March 8, PSP Unite in Rejecting Deal with Islamist Gunmen

The March 8 alliance and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat completely reject any bargain in the case of the abducted Lebanese security personnel, As Safir newspaper reported on Wednesday.

“No agreement (with gunmen) will be made,” sources close to the March 8 coalition told the newspaper, warning of the risks posed by such a demeanor.

The army command, which isn't interfering in the negotiations with the Islamist gunmen, reportedly expressed belief that the case is “very dangerous” and requires a “delicate” handling.

On August 2, gunmen belonging to the two al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) overran the northeastern border town of Arsal as clashes erupted with the Lebanese army, killing 19 troops.

Several soldiers and policemen were kidnapped as the Islamist gunmen withdrew from the town. Some have been released recently, the latest batch on Saturday evening.

The army command, according to source, had warned of the repercussions of any negative move by the state, expressing concern of the increase of sectarian tension locally.

The source considered that Qatar and Turkey are the most appropriate channels that could negotiate the release of the abducted soldiers and policemen.

Media reports have said that the jihadists have a list of demands, including the withdrawal of Hizbullah from battles in Syria and the release of ten Islamist inmates held at Roumieh prison in return for each captive soldier and policeman.

Judicial sources ruled out in comments published in As Safir newspaper a general amnesty to release the prisoners as it should be issued by either the parliament, which is not convening, or by the president, but the post has been vacant since the end of Michel Suleiman's tenure in May.

The sources said that any general amnesty also requires judicial sentences, but the trials of Islamist inmates haven't been carried out yet.

“The only real solution is to swiftly stage the trials, which is a necessity despite the demands of the abductors,” the sources added.

The March 8 alliance and Jumblat, according to As Safir, would reportedly agree on any sentences issued by the judiciary regarding the Islamist inmates.

In 2012, a new courtroom was inaugurated at Roumieh facility to speed up the trials for the Fatah al-Islam inmates, who are held in the prison's bloc B.

Roumieh, the oldest and largest of Lebanon's overcrowded prisons, has witnessed sporadic prison breaks in recent years and escalating riots over the past months as inmates living in poor conditions demand better treatment.

H.K.

G.K.