Sleiman calls on France to help with hostage case

President Michel Sleiman asked France Friday to work with Turkey in resolving the case of the 11 Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria two months ago, during a visit by French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius to Beirut. According to Sleiman’s press office, the president asked Fabius during their meeting Friday to work with the Turkish authorities on the kidnapping case and stressed the importance of releasing the men as soon as possible. The abduction of the 11 Shiite pilgrims, who were snatched after crossing into Syria from Turkey on May 22, has raised tensions in Lebanon. The families of the hostages have staged several protests, blocking roads and threatening escalation of the disruption. Turkey has said it is doing its best to secure the hostages’ release. The head of the captors, a man who goes by the name of Abu Ibrahim, said Thursday that four of the hostages were killed in a Syrian airstrike on their location in the Aleppo district of Azaz near the Turkish border, while the rest were in critical condition. Lebanon has not confirmed the claim. During his visit Fabius also expressed hope that Lebanon would remain immune to the contagion of the Syrian crisis and vowed to increase financial support for Lebanon’s government to aid refugees. In a news conference at Rafik Hariri International Airport Friday morning, Fabius affirmed his country’s commitment to Lebanon’s safety and stability, and said he hoped that the Syrian crisis does not reach Lebanon. He added that the recent kidnappings and other security incidents encourage the spillover of the Syrian crisis, which he described as very dangerous, and called for the release of all hostages in Lebanon. Fabius said the primary aim of his visit was to follow up on the situation of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, adding that France would donate 15 million euros ($18 million) to the government’s emergencies body, the Higher Relief Committee. He also said that the increase in the number of displaced people affects residents living in the north, saying that the Lebanese government rejected the idea of “Syrian refugee camps” due to the difficulties that could arise as a result. Fabius also said that the Lebanese government would find it difficult to administer Syrian camps, adding that if the crisis next door continued much longer, the number of refugees would increase, as would the corresponding problems related to their status. He praised efforts by the Lebanese government, the HRC and the local and international organizations to help thousands who have fled violence in their home country. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says there are currently 37,240 Syrians registered with the organization in Lebanon. However, activists have said that the total number of displaced Syrians in the country could be nearer 90,000. Last month, the HRC halted some of its aid operations to refugees, citing a lack of funding, prompting government officials to appeal to international organizations and countries to support their effort. During his visit to Lebanon, the French official also met with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Speaker Nabih Berri and Foreign Affairs Minister Adnan Mansour. He held telephone conversations Friday with both Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt. During his discussion with reporters, Fabius said that he had relayed France’s commitment to the presence of Christians in the Middle East in his conversation with Rai and had also emphasized the importance of protecting minorities. (daily star)