Pilgrims held in Syria unharmed, still captive

Relatives of the 11 Lebanese hostages held by Syrian rebels for over two months said Sunday they were informed that their loved ones were fine, a day after media reports indicated their residence had been attacked. Meanwhile, the captors’ leader refused to negotiate the release of the 11 with Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, head of the Lebanese General Security, over the body’s recent deportation to Syria of 14 Syrians, including opposition activists. Mona Abbas, whose husband Ali Tormos is among the kidnapped, said she was informed Saturday that her husband and the other 10 were all safe. Speaking to The Daily Star, Abbas said Abu Ibrahim, the head of the kidnappers, had informed Ali Akil Khalil, the ambassador of the International Organization for Human Rights, that he was still holding the hostages and that they are fine. Khalil confirmed the news to The Daily Star. “He [Abu Ibrahim] said that the 11 are okay,” he said. Reports emerged Saturday indicating that the location where the 11 Lebanese are being held had been attacked by another opposition group after a dispute broke out between rebels, and that two of the hostages managed to flee during the altercation. Khalil said Abu Ibrahim had told him such reports were “inaccurate,” but added that “three men close to him [Abu Ibrahim] confirmed the reports.” Khalil also said that Abu Ibrahim has refused to discuss the release of the kidnapped with General Security. “He refused to negotiate with Maj. Gen. Ibrahim, whom President Michel Sleiman tasked with handling the issue, as, he said, Ibrahim ordered the deportation of the 14 Syrians,” Khalil said. The General Security deported 14 Syrians last week, including Syrian opposition activists, a move that outraged the March 14 opposition. Khalil said that Abu Ibrahim had demanded that he hold negotiations with Zahle MP Oqab Saqr, from the Future Movement, or Col. Wissam Hasan, the head of the Internal Security Forces Information Branch. “When I asked him if he wants money, he said ‘No, I can give the abductees money if they want,” Khalil added. LBCI aired a videotape Saturday evening showing Lebanese journalist Fida Itani sitting with Ali Zogheib, one of the kidnapped. The channel broadcast Zogheib talking for a few seconds, saying that he was fine. But Abbas voiced skepticism over the video tape’s date, “as Zogheib said today is Friday.” The 11 Lebanese were kidnapped in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo shortly after crossing from Turkey on May 22 while on their way back to Lebanon from Iran, where they had been on a pilgrimage. Women and elderly men who were with them were released. Khalil said Abu Ibrahim promised him he would allow the hostages to speak to their relatives by telephone Saturday after iftar, but added that the rebel could not be reached at that time. “I tried calling him today [Sunday] but his bodyguard picked up and told me Abu Ibrahim was not in the area.” Abbas criticized the Lebanese authorities for neglecting the kidnapping case. “No one has asked us whether we need help or support,” she said. “We are unable to sleep or enjoy iftar [with our lived ones].” “How is it possible that journalists are reaching the kidnapped and interviewing them and the state cannot reach them?” she asked. “Do they want us to go and negotiate with the kidnappers ourselves? “We have no state here!” Abbas also slammed Turkey, saying the country’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had abandoned the Lebanese after they showed solidarity with Ankara when Israel stormed a Turkish vessel carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza in 2010. “The Syrian opposition receives its arms and all it needs from Turkey and Turkey has a strong say in this [kidnapping] case,” she said. “It seems only thugs can gain their rights in this country,” she added, promising escalatory steps soon. However Sheikh Abbas Zogheib, who is tasked by the Higher Shiite Council to follow up on the case, said that relatives were not planning to escalate matters soon. “We are communicating with Maj. Gen. Ibrahim and he is working on the case,” he told The Daily Star, urging Qatar and Turkey to make efforts to secure the captives’ release. Separately, premier Najib Mikati telephoned Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu Saturday, asking if he had any new information on the case. Media reports indicated the Turkish official said he had no new information. (daily star)