Syria willing to help Lebanon free hostages: Sayyed

BEIRUT: The Syrian government is willing to intervene in the Lebanese hostage crisis, former General Security chief Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed said.

“Syrian authorities have expressed readiness to secure a safe passage for ISIS and Nusra Front militants active on the outskirts of Arsal inside Syrian territory in exchange for the release of the kidnapped servicemen,” Sayyed said in remarks to Al-Jadeed TV late Monday.

The announcement came hours after rumors about the appointment of a new mediator in the crisis.

While the Nusra Front’s official Twitter page did not mention the alleged appointment of Tripoli Sheikh Wissam Masri as a mediator, media reports quoted Masri as saying he had been commissioned by the group.

Muslim Scholars Committee member Sheikh Adnan Amama claimed that the Nusra Front officially announced Masri’s appointment, basing his account on a statement purportedly circulated on WhatsApp by the extremist group, he told The Daily Star Monday. The authenticity of the statement could not be verified.

Meanwhile, local daily Al-Akhbar said Tuesday Syrian President Bashar Assad had expressed his support for the efforts to release the 25 Lebanese soldiers and policemen held captive by ISIS and the Nusra Front on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal since early August.

Assad’s remarks came during a meeting with a Lebanese figure acting as an intermediary between the Syrian government and the U.N., according to Al-Akhbar. The intermediary enjoys strong ties with both Assad and Hezbollah.

Assad’s comments were later relayed by the intermediary to the U.N. mediator in the Syrian conflict, Staffan de Mistura, in a meeting in Beirut, Al-Akhbar said.

Assad reportedly disagreed with the way Lebanon was handling negotiations, describing the proposed swap deal as “blackmail” by jihadists.

The intermediary said Assad rejected secret negotiations, saying Lebanon must not act shy.

Lebanon’s dissociation policy from the Syria conflict has kept Beirut distant from Damascus.

Al-Akhbar said another meeting between de Mistura and the Lebanese intermediary had paved the way for “successful” talks between the U.N. envoy and Assad.

On the hostage issue, a proposal was raised that Syria would secure a safe passage for the transfer of all militants from Arsal’s outskirts toward northern Syrian areas in return for the release of the Lebanese servicemen.