| A promise worth the paper it's written on. |
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates...
's mediator has received oral pledges from the jihadists who have taken Lebanese soldiers and coppers captive that they would not kill more abductees, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Monday.
The daily said that the envoy, who is a Syrian and who has not been identified yet, met over the weekend with Lebanese officials and the representatives of the kidnappers of the troops.
Last month, the Lebanese army fought fierce battles in the northeastern border town of Arsal with al-Nusra
...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli sh-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ...
and Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling
Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not
reallyMoslems....
group jihadists who streamed in from Syria.
The Lions of Islam withdrew after a truce, but took with them the hostages, three of whom were later executed.
Lebanese officials have repeatedly said that they would not negotiate with he jihadists unless they receive written pledges that they would not harm more captives.
Al-Akhbar quoted informed officials as saying that "Qatar's envoy reached an important breakthrough in the negotiations after receiving an oral pledge from the kidnappers that they would not execute more soldiers."
The officials said the mediation with al-Nusra Front is easier because Qatar has an influence on the group. But the IS leadership in the Syrian al-Qalamun region and the outskirts of Arsal needs a decision from the the group's general command over every step it takes.
Speaking before the U.N. General Assembly, Prime Minister Tammam Salam said Friday that Leb is determined not to give in to "pressure and blackmail" by the Islamic holy warriors.
The jihadists have made various demands in exchange for the soldiers' release, including the release of Islamist prisoners in Roumieh.
"We will never give in to such pressure, and will remain focused on the release of our soldiers, while preserving our country," Salam said.
But he told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Sunday that he supports holding negotiations with the captors to release the hostages.
Leb has long been split over the war in neighboring Syria, with Sunnis supporting the Sunni-led rebellion against
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Horror of Homs...
and Shiites supporting his government, fearing the rise of turbans among the rebels' ranks.
Hizbullah
...
Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as
The Resistanceand purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory...
has infuriated many Sunnis by sending thousands of fighters to battle alongside Assad's troops.