Rifi Says He Supports Barter for Freedom of Soldiers

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi announced his support to the barter in the issue of the kidnapped soldiers, rejecting on the other hand to “push” the army into the Syrian war through coordination with the Syrian army.

Rifi said in talks to al-Liwaa newspaper that the release of the abducted soldiers is a priority to the parliament, and he is with barter to free them.

Any price to achieve their freedom, is cheap, he continued.

Al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State kidnapped 28 soldier from the security forces and the army during the clashes in Arsal town on the second of August this year, causing the death of 19 soldiers from the army.

Rifi also revealed that "the trial of 24 Islamists files have been completed, 23 of them are innocent, and remains 15 files, whose trials will be completed by the end of this year."

Rifi confirmed that: “the trial of civilians in front of the military court has stopped, since its officers are not specialists and its judgment's fairness is questionable.”

He also pointed out that: "some of the forces are working to cause clashes between the army and Tripoli.”

“The decision of its citizens are with the army and the government and its an incubator for its army," he added.

"The talk about an Islamic emirate in the north is to dramatize, 95 percent of Sunni Muslims are moderate and with the government," said Rifi.

He also pointed out that "the Hizbullah fighting in Syria is a strategic mistake ... and its withdrawal from Syria removes the factors of disagreement among the Lebanese, and the political cover is a declaration from Baabda and the support of the Lebanese."

The minister ended with the rejection of, "coordination with the Syrian regime and its army, and reject involving the Lebanese army in the Syrian war and the border's protection is the responsibility of the army and not Hizbullah."

Z.A.