Syrian Coalition: Hezbollah’s Intervention in Syria is Behind the Abduction of the Lebanese Soldiers

Nasr al-Hariri, Secretary General of the Syrian Coalition, “calls on the Lebanese government to exercise caution and restraint regarding the abduction of the Lebanese Army soldiers. In light of the political upheaval sweeping the region, dealing with this issue is like trying to defuse the political and social bombs planted by Hezbollah’s and Iran’s reckless policies in the region.” Al Nusra Front, among other militant groups said they are detaining the Lebanese soldiers near the border town of Arsal,and announced in a statement that it was ready to release the abductees in return for Hezbollah’s commitment not to fight alongside regime forces in upcoming offensives to recapture the Qalamoun area. Hariri criticizes Al Nusra Front’s release of Sunni Lebanese soldiers while keeping the Shiite ones captives. “The abduction of the Lebanese soldiers and the selectiveness in releasing some of them are unacceptable, as it only serves to further ignite the sectarian conflict which Hezbollah and the Assad regime utilize to achieve political ends. Nevertheless, Hezbollah bears much of the blame for the abduction of the Lebanese soldiers, as it has breached international laws by interfering in Syria’s internal affairs. For security and stability to be restored to Syria and the region, Hezbollah must withdraw its fighters from Syria. The Lebanese government has to put pressure on Hezbollah and admit that Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria will not whatsoever be part of the fight against terrorism.” Commenting on the video showing the kidnapped Lebanese soldier pleading his government to put pressure on Hezbollah to negotiate with the kidnappers, Hariri said that “such videos serve in one way or another to foment the sectarian and ethnic conflict in the region. Islamist hardliners have previously published videos showing the execution of the American journalist James Foley, the kidnapped members of the Kurdish peshmerga, the kidnapped UN peacekeeping forces in the Golan Heights, and the kidnapped Lebanese soldiers on the Syrian-Lebanese borders. Hariri stresses that “the sole beneficiary of these terrorist actions are the Assad regime and Hezbollah as they give credence to Assad’s allegations that the conflict in Syria is a mainly sectarian and ethnic one and cannot be considered a popular uprising against tyranny and injustice.” Hariri rules out that Hezbollah may comply with the demands of the kidnappers to pull out of Syria as it is merely a pawn moved around by Iran’s ayatollahs. On the other hand, the sole concern of the Assad regime and Hezbollah is clinging to power regardless of the lives of ordinary people.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)