BEIRUT: The U.S. is reportedly pursuing its own interests, urging Qatar to include the release of American hostages held by ISIS in any swap deal with the jihadists to free Lebanese captives, As-Safir reported Monday.
“What is the validity of the information made available to Lebanese authorities regarding the U.S.’s [intervention] in the hostage issue, by urging Doha to include the names of U.S. citizens kidnapped by ISIS and Nusra Front in any swap deal?” the local daily asked in its front-page article.
“Doesn’t this demand remind us of a similar episode when Washington – through its embassy in Ankara – called for the release of [Syrian blogger] Tal al-Mallouhi from a Syrian regime prison as a key condition in the swap deal in the midst of the Azaz negotiations?” the report added.
As-Safir launched a scathing attack on the government, saying the “willpower of the state also became hostage to blackmail and mismanagement and conflicts of roles and interests.”
The story's headline blared “The Scandal: Many heads involved in negotiations ... The result is zero!
As-Safir said the “dispersed” and “scattered” management was most dangerous, saying the hostage issue was nearly subjected to quota where religions and sects to which the kidnapped servicemen belong became partners in the negotiation, even getting the power of veto after having become stakeholders.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam said Sunday that the head of General Security, Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, was solely in charge of negotiations aimed at freeing the 26 Lebanese servicemen held by ISIS and the Nusra Front.
Salam denied that there was discord within the crisis cell he had created to deal with hostage ordeal, describing the ongoing talks to free them as “serious” but admitting that no new developments had occurred.
Qatar has been mediating the release of the servicemen who were kidnapped early in August during the jihadists' brief takeover of the northeastern border town of Arsal.
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