Ali al-Hujairi told the daily that a Syrian mediator, not a Qatar
...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...
i one, was leading the negotiations on the release of the abductees.
Moreover, he said that the town is coming under "immense pressure due to the presence of the army, security forces, 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...
members, and Syrian gunnies in the outskirts of the town."
"We cannot resist the gunnies as we support the state and army," Hujairi declared.
"We have no power over the gunnies and the interests of the residents of Arsal will be harmed," he warned.
"Arsal is being targeted, it is not occupied because the army is deployed there," he added.
He also questioned Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq's claims that Arsal needed to be liberated.
Hujairi instead called on Premier Tammam Salam, Mashnouq, Defense Minister Samir Moqbel, Free Patriotic Movement
Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic...
chief MP
Michel Aoun...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah...
, and the Hizbullah leadership to visit the town "to see the truth for themselves."
Media reports on Friday said that Qatari mediators were negotiating the release of the captive security personnel.
A ministerial panel following up on the case of the kidnapped troops convened on Friday amid a boycott by the hostages' families, as the Islamic State group accused Qatari mediators of maneuvering and "obstructing the negotiations" before eventually meeting with them.
Earlier on Friday, the so-called Qalamun branch of the Islamic State
| They've got branches now? |
The group held the Qatari delegation directly responsible for "obstructing the negotiations and for the lives of the troops."
However,
a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package...
the IS later issued a statement confirming that it did meet with Qatari mediators and that "other parties" were obstructing the talks.
The group also announced that the Qatari delegation will be "the only channel of negotiations" and that it handed it a list containing its demands.
The delegation had arrived overnight Thursday in Leb before immediately heading to the Bekaa town of Arsal, which borders Syria.
Around 36 Lebanese soldiers and coppers were taken hostage last month after IS and Nusra gunnies overran Arsal during deadly battles with the Lebanese army.
| Taking hostages is an ancient Muslim tradition. So useful for ransom, for the pleasure of torturing and killing, for trading for one's own captives, and for controlling the current target. |
| "Please leash your pets for us!" |
The jihadists have reportedly called on the Lebanese government to release Islamist inmates from the country's largest prison in Roumieh in exchange for the captive security personnel.