[An Nahar] Saudi Ambassador to Leb Ali Awadh Asiri expressed relief on Thursday over the arrest of Majed al-Majed, the "emir" of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, the al-Qaeda linked group that claimed a double suicide kaboom at the Iranian embassy in November."If DNA tests prove that the person tossed in the calaboose
Maw! They're comin' to get me, Maw!
is al-Majed then we're extremely thrilled," Asiri said in comments published in the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat newspaper.
He pointed out that al-Majed "assaulted his country before attacking the Iranian Embassy
...You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy!...
," pointing out that his country has been pursuing him before the twin suicide kaboom that targeted Tehran's embassy in Beirut.
The diplomat, who currently resides in Riyadh, said that Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
had previously issued a global alert over al-Majed's status.
In November, Saudi Arabia's embassy in Beirut has called on citizens to leave Leb because of the dangerous situation.
The warning came two days after a twin suicide kabooms killed 25 people near the Beirut embassy of Saudi's regional rival Iran, which is located in the stronghold of Tehran ally Hizbullah.
Sources close to Asiri said in comments to al-Hayat that the delay in announcing the arrest of al-Majed is "due to Saudi Arabia's desire to confirm his identity through DNA tests."
"Information obtained by the Lebanese authorities indicate that the detained person is al-Majed," the sources noted.
According to the report, al-Majed was submitted to a hospital where he is undergoing treatment over kidney failure and under maximum security.
The newspaper said that contacts are ongoing between Asiri and Lebanese authorities to coordinate measures.
"It's normal to coordinate with the Lebanese authorities to continue the required legal measures in order to hand him over to Saudi Arabia if his identity was confirmed."
He told AFP: "He was placed in durance vile
Book 'im, Mahmoud!
by the intelligence services of the Lebanese army in Beirut."
He did not specify when the arrest took place.
"He was wanted by the Lebanese authorities and is currently being interrogated in secret," the minister added.
Ghosn later denied to various media outlets that he had made any statements regarding the arrest.
Saudi Arabia's interior ministry also confirmed that Majid Mohammed Abdullah al-Majid, a Saudi citizen, was on a list of 85 suspects wanted by the kingdom.
The Azzam Brigades was designated in the United States as a "terrorist organization" in 2012, and has in the past grabbed credit for firing rockets into Israel from Leb.
The group was formed in 2009 and is believed to have branches in both the Arabian Peninsula and Leb, with the latter named after Ziad al-Jarrah, a Lebanese citizen who participated in the September 11, 2001 attacks.