The Qataris have now intervened in negotiations with Syrian radical Islamist militant group al-Nusra Front to help secure the release of the kidnapped Lebanese soldiers. For its part, the Islamic State, which has appointed a new emir for the Qalamoun region, has raised the ceiling of its demands, asking to swap 10 Islamist detainees for each soldier in its custody, and threatening retributions if its demands are not met.
The conditions of captivity for the soldiers who were kidnapped during the recent battles in Ersal and are now held by al-Nusra Front are markedly different than the 11 soldiers held by the Islamic State (IS).
For example, al-Nusra Front has asked negotiators to bring clothes for the 18 prisoners from their families. Meanwhile, IS has reportedly been forcing the hostages to build sand barriers in the mountains all day long. According to further reports, the health of the prisoners held by al-Nusra is relatively better than those imprisoned by IS, who sources say are being held in bad conditions.
It was also learned that IS has appointed Abu Talal al-Hamad, from the Syrian clan of al-Weis, as the group’s emir in the Qalamoun region. Al-Hamad succeeds Abu Hassan al-Filastini, who was killed in battles with the Lebanese army near Ersal.
Incidentally, Abu Talal is related to a member of the Association of Muslim Scholars in Lebanon, which had helped initiate direct negotiations with IS. Two out of the four clerics (Samih Izz al-Din, Hussam al-Ghali, Mohsen Shaaban, and Ammar al-Weis) in charge of the negotiations are handling the direct talks with IS.
According to sources, Abu Talal al-Hamad has demanded the release of 10 Islamist detainees from Lebanese prisons in return for every Lebanese soldier held by his group. The sources said the emir of IS in Qalamoun promised to release one captive soldier as a goodwill gesture if he senses the Lebanese government is cooperating. Reports indicate IS has yet to produce a list of the detainees it wants released, pending the Lebanese government’s approval of the idea of a swap, bearing in mind that IS also holds the body of a Lebanese soldier the group says had died in the fighting, and wants to include it in the negotiations.
Hamad also happens to be the brother of the director-general of the Syrian Ministry of Oil, Omar al-Hamad, according to one of the elders of his clan in Lebanon. Al-Akhbar has learned that around 100 fighters from IS have now come from various fronts to join the group’s war effort in the Qalamoun region.
On the other hand, the “second phase” of the negotiations with al-Nusra has begun, as one leader in the group put it. The al-Nusra Front leader in question has been quoted as saying that eight detainees were released so far in return for a symbolic demand, namely, to ease the pressure on Ersal. As for the rest of the detainees, al-Nusra Front demands the release of two Islamist detainees in return for each soldier.
According to reports, the emir of al-Nusra Front in Qalamoun, Abu Malek al-Talli, has shown some flexibility in this regard. He has been quoted as saying that if the release of certain Islamist detainees is problematic, other less problematic ones can be released instead. Talli has also proposed releasing the detainees in batches of four Islamist detainees in exchange for each two soldiers, until the swap is completed.
In Roumieh central prison, the Islamist prisoners are pinning a lot of hope on the rumors regarding their imminent release. Some of them have purportedly even started packing their belongings, in anticipation of the “good news.” However, this is the third time this has happened, the first being with the Aazaz hostage crisis, and the second during negotiations for the release of the nuns kidnapped in Maaloula.
With regards to the names of the prisoners that the militant groups want released, Al-Akhbar has learned that the majority of the names involved had been arrested throughout the last year. Contrary to rumors that the names include leaders on the so-called “Islamist floor” in the central prison, credible reports indicate the majority of detainees al-Nusra wants released are affiliated to the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, including two women, as well as Naim Abbas and Jamal Daftardar. This is while bearing in mind that the majority of these detainees are held at the Rihaniyya prison, which is run by the Military Police. But sources in the Association of Muslim Scholars denied that Abbas and Daftardar have been included in the negotiations, saying that the list of detainees to be swapped does not contain any prominent names.
What is new in the negotiations is that the Qataris have now become involved as mediators with al-Nusra Front. Sources involved in the negotiations have told Al-Akhbar that a representative from Doha has contacted Abu Malek al-Talli to help secure the release of the kidnapped soldiers. The sources said that the relationship between the two sides had begun during negotiations for the release of the nuns kidnapped in Maaloula.
However, Abu Malek demanded that the Association of Muslim Scholars be kept in the negotiations alongside the Qatari delegation. Reports have indicated that the Qataris, with a view to keep the issue of displaced Syrians in Ersal out of the negotiations, have told the emir of al-Nusra that Turkey and Qatar are prepared to move all refugee families in Ersal from Lebanon to Turkey.
Despite the strange nature of this proposal, especially in light of the Turkish decision to not receive any additional Syrian refugees, sources from the Association of Muslim Scholars have confirmed its authenticity, noting that the Qatari delegation had proposed moving 100,000 Syrian refugees by sea if the emir of al-Nusra approves.
Army commander: We are working on retrieving the soldiers
In the meantime, Lebanese army commander Jean Kahwaji made a statement saying: “The issue of the martyrs and missing soldiers is the main concern of the army command, and will remain at the forefront of its concerns.”
Kahwaji added, “The blood of the army’s martyrs has protected the unity of Lebanon and prevented the fire of strife from spreading to the heart of the homeland.” The army commander also stressed that the army would continue to work to achieve justice and bring back all those missing to their institution and families as soon as possible.
In a meeting with the families of the soldiers who died in Ersal, Kahwaji praised the “courage of the martyrs and their exceptional heroism,” saying that the military would honor the families of its martyrs who serve as an example for every citizen in patience, sacrifice, and loyalty to Lebanon.
Follow Radwan Mortada on Twitter | @radwanmortada
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.
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