paris.
“This is not a deal but a humanitarian case, and whoever makes an initiative is much appreciated.”
The committee has met with some ministers, asking the government to officially task them with negotiations to release 25 servicemen held hostage by militants from Nusra Front and ISIS. The group has also urged the government to agree to a swap deal as requested by the gunmen.
Their move came after Nusra Front said last week it killed a Lebanese policeman in retaliation for the detention of women and children related to Islamist militants.
Nusra Front and ISIS took more than 30 soldiers and policemen hostage during August clashes with the Lebanese Army in the northeastern town of Arsal. Four servicemen have been executed, while Nusra has released at least six. The committee, which has been accused of working in favor of Nusra Front and ISIS, initially withdrew from negotiations after one of its prominent members was attacked on his way to Arsal.
Asked about the withdrawal of the Qatari mediator from the negotiations, Salam said he did not know why Qatar halted its efforts in the case "or whether developments in Syria had anything to do with it."
Salam said there were differences among Cabinet ministers on how to handle the hostage crisis, preventing the government from making a final decision.
"Political parties that express their viewpoint are not helping because there are clear and big differences in this crisis. If we look at other countries, we see that issues such as these are addressed with utmost secrecy, devoid of political bickering, because they are national cases.”
Asked whether he believed Hezbollah's role in Syria had led to the abduction of the soldiers, Salam said: "The abduction happened during a direct confrontation between the Lebanese and ISIS and Nusra Front amid the situation in Arsal with the presence of some 100,000 Syria refugees in a town of 35,000. Consequently, a safe haven [for militants] was created. But, Hezbollah's fighting in Syrian is different issue.”
He reiterated that there was a big gap between the policy of dissociation his government adopted and Hezbollah’s role in the Syrian conflict.
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